Psyche Honor (Psyche Moon) (20 page)

“In a bar?” He was astounded and showed it openly, never
taking his eyes off of Billie. “I need the name of this bar if this is what
they're serving.”

“It's called Louie's,” I replied smoothly. “I'm sure you can
find a man there if you’re interested, especially on a Friday night.” His eyes
darted my way. “It's a gay bar.”

“Oh.” I'd thrown him off guard, but he recovered quickly.
The older man grinned softly, and Cassandra laughed outright. Her young pet
returned with my juice, and I sipped slowly.

Two beautiful young women in bikinis and high heels exited
what appeared to be a sauna. Their skin glistened, and they at least had some
of their personality remaining. They sauntered up to us. “Come join us in the
sauna.” The brunette invited Marque flirtatiously, tugging at his shirt collar
with a finger.

“Maybe later. Julie, I want you to meet my friend Sadie.” She
looked at me as if seeing me for the first time. He ran a hand down her back,
reminding me of a salesman caressing a sports car. “I want you to give Sadie
anything she wants. She's our special guest today.”

Julie knew exactly what he meant and closed the gap between
us. She threw her arms around my neck and pressed her breasts into me,
dampening my shirt. “Anything you want, baby,” she drawled.

I gently pushed her off of me and gave my reply to Marque.
“No thanks. She's not my type.”

“What is your type?”

“Do you really have to ask?” I rolled my eyes towards Billie
who watched the barely dressed women with revulsion. She found Marque's bribe
repugnant but channeled her emotions towards his pets in a successful attempt
at appearing to size up the competition.

The older man, clearly bored, spoke at last. “Let's get down
to business, shall we?”

“Of course you're all business, Alexander. You quit enjoying
the pleasures of life a long time ago.”

“I haven’t quit enjoying life, Marque. But I grew bored of
bimbos a long time ago.” He eyed Billie calculatingly, and I couldn’t see what
he wanted out of her. It was probably better that way. The old man motioned for
me to sit at a glass table by the pool. Julie and her friend dived into the
water, playing like a couple of double D schoolgirls. Marque’s choice of
playtoys didn’t impress me. I focused on the Mages, ignoring the sound of
giggling.

Only four chairs surrounded the table, and I sat, nodding
Billie towards a nearby pool chair. She sat with her eyes closed and stretched
as if relaxing. I knew better. Through Billie’s mind, I smelled their fear of
her, and she deliberately gave them reason to let their guard down a little.
I’d thank her later. Marque, Alexander, Cassandra, and I sat around the table
with our drinks. I felt like I'd entered a mafia movie.

“How did you come to have human parents?” Alexander asked,
more at ease than when he stood two feet from a Beta. He failed to hide the
extent of his curiosity.

I shrugged, showing discomfort with the topic. “I don't
really know. I was adopted as a baby.”

“Strange. Very strange,” he replied. “Cassandra says you're
interested in helping us claim the local Pack.”

I replied carefully. “That depends. What are you asking of
me?”

“We want to use your Wolf to lure the others in,” he said as
if explaining the obvious to a not-too-bright child. Billie listened intently
without appearing to.

I replied impatiently, letting them see insecurity in my
response. “I don't know what that means. I've lived in the Human world my whole
life. You're going to have to spell it out for me.”

He obliged. “We've prepared a trap. We want your Beta to
lead the entire Pack into the trap on the next full moon.”

“And then?” Richard had explained this part to me once, but
I wanted to hear how they collared Wolves from their own mouths.

He spoke again as if to a slow child. “We make them our
pets.”

“How? I’ve only ever claimed this one, and I’m doubting
you’re planning on sleeping with all of them.” Sarcasm rippled out of me, and I
hoped he’d take the bait. I needed to know how this was done.

He gave me what I wanted and smiled as if enjoying a memory.
“Weaken the body and then claim the mind. Two days in the sun without food and
water and weaker Wolves crack. Pain helps with the stronger ones. Most Wolves
can be claimed before they die of thirst or injury.” I understood why Billie
died in Kato's vision, and I almost gave myself away thinking about what might
have happened to her. She’d never give up.

“Just like that?” I asked in disbelief. “The four of us can
claim an entire Pack?”

Marque played with the stem of his wine glass as he stared
at me. “Three can do it, if all three have the proper training and experience.
You, Sadie, do not. I haven't agreed to join yet, and you won't succeed without
me.” He had something in mind, and I knew what he wanted. He’d given me a key
piece of information, though. We were it. Every Mage I needed to stop sat at
this table.

Cassandra drawled at him with sickening false sweetness.
“I've offered you an equal share. What more do you want, Marque?”

