Tome of Bill (Companion): Shining Fury by Rick Gualtieri Page A

notice, yet somehow remembered – then, simultaneously, an impossibly loud roar of sound and pain unlike anything I’d ever felt. It was like a dull nail had been hammered into my forehead. After that came a darkness so deep I thought I’d never climb out of it.
    * * *
    The aura of faith around me, stretching out over a dozen feet in all directions moments before, suddenly seemed to sputter until it was barely radiating beyond my fingertips.
    The sureness I’d felt collapsed as my old self, the weak one, the one who’d once accepted without protest a backhand across the mouth upon expressing simple displeasure with the traffic on the road, took control again.
    A hand grabbed hold of mine and for a moment, lost in the memory as I’d been, I was sure I’d look up and see Bill’s spectacled face grinning back at me, radiating a warmth that I didn’t deserve. But it was Kelly. Despite looking as if she was in the grip of panic herself, she was still trying to drag me out of the field of fire.
    Dozens of muzzle flashes lit up the street and, thankfully, my power reflexively flared up against the assault. It was both blessing and curse that sometimes it almost had a mind of its own. This time, however, it was definitely the former as the protective aura expanded around me and the witch.
    Though I felt nothing, tiny sparks could be seen all around us as the bullets were either deflected or flat-out vaporized. Faith was a powerful thing indeed.
    “Come on, you too!” Kelly shouted to someone, continuing to drag me along, my power protecting but thankfully not hampering her.
    Another barrage of shots were fired, all ineffectual against the wall of pure faith magic between us and them. Nevertheless, a cold sweat broke out all over my body. Again and again, I felt the phantom pain of the fatal shot fired by Remington. Much like a scared little girl, I closed my eyes and allowed Kelly to lead me away, trusting her.
    Some Blessed One I was.
    * * *
    I’d awoken in darkness following my encounter with Remington. Though in incredible pain, I had been amazed to be alive. However, then a cold fear struck me. Part of that had been the darkness. In a panic, unable to see anything, I’d tried to sit up only to realize I was trapped in something – a body bag. Worse, gone was the surety that had propelled me until then. Raw, naked fear, a feeling I’d nearly forgotten, took hold.
    I felt like me again, the old me before any of this had happened, but in the worst possible situation imaginable. I’d heard the shouts of surprise from the ambulance driver, felt the swerving of the vehicle.
    Then, despite my despair, the power had erupted out of me, an almost palpable force behind it as it shredded the body bag and freed me.
    Frightened, alone, and as far from confident as I’d ever been, I somehow still had my power.
    It was then I realized that becoming an Icon was a one way street. Unworthy as I’d become, once a prospective Icon’s full sense of worth was realized, there seemed no going back.
    * * *
    “Come on!”
    I stumbled and forced myself to open my eyes again, feeling ashamed as well as a little bit stupid. We were in an alleyway between buildings. I heard footsteps behind us and turned to see Vincent following us a few paces back.
    “Where are the others?” I asked.
    “Hopefully running in the opposite direction,” Kelly said.
    “They were,” Vincent panted from his place in the rear of our little parade. “Sister Bernadette used your distraction, Blessed One, to rally the others into a strategic retreat. You saved them.”
    If he heard the derisive sound I made in response, he made no mention of it. Kelly, however, definitely noticed it. “What the hell happened back there?”
    “I’m ... not sure,” I said, uncertain if she was referring to my power or the police taking a proactive stance on bringing us in dead, not alive.
    “Well, whatever the case, douse the light show. They can’t see us in here, but the