Page 60 of Grounded (Convergence #1)

Liria was still smiling when they got back to the house. But then she saw Aga.

“Master Thaxvarien, your father has been viding,” Aga said. “He's worried. I told him you were fine, that you had gone down to the cove, but he wishes to speak with you himself.”

“Thank you, Aga. I'll handle it.” Thax went to his vidco—now an unwieldy box—and picked it up. He shook his head at Liria. “I don't even know where to put this.”

“Anywhere but the bedroom.” Liria gave him a naughty look.

“I suppose that leaves the bathroom out too.”

“Ugh!”

Aga giggled and went back inside.

“The sitting room, then.” Thax headed inside.

Liria frowned at his back. “Aren't they all sitting rooms since you can sit in them? Which one are you talking about?”

With the huge vidco under one arm, Thax turned and offered her his free hand. “Is that poor people humor?”

Liria gaped at him dramatically and then smacked his chest. But then she took his hand.

Laughing, he led her inside. “I meant the room just outside our bedroom. Our sitting room.”

“Elitist jerk.”

“I can't help it. I was born Aethari, remember?” Thax kissed her hand. “And you love me anyway.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Her heart felt so much lighter after that swim.

In the midst of his trauma, it felt to Liria as if Thax might never return to his old self.

Even that morning, when he was making his promises, she was still hesitant to feel any happiness.

But swimming with him, or rather, with him and his new talent, had made her confident in his recovery.

She didn't even care about what might come of his ability.

As long as Thax was with her—mentally and physically—they could deal with anything.

He looked around as they strode through the corridors to their suite. “This place is huge.”

“You're only now noticing?”

“Liri, I wasn't seeing much beyond my pain. I mean, I saw, but I didn't. You know?”

Liria squeezed his hand. “Yeah, I know. I'm really relieved to have you back.”

“It still hurts,” he whispered. “And I know it will hurt for a long time, but at least now I have some perspective. I can envision a new life, and that makes the pain bearable.” He went into their “sitting room” and set the vidco down on a side table.

Then he pulled her into an embrace. “I'm sorry I left you alone to deal with all of this. With me.”

“Don't leave me again, Thaxvarien. You promised we were in this together.”

“I know, Liri. I won't.” He kissed her forehead. “I still don't—”

A chiming sound came from the vidco.

Thax sighed and looked at it. “My father has always been a persistent man. And it has always annoyed the fuck out of me.”

She giggled. “Best to get it over with.”

Nodding, he went to the device and pressed the answer button. His father's face appeared on the foot-wide screen.

The Speaker's eyes went wide. “Thaxvarien? What are you wearing?”

Thax looked down at his damp shorts and then up at his father. “We went for a swim.”

“You did what?!”

“Don't sound so horrified, Father. It was nice.” Thax grimaced. “Mostly.”

“Mostly? What . . . great Magic, Son, I can hardly believe I'm speaking to you, and you sound like your old self.” He touched his screen.

“You look well. You've got color in your cheeks.

Oh, my boy. It's so good to see you like this.” He cleared his throat.

“But what happened when you went into the water? Did you converge again?”

“Father, calm yourself,” Thax said. “I don't know what this power is. It's unlike normal convergence.”

“How so?”

Thax looked at Liria.

“He's been converging with plants and water, Speaker,” Liria said. “That is unheard of. Thax can converge in a miraculous way.”

“Sweet Source,” the Speaker whispered. “Son, do you know what this means?”

Thax grimaced. “Father, I can't think about that right now. I need to relax and focus on my recovery.”

“Yes, yes, of course. But, Thaxvarien, if you have been blessed yet again by the Source, you can't be denied entry to the cities. I could petition the Council for you to come home!”

“Father, I don't think our people will see my talent as a blessing. To them, it will be a threat.”

“Nonsense! How is it a threat?”

“I manipulated a tree. I made the branches move. And then I moved water. I sat upon its surface with Liri. It held us up as if it were solid.”

The Speaker blinked. Gaped. Shut his mouth. “That's magnificent! I will make an announcement. The council members will agree with me, I'm sure.”

“Father, no!”

“Son, I know these people better than you. You have only been at odds with them, so you think the worst. But I know they will be awed by what Source has granted you. They will see this as a sign that you are still meant to be the next Speaker.”

“But I can't speak.” Thax glanced at Liria.

