Intertwined (18 page)

They entered the classroom together. Mary Ann took her seat in the far right row, closest to the teacher’s desk. Kyle Matthews had the one next to her and he was already seated. As Riley had done in their first two classes, he stood in front of his desired spot and stared. Stared until Kyle was shifting
uncomfortably. Stared until Kyle picked up his books and found another seat.

There was such an intensity about Riley, an intensity no other boy possessed. The wicked gleam in his eyes didn’t help, either.
I’ll do anything necessary to get my way
, that gleam said. Except, he never turned that gleam her way. With her, he was gentle and protective.

He watched her as he placed her books on her desk. “Once again your aura is a mix of colors. What are you thinking about?”

You.
She leaned toward him, whispering, “Do you have a girlfriend waiting for you at home? I’m just curious, you understand.”
No, I’m a moron.
But she had to know.

His features softened. “No. There is no one. Actually, Victoria is my only friend.”

The gorgeous Victoria. Fabulous. Mary Ann hated herself for wishing the vampire princess had flaws beneath that perfect exterior. Anything to even the playing field a little. Not that Mary Ann was going to try for something with Riley. Right?

“I’m your friend, aren’t I?” she asked. He’d said so before but could have changed his mind.

A moment passed, his gaze searching hers, before he nodded. “Yes. And I am yours. I will protect you, Mary Ann. You have my word.”

The bell rang, and the teacher, already standing in front of the class, began his lecture. She didn’t hear a word of it. Oh, she peered straight ahead and pretended to study the board and take notes, but her mind was focused solely on Riley.

Sadly, that’s how the rest of the day progressed, as well.
She found herself wondering what he thought of the school, the kids. If he was bored and wanted to be anywhere else. If he liked being with her as much as she liked being with him.

At lunch, they sat together at the back of the cafeteria, and Aden and Victoria joined them. Everyone else stared. Even leaned closer to hear what they were saying. Riley ate from a tray of his own, as well as Mary Ann’s and Victoria’s. Victoria, Mary Ann noticed, didn’t even pretend to eat.

“Well, we won’t be discussing anything here,” Aden muttered. “Though I will tell you that John, the
real
John,” his gaze became pointed, “spoke to me again.”

Had he…did he mean…A
ghost?
she mouthed.

He nodded.

First a demon, then a ghost. What would pop up next? Her hand trembled as she spooned a bite of her chocolate pudding. “What did he want?”

“For me to hook him up with Chloe Howard.”

Mary Ann pictured the shy girl who rarely spoke up and liked to wear hoodies. “Are you going to do it?” Just how did someone go about hooking up a dead person with the living?

He swallowed a mouthful of soda. “I don’t know. What if I screw it up and he gets mad? What if I do it and he sends others my way. And I know there are others. I’ve seen a few. Didn’t know what they were at the time, but in hindsight that’s all they could be. Anyway, new subject.”

“We can go to my house after school,” she said, pushing her tray aside. No way would she be able to wait until tomorrow morning to talk to him again. And maybe, just maybe,
her mother was still inside that house. Maybe Aden would see her. Maybe they could talk.

Victoria and Riley nodded, though their expressions were confused. They hadn’t followed the thread of conversation. “I’ll explain later,” she told Riley, and he nodded again.

“I can’t.” Aden withdrew a sandwich from his lunch bag and peeled back the plastic. “I have a four o’clock curfew at the ranch.”

“What about a study group?” She propped her elbows on the table. “Would Dan let you come to my house for a study group?”

First he looked hopeful, then doubtful, then resigned. “I’ll ask, but I can guess the answer and it’s not a yes.”

“Only one way to find out.” She withdrew her cell phone from her pocket and turned it on. This was a big no-no, totally against school policy, but she didn’t care. She dialed her dad’s number. “Daddy,” she said when he answered, “would it be all right if I have a few friends over after school to study?”

“Wait. Is this my little girl?” His gruff voice filled the line. “Can’t be. She never invites anyone over, even when her dear old dad begs her to do so.”

“Dad. Be serious.”

