Blaize and the Maven: The Energetics Book 1 (14 page)

She belted up as he put on some kind of highbrow classical music. Very Ajna, she thought. Not much rhythm in this. But she settled back in her comfortable seat and watched the scenery pass by, as it was clear that Cuinn wasn’t—yet—in the mood to talk.

The landscape passing by was, like Cathair Cuinn, showing signs of spring. Trees had some pink or white blossoms, still tightly in bud, but there. There was plenty of mud in the fields around them, but also green peeking through at the sides of the roads.
 

Cuinn's hands were neatly in the ten and two positions on the wheel, and he drove with minimal effort and movement, his eyes more blue than grey in the morning light. From the side she could see his eyes were fringed by thick lashes that made her a little jealous.

“So, assuming we agree to work together, and be joined as Maven and Adherent, how do you like to work? How have you worked with Adherents in the past?” As the words came out of her mouth she saw his lips tighten, and felt the car jerk, presumably in reaction to him pressing a little harder on the accelerator. She could have kicked herself. Tierra had told her there had been an issue with a previous Adherent. She needed a fast change of subject.

“Me, I like room for spontaneity. Some structure, some goals, but also the possibility to read about a topic and and explore anything that’s interesting. Sometimes I can get really involved and consumed by an idea if I get really into it.” She gabbled out the words, trying to make sure he didn’t clam up again.

There was a pause. Blaize sipped the coffee she'd brought with her and looked fixedly out of the window, pretending that this kind of long gap between contributions was completely normal.

She turned back to him when he finally spoke. His face hadn't lost the pinched look. In profile he had a strong face with an aquiline nose and a firm chin. His skin was pale—
presumably because he never leaves the house.
“With Ajna there must be some planning, some looking ahead. We’ll start out with a plan for what we do with our time. But I’ll try and ensure you have time to explore your own interests within the topic. Over time you’ll need to find your own speciality areas. Your own specific talents within the mind.”

Intrigued, she asked, “What are your talents?”

There was another pause, smaller this time. His mouth relaxed a little. He was a lot more attractive when he wasn't annoyed with her. Which so far was about one percent of the time.
 

“I have a talent for prophecy. And I'm strong. I can dreamwalk, and work on the astral plane as well as the physical.”

Blaize raised her eyebrows. “What’s your Muladhara energy like?”

“These days I don’t use it as much as Ajna, but it’s helpful. It … grounds me. It helps keep the lighter energies of Ajna stable. We’ll need to be careful of your own fire energies. Fire combined with the mind can mean speed of thought, burning curiosity, laser-like focus—or it can mean being consumed by your own power, being possessed by intellectual pursuits above emotions or relationships with others, or even being burnt out too soon.” His glance flickered over to her, and she met his eyes, now as opaque as fog, before he turned back to the road.

She shivered. You really didn’t want to hear someone with the gift of prophecy say something like that.
 

The powerful vehicle ate up the miles to the town, and after passing only a handful of other cars, with about the same number of words between them, they arrived.

Driving into the small town, he told her a little about it. “There’s not too much in Merrow—officially it’s called Merrow Mount, but everyone just calls it Merrow—but it’s the biggest town around. There are a couple of guest houses, a handful of places to eat, some grocery stores.”

He pulled into a space on what seemed to be a reasonably busy street, and Blaize watched as a passerby waved at Cuinn and as he lifted a hand, returning the greeting. Blaize’s eyebrows rose.
Interesting
.

“Shall we go and get a cup of coffee?” he asked.

They were both out of the car by now, and this time Cuinn caught her raised eyebrow.
 

“I thought you might want a drink, and I can introduce you to the best coffee shop in town.” He remained polite.

“Of course,” Blaize murmured, proud of her own restraint in not mentioning she'd just finished a cup of coffee. She caught up with his long strides as he made his way across the road, watching him wave to two more people. She was fascinated by how different he seemed away from Cathair Cuinn.
 

