Authors: Kate Pearce
He waited for Ella to make some smart-ass remark but she remained quiet, her gaze fixed on the swimming pool. Having an interesting family dynamic himself, he decided to divert the conversation into less volatile channels.
“I didn’t know the American government was investing in special medical units to liaise with the SBLE.”
“Why would you? You don’t live here.”
Ah, she was back to being prickly. Vadim sipped his mediocre too-warm wine. “It’s a good idea.”
“You think so?”
“Surely the more people who are aware of the nature of Otherworld, the better it can be contained.”
“I’ve always got the impression that our government was intent on keeping the majority of the population in blissful ignorance. My folks had to know, but most people would rather not.”
“Maybe in this insane digital age, they’ve realized they can no longer do that.”
“That’s a good point.” Ella tucked her hair behind her ear. He liked it down around her shoulders. He liked her soft blue dress too. “Maybe if they keep opening up the boundaries, they won’t need empaths anymore.”
“I’m sure there’ll be plenty for you to do. Not everything that comes out of Otherworld is super-cute and fluffy.”
She shuddered. “Ugh. Some of those things still give me nightmares. I don’t think most human brains could survive the experience.”
“So you’ll always be needed.”
“Unfortunately, yes.” Her cell phone chimed and she glanced down at the green-lit screen. “It’s Laney. She’s supposed to be coming over.” She frowned. “Looks like she’s in the middle of changing her mind. I wonder what happened with her OCOS mate? Maybe I should call her.”
She was just about to rise when there was a clapping noise from beside the pool. Ella’s parents joined hands with another younger couple Vadim could only assume were the aforementioned Scott and Julie.
“Damn,” Ella muttered as she sank back down. “I hope this is quick, whatever it is.”
Ned cleared his throat. “Firstly, we’d like to thank you all for coming.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Ella’s cell chimed again and she squinted at the screen.
Her father continued. “Secondly, we’d like to offer our congratulations to Scott and Julie who are expecting their first child at the end of the year!”
Everyone started to clap and whistle. Ella’s thumbs stopped texting.
A proud looking Scott stepped forward, one arm around his wife. “I’m also pleased to tell you that we will be having a little girl.”
More cheers and then Darlene and Madison started handing around trays of something pink and bubbly. Ella stood up.
“Excuse me.”
Vadim rose too and followed her direct path toward the house. She was waylaid by her father who put his arm around her waist.
“Honey, aren’t you going to wish Scott and Julie well?”
“Sure!” Ella’s smile was brief. “That’s awesome news, you guys!”
Julie’s eyes filled with tears. “That’s so sweet of you, considering everything, I mean...” She swallowed hard. “We’re even thinking of giving her your name if...”
“If I don’t make it?” Ella disengaged herself from her father’s arm. “Cool. Thanks.”
She kept going. Vadim followed, ignoring the looks of consternation on her father and brother’s faces. She walked through the kitchen, down the hallway and took a left turn into what he guessed was a bedroom. He followed her in and shut the door behind them.
* * *
Ella took several deep breaths and tried to unclench her fists. She was aware that Vadim had come in, but somehow she didn’t care.
“It’s not that I’m angry with them. It’s just that sometimes, when I remember I’m not going to be around to see the future, I get angry with myself.” She looked at him, but he didn’t say anything. “Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I could have a family, a kid, a—”
The door burst open and her mother appeared.
“How could you?” Darlene shrieked. “You upset Scott and Julie on their special day!”
“And you don’t think that I might be upset, to have someone tell me they ‘might’ name their baby after their delusional or preferably dead auntie?”
“It’s not all about you, dear. Julie was trying to do something nice.”
“It’s
never
about me. You spend your whole life trying to pretend I don’t exist. And being reminded that I’m probably not going to be around in my present state to see my first niece being born? That sucks.” Ella shook her head. “You just don’t get it, do you?”
Darlene raised her chin. “I asked you to the party because I wanted you to share in this special moment, not throw back a kindly meant gesture in Julie’s face.”
“Wait, you
knew
she was going to say that?”
Her mother looked away. “Your father and I thought it was a lovely gesture.”
