Half Black Soul (20 page)

I almost said the library, but then I thought that she would probably want to go with me, so instead, I said, To see my boyfriend. We're going to have a late dinner, since I've been so busy with my school work lately. Where were you going?

Bethany tucked her two-toned hair behind her ear. I was just heading back to my dorm, she told me. So, hey, I was thinking, since you have a tight schedule right now, maybe we could sit together at lunch and practice our Searching a little while we ate.

I took a moment to think about that. It's not that I didn't like Bethany, she was a sweet girl, and after my last encounter with her aunt, I could understand why she would be so eager to impress her. But, I just didn't feel like making any commitments right now. Still, I would have to go to the cafeteria tomorrow so that no one would start becoming too suspicious, so what harm would it really do? Sure, I said, cranking the fake smile on my face up a notch, That's a great idea.

Bethany clapped her hands together. Awesome, she said. I'll see you at lunch, then. Have fun on your date.

I watched her a moment as she skipped off to the Searcher dorm building, then I continued on my way. The place that I'd seen in Patterson's mind was not far from the library, so it wouldn't take me too long to get there, but I'd just wasted ten minutes talking to Bethany, so I wanted to hurry. I picked up my pace, glancing around me every once in a while in anxious habit. There weren't too many people out at this time of day. Night was approaching, and even though we are vampires, my kind usually prefers to be out in the day. Two Rivers ran on pretty much the same schedule as humans; working or whatever during the daylight hours, sleeping at night. Not because we weren't night creatures, but because we knew firsthand what kind of monsters stalked the night.

Eventually, I passed the library, and then I had to think a little to point out the location that I'd seen in Patterson's head. It was just a small place, though pretty and well-kempt, like everything in Two Rivers. Upon closer examination, I found that it was a small store. The front of it was adorned with large stones, but the majority of the exterior was a dark wood. Twin bushes sat out front, and a wooden sign hung from the awning that proclaimed simply: Wagers.

I moved from the sidewalk and stood behind a tree, thinking of how strange a name that was for a store. This also made things more difficult. I'd only taken what was absolutely necessary from Patterson's mind, so I'd know what path he took to get here, and what the place looked like, but I hadn't anticipated it being a store. I just hoped that it closed early, because getting in and hiding would be doubly hard if someone was inside. Though I suppose it wouldn't have been any easier if it had been someone's house.

I leaned my head back against the tree and shut my eyes. Either the moist air was clinging to me like a baby monkey, or I was sweating bullets down my back. I checked my watch once more. It read 7:20. I had forty minutes before the invited parties of this meeting would show up. I took a deep breath, and released my mind for the second time this day. I didn't let it out as far as I had in the forest, but I concentrated enough to know that there wasn't anyone in my immediate vicinity. I peeked around the tree and opened my eyes, staring at the small store fifty feet away from me. I swallowed hard and pulled the muscle of mind in from the circle it had extended around me, concentrating it solely on the store.

My breath fell out in a sigh when it confirmed that there was indeed an occupant. A Brocken woman, actually. Darn it. What was I supposed to do now? I felt like my heart was ticking away the seconds in the same manner as the watch on my wrist. I felt in over my head. I knew what I had to do. The question was; would I be able to?

Controlling animals, without even touching them, was one thing. Controlling a person's mind was a whole different animal; no pun intended. I was lucky on the count that this person wasn't a Searcher, but it would make the task easier only marginally. And, if I messed this up, and she felt or sensed my invasion & actually, better not to think about that right now. I told myself twice that I was doing this for Alexa, and repeated her words in my head twice as well: Be strong, then, I dove in.

It wasn't easy. In fact, it was freaking hard. I needed to do two things; get the layout of the shop, and make the woman either come outside, or move to a part of the store where she wouldn't see me sneak in. Then, I had to hold her there until I could hide. My forehead and palms were sweating already.

