Light burst in long streaming arcs from somewhere to the right side of me. I had to blink a few times it was so blinding. When finally it cleared, there was a female standing there, a softly glowing mirage around her. She moved immediately, making her way toward us. As she came closer, it was even more difficult to look upon her fully. She was a kaleidoscope of colors, interweaving across her clothes and skin.
If you asked me to describe her, it would be an impossible task. There was no way to tell her skin, eye or hair color. Her height was a mystery and I couldn’t seem to focus on even one defining feature. But her power was unmistakable. Intense. Breath-stealing. It was beyond anything I’d felt on any world and it was almost suffocating me with its immenseness.
She stopped about ten feet from our group. I thought she wore a white sheath, but there was no way to know for sure. Everything about her changed, even as she remained stationary.
“Welcome to my realm.” Her voice was like an echoing crash of melodic bells. But with deep undertones of bass.
I tried to clear my throat, say something, but I found that I was at a loss. None of the other girls said anything either, not even Fury, who always had something to say.
“You are probably wondering why I have brought you here. Why I have interfered in the battle of mortals. Something which I have never done before.”
Well, yeah, I was definitely wondering that.
“There have been some who interfered in that which was not theirs to interfere in. Balance was lost. I am simply trying to make sure it is restored.”
I exchanged a glance with Fury, and Delane also caught my eye. We were all wearing the same expression: wide eyes, rapid blinking, slightly parted lips. Shock tinged with a lick of hope. Was the Mother of All going to place a weapon in our hands? Was this the turning point we needed in the war?
“You were about to lose. The Seventine have energy from Earth and Spurn, more than enough to free the last of their brothers. And none of you were strong enough. The first joining of your seven powers knocked you down, wrenched your souls from your bodies for enough time that I could grab them. I have brought you here to my realm. Time will move slowly on First World. You will have these moments to strengthen yourselves, to learn how to control the seven original energies you are blessed with.”
“Are our marks all permanent now?” I finally found my voice.
“Yes, because I captured whatever free energy of the originals was left in the universe, and returned it to you all. You required this additional strength to survive that first joining.”
A thought struck me. “Is that why my Walker powers took the longest to enlighten? Because I have more original energy than the other girls?”
I’d been wondering about this ever since Brace expressed his theory on Earth. But it couldn’t have just been the energy transference barrier, because Eva had been inside also, and her Walker element had worked when she was younger.
“Yes, you have the most original power and you needed to be strong enough to withstand the force of this conduit energy.”
That made sense to me now, and the jury was still out about whether I’d been strong enough when it happened. I remembered the pain of my enlightenment. Like my skin was being sliced from my body. Ouch.
Delane, voice shaking, spoke. “If you gathered some original energy and infused it with ours, then where is the rest of the original energy?”
Somehow I knew that the Mother of All was turning to acknowledge each of us as she spoke, but still, I couldn’t see her face clearly. It was so weird.
“Some, a very small amount, is still locked in the walls of the prison. Over half resides inside each of you, which is why the marks are permanently on your skin. Just like the original seven. And the remaining is within one that you know well. One who is not on your side, but who is also not your enemy. Que.”
Uh, say what? Since when was Que not our enemy?
“Brace was right. That is what he’s doing in that regeneration machine. Taking energy of the originals and fusing it into himself,” I muttered out loud.
“Yes,” she said.
“So what do we do now?” I asked her. “How can we become strong enough to beat the Seventine?”
I heard the slightest tinkle, almost like laughter.
“I cannot give you the answers. I must maintain the balance. I am simply allowing you a brief moment in a world where time stands still. You can do whatever you like here, but my suggestion would be to create some obstacles, and then join your powers together to defeat them … don’t forget about your sacred guides. They are more useful than you could possibly understand.”
As her words faded away so did she. Right before the flash of lights disappeared, I heard one last sentence.
Hurry, you don’t have much time.
Then she was gone.
I sucked in deeply. It felt as if there was no air here, and yet at the same time I’d never breathed so easily before. Six sets of eyes zeroed in on me. Not to mention seven animals, who were watching us with their wise and soulful gazes. I was the unofficial leader. The conduit was the one to draw everyone together. It was time to act like it.