Deception (26 page)

“What did you do?” he finally said when we were alone, his tone like a father.  He folded his arms and braced his legs apart balancing in front of me with his accusing glare.  Nothing like a father with the look he was giving now!

I was giddy again suddenly and whispered, “I think I figured something out.”

“I figured that part, what?” he looked at me suspiciously.

“I think I blocked Pike out of my mind.  But somehow, when I did, I kind of made him forget what I was thinking and planted in his brain what I wanted him to think...with pictures.”

Ian didn’t look as pleased as I did.  “That could be very dangerous.  You’ll have to be very careful and choose mindfully.”  He, no doubt, pictured the worst.  “What if you make them think that they are a bird or duck or something?  That could be a disaster.”  He was reminding me of when I did it unintentionally back in the high school library.  He probably couldn’t help but think of the possibilities though.  The real revelation here is that I could for years.  How wronged I feel.

She could hypnotize and alter their mind at the same time.  Imagine her getting mad at me for something.

I guessed his fear.  And whoa...I heard Ian.   I kept that to myself.  “Hmm!  I don’t think it will work on you.  You just confirmed that I can do this and will master it.  And...Pike deserved what he got.  His pictures, I assure you, were way more graphic than mine.”

“I saw, he made sure.  Perhaps I’m a little happy you did this, but it is still something you want tremendous control over before you start handing out mind controlled orders.” 

“And you can’t save me from this so you’re worried?”

“Ah, my girl sees reason.  I am breaking through those brave barriers a little.  Perhaps in time this girl of mine will let me do what is my pleasure in life, to guard her and make sure the world knows she is mine.”

Break through my barriers?  Protector Ian is so hot.  I will not risk losing that side of him.  A girl can’t help but smile at
that
or something is wrong with her. My cheeks felt on fire with the ideas of what I could convince Ian to do. I put my hand to my head like it was obvious, “You can’t read my mind right now, right?”              

“You’re right, I don’t, or rather should not thinking unless it is for my benefit of course,” he thought and laughed watching me blush buckets at him ever knowing.  His face turned serious again, “Be careful.  Don’t use it lightly.  But I am curious, what made you think to use it.”

“Pike listens constantly. Shows me things, says things.   I can just tell sometimes.  And now he’s talking to me in my head with pictures making me wonder if I could do the same.  So I made my mind focus on his sword, and then his belt to get his attention, and then
Whamo!
  I slapped him with my mojo.”   My arms were doing the talking now and Ian enjoyed the few seconds of this confident side of me shining through so I gave it to him.  Pike will not surprise me again without ammo fired back. 

“Grace,” he looked hard at me, “Be careful, it could backfire.  You’ll have to practice on ones you don’t have emotions built up with.  Hatred can hurt others in more than just one way.”  And what emotions did I have for the evil mister tall dark and all bad, all the time, Pike?  “I don’t
have
emotions with Pike.”

Ian looked weary.

I sulked and gave halfway, “Okay.”  I rolled my newly refined green eyes towards him and said with a pout, “Can I see the message now?” 

He walked me back to the table where the rowan thinly sliced bark was laid out in front of me.  I read aloud,

“
We will meet at water’s edge

at Pike’s domain

at midday.

Have treaty ready of what’s mine

or no meeting need be lended.”

Riddles again!  I loved the elegant writing like I’d seen in books and wanted to mention what a poet he was.  Pike’s name was the only name on it.  How did we know it was Kinsler, I wanted to ask.

“Because I just know!”  Pike injected.

Oh no, he didn’t!  I turned with a jerk.  So did Ian.

“You again?  Quit reading my thoughts.”  I was outraged.  Blocking gets easier…when I remember to block.

“Why?  Got something to hide, Queen Grace.”

He was so hostile!  For what reason, who ever knows. 

“I can show you hostile.  I can show you a few other nice things to if you let me in long enough to have a taste.” Pike folded his arms arrogantly.  Suggestively!

Ian glared.  I blocked...just to be sure.

“I assure you, its Kinsler’s writing.  He doesn’t like to use scribes.  Prefers his carvings… secretive.”  Pike wrinkled his nose up at saying the last word.  He kept his arms folded, but I noticed he cinched them tighter.  “You’ll have to speak clearly, forcefully, and guard your mind to make it through this.  If you can't make past my tries, you won't last through his for sure.  Unseelie are stronger beings.  Guard your mind, Grace, first and foremost.”

“That last part’s not a problem.” Ian said under his breath while running his hand through his hair.  To me he said, “Pike might as well know what he’s up against.”

“What is that?”  Pike genuinely wanted to know.

I looked at Ian aggravated.  I walked by and swept my mouth by his ear making it look like a gesture of love, “I didn’t want him to know.”

He grabbed my shoulders stronger than he realized, “And I don’t want you dead.”  He was looking in my eyes and nowhere else. He let go and I went to stand directly in front of Pike like he nonverbally asked. 

Pike raised his palms to face me stopping right in front of my face.  “Should I leave you two alone?”  He loved seeing us fight.  He was enjoying it.  But I noticed he couldn't handle even the slightest move on him by my part.  For the first time I considered that his innuendos might just be all talk.  Perhaps he even considers himself helping. 

“No!” I gritted my teeth.  “Just hold still.”    I had to bring up something that he should have never seen but something better came to mind.  I had just the memory to prove my point.  I thought hard about Ian kissing me for the first time after the ceremony night.  As the picture flooded my mind my emotions were somehow intertwining with the memory, but I wasn’t sure what I could do about that.  I would have to adjust something later maybe not wanting to make myself vulnerable to the wrong person.  Pike was probably harmless enough.  

