Tortured Souls (The Orion Circle) (6 page)

“We investigate all manner of supernatural activity and encounters, Kacie. There is so much more out there than meets the eye,” Mr. Kincaid says.

He must have noticed my utter disbelief. Daniel snorts before dropping his papers on the table.

“Well, this one was a case of mistaken identity,” Daniel says, shrugging in what appears to be disappointment. He runs a hand through his short, messy black hair before continuing. “It turned out to be a cross between a pit bull and a coyote. Not sure how they managed that but the reports came back from Texas A&M this morning. DNA results show canis latrans and canis lupus, specifically the American Pit Bull Terrier. I will admit it was one ugly, mean-looking sucker though. Can’t blame the poor guy who shot it through the head for thinking it was some sort of monster. It was attacking his cattle—guy lost two calves to that beast.”

“We’ve been invited to participate in a hunt for a possible rogue werewolf this weekend by the UT Austin chapter,” Mr. Kincaid says as he glances around the table.
Werewolves too?
“This will be a potentially dangerous assignment. Any volunteers?” Daniel’s hand flies up along with a girl I haven’t met yet. “Daniel and Yolanda see me after the meeting for your assignment details. Unless there is any other new business, we are finished for today.” He pauses waiting to see if there is any objection. “Alright then, meeting adjourned.”

Everyone stands and begins talking among themselves leaving me feeling a bit uncomfortable. Logan jumps up and beckons for me to follow him.

“Come on, Kacie,” he says, leading me across the room. “It’ll be more comfortable to relax in the sitting area by the library than to stay here. We’ll keep the introductions brief so you don’t feel overwhelmed.”

Chapter Six — New Friends

Chapter Six

New Friends

The storm continues to rage outside as I follow Logan over to the large sitting area. So much for weather reports—they said a thirty percent chance of rain today. A quick glance outside shows a one hundred percent chance of flooding based on the deluge striking the windows.

Setting my bag on the floor, I join Logan on one of the two brown leather sofas. My hand strokes the buttery soft leather, cool to the touch in the warm room. It’s a nervous gesture, I’m well aware of that but one I can get away with given the circumstances. As I try to calm my frayed nerves, Mrs. Kincaid walks over and settles into the chair adjacent to my seat on the sofa. She gazes at me for several seconds before giving me a serene smile.

“I’m so sorry about what happened to you, Kacie,” she murmurs, sorrow reflected in the depths of her eyes.

Calmness settles over me. I lean into the arm of the sofa, resting my head on my hand. Her voice is soothing, wrapping around me like a fluffy blanket. It makes me feel at ease.

“I’m also a psychic medium with parents who didn’t understand my gifts. It can be very hard for some people to accept anything they can’t see with their own eyes. My adolescence was fraught with conflict, but I’m happy to say I have a good relationship with my parents now.”

She leans forward in her chair before continuing. “I’m Anna Kincaid, married to Roger Kincaid who is a psychic null. He does, however, believe strongly in psychic ability, living proof that some people are able to make the leap of faith to accept what they themselves can’t experience. Of course he’s a physicist so I suppose his whole career revolves around particles one can’t see with the naked eye, if at all.” She pauses, glancing over at Mr. Kincaid with so much love in her eyes. “I’m the president of the Orion Circle, San Antonio chapter. We have hundreds of chapters across the United States, most are at universities but some are at high schools. We’re short on time today so I’ll spare you the history lesson. I want you to have a chance to meet everyone.”

Giving me one last smile, she rises from the chair and walks away. Her spot is taken by Rebecca. I already like her due to her kindness during the meeting. The brunette girl stares at me for a moment before pushing her glasses back up her nose with her index finger. Now that she’s closer, I can see her eyes are an odd shade of green, almost yellow green, very striking.

