by I. T. Lucas
Going back and thralling those that he had thralled before and adding Richard to the roster of people who had stayed behind because of the flu, meant a third thrall for two of the recruits. It was risky, and he had to be diligent, performing a very precise thrall without disturbing much else. Usually, not a problem for a gifted thraller like him, but not when his own cranium was home to a storm.
Sidling up to him, Mey put her hand on his arm. “What’s troubling you? Usually, you are the calm and mellow one, and today you look like you are about to murder someone.”
For a moment, he was tempted to admit his feelings. Perhaps confiding in Mey and telling her that he wanted her sister like he had never wanted anyone before would ease the pressure in his chest. But what if it freaked her out?
She’d just found Jin, and the last thing she wanted was to deal with an overzealous admirer.
Besides, he needed to sort out his feelings and get himself under control first. Everyone was already suspecting that he had a thing for Jin, and it was difficult to pretend that she was just Mey’s little sister and not a woman he desperately craved.
“Kian asked that we snap photos of the talents we are not taking with us. I’m worried that the extra focus is going to alert them, and more will want to come with us.”
It wasn’t a lie. It was a real concern, just not his only one.
She nodded. “So, let’s not do it at the same time. First of all, the rest of us should keep our distance when you approach a talent. Then once you are done thralling them, I’ll wait a couple of minutes and then get closer to take their picture.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’m going to tell Jin and Richard.”
Mey glanced their way. “It’s odd to think that they can’t see or hear each other, only feel their arms around one another.”
“Yeah. Odd.”
She cast him an amused glance. “At this point, he is just a friend.”
“I know.” He patted her arm before quickening his steps to catch up with the pair. “Slow down,” he whispered.
“What’s up?” Jin asked.
“From now on, when I approach a talent, I want you to stay back, and by back, I mean at least fifty feet away. I don’t want them to get a whiff of your emotions. It’s especially important when dealing with empaths and the aura reader.”
“His name is Spencer,” Richard said. “He is seventeen, and he has reddish-blond hair.”
“I know. I took care of his memory once before already.”
The guy was trying to be helpful, but it only irritated Arwel more.
“I didn’t know that.”
“We are not sure whether Yamanu’s shroud can hide our auras, so when I approach Spencer, you should duck into a store. I’ll tell the others to do the same.”
“I feel so bad about leaving him behind,” Jin said. “I wish we could take him as well. His talent is so rare.”
“We can’t take anyone else.” Arwel walked away to avoid further discussion and joined the rest of the team. “Did you hear what I said about Spencer?”
Carol nodded. “When we see him, we should get into a store and mingle our auras with those of other people.”
“Right.”
Jin tapped him on the shoulder. “The balding guy holding hands with the woman wearing a pink T-shirt. Can you handle them together?”
“Remind me what their talents are?”
“James is a mediocre telepath, and Mollie has post-cognition.”
Great, one could sense Arwel’s intentions, and the other could see what he had done before. Dealing with paranormally talented humans was not as easy as dealing with regular ones.
“Got it. Turn around and start walking in the other direction. I want you far away from them.”
“Yes, boss.” Jin saluted, and she and Richard turned around like one unit and walked away.
The rest of the team followed them.
Taking several deep breaths, Arwel calmed himself down as much as he could without the help of booze and walked over to the couple.
32
Jin
Given the boss’s negative reaction to Richard’s addition, Jin tensed up every time Arwel approached one of the trainees.
Watching him do his thing from behind the store’s window display, she saw James and Mollie glance around nervously. Her stomach churned with worry that they might resist the thrall and demand to join the escape as well.
When Arwel nodded and waved, she let out a relieved breath.
Richard squeezed her shoulder, which was the only way they could communicate while under Yamanu’s shroud. This was certainly going down as the most bizarre experience of her life.
So far.
God knew what else was in store for her.
The one good thing about it was that she couldn’t talk with Richard or Mey or anyone else other than Arwel and had time to process what was happening to her.
It occurred to her that no one had thought to ask her to tether her friends, and Jin was grateful for that. She would have refused, but that would have caused tension between her and the boss for sure. The question was whether it was a careless omission or a deliberate decision in accordance with the high moral standards that the clan was supposedly holding itself to.
She hoped it was the latter and not the former. If the clan was about to become her extended family, it was reassuring to think that she was joining good people who valued the concepts of personal freedom and consent.
That being said, thralling people to forget that four of their friends had been on the bus with them that morning was not exactly kosher, but it was unavoidable.
On the other hand, asking her to tether her friends so they could be more easily located in the future was not necessary since they could be found by other means.
Still, if that were the only thing her tether could do, it would have been fine, but obviously it wasn’t. It had much more nefarious potential uses. Like finding out what her friends were working on and who they were spying on.
That it hadn’t even crossed the boss’s mind spoke volumes about his moral makeup. She couldn’t wait to meet him and thank him for coming to Mey’s aid.
By the time Arwel was done with the last of the recruits, he looked like he’d been run over by a bulldozer, which made Jin feel guilty for the immense relief she felt that no one else had asked to join the escape.
