Chapter Seventy Four
Even the world’s most addicted junkie would’ve tossed aside their habit after an experience like the one I had while attached to Ember that night – nothing else would ever compare. I felt drunk and heavenly from her heady power surges.
In a few instances, I have no idea what I channeled to Ember. The best I can figure is they were a rebound effect from the tidal wave crashing through my body. Those out of control, unknown channels to her would likely get me a gimonsterous lecture from Celeste later. Something indescribably powerful was assisting me anytime I channeled obliterations. My gift would work on the entire crowd, unless I directed it to a specific person.
When the chaos ensued earlier, Ember’s psychic shout stopped me just in the nick of time. I was going to rip her outer vestment off and the consequences would have been disastrous. I had no way to describe the way her spirit light felt as it rocketed through my body.
Poor Ember, she’s always trying to define the unexplainable…there are no words to describe her incredible power…
I had felt my little girl’s spirit light channel out before that night. I could feel it every time I assist her with Vaydem dances. In those previous instances though, her spirit light had just surrounded me gently. I only experienced it like a tickle or low vibration.
But, my opinion might be slightly altered somewhat by the fact that I have enough strength to knock this five story building to the ground if I could get in about ten good punches…
Her channeling her spirit light ‘to surround me’ is definitely nothing compared to her channeling its power ‘through me.’ It felt like an epic thrill ride. It frightened me when I realized that I wanted to beg her to take me on that ride again right after this journey ended. Well, only the ‘channeling-through-me-thrill-ride-part’ – definitely NOT the ‘scaring-half-the-life-out-of-us’ part.
After her mental meltdown, I never thought I would have the strength in me to ever release my hold on her again. I came extremely close to running away from this town, and hiding out for a while. My mind was shouting for me to take her away. In the end however, we simply stayed at the party. I also withdrew my ‘the party’s over, so get out now’ obliteration that I channeled to at least a dozen people. The outcome would have been decidedly different if Willow hadn’t kept defiantly holding her ground. She refused to allow me to end this madness through my skill, or by running away with my little girl. She insisted that everything was going to be perfectly fine. I find her look of defiance tremendously exasperating and very alluring.
I swear, I think she’s determined to steal any remaining sense I have…
“Aren’t you glad now that you didn’t grab Ember and go runnin’ off through the night?? See what she woulda missed out on…” Willow stated quietly as I channeled obliterations and watched Ember have the time of her life.
“To be perfectly honest, I find I’m much happier about the fact that everyone in here’s still flippin’ breathing air. That permanent dirt nap loomed way too close for my comfort – if you know what I mean,” I replied and winked.
“Well, I suppose there’s that too…” Willow said whimsically and started spinning around me in circles.
“Yeah, there certainly is that…” I replied in a dreamlike state.
I was being hypnotized as I watched her dance. I lost my concentration for a second and I almost channeled something I didn’t want to in Ember’s general direction. So I tried with everything inside me to focus on anything other than Willow and her mesmerizing movements. My only defense was to talk about something – anything…
“We need to figure out why on earth everyone yelled ‘surprise’ after we told them not to? We made it clear on the invitations…” I stated.
“We’ll figure everything out after the party’s over…” she whispered as I closed my eyes.
This helped me break her hypnotic Ay’sha spell and I hoped it might somewhat alleviate my headache. I rubbed my temples, but not even that helped in the slightest. By the time I opened my eyes, Willow had stopped dancing.
“Is your head hurting? Are you feeling sick from channeling so many obliterations?” she asked with genuine concern.
“It’s not my skill I’m worried about right now…not with the way you’ve been dancing around me, at least…” I tried to deflect her question and hoped she would drop the subject.
No chance of that happening though because I was trying to con a con artist in her case…
“That’s not what I asked you, Tray. I want you to answer my questions – are you feeling sick and is your head hurting?”
“Some…” I replied because I had no choice.
Lying wasn’t an option – I would never intentionally deceive her. It’s impossible to be gypsy creative with her either, she knows all the tricks. Plus, she demanded answers and I’m helpless to deny her. So, I reluctantly admitted the truth and watched as that horrible look of worry clouded her facial features.
“Why don’t I go get Ember, and we’ll all step outside to get some fresh air?”
“She’s having so much fun – I think I can handle a few more songs…” I said and must have believed what I was saying.
“No way – she needs a break from this mass chaos too. So it’s not just for you. We’ll take a breather outside for thirty minutes…”
“There’s no way we’re taking a break for thirty whole minutes. That’s way too long to keep her away from the party…”
“Okay, how long then?” she questioned me and waited to hear the terms of my gypsy deal.
“Five minutes, at most…” I offered.
“Twenty eight…”
“You’re not giving me very much to work with here, Willow,” I replied, humorously.
“Let’s see – we’ve been inside for over two hours without a minute’s break. That’s too long and we need to think about her welfare. So we’re gonna take a twenty minute break, because Ember urgently needs to inhale some outside air. She won’t go anywhere without you, so you’re risking her health by prolonging it…”
“I’m destined to always lose with you, right?”
