“I wondered where I might find you.” She said, as she wandered casually up to where I was standing. Her ever-present wrap looked like a deep red dress, while I was scruffy in denim shorts and a bright green tee shirt.

I smiled and mentally launched another clay pigeon into the air.

“Just having a little fun,” I said as I threw another bolt of force and blasted the clay pigeon to dust.

“Still so very much the male,” Elisabette laughed. “What a waste of energy. Here, let me show you something. How many of these can you put into the air at once?”

I thought about it. “I’m not sure,” I admitted. “Let’s see.”

I started chucking the clay discs into the sky, and I soon had about 20 in the air but she hadn’t taken a shot. She smiled, turned away and snapped her finger. In an explosion of powder, all the discs disintegrated including those still in my truck!

‘It’s the way you think, Emily. You’re busy shooting them down one at a time, when you could just explode them all at once. What you don’t realize is that if I had chosen, every clay pigeon in a twenty mile radius would have disintegrated as well. You need to learn to see the world differently, dear.”

“With a feminine outlook, right?”

“I’m not exactly sure what a “feminine outlook” would be, Emily.” She said with a smile. “No, you simply need to learn to see more of the world around you. Not just focusing on your target, but seeing the environment that surrounds you and your enemy.”

It will take you some time to break you of old habits, and to help you to be more aware of everything around you, whether in combat or just walking down the street. A truck driver friend of mine called it ‘getting the big picture’. This is a very simplified version of what you need to do by reflex. There are many tricks to doing this well, and I will help you to master the basics, and then we’ll step up to the next level, which will involve senses you don’t even realize you have.”

“I have some kind of ‘magical 6th sense’?” I asked. I tried to reach out and use the extra senses to feel the world around me.

Elisabette laughed. “Some senses are magical, but don’t lock yourself down into the myth of 5 senses. There are many senses, besides the primary 5, that almost everyone uses everyday, and you don’t even realize when you do it.”

Huh? “I don’t get it,” I admitted.

“Okay, I’ll show you a simple one. Put your hands straight out to your sides.” I complied. “Now, close your eyes, and touch your nose.”

I did that easily, first with the right hand, then with the left.

“Any problems?” She asked, and I shook my head no. “All right, here’s the fun part. Which of the 5 senses did you use to perform that simple task?”

Sight? No, my eyes were closed. Touch? No, I didn’t feel around. I knew where my nose was, where my fingers were, and what the relation of the two was. Of course, smell, taste and hearing weren’t much help either. “So, my spatial awareness is a sense?” I could start to see what she meant by different senses.

“Yes, it is. Now, you already know you have other senses that are considered ‘psychic’ by some people, although many people have these senses to a different degree. You have a well developed sense of telepathy, and you have demonstrated a bit of precognition and of course, you’ve used telekinesis. These all use specialized senses, and even people without magic can have these senses. Scientists have even demonstrated some of these senses in dogs and cats.

“Okay, okay, I give up! You’ve proved your point!”

“Most of your training will involve learning to perceive and understand what these and other senses are telling you. Once you are done with my training, the world around you will be far different from the world you recognize now.”

With training, your abilities could eventually surpass even mine. Imagination is the key, Emily. Should you choose, all of the grass around you could be crimson, and the trees covered in Korean bills.” In less than the space of a heart beat, I was surrounded by red grass and multicolored money trees. “Now, in truth, the grass is green for a very good reason, and should probably remain as nature has intended.”

I tried to see what she did, but she never moved, and things returned to normal. “This is just a simple demonstration, not much more than parlor tricks. The real power is truly in your imagination, Emily. You just need to perceive what is around you, then use your creativity, dear. You have all the tools you need; you just need to learn how to use them.”

I shook my head, and then bowed to her, impressed by what she had done.

“I meant it, Emily. Those were tricks, and nothing more. You need to be able to do so much more, in order to conquer your enemies. This Thomas was a joke, a mere test at most. Come, dear, your Grandmother and I have much to speak of, and you need to be there, both as the leader of your coven, and as my apprentice.”

“Then, let’s go,” I said, and teleported us to the living room.

“Now I’m impressed." She said. "I didn’t know that you had come this far. Well done, young lady!”

It felt very good to have impressed her, but I also realized how much further I had to go yet. I had asked for help, and it had been provided, but would I be able to learn all I needed to know in time? Perhaps having Elisabette here would give the Enemy a reason to have second thoughts.

Grandma came in and sat down on the sofa. She seemed older than usual. I walked around behind her and massaged her shoulders, while at the same time giving her a bit of a boost. I closed my eyes and searched for anything medically wrong, and kept my thoughts open to her.

You seem fine, Grandma, just a little low on energy. Are you sleeping all right?

I’ve been a bit worried, dear, but having Elisabette here makes me feel much less stressed. I should be fine, sweetheart.

I finished checking her out, and just before I backed off completely, I gave her a little extra energy. Just because I love you, Grandma.

“I love you, too,” She said and kissed my fingers. I went to sit down, and I could see that she looked much better already.

“Very nicely done, Emily. I sense a strong empathic talent in you, probably due to your healing talents, or perhaps it is vice versa? I have never truly been strong in my healing. That was always something that Molly excelled at, though. Of course, after almost fifteen hundred years, I wouldn’t be surprised that at some point, the families may have done a little inter-breeding, so there may be a bit of Molly in you as well.”

She closed her eyes, and without any effort on my part, I could see her, a girl who was a bit plain, but loving and strong, with blonde hair like mine. I think Elisabette wanted me to see her, and as the vision continued, I saw the other 4 girls as Elisabette saw them, and I could feel the love between them. Just for a second, I felt the great depths of Elisabette’s loss. She stopped it before it overwhelmed me, and I rushed to her in tears.

“Is that how I will be, Grandmother?” I asked. “I’m not sure I want to feel that much pain, I don’t know if I’m really that strong.”

“Oh, my darling Emily, you need to realize that I’ve had a lot of time to get used to it. You know the saying, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger? Well, let’s just say that I’ve become very, very strong. It doesn’t normally feel as bad as you felt it-I guess I’m just used to it.”

Her words said one thing. The tear in her eye said another, and I hugged her for all I was worth, and silently cried for her. Could I really do this?

I resolved that if I could do nothing else, I would do my best to be there for Elisabette. If I was to live as she had, then at least she would never be completely alone again.

Always remember when you decide something like that, dear, to be careful not to do it in a room with telepaths. Oh, and I love you too, dear. So much!

Whoops! I giggled, and wiped my eyes.

I wasn’t quite as scared as I had been. Then I had a thought.

“Grandmother, Grandma, will I have time in my training for Tim? I don’t want to give him up, I won’t!”

“I am not that bad, Emily. Of course you will have time for him!”

Whew! That’s a relief. I’m still a young woman, I need that love in my life!

I wasn’t sure where the quiet, almost sad thought came from, but it was still there.

Enjoy him while you can, sweetheart. Treasure every minute.