“Why’s that, Mom? Because you’re relieved you’ve already found my replacement? Why the hell would you want another Ella? God help the poor kid if she displays any psychic ability. Everyone will start blaming me.”
Darlene shot her a furious glance and marched out, slamming the door behind her. Vadim moved to stand against it.
“I can ward the door to keep everyone out, if you like.”
Ella drew an unsteady breath. “That would be awesome. I’m sorry you got stuck in the middle of this. That’s why I don’t come here very often.”
He shrugged. “Last time my whole family got together there were two deaths, one disembowelment and twenty-seven activated curses.”
She met his gaze, but there wasn’t a trace of amusement in his eyes.
“You’re not kidding, are you?”
“I wish I was.” He sauntered toward her, one hand in his pocket. “Do you want to leave? I’m more than happy to come with you.”
“I can’t yet. I have to check on Laney, and then I’ll have to apologize to everyone.”
He was close enough that she had to look up at him. “Why should you have to be the one to apologize?”
“Because I make them uncomfortable and they don’t deserve that. It’s not their fault I’m the odd one out.”
“And what about how they make you feel?”
“You know how it is. I can’t expect them to understand.” His mouth kicked up at the corner and she found herself staring at it. “Did you really ward the door?”
“Yes.”
She concentrated on his mouth. “Would you kiss me?”
In answer, he bent his head until his lips brushed hers. “Like that?”
“No, like you mean it.”
“I thought you didn’t date your coworkers?”
“I’m not dating you. I just want something else to think about other than my family. You happen to be standing here, and I want you to distract me.”
“Ah.”
He kissed her again, this time parting her lips with his tongue and possessing her mouth with a tenderness she hadn’t expected. She shut her eyes and kissed him back, let her hand curve around the back of his head to keep him near. He drew her even closer, one arm around her hips, the other around her shoulders until he was practically holding her up.
“Mmm...” she murmured against his mouth. “Very nice.”
“You’re welcome.”
Her cell chimed and then again. She forced herself to stop kissing him. “I have to answer it. It’s either Laney or Madison wanting to know why she can’t get into her own bedroom.” It was also another distraction, but she guessed he knew that.
She scowled at the screen. “Laney’s not making any sense. I’ll try and call her.”
Vadim stepped away. “Go ahead.”
She touched the screen and Laney picked up instantly.
“Oh my God, Ella, I can’t do this anymore, I just can’t...”
“Laney, what’s up?”
She was crying so hard that Ella could barely understand her. She glanced over at Vadim who could clearly hear as well.
“I can’t, Ella. I’m a worthless mess. I don’t deserve to live like this, or find happiness. I just don’t. I’m sorry. This is the best thing for everyone.”
“Laney, just hang on, I’m coming over right now. Just keep it together.”
Vadim was already opening the door. “Where is she?”
“Not far from here.”
He nodded and they both headed for the front door. Madison appeared in the hallway and shouted something after them, but Ella didn’t even stop.
“Got an emergency! I’ll call tonight!”
As Madison opened her mouth again, Ella was already through the door and running. Vadim kept pace with her, his sunglasses neatly in place, his breathing easy. She unlocked her car and leaned across to let him in.
“Thanks.”
Ella started the engine, praying that it would turn over. “We’ll be there in about ten minutes.”
“Good.”
She grabbed her sunglasses from her purse and backed out of her space. “The air con is broken. If you get too hot, crack open a window.”
She concentrated on her driving, aware of a growing anxiety in her chest.
“Do you think she’s totally lost it?” Ella blurted out.
“Has she turned twenty-seven?”
“Not yet. Two weeks to go, I think.”
“It’s unusual for a complete breakdown to occur before an empath’s actual birthday.” He sounded way too calm for her liking. “Most empaths I’ve met have been relatively normal up until then.”
“Relatively.” She took a sharp right and Vadim grabbed onto the back of his seat. “That’s not helping.”
“Did you say she was meeting her OCOS mate today?”
“Not in person. He was supposed to call her. Maybe he was a complete dick and she’s gotten scared about what will happen if she rejects him.”
“It’s possible.”