I could tell I was a watcher in the visions, so to speak, and that every detail magnified for my version of what memory was brought up.  I closed my eyes momentarily getting my mind to focus stronger, but now had them open.  His face showed exactly what I wanted to see.  His eyes turned to slits.  He was mad.  Before he could react I pulled at his mind again.

“Now.”  I switched my thoughts to his sword and his eyes followed.  Then I switched my thoughts to his belt.  He followed and his hand did also.  Then I released and thought about absolutely nothing.  It worked perfectly.  The cleared mind was definitely the trick to end it, just not hold it.

“Now?” I stepped back to stand by Ian this time, for safety I told myself, folding my arms and with my very own smirk.  Pike had the same dazed look again as before.  I was proud of myself.  “What do you remember?” I asked with too much confidence.

He grabbed his head, “We were just talking, and then you were kissing.” He looked back and forth from Ian to me, his face showing disgust.  I couldn’t help but notice that Ian dropped his mouth at this point.  He wasn’t able to read Pike’s mind when it was being altered.  Interesting.  Note to self.

“Then I checked my sword and my belt,” he mumbled. 

His brain was undoubtedly muddled, befuddled, and all messed up by little ole me.  My Devil Grace gave a giant high five!  I laughed and held my hand to my mouth,  “And that was just
fun
!” 

Ian said, “A bit extreme, don’t you think?  Cruel!”

I didn’t apologize. 

Ian felt sorry for Pike.  I didn’t. He assured Pike, “No one was kissing.” 

Pike looked back at forth at both of us then turned to one of the guards.  He must have asked in his thoughts because the guard just answered him and said, “No sir.  They were standing still the whole time.”

He turned to me raising the famous bad boy eyebrow look, but this was an angry pose. 

“I never moved,” I kept my innocent eyelids fluttering in his direction, hands flying up innocently. 

“What did you do?” he wailed angrily at me.

I sighed with appreciation of the fact that I was now watching him squirm like he did me.  “I made you think you were thinking one thing and then changed your thoughts to something else.  Somehow it makes you forget what you were doing.  Hmm, kind of like you did me.  And paybacks, as they say, are—"

Game over, beautiful
.  He forced his way into my brain even cutting off my voice box.
 

Whoa!  Pike’s got some power
. 
He was undoubtedly angry.  I felt like a raging bull stood before me which is why I hid by Ian.  The image of my balcony back home came to mind.  Did he think stalking was okay then too?

  “I’m not your guinea pig. What were you thinking?  What did you put in my mind, you witch!” The real Pike was fully alert again now.  The image of my bedroom, in detail, came to mind.

Ian and I both moved at that comment, the thoughts broken.  “Name calling, big huge NO NO with me, mister!”

“That was uncalled for.” Ian defended me.

Pike pressed me, “What did you put in my mind?” he said through gritted teeth.  His face was red.  If steam could rise, it would be pouring out of his head from every direction.

I was bold before, but to say it aloud I didn’t expect to have to do.  I didn’t want to show my doubts so I held my head high and said, “I showed you my first kiss, and then your sword, and then…”

“My belt.”  He looked down at his belt and returned his hand there where he’d been forced to place it.  “You did it earlier at the table.”  He was steaming even more now, if that was possible.  “HOW DARE YOU!”

I had enough of the screaming at me, rude comments, intentional spite, and all the other colors of Pike! 
Isn’t this the feelings you were expecting by doing it to me Pike?  Weren’t you trying to do the same things?
  No answer. 
Either way...turnabouts fair play.

He huffed.

I screamed back, “How dare you invade my thoughts.  How dare you act rude to me and Ian.  Why can’t you just accept what is and move on?  We could all get along a lot better if you would spend more time being a little less deceptive towards your allies.  We’d protect you, but can we say the same about you?”

But I still thank you.  I'm stronger now because of you.

He blinked telling me he heard.    I’ve learned a lot from him despite his methods or intentions.  I couldn’t have done that if he hadn’t forced the emotions up.  I’m convinced that’s how my powers are growing.

He mumbled something about the word “Fair…”

I moved towards him putting my finger to his chest making him back up.

“Fair.  I’ll show you fair.  You intentionally try to hurt Ian any moment you get.  Why?  Because you want others to think you are a foul creature with no heart.  I refuse to believe that about you and so does Ian.  So maybe, just maybe you’ll get your priorities straight and we can work together instead of tearing each other part.  I would have never given you a second thought simply because of your evil attitude so quit using your good looks.  It’s.no .enough.”  I huffed leaving my finger still on his chest and snatched it back quickly realizing my faux paux a little too late then backed away towards Ian in retreat. 

Ian rested his hand on my almost bare shoulder that was shaking, a lot.  It tingled where his hand lay.  I gently pulled my arm back to me and looked at Ian for his understanding.  I didn’t need calming down.  I didn’t want too.  I could feel just how wide my eyes could open, because they were stinging now and I closed them quickly to retrieve the tears swelling in them.  He didn’t deserve my tears.

Pike opened his mouth to respond, but ended up walking away.  After about three steps, he turned and said, “We don’t have much time.  I’ll get the guards ready.”

I realized the trembling wasn’t stopping and reached my arm backwards for Ian to comfort me regardless of the magic.  I wasn’t sure what to say now. My “aggravation” just walked away. 
“I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.” 
Poe again!  But I seriously felt that way! Pike made me crazy.

Ian rested his chin on my shoulder and whispered, “I think he heard you loud and clear.  I think you’re going to make a great queen.  And I think you need to get a little more control before we unleash you again.”  

With venom still in my throat, I said to the open air, “I didn’t use any persuasive tactics to make him walk away Ian.” 

“That’s not what I mean and you know it.”

I felt the smile he had before, fall from his chin as it rested heavily on my shoulder.

“Either way, he knows I’m right.”  I took a deep breath, breathed it out slowly, and lied, “I’m ready.”