My blood boiled as my mind replayed the image of Rafe running his sword through Mom’s chest. Tess had stood there watching, making no attempt to stop him. All this time she’d known what he did and she hadn’t said a word to me about it.
I gritted my teeth as the image played back in my mind one more time.
Shaking my head, I turned toward Rowle with tears in my eyes. “So, you need an apprentice. If I follow you, will I have a chance for retribution?”
Rowle gave me a sad smile. “On Raphael?”
“On both of them,” I snarled through clenched teeth.
Rowle nodded. “Sure, it’ll take years of training to even attempt to attack them, but when you’re ready. I promise you that you’ll get the opportunity.”
“Then let’s get started.”
Chapter 19
raphael
I lay on my back staring up at the bright glow of the Milky Way stretching over me from horizon to horizon. It was a beautiful sight that I never grew tired of seeing. Only activating my senses tat would improve on the spectacle. I focused…and memory came rushing back to me.
My tats were gone!
I sat up. At least my vision seemed to be restored. Tess was lying beside me on the still smoking grass of the meadow. Placing a hand on her shoulder, I shook her gently.
“What?” she said, but it came out as more of a moan than a question.
“Are you okay?”
“Oh, damn. I feel horrible. Remind me to never do that again.”
“To not do what?” I asked.
“To bring lightning to myself,” she moaned and sat up.
“Is that what happened?” I gazed around at the smoldering grass. “How on Earth did you manage to summon lightning?”
“You don’t remember?” Tess asked.
“Things are a little fuzzy. I remember trying to burn a tat and failing. Then I tried to burn a clump of grass, but that’s where things blur. Want to fill me in?”
“You went a little nuts,” Tess said.
I frowned. “A little nuts? That doesn’t sound like me.”
“Yeah, well, a little nuts is an understatement of epic proportions. You surprised me, too. You were releasing energy, but it wasn’t directed at anything. Instead, it just kept building and building. I couldn’t get you to stop and you were aging before my eyes. You should see yourself. You look like an old man.”
I raised a hand to my face and felt my skin. My face was heavily lined and my skin felt like old leather. As much as I didn’t want to believe Tess, I had little choice in the matter. I had expended an incredible amount of energy somewhere.
“Damn. And you summoned lightning to get me to stop?”
Tess nodded. “I’d tried everything else I could think of. Kissing you, slapping you, I had to do something before you killed yourself.”
“And the lightning?” I asked.
“We were still partially meshed, but I couldn’t reach your mind to snap you out of it. Finally, I grabbed you and focused on your lightning tat. It activated for me and well, here we are.”
I shook my head. “I’ve never heard of anyone activating a Wanderer’s tat except himself. I don’t understand how it’s possible.”
“Maybe no one else has ever tried to,” Tess suggested.
“That could well be,” I agreed as I stood. My body protested at the effort of rising to my feet. Damn, I was not only old, but weak and sore as well. My joints hurt as if I’d developed arthritis along with old age.
I offered a hand to Tess and when she took it, I found myself unable to lift her to her feet.
“That’s okay, Rafe. You need to get your strength back,” Tess said as she released my hand and stood easily.
I felt for a ley line. I knew we weren’t too far from the one that passed over Alex’s hotel. Nothing. I couldn’t feel one.
“Oh, hell.”
“What’s wrong now?” Tess asked.
“I can’t feel a ley line. I know there’s one near the motel, but I can’t feel it. You try,” I ordered.
Tess turned toward the west and raised her face toward the sky. “It’s there, Rafe. I can feel it.”
“Damn it, it’ll take me a day to draw enough power to restore myself if I can’t access a ley line.”
“Perhaps I can help,” Tess suggested.
I stared at her for a second and then nodded. “Yeah, that should work.”
She stepped close and wrapped her arms around me. I embraced her and we meshed minds, auras, and emotions.
It was troubling to feel how worried she was for me.
Without speaking, we both turned to face the western sky. Through her eyes, I could see the distant glow of the ley line. It was less than a mile away and should have been plainly visible to any magic user. Just not me.
Together, we raised our hands, our fingers interlaced toward the line. I felt Tess reaching out for the line and she started a tap. Energy flowed into our hands and spread out through our bodies. It was a marvelous feeling like someone was pouring life back into my withered flesh. We stood that way for a long time before I felt some semblance of normalcy in my body.
Together, we dropped the connection and lowered our hands. Tess turned to face me and we kissed.
When the kiss broke, she leaned her head back and smiled at me. “You’re looking better.”
“Glad to hear it. I still don’t feel like myself, but I think I can at least get around without a walker.”
She chuckled nervously. “Good. I didn’t like seeing you weak like that. It was scary.”
I nodded and we dropped the mesh.
“What now?” Tess asked.
“I’m not sure. This is all new to me.”
“Imagine how I feel.