“There's no way that Sadie here can carry her weight. If she
didn't have the Beta she'd be useless. I want a third of her share and a
sign-on bonus. Two hours with her Beta.”

“The Beta isn't for rent. By shares you mean Wolves, right?”
I negotiated.

“Of course,” Cassandra dribbled. “Plus everything they own.”

I nodded as if considering the barter. “The Beta is mine.
But there are a couple of beautiful Wolves in the pack I think you'd be happy
with.” I refused to let any individual come to mind as I negotiated.

“Two hours with the Beta, today, or I walk.” Marque
insisted, his eyes turning hard and cold.

“No. The Beta is not negotiable. She’s mine.” My skin
prickled in warning. He pushed at my mind, trying to read me. My shields held,
and he pushed further with no success. He couldn't see anything I didn't want
him to see, and his eyes narrowed slightly. I held him out easily. “Stay out of
my head, Marque,” I warned him.

“You're more powerful than you appear to be,” he commented
dryly. Alexander and Cassandra watched but did not intervene, accustomed to
this kind of power play. I didn't bother replying. Without looking at her, he
turned his attention towards Billie. I reacted instinctively. By the time he
touched her mind, I'd drawn power to me. Pushing him away from her, his head
whipped and struck the back of the chair. Billie sat up and watched, showing
none of the aggression I felt in her.

All three Mages stood in an instant. “Who are you?” Marque
asked harshly.

“Who the hell do you think you are? Stay out of my head and
keep your hands off my Wolf,” I warned him. The power felt rich within me, and
I enjoyed myself.

Alexander glared knowingly at me. All pretenses had ended,
and it was time to finish it. Cassandra simply looked at me, stunned. The women
in the pool continued to giggle, oblivious to the power play nearby. Billie
watched us, seemingly calm.

“She lied to us. There's no way she's untrained,” Alexander
declared.

“Then she's dead,” Cassandra decided. I sensed her call
mentally to her pets. Four bulky men plus Nathan came out of the shadows and
advanced on me. I nodded to Billie, and she moved towards them without a word.
Every pet lunged at her, and she responded with skill and relief at having
something to do.

She could handle four Humans and a Pup. I faced the Mages,
no longer holding back. Marque pushed at Billie’s mind again, and with a single
thought he fell to the ground. The two remaining Mages looked at his crumpled
body in horror and shock. “Kratos,” Cassandra whispered, instantly running
towards the house.

“Stop,” I commanded her, and her legs stilled. I held her in
place and turned to Alexander. “You know something about me.” He blanched. As
soon as the word Kratos came out of Cassandra's lips, I sensed a memory rise in
him. “What do you know?” He didn't want to say. Rooted to the spot, his mouth
gaped. “Tell me what you know about me,” I commanded.

He had no choice. “I suspect. I don't know,” He stuttered.
“When I was a young man, I heard a story. I don't even know how much of the
story is true and how much is false. The story was about a woman, a Mage with
no powers who was pregnant. Her mother was Kratos and for some reason believed
the baby was dangerous. She hunted her daughter and unborn grandchild, but she
never found them. That's all I know.”

He spoke the truth. I turned to Cassandra. “You know more.”

“I won't.” She shook her head violently. “She'll do worse
than kill me.”

“Who?” I compelled her.

“My aunt. Your grandmother.” The woman blanched as the words
came out of her mouth.

“Tell me what happened to my mother.”

“No one knows. Your grandmother never found either of you.”

“What about my father?”

“She had him killed.”

“Why? Why kill an unborn baby?” My head spun with the new
knowledge, but the power sustained me. I held both Mages with a thought.
Distantly I heard Billie’s fight behind me end. She listened intently.

“My mother told me that her sister believed you would kill
every last Mage. My aunt is Kratos, and sometimes they go crazy. My mother
didn't know whether to believe her or not.” I stole memories as I questioned
her, retrieving information both ways. I knew my parents’ and grandmother’s
names. I knew my mother had no power and saw Cassandra’s loathing of such a
Mage.

 “What else do you know about me?”

“Nothing. You disappeared. We thought you were dead.”

“Tell me about my grandmother,” I commanded.

Cassandra began to sweat as I gave her no choice but to
answer. “She's Kratos, and she's ruthless. No one crosses her. If she finds out
I said anything to you, she'll turn me into her pet. She's done it before. A
Mage betrayed her, and she claimed him.”

I cocked my head and looked at her like a bug. “What should
I do with you?” She didn't speak, and I could sense the war within her. She
would rather die than end up as her aunt's pet. Or mine. I saw the same
conflict within Alexander.

