by Jenn Nixon
145, green eyes, dark hair
Former General and department chief of DHHS psychic unit, Came to Earth in 1960s joined with a group of visitors to watch over the visitors and descendants on Earth.
Abilities: Teleportation, Telepathy, Ergokiensis
Former Associates: Rivia, Prantu, and Nella (Deceased)
Casey Wu – Cartuilan-Human Hybrid
40, blue eyes, black hair
Former Secret Service Agent, currently a private security consultant who helped the MIND team uncover a plot to experiment on human psychics and visitors. Her father, Jaabrek, was partially responsible for the suppression implant used on psychics by the US government. Her mother, Shen, voluntarily wiped her memories of the experiments to protect herself and Casey from retaliation.
Abilities: Teleportation, Telekinesis, Telepathy
Hinta – Human-Vepsatian Hybrid
Unknown, blue eyes, silvery blond hair (sometimes dyed blue)
Former captive of Tolk who joined the MIND team during The Message while working side jobs in his adoptive hometown of Wilmington, NC. Hinta helped Jazara face her unique gifts and uncovered ties to Casey’s father, Jaabrek, and the experiments on physics and visitors in The Vision.
Abilities: Teleportation, Telepathy, Telekinesis
Jazara – Human-Vepsatian Hybrid
Mid 50s, lavender eyes, silver hair
Formerly held by her mother, Zila, who believed the psychic population was targeting visitors and attempting to reveal their presence on Earth.
Abilities: Telepathy, Future Visions via touch
Caelum – Sarpian Enhancer (Every Mind to Lexa only)
Unknown, silver or blue eyes, blond hair
Last of the genetically enhanced Sarpians, Responsible for helping to form MIND team, leader of group watching Earth, Occasional mentor to Lexa
Abilities: Unknown, considered omnipotent
The Dream
Aime’s annoying wake-up ringtone on the Satphone rang through the air. Dina rolled onto her side and reached over without opening her eyes, feeling for the phone.
You can’t hit snooze, Dina. Too much work to do, a deep voice penetrated her mind.
I know, she replied, opening her eyes to see a single green rose lying next to her phone on the crate beside the mattress. Her heart dropped. She shot upright, gasping. “No.”
“What’s wrong?”
Every inch of her flesh prickled. She couldn’t breathe. Dina teleported to the lavatory without answering. As she heaved and coughed over the tiny metal sink, the floor began vibrating with footsteps.
“Hey.” The moment his hand touched her shoulder, Jazara’s vision flashed in her mind. His concern filled the air as she wheezed and gagged. “Dina?”
You promised! Her legs bucked.
Breathe, Dina. Theo caught her and carried her back to the panic room, the name more appropriate than ever as the dread and despair filled her heart. Only after he sat on the papasan chair, the only other piece of furniture in the entire ship, did he tilt her head to meet her eyes. “Promised what?”
“Not to buy me anything, especially flowers.”
“I didn’t and it’s one.”
“No.” She shuddered, covering her face with her hands.
“Dina, what the hell?” he replied, pulling her by the wrists. “A little girl in town was giving them away for St. Patrick’s Day. Why are you so scared?”
“It’s today,” she whimpered, hiding her face against his chest this time.
“What?” His voice quivered and both arms slipped around her back.
Dina clawed his shoulders. “We have to go home.”
“Why?”
“Lexa’s awake.”
“Are you sure?”
“Will be.”
Dina. Theo nuzzled her neck. Leaning back, she pressed her lips together, looking into his weary green eyes. She couldn’t tell him. He’d never understand and more than likely try to stop her. Instead, Dina collected his dark face between her pale hands, memorizing every line and wrinkle around his eyes and gray hair in his eyebrows.
“You’re scaring me.”
“It’s not going to be easy getting to Lexa, you know that.”
“I know.”
“They have the entire block under surveillance.”
“The shields will hold until we get there,” Theo replied, covering her hand with his. “What is this really about, Dina?”
“Do you remember the night in the club?”
His brow rose high. “When you were high on E and kissed me for the first time? Oh, yes.”
“What did I say to you?”
He leaned back, pulling her hands from his face as he frowned. “That we’d never be in love with each other because we’ll always be in love with them.”
“It doesn’t mean I don’t love you, Theo. All of this. It was real.”
