Page 94 of Gates of Rapture
When Thorne arrived, Grace addressed obsidian flame’s biggest concern.“So, we need to figure out how to do the mass folds.”She turned to Fiona.“You were able to channel Endelle’s ability to fold.Does that mean you have the same ability now?”
Fiona shook her head.“There is always a residual effect, something learned, but it’s not the same thing.So, no, I don’t have her level of power.”
“So I need to acquire Endelle’s ability.”
Fiona smiled.“That would follow.”
Grace knew why she was smiling.There was one woman on the planet with the ability she needed to acquire, but it was never an easy thing to work with the scorpion queen.
She glanced at Thorne.“Would you contact Endelle for us?”
He smiled.“Of course.”He whipped his phone from his pants pocket.Grace had forgotten that he’d broken the mind-link with Endelle all those months ago.Now he had to contact her the usual way.He probably could have used telepathy, but Grace had a feeling Thorne wanted it this way.Maybe having abrehmade a difference as well.
Grace waited and tried to calm her heart.Endelle was never easy to take, but this was new territory and she was already nervous.Thinking about being within Endelle’s soul was like thinking about swimming with sharks.
Suddenly the alarms started shrieking like mad, after which Endelle appeared.She looked around, clearly not understanding why the alarms were ringing.
Thorne lifted a hand and shouted over the shrill signals, “I’ll take care of this.”Once more, he was on his phone.He spoke quickly and a moment later the alarms stopped, thank you, Creator.
Endelle scowled at Thorne.“Didn’t you tell them I was coming?”
He laughed.“You didn’t exactly give me a lot of time.”
“I suppose not.You could say I’m a little anxious about what’s happening here.”She glanced from one woman to the next, finally landing on Grace.“So you have the ability to acquire any of my skills.”
“That’s right.”
She smiled.“You’re very sure about it.”
“Yes, I suppose I am.”She explained about practicing with Alison and about reading souls.
Endelle actually smiled.“Okay, so tell me what to do.”
Grace felt uneasy.“I think I should warn you that I’ll have to go deep to get to this particular power—as in, I’ll be descending into your soul.”
“Fine.”
“You mean, just like that?You don’t mind?”
“Hell, no.Just do it, Grace.What the fuck do I care?All I want is to finally get the upper hand over Greaves, get his fat balls in my hand, squeeze hard a few dozen times, then send him to perdition.If that means you do some soul diving, it’ll be worth it.”When Grace still hesitated, Endelle added, “Aw, for shit’s sake, just jump inside my mind, or wherever the hell my ‘soul’ is”—she made air quotes—“and let’s get this damn thing done.”
“Okay, fine.”Maybe not the most brilliant response, but Grace was very surprised.She had thought that the Supreme High Administrator of all of Second Earth would be more protective of her deepest parts.But then Endelle wasn’t exactly known for her boundaries.
She moved just a little closer to Endelle, closed her eyes, then pushed into Endelle’s mind.She hadn’t expected the entrance to be so easy, but then Endelle had motivation to cooperate right now.
Grace allowed herself to sink through the deepest layers of Endelle’s thoughts.Because the entrance into her mind had been so easy, Grace had thought she would move swiftly into the woman’s soul.But this layer of her mind was deep and it was dark.
She continued to sink.At last, she found what turned out to be a brilliant turquoise field of light that seemed as broad as it was high.There was so much beauty in the center of Endelle’s domain that she could hardly contain her wonder.
She focused on Endelle’s folding ability, and as before a kind of lock appeared.Grace focused her thoughts, shaping them into a blue key, and inserted.
With a powerful rush, Endelle’s folding ability covered her.There was so much power that she was thrust out of Endelle’s soul.She flew outward so that when she opened her eyes she was ten feet away from Endelle and flat on her back.She opened her eyes to stare up at the enormous steel girders that supported the roof.
She took deep breaths, but closed her eyes.She thought about Endelle, how beautiful her turquoise soul was, how vast, as though it would take millennia to know her, really know her.
She saw Endelle’s stilettos, then looked up to smile at her.It was strange knowing her in this way, the loveliness of her soul, all that beauty covered up with her odd fashion choices, her profanity, and her deep cynicism.
“I take it you were successful?”
