Previous | Chapter Index | Next

“You’re not human are you?” Kate asked Laxmi as she showed her around. “You feel like one of those creatures that attacked those boys and I’ve noticed some of them around here as we did the tour…”

Laxmi looked back at her and gave a warm smile. “That’s a fair comment. I am precisely like one of them… well part of me is. I don’t attack people though. Nor do any of us who Dar has recruited.”

“I see, but what are you?” Kate repeated.

“That’s a long story,” Laxmi replied. “Suffice to say that a long time ago someone tried giving powers to everyone who didn’t have one and it went badly. We were the result.”

“Okay, but I want to hear the rest of the story some time soon because there is clearly a lot more to this.” She paused and her eyes widened. “And someone tried it again didn’t they? That’s why those cracks were in the sky and all those people were manifesting powers.”

“Exactly!” Laxmi said. “And thank goodness they managed to mostly fix it this time or eventually more of us would have been created.”

Kate gave the young south asian woman a long look. “No I don’t think that would have been a good thing.” She tilted her head. “You said part of you was like them… I’m guessing the other part of you is the original owner of your body?”

Laxmi gave her a surprised look. “Yes! I’m surprised you realised that. Dar’s right you really aren’t stupid in spite of how you behave.”

Kate didn’t quite know whether to blush or bridle at that so she looked at her feet.

“We’re nearly done with the tour,” Laxmi said. “I’ll take you back to Dar. He’s ready to start your training now.”

The room Laxmi took her back to was fairly plain except for two chairs. Darlryan was seated in one and he waved her to the other. “Sit down, Kate.”

Kate smiled nervously and did as he asked. He immediately handed her an unthreaded needle and reel of cotton. She stared at it perplexedly and then back at him. “What?”

“Thread the needle.”

“Okay?” She said bemusedly. “I’ll try… but I’m awful at threading needles.”

“I know,” he said. “You’re bad at it because you lack patience, get frustrated and lose your temper. I want you to thread this needle without getting to that point. If you feel stressed, pause and breathe until you calm down and then carry on. Okay?” He pulled out a bottle of her favourite perfume. “If you manage to thread it without losing your temper you can have this.”

“Okay!” She looked at the perfume and grimaced with determination before pulling the end of the thread off the reel and tilting the needle to see the eye. “Ugh, it’s a small one. Can’t I start with a larger one?”

“You start with that one,” he said.

“Okay.” She sighed but did not complain. After a moment she sat back and began trying to thread the needle.

Previous | Chapter Index | Next