They came back to the table and she accompanied them. The waitress came by and announced that someone had bought a round of drinks for the table, took their order, and headed back to the bar.
Sinead, the blonde woman, turned out to be Irish, spending a year here going to the University of Maryland. She was quick and lively, and Brenna took an immediate liking to her. It became apparent very quickly that her attention was centered on Collin, but he was making a gallant effort to put some distance between them. Brenna peeked into Sinead’s mind, and saw that she wanted him to seduce her very badly, but she was worried about the “stacked, dark-haired woman”.
She likes you. Brenna sent him on a spear thought. He shot her a look. Don’t you like her?
Yes, I think she’s very nice.
Collin, I’m not going home with you tonight. It’s your birthday. If you want to sleep with her, I’m not going to mind.
He turned to face her with a startled look.
Whether you take her to bed or not won’t make a difference in how I feel about you in the morning. She smiled at him. Believe it or not, I want you to be happy. It seems a shame that three people end up sleeping alone just because one person wants to.
You’re serious.
Come in, Collin, see for yourself. I like her. I don’t feel threatened by her. What is there to threaten? He entered her mind. I told you, I don’t play games. What you see is what you get. If I wanted to take you home tonight, that would be a different story, but I’m not ready for that yet. Go on, have a good time.
He withdrew, said simply, “You are incredible.”
She smiled, “Yes, I am. And if you play your cards right, you might have me someday.”
Rebecca came back to the table from dancing with a tall blonde man who followed her and told them, “I’m going to take off. Have a good time, and I’ll see you in the morning.” She smiled, and left with her new friend.
“It’s getting a bit late for me, too. Happy birthday, Collin.” Brenna leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Have fun.” He gave her a sharp look. She smiled, and picked up her purse to leave. “Collin, don’t be a shit. Don’t make me wait a week to hear from you again.”
“I’ll walk you home,” Jared offered, and Robbie said he would go with them.
On the way home, Jared said, “You practically pushed him at her.”
“No practically about it,” she smiled. “She wanted him and I didn’t, at least tonight I didn’t. I didn’t get him a present, so that will have to do.”
“Collin’s right. You’re incredible.”
She took his arm, leaned against him. “Maybe I’m a damned fool, but it felt like the right thing to do. It made both of them happy, and it didn’t hurt me any. Jared, do you think a person only has a limited amount of love, and if they give too much of it away they won’t have any left?”
He laughed. “Putting it that way, no, it seems the more you love, the easier it is to love more. I grew up in a family where love was expressed very freely, and as I think you’re discovering, they have a lot left to give someone new.”
“Jared? Do you,” Brenna paused and cast her mind out, “I thought I felt another telepath, one who feels like those men, the ones who were following you that night.”
“Where? Can you give us a direction?” Jared was instantly alert, scanning the area with his eyes and mind.
Robbie’s demeanor suddenly changed from casual nonchalance to alert readiness. He slid away from them, crossing the street and blending into the shadows, one hand in the pocket of his windbreaker.
She pointed. “That direction, not on this street.”
They moved in the opposite direction, taking a different route to her house. The feeling faded.
“Be careful, Brenna,” Jared told her with a worried frown when they reached her house. “I’ll tell our people to be on the alert.”
~~~
Chapter 1-5
It has indeed lately come to Our ears . . . that in some parts of Northern Germany. . . many persons of both sexes . . . have abandoned themselves to devils, incubi and succubi - Pope Innocent VIII, the Bull Summa desiderantes
Just before Brenna got off work, Rebecca called on her cell.
“Are you going to be home? Mind if I stop by?”
“Not at all. I was just going to go home and fix some dinner and wash the cat, but she can wait. Want to eat? It’s always more fun to cook for two than for one.”
Rebecca laughed. “Sure, what time?”
When Rebecca arrived, Brenna showed her the house, and then they went into the kitchen and she got them both a beer.
“Where’s the cat?” Rebecca asked, looking around.
Brenna laughed. “There isn’t one. How did things work out with that guy the other night?”
