Chapter Seventy Two
I would have to say that moment would clearly stand out as the wildest head rush of my life. It also rates as the closest I’ve ever come to killing over 150 people without blinking an eye. The crowd had been given strict instructions not to yell anything, so I was caught completely off guard!
Willow had been so right. I felt Ember’s spirit light spiral out of her control, and my first instincts were white hot rage and immediate attack. I thought I was prepared for this moment. I would’ve sworn after the crazy ‘burn-my-little- girl-alive’ test that this would be a piece of cake. I realized belatedly that these kids were mainly strangers. As bloodlust clouded my vision, I was bent on massive crowd annihilation.
Out of the ocean of people, I somehow knew precisely where Ember’s friends were, and where our chosen family was standing in relation to our direct proximity. I also knew beyond all doubt that those few people would be safe from my homicidal wrath. That was thoroughly unexplainable though, given my all-consuming insanity.
It should have terrified me to know that I could destroy every single person – except those few – and never give it a second’s worth of thought or worry. I was out of control and I knew it would be a bloodbath. I channeled something directly to my little girl, but I had no idea what it was. All I knew was that it didn’t filter through the cunning ribbon because that’s not where I directed it.
Ember’s thoughts and spirit light raced through our bodies, simultaneously. My rage was fueled by her struggle to regain control. I was at the point of no return.
She yelled for me to not remove the vestment. If there ever was a time I wanted to deny her, it was right that second. I held her closer to me and felt her inner fire rise up as it gave chase to her chaotic spirit light.
I readied myself and prepared to strike with lethal precision. Before I could react though, I felt Willow channel something through me. Her channel was amplified by Ember’s power struggle somehow. My mind raced through what seemed like a thousand memories, in less than one minute.
Grandma Edie…Willow…Ember…Ember…Ember…
Somehow I channeled Willow’s power through the cunning ribbon, and surrounded my little girl with her aura. I could even hear Willow’s voice ripple straight through me. It filtered directly into Ember although technically that’s not possible.
“Retreat the light…calm your spirit…now fade the light…” she commanded.
My vision went from bloody red and homicidal, to a weak haze of pink, but I was still on guard. It took a few seconds before my vision finally returned to somewhere near normal. Ember regained control with Willow’s assistance. Then, my little girl is in danger alert lowered back down into the yellow range.
I laughed hysterically when Ember considered frying the crowd. After what we had just experienced, I wondered if she could read my mind too. I shudder to think what the headlines would have read the next day if Ember and Willow hadn’t managed to get me back under control. Bloodbath Birthday Bash – Tray Pateman Style…
Ember refused to allow me to release my hold on her, even after she got her spirit light and terror in check. She knew I could easily channel obliterations through her cunning ribbon, but this scene had frightened her to a new level. I was stuck to her back through her bidding. After she greeted thirty or so people in a haunted voice that wasn’t her own, I realized we might stay locked in this embrace all night. I’m sure we were a sight to behold too. People probably thought we fell into a vat of super glue together.
We made our way over to Ember’s table with seating cards labeled in Elizabeth’s finest handwriting. My little girl still refused to let me release my hold. Her own normal voice echoed inside my head from her thoughts. It was her physical voice that alarmed me to the core of my being. I had never heard that voice come out of her mouth. It almost sounded like she was possessed by a demon.
It was going to look very ridiculous if she ended up sitting on my lap all night, but that’s where she wanted to be. The truth is I couldn’t let her go either. She was the only thing keeping me halfway sane right then. So I held onto her like both our lives depended on it, and in a way they kind of did. I resolved to stay just like this all night long, or until I could channel enough obliterations to make everyone leave.
As always, Willow had other plans in mind…I’m helpless to defy her wishes too it would seem…
“You can release her now, Tray. Both ribbons are working perfectly. I can feel your “back away from Ember” and your “don’t touch her” persuasions. I absolutely demand that you retract your “wasn’t the party great – it’s over now” obliteration, because six people are already headed out the door!”
“Ember won’t let me release her. She’s terrified and in shock. I can’t let go of her until she’s ready…”
Ember Rising Light (Book One) Page 76
