The Aether Candle

Caleb snapped his fingers three times.

As he did, the coffee table changed. It went from wood to marble then glass then back again, all in a matter of seconds. Had Dan blinked, he'd have missed it. For that reason, he tried convincing himself that his eyes had deceived him. That he hadn't actually seen the table transform, at a very basic level, without any rational explanation for the changes.

He tried convincing himself of that, but it didn't work. "Holy shit!" he said at last.

That produced a broader grin than he'd have thought Caleb capable of.

"So, um, what happens if I do it again?" Dan asked. He still wasn't sure he was on board with the M-word, but he could at least entertain the notion, for the sake of argument. Maybe catch Caleb contradicting himself. "Magic's got to have consequences, right?"

"You mean visit the Aether?" Caleb asked. "Or pull your teacher, specifically?"

"The latter," Dan said. That wasn't what he'd meant, as it happened, but it might be worth hearing Caleb's answer to that as well. "Did anything happen on her end?"

"What do you think?" the bearded one asked as he steeped a tea bag in a mug of hot water—both of which had sat on the counter in the kitchenette a moment earlier. Right up until he'd decided that telekinesis might convince Dan even if transmogrification hadn't.

Which was not entirely ineffective.

"That you're about to tell me it's too complicated for a simple yes or no answer?"

A sly grin spread across his lips, nowhere near as pronounced as the one that had followed Dan's exclamation a minute ago. "She'll have no memory of it, as you obviously do. She was less there than you were." Caleb paused, waiting to see how Dan reacted to that.

How else? Skeptically.

"I know that sounds strange," Caleb continued. "You're used to thinking of presence as a binary, rather than a continuum. But that's really the best way to put it."

Gee, that didn't add to Dan's confusion. Not at all.

"Such encounters do leave an impression, though," Caleb finished.

"So if I keep summoning her...?" To, what was it, the Ether? No, Caleb had pronounced it differently. More of a long A. "The imprint won't get a chance to fade?"

"That's a very good question."

"Meaning you're not gonna answer it," Dan said, sighing. "You said when I was ready—"

"But you're not," Caleb interjected. The reply was not harsh, but neither did it lack finality. "You've allowed a seed to be planted. As that grows into a sapling, it will need nourishing. Watering damp soil won't make green shoots appear faster, though."

"That's a terrible metaphor," Dan said, tossing his napkin onto his plate. "Besides, the soil's not damp. It's dry as fuck, because you've hardly told me anything."

To his surprise, Caleb actually gave that consideration. "If you keep pulling the same person," he said at last, "a link begins to form in the real world. As the bond grows stronger, there's a risk that you might claim her as a familiar—whether you mean to or not."

"A familiar?" Dan said. "Like a witch and her cat?"

Caleb chuckled. "More or less."

"I see." The thought of turning his ninth grade math teacher into something like a pet cat gave him the chills. There had to be more to it than that, but it still didn't sound like anything he should mess around with. Assuming it hadn't just been a dream. Which still seemed dubious, if not unfathomable. "Tell me more about the Aether."

"Ordinarily, there's no way to enter it as you did unless you've been trained."

"As I did?"

"With your wits about you," Caleb explained as he took a sip of his tea. "Able to form memories. Not just an avatar that was pulled in by a Talent."

"You're saying that's what I did to Ms. Conklin?" Dan asked, though he knew the answer. Caleb had already said that she'd been less there than Dan had been. Apparently this was what he'd meant by that. "I grabbed some part of her essence and yanked into another world, while she herself remained behind?" Caleb didn't react, which Dan took for confirmation. "And I did this without her consent?" Maybe he was already less skeptical than he thought, because that thought made him shudder. "That sounds kinda rapey."

This time, he got a reaction. A sour one.

"Well, it does."

"She and her avatar certainly share a connection, but it's not her," Caleb said. "What matters is whether the woman you actually had sex with acted against her will."

"I guess so," Dan allowed. "And she certainly didn't seem to be." His cheeks warmed.

Caleb shook his head at the juvenile comment. "Until and unless you take her as a familiar, her life will be largely unaffected. And I only qualify that because there's one side effect she'll definitely experience—the chemicals normally released by the brain during orgasm will flow more freely. She'll go through her days happier and less stressed out."

