It looked like some sort of holding pen. Almira had been right.
Sirens blared in the distance.
“Time to disappear,” I said.
Drake shook his head. “We can’t just leave Art. After he got caught breaking into Miliron’s house, he’ll be arrested. His dad won’t be able to get him off this time.”
“Art’s father is as shady as they come. He’ll make this look like Art was an innocent victim, like the rest of these kids.”
“He is a victim,” Drake said. “He told me he can’t help it. It’s the Psychedone 10.”
“I need to scan him.” Art had been using Psychedone 10 longer than anyone I knew. He was lucky to be alive. And he had information I needed. “Hurry, bring him into the cave.”
Drake led Art inside and sat him against the wall. I followed and took Art’s face in my hands. Concentrating, I pulled at his mind. A quick glimpse of Whatsisface bouncing off a locker flashed and disappeared, then a feeling of sheer terror and a boy’s face with the mouth of a lion—nausea instantly overwhelmed me. My head pounded and I became disoriented. Realizing what a silly mistake I had made, I released Art from the scan.
“Never scan a mind that’s high on Psychedone 10,” I said. “Let’s see if we can get him to talk.”
“Let me handle this,” Drake said. “Art. Art, talk to me.”
Art turned his glazed eyes upward, moving between Drake and me. He opened his mouth to speak. “Phobos,” he slurred, then his head slunk forward and rested on his chest.
“Nicely done,” I said.
Drake’s mask turned toward me. “No need to be sarcastic.”
“That wasn’t sarcasm,” I said. “Phobos means ‘fear’ in ancient Greek. Before my scan got messed up by Art’s Psychedone 10 addiction, I felt terror and saw a boy with a lion’s face. According to mythology, Phobos was the son of Ares, god of war. He was a boy with the head of a lion. I think Art knows the identity of one of the Knights.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Finding Mrs. Draudimon
“I knew my dad was lying to me this whole time,” Mason said.
I had just finished telling him everything I knew, both from Mrs. LaReau’s diary and from Almira Demiurge. “The Whisperers think there’s more to it than that, Mason. They believe he had no choice.”
“There is always a choice. How do they know?”
I shrugged. “It’s their job to know things. So far, they’ve always been right.”
Mason gazed down at the floor. Note to self: get pushed around by the Red Team more often. Mason was back. Actually talking to me. And I was not about to go all Spider-Man on him now.
“Are you okay?”
Mason shook his head.
“I’ll find her, Mason.”
“It’s not that.” He looked up at me. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a jerk. It’s just that when I realized I was SOL—”
“SOL?” I asked, laughing.
“Sadly out of luck,” Mason said with a crooked smile. “Because I’d really thought I had a chance with you. But I totally understand that a crime fighter needs her space, and I am patient and will wait until I’m old and barely able to walk if that’s what it takes, but I won’t pressure you to be my girlfriend.”
“Umm…”
“When I saw Tammy hit you, and then Art pushed you, I just— I can’t help the way I feel about you, Rinnie. I mean, jeez, since fifth grade.”
“Mason, I—”
“Sorry, rambling,” Mason said. “My brain is full. Anywho…”
“I’m glad you came to my rescue. Every girl needs a bodyguard.”
“So, I still have the job?”
“Always,” I said softly.
We sat quietly for a minute, but there was no awkwardness. It was relaxing.
“I can’t believe I might get to see my mom,” Mason finally said. “For ten years, I’ve just put her out of my mind. I don’t know how you keep going, knowing that your parents were murdered. I mean, is that what drove you to be a Psi Fighter?”
“I’m a Psi Fighter because there is evil in the world. So I fight it. I miss my parents. I miss them a lot. But I know we’ll be together again. Death isn’t the end.”
“It sure feels like it is,” Mason said. “My mom was gone until recently. Now I finally have hope that we’ll be together again.”
