recognized it.
“Your mother was using this when I was practicing my wildcrafting. Heather told me that New Forest is built over a very powerful energy field and that’s why the plants here are so potent. She said the Society sources a lot of energy from the land around here and she keeps track of the ley lines.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.” Rhiannon looked up.
“No, I’m not.” He shook his head. “New Forest is built over a powerful series of ley lines.”
Ley lines were energy grids that traveled through the earth. I could feel them when I was near a mountaintop or at high elevation, and sometimes around ponds or streams or lakes. But since my powers were sourced from the wind, I couldn’t always pinpoint where they were.
You haven’t tried to feel them in the air, Ulean whispered.
They can be felt through the slipstream?
Of course.
“ You can feel them, can’t you?” I turned to Rhiannon.
“You work with fire—you must be able to really tune in to the area because of the Cascade volcanoes.”
She pressed her lips together. “I haven’t tapped into the fire since . . .” Slumping into a chair, she pressed her hand to her forehead.
“Since what?” Leo looked at her, then turned to me. “What am I missing?”
I started to shake my head, but Rhiannon held up her hand. “I haven’t told him. But I was going to, when I thought the time was right. I guess that would be now. And it’s time I told you the full story, too, Cicely.” She stared at her hands. “Both of you might be in danger living here, and not just because of the Indigo Court.”
“Why? What are you talking about?” Leo knelt beside her.
Rhiannon shrugged. “You may not be so quick to reach for my hand when I tell you the truth.”
“You were about thirteen, weren’t you?” I knew a little of the story, but very little.
“Yes, I’d just turned thirteen. Just started my period and the hormones were flying. Heather and I were shopping one day. We were in the parking lot of the Dale-wood Mall. I wanted a new pair of sneakers and she said no.” Her voice caught and she trembled, her neck taut, her expression bleak. “I was angry and I automatically reached for the flame. Without thinking, I conjured fire. It sparked off the fuel in the gas tank of a nearby car and there was an explosion.”
“Shit.” Leo slowly dropped to the sofa. “Were you hurt?”
When Rhiannon spoke again, her voice was so low we could barely hear her. “No, I wish I was. But it gets worse. The flames . . . I will never forget the smell. There was a ten-year-old girl in the car and she couldn’t get out. Nobody could get to her because the fire was raging so hot and then, the car exploded. She died. I killed her . She died because of me .”
Leo put his arm around her and she leaned against his shoulder.
I sat beside them and took her hand. I’d never known exactly what had happened but it didn’t surprise me. “You never meant to do it. It was an accident.”
She shook her head, her eyes furious. “I didn’t mean to do it, but Cicely, I killed that little girl and over a decade later, I can still remember her screaming, pounding on the window, trying to get out. And the flames were so hot . . . so hot. And then the explosion . . . I watched her die, and I still see her every day. She haunts my dreams. I haven’t touched my flame since that day.”
“You can’t run from the fire. If you keep running from it, the flames will build up inside you. They’ll devour you! Look at what happened to Krystal. She ran from her powers and ended up a strung-out bloodwhore, and she died in a nameless alley because she was afraid . Rhiannon, you need to be strong.”
She let out a snort. “The Society said I was tainted—that I’ll never be able to control my powers. Marta threatened to kick Heather out if she ever taught me to use my abilities. I found that out by accident, so one day I told her they’d vanished, to keep her from
“Your mother was using this when I was practicing my wildcrafting. Heather told me that New Forest is built over a very powerful energy field and that’s why the plants here are so potent. She said the Society sources a lot of energy from the land around here and she keeps track of the ley lines.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.” Rhiannon looked up.
“No, I’m not.” He shook his head. “New Forest is built over a powerful series of ley lines.”
Ley lines were energy grids that traveled through the earth. I could feel them when I was near a mountaintop or at high elevation, and sometimes around ponds or streams or lakes. But since my powers were sourced from the wind, I couldn’t always pinpoint where they were.
You haven’t tried to feel them in the air, Ulean whispered.
They can be felt through the slipstream?
Of course.
“ You can feel them, can’t you?” I turned to Rhiannon.
“You work with fire—you must be able to really tune in to the area because of the Cascade volcanoes.”
She pressed her lips together. “I haven’t tapped into the fire since . . .” Slumping into a chair, she pressed her hand to her forehead.
“Since what?” Leo looked at her, then turned to me. “What am I missing?”
I started to shake my head, but Rhiannon held up her hand. “I haven’t told him. But I was going to, when I thought the time was right. I guess that would be now. And it’s time I told you the full story, too, Cicely.” She stared at her hands. “Both of you might be in danger living here, and not just because of the Indigo Court.”
“Why? What are you talking about?” Leo knelt beside her.
Rhiannon shrugged. “You may not be so quick to reach for my hand when I tell you the truth.”
“You were about thirteen, weren’t you?” I knew a little of the story, but very little.
“Yes, I’d just turned thirteen. Just started my period and the hormones were flying. Heather and I were shopping one day. We were in the parking lot of the Dale-wood Mall. I wanted a new pair of sneakers and she said no.” Her voice caught and she trembled, her neck taut, her expression bleak. “I was angry and I automatically reached for the flame. Without thinking, I conjured fire. It sparked off the fuel in the gas tank of a nearby car and there was an explosion.”
“Shit.” Leo slowly dropped to the sofa. “Were you hurt?”
When Rhiannon spoke again, her voice was so low we could barely hear her. “No, I wish I was. But it gets worse. The flames . . . I will never forget the smell. There was a ten-year-old girl in the car and she couldn’t get out. Nobody could get to her because the fire was raging so hot and then, the car exploded. She died. I killed her . She died because of me .”
Leo put his arm around her and she leaned against his shoulder.
I sat beside them and took her hand. I’d never known exactly what had happened but it didn’t surprise me. “You never meant to do it. It was an accident.”
She shook her head, her eyes furious. “I didn’t mean to do it, but Cicely, I killed that little girl and over a decade later, I can still remember her screaming, pounding on the window, trying to get out. And the flames were so hot . . . so hot. And then the explosion . . . I watched her die, and I still see her every day. She haunts my dreams. I haven’t touched my flame since that day.”
“You can’t run from the fire. If you keep running from it, the flames will build up inside you. They’ll devour you! Look at what happened to Krystal. She ran from her powers and ended up a strung-out bloodwhore, and she died in a nameless alley because she was afraid . Rhiannon, you need to be strong.”
She let out a snort. “The Society said I was tainted—that I’ll never be able to control my powers. Marta threatened to kick Heather out if she ever taught me to use my abilities. I found that out by accident, so one day I told her they’d vanished, to keep her from
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