Caged by Damnation (Caged #2)(46)
A breeze swept through our group, tangling itself in my hair and tantalizing my nose. Stained with tears, I lifted my gaze and focused until my vision steadied. On the bookcase directly in front of me, was a single, long auburn hair. It reminded me of the one that had been wrapped around the scroll in the last moments of my vision, while Asmodeus had mouthed something to me – the faintest memory of a single hair escaping to settle on this very spot. Mesmerized, I picked it up to examine in it the lantern light.
"Ew, what is that?" Isis moved closer to squint at the strand I was holding up for all to see. "Girl, put that down. For all you know, it has hundred-year-old lice or something!"
I threw Isis an irritated glance and focused all my attention on the hair. Objects held memories, but pieces of a person could contain stronger messages. Had Asmodeus left this for me? How could he have left me anything when it was just a vision? Ignoring the questions pelting me, I sorted through my lessons with Josephine and sought the answers. The message was a soft whisper, but coherent enough that I heard it.
Look without seeing, touch without feeling, do not rely on your human senses, find another way. Sense that which is around and within you. Seek out your inner witch and discover that which gives you the power of angels and demons tempered by the vulnerabilities of a human. You are the greatest and weakest of us all. Trust yourself; doubt will lead you astray. Try and you won't succeed. Use your will and all will bow before you.
The memory of Asmodeus's words wisped through my mind and I realized that the memory came from Kit rather than myself. Ordinarily, we experienced everything as one, our minds so fused together, that it was often difficult to tell where one ended and the other began. However, the words that passed through our bond were whispers of something Kit had heard while I had been concentrating on remaining in my vision. My will to remain with Asmodeus had given him enough time to pass on the cryptic message, and Kit had listened intently.
My stomach fluttered as Kit comforted me with the spiritual version of a warm embrace. When I hadn't been able to look out for myself, he has been watching my six, acquiring the knowledge I needed. However, knowing what Asmodeus had said and deciphering it were two entirely different things. Unfortunately, Kit was in the dark as much as I was when it came to the meaning.
I spoke the words aloud, looking to each member of my group for hints at understanding, but they looked as perplexed as I felt. "Look without seeing, touch without feeling, do not rely on your human senses, find another way. Sense that which is around and within you. Seek out your inner witch and discover that which gives you the power of angels and demons, tempered by the vulnerabilities of a human. You are the greatest and weakest of us all. Trust yourself. Doubt will lead you astray. Try, and you won't succeed. Use your will and all shall bow before you. "
Liam angled a crooked smile up at me. "Uh, Savannah, did that vision affect your brain somehow?"
Distracted, I spoke without thinking, "No, it's something Asmodeus said."
Ash swore beneath his breath and dropped into a nearby chair, disturbing loose dust that had been contained by the moth-eaten cushion. "I thought you said he wasn't real. So … why exactly are we listening to what a homicidal demon says to you in your visions?" He didn't bother to shield his irritation or anger from me. His cards were laid out in the condemning stare directed towards me.
"He's not. Real, that is, but he is part of my vision and I'm not the one who heard him. Kit was." My defenses swept past my vision, clouding my judgment and bringing the need to defend my gift. I could understand why Ash would hate hearing Asmodeus's name, but I couldn't help who showed up in my visions.
"Is that supposed to make it better?" Ash's eyes blazed and Isis took a step farther away from him, looking like she was ready to bolt. I couldn't blame her. She was trapped in a room with a demanding phoenix, an angry witch, and a girl who just might be mad with demonic blood running through her veins. In her shoes, I would be thinking of escape too.
"Argh! You are impossible! Who cares that it was Asmodeus? He's gone! Just help me figure out what the darn words mean! Your insecurities about that stupid demon are really beginning to get on my nerves. If you're not going to help, just leave." My breath came in giant gasps while I attempted to rein in my temper. I was hitting the point where I couldn't put up with anything else standing in my way. Part of me regretted my rash words, but the other part, the darker side of myself, reveled in them.
Ash sat studying me for several moments while no one dared to make a sound. Even Izzy seemed taken aback. We could all feel the fiery current radiating from Ash. Throughout his examination, I stared back at him, daring him to bring up the past one more time. He nodded to each of us in turn and walked from the room, the heavy doors slamming on his heels speaking for him. Izzy didn't stop him, but shot me a look that was reminiscent of a scolding.
Griffin ran his hands through his hair, a disbelieving expression glued to his features. "No offense, but you could have handled that better." He walked to the doors and peered out, watching Ash retreat.
"Yeah, can you blame him?” Isis shot at me. “If I found I had been possessed by an evil creature, I'd be trying hard to forget it"
It was as though I were colliding with my mirror thoughts. Ash deserved to forget the horrible things that had happened to him and I wasn't helping matters. I resigned myself to the tortuous apology I would need to deliver later.