Hall of Psychics Read online

  “Can’t say I blame you, Twinkie Pie,” Gia said to Annessa. “I wish I’d been born away from this cuss pile too. I won’t say anything to anyone.”

  “Thank you,” Elion said.

  “How’s Sam doing?” Annessa asked.

  “The blood around her brain has been reabsorbed, and the tissues are mending. But I can’t rebuild the parts that died.”

  Annessa choked on a gasp.

  With little emotion, Gia said, “If I could do more, I would.”

  “You can’t, but maybe I can,” Elion said.

  Gia let out a harsh laugh. “Heaven help us.”

  “How?” Annessa asked, ready to try anything.

  “I can pull her timeline back around her, just until she’s restored.”

  “Like pushing her back in time?”

  “No, that wouldn’t work because what happened to her would just repeat. I don’t want to send her back in time, I want to pull her timeline back.”

  Annessa thought she understood. “Like what you were trying to do with those dead plants?”

  Gia scowled. “Do not kill my patient or I will have my bees sting you a thousand times. Each.”

  “I won’t kill her,” Elion said. “The only reason that happened with the plants is because I was trying to hold on to my own timeline too. It was too much to keep track of.”

  “You’re going to let go,” Annessa concluded.

  “I’ve done it a million times.”

  “And last time, you cycled out of control for a year before you managed to get hold of yourself,” Gia said. She turned to Annessa. “You think he’s bad now? Try dealing with him as a terroristic three-year-old.”

  “I only bit you because you were being mean,” Elion said.

  Annessa’s mouth fell open.

  Gia grinned. “I think your girlfriend just lost all respect for you.”

  “I’m not his girlfriend,” Annessa protested.

  “That’s right. You guys are friends.” Gia used air-quotes. “You do know that I’m basically an emotions radar, right? And the tension coming off you two is making me want to puke.”

  Annessa blushed.

  “Aww, she’s got an innocent streak,” Gia observed. “At least now I can tell you two apart. So, you going to play Jesus or go away?”

  “I’m going to do this,” Elion replied.

  “Then I’ll get the doctor. In case he has to step in to save both of you.” Gia wove through the room and set off down the hall.

  Annessa put a hand on Elion’s arm. “What happens after this?”

  “I’ll make sure you are relocated in a few days as planned.”

  “That’s not what I was talking about. What happens to you?”

  Elion gave her a half-smile. “Don’t worry about me.”

  “I am worried about you. How much time are you going to lose?”

  “It’s worth it.” Elion flexed his hands. “But you may have to see me when I’m not at my best.”

  “I already saw you as a pre-pubescent boy. I think I can handle middle-aged you.”

  Elion’s shoulders dropped. “Yeah, but I never wanted you to.”

  “If you are hinting I should leave before you do this, save it. This time I get what I want. And I want to be here with you.” Annessa pinned him with look that dared him to argue.

  He didn’t. Instead, he brushed the hair back from her forehead, hooking it gently behind her ear. Annessa blinked back the sting in her eyes. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Not this soon.

  Gia strolled in with the doctor on her heels. And Mrs. Marks too.

  “You here to tell me not to do this?” Elion asked his mom.

  “I’m here to tell you that I think you should,” she replied.

  “This isn’t a training exercise, Mom. I’m not going to hold on to my own timeline. I’m going to drop it and save my friend.”

  “You should at least try to hold on,” she persisted. “See if you can.”

  “No,” Elion said flatly. “I’m not risking it.”

  Mrs. Marks clasped her hands in front of her. “Then I’m not sure you should do this at all.”

  “You don’t want me to help Samara—my friend?”

  “Not when we need you at your best.” Mrs. Marks eyed Annessa, clearly not wanting to say too much.

  Annessa was never so relieved that Ian’s shield was firmly in place.

  Elion closed his hands into fists. “You guys can handle what’s going on for a few months.”

  “You don’t understand,” his mom argued. “There have been developments.”

