“How are you doing that?” I slam to a stop and Corinne runs into my back.
“Jeez. Walk much?”
I swing around, scowling down at her.
“Well... Iwastouching you. Seems to be a new superpower I’ve obtained.”
“W-what? She can seriously read minds?” Nina’s teeth chatter, whether from the drafty basement or fear, I’m unsure.
“So far, I seem to be the only one plagued by thisgift.”
My eyes narrow in on the petite beauty. I will be steering clearof Little Miss Mind Reader’s touch if that’s the case. The last thing I need is her flipping through my thoughts and taking whatever she deems useful for whatever wicked plans she has. Her motives in helping me are still unclear, and that has me on edge as much as this dungeon of doom.
“Can we go now?” she grinds through her teeth.
My hand swings out, gesturing for her to take the lead. She brushes past me, not even trying to avoid bumping into my shoulder.
We only take about ten steps before she stops at a closed wooden door, rapping three times before someone on the other side says, “It’s open.”
The room is shrouded in darkness, save for a single candle in the middle of a round table. The only thing that’s missing is the crystal ball, and they would’ve nailed the stereotype perfectly. On the opposite side sits a woman who is undoubtedly Corinne’s mother.
The woman watches me keenly, her stare so intense that I have to avert my eyes. My knees wobble a bit, and my hands won’t stop moving.
“Mother, this is—”
“Quiet,” she hisses. “I must concentrate.”
Corinne’s eyes close and her hands ball into fists. Nina grabs my arm again, squeezing even tighter this time.
“Take a seat,” she says after several tense minutes.
I jump to it, choosing the farthest seat possible and pushing Nina into the chair next to me. Corinne chooses to stand. My eyes widen in aget your ass over hereexpression, but she doesn’t get the hint. Or ignores it. Likely the latter.
“So... you’re the one with powers, huh?”
She has a slight accent, and I struggle to place it. Her long brown hair falls over both shoulders, and she wears a thick headband inbold shades of pink, orange, and teal. Her black ribbed turtleneck somehow looks chic on her.
She clears her throat.
“Oh... um... I don’t know if I’d call it a power. More like a curse.”
Nina makes a choking sound, but I ignore it, my focus on the strange woman across the table.
“Hmm,” she says, inspecting me and clearly finding me lacking. “You don’t understand how special it is for the universe to bestow an ability to tap into these gifts so easily. Most work their entire lives to master the art of communicating with the dead, only to never experience the fruits of their life’s work.” She purses her lips and glances at Corinne for a beat before turning back to me. “You’re ungrateful.”
Corinne snorts and I snap my glare toward her. She shrugs at me.
The woman flicks her hand in the air. “Go. Do not waste my time.”
My head swings back and forth between mother and daughter, while Nina jumps to her feet.
“We’ll be going now.”
My hand darts out, stopping Nina from moving another foot. “Sit,” I demand. She exhales loudly but places her butt back in the chair.
Anger rises to the surface and I’m not sure why. I should be more than happy to escape this place, but there’s a niggling in my belly that tells me I need this woman.
“Mother, give her a moment. This is all new to her. She wasn’t part of this world when her powers were unlocked.”
