The Mind Games (The Mind Readers)

by Lori Brighton

  So far I’d been here for two days and still hadn’t improved my training. I noticed her shoes outside the French doors, and so I slipped off my tennis shoes, leaving them beside hers. The doors were open, white curtains billowing on the breeze. The living room spread into the kitchen, an open floor plan. The place was uncluttered and clean, the walls painted a light blue. The plush couch was white, and a variety of shells were placed on glass tables around the area. All in all, it was actually a comfortable and welcoming place that put me at ease the moment I stepped inside.

  “Sit.” She waved toward the couch.

  But I didn’t want to be at ease. I wanted to find Lewis. I settled impatiently on the sofa, watching the way the white curtains fluttered on the wind. “Father Myron said you could answer some questions for me.”

  “Depends upon the questions.”

  I rubbed my aching forehead. In the corner of the room a clock ticked, the sound like a hammer tapping against my skull. “Listen, I don’t have time for games. I have someone to save.”

  She moved into the kitchen and started filling a tea kettle. “Yes, Lewis. Of course.”

  I stiffened. “You know him?”

  She nodded. “You needn’t worry. He’s fine. He’s healing well.” She set the kettle on the stove. “You can’t move him now. He needs rest and healing, and he’s getting that at the compound.”

  “He’s in jail! It’s not a freaking spa!”

  She lifted a brow, making me feel guilty for raising my voice. “Yes, but he’s safe at the moment. If you move him now, you risk injuring him more.”

  I surged to my feet and paced the room. It smelled like vanilla and the scent was oddly distracting. I had a feeling she was trying to manipulate me into calming down. “So I’m just supposed to just sit here?”

  “No, you train, you prepare.”

  “Yeah, everyone keeps telling me to train, yet no one actually offers any advice.” I rested my hands on my hips. “So, will you help me?” It was a dare. I fully expected her to mutter an excuse; to mention something about the time getting away and how I should probably call my mother.

  Instead, she inclined her head. “If you wish.”

  I certainly hadn’t expected her to agree, but I admit the relief I felt was immediate. I sank onto her couch. I sure as heck wasn’t going to stay at my mom’s while Aaron was there. I hadn’t asked, but I hoped Sierra would let me stay with her for the week.

  “Why am I so special?” I blurted out.

  “Everyone is special.”

  I sighed. Great response, old wise one. “I understand,” I said. “But they keep saying I’m different. Why?”

  The kettle let off a shrill whistle and she went to work, preparing our tea. “What is your power?”

  “My what?”

  She headed toward me, a tray in hand. “Mind reading, yes. But specifically, what is your specialty?”

  I wasn’t quite sure what she was asking. Instead of responding, to give myself time to think, I took a sip of the hot tea, burning my tongue in the process. Flinching I set the cup back on the saucer. Her questions and roundabout way of answering mine was making my headache worse.

  She settled next to me. “You’ve heard that all mind readers have special gifts.”

  “Yeah.”

  She sipped her tea with ease. “Well, what is yours?”

  I scratched the back of my neck. “I don’t know. I mean…a few things.”

  “Exactly.” She set her cup on the saucer and used silver tongs to drop a cube of sugar into my cup, then hers. “Most people only have one special ability. Two if they’re lucky.”

  I’d heard it before when traveling with Nora. All mind readers had a specialty that made them unique. Which was great, if we worked together. Of course instead, everyone fought, guarding their secret power like it was gold.

  She took a sip of tea. “Tell me about the last time you had something wonderful happen?”

  I picked up my cup, wrapping my fingers around the warm porcelain. My island had been wonderful, but that life hadn’t been real. I searched through my memory, realizing how sad it was that I could think of nothing, no magical moment. Then Lewis flashed to mind. Days ago when I’d seen him standing on that dock. It was as if finding a long lost love. As if coming home.

  “Not romance,” she said, laughing and reaching out to pat my knee.

  I flushed, wondering if she’d read my mind.

