Beth sank into one of the armchairs by the fire, while Jonan sprawled across the sofa.
Doriel sat cross-legged on the other chair, picked up a ball of thick purple wool with wooden needles stuck through the middle, and a long stretch of purple knitting folded underneath. The needles began to fly, but she didn’t once take her gaze from Jonan. ‘What’s the plan?’
‘I’ve invited him to stay here. I know we don’t really have the space, but—’
‘No, it’s fine. What are we going to do about Amelia?’
‘We need to neutralise her,’ Jonan said, with a nod at Doriel. ‘Take her on at her own game, bring light where she brings darkness. We need to encourage people to stand up to her fear-mongering and see where this takes us.’
Beth took a deep breath. ‘I will try to find out what she plans to say at the event. That’s something she might expect me to do anyway. And maybe I can reduce the number of media who cover it.’
Jonan let out his breath in a rush. ‘I’m so sorry to put you in this position, but honestly, you have no idea how much this means to me.’
Doriel smiled. ‘Would you like to stay for dinner?’ She unfolded herself from the chair, swinging her skirt as she headed for the kitchen.
Beth noticed that her energy flared and, for a moment, her ears looked pointed too. She watched Jonan by the warm light of the fire. ‘Can I ask you a question?’
‘Of course!’ Jonan was smiling, finally relaxed. He lay back on the threadbare sofa, hands behind his head, legs crossed.
‘If Amelia is so powerful, how are we going to stop her?’
Jonan laughed. ‘We have our own kind of magic. You do too. You just need to remember how to use it.’
‘Magic?’ Beth rolled her eyes. ‘That’s storybook stuff, wizards waving wands, turning things into toads or conjuring money out of nowhere. It’s not real.’
Jonan grinned. ‘Real magic is far more subtle. I’m pretty sure you use it yourself, even if you avoid the “M” word.’
‘Please, Jonan, I’m trying to understand.’
He sighed and sat up, leaning his forearms on his thighs. ‘I’m not making fun of you. Those memories I’ve told you about, they’re not all about my life path. I remember what it’s like not to be bound by a human body. I remember being pure energy, able to manifest at will. A body inhibits that, but we are all creators at our core. It’s about knowing you can do it.’
As Beth listened, she started to feel disconnected. She was focused on Jonan’s words, but she could also feel them in her energy, buzzing around her. She could see his light-body now. It was bright, brighter than she had encountered before. The pale-blue energy shimmered, narrowing into points above his ears and making him look like the figure in the tarot card.
‘So.’ She blinked, squeezing her eyes tightly shut for a moment and digging her nails into the palms of her hands, trying to pull herself back into normal awareness. ‘You’re some kind of infinite creator with great connections. Is there anything else I should know?’
Jonan laughed and leaned back on the sofa. ‘We’re all infinite creators, it’s just that most people have forgotten how to access it. Part of my job is to help you remember. You are the Seed, Beth. You are potential.’
The scent of lavender spiked. Beth felt a click as she slipped into trance and her awareness expanded rapidly. She was still in her body, watching Jonan speak, but a bigger part of her separated out, expanding until she had no edges.
Sister. A voice sounded through her. She didn’t need to turn; she felt him, swirling, moving past her, never quite forming. Do you see your path? Do you feel it?
Images flickered through her mind. Tall white pillars and a raised dais. A woman with pale skin and glossy dark ringlets. A man, hugely built, blond hair flowing down his back as he shimmered in and out of form. And Jonan, or was it Jonan? He was achingly familiar and indefinably different. His hair hung to the tips of his elbows, and was paler, just a shade darker than the porcelain skin that replaced his usual tan. His ears were clearly pointed now, flesh and blood not the shimmer of light. His violet eyes warmed as he held her gaze, building a connection between them that she knew with absolute certainty she had lost and grieved.
Her heart clenched as she saw another version of herself take his hand. Her hair was woven with flowers. An indigo dress hung from her shoulders and was gathered in around her waist, before brushing the ground with gauzy tendrils. She wanted to be that woman.
Your path, sister. Your choice. You are the Seed that can flourish or remain dormant at will.
‘And if I say no?’
Then we will fade away. You will live life on your old terms, lose what you haven’t quite regained. Can you bear that? When you look at this Jonan, your Jonan, can you walk away?
Beth swallowed. ‘How do I know he’s my Jonan?’
The shimmering energy solidified between the pillars, and the heavily muscled man appeared before her. He tilted his head, frowning. ‘I know you have been asleep, sister, but do you really not know? Could you honestly forget that?’
The other Jonan turned to look at her. She gasped as the weight of knowing hit her in the chest. It cracked her open, letting in rivers of pain and separation. Her eyes swam with tears. The man smiled, and then his face wavered. His skin darkened and a light stubble now dusted his chin. She blinked.
She was lying on the sofa, Jonan leaning over her. He placed his palm on her forehead, and then pushed her hair from her face. His gaze flickered over her, taking a tally of every movement she made. She coughed, feeling her skin flush, and heaved herself up to sitting. Her arms and legs felt like lead and her head was thick with the residue of the vision.
‘What happened?’ She rubbed her eyes.
Jonan straightened up and strode to the kitchen. She heard the tap running. He came back in and handed her a glass of water and a bar of chocolate. ‘I was hoping you might be able to tell me that,’ he said, sitting down and angling his body towards her. ‘Did you faint?’
She swallowed. ‘I don’t think so. Let’s suppose, just for a moment, that everything you’ve told me is real.’
Jonan froze.
Beth could hear of the pounding of blood inside her head, but she forced herself to continue. ‘What is the point of it all? Where do I come in?’
He took her hand in both of his. ‘What happened, Beth?’ His voice was rough. His throat worked.
‘I may have had… some kind vision. There was this man. He called me sister.’
‘Salu,’ Jonan whispered. He breathed in through his nose as the scent of lavender surrounded them. Beth saw the tension in his forehead ease a little.
Beth frowned. ‘People keep saying that, but nobody will tell me what it means.’
‘Where we come from, Salu is your brother. He chose not to be born this time around. He guides you from home.’
Beth’s breath caught. ‘My guide is my brother?’
Jonan nodded. ‘Do you smell lavender?’
‘Yes.’ Beth shrugged. ‘That happens to me a lot.’
‘That’s Salu, letting you know he’s here.’
Beth blinked. She had always felt so alone; the idea of having a brother set her heart hammering in her chest.