Sometimes, the danger you sense isn’t imagined—it’s real.
Here’s a glimpse into Chapter 11 of Shadows and Light: Journeys of a Spirit Healer, where Thom’s strange healing gift draws the attention of someone with dark intentions.

This post isn’t one of my usual blogs. Still, like them, the excerpt explores the themes of life, God, and purpose, as revealed in the journey of Thom Macirdan. Shadows and Light is the first in a five-book Journeys of a Spirit Healer fantasy series.

Thom was working on a vase when he felt Lord Samiltun’s loathsome energy. It wasn’t long before he heard the carriage. “Da,” he called out. “I think we’ve got a customer.” He didn’t want to tell him it was Lord Samiltun because he didn’t think his father would understand how he knew.

Shortly after, footsteps crunched on the gravel path leading to the pottery. And, before anyone could stand, Lord Samiltun walked into the work area.

“Oh, Lord Samiltun,” his Da said. “I was about to take your sample bowl out of the kiln. Redik, would you help me?”

Lord Samiltun grunted.

Thom felt his presence behind him.

“And what are you working on, lad?” Lord Samiltun asked.

“Um,” Thom gulped. “A bud vase.” This time, the probing felt stronger and touched various parts of his body, like his Mam would do when she examined a patient.

“That’s an unusual shape,” Lord Samiltun remarked, placing his hand on Thom’s shoulder.

Like before, Thom pushed back, but he didn’t think it was as successful. “Yes,” he replied. “The customer wanted the mouth of the vase curved to make the flower more visible.”

“What are those blue stones for?” he asked, pointing to the left of Thom’s wheel.

By now, Thom was gritting his teeth and shivering. He didn’t like the lord touching him, and his stomach started yelling at him. “One of Da’s specialties is adding decorative stones to the clay before firing it.”

“And what about the pink in the dish there?” he asked, pointing.

Why can’t he leave me alone, Thom thought, feeling his breath quicken. “Sometimes, we add a splash of color for accents,” he told him, shrugging his shoulders, hoping that the lord would remove his hand. But to no avail.

“Interesting,” Lord Samiltun commented, shifting his hand slightly to see if he could read the boy better.

In desperation, Thom pretended he needed a tool on a bench nearby and stood up, forcing the lord to remove his hand. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“No,” Lord Samiltun responded. “It looks like it will be a nice piece.” He still couldn’t determine the nature of the boy’s gift or strength from his examination. If his gift was substantial, which he thought it was, he’d be a great asset. As young as he was, he was undoubtedly untrained. That would make controlling him easier. Now, he needed to make him and his father more amenable.

“Lord Samiltun,” Da called out. “Your sample piece is ready to evaluate.”

Lord Samiltun stepped away from Thom and went to the other side of the work area to a table where his Da had placed a blue bowl.

Thom resumed his work on the vase, feeling his breath ease. Focusing on smoothing the curve at its mouth, he realized he felt warmer. That’s weird. The pottery wasn’t any hotter than usual. While he sipped a cup of water nearby, he relished Lord Samiltun’s praise for his craftsmanship. Maybe he could earn money by making a few pieces for him.

 Leaning back and stretching, Thom overheard his Da say, “You’re asking me to add more of our clay mixture 4 to your clay? Easily done. The new mix should be ready in ten days. Is that agreeable?”

“Yes,” Lord Samiltun replied. “I must say, I’m very impressed with young Thom’s work. Would you consider apprenticing him to me a few days a week? I could set up a little pottery behind my home. I could even teach him merchanting. Having a combination of merchant and potter skills would enable him to set up his own shop one day.”

Thom looked back when his Da didn’t respond.

I think he needs a bit more encouragement, Lord Samiltun thought.

Thom noticed the lord’s hand twitch a little.

His Da finally replied, “Maybe. Learning about merchanting would be good. I’ll need to speak to my wife.”

“Of course,” Lord Samiltun responded, sneering inwardly.

After the lord left, Redik said, “Da, didn’t you say you didn’t like the man the last time he was here? Are you really considering apprenticing Thom to him?”

“I might have misjudged him,” his Da replied. “He was very nice this time.”

When Lord Samiltun returned to the pottery to see the new sample, his primary goal was the boy. Stepping into the work area, he sent more energy toward Thom and his father to make them more receptive to the apprenticeship.

Thom tried to listen while his Da showed the bowl to the lord. Wouldn’t it be exciting if he had his own pottery? He didn’t even consider how odd it would be for a boy his age.

“This is perfect,” Lord Samiltun exclaimed. “You’re very talented, Mr. Macirdan. Please proceed with making my dishware. Since you’re an honest man, here’s half the agreed cost.”

“That’s very generous, sir,” his Da responded. “The standard down payment is 25%.”

“Yes, I know. However, I’m impressed with your work and believe it merits it.”

Looking around the work area, Lord Samiltun spied the vase Thom had completed on a shelf nearby. “Oh, I see Thom finished his vase.”

Thom had turned around to face Lord Samiltun and his father.

“The blue complements the vase’s brown glazing. And the pink splash makes it something special,” Lord Samiltun said to Thom. “You are quite talented.”

“Thank you, sir,” Thom replied, turning red.

The boy’s pottery skills could be beneficial to him as bribes, Samiltun determined. Deciding to probe him once more, he discovered there wasn’t any resistance.

Sitting at his pottery wheel, Thom felt something pop inside himself.

“Mr. Macirdan,” Lord Samiltun said, “Have you considered my proposal?”

“Yes,” his Da replied. “We’re seriously considering it. Thom does assist my wife, Winni, with treating her patients. Let me talk with her again to see if our younger daughter can take his place.”

“I understand. Will you be able to show me some completed dishware in two weeks? Of course, I don’t expect all of it to be done by then.”

“Yes, we’ll have pieces to show you,” Da replied.

Outside the pottery, Rin had been eavesdropping on the conversation. He sensed Samiltun’s energy toward Thom and his father and the energetic probe. Rin knew the time was approaching for him to take Thom away.

After Lord Samiltun left, Rin returned to his shop to consider the situation. Samiltun’s last probe significantly affected Thom, about which Samiltun was unaware. First, it fully activated Thom’s healing gift. Second, it triggered a much stronger gift. One that Rin couldn’t identify.  He now knew why his spirit guides told him to wait before taking Thom away. It was now time for him to implement his plan.

Rin had to hide the strength of Thom’s gifts from Samiltun when he returned to protect Thom. But before that, he needed to set the stage for their departure. He’d return in two days to suggest to Thom’s parents that he get special training. He’d already given his landlord notice about closing his shop. In ten days, he’d start camping near the pottery to ensure he was nearby when Samiltun came by again.

I hope this moment of Thom’s journey stirred something in you. If you’re curious how he got there, where his path leads, and how his gift unfolds, you can find Shadows and Light: Journeys of a Spirit Healer on Amazon: https://a.co/d/7yRDnAj

Book 2, Where the Heart Leads, continues Thom’s story—his developing spirit healer gift and how he uses it for the good of all. It’s coming later this year.

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