Mom gave her head a little shake.“To this day, we have many in the Corey coven who have no idea who Arwyn really is.I made it my mission when I was given an oracular dream from the Goddess about Arwyn’s birth to learn everything I could about Cassandras, and what I found terrified me.I needed my daughter to survive this enormous gift, so we hid her.”
“Prove it!”someone in the back shouted.I’d clocked her earlier as an ally of Catherine’s.“What am I thinking right now?”
I stood and moved to Mom’s side.“The voices were cacophonous and horrible as a child.I erected walls in my mind to keep them out.Now I usually only hear thoughts when I’m touching someone.”I held up my gloved hands.“Which is why I keep most of my skin covered at all times.”I stared into her eyes and found that one hole in my armor.“But since you asked, I appreciate that you think I’m stunning and I agree that the Council members seem to be seeing the truth about Catherine.”
The woman slammed her fist down on her table.“I wasn’t thinking any of that!”
I gave her a Bracken-worthy bow and said, “Of course not.Sorry for my mistake.”Judging by all the smirks around the room, they didn’t believe her and they didn’t like her.
I looked up at the Panel of Five.“I don’t normally do party tricks, but if someone would like me to read them, I can.”
Howe, the male wicche on the far end, lifted a hand.“Can you tell me how my daughter is doing?She and her boyfriend moved away and I worry, as any overprotective father would.”He smiled, but I could see he truly was uneasy about her.
I walked across the room to him.
Mom followed me.A few people sitting at nearby tables looked concerned that two of us were approaching the Council’s leadership.
Mom explained, “I’m not leaving my daughter unprotected when she drops into a vision.”
“Do you have something she’s touched?”I asked Howe.
He thought a moment, then took his wallet from his pocket, pulling out a small photo and sliding it across the table toward me.It looked like her high school graduation portrait.
“She touched this?”I asked.
He turned the photo over so I could see the handwriting on the back.
“Perfect.”I pulled off a glove and touched a finger to the writing.
“Are you stupid?I told you what to wear tonight, what to say.”He stalks away and comes back, his face red, veins popping on his forehead.“I told you this was an important dinner.I need this promotion.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispers.“His wife asked me what I did.”
His hand shoots out so fast, she doesn’t see it coming this time.Her head snaps back as pain explodes.Her hand goes out to clutch the chair beside her.Her vision is going dark, but she doesn’t want to fall.He gets so angry when she behaves like a baby.
“You couldn’t say paralegal and drop it?”he shouts in her face.
“I’m not a para?—”
Smack.That time, her knees buckle, but she remains on her feet.
“You had to brag about passing the bar, didn’t you.Had to try to make me look bad in front of my boss.”He shakes his head in disgust.“I asked you to do one thing for me and you had to make it all about yourself?—”
FORTY-TWO
Oh, No She Didn’t!
Trying hard for that separation Dad spoke of, I felt my finger lifting from the photo as I pulled myself out of the vision.
Mom was there.“Darling, you’re bleeding.”
The old woman—Imogen—tried to hand me a napkin, but I held my hand up and quickly put my glove back on.Mom’s fingers twitched and the blood I felt dripping down my lip was gone.
“Are you okay?”Mom looked worried.
The pearl was touching my skin and I felt it drawing away the pain, so I nodded.“I’m okay.”
Mr.Howe looked horrified.I gestured for him to move to the side with me, so I could talk to him without an audience.As I explained to him what I saw, his face lost all color.
