"Ow! That's just not fair." He laughed as I rubbed my throbbing hand. Then I continued. "Everett just seems so creepy."
Tallis shook his head and pursed his lips. "I've gone and made you paranoid now. Don't worry about anyone coming after you. That's my job."
I brought my face to be closer to his. I made sure to make intense eye contact. I could feel myself drawing closer and closer. I spoke very quietly, trying to be somewhat seductive.
"So what all does your job entail, exactly?"
He smiled menacingly as his eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You're trying to be quite the little temptress right now, aren't you?"
My face flooded with a blushing red. It almost felt as if I had a fever instantly rise. I pulled back quickly and buried my head in my hands as I spoke.
"Wow. I'm not embarrassed at all now."
He put a pillow over his head to drown out his laughter. His speech and laughter were muffled through the pillow. "Sorry. I couldn't resist."
My face was still blood red, so I decided to shift the subject. "So you can blow things up, and you can read a changer's aura. Are there any other special talents you have hidden away?" I leaned over and propped my h
ead on his shoulder.
He smirked at me after tossing the pillow aside. I'm sure he was resisting the urge to tease me further.
"Well actually, my sister, brother, and I can read a witch's power through their essence. Before and after transformation."
My eyes widened with excitement and my head popped up. My pitch was a little higher than normal when I spoke. "Really? And this is just now coming up? Tell me what mine is going to be." I was almost glowing with invigorating exhilaration.
"I don't know." He laughed a little, like he was amused by the look of disappointment that spread across my face.
"I thought you just said you could tell." I was so confused by his contradictory statements.
"I did, but I can only tell what they are going to be when it's something I've come into contact with before. You have something new - very powerful. I haven't ever sensed anything even close to it. Des and Ayla said the same thing." He sounded a little impressed by me. Then he continued. "According to your bloodline, you should be a seer, but you're obviously going to be far more powerful than a seer."
I smiled as I replied candidly. "Well, I hope it's better than blowing stuff up, because right now my family thinks you're the coolest thing ever."
He laughed. "No, they're just excited to have some new powers on their side. Your family has a lot of powerful magic. They can call their powers from all around, not just project it from their bodies. They are at one with magic. I can only project my explosions from my body. Everyone in your family can attack from any direction at any time, making it impossible to know where they are.
"They don't need motion to use their magic either. It makes it stronger when they do use motion, but it's not necessary. They only need their minds. I can't blow up anything without my hands or feet. I have to push the energy from my body. My sister has that ability with her power of serenity, but I haven't gotten to that point. Most likely, I never will."
I looked at him curiously. He had never seemed to be one to doubt himself. "Why not?"
He shook his head slightly. "I'll never be as powerful as I can be. Nor will Desmond or Ayla. My mother has been the one to limit herself the most though."
"Why?" I asked, still puzzled.
He sighed loudly. "We have bound our Craymon half."
I shrugged slightly. "What does that mean?"
He smiled. "It means we have rejected the power that comes from our Craymon half. My mom bound her Craymon half has well. The blood still runs through our veins, but not the magic. And as I said earlier, my mother will barely use her enforcer power that she inherited from her father. It's just a safety precaution. Our magic would be far stronger if we didn't have it bound, but we worry that the magic is tainted from his indiscretions. We're still stronger than most because of our link to Allora, and we still have some power from our Craymon side, but it doesn't flow as freely as it would if we didn't have it bound."
I felt so sorry for him. He didn't even know how wonderful he was. He felt as if he had to work so hard to be good. "I'm sorry."
He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead, as usual. Then he got up and pulled me to my feet. "It's just part of the hand I was dealt. I think that's enough of the heavy talk. It's time to get you home."
"Will you stay with me in the morning? I don't like waking up to a cold half of the bed." My voice was a little pleading.
"I just leave to come home and get ready. Then I go buy you coffee and breakfast. I'm gone an hour, tops." He was almost poking fun of my unwillingness to be without him for one second.
I did have a genuine concern I was hesitant to voice. "I just don't feel comfortable right now, after McKee being in my room this morning. I thought it was you touching me. It kind of creeps me out to know how easy it was for him to just walk in and put his hands on me."