Theo’s face went from surprise to confusion in a nanosecond. “Was real? Dina—”
She jerked him forward, planting her mouth on his. Within seconds, they were ripping off each other’s clothes, twisting on the chair and kissing, panting, and clawing at each other frantically. Desperate to have him one last time, Dina made sure he knew exactly how she felt. He noticed the change and slowed the tempo ensuring both of them were satisfied. She let every thought drop away for one, quick moment as she came apart in his arms.
After Dina fell to his chest, she went still, enjoying the heat from his body, doing her best not to let the guilt rising through her spoil the moment.
“There’s nothing to be guilty about, Dina,” Theo grunted, wrapping his arms tight around her back. “It’s been forty years.”
She pushed on his chest. He held tighter. Dina teleported out of his grasp. “Don’t tell me there’s nothing to be guilty about. We fucked up. We let him get away. We watched them all die, Theo.”
Rising to his feet, Theo rubbed a hand down his face. “Every time you let down your guard—”
“You’ll never understand,” she spat, shaking her head and storming out of the panic room. Theo teleported ahead of her into the command center near the broken chair, blocking her way. “Not today.”
“I know something’s wrong. You kissed me. You rarely kiss me, Dina.”
“Because when I do I see his face! Don’t you see Casey’s?”
“No, Dina. Not anymore, all I see is you.”
“He was half of my heart, Theo. D…D…Duncan,” she stammered, losing her breath again just thinking about her twin.
“Was the other half,” he whispered, drawing her back into his arms. “I know. I know, Dina.”
“Then you know there’s nothing left.” Of course, there were no tears. She hadn’t cried in a decade. His hold, however, calmed her down enough to ease the hyperventilating. “I’m sorry, Theo.”
“I hate it when you say that to me,” he said softly. “Means you know something I don’t…” Dina smirked. He knew her too well after all these years. As they got closer to the end, he’d understand. Until then, she had to block him out. She had to block everything out. When her shields went up, he jerked back and glanced down. His emerald eyes darkened and narrowed. “Damn it, Dina. What are you planning?”
“I promise, I’ll tell you tomorrow.”
Before Theo responded, both of their Satphones beeped. He released his hold and walked back to the panic room, pulling his off the main console. His face fell. When he turned his head and met her eyes, she already knew what the text said.
“That was Sandee, Jazara just called…”
“Which means their precog knows. We’ve got to get to Lexa’s pod before they do.”
“We should take the ship.”
“No, we teleport,” Dina said, heading to the locker with her clothes.
“They’ll track us.”
“Let them.”
“Dina!”
She put on jeans and pulled a shirt over her head. “You’ll try to stop me.”
“I won’t. Just tell me w
hat you’re doing.”
“Going back to the base.”
“For fuck’s sake, why?”
“To destroy it all.”
***
Dina ran through flames and into the destroyed penthouse living room. A familiar voice screamed her name from behind. Dina couldn’t stop. This was it. Everything she worked toward, waited for, knew had to happen. She darted into what was once the kitchen and felt the floor rumble beneath her feet.
She breached the threshold of the old MIND base and teleported to Lexa’s side who was standing at the only computer station left untouched. The silver shimmer encased her body and her eyes glowed brighter than Dina’d ever seen.
“We need to do it, Lexa, now. This is it.” Dina grabbed Lexa by the arm, felt the surge of Enhancer power envelope her.
“Are you sure, Dina?”
Jazara and Theo ran into the base, zapping every piece of their lives with flames and energy, destroying it all, leaving no trace of their existence behind.
“Yes, I can do it. I know I can. Then, you take them away, Lexa, save everyone who’s left,” Dina said, meeting her best friend’s eyes.
“They’re coming,” Jazara said, setting fire to the base lounge and Dina’s broken station while Theo zapped the last two hanging monitors, making them crash to the ground.
Dina’s heart dropped when she glanced across the room. I’m sorry, Theo. “Do it, Lexa, now.”
The silver of Lexa’s shield and the blue of Dina’s mixed and vibrated, creating a shimmering cocoon around them both.
“What are you doing?” Theo’s green eyes peered through the smoke rising through the base.
“Saving everyone. I know what to do.”
“No.” He shook his head. “No! Don’t do it, Dina.”
“It’s the only way we can get them all back,” she said, holding back tears, making sure Lexa had enough energy to make it work. The entire building rumbled. They were running out of time. Now, Lexa.
Theo ran toward her. “Dina!”
