Page 15 of Gift from the Source
“You sure you’ve revealed the room? I can’t, none of us can actually, see anyone standing at the end of the hall,” Trex says calculatingly, staring in the direction I’m pointing.
“I’m positive. And the disguise of what’s a few steps in front of us fell away seconds after my blood hit the ground.”
“The only explanation would be that each relic is covered with a triggering mechanism. X most certainly could’ve set the illusion to hide them and if it’s not disarmed properly, everything will stay hidden, even after the relic is activated. But still, all I see is a plain brick hallway.”
Everyone voices their agreements to that. I’m the only one who sees the lone figure who hasn’t moved, which makes me believe that’s the final illusion at the end of the hall. Why my revealing spell isn’t working on that, I have no clue, but I can only assume their purpose was to scare any off before they could trigger and destroy the relics.
“There are many things you will only be able to see because of your sight. Even things you can’t reveal to others. Look through the illusions, Willow,”CC says, startling me.
“How do I see through illusions?”
“Call forth your sight. It’ll guide you,”he says and then his presence is gone just as quickly as it came.
I grit my teeth at the minimal instructions, then force the words out of my mouth as I relay the message to the others. I’d like to believe that my gift and I have been working better together thanks to the amplifier room, but truthfully, it’s still very much in control. It only listens to my requests when it wants to or it’s absolutely necessary.
“Focus. Call it to the forefront, above all others, and set your intentions to show you what’s in front of you, not a vision. Be stern but grateful. Youmay not control it, but it’ll come when it knows it’s needed. You know it as well as I do,” Caspian says matter-of-factly, basically repeating what I was mentally thinking. His no-nonsense tone has me straightening my shoulders and shaking my head.
“You have more faith in it than I do.”
“And there lies the issue. Trust yourself and it, Primary,” he orders.
I have no choice but to listen to him. He’s more aligned with his gift than anyone else I know. The companionship he relied on with his gift has made him trust it entirely and those shadows aren’t like a second skin or an extension. They are him and they obey him like no other.
“You’re right,” I breathe.
“I know.”
Snorting at his cockiness, I close my eyes and let my smirk linger on my lips as I call my gift forth.
All right, you little sh—wonderful, gracious blessing. I’m going to trust you. Please trust me.
Come forth. Show me the illusions that stand in our way.
The stillness in response to my request has me ready to throw in the towel on my gift, then what feels like, I swear to Elementra, the vibrations of a chuckle spreads across my mind.
My eyes fly open at the tingling and the sight before me is nothing like what I witnessed moments ago.
The cloudy film across my vision lays out a blueprint from where I’m standing to the end of the hall. Not one, but two figures stand there with their hands pressed against the invisible wall between us, trapped, but they’re there.
Waiting for us.
Tearing my eyes from them, I search what we’re about to face. With the veil of the sight obscuring my vision, I can’t exactly make out colors, but I know with just a glance at the medieval design, these rooms were built to withstand massive destruction within them.
Seconds ago, the cold gray walls now reveal as bricks and cinderblocks that are thick, plastered together with black grout. It resembles a true dungeon, just waiting to keep the sounds of torture trapped in here.
Gazing down at the floor, what I thought at first, before the vision of Tillman, was hardwood is really tiled squares that are set up to trigger the relics if stepped on. The ones that are safe to cross are raised just slightly off the floor and the ones that I’m supposed to drop my blood on shine a little brighter than the rest. As if they’ve been cleaned more carefully over time.
“I see the way. Everyone just stay behind me until the illusions fall away and the triggers are gone,” I say, my feet moving before the sentence leaves my lips.
The vision I just had and my sight guide my movements. I take the three steps across the threshold, then freeze.
And wait.
When nothing explodes and I’m not shoved back or covered in blistering slime, I slice my finger once again. The five drops of my blood shine brightly where they fall on the tile and a subtle vibration in the floor has the red merging together into a small puddle.
The gentle shaking swiftly turns into trembles that rock the room and makes me sway. I go to command my air out to balance me, but just as quickly as it started, it stops.
Like a curtain falling in slow motion from the ceiling, the scene before me—everyone judging by Oakly’s and Aria’s gasps—transforms. The blueprint covering my visions falls away to the full reality of the room.
