Druidess Found (Druidess Trilogy Book 1) Machelle Hanleigh (best ebook reader under 100 .TXT) 📖

He frowned. "What other kinds of food are there?"

She shook her head and stood. "You don't want to know." She walked into the kitchen and opened the icebox. Mrs. Ferguson had always kept it stocked with fresh foods ever since she could remember. No matter how long she would be gone, which usually meant into the city for escape if she were honest with herself, she would come back unannounced and find fresh foods in her icebox and pantry. She rummaged around pulling out a variety of vegetables and set them on the counter. She turned when Moto entered the room and sat at the table. She checked the cupboards until she found what she was looking for. "I think I can accommodate your dietary needs."

He smiled as he watched her. "You still didn't answer my question."

She winced. "Meat," she glanced over her shoulder to see his reaction. He was frowning.

"Meat? As in animals?"

She shrugged and nodded.

"I did impact your life, didn't I?" He came up behind her and took the knife out of her hands. He turned her in his arms. "I didn't mean to upset your life."

She laid her hands on his chest. "I think we upset each other's lives, didn't' we? It hasn't all been bad, has it?" She didn't wait for him to answer her questions. "It's alright, after my time among your people, I find I kind of like eating the way you do. To be honest, I'm feeling bad for eating meat now."

He laughed and hugged her. "I'll corrupt you to my way yet."

"One can hope." She said. "Are you hungry or not?" She said eyeing the vegetables she still needed to cut up.

He lifted his hands and backed away. "Far be it for me to interfere with repast prep." He sat back down at the table. "It's a novelty idea being served by a woman."

She turned around with the knife in hand and narrowed her eyes at him. "Watch it! I know how to use this." She waved the knife at him.

He held his hands up in surrender.

She smiled and turned her attention back to the task at hand.

"Yes and no," Moto said, breaking the silence after a time.

She looked over her shoulder. "What, yes and no?"

"Watch what you're doing with that knife!"

She smiled and turned her focus back to cutting up the vegetables.

"Yes, we have both changed each other's lives, and no, it has not been all bad."

She didn't turn around. "Glad to hear it." She finished cutting the vegetables and put them in a pot. She added vegetable broth and spices. Once that was done, she made up two cups of hot tea. She handed one to Moto and sat next to him at the table.

"Smells good," he accepted the hot cup.

"Thank you," she inclined her head. "This is peppermint tea. It's one of my favorites." She took a drink. She watched over the rim of her cup as he did the same. He grimaced. She laughed, and then choked on her tea.

He patted her back. "That's what you get for laughing at me."

"Touché," she said when she could finally speak. "I can get you something else to drink."

Moto shook his head, "no, I'm fine. I'll wait for the repast."

"You don't think my abilities will work here since I can't touch the energy." She looked at him for confirmation of her statement. She knew she was probably worrying needlessly, but she wanted to be sure. That last thing she wanted was to be a danger to the people she cared about so much.

He was silent for so long Kaily didn't think he would answer. She waited in silence.

"No, I don't think they will work here. I can't touch energy here either except at the Gateway. I think that may be why your abilities didn't manifest sooner in your life." Moto said.

"Truth?" She sat up straighter. That was a relief. Another burden lifted from her shoulders.

"From what I know, granted it's only in relation to the Kahoali, most start showing signs of abilities right before puberty, sometimes sooner." He rubbed a finger to smooth out the frown between her brows. "You have nothing to worry about here, Kaily."

"Thank you," she said and touched his arm. She couldn't help touching him so much. "How do the abilities manifest in the Kahoali?"

He tilted his head at her and held her gaze a while before answering. "Similar to how they did with you. First, the child will hear a calling, an overwhelming desire to journey to Crystal Lake, and then once there the child will see Crystal Lake in a different way than before, and the talismans will be shown to them. After the child retrieves their talisman, we pair them with an adult with similar powers to guide them and teach them about the responsibility of such abilities and the necessity to learn control. All Kahoali children are taught to control their emotions from the very beginning, but the training intensifies after they have their talisman." Moto stopped speaking. Kaily thought he was going to add more, but the silence grew, and he didn't.

She sipped her tea and let his words sink in. She thought about her own journey in obtaining a stone, talisman, she mentally corrected, and she thought about her disastrous beginning in learning to control her abilities. She cringed just thinking about it.

"Kaily?"

She focused her attention on Moto.

"Do you want your talisman back?" She heard hesitation in his words.

She frowned and shook her head. "No, not really."

He frowned. "Why?"

She glanced at the contents of her half empty cup, and then back to him. "It scares me."

He didn't reply right away. He gave her a sad smile and took her hands in his. He opened his mouth as if he were going to say something, and then gave a slight shake of his head. "I understand." He finally said and let go of her hands.

She frowned.

He reached up and smoothed her furrowed brow. "Peace,