Tangled Minds (Society of Exalted Minds Book 1)

by A. M. Mahler

  I had no idea how we were going to fill our days, but I liked the idea of really living with her. I guess we’d see if we could somehow get degrees online. There were plenty of jobs out there that let you work remotely. We didn’t need the money, but having structure would be nice, especially after all these months without it.

  I was worried about what Olivia being the only Healer in three hundred years meant. Would she be expected to set up some kind of clinic and become the town doctor? What if she didn’t want to? What if I didn’t want her to? Healing bad injuries drained her and healing anyone by direct contact was out of the question. I couldn’t allow her to go through that again. Yes, of course, she was her own person and could make her own decisions, but this wasn’t the world we grew up in. I was charged with keeping her safe now. We were joining a supernatural world and there were different rules. I couldn’t idly stand by and watch as she put herself through pain for other people. It took too harsh a toll on her, and we had no idea how much was too much. What would happen if she reached her limit? Did she even have a limit? I wasn’t willing to find out.

  Reaching across the small space between us, Olivia motioned to me with her hand. Knowing what she wanted, I reached out and grabbed her hand. She liked it when we were connected. I did, as well. I liked all the ways we could be physically connected.

  Letting go of my hand, she smacked my upper arm before linking our fingers again. Oops, she’d read my dirty thought. I couldn’t help it. I was an eighteen-year-old guy, and she was my stunningly beautiful girlfriend. My thoughts frequently went dirty when she was around.

  We made a long stop in Southern Maine where we ate, hit the LL Bean store, and stocked up on food to hold us for a week or so until we figured out the lay of the land, so to speak. We didn’t know if people left this community or had supplies delivered in, so it was best to be ready to stay put for a little bit. Since the plan was to stay—and we were really hoping that worked out—we stocked up on winter clothes too. We could all now make it a week without having to do laundry. I conjured mine and Willow’s closets at home in my mind and sighed when I thought of all those clothes that were just going to hang there unused. If only we could call our mother and ask that she ship them. But that, of course, was impossible.

  Pippa slowed down on the winding country road and turned into what I thought was a driveway. However, once I pulled in behind her, I saw it was a road that led up to a black wrought-iron gate. It was simple, yet tall. The gate towered over the RV. There was no ornamentation of any kind, and only dense woods beyond. The fencing stretched as far as I could see in both directions.

  “This is it.” Willow and Miles squeezed into the opening between the seats that lead back to the rest of the RV. “This is the gate I saw. Well, at least I know my visions work—when they decide to work at all.” Miles put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

  “Maybe now that we’re here, you’ll see more,” Olivia said, sitting forward in her seat. Olivia, Miles, and I scanned the area. There were minds nearby—sentries. Guards patrolling the border of the community, but with the goal of not being seen. Between their desire to the stay hidden and the lack of any signage on the gate, I assumed this community wished to blend in. A look to my left showed a row of mailboxes with house numbers on them. That wasn’t too strange. I had seen that kind of thing before. People lived in gated communities all across the country and was usually reserved for the upper class.

  Ahead of us, Pippa reached out her car window to punch in a code on a little box that stood on a gray metal post. The gates pulled back to the sides and Pippa pulled forward. I followed closely. Just as Miles’ Jeep passed the entrance, the gates immediately closed. I wondered if they were on some kind of sensor system or if someone was watching us in a live video feed.

  Then again, for all I knew these people didn’t need electronic surveillance. They probably had people that could watch the gate and operate it through their minds. Nothing was impossible here.

  The four of us stayed together in the RV cab. The road was two-laned, with double yellow lines running down the middle—perfectly normal. Fall was in peak season all around us and the temperature gauge hovered in the high fifties. Rounding a bend, we entered a neighborhood. It wasn’t too distant from the main road. It was still wooded, but the houses weren’t set that far apart. You could wave to your neighbors from your yard if they were outside.

  The houses themselves were normal houses found in any middle-class neighborhood. Some were more well-kept than others. None of them were overly large. All of them looked historic though. We passed a post office. It confused me because of the mailboxes out front. As we continued behind Pippa, we passed a small fire department that had the bay doors opened revealing two fire trucks and an ambulance. There was also a general store, a small school, and another colonial looking building with police cars out front.

  “It’s like they’re self-sustaining,” Olivia said.

  We pulled in front of the building with the police cars. I thought it might be some kind of City Hall since it looked too big to be a police station in what I assumed was a small town.

  “Divinity Police Department.” Willow craned her head to see over Olivia and read the side of the cruisers. “If the Order is called the Order of the Just and Divine, why is this place called Divinity?”

  “Don’t know,” Miles said. “We clearly have a lot to learn.”

  As I put the RV in park, the doors to the tall, brick building opened up. Four men and one woman walked out onto the steps. Pippa and Brody got out of their car and rounded the front, turning to us. Smiling, Pippa nodded her head.

  “Olivia, I’m so glad you’re home.”

  Next to me, Olivia startled. We didn’t know who that voice was, but an older man broke away from the group and began walking down the steps toward us. We discovered he was her uncle Travis, and he didn’t mean any harm or ill-will toward any of us.

