The Mind Keepers (The Mind Readers) (21 page)

Yeah, I’d find it humorous as
well, if the client hadn’t been mine. “Happens? What if she doesn’t believe
me?”

Frowning, I kicked at a rock.
I’d never even contemplated the idea that she might not accept her fate. Yes, I
assumed she’d be shocked, but surely she could tell she had powers…that she
wasn’t normal. I could sense her abilities a continent away. And if I could,
that meant other supernatural beings would soon as well.

“It doesn’t matter if she
believes, the powers will come as they will. You must remember, Owen, humans
tend to ignore any sense of magic in their lives. They don’t understand; it
frightens them, and so they pretend it doesn’t exist.”

“Excellent plan,” I muttered
sarcastically.

We paused, staring out over Lake
Michigan. The sun sent rays of orange and pink across the cresting waves. Gulls
hovered over the water, their cries peppering the air with a natural music. How
could humans not believe in magic when it surrounded them? In the setting sun,
in the bloom of the yellow flowers creeping across the sand, in the call of
gulls above? The pulsing energy could be felt as easily as the wind. I
certainly wasn’t a sentimental twit, but magic was as much a fact as the earth
revolving around the sun.

“The happiness, anxiety, and
hate they feel comes from a lack of understanding. They sense the magic but
they don’t understand it, and the feelings frustrate them.” Jotham continued
his pace, the boards underfoot creaking with our weight. “They think they’re
sick, they think it’s anxiety without having a clue that what they’re really
sensing is magic.”

A warm breeze swept across the
water, stirring sand particles into the air, tiny crystals that hung suspended
for the briefest of moments, shining and sparkling under the setting sun.

“And if we told them, we’d have
another witch hunt,” I said. “There are too many nonbelievers. Too many who
have yet to reach that level of acceptance.”

He nodded. “’Tis better this
way…for now.”

I raked my fingers through my
hair. “Perhaps, but not exactly helpful when I’m trying to explain to my client
that she has powers.”

“Client?”

I flushed, rubbing the back of
my neck. “Yes, we’ve been told it’s better to think of them as a client, rather
than—”

“Human? A living being?”

There was no anger in his voice
or on his expression, only mild curiosity. Jotham had lived too long to let his
emotions get the better of him. But I knew him well enough to sense the
judgment in his question.

“I understand you’re upset, but
there have been too many Protectors ruined, heartbroken even, when their
clients died. It’s better to remain aloof.”

“I see.” Jotham stroked his long
beard, his attention on two children building a sand castle near the water’s
edge. “Of course. We wouldn’t want to
feel
anything. That would be quite disastrous.”

I knew better than to respond.
I, too, realized the ridiculousness of the rule. It could be bloody difficult
to resist an attachment with one’s clients. I’d even grown to appreciate Emma’s
aunt. Although I highly doubted I had to worry about becoming attached to Emma
Watts.

Jotham patted me on the back in
a companionable way. “Well then, your client awaits. She needs to know the truth
and there’s no one better to tell her than you.”

I was the
only
person who could tell her what she was. With no alternative
but to confront her, I drew energy from the rays of the setting sun. Yes, I had
a feeling I’d need all the strength I could get. I’d sensed the hardness in
Emma. A venerable steel wall wrapped around a damaged soul. As much as she
annoyed me, she also intrigued me. Damn it all, why hadn’t Clarice mentioned
her niece? At the very least, warned me.

“You haven’t told the others I’m
here?”

“No. Not yet. I think it’s best
we work in secrecy for now. If your instincts are correct, then the truth will
cause an uproar.”

“Agreed. And I won’t give up on
Emma.” As if I had any other choice. This was my job. A job fate had chosen for
me years ago. An
honored
choice. Or
so I’d been told repeatedly throughout my life. Now…I wasn’t so sure.

“Brilliant,” Jotham said. “I’m
glad you’re not going to give up on the dear woman.”

Dear woman?
That was taking things a bit far.

“I knew you wouldn’t because
you’re a good man, Owen. But mostly I’m glad you’re not giving up on her
because she’s being followed.”

