by I. T. Lucas
Turner walked up to her and stood behind her. “It’s them. Is your mother coming?”
“Yes, I am.” Vivian walked in through the connecting door. “Good morning. Was the meeting pushed forward earlier and no one told me?”
Ella shook her head. “I wanted to tell Turner about the dream visit and I didn’t want to wait. Julian and Magnus are bringing breakfast.”
Vivian regarded Ella’s sweatpants and T-shirt. “After we are done, you need to get ready. Did you decide what you want to wear for the interview?”
“Not yet. I’m too nervous to think about outfits.”
As the door opened, and the men walked in, the mood in the room changed markedly.
“Yay, coffee.” Ella rushed up to Julian and wrapped her arms around his neck, ignoring the cardboard tray he was holding. “Good morning,” she whispered and kissed his cheek.
Vivian was a little more circumspect about her excitement to see her mate, but not by much.
Regrettably, it wasn’t the time or place for a love fest.
“Let’s go over everything one more time while we eat.” Turner motioned to the two beds, and pulled out the only chair in the room for himself.
Grabbing a coffee off one of the trays, he focused on the ladies. “I know that all of you are concerned with Lokan’s compulsion ability, but let’s not forget that his men can thrall too. Fortunately, you can prevent them from getting into your head. All it takes is keeping your mind closed off.”
“How am I supposed to do that?” Vivian asked.
“A suspicious and contrary attitude. Thralling is easy when the victim is unaware. When a person suspects the thraller, it is much more difficult and requires a stronger thralling ability.” He turned to Julian. “I can’t thrall well yet, so you’ll have to do that. Try to get into Vivian’s head.”
She lifted a hand. “Wait a minute. Maybe Magnus should do that?”
“You trust Magnus, so you are not going to fight it as hard.”
“I trust Julian too, but I’m more comfortable with Magnus.”
“That’s who we got, so that’s what we have to work with. I want you to think of something you wouldn’t want Julian to find out. Like a birthday present that you bought for him and want to keep it a surprise.”
“Got it.” She smiled at Julian. “Go for it.”
The guy frowned. “I can’t get in. She’s blocking me.”
Vivian’s eyes widened. “I am? I don’t know how I’m doing it.”
“I told you that it’s easy. Once you are aware of it, you can deny entry. Doesn't always work, but just as with hypnosis, if the subjects are reasonably intelligent and resist the hypnotist, it can’t be forced on them.”
“I wish it worked the same with compulsion,” Ella said. “But I know for a fact that it doesn't. As hard as I try, I can’t resist Parker’s commands.”
“We should have brought him along,” Julian said. “He could command Ella not to succumb to Lokan’s compulsion.”
Turner shook his head. “I don’t think it would work if Lokan uses his full power up close.”
“It’s worth a try,” Vivian said. “Let’s call Parker and ask him to command both of us to resist the Doomer’s compulsion.”
“Does it work over the phone?” Julian asked.
Vivian pulled the phone out. “We didn’t try it, but if it can be done in a shared dream, I’m sure it can be done over a cellular signal.”
“Mom, what’s up?” Parker answered.
“I want you to command Ella and me to resist Mr. D’s compulsion.”
There was a long moment of silence before he answered. “I can give it a try. I’m imagining how much I hate him, and how I don’t want him to get anywhere near you or Ella. I hope it will help.”
“Just do your best, sweetheart.”
40
Ella
As Ella came out of the bathroom, her mother looked her up and down and then nodded her approval. “You look lovely.”
“Thank you.” Ella stifled the impulse to roll her eyes.
No matter how many times she’d told her mother that the interview was irrelevant, Vivian insisted on treating it as if it was for real. Perhaps it was easier for her to focus on that than on what this was really about.
Humoring her, Ella had put on a long flowing skirt that wasn’t new, and a matching blouse that was. The shoes were also a new purchase, comfortable and old-fashioned, with a low chunky heel and a strap across the top.
Only after she was fully dressed, standing in front of the mirror and examining her reflection, had Ella realized that she’d followed Logan’s advice. She felt comfortable and confident in her own style of clothing. Pant and skirt suits were a reminder of her captivity, of dressing up to please the whims of her owner and not her own taste and preferences.
She’d smoothed her pink hair back instead of spiking it, had gone easy with the makeup, and had donned the pretend reading glasses Eva had given her. They weren’t stylish and made her look bookish, but she actually liked them.
The most important part of her attire, though, were the trackers. A matching set of earrings and pendant, four hairpins, and three tiny dots that were attached to the inside of her clothing.
It was a little early, but Ella was too nervous to wait. “Ready to go, Mom?”
“Yes.” Vivian picked up her purse. “Let’s text our taxi driver.”
When the Guardian picked them up from in front of the hotel, they did their best to act as if he was just a driver, and when they arrived at campus, Vivian pretended to pay him.
He returned her credit card and smiled. “Good luck.”
Knowing that Magnus and Julian had been following them in another cab, Ella tried not to look over her shoulder.