  “I guess this is it,” Olivia said, putting her hand on the door handle.

  “I’ll come around to you,” I told her. “I don’t think they mean us any harm, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

  “They don’t mean us any harm,” she said. “But we can do it your way.”

  Willow and Miles backed out of the cab space as I got out of the RV and came around the hood. Travis kept his distance. Willow and Miles were exiting the RV by the side door, just as I got to Olivia’s side. She was already opening her door. When her foot touched the pavement, I took her hand.

  I’m right here.

  “We’ll be fine.” She nodded, and together we stepped forward.

  Olivia

  Before me stood the man that could answer so many of my questions. A physical family resemblance was obvious. We had the same hair and eye color, cheek bones, and mouth shape. I recognized him, but at the same time couldn’t remember ever actually seeing him before. I could only assume I was very young when I’d met him.

  “I’m Travis.” His hands opened and closed. He wanted to hug me, but I wasn’t ready to let him. “I haven’t seen you since you were three years old. You look just like your mother. She was my sister-in-law.”

  I jolted. Of course, I knew he had to be related to one of my parents, but hearing it caused a reaction in me I wasn’t prepared for—longing. Longing for family—any kind of family. In my memory, it had only been me and Jeremiah since my parents died, and he had presented himself to me as being my grandfather. He told me I didn’t have any other family. I didn’t know if he ever intended to return me to them or keep me hidden away, but in the end, he did the right thing and sent me here.

  But Travis said it was good to have me home.

  When I looked over at him, he was nodding. “You lived here until you were four years old. Then Eric and Lisa, your parents, left on a trip with you. That’s a story for another day. They intended to bring you back. Their house—your house—is waiting for you.”

  I looked to Jagger. “We have a house. No more cam
per. Maybe it’s big enough for all four of us.”

  Nodding to Jagger, I turned back to my uncle. His short brown hair was graying at the temples. He looked to be in reasonably good shape, similar in height to Jagger.

  “Thank you,” I said. “I’m sorry I don’t remember you, but it feels good to be here.”

  “There’s a lot we have to talk about, but for now, please come inside. Everyone’s been waiting for you. All of you are welcome here. Here in Divinity, we don’t pass down the sins of the father to the children.” Travis looked to Jagger and Willow.

  “And it’s better to keep your enemy close,” one man in the back winked.

  “David,” another man said in a warning tone. The first man didn’t seem to mean anything bad by his comment, but it was worth keeping an eye on him for the time being anyway.

  The five adults turned and walked back into the building, followed by Pippa and Brody, and finally us. Dark wood paneling ran along the walls of the interior with gold wall sconces attached every ten feet or so. Light hardwood floors creaked under our feet. It was strange, but I could feel the building’s age. I had never gotten a feeling from a building or any other inanimate object before, but this structure had seen things—good and bad. It knew love and hatred. Dark and light. To be honest, the space made me uneasy.

  A strangled gasp rang out, Jagger and I spun around. Willow was grasping Miles’ hand for dear life. Her face was pale, her eyes vacant. Images ran through her head of people from all time periods, weddings, physical fights, magical fights. I couldn’t keep up. Yanking on my hand, Jagger shook me out of my thoughts and my mind cleared. Willow was being overwhelmed by visions and she leaned forward, clutching at her head. Wrapping his arms around her, Miles appeared to be talking her through it.

  The man we now knew as David stepped forward. “Well, well,” he said, head cocked and interest piqued. “Guess who can see more than the future.”

  Jagger and I snapped our heads toward him. More than the future? Was Willow seeing the past? We didn’t know she could do that. From the stricken look on her face it was apparent she hadn’t known she could do it either.

  Miles put his arm around Willow as we crossed into a large circular room. There was a round table in the center with five chairs around. It looked very much like the hallway we’d just left with the dark walls, sconces, and light floor. Only this room had boxed in wooden bleachers that ran along it for an audience to sit. Miles led Willow to the side to sit down, and I knew she would be well tended to.

  “This is the council chamber,” a man who had spoken earlier said. He began gesturing to the other adults. “This is Jason Bishop, David McTavish, and Lucy Bright. You now know Travis Corey, and I’m Mark Good, chairman of the council.”

  Jagger looked around the room. There were no low windows. They were all lined at the tops of the walls. “Do all of you always come to meet new people?”

  “No,” Mark said. “This is a special circumstance. One of our own is returning home.”

  I took in the five council members. They were ordinary looking people. They were all dressed like anyone else you’d see out and about in Maine during October—jeans, boots, sweaters, coats. No one had pointy hats, robes, or magic wands. Well, I couldn’t see any magic wands. Maybe they kept them in their pockets or up their sleeves like in Harry Potter.

  My uncle’s lips turned up and he looked down at the floor to hide his smile. I realized that he’d read my last thought. I blocked my link to him. I would be more unguarded when I got to know him better, but for now, I would do my best to keep my thoughts to myself.

  “I wanted you to see this place,” Mark said, holding his hands out. “We’ll give you some time to settle in. Travis and Pippa will help you.” I noted he didn’t mention Brody, who was leaning against the front row of the bleachers with his arms spread behind him on the half-wall that separated the audience area from the well of the room we stood in. “Then you will come back here for an informal discussion. Don’t be nervous about it. No one is going to try to see if you float or sink. But we do have questions for you—all of you.”

