Stranger Series Box Set

by Heather C. Myers

  “Who would have the power to do that?” Sophie asked.

  Ethan’s eyes cut right to Daryl’s, and the Aqua professor’s heart stopped. There was only one person on this entire planet, only one person in his centuries of living, he knew that had the ability to keep someone unconscious without inflicting harm or causing damage of any sort. His jaw clenched and he looked away. He didn’t want to admit it, hadn’t even thought of this person as being involved in this at all.

  Now that he did think about it, however, Daryl had to admit that it made sense. Marvin was the sort who put financial gain above morality. He had no conscience and was always looking for a quick way to make an extra buck. In all honesty, Daryl didn’t think Marvin had any qualms about stooping so low as to keep a young woman unconscious as long as they met his price. It was very possible he was responsible for Daryl’s futile sweeps regarding Jane. And if he was, Daryl would enjoy giving the guy a sock to the face. Marvin deserved it, anyway.

  “I know someone,” was all Daryl would say.

  Ethan nodded once. “I think it’s settled, then,” he said. “Daryl, why don’t you run a sweep on your brother.”

  39

  Depogare had a brother? And not just any brother, but a peculiar with the ability to keep someone unconscious?

  Sophie couldn’t believe it. Just thinking about a peculiar who possessed a power like that caused a shudder to go down her spine. And, judging by the look on Depogare’s face, he didn’t appear too pleased at the prospect of his brother being involved in any way. Which meant, it couldn’t be good if this guy was involved.

  “I have a question,” Sophie said as Depogare started his sweep. “We’re taught that there are three types of peculiars—physicals, mentals, and shifters. They’re broken up into these three categories. But now … I mean, Jane, Calvin, and Professor Depogare are something else entirely. Jane was literally brought back to life by Doctor Kessler. Does this imply that there are more types of peculiars than we originally thought?”

  Ethan picked his eyes up from Depogare and placed them on the redhead before him. The corner of his lips curled up, and the smile on his face now was not condescending, but proud. “You’re a very bright young woman, Sophie Harper,” he said in his soft-spoken voice. Sophie couldn’t help but feel her tummy get warm from the praise. “To answer your question, yes. When scientists began classifying peculiars, there were only three known types. These types are the ones you’re familiar with, and the ones we teach our students here—physicals, mentals, and shifters. However, there are modified variations of these three types, like Professor Depogare. And there are completely different types, such as sanators and mentis imperium.”

  Sophie opened her mouth to ask the obvious question, but Ethan beat her to it.

  “Sanators are healers,” he explained. “When we recruit them, they usually come in as shifters. And they are shifters. However, something in their DNA causes them to have the power to transform the body of others.”

  “So,” Sophie began, her brow furrowed, “all sanators are shifters, but not all shifters are sanators.”

  Ethan’s smile deepened. “Precisely.”

  “I didn’t realize Doctor Kessler was a shifter,” Will said, almost to himself.

  He had been listening to the conversation between Sophie and Ethan intently, though the expression on his face was nothing short of bored. Sophie wasn’t surprised. Will had always been the type to prefer action over sitting around and planning. He understood the necessity for it, but that didn’t mean he agreed with it. As Sophie peered at him from the corner of her eye, she took in his form. He reminded her of a caged animal, with the desire to run but no room to even pace back and forth. He wanted to do something about Jane, not just sit around and wait for Depogare to find her.

  “He’s not,” Ethan stated, as though he was surprised by the slipup. “He’s a mental.” His brow furrowed slightly. “Why would you assume otherwise?”

  “He healed Jane,” Sophie replied, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Didn’t he?”

  Ethan flattened his palms on the surface of his desk and leaned forward. “What do you mean?”

  “From what we were told, Jane died,” Will said. “You know Depogare found her and took her to Kessler. From what he said, it appeared as though the good doctor was healing Jane. Brielle had to kick Depogare out of the exam room because the guy wouldn’t let them do their job.” His brow furrowed deep, causing an indent line between his brows. “I thought you knew.”