“I’m Rebecca, I’m a lead investigator and researcher for our chapter,” she says, extending her hand in greeting. Her grip is firm as we shake hands. “I have no psychic abilities just an insatiable thirst for knowledge of anything paranormal. I’m especially into cryptozoology and mythological creatures, several not quite as mythological as you might think.”

As a child I always had a penchant for unicorns, dragons and mermaids. My pulse jumps a bit, and I take a breath to ask the first of dozens of questions.

She laughs. “You look excited, perhaps we can get together next week, and I’ll fill you in on what you’ve been missing.”

“Sounds great, Rebecca,” I reply, eager for the knowledge she possesses.

Cryptozoology is fascinating. Searching for and maybe even discovering a new animal species no one has ever heard of would be amazing.

She nods before vacating the chair for the next person. Daniel walks over and plops down into the chair before propping his feet up on the coffee table. His black bangs cover one eye while the other gray eye stares at me with undisguised interest. A smile lights his face, and I see what makes so many girls swoon in his presence. This guy owns the room. His jeans are covered in artfully placed holes—something I would have sworn was against our dress code. He’s wearing a black t-shirt that hugs his lithe torso.

“No introductions necessary, huh, Cici,” he says with an expression somewhere between a smirk and a leer.

I cringe a bit at the nickname. No matter what I say, he refuses to call me Kacie. Daniel plays Billy Crocker, the male lead, in our production of
Anything Goes
. He’s been calling me Cici since the first day of drama class my freshman year. The idiot spilled coffee all over my brand new shoes. His utter lack of concern made me furious, embarrassed, you name it. I remember exploding—yelling something like,
Look what you did! See? See?
I’ve been Cici ever since.

Daniel has an ego the size of Alaska along with his very own set of groupies. He was an enigma I was determined to solve. Last year, I swore I’d get beneath his veneer. Didn’t happen. My crush on him faded pretty fast after that.

“Had no idea you were clairvoyant. You always seemed so normal,” he adds with an amused snort. “I’m clairsentient.” When I stare at him with a blank look he decides to elaborate. “My psychic ability stems from touch. Objects or people, I can get readings from both. You’d be amazed at what gets soaked up into the walls of some places. It’d blow your mind. Remind me tomorrow morning and I’ll give you a reading.”

He takes my hand and kisses the back before rising in a fluid motion. My guess is this gesture is meant to be endearing, but I find it rather annoying. I somehow manage to resist the urge to wipe the back of my hand on my jeans. As he walks away, I hazard a glance at Logan and notice he’s bristling from Daniel’s behavior. I offer him a smile and his entire face lights up in response. Hearing someone move to the chair next to me, I manage to pull my eyes away from Logan’s golden gaze to give the new arrival my undivided attention.

The rest of the evening passes in a blur as I’m introduced to everyone in the group. When the final introduction is over, I pull out my phone and stare in shock. Twenty-five text messages and six voicemail messages are waiting for my attention. It’s already six-thirty, guess I’m not cooking dinner tonight. It’s about time Dad and Gavin learned to fend for themselves.

Ever since my mother left when I was nine, I’ve taken care of the house and cooking. It’s funny how Gavin and Dad both came to take my actions for granted. I won’t be around forever. Perhaps it’s time to wean the men from their dependence on me. As I listen to the voicemails, I realize Gavin is already one step ahead of me. The guy ordered pizza for us and all on his own too. I snort when I realize this glowing feeling is pride in my brother.

Two messages from Dad, the first saying he’ll be late and the second reminding me to call if I’ll be late. Two from Celia. My heart falls when she finishes her rant—it appears there may be trouble in Jake paradise. I really like Jake. He’s good for her. She thinks football is more important to him than she is. I guess I’ll need to find a way to prove to her she’s dead wrong. Jake worships at the altar that is Celia.

The last message is from Dave who can’t drive me to school in the morning, but could I bring his coffee anyway? Since they have an early morning football practice, I’ll oblige. I wonder what happened at practice this afternoon to warrant a five a.m. practice tomorrow. The coach must be furious about something.

