you’d
better explain, honey,” Charlotte prodded. Nods around the room echoed that
sentiment.
Ellie leaned
forward. “The first thing we need to figure out is who is doing the actual
killing, agreed?”
Nods all around
again.
“Right… so this
is the second death related to her nightmares that we know of for sure. My
guess is the killings have to be occurring in the physical world somewhere.
Lucy, we use your precognition to try to tell when the next attack is coming.
Maybe you weren’t aware of what feeling to look out for. Look out for it now.”
Lucy nodded.
“Also we use
Griffin’s mind reading during Selene’s next dream to see if he can figure out
where it’s happening. Selene, you look for landmarks and clues about where you
are. Griffin and I can tap in and watch and then use Charlotte’s teleportation
to take us there.”
“What about
Selene’s powers?” Griffin asked.
Ellie shook her
head. “I thought of that too, but if someone else is doing all of this,
using her power will alert them that she’s aware that something might be
coming. She needs to act as if nothing is different. It’s the only way…”
“That could
work,” Lila mused.
“Yes,” Selene
allowed hesitantly. “But you’re assuming that it’s not me who is doing the
killing.”
Adelaide moved
to stand in front of Selene. “Why are you so determined to blame yourself?”
Selene’s lips
compressed, and she didn’t speak for a moment. “I’ve only shown you a little of
what Gideon was capable of. What if I’m wrong about how much he controlled me?
What if he left behind something evil? And now I’m killing those people?
It’s just so like something Gideon would’ve had me do. And these nightmares…
they’re all from my point of view.”
Eleven sets of
eyes trained on her face, and an eerie hush fell over the group. Selene rose
gracefully from where she was seated. Even in the midst of her despair, she was
elegant and poised.
“I appreciate
your support, especially given our history.” Selene glanced briefly at Griffin,
whose expression remained closed. “But what if it is me? I know you don’t think
it is. But shouldn’t we have a plan just in case?”
“I could use
Griffin’s telepathy to force you to use your power on yourself and permanently
extinguish your own abilities… all of them. You said that that was possible,”
Ellie suggested.
Selene was
already shaking her head. “Maybe. But only Gideon has ever been able to control
me, and he was the strongest tele-manipulator I’ve ever encountered.” She
glanced around. “If it is me, you have to promise to kill me.”
“No!” Griffin
protested.
Selene
recognized the stubborn look in his eyes from all the times she had visited him
in his dreams, trying to convince him to go find the Jenners and Pierces.
“You of all
people know exactly what I am capable of ,” she thought, knowing he could hear
every word. “ Promise me, Griffin. Please … This time I have the
choice. And I choose to never knowingly harm another living being again without
cause. Promise.”
Griffin closed
his eyes. “It’s not you,” he answered aloud. “Regardless of your role in
previous attacks or how evil your brother was, none of this is your fault.”
“Then you have
nothing to lose by making this promise,” Selene whispered.
Griffin opened
his eyes and stared at her with an intensity that took her breath away.
“I promise,” he
slowly murmured.
Chapter
20
“I feel a little
funny lying on the couch with all of you watching me,” Selene commented later
that night.
“What? You don’t
usually sleep with twelve people staring at you? It’s so much fun! Not awkward
at all,” Nate joked.
Selene chuckled.
At that moment, Lucy entered the room with a tray of steaming white mugs.
“Everything’s always better with hot chocolate,” she said, as she offered the
tray around. Once everyone had taken some, Lucy retreated to the corner where
Hugh
better explain, honey,” Charlotte prodded. Nods around the room echoed that
sentiment.
Ellie leaned
forward. “The first thing we need to figure out is who is doing the actual
killing, agreed?”
Nods all around
again.
“Right… so this
is the second death related to her nightmares that we know of for sure. My
guess is the killings have to be occurring in the physical world somewhere.
Lucy, we use your precognition to try to tell when the next attack is coming.
Maybe you weren’t aware of what feeling to look out for. Look out for it now.”
Lucy nodded.
“Also we use
Griffin’s mind reading during Selene’s next dream to see if he can figure out
where it’s happening. Selene, you look for landmarks and clues about where you
are. Griffin and I can tap in and watch and then use Charlotte’s teleportation
to take us there.”
“What about
Selene’s powers?” Griffin asked.
Ellie shook her
head. “I thought of that too, but if someone else is doing all of this,
using her power will alert them that she’s aware that something might be
coming. She needs to act as if nothing is different. It’s the only way…”
“That could
work,” Lila mused.
“Yes,” Selene
allowed hesitantly. “But you’re assuming that it’s not me who is doing the
killing.”
Adelaide moved
to stand in front of Selene. “Why are you so determined to blame yourself?”
Selene’s lips
compressed, and she didn’t speak for a moment. “I’ve only shown you a little of
what Gideon was capable of. What if I’m wrong about how much he controlled me?
What if he left behind something evil? And now I’m killing those people?
It’s just so like something Gideon would’ve had me do. And these nightmares…
they’re all from my point of view.”
Eleven sets of
eyes trained on her face, and an eerie hush fell over the group. Selene rose
gracefully from where she was seated. Even in the midst of her despair, she was
elegant and poised.
“I appreciate
your support, especially given our history.” Selene glanced briefly at Griffin,
whose expression remained closed. “But what if it is me? I know you don’t think
it is. But shouldn’t we have a plan just in case?”
“I could use
Griffin’s telepathy to force you to use your power on yourself and permanently
extinguish your own abilities… all of them. You said that that was possible,”
Ellie suggested.
Selene was
already shaking her head. “Maybe. But only Gideon has ever been able to control
me, and he was the strongest tele-manipulator I’ve ever encountered.” She
glanced around. “If it is me, you have to promise to kill me.”
“No!” Griffin
protested.
Selene
recognized the stubborn look in his eyes from all the times she had visited him
in his dreams, trying to convince him to go find the Jenners and Pierces.
“You of all
people know exactly what I am capable of ,” she thought, knowing he could hear
every word. “ Promise me, Griffin. Please … This time I have the
choice. And I choose to never knowingly harm another living being again without
cause. Promise.”
Griffin closed
his eyes. “It’s not you,” he answered aloud. “Regardless of your role in
previous attacks or how evil your brother was, none of this is your fault.”
“Then you have
nothing to lose by making this promise,” Selene whispered.
Griffin opened
his eyes and stared at her with an intensity that took her breath away.
“I promise,” he
slowly murmured.
Chapter
20
“I feel a little
funny lying on the couch with all of you watching me,” Selene commented later
that night.
“What? You don’t
usually sleep with twelve people staring at you? It’s so much fun! Not awkward
at all,” Nate joked.
Selene chuckled.
At that moment, Lucy entered the room with a tray of steaming white mugs.
“Everything’s always better with hot chocolate,” she said, as she offered the
tray around. Once everyone had taken some, Lucy retreated to the corner where
Hugh
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