The Forbidden Trilogy (53 page)

***

Serena wished she was in Heaven, and not here with these
horrible men. The baddest man of all stood tall, and when he smiled she could
tell that he didn't have a soul. He would never get into Heaven.

At least her parents were safe now. But she wasn't, and
neither was Angel.

She'd have to use her powers, and she could die if she did
what the evil man asked. But she would die if she didn't try.

First, she had to slow down her heart. It felt like a crazy
hummingbird was trying to peck its way out of her chest. Her dad used to take
her to watch the birds. They'd had such fun taking pictures and drawing
sketches of them.

No, she couldn't think of her dad, or her mom—only her
power. Otherwise it wouldn't work.

She focused and breathed and let her body get really still.

When the warm light flowed into her, she smiled. In that
moment, no matter what happened, everything was connected, and it would be
okay. She let that peace settle into her, and her hands got so hot she had to
let it out before it burned her up.

She hovered her hands over the person dying on the bed. In
Serena's mind, there was no male or female, only a glowing body of light, but
this person's light was nearly gone.

She didn't know if she could light it up again, but she did
her best. Light and power poured out of her like fresh orange juice into a
crystal glass.

The soul in need sucked up her light and heat, but it didn't
help. It was like pouring it down the drain.

A wave of dizziness hit her and she pulled her hands back in
fear.

The evil man's voice cut through her haze. "Don't
stop."

She pictured him eating Angel's heart, and put her hands
back out. More light drained from her. More heat and energy sucked into the
person beneath her.

More and more and more.

Serena could feel her own life force draining to keep up the
healing.

She heard someone cry out.

Then her world faded to black and... nothing.

The body on the bed moaned and cried out. All signs of
injury had faded away—or at least most signs. Enough for Mr. Steele's purposes.

On the floor, the girl lay inert, her chest still.

The para-power she wielded could prove valuable in the
future, and he prided himself on keeping all of his tools in the best possible
shape. "Take her to the doctor and make sure she is given the best care
possible. I want her alive. Are we clear?"

If only he could remove the side effects of her healing
power, he might take it for himself. He cursed the scientists, who took too
long. If his son had lived longer, if he'd been able to keep the best parts of
The Seeker's powers and leave the rest, he could find all of the kids he needed
and he wouldn't be in this position.

The guards nodded while one lifted her in his arms and left
the room. The cat darted out from under the bed and followed them.

Mr. Steele focused his attention on the body and waited with
the patience of a man who had no conscience.

When its eyes opened in panic, Mr. Steele dove into its
mind.

Implanting false memories required careful attention to
detail. The memory had to align with the rest of the subject's experiences. To
manipulate someone into action based on a false memory required even more skill
and care—something he prided himself on.

First, he rummaged through his mind in search of a memory of
equal importance that he could sacrifice—another kink in his power, which he
intended to fix once he perfected his formula. Eventually, he'd be able to
implant memories without payment with his own, and erase memories without
carrying them around in his own mind. Mr. Steele relished the promised freedom.
While he didn't have to suffer the indignities of any emotions attached to
memories, he did not enjoy the experience of other people's lives in his mind.

He had no idea how his daughter, Sam, could stand to read
minds all day long. To be exposed to so much... humanness.

Once he selected his memory, he held it in the Sphere of
Transfer, as he called it. Then, he began to remake the memory into what he
wanted his subject to believe was its own.

The art of memory making required his full focus. He tweaked
smells and sounds, adjusted what stood out and what faded into the background.
When the memory was nearly perfect, he added the missing piece, the part that
was hardest for him to create, as he had no experience of his own from which to
draw.

He had to add emotion.

It took two hours to get it just right. Once the memory was
ready, he pushed it out of the sphere and into the subject's mind, allowing it
to find its place amongst the other memories organically.

If Mr. Steele had done his job right, and of course he had,
this memory would compel his subject to bring him his granddaughter when she
was born.

That child's cerebrospinal flu would contain the purest,
most powerful para-powers he'd ever created, and those powers would be his.

I stand in a white gown made of silk and lace and look over
a canyon with no way to cross. My feet are perched on the edge, toes hanging
over the deep abyss of red and gold with clouds billowing below me.

In this world of dreams, I consider jumping and letting
the clouds catch me in a puffy bed of cotton, but I don't.

A force pulls at me. On the other side of the canyon a
girl reaches for me.

Her silky auburn hair floats behind her in the wind.
Though she is far away, my eyes zoom in on her like binoculars, and I can see
each heart-breaking tear as it slides down her cheek.

Her voice breaks through the clouds and sends them
scattering like scared mice. "Please, help me."

"Where are you? What happened?"

Something pulls her from behind, pulls her away from me.
She cries out again. "Please!"

"What's your name?"

One last cry and she is gone, but her last word hangs on
the wind. "Serena."

I fall to my knees and sob. Serena, Gar's gifted
daughter. Her father had died trying to save me and now I must repay the debt.
I must save Serena.

My dream changes and I sit in a dark attic, chained to a
bed.
No!
I don't want to be here.
No!

The Seeker, my brother—his memories pull at me. His
powers flow in me and crash into my mind, straining and cracking me.

He knew how to find Serena before he died. And now his
father,
our
father, knows.

I must save her.

I need to wake up.

The dream locks its teeth into me like a rabid bulldog,
but I fight it and push away.

Harder. Fight harder.

The dream teeth tear through my flesh, and still I push.

Like getting stabbed in the stomach, carved apart from
the inside. Pain pins me to my unconscious world like a bug stuck on a board as
part of a collection.

It rips me apart. My body is turned inside out and
something spills from my body and onto my bed.

