Her reflection gazed back at her. His fingers touched hers, the space between them rippling, while Veleria mulled over their differences. Each deviation caused another ripple to form in the surface she lie on.
“You are not me.” She stated.
No.
Discordant, was the word she would use to describe his voice.
“Even so, you are…”
You, as you are me.
His fingers breached the reflective surface. For a moment she saw herself, then him, then herself again as the disturbance intensified then settled. Their hands began to close over one another.
* * *
Veleria woke in Adrian’s arms. He had found some copse off the roadside, though he hadn’t set up much in the way of camp. Instead, he had left the horses nearby to feed while he huddled beneath the shade of a lone tree. He hadn’t dressed. As she stirred, she accidentally tapped a discarded crossbow with her foot.
She met his gaze. One of his palms rubbed her cheek while he brushed some of her hair from her face. His hands were rough but she found that she didn’t mind. Veleria fought the sudden urge to lean into them.
“I’m sorry, Adrian. I didn’t recognize him or the name he gave me.” She said, averting her eyes from his.
“Do you think he knew who you were?” Adrian lingered for a moment, then helped her to her feet.
“I don’t think so. He seemed more interested in something else he said about me.” She brushed herself off, watching Adrian as he started going through one of his packs. He was laying his armor out. She went to help him. “He called me a ‘source.’ Do you know what that might mean?”
Adrian adjusted each strap of his leather. After a moment of thought, he answered.
“Was this guy a wizard or something?”
“Definitely. He had a magic circle in his eye.” Veleria replied, pointing to her eye for effect. She handed him his arm guard.
Adrian grimaced, “then he might be a real problem. We used to follow leads to magic sources and even have a few in the vault, but a person being one is…I mean, I didn’t know that was possible. Meredith would have known if you were one, anyway.”
Veleria leaned against the tree they were previously lying on. She grabbed the compact from her pockets and took the moment to take a good look at herself. Even in the light of dawn she could see her eyes were glowing.
“What are sources?” She asked.
The man tightened the belt of his guard. He maneuvered his arms around before picking up his effects.
“Mind you, I have no affinity for magics. According to Meredith and a few others I have under my employ, they are basically like…I guess you could liken them to oil for a lamp? Or a fire in general. They make magic more potent.” Adrian started loading up the horses, occasionally glancing at Veleria as he did. She put the compact away. “Useful, but temporary things. Most get drained with one spell. Dunno where that man got off calling you a source.”
“What if…I’m slowly changing?” Veleria wondered, catching Adrian’s eye. The man furrowed his brow. “Maybe whatever he felt in me only started recently.”
“All the more reason to get as far away from him as possible.” Adrian stated plainly.