“You look awful.” She put her hand on Arwel’s arm. “Thank you for doing this. I know it took a lot out of you.”
A smile tugging on his lips, he nodded. “Thralling paranormal talents is difficult, especially when they’ve been compelled to avoid contact with people outside the program.”
As a soft hand landed on Jin’s shoulder, she knew immediately who it belonged to and rested her cheek on it. “Hi, Mey. Did you get everyone’s pictures?”
The answer came in the form of a gentle squeeze.
“Can we get out of here so Yamanu can drop the shroud, and I can finally see and hear everyone?”
Arwel took her hand, beating Richard to it. “The Suburban is parked behind the café, but we can’t fit everyone in it. Lokan will have to take two in his car. I hope no one is there because we can’t just have people materialize out of thin air in front of spectators.” He led her toward the mall’s exit.
“Are the others behind us?”
“Yes. Jacki is holding Wendy’s hand because she is freaking out the same way that you did. And Richard is on your other side.”
Arwel’s tone had changed when he said Richard’s name, making her realize that he was jealous.
She’d never had a boyfriend who was jealous over her. Not that Arwel was her boyfriend, not yet. Hopefully, that was going to change.
He hadn’t said anything to indicate that he was interested, but there had been neither the time nor the opportunity for it. Still, if he was the shy type, she would have to do something about that.
As gorgeous as he was, Arwel seemed oblivious to his appeal, and he dressed a
s if he couldn’t care less whether the ladies found him attractive or not. And unlike other guys, it wasn’t because he was full of himself. He just was too preoccupied with all the emotions coming at him to bother with his looks.
She was going to take care of that as well. When he was hers, she would make sure that he never left the house looking so schlumpy.
Except, that fell under the category of trying to fix a guy, which everyone claimed to be girls’ biggest relationship mistake. The advice she’d read in magazines was to either accept a guy the way he was or move on to the next one. Apparently, men didn’t like it when women tried to fix them.
They liked to feel like the big honchos, the protectors, the providers. Or at least the good ones did.
Damn, she was so clueless.
Up until she’d met Arwel, dating was a casual thing for Jin, and her longest relationship had been with Mitch, which had lasted about a month. She’d felt no need to fix him, though, and it wasn’t because Mitch was so perfect. She simply hadn’t thought of him as a keeper, so it hadn’t mattered if he fulfilled all of her expectations or not.
Perhaps she should talk with Mey. Except, her sister had crashed and burned so badly with damn Oliver, so evidently she wasn’t an expert on relationships either.
Jin hadn’t met Mey’s new boyfriend yet. All she knew was that he was a powerful shrouder, and that Mey’s eyes sparkled whenever she talked about him.
Her sister was in love, that was obvious, and hopefully she wasn’t going to get disappointed this time. If Yamanu pulled a stunt like Oliver had, Jin was going to teach him a lesson he was never going to forget.
Arwel’s hand tightened on hers. “What has gotten you upset all of a sudden?”
She shrugged. “I was thinking about Mey’s ex-boyfriend. What’s her new guy like? I hope he’s a mensch.”
As Arwel laughed, his turquoise eyes shone from the inside. “He is the best guy on the planet. I’m just glad that I’ve recently gotten a crash course in New Yorker slang. Otherwise, I would have thought that you were insulting my best friend.”
“Yamanu is your best friend?”
“We were roommates before Mey moved in with him. Naturally, I moved out to give the newly mated couple their privacy.”
There was that word again. “What does it mean to be mated? Is this Scottish slang for being in a relationship?”
“Sort of. We will have plenty of time to talk about this on the plane.”
33
Mey
The closer their group got to the parking lot behind the coffee house, the tenser Mey became.
She wasn’t looking forward to seeing Kian angry. The guy was intimidating as hell when he was trying to be nice. Right now, he was probably sporting horns and spitting fire from his throat because of the three extra people he had been forced to take with him.
He was going to blame her for that, and rightfully so.
Mey hoped that he’d had enough time to cool down, and that he thought of the additional escapees as potential Dormants and future members of his clan, and not three more mouths that he had to feed.
Heck, feeding them was just the tip of the iceberg. If they were not Dormants, he would have to arrange new identities for them and cover the cost of their relocation.
And then there was the security factor, which was the gravest concern. Four people missing instead of one would make a big difference in the scope of search the program’s supervisors were going to launch. It was almost as bad as absconding with the entire busload of trainees.
Next to her, Yamanu was walking with that faraway expression on his face, concentrating on the shroud, and she didn’t want to disturb him by engaging him in conversation.
When they reached the Suburban, Kian stepped out, and poor Wendy swayed on her feet. Still remembering her first reaction to Annani’s son, Mey could sympathize. He really looked like a god, and thankfully, he didn’t look majorly pissed.
Just mildly so.
But it was enough to make poor Wendy shake in her boots.
Surveying the group, Kian zeroed in on Lokan and motioned for him to step forward.
“I need you to take the three additional trainees to the meeting point. We don’t have enough space in the Suburban.”
