Hyacinth - By Abigail Owen Page 0,54
But they quickly banded together with others. I found that my powers to keep them off Sheila’s radar grew with their numbers. As long as I knew about them first, I could hide them.”
She let that sink in for a moment. “And to respond to your comment, Hugh, if I wasn’t aware of someone to hide, Sheila usually found them before I did. That’s how she found you first. I would’ve protected you if I could have. I hope you all know that.”
“Of course we do, sweetie.” Lucy crossed the room to sit beside Selene and hug her. “We trust you. It’s just that there are things we’re all still learning about each other.”
Selene managed a small smile.
“My Lady.” Oren’s ghostly projection appeared in the center of the room. Looking around the faces, he paused a moment at Griffin to offer him a brief nod. To Selene, he said, “My Lady, urgent news. Samuel believes an attack is imminent! He thinks whoever is about to attack is just waiting for warmer weather.”
“Who’s Samuel?” Dexter asked.
“He has the gift of prophecy,” Selene explained. She glanced back at Oren. “Gather the Council. I’ll be there directly.”
Oren gave a small bow and disappeared.
Selene turned to the others. “Hugh, please fill Griffin in on the plan we’ve been practicing. Lila, Ellie, let’s get started. We only have twenty minutes or so.”
“Get started on what?” Griffin asked.
Adelaide laughed. “It’s between us girls.”
Chapter 34
Once the room was cleared, Selene, Ellie, Lila, and Adelaide sat on the floor in a circle and held hands. Closing their eyes, Ellie and Lila started immediately. First Ellie pulled some of Lila’s ice-blue light into herself. Rather than either of them having control, they both worked together, giving the power a strengthened effect.
“You see it?” Lila asked.
“Whoa!” Ellie exclaimed. “You’re right. A deep black scar slashing across her. Selene, I am so sorry for whatever put this here. Whatever it was must have been terrible.”
“Yeah…” Selene murmured, a blush staining her cheeks. She disliked sharing anything about herself. “Can you fix it?”
“In the short amount of time we have, probably not. I think this will take a lot of sessions to work through.”
Selene deflated a little. She’d hoped…
“But we can do a little something tonight to help you with the Council,” Ellie continued. “I suspect that your personality is naturally strong-willed, given all you’ve survived. Even if we can heal just a little of that wound, I think that would give you the boost you’re looking for.”
Selene smiled, surprised at how pleased she was with the idea. “I’d appreciate anything you can do.”
“All right,” Ellie agreed. “Hold on because this is going to hurt.”
Ellie closed her eyes. She centered first on the ice-blue light inside Lila. Rather than pulling it into herself to control it, instead she enhanced it inside Lila, making it glow white-hot. Together Lila and Ellie pushed that intense light into Selene. Right into the heart of that scar. Selene grunted, but otherwise remained still and silent. At first the light was consumed, the black hole inside her swallowing it up. But Lila and Ellie worked together and waited patiently.
A small whimper escaped Selene’s lips. “It burns.”
“If I take away that emotional pain, it’ll keep me from fixing anything,” Lila said.
Ellie gasped. “You feel that, Lila? Right there?”
“Yup. Delia, we’re going to need you on this. Part of the issue is that something’s broken inside her when it comes to relationships,” Lila said.
Ellie split her concentration, focusing now on the sunny yellow light inside Adelaide, strengthening it and then working to push that light inside Selene as well. It, too, vanished inside the darkness.
The four women sat in concentrated silence. Selene started rocking a little as she fought the pain searing through her.
“Ellie!” A note of panic entered Lila’s voice. “It feels as if we’re getting sucked inside her.”
Adelaide hissed through her teeth. “Why am I starting to feel the burning?”
“Hold on!” Ellie took her own violet-blue glow and pushed it into Selene as well. “Selene? Can you break through the pain and use your ability to enhance powers?” she asked.
Selene gritted her teeth. With Ellie’s guidance the fuchsia-red glow inside her lit and together they pushed that inside the blackness, too.
Abruptly a small crack appeared within the ebony scar, Lila’s ice-blue light shining out of it. A few moments later the black streak inside Selene splintered like shattered glass, and the blue, violet, yellow, and red glows from all four girls pierced the darkness.
Without warning there was