Hall of Psychics Page 19

  “Because you’re feeding them,” said Sam. “However, if they ever decide you are responsible for feeding them and then you hold out on them, they’ll not be happy with you.”

  Annessa tossed another chip. “Good thing I’m not going to be here much longer then.”

  Sam didn’t reply.

  Annessa winced. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” Sam waved it off. “What’s the first thing you’re going to do once you get off this mountain?”

  “I don’t know.” Annessa twisted a glass between her hands.

  Must be tough to decide when you’re not even sure you want to leave anymore, Ian butted in as he strolled over to join them. The gargoi startled when he walked too close to them and scampered away. Just in time too. Her chip bag was empty.

  Shut up, she told Ian. To everyone else she said, “They haven’t even told me where I’m going, so it could be another mountain.”

  “Elion won’t let them do that,” Sam said distractedly. Her attention was split between their conversation and a revenant.

  Hell… Thoughts seemed to fail Ian momentarily as he glanced between Elion and Annessa. He knows you have tricks.

  Annessa threw him a look. Don’t tell him you know.

  I’m not an idiot. But wow. I’m impressed he’s going to keep it to himself. Somehow, Ian let out a low whistle in Annessa’s head. Does this change things for you?

  I’ve already made it clear to everyone that I want to leave, Annessa replied.

  Ian threw her a look. Yeah, and no woman has ever been known to change her mind.

  I won’t change my mind. Annessa fidgeted with her cup.

  Obviously not. Can’t admit you like it here after you fought tooth and nail to leave. You have some pride, after all.

  Annessa scowled at Ian while he grinned back. He was baiting her. You’re a butthead.

  You know, if you were to let one of your snazzy new tricks “slip,” you wouldn’t have to admit that Elion is part of the reason you want to stay. Ian took a bite of sandwich. Because they wouldn’t let you go anyway. Problem solved.

  Annessa glanced over. Barbie was practically curled around Elion, and he didn’t seem to care.

  He really doesn’t notice anymore, Ian informed her. Marcy’s been crawling all over him since they were babies.

  Oh, I’m sure he notices, Annessa argued.

  Nope. What’s going through Marcy’s head, is making me lose my appetite, though. Ian scrunched up his nose at his food. But what’s more important right now is that you are jealous.

  I am not jealous, she insisted.

  If I gave you a fork and said that you could stab her and no one would ever know it was you, what would you do? Ian challenged.

  Okay. I might be a teensy bit jealous.

  You shouldn’t be. You’re the only one Elion fantasizes about. And buddy, those are some detailed fantasies.

  Ian, she warned.

  Don’t “Ian” me. You’re the one making him think it, not me. What I don’t get is why you’re both still running away from each other.

  This isn’t my world. I’m just a girl from the beach.

  Who shares a shadow with the Time Legend, Ian pointed out.

  What am I supposed to tell him? Oh, I’ve decided to stay. Just one thing. I want back in your life too.

  Sounds good to me.

  I can’t beg, Annessa said. I won’t. And what if there’s some other reason why we can’t be together? Like he needs to focus on his ability. Or he has to worry about a war, and I’m too big of a distraction. I mean, look at what trouble I’ve already caused him.

  Wow.

  What?

  That’s pathetic, Ian said.

  Yeah, well I’m not ready to be trapped here with him and have him push me away again. Even if it is for his own good or mine or even the world’s.

  You’re not scared, Ian noted.

  Except I just told you that I am.

  Yeah, well I’m rooting around in your head, so even though you’re doing a convincing job of lying to yourself, I’m not buying it.

  You’re going to tell me what I think? Annessa asked.

  You’re proud. You don’t want to feel like a fool on the off chance he says no.

  Thanks, Dr. Phil.

  I’m not judging you, Ian assured her. I understand you aren’t strong enough to build a life here if Elion isn’t a part of it.

  Annessa reared back. Excuse me? If Elion doesn’t want me in his life then screw him. I’ll find my way just like I always have. And even if he wants nothing to do with me, I could still do a lot of good here for a lot of people. He doesn’t define me.

