Healer (Brotherhood of the Throne Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

“They reacted magically to you in some way. What did you do?”
    “I, um, I didn’t do anything, really,” Brenna stuttered. “I just reached out for them. Mentally.” She had a hard enough time describing it to Kane, who could at least feel something with his sword. “Like this.” She reached out again and Mistress Utley’s dark eyes widened in surprise.
    “That’s the same magic I felt last fall, before you crossed the border. I felt it from here. So very strong, but a magic I don’t recognize. How do you do it?”
    “I don’t really know,” Brenna said. “It’s because of what they’re made of. I have an affinity for the metal.” She watched as the old woman passed age-worn hands over the mortar and pestle. Mistress Utley closed her eyes and held both items close to her face, sniffing them.
    “Hmm.” Mistress Utley opened her eyes. “I can’t feel any magic at all when you’re not triggering it. Do it again, Brenna.”
    Once again, Brenna mentally reached for the mortar and pestle. This time she lingered and slightly dropped her controls until both items were glowing softly in the older woman’s hands. Mistress Utley turned the mortar over in her hand and looked at it from all angles.
    “That is remarkable,” Mistress Utley said. She held the items out to her. “I’m old enough that I believed I’d seen every type of magic there was but here you go and surprise me.”
    Brenna took the mortar and pestle from Mistress Utley. She cradled both items to her chest and let them go dark. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you,” Brenna said.
    “Oh don’t be sorry, girl,” Mistress Utley said. “At my age any new discoveries are wonderful – they remind me why it’s good to be alive.” Her wrinkled face broke into a grin. “The first thing we need to teach you is how to contain your power. You’re scattering it all over when you do that. You have plenty of magic to spare,” Mistress Utley said with a frown. “But there might come a day when you don’t. Even though your magic is different, the principals of controlling it should be the same.”
    Mistress Utley paused, lost in thought, her fingers drumming on the table top. Brenna waited silently. If she could control her power, she’d be able to contact Kane. 
    “Now then,” Mistress Utley said abruptly. “I need to know what your skills are. The ability to do magic is something one is born with but magic usually enhances other existing abilities.”
    “Like healing?” Brenna asked.
    “Exactly.” Mistress Utley nodded. “If you’re a healer, magic will enhance those skills, but you’re also a Seer. Seers often have the ability to piece information together to see the whole.”
    That’s what she’d done with her network of informants, Brenna thought, seen the patterns among apparently unrelated pieces of information.
    “What else are you good at?” Mistress Utley continued. “Are you a good cook? A fine seamstress? We have witches who are good at growing things and others who are good at building things.”
    Brenna shook her head. She was a decent cook, but only because she knew herb lore - the only other thing she’d excelled at was what she’d started doing as a young girl in Thorold’s household - sneaking and thieving.
    “I’m a very good thief,” Brenna blurted out. She clamped her hand over her mouth. She hadn’t planned on telling anyone that.
    “The gods must have heard me complain that life was boring,” Mistress Utley said. Her face crinkled up and she giggled.
    The sight of the old woman giggling like a young girl made Brenna smile.
    “I’m not even sure why I told you,” Brenna said. “I hadn’t planned to.”
    “I know why,” Mistress Utley said. “You are the most unusual student I’ve ever had. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone your secret.”
    “Truly?” Brenna sat up. Now that Mistress Utley knew about the mortar and pestle and her being a thief, Brenna felt exposed,