Blaize and the Maven: The Energetics Book 1 (25 page)

“I did this?” Blaize looked as though she’d been hit over the head. Again.

“Correct. Unconsciously, perhaps, but these are your creations. And you were certainly shining with energy at the, er, end there. The power needed an outlet, and it found it here.” He gestured around them. He sat up next to Blaize and put an arm around her, drawing her into the crook of his shoulder. She complied, unresisting, and drew in a breath.

She frowned. "Why can't I smell the flowers?"

"Well noticed. That quirk is the way you can tell you're in the dreamscape. Nothing has a scent here. If you're ever unsure, all you need to do is sniff."

"Why?"

He smiled. Her curiosity was still present and correct, despite the slightly stunned look on her face. "I don't know. Just one of those things."

He glanced towards the garden, and closer to the river where what looked like a stone altar had appeared. There was something on it.
 

He raised his eyebrows.
Strange.
He got no sense of threat from the new addition, but he’d also never seen anything like it manifest in an individual’s Haven though similar objects were in every energetic temple. He gently disentangled himself from Blaize, and got up and went to check it out. Blaize wasn’t far behind.

They both stood, unselfconsciously naked, over the altar, which held two objects.

“What are they? And where did they come from?”

“Good questions.” Cuinn put his hand out to touch the objects. They were similar: two tightly corded bands, one slightly larger than the other, made of purple, red, yellow, and white silks. The colours were interwoven. He considered them, and the context. “I think it’s the colours of our Chakras. Purple for Ajna, red for Muladhara, yellow for Manipura. And white for the divine, for Sahasara, the crown Chakra. They’re bracelets. Probably one for each of us.”

He picked them up carefully, and measured one against his own wrist and the other against Blaize’s. A perfect fit. Which didn’t mean they should put them on.
I know these. I’ve seen them somewhere.
He searched his memory to find where it had been.

“Did I create these too?” Blaize’s voice was soft and hesitant.

Cuinn shook his head slowly as he realised where he knew them from. “This is Source’s altar. I think these are gifts from Source. And Blaize—I’ve seen us wearing these.”
 

She looked from the stone to him, tilting her head, confused. “What do you mean? I’ve never seen them before.”

“In the prophecies. You, I, and the other five men and five women were wearing similar bracelets in the prophecies. And you were wearing it when …”

“When I was beaten.” She looked away from him, and her hands curled into fists by her sides.

He nodded.

She snatched hers up. “Easy. I just won’t wear it on the physical plane then. In fact, it probably won’t even exist there. Will it?”

“I don’t know. It’s my first ‘gift’ in this way.” He fingered the larger of the two. “There’s energy here.” Gifts from Source could grant the recipient power or other blessings, but they always came at a price.
 

She slipped hers over her left wrist. “It’s lovely. But I’m going to leave it here.”
 

As she said the words, the bracelet moved on her wrist, and she gasped. Before Cuinn could do anything, the bracelet wrapped tightly around her wrist, not so much that it would have hurt, but too tight to pull it off.
 

Cuinn didn’t hesitate, and placed the other bracelet over his right wrist. It spun and when it stopped, it rested in the same way on his wrist, snugly bound.

“What did you do that for?” Blaize had frozen in place, eyes locked on his wrist.
 

“I won’t leave you alone in this.” Even if it meant another snap decision. Another decision without thinking it through.

“In what? We don’t even know what’s going on. That was a stupid thing to do.”
 

He hoped she wasn’t right.
 

“Perhaps it’s just another symbol that Source approves our binding. We just created powerful energy. Look around.” He waved at the new additions to the garden. “And we added an extra layer to the binding by making love here.”

Blaize put her arms over her chest and frowned. “Making love?”

“Would you call it something else?”

“Yes … no … maybe. I don’t know. So we’re bound even tighter now?” Blaize’s voice was a little higher than usual.

“You agreed to the binding, Blaize. And you certainly seemed keen on making love. Where’s the problem?” He put his hand out to cup her cheek, but she shifted out of reach, her eyes not meeting his.

“We had great sex, amazing sex, in fact. But it’s not the start of some great love affair. Sex between consenting adults is a beautiful thing, but it doesn’t need to mean they have to become attached. You don’t know enough about me, Cuinn.” She stalked to the bed and pulled her underwear up her long legs. Cuinn tried not to be distracted.
 

“I agree. And I want to know more. But I know enough to know I want to explore this relationship—”
 

Blaize’s eyebrows shot up.
 

“This relationship,” he emphasised the word, “with you properly. The binding’s complete, anyway, so whatever happens we need to work through the sexual side as adults, because we’re going to be spending a lot of time with each other in the coming years.”

He walked to her, more quickly this time so she couldn’t move away, and put his hands on her face, tilting it up to meet her eyes. He tried to imagine what Tierra would say. How she would empathise with Blaize. What was it that Blaize was worried about? He thought back to their conversation of the day before and thought he had it.

“You’re not your father Blaize, if that’s what you’re worried about. Just because you have your dominant Chakra in common doesn’t mean you’re anything like him.”

Blaize’s chin went up, and her cheeks flushed an angry red. “Can we go home? Is the ritual done?” Her tone was empty.

Was that too close to home, or nowhere near?
Why was she so bloody stubborn?
Women, again a mystery to him. Cuinn sighed. “Yes, the ritual is done. More than done. I’d like to see what happens to these bracelets when we get back to the physical plane. If they come with us, then the prophecy involving you has come a little closer and we’re going to need to step things up.”

She was dressed now, her arms at her sides. They clenched into fists and her mouth flattened into a thin line. “I can protect myself.”