She slowed down and searched for a parking spot along the side of the tall apartment building Laney lived in downtown.
“Do you want a space close to here?” Vadim asked.
She nodded and made a left turn to circle around again. The next moment, a car started to reverse out of a spot right in front of them. Ella braked and stuck on her indicator. She glanced at Vadim but he wasn’t even looking her way.
“She’s on the third floor.”
He got out, locked his door before she even reminded him, and followed her into the lobby of the apartment building. The bank of elevators was protected behind a set of glass doors with keypads. He touched her arm.
“You have the code?”
“Somewhere.” She looked for her phone.
“I’ve got it.” He brushed his hand over the keypad and then pushed the first door. It opened immediately.
She studied the elevator lights. “Let’s use the stairs.”
He found the door and held it open for her. “You don’t like elevators do you?”
“No.” She kept it short. She’d need all her breath to climb. As she went up, her sense of urgency increased as she caught a scent of something...unpleasant.
“
Hurry
.”
As she ran along the hallway, she dove into the bottom of her purse for Laney’s spare key, but it was hard to find it amongst all the junk.
“What number is it?”
“3221.”
Vadim went ahead and was already pressing the buzzer when she reached him. She finally found the key and pushed it into the lock. As the door swung open, the sickening all-too-familiar stench of Otherworld magic and death engulfed her.
“Laney,” she whispered.
Vadim was already moving ahead of her into the apartment, his gun out, his magical senses on high alert. He stopped so suddenly that she cannoned into the back of him. He held her back, one arm outstretched.
“Ella—”
She pushed past him and took another two steps before coming to a halt again. Laney was on her back on the floor, one hand still grasping her cell phone, her eyes open but seeing nothing, her expression frozen in a scream of anguish.
“Oh my God!” Ella dropped to her knees. “
Laney
.”
Vadim crouched between them and took hold of Ella’s shoulders. “Don’t touch her. Don’t touch anything.”
She struggled to free herself but he held firm. “Morosov, what’s fucking
wrong
with you? Let me go! She needs help, she—”
“Ella.” He gave her a sharp shake. “She’s dead. Now think! Is the killer still around?”
“She’s not, she’s...” Ella took another look at Laney and started to shiver uncontrollably. “There’s so much psychic shit swirling around in here, I can’t get it straight.”
Vadim shook her again. “Yes, you can. Do it for Laney.” Still holding on to her he punched in a number on his cell phone. “Alexei? Are you getting this? Call Feehan and get him to call the police.”
She took a deep breath and then another and Vadim nodded. “That’s it. Get a grip. Help her in the only way you can.”
“Let me go.” He hesitated. “I swear I won’t touch her.”
He released her arm and moved out of her line of vision exposing her to the full horror of Laney’s body. Her friend lay on the floor, her hair spread around her as if she’d fallen back into a pool.
“I can’t see any obvious injuries, can you?” Vadim asked.
His calmness helped steady Ella. She tried to pretend it was just another body, just another weird day at the office, just another dead empath...
“No, just a trickle of blood from her ear and her nose. Like Christa Morehouse.” She closed her eyes and focused on what her normal human senses couldn’t see. “Same malevolent psychic scent too.” She took another breath. “No sense of Laney.”
Ella jumped as her cell phone beeped, then she took it out of her purse. A new text message flashed up.
“It’s from Laney.”
He moved toward her, his hand extended. “Don’t—”
But she couldn’t help but read it. “Sorry, too busy to chat. I’m dancing with the Siren. X”
She looked up at Vadim. “What the fuck? Who the hell is the Siren?”
He took the phone and reread the text. “I assume he’s our killer. Nice of him to leave his name.”
Footsteps sounded outside the apartment, and someone knocked on the door. Vadim patted her shoulder. “I’ll go and see if that’s the police.”
She nodded and remained where she was. Nothing else in the apartment appeared to have been affected. She leaned in to touch her best friend’s outstretched hand, which was still warm. A frisson of Otherworld power zapped across to her like an electric shock. But there was nothing left of Laney. Ella didn’t mind the pain. She deserved it for not even thinking of warning her friend to be on the lookout for a killer.