Page 30 of Wolf Promise

Regie took a breath and then described the black tendrils, their essence of dark power, and how they showed up when someone threatened her or something upset her.

When she’d finished, Laney asked, “Can I take your hands?”

“Sure,” she held them out, and the other women gripped them loosely. When their skin touched, that same spark of awareness passed between them.

“This may feel weird at first, and your instinct might be to close down our connection, but open your mind and try to let me in.”

Regie had no idea what she meant, but she nodded.

Laney closed her eyes, and after a little while, heat passed from her hands to Regie’s. It traveled up her arms and shoulders, but somehow on the inside of her skin. When it reached the back of her neck, Laney hummed beneath her breath, too quietly for Regie to make out the words.

To her horror, the black tendrils appeared, reaching for the heat Laney had sent, which now appeared as gold swirls in Regie’s mind. She prepared to suppress the blackness.

“No,” Laney said. “Let’s see what they do without interference.”

Nora stood and walked closer to the table.

Regie steeled herself for bad things to happen, but to her surprise, the black tendrils swirled around the sparkling threads of gold. They mixed together, and the darkness lightened to first a pale shade of gray and then a gleaming silver.

The golden warmth retreated into Laney, who opened her eyes and smiled broadly. “Wow. You are one powerful witch.” She made the label sound complimentary.

“What did you learn?” Regie asked.

“Everyone sees their powers differently while working with their abilities. I’m very weak when it comes to manipulating biological matter. My abilities lend themselves better to earth materials, and I see my energy almost as sparks of electricity.”

“To me, they are golden strands of heat,” Regie blurted.

“I saw nothing,” Nora piped in. “The two of you were just having a nice moment, holding hands.” She laughed, lightening the moment.

“The point is,” Laney said, “that what powers look like is personal. Your mind assigns an appearance based on what it perceives their function to be. So, you see your powers as black because you’ve decided they are evil.”

“They changed color,” Regie said. “They swirled with your powers and became silver.”

“That makes sense,” Laney said. “I sensed that you can wield your abilities with precise control, the way a surgeon uses a scalpel. Having a metal hue seems right. You can use them to heal, or you can use them to hurt.”

Regie’s thoughts raced. She could use them to heal? “How?”

“Just like a surgeon would learn, study with a mentor, and then practice.”

“How do I find a mentor to teach me?” Fragile hope rose in her chest. Could use this weird power to do good?

“I can try to help you,” Laney said. “And if I’m not able to, we’ll find someone who is.”

Tears welled in Regie’s eyes. “I would like that very much.” Maybe she would see the Heimdall Shield people after they caught the stalker. She liked the warmth that spread in her chest at the thought. At least she’d see Laney.

And maybe Bolt.

CHAPTER 15

Located on the twenty-first floor of the historic Sir Francis Drake Hotel, the Lizzie Starlight ballroom had floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree panoramic view of San Francisco. Regie felt as if floating on clouds. She couldn't wait until darkness fell so she could see the city aglow in all its lights below.

The ballroom used to be called The Starlight Room, but after a recent renovation, “Lizzie” had been added, a nod to the supposed amorous relationship between Francis Drake and Queen Elizabeth. As much as Regie would love to have a house with a garden outside the city, she truly loved San Francisco with all of its charm and quirks.

Her grandfather squeezed her hand that she'd placed on his arm. "Nervous?" he asked as he led her across the room and to their table.

Regie nodded. "It's not every day a girl gets to announce her fake fiancé." She looked around the space, checking out the flower arrangements and the splendid table settings.

She did not scan the room for Bolt. Who was she kidding? She totally did.

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