Page 96 of A Violet Obsession

Pain spikes behind my eyes, sharp enough to make me wince, and under it the buzz surges up my wrists, but there’s no whisper to go with it.

I press my fingertips harder against my temple, trying to breathe through the spike of pain.

“What is it?” Nora’s tone finally brings Finn’s gaze to my face.

She’s staring at me intently, a new light of excitement brightening her eyes.

“I have a headache.” The answer shoots out too fast.

She’s studying me. “You have a gift, don’t you? We chose this location for our home for a reason. It’s an energy vortex. The Earth’s energetic vibrations are concentrated here. It often enhances our natural gifts and abilities.”

Tate is suddenly alert, his head tilting like a hawk spotting movement in the grass.

Nora leans forward, her bracelets clinking softly. “It’s all right, Lily. Don’t be afraid. We see this sometimes when people resist. You’re fighting it, and that’s exactly what makes the pain worse.”

Richard nods, his voice warm and patient. “Don’t push it away. Let it in. Fighting the current only throws you against the rocks. Breathe into it.”

My pulse is hammering. “It’s just a headache,” I insist.

Nora’s eyes close, and she rocks back and forth, humming a single tone. “You hear them don’t you? Messages.”

Finn stirs beside me.

“No,” I lie.

Nora smiles, her eyes still closed. “I can feel it. The energy flowing through you.”

The pain in my head is spiking. “It’s just intuition,” I say. “Whispers when bad things are going to happen.” Almost instantly, the pain recedes a little.

“Whispers?” Tate asks, his whole being focused on me.

“I… I had them when I was little,” I admit, the words scraping out before I can stop them. “The whispers. They went away, but now they’re back, but it’s not… they’re not…”

Tate’s gaze softens, but there’s something in his face that makes my stomach twist. “You don’t have to pretend here.”

I’m not pretending.

Nora reaches out and gently touches my wrist, right where the buzzing feels strongest. “Do you have a physical manifestation along with them?”

I hesitate, then nod. “Buzzing. Especially in my hands and… behind my eyes sometimes.”

Beside me, Finn turns his head toward me.

Tate claps his hands, clearly delighted. “This is all turning out wonderfully. By this time tomorrow, I’ll know where the Veridian Amethyst is.”

35

FINN

Nora leads us down a hall of darker stone and stops at a door near the end. She waves a slim, black keycard in front of a glowing symbol on the wall. The lock clicks open with a soft chime.

The second we step inside, a loud chirp greets us.

Lily whimpers. “Hera.”

The cat sits regally in the dead center of the coverlet, tail wrapped neatly around her paws like she owns the place. Lily crosses the room in three strides and scoops her up. Hera tolerates the hug for all of five seconds before planting a paw on Lily’s collarbone and shoving.

I don’t move from the doorway. Hera looks past Lily and chirps at me. I step inside and drag two fingers over the top of her head. She leans into the touch, purring.