  “If I knew I had a senator on my school grounds, they would be getting special training, just like Sophie, just like Jane and Calvin,” Ethan pointed out. His voice was low but deadly, and his eyes were just as sharp. “You’re telling me Jane died in her attack?”

  Sophie nodded vigorously. “We thought you knew.”

  Ethan shook his head. “I knew of the attack,” he said, “but I was more focused on the who, why, and how aspect. Of course, I was concerned about Jane and believed her to be in the best hands. That allowed me to focus on other aspects of the incident.”

  “Can mentals be sanators?” Will asked.

  “Not that I know of,” Ethan said in a tone of finality. “If Jane was, indeed, healed, there is no way Doctor Kessler would have been responsible for it.”

  “Then who—”

  “Brielle.” Sophie looked at Will. Everything suddenly made sense. “Brielle’s the sanator.”

  “Brielle?” Will asked, clear disbelief in his tone. The green in his hazel eyes flickered emerald. “That little wisp of a girl who seemed scared of her shadow? Who I’ve never even heard speak, let alone do anything significant during our lessons? She’s a sanator? She healed Jane?”

  “Why is that so surprising?” Sophie asked, almost offended on her friend’s behalf.

  “There is more to Miss Rivera than meets the eye, it would seem.” Ethan’s forefinger touched the tip of his chin, and though the words should have been complimentary, they were not.

  “You’re telling me you didn’t know?” Will asked. “What about Depogare? When he does the recruitment process, he can’t tell there’s something different, even among peculiars?”

  “He knows they’re peculiar,” Ethan explained. “No more than that. To answer your question, no, I had no idea what she really was. I was not aware that Miss Rivera literally brought Jane back from the dead. Had I known, well … I suppose I’m not sure what I would have done. However, I think our next step would be to talk to Doctor Kessler and see if he can confirm this. After, of course, I talk to Miss Rivera myself.” He stood abruptly, his posture perfect despite his frustrated demeanor. “You two may go. I’ll speak to Professor Depogare once he has finished up this sweep. There’s much to do.”

  Will stood. “Anything we can work on while we wait?” he asked.

  Ethan shook his head. “Our top priority is finding Jane,” he said. “However, we must also remember that no body was recovered for Michael. And clearly, General Arbuckle has no intention of letting peculiars be. He still wants to learn all he can and use them as military weapons. Finally, we need to see just what Miss Rivera is, and whether she’s friend or foe.”

  Sophie swallowed as she stood up. “Why would we assume she’s anything but friend?” she asked.

  “She kept her true nature from everyone,” Ethan pointed out.

  “But she saved Jane.”

  Ethan nodded once. “She did.” A pause, as though he was trying hard to say the right thing. “But in this day and age where deception and betrayal come from every corner, it’s always wise to err on the side of caution.”

  They ended up in Will’s flat, quiet and pensive. Sophie plopped on the couch and Will took a seat next to her. Without thinking, she threw her legs over Will’s lap and he placed his arm over them. He leaned his head back against the back of the couch so his face was turned up to the ceiling. Both were exhausted. The past twenty-four hours had caught up to them, and all Sophie wanted to
do was nap. But she couldn’t get what Ethan said out of her head.

  “You trained Brielle,” Sophie said, her eyes closed. Her words were slurred with slumber. “Do you think she’s bad?”

  “Honestly, kid, I can’t tell you,” Will returned, just as tired. “She was quiet. Never got a good read on her. No offense, but when she was in my class, she was easy to look over. She blended in, didn’t go out of her way to answer questions or participate. She was just … there. Nothing special about her.” He didn’t even have the energy to shrug. “In my experience, the majority of those kids go through life the same way they went through school—quiet and average.”

  “She’s so nice, though,” Sophie said, turning on her side and snuggling deeper into the pillow. “It’s just not … She saved, Jane. Maybe she didn’t want to share her secret because she’s scared.”