I stiffened, my skin tingling
with sudden warning. How had I not noticed before? Damn, but this was why we
were supposed to control our feelings. Emotions got in the way. “What?”

Jotham stepped off the boardwalk
and started across the car park toward an ice cream shop, his long robe
sweeping back and forth over his slippered feet. “Your Ms. Emma Watts. I
believe she’s being tracked at the moment. Would be best if you take care of
any nastiness before she notices. Would hate to introduce her to our world in
such a way.”

Shite, I thought I’d have time
to at least explain things in a calm and rational manner. I
should
have had time. How did they know
already? “What’s following her?”

“Demon, I believe,” Jotham said
over his shoulder. “The earth spawn are always the first to know, after the
Protector, of course. Good luck.”

“Bloody hell,” I whispered as I
closed my eyes, concentrated, and disappeared.

********

If I were lucky, I could kill
the demon and dispose of the body before Emma even realized she was in danger.
More importantly, before the Consulate discovered I was gone. I reached out
with my senses, finding her easily enough. The moment her aunt had died and the
woman’s powers had transferred to her niece, my tracking system had kicked in,
although I hadn’t told anyone but Jotham. Because we were fated to be together
until she died, I’d always be able to find Emma. I hadn’t thought much about
that before. Now, after meeting her, the thought of forever seemed awfully
long.

The demon’s stench hit me as I
materialized. Jotham had been correct, although I wasn’t surprised. He always
seemed to know things others didn’t. I couldn’t spot the demon but I knew it
was there, for the odor of rotting flesh permeated the area, and it had nothing
to do with the fact that I was standing in a cemetery.

Emma weaved her way around tall
obelisks and flat headstones that erupted from the brilliant green earth,
without a clue of what was to come. Unwillingly, my gaze went to her, admiring
the sway of her hips. An unwelcome heat stirred in my chest. Hell, as
ridiculous as it seemed, my body was attracted to her. There was just something
about the woman’s casual stroll, the way she exuded confidence, yet if one
really looked into her eyes—those brilliant blue eyes—one could see the emotion
there. Pain. Confusion. Sorrow. She was a puzzle, a mystery.

But I wasn’t a bloody
psychologist who could help her sort out her issues. I was here to protect her,
end of story. Determined to ignore my feelings, I started after my stubborn
ward. I’d follow at a discreet distance until the demon decided to grace us
with his presence. Hopefully I could destroy the monster before Emma noticed.

Large oaks and maples shaded the
area from the setting sun and provided enough shadows for me to easily blend
into the darkness. Extending my senses, I searched for the demon. Hell yes,
definitely in the area.

Dinnertime. The town was quiet,
the cemetery even more so. What sort of person cut through a graveyard when
walking home? The woman had no common sense. Didn’t she realize that demons and
other supernatural beings harnessed their strength in cemeteries, harvesting
the lingering emotion humans left behind? Apparently she didn’t. She was
completely clueless.

Fortunately, she had me. And I
knew much, much more about her than she realized. I knew she owned no car and
the vehicle she’d driven in her haste to escape had been her friend’s. I knew
she lived in a converted loft with her sister in this small lakeside town,
although her mother had moved to Florida. I knew she supported the family with
the PI business. I knew her life was about to change drastically.

What I hadn’t known was she’d be
so bloody stubborn, and, damn it all, so attractive. I wasn’t sure which
annoyed me more. Her looks I could deal with, her stubbornness was another
matter. Then again, what had I expected? For her to smile prettily up at me,
pack her bags, and eagerly leave to start her new career?

She followed the dirt path as it
curved around a mausoleum, the stained glass window of an angel staring down in
judgmental censorship. How would she react when she knew the truth of my sudden
appearance? I had a feeling it wouldn’t be good. I certainly didn’t look
forward to that moment, but the sooner it happened, the better. I tore my gaze
from Emma and searched the cemetery.

The demon was there, lurking in
the shadows. I could sense the beast, the whispered warning swirling low in my
body, building, flaring like alarm bells going off. Not surprising that the
demon had found her so quickly. Their instincts were spot-on. But if the demon
knew, that meant the others might find out as well.

Where was the bloody bastard?