I shook my head. I didn’t want to get into it. “I understand death differently than a lot of people. But I still won’t tolerate Nicolaitan murdering innocents. I’m going to take him down. I need to find your mom.”
“Rinnie, I’m really scared for her. It sounds like she’s wandering around Camelot free, but that psycho could flip out and kill her any time something doesn’t go his way.”
“That’s why I have to find her.”
“We have to find her.”
I smiled.
“How do we get my dad to talk? I mean, he never talks about mom.”
“He’ll talk. I have a plan.”
Chapter Forty
A Time to Kill
Phobos was fully masked and armored.
“Art Rubric is becoming dangerous to us,” Nicolaitan said. “I fear he may be able to fight the effects of Psychedone.”
“That would be tragic,” Phobos whispered. He knew what was coming and tried to take Nicolaitan down another path. “Did you know that the Morgan girl rescued Scallion’s captives? A resourceful girl.”
“Clearly. And you know this, of course, because you were there?”
Phobos shook his head. “I saw her in Rubric’s mind this morning at school.”
“How pleasant,” Nicolaitan said. “The girl is everywhere. Tell me her name.”
No. I won’t. “I am very close, Master. But she has not revealed herself yet. As I said before, she is subtle.”
“Very well, Phobos, my boy. I believe Mr. Rubric has outlived his usefulness. I would like him to die in a most gruesome manner.”
“Will his death have an impact on your Psi Fighter? Will she have a chance to rescue him?”
“No,” Nicolaitan said. “What I have planned does not leave time for rescue. However, his death will cause a reaction, which I expect you to notice. His death will bring her closer to you.”
Not even Art Rubric deserved to die. Phobos felt the familiar tightening in his chest.
Nicolaitan chuckled. “The Morgan girl will show herself this time. Of that, I am certain.”
Chapter Forty-One
In the Mayor’s Den
“Are you sure this will work?” Mason asked without looking back.
“I am.” I followed Mason toward his front door, masked, in full armor, and in Shimmer mode. “He won’t talk in front of you if you bring your girlfriend.”
Mason turned enough that I could see the smile that had burst across his entire face. “You’re my girlfriend now?”
Good thing my face was masked, because it was glowing hot. “I was speaking metaphorically. Keep your mind on the mission. People will think you’re talking to yourself.”
“Can you say Bluetooth? It’s hard to keep my mind on anything but the invisible girl following me around.”
“Well, try. We’re here to learn the truth about your mom so we can find her and stop Nicolaitan, once and for all.”
“Okay,” Mason said. “He’s waiting for me.”
…
Mr. Draudimon sat down beside Mason. He had been waiting for Mason in his home office. It was massive. I stood off to the side where I could see both of them.
“Look, son, what I am about to tell you is classified information. You can tell no one, do you understand?”
“I’m used to keeping your secrets, Dad. Mom’s alive in Old Torrents, remember? I’ve lived that lie for ten years, even though I was there when she was murdered.”
Mr. Draudimon ran his hand through his hair. “I have too many regrets in my life. All I ever wanted was to provide a good home for you and your mother, but the job takes so much of my
time.”
“Mom and I never wanted the money. We never cared about how powerful you are. We just wanted to spend time with you. When Mom got sick, you disappeared. I mean, you were here, but your head was always somewhere else.”
“You’re right. I wasn’t even aware of your mother’s illness at first. Before he died, Police Chief Munificent and I were getting so close to the man called Nicolaitan. I think Munificent knew his identity. His heart attack was no coincidence. Nicolaitan can do things I never knew were possible. Terrible things.”
“Wait,” Mason said. “You were on Munificent’s side?”
Mason’s father looked up. “Of course. What did you think?”
“I thought you were the cause of all the corruption in the police force. I thought that’s how you got to be where you are.”
So did the Psi Fighters and the Whisperers. Mason’s dad was clearly a good actor. I couldn’t wait to see where this was going.