  “Fear causes chaos, kid,” Will muttered. “Don’t forget that.”

  Two hours later, the two woke up together. Sophie hopped in the shower and Will changed. It was nice to get a moment to herself, running the water over her body, rinsing off the dirt and the negativity. She still couldn’t believe it was twenty-four hours since they had left Jane. At least there was a good possibility she wasn’t dead. But that meant they should have saved her, and they didn’t. She didn’t.

  The Brielle thing threw her, however. Brielle a sanator? A healer? She saved Jane’s life, literally brought her back from the dead, and now …

  She wondered what was going to happen to her now. After her talk with Ethan—after being exposed—Sophie almost felt bad for Brielle. She hadn’t done anything wrong, and by doing a good deed and saving Jane, her secret, one that she tried to keep, would be outed. Brielle had her reasons for wanting to keep quiet, and Sophie could respect that. She still had secrets she wasn’t just ready to share with anyone, not even Will. Maybe in time, but not now. She hoped Brielle wasn’t in trouble.

  She changed back into the clothes she’d had on and wrapped her hair into a towel. She felt so much better after that fifteen-minute shower, like she was lighter. She’d need more sleep, so much more sleep, but she felt … better.

  When she left the bathroom, she walked back over to Will, still sitting on the couch dozing. She smiled at him, a warm feeling going through her body once more. After everything she had been through in her life, going through pretty much all of it by herself, she was so lucky to have him in it. He had his own peculiar way about him, and he definitely wasn’t the most romantic guy, but he was everything she needed, and there was no way she would take that for granted.

  There was so much to do now, so many wrongs to make right. She was intent on fixing the mistakes that she made, redeeming herself, and, more than anything, finding Jane. Whether her friend was alive or dead didn’t matter, she would find Jane and get her family closure.

  Had Ethan even told Jane’s family about what happened last night?

  It didn’t matter, she supposed. What mattered was resolving this, once and for all. And she would have Will with her every step of the way. She could count on him, rely on him, and no matter how many mistakes she made, he would be there for her, backing her up, supporting her, no matter what. Nobody else would do that for her, not even her own parents. Michael had paid them to lure her to the café so he could snatch her. They just wanted a payday more than anything else. Hell, they didn’t even show up.

  Usually, thinking about her parents made her blood boil. But with Will in front of her, sleeping soundly, snoring softly, all the anger inside of her dissipated. How could she be mad when he was in her life?

  Finding Jane was the most important thing. But they also needed to figure out Brielle’s true motives behind hiding who she really was. And they couldn’t forget about Michael, Dianna, and the other peculiars who wanted to further their knowledge of their own kind by running invasive experiments. Finally, General Arbuckle didn’t seem to be the type to back down after his setback last night, so Sophie expected to see him again in some way.

  Things were going to happen. It was going to get worse before it got better. Sophie would need to be strong and certain of herself and her friends. She would need unwavering faith in those she trusted. She would need unwavering faith in herself.

  “You’re staring, kid,” Will mumbled without opening his eyes, interrupting her train of thought.

  “Can’t help it,” she told him, crawling onto his lap and resting her hands on the back of the couch on either side of Will’s head.

  Will smirked. “You’re thinking too loud,” he told her.

  “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

  His smirk deepened and he wrapped his arms around her waist. “Let me help you take care of that,” he offered. “Let’s forget the world for just a little while.”

  Epilogue

  He wasn’t surprised to hear his phone ring, nor was he surprised by whose name it was that popped up on his caller ID. Marvin Depogare was not the smartest man in the world. He didn’t like reading, and preferred it as a method of torture rather than a pleasurable activity. However, he was clever, if he was anything, and had life experience someone couldn’t get out of a book. This was something he took pride in. It was the reason he was able to survive for so long on his own, after amicably parting ways with his baby brother.

