“I love you, Mom,” I whispered. She leaned her head against mine and closed her eyes.
“I love you, Morgandy.”
Aletheia instantly liked Jacob. She said he was a blessing as I needed the guidance of someone from the human world to complete my training. The angel that visited her had prophesized of his coming and Aletheia accepted him with open arms.
Mom remained wary for a while. Lars, of course, was delighted I’d accepted Jacob’s friendship. He felt relieved he could continue his friendship with him. It was funny to see them together, completing each other’s sentences and laughing similarly. He didn’t act like the Priests or Pastors I’d seen on TV and that was pretty cool. He didn’t go around preaching about hell and damnation which had everyone relieved.
Aletheia included Jacob in my daily lessons immediately. At first, he was a mere observer, his eyes wide as he watched me practice Leaping or mind reading. As he’d only ever seen Lars and Raif phase, he was intrigued to watch me and said he thought I made a beautiful mermaid. It was sweet.
It wasn’t long before Aletheia decided she had taught me enough for the time being and asked Jacob to take over the teaching. She said it was important that I receive the human side of spirituality as well as the merfolk side; it would balance The Link. He enthusiastically accepted, and to be honest, it was a relief. He didn’t constantly run me through drills or introduce several new powers a day. A lot of the time, he just talked about spirituality and God. He shared a few Psalms from his tattered Bible. They spoke to me and the moment he shared them, I felt calmer, more sane and in control of who I was. He said it was the Holy Spirit I felt. I don’t know what it was, but the feeling was addictive. The more time I spent with Jacob, the more at peace I felt.
When I told Jacob about my past mistakes and fears, he told me the only real mistake is the one from which you haven’t learned anything. What I’d been, including all the mistakes I’d made didn’t matter – what did matter was who I was right now. That made a lot of sense. I suppose it did because I had been dwelling on the past so much and now I could let it go and start fresh. I guess I just needed someone to let me know it was okay to do that.
The days passed quickly, especially during those rare ones when both Jacob and Aletheia taught. They said it was important to try and help me gain as many powers as possible before having to take on Limus. I agreed; being prepared was far better than facing your opponent empty handed. The more I learned, the more I grew in strength.
Despite her rocky start with him, Mom grew to really like Jacob and it wasn’t long before she told me she’d been too hasty in her decision about him. I understood she was just being protective. Something was definitely going on with Mom though and I hoped she wasn’t getting sick. She was worried about me, Naira, Thayde, Tammer, and Ezen. It was taking its toll on her, but I hoped that it would all go away when the guys returned and everything got back to being somewhat normal.
Despite the peace I was now feeling, my worries about Thayde did not go away. I knew very soon he was going to be in a lot of trouble and only I could help him. Though I dreaded that day, I also wanted it to be over. I wanted Thayde back more than anything - back and safe with me. Then maybe the dreams would stop and maybe I could fix him.
Chapter Eleven
Leap
Dear Diary,
We’ve been in Idaho for just over a month. Already two new people have joined our circle. Lars Fawning is ambitious, ready to follow orders and already in love with Aletheia. I caught them in a lustful embrace one morning. They seemed embarrassed, but I think it’s great they’ve corded. It might take some of that sorrow away from Aletheia. Lars sometimes rubs me the wrong way and I think it’s because of his inability to hold back his thoughts. Ever heard of the saying ‘think before you speak’? Lars hasn’t.
Jacob Mac is a good friend. He’s a human, which made Mom go through the roof, but she’s grown to like him and has accepted him into our group. He is an honest, kind and caring man. We got along right from the start. I like him; he calms me. I feel different around him. Sometimes, I wonder if he’s so holy that it just rubs off on me. He’s a peaceful person and I understand why Lars thinks he’s wonderful.
Lars’ best friend, Raif, returned to Portland, Oregon, just after Lars and Jacob joined us. He called Lars to make sure things were okay. When I asked him if he had told Raif about me, he shook his head.
Thayde. I miss you, so very much. Where are you? Mom hasn’t heard anything else from Tammer and she’s about ready to have a mental collapse from worry. Aletheia said she wanted to work on extended mind reading. I think we’re supposed to work on that tomorrow.