Enchanter: The Flawed Series Book Four Page 5

  Later, after Ras and Holly left, Violet contemplated this new power.

  Get ready, Logan. I’m coming for you.

  The watcher is here again, and he doesn’t want to be. He’s inside the auburn-haired enchantress’s mind—or her being maybe, as “mind” is such a shallow word for it.

  This time she’s alone, and the dragon of control is purring. She orders her movie collection by genre, then pulls them all off the shelf and reorders them, alphabetically. When she’s satisfied, she goes to the next task—carefully folding her socks and reorganizing her underwear drawer. She must bring her residence into submission and her body as well. When she’s not organizing items, she’s exercising. Stretches, lifting weights, jogging on the treadmill. Her mind is rapt with reaching her ideal state. Her brittle arms and emaciated legs have got to improve.

  The whole while she flits from one obsessive task to another, she’s aware of the colored strings radiating from her hands. She ends a running session and sits down on the sofa to recuperate, toying with the threads like she’s playing with yarn. They respond to her will, and it’s fun to play with them. Their movement is elusive, unpredictable, though she knows her mind is influencing them. The threads are still attached to the tall, warm-skinned man with his curious tufted hair. She imagines his deep, dark eyes and feels like she could sink into them if he were here in front of her.

  His presence is alive through these threads, and she can feel it pulsing beneath her fingertips, flooding in and out of her mind like blood through a vein. She learns how to release the threads altogether, and for a bit, she’s afraid she’s lost them. But her mind can still feel him, and all it takes is a focused thought for her to summon the cords back into her possession. She can feel his body go slack with acceptance when she takes the reins again. That slack, yielding state is like a high to her. It empowers her in ways she can’t describe and doesn’t quite understand. All she knows is, it feels good. Oh, so good.

  She releases and retrieves the strands several times throughout the day, all of it an experiment, a way of testing the rules, of discovering how it works.

  The watcher feels her satisfaction each time she succeeds, like a muscle flexing. It pierces him with a feeling that disturbs him in his core. When he wakes, it’s with a sharp gasp.

  The dream haunted Graham all Monday morning. Even after writing it down in his notebook, he couldn’t forget it. Why was Violet tumbling around in his subconscious, anyway? He remembered the sudden searing pain that had shot through his mind when she’d touched his arm last week. Could these recurring dreams be related?

  Graham shook his head and switched his thoughts to his new job prospect with the two pretty girls he’d met at the bookstore yesterday. He was looking forward to getting to know Jade and Chloe better.

  Jade struck him as sensitive and kind, but Chloe had that outspoken manner that messed with his insides a little—like Violet, although she wasn’t really like Violet.

  He towel dried his hair and buttoned up a nice shirt, hoping the manager would be in the bookstore today like Jade had said. And that she might consider hiring him.

  Upon entering the shop, Graham noticed a crowd of people lined up and wondered what was going on. He skirted them and made his way to the checkout desk, but it stood empty. He walked down an aisle of books and came up another row, searching for Jade or anyone who looked like they worked there. Then he saw the workroom door at the back of the store cracked and heard voices from behind it. He recognized Jade’s.

  “That one’s dried up. Let me get you another marker, Ms. Mann. Here, try this.”

  “That’s fine.”

  “Okay, do you have everything else you need?” Jade opened the door with an arm and Graham saw her escort out a gray-haired woman in a bold-patterned floral dress.

  “I think I’m fine, but I’ll let you know.”

  Jade sent Graham a glance as she led the woman past the winding line and around to the front of the store. He trailed some distance behind, close enough so he wouldn’t lose her when she was free.

  The woman sat at a small table, and Graham noticed the full book poster behind her. Now the people in line clutching books to their chests made sense.

  When Jade returned, she gave an exhausted sigh and smiled. “Hi there.”

  “You look busy today.”

  “We are. Ever since March started scheduling book signings, we’ve had a steady stream—and today is one of those peak times we’re bursting at the seams. But it’s really good for business.”

