by Krysta Scott
It wrapped around her, squeezing the air from her lungs, clouding her vision. Her hold loosened. He thrust her backward. The tension eased and air rushed into her lungs. Panting, she slid to the ground.
Nikki glared at him, expecting his taunt. But what met her was a surprise. Somehow more chilling than gloating, his mouth twisted. Bewilderment mixed with a hard need to crush her will to his. “Why doesn’t it work on you?”
“What?”
“You should be mine. Do my bidding. Especially here.”
Confused, Nikki forced herself to think quickly. Parker’s power far exceeded her own—didn’t it? Yet, he acted as if he’d failed. Frantically, searching her memory, she thought back to the other day. What had he been trying to do that hadn’t worked? He issued a command followed by paralyzing pressure. Was that not his expected outcome?
“Stay away from me.” He backed away. She followed. He turned and fled. She stayed close. Visions of his past flooded her. Parker was flanked by his entourage. Safe amongst his friends, Parker knocked a Cubs baseball cap off a skinny red head. “Haven’t you heard, your team sucks?” Laughter and chortles exploded from Parker’s buddies. Their smiles easy. Clapping him on the back. Playful body slamming as they sauntered away. A bully. King of the school. Parker was cruel. The most popular guy in school.
A short kid rushed past them, his eyes on the floor.
“Hey.” Parker said. The boy looked up. And Parker fixed the kid with the same stare he had used on Nikki. “Pull down your pants.”
Without a word, the child unzipped his fly. His pants pooled around his ankles. The other boys roared with laughter. Parker smirked. “That’s better.”
Oh no. What she had done was far worse than she imagined. Parker wasn’t contained in the dream world. He could influence a person merely by looking into their eyes. His life was better than ever. His dominion over others gave him a rush of power.
His laugh was crazy. Insane. No one noticed. They were too besotted with their chum to discern the evil. His parents did his bidding. They were no longer afraid, but looked upon him with pride and encouragement. Parker may no longer be an outcast but he wasn’t a productive citizen either. He abused his powers, seeking revenge upon anyone who hurt him in the past.
No. Nikki’s thoughts resonated in his mind. This is wrong. Go back to the beginning. Be responsible. She wasn’t sure if he heard her words.
His child form vanished and she was left in darkness. She could find no real indication he was present or that he comprehended. The murkiness of his mind held no spark. A cold tremor of realization shocked her core. If the possibility of making amends existed, she needed to try elsewhere.
Nikki fled into Amy’s mind. Her mind was different too. Instead of someone aware of what she was doing, Amy operated as an automaton. She wore a short skirt, a pearl necklace, and high heels. She stood at the sink washing the dishes by hand, though a perfectly sound dishwasher was built in just next to her. Nikki watched her prepare sandwiches for twenty people with growing horror. Parker hovered in the background barking orders. “Cut the crusts off and toast the goddamned bread first.”
Amy nodded. With meticulous movements removed the crusts.
“That’s right. You know how I like it.”
Amy put two tablespoons of pimento and cheese mixture on the sandwiches and cut them into triangles. She placed each wedge on a platter, repeating the process over and over, expression placid. Her dull eyes focused on her task and nothing else. She moved the platter from the counter and carried it to the dining room. Parker flipped the tray before she reached the table.
“You clumsy fool.” He back-handed her across the cheek. “Make them again.”
“Okay.” Amy rubbed her hands on her apron and bent to gather the sandwiches strewn across the floor. After depositing them in the trash, she washed her hands and began again.
“Dear God.” Nikki breathed.
She pushed further into Amy’s mind. Like Parker’s, no spark of life remained. Nothing but brown goo and skeletal tendrils greeted her. She swiped them away as far as she could. Until she located the real Amy trapped behind a barrier. Amy beat her hands against the wall, her mouth open and screaming. But no sound emerged. Nikki tore at the barrier and Amy tumbled out. Nikki grabbed her arms. Stop listening to him. Be your own person.
Amy nodded her face no longer devoid of emotion. Her lips trembled. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Shakily, she got to her feet with Nikki’s assistance. “Will you be all right?”