I ignore the texts for now. Frankly, I’m getting sick of that form of communication. Too many of my friends developed the habit of endless texts. Anyone who knows me well is aware they should leave a voicemail if they actually want me to pay attention.

“Can I give you a ride home?” Logan asks when I look up from my phone.

He’s still seated on the sofa next to me, a solid rock at my side throughout the afternoon and evening. If possible I’m even more attracted to him now than before.

“That would be great, thanks,” I reply, feeling shy and a touch nervous.

He rises from the sofa and extends his hand to help me up. I take his hand and allow him to pull me from my seat. Logan pulls a bit harder than I was expecting, causing me to stumble and fall into his outstretched arms. My cheeks redden and I jump away as if burned, though I immediately regret my actions. Daniel, having witnessed the whole embarrassing incident, struts over.

“Smooth moves, Romeo,” he says snickering.

Logan runs a hand through his golden-brown curls and flashes a sheepish grin. My ire rises and I fail to keep my big mouth shut.

“Bite me,” I growl at the pompous ass.

“Thought you’d never ask, kitten,” Daniel purrs, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

“Oh, please,” I mutter as I shrug his arm off my shoulder and push him away.

A smirk curls my lip at Daniel’s shocked expression. I guess he’s not used to being shot down. Logan snickers before he grabs my backpack and winds the strap over my shoulder.

“We should head out while there’s a lull in the rain,” he says. His gaze drifts from the windows back to me.

I nod my head and follow him without sparing a glance for Daniel. As we pass through the door, several people shout goodbyes which we both return before allowing the door to close behind us. After bounding down the three flights of stairs, I’m dismayed when the shower of water picks up again just as we open the door leading outside.

We walk through the darkened campus, sticking close to the building to avoid the downpour. When we reach the side facing the parking lot, we pause for a moment and watch the rain fall. It’s almost empty, only a few cars remain. Fat raindrops are reflected in the lights illuminating the parking lot, creating a beautiful, glittery wonderland. Who knew a vast expanse of blacktop bathed in yellow-orange light could be so enchanting?

“Do you want to wait and see if the rain slows or make a dash for the car?” Logan asks, gazing down at me in the dim light.

“A little rain never hurt anyone. Lead on,” I say, a bit breathless. He gives me a bright grin that makes my heart flutter. “I am a Pisces after all. I believe that makes me one with the water,” I add, averting my gaze in a desperate attempt to stop the flush spreading across my cheeks.

He takes my hand, making my heart race even faster, and we dash across the parking lot toward his car. The raindrops splattering against my face are cool but not cold, making me feel energized. I’ve always been partial to the rain. So many view the rain as a spoiler of, well, everything. But to me rain is fresh. It washes away the accumulation of grime, wiping the slate clean, renewing and giving life. Normally I watch the rain from the shelter of our covered deck, but every once in a while I enjoy a long walk with the drops falling on my face. It leaves me feeling calm and refreshed.

When we reach Logan’s car, I stop in surprise. Water drips from my damp bangs, and I brush them aside to stare at the beauty before me. With a wistful sigh of appreciation, I run my fingers down the side in a light caress. This is one gorgeous car. The Mustang is black, but not just any black, there’s glitter in the paint that makes it glow in the floodlights brightening the parking lot. It has been detailed with several chrome accents. Red racing stripes run across the hood to continue over the roof and end at the rear spoiler.

“Logan, it’s beautiful,” I gasp in a soft whisper.

Okay, I admit it, I have a thing for cars, and this is one fine automobile. Rain all but forgotten, I circle around the car wondering how he managed to nab such a sweet ride.

“Would you like to get in out of the rain? The inside is pretty nice too,” he comments with a crooked smile while hitting the button to unlock the doors.

I open the door and dive inside to escape a sudden gust of wind. It roars through the empty parking lot, blowing the rain almost horizontal. Once both doors are shut, we stare out the windshield at the impressive storm.