by Krysta Scott
“Yes.” It was a weak answer but at least she wasn’t fighting him any longer.
“It was just a spanking. I never meant to hurt her. It could happen to anyone.” That was true. How many of his friend’s kids had welts on their rear end because of a spanking with a belt or a wooden spoon? Lots he’d wager. He’d done less than that and was getting brutalized for applying simple discipline to his own child.
Rage spiraled inside his entrails. He stifled it. This wasn’t the time to let loose his anger. This was his one chance with Amy.
“Maybe,” she said, looking at the floor again. “We could try one more time but I’m not dismissing my case until I’m sure.”
“I can live with that.” And just like that he was back in the game. In a few hours he would have this matter settled for good. He had his powers back. He could push his way into anyone’s mind while they were awake. It felt good. Real good.
Parker grabbed his keys and tossed them in the air. “I’ll move back in tonight.”
****
White walls gleamed an icy welcome when Nikki crept into the hospital room. The usual sterile antiseptic smell assailed her nostrils. She rubbed her nose at the unpleasant acidic after bite. The same odor clung to the air when her sister and mother died. Her eyes watered. She bit back the tears. This was not the time to recall these emotions. Not when she was here to see a man she barely knew. She could hardly even call him family. She shook off the remnants of grief and approached the only bed occupying the room.
Her grandfather sprawled across the length covered by a thin blanket. The hospital gown engulfed his thin torso dwarfing him. IV tubes sprung from his pencil thin arms then arched upward toward several bags holding saline, penicillin, and other medicines. He looked fragile. Breakable.
She was angry with her blustering, manipulative grandfather. Not this fragile old man whose shallow breathing and unsteady blips on the heart monitor marked his mortality.
His eyes opened and a weak smile formed on his lips. A gratifying glow flooded through her. She wrapped her fingers around the cold steel guardrail. One moment she was furious with him, the next filled with this tender emotion. The knot of anxiety in her stomach eased.
Was she relieved because he was her only link to the new life she had entered? Or because he was her grandfather? Her only tie to a life she didn’t remember. She couldn’t lose him now. He was the only true family member she had left.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Heart attack.” His once robust voice held a reedy quality like he spoke in a vacuum. He coughed. “I hear you’ve been busy stirring up a mighty hornet’s nest.”
“I’m sorry.” She patted his arm awkwardly. He might look too weak to lift a spoon but the man had a narrow focus on his agenda. Not that she was clear on his objective. But he seemed pleased with her progress. “I don’t think I’m doing the right thing. It’s all gotten so out of whack.”
“You’re making their lives miserable. That’s a very good start.” A small laugh wheezed from him, setting up another fit of hacking. Despite his weakness, an amused twinkle danced in his eyes. “Keep them on their toes. You’re on the brink of success.”
She tossed him a fierce frown. “Is that all you can think about!” she demanded. Then, “How exactly do I do that?”
He searched around the bed for the remote. She snatched it up and handed it to him. He pressed a button that raised his bed. He pushed aside the sheets and edged into a seated position using the bars on each side of the bed. His loose-fitting gown fell off one shoulder. A wire trailed his skin to the sensor attached to his chest. The rhythm on the monitor spiked. Angry beeps matched the jagged lines running together like the scribbles of an angry child. She leaned over to assist him but he grunted and waved her off. Once settled, he said, “Change the minds of the weak, that’s how.”
“I’m only trying to help the Hanover family.” Every time she spoke to him confusion muddled her mind like a thick fog. He wanted more from her. But she couldn’t figure out what. She needed to do her job not cater to the whims of a mad man set on vengeance.
“As you should be.” He waggled a finger at her, some of the rich quality returning to his voice. Yet it wasn’t the sound of a healthy man. He would sacrifice his life if it suited his cause.
She paused. “Parker threatened me.”
“Of course he did, dear.” His tired lid winked. Or was that a twitch? “All snakes show their fangs before they strike.”
“If I continue will it hurt you?”
“Don’t worry about me. This is what you were meant to do. Don’t stop simply because I landed here.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” She took a deep breath. Someone had to act responsibly when it came to her talents. Difficult under the circumstances. She barely understood the realm of her capabilities. There were rules she didn’t follow. Rules she didn’t understand or know, blundering through a diseased mind of an atrocious parent.
Garrett was getting angrier by the second. And she cared. She’d rather face her grandfather’s disappointment.
“I didn’t take the risk training you so you could chicken out at the last second. You’re making the Guild nervous. That’s good.”
“But I don’t know what I’m doing.” And she was making powerful enemies in the process. Garrett had warned there were horrific ways to stop her. He hadn’t used them so far. Out of reluctance or inability, she didn’t know. That was a puzzle she had yet to work out. The more time she spent with Garrett, the harder it was when he was away. She trembled with the need to be near him. She couldn’t track when the change happened, but the desire to see his face churned full throttle. And if she didn’t get a handle on who she was and where her loyalties belonged, this situation with Garrett would not end well.
“You know what you’re doing. I’ve trained you well. Continue working with the Hanover family. The little girl is the key.”
