Also a little bit of an orange is in there.
A note of humor filled Stefan’s voice. Yeah, so any idea what that yellowy-orange is?
No clue, he said.
Can you lean up and over her a little bit to take a better look?
It’s all over her.
You mean, all across the torso and or all the way up and down?
Or it’s just like between her and me.
So, now look down at yourself, Stefan said, that same humorous tone in his voice that made Richard frown.
Yeah, it’s all over me too, he said. What the hell? Is this dangerous?
No, not at all, he said. That’s your energy.
Richard froze. What are you talking about? he asked, his voice harsh. I would never do anything to hurt her.
That’s exactly right, Stefan said gently. That orange energy isn’t trying to hurt her, though is it trying to protect her. It’s fading up and down over her body, but mostly from her hip bones to her neck, correct?
Yes, he said, but it’s also on me too.
That’s because you’re trying to protect her, he said. You’re also trying to create a relationship with her, one that will stand the test of time. So that orange energy is both of you playing that relationship dance, both of you putting out the same energy to see if you can meet, mingle, and be special to each other.
Does that happen with every relationship? he asked in shock.
Looking at your misspent youth? Stefan asked.
Maybe, he admitted. It wasn’t that misspent, but it certainly makes me wonder.
But, in most cases, when you break up with somebody, that orange energy fades. And it appears only if you really, really care and have developed that shared energy system.
This has developed faster than I had expected, he said.
Because it’s coming from the heart, Stefan said. You weren’t trying to have a hop-in-bed relationship quickly with her. You care about her. And that’s where the relationship has started.
Right, he said, so it’s completely different this time.
Exactly.
It was all too much information to absorb.
The black energy is reaching for me or toward me, he said, shaking his head and sitting up in the bed. The black energy immediately slid backward. If I move toward it, it retreats.
You can see it clearly?
Yes, it’s much darker. It’s not hazy or faded, like the other colors. It’s crisp, kind of like the gold that I saw that I helped make smooth.
Interesting. When you look at it, do you get a sense about what it is, who it is?
Is it a who?
It’s absolutely a who, Stefan said.
No, I just get this malevolence from it. I want it off her ankle, he stopped. It’s like a ball and chain around her.
Yes, often energy like that finds a part of the body that’s weak. Do you know if she has a weakness?
Like old injuries? I have no clue, he said. I’ll ask her when she wakes up.
I think that energy has probably been there for a long time, Stefan said. So that’ll be a little bit of an issue for you.
I don’t even know much about her history.
I’m pretty sure you can look that up in your files, Stefan said mildly.
He sank back down in the bed. Do these energies hurt her right now?
No, Stefan said. She’s been living with most of them for a long time.
Jesus, he said. Does everybody have this?
Yes, he said cheerfully, to one extent or another. Not necessarily bad. We keep friends and family close, so what you’ll end up finding is that lots of people the world over have energy from those who they care about. When you have somebody who hates you or somebody who is envious of you or somebody who wants something of you, it becomes a different kind of energy.
That black?
Yes, Stefan said. When you move toward it and when you reach up a hand to her ankle, what does it do?
Steadily he stared at the malevolent force that had suddenly appeared clearer to him. It’s retreating.
Put your hand over where her ankle is. Does she have covers on?
Yes, he said. It’s sliding to the other ankle.
The question is, does it leave?
It’s getting very, very thin, he said. It hasn’t disappeared, but it’s very, very thin.
Reach out and touch it, Stefan said, curiously. Tell me what it feels like, and be very aware of any images that flash in your mind.
That stopped Richard in his tracks for a moment, and then determinedly he reached out and grabbed for the black tendril around her ankle. I don’t get anything but cold, he said in astonishment. It’s really, really cold.
That’s fairly common too, Stefan said. Now what you need to do is get a feel for that energy there. See if you can recognize who it is when you meet the person again.
Meet the person again? he asked, hating that all this was happening in the middle of woo-woo land, and nobody was here to confirm that it was happening at all. He had never felt so alone.
And yet you aren’t alone at all, Stefan said. I’m here.
That’s not exactly reassuring, Richard said in a dry tone. How do I do that recognizing part?
Pull your hand back and then slowly reach it out, as if you’re being absorbed into it or as if you’re taking a piece of it for yourself.
Do I want to?
If you want to find out who it is who’s targeting her, yes.
Again he froze. Are you saying that black energy is my killer?
No, I can’t guarantee you that, Stefan said. But it is connected to an old case of mine and it’s obviously not a good, positive energy for her.
Right. So regardless of whether it’s part of this current nightmare, it’s not something we want to have there.
So reach out, sink into that little bit of energy, he said, and try to sense what it is, who it is, male/female, old/young, angry/dark.
Okay, here goes. He reached out a hand, closed his eyes, and mentally saw himself sinking into this black energy.
