Read Online The Vampire Diaries: The Salvation: Unseen by L. J. Smith, Aubrey Clark - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: L. J. Smith, Aubrey Clark
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good things to say about you, Bonnie. You sound like one of the most talented recruits we’ve come across.”
“What do you mean, ‘recruits’?” Bonnie asked suspiciously. “What exactly are you recruiting me for?”
Alysia flushed pink to the tips of her ears. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I should have explained better. This is the first time I’ve coordinated a gathering. We’d like to invite you to our retreat for a few weeks, to share your abilities with others who have a deep connection to the natural elements, and they’ll share their talents with you. If you find it useful, you can come back every year or two and work with the same team. We all help one another focus and hone our abilities. We’re stronger when we work together.”
“Like … a workshop?” Bonnie asked.
“Sort of,” Alysia agreed, dropping the formal tone. “We’re really just a bunch of people who have magic powers and good intentions, and we think that if we work together we can get stronger, and counter some of the bad things in the world.”
“Oh,” Bonnie managed. She wasn’t sure what to say. It sounded like a good idea, but did she really have time to join—what was this, a coven? “I’ve never really worked with anyone else. Except for Mrs. Flowers, of course.”
“It’ll just be for a few weeks. And I can guarantee it’s a great way to take your abilities to the next level. Watch.”
Alysia raised her hand and, her forehead wrinkling in concentration, made a complicated gesture, too quick for Bonnie to follow. There was a flash of red, and Bonnie heard birdsong as something fluttered past her, disappearing near Mrs. Flowers’s china cabinet. Shadows of vines spread across the wall, and the scent of flowers and warm rain blossomed all around them. In the middle of Mrs. Flowers’s kitchen, Alysia had conjured up a pocket of tropical rain forest.
“Wow,” Bonnie said, as the illusion faded and the normal kitchen reassembled around them. “That was really neat.”
“I’m good with illusions,” Alysia said, shrugging. “But I never could have done that before I met the others.”
“It sounds interesting,” Bonnie said carefully. “Would you mind, though, if I checked something out for myself? No offense, Mrs. Flowers.”
The older woman waved away the disclaimer. “I understand perfectly, my dear,” she said.
“Don’t be scared,” Bonnie told Alysia, then turned to Zander. “Can you see if she’s telling the truth?”
Zander got to his feet, accidentally jostling the table so that the delicate cups rattled, and took a deep breath. Then suddenly his body twisted, his face lengthening into a snout, his hands forming into claws. Alysia gave a startled yelp. In just a few seconds, a huge, beautiful white wolf stood beside them, gazing intently at Alysia with his sky-blue eyes.
“Oh, my God,” Alysia said faintly, scooting her chair back from the table. Her face had paled so that the freckles stood out like little dark dots.
“Just stay still for a minute,” Bonnie said. “He won’t hurt you.”
Zander walked around the table to sniff at Alysia, his furred jaw almost pressing against hers.
“Is everything you’ve told me the truth?” Bonnie asked. Alysia nodded. “You have to answer out loud,” Bonnie added gently.
“Y-yes.” Alysia’s voice shook.
“Do you have any evil intent toward me?”
“No.”
Zander changed back—always, Bonnie thought, a less painful-looking process than turning into a wolf—and rolled his shoulders, stretching. “She’s good,” he told Bonnie.
Alysia had her hand pressed against her chest and was breathing hard. “Oh my God,” she gasped. “You control a werewolf?”
“What? No,” Bonnie said. “I don’t
control
him.”
“Don’t listen to her,” Zander said affably. “She totally owns me.”
“It sounds good,” Bonnie said, ignoring her boyfriend. “I’d like to be able to channel more Power.” She hated to admit it,
“What do you mean, ‘recruits’?” Bonnie asked suspiciously. “What exactly are you recruiting me for?”
Alysia flushed pink to the tips of her ears. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I should have explained better. This is the first time I’ve coordinated a gathering. We’d like to invite you to our retreat for a few weeks, to share your abilities with others who have a deep connection to the natural elements, and they’ll share their talents with you. If you find it useful, you can come back every year or two and work with the same team. We all help one another focus and hone our abilities. We’re stronger when we work together.”
“Like … a workshop?” Bonnie asked.
“Sort of,” Alysia agreed, dropping the formal tone. “We’re really just a bunch of people who have magic powers and good intentions, and we think that if we work together we can get stronger, and counter some of the bad things in the world.”
“Oh,” Bonnie managed. She wasn’t sure what to say. It sounded like a good idea, but did she really have time to join—what was this, a coven? “I’ve never really worked with anyone else. Except for Mrs. Flowers, of course.”
“It’ll just be for a few weeks. And I can guarantee it’s a great way to take your abilities to the next level. Watch.”
Alysia raised her hand and, her forehead wrinkling in concentration, made a complicated gesture, too quick for Bonnie to follow. There was a flash of red, and Bonnie heard birdsong as something fluttered past her, disappearing near Mrs. Flowers’s china cabinet. Shadows of vines spread across the wall, and the scent of flowers and warm rain blossomed all around them. In the middle of Mrs. Flowers’s kitchen, Alysia had conjured up a pocket of tropical rain forest.
“Wow,” Bonnie said, as the illusion faded and the normal kitchen reassembled around them. “That was really neat.”
“I’m good with illusions,” Alysia said, shrugging. “But I never could have done that before I met the others.”
“It sounds interesting,” Bonnie said carefully. “Would you mind, though, if I checked something out for myself? No offense, Mrs. Flowers.”
The older woman waved away the disclaimer. “I understand perfectly, my dear,” she said.
“Don’t be scared,” Bonnie told Alysia, then turned to Zander. “Can you see if she’s telling the truth?”
Zander got to his feet, accidentally jostling the table so that the delicate cups rattled, and took a deep breath. Then suddenly his body twisted, his face lengthening into a snout, his hands forming into claws. Alysia gave a startled yelp. In just a few seconds, a huge, beautiful white wolf stood beside them, gazing intently at Alysia with his sky-blue eyes.
“Oh, my God,” Alysia said faintly, scooting her chair back from the table. Her face had paled so that the freckles stood out like little dark dots.
“Just stay still for a minute,” Bonnie said. “He won’t hurt you.”
Zander walked around the table to sniff at Alysia, his furred jaw almost pressing against hers.
“Is everything you’ve told me the truth?” Bonnie asked. Alysia nodded. “You have to answer out loud,” Bonnie added gently.
“Y-yes.” Alysia’s voice shook.
“Do you have any evil intent toward me?”
“No.”
Zander changed back—always, Bonnie thought, a less painful-looking process than turning into a wolf—and rolled his shoulders, stretching. “She’s good,” he told Bonnie.
Alysia had her hand pressed against her chest and was breathing hard. “Oh my God,” she gasped. “You control a werewolf?”
“What? No,” Bonnie said. “I don’t
control
him.”
“Don’t listen to her,” Zander said affably. “She totally owns me.”
“It sounds good,” Bonnie said, ignoring her boyfriend. “I’d like to be able to channel more Power.” She hated to admit it,
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