Errol frowned. “No, not a defender.”
“Then what?”
Korneli and Errol exchanged a glance, but it was Selwyn who answered. “They mean you to be something for which they have no name.”
“Selwyn!” Errol’s rebuke was sharp.
“I know you don’t agree with this, but it is for her own good,” Korneli said.
“Zezilia, look at me,” Errol requested.
I met his gaze. His strange green eyes flared intensely.
“We aren’t telling you everything for your own safety and well-being. When it is time, I will explain what all of this is about. For now, please trust me.”
Biting back a protest, I nodded. “It would be easier to be content if I knew when I would be allowed to know,” I pointed out.
“Fair enough,” Korneli said.
Errol nodded. “Half a year before your graduation, I shall reveal the purpose that we have for you. Is that agreeable?”
Since it was now the middle of my second year, I had only a year to wait. After already waiting for a year and a half, another seven months shouldn’t be too terrible. I agreed.
The last of the tension suddenly dissipated with a silent sigh of relief from all three men. I hadn’t realized that it had been such a serious issue. Suddenly thankful that I hadn’t made more of a fuss, I listened as the three of them outlined the time that I was to spend with Selwyn over then next few months.
Korneli didn’t participate except for occasional comments on the parameters of the testing he was going to require at each testing session. When he was not needed, he contented himself with watching me. I tried to not let him know that I noticed his attention.
“I will be restricted. As I explained earlier, I am not going to be able to demonstrate any of these tactics for her. I refuse to allow her to touch my mind,” Selwyn was saying, when suddenly Korneli turned to Errol. I felt the sending and saw Errol’s frown.
When I glanced at Korneli as Errol replied, his face lit up with amusement.
“She knows you are talking about her,” Selwyn said. Suddenly, I was the center of attention.
“Zezilia, is this true?” Errol asked. “Can you tell when we are sending between us?” Fear filled my chest.
“Yes.”
“The only other person that I know of who can sense other people’s sendings is Ilias. Can you understand what we are sending?”
“No,” I said. My brain latched on to the fact I could do something that only Ilias could do, giving me a thrill of triumph.
“Am I to understand that this is something you weren’t aware of?” Korneli asked Errol with surprise.
Errol shook his head. “She didn’t tell me.”
Selwyn spoke up from the corner. “She would rarely have an opportunity to find out that it is significant. The only time that there are two or more talents other than herself present is when Errol and I teach her jointly or you and Eldivo visit.”
“Good point,” Korneli admitted.
“Have you always been able to do this?” Errol asked me suddenly.
“No,” I replied, watching his face as he thought. Ideas were whizzing around in his head as his face settled into his usual thoughtful look, puckered brow, lowered eyebrows, and pursed lips.
“When did you first notice it?” Korneli asked.
It took me a moment to recall. “It was the first time that you and Eldivo visited. We were sitting at the dining room table and you reprimanded Eldivo for poor manners.”
“And since then, have you noticed it more?” he immediately asked.
“Sometimes,” I replied.
Korneli turned to Errol. “She is still developing her awareness. This is unusual for her age. That means that she hasn’t reached her full potential yet.”
The excitement in his voice surprised me. I noticed new things all the time; why was this so exciting to him? It was nothing new to me. As I learned more about how to use the talent, I became more aware of senses that had always been there. It was sort of like walking; the muscles were all there the whole time, I was just learning to use them. I turned to Errol for an explanation.
He leaned forward with a sigh. His calm manner was a sharp contrast to the animation in Korneli’s face. “A talented child first discovers his abilities at an early age, four years being the earliest known. From then on, he continues to discover senses and capabilities for a period of about five years,” he explained. “We call it the period of discovery. At the end of those five years, the child reaches the level of power or strength that he will have for the rest of his life. When the child enters the teen years, his ability to concentrate grows to the point where he is teachable. So, then the trainer steps in and begins to mold the talent that is already there.”
Turning to Korneli, Errol said, “Zezilia appears to be a special case. First of all, until I happened upon her using her abilities like an untrained four-year-old, she had no awareness of her talents.”
“How can that be?” Korneli looked at me in surprise.
I shrugged my shoulders. All of this was new to me.
“When I had the Sept Son test her initial potential, he found the power of a fully grown child of her age. Since then, I have noticed leaps in her abilities that cannot be simply accounted for by saying she is growing more skillful.”
“So,” Korneli frowned, “you are telling me that she is still in the discovery stage. She hasn’t reached the extent of her powers and will not reach it for another two and a half years. So, this discovery of sensitivity to activity between other talents isn’t the first of its kind. Errol, why have you hidden this?”
“I haven’t.” Errol crossed his arms and frowned back at Korneli.
Korneli shot a questioning look Selwyn’s way. A sending passed between them.
“Considering Zez knows when you are sending and receiving, I would suggest communicating verbally or by sending to all of us,” Selwyn replied. “The answer is yes. I
