Stray by Amber D. Lewis

Author:Amber D. Lewis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amber D. Lewis

Seven

Leyana and I are allowed the first few days to acclimate to the Valley while they check their records. Eyes follow us everywhere the first day or two, but once we are no longer perceived to be an active threat, people let us go about our day with less scrutiny. I’m starting to wonder if we’ve been forgotten in the day-to-day hustle, but after about a week we’re summoned back before Follik. This time we’re called directly to his office. He’s seated behind his desk, and once again, Jessalynn and Deven stand behind him.

“Well, I have some good news,” he says, not bothering to look up from the papers he’s sorting on his desk. “We’ve confirmed your heritage and your family history is clean.”

“So we can stay?” Leyana asks, her eyes bright.

Follik glances up, offering her a practiced smile. “Indeed. Of course”—he goes back to his papers—“you’ll need to pull your weight, and in exchange we’ll make sure you have housing and food and anything else you require. It’s how the Valley runs.”

“Do you have specifics in mind?” I ask, my aggravation at his inattention barely masked.

Follik doesn’t answer right away, his eyes narrowed in on a page. “Here it is.” He looks up from the page with a grin. “We have gaps in our food service, our quarry handlers, and our”—he squints at the page—“library sorting.”

“Do we get to pick?” I ask.

Follik shrugs. “We like to match people with the places they feel the most comfortable and where their skillset will be the most useful. I assume you both have shifting magic like your grandfather?”

Leyana and I exchange a glance.

“We don’t know,” I confess.

Follik raises an eyebrow. “You mean you’ve been here a week and you haven’t tried to access your magic? Can you even feel it?”

“We can feel the magic in the Valley, but we have yet to harness it.”

“Well then,” Follik muses, leaning back in his chair as he studies us, “we will have to remedy that. We have several excellent instructors you can work with to help you unlock your magic. Of course, you do understand that from this point on, everything you learn about magic will have to be kept secret from the world.”

“Why?” Leyana asks.

Follik frowns. “If the world knew the magic we held, it could be catastrophic. We would either be swarmed with people seeking magical powers with no way to control or train them properly, or we would be attacked by people who fear our magic. Neither option is good. Therefore, secrecy is key to preserving life as we know it. If you find this to be difficult, there are measures we could take to erase the knowledge of its existence from your minds.”

Leyana’s eyes widen with something close to horror. “You have ways to erase our memories?”

Follik nods. “Indeed. We have potions crafted from magical minerals mined in the Valley that can do marvelous things. I assure you that if you choose that option, you will not be harmed, but they work more efficiently with less side effects the earlier they are administered.

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