The two Mages in front of me looked at each other, silent
communication between them. Alexander closed his eyes, and for a moment, I
thought he was praying. Suddenly two shots rang out, and they fell backwards to
the ground.

Billie and I both spun towards the bikini-clad woman holding
a gun at her side, a confused expression on her face. Billie approached the
woman warily and removed the gun gently from her hand. Julie looked up at
Billie wordlessly, her face clouded and perplexed.

I looked at the dead Mages on the ground with joy. We won.
Letting the power dissipate, I began to come back to my normal self. The world
spun, and I felt myself falling. Billie's arms caught me, holding me tight.
Cassandra's words echoed in my ears.

“Sadie. Can you hear me?” Billie's voice rose over my
spinning thoughts and exhaustion.

“Yeah. I can hear you.”

“Thank the Gods,” she replied. She looked around at the
carnage. Three Mages and a Human lay dead. Nathan and two Humans lay crumpled
on the grass, knocked unconscious after going up against Billie. A large
handful of very lost pets looked at their dead owners blankly.

I took in the scene and groaned. “We made another mess,
love. And Jason's not here to clean up after us.”

“We're going to have to clean this up ourselves,” she
replied and looked at the dead Human sorrowfully. “I didn’t hit him hard enough
to kill him. He shouldn’t have died. I don't know what to do with the collared
people. I don't think I should end their misery like I'll do for Nathan.”

“Don't kill anyone. I know what to do. Can I sleep first?”

She shook her head. “I don't think that's a good idea. These
people are unpredictable.”

“I can change that.” Even fatigued, I gathered a little
power with ease and sent a thought out to each collared person. “They'll obey
you now. I'll make it right when I wake up.” She didn't understand, and I
drifted off to sleep before I could explain.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a strange
bedroom. Soft sheets that smelled of lilac covered me, and waning sunlight
poured through the window. I panicked, reaching for Billie's mind
automatically.
Billie! Where am I?

You're safe, love. I'm coming.
She wasn't far, just a
few rooms away, and in moments she had the door open. She cradled me in her
arms, whispering soothing words. Memories flooded back in a torrent. I held her
tight, urging her to never let me go. My legs began to shake, then my arms. My
head felt like it would burst, and a low moan escaped my mouth.
You're safe.
I'm here,
she whispered into my mind.

I didn't know where to start, so I didn't try. I couldn't
even cry. I was too shocked by everything that had happened and all that I’d
discovered. I don't know how long she held me like that. It was full dark when
I sat up and looked my mate in the eyes.

“I heard what they told you,” she whispered. “I can't
imagine what you must be feeling right now. But you saved our Pack. Amy,
Kathryn, Jazz, Jason, Richard, and all the rest are safe because of you. Hold
onto that. Be proud of that.”

 I nodded, knowing she was right. “How's Nathan?”

She shook her head sadly. “He's collared.”

I didn't know how I could be certain, but I was. “I can undo
it.”

She startled, hope filling her. “Really? That's possible?”

“I can undo what was done to all of them.”

“Gods, Sadie. That's incredible! I've spent the evening
ordering zombies around. What was done to them is so horrible I wanted to
scream. If you can return them to themselves ...”

“Soon,” I nodded. “Is there anything to eat here?”

“Yes. The zombies cooked while you were asleep. Nathan and I
cleaned up the mess outside. I couldn't get myself to order the humans to help,
so I asked them to cook a feast instead. I was going through Cassandra's stuff
when you woke.”

“What did you find?”

“I found a lot of information about your family. I think you
should wait to go through it, though. You've been through enough for one day,
and it's not over. Plus I can hear your belly growling. Can you walk?”

“Yeah.” The trembling in my body had slowed, and I stood
with her help. Slowly we made our way to the kitchen. Upon seeing me, Julie
filled a plate and set a place for me at the table. I thanked her. “They have
clothes on,” I commented to Billie.

She nodded, angrily. “The first thing I asked them to do was
get dressed.”

“He actually thought I'd want her,” I mused. “He thought I
was like him.”

“You're not,” Billie replied.

I shook my head silently and began picking at my food. I had
no appetite, but I needed sustenance so I ate slowly. Julie stood beside me,
waiting for an order. When I touched her mind, I could sense chaos and panic beneath
the zombie exterior.

She knows,
I told Billie.
She's still in there,
trapped, and she knows and remembers everything that has happened to her.

“
Oh Gods,” Billie choked.
I liked it better when I
thought she was gone.

“I'll get you out of there, Julie. I promise.” Julie didn't
respond, but somewhere within the chaotic depths, I sensed that she heard.

