THE EQUINOX STONE (Knights of Manus Sancti Book 2)

by Bryn Donovan

  Nic’s expression was stony. “What the hell are they doing?” he asked, half to himself.

  “Increasing their ranks, maybe,” Jacinto said.

  Michael felt sick. “They can’t find wives?” Well, they were losers. Maybe they couldn’t. “Why only virgins? And Lori’s finding out who those virgins are?”

  “Val, you’re going to have to Read Lori,” Nic said. “Where can you approach her in public?”

  Michael understood the question. If Lori couldn’t compress the timeline, and she wasn’t practiced the way Val was—a big if, but still—then she probably wouldn’t go into Val’s psyche with a bunch of other people around. They’d both be staring into nothingness. It would attract attention.

  “She has lunch duty the period after Michael,” she said. “I could leave something in the cafeteria and go back for it.”

  “That’s perfect,” Nic said. “Michael can linger and talk to her. You approach them both and ask to speak to her privately. Michael moves away but waits where he can see you both.” Michael nodded, envisioning possible vantage points. “You Read her. I’ll text you questions later tonight.” Nic rested his elbows on his knees. “And listen. As soon as you’re out of her psyche—”

  “I know,” Val said. “Get out of there.”

  “No.” Val’s head drew back slightly in surprise, but Michael felt a heaviness in his gut. He knew what was coming next. “Talk to her about being a virgin. They have to think you’re their next victim.”

  “What?” The color drained from Val’s face.

  “It’s the only way—”

  “I understand,” she said, recovering quickly. “But how? Even if I figure out how to bring this up without being completely suspicious”—and Michael couldn’t think of a way to do that, either—“she’ll Read me right away to make sure.” Her eyes searched Nic’s. “We’re in serious danger now, with a Tribunal member who can Read people.”

  “I know,” he said simply. “But this is our chance to get more information about them and get the stone back, and we might save children from being victims of a horrible crime.”

  This had to be strange for her. She’d always been the protected, not the protector. She took a deep breath and let it out. “You’re right. Of course.” Michael feared for her, and he was proud of her. She’d never been in a high-risk situation like this, and she was facing it straight on. “But what do I do if she tries to Read me?”

  “Use your shields,” Nic said. Unlike Michael, Val had a defense against being Read; it came with her psychic gifts. She could put up a mental barrier that psychics, demons, and ghosts couldn’t get through. “And if anyone ever tries to Read Michael and you’re there, shield him.”

  “If I do that, they’ll know I’m Manus Sancti.”

  “Maybe, but maybe not,” Jacinto said. “She probably hasn’t had years of training and experience like you have.”

  Nic nodded. “Act confused. Say you feel dizzy and have a headache. She may just think she’s failed.”

  “I’ll be close by,” Michael said. There was nothing the woman could do to Val physically, at least in the moment.

  Val didn’t dignify this with a glance in his direction. Was she really still mad at him? When they had serious things to worry about?

  As soon as the call ended, Jacinto excused himself to go to bed, but not before shooting a pointed glance at Michael that said, Make this right.

  He would. He’d always known Val was emotional, but he’d be able to cheer her up. “Let’s go to your room,” he suggested.

  She shook her head, walked to the kitchen, and poured a cup of tea. “Do you want some?” she asked with no warmth in her voice.

  “Why, is it poison?” he joked.

  She didn’t smile. “Obviously not, since I’m having a cup myself.”

  Christos. “I was joking—”

  “Don’t.” She walked past him.

  He followed her outside, since she hadn’t told him not to. He hated it that she was feeling bad. At the same time, was it really such a big deal? He closed the screen door behind them both and came over to sit in the Adirondack chair next to hers. “What,” he said.

  She gripped her teacup as though she might fling its contents in his face or conk him over the head with it. Or both. “Seriously? You’re annoyed with me?”

  He realized he was. Her coldness on the call had embarrassed him in front of Jacinto and Nic, when he hadn’t done anything wrong. “I know you’re upset that I was talking to Lilly. But there’s nothing to be upset about.”

