Page 35 of Seer
Identifying and finding the monster, that was number one. I’d have to work with Greg, but it was a necessary evil.
When we got to the diner, we sat down in a booth and placed our orders—bacon cheeseburgers and chocolate milkshakes for both of us, for all Greg had hinted he wanted something alcoholic.
A couple of hours ago I’d have worried what Greg thought about a fatty ordering a burger and a milkshake. But now I was more concerned with other things.
He went first. “I want to ask my mom or my uncle to come here. Both of them can call visions on demand. We need to know what that thing is.”
I took a sip of my water then asked, “Have any other Wonders gone missing or been killed recently?”
Greg froze. “Shit. I have no idea.”
I nodded. “It didn’t appear from nowhere. I want to see where it’s been. Maybe it left some clues.”
Greg shivered. “Thanks to you, all of the Wonders in my District are still alive. But the person in your first vision might have been from another District or he could have been unaffiliated.”
“Uh, District?”
He made a face. “Oh, yeah, sorry. At some point I need to get you up to speed. Remember I told you how I create connections with a bunch of Wonders?” I nodded. “I have a radius of about 100 miles where I can mentally feel anyone I’m connected to. If they’re experiencing an extreme emotion like fear, I’ll notice it, but otherwise I just feel a kind of low hum from everyone. For the Wonders, it gives them a community—we have District social meetups, things like that. But even if they aren’t interested in making friends, I’m here if they need assistance navigating the everyday headaches of the mundane world.”
“Okay. Got it.” I fiddled with my cutlery. “You said you have a range. What happens if they—or you—travel outside your area?”
“If a Wonder is beyond my range, whether I’m traveling or they are, the connection goes quiet until we’re in range again. Oh, and if one of them passes away, as long as they’re within my range I know.”
“And if they’re outside your range?”
He shook his head. “I wouldn’t sense anything. The connection would just disappear, which I wouldn’t notice until I actively tried to find it. And if one of my Wonders passed away in someone else’s District, that District Monitor wouldn’t sense anything either, because they wouldn’t be connected to the Wonder who’d died.”
The server brought our food then, so I mulled everything over while I started on my meal.
“So the Wonders can’t be connected to more than one of you?”
Greg said, “No....” He trailed off, looking thoughtful. “Now that you ask, I’m not sure. They have other types of connections, like with their loved ones. But we’ve always just had them connect with one District Monitor at a time. If a Wonder moves, the original District Monitor removes the connection before they get connected to the new one. When a District Monitor retires, the connections are transferred to the incoming person. It’s part of our magic.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Seems to me if they travel between Districts a lot, it’d be to their benefit to be connected to all of the relevant—what did you call them? District Monitors.”
He nodded. “Maybe it’s time we tried it out. Too bad Shane and Ellis went back home.”
I couldn’t help my startled laugh. “They’re District Monitors?” They hadn’t struck me as particularly... responsible.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin and groaned. “Yeah. I’m so sorry for how they approached you. They’re sorry too, I promise.”
“Uh huh. And what was all that shit they said about bonding and having sex to boost their mojo or whatever?”
Greg’s mouth dropped open. “Is that what they said to you?”
I made a seesaw motion with my hand. “I can’t remember their exact words, but that was my takeaway.” I picked up my burger again and took a bite, all while keeping my eyebrows up and maintaining eye contact with Greg.
He rubbed his forehead for a few seconds, then he gazed at me earnestly. “No one will force you to do anything you don’t want to.”
“Okay?”
He glanced to the side and blew out a breath. “Right. So, just like I connect with the Wonders to create a community for their safety, anyone with magic, whether a Wonder or those of us the Elves gifted with magic, can connect with each other in a... more intimate way.”
Was he blushing? Fuck me, his cheeks were turning red.
I couldn’t help myself. “You mean through sex.”
His gaze skittered around the diner. “Ultimately, yes. I mean, there are other methods, but it’s the easiest way to create a permanent connection over time. But if people resonate with each other, meaning their magic is compatible, a connection can start forming as soon as they get close enough for their magical auras to mingle.” He cleared his throat. “Touchingsomeone, even briefly, will tell both parties if they’re compatible.”
