Blue Violet

chapter 35



An invisible signal must have passed through the pack. But it was a cue that not even Griffin had picked up on. As one, the wolves sprang out of the trees and rushed their small group. There were hundreds of them, all different colors and sizes, fur raised high on their massive backs, lips curling up to expose their sharp teeth. Only Gideon remained motionless, grinning maniacally in his wolf form.

Ellie and the others in the circle braced themselves as the wolves bore down on them. Ellie flashed their next step to them and then together they waited for her signal. To Ellie it felt like time slowed down and sped up in the same instant. She had to wait for just the right moment before springing her trap. But under the onslaught of the wolves, she weathered an internal struggle of immense proportions. Griffin and Alex gripped her hands tightly, both feeling the same terror she did.

“Not yet,” she thought to the members of the circle. “Just a little closer...”

When she could almost feel the hot breath of the wolf closest to her on her face, Ellie signaled Ramsey. Immediately, Ramsey sent up a wall of fire surrounding their small circle, cutting off the wolves’ charge. As soon as the flames appeared, Ellie heard the anguished howls of the Vyusher caught in the blaze. The other wolves hastily retreated, and Ramsey moved quickly to take advantage of their hesitation. He shot the wall of fire outward from its position around their circle. But just as the flames were about to reach more of the wolves, the magical inferno went out completely, as if it had never been there to begin with.

“I didn’t do that!” Ramsey exclaimed. In his astonishment he’d forgotten to communicate through only his thoughts.

The wolves didn’t immediately resume their charge, apparently awaiting new instructions from their leader. Ellie tried to use Griffin’s mind reading ability, but only silence greeted her.

“Griffin?” she thought. “Griffin?!” She mentally shouted for him.

Nothing.

She looked at him, a panicked question in her eyes. He just shook his head. He couldn’t hear anything either, not just the wolves, but everything. Suddenly it dawned on Ellie that someone in the Vyusher had the ability to stop any power they became aware of, possibly once in use. Ellie’s best guess was that Gideon was controlling them, but she couldn’t be sure.

She decided to test her theory. “Charlotte,” she yelled, “are you able to move us?”

Nothing happened.

“No!” Charlotte replied, panicked.

“Do not use your powers!” Ellie shouted. “The second they know a power exists, they can disable it somehow.”

Since wolves had excellent hearing, it would be especially difficult to coordinate.

“Griff?”

“It’s still there,” he confirmed cryptically, knowing what she was asking him. The defensive shield was still up. Not visible or obvious, so the wolves weren’t aware of its existence... yet.

Ellie thought fast.

“You all need to trust me!” she yelled, and turned to her twin. “Griffin… Turn it off for a second and do not attack.”

He nodded his understanding. They would use his shield as long as it wasn’t obvious.

Ellie tapped into Lucy’s ability to sense intentions. The pack’s new plan was to regroup and charge again, plowing right into her family and ripping them to shreds. The wolves, almost as one, wheeled like a flock of birds in flight and resumed their attack. The incredible roar of their fury for their burned members filled the night air.

Ellie waited until the last possible second. Then, as the first wave of wolves leapt, teeth bared, vicious snarls ripping from deep in their throats, Ellie tapped into Dexter’s power and turned their human wagon wheel into indestructible metal.

Wolves slammed into them, emitting howls of pain, some knocked unconscious, some limping to safety, others landing yards away, stunned. Ellie could actually see as Dexter’s power was turned off, the gun-metal grey glow extinguished, almost like a light switch being flipped off. The metal form they’d taken instantly vanished, leaving them vulnerably human again. The pack paused only for a moment. Then the next wave continued their onslaught.

“On my signal, everyone jump in Gideon’s direction!” Ellie yelled, once again hoping her meaning was clear. She tapped into Nate’s strength and speed and then spread that power through the circle.

“Now!”

As a coordinated unit, the circle sprang. With their amplified strength, they were propelled into the air above the wolves. They were almost back to the ground. Ellie could feel them each bracing to land when Nate’s power was doused. They slammed back onto the ground, the circle breaking apart as the force of the impact caused them all to release their holds on each other. They all somehow managed to come quickly back together. The pack wheeled and then paused in unison.

“I see that you have more gifts than I gave you credit for,” Gideon called. The pack rumbled. Ellie couldn’t tell if the sound was agreement or some other feeling they were sharing.

A wild idea occurred to Ellie. Gideon took away every power that they could use against the wolves, and they really only had three active powers remaining: Alex’s power, the most effective offensively; Griffin’s shield, which they needed to protect themselves; and her power to shift. Ellie knew, deep in her bones, she had to end this quickly. A swift closure was their only hope of survival.

If Gideon is the one responsible for taking away our powers, if I take him out, we’ll get our powers back, Ellie thought. Then they could defeat the rest of the wolves. Without their leader perhaps the pack would be lost and just give up.

Ellie gave Alex’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” was his immediate response.

His words skated along her skin and sank in to her heart and soul. She felt peace. And she knew what she was about to do was right.

“Then trust me,” she whispered.

He turned his head to look at her. “With everything I have in me,” he assured her.

Ellie calmly stepped out of the circle, joining Griffin’s and Alex’s hands behind her back. She walked slowly toward Gideon, gathering her courage as she went.

*****

Alex felt all the air leave his body in one punchy breath. The girl he loved… his te’sorthene, whom he had just found… was walking away from him, directly into danger. He looked at Griffin, who just shook his head, his mind reading abilities still not working. The only thing that kept Alex from going after her was what she’d just said to him.

She’s not going to join Gideon. She’s not giving in. She asked me to trust her, and I do, he reassured himself. But how did he reconcile the part of him deep within that wanted to protect her, to keep her safe? Alex took a deep breath. He forced himself to remain calm and to concentrate on Ellie. She might need him with only a moment’s notice, and he needed to be ready.

Then he saw her body start to tremble violently. It reminded him vaguely of the time he’d confronted her at her house, before he’d known who and what she was. She’d started shaking just before she had run out of the house and crashed her car into a tree.

“Oh, jeez,” Griffin muttered.