They could have taken one of them in addition to Jin, but Mey was glad that Kian was sending the other three to the other car. That would allow her and Jin to talk freely.
“No problem,” Lokan said. “We are heading in the same direction. Who do you want us to take?”
As if it wasn’t obvious.
“Jin will want to be with her sister, so you take the others.”
“My car is over there.” He pointed at a black Mercedes sedan.
Without knowing much about cars, Mey was sure that it was the firm’s flagship model. It wasn’t that Lokan was a show-off, it was more that he really thought of himself as a prince, and frankly, he fit the role.
Then again, Kian was driving a Suburban, so there was that. Except, he probably had a fancy vehicle at home, and the modest one he was using now was part of their cover.
Checking that there was no one else in the parking lot with them, Kian motioned for Yamanu to drop the shroud.
“Oh, my God.” Wendy plastered herself against Mey’s side. “I must be dreaming.”
Mey patted her arm. “It’s okay. Pretend that you are Alice and that you went down the rabbit hole. That’s how I deal with it.”
Wendy and the other two didn’t know that the rest of the group could see and hear each other while shrouded, and it was important to maintain that illusion.
Richard stepped forward and offered his hand to Kian. “Thank you for agreeing to take me. I just want you to know that I’m at your service in whatever capacity you may find me useful.”
Kian looked down at the offered hand and shook his head. “I accept your gratitude, but I’m not going to shake the hand of a sensory telepath until I’m sure that I can trust you, and I’m not the trusting sort.”
Richard’s face reddened, and he dropped his arm. “Reading you wasn’t my intention, but I understand your hesitation. No hard feelings.”
Kian nodded, then looked at Jacki and Wendy. “I’m going to save the introductions for later. Please join Richard in Lokan’s car.”
As the three left with Carol and Lokan, the rest of them got into the Suburban. Arwel and Yamanu went in the back, Jin and Mey in the middle, and Kian sat next to Anandur, who was the designated driver.
Once Anandur pulled out from the parking lot, Kian turned back and offered his hand to Jin. “I’m Kian, and I want to officially welcome you to the clan, Jin. I couldn’t say that in front of the others.”
She smiled and shook what was offered. “Thank you. And a big thank you for taking my friends too. Mey explained why that’s such a hassle. I understand that you are taking them to some secret facility?”
He nodded. “It’s crucial for our safety to fiercely guard the clan’s location. Only members of the clan and their mates are allowed in. But since your sister is mated to Yamanu, and you are devoted to her, I’m making an exception in your case. Besides, I’m sure you will find a mate in no time.”
“Everyone keeps saying mate and mated. What does it mean? Is it like a husband?” She narrowed her eyes at Mey. “Because if you got married without me, I'd be really disappointed.”
“Never.” Mey took Jin’s hand and squeezed it. “I would have never gotten married without you. Mate means a life partner, and for immortals, that’s like saying forever. The bond between mates is much stronger than marriage, and no ceremony is required for two people to be acknowledged as mates. But if a couple wants to have a big party to celebrate their bond, that’s more than okay. In fact, the Clan Mother loves to preside over weddings, and she’s just waiting for Yamanu and me to decide on a date.”
34
Jin
In the brief moments between Yamanu dropping the shroud and everyone getting into the cars, Jin had cau
ght a glimpse of Mey’s new guy, and she was duly impressed.
He was the most stunning man she’d ever seen, and that included Kian, who looked like a god. But where Kian was intense and intimidating, Yamanu was like calm waters. His strange pale blue eyes were kind, and the bright, welcoming smile he’d cast her had been genuine. Without exchanging a single word with the guy, Jin already liked him a lot.
But as gorgeous as those two were, neither had Arwel’s amazing turquoise eyes and kissable lips. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about kisses, though.
Turning around as much as the seatbelt allowed, she offered Yamanu her hand. “We didn’t have the chance to get introduced properly.”
Yamanu enveloped her hand in his huge paw, but his touch was just as gentle as she’d expected. “I’ve heard a lot about you, and I’m glad to finally meet you in person. With you joining the clan, Mey’s happiness will be complete.” He glanced lovingly at her sister.
Jin stole a sidelong glance at Arwel, who so far hadn’t said a word. He still looked exhausted, and she wondered how immortals recuperated. Did he need to eat a big meal? Or maybe sleep it off?
With the way her list of questions was continually growing, it would soon be as long as the Scroll of Esther.
Mey chuckled. “Almost. I will also need a bunch of kids running around for my happiness to be complete. And maybe also have their grandparents nearby, but I know that’s asking for too much.”
Her sister had always wanted to have a big family with lots of kids, but that was supposed to happen sometime in the future, after they had their business up and running. Except, it seemed like that dream was not going to happen. Mey had jumped over it straight to the marriage and kids stage.
That was a shame, but Jin couldn’t begrudge her sister the happiness she’d found with Yamanu. Besides, she loved the idea of having a bunch of nieces and nephews. She was going to be the cool aunt that they told all their secrets to.