Chosen Read Free Page B

bottomless blue eyes.
    She met the eyes of her best friend, Keera Flint. The fiery redhead knew her deepest heart and had sworn to take the secret to the grave. Gwen blushed as Keera winked and looked pointedly at Jon.
    The five students wandered away to see more of the festival. Keera and Gwen went to the east of Town Center to see the fire-eaters and jugglers. Jon followed a group into the inn for the storytelling contest. Saemus and Kaelin, hearing a commotion, walked toward the main road to find what was stirring up all the excitement.
    “It's a runaway! It's a runaway!” Someone was shouting.
    Saemus whipped his head around toward the sound of pounding hooves coming from the north. At that moment, a horse came racing down the road, its eyes rolling, and frothy lather dripping from its heaving sides. A young boy clung to the horse's mane, screaming in terror. One of the townsmen stepped into the road.
    The horse squealed and reared, hooves pawing the air. The boy lost his grip, falling face-first onto the hard ground. The frightened animal stomped on him as he lay helpless.
    Saemus ran over to the boy and grabbed him before the horse could do more damage. He ran back toward the grass and laid the boy down gently. Saemus felt the contents of his stomach rise when he saw the damage done to the boy's head.
    “Someone get Master Brok! Great Lucian's Ghost!”
    Saemus distantly heard someone running for the pond in search of Master Brok. Saemus knew it was very unlikely the boy would survive. He was already so near death. Without thinking, Saemus placed his hands on the boy's ruined head.
    “ Curatio,” he whispered.
    “Saemus! What are you doing?” Kaelin knelt at her brother's side. “He is too far gone! There is nothing to be done!” Her words became frantic as she watched him delve deeper, drawing more and more magic.
    “Saemus, stop!” She watched, tears of frustration and helplessness running down her cheeks.
    “Saemus! Kaelin, what is he doing?” Jon demanded as he and the others joined the twins kneeling next to the boy.
    “Kaelin, do something! He is drawing too much!” Keera screamed as Saemus' face lost all color and his breathing became ragged.
    “Saemus, no!” Kaelin wailed and reached out a hand to her brother, her twin, her other half which made her whole. Without comprehending how she did it, Kaelin somehow opened herself, allowing him to access her inner magical power. She gasped as she felt her magic draining. Saemus' eyes widened as he felt the magic flow into his body. His eyes tightened as he focused their combined powers.
    “ Curatio!”
    The young boy was suffused with a warm, golden light. Kaelin had to look away as the bright light intensified. Looking at her brother, she saw the same awe reflected within his black eyes. She knew him, could sense him in a way that was both frightening and familiar. Tears sprang into her eyes as she felt the power flowing between them and into the injured boy. The whole experience lasted only a brief second to onlookers. For Saemus and Kaelin, this extraordinary experience seemed to last a lifetime. Kaelin wanted the feeling to last forever. Saemus broke the contact when he noticed the boy sitting up with visible improvement. His once ruined and broken head was now healed.
    Kaelin moaned and fell to the side. Jon ran to her and cradled her in his arms. Gwen and Keera ran to Saemus and held his hands, gazing at him in nervous wonder. Jon glanced up and saw Master Brok running toward his fallen students.
    “Dear Spirits! What has happened here?” Master Brok placed his hands on the foreheads of the twins.
    Jon relayed the details, from the boy getting trampled by the horse to Saemus' attempt to heal the boy and coming close to draining his own life energy. Jon hesitated when he tried to explain what happened next. He didn't understand what had happened between the twins.
    “Kaelin…I don't know, Master Brok! She touched Saemus and…I don't know!”