  Her mouth dropped open, incredulous. “You know I wouldn’t be upset if you were just talking to her. You were lusting after her.”

  She’d never been angry with him like this in his entire life. He hated it. He’d been nothing but kind to the woman, he’d done nothing wrong, and he was still in trouble. It wasn’t fair. “If I felt something, it was only for a minute or two.”

  “A minute of sheer lust. It was more than a flicker. I can deal with a flicker!”

  Flicker? What was she talking about? He’d been so afraid of screwing this up, but he’d never believed it would be this easy. “I’m a red-blooded male. I can’t help how I feel. But it doesn’t mean anything.”

  “It does to me,” she snapped. “It’s not like you don’t get jealous, either. You got jealous of me just for hugging Jonathan.”

  “No, I didn’t. When?”

  “When you first came back, in the medical ward.”

  Christos, it was hard fighting with someone who had perfect recall. “That was before I had my memories. It didn’t count.”

  “But imagine how you’d feel if you could sense me lusting after someone.” He didn’t want to imagine it. She peered at him. “You even feel guilty and you won’t admit it.”

  “No, I don’t.” He did, though. And he didn’t know why. Realizing that made him even angrier.

  Her eyes widened. “You’re lying. You’re guilty and mad, and you’re lying about it.”

  “This is ridiculous.” He turned away from the recrimination in her gaze, recalling his earlier plan to smooth over her ruffled feelings with jokes and charm. It wasn’t possible. Her feelings were more than ruffled; they were jagged spikes. And he didn’t seem to have any humor or charm on hand…maybe because he cared too much.

  “Did you do anything with her?” she asked.

  “What? No!” How could she ask that of him? He hadn’t even touched her. He stood up abruptly before he even thought about what he was doing.

  Her eyes clouded with misery. “You were so into her.”

  “I don’t give a shit about her.” It wasn’t entirely true. He liked her well enough, and he was worried about every decent teacher and student at that blighted school.

  “I feel so stupid and awful.” She wiped the tear away. “Can you promise not to lust after other people?”

  “No! I can’t. I can be faithful to you. And I’m not sitting around fantasizing about other people.” He really wasn’t, which was saying something, considering the varied cast of people who had graced his erotic imagination before he’d gotten involved with her. “But I can’t watch how I feel in every given moment.”

  “You could try,” she countered.

  “It wouldn’t make a difference.” Would it? He wasn’t sure. One thing was for sure, though—she was being completely unfair and asking too much.

  “Then why can’t you try to make me feel better? Can you say something nice to me?”

  “Right now? No.” He was mad at her. Christos, what did she expect?

  She teared up. “Then will you let me Read you?”

  “What?”

  “Let me Read you so I know everything’s okay. So I know we’re okay.”

  Michael’s blood boiled. Read him, like he was criminal? Like he was Tribunal? “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  She cringed.

  He was unmoved. She’d made him believe that she loved and trusted him—all of him, unconditionally.
That she respected him. And now she wanted to meddle in his psyche any time she liked, when she knew damn well he couldn’t do the same. Her ability to sense his feelings already gave her too much power over him.

  “This is why no one wants to date empaths,” he said.

  He turned around and stormed inside. Behind him, he heard a sob and pretended that it didn’t tear at his heart.

  *

  An hour later, Michael sat on the gray couch in the gray-walled apartment and tried to think of someone he could talk to who’d understand why he’d gotten angry. Someone who wouldn’t just be angry at him.

  Obviously, he could rule out Nic. He’d be lucky if Val wasn’t talking to him about it right now. He couldn’t talk to his brother about it, either.

  Morty Silva crossed his mind—surprising, because he didn’t know him all that well. But the man was an empath, like Val, and somehow, it seemed like he’d have gruff, sensible advice for him. Unfortunately, though Michael knew where he lived, he didn’t have his number.