  “You have the look in your eyes,” she said, pointing to my face. “No, no romance. I meant something unexpected with your powers. Something you didn’t believe you could do.”

  “Well,” I started, thinking of Aaron in my mom’s kitchen. “I’ve caused pain.” Not exactly something I was proud of, but something I hadn’t realized I was capable of until about a year ago. “And at times I’m able to move things with my mind.” Which, I had to admit was pretty cool.

  She lifted a brow. “And when this happens are you alone?”

  “Sometimes… maybe.” I couldn’t quite remember, but wondered why she’d asked.

  She set her cup upon the saucer. “If I were a betting sort of woman, I would bet that when your powers have flared and become stronger, there has always been someone around you. Another mind reader.”

  I shrugged, trying to remember. “Maybe.”

  “You, my dear, have power like everyone else. But you are also able to draw on the powers of others. You are able to use their gifts as well as your own. That is what makes you special.”

  I merely sat there for one long moment, watching her casually drink her tea, as if she hadn’t just totally stunned me. It made sense. Suddenly everything was starting to make sense. This was why my father wanted me so badly. I was different; I could have any power I wanted if I was near the right person.

  Her cup empty, Sierra stood. “Come, we must start training if you want to save your Lewis.”

  “Sierra,” I called out. She paused near the doors, the sun shining brightly behind her and giving her a heavenly glow. “What is a carrier?”

  She smiled, pressing her hands together over her heart as if overjoyed. “You, my dear, are a carrier.”

  Chapter 5

  “You’ll have to concentrate if you want to save him.”

  “I am,” I snapped, my patience with the older woman at a near end. It was awfully hard to concentrate when every time I closed my eyes I imagined Lewis bleeding to death, or being tortured by my father.

  Who knew she’d be so pushy?

  I’d been at Sierra’s for two days and for two days she’d made me stand on that rock for hours at a time, until my legs went numb and my body shook from exhaustion. I assumed she’d called my mom to let her know I was staying as I’d woken up yesterday morning and a bag with my clothing was sitting by the door. Or maybe Father Myron had told her. I honestly didn’t care. If I had to live in that little cottage with no television to numb my brain, if I had to eat Tofu and drink green tea all day, if I had to stand on a damn rock for hours in order to get Lewis, I would. But as the daylight faded, my worry and impatience began to escalate.

  The wind tugged at the white sundress I wore, making me sway. I shifted my weight, curling my toes around the smooth surface of the stone. The waves headed toward me, splashing up onto my toes and chilling my feet. I wouldn’t last much longer, but Sierra hadn’t told me I could rest. When I’d asked her more about being the carrier, she’d said I needed to experience it, and so our training had begun. So far all I’d experienced was annoyance.

  “Close your eyes,” Sierra demanded from her beach blanket behind me, where she was sitting comfortably and reading a novel.

  I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. Almost immediately my body relaxed, so used to the concept of meditation that it took no practice. The world around me faded and all I could hear was the soft roar of the ocean and the buzz of energy.

  “Feel that life pulse through you,” Sierra said, her voice a soft drone. “Feel your powers. Draw from the
energy of the vast ocean. What does it feel like?”

  My skin practically vibrated. “A hum, almost. Like a thousand bees in my stomach.”

  “Beautiful. If you can control your mind, you can control your world.”

  Cold water licked at my toes, startling me. I opened my eyes.

  “You must concentrate.” I heard her stand and a soft thump as she closed her book. “Your goal is to make it ashore without getting wet.”

  “What?” I spun around to face her, nearly toppling over in the process. I waved my arms around me, regaining my balance. Sierra had already started toward the cottage, intent on leaving me behind. With a sigh, I studied my surroundings. A few tourists were walking by, watching me curiously. I gave them a stiff smile before turning my attention back to the task at hand.

  There was as at least three inches of water. I couldn’t jump far enough to dry land. How could I avoid the waves and make it ashore?

  “Water is made of energy, the same as everything else. Control the water, you won’t get wet,” Sierra called out.

