“Hey,” she greeted me, her voice subdued.
“Are you well?” I asked.
She rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. “Not really. I’m not used to working this many hours without a break. My head is beginning to ache and I have several readings to do this afternoon.”
I could see the halo of red, brown, and black circling her head in her aura and I knew it was more than just a small pain.
“Come with me,” I said, getting to my feet and holding out my hand.
She laid her palm against mine and allowed me to pull her to her feet. I nodded to Ava as I led Savannah into the niche where she performed tarot readings and pulled the curtain shut.
“What are you doing?” Savannah asked as I guided her into a chair.
“I want to try something.” My gut twisted at the thought of what I was about to do, but I could clearly see Savannah’s distress. I couldn’t sit by and allow her to suffer.
“What?” she asked, her eyes wide. “Are you sure you’re okay? Your face is pale.”
I took a slow, controlled breath, trying to focus. “Yes, I’m fine, but I can see that you’re not and I don’t like that you’re in pain.” She opened her mouth to speak, but I shook my head. “No, I want to try to help you the way you suggested this morning. I want to ease your pain if I can.”
She stared at me in surprise for a long moment before she asked, “Are you sure?”
I nodded and sat down next to her. “Now that I can see how people affect you, I want to do what I can to counteract that.” I reached out to take her hands. “I need you to close your eyes and trust me,” I said.
“I do trust you,” she replied, her eyelids drifting shut.
“That’s good because I trust you too,” I replied. “First, I need you to open your mind to me. It’s not necessary but it makes the process easier for both of us.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
Immediately, I could feel the barriers around her mind open and I could feel the churning emotions inside her, many of which weren’t her own. I closed my eyes and focused on Savannah. With great care, I looked through the pain, anger, sadness, humor, and joy that I saw within her and I realized that not all of the feelings she picked up were negative.
“Do you still find it difficult to be around happy people?” I asked her, curious if I needed to remove those emotions as well.
“They aren’t difficult to be around, but it does affect me. It makes me feel like I slammed a couple of shots of espresso and sometimes I can’t sleep because of it,” she answered.
It was surprising how easy it was to remove the excess of emotions inside her with her mind opened to me. Much easier than it usually was. As precisely as possible, I slowly siphoned off the riot of pain, happiness, and grief that swirled around her heart. I could feel my own strength increasing with each moment. When I reached the feelings that belonged to Savannah alone, I gradually withdrew, watching for any sign of discomfort from her. She didn’t react at all, her breathing still even and her heartbeat steady.
When I was done, I opened my eyes and saw that the reddish brown color around her head was gone, leaving behind only the multicolored prism that usually surrounded her.
She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. I could see that the lively spark had returned to their dark brown depths.
“How do you feel?” I asked, still clasping her hands loosely in mine.
Savannah thought for a moment before she answered. “I feel good. Normal. And my headache is gone,” she replied with a smile. Leaning forward, she kissed me. “Thank you, Rhys. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it through today, but now I feel fine.”
As I studied her face, I could see that she was telling the truth. She glowed once again.
The curtain swished softly as Ava stuck her head behind it. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but your first client is here, Savannah.” Her eyes moved over Savannah’s face. “You look better.”
“I am better,” Savannah replied as she got to her feet. She leaned over and kissed me one more time. “Thank you, Rhys.”
She left the niche and I could hear her greeting her client. I rose from the chair, but Ava stepped in front of me before I could leave the room.
“I’m glad you helped her, Rhys,” she whispered. “I was ready to fight her and send her home if necessary. I can’t stand to see her hurting like that.”
“I couldn’t stand it either.”
“You’ll probably have to do it again in a couple of hours, you realize that right?” she asked.
