32. Morelle

32

MORELLE

M orelle and Brandon were on their way home when Annani's front door opened, and one of her Odus stepped out and bowed. "The Clan Mother would like to invite you for a cup of tea."

It wasn't an invitation either of them could refuse, especially since they had promised Annani to visit her every day.

"Of course," Brandon said, leading Morelle up the steps. "We would love to have tea with the Clan Mother."

"You're glowing," Annani said as Morelle sat beside her. "Did you enjoy the wedding?"

"Very much so."

Morelle's feet ached in the most wonderful way as she settled onto the couch in Annani's living room. She'd never danced before tonight, but her body had taken to it naturally, following Brandon's lead until she could anticipate the steps herself. By the end of the evening, she'd been spinning and swaying as if she'd been doing it her entire life.

She patted her cheeks, which felt warm. "Peter and Marina are a lovely couple, and the ceremony was beautiful. You were amazing."

"Thank you." Annani beamed. "I love weddings. Each one is as unique as the people I am joining." She took a deep breath. "I feel like a real goddess when I preside over weddings. That and bringing babies into the world is truly divine." She smiled and patted Morelle's knee. "But enough about me. Did you get to dance?"

"A lot. I had no idea dancing could be so much fun. The way the music flows through you, how your body just knows what to do..." She trailed off, still caught up in the magic of it. "When I was growing up, only males danced, and those were warrior dances that were performed to commemorate important battles. I never imagined dancing just for the pleasure of it."

"Your brother seemed to have taken to it as well," Brandon said. "I don't think I've ever seen him smiling so much."

That was true. Ell-rom had always been a pensive boy who had grown up into a pensive adult. There hadn't been much in their circumstances to smile about.

Annani's eyes sparkled. "You know what we should do? We should start a dance class in the gym. Not everyone enjoys running on machines or lifting weights, but dancing—that's exercise disguised as pure joy."

The idea sent a thrill through Morelle. "Really? You'd actually consider joining a class like that?"

Her sister was very involved with the community, but she also kept a distance as necessary, given her station. Morelle couldn't see Annani frolicking on the dance floor with a bunch of clan members.

"We could keep it small." Annani's smile widened. "It would be wonderful to have an activity we could share. Something just for the ladies of the close family to enjoy together."

That made more sense, and it could actually be fun if Syssi, Amanda, and Alena joined them.

"Who would teach the class?" Morelle asked.

"Oh, that is simple enough." Annani waved a hand. "We can follow instructional videos. There are exercise programs on the internet that we can watch on the television. The steps are quite easy to follow. We can do it right here."

"That could be fun." Morelle accepted a teacup from Ogidu. "Thank you."

She glanced at Brandon, who also got a cup and immediately started sipping on it. He seemed deep in thought, but when he felt her gaze on him, he turned to look at her and smiled.

Morelle wanted to ask him if he thought that it was a good idea to tell Annani about her ability now, but she didn't know how to ask that discreetly.

He must have understood what she was trying to convey with her eyes because he gave a subtle shake of his head.

The weight of her secret felt heavier suddenly, especially since she was going to tell Amanda tomorrow. Then again, Brandon's reasoning was probably that it made sense to tell everyone together rather than to have the story spread piecemeal through the family.

She needed a moment alone to think.

Putting the teacup on the coffee table, Morelle rose to her feet. "If you will excuse me for a moment, I need to use the restroom."

"Of course, my dear," Annani said. "You can use the one in your old bedroom."

"I'll go with you." Brandon stood as well. "I need to go too."

If Annani thought it strange, she didn't say anything.

When they closed the door of their old room behind them, Brandon wrapped his arms around Morelle's waist. "I know that you want to tell Annani, but I think it's better to do this once, with everyone present."

She turned in his embrace. "I'm meeting Amanda tomorrow to continue testing my ability, and I need to tell her the truth about how it works so she can help me. Shouldn't I tell Annani first? "

Brandon studied her face for a long moment. "You're right," he said finally. "Annani should hear it first. She's not just the Clan Mother—she's your sister."

When they returned to the living room, they found Kian and Syssi sitting on the couch with the sleepy-looking Allegra cuddled in her mother's arms.