He gritted his teeth.
Add proud to stubborn.
“Yes, but there’s always more to learn. And there’s no shame in having others help you. Plus, we’re bound now, you and I, so we work together. Don’t forget you agreed to my teaching you in the binding ritual.”

She scowled.
 

One thing at a time. The priority now was to make sure her Haven was secure. He needed to know she was safe when she was here. “I want to check you can travel between our Havens before we go back. It’s the point at which you—and our Havens—are most vulnerable.”
 

He’d approach the relationship issue again on the physical plane. Perhaps after he asked Tierra for some advice. He wasn’t sure what was happening between them, but the sensible thing was to explore it. To plan ahead and to decide what to do with a little thought.

He pulled his own clothes on, and showed her how to guard her mind using a protection technique, before they moved to the arch.
 

“All you need to do is walk under the arch, protecting your mind as I showed you. You’re vulnerable only for a split second, so there’s not much danger, but given the situation, I’d rather be safe. Eventually it will become second nature to you to guard as you change locations in the dreamscape—and later, when you dreamwalk outside our Havens, you’ll start your protection with this first technique, though you’ll add others too.”

She was all business now, body relaxed but alert. There was no trace of the wild abandon he’d seen in her a short while before. No trace of the softness, or the surrender. Her body language said she’d listen to him, but she’d make her own choices. Do it her own way.

“I’ll walk through first. Follow me. Don’t take long, or I’ll be back looking for you,” he said. He felt a sense of unease, but wasn’t sure if that was down to Blaize’s switch in behaviour, or a premonition. He didn’t sense any potential danger, but he’d scan thoroughly as he stepped through to his Haven.

He proceeded through the archway, and moments later, he materialised in the gardens of his own tower. His heart thundered in his chest as he waited. Another few seconds, and she appeared. She looked a little disorientated, but she seemed fine.
 

“Great,” he said, as his heart dropped back to its normal pace. “We’ll return to your Haven and make sure you feel comfortable in both directions, then we’ll head home.” He waited until she nodded, then stepped back through the arch.

Cuinn took a second to look at the beautiful, rumpled bed. He hardened slightly as he saw an image of Blaize’s lithe body writhing in the red silk. He turned his attention back to the arch. Where was she? What was taking so long? He dug his nails into his palms. Should he go back through? But what if he did and she came through at the same time?

Another minute passed.

Then movement and a shimmer in the arch, and he stepped forward with a sigh of relief.
 

Blaize fell through the doorway, bloody and unconscious, into his arms.

Blaize woke up in her own bed, a strange woman by her side. The woman offered her some water, which Blaize accepted gratefully, her throat dry and scratchy. As she tipped her head back, she felt a pull in the back of her hand, and looked down to see an IV drip attached to her. The woman’s heart-shaped face exuded warmth and was surrounded by a honey-blond bob.

“Who are you?”

The woman smiled, and Blaize felt a little more at ease.
 

“I’m Cara, a good friend of Tierra’s. I’m a Healer.”

Blaize’s heart turned to ice, the ease draining away. Her chest tightened and she raised her torso up a little. “You work at the Rogue Rehab centre.”
 

“Yes.”

“Have I …?”

Cara tilted her head then laughed. “No, no love, you haven’t turned Rogue. You’re fine. Sorry, I shouldn’t laugh. But you’re in no danger of that. You have an iron grip on your energies.”

The ice in Blaize’s chest melted, and she relaxed back against the pillows.
 

“We think you were attacked in the astral world, when you went between Cuinn’s Haven and your own. You fought with something. But you made it back to Cuinn, and he brought you home. They called me because they wanted help, not because you were going Rogue.” She looked at Blaize, assessing her. “Can I get you anything else? How’s the pain?”

Blaize tested the various muscles in her body carefully. “I don’t feel too bad. What’re the bandages for?”

“You had a deep scratch across your arm. I stitched it up and it’s covered while it heals. I’ve given you a lot of healing energy. I’m glad it’s working. We have drugs too, if you need them, but we didn’t want to add anything else into your system before we knew the effects of the attack.” She went to Blaize’s side and felt for her pulse. “The drip’s just for hydration. I’ve been with you for a couple of days—it’s good to see you awake and okay.”

Blaize’s eyes widened. “Days?”

“I’m afraid so. You were badly hurt. But you’re on the mend now.”

Blaize blew out a breath. “Thank you. You’re a Healer? You have Anahata as your dominant Chakra?”

It was Cara’s turned to nod. “Yes, and Manipura as my auxiliary. Not the typical Healer combination, but helpful at the Rehab centre.”
 

Satisfied with Blaize’s pulse, she plumped her pillows and helped her to sit up.
 

“I’ll get Cuinn. He’s been here as much as he could over the last couple of days, and spent the rest of his time trying to work out what happened.”
 

She swept out of the door. Blaize was tempted to pull the drip out but thought she’d better wait. Cara didn’t seem like someone to mess with.

Blaize rested her head on the pillows and looked up at the spotless white ceiling. She wasn’t looking forward to seeing Cuinn. After they’d had sex—
great sex—
she’d been taken aback by his leap to a relationship. She hadn’t expected that.
Wasn’t our antagonism beforehand part of the reason the sex had been so great?
That didn’t seem like a good basis for a relationship to her.
 

She frowned. She hadn’t had any real-long term relationships in her life. She’d always been focused on her own goals. Developing her energy. Being the best at whatever she was working on. Her longest relationship had been a year, and she’d been the one to end it when she’d started training in Manipura. Since then, she’d only had the odd fling, which had been more like getting a workout partner than a relationship.
 

Could she persuade Cuinn to have more fabulous, sweaty sex to keep them both fit? She gave a small smile while she prodded the area around the bandage on her arm, trying to see where the scratch started and ended.