Bella then added, "Right before you stepped in, I explained everything that had to happen to get her to safety."
She paused, her gaze shifting from Ethan to Bettie. "But I could sense remnants of my power inside you."
"The darkness element?" Bettie asked.
Bella nodded. "Yes."
Then she stood slowly, walking toward Bettie before sitting on the table that served as the demarcation between them.
"May I?" she asked gently, gesturing toward her.
Bettie nodded, though there was uncertainty in her eyes.
"I need to see how deep the darkness runs," Isabella explained. "To understand what's happening to you."
She reached forward and placed both hands on the sides of Bettie's face. Then Isabella closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, extending her awareness into the darkness inside of Bettie.
It was like looking through a dark lens that revealed the inner workings of Bettie's magical pathways.
