again, focusing
on keeping him calm, regardless of what he’d said.
With
concentrated effort, Selene pushed the ache associated with her next memories
to the back of her mind and focused on the facts. Gideon had used his power for
manipulation and had hidden his true strength, not only from their parents but from
the entire pack. It was a power that he’d inherited from their father. The King
could only plant suggestions in people’s minds. He couldn’t… and wouldn’t have
thought to… force them to do something against their will.
But Gideon was
something else altogether. He was not only able to force people’s cooperation,
he was able to make them think it was their idea. He would sweep aside their
convictions, their moral fiber, their very spirit, in order to get what he
wanted.
Only Selene had retained
awareness of his influence. While Gideon was able to force her to do his bidding,
he wasn’t able to fool her into believing it was her idea. Others around her had
followed Gideon blindly, unaware of the evil they were made to do. And Selene
had been unable to stop any of it or talk to anyone about it. So many times she’d
wished that Gideon could brainwash her too, just for the peace it could
temporarily provide.
“You loved your
parents very much. I can feel that,” Lila murmured. “What happened to them?”
Selene grimaced
and then focused her thoughts on what’d happened to them. What she’d done to them. Selene’d relived this memory so many times she’d lost count - trying
to figure out if there were a way it could have gone differently. So many times
that she almost disappeared inside the memory is it came on.
She lost herself
in that ghastly, fateful moment…
Chapter
13
“Gideon, what
are you doing?” a ten-year-old Selene pleaded. He dragged her down the cold
stone hallway, his rough grip bruising her delicate wrist.
“You’re going to
do something for me.”
She breathed a
sigh of relief as he pulled her into her parents’ chamber.
“Gideon?” Their
mother opened her eyes and groggily sat up in the bed. “Do you need something?”
“Stop talking!” he
snapped. It was hard to believe that voice came from a ten-year-old boy.
Shivers ran down
Selene’s spine, but her parents seemed unconcerned.
“Sit on the
couch,” Gideon instructed. And they did. With robotic movements and blank
faces, they pulled back the covers and walked to the couch where they sat
side-by-side.
Gideon turned to
Selene. “Remove their powers.”
“What?” How
does he know I can stop people’s abilities? She hadn’t even shared that
with her mother yet.
“I know what you
can do, Selene,” Gideon continued in an eerily soft voice. “And you will use
that gift until you’ve turned off their powers. Forever.”
Pressure invaded
her mind… pressure to submit… to do exactly as he’d said. It was almost as
though a small voice in the back of her own mind was saying, You’ll feel so
much better if you do. You want to.
Selene pushed
back. “I can’t!” she wailed. She wrapped her gangly arms around her midsection
as she struggled against the weight of his will.
Gideon focused
his black, pitiless gaze on her with a new intensity. “You will!”
Selene doubled
over from the weight of the pressure bearing down on her. “No,” she gritted
through her teeth. She reached out her small hand to her parents who continued
to sit on the couch with docile expressions. Oblivious to what was happening. “Daddy?”
“Do it, Selene.
Do it, or I’ll kill them.”
She crumpled
into a ball on the floor, her mind in agony. Tears slipped down her cheeks. She
had no choice. She reached out with her fledgling gift and found the glow of
power inside both of her parents. She had to use every ounce of her
concentration, but eventually the glow inside them started to dim. Finally,
after another slam of pressure from Gideon, she managed to douse their powers entirely,
leaving a void where light could
on keeping him calm, regardless of what he’d said.
With
concentrated effort, Selene pushed the ache associated with her next memories
to the back of her mind and focused on the facts. Gideon had used his power for
manipulation and had hidden his true strength, not only from their parents but from
the entire pack. It was a power that he’d inherited from their father. The King
could only plant suggestions in people’s minds. He couldn’t… and wouldn’t have
thought to… force them to do something against their will.
But Gideon was
something else altogether. He was not only able to force people’s cooperation,
he was able to make them think it was their idea. He would sweep aside their
convictions, their moral fiber, their very spirit, in order to get what he
wanted.
Only Selene had retained
awareness of his influence. While Gideon was able to force her to do his bidding,
he wasn’t able to fool her into believing it was her idea. Others around her had
followed Gideon blindly, unaware of the evil they were made to do. And Selene
had been unable to stop any of it or talk to anyone about it. So many times she’d
wished that Gideon could brainwash her too, just for the peace it could
temporarily provide.
“You loved your
parents very much. I can feel that,” Lila murmured. “What happened to them?”
Selene grimaced
and then focused her thoughts on what’d happened to them. What she’d done to them. Selene’d relived this memory so many times she’d lost count - trying
to figure out if there were a way it could have gone differently. So many times
that she almost disappeared inside the memory is it came on.
She lost herself
in that ghastly, fateful moment…
Chapter
13
“Gideon, what
are you doing?” a ten-year-old Selene pleaded. He dragged her down the cold
stone hallway, his rough grip bruising her delicate wrist.
“You’re going to
do something for me.”
She breathed a
sigh of relief as he pulled her into her parents’ chamber.
“Gideon?” Their
mother opened her eyes and groggily sat up in the bed. “Do you need something?”
“Stop talking!” he
snapped. It was hard to believe that voice came from a ten-year-old boy.
Shivers ran down
Selene’s spine, but her parents seemed unconcerned.
“Sit on the
couch,” Gideon instructed. And they did. With robotic movements and blank
faces, they pulled back the covers and walked to the couch where they sat
side-by-side.
Gideon turned to
Selene. “Remove their powers.”
“What?” How
does he know I can stop people’s abilities? She hadn’t even shared that
with her mother yet.
“I know what you
can do, Selene,” Gideon continued in an eerily soft voice. “And you will use
that gift until you’ve turned off their powers. Forever.”
Pressure invaded
her mind… pressure to submit… to do exactly as he’d said. It was almost as
though a small voice in the back of her own mind was saying, You’ll feel so
much better if you do. You want to.
Selene pushed
back. “I can’t!” she wailed. She wrapped her gangly arms around her midsection
as she struggled against the weight of his will.
Gideon focused
his black, pitiless gaze on her with a new intensity. “You will!”
Selene doubled
over from the weight of the pressure bearing down on her. “No,” she gritted
through her teeth. She reached out her small hand to her parents who continued
to sit on the couch with docile expressions. Oblivious to what was happening. “Daddy?”
“Do it, Selene.
Do it, or I’ll kill them.”
She crumpled
into a ball on the floor, her mind in agony. Tears slipped down her cheeks. She
had no choice. She reached out with her fledgling gift and found the glow of
power inside both of her parents. She had to use every ounce of her
concentration, but eventually the glow inside them started to dim. Finally,
after another slam of pressure from Gideon, she managed to douse their powers entirely,
leaving a void where light could
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