That didn't sound so bad. "So I'd be doing her a favor?" Dan asked.

Caleb shrugged. "Some of your kind tell themselves that, though I don't know if I'd go that far. As long as you alternate between two or three different women, though, you're on solid ground." He gave Dan an accusatory grin. "I trust that won't be a problem?"

For fuck's sake. Caleb had basically put a loaded gun in the hands of a sociopath and then told everyone it was okay because the bullets were rubber.

Wait. He'd worded things oddly. "What do you mean `your' kind? Aren't you a Talent?"

"I am," Caleb said. "But of a different sort. I don't visit the Aether for the same reasons you and other empaths. I could, if I wanted to, but I wouldn't get as much out of it."

"What did I get out of it?" Dan asked. Aside from helping him get his rocks off.

The bearded one gave him a flat look. He was pretty fucking good at that. "Energy," he said, before sipping his tea. "Tell me you didn't feel it the moment you woke up."

Dan fell silent.

"Of course you did."

"But that doesn't work for you?"

"Each school of magic affords practitioners two ways of gathering energy. One direct and one indirect. In your case, that means causing someone in close proximity to experience a strong emotion, or claiming a familiar—in which case it won't matter why they feel what they feel, or whether you're nearby, just that they feel something. The stronger the better."

"So my abilities all revolve around emotions?" That sounded a little too plausible. It explained why everyone around him always seemed emotionally unstable, going from cold to hot and back again with little warning. He'd figured that was just because most of the people he spent time with were teenagers, like himself, but perhaps not.

"Evoking them, suppressing them, or simply detecting them," Caleb confirmed.

"So how do you charge your batteries?" Dan asked.

Unsurprisingly, Caleb chose not to answer. He'd dodged that basic question once already. Why it was so important to keep his brand of magic a secret was anyone's guess, but it clearly was. As if the answer would even mean anything to Dan.

"As I was saying," Caleb continued, "it's not easy for the untrained to enter the Aether as you did. The candle helped you do that."

"So anyone who lights will end up there? Maybe even accidentally?"

"No," Caleb said. "Only a Talent can use it. The more experienced among us have little need of such assistance, but for a novice such as yourself, it can be incredibly useful."

"Can you enter anytime you want?"

For a moment, it looked like he wouldn't answer. But then he said, simply, "Yes."

"You keep referring to Talents," Dan said. "Is that a term for people who've learned how to use magic? Or those who were born with the ability?"

"Some of us have greater potential than others. For the most part, we're the only ones who end up practicing magic. But in principle, anyone can become a Talent."

"So it's more like math?" Dan said. Ms. Conklin had disabused them all of the notion that mathematical ability was inborn. While it might come more easily to some than others, based mostly on overall intelligence, anyone who tried hard enough could get good at it. Assuming they weren't distracted by the huge boobs at the front of the room.

His question was met with a chuckle. "Somewhat more useful perhaps, but yes."

"I have a feeling you're going to say there are some things even magic can't fix, but here goes nothing," Dan said. "Is there any way to bring my dad back?"

Caleb gave him a sad look, saying nothing.

That was probably for the best. Even if it worked, he'd probably come back without his corny sense of humor, his obsession with telling Dan to do things that "built character" in some ill-defined way, or, most importantly, his ability to make Dan's mom smile.

For the first time in two years, Dan found himself wondering whether his dad had he really died in a car crash. The successful tax attorney been every sort of boring, though. It was hard to imagine him living a double life, or having any association with magic.

Maybe Dan just watched too many movies.

Okay, and read too many books as well. But his sister was the only one who knew that he'd enjoyed the Harry Potter series in both formats, and Dan meant to keep it that way. If Jane hadn't given him the first book herself, he'd never have earned so many nerd points.

"You want to talk about it?" Caleb asked.

Was that an attempt to get inside his head? See if he was strong enough for what was to come? "I may be on your couch, but that doesn't give you license to play psychiatrist."

Hands held up in protest, Caleb said, "Didn't mean to pry."

"Sorry," Dan said. "You weren't." Caleb gave an appreciative nod. "So is that the real reason you're here?" he asked. "Because of me?" The official story was that Caleb's parents had been born nearby and he was preparing a scrapbook for them, as an anniversary gift. But he never actually seemed to work on it. And how long could that take, anyway?

