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Michael’s immediate thoughts were not
favorable, but he nodded. “Just
Mrs.
Brooks?” he asked,
carefully keeping judgment out of his voice, if not his mind.

“Of course. Michael, you know I’m not in
touch with Rafe at all. I haven’t seen him since graduation. And
I’m not going to contact him. I promise.”

“I know. Okay, I’ll call Mom and Dad tonight.
I better go work on that history presentation.” He pulled me
against his chest and covered my mouth, maybe with just a tad more
possession than usual. I rode the wave with him, clinging to
Michael’s shoulders and matching him stroke for stroke.

He finally loosened his grip, his hands still
on my arms, thumbs rubbing lightly over my shoulders.

“It never gets any easier to say good night,
does it?” His voice was husky, rough with desire that was just
barely banked.

“I don’t think it will. Until ‘good night’
doesn’t mean ‘good bye’ anymore.” I tiptoed up to brush a kiss
across his lips. “See you at breakfast. I love you!”

I felt Michael’s eyes remain on me as I made
my way down the well-lit sidewalk on the short path to my dorm. It
took a huge dose of will power not to run back to his arms.

My parents reacted predictably to my meeting
with Cathryn, going right away to the worst-case possibility. I was
only glad I was far enough away from home that I didn’t have to
hear what they were thinking.

“I’m being honest and open with you,” I said
for at least the fourth time. “Just like I promised. I didn’t seek
this out. I didn’t know what Cathryn wanted when she took me out to
lunch. So I’m just telling you what we talked about.” Aline had
counseled me that the best way to re-establish the broken trust
with my parents was to be as transparent as possible, to tell them
everything, and to try to remain reasonable even when they jumped
to horrible conclusions. I really couldn’t blame them after all; I
hadn’t given them much reason to trust me in the past few
years.

“Why would you even consider this?” Deep
suspicion filled my father’s voice. “It’s exactly why we’ve been so
protective. Why we made you hide what you can do.”

“It’s not like I did something and they
figured out I can hear minds. Cathryn can do the same thing, and
she knew what I could do when we met.”

“Well, be that as it may.” My mother wasn’t
interested in the whys and hows. “Rob, I think we should go up
there and see what’s going on. We should let this initiative or
whatever it is know that we don’t want them to bother Tasmyn.”

And so it was agreed that my parents would
drive up the next weekend. I didn’t have any say in it, and I
closed my eyes in frustration as we hung up. I didn’t care about
this whole Carruthers deal, but I hated that my mother and father
still felt like they had to run my life. I understood it, but I
still hated it.

Michael called an hour later with the news
that Marly and Luke had talked with my parents, and it was decided
that Marly would come up with them to Perriman. The fall was a busy
time for the nursery, and Luke couldn’t spare the time away.

“But he said I should tell you that he trusts
you and sends his love,” Michael reported. “I think Mom’s coming
mostly to keep your parents from overreacting.”

“I’m glad,” I said with feeling. “They need
someone to rein them in. I think they have visions of me being
turned into some sort of evil agent.”

“Since you moved to Florida, two people have
tried to kill you and another corrupted your abilities and tried to
kidnap you. So. . .maybe they’re not that much out of line.”

I made a face and Michael laughed. “You just
stuck out your tongue at me, didn’t you?”

I glanced around the room. Sophie was at a
study group and I was alone. “How did you know that? Do you have a
camera hidden here somewhere? Or maybe this Carruthers should be
talking to you instead of me.”

“Nah, I’m just very intuitive about one
particular person.”

I slept fitfully that night, a familiar
unease filling my dreams. I half-wondered if I might have a visit
from Nell, but I wasn’t surprised when it didn’t happen. As far as
I knew, she was still deep in a coma. Her father had had her moved
from the mental institute in Mississippi to a long-term care
facility that just happened to be about forty-five minutes from
Perriman. Mr. Massler had sent me a note with the information and
permission to visit if I wished, but so far, I hadn’t worked up the
nerve to do it.

The next morning, after my first class, I
found a deserted spot under a palm tree on the central college
green. A breeze ruffled the fronds above my head, and I remembered
sitting under another palm tree months ago, with Rafe. A pleasant
afternoon together at his grandparents’ home had turned into one of
my scarier out-of-control magical moments.

Thinking of the Brooks’ beautiful estate
reminded me why I was sitting here, away from anyone who might
overhear. I dug into my bag and pulled out my cell phone. The
number was still in my contacts list under Rafe’s name, and I tried
not to think of him as I selected it. Even so, as the connection
was made and I heard the ringing on the other end, the wind around
me picked up in a way I recognized all too well. I closed my eyes
and drew in some deep, even breaths, working to pull in the powers
that still felt so out of control.

“Tasmyn! What a lovely surprise.” Caroline
Brooks was not a woman to waste time on inanities, and I knew she
must have recognized my number on their caller ID.

“Hello, Mrs. Brooks,” I answered with the
same genuine respect I always felt for her. “I hope I’m not
interrupting anything.” There was something about Caroline that
made me remember all of my manners.

“Nothing of importance, my dear. I’m so happy
to hear from you. I hope that all is well?”

It was a loaded question, and I answered what
she didn’t say. “Yes, everything’s fine. I’m adjusting to college,
and I like it.” I paused before adding, “I’m seeing Aline, and
that’s helping, too. Thank you again for recommending her.”

