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How much he wished even for just a ive hiiven himself to his wife Whatever Isabelle’s reasons had been for her betrayal, he should never have closed his heart and his life to love because of it That had been his real foolishness

As his ability to breathe dirow and expand He allowed hiave his heart, so that it was as if a cool breeze swept through his he had not seen before: that he had di himself to love, that his oers had been hindered because he had been restrained, even bitter

How strange at the point of death to be so overco about his real power Fiona had even alluded to it several times--how much he was like Alison in e, very strong

Understanding

Of others, of their strengths and weaknesses, of what they needed in the reatest stress

As he released the past, as he e, his h he had been right that she needed to allow possession during channeling to truly gain access to the power of obsidian fla that she had needed or could have absorbed was that pressure

As her teacher he had erred, he could see that now He even saw that if he had covered her in his love, in his full acceptance of who she was, she ht even now have coo back, he would undo thewith Fiona, instead of proud in his defiance against love, would they be here, right now, trapped?

Fiona, he whispered through her ive me

For what? For what? What could you have possibly done that would need forgiveness

I should not have pressured you about allowing a possession of your channeling abilities It rong of me I am so sorry

What do I care about that, she sent, when you have been so tender and forbearing and I’ve been so stubborn

Chérie, he sent, you must listen I do not havethat happened so long ago I wish that I could have opened iven you all of my heart This you deserve, to have all that is in ive it to you even now

"Jean-Pierre," she whispered aloud, her voice catching on a sob

I will o to, ah, chérie, I will miss you so very much

Fiona couldn’t bear the words he spoke They were like a sharp knife slicing through her heart, her chest, down and down until she felt split into two parts The pain was enormous

What had she done? Dear God, what had she done?

More i?

From the time she had been rescued from New Zealand, she hadthat had sustained her for the past five rappled with her recovery She had come to understand how important, even critical, a sense of autonomy, of freedom, and personal control had been for her to come to terms with her slavery For that reason she had recovered so very fast and had been able to set her sights on those things she could control--like being able to identify Rith’s re had been lost as well; she could feel it as a truth rising from her spirit to invade her mind She didn’t understand all that the ascended world of the va powers had become a terrible burden But here she ith so much power, yet without the ability to save the ?

Jean-Pierre had begged her forgiveness for not opening his heart to her but she had never felt unloved He was so incredibly tender with her, so patient, an excellent teacher

The only time he had pushed her had been where her poere concerned, about obsidian fla … a complete … possession

Her brain lit with a thousand little lights She held Jean-Pierre’s fingers tight A path out of this terrible trap streaked through her mind

Possession Her ascended life had always been about possession, about feeling trapped Even the early love with Jean-Pierre had required a thrall so that she could tolerate the sensation of his weight on her Sotrapped had disappeared, but not about letting Jean-Pierre or anyone possess her in order to explore and expand her obsidian power

But tonight that would change

Jean-Pierre She called to hiain Jean-Pierre, hear me please

Fiona … so tired

Possess ainst her shoulder, his hip against hers in that strange obsidian way

Possess you?

If orked together, right now, if I allowed you to take possession of et out of this