Mr. Draudimon smiled shallowly. “That was the image I created. That was how I got close to the real corruption. Munificent and I were the consummate good cop, bad cop.”
“You’re telling me you’ve been a good guy all this time? Then how did Mom wind up becoming a guinea pig for Psychedone?”
“Because Nicolaitan saw through my ruse. He captured your mother and took over her mind to punish me.”
Mason stood up. “Wait, you mean you’ve seen Nicolaitan? You know him?”
“I’ve never seen him face to face. Your mother told me she was paying for my mistakes. But I didn’t believe her until it was too late. I really thought she was mentally ill. I took her to Old Torrents for help, but even the best doctors were useless. None of us knew it was all being caused by the mind control drug that Nicolaitan forced on her.”
Mason was pacing the room now. “The day she tried to light me on fire…the day he murdered her with a shovel…did that really happen? Nicolaitan told me I saw what he wanted me to see.”
Mr. Draudimon nodded. “It was all real. I know that now, but at the time, I thought you had finally snapped and killed her in self-defense. I thought you made up the story about a man with a rotting face. Your mother had become so uncontrollable. When I came outside and saw you standing over her with that shovel, her head all covered in blood, I thought the worst. I had to protect you, so I carried her to the car to hide her body. That’s when I discovered she still had a pulse, so I thought of another plan. I knew I couldn’t protect you from her as long as she lived with us, so I put her in the trunk, knowing you believed she was dead, and drove her to Old Torrents. I had enough political clout to get her admitted as a Jane Doe. Two days later, she disappeared. Nobody knew how. I kept it hushed, and started the rumor that she was undergoing treatment, registered as a Jane Doe to keep the family from being shamed. In a corrupt world, everyone understood. The ploy worked. That was ten years ago. No one has seen her since, and no one has asked any questions.”
Mason’s body stiffened, and he glared at his father. “Why didn’t you tell me she’s still alive?” he shouted. “You never even tried to find her. Why did you lie to me?”
“You loved your mother, Mason. Even when she was at her worst. I knew I couldn’t keep you safe from her as long as you thought she was alive. Remember, at the time, I believed she was mentally ill. I had to keep her away from you, and I had to keep you from asking questions.”
“I went to Livermore to find her grave,” Mason said.
“She’s not there,” Mr. Draudimon said. “I just told you that so you would truly believe she’s dead.”
I was beginning to like Mason’s dad less and less. Maybe he was a good undercover mayor, but he was an awful father.
“Why did you pick a haunted cemetery? Why not Sinclair Park? I probably would have been more comfortable with that.”
“It wasn’t really a stretch. Your great grandmother and her sisters are buried in Livermore. Your mother’s grandmother. Grandma Little, Great Aunt Fern Little…all the girls from the Little clan are there. But not your mother—only Nicolaitan knows where she is.”
Mason sat back down beside his father. “And nobody knows where Nicolaitan is.”
“Munificent and I both believed he was a member of the police force. I think that’s why Munificent is dead. He got too close.”
He did. I’d seen it in a memory. Amos Munificent knew Nicolaitan’s identity.
“How long have you known that she wasn’t mentally ill?” Mason asked.
“Munificent told me just before he died.”
“Then why didn’t you try to find her?”
“Right after she disappeared, Nicolaitan told Munificent he would kill your mother if anyone came looking for her.”
“He couldn’t kill me,” Mason said. “What makes you think he could kill her?”
“At the time, I didn’t know Nicolaitan had a weakness. Munificent warned me that he doesn’t make idle threats. I didn’t want to find your mother’s body in some back alley, so I backed off. To protect you and her.”
Mason sat quietly, staring at the floor. Finally, he said, “Dad, I’m going to find Mom.” He pulled himself to his feet. “With or without your help. Or your permission.”
Mr. Draudimon nodded. “I know, son. You know I can’t be seen helping you. Your mother’s life depends on it.” He stood up and placed his hands on Mason’s shoulders. “But I can feed you information.”
