“I don’t have those kinds of powers—”

“You might! Great Thod, girl, look what you accomplished tonight. Your power unchained and unchanneled, careening everywhere. You are a natural. Your mother’s blood gave you what ability you have, but it’s erratic, unusable.” “That can’t be true,” she said in surprise. “Why did you try to train me before if my gifts weren’t—” ‘To keep you from doing harm to yourself or to others,“ he said angrily.  “Oh.”

“Yes,” he snapped. “I felt at the time that it would be unkind to tell you more.  You seemed uninterested in learning, and so I let it pass. I see now I was wrong.”

“So even if I tried again to do what I did tonight, it might not happen.” “You might set fire to yourself, or nothing might happen at all. Your gift is small and uncontrollable. If you did not bring Nonkind to us, I will be very grateful.”

She bit her lip, understanding now why he was so angry. Contrite, she said, “I ask your pardon. I was not trying to do harm. If we must leave camp tonight, then I will—” “No, no, do not alarm everyone,” he said grouchily. “There’s been enough trouble for one day. Promise me, child, that you will never do something like this again.”

She frowned, feeling sorry, but not yet ready to promise anything. “But he does exist,” she said. “He is not a myth. He does live. Somewhere.” “If that is true, then you have endangered him as well. Visions are meant to summon the dead, not those living. You could injure him.” Her eyes widened with alarm. “I didn’t mean to. Can you find out where he is?”

“No.”