Kristie Cook - Devotion

"Alexis, use your mind to determine if anyone is nearby," Rina said after Mom closed and locked the door.

This was something she could do herself, of course, so she was either allowing me to practice or testing me. I probed outwards with my mind, careful to keep my mental wall in place. I sensed no other thoughts nearby and shook my head.

"Before we go into the council meeting, you need to know we have not disclosed your gift of telepathy to anyone," Rina said, moving to the chair behind her desk. Mom and I took the seats in front of her. "Only the three of us, Solomon, Tristan and Owen possess this knowledge, and I want it to remain so for as long as we can keep it secret."

I nodded. She had told me this before, at the beach house in the Florida Keys, implying it had to do with the video I'd received showing the Daemoni beheading Tristan. The video was, obviously, a fake.

"I do not even want the council to be made aware at this time," Rina said.

"Okay … but why? I thought you figured out the Daemoni had hacked your email and sent the video to me–"

"That was a guess," Mom said. "It makes the most sense they would send it, but we're still investigating. Rina has reason to believe–"

"I would like you to listen to the council members' minds during the meeting," Rina cut in, her eyes flashing anger at Mom.

My eyebrows shot up. "Um … I could be missing something here … but isn't that a big invasion of privacy?"

"You are missing something," Mom said, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms as she glared at Rina.

"What?"

"I–" Rina broke Mom's gaze and began shuffling and stacking papers on her desk. "I just need you to listen."

"But why me? Can't you do it?" I didn't mean to sound so demanding, but her request made me uncomfortable. As did the tension between the two of them.

Rina abandoned her papers and clasped her hands together. Her chest rose and fell with a deep breath and she shook her head slowly. I'd noticed yesterday, while she provided some of the answers I'd been waiting to hear for so long, a new shadow over her I'd never seen before. Something different–less confidence, I supposed, as if something had seriously shaken her. I thought my mention of Noah, her son and Mom's twin, had caused it, but today the gloom was more pronounced. Her face appeared tighter than normal, and she held her shoulders at a more defined angle, as if stress locked her muscles in place.

"Someone might be blocking her power," Mom said when Rina didn't answer me.

"But not mi–? Wait–they can block your power?"

Rina sighed, the sound pregnant with profound sadness. What's making her so unhappy? What can I do to help?

"There is a possibility a mage might be able to shield me from entering his or her mind," she finally said. "A slight possibility, but a possibility nonetheless. I would have thought only a sorcerer would be powerful enough, but the witch, wizards and warlocks on the council are among the most powerful in the world, nearly rivaling any sorcerer."

"Then they could easily block mine," I pointed out.

"Not if they don't realize they need to," Mom said. "Our reason for keeping it secret."

"Well, there aren't any guarantees it'll stay secret. I don't exactly have the best control." I anxiously pawed at the base of my throat, once again coming up empty, no pendant hanging there.

"I only need you to keep your wall up and listen, just listen," Rina said. She implored me with wide, pleading eyes, and I wanted to make that look go away. But could I do what she asked?

I stood up and walked over to the fireplace, gnawing on my lip and staring at intricately designed glass eggs lining the mantle.

"Alexis, I would not ask you if I did not think you could handle it," Rina continued. "You have excellent control of protecting your own thoughts. I cannot hear them without your allowing me to."

I glanced over my shoulder at her and lifted an eyebrow, hoping it was enough to remind her of last night.

"Yes, well, that is a different matter," she said dismissively.

"You and Tristan won't be having sex at the council meeting," Mom said more bluntly.

"No, but what if something else happens?" I asked, throwing my arms in the air and nearly knocking over one of the eggs. I steadied it before it fell, turned and began pacing. "So many people … all those thoughts … I nearly had a mental breakdown on the flights over here! I'm not ready yet. Can't it wait until I'm better at this?"

"No," Mom and Rina said in unison.

Rina stepped in front of me, forcing me to stop pacing. She took my hands into hers. "I need you to do it now, darling, or I would not ask you. It is quite urgent."

I blinked at her desperate words. "What's going on?"

She pursed her lips together as if trying to hold the words back. "I cannot imagine who … or why … I trust them all immensely … perhaps too much …"

"Who? What?"

"Just say it, Mother," Mom said with obvious impatience.

Rina sighed and I thought I could see tears building in her eyes. "I have received a message from the Angels. I can only interpret it to mean …" She cleared her throat, blinked away any moisture gathered in her eyes and lifted her chin. "… to mean there is a traitor in our midst."

"A traitor?" I asked. "On the council?"

"We're not positive," Mom said. "It could be anyone in the Amadis, but it's most likely someone on the council. We're praying it's not true, but if it is …"

"I am hoping you may be able to find out, Alexis," Rina said. "Since your power will not be blocked, you may be able to learn something I cannot. My hope is you will find nothing, that I have interpreted the message inaccurately, but I must ask you as a precaution."

"And you think this traitor sent the video?" I asked. "It was Amadis, after all?"

"We have no conclusive evidence. If there really is a traitor, however, it might be the person who sent the video. They might be planning something worse. It could mean the destruction of the entire Amadis if not addressed."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Wow. No pressure there. I didn't know anything about the council, but as the matriarch's advisors, I assumed they'd be the best and most loyal of all the Amadis. So who would want to betray us? Why? What did they have planned?

"Alexis?" Mom said. She and Rina stared at me expectantly.

"I … it's just …" I stammered. I wanted to help, to relieve Rina of this pain that seemed to be stabbing her right in the soul. I wanted answers, too. But could I handle the pressure?

"You will be fine, Alexis," Rina said. "You are very powerful. I trust you with this task."

"Honey, you're one of us now," Mom said. "Sometimes that means doing things we don't always want to do, things that push us beyond our comfort zone. We're only asking you to try. We need you." She placed her hands on my shoulders and gave them a squeeze. "If it becomes too much, you can leave. We'll alert Owen to keep an eye on you, in case you need help."

The mention of Owen's name made my stomach take a dip. How could I rely on him when I felt so awkward just hearing his name?

"Tristan is aware, too," Rina added. "I shared all of this with him at breakfast and he immediately saw the best solution–your involvement. Either can help, if you need it."

Tristan and Owen both were familiar with my breakdowns when the "voices" in my head became too much. They both knew how to distract me, how to give my mind something to "tune into" while blocking out everyone else–they'd helped me survive the long airplane flights, where there was no escape if the thoughts bombarded me. Surely Tristan could get me through this meeting. And Owen, too, if I could bring myself to let him.

"Okay," I finally said, throwing my hands in the air with defeat. "I'll do my best. But I make no promises."