Page 47 of Cerulean Truth
But Eliot knew me too well. “Yes, you do.” He smiled. “Which is why I’m going to ignore any rule-breaking that would occur.”
I blinked.What?
Eliot smirked knowingly. “Oh come on, I know exactly how you think. You’ll allow her to visit and you’ll join her every time. But because I know you know what’s at stake, I want you to know I won’t report it. I have Maria’s back on her point of view, but I have yours any way. I just wanted you to know that.”
He turned around before I could reply. Not that I was particularly feeling the need to open up to him. Though I could appreciate the effort he was making….
“Eliot,” I called, making him halt before he left the training room.
“Thank you.” I nodded.
He shot me half a smile, some unrecognizable emotion flashing in his eyes. Probably something akin to sheer shock from hearing me say those two little words.
THIRTEEN
EMMA
Panicking, Stephen and I exchanged a quick, worried glance, realizing we were trapped in a desert with more than a few very motivated Gliders hot on our heels.
With adrenaline surging through my veins, I knew we had to make a decision and make it fast.
Stephen, still holding on to my arm, whispered urgently, "Emma, focus! We need to get out of here. I’ll translate the gate to Cyclos for us, but you have to project your energy when you go through it or you’ll get stuck. Do you understand?"
My head felt like it was on the brink of explosion. His voice seemed distant, and I struggled to concentrate on his orders.
There was no wind, no clouds in sight, just the scorching heat of the day, and I felt like a piece of butter on a hot plate. I started to smell like it too. Did magi even use deodorant? I really hoped they did.
For god’s sakes, would you focus?I reprimanded myself, hating the nervous rambling I couldn’t even keep out of my mind.
In the midst of my frantic thoughts, Stephen's hands began to move with a practiced grace. He muttered something underhis breath, after which his bright white haze, I’d come to recognize as his translation, veiled him for less than a second.
Instantly, a massive gate materialized before my eyes. It was an awe-inspiring sight, a gold shimmering gate, adorned with intricate designs, generating an aura of ancient power. Above the gate, the words “Sapere Aude” were boldly emblazoned in a radiant, ethereal script.
My thoughts swirling, I recalled some of my rusty Latin, enough to recognize that “Sapere Aude” meant “dare to know” or “dare to seek knowledge.”
Stephen's voice cut through my daze, strained but urgent. "Emma, you need to translate your way out of here, now!"
Right. Translating.
My heart raced as I turned around, spotting the hooded attackers now but a few steps behind us. Hysteria threatened to overwhelm me, but I channeled the paralyzing fear, desperately attempting to recreate whatever energy I had experienced in that horrid bathroom at the bar.
Well…no time like the present.
As the adrenaline kicked into higher gear, I began to feel it—the energy I had experienced before, re-emerging, coursing through my entire body.
“Yes," I heard Stephen whisper from behind me, confirming I was doing it. I intensified my focus, homing in on the power I knew resided within me.
“Go now!” Stephen urged me. I took in a big gasp of air, closed my eyes, and boldly stepped forward through the gate.
As I crossed the threshold of the massive gate, a weird sensation overcame me, one that defied my ability to put it into words. I was very aware of the fact I was crossing a boundary into another dimension, entering a realm, uncharted by human footsteps.
I instantly felt it, a protective bubble wrapping itself around me. Out of the blue, it seemed as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the air. My hands instinctively clutched my throat, agitation gripping me.
In the blink of an eye, Stephen seized my hand, and in that instant, my panic dissipated and I felt safer than I had ever felt before. It was the same familiar sensation, one I had come to recognize every time I was with him or with James, a feeling of being home.
“Breathe through it,” he said in a calm, reassuring voice. “Simply inhale the air, close your eyes, and repeat to yourself, I am breathing easily.”
I followed his guidance, but my lungs still ached, making each intake of air a painful struggle. "Don't panic," he continued, "you've never learned how to respire in the Metasphere, but as a maga, it will come to you naturally. Keep breathing through it."
