Chapter 17

Jacquelyn stood over us, tall and elegant. She wore a pale gold top that looked like it was made of silk. No buttons held the top in place, only a sash tied at her waist of the same color, and it looked like she wasn’t wearing anything under it. A black skirt made up of panels hugged her hips and hung to her knees. The ties that held the front panel to the sides only fed through the top third of the skirt and hung with the rest of the material. Her shoes were black with silver plated heels that were at least three inches high, probably more. Her dark brown hair framed her striking face and stopped at her shoulders. Her makeup had been perfectly applied. The shade of her lipstick just happened to match Yaeko’s aura. But her eyes were cool and gray. She watched Rachel, waiting patiently.

Shock and fear raced through me. The memory of Anthony Hoyle lying on the ground dying flashed through my head again. I recalled the strange bit about Jacquelyn’s aura sinking into the wall. I feared that it could come back and kill me. For a few seconds, I sat there staring up at this woman too terrified to move lest I draw her attention.

Finally, reason surfaced in my brain. I had no proof that she had killed Anthony Hoyle. I only knew that she had been in the alley. I understood that she was Powerborne, both by deductive reasoning and the fact that she was the leader of House Vikkor. It was possible that she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, sort of like I had been.

Yet, if that had been the case, why did she leave? Why didn’t she come back and try to help? Why hadn’t she stuck around to talk to the police? If she was as innocent as I was, then why hide?

My questions also helped me register that Jacquelyn didn’t seem to recognize me. Or, if she did, she wasn’t reacting to my presence. Maybe she hadn’t gotten a good look at me that night. Maybe she had been scared off by whatever attacked Anthony Hoyle and the reason she hadn’t stuck around was that she didn’t want to be attacked either. Maybe she didn’t want to get involved with the police because they might learn that she’s Powerborne.

Then I heard Rachel say, “I don’t mind, but I don’t want to ruin my dress.”

I looked at her. Her expression was earnest and her aura held that same determination I had seen at her apartment, only with a lot less fear. She hadn’t known me at all at the time, but here, among other Powerborne, she was less afraid.

Everyone looked at one another. Charlotte asked, “Can’t you unfurl your wings in the dress you’re wearing?”

“I can,” Rachel said, “but typically anything I’m wearing is ruined when I do.”

That seemed to catch everyone’s attention. Yaeko said, “You came here tonight and didn’t expect anyone to ask to see your wings?”

Rachel shrugged. “No, I didn’t think anyone would know about them.”

Jacquelyn walked into the room, still watching Rachel. “Bethany is very good at what she does. There is not much that gets past her.” She took the only chair left in the room.

Alexandria stood up and said, “Come with me. Let’s see if I have anything that’ll fit you.”

Rachel threw me a quick smile and then got up and followed Alexandria.

I turned back to the rest of the room after they left. My nerves were frazzled from seeing Jacquelyn’s aura. Sitting there utterly alone among strangers, I wanted desperately to get up and leave, but I couldn’t abandon Rachel.

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Their expressions were different, their auras flowed in various curls and waves. What any of them was thinking, I didn’t know. Now was apparently not a good time for the ability that allowed me to hear others’ thoughts to come to my aid.

Jacquelyn spoke first. “I’m sure Alexandria told you that we’ve all seen the video on YouTube and the news reports.” I looked around. Everyone was nodding. “We’ve discussed what happened, speculating on how the incident transpired. I’m most curious, why did you get involved at all?”

Of all the questions they could have asked, why that one first? I shrugged. “I don’t know. I saw what was happening and I just ... couldn’t stay away. It was like I was drawn into it and couldn’t get away.”

“Weren’t you scared?” Bethany asked.

“Not at first,” I said. “I was fascinated with what was happening, like watching a car accident. I couldn’t turn away but I wasn’t scared either.”

“You ducked behind your shield when the gunman shot at you,” said Lawrence. “You looked plenty scared then.”

I nodded. “I wasn’t scared up to that point. Then I had a sense of danger. Something was going to happen to me. The only thing that could have happened was the gunman shooting at me. There wasn’t anything for me to hide behind so I just tried to make myself as small as possible, hoping he’d miss.”

“So you didn’t know about your shield,” said Charlotte. “We thought as much when the video showed Rachel pointing out your arm to you.”

“Yeah, how could you call for that shield if you didn’t know about it?” Yaeko asked. She sounded like she didn’t believe anything I was saying. The answer lay in what Mr. Shepherd had told me about being a Natural Psionic. I wasn’t sure how to get around that. Then I had a thought and looked at Yaeko. “And how did you learn about your powers the first time you used them?”

She frowned and crossed her arms.

Jacquelyn looked from me to Yaeko and back again. “She had the right idea Ral. The abilities you manifested were exactly what you needed at the moment. The shield to keep from being shot, the push to throw off the gunman’s aim and later disarm him. It all seemed a bit too ... convenient.”

I had to admit that she was right, my powers had manifested precisely the way I needed them, but she made it sound like I had planned the whole damned thing. “What do you mean?”

