Grace released perhaps the deepest sigh of her life. “You have no idea how good it feels to hear you say that. My twin and Thorne were always ready for any adventure. But I liked my books.”
Alison smiled. “I so get you, Grace. I really do. And it also couldn’t have helped to share a convent cell with Marguerite, who is also in Thorne’s mold.”
“I admire her so much; I guess because she has all the pluck I never will.”
But Alison only smiled. “Let me tell you something. Pluck comes in many forms. Just because you’re not a wildcat doesn’t mean that you don’t have pluck. Your being right here with me, for instance, is huge. You’re just different, that’s all, and you have a different role to play.”
Grace couldn’t remember the last time she’d heard such wonderful encouragement. “Thank you for letting me see myself in a new way.”
“You’re welcome. Okay, so let me understand. From everything you’ve told me, I take it that you’ve held back exploring your soul-reading power, correct?”
“Yes. But now I believe it’s the key to my obsidian flame power. When Leto opened my power, it was very different from what Fiona and Marguerite experienced. He had to go deep into my own soul. The problem is that I’ve spent much of my life learning not to invade the lives of others in that way.”
“So it feels like an invasion.”
“It’s too much knowledge. It overwhelms me with a sense of responsibility and at the same time a feeling of complete impotence, as though I can really be of no use.”
“Maybe that’s the key. Maybe your gift has a use, in the same way that both Fiona and Marguerite have specific purposes for their gifts separate from obsidian flame.”
Grace shook her head. “I can’t even begin to imagine what I could possibly do with this soul-reading gift.”
“Well, why don’t you begin with me? Why don’t you read my soul, as an experiment, and we’ll see where it leads us.”
“You’re okay with that?”
Alison smiled. “Of course. I trust you implicitly.”
Grace’s brows rose. She had never been more surprised. “But you hardly know me.”
“You forget that I’m empathic and that I’ve been trained to know people just by conversing with them. Also, in your case, I know you by your reputation. Marguerite always praises you to the skies, and Thorne has you on a pedestal. In that sense, I’ve come here today greatly prejudiced in your favor.”
Grace couldn’t help but smile, and yet she felt she didn’t deserve such praise.
“That look you have right now is the one I want to understand the most. I can sense how unworthy of life you feel. Maybe through this process, I can help you with that.”
“Maybe,” Grace said. But she realized there was a good chance that Alison was about to learn the hardest truth of Grace’s life.
Still, there was nothing for it. “All right, then,” Grace said. “Give me your hand and let me read your soul.”
When Alison extended her hand, Grace took it. She closed her eyes, and after at least one deep breath, she fell into Alison’s mind. She felt Alison’s hand jerk beneath her own. She pressed on through her mind to the deepest layers, letting herself fall until she was swimming in the absolute beauty of Alison’s self, her soul.
She grew very still, until she realized she was being drawn toward the source of Alison’s ability to heal the mind. The source felt like a door with a lock and for which she somehow had the key.
Using her intuition, she extended her power into the lock, like a blue flame key, and the door flew open. Grace then drew Alison’s healing ability into her body in long sweeping waves, a complete sharing. Once the process was complete, she drew out of Alison’s soul and her mind. Leaving her was a very strange rubbery sensation. She blinked. Alison smiled, but she shook her head.
“What exactly happened?” Alison asked. “I mean I could feel you, but what were you doing?”
Grace sat staring at Alison. She was filled with a sense of wonder at what she had just done. “I believe I acquired your ability to heal the mind.” She related all that she had experienced to the last detail.
Alison grinned. “What an amazing gift this is. I mean, if I understand it, you could acquire any power. Any power. Just think about that. The implications are astonishing. But we should test it.”
At that, Grace smiled. “But how could I test your ability to heal the mind.” Then it was as though Grace knew, and she put her hand on Alison’s forehead and let the healing waves flow.