“I’m glad it’s worked out. And how is
Michael?”

I flushed. It was not a little awkward to
discuss my boyfriend with the grandmother of the boy I’d briefly
dated earlier in the year. “He’s good, thanks. It’s—we’re good.
Things are working out.”

“Well, that’s wonderful. Now as nice as it is
to catch up, I’m sure that’s not why you called me. What can I do
for you?”

That was what made Mrs. Brooks one of my
favorite people. No beating around the bush with her.

“Actually, I did call for a reason. I was
approached yesterday by a recruiter for a-I guess you would call
them an organization. Cathryn—the recruiter—she says they work with
people who have special abilities, to help them use those powers.
In good ways, I mean. It’s called the Carruthers Initiative
Institute. I wondered if you’d heard of them?”

Caroline was quiet for a moment. “I have
heard of Carruthers. I know some of their people have approached a
few families from King over the years.” She paused again, and I
sensed she was grappling with how much to share. “One of them spoke
with my son, many years ago, of course.”

“With Rafe’s dad?” Caroline rarely mentioned
her only son other than telling me how much his premature death had
affected Rafe. I knew he had the same ability that Rafe did, the
power to manipulate the perception of time.

“Yes. Kenneth didn’t tell me at the time; he
only mentioned it in passing years later, when Carruthers was
courting one of our cousins.”

“What did he say about them?” I tried to
picture Rafe’s father, but my mind stubbornly refused to move from
the image of Rafe himself, standing in the school parking lot next
to my car, with that impossible smile on his face. . .the wind
began to whip again. The palm branches bent ominously, and I
focused on tamping down the power.

“Not much. He just told me that someone had
contacted him during his first year in college. That seems to be
their modus operandi, doesn’t it? He wasn’t interested. He told
them he had family support and plenty of opportunity for doing
good. Apparently they backed off and never bothered him again. The
same happened with our cousin.”

“Oh.” What Caroline said matched Cathryn’s
report about King, too. “So you don’t know more than that.”

“Well. . .” Caroline hesitated. “I did do a
little research on my own, after hearing Kenneth’s story. They are
fairly secretive, which is not surprising considering the nature of
their business, but I was able to find a few people willing to
talk. I didn’t learn anything particularly troubling. As they say,
their mission is to connect people who possess extraordinary
abilities with those in need of that sort of help.”

“But. . .” I prompted. There had to be more
that she wasn’t saying.

“But. . .it seems to me that this is a
situation fraught with potential peril. The very idea that a
company has records naming people like us is alarming. And then
there is the question of profit. Although the recruiters don’t
mention it, Carruthers has to be a money-making venture on some
level. They expend too much energy in recruiting, and they have a
beautiful property just a little north of where you are.

“Think about it, Tasmyn. There they are, in
the midst of all those colleges and universities, but still off the
beaten track. There is little to no accountability; they are listed
as a consulting firm.”

“So you think I should stay away from
Carruthers?”

Caroline laughed. “Tasmyn, you’ve been
through more in the past two years than most people survive in a
lifetime. I would never presume to tell you what you should or
should not do. I’m just sharing my thoughts with you, which I
assumed was your reason for calling.”

I sighed. I did miss Caroline Brooks and her
acute no-nonsense approach. It was a shame she would never be my
grandmother-in-law, but I was glad to keep her as a friend.

“It was. Thank you, Mrs. Brooks. I appreciate
you telling me what you know.”

“Always my pleasure, Tasmyn. I’m very happy
that you’re doing well up there, but I must say that I miss you.
It’s very quiet around here these days.”

The back of my neck prickled, but I couldn’t
stop myself from asking anyway. “Quiet? Isn’t–is Rafe not at home?
Did he go away to college after all?” During our brief time
together, Rafe and I hadn’t talked about the future. I knew he had
applied and been accepted to several colleges; although he didn’t
like to make a big deal about it, he really was incredibly
intelligent. But when I’d mentioned going to school, he always said
that he wasn’t sure college was for him.

“He did not, no.” Caroline’s voice was
suddenly guarded. “He delayed admission for a year.”

“Oh.” The silence between us was heavy.

“Tasmyn, I understand that on some level, you
still care for Rafe. And if that is true, I would ask you to stay
away from him. Please don’t ask me about him. I enjoy the
friendship that you and I share, and I would hate to have that
complicated by my loyalty to my grandson. You followed your heart.
But Rafe’s is broken, and he needs room and time to heal. If you
were to reach out to him in any way, even in a misguided attempt to
help him or to ease your own guilt, he would respond. He can’t help
himself. But it would be disastrous for both of you. So please. .
.feel free to call me, to stay in touch. I like you, Tasmyn. I’m
interested in your future. But my first priority is and always will
be Rafe.”

Tears stung my eyes. Caroline’s honesty was
painful, but she wasn’t wrong. “All right,” I answered, struggling
to keep my voice even.“I won’t mention him again.”

“Thank you, Tasmyn. You will always have a
special place in my heart, dear. And so I will just suggest that
you exercise extreme caution in your dealings with Carruthers. If
you choose to go forward, do it with your eyes wide open.”

“I will,” I promised. “Thank you, Mrs.
Brooks.”