“Sure, invite them over. But is that really why you’re calling? You almost gave me a heart attack, using this line. Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine.” She was only to call his private work number, the one that interrupted his sessions, for emergencies. She’d never called it before. “I swear. It’s just really important that we study.” Not a lie. They needed to study each
other, the other creatures, figure out what was going on and what needed to be done.

She could just imagine him grinning, nodding his head in satisfaction. “Want me to work late? Wouldn’t want my lame self to get in the way.”

He really did want her to socialize more, she realized, even if it meant studying. Maybe she
had
been working too hard. “That would be great.”

“Then I’ll see you around…nine?”

“Perfect. Thanks!”

“I love you, baby.”

“Love you, too.” Mary Ann disconnected and handed the phone to Aden. She grinned. “Your turn.”

“I
CAN’T BELIEVE
I’m here,” Aden said, gazing around Mary Ann’s house. Dan had actually said yes. Granted, Victoria had gotten on the line and had told him to agree, but still. Aden was here.

He and Victoria walked around the living room; Riley, who’d already been there, remained beside Mary Ann in the entryway. It was spacious, with soft red couches, a blue-and-green rug, and several tables with orange-and-pink marble tops. Tying it all together was multicolored fringe that dangled from the lampshades.

“My mom decorated the place and my dad just didn’t have the heart to change anything after she died,” Mary Ann said, and he could hear the affection she still harbored for the woman.

“I love it.” It had character and warmth. Livability.

One foster family he’d stayed with had had leather furniture and glass tables. A single smudge had sent the wife into a cleaning frenzy. Another foster family had filled their home with only white and beige furnishings, just like every institution he’d ever been committed to, and though they’d never acted as if they minded, he’d been afraid to even step on the carpet. His favorite foster family hadn’t been able to afford anything but mismatched, threadbare stuff and he’d felt most comfortable there.

He would have lived with them forever, if possible, but Eve had transported him back in time and he’d changed the future. When he’d returned to the present, it had been as though he’d never stayed with that wonderful family.

“Riley tried to describe this place to me,” Victoria said, “but I didn’t believe him. Who could have guessed?” She sighed with longing and joined Aden at the unlit fireplace. Her gaze skidded over his neck, then returned and stayed. More and more, as the day had worn on, her focus had been lingering on his pulse. “Our home is very dark. Colorless.” Now her voice was thick, almost slurred.

Was she hungry? Her skin appeared paler than usual, no color in her cheeks. “Where
is
your home, by the way?” If he had to, he would drag her outside and demand she drink from him. “I know you’re from Romania, but where have you been staying?”

“A large group of us traveled here, so we had to buy the biggest home we could find. It’s far enough away to give us the illusion of privacy, but close enough that we can run into town at a moment’s notice.” Her gaze never lifted from his neck.

He leaned his head to the side, widening the expanse of skin she could see. Her breath hitched. Oh, yes. She was hungry.

“You can drink from me, you know?” From the corner of his eye, he saw a framed photograph on the mantle and lifted it.

“No,” she croaked out.

“You sure?” The photo was of a man, a woman and a little girl. Obviously Mary Ann was the little girl and the adults were her parents. She looked just like her mother. Same dark hair and eyes. Same lean face.

“So, Aden…do you see any ghosts here?” Mary Ann asked hesitantly.

Before he could answer, his companions began chattering frantically.

That man
, Eve said on a gasp.
I know him
.

He
is
familiar, isn’t he?
Julian said.

Aden drew the picture closer. The man had a clean-shaven face, blue eyes, and was a little boyish, like hundreds of people he’d seen over the years. “It’s Mary Ann’s dad,” Aden said, frowning. “We can’t know him.”

Yes, yes, we can,
Eve replied excitedly.
We’ve seen him before. In person. Remember? Just add a beard and glasses and you’ll—never mind. I’ll take you to him.

No,
everyone shouted in his head at once.

“Aden?” Victoria asked. Her hand cupped his shoulder, hot, a brand. “What’s wrong?”

“No, Eve, no!” Aden roared, focused only on one thing: survival. “Please don’t do this to—”

But it was too late. His entire world faded to black. He was
falling down…down…spinning and screaming and flailing for an anchor—an anchor that constantly danced out of reach. His stomach churned and sharp pains tore through him, burning, scorching.

