Words of Power (Alice Gray Book 3)

35

"The words run around the shape of the eye. Words of Power joining to activate the potent magic that lies beyond the Eye," Evan said, oblivious to the fact that my brain had only just re-joined the conversation.

"That doesn't make sense," I said. "Surely if that's all it took to get power, other witches would have used it since Jennet. The last time the power was used in this way can't be during her escape from the Knyvets."

"Only certain people can use it," Evan said, rolling his eyes at me.

"Ok, well do we know anyone who could try?"

"Erm, you can."

"Riiiigght. You do remember that I've only had my power for a few weeks?"

"Yeah, but Ralph..."

"Ralph what?" I snapped, turning to the enormous mountain of a man.

"Alice! Don't be so rude," Evan hissed at me. "Don't take any notice of her, she's, erm, emotional," he said to Ralph, as if I wasn't standing right with them.

"I know exactly what she is," Ralph rumbled, cutting off my rant before I'd had chance to tell Evan exactly what I thought of him speaking for me like that.

"What? I'm a witch," I said cautiously.

"That's true, child, but you're also something else. You've had contact with a friend of mine, recently, I believe?"

I stood open mouthed as I tried to make the huge man's polished language fit with his rough exterior.

"First things first, Ralph. I am nobody's child," I finally retorted, after I'd got it together enough to speak.

"Oh, but you are, and there lies the problem."

"For God's sake, don't be so bloody cryptic, and get to the point, will you?"

"In a way, it is for His sake that I take this circuitous route."

This time all I could do was roll my eyes.

After a few awkward seconds of silence Evan had had enough. "He's fae, Alice. You have to show him respect. He could obliterate you with the flick of his little finger."

"Fae?"

"Some call us fae, others prefer god. There's been confusion over the definitions since the very beginning. I suppose it's fae when we are down here, and god when we are up there." Ralph slouched against the desk, his bright lavender eyes sparkling their amusement.

"Up there?"

"Through the Eye."

"Brad," I said, realisation of where he was going with this finally dawning.

"My cousin should not have contacted you the way that he did. If we want to commune with Earth dwellers we are supposed to take their form."

"You. You look like he does, you know, when you're up there."

"We are cousins."

"All rainbow sequences and sparkly strands?"

"We each have distinct auras but they are more complex than the life-force of witches. I'm surprised that you could interpret Brad's aura in that way at all. However, it is just another confirmation that you are the one we have been waiting for."

"Okaaay. But why don't you look like that now?" I asked, not taking the bait quite yet. I was still too curious about what this guy really looked like. Especially as Brad resembled Michelangelo's David.

"I told you, we have to take the form of an Earth dweller so as not to interfere with divine providence."

That raised more questions than there was time for right now, so I backtracked. "What do you mean, the one that you've been waiting for?"

"Your birth is what used to be called a Special Providence. A miracle at the culmination of events that were set in motion many, many, Earth years ago."

"Set in motion? By who?"

At this question, Ralph's massive bushy eyebrows drew together. The temperature in the room dropped several degrees. "Somebody who should not have been able to dwell on this plane to procreate."

"Oh," I said, with an awful feeling that I knew where all this was going.

"That's why I'm not just a witch, isn't it? That's why Jennet Device fell victim to her father's glory."

Instead of answering, Ralph mumbled something under his breath, something that sounded very much like a string of curses.

"Tell me."

"It's better if I show you, and for that I will need the help of my cousin."

"Lie down on the bed and I will guide you to him."

"Erm, on the bed?"

"Yes."

"Can't we just call him down to us?"

"No."

"Alice, get on the damn bed. We're on the clock here," Evan said, fed up with my time wasting.

I nudged Sam's still dozing form to the far side of the bed and lay down beside him. Ralph placed his large, warm palm lightly over my eyes, forcing my lids to close. I was so bone weary that sleep crawled up my body making it light and buoyant as my consciousness closed off from the outside world without any encouragement from Ralph.

My tired dry eyes were eased under their lids by the warmth of his palm.

I heard his voice hum some quiet words as I went under.

But where will she wake?
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