Half Black Soul (6 page)

I turned toward her to find her sharp eyes studying me over the rim of a delicate teacup. I made my way over and bowed my head. Your majesty, I said. I was glad when my voice didn't falter.

The Queen studied me for a moment longer, and I couldn't help but return the favor. I could see why Alexa wasn't fond of her. She was more than intimidating. With gray hair pulled back into a tight bun, watchful blue eyes, a slightly pointed nose and thin lips, she just had a quality about her that could only be described as harsh.

Nelliana, she replied, Thank you for coming. She put on a smile that seemed out of place on her face and gestured for me to have a seat.

I could imagine what Alexa had thought when the Queen had called her in for a meeting like this to tell her that our Mother was indeed dead. Well, I could more than imagine. I'd seen the memory in Alexa's mind. As I sat down on the comfortable couch across from the Queen, I wished I hadn't brought up that memory right now.

I pulled my head together and answered, No trouble at all, your majesty.

The Queen nodded. When she just sat there, sipping her tea, I also remembered that in her meeting with Alexa she hadn't been forthcoming. She liked to test people out for a bit; make them speak first.

I said the first thing that came to mind that seemed natural enough. Is everything alright, your majesty?

She studied me a little more over her cup. Then, she set it on a saucer on the coffee table between us and released a heavy breath. Well, you see, I was hoping you could tell me that, she said.

I had to stop myself from reaching up and checking to see if the sweat that seemed to be pouring from my underarms had made its way through my blouse. It was all I could do to keep from fidgeting, and my hands felt hot and clammy. I couldn't wait until this was over. I was too much at a loss of words to say anything. I couldn't think of the right response to that. So, this time, my silence forced her to speak again.

It seems your sister has gone missing, she added.

The way she was watching me reminded me of the nature shows I'd seen where the lion watched the antelope a few moments before it attacked. Only, the Queen was the lion, and I the antelope. My words still didn't come, and she was forced to continue once more.

We just want to eliminate the worst possibilities, you understand? If she was taken against her will or something of that nature I would send out a search team. But if she just took off on her own &.well, that's a different matter.

At these words, that muscle in my mind reared up. I clenched my teeth together and swallowed hard twice. My mind seemed to want to Search the Queen, and it wasn't really inclined to ask my permission. This was what I had been worried about, and by the time I was finally able to rein it back in, a headache was touching my temples like hot pokers. It was all I could do not to grab my head and shriek in pain.

It must have been written on my face, because next she said, Is everything alright?

After a moment, to my immense relief, the pain subsided. I cleared my throat. Yes, sorry. Just a migraine, I guess.

She studied me for so long that I began to shift a little in my seat. I see. Well, do you happen to know the whereabouts of your sister?

No room for silence now. I felt like it, but I decided not to take a deep breath. Luckily, the lie came tumbling from my mouth before I could second guess it.

She went to visit a friend, I replied, Well, not really her friend, but a friend of our Mothers. She's a little bit older, and I guess she's not doing too well. She's raising a little girl and she asked Alexa if she could come and help her out for a while.

That sounded believable, right? God, I hoped so.

I see, said the Queen.

I relaxed a little at these words, but it was short lived. What the Queen did next caught me so off guard that I almost made a huge mistake. She almost slipped through my walls.

She was trying to Search me.

Alexa

We were on the road for half an hour before either of us spoke. Kayden didn't look over at me, and I didn't look over at him. But, when my hands began to tremble a little on the steering wheel, he finally broke the silence.

Let me drive, he said.

Normally, I don't respond well to commands. I don't like being told what to do by anyone, even if it's something that I know I should do. But, right now, I didn't have the strength for an argument or even a flippant remark. All the horrors of reality were finally settling over me.

Not only had I left my sister in a town of lying, manipulative vampires and wolves, and run off on some mission to save my Mother, that I wasn't even sure was really alive, I'd become a murderer.

Yes, that was it. Sure, I'd made a mess of my own life, and I'd killed the Lamias before, but that had been in true self-defense. And, Lamias were monsters. It could be argued that the man I had killed was a monster as well, but the self-defense thing was a little shaky. I could have just gotten in the car and driven away after I'd incapacitated him. But, I hadn t. Instead, I'd murdered a person.

Oh, and let's not forget that I'd also just cheated on my boyfriend. Today was shaping up to be a great day indeed.

So, no, I didn't give a smartass comeback when Kayden told me to let him drive. I didn't say anything at all. I just pulled onto the side of the road, threw open the driver's side door, and traded places with him.

When I was settled in the passenger seat of the Mercedes, I told him to just follow the GPS set into the dashboard and closed my eyes. But, when the blackness behind my lids allowed for too many unwanted thoughts, I opened them again.

Kayden noticed my despair, and tried to make small talk. He's not the kind of person who does that. Is this Tommy's car? he asked.

Yep & where'd you get that bike?

Stole it.

I raised my eyebrows at that, and he glanced away from the road and over at me. What? he asked.

Nothing.

He shrugged. There are worse things I could do.

I didn't respond. He was right, and we both knew it. He must have felt bad about saying that, though, because then he mumbled, Sorry, I didn't mean anything by that.

We stopped trying to make small talk after that.

Kayden dug into his pocket, holding the steering wheel with one hand, and pulled out a small blue pill. He handed it to me. Take this. It'll let you sleep. I'll wake you when we get there.

Again, I didn't argue. Sleep sounded like the best thing in the world to me right now. I took the blue pill and swallowed it dry. About twenty minutes later, I was fast asleep. And, by the grace of God, I didn't dream at all.

