38. Kian

38

KIAN

M onday mornings were usually busy at the office and taking even a few hours off was a bad idea. Kian didn't want to think about the pile of work waiting for him when he accompanied Amanda and Syssi to Brandon's house. But he wanted to witness the testing and see what Morelle could do when she was not reacting to an emergency.

Syssi and Amanda had taken a day off from the university to conduct Morelle's testing in the village, so he could sacrifice a few hours as well to satisfy his curiosity.

He'd spent half the night awake thinking about the broader implications of what Morelle could do, and it was quite unsettling, but at the same time the possibilities were exciting.

The Eternal King had been right to fear the twins, even without knowing their specific powers. Kian's mother had mentioned a prophecy her grandfather received about his own blood bringing him down, which had led him to fear all of his children and their descendants.

His one legitimate heir had rebelled and lost, but his children still posed a risk. El didn't know about Annani's existence, but the truth was that she couldn't topple him from his throne even if there was a way to get her to Anumati. The twins, on the other hand, possessed abilities that should terrify any tyrant who feared for his throne.

Hell, they should terrify any reasonable person as well.

Ell-rom could potentially kill the Eternal King just by willing it, and now they knew that Morelle could theoretically drain power from a large group of immortals or gods and possibly channel it to boost her brother's abilities or to do some serious damage of her own, like send a spear flying into the king's heart.

Had their mother known how dangerous they were?

Had she hidden them away not just to protect them but to protect others from what they could do?

"You're thinking very loudly." Syssi squeezed his hand. "What's on your mind?"

Kian pulled himself from his dark thoughts and smiled at his mate. "Just thinking about Morelle's power and its potential applications. "

"Oh, I have several ideas about that," Amanda said over her shoulder as she approached Brandon's front door and rang the bell.

Jasmine opened the door with a bright, welcoming smile. "Good morning. Please, come in." She led them to the living room where Ell-rom and Brandon were seated on the couch with a laptop open in front of them, and Morelle was curled on an armchair with hers. "Before you begin the testing," Jasmine said. "I just wanted to tell you that I spoke with my father, and he will be at his cabin for the first week of next month. I will need a Guardian who is very good at thralling to accompany Ell-rom and me."

Kian was glad that she had finally contacted her father, but now was not the time to talk about that. "Remind me about this later. We should schedule a meeting to discuss the arrangements."

"Of course." Jasmine dipped her head.

Morelle put her laptop on the side table and rose to her feet to greet them. "Good morning." She looked at Kian. "I didn't expect you to come. Am I in trouble?"

He smiled. "Why do you assume that my presence here means you are in trouble?"

She shrugged. "Why else would you want to spend time watching Amanda and Syssi test me?"

He put a hand on her shoulder. "I've had a lot of time to think about your talent, and I think that it has tremendous potential. I want to check a couple of theories I have."

"I see." She looked nervous. "Makes sense."

"Should Ell-rom and I clear out?" Jasmine asked.

"Stay," Morelle said, turning to Jasmine. "I want you to see what I can do."

Amanda nodded. "The more, the better, actually. We need you both for the experiments I have in mind."

The more people with paranormal powers in the room, the more energy Morelle could draw on to fuel her telekinesis.

That was also another reason why Kian had wanted to be present. If Morelle drew power from him, he wanted to know if he could feel it—and more importantly, how it would affect him.

"In that case, I'm going to make coffee." Brandon rose to his feet. "I assume that everyone wants a cup?"

"Definitely," Syssi said. "I've only had two this morning, and I need at least three to function."

Brandon chuckled. "I apologize in advance. My coffee-making skills are nowhere near your level. All I know is how to use the drip machine."

"I could teach you to make cappuccinos," Syssi offered. "It's all in the equipment. When you have the right stuff, it's not as complicated as it seems."

Morelle tilted her head. "What is that specialized coffee drink? "

There was no word in the Kra-ell language for a cappuccino, and although the translation earpieces were getting better at inserting names and words that couldn't be translated directly, they were still far from perfect.

"It's coffee with steamed milk and foam," Syssi explained. "The milk makes it creamy, and the foam gives it a luxurious texture."

While Syssi explained the mechanics, Brandon ducked into the kitchen, and soon the sounds and smells of brewing coffee filled the air.

Morelle settled onto the couch beside her brother. "That sounds interesting. I would like to taste it."

Syssi's eyes widened. "I forgot that you didn't get to taste my cappuccino when you were in our house. You were so tired after performing that miracle that Brandon had to take you home. You have to come over again."

