“Ah, mio caro, straight to the point. How refreshing!” Nicco responded with what appeared to be a genuine smile. He definitely looked more relaxed and expressive than the last time they met.
“Yes, Anthony updated me on the progress in your case. I believe your assessment is sound, given the evidence.”
Okay. So far so good if Nicco thought they were on track.
“I was hoping you would give me more information on this type of Paranorm, this Glamour.” Grace worked to keep the need out of her voice. “The better prepared we are, the more chance of success we’ll have.”
Nicco nodded, and his demeanor became more solemn. “I can certainly offer more insight into this particular type of Paranorm. But we should revisit the terms of our arrangement before I do.”
“Terms?”
“Yes, mio caro, in any good business relationship, the terms must be clear and agreed to by both parties.”
“I think I need a review of the ‘terms’ then,” she said, the sinking feeling in her stomach growing as she realized that the previous tests were not enough.
“Certainly. You have particular questions only I or the Paranorms can answer. You proved you have Paranorm abilities, and Sophie spoke on your behalf for your trustworthiness and discretion. Therefore, you may petition for information from me. Of course, there must be payment for the information I provide.”
Grace did not like the sounds of the terms of their arrangement in the least. When did payment become part of the deal?
“What kind payment are we talking about?” she asked suspiciously.
“Information in exchange for information, mio caro. You have questions on the Paranorms and their abilities, their world. I require you to use your skills to provide me the information I seek. That was our exchange the first meeting, no?”
A sense of dread settled over her. “The tests I did previously weren’t just testing my abilities to confirm I am a Paranorm? They were also payment for Anthony’s help on the case?”
Nicco nodded while a small smile played across his face. “You have proven that you are capable of readings that not even Anthony can accomplish, and I am more than willing to take advantage of that with this arrangement.”
Grace had survived the last round of clairvoyant and psychometric “experiences.” Now she knew how cautious to be in handling anything Nicco gave her to read. She needed the information she could get only from Nicco. If it meant whoring out her abilities to a stranger, then it was something she would have to do.
“So in exchange for answering my questions, I need to do more readings for you?” she asked.
“No, mio caro. In exchange for doing more readings, I will answer your questions.”
“Does the quality of my reading, the amount of information I give, affect the amount of information you’ll share?” She worried her new ability would not be consistent enough to meet Nicco’s expectations.
Nicco smiled at her. “Yes. The number of readings is not as important as the quality and quantity of information I gain from your readings.”
Grace’s frustration rose. Was nothing up front or straight up with these people? With this man? Once again, she experienced the groundlessness of dealing with this new world she was forced to join.
She may have their abilities, but she wasn’t one of them, and she didn’t understand how things worked in their world. She had received a few hard lessons in the past week or so, but she was still in the dark for how to deal with these types of situations.
What had Gabriella told her? Be bold, and be herself. The bold part she could do, even if she had to fake it. But the part about being herself was getting more elusive all the time. Her self-identity was a moving target at this point. Best to focus on being bold and hope the being herself part showed up when she needed it.
“I understand the terms of the arrangement. Let’s get started.”
Nicco opened a drawer at the side of his desk and pulling out two cloth wrapped objects, gently placing them in front of Grace. One lay flat on the table and the other was about the size of a football.
“I am providing two objects for you. As your abilities are still new to you, I want to ensure you have a fair chance to do a reading for me today.”
Grace’s confidence started to slip at his words. So he was being “generous” to let her read two objects because her abilities were not a hundred percent under her control? Grabbing a hold of the spark of defiance, she used it to stoke her anger. She would need that energy to focus on using her ability to its fullest. She should thank Nicco for pissing her off enough to move her past her initial nervousness. It got her in the frame of mind to prove herself to him.
“It doesn’t matter which one I read first?”
Nicco shook his head and gestured for her to continue.
Grace took a deep breath to settle herself and then reached out to unwrap the cloth from around the football shaped object to reveal a shoe.
Grace studied the shoe for a moment, careful not to touch it. She reminded herself the dagger from her last reading was anything but what it appeared at first. So, she should avoid any preconceived story lines for this object before she began the reading.
It was a dark blue tennis shoe. The left shoe, she noted, laces untied and flopping loose. A high-end-brand, leather running shoe with a well-worn sole. There were no distinguishing marks on the shoe that she could see, simply a plain running shoe.
She replayed in her mind how she blocked the pain of the dagger during the second reading. Then connected with that feeling as she reached out her right hand to touch a finger to the shoe and visualized the dark material sliding away and leaving her finger in direct contact with soft leather.
There was the sensation of running, of extreme fear, of a desperate need to escape. From what, it wasn’t clear. But the need drove her to run past the exhaustion, past the pain in her legs and sides, to simply keep moving.
Running through dark woods at night. Stumbling over the roots and rocks underfoot. Falling down several times to scrape hands and knees before struggling up again. She just needed to make it the last couple of miles north to the glen, and she would be safe. All at once, the shoe was pulled forcefully off her foot as she blindly stepped into a hole. Grace’s awareness stayed with the shoe as its owner ran on.