His body began to melt, skin pouring away, muscle disintegrating, bone crumbling until he lost his hold on reality, losing himself completely.

“A
RE YOU STILL
hearing voices, Aden?”

The question jerked Aden from a long, dark tunnel, slamming him into something solid. A brick wall perhaps. His mind was not as quick to reach the wall as his body, so his awareness was gradual. Where was he?

He blinked, the world coming into focus little by little. He sat in a plush leather chair. All around him were bookshelves overflowing with books. In front of him was a desk cluttered with files and papers. To his left was another leather chair, this one occupied by a man with blue eyes, a beard and glasses.

“What’s going on?” Aden asked, the words garbled. Was he tanked? He didn’t remember drinking.

“We’re in my office, having our session.” The man smiled indulgently. “Have you forgotten already?”

“Office? Session?” He drew in a deep breath, slowly released it. As the air left him, his memory seeped into center
stage. He’d been at Mary Ann’s house. Victoria had been looking at his neck with hunger. He’d spied a photo, picked it up. Eve had recognized the man.

I’ll take you to him
, she’d said.

Eve.

His molars ground together. Obviously she’d tossed him back in time just as she’d threatened. But to when? Where?

He surveyed himself. Ugh. He wore a plain T-shirt, his scrawny, needle-ridden arms poking out of it. There was a sharp, persistent pain in his side. His pants had holes in the knees.

“Aden, is something wrong?” the man asked him.

“No, no,” he said, because it seemed like the safest answer. He probed his side, wincing. Were those…stitches? “I’m fine.”

“You’re still healing,” was the gentle reply. “And if you want to keep healing, you have to leave the wound alone.”

He forced his hands to settle in his lap.

We’re here
, Eve exclaimed happily.
You’re eleven. Do you remember this office? The doctor?

Eleven. The year he’d been forked by one of the other patients at the institution where he’d been staying. Dread sprouted wings and flew through him. “The doctor…” he said.

“Yes, Aden?”

His cheeks heated at having been caught talking to himself. The doctor. “Dr….” He couldn’t remember the man’s name. He was youngish, even though he had a beard—which was probably meant to make him look older. Tall, on the lean side.

“It’s Gray.” A patient sigh filled the void between them. “Dr. Gray.”

He stiffened. Dr. Gray. Mary Ann Gray. Mary Ann’s…father? He pulled the photograph to the front of his mind and compared it to the man beside him. Take away the beard and the glasses and the two men were an exact match.

He could have freaked out. He wanted to. But he remained where he was, as if rocks held him down, trying to absorb the shock of what he’d just learned. All those years ago, he’d had a connection to Mary Ann, albeit indirectly, and he hadn’t known.

I tried to tell you we knew her
, Eve said.

Well, what d’you know
, Caleb said.

“I know who you are,” Aden told the doctor, more emotion than he’d intended in his tone.

Dr. Gray only smiled. “I should hope so, Aden. Now let’s get down to business, shall we?” He propped his elbow on the armrest of his chair and peered over at Aden, expectant.

“I—yes,” he said, though he wanted to shout
No!
A thousand questions rushed through his mind, but he couldn’t ask them. He had to be careful to appear eleven years old, to answer as he had the first time this meeting had happened.

Losing his favorite foster family the last time Eve had done this wasn’t the worst thing to have happened. He’d woken up from that trip in a home he hadn’t recognized, with people he’d never seen. That “memory loss” had earned him another stay in another mental hospital.
Everything you do earns you a stay in an institution
.

Sometimes it did seem that way. Upon his return, Eve had promised never to transport him again. Of course, she’d promised that before. Her exuberance always outweighed her qualms, he supposed.

Unlike those other times, though, he couldn’t work up a good anger. To see eleven-year-old Mary Ann, to know if she dulled his powers, even as a child, might be worth any price.

Where was she now?

Did Dr. Gray know she was able to mute other people’s unnatural abilities? Would he freak if Aden asked? Probably. How much would Aden’s future change if he did? Would he ever meet Mary Ann?