Kian crossed his legs at his ankles. "We have a very ugly fireplace for now, but I'm sure you won't mind."

"I won't," Morelle said. "I assume the workers removed the stone that surrounded the fireplace." She glanced at the intact mantel in Brandon's living room. "I guess that's why you didn't bring the little ones with you. Ours is still here."

"That's not the reason," Amanda said. "Dalhu is watching the girls so we can work." She grinned. " I'm telling you. Having a work-from-home husband is very convenient."

"What does he do?" Morelle asked.

"He's a talented artist." Amanda gave her a thorough once-over. "He should draw a portrait of you." She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of Morelle. "Your hair is growing out nicely. I should take you to my stylist to give it some shape."

Morelle's eyes brightened. "I would be so grateful. I was just thinking yesterday that your hairstyle would look good on me."

Kian stifled a chuckle. Some things were just universal, and females were always concerned with their looks, with their hair being the priority.

Brandon smiled as he returned with a tray of coffee cups. "I hope it's passable."

“I’m sure it’s great,” Syssi said as she accepted a cup.

After Brandon distributed the cups to the rest of them and everyone prepared their own drink to their liking, Kian decided that they had spent enough time socializing and it was okay to get down to business.

"Have you tried using your telekinesis again since the other night?" he asked Morelle.

The glow in her eyes dimmed. "No. I didn't want to risk drawing power from anyone without their knowledge or consent. I don't like doing that, but it just happens, and it doesn't feel right to me. "

"That's the wrong way to think about it," Syssi said.

Kian chuckled. "Well, not necessarily. If you think about leeches, they have medicinal usages, like drawing poison from an organism, so leaching away excess power might be a good thing in some situations."

"What do you mean?" Morelle asked. "And what are leeches?"

"Medicinal leeches are a type of worm, and they have been used for thousands of years," Kian explained. "They can help remove contaminated blood from wounds, improve circulation, and even help with certain medical conditions. Something that seems parasitic at first glance can actually be beneficial in the right context."

"That's fascinating." Morelle leaned forward. "We had nothing like that back home. Our parasites are mostly just opportunistic without providing any benefits."

"The point is," Amanda interjected, "your ability isn't inherently good or bad. It's a tool, and its value depends on how it's used."

Kian nodded. "Exactly. And that's why we're here—to help you understand and control it."

"I just don't want to accidentally hurt anyone," Morelle said softly. "Including myself."

"None of us reported feeling hurt or drained after you used your ability. The only one who was drained was you," Kian said .

"Hold on." Jasmine held up her hand. "I'm feeling like the kid who's not part of the clique. What are you all talking about?"

When Morelle was done explaining, Jasmine rubbed her temples between her thumb and forefinger. "Oh, wow. Now it all makes sense. I wonder how much you can draw and channel. I bet there is a limit to how much you can hold."

"Good observation." Amanda waved with her stylus. "That's easier to check than to measure how much power you can expel."

Brandon shook his head. "It should be done gradually. I don't think Morelle feels the power, so she might draw too much without realizing it."

Amanda turned to Morelle. "Is that true?"

"I didn't feel anything when I drew energy from Jin, Arwel, Cassandra, and even Toven, but I felt it when I drew it from everyone at dinner. It felt good, like an inflow of positive charge. There was nothing uncomfortable about it, but then I didn't know I was doing it."

"We need to test it," Amanda said. "Can you draw from all of us?"

Morelle swallowed. "I'm not sure I know how."

Kian had a feeling that she was blocking herself from accessing the power because she viewed her ability in a negative light.

Leaning forward, he braced his elbows on his knees. "You shouldn't think of what you do in terms of taking or drawing. Think of it as redirecting or channeling. You're not depleting anyone's power permanently—you're redirecting it temporarily for a specific purpose."

"Like a conductor leading an orchestra," Syssi suggested, catching his line of thought. "Each musician still plays their own instrument, but the conductor helps direct their combined effort into something greater."

Morelle seemed to consider this. "I know that you are just trying to make me feel good about my ability, and I'm grateful, but the meaning attached to it has to come from me."

Kian could respect that, but he didn't have all day, and Morelle was being stubborn. "You saved a precious life, and you were the only one who could have done it. I would have gladly parted with as much of my life energy as I could give to help you do that. But I cannot channel it into you unless you make the request. Make the request, Morelle. There might be more at stake here than your sensibilities."