“Yes.”
One last task. Nikki entered Lori’s mind. Thank God. Lori’s mind was solid. Nikki let out a huge breath and rolled her head, willing her muscles to relax. Parker hadn’t gotten to his daughter yet.
Upon further investigation, Nikki realized, it wasn’t from lack of effort. Parker had tried, but Lori had resisted his influence. He’d tried many times. Each and every time Parker’s eyes bored into Lori’s, Lori shrugged and turned away. Again and again he attempted, but was somehow always thwarted by his little girl.
Nikki studied Parker’s movements. His technique. She was rewarded by a glimmer of hope. She could do the same. She was sure of it. And she would use her powers for good.
****
Nikki shook her head on her way to the Hanover house, grimacing. Not a good idea. Hot knives sliced through her brain, raking a trail of pain. She shouldn’t have tried going into three minds in one night. But she had to be certain everything was all right.
She stopped in front the house. The fresh mowed lawn was green. Purple and red flowers bordered the house flanked by two blossoming Crepe Myrtles. The walkway was clear and clean. Her pulse raced. Had she finally done something right? She crossed her fingers in her pocket, and with a light step made her way up the walk. She knocked on the door.
Amy answered. Nikki detected no recognition in her eyes. “Yes,” Amy said tentatively.
“Mrs. Hanover, I’m here to see Lori.”
“Who?”
Nikki stepped back from Amy’s vacant expression. If there was one thing Nikki was certain of, it was Amy’s devotion to Lori. Nikki searched Amy’s face for some kind of sign she was making a joke. She found none. Amy frowned at her scrutiny. “I’m sorry. If you’re selling something, I’m not interested.”
A chill trickled down Nikki’s spine. Amy began to close the door. Nikki stopped her. “I’m here to see your daughter, Mrs. Hanover.”
Amy’s hand flew to her chest, the other one wrapped tight around the screen door. “I don’t have a daughter. I-I’m not ready for children. You must have me confused with someone else.”
“Who’s there?” Parker came to the door. Unlike Amy, recognition did dawn in his eyes. His cheeks burned with a rage so deep Nikki’s throat closed. She swallowed, grasping to regain her equilibrium.
“What do you want?” Parker growled. He stepped forward, forcing Nikki so far back she almost stumbled off the stoop.
“I want to see Lori,” she whispered.
Parker’s eyes narrowed. “No one by that name lives here.”
“I don’t understand.” Nikki blinked rapidly. Her stomach churned. She’d gone too far. Changed too much. Lori was gone. “I was s-s-sure she lived here.”
“Parker and I don’t have children.” Amy’s voice took on a sympathetic tone as if speaking to the mentally imbalanced. At this point, Nikki wasn’t sure she wasn’t. Remorse flooded her with a weight threatening to drag her through the ground. It was less than she deserved. She stood there with Amy’s confused stare and Parker’s malevolent one. What had she done?
“Please leave. You’re upsetting my wife.” Parker leered at her in a way that alerted Nikki he knew exactly what she was talking about. A flicker of discontent colored his rage. His eyes bored into her head. Familiar pressure reeled against her. He was trying to influence her.
She adjusted her stance in equal measure with his and pushed back. Parker stepped behind his wife, his eyes wide and mouth agape.
Bet you didn’
t know I could to that.
“What happened?” She addressed Parker, carefully gauging his reaction. “I can fix this.”
“You’ve done enough. Get out.” Parker drew Amy into the house.
Amy turned to him, a gentle hand on his arm. “Parker you don’t have to—”
Parker slammed the door in Nikki’s face cutting off Amy’s words. Message clear. He knew his daughter had been erased and he held her responsible.
Nikki cringed, sure phantom hands would appear and drag her to hell. She deserved no less. In her attempt to help, she’d gone too far. Now the child she was trying to save was gone. Just gone. And it was all her fault.
****
Back at the office, Nikki trailed down the hall on wobbly legs. If she didn’t get to her chair soon, her legs would buckle. Her high heels weren’t cooperating. She should have worn more sensible shoes but how was she to know her acts had erased Lori? A torrent of guilt sucked the wind out of her. She should have known. It was her responsibility to consider all the consequences. She’d acted without thought. Tears pricked her eyes. Yeah, she should have known. Garrett was right. She was a fool.