Ah. There was his anger. White-hot, bubbling. If this session changed his future so much that he hadn’t moved to Crossroads, hadn’t met Mary Ann or Victoria…

I sense the direction of your thoughts,
Elijah said.
I wish I could reassure you, but
…

Great. He was going to have to do his best to remember every little thing he’d said and exactly how he’d said it. Did eleven-year-olds talk like babies or grown-ups?

“Aden?”

He’d lost the thread of the conversation already; he’d have to be a lot more careful. “Yes?”

“I asked you a question.”

“I’m sorry. Will you repeat it, please?”

“I will, but I expect you to pay attention for the rest of our time together. All right?” Only after he nodded did Dr. Gray continue. “There have been reports that you’ve been arguing
loudly with people no one else can hear. So I ask again, are you still hearing voices?”

“I—I—” How had he answered this? “Uh, no.” He wouldn’t have told the truth. Would he?

“Are you sure?”

Aden focused on the University of Oklahoma Department of Psychology diploma framed proudly between the bookshelves. More calmly, he said, “Yes, I’m sure.”

Dr. Gray frowned over at him. “We’ve had several sessions together, but you always keep me at a distance, telling me nothing more than what can be found within your file. This is a safe space, Aden, where the truth will never be used against you. I hope I’ve proven that to you.”

“You have.” The memories of this day, hazy though they were, finally began to flood him. Dr. Gray had been unbelievably nice to him, and for once, he’d been eager to please. “I just—I—I hate this place. I want to leave.” There. Now they were on the right track.

“Where would you go? I’m not asking to be cruel, but to make a point. No foster family will have you right now. Everyone thinks you’re dangerous, so you can’t be allowed to play freely with other children.”

Normal children, he meant. There were kids here, but they were all supposedly crazy like him.

“Has someone hurt you?” the doctor persisted. “Is that why you want to leave? Did you have another argument with a patient?”

Silent, he kicked out his stained tennis shoes.

I brought you here for a reason
, Eve said.
I don’t care what the others say. Ask him what you’re dying to know.

“I just want to go back to the ranch,” he said, ignoring Eve. Then he blanched. For a moment he’d forgotten to stick to only what he’d said the first time he was here.

“Ranch?” Dr. Gray sighed again. “To my knowledge, you’ve never lived at a ranch. For now, this is your home. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it has to be.”

Ask him about Mary Ann
, Eve insisted.

Don’t do it, Ad
, Julian said.
I’m happy with the way things are and don’t want them to change.

I mean, we’re close to having a girlfriend
, Caleb added.

“Aden?”

Dr. Gray. He had to backtrack to remember the direction of their conversation. Had he argued with any of the other patients, was what he’d been asked. “Uh, no. Everyone stays away from me now.”

“Oh, really?” The doctor
tsk
ed under his tongue. “I know a few of the patients cornered you yesterday. I know they threatened you, someone hit you and you retaliated. If the orderlies hadn’t stopped you…Listen, it’s okay, whatever you’ve done, whatever’s going on,” he said softly. “You can tell me anything. I won’t judge you, son. I only want to help you. Let me help you. Please.”

“I—”

Ask him, ask him, ask him! I won’t shut up until you do.
Eve, proving stubborn.

For God’s sake, what if he wakes up in another state, no
Mary Ann, no Victoria,
Elijah said, angry.
I hate what Mary Ann does to us, but he’s finally out of the hospitals and off the drugs they used to feed him
.

You’re the psychic,
Caleb said.
Tell us what will happen if he questions the doctor about the girl
.

I told you, I
—Elijah stopped abruptly, and everyone held their breath, waiting for him to continue, knowing he’d just gotten something. Several minutes passed, an eternity in which Aden once again lost track of what the doctor was saying. During that time, Elijah gasped, groaned.

“What?” he finally asked, and as Dr. Gray repeated whatever he’d been saying, Elijah said,
You know I usually only predict death but lately I’ve known, well, more. And right now I know that if you mention Mary Ann, one of two things will happen. Dr. Gray will flip and leave you sooner rather than later. You’ll never meet Mary Ann. Or Dr. Gray will flip, still leave as planned, but take an interest in what you’ve told him. If the second happens, you’ll indeed meet Mary Ann—and one of us will be freed
.

Eve gasped.
One of us will be freed? Who? And how?

