Read Online The Inner Circle: The Knowing by Cael McIntosh - Free Book Online Page A

own
tomorrow.’
    ‘ Yes, Gil’rei,’
Seteal replied, her eyes wide with curiosity.
    ‘ Now, listen,’
Far-a-mael spoke softly, ‘I asked you to come here tonight for a
reason. It’s time we discovered whether you have any semblance of
the Elglair eye.’
    ‘ What do you mean?’
Seteal asked, her confusion causing her hold on the Ways to waver.
‘My eyes aren’t like yours. You know that.’
    ‘ Yes, of course I
do.’ Far-a-mael snatched at the girl’s aura and rearranged it to
calm her once again. ‘I’m just hoping that with some effort you’ll
be able to see, even if only vaguely, as we do.’
    ‘ All right.’ Seteal
shrugged. ‘What should I do?’
    ‘ Well, first of all,
what did you see when you became one with the Ways?’
    ‘ Nothing,’ Seteal
replied. ‘Everything looks the same . . . well, maybe a little
clearer, but that’s all.’
    ‘ What do you see when
you look at me?’ Far-a-mael asked, failing to keep the irritation
from his voice.
    ‘ I just see you.’
Seteal frowned.
    ‘ Try harder,’
Far-a-mael ordered. ‘Look carefully. Do you see anything? Even a
faint glow on my skin?’
    ‘ I’m sorry.’ Seteal
sighed. ‘It’s just you.’
    ‘ Torrid!’ Far-a-mael
rubbed his temples.
    ‘ Is there anything
else I can try?’
    ‘ No, child,’
Far-a-mael murmured. ‘You either have the ability or you don’t.
It’s not something you can practice.’ He released the Ways and
watched as his impression of Seteal’s aura became less vivid. ‘I’m
afraid your pupils are simply too dark to see through.’
    ‘ So . . . what does
this mean?’ Seteal’s eyes revealed anxiety, her aura darkening as
she lost focus. ‘You can still save me, can’t you?’
    ‘ What?’ Far-a-mael
raised his eyebrows in confusion. ‘Save you from what?’
    ‘ Dying!’ Seteal
wailed.
    ‘ Oh, right . . .
that.’ Far-a-mael silently reprimanded himself for having forgotten
the little white lie he’d designed to get the girl to come along to
begin with. ‘Yes, of course I can help you. I’m not going to let
you die.’
    ‘ Thank Maker.’ The
girl’s expression became one of relief. ‘So what’s the problem with
my inability to see like you?’
    ‘ Oh . . . nothing
really,’ Far-a-mael uttered distractedly. ‘It just means a great
deal of the Ways will remain inaccessible to you.’
    ‘ So?’ Seteal looked
at Far-a-mael expectantly. ‘I don’t care about the Ways, outside of
preventing them from killing me.’
    ‘ And here I was
thinking you’d come to appreciate your gift,’ Far-a-mael said
contemptuously.
    ‘ Sort of,’ Seteal
murmured, ‘but I’m hardly aiming to become an Elglair warrior, am
I?’
    ‘ You mean a hadone,’
Far-a-mael corrected.
    ‘ I’m
sorry?’
    ‘ That’s what you call
an Elglair soldier,’ Far-a-mael said softly. ‘But never mind all
that.’
    ‘ Look.’ Seteal
sighed, standing up and half-turning toward the door. ‘Clearly I’m
not as powerful as you thought I’d be. Maybe I’m not a danger to
myself after all.’
    ‘ Seteal, wait,’
Far-a-mael said firmly. ‘There are plenty of things to be good at
aside from the manipulation and visualisation of auras. Just look
at El-i-miir,’ Far-a-mael raised his hands for emphasis. ‘Did you
know she’s able to recognise when people are lying?’
    ‘ Really?’ Seteal said
in surprise.
    ‘ Indeed.’ Far-a-mael
laughed, glad to have won back her interest. ‘Along with her
incredible powers of affiliation, that was one of the primary
reasons I took her on. The ability is so rare that I couldn’t allow
such an opportunity to pass me by. You see, the knowing is quite a
different area of the Ways and it’s one in which I’m certain you’ll
excel. Keep practicing and you’ll be fine.’
    ‘ All right.’ Seteal
cracked a smile. ‘Thanks, Gil’rei.’ She turned and marched toward
the exit with heightened spirits.
    ‘ Just a moment,
Seteal,’ Far-a-mael intoned, focusing on the young