Something shifted, morphing from
the shadows behind the mausoleum. Emma sensed the demon as well, for she paused
there on the path. The setting sun sent rays through the trees and highlighted
her body with a heavenly glow. She started to turn. I stepped behind an oak, leaning
against the rough bark. Emma was working with heightened instincts now that the
powers had transferred. What would she do when confronted by the monster?

She scanned the small, secluded
cemetery on a hill that overlooked the lake below. Perhaps her skin tingled.
Maybe her stomach clenched as heat swept through her form. But, like most
humans, she’d ignore the unsettling feeling. Much to my disappointment, she
turned back around and continued down the small trail winding through Victorian
headstones, dismissing her sixth sense. Fortunately for her, I was there to
protect her back.

A Bubontic Demon, with the skill
to seduce, suck you dry, and take over your body. Most women didn’t see it
coming.

“Excuse me.” The demon stepped
out of the shadows in all his brooding maleness. I rolled my eyes, disgusted.
Dark and mysterious, they never failed to attract the attention of the female
population.

Emma spun around, startled.
“Yeah?”

He smiled a slow, sexy smile
that annoyed me more than I wished. And like most females, she unwillingly
stepped closer, drawn to the demon. Perhaps her instincts were warning her that
something wasn’t right, but her attraction was obvious. She should have known
better. I shifted, moving from tombstone to tombstone. The sun had set and the
lights that lined the path threw eerie shadows across the marble headstones.

“I’m lost,” he explained in a
French accent.

I frowned. The demons even knew
which accent women liked best. The bastards were becoming more evolved every
year.

Emma stuffed her hands into her
pockets, looking oddly bemused, as if she wasn’t quite sure why she remained
there, listening to this strange man.

“Come on, Emma,” I whispered.
“Use your instincts.”

She merely tilted her head to
the side. “Where you going?”

Hadn’t she been taught not to
talk to strangers? Especially in secluded cemeteries at night? Next, the demon
would be offering her candy. I knelt behind a tombstone, the damp grass soaking
the knees of my trousers. A crow called from a branch above. Territorial birds,
they didn’t appreciate the demon near their home.

“Red Brick Pub.”

“Oh.” She seemed to relax,
hearing the familiar name of a local restaurant.

The demon had done his homework;
they knew how to play the game. How the hell had he had time to research, let
alone find her? With an arrogant grin, the beast stepped closer, knowing he had
her in his grasp.

Surprisingly, she stepped back.
A reluctant grin tugged at the corners of my mouth. So, her instincts were
overriding her attraction.

“Can you tell me the way?” the
demon asked.

Emma glanced toward Main Street,
just visible through the iron fence. “Uh, yeah, sure. You just head out of the
cemetery and go left. You’ll see it. A brick building.”

My fingers curled as I resisted
the urge to interfere. This was Emma’s first test, and I wasn’t about to get
involved…yet.

The demon stopped a few feet in
front of her. Too close. “You’re quite lovely.”

She paused for a moment, as if
trying to make sense of his words, or maybe make sense of her feelings. That near
the demon, her instincts would be dulled. I made my way closer, the vegetation
underfoot soft and supple with spring rain. I’d hold out until the last minute,
but if she didn’t react quickly, I’d have to interfere.

“Seriously?” She released a
sharp laugh. “You’re trying to pick me up in a cemetery? I don’t know what kind
of women you have in your country, but I’m not interested.”

I felt a moment’s relief, until
she turned her back to the demon. Dear God, even children knew you never turned
your back to a monster. Her footsteps were quick as she started for the gate
that would lead onto Main Street.

The demon smiled. They loved the
chase; it fed their sick need. He rolled his shoulders, preparing to transform.
There in the cemetery, the demon’s handsome face melted away to reveal gray,
boiled skin. His broad shoulders hunched as his vertebrae bent at an odd angle.
More animal than human, he leaned forward, preparing to lunge at her. He’d have
her throat torn out within five seconds.

Unfortunately for the demon, he
wouldn’t make it. I disappeared and reappeared in front of the monster, placing
my body between Emma and him, hoping my ward was out of sight so I could kill
the beast without her interference.