***

I jerked awake in my bed, flushed with sweat and stinking of
fear, but the pain of my dreams continued to torture me. Gasping and wracked in
pain, I hollered for someone, anyone to help.

Who would come? Drake? He wouldn't come. Drake had left me
and our baby and wouldn't be back. I thought I'd accepted that, moved on
without him, prepared myself for life as a single mother. Now, with the moment
of birth so close, my mind latched onto thoughts of him, and I hated myself for
still needing him—hated that I felt so alone.

Luke and Lucy were on assignment. How I wished Lucy were
here. "Someone, help! Please. I'm having my baby."

Susie burst through the door to my bedroom and surveyed the
scene. We both looked down toward what must be the stain of fluid between my
legs, but my expanded stomach blocked my view.

Tears fell down my cheeks as I locked eyes with her.
"My water broke?"

She nodded. "Looks like Ana is coming early."

I shook my head and closed my legs tight, as if I could keep
her safe in my belly by force of will alone. "Lucy needs to be here.
And... and Drake."

Her blue eyes widened in sympathy. "I know you're
scared, honey, but I'll be with you the whole time. I promise."

A flush of calm flowed through me. The scent of snicker
doodles baking filled the air, and I surrendered to feelings of safety and
happiness.

Father Patrick had brought Susie to us when we first moved
into the Washington mansion and started a new school for kids with para-powers.
Susie, a former nun and a doctor, had her own para-powers, though she didn't
call them that.

I clutched the peace she brought and held it close to me.
"Thank you."

"You're welcome. It's important to stay calm, for you
and the baby. Okay?"

I nodded.

"I'm going to get some help and get you to the clinic
so we can see how you're both doing. I'll be back in just a second."

She left me alone with my thoughts, and memories of my
dreams. My powers had grown since our rescue and escape from Rent-A-Kid.
Whatever the Seeker had done to me or given to me before he died, I could now
sense other paranormals and locate them—sort of.

I wasn't very good yet, and we'd only found two kids in the
last few months using my gifts, but those gifts were growing. Mostly, it
happened by accident—in dreams, like the one I'd just had.

Another contraction rocked my body. I practiced my breathing
and rode it out, like a wave, as Drake would say.

Drake.

I couldn't bear to think of him, and I couldn't bear not to
think of him. Carrying his child created a bond between us. He'd become a part
of me in a very visceral way, sharing his thoughts and memories, talking to him
through my mind, then finally touching him, kissing him, feeling him in my
arms. In trying to save Mary, I'd destroyed his powers and destroyed us. His
presence once filled something inside me, but now a giant hole pierced my heart—and
not in some poetic, metaphorical way. The pain ate through me like hungry
piranhas; it kept me up at night, and made caring about
anything
a chore
beyond my ability to complete.

For all that, it hadn't made a damn bit of difference. Mary
had still died.

I'd forced myself through the motions for what seemed an
eternity, but time marched on whether I wanted it to or not, and I found myself
smiling again, laughing again, enjoying my art again. I'd even applied to a
local college for the fall. It had been almost three months since the night
Drake left, and my heart had started to heal, but going into labor cracked open
that freshly healed wound in my soul.

I existed within myself alone. I thought Poe wrote that in
something, but maybe not.

Whoever wrote it, they nailed my feelings exactly. Before, I
existed within myself, but never alone. Now, despite the thoughts of others
swirling around my head, nothing ever penetrated into me.

I was alone.

***

Susie waited for me in my room, as I came out dressed in clean
pajamas and feeling much better. Sometimes a good cry helped ease the
heaviness. Now that my mind had cleared of sleep, and my emotions settled from
the dream of Serena, it seemed I could do this, even alone. And really, I
wasn't so alone. Many people had stepped up to help me prepare for school and
motherhood—more support than most mothers would ever have, for which I was
grateful.

She draped a blue robe over my shoulders. "Ready?"

"Yes."
No. Maybe. How about terrified?
A
human being was about to push herself out of me. How ready could I possibly be
for that?

But the baby didn't care if I was ready or not.
She
was ready, and nothing else mattered.

We walked down the halls of our new home. It was early
still, and the other students and staff woke up slowly, reluctantly greeting a
new day. They stumbled out of their rooms to use the bathroom and get ready for
classes.

Greg and Gary were the first to see me and make the
connection. Gary smiled and squeezed my hand. "We'll come by soon and
check on you."

Their new puppy, an Italian Greyhound named Eddie who liked
watermelon and was a huge hit with everyone, ran playfully between their legs.
He nipped at my heels, begging for a rub, but I couldn't bend down to
accommodate. Greg noticed my discomfort and lifted the pup to me.

I rubbed the little guy's belly. "He's adorable. Can I
keep him?" Everybody asked them the same question, and they always laughed
and shook their heads. I handed Eddie back and picked up on thoughts from Gary
that worried me. "Is Mr. Jock still giving you a hard time, Greg?"

He looked away and Gary scowled, so yes. Didn't need to read
minds to see that one.

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Before
they could answer a contraction stole my voice. I doubled over in pain and
hands gripped my arms to keep me from falling.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

An eternity passed and finally I could stand again.

Greg smiled at me. "I think you have enough to handle
right now. Don’t worry about me. I'll be fine."

I couldn't help but worry. They had been instrumental in
helping Luke and Lucy lead the rebellion to destroy what used to be my home.
Greg could manipulate any surveillance system, and Gary could control
metal—coveted para-powers to be sure, but not enough to keep them safe from
narrow-minded bullies.

They each hugged me and I continued my walk of fame down the
halls.

A few others whispered heartfelt comforts as we passed.
Robyn saw us and came over to hug me. "You're going to do great!" Her
green eyes shone with sincerity. "I'll be there to help as soon as I get
something to eat. I'm dying for some chicken nuggets."