Instead, she looked at her mother. Do you think it will be okay if I pull out a mirror and pretend to check my hair?
Vivian shook her head. Save it for when we actually need it. I’m sure the guys are behind us.
As they walked to the admissions office, Ella barely breathed, expecting an ambush at every corner. It was so damn nerve-wracking that she let out a sigh of relief when they got there.
“Please take a seat,” the receptionist said. “These gentlemen are ahead of you, and then it's your turn.”
“Thank you.”
Ella eyed the two, but they seemed precisely who they were supposed to be. One was a guy about her age, although he looked much younger, and the other was obviously his father and looked to be in his mid-fifties.
No immortals posing as humans here, she sent to her mom as she took a seat.
When Vivian started chatting with the father, Ella smiled at the son and then pulled out her phone, pretending to read. She was in no mood for small talk, and besides, her throat was dry. She’d forgotten to get a water bottle and wondered if it was okay to go get one.
A quick text to Julian solved her dilemma.
There was a vending machine out in the corridor, and a couple of Guardians were hanging around in its vicinity. Kri was across from it in the ladies bathroom, stationed there in case Ella or Vivian needed to use the facilities.
She tapped her mother’s shoulder. “I’m going to get a bottle of water Do you want anything from the vending machine?”
“Water would be lovely, thank you.”
Ella pushed to her feet and looked at the father and son. “Would you like me to get you anything?”
“I’ll come with you.” The son started to get up.
His father stopped him. “You can’t leave. That door may open at any moment and it will be your turn.”
Deflated, the guy sat back down. “I guess I’m stuck. Can you please get me a coke?” He handed her two bucks.
“Sure. Diet or regular?”
“Regular. Thank you.”
The trip to the vending machine and back was uneventful, but at least she got to see the two Guardians monitoring the corridor.
On the way back, she saw a girl and her father
leave the waiting room, and when she entered it, the son wasn’t there.
Ella handed the father the coke and the change. “Sorry I was too late.”
“He’ll have it when he gets out. Thank you for buying it for him.”
“You’re welcome.”
She wondered if the father had stayed behind because it had been his choice or because parents weren’t allowed inside.
Not that she cared one way or another, but Vivian seemed so excited about the interview that she would probably be disappointed if she was left out. Besides, it wasn’t a good idea for them to separate.
Walking up to the secretary, Ella waited for her to get off the phone and asked, “Can my mother come in with me, or does she have to stay outside?”
The woman smiled indulgently. “It’s up to you. Professor Perry is not going to kick your mom out.” She leaned closer. “On the contrary, he’ll be mad if she doesn’t come in. Students are off limits. But mothers are not.” She winked.
Ella glanced at Vivian. She was indeed beautiful, and the boy’s father was practically drooling over her. Was that the reason he’d stayed behind?
It never ceased to amaze her how stupid some men got over pretty women.
“My mom is taken.”
“Pfft.” The woman waved a dismissive hand. “As if that has ever stopped him.”
Time dragged on, and with it the stress buildup. Despite the Guardians Ella had seen with her own eyes, and the many others hiding in various places, she watched the door, expecting Logan to saunter in at any moment.
In the movie she’d created in her head, he would walk in, order everyone to keep quiet, compelling their silence so no one could sound the alarm, smile at her evilly, and crook his finger, beckoning her to him.
She would try to resist, but it would no use. He would compel her and her mother to follow him, maybe stealing a kiss before ushering them out of the waiting room.
Outside, there would be a horde of Doomers, holding the Guardians in chains, but just as all hope was lost, Magnus and Julian would come and save the day.
How?
Her imagination had no answer for that.
So yeah, she was an optimist at heart. In her imagination, even the worst case scenario had a happy ending.
41
Julian
The men’s room was the last place Julian would’ve chosen as headquarters for their stakeout, but Turner had convinced him that it was perfect.
A Guardian named Edan was shrouding the place in such a heavy cloak of dread that human males chose to bypass it and continue to the next bathroom down the hall. And if an immortal happened to wander in, there would be one less Doomer for them to worry about.
Not that there were any.
The small surveillance cameras they’d installed around campus revealed nothing suspicious, and a whole lot of nothing was happening in the interviewer’s waiting room, except for some guy flirting with Vivian.
Magnus was probably going out of his mind. The feed from the room was broadcasting on the private channel all the Guardians had access to through their phones. Julian had no doubt that Magnus was watching it as avidly as he was.
Turner, on the other hand, was watching the feed from the interviewer’s room.
Not that anything interesting was going on there either. The tiny portable transmitter was mounted on the wall across from the interviewer, so all that was visible was the professor’s pudgy face and the young guy’s back. There was no sound, or maybe Turner was just keeping the volume off.
For the first fifteen minutes or so the two had talked, and then the professor had turned around to the monitor mounted on the wall behind him and had started playing a documentary about the university’s history. It was running for over twenty minutes already and didn’t seem to be nearing the end.
“Do you think he shows that to every student?” Julian whispered.
