Gates of Rapture (Guardians of Ascension 6)

“Maybe that’s the key. Maybe your gift has a use, in the same way that both Fiona and Marguerite have specific purposes for their gifts separate from obsidian flame.”

Grace shook her head. “I can’t even begin to imagine what I could possibly do with this soul-reading gift.”

“Well, why don’t you begin with me? Why don’t you read my soul, as an experiment, and we’ll see where it leads us.”

“You’re okay with that?”

Alison smiled. “Of course. I trust you implicitly.”

Grace’s brows rose. She had never been more surprised. “But you hardly know me.”

“You forget that I’m empathic and that I’ve been trained to know people just by conversing with them. Also, in your case, I know you by your reputation. Marguerite always praises you to the skies, and Thorne has you on a pedestal. In that sense, I’ve come here today greatly prejudiced in your favor.”

Grace couldn’t help but smile, and yet she felt she didn’t deserve such praise.

“That look you have right now is the one I want to understand the most. I can sense how unworthy of life you feel. Maybe through this process, I can help you with that.”

“Maybe,” Grace said. But she realized there was a good chance that Alison was about to learn the hardest truth of Grace’s life.

Still, there was nothing for it. “All right, then,” Grace said. “Give me your hand and let me read your soul.”

When Alison extended her hand, Grace took it. She closed her eyes, and after at least one deep breath, she fell into Alison’s mind. She felt Alison’s hand jerk beneath her own. She pressed on through her mind to the deepest layers, letting herself fall until she was swimming in the absolute beauty of Alison’s self, her soul.

She grew very still, until she realized she was being drawn toward the source of Alison’s ability to heal the mind. The source felt like a door with a lock and for which she somehow had the key.

Using her intuition, she extended her power into the lock, like a blue flame key, and the door flew open. Grace then drew Alison’s healing ability into her body in long sweeping waves, a complete sharing. Once the process was complete, she drew out of Alison’s soul and her mind. Leaving her was a very strange rubbery sensation. She blinked. Alison smiled, but she shook her head.

“What exactly happened?” Alison asked. “I mean I could feel you, but what were you doing?”

Grace sat staring at Alison. She was filled with a sense of wonder at what she had just done. “I believe I acquired your ability to heal the mind.” She related all that she had experienced to the last detail.

Alison grinned. “What an amazing gift this is. I mean, if I understand it, you could acquire any power. Any power. Just think about that. The implications are astonishing. But we should test it.”

At that, Grace smiled. “But how could I test your ability to heal the mind.” Then it was as though Grace knew, and she put her hand on Alison’s forehead and let the healing waves flow.

The experience was like having something warm at the center of her palm.

Alison closed her eyes and sighed. Her shoulders even dropped a little. “Oh, that’s wonderful. So that’s what everyone else feels.”

“Yes, it is,” Grace said. “I’ve felt it from you many times, like soothing warm waves just easing over the mind. That’s what happened when you came to help me at the Seattle warrior games.”

Alison opened her eyes. “Wow. And thank you. I actually feel more relaxed.”

“So you think this is it, then?” Grace asked. “That I can acquire abilities?”

“I do.”

“So, now what?”

“I think you have to work this out with obsidian flame.”

Grace realized she had taken the first step toward forging the obsidian flame triad. For just a moment, she wondered if she should go forward. She felt as though she had come to a crossroads—but she could still retreat if she wanted to. She could return to a former life and ease back into her more spiritual pursuits.

Yet even as the thought went through her mind, she knew she couldn’t. In the same way that she was the sort of person who could commit happily to life in a convent for a hundred years, she knew she wouldn’t go back. She had made her decision while on Fourth Earth to embrace her calling as obsidian flame, and so she would.

She mentally contacted Fiona and Marguerite and arranged to meet them in half an hour at the Militia HQ workout room. With the arrangements made, Grace walked Alison to the landing platform. She was headed to Endelle’s office and would let Endelle know the results of her time with Grace.

After Alison left, Grace hunted Leto down to tell him her news. She found him in a quiet corner of one of the lesser-used rotundas. He had James’s papers on his lap and his phone in hand. “How’s it going?” she asked.

He looked up at her and smiled. “Incredible. It didn’t even occur to me how things would be for my warriors when I left.”

For his warriors. Grace loved the sound of that.

He leaned forward slightly and took her fingers in a light clasp. “How’s it going with Alison?”

“I think we’re done.”

“You’re done? So soon?”

She nodded then told him what had happened. Leto’s brows rose. “You can acquire any ability?”

“That’s what it feels like to me.”

“Huh. Like the ability to fold masses of people?”

This time her brows rose. “You mean like warriors?”

He nodded slowly.

“Oh. Well.” She squeezed his fingers. “Looks like I have some work to do with obsidian flame.” She told him where she was headed. “You can let Thorne know what’s going on as well. I know he has a role in obsidian flame so we might need him. I’m just not sure.” She glanced behind her.

“I will.”

“Walk me to the landing platform?”

He rose so fast from his chair that she took a step back and laughed. He put his arm around her and squeezed, then put them both in motion. She felt very young right now, like she was just a girl with her boyfriend and he was walking her to class. It was a nice feeling and in this moment, not far from the truth.

Her class, however, involved obsidian flame.

Once near the platform, Leto kissed her. She let the kiss linger.

I don’t want to let you go, he sent, his lips hovering just over hers.