  My hands curled in frustration, but that was a common feeling in my life lately. I had the sudden urge to lift my hand, give her the finger and tell her to control that.

  Sierra disappeared inside, the tourists had moved on, and I was left alone. I could say screw it, and walk through the water. What did she expect of me anyway? To hover over the waves? But the stubborn me didn’t want to give up. The stubborn me wanted to prove that I was capable of being the carrier, whatever that meant.

  First and foremost, I made sure the tourists were gone and I was completely alone. I took in a deep breath and ignored the cry of the gulls overhead. Ignored the aching of my legs, the coldness of the water nipping at my toes. Releasing the air I held, I sent my energy forward. The water before me wavered, as if an unseen breeze had swept across the waves, or my very breath had moved the water. A tingle of awareness and success shot through my body. I dampened down the giddiness, attempting to keep control of my emotions and the situation.

  Taking in a deep breath, I concentrated. When I released the energy, the water wavered aside until I could see the sand beneath; the pebbles and shells that lay at the bottom. Gingerly, I stepped onto the damp sand, marveling over my newfound power. Sierra had been right.

  Slowly, I made my way to the shore, sending my energy pulsing from me, pushing back the waves. Sweat broke out on my forehead and my body trembled with exertion. It wasn’t far, and it wasn’t deep, but it was damn difficult to hold the water away. I felt my energy waver, and the water started to seep back, hitting my feet before I’d completely made it to shore. But I’d made it all the same. I spun around, gazing out onto the sea. The water had fallen easily back into place, covering the path I’d just walked. For a moment I wondered if I’d dreamt the entire situation.

  But no, I’d actually moved water! What else could I control? The wind? The rain?

  My giddiness was short-lived when my mother spoke up from behind me. “I haven’t seen you in some time. Are you coming home soon?”

  Home? Was she joking? I didn’t have a home. Just like that, my good mood took a quick dive. With a sigh, I turned to face her. She didn’t look happy. Her dark hair was loose, blowing on the wind, and even in her shorts and a white t-shirt there was an elegance about her that I envied. I only wished I could be as cool and confident as she seemed to be.

  “I don’t have a home. Thanks to you I never have.”

  “I did—”

  “Yeah, yeah. You did what was right for me. You were only trying to protect me. Been there, heard that.”

  I moved around her, heading toward Sierra’s cottage. I wasn’t sure what angered me the most, the fact that I was a carrier and she hadn’t told me, the fact that she had been alive and hadn’t told me, or the fact that she was friends with Aaron and hadn’t told me… I had plenty to pick from.

  I could hear her following me. “Cameron, we need to talk.”

  I gritted my teeth. Funny how I’d wanted to do nothing more than get answers from my Dad, but that ship had sailed. I was done talking, done hearing their half-truths. Why have a conversation when it would be the same lies from a different person? I stopped short when I noticed Nora on the deck, chatting with Sierra. Gah, I had nowhere to go. I was surrounded.

  Annoyed, I turned to face my Mom. “What do you want? I’m sort of busy training.”

  She didn’t look hurt. No matter how hateful my words, she always seemed to be in control of her emotions. It sort of drove me nuts.

  “Your father thinks I’m dead. A few years back, after we rescued Nora, I faked my own death.”

  So, dad hadn’t lied for once, he really did think Mom was dead. “Why?”

  “I wanted to start over. I wanted a new life.”

  “And what about Nora’s life? What about mine?”

  “It was for both of you. I faked Nora’s death as well. Unfortunately he now knows Nora is alive. It couldn’t be helped, she needed to save you.”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to snap back that I could save myself, but she was right. I probably wouldn’t have made it out without Nora, as much as I was loathe to admit it.

  “As for you… at the time I thought the best thing would be to send you away with your grandmother.”

  “So you sent me away with the enemy?”

  “No.” She raked her hands through her hair, showing her first signs of frustration. “His mother…she’s gruff, yeah, but she’s not like that. She’s always been on our side.”