  Gabi. Even if she thought he’d fucked things up, she wouldn’t hold it against him.

  It was almost three in the morning, which made it one a.m. there, an equally ungodly hour. She probably wouldn’t answer. And she’d be annoyed if she did, but she’d forgive him.

  He grabbed his phone, went to her number, and pressed the request for a video call. It rang twice, and then she picked up. She was sitting up in bed and wearing a tank top, her hair pulled up high on her head with a silk scarf wrapped and tied beneath it.

  “Michael, what’s wrong?” A sleepy harrumph came from next to her—Andre.

  Shit. He already regretted this. “Nothing. I’m sorry, I just wanted to talk, but…never mind. I’m going to go.”

  A frown creased Gabi’s brow. “No, hang on.” The images on Michael’s screen shifted chaotically as she got up. When they settled again, she was sitting on the small sofa in the living area.

  She and Andre had one of the largest living spaces in El Dédalo, with a main room, a bathroom, and two small separate bedrooms, because they’d raised Marc and Lucas there. Lucas, who planned to be a Knight like his mother, was at UCLA now, and Marc, the older one, had recently graduated a semester early from his father’s alma mater, MIT.

  It would be polite to ask about them first. “Has Marc moved to Athens yet?” He was joining the team of Diviners there.

  “He left two days ago,” Gabi said. “I talked to him earlier tonight—or last night,” she added with a chuckle. “I may have cried a little bit. But I think he’s really excited to be starting his adult life.”

  “I’ll bet,” Michael said.

  “But you didn’t call me at one a.m. to ask about Marc.”

  “I shouldn’t have called so late.” It wasn’t like it was an emergency.

  “Mmm, I was kind of awake already. Otherwise I wouldn’t have picked up.”

  “Really?” He might’ve missed some big news at El Dédalo. “What’s going on?”

  “Don’t ever go through menopause,” she said.

  “Okay, I won’t.” He sighed. “Val and I had a huge fight.”

  She raised her thick brows. “Really? You two are such good friends.”

  “We’re more than friends now. Or we have been.” God only knew where things stood now.

  He braced himself for the usual response—surprise and dismay—but she only nodded slowly. “I can see that.”

  “Thank you. Because no one else can. But maybe they’re right, because I’ve already fucked it up.”

  “How so?”

  “I was talking to this teacher at school, really cute—and Val picked up on my reaction to her. I told her it didn’t mean anything. And she wanted to Read me and make sure I wasn’t really into her, and I got really pissed.”

  “Of course you did,” Gabi said. “She can’t go barging in your psyche every time she feels insecure. That would be a messed-up relationship.”

  “Right?” Michael took satisfaction in the vindication—but it was hollow, because he still wanted Val.

  “I can’t stand being Read,” she confided. “I get why we have to do it. But I sure as hell don’t like it.”

  He’d never minded having Val in his head. Or his brother—except when his memories had been gone—since he trusted him. But it would be significantly more awkward to be Read by Val now if they’d actually broken up. “It’s not like I’m cheating on her,” Michael said. “She needs to understand that I can’t control…lustful feelings, or whatever.”

  Gabi looked thoughtful. “You sure about that?”

  Michael’s ire rose. “Yeah. I mean, how could I? It’s natural.”

  “I don’t know. Val taught Cassie how to not get angry. She really wanted to learn. She was scared of what else she might do. And apparently, it worked. She’s had a couple of very good reasons to send scorpions after us. But she’s got a lid on it.”

  “Val said she learned how to control anger when she was young,” Michael mused. “I thought that was a little weird. Why just anger?”

  Gabi huffed. “Because she’s powerful. If she got in a rage, she’d be dangerous.”

  He knew she was powerful, of course. It was one of the things that had drawn him to her, when he hadn’t had his memories—that compelling alchemy of sweet softness and daunting strength. But he’d never thought of her hurting anyone else. Until recently, as far as danger went, he would’ve ranked her somewhere between an irate kitten and toddler with scissors.