Finally, she reached her office. The light filtered through the doorway, a beacon of safety. How did you fix a mistake of this magnitude? She needed to think, sink down in her soft chair and work it out. Alone.
She bit her lip. As a caster with no real training, she must be kidding herself. There was no way out of such a mess.
After what she’d done, Garrett would wipe her mind for sure. And her grandfather had his own agenda. Correcting this situation meant she was on her own.
Nikki rounded the corner seeing the last man she wanted to see sitting in her office. At least he wasn’t perched on her desk. Despite that, he sat there like a cobra ready to strike.
“Garrett, this isn’t a good time.” She waved him off but he made no move to leave, he sat firmly planted. What had she expected?
“Oh, I think it is.” His voice brooked no argument. He rose. And lord help her, she was going to back down. She skirted the desk and sank into her chair. Weariness crept through her bones. Her mind spun. And Garrett was breathing down her neck. Judging from his intense glare he’d already learned of her misdeeds.
She sighed, grateful for once for the stacks of files that partially obliterated him from view. She heaved in a breath and waited for him to start the worst conversation of her life. But she was too tired to fight with him anymore. He was the only one who could understand her predicament. The only one with answers of any kind. “I’ve made a huge mistake.”
“I know.” His voice was filled with a tenderness she didn’t deserve. Her mouth went dry. Tears filled her eyes. There were no words to explain. Lori didn’t exist anymore. He was here and knew she was responsible.
“I don’t know what to do.” The words were weak and sad. How do you slap down the enemy when you are the enemy? The tears that she held at bay blurred her vision. Self-disgust at showing such emotion in front of a man she didn’t trust consumed her. The man was hell-bent on annihilating her, given half the chance. Even worse, she deserved that fate.
“I suppose you’ve come to make arrangements to eradicate my mind.” She shuffled a file.
Garrett came around and cupped her chin in his hand. A gentle tender touch, that sent the tears spilling down her cheeks. “No, I’m going to help clean up your mess.”
She blinked and looked up at him. His lips were twisted in chagrin. His jaw twitched but the strain was apparent around his eyes. Compassion lurked behind that stern expression.
“I don’t deserve it.” She hiccupped.
“I know.” He leaned in and touched his lips to hers, then perched on the desk. “This has never happened before. In one fell swoop you have destroyed everything the Guild has taken centuries to build. If I don’t miss my guess, Parker will be coming after you if we don’t go on the offensive. The Guild might be satisfied with letting him destroy you but then he will be out there. An evil man with powers far beyond what the Guild would allow. At least your intensions are pure.”
“Really?” She pulled open the center desk drawer, searching for a napkin or tissue, to blow her nose. A reprieve was a gift. Gladly accepted, for now. “I’m going to fix this. I promise.”
“No. We will fix this.”
“We?”
Her question hung in the air. He shifted uneasily, she was sorry to note. He moved back to the chair across from her, rubbing the back of his neck not meeting her gaze. “Yes, but don’t think there won’t be consequences for you, Nikki. Playing God is wrong. The Guild has laws and consequences for this very reason. No one should be capable of doing what you have done.”
“I understand.” She pulled in a deep breath, resolved. “Okay. How do we fix it?” She moved in front of the desk and sat on the edge one foot over the side. He looked at her. Defeated. Sullen. Stubble framed his chin. Dark shadows underneath his eyes. “You look like hell.”
He arched an eyebrow.
“You could have warned me this could happen.”
“As I recall, I tried.”
“No, you threatened. Threatening doesn’t teach anyone anything.”
