Page 47 of Wings of Valor
“Distance,” I croak, my mouth too dry from the stale bread.
“Well, there’s nothing to be done about that,” Cam says, and for the first time since I’ve known him, he sounds pessimistic. Not at all like the glass-half-full type of guy I’ve grown to know.
Something nags at the back of my mind—a memory of a time when distance was my downfall, too. What did Dad have me do back then?
“There’s something we can try,” I tell them, my voice garbled. I clear my throat, but it’s only when Mari offers me a drink from her cup that I’m able to speak again. “Thank you.”
She nods. “What can we try?”
“Boosting. Whoever’s strongest with telepathy will try to reach Hayliel, and the rest of us will focus on boosting their ability.”
Cam’s brows crease together when he asks, “That’s a thing?”
“It is, but it’s not without risks. The schools don’t teach it because it’s easy to siphon power by accident. I’ve only boosted once before, so take a minute to think it over. There’s zero pressure from me.”
They say nothing for a moment, and I like that. I like that despite the shitty situation we’re in, they’re still looking at all sides of the issue and considering the risks. It says a lot about them that they can stay calm in such a terrible time and not just rush into something.
When Mari finally speaks, I trust her answer.
“We’re willing to try.”
“Then let’s get started before anyone comes to check on us.” For the first time since being taken, I feel hope.
“Mari’s had the most success communicating in the past, so she’ll try to reach Hayliel. How do we boost her, exactly?” Cam leans in, eager to learn. I wonder if he’s this excited to try telepathy in general, or if this is a special case.
“Mari has the easy part. She’ll find her connection with Hayliel and grab onto it in her mind. Cam, you and I need to find thewell of power inside of us. What it looks like is different for everyone. For some it glows, for others it’s just a sensation of raw energy.”
Our cells grow quiet while we let Cam search for his power. I remember the first time I had to find mine. Mom taught me early, wanting to give me an edge in a world where Fallen weren’t treated equally. It took me forever to locate it, so I’m a little surprised when Cam finds his within minutes.
“It was kind of like following the trail of breadcrumbs,” Cam says with a shrug and a satisfied smile.
“Hey, whatever works! Alright, so once Mari is ready, we’ll each grab her hand and try to slowly—andvery gently—press our power through her. It’ll feel a little weird on both sides, but weird is okay. If it starts to hurt, we need to stop. Is everyone ready?”
I locate my own source of energy, finding it far emptier than I hoped. Shit. I don’t let the worry show on my face, not wanting to put undue pressure on anyone. Hopefully whatever Cam can offer will be enough.
“We’re ready,” they say together as a unit.
It takes a few tries, but eventually, Cam and I manage to successfully funnel our power through Mari. Her hair damn near stands on end from the force of it.
“Mari, you need to use the power now. Don’t let it sit there too long, or our powers might get the wrong idea and attack one another,” I tell her, watching as her face lights up with bliss.
She doesn’t say anything, doesn’t even react. Fuck. If we lose her to the power, we’re screwed.
“Mari, honey,” Cam says. “Even more than saving Zeke and ourselves, we need to warn Hayliel about the bomb. Only you can do that, my love. It’s up to you to save our girl.”
His words bring her back to herself and away from the power hungry core at the center of her being. “I’m sorry,” she whispers.
“It’s alright,” I reassure her, not wanting her to feel bad for even a second. Power is addicting, especially when you’re not used to it. “You’re doing great. Now use all that power to reach out to Hayliel.”
With her brow furrowed, she concentrates until excitement flashes over her features, but it’s gone as quickly as it came. “I feel her, but it’s like I’m still blocked. I don’t think it’s enough.”
19
It’s been days, and still the council refuses to act.
Hayliel is going out of her mind. We all are. Her parents are counting on us. Zeke, too. And don’t get me wrong, I’m all for being smart with our plan this time. Honestly, it’s something we’ve lacked in the past, so I can certainly see the benefit—but this is too much.
Other than our first brief chat, I haven’t heard from Raduriel. Castiel has been extra cagey since returning from SCU and refuses to tell us what happened, but I get the sense that whatever it is, it isn’t good news. He’s thrown himself into research with Theo, but they haven’t found anything concrete, despite following a few hopeful leads. They’ve narrowed it down to the cliffs or the desert, both of which are far too large an area.
