“Can we reverse it? Or reset the system?”
“That’s an interesting idea.” Mary drew in a sharp breath and let it out on a sigh. “I wonder if a Stealer might be able to temporarily render them mortal long enough for you to put their light back into them. That would require an Infuser to assist with the procedure. There’s no guarantee that would wake him up, and being mortal for any period of time could be risky in his condition.”
That wasn’t an option. While Raven was a Stealer and could take energy, they didn’t know an Infuser. That would be the only way to return Niko’s core light to him, including all his abilities. Well, at least in theory. The other option would be to locate a Creator and give him his first spark again. No guarantee it would take in his unconscious state. And no guarantee he’d regain his unique ability to see energy. That would be a fate worse than death.
“Are there any other options?” Gem inquired. “Something less… invasive?”
“You’re right to be concerned. There’s no guarantee he’d survive the procedure. If his light is the only thing keeping him alive, taking it might be like pulling the plug.”
Gem sprang out of her seat and walked over to stare at the painting on the wall.
“Dear, I’m sorry if any of this upsets you, but it’s important that you’re aware of the risks. We don’t know what’s causing it. It’s possible there might be someone who has genetic knowledge of what might have caused this, but no one has come forward. If you’re withholding information, it limits what I can do.”
Gem’s hand burned just as hot as her anger.
“I can help you with that,” Mary said softly.
Confused, Gem spun on her heel and looked down at the energy ball forming in her hand. Her eyes rounded as she quickly squeezed it into a million particles of light that showered at her feet. “Sorry about that.”
Mary smiled knowingly. “You’re a Wielder. I don’t see many of those, and the few I have seen struggled with their rare gift. There aren’t many who can teach a person to control that kind of power. I suppose your Creator didn’t know what to do with it. Creators provide basic tools for survival, but so rarely do they understand unique gifts.”
Gem wiped her hand on her shirt. “Alas, I never have the need to use it.”
Mary stood up and straightened her dress in the back. “What we have need for is irrelevant. When you’re given a weapon, you have an obligation to learn how to use it.”
That was an interesting way to put it. Gem had always heard people refer to what they had as gifts. But yes, some were also weapons.
“I’m also a Blocker, so I prefer to use my shield over my sword.”
“I’m sure if you haven’t figured it out already, you soon will. Blockers aren’t immune to all gifts used against them. I can teach you how to wield properly.”
“Maybe another time. Do you want to see my friend? Viktor said he can arrange for you to visit.”
“I’m afraid seeing his condition won’t help, not without knowing the cause or power behind it. Even then, my knowledge of such matters is limited.” She took Gem’s hands in hers and smiled warmly. “Tell you what, I’ll keep my ears open and make a few additional calls to see if anyone else has heard of this happening before. If I were you, I wouldn’t give your friend any more healing light; that might do more harm than good. If I come across any pertinent information, I’ll let you know right away. But I also want you to prepare for the possibility that there might not be a cure. The fates might not allow it.”
Gem tried to pull away, but Mary kept a firm grip.
“Make him comfortable for as long as you can. If you need someone to talk to, I’m here. My door is always open. Just remember that he can’t stay this way forever. At some point, you might have to consider letting go of hope. If you need counseling, just give me a call. Appointments are better, but I handle emergencies.” She gently squeezed Gem’s hands before letting them go.
Mary had a therapeutic touch that Gem didn’t want to feel, a consoling look that she didn’t want to see, and comforting words that she didn’t want to hear. Gem held fast to hope and refused to let anyone take that away.
But now she was back to square one.
Chapter 4
“At least the Relic might be able to help him,” Blue said glumly, folding her arms on the dining table.
Gem didn’t have the heart to tell everyone the rest of what the Relic had said. Since Mary had promised to make a few calls, Gem would just as soon forget the last part of their conversation about the possibility of giving up on Niko.
Blue stood up and pushed in her chair. “I’m going to sit with him for a while.”
“The door is locked,” Viktor informed her. “Once I finish here, I need to be alone with him. Then I will call you up to visit.”
As Blue left the room, she didn’t have the same confident strut as before. She walked at a slower gait, and Gem had noticed her grimacing sometimes when she reached for things on the table.
Viktor had summoned everyone to the dining room at lunch to fill them in on Niko’s condition. He didn’t reveal the cause, and Raven remarked on how her own hands had glowed at around the same time. When Gem offered the Relic’s explanation of a power surge, the team accepted it as a plausible answer. None of them had seen Niko yet, and the bedroom door would remain locked until Viktor could hide or remove the book.
As their cook carried a new dish into the room, everyone feasted their eyes on the platter of shrimp. Sometimes Gem wished that Kira would make sandwiches more often. A PB&J sounded a lot better than seafood at the moment. She had never seen a more studious worker. Kira rarely spoke, so it made it impossible for Gem to pick up on anything but a few words from the brief exchanges the woman had with Viktor.
But Gem didn’t need another distraction anyway. She already had her hands full in that department. Eventually she’d figure out Kira’s language. It wasn’t as if Gem wanted to have private conversations with the woman and reveal all Keystone’s secrets, but it would be nice to let her know how much they appreciated her hard work. Maybe even ask if she had any hobbies, or how it was possible for her hair to be that striking color.
When Shepherd touched Kira’s arm and asked for butter, she recoiled as if a snake had bitten her.
Instead of saying the word for butter, Viktor took his knife and pretended to spread butter on his hand. Kira adjusted her blue kerchief and returned to the kitchen. With a look of irritation, Shepherd rubbed his palms together.
“So what happens if we can’t wake him up?” Christian asked, then took a sip of his red wine.
Wyatt reached past Gem and filled his plate. “He’ll give us a live performance of Sleeping Beauty every night.”
“One of these days, that sense of humor is going to bite you in the arse.”
When Wyatt settled back in his chair and put his plate down, two pieces of shrimp slid off and onto the floor. “Blast!” He bent over, picked them up, and put them back on his plate. “Look, it’s not that I don’t like the guy, but what do you want me to do, hold a candlelight vigil?” Wyatt gobbled his first shrimp. “What happened to Blue… now that upsets me. She can’t reverse the damage. Niko’s just taking a long nap. I’m sure someone will figure out how to wake him up. If not, I can’t think of a more ideal way to go. Dying in your sleep is every Gravewalker’s dream.”