He leaned back and crossed one leg over his knee. “I’ll give you that.” Garrett rose and kneaded her shoulders. Nikki froze, so tempted to settle against the hard plane of his chest. He leaned in and whispered against her ear. “I think it’s time you met my mother.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
The house Garrett grew up in held no surprise for Nikki. A massive stately mansion constructed of stone, complete with a turret and wrap around porch. Perfect landscaping of bushes and red, orange, and purple flowers lined the pathway of a vast lawn. She’d bet no one in the Guild lived in squalor. The structure rose with sharp edges. Ghastly shadows loomed over her. She inhaled deeply feeling doomed like the women of the Salem witch trials must have felt on their way to judgement. And Nikki was set to be judged just like those unfortunate souls who burned alive.
Adelaide Nightshade opened the door without a word. She wore a simple blue sheath dress. No doubt the creation of some famous designer. Diamond studs glittered at her lobes. The coldness of the stone matched the ice in her eyes.
Nikki wasn’t welcome but she stepped into the entryway with flair, refusing to let anyone sense her discomfort. She followed Garrett and his mother along the bare wood floors. A creak with every step. No carpeting to warm the drafty interior. It smelled musty and barren.
In the living room, Nikki slid onto the couch. Adelaide stood behind a wing backed chair, resting both arms over the top, drumming her fingers as she surveyed Nikki.
Nikki resisted the impulse to fidget. Adelaide’s irritation was as clear as the absence of dust on her expertly arranged furniture. Nothing out of place. Everything where it belonged. No inviting warmth. Just order. The aggravation in Adelaide’s brown eyes was made more severe by the tight bun at her nape. Nikki longed to jump up and shout her presence was at Garrett’s insistence.
“Well, my girl, you’ve caused quite a stir.” Adelaide fingered the amulet at her neck. The same kind that hung from Nikki’s.
“Yes, ma’am.” Insulting her host would serve no one’s purpose.
Adelaide glanced at Garrett as if she were sizing him up too before returning her attention to Nikki. “My son tells me that you are in need of Guild assistance.”
“Yes.”
Adelaide walked around the chair. The lack of distance unnerved Nikki. Garrett’s mother was a scary, birdlike creature, and Nikki had the sense that any moment the woman would grow wings and pluck out Nikki’s eyes with a newly formed beak. Shuddering, she longed to be anywhere but here facing the retribution of her crimes against the Guild.
“Well, I’m not so certain you can solve this problem,” Adelaide snipped. “To do so means you will have to go back even farther than you have in the minds of others.”
“I will do what I must.” She swallowed meeting Adelaide’s gaze.
Garrett lowered himself next to Nikki. She’d never admit it, but she relished his presence. He lifted his hand and pressed it over hers. “Mother, I think there is a way.”
Nikki shifted a startled glance on him.
He met her eyes, and spoke gently. “How far back have you gone into Parkers mind?”
She blinked back sudden tears. She didn’t deserve his kindness. “As far as five years old.”
He arched an eyebrow. “And you could alter them?”
The question confused her. “Of course, isn’t that what being the Shadow Dancer is all about? I understand no one else can do that.”
“No, we can observe, but we can’t alter more than the last forty-eight hours. The Guild is very strict on limiting the amount of change one can make.”
Nikki understood the necessity now but realized her grandfather didn’t agree with this philosophy. How could he have allowed her to run amuck in the minds of others without censure? At the very least, guidance? She knew he had an agenda but how nefarious was that agenda? She had been created for a purpose, and that purpose had not yet been tapped. She knew that too.
“How far back can you go?” Adelaide asked.
Nikki was surprised by her lack of animosity. A new sense of respect filled her. “I don’t know.”
“I’m guessing as far as she wants to go but she’ll need a gateway,” Garrett said.
“Yes, and she must travel through someone she hasn’t touched. Someone who was there at the beginning.”
A gateway? Wasn’t that what the doors were for? Nikki’s gaze shifted between mother and son as the solid weight of destiny settled over her. She needed a mind without a shield. Someone who wanted her to travel that far without restriction. Excitement flooded her. Songe. He had given her his ring for this reason. She just knew it. She patted her pants pocket assuring herself the ring was still there. Its solid shape gave her hope. “How about my grandfather?”
“I don’t trust him,” Adelaide said.
Nikki straightened her spine and looked Adelaide in the eye. “You don’t trust me either, but to fix this situation, our families must work together.”