Teri awoke from a light doze and bolted upright. An icy feeling crawled down her back.
The door opened. A woman with raven hair hanging in loose curls past her shoulders stepped in. She fixed dark eyes on Teri and smiled.
Teri felt an alien presence digging in her mind. She slammed a wall down. Get out of my head!
The woman frowned. “Well. That’s not polite.”
Teri couldn’t place her accent. Russian, maybe ... but not quite. She grasped for the answer out of habit, but there was a vague cloud where the woman’s mind should be.
“I should introduce myself. I am Nazimi.”
“Why are you here?” Teri said.
“I’m looking for someone. You may know him.”
“I don’t know anyone. Go away and leave me alone.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Nazimi said.
Teri made another grab for Nazimi's mind, but it was like smoke.
“Oh,” Nazimi said. “You are strong. He said you would be. But so clumsy. This is the first time you’ve ever met a real mentalist isn’t it? I learned our craft at the feet of a god, little girl.”
Teri reached out again. Nothing.
“You have promise,” Nazimi said. “What you did to Amelia … that was inspired.”
“Get away from me!”
“I could teach you more. If He deems you worthy. But that will have to wait. First let’s talk about your friend. Reginald Unglesby."
“I don’t know any Reginald.”
Nazimi laughed. It sounded like wind chimes. “Yes, I think you do. He is nearby, although you are somehow keeping me from finding him. Anu wants him dead, so he must die.”
“I won’t let you touch him,” Teri snarled. She lashed out again and almost touched something. She grunted with frustration.
Nazimi cocked her head. “Much better. You learn quickly. You know, I think you could beat me … eventually.”
“Go back where you came from and tell Julie to leave us alone.”
“Julie. That worm? Please. She thinks you’re dead. They all do.” Nazimi’s face tightened. “Little Teri Darby. You and Ezekiel Daniels have done a good job protecting the changeling, but we know all your tricks now. Clever girl. Hiding him from Anu Himself.”
“Who is Anu?”
“He is your master,” Nazimi said. “Your God. You just don’t know it yet.”
Teri wanted to sound threatening, but her voice was just a whisper. “I’m warning you. You should leave while you still can. You don’t know what I’m capable of.”
“Oh, but I do,” Nazimi said. “I’ve been watching you for a long time. And a friend told me all about you. I know your dirtiest secrets.”
“You don’t know anything about me!”
“You’re wrong about that.” She glanced at the door. “Tip, won’t you join us?”
Teri’s father walked into the room. “Hey, baby girl. Did you miss your daddy?”
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Teri felt herself falling. Dark memories flooded in.
She stood frozen as Tip grabbed her arms and pulled her into his chest. She lashed out at him with her powers, but nothing happened. It was like his mind didn’t exist.
Nazimi laughed. “Not even close that time. Maybe you are not such a fast learner.”
Teri’s hold on her own power slipped away. She shook as Tip hugged her close.
“Don’t cry, baby,” Tip said. “It’ll be just like old times.”
“No no no!” Teri struggled to pull away from him. “Let me go, Tip! Let go!”
He slapped her. “You know better than to call me that. I’m your daddy.”
She went limp. “I’m sorry, Dad.”
“That’s better.” He smiled and rubbed her shoulders. “Now you’re going to do everything Miss Nazimi says, aren’t you, sweetie?”
“Yes sir,” she whispered.
“Good. Now where’s your friend Reginald?”
“I don’t know …”
Smack.
“Don’t lie to me, bitch. You’re in enough trouble already. Where is he?”
“I can’t … please. I don’t know.”
“She’s lying,” Nazimi said. “She’s still hiding him from me. Make her tell me.”
“I ain’t going to tell you again,” Tip said. “You remember what happened the last time you sassed me. Do you need another lesson?”
He shook her. Nazimi’s power battered against her mind.
“I … I …”
“This will go much better for you if …” Nazimi glanced at the door. “Ah! No matter. Your hero returns.”
Something’s wrong. Ruddy couldn’t feel Teri or Xeke, even from right outside the cottage. He slammed through the front door without slowing.