Nikki’s mouth fell open. “How?” How did Lori have anything to do with her grandfather’s goals? Having been brought through the veil of this society recently, she still didn’t comprehend how close knit the Guild community was. Everyone knew the business of all members. Even hers. A small village she had become a citizen of without relocating her homestead.
He leaned in conspiratorially, voice low. His eyes darted around. “Parker Hanover was stripped of his power when he was a child. He didn’t do well with the dictates of the Guild. Although it was never said, I think the boy had other abilities the Guild feared. Now he has a daughter and I hear she is very talented.”
Frustration with all the innuendos had Nikki tempted to pull her hair out by the roots. “What does that mean exactly?”
“I think we are evolving.” His heart rate went up on the monitor. He leaned back.
“Calm down. You don’t need another episode.”
He waved her off. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” His heart beat settled. “The Guild is trying to prevent us from evolving. Protect that girl at all costs.”
Nikki’s life could not get any more bizarre. A couple days ago, she protected children from the non-paranormal. She defended against bruises, lack of food, and parents who confused a child’s needs with their own. A serious enough job without adding the extra element of mind control. Now, it appeared, anything could happen. “I’m not sure I can.”
“Trust your instincts. They’ll lead you.”
“Yes, but where?” she muttered under her breath. Pressure folded in on her. The enormity of the situation dragged her downward into uncertainty. What if her instincts steered her wrong?
Chapter Nineteen
Nikki sipped her tea with some misguided notion the liquid was elixir to ease her tension. It wasn’t working. She leaned into the soft pillow willing her muscles to relax. She ignored the Hanover file sprawled across her bedspread. She wasn’t able to concentrate enough to absorb the details anyway. Just one moment of peace wasn’t too much to ask. Her cell phone rang. So much
for peace. She jerked it off the night stand. “Hello.”
“Did you miss me?” Garrett’s silky tones emanated dripping with sarcasm on the other end. Her heartbeat quickened. Irritation surged through her system. He was the last person she needed to speak to right now.
“For pity’s sake, it’s late, what do you want?” She massaged her temples unable to stem the iciness. Why did her professionalism desert her when it came to him? One minute she wanted to throttle him. The next jump his bones. It’s like she’d all of a sudden become bipolar. Weariness seeped into her bones. As long as the Hanover case was ongoing, she would have to deal with him. She ignored the warmth that spread along the length of her thighs at the thought. He was the enemy. He should be contained, not toyed with.
“This can’t wait. There’s been a new development in our case.” He sounded a bit too superior. Like a man who had discovered the fountain of youth rather than some mundane fact in a legal battle. As important as the information could be to this case, it was unlikely to have the far-reaching effect of immortality. “One I bet you’re not aware of.”
Resentment at his taunt twisted her insides. “What would that be?”
“The Hanovers want to reconcile.”
“What?” The inane question slipped passed her lips. She pulled the covers up to her torso as a protective shield. “Ridiculous. Parker Hanover is accused of abusing Lori.”
“Mrs. Hanover had a change of heart. She now thinks she…overreacted to the situation.”
“But there are bruises. I’m sitting here with the pictures.” Her heart hammered against her rib cage. If they reconciled, the case was over. She wouldn’t have any authority at all. And without current information, she’d no longer be useful as a caster. “Is she dismissing her case?”
“Not yet.” He didn’t sound so smug this time. “But it does put the case on hold.”
Nikki waited for her heart rate to adjust from panic mode to mere concern. If she was to prevent the Hanover matter from being swept into a dark corner, she had to act fast. “Thanks for letting me know.”
“I trust this development will keep you from head hopping tonight.”
“What do you think?” She pulled the phone from her ear to disconnect but his guttural growl kept her on line.
“I know I’ve said it before, Nikki, but you have no idea of the chaos you are causing with your meddling. You’ve caused enough damage. Please leave the Hanovers alone before you do something I can’t fix.”
“I’ll take that under advisement. I have to go.” She ended the call and tossed the phone on the bed. She fixed her attention once again on the file spread across her mauve comforter, searching for some clue as to how Parker had managed to weasel his way into Amy’s house. She examined each component of her case. Petition for Divorce. Check. Allegations of abuse. Check. Temporary order for supervised visitation. Check. Nothing had changed enough to merit reconciliation. But not all developments were contained in the file.
She’d changed his psyche last night but not for the better. What she’d actually unleashed remained unclear. His past memories indicated Parker had a power other casters didn’t. A more insidious development than she’d intended. She’d experienced Parker trying to bend her to his will this morning. But whatever he’d been attempting hadn’t taken. Had he been able to use his powers on his wife? She was certain he lacked the necessary object to control Amy’s mind. Maybe he didn’t need one. A chill shivered up her spine. She shook it off. Parker and his powers weren’t the only explanation. Abusers were slippery, their victims often compliant. It wouldn’t be the first time Amy had caved. She hadn’t spoken with Amy recently. Hadn’t gauged whether she would buckle at the first sign of pressure or not.
Now that Amy wasn’t in intensive care, perhaps it was time to visit her mind. Nikki shoved the papers back into the folder and placed it on the floor. All she needed was a personal item. She’d retrieve one when she visited Lori tomorrow.