  Her anger tonight had shocked him, because he’d never seen it before. That had hurt him. And after all his fears about messing up the relationship, it had put him very much on the defensive.

  Gabi said, “If people can teach themselves to control their anger, maybe they can control other things too.”

  It made sense…but sounded incredibly hard. And it felt wrong. “I never even acted on anything. Feelings are a normal part of being human.” He shook his head. “That’s a lot to ask of me.”

  “I wasn’t only talking about you.”

  Michael blinked. “What do you mean?”

  “Jealousy is a feeling too.” Gabi raised her shoulder in a shrug. “She’s an empath, Michael. She’s got to realize you’re going to have inconvenient feelings sometimes.”

  He’d already more or less already told her that, and she hadn’t accepted it. If he said it again, would she listen? If only she could remember how wide the gulf between a feeling and a choice could be. Otherwise, he’d be the person who kept on hurting her feelings, and that wasn’t okay with him, either.

  Gabi glanced behind her. “I’ll say this,” she said in a lower tone. “In any relationship, both people have to do things or put up with things that don’t seem fair. And you love the person, so you do it anyway.”

  Skepticism rose in him. “What do you put up with, with Andre? Or vice versa?” Not much, he imagined. They were the quintessential power couple at El Dédalo, a warrior and a genius.

  “None of your business. But way more than you might guess.”

  Interesting. “It sounds like a lot of work.”

  Gabi nodded. “How serious about her are you?”

  He sighed. “About as serious as it gets.”

  “Like ‘I want you to have my babies’ serious?” She was teasing, and he started to respond in kind, but the retort died on his lips. The thought had crossed his mind. She raised her eyebrows. “Wait, really?”

  “It’s serious,” he repeated.

  She nodded. “Then I think it’s worth working for.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  On Wednesday, Val sat at lunch pretending to listen to Mia talk about shopping. Over spring break, the girl was going to a convention for fellow fans of a particular TV show, and she’d paid to have her picture taken with various actors. While she talked, Val mentally rehearsed different things she might say to Lori.

  “What do you think I should do, Melody?” Mia asked her.

  “Oh.” Val tried to focus on a
response. “Why don’t you have a dressmaker make you something?”

  Both girls stared at her.

  “How much does that cost?” Britt demanded. “Like, a thousand dollars a dress?”

  She had no idea. She simply gave her dressmaker in Tokyo a credit card number.

  “I definitely can’t afford that,” Mia said.

  Michael had been right when he’s said she was spoiled. The realization only added to her dull misery. Their fight that had, incredibly, made things even worse.

  Maybe she and Michael didn’t work as a couple—and that thought alone was bitter enough—but by asking to Read him, by not believing him, she’d crossed a line that might even keep them from being friends in the future.

  She hadn’t only wanted to verify his honesty. She’d also wanted the closeness and connection she always felt after being in his soulscape. Because she went into people’s psyches all the time and had been in Michael’s a few times since he’d been back, she hadn’t thought of it as such a big request. To him, it’d been the ultimate insult.

  She’d sent him a long text that morning explaining all this and telling him how sorry she was.

  He hadn’t texted back. She couldn’t even blame him.

  Britt twisted the butterfly ring on her finger. Val thought of what she’d said before, about how one of the girls had worn a promise ring. She had to keep her focus on helping girls like them and helping to protect Manus Sancti. She was going to Read Lori. Her own bruised heart was beside the point.

  The bell rang, and Val gathered her things along with Britt and Mia, careful to leave her rainbow-striped Thermos behind on the seat next to her. They filed out, right past Michael, who was monitoring the lunchroom.

  She walked down the hallway, parting ways with Britt and Mia as they reached their next classroom. As though she’d just remembered something—as though someone were watching her—she snapped her fingers and turned back to the cafeteria.

  When she drew near, she found herself walking directly toward Lori, who was heading to the cafeteria doors from the women’s restroom on the other side of the hall. Michael would still be inside the cafeteria, no doubt studying his phone.