Entering the warmth of the coffee shop, Blaize inhaled the aroma of fresh pastries and coffee. The cafe and shop, ‘Sugar and Spice,’was doing a roaring trade. As she and Cuinn approached the counter to order, the motherly woman behind it caught sight of Cuinn and made a pleased sound. “Cuinn, how lovely to see you. It’s been a while. Working hard again?”
 

Cuinn smiled at her. “A little. This is a family friend who’s moved here to help me with some research. Blaize, meet Rosa, who makes the best cakes and coffee in Merrow.”

Rosa dipped her head in acknowledgement and thanks, and said “Coffee for you Cuinn? With a little sugar? And a scone? It looks like you could use a few more calories in you again—does Tierra know you’ve been starving yourself?”

“I’m fine Rosa, and Tierra does her best to feed me. You’re lucky she doesn’t set up a bakery in town—she’s one of the few people who might be real competition.” Cuinn smiled at her again, and Rosa laughed.

The woman was human, but she appeared to have an activated Muladhara chakra, very unusual in a human. She, and those around her, would be unaware of it, but the energy and her natural warmth would draw others to her. Humans and energetics were different races, but every living being had chakras within them. The energies were the foundation of all life on the planet.
 

“Hi,” Blaize offered. “Can I get a cappuccino?”

“No problem, lovie. What would you like to eat? No, let me guess." She narrowed her eyes in thought. "Hmmm. I know, I just made some chocolate chili cupcakes. They’re mainly chocolate, but have a little kick to them.”

Blaize’s eyebrows rose again, and she was starting to feel they might as well stay up near her hairline given the surprising turns the morning kept taking. “That sounds perfect.”

“I’ll send Indigo over with it all in a minute. Take a seat. And Cuinn, don’t stay away so long next time.”

He smiled back at her, and led the way to one of the smaller tables with two comfortable armchairs on either side.
 

“I can see why you like it here.” It was interesting to see Cuinn in this new light. Perhaps he wasn't so bad if someone as warm as Rosa was fond of him. He folded his lean, rangy form into the soft and well-used cushions as she watched. She sat opposite him, perching herself on the edge of her chair rather than sinking into a soft, sagging seat.

He nodded. “Rosa’s like a mother hen. Although what she doesn’t know is that I’m nearly two centuries older than her.”

He leaned back in the chair, his knees close to the table. “I like this town. We’ve managed to live harmoniously here for a long time. Not too much mixing with the town, some judicious ageing, and a little reincarnation. When I arrived here I wasn’t feeling too friendly anyway, so that made ‘coming back’ a second time easier. Adam’s been through several incarnations, partly because he enjoys it, I think. Anyway, it works.”

Blaize nodded, and then shivered.
What the…?
She felt a trickle down her back, and turned, craning her neck to look around the coffee shop. She sensed a threat. But there was nothing in the scene before her that matched the menace that flooded her body with unease.

Mothers and their children, and students with books and laptops sat around them in the cosy space, knees against tables in squashy armchairs in reds, oranges and browns. Those rushing in and out to get their mid-morning coffee were dressed in work clothes. More often than not, Rosa would suggest to them a pastry or piece of cake, and though some managed to resist, the majority walked out with baked goods as well as their drink.
 

But there was something off here. Something wrong.
 

The twisted energy she normally associated with a Rogue.

***

Indigo put the grey-haired woman’s order gracelessly on the table, baring her teeth at the two elderly ladies having tea and sandwiches. They didn’t notice. She was invisible to them, just another service industry drone.
 

For a moment, her hate turned towards them and she narrowed her eyes, imagining pulling the hair of one and exposing her neck so she could slash it with a knife. She’d watch the blood pour out, covering the table and those repulsive sandwiches. The other woman would look at her in fear, and she’d know who was in control. Who had the power.
 

The woman looked up at her. “That’s all, thanks.” She smiled and turned back to her companion.
 

A hiss came out of Indigo’s mouth. The woman looked back, confused, and Indigo pressed her lips tightly together and turned away.
 

She walked to the other side of the cafe to take the order of two irritating students so she wouldn’t launch herself at Blaize, just yards away.

She’d been working at the cafe for over a month, to try and pick up town gossip about the reclusive family who lived just outside Merrow.
 

