Blue Violet - By Abigail Owen Page 0,46
smiling. “She has good intentions. If anything, she’s been trying to protect us,” Lucy said.
“I would never hurt any of you,” Ellie swore.
“Nor would I,” Griffin quietly added, leaning forward to emphasize his point.
“They’re telling the truth,” Lila assured the room, shifting positions to pull her knees up to her chest.
Ellie blinked in surprise. She’d had the hardest time connecting with Lila. The other girl treated her with friendly camaraderie, but always with a slightly distant air. As a result, she hadn’t been able to figure out Lila’s power yet. It seemed she had the ability to see if people were telling the truth… a variation on her mother’s powers. Ellie gave a small nod of appreciation for Lila’s show of support.
“We can trust them,” Adelaide said.
“Why do you say that, Delia?” Hugh asked, turning to look at her.
“Because they will be part of our family.” Her eyes lost focus and she touched the air with her fingers like she was plucking the strings of a guitar. Ellie could tell that Adelaide was touching the shimmering lines that she alone could see. Adelaide continued, “I’ve seen it since the day I met Ellie. And it just continues to grow in strength every day. Tonight it solidified.”
Ellie gasped in shock. Silently, so did Griffin, because the girl had said “they.” Everyone else erupted into a bit of a ruckus…only Alex remained silent among all the noise. But he didn’t let go of her hand.
Eventually, the room quieted enough for Hugh to ask his daughter, “Why didn’t you say something earlier?”
“You know I don’t like to influence people with what I can see, Dad. And two additions to our family is a huge deal.” Adelaide’s answer soothed most of the ruffled feelings in the room. “I’m telling you now because it helps us all to trust one another, us to trust them, and vice versa.” Nate wrapped his arms around Adelaide, offering her his silent support.
“Was that why you approached me in the lunch room on my first day of school?” Ellie asked her friend.
Adelaide smiled gently. “Yes.”
Ellie wanted to ask more questions. She was thinking about the first time she’d met Alex and had accidentally seen Adelaide’s power at work. She hadn’t understood it at the time, and wondered what exactly she’d seen. But now wasn’t the time. One more thing to put on the back burner while she dealt with the immediate situation.
Looking around the room, Ellie could tell some doubt still lingered. “If you need to discuss this without us, Griffin and I can step outside.”
She tried to stand up but immediately collapsed. Alex reached out as she fell, and she landed right on his lap in the protective circle of his arms.
“You’re not going anywhere young lady,” Hugh said as Alex’s grip tightened. “All your wounds may be closed and fixed, but your body still has to go through a period of true healing on its own. You’ll be weak for several days at least.”
“Oh,” Ellie huffed her frustration. Definitely not convenient to be less than a hundred percent right now. Of course, she should just be grateful she was still alive. Still, she didn’t relish playing the role of an invalid.
She attempted to shift back to her previous seat on the couch beside him, but Alex’s arms remained firm, refusing to let her move away. Looking into his eyes, she murmured, “Are you going to let me go?”
He answered in a husky voice, “Not in this lifetime.”
Ellie’s heart paused and then resumed beating at a faster cadence. Has he realized we are te’sorthene? Her breath caught in her throat at the expression in his eyes. He settled her a little more comfortably on his lap. Without taking his eyes off hers, he said a bit louder, “I think we’re ready for you to show us your story.”
It took a pathetically large amount of will power to look away from him. She could think a little more clearly when she wasn’t trapped in his gaze. She glanced at Griffin.
“Not one word”, she ordered.
His lips twitched in a smile. He reached out and took her hand, giving it a little squeeze. Turning to the room he said, “You’ll all need to move in close and be touching one of us.”
“I’ve never tried projecting Griffin’s gift into more than one mind before,” she warned as they shifted positions.
Once they were all settled and waiting, Ellie gave an imperceptible nod, as if she was telling herself to proceed. With a deep