Morelle's steps faltered. Having Kian there made everything more intimidating, but then she felt Brandon's steady presence beside her, his quiet strength bolstering her own.

A sudden thought struck her, and she grabbed his arm. "Do you feel weak?" she whispered in his ear. "Am I drawing energy from you without meaning to?"

"Not at all." He covered her hand with his. "I feel perfectly normal."

The relief that flooded through her nearly made her knees buckle. At least she wasn't unconsciously draining him.

"Oh, here you are." Annani waved them over. "I caught Syssi and Kian on the way home the same way I caught you. It is a great advantage that we all live in such proximity to each other."

"You could've called me," Kian said. "There is no need to have your Odu stand by the window and wait for us to pass by."

Annani laughed, the beautiful sound sending chills up Morelle's arms. "But this is much more fun, and you cannot come up with an excuse and say that you need to go home because Allegra is tired or something of that nature."

"I would never." Kian feigned offense.

Taking a deep breath, Morelle cleared her throat. "Actually, it's good that you are here because I need to tell you all something important, and it will save me having to say it twice." She ran her fingers through her short hair. "Three times, in fact, because I will have to tell Amanda about it tomorrow."

"Would you like me to call her?" Annani asked. "She could come over and save you the need to repeat your story."

"That's okay." Morelle cast her a nervous smile. "I'd rather just get it off my chest now."

Annani's expression turned serious while Kian straightened in his seat. Even little Allegra seemed to sense the shift in mood, lifting her head from Syssi's shoulder to look at Morelle with curious eyes. "Illy?"

"What is it, dear?" Annani asked.

Morelle's throat felt dry. Where should she begin?

How could she explain without making herself sound like an energy thief? Or worse, a parasite?

She felt Brandon's hand settle, warm and reassuring, on her lower back and drew strength from his touch.

"It's about my ability. The telekinesis and the nullifying power are connected, but not in the way we thought. I draw power from others to fuel both of these actions. I'm not blocking others' abilities, I'm preventing them from using them by draining their powers, and to move things with my mind, I have to draw energy from everyone around me." She looked at Annani. "If you hadn't been there to supply me with a potent boost in energy, I don't know if I could have swatted that stone aside. Everyone else's power together might not have been enough for me to move such a heavy object. I didn't mean to do that. I didn't even know that I could. I reacted on instinct."

"Then I am glad I was there," Annani said. "I thank the merciful Fates for putting us both in the room so we could save Darius."

Morelle felt like hugging Annani for the heartfelt response. She would have said the exact same thing if she were in Annani's place, and it was good to know that she and her sister thought alike.

"That makes a great deal of sense," Kian said. "It would explain why you were so exhausted afterward—you were processing and channeling an enormous amount of energy."

"You're not concerned by what I can do?" Morelle asked.

"Why would I be?" Kian frowned. "You saved a child's life, and you were the only one in that room who could have done that. I'm grateful for your ability. "

"But I'm like a parasite, sucking the life energy from others."

Kian chuckled and shook his head. "That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?"

"I do not want to hear you referring to yourself as a parasite." Annani's voice was firm. "You are channeling energy to where it is needed most. That is not parasitic—it is symbiotic. Think of how useful such an ability could be in a crisis."

Morelle blinked in surprise. It was almost exactly what Brandon had said.

Kian lifted his hand. "Nevertheless, we should work on helping you control your power. Amanda will probably know what to do."

"I'm going to tell her tomorrow," Morelle said. "But I wanted you all to know first. Especially you." She walked over to Annani, crouched in front of her, and took hold of her sister's hands. "I've been so afraid of what you'd think of me."

"Never be afraid to tell me anything." Annani gave her hands a light squeeze. "You are my sister. I love you, and nothing will change that. Come, give me a hug."

As Morelle sat beside Annani and the two of them embraced, the sound of small feet pattering across the floor drew their attention. Allegra had wiggled down from Syssi's lap and now stood in front of them, arms raised in a clear demand to be included in the hug.

Morelle laughed and scooped her up, sandwiching the little girl between herself and her sister. The simple acceptance of a child—who didn't care about powers or abilities, who just wanted to be part of the love being shared—was perhaps the most healing of all.