“That’s the fate of my humble man servant – I’m afraid…” Willow joked and tried to hide the fact she was speaking the truth.
Willow walked over and told Ember she needed to take a break. It hurt me severely to take her away from the party. The heat my little girl was generating through my system though made me believe that Willow was right. Several people offered to walk outside with Ember, but then they suddenly had a change of heart – go figure?
I inhaled the frigid outside air, but it wasn’t cooling me down fast enough. So I took my shirt off too. The icy wind brushed against my sweaty skin and it barely registered. I now entirely understood why Ember was standing in the creek water barefooted, after the last snowfall. Boy, I’m so freakin’ sorry I made her get out of the creek that day. I felt like I could boil the entire Antarctic Ocean from a quick, three second skinny dip.
How does she stand this constant inferno that burns inside of her??
I continued to channel Ember’s illusion obliteration as I sat down on the bench outside. I had no way of knowing if it would re-channel if I stopped to take a break. But, it was much easier to channel an obliteration to only one person. My throbbing head quieted down to a subtle roar and I sighed in relief.
My little girl ran across the parking lot like she had never been outside before in her whole life. She had her arms outstretched and made a mad dash toward the edge of the forest – almost out of my visual range. I instantly jumped up, ready to pursue her.
“Stop Ember – stay where we can see you at all times…” Willow yelled and motioned for her to come back to us.
She turned back around, smiled at us and then, started turning cartwheels. The cunning ribbon would work no matter how far my little girl wandered. I couldn’t allow her to run out of my sight though. This usually occurs
because I’m paranoid. Tonight however, my channeled obliteration makes her feel like she’s invincible. That places her in danger. I also had to consider the fact that she might not stop running until she reaches that ocean she wants to see so badly.
“Thanks,” I said to Willow.
“You’re most welcome,” she replied, and then looked me up and down. “That certainly is an interesting look for February in the mountains…especially with two inches of snow and ice on the ground…”
“Ember’s currently torching me from the inside through the cunning ribbon link. So, I only have a couple of choices. It’s either standing outside half naked, or throwing myself on the melting ice sculpture inside.”
“I’d love to see you do that…” she conveyed and my eyes widened in surprise. “Don’t worry – I won’t require that particular feat from you until a later date…”
“That statue would be a steaming puddle in less than ten seconds if I did toss myself on it. I hope you realize that…” I replied, comically.
“Any idea as to why your obliteration skill worked on her tonight?” she asked me, curiously.
“Not a single clue. She doesn’t have any idea either, but she’s having a great time because of it. It sort of makes me wish my skill would work on her all the time. Well, if my obliterations worked on her, then there’s no telling where we’d be or what would be happening…” I said and fell silent.
It was odd to consider all the things that led us to this moment. I couldn’t think about them right now though. There were too many factors and ‘what if’s’ to add into the equation. I primarily stopped talking about it however, because I was scared of what I might accidentally say to her. Ember’s thoughts are forcing my emotions to surface due to the cunning ribbon. I couldn’t imagine not finding Willow again and I didn’t want to even think about that. If my skill worked on my sister, I didn’t know if we would be standing here, together.
Somehow she understood that I couldn’t continue down the path of this particular conversation. She’d always been able to read me like a book. So, I wasn’t stunned when she changed the subject in order to help relieve the pressure I was suddenly placing myself under.
“I’d like to figure out what’s helping to amplify your skill so much. It’s generating a tremendous amount of spiritual power…” Willow wondered out loud.
“It might be something coming from inside of Ember…”
“Do you sense any danger coming from it? If it has the power to boost your obliterations to a crowd that size, I can’t imagine what it’s capable of doing on its own…”
“Actually, her assessment of it was right. I feel ‘it’ warning her and drawing her away from things I normally would too. But, I still don’t trust whatever ‘it’ is – that’s just a given. I understand what you’re worried about in reference to it…” I told her.
Most dark spiritual essences burn red hot and deep inside. Ember hasn’t had a dark thought all night, but my ribbon link to her only permitted me access to what she’s thinking about right now. My obliteration removed any bad thoughts. Regardless of my channeled gift, I didn’t think a dark essence could hide among her thoughts for hours without surfacing – at least, I hoped it couldn’t. I had promised to respect Ember’s privacy. That meant I couldn’t just start questioning her in order to fish around inside her mind. So I would ask Willow to question her in a few days once things have sort of settled back down.
We discussed possible sources of her internal furnace. The warmth it generated was indescribable. Willow and I eventually agreed that it wasn’t anything evil, because something wicked wouldn’t warn her to stay away from danger. That was the only relief I would have for the moment as Ember’s fire assaulted me, internally.
“She’s certainly content enough, regardless of the burning torch inside,” Willow observed her dance around in the cold, dead grass.
“Ember seems to thrive on its heat or something. But, I feel like I’m the sacrificial virgin that’s just been thrown down to the volcano gods...”
Willow exploded with laughter.
And, she thinks I’m kidding!
Ember Rising Light (Book One) Page 78