  “March…is that the manager?” Graham asked.

  “March Thompson—she’s the current owner, actually. There are only a few of us working here, and she took over the business when her dad died last year.”

  “Did you…uh, give her my message?”

  Jade’s eyes lit with recognition. “Oh. Yes, I did. She said she could probably talk to you today if she had a few free minutes.”

  “Do you think now’s a good time? I mean with the—” Graham waved a hand toward the crowd at the front where the author had begun signing books.

  “Let me ask,” Jade said. “Be right back.”

  Graham followed her to the back room and hovered nearby until she returned.

  “She says it’s fine. Ms. Mann will be signing for a while, and March is free at the moment. You can go on back.”

  “Great.” Graham gave Jade a smile and squared his shoulders, wishing he could lengthen his frame several inches. Not that being taller would help him get the job, but it would at least give him a little more confidence. Deciding it was now or never, he went to talk to the owner.

  ~

  With the crowds of people flooding the bookstore, Jade wished she could hover near the back. But either way, there was no escape from the flux of emotions, and she had a job to do. She retrieved a bottle of water from the back room and went to check on the author signing books at the table up front. “Here’s your water, Ms. Mann. Do you need anything else?”

  “Could I get a pillow? This chair’s not very comfortable, and my back’s starting to hurt.”

  Jade glanced at the long line of people waiting to get their books signed. “Sure. I’ll see what I can do.” She hurried to the back storeroom, noting as she passed March’s office that her door was still closed. She must still be talking to Graham. Jade had no idea where she was going to get a pillow from, but today it was her job to keep Ms. Mann happy. She didn’t want to interrupt Graham’s interview for fear that she might jinx it.

  She dug in a box of holiday decorations and found nothing even remotely resembling a pillow. The office supply cabinet was even less helpful, as was the cleaning closet. What in the world was she supposed to do? She couldn’t run to a nearby store to pick one up because she had to stay in the shop. Then Jade had an idea.

  She called Chloe to see if she could bring one by, but Chloe’s cell phone went to voicemail, and Jade remembered that she was supposed to be seeing a movie with Cam that afternoon.

  Jade was weighing her options as Graham exited March’s office and strode toward her.

  “How’d it go?” she asked.

  His grin was wide. “Great. She wants me to start as soon as possible.”

  “That’s awesome, Graham!” Jade said.

  “Yeah. This was perfect timing. March said she’d just started looking for someone because of the recent boom of business.”

  His jubilation bubbled inside Jade, and she smiled back. “I’m so happy for you, Graham.”

  “Thanks. I think I’m going to hang out here for a little while and work on my writing.”

  “Good luck finding a table,” Jade said, gesturing at the packed front section of the store.

  “Mind if I use your desk?” Graham gestured at the sales desk that was currently empty.

  “Oh, that’s a good idea,” Jade said. She pulled a stool out from behind it and placed it in front so he could use the workspace.

  “Thanks.”

  She nodded, t
hen remembered Ms. Mann’s request. “Make yourself at home. I have to go talk to March about something.” Jade hurried to the back room, hoping Ms. Mann wouldn’t be peeved at how long it’d taken her to find a lumbar pillow. She rapped on March’s door, then entered.

  Working at her desk, March swiveled in her chair to face Jade. “What do you need?”

  “Sorry to bother you. Ms. Mann has a request.”

  “What is it?”

  “She says her back’s hurting and she needs a pillow. The chair’s not comfortable enough for her.”

  March sighed. “She’s just in one of the side chairs from the study area, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay.” March looked like she was thinking for a moment. Then she stood and rolled her chair forward. “Here.”

  “Your chair?” Jade asked.

  “It’s the best chair in the store. Might as well let her use it. Keeping the authors happy at these book signings is priority number one. We want them to come back.”

  Jade nodded. “Okay.”

  “Bring me the one she was using, for now.”

