The commander hastened out of the room without a backward glance. Distress mixed with the sorrow in Celina’s gut, churning it into a storm as the news began to resonate.
“Cela—”
“Not here, come on.” Celina grabbed her sister’s hand and headed through the halls to her suite of rooms, where they were assured absolute privacy.
Celina closed and locked both the outer door to her suite and the inner door to her bedroom. Cat settled onto the large bed, back against the giant yellow pillows, tugging one of the smaller white pillows in front of her to hold in her lap. Celina smiled slightly at the sight, remembering when Cat was little and would sneak up in the middle of the night and climb into bed with her, stealing all the pillows by the time the sun rose.
Sometimes, she had a hard time reconciling the wild little spitfire she’d raised with the accomplished young woman sitting before her.
“Connor can’t be dead, Cela. Commander Varice didn’t outright lie, but he didn’t tell the whole truth either. The only thing he said that rang true was that Alison was devastated and went to escort the rest of Connor’s team home. Which I believe.”
Cat’s ability to detect lies wasn’t foolproof. It was all about nuance and interpretation. But she knew the seriousness of her accusation and wouldn’t make it lightly.
“You’re certain he was lying?”
Cat tipped her head to the side. “Well… I’d classify it as not telling the whole truth. Nothing rang as a total lie… nor as a total truth. I wonder if that’s why Alison rode out so quickly. Maybe there is something else going on.”
It was possible. But if true, it meant Alison would be of no help anytime soon. The team would be interviewed, launching a formal investigation. Everything would come to a screeching halt while they slowly and methodically analyzed the incident.
If only Cass were here.Celina sighed and rubbed at the throbbing pain in her temple, unsure of what to do.
“Can you tell if he’s still alive using your magic? Mine can barely reach across town, let alone across the realm or further.”
Celina considered the question. “I don’t know. I’ve never tried to assess someone’s lifeforce at such a distance.”
“You always knew when I was sick before I did, even when I was away from home.”
Cat had a valid point.
There was a good possibility she wouldn’t be able to reach him at all if he was too far away. Did it matter that he was family? Did their bond as siblings make the connection stronger?
What if it works, and he’s really gone?Nausea swamped her as sweat beaded on her skin, making her cognizant of the warm room.What if he’s really dead?
She shook off the doubt, refusing to give in to that particular fear. Trying would only solidify the truth, not change it. One thing common to all magic was instinct, and hers was screaming at her.
“Let me try it.”
Taking a deep breath to center herself, Celina slowly sank into her magic. The shimmering gold sphere in her core was bright and strong, flickering with a life of its own. She dipped inside it, pictured herself twirling the golden light around her in a slow dance until it wrapped around her completely.
Skills build upon each other.Althea’s voice rang in her head from years of training.Add complexity slowly.
She did just that, opening her magic vision and reaching out. She opened a channel, as if about to connect to someone, but left it open on the other end. The next part was tricky. She summoned thoughts of her brother and tried to recreate the sense of him as if he were in the room with her. Tall and strong, with a lean build that didn’t mark him immediately as a warrior. Their father’s thick blond hair falling in loose waves to his shoulders. Bright, infectious smile on his face.
Suddenly, a faint white light flickered.
She dove toward it, just missing it before it disappeared.
Again and again, the same thing happened.
Eventually she stopped, dropping backward onto the bed beside her sister in frustration.
“I think he may be too far away for me to reach. That, or his lifeforce isn’t strong enough for me to latch on to,” she admitted, explaining what was occurring when she tried to make the connection.
Cat stood on her knees to hover over Celina. She placed her hands on either side of Celina’s face, looking directly into her eyes with a focused intensity.
“Listen to me. You can do this. Youhaveto do this. There’s no other choice, so you’ll do it, and itwillwork. Connor is alive. You know it as well as I do, and only one of us is a truth seeker. So try again. Or we may lose him forever.”
Her passion hit Celina hard, rousing her very soul to believe the impossible.