“Pretty good. He doesn’t have much stamina, but he tried hard. Telepaths actually make the best lovers, but I was in the mood for someone new. I thought I’d be taking Robbie home, but I just can’t get a reading on him. Sometimes he acts like he’s interested, and other times I don’t know. I’m still new to this telepathy thing, and these people have been shielding all their lives in a telepathic environment.”
“I guess I’m lucky,” Brenna said. “My parents taught me to shield when I was very young. So I’ve never had some of the problems you probably had, being able to block out the crowds. But I didn’t know about filters, Callie taught me, and how to be able to leave your mind open but not be bombarded. I’ve been practicing, and it’s kind of interesting to be able to sense what’s going on around you, but not have chaos invade your mind.”
Rebecca nodded. “Did you try any of that in the bar the other night?”
“Yes, it was very interesting. I enjoyed reading the guys watching you dance,” Brenna smiled. “You’re an incredible dancer, extremely sensuous. Not blatantly sexual, but there’s a promise there. You move, well, every time I see you walking, I think of a big cat, like a lioness.”
“Why, thank you.” Rebecca sighed. “What did you think of Miss Little Irish-cutsie?”
“I liked her. I think she’s nice.”
“And it didn’t bother you the way she was hanging on Collin?”
Brenna cocked one eyebrow. “Why should it? I can’t blame her, he’s a very good looking man. I want to lick him like an ice cream cone every time I see him, so I’m not surprised other women are attracted to him.”
Rebecca stood up and paced around the room. Then she stopped, and in a fierce voice said, “Didn’t it bother you that he went home with her? Don’t you care?”
Taken aback, Brenna tried to feel what was behind Rebecca’s concern. “I hope you don’t think me rude, but why do you care? Are you in love with him?”
Rebecca snorted out a short laugh. “Me? No, I’m not interested in him at all. For one thing he’s my boss, but we just don’t fit. He feels more like a big brother than a lover. But you’re in love with him, and I’ve seen the way he runs through women. I don’t think you deserve to be treated that way.”
“I’m in love with him?” Brenna said. “I’m not sure what I feel. I want him, but whether that’s purely sexual, I don’t know. I do know that if I go to bed with him, I’ll do it because I want more than sex. Is it that obvious? I mean, if everyone knows he’s a ladies’ man, does everyone know I have deeper feelings for him? Or do all his ladies fall in love with him, and he has a string of broken hearts behind him?”
Rebecca looked confused. “I, I don’t know, exactly. I just know you’re in love with him.”
“Thanks for the information. How strong are you in empathy?” Brenna asked, her eyes narrowing.
“I don’t know. They tell me I’m ‘off the charts’. Real exact, huh?”
“Callie told me the same thing. I wonder what the charts look like.” They both laughed. “Speaking of feelings, I know it felt right for them to be together that night. I wasn’t going to take him home, and I told him that before we ever left the house. Why shouldn’t they be
happy?”
Rebecca studied her. “I’m not sure I know what to make of you. If you want him, why don’t you just take him? Why mess around? Why give someone else the chance to snag him?”
“Do you really think she’s going to snag him? Do you want another beer?” Brenna grabbed the empty bottles and tossed them in the recycling bin, retrieved two more from the refrigerator. She started pulling food out and setting it on the counter.
“You know, the truth is I don’t think he knows how to be in love, or fall in love,” Brenna said. “I think he’s been with so many women that he only knows how to relate to them as temporary. I know he wants to fall in love – maybe with me, maybe with someone else – but I don’t think he has a clue where to start. I guess I’m hoping he’ll figure it out, and I’m willing to wait to see if he does.”
Brenna shrugged. “In the meantime, I don’t care who he screws, but it won’t be me. And as long as I let him do that without making a fuss, he doesn’t have anything to say if I want to date other people. Does that make any kind of sense?”
“I’m not sure if you’re the smartest woman in the world, the dumbest woman in the world, or simply the most manipulative woman in the world, but somehow you just made that twisted piece of logic make sense. So are you dating anyone else?”
