Page 136 of The Unseen Hour

Singing, Celia. Singing!

My voice was shaky, not at all the way I’d sung when Orion had kissed me on the piano bench, but I got through the piece. The people in the pews still didn’t react by pointing, but they began to move toward me, following the song. When I came to the last note, there was a crowd around me.

I tried destroying the music again.

“Please. Please,” I begged, holding it over the fire. It didn’t blacken right away, but after a few moments I saw the edges begin to smoke. I wanted to snatch my hand back as the temperature soared but forced myself not to. The piece of parchment felt thinner. Reaching up with my other hand, I ripped it down the center. Then I turned it and ripped the pieces again. I tore them up until they were mere fragments of their former selves, then cast them all in the fire. I watched until each piece was nothing more than blackened ash beneath the dancing flames.

Lightning slammed into the altar, and I was blown backward. My back hit the floor, knocking the wind out of me. As I pushed myself into a standing position I realized one of my hands was blistered.

But it had worked! The music was gone.

I had to get to Orion.

I stumbled down the steps in front of the holy water and fire, then ran through the center aisle between the pews. The inhabitants of the church might not have seen me sneak in, but they definitely saw the lightning and the lingering smoke. They were screaming and running. Some cowered underneath the pews. One pointed at me as I ran past.

“Isn’t that a Hipnosi?”

“It’s the missing daughter, I’m sure of it!” cried out a second individual.

“I thought she was dead,” I heard someone argue back.

I flinched. I had to see my family, and explain, but first I had to ensure everything had worked as planned and Orion was safe.

They can see me. I’m back, and they can see me.

I put a trembling hand on a pew as I passed, and it immediately felt solid beneath my blistered hand. Even the pain, I welcomed.

I knew the layout of the sanctuary by heart. My family often attended here when we were in Fox Haven.

There was a large mirror in a hall off the side of the sanctuary. I passed it on my way to the doors. My reflection stared back at me—hair a bit wild and eyes wide and scared, but I was undoubtedly solid.

I ran my hands over my shirt and pants.

“We did it!”

I kept going all the way to the entrance doors of the church. Several people were crowded around the vicar. His eyes were clear again.

I tugged on one of the large doors.

When the others realized what I was trying to do, the shouting started again.

“Stop her!”

“She’ll kill us all!”

“She’s gone mad!”

The door creaked, opening just a crack before strong arms hauled me backward. It was the vicar, his hands squeezing my arms. A woman from town that I recognized as a baker grabbed me around my middle, helping the vicar.

“We have to open the doors! I must get to him!”

Several of the other townspeople argued amongst themselves.

“We can’t just treat a Hipnosi like this.”

“If her family finds out⁠—”

“No one will find out if we’re all killed!”