  Ian gave her a pointed look.

  I just made your point, didn’t I?

  I figured it would mean more coming from you than from me, Ian said.

  Well thank you for leading me to that reality check… You’re being awfully nice today. What’s wrong?

  Ian cracked a smile.

  Sam noticed. “Are you two done with your little Tête-à-tête yet? Nessa, I’m not sure how you let him hang out in your head like that.”

  “Because she loves me,” Ian proclaimed.

  Quinn snorted, proving she was less focused on her book than she wanted people to believe.

  Ian zeroed in on her. “Whatcha reading, Pipsqueak?”

  “A book.”

  “You going to show up for our tutoring session today?” he asked her.

  “I don’t know, are you?” Quinn tossed back.

  “Just gotta go put on my bells.”

  “You have your notes from class?” Quinn asked.

  “Of course,” Ian replied.

  Liar, Annessa accused.

  Just because I have someone else take notes for me is no reason to aim your jealous tendencies at me. I keep telling you, I’m not in to you like that.

  Shut up.

  You started it.

  “Then I’ll see you there.” Quinn stuck a bookmark between two pages and left.

  We going for a ride after? Ian asked.

  You going to put your nose where it doesn’t belong? Annessa countered.

  Probably. But I’ll also let you take my bike for a loop around campus. By yourself.

  Then it’s a date.

  Ian’s eyes sparked as he pushed away from the table. In the meantime, I have to go hunt down my notes. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t approve of.

  What don’t you approve of? Annessa wondered.

  Any daydreams about Elion sans clothes. Ian shivered. So if there are any developments between now and then, keep the details to yourself.

  You’re no fun, Annessa teased.

  Oh, I’m lots of fun.

  I’m going to miss you too.

  Ian gave her a sharp look. You do not get to say goodbye to me yet. So keep that emotional junk to yourself.

  I’m not emotional.

  Good thing. Or I’d have to feed you to Bruce. Ian walked away.

  “I have to go too,” Sam said. “I needed to ask my professor a question before class.”

  “Can I walk with you?” Annessa asked quietly.

  “So you don’t have to stay here with Elion and his spider monkey?” Sam guessed.

  Annessa nodded emphatically.

  “Absolutely. What are friends for if not to save each other from having to watch more of that horror show.”

  “So it’s not just me?”

  “Everyone sees it except him,” Sam replied.

  It made no sense to Annessa. “How is he so blind?”

  Sam quirked her head. “Do you really want my opinion?”

  “No.” Because she had a feeling she wouldn’t care for Sam’s opinion about where Elion’s attention was.

  They stood and Elion paused his conversation with Axton to say goodbye. Annessa locked eyes with his.

  Don’t catch the quad on fire. Ian called from the edge of the quad, while a guy dug through his bag for notes.

  Annessa flipped him off in her mind
and then walked away with as much dignity as she could muster while her cheeks burned.

  “I was thinking,” Sam said. “Maybe we should have a girls’ night before you leave. You can sleep over in my dorm, and we can catch up.”

  “I’d like that,” Annessa told her.

  Sam skipped a few happy steps. “I’ll see about smuggling some of the good snacks out of the kitchen for us.”

  “It’s Friday, so why not tonight?” Annessa suggested, realizing again how much she was going to miss her friend. She hadn’t thought three weeks could accomplish that.

  Sam turned to Poppy for a split second and then said to Annessa, “Sounds perfect.”

  Before she left, Sam reached out and snagged Annessa’s hand. It was just a little squeeze, but as it happened, Annessa gazed her. Annessa didn’t know when it was, but she knew it hadn’t happened yet. In the image, Sam lay on the floor bleeding. Future Sam and current Sam were wearing the same outfit. That couldn’t be a coincidence, could it?

  “Annessa?”

  Annessa jolted from the gaze. Her heart pounded. She’d clamped down on Sam’s hand without meaning to.

  “What’s wrong?” Sam asked.

