The Purple Flame.

“One of these days, you’re going to have to figure things out without me,” The voice said and this time I recognized the voice completely.

I turned around. “Nicholas…”

But the only thing there was the lingering smell of flowers.

My eyes shot open and I bolted upright, lifting my hand in front of me. There was no fire burning in it. But I knew what the answer was. I knew what I had to do.

I put my shoes on and grabbed the Traveler’s ball that had been left on my bed, figuring it was probably best to enter the city the correct way. Then I shut my eyes, and a few seconds later, I was gone.

Chapter 23

I landed with the gracefulness of a cat, and I touched my finger to my shoulder blade, feeling a temporary moment of happiness for the mark. I was standing at the entrance of the cave where the red rubies waved across the snow-white crystal wall and dark red crystals pointed down from the glittering charcoal ceiling. I immediately took off towards where I knew the massive crystal ball burned bright, my feet softly thudding against the translucent crystal floor that covered the flowing midnight river. I ran passed the area where Laylen had knocked Nicholas out once, and charged by where Alex, Laylen and I had made our escape from the Death Walkers. I reached the pair of silver doors with the Foreseers mark on top and slipped quietly into the room.

My stomach instantly rolled at the sight of the bodies strapped to the giant crystal. Just like the first time I had been here, their eyes were still shut, their bodies still slack with tubes sticking out of their skin.

I walked towards the massive crystal ball, shining so brightly it hurt my eyes. Yet, I didn’t look away. I held my breath and tried to block out the human bodies on each side of me as leaned forward and put my hand to the crystal. Energy zapped through my body and my heart sped up so fast I thought it was going to explode out of my chest.

I couldn’t breathe. It was too much. I yanked my hand back and gasped at the sight of the Purple Flame burning in the palm of my hand.

I did it by myself. I took pride in this fact; a kind of pride I had never felt before.

Instinctively I shut my hand, and the flame poofed out. I opened it again and Ta-da! the flame ignited.

“Wow,” I muttered under my breath. I opened and closed my hand a few more times, watching in awe at the sight of the Purple Flame lighting up and smothering out. But, finally, I decided I better leave. I could play with the flame when I got back. I shut my hand, suffocating the flame, and headed to the door, slipping the Traveler’s ball out of my pocket. I had been warned once not to use the power of the Divination Crystal so close to the massive crystal ball that supplied all the energy, so I figured I would wander a ways back down the hall before I took myself home.

I cast one last glance back at the people strapped to the crystal ball, their energy being sucked from them. One day, I would come down here and free them all, even if it meant there would be no more Foreseers. The world could live without Foreseers. I mean, look at what my father had done.

I turned back to the door just as it swung open and smacked me in the face. The Traveler’s ball slipped from my fingers and crashed against the floor, breaking into pieces of glass and rubies.

“Crap.” It was a good thing I had a backup.

A man entered the room wearing a silver robe that matched his sliver eyes. His skin was pale, his hair grey, and I had seen him before.

“Gemma,” Dyvinius said, startled by the sight of me.

“What are you doing in here?”

“A…um…would you believe me if I said I was lost.” I said innocently.

He stared at me blankly, either not getting or not appreciating my sense of humor.

“Sorry.” I deliberated my options. I could go all ninja on him—I mean I was a Keeper now. But kicking an old guy’s butt didn’t seem right. So I let three seconds tick by, and then I ran.

My shoes skidded against the crystal floor as I barreled around the massive crystal ball. I wasn’t sure what to do.

Did I dare risk using my power so close to a crystal loaded with power?

“Gemma,” Dyvinius voice came from right behind me.

Wow, he was quick for an old guy.

I decided the heck with it and shut my eyes. It was definitely time to go. But I couldn’t feel it, there was no power. Had the Purple Flame sucked the power out of me?

“There’s no use trying, Gemma,” Dyvinius said, in his monotone-like voice. “I have the place on lockdown. No one may leave or enter, even with a unique Foreseer gift like yours.”

Chapter 24

So Dyvinius knew about my gift. Why did this seem like such a bad thing? Oh, yeah, because it probably was.

And what was this lockdown business?

I opened my eyes, telling myself to stay calm. “What do you mean you have it on lockdown? And how do you know about…my gift?”

He gave me a small smile, which looked creepy on his unemotional face. “You are your father’s daughter, aren’t you? How could I not know?” He turned around, his silver robe swishing lightly across the crystal floor. “This way please. We have much to talk about.”

Having no choice but to follow, I trudged along after him as he walked out the door and down the translucent crystal path. He led me over the bridge paved with bits of broken porcelain, underneath the pill ars, and through the tall, silver doors, saying nothing to me the entire time. The longer we walked, the more worried I became. What if he wouldn’t let me go? Or worse, what if he let me go, but took the Purple Flame away from me?

When we reached his silver throne perched upon the blue sapphire podium, he took a seat and stared at me heavily with his silver eyes.

“Gemma, I’m not sure if you fully understand our laws,” he finally said. “But we have certain rules to which Foreseer’s are supposed to abide to. The first and most important being never tamper with visions.” He paused, placing his hands on his lap and overlapping his fingers. “I’m not sure if you’re aware of this or not, but your father broke this law a long time ago.”

“You know who my father is?” I fidgeted around anxiously.

“How could I not?” he said with a blank tone. “You look so much like him.”

Absentmindedly, I touched the corner of my eye. “Why didn’t you say you did the first time you met me?”

“Because, back then you weren’t who you are now,” Dyvinius said with a glint in his silver eyes. “I see you heading down the same road as your father did.” I wondered if by “see” he actually meant see. “What road?” I played dumb.

He leaned forward in his throne. “Has anyone told you what happened to your father?”

“No.” I lied, wanting to hear his side of the story.

“Well, he was a lot like you in the sense of his power,” Dyvinius explained, not looking very happy. “He could use the power of the Divination Crystal beyond the boundaries of an average Foreseer, beyond what even I can do.” Hmm…What was he getting at here?

“Your father has done some unforgivable things.” Dyvinius paused, considering something. “And because of that, he will forever pay—he will forever be a prisoner in the Room of Forbidden, alone in his own mind.” I shivered, still a little shocked by the idea that the Room of Forbidden was actually a place in his mind. I had been in my father’s mind. But I assumed that Dyvinius did not know about this.

“Changing visions is a dangerous thing, Gemma.” Dyvinius curled his pale, thin fingers around the edge of the arms of the throne. “And there is severe punishment for it.” Punishment? As in the Room of Forbidden? But how could this apply to changing a vision back to what it was to begin with? How could it apply when I would be saving the world? God, I hoped it didn’t apply, or else I would end up stuck in my own head, just like my father.