Riley’s gasp was audible.“Nowhere? I’m trying! I show up for psychic boot camp. I open myself up to the cotton candy!”
“Yet you still waste most of your energy wishing you were different.”
“Enough!” Elanora’s voice rang out. The thwack of the walking stick next to her startled Riley out of her trance of criticism.
She realized that they were sitting in the midst of chaos. Nick and Canon were wrestling. Mrs. Penny was loudly apologizing to Wander, who looked a little shell-shocked.
“I’ve never even heard some of those words before,” Wander whispered.
“Yeah, well, hang out with a few Navy SEALs in Shanghai, and you’d be surprised what language you pick up.”
“What do you mean everyone knows it’s a toupee?” Fred howled, clutching his Justin Bieber hair.
“Oh, gosh. I’m so sorry, Fred,” Blossom said, rubbing her temples.
Elanora got to her feet and crossed stiffly to where Nick was squishing Canon’s face into the floor.
She prodded Nick in the ass with the walking stick. Hard.
Canon used the distraction to throw Nick off him.
The entire room felt like backstage during a taping ofThe Jerry Springer Show. Hurt feelings reverberated within the walls.
“Good.”
Everyone went silent and stared at Elanora.
Riley and Gabe exchanged a look. “Good” wasn’t in the woman’s vocabulary.
“I’m sorry. Did you say ‘good’?” Blossom asked her mother.
“I did. You all managed to fumble your way through the execution.”
“Yay us?” Riley said, heavy on the sarcasm.
“You have each just witnessed how powerful your thoughts are. How you were able to transmit messages to one another by merely using your minds—as lacking as they are—and your eyes.”
“What exactly did that prove?” Riley demanded.
“That, to some degree, you each have the ability to read the feelings if not the thoughts of others.”
“Damn. Granny’s got a point,” Canon said quietly.
Wander raised her hand. “Perhaps we should reverse the exercise by thinking loving thoughts about our partners? It would clear the room of any negative vibrations.”
“Nonsense. That is an unnecessary waste of time,” Elanora sniffed. “This is not a preschool class with sharing time. We are adults. We will move on.”
Canon threw an elbow into Nick’s ribs and caught a back fist in the jaw for his trouble.
“Seriously, can we split those two up?” Riley asked.
Her grandmother pinned her with an imperious look. “Stop worrying about everyone else around you and focus on yourself.”
Jeez. Okay, lady.
“We will move on to the next exercise. Instead of working against each other. You and your partner will work together.”
“Work together to do what?” Riley asked.