  “Nothing.” She couldn’t tell Sam that she’d just gazed the future. But if she didn’t do something, Sam was going to get hurt. The problem was, Annessa didn’t know how to stop it from happening. Because she didn’t know what was going to happen. Or why. But they were on campus, so no one could be planning to hurt her. Right? So maybe it was an accident. If there was an accident, how would she make sure Sam got help?

  “Why don’t you come to training with me instead of class?” Annessa suggested.

  “I can’t,” Sam said. “But you’re worrying me.”

  Annessa realized it was dark in the gaze, which meant Sam would be okay until night. Between now and then Annessa just needed to figure out how to keep her that way. She let Sam go. “I’m just realizing how much I’m going to miss you.”

  Sam gave her a sad smile. “I will meet you in a few hours. We’ll have a great night.”

  “Okay.”

  After Sam slipped inside the art center, Annessa hightailed it to the armory.

  Ness burst through the training center doors, her eyes wide with panic. “I saw something. And I need to know how to stop it.”

  “You mean you gazed?” Elion asked.

  “Yes.” She waved a hand as if that particular detail was unimportant, which meant it wasn’t the first time it had happened.

  And she hadn’t told him.

  “So how do I make sure it doesn’t happen?”

  “Just because you gazed it, doesn’t mean it will happen. All it means is that it’s one possibility.”

  “Possibility is enough to freak me out.” She pushed the hair back from her face. Her eyes were determined, but her chin wobbled.

  “Hey…” Elion put his hands on the sides of her face and tipped her head up to look him. “What did you see?”

  “It’s Sam.” Annessa turned her head away when a tear fell down her cheek. “She was hurt.”

  Elion’s stomach dropped. “Hurt how?”

  “There was a lot of blood, and I couldn’t tell if she was breathing.” She met his stare. “She was wearing the same outfit she has on today, but it was dark. So something is going to happen tonight.”

  Elion shook his head. “No, it’s not.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because we aren’t going to let it.” Elion swiped away the tear on her cheek with his thumb. Annessa nodded, and he dropped his hands. “We need to figure out what she’s planning to do tonight and then change her plans.”

  “I already know what she’s planning. We’re going to have a girl’s night—just the two of us.”

  The vice around Elion’s lungs tightened. Annessa saw Sam hurt, and she was supposed to be in the same place.

  “Elion?”

  “Huh?” He snapped out of his panic mode to come up with a useful plan. “Okay—”

  Annessa held up a hand. “What you were thinking just now? And don’t say it was nothing.”

  “You want me to be honest?” he asked.

  “Yeah, that would be great.” She didn’t say for once, but he could sense it in her tone.

  “All right,” he said. “I was thinking that I wanted to beg you to lock yourself in your room at the mansion. That I want you to stay as far away from Samara as you can, because I don’t want whatever might happen to her to happen to you too.”

  Annessa’s mouth fell open. “How could you ask that? She could die!”

  “I wasn’t going to ask you, I just wanted to,” he clarified.

  Annessa’s eyes narrowed. “I won’t sit back and not help my friend.”

  “You’re the one who demanded to know what I was thinking, so you don’t get to be pissed at me because you don’t like it,” Elion replied.

  “I’m pissed because you want me to abandon my friend to save myself,” Annessa said.

  “That’s the thing, Ness, what I want and what I do are two different things. When are you going to get that? I want to keep you safe at all cost. But I’m going to keep my shit together and help our friend. Because I’m not the selfish bastard you think I am.”

  Annessa let out a breath. “I don’t think you’re selfish.”

  “You seemed to think differently when you accused me of not caring what you want.”

  “Honestly, I don’t even know what I want any more,” Annessa admitted. “Other than keeping Sam safe. That’s all I can think about.” Annessa bit her lip. “Is this what it feels like to be you?”

  “Sounds about right.”

  “So what do we do?”

  “Change your plans. Just like we kept changing your plans to go into town when you first came to the academy.”

  “Only I hated that no one explained why,” Annessa pointed out.

  “You want to tell Sam that you saw her dying on the floor tonight?”

  Annessa scrunched up her face. “I can’t do that to her.”

