Tangled Minds (Society of Exalted Minds Book 1)

by A. M. Mahler

  So far Willow’s disguises have been foolproof. And let’s not forget her visions. I would hope that she would see trouble coming before we do.

  I leaned up and pressed a kiss to his jaw. His body tensed, and his eyes darkened. I was getting used to his physical reaction to me and how empowered it made me feel. He hooked my leg over his hip then pressed his lips to mine. His tongue slipped into my mouth and tangled with mine. I didn’t have any experience with guys other than what I had done with Jagger, but I thought I was getting good at this.

  “That’s disgusting,” Willow groaned from the front seat. “Also, Jagger, a Coast Guard lady is walking down the line right now. It looks like she’s writing down license plates numbers, but not all of them. It must be some kind of random check.”

  Jagger scrambled off me and back into the driver’s seat. The tension while we waited for the woman to make her way down the line was palpable. It almost felt like a fourth person in the RV with us. Just the three of us and our constant companion, Tension.

  The woman made her way closer. Willow watched the lane next to us load onto the ferry. The entire lane made it on and then our lane started to load. The woman flipped her clipboard up and waved the lane of cars forward. The loading of our lane cut off two cars ahead of us. Jagger let out a long breath.

  “It doesn’t look like she wrote us down,” he said. “I wonder if it’s just a gauge as to where to start and stop the line?”

  “Maybe,” Willow shrugged. “But I thought it was more of a random security check. Doesn’t matter. Our plate links to an address on the island.”

  “Well, then wouldn’t they wonder why we’re not loading onto the resident and delivery lane there?” Jagger pointed to the lane directly next to us that only had two cars and a UPS truck in it.

  “I suppose they would, if they ran our plate,” Willow said.

  “Do another thought scan, Jagger,” I said. “You can easily find out why she was checking plates. New cars came so you can check those, too.”

  I scanned, as well. Not that I didn’t trust Jagger to catch everything, but I was more experienced with it. With both of us scanning, hopefully we’d be sure not to miss anyone. What I found were people excited to spend the day or week on the island. They looked forward to the shops, the restaurants, and the beach. Some were going for the first time and others went every year. It seemed like a nice place for a vacation.

  “Everything seems okay,” he said after a minute or two.

  I agree. Whenever anything makes you nervous, scan.

  “If you hadn’t moved to Colorado, I wonder if I would have ever discovered I could do this.”

  It was an interesting question, whether or not Jagger’s talent only awakened. because I found him, or would it have emerged on its own? For so long he could only hear me, so it seemed like it was linked to me. How was that possible? And what were the chances my grandfather would have picked Alpine Valley to move to? I didn’t know what became of the house after we left, but if I could ever get back to it, I could do a thorough search and see if I could find the answers.

  We’ll go crazy if we keep wondering about what would have happened. It’s better if we just stick to what we know.

  “Ha! That’s frighteningly little.” Sad, but true.

  “Here we go,” Jagger said as our lane was flagged onto the ferry. Jagger very slowly and carefully pulled the RV onto the boat where the Guardsman directed him. Once we were parked, the Guardsman told us to shut off our engine.

  “Good thing we can run the AC on the battery,” Willow said. “I imagine this would be a miserable crossing with no AC in the blazing sun.”

  Luckily, that wasn’t us. Willow put a sunshade on the front windshield, and Jagger unbuckled and came back to me.

  “Perfect time for a nap.”

  I wish I could nap like he could. He was one of those people that could just fall asleep whenever and wherever they wanted to. Not me though. I had to lay there wide awake and think about all of life’s great mysteries. It was totally unfair.

  Crossing the sound took just about an hour. Willow kept her face buried in whatever she was always looking at on the computer. I enjoyed my time cuddled down with Jagger. Even if he was fast asleep in minutes.

  AS WILLOW PREDICTED there was an open camp site. It was next to the dunes. Having lived a sheltered life, this was my very first visit to the ocean. Once the RV was set up, Jagger and I slathered on sunblock before walking hand in hand through the dunes. After having mentally scanned the area, we decided to remove our makeup to just go in hats and sunglasses. Jagger led the way with a big blanket under his arm.