He clearly didn't want to share that possibility with his father yet, and Liria didn't blame him. She nodded in support.

“Son, I haven't taught you to speak. I haven't given you any guidance yet. How would you know if the talent is still there if you don't know how to summon it?”

Thax scowled and looked at her.

Liria shrugged. It was his decision. She would support whatever he chose to do.

His hand clenched on hers.

“Why don't you ask him what it's like?” She widened her eyes at Thax.

He blinked. “Oh. Uh, yes.”

“What's it like?” Thax's father asked. “You've spoken. You know what it's like.”

Thax took a deep breath and asked, “Do you feel led in any way when you speak?”

“Yes, of course. But it's more than guidance. The words are directly from Source.”

Thax glanced at Liria.

She widened her eyes at him.

Thax grabbed a chair and offered it to Liria. He moved another in front of the vidco for himself. Finally, he leaned forward on his elbows and faced his father. “So, you are just a conduit? You have no control over what you say at all?”

“Why do you ask that? What have you experienced?”

“Tell me first. Do you speak only when Source guides you to? You said I don't know how to summon it, so that suggests you can ask Source to speak when you wish it to.”

“Sometimes I begin to say something as myself, in my own words, but then Source comes through without warning, and I speak with its will.

As it did when I offered you and your destra my blessing.

I had intended to bless your union, but Source wanted to bless you as well and took the opportunity to do so.

Other times, I feel an urge to present myself to someone, often to the Aethari Council, and only when I stand before them does Source speak.

Then there are times when I need its guidance or assistance.

Again, it's usually when I'm dealing with the Council. In such a situation, I can internally request Source to come through me. It has never denied me.”

“In the times when you request its aid, are the words still from Source?”

“What I say when I speak is always from Source.

Speakers cannot influence the Source of Magic.

But Source uses my vocabulary, if that's what you're asking.

It doesn't speak with words, so it must sift through my mind and use me not only as a conduit but also as a type of translator. You must have felt it within your mind when you spoke, Thaxvarien. Source shows you images and gives you emotional impressions of what it wants to convey as it pulls words from your memories and speaks through you.”

“This is so confusing,” Liria muttered.

“It is something that must be experienced to be fully understood,” the Speaker said. “Which is why I've never tried to teach you this before, and why I keep referencing your experience, Son. Liria won't understand this, but you should.”

“I do.” Thax paused. “But that is not exactly my experience of speaking.”

Thax's father narrowed his eyes. “Then you must tell me exactly how you experienced it.”

“I was in control. I felt guided through images and emotions just as you said.

But my body was still my own, and when I spoke, I chose the words.

And it wasn't all imagery. I knew things, Father.

Knowledge just popped into my head. Where to hit them.

How hard. When to duck and when to dive.

And it gave my voice strength. Source didn't use me as a conduit. It guided me, taught me, and put power into my voice. I spoke with my will and words.”

“Are you sure you spoke?”

Liria jumped in. “His skin and eyes glowed while his voice became resonant. It sounded like Thaxvarien but deeper. And those Aethari felt it too. They cringed before him.”

“That could have been simple fear,” Thax said.

“No, the power of speaking during war is significant.” Thax's father rubbed at his forehead. “There's a story about the first Speaker of Icara who brought an entire army to its knees.”

“Warriors often show respect to their Speaker,” Thax said.

“No, Son. I mean the opposing army dropped to its knees in surrender because he commanded it.”

“Holy shit.” The skin on Liria's arms prickled. “Are you saying that Aethari have fought each other? I've never heard that before.”

“Yes. We've tried to keep that history from the Medeans. We prefer to show a united front.” The Speaker waved a hand as if dismissing it. “The point I'm trying to make is that although Speakers do not use their voice in such a manner these days, they have, in the past. So, it is possible.”

“Would that mean that Source backed that army?” Liria asked.

“Not necessarily. It could mean that Source wanted to protect its Speaker. But again, there's something more important to discuss. Thaxvarien, even when that honored Speaker spoke in battle, he was not in control. Source spoke through him. It was Source who commanded that they kneel.”

“Did the Speaker fight?” Thax asked.

“No, Son. Speakers generally don't become warriors. Perhaps that's why you retained control. Source may have known that if it had taken control, you wouldn't have been able to fight. So instead, it guided you through battle while speaking through you.”