  “Like what?”

  “A chalise is missing,” she said through clenched teeth. “So as much as my heart goes out to Samara, we cannot risk you being out of control.”

  To Annessa’s shock, Elion seemed to hesitate. “That’s a good enough reason to just leave Sam like this?” she asked.

  “I know you do not understand what’s happening, Annessa, but our people are in a war for our survival, and our enemies have gained the upper hand. If Elion is out of the war, we may not be standing for much longer.”

  “Then I’ll help,” Annessa said.

  “No,” Elion cut in. “I can’t let you give up everything you’ve always wanted.”

  “That’s just it, El. This is what I want.”

  “And if I could somehow revive your shadow tomorrow. What then?” Elion challenged.

  “Then that would change things. But”—Annessa emphasized that word—“only because your mom would probably toss me out since I wouldn’t belong here anymore. And then things might get problematic when I refused to leave.”

  Mrs. Marks frowned. “Someone needs to explain what’s going on. Right now.”

  “What about your freedom?” Elion ignored his mom.

  “I realized that being free means something different than I thought,” Annessa explained. “It’s knowing what you want most and making it happen. And I want to be a diamond.”

  Elion frowned. “I don’t follow.”

  “You don’t have to,” Annessa said. “But earlier, Sam asked me what I wanted to be. And this is what I kept coming back to. Nothing else has ever felt so right.”

  “You really want to stay?” He clearly was not going to accept her declaration easily. “And not just for us?”

  “I want to stay for me,” Annessa said firmly. “You guys are just the frosting on top.”

  “That’s touching,” Mrs. Marks said. “But norms are not allowed to enroll in the Academy.”

  “What about a norm who’s not so normal anymore?” Annessa offered a pained smile, knowing things were going to get tense. She tugged at Ian’s shroud until everything that was hers to share was on display. She left Ian’s secrets covered.

  Mrs. Marks gasped and swung on Elion. “And you weren’t going to tell me?”

  “No,” he said simply.

  With a deep breath, Mrs. Marks seemed to put a pin in her anger for the moment. “This obviously changes things, but it won’t help right now because she’s untrained.”

  “Fortunately, I won’t have to do much,” Annessa rushed to explain. “See, it’s like trying to remember a long string of numbers. If everyone only has to remember a few, it’s doable. So Elion will focus on Sam’s timeline, and I’ll basically just hold on to him.”

  “What about your timeline?” Mrs. Marks asked Annessa.

  “I’m locked into my timeline, so that’s not an issue.”

  “How is that possible?”

  “I don’t know,” Annessa shrugged. “I haven’t really thought about it, but maybe it’s because I’m not a Legend. I’m just a Legend’s shadow.”

  Mrs. Marks seemed to consider that and then asked Elion, “You think you can do this?”

  “With my swim buddy here, I know we can.” He winked at Annessa.

  “You sound like a lunatic.” Mrs. Marks sighed. “Do it, then. Save Samara.” She turned to leave but stopped to look back. “Once you’ve finished, get some
sleep. Annessa, in the morning report to Admin to set up your class schedule. Oh and that long-code analogy was great. Except for one thing. We will be having a discussion about the proper use of campus buildings with all of you in the near future.”

  “Shoot,” Annessa hissed between her teeth.

  “I told you one of these days you would get busted,” Gia crowed, “but I never imagined I’d be lucky enough to witness it.”

  “Your mom is leaving?” Annessa asked with surprise.

  “She knows her presence makes me tense and means I’m less likely to succeed,” Elion explained.

  “Plus, she is a mother and watching her son do something that could harm him is no easy thing,” added the doctor. “So, I will oversee. Let’s see if you two can make her whole again.”

  “Ready?” Elion asked.

  Instead of answering, Annessa gently tugged on him. Not enough to pull him backward through the flow of time, just enough that he knew she had him.

  His eyes widened. “That will take some getting used to.”

