The first thing she was aware of was a steady, flickering tingle deep in her belly that hadn’t been there before. Slowly other sensations began to gather around her, coalescing into sluggish familiarity. 

There was warmth on her forehead, softness draped over her body. The quiet murmur of voices drifted across her. Chamomile and lavender wafted to her nose. She realized that her whole body ached, far more than from her earlier trials. She moaned. 

“Easy,” said a deep, gentle voice. “Easy Kaz. Go slowly. Can you open your eyes?” 

They stung and watered, but she managed to open them. The ceiling of the sauna, softly lit by firelight, hazed into view. She saw Orlando sitting beside her, his blurry features concerned. She realized that the warmth on her forehead was his large hand. 

Kaz moaned again, without consciously deciding to make a sound. 

“Good,” said Orlando. “You’ve been through a lot. Just lie there for a moment, alright?” 

Kaz didn’t even have the energy to nod, so she grunted. Orlando smiled. 

She wanted to ask what she had been through, why she was like this. But then details started coming together. The sauna, the tingle in her belly, her aching body. She remembered the glowing map and - and Chukulla offering her a mage’s power. Had she accepted? The memory of pain, of lightning frying her from the inside, answered that question. 

But after that - how was she still alive? She remembered nothing after Chukulla’s shocking gift. 

“How?” she managed to say, trying to formulate a coherent question. Her voice came out as a rasp. “Chukulla. The lightning. How am I still here?” 

“Owen saved you,” said Orlando.

“What? How?”

“He managed to call Ch’usaj, and she absorbed the lightning. He held you until I could get both of your elements to relax their holds on you.”

Kaz sighed. Well, that seemed to answer one question, even as it generated others. 

“So I’m a mage?” she said, surprised at how easily the question formed. She seemed to be getting her voice back. 

Orlando, his face finally losing its blur, nodded. 

“Yes,” he replied simply. 

Kaz closed her eyes. Well, shit, she thought. She opened them again. “And Owen?” she asked. “Does that mean he’s a mage, too?” 

“That’s still unclear,” said Orlando. “Ch’usaj hasn’t said anything to either of us. It’s clear he has some sort of power, but whether he’s a mage, an early-blooming shaman, or something else entirely, we don’t know.” 

“But he saved my life,” said Kaz. That much at least was clear to her. “Again,” she added. She was too tired and weak to laugh properly, but she managed to huff out a breath. 

“That he did,” said Orlando. 

“Where is he?” asked Kaz. 

“Inside, eating dinner. It’s best to eat after a significant spiritual experience. It helps to ground the energy that was running through you.”

“In that case, I’ll be eating nonstop for the next week,” said Kaz. 

To her surprise, Orlando actually laughed. “Well, perhaps start with dinner, and then we’ll see.” 

Kaz smiled. She wasn’t used to making people smile or laugh. Maybe her brother or one of her few friends, but never people she had just met. It made her feel warm and content inside. 

“Come, I’ll help you sit up,” said Orlando. “And then you can go find out.” 

Kaz’s stomach rumbled loudly, and she joined Orlando in laughing this time, before allowing him to help her up. 

~

Leaning heavily on Orlando as her aching body protested, Kaz entered the main room of the small dwelling. Owen leaned against the wall, while Maria and Jess sat at the ends of the table on either side of him. 

“No really Jess,” Owen was saying. He looked about as exhausted as Kaz felt. “Not until Kaz gets here.” 

“I’m here,” said Kaz. 

“Kaz,” said Owen, and she was pleased at how much his face brightened as he said her name. “You’re alright.” 

“I’ve felt better,” she said, “But I’ll live. Thanks to you.” 

“Maria,” said Orlando, gesturing for her to move aside so Kaz could join Owen against the wall. Kaz was grateful. She didn’t think she could hold her own weight for long right now. 

“It was nothing,” said Owen awkwardly as she sat next to him. 

“Don’t be stupid,” said Kaz. She leaned over and hugged him. Though at first he stiffened in surprise, he quickly relaxed and returned the embrace. “No one’s ever risked their life for me before,” she whispered in his ear. “And now you’ve done it twice.” 

As she pulled away, she saw him blushing. “I just did what felt right,” he said. “I’m really glad it worked.” 

“Me too,” she said. “I just hope that I can return the favor on the journey ahead.” 

The quality of silence in the room changed as the other three turned to look at her. 

“Does that mean that Owen’s going with you?” asked Jess. “He wouldn’t tell us.” 

Kaz paused, realizing that she should have checked this with Owen first. It had been so clear from the first round in the sauna. But, of course, they hadn’t had a chance to discuss it. Owen solved her quandary by speaking. 

