if someone is playing with the brightness control. The loudest sound comes from the confines of my ribcage, where my heart still thunders.
Amazing.
“What was that?” I ask, still searching for a hint of the magic I just experienced.
“Environmental manipulation,” Charlotte says. They are the first words she’s spoken since we’ve been out here. I’d almost forgotten she was with us.
“I want to show you one more thing.” Rose lets go of my hand and steps aside a little. “Energy sourcing is how we reenergize. Just us being out here and taking in all the earth offers is filling our needs as Enchanters, but it’s more than that.” She looks to Charlotte. “Show her, dear.”
Charlotte nods and faces forward. She closes her eyes, fists clenched tight, and takes a slow, deep breath. When she exhales, a fog escapes from her mouth. It circles in front of her, but never vanishes. Charlotte opens her eyes and holds her palm up, careful not to touch the eerie vapor substance. She blows on it gently, and I watch as it transforms into sprinkles of glittery particles that release into the air. The wind comes along, and the particles spread until I can no longer see them.
“That’s our power, made up of the earth’s elements. What we take from the earth, we give back. It’s a cycle of life that keeps us powerful and healthy. That’s why when you get to my old age, it’s difficult to keep up, but it’s up to you how long you choose to recycle. What makes us most powerful can also kill us.”
Again, Rose is being vague. I sigh inwardly, but I’m understanding more. I then think about her last sentence. “So what happens when you stop energy sourcing?”
Rose gives me a heartening smile as she says the two most ominous words I think I’ll ever hear. “I die.”
Some nights, I feel like I’m trapped in a bottle, rattling around, hoping it will tip over and crack, just so I can steal a sip of air from the outside world. It’s a bit dramatic, I know, considering I’m currently standing on the massive balcony outside my lavish master bedroom.
Sleep seems impossible lately. Between all the energy racing through my veins, straight to my heart, and the questions that never quit, I’m going out of my mind. And ever since the other night when Rose showed me how to energy source, I haven’t been able to get her words off my mind.
What we take from the earth, we give back. It’s a cycle of life that keeps us powerful and healthy.
It’s all so fascinating how we’re able to recycle the earth’s elements to enhance our senses and turn our strengths into magic. What I once thought was a strange and terrifying curse feels so different to me now. It feels… like magic. It’s also terrifying. To know that one day my end will come—not because of old age, but because I’ll choose to take my last breath—that’s not a power I want to possess.
Restless, I climb onto the balcony rail and walk the ledge like it’s a tightrope. While I pace back and forth, I consider how high I am from the ground and whether I could make the jump. It’s tempting, but I latch on to the trellis beside my balcony, descend a bit, then jump when I’m halfway down, enough to test the strength of my legs from a position no Normal could land carefully.
The second before I hit the patio, I tense to absorb some level of shock. Instead, I just feel like I jumped in place. My laugh carries into the wind, and I look around at the dim house lights and consider my next move. I either abide by Rose’s wishes and get back inside, or I take a quick jog to release some of this energy. The thought of maybe running into Alec crosses my mind, and that’s enough to tip me over the edge.
A little run won’t hurt anybody. With a quick wave of my hand, my tennis shoes tip over the edge of the balcony. I slip them on then tighten the laces, and away I go. I’m jogging along the shore, frowning when there’s no sign of Alec by the time I fly past his house. Still, I decide to keep going and run the length of the shore until I get to the public beach then past the abandoned north side of town toward the bridge that cuts through the