Blue Violet - By Abigail Owen Page 0,45

old enough to be Nate and Ramsey’s parents. They both had dark brown hair and eyes. But where Charlotte was tall and willowy, Dexter was stocky and solidly built. Both regarded her with somewhat wary and perplexed expressions.

Ramsey sat at Charlotte and Dexter’s feet, so determining his height was difficult. He had dark red hair and bottle green eyes. While he shared his adopted parents’ wariness, anger also burned in his eyes. Ellie, unsure who the anger was directed at, glanced at Griffin.

“He’s not mad at us,” Griffin answered her silently. “Yet.”

Ellie wrinkled her mental nose at her brother, receiving a quiet chuckle in return. She’d been so curious about these people for so long now. Keeping what she and Griffin really were from them had been incredibly difficult. Too tempting to join their fun, their togetherness. How would they react now? She truly hoped that this family, this group of people just like them, would give her and Griffin the benefit of the doubt and welcome them as one of their own.

She looked at her twin and shrugged. “I don’t know where to begin.”

“Good luck with that,” was Griffin’s less than helpful response. He leaned back, casually draping his arms across the top of the couch.

“Where to begin? So are you planning on telling us what this is all about?” Hugh asked, seeming amused by Ellie and Griffin’s banter.

“The beginning is a very long time ago,” Ellie replied softly. “It would take too long to go back that far.” She looked up at him with candid eyes. “I’m not trying to be difficult. It’s just that it’s a fairly long story.”

“So you’re like us?” Adelaide asked. She folded her legs daintily beneath her as she sat on the floor beside her twin.

Ellie nodded. “Adelaide, Lila, and Nate already know me. So does Alex.” She glanced at him fleetingly. “For the rest of you, my name is Ellie Aubrey. This is my twin brother, Griffin.”

Ellie felt Alex’s hand clench slightly in her grasp. She shot him another glance, catching what she suspected was a relieved smile. Still holding his hand she looked away. Alex and their relationship was something she would have to deal with later. She was content for now that he remained sitting beside her. First, he and the rest of the people in the room deserved an explanation.

She glanced at Griffin and their eyes locked. He nodded slowly in reply to her silent question. Ellie cleared her throat.

“It would actually be easiest to show you our story rather than tell you.”

Chapter 23

“Show us?” A slight frown marred Hugh’s brow, showing his bewilderment.

“Yes. Like you, my brother and I have gifts... powers.”

“That became pretty obvious when we all saw a jaguar turn back into you,” Alex muttered beside her. She guessed forgiveness for her long deception would not be quick in coming. Especially because he’d asked her directly. Had that only been this morning?

“Griffin has the ability to read minds,” Ellie said, ignoring Alex. “He’s still learning all the facets of his gift. Eventually he’ll have the ability to control people’s thoughts. He’s not quite there yet though, and he’s only just starting to be able to project his thoughts into other people’s minds.” She gave Griffin a cheeky wink and received a faint smile in return.

“I don’t understand,” said Hugh. “If he doesn’t have the ability to use those aspects of his power yet, then how would you show us?”

Griffin smirked. “Because Ellie does have the ability, in a roundabout way.”

Seeing nine pairs of very baffled eyes, Ellie hurried to enlighten them. “One of my gifts is the ability to manipulate others’ powers if I’m physically touching them. But I quickly become an expert, almost like I’ve had it for years, and so I’m able to use it to its fullest potential.”

“Awesome!” Nate said.

“Well… not being an expert at my own power yet, I do miss things here and there,” she confessed with a small shrug. “And it’s dependent on the type of interaction. The longer I spend in physical contact with someone, the more I learn their powers.”

“Should I be worried?” Alex asked dryly beside her, looking at their linked hands. Ellie took it as a good sign that he was joking with her. He couldn’t be that angry.

She flicked him a playful look. “I usually ask permission first.” She turned to the others. “So, with your permission, I can use Griffin’s power to show you.”

Everyone in the room immediately turned toward Lucy. She was already