Page 64 of Gates of Rapture
Once upright, Grace moved back toward the other women.
When they were together again and the same level of power surged even before they touched, Marguerite said, “I think we’re going to need Thorne here to anchor us.If it’s all right with you, I’m going to ask him to come over.Maybe he can get us started or something.”
“I totally agree,” Fiona said.
Grace nodded her acquiescence as well.
Marguerite strolled away, one hand touching her cheek as she moved.Grace could sense that she was communicating telepathically with Thorne.She even knew when the conversation ended.
When she turned back around, she called out, “He’ll be here shortly.”
Grace recalled seeing Thorne bent over the grid when she walked Alison to the landing platform.She wondered how he would feel about leaving his command center.
When Thorne arrived, Marguerite explained what had happened.
He glanced down at her belly.“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.I’m tougher than I look.”
His expression softened, and he dipped down to kiss her.When he rose back up, he was all business.“Okay, well I never quite understood my role, but it seems that I’m an anchor here, at least for now.Why don’t you try touching again, but I’ll keep a hand on Marguerite’s shoulder.”
Once more, Fiona began and connected with both Marguerite and Grace.The power vibrated among them like crazy.
“This is really something,” Thorne said.
Sure enough, as Grace put her hand on Marguerite’s shoulder, closing the circle, the power surged.But this time the excess traveled through Thorne.
“Doesn’t that bother you?”Grace asked.He was lit up and glowing with the most beautiful silver aura.
“Not at all.In fact it’s pleasant.”He nodded a couple of times and narrowed his eyes.“So, Leto told me that you have the ability to secure the powers of others by doing some soul diving.Do I have it right?”
“Yes.”
His silver aura began to diminish and soften, and finally disappeared.“All right, so how exactly do you think the process works then?”
But it was Marguerite who answered the question.“I think it means that when any of us experiences a profound intuition that something is wrong, like what happened at Nazca, then I look into the future streams.When I get a solid vision, the three of us can determine what power is needed to resolve whatever situation appears.Grace then learns the skill from whatever ascender would be best for acquiring the ability.She takes possession of Fiona because Fiona has the power to exponentially amplify any power.And that’s how we get the job done.But the amazing thing is you, Grace.If you can enter the soul of any individual in the entire world and you can learn any ability, then there is no real limit to what we can accomplish.”
And there it was, the identification of what this triad could do.
Grace thought for a moment, and let herself rest deeply within her obsidian power.She felt it vibrate softly.“If our ability as a triad to accomplish a task rests with me, then maybe we should practice exactly that: I should acquire an ability and we should apply it.How does that sound?”
“Perfect,” Fiona said.
Marguerite nodded her assent.
“What power would you like to explore, then?”
Grace addressed Thorne.“I have an idea because I think it would make a great test.I’d like to acquire Leto’s ability with the sword.Then I’d like to possess Fiona and have her do battle with Jean-Pierre.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
“Have Jean-Pierre here as well as Leto.Because of thebreh-bond, I think some of what we do will have to include the other men, don’t you agree?”
“You’re absolutely right, especially in these early stages.”
“What’s my role?”Marguerite asked.“I mean, if my job is to choose the task through the future streams, how do I fit in here?”
Grace tilted her head.“Actually, I think in order to really see what the triad can do, we need to be connected when I take possession of Fiona—we need to be functioning as a triad.I mean, I know that Fiona and I could do our parts alone, but I have a feeling that the triad adds something extra.”
