Page 71 of Gift from the Wing

“I can work with that. Being able to control it even a smidge is better than what it’s doing for me now by only showing up randomly,”I say.

He doesn’t respond to me, but his agreement grips my mind like a hug. As we hit my hall, I hope the silence is him just biding his time until we got in here and I’m not about to receive the silent treatment again.

“Listen closely, child, because as you know, I can’t go in there with you,” Gaster says and I immediately halt our walking.

“I most certainly did not know that.”

“Then you simply didn’t think about it. Of course I can’t join you to possibly see the future,” he says with a smart-ass smirk and an arched brow that cause me to huff in frustration.

“That very reasonable thought didn’t even occur to me,” I say, running my hands down my face.

“I know, child, you have much on your mind, but it’s going to be all right. I will be right out here if you need me, so listen to my instructions,” he says, patting my arm encouragingly, and when I give him a clipped nod, he continues. “When you first get in there, I want you to make sure your mental shield is locked up tight. Don’t allow the magic in the room to pull on your own until you’ve had time to familiarize yourself with the space. It’s going to be dark once the door shuts but call forth your dragon to help with that.

“Only once you’re comfortable with the space do I want you to sit or lie on the platform and completely clear your mind. Empty all your thoughts. Only then should you lower your block. It may be difficult this first time around, so don’t feel obligated to watch the walls if a vision does come through. Just focus on the vision.”

I blow out my breath, repeating his instructions out loud to make sure I understand them clearly. My way of stalling. They’re straightforward and easy to follow, but now that we’re standing outside the door to the amplifier room, I already feel its call. My magic is fidgeting in my chest, begging to be released, but my mind is at war with what I may see.

“Wish me luck,” I mumble as I place my shaking handon the knob.

“You don’t need luck, Willow. Everything you’re meant to see will come one way or another. Use this as an opportunity to take some control and see it first on your terms. You’ve got it,” Gaster says encouragingly.

With the light shining through the door, the room looks just as it did the first time I saw it, with the exception of the images playing across the walls. The center platform has a light glow to it where it’s surrounded by the large crystals and the floor is shimmering with the crystals that are embedded in its foundations.

I shut the door slowly, sending myself straight into darkness that only lasts a second, then it’s as though I’ve stepped into a whole new world.

The light coming from the crystals intensifies and their glow reflects off every other one in the room. It’s as if I’m standing in the middle of the night sky, walking amongst the stars. I’m careful with my steps even though I know the small shimmering dots are embedded in the floor. My mind tries its hardest to convince me I’ll feel their sharp but smooth textures across my toes.

Now that there’s no light shining in, the massive hip high crystals show off their distinct colors and I find myself mesmerized by their appearance. As much as I want to head straight for them, I force myself to follow Gaster’s instructions and become familiarized with the rest of the room.

My hand glides gently across the reflective walls and I’m not surprised to find their surface as smooth as glass. I can only hope it’s as strong as it seems.

The enchantment that fills the space between the platform and the walls pulses beneath my palms, and I grit my teeth to ignore the call because I’m finding that I badly want it to flow through me.

The room isn’t that big, so after a quick exploration, I finally sate my need to observe the crystals that surround the platform. All five of them are incredibly impressive and of all the caves I’ve visited in my time on Elementra, I’ve never come across crystals like this.

My hand finds the crystal closest to me and its cool surface seeps into my bones, relaxing me as I allow its power to touch me slightly. Its blueish color is gorgeous and just the sight of it calms all my nerves. Makes my senses sharper.

“That’s the Blue Calgate. Its purpose is to calm and alleviate stress and anxiety. It encourages unwavering focus,”CC says softly as if speaking too loud will disrupt the atmosphere.

“That’s exactly what it’s doing now.”

I move to the next and repeat my process. The difference between this one and the Blue Calgate is obviously its coloring but also the emotions I feel coming from it. I feel balanced and strong.

“The Mountain Malachite. It enhances one’s natural strength. The outside of this crystal is practically indestructible, but if you were to break through the surface, you’d find the inside to be soft.”

Hard on the outside, soft on the inside.

I hum softly, running my hands over the beautiful shades of green. The colors are stacked and layered as if it’s built up its own defenses over time.

“This one?”I ask quietly as my hands cup the fiery red crystal. Its jagged edges are sharp, but there’s something about it that calls to me regardless of its fearful appearance.

“The Revitalian. It revitalizes your energy, your creativity as well as promotes bold action and clearer thinking.”

Yeah, I sense that. I’m fighting off the massive smile and the want to perch my ass on the platform and start seeing our future.

“The Shadow Light stone,”he says as my hand grazes the next.

Something about this stone brings forth a multitude of emotions and I find myself fighting back tears and a laugh. It’s a confusing concoction that eventually tapers off until I’m smiling at it softly with water welled in my eyes.

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