  Jade rolled the office chair out through the bookstore and swapped it out with Ms. Mann’s. Her phone buzzed in her pocket while she took the small side chair to March’s office. After she’d deposited the chair, she listened to her voicemail. The teacher from her class that morning said she’d left her book bag in the classroom. He told her he had it in his office, but if she couldn’t come get it by six o’clock, it would be locked in his office overnight. She lowered the phone with a sigh. Her wallet was in her bag, and she really didn’t want to go without her driver’s license and cash on hand. She would have to pick it up after work.

  Back at the sales desk, her phone rang again. She dug it out with a frown. It was her dad.

  “Dad? What’s up?”

  “You need to come to the hospital, honey.” The brittleness in his voice sent ice down her spine.

  “Why? What is it? Is everything okay?”

  A pause. Then, “No. Your mom is not doing well. You should come now if you can.”

  Jade swallowed, and like a tidal wave, fear and anxiety crashed down on her. “What happened?”

  “Today I came home for lunch and found her passed out on the living room floor.”

  “What?”

  “We think she has a condition. I’ll explain everything when you get here.”

  “I’m at work,” she said. “I’m not sure if I can get off, but I’ll try.”

  “Good,” her dad said. “I think it would do her well to see you.”

  She ended the call.

  “Are you okay?” Graham asked.

  She realized he was watching her. There was a pinch between his dark brows.

  “I—no. It’s my mom.”

  Graham set down his pen. “What’s wrong?”

  “She’s in the hospital. Something happened, and my dad found her passed out today. I need to go see her. I—I need to talk to March.” Jade’s thoughts tumbled around her head, but she forced her feet to stand and turn her toward the back room.

  March came through the door before Jade had taken a step. She blew out an exasperated sigh. “It’s only eleven, and I feel like I’ve worked a full day already.”

  Jade bit her lip. “I know this is an awful time for this, but is there any way I can get the rest of the day off?”

  “What?” March blinked. “You want to skip out early during a book signing? Can’t you see how crazy it is in here?”

  Jade bit her lip. “I know. But I just heard from my dad that my mom’s in the hospital, and it sounds really serious.”

  March’s face softened. “I’m sorry to hear that. But I can’t manage on my own on a day like today. You’ll have to wait until after the signing. Unless…” She glanced over at Graham. “You’re still here, huh?”

  His expression perked.

  “Unless Graham can jump in for you,” March said.

  Graham closed his book and stood. “Of course. Just tell me what to do.”

  “I’m afraid you’ll have to muddle your way through. I can’t exactly train you right now. You’ve worked sales before—our system is pretty straight forward. Just come find me if you have any questions, okay?”

  “Will do.” Graham took Jade’s spot behind the desk.

  “Well, I have to go return emails to several publicists.” March hurried back to her office.

  “Your mom has my best,” Graham said. “Go see her.”

  Jade nodded. “Thanks. I owe you a big one.”

  “Nah. You don’t owe me anything. Just go be with your family.”

  Jade hurried out to her car. Her knuckles were white clenching the wheel as she sped to the hospital. Her dad knew how difficult being at the hospital was for her. He wouldn’t ask her to come unless it was really bad.

  Her legs were shaky as she passed the waiting room and walked up to the reception desk. She gave the receptionist her mother’s name and was given the room number with directions. Jade tried her best to ignore all the pressing emotions surging through the place. She felt everything, from a bout of depression up on the third floor to a gnawing grief in the E.R. Trying to tug her own mind closed, she focused on her mom, all thoughts intertwined with the fear of what might have happened. Anxiety surged to the forefront and replaced all the previous emotions.

  She had to get to her mom.

  When she entered the room, her dad greeted her with a weak smile. The creased lines on his face were deep—like he’d aged a decade in the last month since she’d seen him. Then his expression suddenly went rigid. Jade saw her mom lying in the hospital bed, small and pale and frail-looking. More gray streaked her hair than Jade remembered. Her face suddenly tightened with an expression of pain.

