Free Beyond the Sapphire Gate: Epic Fantasy-Some Magic Should Remain Untouched (The Flow of Power Book 1) by R.V. Johnson Page A

door fit the gray stone with no gaps.
    Jade shuddered as the deathly cold thoughts dispelled from memory.
    Two hands released a firm grip on her shoulders, surprising her. She’d not been aware they were there.
    A man slipped past her, hanging his red robe on an iron coat rack. Underneath, he wore the brown leather outfit he’d worn in the image back in the hallway.
    Bile rose in her throat when she thought how close she’d come to succumbing to the malevolence in the passageway. If not for the man who’d been about to kill her, she’d not be among the living. The same man who now stood relaxed without a hint of the urgency he’d displayed getting here. Of course, if she’d fallen behind, he would have left her to those…terrors. She shivered.
    Her benefactor gestured toward a gray stone bench placed alongside a small rectangular stone-hewn table. “Please take a seat. I shall fetch something to drink to slake the thirst after our... little jaunt. Moving through a door less entry, he vanished around a corner.
    Only now realizing her heart beat wildly, Jade sat, resting both elbows on the polished tabletop. The light in the room was brighter than the hallway, but not by much. Placed on gray translucent shelves mounted high, one to each wall, long gray crystal shards shed a dim light. Next to one shelf, a dark stain marred the otherwise polished wall.
    Soon after her heartbeat slowed to normal, the older man returned carrying two silver mugs and a stitched leather flask. Setting the mugs on the table, he filled both. Shifting his long sword to the side, he sat down, blue eyes wary. “Well? Select which one you want. I am thirsty after such a run.”
    “Oh! I’m supposed to go first?” Grabbing the closest mug, Jade spilled a few drops on her hand as she brought it to her lips. Chilled, pleasantly sweet water coated her dry throat. Her next swallow drained the mug’s contents.
    Frowning, the silver-haired man replenished her drink. “So you are not a Dark Creation, or the white ash leaves I ground into the water would have burned holes through you. Yet you do not know basic customs when sharing first sustenance. You are a bundle of mystery, young one.”
    Jade pushed the mug from her, spilling some of the contents. “Why are you trying to harm me? I’ve done nothing to you. I don’t even know who you are.”
    He hesitated, staring down at her. “I suppose it is safe to tell you my name, now that I know which one to reveal. I am Camoe Shadoe away from this place. You may call me Cam, if you would like. I would know yours.”
    “Jade Creek, but everyone calls me Jade.”
    Camoe’s blue eyes lightened to gray. “Very well, Jade. You’re going to tell me in detail how you know about Maialene. Think carefully before lying. I will know, and lies raise my ire higher than you want to climb.”
    Stated matter-of-factly with such confidence, his last comment sent a chill through her. She’d only ever lied to placate Dad or Crystalyn’s concerns with boys though they hadn’t needed to worry. Boys were easy to control. Camoe on the other hand, had the air of someone violent about him. “You mean the girl? I’m able to view images rotating around people. Well, with three people so far, you, my big sister, and my dad. With yours, I was able to halt an image and view it for a short while.”
    Camoe sat up straighter, the pupils in his blue eyes dark. “Are you saying you can read an aura? Then you are a User, as I suspected. However, I have never heard of a User with the ability to halt an aura. Certain specialized Users can see the aura rotating around us, what color it is, and if they are quite strong, they may get a glimpse of a vague shape rotating behind the fog, but that is all.” He paused, his light blue eyes intent. “I do not detect a lie. Perhaps your skill is unique to you. I shall study it given time. Right now, I need to know something. Why is it that I cannot see your colors?”
    Jade wondered why