  “Then I’ll torment you until you do,” Annessa promised.

  “I’m going to be sick,” Gia grumbled.

  Elion focused on Sam. Annessa didn’t pay attention to what he was doing. Her job was to hold on to him, and that’s what she did. She didn’t think about anything else or do anything else until Elion rubbed her arm and said, “All done.”

  “Did it work?” She looked over Sam. “She’s not awake.”

  “I gave her something,” explained the doctor. “Her brain is whole, but her body is dealing with the shock of what she experienced. She needs sleep and time for her mind to heal.”

  “Can I stay?” Annessa requested.

  “Not tonight. My charmers need to do their jobs and the anxiety floating off you won’t help that.”

  When they got to the top of the stairs, Elion tugged Annessa down the hall toward his room instead of hers.

  “I didn’t think you’d want to stay in your room after everything,” he explained.

  He was correct.

  “Since you’ve already nosed around, I assume you can find something in one of the drawers to sleep in,” he said as he pushed open his bedroom door for her.

  “Thanks,” she said. Elion started to leave and Annessa caught his hand. “Stay with me?” She felt silly and stupid trying to think of a way to explain that she was scared of the shadows just then.

  But she didn’t need to because Elion squeezed her hand and said, “Of course.”

  He waited while she pulled on a shirt and basketball shorts and then tucked her in.

  “I know I’m being dumb,” she said.

  Elion lay on top of the comforter and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “If you’re dumb, then so am I, because I was planning to sleep in the hallway tonight.”

  Annessa was sure she’d never fall asleep, but somehow she did. She had no dreams, for which she was thankful. When she woke, the sun shone through the window. Elion was gone. In his place was a stack of ten letters, all addressed to her, but without a postmark. There was a letter dated for each month they’d spent apart the past year, even though she’d stopped writing to him after the first three months.

  Once she’d read them, reread them, and then cleaned the tear stains from her face, she ventured downstairs, eager to see Elion. He was in the kitchen, perched on a stool beside the island. Annessa’s eyes widened at the device in his hands.

  “You have a phone that works up here?”

  Annessa snatched the device from his hands. She’d missed technology. “I thought the cell service up here sucked so bad that cell phones were worthless?”

  Elion winced.

  “That was a lie,” she translated. Her words were softened by the fact that she wedged herself between his knees while she tapped on the screen. Her back pressed against his chest.

  Elion wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder to see what she was looking at. “There’s a Wi-Fi ban right now for security reasons.”

  “Let me guess, that reason is me.”

  “That’s not what the student body was told, but yes,” Elion admitted. “The Council didn’t want any pictures of you leaking or for anyone to be able to track you here.”

  “How can they ban cell phones? My high school tried it, but it was impossible.”

  “The Council can turn off cell-service to our location.”

  “That’s a scary thought,” Annessa said.

  “It’s scary times.” Elion nudged her cheek with his until she looked at him. “Are you sure you’re up for that?”

  “I knew what I was getting into last night,” she assured him. “And I didn’t make that decision lightly.”

  “I’m glad to hear it because I’m supposed to deliver you to my father this morning so you can enroll. So enjoy one last morning of eating in peace, because you are also moving into a residence hall today.”

  “Wow, I’m official.” Suddenly, Annessa was a mashup up nervous butterflies and excited jitters.

  “Yep.”

  “Since I’m official.” She batted her eyes and ran a finger down his cheek. “Can you tell me what was stolen?”

  “You play dirty.” He laughed. “How about after you eat some oatmeal, I show you,” he said.

  Annessa pretended to gag. “I hate oatmeal.”

  Elion gasped. “Blaspheme.”

  Annessa cracked a smile. “I don’t know how you eat this every day.”

  “Because it’s delicious.”

  “Pop Tarts are delicious. This is slop.” Annessa lifted a spoonful of oatmeal from Elion’s abandoned breakfast and let the gray mass glop back into the bowl.