“Yes,” he said. “I have to go. That much is clear. Do you agree, Kaz?”

“I do,” she said, grateful that they were in agreement on this point. She didn’t feel up to arguing her case right now. 

Just then, Maria set a plate in front of Kaz. Quinoa, vegetables, and chicken steamed fragrantly. “Here,” she said. “Eat.” 

It struck Kaz in that moment how strong Maria was. She had just learned that her son was about to leave her, and she was offering nothing but kindness. Kaz smiled at her, trying to communicate some of her gratitude through her expression. Maybe Maria understood, for she reached across the table and smoothed Kaz’s hair against her scalp. Kaz had never received affection like this from her own mother, but it felt soothing and warm. 

Kaz blinked hard, suddenly so moved that she felt unable to speak. She picked up a spoon and began to eat. 

Orlando took over. “Ch’usaj and Chukulla both agreed. Owen must go with Kaz. It appears that they have a deep soul contract for this lifetime. And after what I just witnessed, I believe they will be essential in helping keep one another safe.” 

“Why? What happened?” This time Maria asked, sitting next to Orlando and setting another plate in front of him. 

“May I tell them?” Orlando asked, looking to Kaz. She could only nod. 

“Go ahead,” said Owen. There was something off in his expression. Perhaps he was troubled about needing to leave home. But Kaz was too tired and focused on eating to worry more about it. 

“During the second door, Kaz was initiated as a mage. It was quite an abrupt initiation, as these things go, and the power came on stronger than she could handle. 

“Maria, that’s why I sent you for the poker. I thought metal could ground the lightning. But then Owen started singing. He called Ch’usaj, and she swallowed the lightning. I was able to sing both of their elements down, with Owen’s help, once he realized what I was doing. When it was over, I checked with Chukulla to make sure the initiation had been completed successfully.” 

“And had it?” asked Jess, her eyes wide. 

“Well, she’s here and conscious. That is to say that yes, the initiation was successful.” 

“So you’re a mage now?” asked Jess. She looked awed. 

“I guess so,” said Kaz. She hadn’t really had time to get used to the idea. 

“And Owen? It sounds like you’re one, too,” said Jess. 

“Well, Ch’usaj said that any time I want to access my gift, all I have to do is sing,” said Owen, the troubled look returning to his features. 

“Wow,” said Jess. But Kaz noticed that Owen hadn’t really answered his sister’s question. She remembered what Orlando had said back in the sauna and wondered if Owen had any more clarity about his new power. 

“What else happened?” asked Jess. 

“If you want to share it with us,” added Orlando, smiling at his daughter’s enthusiastic curiosity. 

“Ch’usaj,” said Owen, and Kaz looked at him, curious. “She isn’t all bad,” he said. “I realized that she’s where my music comes from. It’s like nothing can truly be created without her. This time she felt so familiar, like I’ve known her all my life. I don’t know - maybe I have.” 

There was an uncomfortable pause as everyone absorbed this. Ch’usaj was so universally feared that contemplating another dimension to her was an unwelcome prospect. 

“What about you, Kaz?” asked Maria. “What did you get from the first door?” 

Kaz thought back. “Well,” she said, “I saw a lot. But the only thing that was really clear to me was that we need to go to the sacred mountain.” 

“Well,” said Maria. “At least you have a destination. That’s a good start.” 

“Papa,” said Owen abruptly, almost cutting his mother off. “I don’t remember anything from the second door except what happened with Kaz. Should I be worried about that?” 

Orlando sighed, gazing across the table at his son. “No,” he said. “That does happen sometimes.” He smiled slightly. “It can be very annoying, because what it means is that someone needed to share something with your soul that your conscious mind shouldn’t know or isn’t ready for.”

Owen was frowning. “But how does that benefit me if I don’t know what happened?” 

“That’s the problem. Owen, this is when the mystery is the deepest, when you just have to trust that you will become aware of the information when your conscious self is ready for it.” 

“But that’s - so unhelpful.” 

Orlando laughed. “Infuriating, isn’t it? Welcome to my world, son. I’m afraid I can’t help you on this one. You’ll just have to trust that what you learned will serve you on some level.” 

Kaz felt a huge yawn escape her. She tried to hide it, but Orlando saw her. 

“But that’s enough talk. The only other information I was given was that you two need to leave early tomorrow. So you should get some rest tonight. Go on! You can pack in the morning.” 

Kaz would have resisted, if only for the appearance of being more put-together after her ordeal than she felt. Some habits stuck around, she reflected wryly. But she was too exhausted to pretend. And once Devlin had led Owen off to bed, Maria settled Kaz once more on the cushions beside the table. She was asleep before she could even finish saying ‘thank you.’ 

Next Chapter: 20: Owen - Departure