An unshaven, filthy middle-aged man had his arms wrapped around Teri. He was glaring into her face with pig eyes as he smiled through tobacco-stained teeth.
Ruddy’s blood boiled. “Hey! Asshole! Let go of her, now.”
“Settle down, son. I’m her daddy. And you must be Reginald Unglesby.”
Ruddy stopped and blinked. “What? You … you’re Tip?”
Tip grinned. “In the flesh.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ruddy said. “Now get your fucking hands off her.”
Tip’s hand slipped around Teri’s neck. “Or what?”
Ruddy charged. A hammer descended on his mind before he took two steps. Something horrible oozed into his mind. He was a puppet on a string.
A beautiful woman stepped in from the shadows. “There we go. Nice and calm. Now we can talk like adults. Teri’s father is here to rescue his little girl from the bad men who kidnapped her.”
“What …” Ruddy struggled to move. “But …”
Nazimi shook her head. “Stop. You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“That’s ... he’s the … don’t you know what he did to her?”
“You poor, stupid man. You have no idea what you’re capable of, do you? It’s a shame Enki got to you first. He died to protect you, but he was too late. I wish he could have seen his failure.”
“What? Inky? I don’t know any Inky!”
She bored into his mind. “You really don’t know anything, do you? Well. That’s good. Less to clean up this way.”
She stepped up to him and scraped the edge of her fingernail down his throat. He felt a sting as a drop of his blood trickled down his neck. He shivered.
“Oh, yes,” she said. “Your power is quite formidable, but Anu has given me the ability to overcome it.”
“Leave him alone,” Teri whispered. “Please.”
“I don’t think so. I’m going to take his mind apart, bit by bit. When I’m done, he will beg for death.” She took Ruddy by the chin and stared into his eyes. “Let me see, what is your worst fear? Ahhh, yes. There it is. Your friends are going to hate you before you die.”
“Why are you doing this?” Ruddy said.
She laughed. “Because He has willed it. Because you threaten Him. But also because I want to.”
The darkness seeped deeper into his mind. He tried to scream but his voice froze in his throat.
“I think you and Tip will take turns hurting Teri,” Nazimi said. “And then we’ll see where my mood takes us.”
Tip grinned. Tobacco juice oozed down his chin as he stroked Teri’s hair.
Nazimi glanced at Xeke, still unconscious on the couch. “I would hate for Ezekiel to miss the fun.”
Xeke’s eyes shot open. His pupils darted back and forth but he didn’t move.
Ruddy’s legs jerked, and he stepped toward Teri.
“Oh, you are eager!” Nazimi said. “Slow down. Tip is her father. He should go first.”
“Don’t worry, son,” Tip said. He brushed the hair out of Teri’s eyes. “I’ll leave plenty for you.”
Tip slapped Teri across the face. It sounded like a gunshot in Ruddy’s ears.
Ruddy reached through the link and grabbed Teri’s power. He pushed Nazimi’s filth from his mind.
Tip’s eyes widened when Ruddy grabbed his head and twisted. There was a loud crack as Tip’s neck broke.
The body fell limp from Ruddy’s hands. It shimmered and changed as it crumpled to the floor. It wasn’t Tip, it was Dr. Zimmer.
Ruddy stared in horror at the corpse. Teri’s power slipped away from him and Nazimi grabbed the puppet strings again. Her smile was gone.
“Well, Reginald, I’m not sure how you did that, but I can certainly see why the Master wants you dead. No more games. Let’s end this.”
There was no oozing this time, just a force beating him down. He fell to his knees. Blood trickled from his ears.
I’m so sorry, Teri, he thought. I let you down.
“Help me,” Teri whispered.
“There’s no one here to help,” Nazimi said. “You’re all alone.”
Teri’s back straightened and she smiled. “Teri is never alone, bitch.”
Nazimi staggered. Her whole body began to shake.
Teri tilted her head. “Fear. You haven’t felt that in a long time. I don’t think you’re feeling enough of it.”