  It was hot and sunny on the beach, but there was a nice ocean breeze that made it bearable. Jagger unfolded the blanket, and it fluttered like a sail in the wind. He lowered it flat, and we both sat down quickly before it blew away.

  My first time at the ocean.

  “I know. I’m glad I got to share it with you.”

  Settling me between his legs, I leaned back into Jagger’s chest and looked out at the waves. Seagulls flew above calling out to one another and diving for fish—or looking for beach goers to feed them. The gentle roll of the waves and the sound of them crashing onto the beach lulled me into a kind of trance. Now and then, Jagger’s lips pressed to my temple or neck, gently reminding me of his constant presence—as if I could ever forget.

  Personal canopies and brightly colored umbrellas were popped up around us. No one was too close together, and no one was watching anyone else. Everyone around us was just enjoying the beach and minding their own business. Despite the welcomed break from the paranoia of someone recognizing us, both Jagger and I periodically scanned the minds of those near us to ensure no one was around that wanted to harm or arrest us.

  I couldn’t say how long we sat out there before Willow came running up and interrupted us. Her frantic mind jolted us to attention.

  “A guy? What guy?” Jagger demanded after having read her thoughts. He did try to give her privacy, but Willow was projecting quite loudly. Jagger scurried to his feet then reached down to help me stand.

  “I don’t know,” Willow said, out of breath. I grabbed the blanket and shook out what sand I could. We were definitely going to have to hit a laundromat soon. I scanned the minds at the sites around us again and still came up empty of any thoughts of harm against us.

  “Well, where did he come from?” Jagger demanded as we followed Willow through the dunes. “What does he look like?”

  Willow’s thoughts were going a mile a minute, and I dropped out of her head. She would gather her own scattered thoughts and tell us what we needed to know once she understood it.

  Without anyone saying it, we all climbed into the RV. Jagger closed the door and locked it once we were all inside. Idly, I took note of the sand all over the floor. Time to do a thorough sweep out today—that was unless we were pulling out and leaving the same day we got here. That wouldn’t be suspicious or anything.

  Jagger sat his sister down on the couch, then knelt in front of her. “Calm down and take deep breaths. Livvy and I backed out of your head. Take your time and tell us what you saw. What were you doing when this guy popped into your head?”

  “I wasn’t really doing anything really.” Willow shook her head. “Just pulling out the chairs to sit outside. I pulled over the picnic table and was about to open the awning. He just—” Furrowing her brow, she shook her head again. It was like she was trying to shake the vision loose so it would take a form that she could describe.

  Stepping to the fridge, I pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to her. She drank deeply and took a calming breath. Her eyes were trained in the direction of the door, but they looked clouded. I didn’t think it was the door she was focusing on. “He’s got dark hair and is kind of tall, lanky. He’s here at this campground somewhere. I think he’s sleeping in his car—some kind of SUV. I don’t see him wanting to hurt us. He’s also laying low and keeping his distance from others. He’s ..
. oh.” The light in her eyes changed. “He’s got an orange cat with him.”

  Jagger and I exchanged worried glances. Who was this guy? A cop? A federal agent? Maybe he didn’t intend us harm. Except Willow had a vision of him, so I had to believe that was important to us.

  “How old does he look?” Jagger asked.

  “Young.” She said. “If he’s older than us, it’s not by much.” Willow’s eyes darted back and forth before focusing on the door again. “He’s got a good campsite—better than ours. It’s surrounded by trees. That should make it easier to figure out where he is. I didn’t see a lot of those when we pulled in.”

  “Do you think he’s here now?” I asked. “Just because she sees him doesn’t mean he’s here yet, right?”

  “I don’t know.” Willow’s shoulders sagged and her eyes cleared up. “It’s gone. I can’t tell how far into the future things are or if they’re happening right now.”

  Jagger pushed up off his knees and sat down at the dinette table. “We’ll walk the campground and see if we can find anyone who matches the description.” He looked between Willow and me. “You wanted to do laundry, right?”