I can make her forget,
I told Billie as I chewed.
I
can wipe all these memories from her mind. But I don't know if I should.

Billie thought about it.
Can you remove every last bit of
it? Or will she still have nightmares and jump at shadows?

She'll still have nightmares, and she'll still jump at
shadows. Some memories aren't stored in the mind.

Can you wipe her memory of Mages and killing two people?
Let her believe that she was drugged so she doesn't think she's crazy?

Yes. I can leave enough for her to understand what she's
been through. So she can deal with it. I'll take the worst of it, and the parts
she can't explain to humans. I'll have to do it one person at a time. I'll
start with Nathan.

Billie nodded. “Whenever you're ready.”

I set my fork down and drained the glass of water. “I'm
ready.” She searched my face before she agreed and called Nathan in from beside
the pool. “Let's go into the other room. I doubt this is going to be
comfortable. You may need to go Beta on him if he freaks out.”

She nodded. “Don't wipe his memories at all. He should be
allowed all of it.”

“Are you sure?” I wondered if he should be cursed with the
memory of killing John.

“Yes.” Billie sat Nathan across from her on a couch. I stood
back and called power to me, feeling invincible as it flowed through every
pore. Reaching into Nathan's mind, I looked at the twisted tangles with
detached curiosity. Piece by piece and strata by strata, I untwisted the mess,
focusing completely on the tedious task. When I could find no more fouled
places, I retreated from his mind.

Slowly I let the power dissipate. I heard a strange noise as
my vision cleared and the room came into view around me. The noise escalated,
and I realized Billie held Nathan pinned as he screamed.

Nathan's eyes began to focus, and his screaming ebbed. He
locked gazes with Billie and she let him go.

“What the fuck!” He exclaimed as he sat up.

“What do you remember?” Billie asked.

His face turned stony. “Her voice in my head. She wouldn’t
leave me alone.” His face drew tight and he looked squarely at his Beta, sorrow
and anger twisting his face. “I didn’t wanna kill John.”

“You're not responsible for John's death.”

“I killed him,” he insisted.

“No,” I said from across the room, panting with fatigue.
“She killed him. She used your hands, but she killed him. You had no way of
stopping yourself.”

“Maybe I could 'o if I tried harder,” he argued.

“I saw what she did to your mind. There was nothing you
could do.”

He froze. “You're one of them?”

“I'm Sadie, Billie's mate. I'm a Mage, but I am
not
one of them. Trust me, though. There was nothing you could have done to stop
yourself from following her orders. She is responsible for all of it, and she's
dead now.” He looked at Billie for assurance, and with her nod, he accepted our
explanation. “We need your help. Are you up to it?” I asked.

“Uh. Kinda depends on what you need. I'll do my best.” Billie
glowed in pride at his willingness.

I explained. “I need to release the others one by one, and I
need Billie to sit with them when I do it. Can you keep everyone busy and
distracted after they're free?”

“Uh, yeah.” He wasn't clear on what I asked of him, but he
was eager.

“Everyone else is getting a little spring cleaning on their
memories,” I explained to him. “They're not going to remember anything about
Mages and Wolves - only Humans. They will believe they were kidnapped, drugged,
and made to do horrible things. But they will not remember killing anyone or
watching anyone get killed.”

“I can sit with them. Thank ya for leavin' me my memories.”

I smiled. “You're welcome, but you should thank Billie. It
was her decision.”

“Thank ya, Beta.”

She inclined her head in acceptance. “Don't let them leave
if you can help it, and don't let them back in here. But don't force them or
scare them.”

“I can do that,” he declared.

“Good. Why don't you grab some fresh air while you're
waiting for the first one.”

He's resilient.
I gave him due credit.

Very much so.
She beamed at her Pup.

I called the Humans and corralled them into the adjacent
room. Three women and three men remained.
I didn't even know she was here.
I said to Billie when I saw the third woman.

I found her while you were asleep. She was collared to
Alexander.
Her mental voice sizzled in anger and disgust. I'd find out soon
enough what was done to her.
Who do you want to start with?

Julie.

Billie called Julie out and set her on the couch just as she
had with Nathan. This time I sat beside Billie, not concerned about the woman’s
claws and teeth.

I drew on the power and entered Julie's mind. Chaotic and
devastated on every strata, I still undid the damage easily compared to Nathan.
Dimly I heard her screaming. Easily finding her memories of shooting the Mages,
I erased them. Searching for other such memories, I discovered she'd witnessed
two other murders. I erased those too along with all reference to Mages and
Wolves.

