“Very good!” she exclaimed. “So you have a connection to the past, present, and future as well as possessing abilities that parallel with each. Over the next few weeks, you’ll be learning more about those three main abilities that essentially can take you different places within the past, present, and future.”
“That makes sense,” I agreed calmly, although I was jittery with excitement.
“Now, everything - and I mean everything - has essence; us, the trees, the sea, the rocks, everything. Right?”
“Right.”
“You have a connection with the three main elements of the ocean: the shore, sea, and wind which all possess their own separate essences. Which means…” she paused for effect. “You don’t just have an essence, you have essences.”
“Did you say essence-ES? As in plural - more than one? Meaning multiple?” I clamored in disbelief.
Zara’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Because you’re a Tri-goddess, you have three separate essences. You can’t harness your essence as a whole until you learn what they are and how to combine them. So far you’ve been experiencing them separately - whether you knew it or not. What we need to help you do is meld them all together into one massive ball of mind-blowing power.”
“A massive ball of mind-blowing power sounds ideal,” I chuckled. “So if what you’re saying is true: I’ve been using one essence to connect with the sea, another to connect to the wind, and even another to connect with sand and the shore? And that includes the animals living on the shore, in the sea, and on the wind?””
“Yes and yes.”
“Wow,” I breathed in amazement.
“Even though your abilities are aligned with your essence, the types of abilities you have will also depend on the amount of essence you have in your soul. Since you’re a Tri-goddess, you have three essences. Since you’re Chosen, each of those essences will be at their highest level possible.
Throw in the potent goddess blood that runs through your veins, and its Game Over. That, my dear, is why you’re so powerful. You’re the definition of a triple threat.”
“Wow,” I said for the second time. Words were few and far between at this point.
“Now one thing I want you to remember is that you’re not a goddess yet,” she attested and leaned forward. “Your essences haven’t reached their paramount levels. Your abilities will be infinitely easier to control and harness once that happens, but for now it’ll be a good learning experience.” Someone knocked on the cottage door and Zara’s face lit up with excitement.
“That must be our special guest!” she proclaimed. She literally jumped off the couch and swung open the door so quickly, the hinges creaked. Her excitement boiled over when she laid eyes on the person standing at the doorstep.
“Welcome!”
“I’m Olivia Campbell. I’m here to help-“
“Well of course you’re Olivia!” Zara dragged a bewildered Olivia inside the cottage. “And I’m Zara. And you know Stasia…I’ve already completed the lesson, so you’re right on time!”
“Okay, great…” Olivia replied slowly, raising a skeptical eyebrow at her before taking a seat on the couch next to me. She was dressed for the occasion in black yoga pants, a Roxy sweat shirt and matching Pumas. Her mass of dark curls were piled precariously atop her head.
“Oh!” Zara stood back up, somewhat spastically, “You need cider!” She got busy in the kitchen preparing a mug for Olivia, who was having trouble keeping her jaw off the ground. She forced her gaze away from Zara and focused her chocolate eyes on me.
“She’s seriously our new maven?” she whispered suspiciously. “I don’t think her elevator goes all the way to the top floor.”
“She’s just...eclectic,” I whispered back. “You’re the special guest we’ve been waiting for?”
She nodded slowly and I could tell that she was only half-listening to me; her skeptical eyes following Zara around the kitchen.
“Apparently Mom called her up and told her I’d help,” she complained with indignation. “I think she’s trying to get me to do my civic duty. I think civic duties are overrated, but what do I know?”
Before I could inform her that this particular civic duty didn’t need her farmed-out help, Zara returned with a steaming mug and a smiling face. Her bright blue eyes watched Olivia, and appeared to be memorizing her every characteristic. I wondered then if Zara didn’t have some interesting abilities, herself.
“Alright, girls!” she prompted. “Let’s get started.”
Chapter 28
“The first thing I’d like to-“ A frantic knock at the cottage door interrupted Zara. She swiveled her body parallel to the door and appeared to listen for something. Her face relaxed and her eyes brightened with anticipation. “You have some visitors, Stasia.”
A distressed Carmen and Phoebe spilled into the living room, wearing their concern on their sullen faces. Incredibly happy to see them, I threw my arms around them and held them both in an awkward three person hug.
“Hey you guys!” I shrieked, and fought back joyful tears that were welling up.
“Stasia!” Phoebe inspected my face with the intensity of a surgeon. “We were so worried about you!”
“Nice new crib…” Carmen gawked as she glimpsed the quaint cottage amidst our embrace.
“It’s so cute!” Phoebe chirped, tensing straight away when her gaze encountered Olivia behind me. “I thought I smelled pretense and arrogance…” she muttered; her distaste palpable.
“You guys, this is our new Maven, Zara!” I introduced my roommates to the cottage’s owner in an effort to divert the disdain building in Phoebe’s eyes.
She gave them both gentle hugs and gestured toward the couches. “It’s so nice to meet Stasia’s roommates!” I realized that I hadn’t specified they were my roommates, but thought that maybe Finn had mentioned their names to her. “Make yourselves at home! We were just about to begin with Stasia’s first training lesson.”
“Where’s Willow?” I asked while we sat back down opposite Olivia and Zara.
“Still with Peleus.” Carmen bit her lip and articulated the worry I found in her eyes. I didn’t miss the look of shock that crossed Zara’s face. “He’s doing better, but he’s still in a lot of pain.” My stomach dropped as I realized Peleus must be the old man’s name.
“But he’s going to be okay, right?” My voice came out in a rush of fear.
“Natasha says he’ll be okay. He broke several vertebrae and his arm,” Phoebe said. “He’s in good hands though…he’ll be healed in no time.”
“Can he talk?” My curiosity asked, “Who is he?”
“He was pretty out of it on the plane, but he might be talking more now. Natasha took him to her house so that she and Willow could take care of him.”
“What happened? And who’s Peleus?” Olivia directed her questions at Phoebe with a distrustful edge to her tone.
“It’s really none of your-“ Phoebe started to retaliate.
“Excuse me girls, but we really need to stay on schedule,” Zara interrupted sternly. Carmen and Phoebe clamped their mouths shut, and Olivia narrowed her now-flashing eyes. “Now, as I was saying Stasia, the first thing I’d like for you to do is to practice your abilities related to the past. They combine to create the ability of Antiquity.”