read more of the entries to see if anything else stood out to her. Bella watched over Adam's shoulder, apparently fascinated with his process as she oohed and aahed.
Adam sat in the chair before the desk. He said a few words, closed his eyes, brow furrowed in concentration, and drew his fingers in a wavy pattern across the surface of his arcphone. A beam of light speared from the phone and struck him in the head. His face screwed up in what Elyssa guessed might be pain, though he didn't scream or shout. The blinding light from the phone covered his face in a red glow then faded, leaving spots in Elyssa's vision.
She hoped nobody had happened to look at the office over the past few minutes. They'd have to be blind not to have seen the glow coming from the spell. The dancing colors in her eyes faded and Elyssa sucked in a breath as Healer Delgado looked back at her and smiled.
"Adam?"
He nodded. "Hang on. This effect won't last long, and it hurts like hell." He flicked the tablet on.
"Good evening, Healer Delgado," the tablet said in a soothing female voice. "How can I help you?"
"Grant full privileges to Bella—uh, what's your last name?"
The Arcane smiled at him. "Bella will do just fine."
"Are you sure you'd like to add Bella Will Do Just Fine to your list of administrators?" the tablet said.
"Yes," Adam said, his face tightening and twitching.
An orb of light spun from the tablet screen and settled around Bella's face. "Welcome, Bella Will Do Just Fine. I am now yours to command."
Adam lurched from the chair and ran down the hall, hands pressed tight against his face. Elyssa stared after him in alarm.
"It's a side effect of the spell, dear," Bella said. She motioned Elyssa closer. "Let's see what we have here." She held up the tablet. "Computer, please show me all files on Gigi Martinez."
"There are ten recordings, ranging from two hours in length, to thirty minutes. Which would you like to see?" A holographic list sprang into the air in front of Bella's face. She jerked back and almost dropped the tablet.
Elyssa took the device and laid it flat on the desk so she could see the list. Bella gave her a sheepish grin.
"Did Healer Delgado come to a conclusion or guess as to what was wrong with Gigi?" Elyssa said.
"Bella, would you like me to answer the question from Unauthorized Individual?" The disembodied voice spoke the last two words in a robotic monotone.
"Please answer all of her questions," Bella said.
"Very well. Here are excerpts from recordings made by Healer Delgado as to the cause of Lieutenant Martinez's medical issue."
Delgado's face flickered on in place of the holographic list. "In conclusion," she said, "I prescribed her a potion from the apothecary made up of fish oil and green tea, and recommended a series of treatments with Healer Arroyo, who specializes in treating dysfunctions of the mind. I do not think this issue will persist. It's likely caused by stress."
The image vanished to be replaced by another. "Lieutenant Martinez's issue has persisted for quite some time. According to Healer Arroyo, his many sessions with her have failed to pinpoint any specific trauma, save for one. When she was still a raw recruit, she escorted a group of Arcanes into El Dorado to map out the caverns beneath the cursed city. Lieutenant Martinez was one of two survivors of the expedition and was so scarred by the experience, she requested the White from then Commander Anise Pratt, who, with great reluctance, granted this request."
Healer Delgado looked down, as if consulting something and then back up. "I can only assume the trauma from this scarring event continues to haunt the officer despite taking the White. Since we know so little about what happens in the communionary, or the effects of taking the White, I can only theorize it did not completely wipe away her memories. Healer Arroyo observed a much greater gap in Lieutenant Martinez's memory than just the expedition, however. Indeed, she was missing almost two months' worth of memories. For now, I have no easy answer to this issue, but maintain Lieutenant Martinez is still fit for duty as these dreams have not, so far, affected her exemplary performance."
They watched through the remaining excerpts, but the healer had no further clues as to the cause of Gigi's dreams. Elyssa, however, had a sinking feeling she knew what caused it. The White. It was a rare