Chapter 10

"Rayne you're back!" said Brianna as she hugged her daughter. Aric was struck by how close his daughter looked like her mother when he met her. Suddenly he was feeling really protective again, even though he knew she was fully capable of taking care of herself.

Rayne was hugging and looking at her parents after being away for seasons.

Her mother had a few more silver hairs, but they mixed well with the red and fed into her braid. She now had bangs that came down to her eyebrows that she didn't have before.

"Hmm, I like how that looks. I may have to start doing that as well" thought Rayne.

Her father's normally dark curly hair had a silver forelock in it now. She liked how it looked on him as well.

Rayne, Caelan and Darla went to Galen's house and Jaden and Gail went to get his parents. To Rayne, Galen looked the same as he did the day she left. He still hadn't seemed to age a day yet.

Galen was still trying to figure out what happened between Darla and Caelan.

"As I was saying," said Galen "It seems that the bond you have lets you access what Caelan knows, but I bet it is with just his affinity and not with all his abilities. I base that guess on the fact that lighting was your first choice of a spell to use. But how did Darla even know the wording for the spell I wonder?"

"Darla try to remember how you felt, and Caelan think of what you were feeling at the time also, and then Darla try to hit me with your lighting again," said Galen.

"I don't want to hurt you," said Darla with wide eyes.

Galen laughed.

"Child I doubt anyone in this room could hurt me unless I will it. Trust me you are fine. Now try to hit me," said Galen.

As Darla fell back into that state, she reached deep into Caelan's mind and threw a huge lighting bolt at Galen. Everyone clearly noticed that she said nothing before she cast it.

While he easily blocked it, everyone in the room was shocked by the size, intensity, and the suddenness of her casting.

"That is a full eighth circle spell, but she still barely registers as having any power to do that. She is definitely pulling the power and ability from her husband. Can you try to create a fireball?" Galen asked

No matter how Caelan visualized the words for her or thought about it, she couldn't produce fire.

"Thought so, let's try something made with ice?" asked Galen.

But before Caelan could visualize the wording, Darla made a small spoon of ice.

Caelan was visibly shocked, as well as everyone else.

"Yes she can do green because it is what Caelan is the strongest at, but his other abilities are lost to her.

"And by the look on Caelan's face, he doesn't visualize or pronounce the wording for her either, so she is able to cast without any input from him. Curious.

"So if Caelan knows it she can cast it. She will make an interesting paper to send to my colleagues. Through her husband she can cast magic without training or using wording. Interesting. I wonder if she can do variations of what he knows," said Galen turning around making some notes.

"Well, while I enjoy all of your presences, it is late at night and this old man needs his sleep," said Galen with a smile.

And at that everyone wished him a good night and filed out.

After seeing Gail home, and swinging by to drop off Caelan and Darla, Rayne was now also sitting in the kitchen of her parent's home with her family.

"How long are you here for honey?" asked her father.

"For a few months, something tells me that my crazy younger brother may be getting married soon, so I thought since I missed the last one, I'll catch this one," said Rayne smiling.

"But maybe we'll have to have it close to a stream to make it easier for Gail to get at Jaden," leered Rayne and Jaden instantly blushed.

"Ok, I want to know what that is about. For seasons Gail used to make this boy blush just like that all the time by just grinning at him. I would really like to know why," said their mother frowning.

Laughing Rayne told her parents what Caelan told her on the trip back after seeing Quinn's father.

Her mother appeared shocked and her dad burst out laughing.

"She did that at twelve? No wonder Jaden started doing his own laundry suddenly for seasons," said Brianna shaking her head.

Jaden was getting redder and redder.

"But to be fair she knew what she wanted and she went after it. You have to admire that. And it doesn't hurt that all the boys always found her gorgeous. That says a lot about our boy here," said Brianna smiling at Jaden.

Jaden smiled back

"And it doesn't hurt that she wanted him so bad that she cut out all the competition early enough on that they knew they didn't have a chance. Not every man can say their future wife did whatever it took to make them theirs," said Brianna with a smile.

Jaden still smiled too, but was now just happy he was no longer currently the butt of everyone's jokes.

"So is there a special someone for you yet?" asked her father changing the subject.

"No not yet. There are a lot of men who are intimidated by a strong woman," said Rayne as she smiled at her mother, and her mother smiled back. "Not everyone is like you Dad."

"Well keep looking Ray, you'll find him. Just make sure you don't settle for just anyone," said Brianna. "I didn't and I'm happier than I thought possible."