StV: Metamorphoses and Magic, part two

Abby was sitting on the porch, idly picking at her bass guitar -- nothing too loud, since it wasn't plugged into an amplifier -- when she felt the gathering of forces behind her and rose from her chair to spin around. 

Sophia was standing a few feet behind her, with a tiny tongue of flame dancing above her fingertips. "Di immortales," she breathed. "Well, you're right -- you're really sensitive. Come on, let's walk and talk. I don't share this kind of thing with just anybody..."

"Why not?" asked Abby. 

"Two reasons," Sophia told her. "First, it's the only edge I have out here, so there's a bit of paranoia. But second... it's dangerous. Dangerous to learn especially, but also dangerous to use." 

Abby followed her down the steps and out onto the tree-lined driveway. "But you use it all the time, don't you? I mean, in that fight..."

Sophia nodded. "No, you're right. It's..." She hesitated. "It's dangerous to use in the same way that electricity is dangerous to use. Or maybe guns. If you know what you're doing and you treat it with respect, it's a reliable tool. But the moment you get sloppy, bad things happen. Which is why I have to ask..." They were well away from the porch and the other students now. Off to their left, an impromptu game of dodgeball was forming, and there was a small circle of students reading various roles in Equus aloud off to their right, but nobody was paying them any attention. "...What exactly did Lyceus do that made you realize you could sense these things?"

Abby felt her face heat. She tried to suppress it, but she couldn't. "It was... just a little spell."

Sophia stopped, staring at her. "He didn't. You didn't--"

"We, um, did," Abby admitted. 

Sophia tilted her head back to look up at the sky. "I'm going to murder him."

"Please don't," Abby said. "It was my idea. I asked Cat to introduce us. And he was..." Oh, God. Was she really going to say this to Lyceus' sister? "...it was good. It was exactly what I wanted, and then some."

Sophia hesitated, then said: "I thought you said the two of you weren't an item." 

"We aren't!" Abby protested, and started walking again before they could draw any attention. "It was just one night. And I'm not saying he didn't get anything out of it, but he was doing me a favor."

"Truly?" Sophia settled herself reluctantly. "He wasn't taking advantage of you?"

Abby shook her head. "I like your brother -- genuinely, truly like him. But it's just that. I'm sixteen years old, I'm not looking for a life partner, and I don't have any illusions about how Lyceus feels about me."

Sophia took a deep breath, then said: "I'm probably going to regret this, but... how do you think he feels about you?"

Abby hesitated, casting around for the right word, and finally settled on, "Solicitous. Your brother's a decent guy. I asked him to be my first time, and he did his best to make it good for me. He also made it clear that this couldn't be an ongoing thing, and shouldn't be more than a one-time thing. And he was right about that, I think. It's compelling, and it's easy to mistake that for real connection." She paused to draw a breath, then added, "...And when I felt him cast the spell, he immediately broke off to make a note to put me in touch with you."

"Damn it," muttered Sophia. "You're right, I'm going to have to let him live." 

"What about me?" Abby asked, before the opportunity slipped away. "Will you teach me?"

"I kind of think I have to," Sophia said. "You're so sensitive that you might start finding things on your own, now that you know what to sense for. The gods know what you might stumble into without proper training."

Abby sighed. "Thank you."