Free The Cypher Wheel by Alison Pensy Page A

her in waves.
    “I never said you were evil,” Carina said.
“But the fact remains that the power you absorbed is. There is no
way of knowing how long the fundamental purity of your soul can
fight against something that powerful. We will probably be able to
help you, but we need your help first.” She gestured with her arm
for her new guests to follow her. “Please, we have much to do.” She
turned to continue walking. Her horse gave Faedra a wary look and
let out an anxious whinny. Carina ran a hand down its nose and
coaxed him forward.
    They were now standing in a tunnel; easily the height
of two people and wide enough that four could walk comfortably side
by side.
    “Faen, I can't hold it,” Faedra said, her voice
cracking with emotion.
    Faen turned his attention from Carina to his charge.
She was panicked, that much was obvious. The temperature in the
tunnel rose sharply and sweat beaded on everyone's foreheads. The
horses started to shuffle anxiously next to their handlers.
    “What is happening?” Carina asked, concern creeping
across her now flushed face.
    “Well, if you had done just a little more research
before you dragged us here,” Faen said in a reprimanding tone, “you
would know that Faedra's power is linked very closely to her
emotions. You just touched on a very sensitive subject and now she
is having trouble keeping said power under control. I suggest if
you do not want for us all to be baked alive, you tell me where the
nearest water source is.”
    Carina's eyes widened. “It's just through there at
the end of the tunnel. There is the reservoir that feeds our cave.”
She pointed down the tunnel.
    Faedra took off at a sprint in the direction Carina
had pointed. The two women pulled their horses back against the
tunnel walls as Faedra shot past them. The heat radiating off her
now was almost enough to scold.
    Faedra ran. She ran faster than she'd ever run in her
life. She didn't notice the fact that the tunnel was sloping
downwards; too busy thinking about what would happen if her power
overtook her in there. She would kill every living thing in it,
that was for sure, and what a horrible death that would be. She
shuddered and picked up the pace even faster. She wasn't evil, she
wasn't. Her dad was right; she couldn't hurt anything on purpose.
Carina was wrong. She had to be. All Faedra could hope was that she
made it to the water in time.
    At last, she burst through the end of the tunnel and
saw the reservoir that Carina mentioned straight ahead. As she got
closer to it, she slowed and came to a stop by the water’s
edge.
    She stared into the mirror-like surface and her
reflection stared right back at her. Worry, fear, and helplessness
were all etched on her face. She slammed her energy into the water,
and within seconds her reflection distorted as bubbles started to
surface. A few moments later she could see steam rising from the
reservoir just around the time her energy started to ebb. When she
was at a point where she could rein it in, she pulled back from the
water and the ripples dissipated to leave a mirror-like pond once
again.
    She was shocked to see that this time hers was not
the only reflection that greeted her. Several feet away on either
side of her were reflections of women and children staring at her.
Startled, she looked up. She thought she'd been alone. Faedra
didn't realize an audience had watched her lose control. Faedra
turned her head hesitantly to one side. The women and children
sucked in a breath and stepped back. Mother's had protective arms
around their children. Fear was in everyone's eyes, and the energy
in the cavern screamed it.
    Faedra swallowed hard and slowly turned her head to
the other side. The same thing happened. Dozens of frightened women
and children backed away from her. Faedra was mortified. She'd
terrified all these people. She wasn't a bad person; she didn't
want to hurt anyone. She choked back a sob and slumped to the floor
feeling defeated. Sitting