"Not exactly," he said, after a sip from his mug. "But I do intend to mentor you."

Dan started to ask the obvious follow-up question, but the look on Caleb's face kept him from doing so. He'd already gotten more out of the guy than he'd expected. If he wanted to keep the information flowing, it'd be best not to ask questions that were too personal.

Dan took a sip of the coffee he'd all but forgotten, made a sour face, and stared in disappointment down at the paper cup that had betrayed him by allowing its contents to grow tepid. "If I wanted to heat this back up, would I need to use the microwave?"

"You would, yes," Caleb said.

Well, he'd wanted limitations, hadn't he?

With a flick of his wrist, Caleb warmed Dan's coffee back up. "You won't be able to do much outside of the Aether for some time. Gather energy, yes, and perform a few small feats, such as reading auras or amplifying emotions to a limited extent, but only in the Aether will you really be able to spread your wings." He sipped his tea and gazed off into the distance, sighing wistfully. "To some extent, that never changes."

"Everything is easier in the Aether?" Dan asked.

Caleb nodded. "No matter how experienced you are."

"Figures," he said. It was all making a lot more sense than it should have. That was really messing with his effort to convince himself that none of it was real.

His self-appointed mentor must have sensed that too, because he was giving Dan the weirdest look. It seemed to be equal parts pride and gloating.

"One last thing," Dan said, feeling a rush of shame. "Does the candle, or the Aether, have any...side-effects?" He cleared his throat. That was probably too vague to be of any help, but he wasn't about to tell Caleb that he'd found himself appreciating his mom a little more than usual, in somewhat questionable ways, that morning. That it wasn't until he'd jerked off for third fucking time that morning that his blood had finally started to cool.

"Why, are you feeling any?" Caleb asked, brow furrowed.

Again, it felt like his mentor was trying to decide whether Dan was capable of fulfilling his destiny. He'd sooner walk into the girl's locker room wearing nothing but tighty whiteys than endure that. "No," he said, refusing to elaborate no matter how Caleb looked at him.

"I suppose it might," the bearded one eventually offered. "Particularly since you're so new, and your first visit to the Aether came a bit later in life than it does for most Talents."

"Huh?" Dan said. "I'm only eighteen, dude."

Caleb snorted. "When I first visited the Aether, I was thirteen."

"I'm real proud o' ya," Dan replied, though he had to admit he was a little jealous.

#

Dan was stretched out on the sofa, the tablet his sister had given him for Christmas in his lap, when his mom came home. "How'd it go?" he asked her as he casually closed the web browser, allowing none of the panic he felt at her sudden appearance to show.

So what if he was looking at porn? Which just so happened to involve a younger guy and a older woman, who was supposedly his (step-)mother? There was nothing wrong with that. In no way did that imply that he was incapable of handling the Aether's side-effects.

"Get your feet off the couch," his mom said as she took off her jacket. Beneath, she wore a pencil skirt, dark stockings, and a burgundy silk blouse—all of which she looked quite good in. Not that Dan was developing a crush on his own mother or anything. The only reason he took note was because she didn't normally dress that way for a casual together with a friend on the weekend. Yup, definitely the only reason. "Good, I think," she replied.

Dan held his hand up so she could see his crossed fingers.

"Suppose you've already guessed I might be changing jobs," she said. Drawing a deep breath, she added, "It might mean moving closer to the city." Ah, that was the reason for the secrecy. "I'm not sure I'm up for a longer commute. But it would mean a pretty significant pay raise as well. That would really help if you decided to go to college next year after all."

Dan frowned. "I didn't get in anywhere. You know that." Of course, he hadn't applied as broadly as he should have either. His mom had yet to accuse of him of ensuring that he'd have nowhere to go in the fall by targeting only a few reach schools, but he'd have a hard time denying it when she finally did. If that day ever came. Which he hoped it wouldn't.

"Well, community college then," his mom said. "After a year or two, you can transfer."

He shrugged. "Get the job first. Then we can revisit my plans for the future."

His mom flicked a was of paper at him from inside her handbag. Dan caught it, unwrapped it, and found that it was a used cough drop wrapper. Meanwhile, she headed down the hall to change out of her high heels and fancy clothes. The size of her ass, stretching the fabric of her skirt so beautifully, did not distract him in the least as she did. No sir.

