have. I just don’t know.” Well, that made me feel so much better.
She turned next to Mina. “How are you, dear? We missed you while you were gone.” Bridget smiled at Mina and stroked her cheek before taking her hand. “Oh, my dear. Your ability to read others is incredibly strong. There’s more there, too, that is just out of reach.” Before moving away, she leaned forward and whispered something in Mina’s ear. Mina appeared relieved and whispered ‘thanks.’
I wasn’t sure I approved of these secrets and was about to say something when Bridget approached Rémy. She seemed unsure and asked, “May I?” before taking his hand. I remembered all the Seers in their experience were women and this whole business of male Seers must rock their world a little bit. She grasped his hand and closed her eyes. After a few seconds she shifted uncomfortably and added her other hand. After another few seconds she lifted her hands away and frowned into his eyes. “You’re blocking me,” she accused. “No one has ever been able to block me before.”
“Rémy,” I began.
“It’s all right, Ally. I will play nice. I just wanted to make it clear I am here voluntarily. For the moment. And it would be better for all involved if we cooperate with each other.” He looked around at each council member, forcing them to meet his intense gaze. “Our two clans have a history of distrust, made much more serious by your generation. If there is to be a renewal and rebuilding of relationship, it will start with the three of us: Ally, Mina, and myself. You would all do well not to forget that.” It was moments like this when I was reminded he was not simply the happy-go-lucky teen he enjoyed portraying; he was a full-grown man who could handle himself in the adult world. I felt very young and naïve in that moment. He smiled a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes and gave his hand back to Bridget. “Shall we try again?”
She looked around at her fellow council members before taking his hand somewhat shakily. She held on for a few seconds before letting go and whispering, “Amazing.” She turned to look at the rest of us. “He is indescribably powerful. I just, I don’t know…”
I was shocked. I knew Rémy was good at reading my thoughts and keeping me from reading his, but I had no idea of the depths of his power. He certainly downplayed his abilities. I wondered what else he kept from me.
Next, the council wanted to see my destructive abilities. I had worked with Kate enough so I only needed to think of something that annoyed me to make it work. Plenty of things annoyed me, including being here in Ireland instead of home in the U.S., so I gladly gave a demonstration. Fionnuala picked a cheap knickknack she claimed she didn’t mind losing and set it on a low table. It took me about two seconds to focus my annoyance and turn it into powdery shards. I had also gotten better at making smaller, more controlled explosions so nobody got hurt. The council ladies were quite impressed by my abilities, which gratified me somewhat. They all then wanted to hear the story of how I made contact with Ashley Hayes’s spirit and solved her murder. Rémy piped in with details every so often, especially his view of the final chapter outside David Moore’s house. He told them how the blue pulse had exploded from me, knocking down both Jack and Moore right as he fired his shotgun.
“Ally, dear, I cannot approve of your involvement in this kind of criminal activity!” Caoimhe exclaimed.
I laughed slightly and gave my favorite council member a hug. “Believe me, I have no desire whatsoever to get involved in any more criminal situations. I just want a calm, peaceful year.”
“Good luck with that,” muttered Rémy. “You are a trouble magnet, chérie.”
I glared at him as Fionnuala announced that it was time to break for lunch.
***
After lunch, several of the older women claimed they needed an hour or so of rest
She turned next to Mina. “How are you, dear? We missed you while you were gone.” Bridget smiled at Mina and stroked her cheek before taking her hand. “Oh, my dear. Your ability to read others is incredibly strong. There’s more there, too, that is just out of reach.” Before moving away, she leaned forward and whispered something in Mina’s ear. Mina appeared relieved and whispered ‘thanks.’
I wasn’t sure I approved of these secrets and was about to say something when Bridget approached Rémy. She seemed unsure and asked, “May I?” before taking his hand. I remembered all the Seers in their experience were women and this whole business of male Seers must rock their world a little bit. She grasped his hand and closed her eyes. After a few seconds she shifted uncomfortably and added her other hand. After another few seconds she lifted her hands away and frowned into his eyes. “You’re blocking me,” she accused. “No one has ever been able to block me before.”
“Rémy,” I began.
“It’s all right, Ally. I will play nice. I just wanted to make it clear I am here voluntarily. For the moment. And it would be better for all involved if we cooperate with each other.” He looked around at each council member, forcing them to meet his intense gaze. “Our two clans have a history of distrust, made much more serious by your generation. If there is to be a renewal and rebuilding of relationship, it will start with the three of us: Ally, Mina, and myself. You would all do well not to forget that.” It was moments like this when I was reminded he was not simply the happy-go-lucky teen he enjoyed portraying; he was a full-grown man who could handle himself in the adult world. I felt very young and naïve in that moment. He smiled a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes and gave his hand back to Bridget. “Shall we try again?”
She looked around at her fellow council members before taking his hand somewhat shakily. She held on for a few seconds before letting go and whispering, “Amazing.” She turned to look at the rest of us. “He is indescribably powerful. I just, I don’t know…”
I was shocked. I knew Rémy was good at reading my thoughts and keeping me from reading his, but I had no idea of the depths of his power. He certainly downplayed his abilities. I wondered what else he kept from me.
Next, the council wanted to see my destructive abilities. I had worked with Kate enough so I only needed to think of something that annoyed me to make it work. Plenty of things annoyed me, including being here in Ireland instead of home in the U.S., so I gladly gave a demonstration. Fionnuala picked a cheap knickknack she claimed she didn’t mind losing and set it on a low table. It took me about two seconds to focus my annoyance and turn it into powdery shards. I had also gotten better at making smaller, more controlled explosions so nobody got hurt. The council ladies were quite impressed by my abilities, which gratified me somewhat. They all then wanted to hear the story of how I made contact with Ashley Hayes’s spirit and solved her murder. Rémy piped in with details every so often, especially his view of the final chapter outside David Moore’s house. He told them how the blue pulse had exploded from me, knocking down both Jack and Moore right as he fired his shotgun.
“Ally, dear, I cannot approve of your involvement in this kind of criminal activity!” Caoimhe exclaimed.
I laughed slightly and gave my favorite council member a hug. “Believe me, I have no desire whatsoever to get involved in any more criminal situations. I just want a calm, peaceful year.”
“Good luck with that,” muttered Rémy. “You are a trouble magnet, chérie.”
I glared at him as Fionnuala announced that it was time to break for lunch.
***
After lunch, several of the older women claimed they needed an hour or so of rest
Similar Books