She looked around the room at everyone else. “None of us have had manifestations that came out so ... pleasantly.” She looked back at me. “You seemed to expect something to happen.”

“Yeah, I expected to get shot,” I said.

“But how would you have helped the situation if you had been shot?” she asked. “Would you have been able to use your push to throw off the gunman’s aim when he shot at the woman? What would you have done if he hadn’t been knocked out and fought you more?”

I shook my head. Her questions were probing deeper than the consideration I had given the situation. “I don’t know what I could have done if I had been shot.”

She continued to watch me intently. “Then I ask again, why did you get involved in the situation at all?”

I looked back at her. What did she want me to say, that Mr. Shepherd had told me I had to be involved or the situation would have ended in two deaths? I couldn’t divulge that to her, no more than I would ... would what? Keep this meeting a secret? Well, the meeting, and the members in attendance I would keep a secret. But I fully intended to take Jacquelyn’s name to the police. I wouldn’t betray the secrets I already held. “I told you. I was already at the mall. When I went to see what was going on in the food court, I was drawn to the situation like ... like a moth to the flame.”

She steepled her fingers in front of her face, but her eyes never left me. After watching me for a few more heartbeats she nodded. “Very well.”

Everyone else in the room, except for Yaeko, was watching Jacquelyn. Yaeko glared daggers at me. I took that to mean two people in the room didn’t believe me.

Nathanial looked over at me. He’d been quiet through the entire conversation so far. “I’m curious Ral, you didn’t know about those abilities, yet you approached obvious danger. Have you ever been in situations like that before?”

I looked over at him. He studied me as well but without the same level of scrutiny Jacquelyn was using. I shook my head. “No. I grew up in a small town. Violence just wasn’t something we had to deal with.”

Jacquelyn made a noise that sounded like a harrumph but she managed to turn into a cough.

“How did you plan on dealing with the gunman if you didn’t know about those powers?” Charlotte asked.

I shook my head. “As I said, I didn’t have a plan. I don’t know what I would have done. Maybe distract the guy so the guard could do something. I don’t know.”

“How old are you?” Lawrence asked. “You don’t look more than sixteen maybe seventeen to me.”

I turned to him. “Eighteen, actually. I’m signed up to start classes at UTA.”

“Where’s home?” Charlotte asked.

“Virginia,” I said.

“What’s your major?” Nathanial asked.

I looked at him. “Architecture.”

The mundane questions were so easy. I wanted to talk about everyday stuff, but I knew things wouldn’t stay that way long. They already wanted to see Rachel’s wings. Soon, they would want to see me do something too.

“Bethany,” Jacquelyn said, “can you tell us if those are his only powers?” She was pushing for something. I just didn’t know what.

I turned to face Bethany. She was looking at me and her aura flashed. I blinked away the irritation and noticed that she had covered her eyes. Before she recovered she said, “I can’t see anything in his aura. It’s too bright.”

I looked around at everyone’s reactions. Lawrence was puzzled. Charlotte was confused. Nathanial looked perfectly at ease, like Bethany’s answer didn’t surprise him, even his aura said he was perfectly comfortable. Jacquelyn looked smug. Her aura was even softer than before. What the hell was she so happy about?

“I’ve heard of Powerborne who have auras too bright to read,” she said. “They have entire arsenals of abilities that they can seldom control.” She studied me like I was some kind of piece of art she wanted to buy. Everyone else in the room was waiting for her next words. “Alexandria told me about your conversation earlier.” Finally, she looked me square in the eyes. “You’re a Psionic, Ral. A Natural Psionic.”

Charlotte, Nathanial, and Lawrence all exchanged glances. Then they turned their attention to me. Bethany seemed to shrink in on herself like she was trying to be smaller so I wouldn’t notice her. That reaction I didn’t understand at all.

Had I expected Alexandria to keep that a secret to herself? No, not really. I nodded. “Yes, I am.”

Jacquelyn’s smile returned. “I’ve only heard of Natural Psionics before. I never thought I’d meet one.”

I shrugged and waved my hand to indicate everyone else in the room. “I’m no different from any of you.”

Nathanial didn’t shift or react. It was like he already knew all of this and nothing anyone said would surprise him. Charlotte had a curious look. Yaeko was sullen. Lawrence was nodding his head. His aura shifted and rolled slowly. He was relaxed and appeared to agree with what Jacquelyn said. Bethany’s eyebrows were lost in her hairline, her aura said she was scared and it was all she could do to sit still. I didn’t understand her reaction. I turned back to look at Jacquelyn again. “What have you heard exactly?” I didn’t like depending on her answers. I would ask Nathanial but he didn’t seem to want any attention. Part of me couldn’t blame him.

Jacquelyn looked like the proverbial cat that ate the canary. “Several things. One of the more interesting tidbits has been that Natural Psionics have to learn to reign in their powers, unlike Latent Psionics who need a focus to use theirs.”