“It’s okay,” Alice said. “I won’t hurt you. All that nonsense about being able to put someone into a permanent nightmare is just that—nonsense. Travis told you that to justify his scheme.”
Brooke managed a shaky smile and bravely reached out to take Alice’s hand in a gesture of goodwill. It seemed to Owen that the handshake between the two women lasted a little longer than it needed to. He felt energy shift in the atmosphere.
Alice ended the contact. Brooke appeared relieved, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She got to her feet.
“Take care of yourself,” she said to Alice.
Alice nodded. “You do the same.”
Owen waited until Brooke was gone before he met Alice’s eyes. “What did you do to her? I know you used your talent.”
Alice pushed his coffee cup back to him and picked up her tea. “You saw her. It’s obvious she’s suffering from insomnia. I just tweaked her dreamlight energy so that she’ll be able to sleep better. Maybe that will help her get on with her life. She needs to use her energy to focus on the future.”
“You can really do that?”
“Not in every case, but yes, under the right conditions.”
“There was no reason to do any favors for Brooke. Maybe she didn’t actively participate in the crime, but not speaking up was wrong, too.”
“I know.” Alice looked amused. “But there was a reason I tried to give her permission to move on. A selfish reason.”
“What?”
“I did it for myself. I’ve spent too much time in hiding. Going nowhere. Just living day to day. Like Brooke, I need to move on. That means letting go of as much negative energy as possible. Anger is a destructive force.”
“Even if it’s righteous?”
“It’s a weapon. It should be handled like a mag-rez.”
“Or a dangerous talent?”
“Exactly. If you’re going to rez the trigger, make sure you aim it at the real threat, not a bystander who happens to be in the way.”
He picked up his coffee. “Is that one of the core principles of the Ballantine Method?”
“No,” she said. “It’s common sense.”
He was about to respond when a shout came up from the lobby below the mezzanine.
“There she is, up above in the coffee shop. Alice. Ms. Smith. Are you all right? What’s going on?”
“Alice, we’ve been so worried.”
“Are you really married to that guy? Where’s Sebastian? Is he okay?”
Sebastian chortled exuberantly and vaulted from the back of the chair to the railing that ran the length of the mezzanine. He looked down and waved his sunglasses.
“There’s Sebastian.”
Alice leaped to her feet and looked over the railing. “Dr. Loring. Patty, Linda, Benny, Jake. It’s so good to see you.”
“We watched the video,” one of the men said. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, Dr. Loring. I’m fine. I can explain everything.”
“Congratulations on your marriage,” one of the women called. “We brought some cupcakes.”
“That is so thoughtful,” Alice said. “Thank you.”
