Heather sat on the couch, grimoire in hand, as Liam came to join her.

“Is that it?” Liam inquired as he sat next to her.

“It is indeed. This grimoire has been in our family for generations. When we learn or create something new, it should be added to the book. No one outside of our direct side of the family is allowed to see this. That means not even extended family who are related by blood. Currently, only you and I are ever allowed to read this. Do you understand?” Heather insisted.

“Yes, I understand. Why is everything so top secret?”

“There are some things that shouldn’t be known by all. Just because it is in this book, doesn’t mean that it should be used. Our family is known for healing, but those same spells could be reversed and used for acts of savagery. If this book fell into the wrong hands, they could wreak havoc on the world. My parents, your grandparents, died trying to protect this book. I’ll admit that I’m a bit more nervous now that your powers have awakened. When it was just me I was hiding, it wasn’t so bad. But your power, your strength, is quite strong. I’m not so sure I’ll be able to hide you here in these apartments. There are a lot of people around. Even if they aren’t sensitive to magic, weird things happen, and people talk.

“When I was younger, we lived in a house in the woods. After people started coming to find them, they put up a barrier to hide us. I left that house when I was very young, so I don’t remember where it is. I know it is in this town but I also haven’t really been looking. I don’t have the best memories there. Just being close to it was good enough for me. Now that you’ll need to start training, I should probably go find it,” she decided, nervous to keep Liam amongst other people. 

“I…I think I already know where that is…” Liam admitted. His secret hideout, no longer a secret.

“You do?”

 “The place I always disappear to, is that house. I didn’t know that until I had the dream, but I’ve been there many times.”

“Well, you do have my blood. That would make sense as to how you were able to get through the barrier. No one has reinforced it in so long, I’m not surprised that it’s easier for someone to find now too. We will need to go there soon and strengthen it. We can stay there from now on, so I feel safer while you’re still learning.”

Liam thought about the old house before asking, “do you want me to take you there?”

“Not yet,” she replied. “I don’t want you leaving this house until you can suppress your magic a bit. At least enough that I can cover the rest while we walk.” Heather handed Liam the book before she continued, “Here, what I want you to do today is read the pages that have sticky-notes. I picked out some things that will be helpful to you right now. There’s some stuff about circulating your magic that I want you to practice also. It’s the main foundation for healing but it will also teach you how to remain calm and keep your magic hidden. Once you’re able to do that, we can move to the old house.”

Liam sat in silence, looking down at the grimoire. It was the very same one he had seen in his dream. He couldn’t believe that it was really here, in his hands. People were murdered for this thing, and he was handed it to study. He suddenly felt like he was under a lot of pressure. 

Just yesterday, he was giggling and chatting with Arthur over magic, excited and looking forward to learning about everything. Now, reality was setting in. The weight of this book truly was a heavy burden to bear. His palms started to sweat as he gripped the book tightly in his hands. Would he be hunted down too? What if he died, just because of who he was? He had been wishing to die just days prior, but now that he was facing it, he was suddenly terrified. So much had happened and so fast. He couldn’t possibly process this all. He just wanted to wake up and go back to normal. He didn’t mind if he had to clean up after his mom every day. That didn’t seem so bad anymore. 

The lights began to flicker again.

“Liam,” his mother cooed. “You’re starting to let your emotions get the best of you again. I know this is a lot and you’re probably overwhelmed but you need to get it under control. I want you to breathe with me. In…Out…In…Out… Focus on your breathing and the feeling of power flowing through your body, although it probably feels like hot static right now. With every breath, I want you to imagine it flowing through your body like a cool river instead. Breathe in, feel the static flow towards your heart, collecting and moving together as one. Breathe out, feel the magic join together as one and flow back out to your fingertips, toes, and the top of your head. When you breathe in, bring it back to your center again. Keep doing that until it flows like water in one continuous motion. Breathe in…breathe out…”

The light’s flicker began to fade as Liam practiced controlling the flow of his magic. The fire raging inside his body gradually began to cool as it gained motion with guidance, no longer trying to escape his body in any direction it could find. He sat for a long while, breathing in and out. He forgot his worries, the apartment, his mother, even the couch he was sitting on. It was just him and the raging ocean, now a powerful river. It surged through his veins, unlike anything he had ever felt before. Startled at the sheer power, he lost control and felt the prickling start to return in the chaos. He quickly steadied his breath and directed his power again. 

“Good, you’re doing good. Keep doing that. You’re a quick learner. It took me weeks to get that part under control. Maybe that’s just the difference between an adult’s brain and a child’s… Next, you’ll need to learn to suppress it. This part is going to take a bit longer. Once you have the magic flow under control, you’re going to slow it down. Keep slowing it down until you manage to hold it still. When you have the flow of your magic frozen, it’s very difficult for others to sense it. Learning to master this is very important. It is often the thing standing between life and death. Hiding your true strength could also give you the upper hand in a fight.”

Liam tried slowing his magic. He was able to some extent but not anywhere close to stopping it. He let out a loud sigh when the flow was out of his control again.

“Don’t beat yourself up. You’re already doing way better than I was expecting. Why don’t you go lay on your bed and practice. I’ll bring you some food after a while and see how you’re doing. 

Liam opened his eyes and steeled himself to walk to his room. How had he been walking around before? Or is the flow of his magic just steadily increasing? Did his mother always feel like this? Too many questions. He shook away the thoughts, clearing his mind again before standing. “Thanks mom, I’ll be in my room then.” 

Walking back to his room was a chore. He felt drunk. Trying to control the flow of his magic and walk straight at the same time proved to be more difficult than he imagined. He stumbled into the walk once, nearly knocking off a picture frame. Bracing himself against the wall with one hand, he finally made it back to his bedroom.

Liam fell onto the bed as soon as it was within distance. He felt like him and the bed were spinning faster and faster. He opened his eyes to try and slow everything down. Concentrating on a single star on the ceiling, he began to practice what his mother taught him. Breathing in, and out. In and out. He wasn’t sure when it happened, but he fell into another restless slumber.