  Of course I hadn’t known because no one had bothered to tell me anything. “Yeah, well, I don’t know if she keeps you in the loop, but for about two months Grandma and I were living peacefully on an island in the Caribbean. Things were actually going pretty well. Then Maddox showed up, you know, that guy who works with dad, our supposed enemy. Guess what, Grandma never indicated I shouldn’t go with Maddox. In fact, she pushed me to leave with him, handed me over without a fight!”

  She sighed. “Perhaps she knew she couldn’t win. Maddox wasn’t the only one there. He had backup ready to help. You really think your father would have only sent him? She knew she was outnumbered. She played the game, as we’d planned long ago so your father wouldn’t know she was on our side. She had no other choice. She knew you weren’t alone. She knew Nora was following him.”

  I sank into the sand, drawing my knees to my chest. Grandma and my father were enemies. The realization was startling. What kind of monster was my father? How could I have the same blood as someone so evil? Everything was upside down. People who were supposed to be my enemies were suddenly my friends, and I still didn’t know who to trust.

  “It is the duty of a mother, every mother, to do whatever it takes to protect her child. Everything I did, have done, was to protect you and Nora.” She swallowed hard, as if fighting back emotions. “It hasn’t always worked, but that was the intention.”

  Funny enough, I believed her, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. “Where’s Grandma now?”

  “We don’t know. We haven’t heard from her.”

  My stomach clenched. She could be dead, and all because she had tried to protect me. Why? Why couldn’t they have just left me with Mom? How different my life could have been. If I’d had a family. If we’d been normal.

  “He said you died from a drug overdose. They said you were a junkie. Was that lie?”

  She settled next to me. “No.”

  I hadn’t been this close to her since I was a child. She’d hugged me then, holding me so close I could feel her heart beat against mine. She’d smoothed down my hair and pressed soft kisses to my face. She had smelled like the roses that she grew in the front of our small house. And I had felt loved, I remembered it well. But the memory felt almost like a dream now; something that had happened to another person.

  “I was miserable,” she said. “I hated what your father was doing. I knew it was wrong. I knew he was betraying the others. I started doing drugs to forg
et. To block out my powers. To block out my life. Aaron saved me.”

  I gritted my teeth and looked at the sand. Aaron had saved her. I wanted to gag. Was this the point of her story, to glorify the man who had erased my memory? “So I should just forgive him?”

  “No. I didn’t say that. I’m just stating the facts. Listen, your father has been searching for you for years, which is why his mother was constantly on the run. Still, he hadn’t realized she was reporting back to us. At least up until a couple years ago when we lost touch. He didn’t attack because he was waiting for you to come into your powers. The perfect time.”

  I watched a gull race across the beach after a piece of debris someone had left behind. Dad only wanted to use me. I’d sensed it, hadn’t I? Why hadn’t I listened to my instincts? “How am I supposed to trust you when everyone in my life has lied to me?”

  “I don’t expect you to.” She smiled at me. A smile I vaguely remembered from childhood. Mom had been fun then. Dad had been the serious one, always wanting to follow the rules, but not Mom. Mom had been silly and ridiculous, and always ready for a good time. Maybe it had been the drugs making her act that way, but I remembered she had loved me. But then again I’d thought Dad had loved me as well.

  “You’re too smart to trust me, someone you barely know.”

  I wouldn’t fall for her compliment. She hadn’t a clue how intelligent I was or wasn’t. She didn’t know me. And she was right, I barely knew her.

  She sighed and drew her knees to her chest. “My point in telling you all of this is that if you go back to your dad, if they break into your mind, he will know that I still live. He will know about the tunnels. He will know we’re located in Savannah. He will know everything you know. I realize you’re eager to save Lewis, but if you’re captured you’ll be putting every one of us in jeopardy.”

  I jumped to my feet, anger and frustration spurring me into action. I should have known she had an ulterior motive. “What do you want from me? To leave Lewis to rot?”