“Yeah, I’m dating a doctor I met at Hopkins. He’s older, really sophisticated, smart, charming, and hot as hell. I know it’s just a temporary thing, but he really turns me on, and I want to see where it goes.”
“Why temporary?”
“Because as much as I want to crawl in bed with him, I just can’t see me with him in twenty years. I don’t think I’ll ever fall in love with him. He’s, well, just not what I want. Do you know what I mean?”
“Oh, yeah, been there.” Rebecca got up from the table, walked over and took the knife from Brenna’s hand. “I’ll chop the veggies, you start the chicken.” Brenna smiled and nodded.
“You know, I’m a bit confused by you,” Rebecca told her. “I’m not sure if you’re a good Catholic girl who thinks she wants to be wild, or, I don’t know.”
Brenna chuckled, “I only lived four years with my stepparents. My real parents taught me religion is superstitious nonsense created by ignorant people. I tried telling that to my stepmom and there was a major blowup. After that, I just let her rant and kept my opinions to myself.”
Brenna frowned. “Sex always made me happy when I was doing it, and then sad afterward, so I’m confused too.”
After dinner, they were still sitting at the table when Brenna’s cell phone rang. It was Collin.
“Hi, did you enjoy your birthday?”
Rebecca looked up with raised eyebrows, and Brenna smiled and nodded.
“Quite a lot. I really didn’t expect a party.”
“You know you have Rebecca to thank for that.”
“Yes, I know. And I’m still not sure what happened with us that night.”
“Nothing happened with us. Unless you want to consider my going home a birthday present,” she teased. “I hope you enjoyed her.” Rebecca rolled her eyes at the ceiling and clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Collin stuttered into the phone.
“I’m sorry, that was a catty thing to say, but you know I’m just teasing. Right?”
“I think so,” he said slowly. “Do you like Flying Carpet?”
“The band? Absolutely love them, why?”
“I have two tickets for their concert Saturday night in DC,” he started.
“Yes. Oh, God, yes.”
He chuckled. “I take it that’s a yes? Pick you up about four, dinner in DC, then the concert?”
“Yes. Oh, thank you. Am I going to see you before Saturday?”
“Afraid not, I need to fly up to New York tomorrow, but I’ll call.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Rebecca watched her hang up the phone. “So what was that about? It sounded like you were about to have an orgasm.”
“Flying Carpet tickets in DC on Saturday.”
“Shit, maybe I should start dating him, even if he is my boss,” Rebecca pouted.
They discussed music and bands for a while, then the conversation turned to the changes Brenna was experiencing from finding her family.
“Callie told me about all these Gifts, but they still seem unreal,” Brenna said.
Rebecca grinned and held out her hand. A flame burned on her palm, “Pyrokinesis. The first time I kindled a fire like this I burned the shit out of myself.” The flame went out, and the lights faintly dimmed. Electric sparks sizzled between her fingertips. “Electrokinesis,” the electricity died and an odd-shaped ice cube appeared on her palm, “Cryokinesis.” She handed the ice cube to Brenna. “It’s pretty neat learning to do this stuff.”
Rebecca took a drink of her beer and leaned back in her chair.
Brenna watched the show in awe. “Wow. I mean it’s one thing for people to tell you about this stuff, it’s another to actually see it. I’ve been a telepath all my life, so that doesn’t strike me as totally fantastic, but the fire and ice and electricity, that’s pretty neat.”
Brenna was quiet for a few moments. “Rebecca, have you ever been raped?”
Rebecca cocked her head and looked at her new friend a moment. “A guy tried once and I beat the shit out of him. I may be a little loose by some people’s standards, but I mean it when I say no.”
Brenna took a deep breath. “A guy tried to rape me once, and I did something that destroyed his mind. I mean, I tried to read his mind afterward, and there just wasn’t anything there except a bit of static.”
“Were you a virgin?” Rebecca asked softly.