I’m sorry. Lexa! This is our last chance, please! Dina felt the same pull of their combined powers take hold. The slivery-blue force field began to swirl. She focused all her energy, memories, thoughts, and feelings to one point, one moment. As the swirl spun faster, a strange type of pull formed between her and Lexa. Theo reached out for her.
Theo, don’t!
His hand punctured the barrier. Theo’s eyes rolled back as he started to seize. Fire encased the space surrounding them. Jazara came near, grabbed Theo and held the fire at bay with glowing hands. “Hurry!”
The inside of the shield sparked with light and zipped back and forth as the blue swirl spun faster.
This was it.
Dina was ready.
A bright white ball of light formed in the middle of the bubble. Dina saw a figure forming out of the light. She sent all her energy to Lexa, keeping just enough for the shield and the light. After she lifted her hand from Lexa’s shoulder, switching to remote sharing, the figure began to solidify. Something felt wrong.
Dina…what the fuck. Oh my god that’s—
“Liam?” she gasped, slapping both hands to her mouth. Her heart stopped beating. His wavy snow-like hair came into view first, then his awesome gray eyes. He seemed stuck in place. She took a step closer, lifted her hand to his cheek. “Is it really you?”
The instant she touched him, he unlocked. “Gone!”
She retracted as her eyes filled with tears. “Liam?”
“Dina?” His brow crinkled. He rubbed his temple and narrowed his gaze before glancing back over his shoulder seeing only the shield surrounding them. “No…this is wrong. Who are you? Where am I?”
“It’s me, and where…that’s a little more complicated. Search my mind, Liam.”
His eyes glowed. Dina’s stomach constricted. She ignored Lexa’s warning trying to brush her mind again. Liam’s hand twitched. He winced and grabbed his head again.
“I’m sorry…It wasn’t supposed to be you. I was thinking about you today, altered my focus, I should have known. We don’t have much time.”
“I don’t understand,” he said.
Dina inched closer slowly. He didn’t back away, simply stared at her with fear and confusion. She scooped her hair back, quickly tied it at the nape of her neck, and then pulled a silver chain from under her shirt. Dangling on the end was a star and a heart tangled together.
Liam’s eyes widened. “I haven’t—”
“Given it to me yet?” she asked.
He nodded.
“It’s in the bottom drawer of your nightstand. You bought it the Friday before we met Jazara. When it all began.”
“When what began?”
“The beginning of the end, Liam. Gardner isn’t dead. You have to stop him. Stop Project Phoenix.”
He stepped closer, brow furrowing as he shook his head. “Where did you get it?”
“From you…the day we got married.”
When he reached out and touched the necklace, the shield surrounding them sputtered and cracked. Lexa broke into her head. I’m losing it!
“Stop wasting time on the message and the prophecies…follow the experiments. Follow everyone connected to the unit and stop Project Phoenix, Liam. If you don’t, there won’t be anyone left.” The heartbreak on his face as he stared at the charm in his hand was all she needed to finish what she started. Dina grabbed his wrist, pushed her thoughts into his mind, feeling the last of her energy slipping away. Spaceboy. You have to listen to me. Believe me, we’re running out of time.
He looked up. Her legs gave. Liam caught her with his other arm, pulling her closer to his chest as he knelt down. Dina ripped the necklace off and shoved it into his hand as Lexa screamed in her head and the sphere darkened and sparked.
“Is this the dream?”
“Dream, no, Liam…I’m trying to save you,” she said softly, reaching up to touch his chin. “Jazara helped me get here so I could warn you. You’re gonna be so mad when you realize what I’ve done, but I had to, Liam. Tell me you’ll do it. You’ll stop Phoenix.”
“I’ll stop it,” he replied, crinkling his brow.
Dina’s eyelids grew heavy, but she managed a smirk. “You don’t believe me. It’s okay. Sandee will show you the way, luv. Listen to her, believe her. Keep everyone together…”
“I will,” Liam said as he stared into her eyes, still trying to understand.
She couldn’t help but smile as Lexa absorbed the last of her energy and the sphere began to crumble. Dina selfishly took a moment’s worth of energy from Liam, just so she could feel it again. The tears she’d been holding finally spilled down her cheeks.
“Liam!” He turned back to the sound.
She grinned and shut her eyes.
“Dina?” he gasped.
She had just enough energy for one more thought. Gorgeous gets you more brownie points, you know.