  “I don’t how much of that is want. More like we desperately need to, especially if we’re somewhere like this where we’re constantly going to be full of sand,” I said.

  “Okay,” Jagger nodded, scratching at his arm. “Why don’t Willow and I take the clothes over to the laundry facilities? We can take care of that and walk around a bit to see if we find anybody matching Willow’s description.”

  I arched a brow at him. “And just what am I doing while you two are off being productive? Don’t you think all of us should go?”

  “No.” It was said with finality. My head jerked back, and my eyes widened. Well, this was new. “You stay here and keep the door locked. I’ll call you if I need you.”

  “Livvy, it’s bad enough I have to take Willow. I need to know you’re safe.”

  It was tempting to assert my independence. The last thing I wanted was another male in my life constantly telling me what to do and expecting to be obeyed. I’d already had that all my life with my grandfather.

  On the other hand, I wanted Jagger to lead. Him leading meant I followed. I knew that he was coming from a place of love and not out of a need to be domineering. That wasn’t Jagger and never would be. He empowered me and always had. I could make these small concessions for him when he asked.

  “Okay.” I nodded. “I guess I’ll just stay here and sweep out the RV. We’re already tracking sand in. And honestly, it can use a good cleaning.”

  “You have to keep the door locked.”

  “I’ll scan the area before I open it,” I conceded. How was I supposed to sweep it out with the door closed? Plus, the awning still needed to be put up and the chairs set out. Assuming we weren’t leaving immediately, we would want those things later.

  “Does that stuff absolutely have to be done now?”

  No. But I need to feel like I’m doing something, too, instead of hiding.

  Jagger stepped forward and cupped the back of my head, pulling me in for a deep kiss. It made me reevaluate once again how ready I was for us to progress in our physical relationship. Based on that kiss, I was pretty damn ready.

  “Your pace, baby, not mine.” He had read my thoughts. Given my current state of fluster, I was probably projecting pretty loud.

  “Geez, Jagger, you’re not going away to war,” Willow huffed and tossed the stuffed garbage bag we used for dirty clothes at him. She carried the small bottle of laundry detergent and a box of dryer sheets we kept on hand.

  Does she even know how to do laundry? Didn’t you guys have a maid?

  Jagger chuckled. “We did. She probably YouTubed it like she did everything else. Please stay safe while I’m gone.”

  Willow followed her brother out of the RV, and I plopped down onto the couch with a heavy sigh. Since Willow said she didn’t see this mystery guy causing us harm, I was actually looking forward to a little bit of excitement. I thought about what Jagger had said about wondering if we were running from anything at all. For the first time ever, I began to question the things my grandfather had told me. And that left me with a very uneasy feeling.

  Jagger

  Willow slammed the lid of the washing machine down with a loud crack. “Okay,” she said. “I think that’s everything. So, I guess we just need to come back in fifty minutes to move the clothes over to the dryer for an hour on the normal setting.”

  I chuckled, and she glared at me. Our housekeeper had taught me how to do laundry, since in theory I would be going away to college, and she wouldn’t be there to do it for me. She also taught me to cook a bit, too. Nothing too fancy, but basic dishes that were cheap and easy to make. I didn’t share any of that with Willow though. It was fun watching her YouTube how to get through life.

  At least she was getting her hands dirty, so to speak. She wasn’t sitting around and trying to make me and Livvy do everything for her. Honestly, she was probably pulling the most weight out of all of us. I’m not going to lie, I let her do it. I needed to know that she could take care of herself if I wasn’t around. I assumed that eventually, she’d want to strike out on her own. I hoped at one point we’d pick permanent identities and settle down somewhere.

  Picking up the bottle of laundry detergent and shoving the dryer sheets under her arm, she gestured for me to go ahead of her. “Let’s go find our guy.”