Grace looked up from the shoe, removing her finger and resting her hands in her lap. “The owner was running from something, and they were terrified of being caught. They were in the woods, at night. They were trying to go ‘north to a glen’ somewhere, but that’s all I saw before they lost the shoe.”
Grace paused for Nicco to respond. But he simply sat and watched her from behind his desk.
Turning to the next object, she tried not to be disappointed at how little she was able to get from the shoe. At least she had seen something, so her ability was at least showing up this morning.
Unfolding the cloth around the second object revealed a woman’s scarf; a lovely red silk material with patterns of pink cherry blossoms. There was something familiar about it that she couldn’t quite place.
Grace hoped the object would be as benign as it appeared. She repeated the same process mentally before reaching out to touch the scarf.
Grace heard music and laughter and experienced a sense of joy. She was in a sunny room with bright yellow walls. She was spinning and dancing around the room, dancing with someone. When she looked down, she saw Danny’s face around the age of five beaming up at her.
Grace recoiled from the scarf, propelling herself backward so forcefully, she tipped over her chair. She stood, shaking and gasping for air as she stared wide eyed at Nicco. With a barely controlled rage, she shouted at him. “You bastard! Where did you get my mother’s scarf?”
Chapter 25
“Sit Down, Miss Bishop,” Nicco said in a tone that expected immediate obedience.
Grace hesitated, considering walking out of the room, damn the consequences. But she couldn’t walk away from something to help DL and hi
s girls. She also couldn’t leave without answers for herself, no matter what the potential emotional or psychological price was.
She bent down to pick up the chair, shoving it back upright before taking her seat, still fuming at Nicco. She pulled the collar of her shirt back over her left shoulder from where it fell when she leaned down. The bastard better have an explanation for how he managed to get possession of one of her mother’s favorite scarves.
“You are upset by the second object—” he began.
“Upset? Try furious!”
“And what are you furious about, mio caro—what you saw in the reading? Because this object is in my possession? Or both?” he asked in a business-like tone, not reacting to her anger.
Grace wasn’t about to explain to him what she saw in the reading, regardless of their arrangement. The joyous love she felt from her mother while she danced with Danny. It was intense, wonderful, and heartbreaking, and Grace experienced the depth of losing her mother once again.
“How did you get this scarf?”
“It is easy for a Paranorm with a Dowsing ability to find things, especially things given away.”
Grace berated herself as she took in Nicco’s words. Of course they could use the Paranorms’ abilities to get the information they needed. Sophie warned her The Family had ways of controlling her, warned her they might use Danny against her. She didn’t realize they might also find a way to use her parents against her. She thought they, at least, could not be leveraged.
She wouldn’t get anywhere focusing on her mother’s scarf. She needed to focus on why she came to see Nicco this morning, not on what he wanted to prove to her.
“I’ve done the readings. Now I’m ready to ask my questions,” she challenged, looking him in the eyes.
“Yes, mio caro, you have. Do you care to share anything more about the scarf?” he asked her with a polite tone. “No?” he continued when met with her silence. “Then ask your questions, and I will weigh my answers predicated on the readings you provided me.”
Grace wasn’t sure whether it meant she would get one answer or none, based on her performance. But she decided to throw out everything she was interested in and see what he answered. “I want to know everything I can about you and your Family, about the Glamour, and about what I am, this ‘Aperto Rotto’ name you keep calling me.”
The side of his mouth quirked. “Impressive list.”
“I suppose, but it’s a list I’ll be repeating each time we meet until I get the answers I need,” she said.
The comment elicited a chuckle from Nicco and a nod of respect. “So be it. These are the questions I will answer, then.”
“One,” he said, holding up a finger. “Think of The Family as entrepreneurs who consider the Paranorms employees vital to the success of our business operations. I am middle management.”
She started to interject, but he continued, ignoring her.
“Two.” He raised a second finger. “The Glamour is one of the most unpredictable Paranorm abilities we have ever seen. Throughout history, there only have a handful of them who survived beyond their childhood. These individuals became obsessed with their ability, addicted to its use and misuse, became megalomaniacs in the modern psychological terminology. They were put down before they could destroy more lives. Some of The Family tried to use the Glamours’ skills to gain or maintain their own power, but the Glamours always became too unstable to control.”
Grace paled at the description, her hands beginning to sweat. She clenched them into fists, resolved they wouldn’t stop trying to catch the Glamour. They would need to prepare for the completely unexpected when engaging with this person.
“The Achilles heel of the Glamour, beyond the manipulation his megalomania opens him up to, is the fact he cannot use his abilities on other Paranorms. This is true for all Paranorms and their abilities. But this limitation makes the Glamour particularly vulnerable since he focuses his entire life and approach to the world on the predicate that he can manipulate others at will. There is a chance this particular Glamour has not encountered Paranorms and is not aware his power does not affect them.”
It surprised Grace to learn Paranorms couldn’t use their abilities on other Paranorms. It wasn’t something Sophie and Anthony had mentioned to her. Of course, there seemed to be a lot they hadn’t gotten around to sharing with her, yet.
