Evlynne’s son gives me a curious look. “Who’s Cross?”
I rear back in shock.
The kid just read my mind.
Chapter 39
When I was a child, I didn’t realize how remarkable it was that I could read Uncle Jim’s mind. It happened infrequently, as he had one of the strongest shields I’ve ever encountered, and on the occasions I did manage to break through, it usually happened when he was distracted and not guarding his mind as strongly. But I never quite understood why it made him so uneasy, at least not until I got older.
Now I recognize how extraordinary it was. The mind of a trained adult, especially one who’s had years of experience reinforcing defenses, is a tough target for anyone. But for a child? It would be a rare prodigy who possessed that much power.
Like Jim’s, my shield is nearly impenetrable. Nobody has ever read my mind without my internal alarm giving me ample warning to shore up the shield.
Until Fisher.
I’m preoccupied during the flight back to the mountain, wondering if I should talk to Evlynne about it. Does she know Fisher can read minds? The boy is only six years old. The average Mod starts manifesting abilities at age twelve, around puberty. If Fisher is already manifesting, that’s an indication he’s going to be very, very powerful.
Deciding to sleep on it, I send Gray a message asking where he is and receive no response, so I wander toward the recreation rooms. That’s where I find him, seated at a table with Saint, Mako, and Karra. Well, Karra isn’t sitting at the table. She’s sitting on him. Draped all over Gray like a piece of clothing, with one arm around his shoulders, her face nuzzling his neck.
The four of them are playing clash poker. They look up when I approach.
“Wrenny,” Mako says.
I’ve given up on trying to tell him not to call me that. Mako does whatever he wants. The only reason he doesn’t get punched in the face on a daily basis is because he’s so endearing and doesn’t have a malicious bone in his big, sweet body. He’s truly one of the purest people I’ve ever met.
Saint nods hello, and I nod back.
Karra spares me a look before continuing to whisper in Gray’s ear. He smiles, and for some reason that annoys the shit out of me. Maybe because Tana planted the idea of me using Gray as a distraction, and now it won’t stop buzzing through my mind.
I know we have chemistry. When we kissed at the Command base, there were definitely sparks. But he has a girlfriend who’s currently mauling him, and so I banish the inappropriate thoughts from my mind.
“You want to be dealt in?” Mako offers.
“Sure.” I notice there are no chips on the table. “What are we betting?”
“Favors.”
I raise a brow. “How does that work?”
Mako grins. “No betting rounds. Your ante is a favor. If you want out, fold. If you lose, you owe the winner a favor.”
“Any favor at all?”
“I mean, no one’s going to enforce it if you don’t do it,” Saint says with a chuckle.
“So basically, this entire game is pointless,” I reply.
“Pretty much.” Saint kicks out an empty chair with his foot and gestures for me to sit.
I flop down, letting them deal me in.
“How was the trail ride?” Gray asks, finally addressing me.
Karra unpeels her lips from his neck. “You went riding? Living up to the cowgirl name, I see.”
I manage a smile in her direction. “Tana and I used to go horseback riding on my ranch all the time, so this felt super nostalgic. It was nice.”
Mako shuffles the cards and deals four to each player. I pick up my cards, my grip on them tightening when I hear Karra laughing in Gray’s ear again. She gathers her cards but doesn’t bother looking at them. She’s too busy running her fingers over the defined muscles of Gray’s bare arm, which makes Mako grumble impatiently because she’s supposed to lead us off.