  Marvin took to the South like a baby took to milk. He loved extremes, so the weather suited his taste. It was dirt cheap to live out there, and people were so trusting and warm that they would never question why he didn’t age, why he seemed to know what everyone was thinking, why he always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. He had accumulated a portion of wealth while traveling for centuries with his brother, but once he got into selling drugs, he was a rich son of a bitch. He kept his friends close, his enemies closer, and he didn’t talk to Daryl until he had to—they mutually came up with communicating once a year. It worked for them.

  On top of selling drugs, Marvin also used his peculiar abilities for profit. He had no loyalties, so he had no problem working with whomever it was that needed them. It was the easiest thing to do in the world—he’d read someone’s mind, like a human lie detector. If someone wanted his premium package, he could read minds and bend that particular mind to his will. In a way, Marvin had control over that mind. He could cause them pain that wouldn’t leave physical marks, he could make decisions as someone else and make them believe they made it, he could keep someone unconscious, if need be.

  Currently, Marvin was at work. However, Daryl was never the type to call, and his curiosity got the better of him.

  “Well, if it isn’t my baby brother,” Marvin said, his Southern accent even heavier than Daryl’s. “And why’re you bestowing your precious time on me, hmm?”

  There was a long pause. Marvin grinned, knowing exactly the buttons to press to aggravate his brother.

  “I need your help.”

  This was a surprise.

  Granted, he knew Daryl would call. He just didn’t realize Daryl would jump right in on taking his pride out of the equation.

  This girl must be important to him.

  “I’m listening,” Marvin replied. Boy, was he. He wished he could record this conversation and play it during the long Atlanta winter nights. His baby brother—the prestigious professor, quietly rich—needed his help. This was a laugh, and one Marvin would have no problem throwing in Daryl’s face at every chance he got.

  Daryl must be hurting to resort to this.

  Considering Marvin was being paid to be here, it was only right for him to tell his benefactor—because Marvin refused to acknowledge anyone as boss—what had transpired between him and Daryl. He walked from the bedroom through the long hallway, following the structure of the mansion until he reached the den. He supposed it was technically a family room, but unless a band of lawless peculiars were considered family, it was a den more than anything.

  “Just got a phone call from my baby brother,” Marvin informed the man, sitting on the couch and
reading. He didn’t understand reading, and tended not to like those that did enjoy it. “Wants my help finding this girl you have.”

  The man picked his pale green eyes up from the pages to regard Marvin intently. “And you said?” he asked in a crisp German accent.

  “That of course I’d help.”

  “Good.” The man’s lips twitched up into a smile. He set the book on the low, glass coffee table. “Once we’re able to extract our healer from the academy, we’ll be able to do more. For now, it’s necessary to keep her unconscious.”

  “No doubt my brother’s run a few sweeps,” Marvin said, putting his hands on his waist. “Keeping her unconscious will guarantee he don’t find her that way.”

  “Yes, well, she was also shot and killed,” the man pointed out. “If we keep her unconscious, we keep her alive. Once we get our healer, you can bring her back to a conscious state.”

  Marvin shrugged. “You’re the boss,” he said. Normally, he didn’t question his benefactors. He didn’t care about the job he was doing or the people involved. He just wanted to do his time, get his money, then get out. But his brother was involved, and this girl didn’t look particularly special. Something was up. And Marvin wanted to know just what that was. “Say, you wouldn’t happen to know why she’s so important, do you? Why you wanna save her life anyway?”

  “She’s important,” the man acknowledged. “She’s one of the keys to our self-discovery. So are you, to a lesser degree.”

  Marvin didn’t understand.

  “She passes genes on,” the man explained. “If we knew how and why what genes get transmitted from the womb to birth, we could make an entire peculiar army. But not just any army. A rare, peculiar army with powers unheard of. And if we presented said army to the US military—”

  “You’d make a shitload of money,” Marvin finished.

  The man smirked. “Precisely,” he said. He grabbed his book and leaned back into the couch, as though Marvin wasn’t even there.