She would need to keep that blind spot of theirs in mind for the future. She would keep in mind for herself that she wouldn’t be able to read Paranorms. Or at least not directly perhaps. Something to test with Sophie later, she thought, forcing herself to focus back on Nicco.
“And finally, mio caro, question three,” he said, raising a third finger. “‘Aperto Rotto’ is the name given to those who are not born with their abilities, are not members of a Paranorm family, but come into their abilities later in life. A traumatic physical, emotional, or psychological event can trigger this kind of transformation in certain individuals.
“In our history, Aperto Rottos have always been uncontrolled and dangerous with their powers. Depending on the specific ability, they either pose a risk to the Paranorms and The Family by exposing such abilities to the Norms, or they hurt Norms by accident or on purpose, being outside the tenents governing the use of Paranorm abilities.”
“Is that why Anthony was determined to be against me at first? He thinks I pose a threat to him and his family, his way of life?”
“Yes. I am afraid all Paranorms will respond this way when they find out you are an Aperto Rotto. They have valid reason. Inquisitions, pogroms, witch hunts. The things you read in the history books are hard to forget realities for Paranorms. Being recognized for what they are means their lives can be in jeopardy.”
Grace considered what Nicco said, confirming her assumptions. But how was she supposed to get around being who she was, what she had become? “Above all things, be yourself” is what Gabriella instructed her, knowing what Grace was. But it looked like it would be a challenge to do that with the Paranorms.
Sophie knew Grace well and didn’t find her abilities abhorrent. She remained her friend after Grace became an Aperto Rotto. Sophie did what she was able to get Grace more connected with the Paranorms, to help her with her situation. Somehow, Anthony was coming around, or at least was at the point of being civil with her.
Maybe if the others continued to get to know her—to know she wouldn’t expose them with her abilities, understand she had enough control and presence of mind to command her gifts—they would accept her over time as something other than simply an Aperto Rotto. Maybe that was what Gabriella meant. She could only trust it was true and keep doing what she must to solve the case. The rest would have to work itself out in the meantime.
“Are those all the answers I get today?” She wasn’t optimistic at the chances of Nicco sharing anything more.
“That is what your readings earned you today, mio caro. You may come back another time if you wish to exchange more information,” he said in what appeared to be a dismissal.
Grace rose from her seat, and turned to go. But Nicco stopped her before she took more than a few steps.
“I have a question of my own before you go. I see you got a new tattoo. May I see it up close?”
Part of Zack’s raven tattoo must have been visible when she picked up the overturned chair. Why would he be interested in her tattoo? She had gotten past being embarrassed by the scars left over from her accident. She didn’t worry about what she couldn’t change.
“Sure.” She shrugged off her shirt to her mid back, a bit self-conscious even if she was wearing a sports bra underneath it. At least it was a sports bra and not some lacy thing. She pulled the strap of the bra over her shoulder, giving him a full view of the tattoo.
His eyes glanced at the rough flesh of her right shoulder, but he made no mention of the scars. Moving in closer to take in the details, his sapphire eyes stared at the raven, pausing for a while when his gaze reached the scroll held in its cl
aws.
A chill ran up her spine and raised the hairs along her arms as she stood motionless under Nicco’s appraisal. This was the closest she had been to the man since they met, and the sheer power of his personality pressed on her.
She examined his features while he was preoccupied, moving past the captivating blue eyes to study his high cheekbones and strong jaw. Definitely handsome, even close up, although the earrings threw her off—not the type of thing she often found appealing in a man.
Nicco leaned in to examine the details of the raven’s feathers, his breath caressing her skin. She suppressed an urge to laugh at the tickling feeling.
And his scent, gods help her, the man smelled fantastic! He wasn’t one of those men who needed to bathe in cologne. His scent was a mixture of a hint of spicy, exotic cologne and a more personal musky smell. But whatever it was, it was marvelous.
Get a hold of yourself, Grace. In the past year, she hadn’t been this close to a man outside her male friends. But that didn’t mean she should go all weak-in-the-knees over it.
“It’s exquisite,” he said, standing up straight again.
“A friend of mine designed it, and another friend did the actual tattoo,” she said as she pulled her bra strap and shirt up again.
“They did a tremendous job—a work of art. And what does the saying on the scroll mean?”
“It’s something the designer added for me,” she replied. “He knows I worked in law enforcement and am now a security officer and part time PI. He wanted to make a statement.”
“Hmm.” Nicco moved back around his desk to retake his seat. “Thank you for showing me the tattoo, mio caro. A word of advice. I would not share it with the Paranorms. Tattoos hold particular meaning to them, and you would not want them making assumptions about the meaning of yours. I wish you good luck with your case.”
Chapter 26
Grace adjusted her ear-piece as she settled herself into a more comfortable position in her car. She had parked far from street-lights, in a dark place where she was able watch the street without being too obvious. She took a bite of her sandwich as she scanned the street.
Glamorous: A Grace Bishop Novel (Grace Bishop Novels) Page 12
