Exclusive Interview With Regan Walsh

“I want you to hit me with some sparks.”
“No. I might hurt you.”
“No you won’t. I can take it. Just try a small one to start.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I need to know the impact.”
“There must be another way, Cael. I don’t want to hurt you.”
He laughed. “I’m sure you won’t hurt me.”
“Shouldn’t we go in the kitchen just in case, close to the faucet?”
“Good point.”
He stood close to the sink, arms at his sides, hands fisted. “Okay, I’m ready.”
Addie took aim.
“Wait!” he said, putting his hands up in front of him, palms toward her.
“What?”
“I’m left-handed so go for my right arm … just a little spark, okay?”
“Okay, I’ll try. Ready?”
“Yes. No! Wait.” He removed his shirt and set it on the counter. “No sense ruining a good shirt. Okay, I’m ready.”
“This is a bad idea.” Addie closed her eyes; veins warmed in her wrists and hands as the surge of sparks bolted from her fingertips. Her eyelids sprang open when she heard Cael scream and she watched in horror as he flew back, slammed into the counter, and then slumped to the floor, clutching his shoulder. Her aim was off and the stream had gone high, hitting him below his collarbone.
“Holy shit! Cael, are you okay?”
“Why did you close your eyes? You were supposed to send a small spark to my arm. Not a nuclear blast to my shoulder.” He rolled his shoulder and winced as the three-inch gash oozed blood.
“I told you this was a bad idea.” She grabbed a towel from the drawer and dabbed at the wound. “This looks deep.”
“Check upstairs, maybe Tom keeps a first-aid kit in the bathroom.”
“Here, hold this on it.”
Upstairs, Addie searched the bathroom. In her frenzy, she dumped the contents of a drawer onto the floor. Rummaging through it, she found nothing to help, not even a band-aid. She ran to the hall closet only to find sheets and blankets. She grabbed a couple of sheets, went to the bedroom closet, spied a box with a red cross on the top, and grabbed it. She ran back downstairs to find Cael slouched on the floor, his eyes closed, his face pale, and a puddle of blood pooling beneath him.
Addie raced to his side, removed the towel from his shoulder, and using one of the sheets, dabbed some blood away to get a better look. She had to stop the bleeding or he would die. There were no neighbors, no phone—not even a car to take him to a hospital.
“Damn it, Cael, this wasn’t supposed to happen. Please, wake up. Tell me what to do.”
He opened his eyes. “I’m awake, try to stop the bleeding.” He closed his eyes again, wincing at the pain.
She bunched a section of the sheet up, placing it on the wound, and pressed hard, hoping to stop the bleeding. “Can you teleport us to a hospital?”
“I don’t think I …” His eyes rolled up and his body went limp.
“Don’t you die on me! Please don’t die. I need you. Please, please stop bleeding, you can’t die! Not now. Not when I …
“I love you.”
She wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks with the back of her other hand. She lowered her head and placed both hands on the gash, pressing with all her strength, blood soaking the cloth and her hands. Addie closed her eyes, her fingers making contact with Cael’s flesh as the sheet slipped away from the wound.
Archaic words flashed to her mind. Strange words she’d heard somewhere before, but where? She found herself whispering them repeatedly, “Vis curatio vox secundum arts, vis curatio vox secundum arts, vis curatio secundum arts.” A warm sensation flowed through her hands as she pressed. She didn’t ease the pressure, determined to stop the bleeding, and continued chanting the words as a white light glowed through her hands.
Cael groaned and she opened her eyes then gasped.
The bleeding had stopped and the wound closed as if nothing had happened.
“Cael, can you hear me?”
“Yes, I hear you,” he grunted and opened his eyes. He reached up, and touched her cheek with his finger. “You’ve been crying.”
She laughed and wept at the same time. “Yes, you stupid idiot, I thought you were dead.”
“I think I was, because I heard an angel tell me she loved me.”
He tried to sit up, winced, and fell back again.
She hadn’t realized she said she loved him aloud, but he heard her say it. Did she really love him or did she say it because she thought he was dying?
“I think you’re a little light-headed from the loss of blood. Careful, let me help.”
She helped him to a chair and then went to the fridge and retrieved a container of orange juice. She poured a glass full and handed it to him. “Here, drink this, the sugar will help.”
He grabbed her arm and held it. “Do you?”
“Do I what?”
“Love me.”
She turned her head, avoiding his stare. “I think you were delirious.”
She pulled her arm away from his grasp and using the sheet, wiped up his blood from the floor. What she’d felt flowing through her was powerful, and Addie thought it might be love, but they hardly knew each other. Even if she really did love him, it wasn’t the time to say it.
Cael regained enough strength to stand. He reached for her arms and pulled her against him. “You healed me.”
“I know, I … it just happened. I don’t know how I did it. Something came over me, like … like I was possessed or something. The words just flowed from my mouth and I couldn’t control them. I’ve heard them before—I don’t know where or when, but I’ve heard them.”
Frightened and mystified by the experience, she turned from him and ran out of the house, sprinting across the grass to the trees by the edge of the cliff. She sat, pulled her knees up to her chest, buried her head in her arms and wept. She had almost lost Cael. It was an unimaginable thought and her heart ached because … she did love him.
The ocean filled up the small cove below and retreated again with a mesmerizing motion. She spotted an archway formed by the rocks, almost a gateway, leading out to the ocean beyond. Looking through the arch from this angle, two small rocks peeked out of the water, just on the other side of the arch. She stared at them, noticing how they formed a shape—the shape of an angel, an angel in the archway.
Someone said her name.
“Addison.” A commanding melodic voice that she recognized called to her and Addie looked up into her father’s eyes.
“Daddy?”
“Yes, sweetheart, I’m here.”
“How are you here?” She reached for him.
He cradled her as he spoke. “Addison, sweet, sweet Addison. I’m so sorry I’ve left you this way. You have many great gifts. Don’t be afraid of them.”
“Daddy, I don’t understand any of this. Why didn’t you tell me? I don’t know how to use them.”
He stroked her cheek and she grabbed his hand.
“I wanted to protect you. I’m sorry. You will learn how to use them. The knowledge is in you, it’s always been in you. I love you with all my heart and soul.”
“I love you too, Daddy. I miss you so much.”
“I’m always with you. Put your trust in Cael.”
Her father faded and so did the feel of his arms around her.
“Daddy, don’t leave me.”
Her body shook.
“Daddy, come back, please, I need you!”
He was gone, but his strong hands were still shaking her.
“Daddy, don’t go.”
“Addison, wake up, you’re dreaming.”
Her eyes opened to find Cael’s deep blue ones staring into hers. Addie threw her arms around him. “He was here, my dad was here.”
She buried her face in his chest as his arms wrapped around her, drawing her close to him.
“Addison, don’t be afraid of your gifts. Your father had the ability to heal and I knew you would eventually. I wasn’t sure how or when this particular power would come to you, but I’m glad you figured it out.”
She looked into Cael’s eyes. “I’m not afraid. Not anymore. We’ll be okay. I know we’ll be okay.”