‘Let’s try again,’ said Stanley Solomon. ‘The force field you projected in the Memorial Garden could prove extremely useful. You turned aside a fireball from the Collector! I’ve never seen anyone withstand his magic like that.’
Kelly nodded. ‘What do you want me to do?’
‘Concentrate on how you felt when it happened.’
Concentrating was the last thing Kelly felt like doing. What she wanted to do was hunt down the Collector and rescue her mum. Nevertheless, she forced herself to listen to Stanley as he paced around.
‘Feel the power build inside,’ he said. ‘Feel it pool and accumulate.’
Kelly didn’t think Stanley really knew how her power worked. It did not ‘pool and accumulate’, whatever that meant. It was more like an energy which raced around inside her until she used it or exploded.
‘How am I supposed to think about this,’ she said, ‘when my mum is in danger?’
‘Because,’ said Stanley, as if ready for the question, ‘if you cannot master your powers, you’ll have no chance of getting her back.’
It had been two days since they had fled from the Collector into the sewers. On the first night they’d holed up in a workers’ cupboard, which had at least kept them clear of the rats and the smell.
The next day, after spending a long time winding through dark tunnels, they had located a manhole cover which led up to the edge of the Industrial Zone, where they’d found this abandoned warehouse.
Stanley had wasted no time starting Kelly’s ‘training’, as he called it. She found it a bit annoying, as she didn’t think they knew each other well enough for him to appoint himself some kind of guru – but she knew he meant well, so she didn’t object.
Her horn tingled as his thoughts arrived in her head.
If you can’t master your emotions, we may all be doomed.
‘Did you mean for me to hear that?’ she said.
Stanley’s curly eyebrows twitched. ‘Perhaps.’
‘Well, just talk to me like a normal person.’
‘Dear girl, you are anything but normal,’ said Stanley. ‘You’re our one hope of defeating the Soul Collector.’
‘What if he hurts her?’ said Kelly. ‘What if he paints her?’
‘We already know you have the ability to reverse that.’
‘With flowers,’ said Kelly. ‘With vines and dandelions and a park bench. We’re talking about a human being here – my mother. And I’m sorry to say it, but you don’t have much experience training unicorn girls, do you?’ She felt bad about being so blunt, but there was little point in denying the truth. ‘You’re just making it up as you go along.’
Stanley’s shoulders sagged, and Kelly realised he had been making an effort to hold them up. He was tired, she sensed, but had been trying to be strong.
‘I have to hope,’ he said, ‘that you can bring back people too. Please try to work with me, Kelly. This isn’t a game.’
Kelly prickled at his words. As if she didn’t know how serious this was!
‘You think I’m treating this like a game?’ she snapped. ‘Aren’t games supposed to be fun?’
Stanley softened. ‘My apologies, Kelly. I chose my words poorly. I didn’t sleep very well on the warehouse floor last night, not to mention … well, everything else.’
Kelly immediately felt awful. These ugly feelings just weren’t her. She hadn’t meant to belittle an old man who was only trying to help. She decided she would also try to choose her words more carefully.
‘I’m sorry too,’ she said. ‘I’m just really worried. It’s a lot of pressure to be responsible for – you know – the future of everything.’
‘The Collector has one of my loved ones too,’ said Stanley.
‘What?’
‘My wife,’ said Stanley. ‘He painted her as punishment because I dared to question him. I’m in this with you for the long haul, Kelly. Whatever it takes. Do or die. You’ll not be alone in this.’
Kelly realised there were tears in his eyes, and felt her own well up in answer.
‘I used to think there was no hope of getting her back,’ said Stanley, ‘but now, with your powers …’
‘We’ll get them back,’ Kelly promised. ‘Both of them. And anyone else William James has imprisoned.’
Stanley nodded gratefully, and Kelly ached to take away his pain. How long, she wondered, had he lived with this grief?
‘I’m not claiming to have all the answers,’ said Stanley. ‘And you’re right, I don’t know exactly how to train you. But maybe we can work it out together, eh? Two heads are better than one.’
‘Usually I’d agree,’ said Kelly, with a weak smile, ‘but these days I can hear everything that goes on inside both heads.’
Stanley thought about this for a moment.
‘If that’s what’s bothering you,’ he said, ‘then that’s what we should work on first.’