Mason smiled. “Why didn’t I come to you sooner?”
“I guess I never really gave you a reason to, did I?”
Chapter Forty-Two
Where to Begin
I didn’t want to intrude on the touching family reunion, so I waited for Mason in the shadow of a massive lilac bush, taking the opportunity to switch into the jeans and Three Stooges T-shirt I’d had on under my uniform. The front door opened and Mason came through. He hugged his father and walked quickly down the porch steps. As he crossed the yard, he kept looking backward. I giggled and came out from behind the lilac bush.
“That went well,” I said.
Mason jumped. “I thought you were behind me. Where is your—”
I pointed to my backpack. “I’m a quick changer.”
“I see that,” Mason said as we walked down the street toward my house. “How did you get outside without me knowing?”
“It’s what I do. Did you know where I was while you were talking to your dad?”
“Not for a second. For all I know, you could have been in my bedroom going through my sock drawer.”
“Maybe I was. Or maybe I was standing right beside you the whole time.”
“That would be better than going through my sock drawer.”
“Are you okay?”
Mason’s face became grim. “I’m good.”
“Typical guy,” I said. “You get life-changing news and you’re all, hey, I’m good. I know you, Mason. You aren’t good. You have a whole string of things tearing at you. After ten years of believing your dad was the reason for the corrupt police force, you learn he’s really the good guy. And you finally know for sure your mom’s alive, but nobody knows where she is, except Nicolaitan, who is still threatening your family. Did I miss anything?”
“Just the most important one.”
“Which is?”
“The girl I love only wants me for a bodyguard. I was wrong, Rinnie. I can’t wait until I’m old and barely able to walk. I thought I could.”
The girl he loves. That sounded so nice. I mentally hugged myself and let out a long sigh. Wait…just a bodyguard? “I never said that.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You said you’re not my girlfriend.”
“No, I said your dad wouldn’t talk if you brought your girlfriend.”
“So, you’re not saying that you’re not my girlfriend?”
I smiled. My stomach was suddenly all fluttery. “I never said that, either.”
“Are you saying that you are my girlfriend?”
“Mason!”
Maso
n’s face dropped. “I know you can’t be. It’s okay.”
I stopped walking and looked up into Mason’s very blue eyes. “I never said that. But I don’t think you’d want a girlfriend like me for long.”
Mason smiled and took my hand in his. “I’m looking for a girl who disappears unexpectedly, cancels dates without notice, and shows up at school all grumpy from lack of sleep. Someone who’s totally unreliable. Hypothetically speaking.”
“What if she also fights against the world’s deadliest criminals? What if her life is always in danger, and you never know when you’ll see her again? Hypothetically speaking.”
“Heaven on Earth.”
“What if she wears a mask?”
“Where can I find such a gem?”
I stared at the sidewalk for an instant. “I know somebody.”
“Hypothetically speaking?” He tilted my chin up with one finger.
I blushed. “No. For real.”
Mason’s face burst into the biggest smile I have ever seen on a human. He slowly lowered his face toward me, and I lifted my chin higher.
Suddenly, a car horn blared as it drove by, and a bunch of kids yelled, “Get a room!”
Mason spun on his heels and shouted, “Jerk!”
So much for our do–not-disturb moment.
“I think I lost my place,” Mason said, turning back to me. “Where were we?”
“About to start looking for your mom.”
“You sure know how to kill a good mood.”
“Can you live with that?”
“With all my heart.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Lost Art
“I want to be just like you when I grow up,” Kathryn said as we walked down the hall the next morning. “You spy on the mayor in his own house, learn secrets that could change the course of the universe, and walk away with your first-ever boyfriend. I am so proud!”
“Yeah, but it means work for the Whisperers. That means you.”
“I am on top of it, girl. Give me a mission. Give me secrets to uncover. Give me rumors to spread.”
Live and Let Psi Page 21