Blood rushed to his head and Dan felt dizzy.

"Thought you'd be over at Caleb's," his mom said when she came back. She wore black leggings and one of his father's old shirts. Dan decided she looked even better in that, though he did like the business attire. The man's button-down was big enough to deemphasize her bosom, but not hide it. That only made it harder for Dan not to obsess over the subtle hints at their presence. And while the shirt tails hung halfway to her knees, knowing that her thighs were covered by little more than a coat of body paint made his heart beat faster. "Let me guess," she added as she climbed over the armrest and claimed the cushion beside him. The one he only removed his feet from when she swatted them with the tips of her fingers. "He's on a date, with a woman who doesn't shave her legs."

Meaning, of course, that she shaved hers. Not that Dan was surprised by that. Come to think of it, he'd seen her pink razor in the bathroom. He'd just never really cared how smooth his mom's legs might or might not be until that very morning.

Pushing the unwelcome thoughts aside, Dan told her, "He's home."

"But?" his mom asked.

He shrugged. "Well he's not gonna cook me dinner."

"Well, I've got news for you," his mom said. "Neither am I, after that drive."

"Should we order pizza then?" Dan asked.

His mom made a face. "How do you feel about Chinese?"

"Less than crazy."

She frowned.

"But I'll go with it," he said. "As long as you accept that you owe me one."

His mom raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly is it that I'd owe you?"

Dan's mind went straight to the gutter. His cock hardened, his heart raced, and he struggled to breathe. At no point had he considered saying any of the dirty thoughts aloud, but the fact that he'd even had them came as a surprise. One that filled him with guilt.

And adrenaline, truth be told.

"Not much," he said. "You just have to let me pick next time."

"Deal," his mom said. "Can you look up the number on that?" She pointed at his tablet as though it was more than a little strange and possibly radioactive.

"Yes, Mom. Welcome to ten years ago." He gave her a broad, sarcastic smile. "Believe it or not, you can even order online. No need to go dial the rotary phone."

The tips of her fingers lashed out again, but not with any real force. "How're you holding up, by the way?" she asked while he typed, voice soft and sympathetic.

It took Dan a moment to remember that he was supposed to be heartbroken. Over Jenny, of all people—a girl who looked down her nose at everyone, even though she was barely five feet tall. Sure, she'd had nice tits, and that mattered even more to Dan than it did most guys his age, but it only made up for so much. She wasn't the only one in the world who was blessed in that department. "Trying not to think about it."

"That's for the best," his mom said, trying to look solemn despite the relief Dan knew she must have felt. She even gave her head a gentle nod.

In the back of his mind, a voice suggested that he tell her that there was something she could do that would help him forget all about his ex-girlfriend. Because something inside him was seriously broken. Eyeing her up and down as best he could while she sat right next to him, Dan convinced himself that it wasn't even about her. Yes, his mom was an attractive woman. The fact that she was still single, two years after his father's death, reflected poorly on the male population of the greater metropolitan area. But there was still no good reason for Dan to be plagued by such depraved thoughts all of a sudden.

None, except for that damn candle. Which he was starting to believe might actually grant access to a place called the Aether, crazy as that was.

Almost as crazy as living under the same roof as a woman with that perfect a body and never really noticing. Yes, she was his mom, and that should have been enough to blind him to her charms. But now that he was aware of them, Dan could not imagine overlooking them ever again. Which was only somewhat alarming.

Damn, she had huge tits. And his dad's shirt did not hide them.

After they placed the order, Dan's mom asked if it was okay if they watched the last few episodes of some TV show she'd gotten into recently, since the new season was about to come out and she was nearly caught up. Dan assented.

"Are you sure?" she asked with a tentative smile.

"Well, I'm not promising to keep any smart-ass comments to myself," he said. Especially since they always got a reaction out of her. "But as long as you're okay with that, sure."

His mom rolled her eyes then snatched the remote from his lap. Which might have given him a cheap thrill. "When the delivery guy comes, you're getting the door."

"Okay, but you're gonna owe me for that too."

She chuckled. "Aren't you demanding all of a sudden."