  “How about you invite her to the mansion for the night instead?” Elion suggested. “If anyone wanted to hurt her, they couldn’t get to her there.”

  “You don’t think it could be an accident?” Annessa asked.

  “In my experience, guilded people don’t die by accident,” Elion answered.

  “But that means someone on campus is capable of doing that to her.”

  “Which is why you’re going to go to the mansion, and I’m going to see who pops up at her door tonight.”

  Annessa shook her head. “No. Absolutely not.”

  “I’ll be fine. If anyone shows up, I’ll slip out of time before they can blink.” Elion put his hands in his pockets while he crafted the narrative. “Then I hand them over to the Council and say I gazed it. No one will question me.”

  “Can you corroborate what I saw?” Annessa asked.

  “I can’t gaze Sam without her here.”

  “Then gaze me.”

  “Remember when I said that nothing changed for me by losing my shadow?” Elion cringed. “I bent the truth a little.”

  “Bent it?”

  “Gazers cannot see their own future or past. I had trouble gazing you before, but now I can’t at all.”

  Annessa didn’t get upset, which was a relief. But she still said, “It’s too risky.”

  Elion slipped out of the time flow, walked up to Annessa, and slipped back in. He smirked when she blinked with surprise to have him suddenly right in front of her. “I’ll be fine.”

  When he turned to walk away, the room seemed to flex as he was yanked backward through the flow of time and dropped off a few seconds before in the flow—back when he was facing off with Annessa. Only this time she had her hands on her hips.

  “Don’t walk away. We are still discussing this,” she said.

  “You just pulled me backward through time,” he replied dumbly.

  Annessa shrugged. “I figured it was t
he easiest way to get you back here.”

  “Annessa, I can’t move backward through my timeline. I can slip out and back in, and I can get caught up in the flow and move through a lifetime, but I don’t go backward. Ever.”

  Annessa squinted at him. “Obviously you do, because I just pulled your butt back here.”

  “Do you know how many times I’ve been nearing old age, and I’ve tried to swim back upstream to my youth? But I can’t. How did you do that?”

  Annessa shrugged. “I just wanted you to stop you from walking away before I’d had my say, so I pulled you back.”

  “Have you moved yourself backward?”

  “So far, I can’t go back or skip ahead. Just in and out.”

  “And you figured it all out by yourself?” he asked suspiciously.

  Annessa balked.

  Elion’s nose flared. “Ian knows, doesn’t he?”

  “It’s not my fault he’s all up in my business all the time,” she defended.

  “If he tells anyone…”

  “He won’t,” Annessa insisted.

  “I know you guys are friends, but you can’t know that for sure.”

  “He helped me hide what’s been happening to me. If anyone digs into my thoughts, they won’t find any of it.”

  “That son of a bitch,” Elion growled.

  “If he hadn’t, your mother would already know, and we wouldn’t even be having this conversation,” Annessa pointed out.

  She was right, but something else was eating at him. “Are you guys close?”

  Annessa laughed. “Look who’s jealous now.”

  “I’m not jealous,” he said. “I’m just concerned for you.”

  Annessa folded her arms. “Bull.”

  “What about you? Remember Marcy?” he retorted.

  “You can do whatever you want with Territorial Barbie,” Annessa said, her head bobbling side to side as she said it. Elion had always found this adorable, but he wasn’t dumb enough to ever vocalize that fact. “It’s not my business.”

  Elion suppressed a smile. She was lying out her rear. He shifted so he was practically pressed against her crossed arms. Her glare turned downright frosty then. Until he brushed his knuckles over her collarbone. Her eyes widened, and her breath caught. When her arms fell to her sides, he watched her chest rise and fall rapidly. Elion was sure it wasn’t from indignation anymore. Elion’s throat tightened. He’d started this to prove a point, but suddenly it didn’t feel like he was proving anything except what a bad idea it was. His eyes dipped of their own accord to glance at her lips. Oh man. It was time to back away before he did something she wouldn’t appreciate later, when she had time to think about it.