  Elion slid off the stool, holding up a finger. He went to a cupboard and reached inside, high over his head, toward the back. Annessa would swear angels sang when he pulled out a box of Pop Tarts.

  She grabbed the box from him. “Those have been here this whole time?”

  “Those have probably been there since the cold war because no one here likes them.”

  “I don’t care,” she crooned. “They’ll still be good.”

  “And that right there should send up some red flags.”

  Annessa jumped up to sit on the island countertop, tore into a wrapper, and savored a bite. “Why do you have them here, if you don’t like them?”

  Elion returned to his stool and gray slime. “I went through a phase where I pretended to like them.”

  “Why?”

  Elion gave her a bashful look. “Because there was this girl who got under my skin, and I was trying to be cool enough for her. But after a few mornings of eating those nasty things, I decided she wasn’t worth it.”

  She spun around until her toes brushed Elion’s legs. With one raised brow, she asked, “Not worth it?”

  “I might be convinced to reconsider my stance.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  Elion tugged her shirt, dragging her closer. “Uh-huh.”

  Annessa leaned in. “Even if I taste like strawberry Pop Tarts?”

  “Even then.”

  Annessa was just about to slide off the counter onto Elion’s lap when someone cleared their throat. She lurched back.

  “Morning, Dad,” Elion said without even trying to conceal his broad smile at Annessa’s red-faced retreat. “I didn’t know you were still here.”

  “I can see that.” Mr. Marks snapped a banana off a bunch on the counter and filled a mug with coffee.

  “I was going to show Annessa Legend Hall if that’s okay,” Elion told his dad.

  “You sure that’s a good idea?”

  “Gia said she couldn’t tell the two of us apart,” Elion replied by way of an answer.

  “Then I agree she should probably know what she’s a part of now. Just make sure you explain the rules. And I’ll see you both in my office in one hour.” At the door, Mr. Marks added, “Your mom was awake all night tracking leads, so she’s still here too. In case that means anything t
o you.”

  After Mr. Marks was gone, Elion gave Annessa a hopeful look. “Any way we can go back to where we were before my dad interrupted?”

  Annessa rolled her eyes and hopped off the counter. “No chance,” she said. And then because he looked sexy as heck with those puppy dog eyes, she leaned in and kissed him just beneath his jaw and whispered, “But I am looking forward to our training session later.”

  Elion growled and tried to grab her, but she skipped out of reach with a laugh and a shake of her head. “Fine,” he conceded. “But let’s go take our tour before my mom shows up and sees what’s in my head right now.”

  Annessa’s mouth fell open with dawning horror. “What exactly did your dad see?” She’d completely forgotten Ian’s warning about lust auras.

  Elion grinned. “Nothing he hasn’t already seen plenty of times in my aura. Especially when you were around after I turned fourteen.” While Annessa processed that information, Elion towed her down the hall by the hand.

  Oh goodness. Living with psychics was going to take some getting used to. If she didn’t die of embarrassment first.

  25

  Elion led Annessa down a flight of stairs and a long corridor without any windows. The only door was the one at the end. It was inky black and did not have a doorknob. Instead of opening it, Elion walked right through it and pulled Annessa after him.

  “It worked,” Elion said. “I wasn’t completely sure it would.”

  “Care to explain to the newbie?”

  “Only a Legend can get through that doorway,” Elion told her.

  He said something else too but Annessa wasn’t paying attention anymore. She recognized the place from her dreams. The stone floor was wet from water that trickled down the sides of the fountain and flowed away into an underground cavern. The walls depicted the same scenes she’d seen in her dreams.

  Elion tugged her over to one of the panels. It was a painting of an old man holding a baby. The bottom of the painting was smooth and crisp, but as her eyes track upward, something seemed off, like it became distorted and gruesome. Parts of the man and infant looked worn, and she could make out their bones.

  “Recognize those two?” Elion asked.

  Annessa’s mouth fell open. “You’re Father Time?”