Brenna nodded, staring down at her hands. “I guess I was afterward, too. It was when he hit my hymen that it happened. He just started jerking and fell on the ground and shook.”
“You weren’t hurt?”
Brenna shook her head. “Callie said she thinks I have the Rivera Gift.”
“Then I’d say the bastard got what was coming to him. No sympathy from this girl. Or most girls I would imagine. I’m a big fan of public castration of rapists. Want to sign the petition?”
Brenna laughed. “Hey, what are you doing tomorrow?”
“Nothing, why?”
“I just came into some money, and I want to go shopping for clothes.”
“Shopping? I’ve been cooped up in the country for the past year, they’ve been paying me a bunch of money I haven’t been able to spend. Girl, you’ve got yourself a shopping partner.”
As she was getting ready for bed, Callie called. Goddamn Grand Central Station tonight.
“Hi Callie.”
“Brenna, I received the results of your genetic analysis. Do you have some time to come by and we can go over them?”
“Sure, any evening except Thursday or Saturday, but I can make it during the day this weekend.”
“Can you come tomorrow for supper?”
“Yeah, Rebecca and I are going shopping tomorrow.”
“That would be great.”
“Callie, how many Gifts?”
There was silence on the line. “Callie?”
“Brenna, your results were a bit unusual.” Brenna smiled as she thought of Rebecca’s quotes in the air. “The more Gifts someone has, the greater the chance there might be manifestations of Talents in ways we can’t always predict. The combination of Talents sometimes produce strengths or combinations that are unusual.”
That certainly answers my question. “Okay. You can explain all that tomorrow. I was just curious as to how many of them I have. Rebecca was showing me some of her Talents, and it’s just unbelievable, like science fiction.”
Science fiction is right, Callie thought to herself. She took a deep breath. “The analysis shows you’ve inherited twenty-five Gifts.”
“I thought there were only twenty-five.”
“Yes, there are. I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a good night.”
B
renna had twenty-five Gifts, but one captured all of her attention. I’m a succubus. What the hell does that mean?
~~~
Rebecca walked into the house and was met almost immediately by Callie. “Come with me.”
She followed Callie into her office, where Callie closed the door.
“You’ve been with Brenna?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re going to be with her tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
Callie sat on the edge of her desk. “I need you to pay very close attention to me. I know you and Brenna are becoming friends. I also know the Clan and the idea of our Gifts are rather unsettling for her. Rebecca, we need to be very careful with her. I can’t emphasize this enough. She needs to be handled with kid gloves. No teaching her anything. Do you understand me? I don’t want you showing her one damned thing. Anything she learns needs to be from someone qualified to teach that Talent, someone who knows the precautions and dangers, not someone who sets her hand on fire.”
Rebecca stiffened and said in a cold voice, “I completely understand. I’ll be very careful not to taint your niece with my rough and unsophisticated understanding of my Gifts.”
Callie stared at her for a moment, then shook her head. “I’m sorry, I guess I came on too strong. I should explain myself better. That wasn’t what I meant at all.
“Rebecca, do you remember me explaining that your Talents might manifest in ways we can’t predict, because you have so many, and in combinations that are unusual? And that those combinations might create manifestations that in essence are almost like new Talents?”
Rebecca nodded.
“We got Brenna’s genetic analysis back.” Callie’s voice was very intense, riveting Rebecca’s attention, “This is strictly confidential, you understand? Seamus, me, no one else unless I clear it first. Not even Collin. And God help me, keep Brenna from discussing this with anyone. I’d rather have told her in person, not over the phone, but she pressed me.
“She has all twenty-five Gifts, Rebecca. She’s a genetic perfect storm. We have no record, going back over twenty-five hundred years, of that ever happening before. Never, do you understand me? You have fifteen, Seamus has fifteen, her parents each had fifteen. We’ve never seen anyone with more than fifteen before.” Callie shook her head, “The potential strength she has is incalculable. I can’t even begin to project what it means.”
The Telepathic Clans Omnibus Page 6
