“Listen to me, honey,” the lady squeezes my hand. “You should get off at the next stop if that thing doesn’t.”
“I can’t. This is the only train that goes all the way to Arcadia.” The next train isn’t until next week. Without this train, I have no way to get to my new school. Money is a strange concept for dryads, but mom made it a point that if I get off the train before my destination, I won’t be able to get back on again.
The witch doctor sighs, and her dark eyes mourn for me. “Well then, since you’ll learn it anyway, and it doesn’t look like you know how yet, close your eyes for me.”
I smirk. “I know how to close my eyes.”
She grins like a Cheshire cat and says, “Don’t be ornery.”
I do as she says.
Tingling, then warmth spreads through my hands. “Now,” she says. “Focus on your heart, your core, the place where your healing comes from. Feel the compassion swirling like mist. Are you there?”
My nod satisfies her as I reach inside myself. The core that is my heart glows brightly. A foreign pulling draws me in, and then I’m inside a round chamber. The best way to describe what I’m feeling is—pink. It’s love and hurt. It’s forgiveness and redemption. Hope blooms as I look around myself in awe. Hundreds of little nicks scar the sphere. But a peaceful strength I’ve never felt before shines through. I can’t see in colors, but I feel the pink cascade into orange, yellow, and a lighter shade of red as if they shimmer on the curved walls.
“You have a beautiful heart, little kin,” the lady says, and I can hear her in my head. I can also feel her as if she’s standing next to me in this room.
“Is this my heart?” I ask.
“It is.”
It’s as if I’m inside a fortress, only the outside barrier of the fortress is actually me, in the world. But the “real” me, the eternal me, is within this sphere. This “room” is the power source of all my magic.
“Little kin,” the lady whispers, “learn well at the academy how to protect this.” The outside me feels her press warm a hand against the upper part of my breastbone.
“Stay in here,” the woman continues. “And it will protect you from the pain of the shadow demon.”
I know what she means. Stay inside my power source. My heart.
She’s right. My nausea’s gone. With a clear head, I’m able to think again. I open my eyes. “Thank you for showing me.”
“You’re welcome, little kin.”
She starts pulling away, but as the last of her essence fades, I hear her from the outside world. “This is my stop.”
My outside self nods. “Okay, thank you again… for everything.”
Then she’s gone, both from the sanctuary of my power source and from the train. A small part of me is sad and nervous to be left alone.
I can maintain my concentration for a long time. My body sways to the inertia of movement, but I’ll be able to stay inside my own heart. At first, it’s the wonder of it all. I’ve heard some people rule their magic with either their minds or their hearts. It makes sense that my power resides in my heart.
Some think the mind is more powerful, but I disagree. Maybe people who use their minds as a power source are clever, or can do intricate magic, but all I want is to become better at helping The Circle. It’s the place where all dryads are born. The place where we’re safest. And soon, after my time at the academy, I’ll be best qualified to become High Priestess for the next generation. But before then, it means leaving the Circle to study and bring that information to the Enclave.
It seems I’m well on my way. I learned something new. Something important. And it’s just like me to test the boundaries of this new talent.
I open my eyelids a crack to see if I can remain inside my heart, but still be aware of my surroundings. The barest of light and shadow comes through, and I sense being inside my heart again. I’m doing it! This is big. I could be fully connected to my magic and be aware. I turn my head to the side, but see no one. Slowly, I lift my chin to look down the car.
Only the shadow demon remains.
Why is it here? What does it want?
I turn back to watch it again and immediately right myself. It moves from the back of the train to the middle. It appears almost as black mist, coming closer to me. I can feel my heart start pounding as fear creeps inside me, and I can’t help but look back again.
“Eep!” The high-pitch squeak brings me out of the protective walls of my heart. The thing is in the seat behind me, and now I’m ready to vomit again.
Crap. Crap. Crap!
I want to double over and puke all over my shoes. An H-bomb of pain explodes in my head. Breathing comes at a labored price. My heart hammers.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” the thing whispers in my ear. Instantly, I feel coldness all over my body. I shiver.
“Why are you here? Go back… over there.” I fold, putting my head to my knees as I try to keep my stomach contents intact.
“You’re needed. I hope you’re the one.” The voice is a quiver and shrouded in an echo as if it’s speaking from far away, but the tone is definitely male.
“The one what?” I say into my knees.
He hisses and I recognize the sound as a sigh.
“Close your eyes.”
Panic laces my soul. Close my eyes? Why? “No.”
The shadow demon hisses a sigh
