Cole helps Elegance

  Elegance flushed a little. “My power is gone. Completely gone. I’m not much use in a fight. How am I supposed to help? What if I just get in the way?”

  “Are you sure your power is gone?” Cole asked. “Your sisters all started regaining some of their power as it left your father.”

  “I’m aware,” Elegance said. “I have not had that experience.”

  “Mind if I check?” Cole asked. “I’ve had some practice helping with powers.”

  Mira nodded encouragingly.

  “Very well,” Elegance said, holding out a hand. “But don’t scoff. I was once quite capable.”

  Cole took her hand and was mildly surprised to discover how empty she felt inside. Emptier than anyone he had ever examined.

  “Is it that bad?” Elegance asked.

  Cole realized his concern was showing on his face. “Give me a second,” he said, composing his expression. Exerting his power and searching hard, he found a dead spot at her center, like a spent lump of charcoal, the inert residue of previous power. “You feel burned out.”

  “I’m not surprised,” Elegance said. “It haunts me.”

  “Can I try something?” Cole asked.

  Mira gave a reassuring nod.

  “I suppose,” Elegance said.

  Cole began pouring his power into the inert spot. At first it felt like shooting sparks at a dead piece of coal. No fuel remained to burn. As he maintained the pressure, the inert spot began to grow warm.

  “I feel something,” Elegance reported, startled.

  In the place that had been dead, Cole could now feel a faint glow of power that was not his own. Seizing that glow, Cole increased the intensity of his delivery, pushing with all he had, and the glow flared into a blaze.

  Cole released her hand and staggered back. He encountered a sofa and sat down hard.

  Elegance looked astonished. “I feel it,” she whispered. “I feel my power.”

  “It was so dim,” Cole said. “I don’t think our powers can ever be fully taken. Not completely. But you were about as close to losing yours as it gets.”

  “Do you think you can open a wayport now?” Mira asked.

  “I . . . I think so,” Elegance said. “It has been so long, but I can see again. See far off.”

  “Open a wayport,” Mira urged.

  “It will leave me unable to open another if we need it,” Elegance said.

  “Not with Cole around,” Mira said.

  Elegance looked to Cole.

  “It should be fine,” Cole said. “When I woke up people’s power in the echolands, it didn’t go out again. We won’t know unless you try.”

  Two wayports appeared on opposite sides of the room.

  Elegance smiled faintly. “A waste of energy. This only goes from here to there.”

  The wayports vanished.

  “I’m still connected to you,” Cole said, feeding her more power.

  Elegance raised her eyebrows. “That is amazing. I feel like I could do it again.”

  “You could,” Cole said. “Violet opened wayport after wayport with me helping. Just a little while ago she opened three at the same time.”

  “No,” Elegance said.

  “She did,” Cole assured her. “And she was using them as shields against the Perennial Serpent.”

  “If you have an unlimited power supply, why not?” Elegance said. “It must be taxing for you, Cole?”

  “Not too bad,” he said.

Chapter 25