SORCERER (The Elemental Magic Series Book 1) by Michael Nowotny

being pulled from."
    Alec started at his hand that held the opal. He could feel his power leaving his hand and going into the opal. He started feeling his way back up his arm, tracing the power. When it got to his shoulder he thought he'd lost it, but then realized that unlike his arm where the power was just under the skin, at his shoulder it turned inward and traveled to the center of it.
    He traced it through his chest to the spot just above where the ribs come together at the bottom of the sternum.  Alec felt all around it, it was like thick syrup but the magic came
from inside it. Alec tried concentrating harder and pushed his way through the thick part.
    "Doing good, now go to the very center," said a voice seeming from far away. "That is your well."
    It felt like a huge cavern but Alec didn't feel like it was full of magic. Off in the distance he felt something pulling him. He let it drag him to the center of his well. There in the center was a ball of swirling red and blue all lined with a white coating. It pulsed in time with his heart and seemed to be slowly shrinking.
    As he got closer it suddenly latched on to him drawing him in. Alec tried to pull back in a panic as it dragged his consciousness closer and closer.
    The voice sounded again. "It's OK, let it pull you in, it's trying to help you. It won't start to fill your well till you accept it."
    Alec's consciousness merged with the power and the power merged with him, filling every inch of his body with an almost unbearable heat. It coursed back and forth from his feet to the top of his head. As suddenly as it had happened it stopped leaving him in a cool colorless void that was so calm, so relaxing, and so perfect.
    There was only him and a need, a want that came from deep within. The need to grow, it seemed to be asking for permission. Alec told it to grow and it did, pouring out through the center of his entire being. It felt like he was floating on a sea of air and he let himself relax with in it.
    Smack! "Come on boy, wake up." Smack! Something hit his cheek.
    "Ow!" He cried opening his eyes and grabbed his cheek.
    Christi was shaking her hand with an evil little smile on her face. 
    "You reached your power. After being consumed by it, it normally takes external stimulation to bring someone out of it," Peter told him. "Normally we don't slap them silly," he said looking meaningfully at Christi.
    "Can we go get lunch now, it's almost six bells?" Christi asked.
    "Hang on for just a bit, here," he said handing Alec a fair size sapphire. "Keep those gems somewhere safe, they hold your power in them. I'll see you two tomorrow morning right here after breakfast"
    They turned to go when he spoke again. "Oh, if you're going to be sharing the shower together try to be a bit more discrete." He said with a wink.
     

Chapter 10
     
     
     
    The two of them left the tower, their faces a bright red color. Alec's from embarrassment and Christi's from laughing.
    "He thinks we...together... at the same time?" Alec stuttered.
    "What not pretty enough for you?" Christi asked in a serious voice.
    Alec stopped, his mouth gaping as she walked on till she realized he wasn't beside her.
    "What, you don't think so?"
    Alec's mouth just opened and closed with no words coming out.
    "I'll take that as a good thing?" She laughed. "You have a lot to learn about nobles. He was only teasing. It might be fun teaching you all about it." She laughed again at his puzzled facial expression.
    She took his hand and led him to lunch as six bells were starting to toll. Christi ate while Alec explained what it felt like when he'd reached his power. When he was done Christi began hinting at the way nobles approached intimacy. Nobles apparently talked more openly about it and teasing was more the norm than not then gave him some examples.
    By the time they were done eating one very embarrassed Alec was left sitting at the table. Christi left on her own having arranged to meet one of her brothers.