Nelly

I have never in my life experienced an assault like the one the Queen was delivering right now. If I had been a normal Searcher, even a strong normal Searcher, she would have slipped past my mental defenses and stolen whatever information she wanted without me being any the wiser.

But, I was not a normal Searcher. So, I knew exactly what she was doing, and so did the muscle in my mind. In fact, it was offended; offended that anyone could think that I was weak-minded enough to be penetrated. Weak emotionally? Sure. Weak physically? Sure, that too. But weak-minded? No siree. Through that muscle, I was able to watch her mind's attack in a way that seemed almost tangible.

Soul Searching is an interesting thing, and no one knows this better than I. When I see souls, it is usually an odd conglomeration of thoughts and feelings and desires. If I choose to, I can see memories as that person sees them. I can know their pasts, their deepest secrets, and sometimes, usually not by my own volition, I can insert some things of my own. I can make them think things they wouldn't have thought by themselves, and even remember things that never happened; things I made up. I can force my will on them. But, these things are pretty rare, and since I don't practice them to help them grow stronger, I'm not that good at it. Most of the time, I just see the outline of the soul. Not in a way that could be called an aura, with colors and such, but in a way that I just know. With certain people, like Alexa and Kayden, it can be hard for me to ignore the feelings of their souls because they are incredibly strong and powerful. Luckily for them, that strength is also what keeps other Searchers out of their minds. But, for me, it's like staring directly at the noonday sun.

Since coming to Two Rivers, I've had an opportunity that I've never had before. I've been able to practice my abilities with other Searchers. In fact, were encouraged to practice them in classes designated for just that purpose. Unfortunately, most of the time, I just have to concentrate on suppressing my abilities, so that no one becomes suspicious of me. And, as a result of that suppression, my mind has been acting out. Right now, I was kind of glad for it.

Because watching the other students attempt such things in approved classroom settings was like seeing a smoky haze drifting toward an open window; uncontrolled and almost always missing its mark. Watching the Queen's Search was like seeing an angry bull charge toward a red cape. I hadn't overestimated her; she was incredibly good at it. If my mind hadn't acted for me, I would have been a moment too late to stop her. Her charge was light-speed fast and concentrated perfectly, and my insulted mind lashed out with a brick wall. She slammed into it so hard that I almost winced. That muscle in my head sat back, pleased and temporarily satisfied.

If there had been someone else in the room, even a Searcher, they would have no idea what had happened. The Queen's stab at my mind lasted all of a second, and after my superior defenses had shoved her away, I knew that she was too wounded to try again. Slamming full force into a wall that you didn't think was solid enough to stop you always hurts. But, it hurt me too. After all, my tainted soul was the thing that had been slammed into.

A few small moments passed before either of us even dared to breathe. I'll give her this; she was admirably stoic. But, maybe that was because she had no choice but to be. If she grabbed her surely throbbing head and shrieked in pain, she would be confirming what she'd just tried to do. And, I too had to act as though I felt nothing, so as not to give away the fact that I knew about her failed Search.

So, she kept her face void of expression; mouth pressed in its accustomed thin line, eyes sharp and penetrating, and hands wrapped delicately around the china teacup once more. The only indication she gave about what had just transpired was the thin sheen of sweat that stood out on her forehead. I'm sure mine was just as shiny. When I finally got out of here, I was going to need a big dose of Aspirin.

But, as I said, she had offended my soul. By thinking that I was weak-minded enough to Search, without even making physical contact, and without consent, that muscle was borderline angry. I couldn't really say I blamed it. Unconsented Searches are pretty dirty. I just wished it would stop urging me to return the favor. It seemed to be adamant about Searching the Queen, and as I knew from experience that it always had a reason for insisting such things, it was hard to ignore. Hard, but thankfully, not impossible.

We just sat there, staring at each other, and I began to seriously worry. Did she know that I knew what she just did? That I'd slammed up that brick wall on purpose? At the very least she must know that I was a strong Searcher after having been blocked. Right then, these things concerned me, but the danger of the whole matter wouldn't occur to me until much later. And, what seemed to me like lifetime long seconds went by before the silence in the room was broken, and words finally drew their blades through the tension-bloated air.

You may go now, Ms. Montgomery, she said.

I did.

Alexa

Kayden woke me up fifteen minutes before we reached Olivia's house. I had decided to come to her because she seemed to me to be someone who knew things. I'd only met her once, when the letter that I found from my Mother after the Lamia attack had said to contact her. Olivia had been the one to tell me what I am. She was the one who'd sent us to Two Rivers. I was going to save my Mother, but first I had to find out the location of the prison where she was supposedly being held. Also, I had a whole list of other questions I needed answered.

It occurred to me, however, that Kayden may well know the location of Dangeon, the prison. He was an official warrior after all, and that meant he worked for the people who were in charge of the place. But, I knew first hand that Dangeon was somewhere that some would rather die than be sent to, and since it was so notorious, I was positive that it would be no small task getting in and rescuing my Mother. Like I said, I had to try either way.

Since he was here, though, and I was awake, I decided I may as well ask him. Where is Dangeon?

His golden eyes left the road and found my face. I cursed myself when I felt my heart speed up at his gaze. It be would a lot easier to remain mentally, and okay, physically faithful to Jackson if Kayden wasn't so damn gorgeous. And, the desperate kiss neither of us had mentioned, that still hung on my lips and seemed to have burned itself into my mind, didn't help either.