They were supposed to keep silent in case of immortals overhearing them, but since none were around except their own people, it didn’t matter.
Turner shrugged. “It’s an easy way to make the interview seem longer than it is and justify more hours,” Turner whispered back.
Minimizing the window, Turner brought the rest of the feeds up on his tablet and scanned them quickly. There was even one transmitting from Ella and Vivian’s room in the hotel.
Where a whole lot of nothing was going on as well.
“He’s not coming,” Julian whispered.
Turner shook his head. “My brain agrees with you, but my intuition doesn’t. Which is a first for me. I never rely on feelings.”
Intuition was not a feeling. It was a collection of clues too small for the conscious mind to notice, but not for the subconscious that collected everything.
The problem was that Julian’s intuition was saying the exact opposite, and, since getting to Washington, he and Turner had been exposed to the same input. The only difference was Turner’s experience, which allowed his subconscious to make more connections and see more patterns than Julian’s.
Trusting Turner’s gut more than he did his own, Julian tensed. Something was about to happen. The question was when, where, and how.
42
Ella
A whole freaking hour had passed since the guy had gone into the interviewer’s office. Ella had finished her water and needed to pee, but she was afraid to leave in case the guy finally got out.
On the other hand, it was a bad idea to keep holding it in throughout the interview, especially if it was going to last so long.
She tapped her mother’s shoulder. “I’m going to the bathroom.”
Vivian gave her a pained look. “I need to go, too.” She rolled her eyes at the guy’s father.
“So, come with me. We can tell the receptionist that we are going and will be right back.”
“Good idea.”
After a quick stop at the secretary’s desk, they rushed out and headed to the bathroom, passing two Guardians posing as students on the way.
“I don’t really need to go,” Vivian said. “But that guy was getting overly friendly. Can we hide out in the bathroom until he leaves?”
“Sure.” Ella smiled and switched to a silent mode of communication. We can ask Turner to let us know when it’s safe to come back.
It could’ve been beneficial to keep the channel to her mother open, but Ella was afraid that by doing so she was going to open her mind to attack. Her best bet was to keep her shields up and reinforce them as much as she could.
In the bathroom, they found Kri, dressed in a custodian’s coveralls and polishing the counters.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” she greeted them.
Ella stifled a giggle. “Good afternoon to you, too.”
With her height and broad shoulders, Kri wasn’t a very believable custodian, and besides, she’d joined them on the tour of the campus as a student. Then again, some students took on jobs like that to help with their living expenses.
Once Ella was done, she double checked that the transmitters were still attached to her clothing before getting out. A moment later her mother joined her at the sink. “We should go back. I just hope that Larry and his son are gone already.”
No such luck.
When they got back, the father was still sitting in the waiting room. Not for long, though. A couple minutes later the son got out.
“What took so long?” Larry asked.
The guy glanced at a receptionist before answering. “A long documentary about the university’s history and every important person who ever attended it or donated big bucks to it.” He rolled his eyes. “There were a lot of both.” He turned to Ella. “Good luck. Professor Perry is a nice guy. The hardest part of the interview was watching that movie.”
“Thanks.”
“You can go in,” the receptionist said. “Professor Perry is ready for you.”
The guy must have a bathroom in there. Otherwise he would have needed a pee break, Ella sent to her mother.
Vivian smiled. “Let’s not keep the professor waiting.”
The interviewer's office was made to impress, with fancy bookcases lining both its sides, and heavy furniture that looked as old as the university.
“Welcome.” Professor Perry got up and headed straight for Vivian. “Ms. Kelly Rubinstein and her lovely mother, Mrs. Victoria MacBain.” He shook Vivian’s hand first and then Ella’s.
“Second marriage?” he asked as he pulled out a visitor chair for her mother and then for Ella.
“I’ve remarried after Kelly’s father passed away.”
“My condolences,” he said as he took his seat behind the desk.
Finally looking at Ella, the professor gave her a quick once over. “My friend spoke very highly of you, but he failed to mention how pretty you are.”
Ella affected a polite expression. “Thank you for the compliment, but I’m very glad that he didn’t. I would like to be judged based on merit and not looks.”
“You are a wise young woman.” He lifted his notepad and took a look. “Very impressive grades. And you also organized a charity?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Tell me about it.”
Ella had that part prepared. It was a variation on the one she was actually working on, but instead of helping girls who’d been lured away from their families and violated, her invented charity was about helping victims of child abuse. A much less controversial subject.
Once she was done, he asked some more questions about the charity, and after she answered those, he asked why she’d chosen Georgetown.
“That’s an easy answer. Georgetown is one of the most prestigious universities in the country, and the campus is beautiful. Also, its nursing program is extremely well regarded.”
Her answer seemed to please him. “I think you are a very good fit for us. And it has nothing to do with my friend putting in a word for you. You’re an excellent candidate, Kelly.” He turned around and clicked the monitor on. “But if you are still not sure that this is the place for you, this documentary is going to convince you.”