****
Nikki walked up the small sidewalk to the Hanover residence. The tip of her foot caught on an uneven portion of the concrete. She tipped forward and stumbled a few steps before, regaining her balance.
She’d only drunk two cups of coffee before heading out this morning. Nothing cleared the fog in her head created by Garrett’s announcement the Hanovers were reconciling. The cracks and tuffs of grass were much more challenging than they should have been. She rolled her head back and forth. Her muscles eased with the motion but her nerve endings remained on edge.
She smoothed her skirt though it was recently pressed and knocked on the Hanovers’ door. One final tug on her suit jacket and she was ready when Amy opened the door.
“Ms. Angelus.” Amy’s eyes widened, and her voice rose. There was no reason Amy should be surprised. The appointment had been arranged days ago. Unless…just how much did she change the other night?
“Hi, Amy. How are you all doing?” She spoke slowly uncertain where things stood in the investigation. Altering events had distinct disadvantages. Nikki stayed calm. No use revealing too much information.
“We’re fine. What are you doing here?”
“We scheduled a home visit, remember?”
“Not really.” Amy shook her head, then smiled. “That’s all right. Come on in.”
Nikki stepped over the threshold into the small living room. It was neat and tidy. The figurines were all in their place. Nothing smashed or broken. She felt a wave of pride at her accomplishment.
“Is Lori here? I would like to begin with her.”
“She’s in her room.”
Nikki followed Amy through the hallway where picture frames that previously littered the floor, now hung on the wall. One picture in particular caught her attention. Parker and Amy stood next to each other beaming in their wedding finery. Next to that, another photo depicted the happy couple gazing in adoration at their small newborn wrapped in a pink receiving blanket. A happy family.
But pictures sometimes lied. A snapshot of one moment didn’t tell the tale of what lay beneath the surface. In this household secrets slithered beneath doorways, hid in the darkest corners.
Amy tapped once on the third door on the right, jolting her back to the present. It was time to focus on those elusive pieces of the puzzle, pull them in the open where they could no longer harm this family.
Nikki found Lori laying on her stomach at the foot of her bed, feet flailing in the air.
“Now Rags, that’s not how we play this game,” Lori chided her doll.
A wave of pleasure pressed against Nikki’s heart seeing Rags back home where she belonged. Apparently, the changes also altered things Lori was able to keep. Nikki tucked that nugget to the back of her mind. Lori glanced up and grinned.
“Nikki!” She scrambled off the bed and threw her arms around Nikki’s waist. She stiffened, startled by the show of joy before quickly returning the hug. Feeling awkward, Nikki extricated the child to arm’s length.
Allowing the children she represented to become attached to her was inexcusable. If she performed her job correctly, her involvement with families was for a short time. A requirement of a Guardian Ad Litem’s position, so the children didn’t suffer another loss once the case was completed. “How are things going?”
“All right.” Lori’s soft reply didn’t sound convincing. There was a pinch in her face that alerted Nikki that there was more to be done.
Nikki cast Amy a glance, indicating for her to leave them. She needed Lori’s perspective.
“Well,” Amy said, “I’ll just be in the other room.”
Nikki nodded and led the child further into the room. The bedroom looked similar to the last time Nikki was there. It was the one room that had remained untouched by her father’s rampage through the house. She wondered briefly if Lori remembered those events. Lori looked worried. Maybe some remnants of the past still seeped into the present.
Nikki sat on the edge of the canopied bed. “How has it been since your daddy
moved back in?”
Lori moved beside her. It was very much like an aunt talking to a niece sharing secrets, but far more serious.
“It’s been okay.” Lori picked up Rags and toyed with her red hair.
“Anything you’d like me to change?”
Lori looked up, hope on her face. Nikki still wasn’t sure how powerful her abilities were. How much she could address. She made progress with the Hanover’s condition but she suspected Lori was about to poke a hole in her soaring mood. That her changes weren’t good enough.
“He isn’t spanking me anymore but…”
“What?” Nikki bit her lip holding back the edge of dread threatening to surface.
“He’s just weird.” She thrust Rags onto the bed. Her doll’s arms fell over its face, one leg curled around the other.
“Weird how?”
“I don’t know. He doesn’t get that red face anymore but he still seems…mad somehow.” Lori’s soft brown eyes implored Nikki to help her.
“What do you mean?”
“His face does this weird twitching thing.” Her hands fluttered in an attempt to mimic the motion.
“What do you think that means?”
“I think he’s hiding that he’s mad. And my mom’s not right either.”
Nikki’s heart pounded out the rhythm of distress. She’d definitely made matters worse but couldn’t grasp hold of what she’d actually done.
It sounded like Parker was a powder keg with the fuse lit and about to blow. Nikki wanted to sooth him into a loving father, not mask his darkness. “How so?”
“She does everything he says no matter how stupid it is. Last night I caught Mommy scrubbing the floor—with a tooth brush.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say about that?”
“She said it was the only way to get the floor really clean. But she’s never done that before.”
“I bet she hasn’t.”