The first part wasn't the hard part, and once I concentrated and got a feel of her soul, I found a weak spot in the sturdy walls around her mind and squeezed through. I was pleased to learn that the shop had a rear entrance, and I began slowly making my way around to the backside of the place. I tripped a few times because my brain was so concentrated on the woman in the store, but that's not why my heart was aching.

I'm sure that there are people who would literally kill to be able to do the things I can do, but they couldn't possibly understand what sort of deal they'd be making. Sure, being able to see the thoughts and memories just as that person does, or know their true intentions and inclinations can be useful, but the ability takes a toll. Sometimes, I feel as though I'm not built for it. I have trouble dealing with my own inner dwellings. Experiencing, understanding and knowing the struggles and battles of others is that much harder. Alexa doesn't understand why I try to be nice to most everyone I meet, unless and until they give me a good reason to dislike them. When people meet someone who is unkind, sometimes they say Well, you never know what they're going through & , but I do know. Over the years, I've known the loss of loved ones that were never mine, I've cried over harsh words that were never spoken to me, I've touched the anguish of spoiled love. Truly, and deeply, I've felt the damage of many souls in this world. And, as I said, sometimes I'm not sure if I'm built for it. I'm not sure if any single soul is.

So, the unexpected dread and pain radiating from the woman's soul in the store instantly shook me. I almost withdrew from her mind as a result of it, and had to force my feet to keep moving so as not to freeze in my tracks. My stomach tightened and my throat followed suit. These emotions weren't aged with memory, they were fresh and raw, and because I couldn't help myself, I sought out the source of the issue.

The first thing I got was a name, and with it, I did actually pause in my sneak around to the rear of the store. Mark. The warrior who'd lost to Kayden in the Arena. This woman was his sister, and she was worried about him beyond expression. None of these things caught me too off guard; Mark was bound to have family, and if Alexa had been hurt as bad as he had in the Arena a few days ago, I would be riddled with dark emotions as well. The thing that surprised me was that her dread wasn't because he'd lost in the Arena, it was because she was afraid of what was going to happen to him now.

I did my best to separate myself from the fear of Mark's sister, whose name I couldn't help but gather from her mind as well: Martha, or as those who knew her referred, Marty. Though I could empathize with her, it was actually lucky for me that her nerves were all in a tangle and her mind was a mess. It made it easier to take my mental hand and wrap my fingers around the heart of it. But, it hurt me in the same way she was currently hurting to have to be so near to it. If you command a person's soul, you undoubtedly feel the heat of it.

I didn't want to speak a command in my mind, as I had with the animals in the woods and with Victoria. This was a more delicate matter. I couldn't let her know that some outside force was grasping her. I needed to pass like silk over a glass table; make her think that the thoughts and actions I intended to place upon her originated from her own ambitions. So, I halted when I circled around and approached the back entrance of the small shop. There were no shrubs on this side, and no porch either, just a wooden door with polished hinges. I leaned my back against the wooden exterior of the house, the door just inches to my right. My hold on Marty grew ever steadier as I decreased the distance between us. I closed my eyes, and even though they remained shut, I slowly began to open my vision into Marty's being. Physically, I was standing outside in the almost dark. Mentally, I was fixing myself a cup of tea and fretting over a brother that didn't belong to me.

I knew where I wanted to go once I got inside, but the place wasn't set up like an average shop. In fact, with deeper recess into Marty's mind, I learned that it wasn't really a shop at all, and the name carved into the wooden hanging sign out front suddenly made sense to me. This was where people came when they wanted to place bets on the fighters in the Arena. Marty had taken the job as bookkeeper as an alternative to battling in the Arena herself. Apparently, most of the female Brocken's took jobs like this. I supposed my sister was a rarity in more ways than one.

But, Wagers wasn't just the betting booth that Martha managed, the rear of the structure was also her home. The front room, where one would enter should they want to place a bet, was sectioned off from the rest of the place. A counter and signs declaring rules and such hanging above it were about the only things in the front of the place, but behind the counter was a steel door, which led to a short hallway that led to another steel door. Beyond that door, was Marty's living area, which was nearly as sparse as the business side of the building. She had a combination kitchen/dining room, one full bathroom, a small living room, and an even smaller bedroom. She also had another steel door behind the wooden door that I was currently standing next to.

