As I ate breakfast, Elliot, Mot, and Francesca visited shortly before being turned away after ascertaining that I was okay. Elliot had set his jaw stubbornly before nodding stiffly and marching out. Mot had adamantly refused to leave until I told him I would be better soon and that I had enough people fussing over me to add him to the mix.

I slept between their visit and the doctor’s check in.

“I’m afraid I think this will take a long while to heal on its own,” the doctor said after his healing light shifted throughout me. “A better healer should see if they can help. The problem is there isn’t much need for soul healing as most people pay diligent heed to their limits.” He lifted an eyebrow at me.

“Do you think she’s in danger as she is now?” Mother asked him as I fought a yawn.

“It’s hard to say. This could permanently impair her magic ability or her soul. The punishment for overstepping our magic talent has varying results.”

Someone knocked on the front door so Mom left my room to check who. I had been told various family members had stopped by the last few days. Apparently, the news about me being injured had leaked.

“Oh,” I heard Mom say breathlessly.

“May I come in?” a man’s silky voice asked.

“Of course. We didn’t know someone from the magic tower was coming this soon.” Mom came to my room, leading a man with his long, red hair tied behind him. He wore navy robes with a water droplet symbol over the heart.

“Hello Maddie.” He smiled warmly at me. “I’m going to heal you, and then we can talk.”

Water formed out of nothing above me and filled into a shape my size. My family did nothing, but what could they do when he had already shown up? The man had an air that warranted respect.

The water came slowly down onto me, then around me except for my face so I didn’t have to worry about holding my breath.

I knew the water element had a third-stage healing spell, but had never seen it. It was cool where light was warm, but just as soothing.

The fatigue that plagued me lifted away, my body and mind receiving strength. The water around me dirtied with particulates and what looked like smoke. My mind felt sharper and that helped me see how poor of a shape I had been in.

The water swept away from me, leaving me dry. The red-haired man opened my window and the filthy water dumped outside. He closed the window and smiled at us. “That should do it. Feel refreshed?”

I sat up and nodded. “A lot better. Thank you. How did you do that?”

“A lot of practice. What I’m more curious about is how you got yourself in such a state. May we discuss that now, or shall we make an appointment to talk about it tomorrow? I assure you I already have knowledge of what you did.”

“Would you excuse us?” Dad took the elder healer from the room while Mom wrung her apron again.

“How do you know?” I asked, eyes narrowed on the elementalist from the magic tower.

“Did the healer tell you?” Mother asked as Theo stood by my bed like my protector.

“No. A concerned friend did. Don’t be mad at him for breaking his promise. You really needed me here,” the water elementalist said as Father returned without the healer. “Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. I’m Draven, master of the magic tower.”

“Who told you?” Theo demanded as I wondered who had betrayed our trust. It couldn’t have been Mot. I refused to entertain the idea. And if it was a him. . . .

Draven stood tall, yet at ease. “The ambitious, young Elliot told me about Maddie needing help. I think of him as a one-way pen pal with all the updates about his progress he likes to send my way,” Draven said fondly. “You really shouldn’t be too upset with him. He helped save the most talented light elementalist in history.”

Mother’s grip on her apron went slack at our worst fear come to light.

“You can’t take her! I won’t let you!” Theo sparked a lick of flame into life above his palm.

Water dropped onto his hand, extinguishing the flame in one fell swoop.

“I’m no kidnapper. Maddie may stay here until she chooses to join us, but I am here to extend an informal invitation to join our ranks. I will ensure she gets the training to be one of the most remarkable women in the world. Letting talent such as this dwindle pains me.”

“Wait. So you’re saying I can stay here with my family?” I checked, hope blooming once again inside me. That mattered more than any offer.

“Yes. That’s precisely what I’m saying. While you would receive more rigorous training in the tower, I can send enough study material your way to make up the difference. Maddie, you do want to achieve all that you can, don’t you? You could heal so many people if you take this seriously. People are willing to travel for top-class healers, and pay handsomely for their treatment as well.”

“And what about those who can’t?” I asked.

“Healers get sent to them to help regardless if they can’t afford it. Since you’re a child, you won’t have to worry about any such assignments,” he assured me.

“Look, I know you see my daughter and see someone with exceptional talent, but she gets to decide her future,” Dad said, arm around my mother’s waist as her hand clung to the side of his shirt.

Draven nodded, not affronted. “Of course. It would be a waste of talent, especially for one with such a big heart as Maddie. Saving lives is a great calling, but she doesn’t have to accept it. I’ll give you time to consider it. I can help you utilize your magic to its fullest potential. You can accept my help without ever officially joining us. You won’t get any assignments, never have to go to the magic tower. Think about it.” He gave me a parting smile before walking out of the house.

“Did we pay him?” I asked, belatedly thinking of what fee the master of the magic tower would require for his services. If I accepted his proposition, would I get paid for healing people? It kind of felt wrong, but it would help my family out.

“No, but don’t you worry about that,” Dad told me.

“What should we do?” Mom asked him, hands clasped under her chin as she looked up at him.

“That depends on what Maddie wants.” Dad looked to me. “Do you want to work with the magic tower? You don’t have to. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

Theo turned towards me. Having his fire put out so easily had dampened his fighting spirit, but now he turned to me with fire in his eyes. “Whatever you choose, I won’t let anyone take you away.”

If I learned to heal like Draven had, I wouldn’t have to worry about Theo or anyone else getting hurt around me. I would have the power to help them without endangering myself. And it felt like I had a responsibility to help people since I had access to that kind of power. As easy as it seemed to turn my back, cover my ears, and sing as loud as I could to ignore people in need, I doubted I could do it. I didn’t want to be someone who ignored other’s plights.

I met each of my family’s gazes. “I want to work with the magic tower as long as I can stay here with you. I want to be able to help people.”

Theo’s head drooped. Mom gave me a small smile, but her eyes wavered and flicked to Dad.

“If that’s your choice, I’ll stand by it. This could have gone much worse,” he said, tension leaving his shoulders.

“I’m going to kill Elliot,” Theo said darkly, his eyes on the ground.

“No you will not!” Mother berated him.

“Theo.” I took his clenched hand in both of mine. “What’s done is done. He must’ve written to the magic tower in fear for my life. And it all worked out in the end.” If this was the end. “I’m all better now.” I got out of bed and grinned at him. “See? Draven seemed nice, and as long as he wasn’t lying, we can stay together, no problem. I’m not going to the magic tower.”

“I still can’t forgive him.” Theo frowned. “He broke his promise. If you had been taken away it would’ve been his fault. It would’ve been my fault.” He nearly broke at the last sentence.

I hugged him as he nearly cried again. “I forgive you. I forgive Elliot.”

“Well, you shouldn’t!” Theo said bitterly. “I’ll never forgive him.”

Mom and Dad made it a group hug and that’s when Theo cried. I joined in, having gone through my own rollercoaster of emotions, very glad to end up on relief.

The group hug didn’t end until we all stopped crying.

I spent the rest of the day awake and around my family, accepting their coddling while trying to get Theo to release his grudge.