Page 70 of Shattering Dawn
It was too late.
Katy stiffened as the fierce gale of nightmares swept over her. Without a word she crumpled to the floor.
Chapter Thirty-nine
“There was noneed to put her into a nightmare,” Amelia said, scrambling out of bed.
Gideon did not take his attention off the unconscious woman. “I’ve been trying to tell you, that’s pretty much my job description.”
“No, it’s not,” she snapped, irritated by both his attitude and her nightgown, which had become tangled around her legs. She paused to straighten out the garment and then hurried, barefoot, toward the connecting door. “The thing is, I’m pretty sure she was already in one.”
Halfway to her destination she paused and turned to look at the three crystals on the nightstand. They glinted in the shadows. She had set them out, as usual, before going to sleep next to Gideon.
On impulse she went to the nightstand and grabbed one of the stones. She continued on to the doorway and watched Gideon lean down to pick up the knife. He took a moment to check Katy’s pulse.
“She’s okay, isn’t she?” Amelia asked. “Her aura looks fairly normal except for one band of currents.”
“Pulse is a little shaky but as far as I can tell she just fainted,” he said, straightening. “I tried to go easy this time. Not sure it worked.”
“Excellent! I didn’t think you had hit her with the full force of your talent.”
“Let’s postpone this discussion. In case you hadn’t noticed, I am standing here in my underwear and there’s an unconscious woman on the floor.”
Amelia pulled herself together. “Right. Priorities. You should put on your pants.”
“I’ll do that.”
He stalked past her into the other room and scooped up his trousers.
She studied Katy. “I’m pretty sure I can wake her up, but I think you’re the one who can neutralize the trance.”
“You think I hypnotized her?” he asked, surprised.
“Maybe. In a way. But I’m almost positive that someone else put her into a deeper trance before you came along.”
“You’re sure that whatever it is you’re seeing isn’t my doing?”
“I can view the effects of your talent, too,” she said. “But it’s more like an REM sleep state. The damage I’m talking about is different. It will be a long time before it wears off, if ever.”
Gideon sat down on the edge of the rumpled bed and pulled on his trousers. “Are you saying she is under the influence of a posthypnotic suggestion?”
“Yes. You’re the one who told me Merlin was a psychic-grade hypnotist and that he was delusional. Why wouldn’t he try to use his bride as a weapon of vengeance?”
“Merlin is dead, Amelia.”
“That doesn’t mean he didn’t implant a hypnotic commandbefore he died. If I’m right, Katy is the innocent victim of a psychic madman. I think you can help her.”
“I wouldn’t put money on the ‘innocent’ part.” Gideon stood and fastened his trousers, wincing in the process. His hand went briefly to his ribs. “How, exactly, do you suggest I go about undoing a hypnotic suggestion, assuming there is one?”
“One theory of hypnotic trances is that they are a version of the dreamstate. Like sleepwalking. You’re the expert on dreams.”
“Nightmares,” he corrected grimly. “And I’m not an expert. I can trigger them, that’s all.”
“How did you recover my memories tonight?”
“As far as I can tell, you did that on your own.”
“If I could have unlocked my memories on my own, I would have done so months ago. But tonight I was able to see them in the shadows when I sensed your energy field trying to manipulate mine.” She opened her hand and looked at the crystal. “I think I somehow steered the currents of your talent in the direction I wanted them to go.”