I should unlock the door, I thought, that way Gavin and the others won't have to wait outside when they get here. And, in my head, I watched as Marty locked the two steel doors that led to the shop, and passed through her small living area to first unlock the steel door, and then unlock the wooden one beyond it. A thought entered her head then, and I had to slap it away and insert my own. She'd wanted to peek outside the wooden door, even though she had no idea why. I'm just tired, I thought, Maybe I could use a cookie or two with my tea. Marty moved into the kitchen.

I took one final shuddering breath, and went in.

Turning the knob slowly, I pushed the first door open, keeping my hold on Marty's mind the entire time. Just stay in the kitchen, just stay in the kitchen. I pushed the second door open, the steel door, and cursed in my head when the hinges creaked ever so softly. From the kitchen, and in my head, I could feel Marty's brow crease, and her feet begin to move in my direction.

In my panic, I reached out and stole the memory of the squeaking hinge from her mind like a sweet-smiling pickpocket. Marty stopped in her tracks, unable to remember why just a moment ago she wanted to go check on something in the living room. Just stay in the kitchen. Have a cookie. Sweat swam down my back. Marty shrugged, thinking that whatever she'd been thinking of would come back to her in a minute. I tucked the memory into a holey pocket in my mind. It wouldn't be coming back to her. She turned to a small cabinet near the sink and pulled out a box of Oreos, which were her weakness in human food. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to have one. They held no nutritional value for her, but for some reason, she always enjoyed the taste. She pulled one from the box and leaned against the counter. I wiped a hand across the back of my neck and wrinkled my nose when it came back wet. Then, I slipped between the crack I'd opened in the steel door.

I went immediately to the small coat closet that rested to the side in the small living room, not stopping to study any of the dÈcor or design of the room. I bite my lip when I placed my moist hand on the knob of the closet door. Praying to whomever that these hinges were without voice, I twisted my wrist and pulled gently. The closet door swung out with no protest. I turned my body to the side, and slipped inside. I held the knob twisted until I pulled the door shut again, and then slowly released it so that the latch could slide silently into place. In the kitchen, I released Marty before she could eat her fifth Oreo.

I sat down in the small closet, noting that it was just as bare as the rest of the house. Only one coat hung from the rack over my head and a small umbrella lay tucked against one of the walls. It was pitch dark inside, with only the seam of light coming in from the bottom of the door. I tucked my knees against my chest because there was absolutely no way to spread out in this space, and scooted back on my butt until my back met the back wall. I concentrated only on breathing quietly and waiting. The meeting would start in about twenty minutes.

On the other side of the door, Marty had just exited the kitchen and was making her way over to the leather recliner that sat next to the leather sofa in the living room. She clutched her teacup between cold hands, wondering if she had ever felt warm in this place. She couldn't understand why she was so worried about her brother, she'd just checked on him in the hospital this morning, and he'd seemed to be getting better. Sure, he'd surrendered in the Arena, and even though she loved him, she was admittedly a little ashamed by this fact. But, whether it was frowned upon here at Two Rivers or not, surrendering was an option that the warriors always had. So, why did she feel so sure, in her gut, that Mark was in danger? She couldn't shake the feeling that she was close to losing him somehow. The question she wanted answered wasn't so much why did she feel that way, the question was what was she going to lose him to?

I pulled out of her head then. My worries over my own sibling were too strong to take on someone else's as well. I would have to keep my guard up, in case Marty decided she needed to get into the coat closet or something, but I relaxed a little because I kind of needed a break. I hadn't been lying when I'd told Jackson that I was tired. For me, mental exertion has always been more taxing than physical exertion. I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes once more. The darkness behind my closed lids was somehow more appealing than that in front of my open eyes anyway.