I don’t know. I wish I did, but…I’m sorry.

If one could be freed, that had to mean they all could be freed. He would have everything he’d ever wanted. Peace, a happily ever after for his companions. A normal life with his new friends. Of course, that normal life wouldn’t last long, since his death was steadily approaching, but a mere glimpse of such a life would be better than never knowing it at all.

But, if the other alternative happened, he would have none
of that. He wouldn’t even have Mary Ann’s friendship. Would he even go to Crossroads, Oklahoma? Would he ever meet Victoria? he couldn’t help but wonder again.

He wanted to take some time, figure out the best course of action, maybe sleep on it and weigh the pros versus the cons. That wasn’t how this worked, however. He would return to the present the moment this session ended. He didn’t have the luxury of time.

If only Eve could control how long they stayed. But she couldn’t, not really. When the scene she’d imagined played out, so did his time there. He had to choose now. A chance at getting everything he’d ever wanted or the
loss
of everything he’d ever wanted.

Whatever he decided, he had to act—

“Do you have a daughter?” The question slipped from him before he could stop it. For a moment, he experienced panic. Absolute, blind panic. He’d done it. He’d decided: he’d asked.

All four souls gasped. In astonishment, horror or excitement, he didn’t know.

What he did know? There was no going back now.

The good doctor’s head tilted to the side, his lips curling in another of those frowns. “I do, yes. How did you know?” No flip out yet.

His heart drummed in his ears, his breathing fast and shallow, as he searched for an answer that wouldn’t get him tossed out of the office this very moment. Then he spotted it. A framed picture of a little girl with black-as-night hair, hazel eyes and bronzed skin.

“The, uh, photo on your desk. She’s pretty.”

“Oh. Thank you. That’s my Mary Ann. She’s your age. Looks just like her mom.” Dr. Gray shook his head, as though he couldn’t believe what he’d just admitted. Normal people didn’t like to talk about their loved ones with dangerous crazies, Aden knew, no matter how young those dangerous crazies were. Or appeared to be. “Let’s get back on track. I need you to talk to me, Aden. That’s the only way I can help you.”

For the doctor’s sake, he said, “You asked me if I was still hearing voices. The answer is yes.” Embarrassment he didn’t have to force dripped from the undercurrents of his tone. His fingers twisted the fabric of his shirt, wrinkles branching in every direction. He’d bring them back to Mary Ann in a bit. Hopefully Dr. Gray would be more willing to chat once “business” was out of the way. “All the time.”

Come on. We’re not that bad
. Julian.

Stab me in the back, why don’t you.
Caleb.

“Sorry guys,” he wanted to say, but he kept quiet.

“No progress, then.” Dr. Gray planted his left ankle atop his right knee. “We can talk to your psychiatrist about changing your medication again.”

“All right,” he said, even though he suddenly recalled how the new drugs had affected him. Stomach cramps, vomiting. Dehydration and a week hooked to an IV.

Dr. Gray anchored his glasses on his nose. “Let’s switch gears for a while. Since you’re still hearing voices, I’d like to know what they want from you.”

“All kinds of stuff.”

“Like?”

What had he told him, all those years ago? “Like…control of the body.” Yes, he’d mentioned that. He hadn’t usually been so open with his doctors, but something about Dr. Gray had put him at ease.

If only you’d consider it,
Eve said.

Really, giving up the captain’s hat once in a while isn’t unreasonable,
Caleb said.
You used to let us take over for a bit and we always gave back control. I never understood why you stopped.

You’d want control, too, if you were powerless,
Elijah said.

Great. They were ganging up on him. “You aren’t powerless,” he gritted out. He was here, in the past, wasn’t he?

“Excuse me?” Dr. Gray said.

“Oh, uh, nothing. Just giving myself a pep talk.”

You’re well on your way to that flip-out,
Elijah said with a sigh.

Frowning, the doctor made a notation in his notebook. “Now, you called it
the body
. Let’s explore that a moment. If the voices have to ask for control of your—
the
body, that means they can’t take it on their own. You get to decide. That’s a good thing, yes? Your being in control?”

His companions might not be able to take over his body without his permission, but they could cause untold damage without it. “Yeah. Sure.”