Meredith Mansfield, Author

Continuing the blog posts about the magic of the world of the DUAL MAGICS series and how it affects the main character, Vatar.

The last post was about his inherited magic. This one is about the ways that magic is enhanced by his bond with his wife, Thekila.

Because of their marriage practices, Valson couples have a tendency to become bound through their magic. A condition that links the couple in a way that makes it impossible to hide emotions from one another. Thoughts can also be shared, but that requires an effort of will similar to Far Speech, though the connection is more intimate. This has been known to happen to Fasallon couples, but much more rarely. Something similar may happen to twins in both groups. Vatar and Thekila chose to magically bind themselves, which was happening slowly anyway, during THE VOICE OF PROPHECY.

One aspect of Vatar’s inherited magic depends on his bond with Thekila, who is a Valson. Their bond allows him to project an invisible shield. But the shield draws its power from her, which makes Vatar leery of using it.

The Valson have very similar Powers to the Fasallon. However, they have one Power that the Fasallon don’t, the ability to move objects without touching them (distant manipulation). Though he doesn’t possess it himself, Vatar is able to borrow this Power from Thekila through their bond. (And, in BEYOND THE PROPHECY, she will be able to borrow some of his rarer Talents, too.)

Among the Valson who can perform a shape change into another form, it’s usual to choose one form, an avatar. So that these avatars can be easily identified (someone whose avatar is a stag wouldn’t want to be hunted by mistake, for example) the avatar is always white or black or, occasionally, both. Having learned most of his magic from the Valson, Vatar adheres to this practice. His avatar is a white lion with a black mane and tail tuft. Thekila’s is a white eagle.