  Jade rushed to her side. She grabbed her mother’s hand. “What is it? Does it hurt?”

  “I…No.” Cynthia shook her head, but her face was twisted with raw agony like nothing Jade had seen before. Jade glanced back at her dad to ask what was wrong, but his expression wore the same mask of deep, haunting anxiety.

  Jade frowned. “What’s wrong, Dad? Mom? I don’t understand—”

  “She didn’t look this way until just now,” her dad said.

  Her mother gripped her chest and squeezed her eyes shut.

  “Dad? What’s happening?” Jade’s fear spiked, and she whipped around to face her father.

  He struggled to piece words together. His eyes held hers, intense emotion straining them. “I think…” His throat rose and fell with a silent swallow. His eyes closed for a moment. They opened and fixed on Jade. His voice shrank to a hoarse whisper. He bent in half, hands bracing on his knees for support as he took deep, slow breaths.

  “I thought only Mom was sick. What’s—”

  He struggled to speak. “I think it’s…Jade, are you….” But he couldn’t seem to manage the rest.

  Then Jade remembered the incident with Logan. Realization dawned on her. This wasn’t the sickness her father had mentioned. It was something else—something that had begun when she entered the room. Were her parents experiencing her emotions? This new wave of anxiety—was it coming from her? She gasped and fled to the hall. She had to get a grip on this.

  A loud beeping sounded from the next room. “I need a crash cart!” a voice called from within. Within moments a pair of nurses sped down the hall, their eyes wide.

  Leaning against the corridor wall for support, Jade shut her eyes and imagined the beach scene. She forced her mind away from her mom and on those imaginary waves. In and out, ebbing and flowing—all calm. After several regulated breaths, her worry began to drain away as if pulled by the tide.

  A moment later she heard the door near her click open and she felt a warm hand drop onto her shoulder. She opened her eyes to see her father. His face had returned to normal, though the wrinkle lines hadn’t smoothed.

  “Are you okay, honey?” he asked.

  She clung to the image of the seaside even a
s all the emotional sensations of the hospital crept back into her consciousness. Now it was clear—her own anxiety had displaced the moods of everyone else. A frightening thought came then—had she affected the people beyond her mother’s room?

  The two nurses that had run by with the crash cart several minutes ago exited the room next door peeling off blue gloves, their faces grim.

  A new thought crashed inside Jade’s head. The patient must’ve coded when she was experiencing her loss of control. Surely it wasn’t possible that she’d…. What if Jade was responsible for that? Could her anxiety have caused someone who was on the brink to die?

  Deep breaths. In and out. In and out. She couldn’t think about this now. Couldn’t let it consume her. If she lost control again, who knew what might happen. It was too big of a risk. Too much—all of it was too much. She didn’t even know how this had all begun.

  “Jade? Are you okay?”

  She realized her dad was clutching her shoulder, trying to get her attention. She focused on his blue eyes and reined in her thoughts.

  “I…I don’t think I am, Dad. I think something’s wrong with me. Worse than before. What happened just now with you and Mom….”

  He swallowed and gave a small nod. His voice was almost a whisper. “Your empathic ability was influencing us, wasn’t it?”

  She nodded. “I think so. It—it looked like you both changed right after I entered the room.”

  He took a deep breath, and his eyes didn’t leave hers for a moment. “But it’s gone now.”

  “I fought it—once I realized that—”

  “You can control others.” His voice held a note of awe, but through his lips, it was like a grim accusation Jade couldn’t escape.

  “Yeah.”

  “How long?” he asked.

  Jade ran her hands through her hair. She knew what he was asking. She’d never outright told them what all had happened in Pueblo with the two killers—the part that involved her escaped emotions, anyway. It wasn’t a discussion she wanted to have right now, and she didn’t want to face her mom again either. Not with the risk she caused. “I’m not sure. Since last fall. Maybe before, but I don’t know when exactly.”