  We continued to study the room around us. There appeared to only be one door. Only one avenue of escape—should we need it.

  “Travis and Pippa will show you to your family’s house, Olivia. There’s room enough for all of you. We’ll meet with you again. But for now,” Mark said. “Welcome to the Society of Exalted Minds.”

  FRAMED BY AUTUMN’S stunning beauty stood a white Colonial house with black shutters that belonged to my parents. I could see that it had been kept up in the time since they had left with me and my return to Divinity. I didn’t remember it, of course, but it looked cozy.

  Jagger’s arms snaked around my waist from behind me, his chin rested on my shoulder, and my fingers linked with his. The air was crisp and smelled of trees going dormant until the spring. Fallen leaves blanketed the yard. I could see how a family could be happy here—children running out the front door with backpacks on and eager for the first day of school, summer barbeques and water balloon fights, adorned with Christmas decorations. Was my life like that before my parents’ departure?

  “That all looks perfect. Maybe that’s our future.”

  Resting back against his chest, I took a moment to let the feeling of hope blossom inside me. It wasn’t something I’d ever allowed myself to feel before because my future was so uncertain. Before me now, was a home—my home—that I would share with Jagger. We could have a future here.

  “Wouldn’t you like to see inside?” Travis asked, holding up a silver key. “It’s been thoroughly cleaned—of everything. All your parents’ belongings, but for personal things that I’ve been holding in storage for you, are still inside. It’s furnished. You have everything you need to get started.”

  “Let’s go check out our new home, Supergirl.”

  Plucking the key from my uncle’s fingers, I walked up the brick path to the front door with Jagger next to me and the rest behind me. Jagger held the storm door open for me as I inserted the key into the lock and swung the front door open. As I did, I felt a blast of light and power. Oddly, I wasn’t scared. I felt welcomed.

  “Whoa.” I heard Miles behind me.

  “There was a spell on it to admit only family,” Travis explained behind me. “You just broke it. It’s all right.”

  “That was nuts. I wonder if all of this will ever feel normal to us. We’re someplace that magic exists.”

  Jagger’s words rolled over in my mind. We were someplace magical. However, I already knew it wasn’t all good magic—no matter how nice and welcoming everyone was, something lurked in the shadows.

  We stepped inside the house and into a small foyer. A staircase leading to the second floor stood directly in front of us. I’m not sure what I was expecting—maybe more dark wood walls like the council chamber—but it wasn’t the cozy house laid out before me. Blonde hardwood floors ran throughout, and the walls were a soft buttery yellow with the trim painted a bright white. To my left was a dining room with a well-loved farmhouse table with benches and mismatched chairs around it. To my right was a living room with comfortable looking white linen couches, artwork on the walls, standing lamps, a fireplace, and even a wood entertainment console with a dated television standing on top.

  That would likely be the first thing we replaced.

  Straight down the hall ahead of me was the kitchen. I walked toward it so the others could file in behind me and explore. Feeling along the wall to my right just inside the kitchen, I found light switches. Flicking them up, I illuminated the country kitchen and sighed. It was spotless. Worn white cabinets ran along the walls with stainless steel appliances. In the window above the sink hung a small stained-glass piece of artwork. A butcher block island stood in the center of the room, and the counters were terra cotta tile. A toaster and coffeemaker waited on the counter for our first breakfast in the house. Other than that, the kitchen was empty.

  Only it hadn’t always be
en like that.

  Once a small family had lived here. A woman moved gracefully around the kitchen preparing a meal. Bundles of dried herbs hung from the ceiling above the island and the counters were cluttered with cookbooks, vases of sunflowers, and the ingredients to whatever the woman was making. A pot was boiling on the stove. A man came in, kissed the woman on the forehead and gifted her with a basket full of fresh vegetables.

  It was all so domestic. Was it a memory? Maybe I was looking at it all through the eyes of a baby in a highchair, perhaps in the corner.

  “There are four bedrooms upstairs.”

  My uncle’s voice interrupted my thoughts. He turned to lead us out of the kitchen. When I lingered a second, Jagger squeezed my hand. “You okay?” I nodded. “We’ll get to know the house when he’s gone, okay?” I smiled and let him lead me out of the homey space. Willow and Miles were standing with Travis in the archway to the living room.

  “Let’s get the chill out of the air, shall we?” Travis held his palm flat out toward the fireplace and the cold empty firebox. We all jumped back a step when a roaring fire suddenly appeared and warmed up the room. Smiling, Travis turned back to us. “There’s wood out back to keep it going.”

  Wide-eyed, Miles stepped back to let Travis lead the way to the stairs. Once Travis started up the first few steps, Miles turned to us. “He started a fire with nothing but the palm of his hand,” he whispered harshly.

  “Did he though?” Willow asked. “Can you tell if it’s real fire or can he do something like you?”

  “It’s a real fire,” I said. My uncle was a witch. There were actual witches in my family and not just telepaths.