When I opened my eyes, I found hers wide and fearful. Billie
spoke soothingly to her, and after a few moments she managed to focus. “Do you
remember what happened?” I asked. The seductive tendrils of magepower ran
through me, and I held onto it this time. I could hold off exhaustion so long
as I kept hold of the power.

“It's really foggy. There was a man. Mark, I think. He made
me sleep with him!” she declared, outraged.

“He drugged you and a few others. He’s gone now, and the
drugs are wearing off. You're safe now,” I replied.

Billie looked steadily at the woman. “My friend is outside.
He woke up before you. Would you like to join him?”

“Sure. I guess.” Billie led her out to Nathan, ready for the
next when she returned.

One by one I released the trapped minds, erasing the worst
of the memories as I went.
Can I go back and kill Alexander myself?
I
asked after removing the worst of his pet’s memories. Alexander had been a
sadist, and he'd used her cruelly.

Only if you can revive him so I can kill him too
,
Billie replied.
She'll be recovering from this for the rest of her life.

Onto the next one,
I announced.

Before long I’d freed every human. I released the power
easily and took a deep breath. As the power drained from my body, and I came
back to myself, I trembled from head to foot, this time in anger. “How can
anyone do this to another being? How can anyone be so cruel?”

“I don't know,” Billie replied, sharing my anger but
channeling it differently. “I'm just glad you were able to undo it.”

“There are others in the area,” I stated. “She had a bunch
of scouts, and I'm going to find them all. They're not as bad off as these
were, but they deserve better.”

“We'll find them,” Billie promised. “But not today.”

“How's Nathan doing with all of them?”

“You're not keeping watch?” She was surprised.

“No. He's had a Mage in his head for months. I'm not even
going to brush the surface of his mind after that.”

She nodded appreciatively. “He's keeping them occupied. He's
a talker, and he's feeding them. It's working. But we need to figure out what
to do next. Some of them want to go to the police.”

“They should,” I agreed. “Will the police find anything they
shouldn't find here?”

Billie grimaced. “Not unless they bring in forensics. It'll
pass a general inspection. Nathan and I cleaned the place while you slept, and
everything that needs to come with us is already in the Jeep.”

“We should get out of here soon, shouldn't we?”

She listened to the conversation. “Yes. He won't be able to
keep them entertained forever.”

“If they remember us, the police will come knocking, I bet.”
I frowned. I didn't want to adjust their memories any further than I had to.

“Probably,” she replied.

“I don't want to clean us out of their memories completely.
They should remember the people who were kind to them. It'll help them recover.
I'll blur the image, so to speak. They'll remember us, but not well enough to
identify us.”

She nodded. “Nathan would like us to hurry. He's losing one
of the men.”

If Billie could hear Nathan, Nathan could hear me. “I'm
ready. We'll be right there, Nathan.”

We walked out together and found them in the kitchen. Nathan
started applauding when he saw us in the doorway. Others joined in, thanking us
with genuine appreciation. Nathan crossed the room and put an arm around my
shoulders. “Now we're all still a little fogged in the head. But we'll always
remember the angels tha’ saved us.”

He genuinely meant the compliment, and he planted a seed in
the humans to remember us as angels once I'd blurred their thoughts. On one
hand it sounded smart, but it made me uncomfortable. I was no angel.

“You're going to be okay,” I said to the group. “We have to
go, but there are several cars you can use to drive out of here.” I drew on the
magepower, and Nathan hissed in surprise. He hadn't noticed me do that earlier,
and it reminded him of Cassandra.

In less than a minute, the humans didn't remember our faces,
names, or anything identifiable to us. They appeared a little dazed.
Let's
go,
I said to Billie as I released the power. She motioned to Nathan, and
we left without another word. Once in the Jeep, Nathan spoke. “They'll make it
outa here just fine. You did good, Sadie.”

“Yes, you did,” Billie agreed as she revved the engine and
started down the dark road. “Gods, Nathan. It's good to have you here with us!”

He grinned. “You sound surprised. Didn't you think you'd
win?”

Billie looked gravely at him, but her voice sounded elated.
“I thought we'd win, but I didn't think we'd get you back. I didn't even know
it was possible.”

His expression darkened. “I thought I was stuck there for
good, too.”

“I wouldn't have left you like that,” Billie assured him.

He nodded, understanding. “Being trapped like that is worse
than death. Good thing yer girl proved us both wrong.”

“Good thing,” Billie agreed, pulling me into a side hug and
kissing me on the cheek. “We did it!” she shouted suddenly, startling us with a
loud woop.

“We did it,” I agreed. Exhaustion hit me again. “Wake me up
when we're there? Wherever there is,” I asked.