  “Our guy?” I asked. I paused at the door leaving the laundry room and scanned the area with my mind. Deeming it safe, I opened the door and stepped out with Willow behind me. I visually scoped out the area around us. The campground went in a big loop with crossroads running down the middle. The sun was bright as it was starting to set. Releasing a string of curses, I slapped at my arm. Willow’s research on the island hadn’t revealed the killer bugs that lived here. Nasty little shits.

  “Well, I guess so,” she said. “Maybe he’s just my guy since he popped into my head.”

  Okay, I know she was turning seventeen in a few weeks, but I didn’t like the idea of Willow having a guy. That was just basic brother protection and the knowledge that there wasn’t a male on this planet worthy of her. But more than that, she saw the future. How would anybody be able to deal with that? Would she have to keep that a secret forever?

  “So, he’s driving an SUV,” I said, steering my thoughts back on track. “Anything else you can tell me about his car?”

  “It’s a dark color, maybe black or blue. And it’s backed into the site.”

  “With trees around it.”

  “Yes.”

  “Anything else on the site? A tent? Picnic table?”

  “There’s a table and one of those canvas chairs we have by a fire pit. There’s a hammock, as well. The site has natural shade from the trees, so he doesn’t have one of those canopies everyone else around here does. He does have a skinny standup tent, like maybe he changes in there or something.”

  I was fascinated by the way her visions worked. Once her initial excitement or panic subsided, she was able to see more details. I had tried to calm her down in the RV, but I guess I lacked the technique needed. It’s something I would focus more on helping her with. We might not always have the luxury of time to wait for her to get it all together.

  There weren’t many sites with trees and so far, the ones we came upon didn’t match her description. They had tents or campers on them. Still as we came to the last crossroad, there on the left was the most wooded site in the entire campground. Damned if there wasn’t a black, older model Jeep Cherokee complete with an orange cat sleeping underneath it. The car was backed in along the trees on the left side with branches hanging over it. Just outside the car was a green skinny tent. Further over, a nylon orange and gray hammock was strung between two trees. The wooden picnic table was pulled under the trees for shade, but the canvas camp chair was in the sun near the firepit. Along the passenger side of the Jeep leaned an older b
ike, similar to the beach cruisers I saw people around here riding.

  Not gonna lie, I had campsite envy. North Carolina was hotter than Satan’s front porch.

  I studied the Jeep. There was a mind in there, but they appeared to be asleep. At least, I thought so until a person whipped up to a sitting position and held my gaze. I couldn’t see him very well in the setting sun, but I could hear him clearly.

  “Holy crap, that’s him,” Willow whispered.

  “Who the fuck are you?” He demanded. The sky suddenly darkened like the sun just fell out of the sky. Willow and I looked up at a perfect starry night. I can’t say I’d ever seen the sun set so fast, but maybe that was the way it worked around here. What did I know about how things worked on the coast? I lived near mountains in the middle of the country.

  I returned my gaze to the Jeep and the guy inside, who I now couldn’t see at all. Come to site D7, and we’ll tell you. If you get there soon, we’ll even feed you dinner.

  Pressing my hand to the small of Willow’s back, I guided her back in the direction of our campsite. I strolled at a leisurely pace. We had surprised the guy, maybe even scared him a little, but I didn’t feel threatened by him—at least not yet.

  “That was weird,” Willow said as we walked. “I’ve never seen the sun set that quick.”

  “Yeah, me either.” The situation made me a little uneasy, but again, not feeling threatened. Besides, I could put him on his knees if I needed to.

  As we walked back to the RV, I scanned the minds we passed. People were just as confused about the sudden sunset as we were, and parents were calling for their children to come back to their sites. I imagined some kids might end up getting in trouble for not being back at their campsite by sundown.

  Olivia was still inside the RV and sitting on the couch with her book when we returned and stepped inside. The place smelled clean, and I noticed she had a small candle burning on the counter, probably to mask the smell of Lysol in an enclosed space.

  “Thirty minutes until we have to go back and switch the laundry over to the dryer,” Willow announced. All the lights in the RV were on, and Willow moved to the kitchen area, pulling out her pressure cooker and starting her dinner preparations. She opened her laptop and set it on the dinette table.