Rhianna reached up to cup her cheek soothingly. “You found it in your heart to accept Freya-and Thereasa isn’t all that different from her. You welcomed Freya into your life for Nors’ sake and you saw how his love, and Dayton’s, was able to free her goodness. Your capacity to love and feel compassion is what makes you so unique, Ashleigh Bryant. You passed down that same love and compassion to your son. Trust in Liam. He knows what is right for him, just as much as Day did when he finally stopped resisting Freya. Thereasa will save three souls; Liam will save so many more with her at his side.”
Her cryptic words were intended to create curiosity and they succeeded. Ashleigh’s troubled expression turned quizzical, her head tilting to the side. “What do you mean?”
Rhianna smiled, quickly mulling over the pros and cons before she spoke again. “Honestly, I shouldn’t really say anything, because this hasn’t been discussed with anyone yet. Caleb and Gard know bits and pieces, but maybe this is something you need to know more than everyone else does right now. Perhaps this information will help you as much as it will Liam and Reasa.”
Sitting beside her, she leaned over to retrieve the book she’d set aside earlier. It was old and leather bound, and she stroked it gently as she considered her next words. “Liam’s abilities, his empathy, are like nothing we’ve encountered before. Oh, I know Anakatrine’s magical power seems limitless, but it appears her role is one of guidance for now. She is content to step in, but only when she feels there is no other option. While I was away I dreamed, Ash, and in those dreams I discovered that the vampire Queen had hidden away some of her library, hoping to transport those irreplaceable books to the future, to our time.”
The other woman regarded her with a confused expression. “Why would she do that?”
“Ana was always looking toward the future; she realised, so long ago, that there would come a time when we would need to unlock the knowledge bound between their pages.” Rhianna sighed softly, still stroking the book on her knee. “Gard has been the custodian of the books since the deaths of the King and Queen. He has recreated a portion of the library to store them, and he took me there recently. This book, Ash… I’ve been reading it for a couple of hours now. I can just feel that it will help Liam and so many others.”
Ashleigh was peering down at the book, her full attention riveted to what her friend was saying. If something could help her son, she wanted to know about it. “I can’t read the title. What language is that?”
Rhianna smiled, staring off into the distance for a moment, as if reliving a memory. “It didn’t occur to me that no one would be able to read them. Caleb and I can read them easily, but I assume that was most likely due to Anakatrine and Callain’s memories. The books were translated into the modern tongue of each era, as the ages passed. I believe this text is a version of Hattic and the title translates to Soul Searching.”
“Soul Searching?”
“I couldn’t understand why Ana picked this book out when I left the selection to her, but I’m beginning to now.” Rhianna’s expression held more than a hint of excitement; she was unable to keep it from her voice. “Ashleigh, the vampire race has changed so much over the millennia. From what I can understand-long before Anakatrine was born-they were more of a cerebral race. They had a range of mental powers that have long since been forgotten.”
“But they still have some of those powers,” her friend countered. “I know nobody really uses them for anything specific, but can’t Alexei mask his scent? Andrei… he can conceal when he is lying. There are other vampires who can spot deception, aren’t there? There must be other skills available too?”
Rhianna nodded, conceding the point. “There are still those who have managed to retain some of their enhanced mental abilities, but they pale in comparison to what the books tell us we once were capable of mastering. It’s as if we’ve regressed to the point that those powers seem… useless.”
She turned to face her friend, her lavender eyes aglow with excitement. “Don’t you see, Ash? Liam’s gift isn’t a new one; it’s an old one that has been given back to us.” She let that thought sink in as she watched the small blonde’s eyes widen in shock.
“His particular skill was a rarity, even back then, but it was one of the most powerful ones in existence. Empathy was predominately used as a counselling tool to help others, but there were those who viewed it as a very dangerous weapon. An elite group of Elders and Ancients existed who had the talent to Dream Walk… well according to the book there were.”
“What’s that?” Ashleigh queried in a hushed tone. The tiniest spark of hope ignited inside her as she continued. “If this book could somehow help Liam… maybe he won’t have to suffer anymore.”
“From what I’ve read so far, a dream walker can enter a mind and travel within another person’s sub consciousness, their dreams, on the psychic plane. I hadn’t read much beyond that point before you arrived, but the applications could be limitless. We know Reasa has strong empathic powers. There has to be others out there who share this ability. Maybe this method could be used to help the injured vampires at the Praetorian compound?”
Ashleigh’s mind whirled as a burst of chaotic thoughts rushed through her head. Her heart picked up a beat and there was hope in her eyes as she looked at Rhianna. “Reasa’s the only one who can calm Liam and help him shield when he has an episode. If she can teach him her skills, it will help to calm his mind. Together, you’re thinking they will able to do this dream walking thing?”
Rhianna smiled widely, nodding as her friend grasped the importance of the situation. “Maybe they could, Ashleigh. They may have the potential to wake up the Praetorians-or at least allow us to know if there is any hope for them.”
Ashleigh rose and paced over to the window to look out into the street. She was both excited and confused by what she’d learned. If what Rhianna said was true, it would be difficult to deny that Liam may actually need Reasa’s help. Also, she couldn’t ignore that Freya had done some reprehensible things in her past; in spite of that fact, she had come to love her sister-in-law with all her heart. Forgiveness wasn’t an easy concept for her to consider, but she’d already lost so many that were dear to her heart.