In the Depths of Porcelain (A Depths book) (book 1)

Chapter 11: Blink

You may not know it, but I was watching her dream from behind her.  Luna had been scared.  But she had been so strong and powerful, it was stunning.  I had caught her.  She gasps for air as she wakes up.  Her eyes blink several times before they focus.  They focus on me.  Her skin feels fragile on mine.  Her painted-on eyes were fascinated for some reason and her brown hair was slightly tangled in my fingers.  

     "Blink?" she asks and looked me in the eyes.  She pulls herself away from my grasp. She got her balance back.  She looked at her feet and sighed in relief.  I'm not quite sure what that relief was for, but it was relief.  

     Her eyes open wide, like she had just remembered something.  A tear trickled down her face.  She wiped it away.  

     "What is it?" I asked her.  She looked at me.  I knew what she was thinking.  I mean, of course I do, but I would have understood.  She was thinking about Mark.  

     "Can we go and save him?" she asked me.  She was delicate.  Extremely delicate.  I touched her cheek gently with my tip of my fingers.  

     "Yes," I replied.  I tried to calm his thoughts.  They were screaming loud and begging.  Begging for mercy, begging to live, begging to be saved.  

     I soothed his thoughts gently, telling him we would save him.  He was questioning his own sanity because of my voice.  I told him that it was me, Blink.  He seemed to understand.  I had accidentally focused my eyes on Luna in the process and she looked at me curiously.  My eyes cleared and I looked away, a blush pricking my cheeks slightly.  

     She looked at me hopefully.  "He's still alive," I told her.  She nodded her head, relief clearing on her face.    She was scared for many reasons, and it made me nervous.  

     Ruby was shocked and angry, but none of us are quite sure why.  Her blue eyes had turned a red.  Glowing.  

     Again the red org glowed over her fingertips.  It was showing to be a gem.  A crystal of some sort.  

     "Ruby?" Nova asked, concerned.  Something was up.  I could tell that this hadn't happened before.  

     A circular wall formed around Ruby, completely made of diamonds.  There was a bright, red, burning light inside.  

     I listened to her thoughts.  Someone was controlling her thoughts.  Controlling all of her.  The shield of diamonds was there to protect us.  It had been her last effort to save us.    

     "RUBY!"  Nova screamed and rushed over to the orb-like-diamond-barrier.  She pounded on it with her fists.  Tears were streaming down her cheeks.  

     I could feel where the person was that was controlling her.  My first thought: a tree?  And I didn't really have a second wondering until that tree turned into a man.  

     "Nova, look out!" I yelled.  Luna had already seen.  Nova looked back and ducked, just as some red energy had been about to hit her.  Red and glowing.  

     The man tried to shoot at Luna, but I leaped in front of her.  It didn't hit either of us, but she looked up at me before cowering away beside a dumpster.  I followed her and Nova followed me.  

     The man followed Nova.  He stood there, his eyes glowing red.  

     Banshee screamed as loud as he could.  Nova covered her ears, but the man looked back.  He shot a red-flame-thing at Banshee, and he instantly fell over.  

     But we got away from the dumpster.  We were in the open, but before we had been cornered.  Banshee had apparently passed out, and he had been out best bet.  

     But Nova leaped forward.  Her claws out, she aimed to scratch his eyes.  She scratched right below his eyes and he let out a small shriek.  He fell over backwards.  Blood was covering his face.  

     "Stop!" he begged.  Nova's claws were sharp and inches away from his face.  

     "Why should we stop?" Nova asked.  Banshee had awoken.  He looked normal.  

     "Because I know where Mark is."