She’d chosen the cafe because Cuinn and Tierra seemed to have a relationship with the over-friendly proprietor though Rosa had been annoyingly silent on the subject so far.
 

Indigo refocused on the students in front of her and took their order on autopilot, disinterested in their cake and coffee. Indigo didn’t eat much these days. She took the details back to Rosa, forcing a smile as she handed the bit of paper over.

“Everything okay, love?” Rosa asked.

“Fine thanks, Rosa. Just a bit tired. I was up late studying last night,” Indigo lied. In fact, she’d spent her two days off in Vancouver, with
him
, and driven back the night before. She shuddered slightly.

She went back to the kitchen to take another order out and passed scant feet from Blaize’s back. Indigo’s eyes filled with anger. It would be so easy to set this whole place alight. To watch them all burn.

She and Blaize were an energetic match. Indigo was a Manipura-Ajna energetic, just like Blaize. But that was the only place where their lives matched.
 

Indigo hadn’t had Blaize’s opportunities. Her chances. No fancy university for Indigo. No family and friends who’d support her choices.
 

And now, Blaize and Cuinn were sitting in the cafe in a window seat watching the world go by.
 

They hadn’t seemed to notice Indigo’s energies. Indigo's Maven had both energetically warded her and given her his protection, and taught her to keep her energies hidden. In addition, Rosa herself was a human with some natural energies. Earth energies, which Indigo had little interest in, but energy nonetheless that masked Indigo’s own power.

Indigo went back to the kitchen. She knew she couldn't attack them here, in public. Her role was to watch, and to gather information only. Her fists clenched. But she really, really wanted to.

‘Table three,” said Rosa, placing a cup of coffee on a tray that already held a chocolate chili cupcake, scone and cappuccino. “They’re friends of mine. Introduce yourself.”

***

"What's the matter?" Cuinn said.

Blaize didn't reply, still scanning the room. A waitress approached them with their order.

"Coffee and cake." The waitress put their order down and looked into Blaize’s eyes.
 

Is she the threat?
Their gazes locked. The waitress was very thin, with jet black hair and dark eyes. There was a hum in the air. The woman had energy, but Blaize couldn't tell if she was a human like Rosa, or an energetic. Either way, she didn’t seem friendly.

All Blaize’s instincts were on alert now, and Cuinn was looking at them. He half rose, but Blaize waved a hand at him.

If the woman was an energetic, she would surely indicate it.
And what would an energetic be doing waitressing in a town like Merrow?
But there was nothing. Blaize addressed the waitress. “Is everything okay?”

"Of course," said the waitress. "Enjoy your cake."
 

She strolled away, confident, and still Blaize wasn't sure. The sense of threat remained. The waitress paused a moment to chat with Rosa, who smiled at her.

Blaize frowned and pursed her lips. There was something here, tickling her consciousness. Her Manipura instincts had flared, and she just needed to concentrate enough to find out what it was. She closed her eyes and drew a little power.
Focus.

She felt a warm pressure on her arm. "What's the matter?"
 

Her concentration broke and the trace of threat dropped away. She opened her eyes again and pulled her arm away from Cuinn's hand, irritated.
I nearly had it.

"I don't know. Something's not right here."

Cuinn sat back and looked around. "Are you sure? I don't sense anything."

Her lips thinned into a line. "Yes, I'm sure. But it's gone."
 

She tapped her fingers onto the table. The waitress had disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Do you know that waitress? The one who brought us the coffee?" Blaize was looking past the counter of the cafe into the kitchen, straining to see the woman.

"Indigo? I’ve met her once or twice. She's new."

"Do you get a sense of energy from her?"

Now Cuinn frowned. "Energy? No."

"Nothing?"

He shook his head. "From Rosa, yes. Maybe you're feeling energy from her?"

Blaize pushed a hand through her hair. "It doesn't feel like Muladhara. I'm not even sure what energy it is. But it was a threat."

"There are no other energetics who live here," said Cuinn. He picked up his coffee and sipped it, leaning back in his armchair. “You’re jumping at shadows.”