Beckoning Light (The Afterglow Trilogy #1)(43)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

Ruth’s eyes blazed. “Help comes for you. We must get you out of Blake’s hands until we can build a true resistance and take back our nation.”

“The way you describe it, the current Gerard is really the one with the power, right?” I ventured. She nodded. “Then why is Calvin so set to follow Blake?” I asked, still trying to understand why we couldn’t just appeal to Calvin.

“My dear, Calvin has been raised knowing nothing else but the stories propagated by Blake. He truly believes that his duty is to continue the fight. Blake is a very powerful man, not only physically, but also in ways of persuasion. The Gerard’s one weakness is the love he has for his Essence. If we are to overcome him, which we will have to do to get to Blake, you will have to use that. I know how hard that will be, but I am impressed you had the fortitude so early in your bond to break away and convince him to throw you down here. I can feel the hurt it caused you both. I do not underestimate the toll it may take.” I sensed that she really could feel the hurt.

“Is there no chance we can get Calvin to join us?” I wasn’t willing to give up yet.

“Of course, there is always a chance, but that chance is not one we can take now,” she explained gently.

I found out from Ruth that Naomi, true to her word, had been in contact with my family. I was surprised to learn that Monty and Kevin weren’t the only ones to enter Energo; Liam had joined them. It was hard to imagine Liam in Energo, but it didn’t surprise me that he had come with Kevin and Monty; I knew he would want to help them in any way he could. Ruth assured me that they were being trained with the finest instructor, and that both Kevin and Liam had shown tremendous promise. It made me sick to think about Kevin, Liam, and Monty risking their lives for me, but I also understood enough to realize that the rescue wasn’t completely about me.

I contemplated the reality that my family and friends were in so much danger. Then Ruth pulled me back from my thoughts. “Now, the time for storytelling is over, it is time to learn.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Charlotte

The first step was fasting. It didn’t seem so hard to avoid eating the stale bread they gave me. Ruth explained that only at my weakest could I begin to understand my abilities. I assured her that I would be weak pretty quickly; skipping one meal could have me passing out. I sat in the cold, dank cell listening to my stomach rumbling. I was having trouble picturing myself with any powers. She had also explained that the use of my abilities required complete focus; I would need to completely clear my mind. I didn’t expect that part to be too hard, as I found my focus much sharper since the ceremony, but it seemed like every time my mind cleared, I thought about Calvin and the hurt on his face the last time I saw him. Other than the pain I felt about Calvin, the worst part was the thirst, I had had nothing to drink in more than twelve hours, and I was feeling it.

With Ruth’s encouragement, I finally pushed everything from my mind. I closed my eyes and, before long, I saw an image of a flowing basin of water. I could almost taste the cool liquid as it went down my throat. Suddenly, Ruth grabbed my arms, shaking me. “Stop! Charlotte, open your eyes.”

I listened to her, opening my eyes to realize that I was wet. The floor to the cell was damp, with deep puddles forming in several spots.

“It must really be true what they say. If an Essence is born of an Essence, her powers are even stronger,” I heard a voice say from the cell next to us.

I ignored the voice, and asked, “Where… where did all of this water come from?”

“The ground, the earth under this dungeon,” Ruth said calmly. “You brought it up, Charlotte.” Dumbstruck, I looked at Ruth.

“As the Essence, you are naturally connected to the earth and its elements,” she said, looking at me seriously. “Have you ever noticed anything like this happen before?”

“Making water appear out of nowhere? No.”

“It did not just appear. You pulled it from the ground,” Ruth corrected. “You must remember that there is a limited supply of all elements and energies; you have the power to move these entities, not create them.”

I suddenly remembered the bird. “Does the Essence ever have the power to heal?”

Ruth looked at me curiously. “You have healed before?”

“Well, there was a wounded bird that flew away after I touched it,” I said slowly. She nodded, encouraging me to continue. “It happened the first time I entered Energo, when I met Calvin.”

“Interesting. That must be why Monty never saw the signs before. If they existed, they must have been weak in the other world,” she said almost to herself. She must have noticed the quizzical look on my face because she tried to explain. “An Essence usually shows some signs of her powers before the ceremony.” I nodded, more because I could think of nothing to say than because I understood.

“We cannot let Blake find this out. How will we explain this?” The voice from the next cell suddenly said.

“Charlotte will have to send it back down,” Ruth responded, as though it were the easiest thing possible. “I believe that you will need to quench your thirst first, because that is what made you bring the water up to begin with, was it not?”

Instead of finding it unsettling that she seemed to know some of my thoughts and feelings, it just felt natural. I wished my mother were still around so I could share this gift with her. I looked around, confused. The thought of drinking water off the floor did not thrill me, but considering the circumstances, I realized that there were far worse things to do. I used my hands to cup water into my mouth and was soothed as I swallowed the cool liquid. I tried not to think about how dirty the floor was.

“Your powers are strong, Charlotte, but they are dangerous if you cannot control them. If I had not been here, you could have drowned,” Ruth warned. I looked at her, waiting for further instructions. “Close your eyes; you will know what to do.”

I closed my eyes and instantly visualized water draining. I opened my eyes moments later to see that the floor was still slightly damp, but all of the standing water was gone.

“Well done, Charlotte!” the voice from the other cell said enthusiastically.

Now that the water was gone, my curiosity was piqued. “Who is that?”

“Your uncle Theodore.” Ruth watched me. I was confused. Why was my uncle down here?

“I realized my mistake too late,” Theodore said before I could give my question much thought. “I believed Blake and turned my back on my own sister. But then several years ago, I felt that she was further away. At first I assumed she had just journeyed far from our world, lessening the bond, but then I just knew Emma was gone. At the same time, word got out that Blake had been looking for a new Essence, and he lashed out when he found out my daughter was not the one. I instantly knew he had something to do with Emma’s death, and I confronted him. I was not strong enough to fight against the other guardians, and he threw me down here. I have heard nothing of my wife, daughter, or son; I can only hope he spared them.”