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  I nodded, then stood, my legs feeling stronger. “I’m ready. I want to give all the information I can while it’s fresh in my mind. I’m not going to let them win.” I set my jaw, and the detective led me to another room, where I would relive my nightmare in the safety of the police station.

  • • •

  Halfway through giving the statement, they informed me that Marco had been found alive and airlifted to the hospital. Relief overwhelmed me. Our goodbye had not been a goodbye. I wanted to go there and see him, but he would need treatment first, and that was more important. Apparently he had suffered further injuries to his face, and his neck. When I asked how, they told me he had been involved in a struggle. Sean had found him. As they explained what they knew, I had no idea how it was possible that Marco had survived, how he could have fought someone off in his injured state. I probed for more information. After Marco had told the paramedics about Sean’s fall while on the way to hospital, they deduced that Sean had possibly suffered a partial fracture of the neck, and that the struggle with Marco had displaced the bone fragments and broken it completely.

  Sean was alive, but paralyzed.

  He could no longer hurt us. Or anyone else.

  They had yet to confirm details on the other men involved and the hidden money, but the main thing now was that both Marco and I were safe, and Sean would be going nowhere anytime soon, or ever.

  “How are you feeling?” the counselor asked on the way to the hospital.

  Feel? If only she knew.

  “Actually, not too bad,” I said. Which was the truth, but not the whole truth. But after relaying all the facts to the police about the events that had taken place, I didn’t feel like adding an emotional context to what had been the most difficult night of my life. I knew I’d have to deal with it at some point, but not right now. I just needed to recover, and see Marco. I didn’t tell my sisters about Marco’s abilities, because there would be a time for that too, but only once I had his permission. Without his ability, we may not have escaped. I owed him everything.

  At the ER they asked if I wanted a sedative. I refused. I was so tired I could have slept for days, but at the same time, my mind would probably keep reliving the trauma every night before bed for a long time to come. I couldn’t sleep, not yet. They ran tests and checked me over, and I assured them I had not been hurt in any more intimate ways. My mom and sisters came in to see me while I waited for word that Marco had finished undergoing whatever treatment he was having.

  They all sat around my bed.

  “Brings back memories,” said Savannah, a tear in her eye. “Can’t believe it was over a year ago now that you were all gathered around my hospital bed. In this same hospital.” She smiled.

  “Hey,” I said, crossing my arms. “This is my moment for all the sympathy, thank you very much.”

  “It’s also a reminder of when we first got our powers,” said Serena. “Our first vision, all together in a circle around the bed.”

  I remembered it like it was yesterday. The sand under my feet. The sensation of the beach volleyball against my thumb. How little we knew back then of what would unfold.

  “I have goose bumps,” said Mom with a shiver. “Oh, you girls have been through so much.” She rubbed my hand and slid her arm around Serena, who was seated next to her. “I wish I could say I’d given you a normal upbringing, but, well, that would have been totally boring now wouldn’t it?”

  I grinned.

  “Super boring,” said Savannah.

  “Boring to the extreme,” said Sasha.

  “Boring in all capital letters,” said Serena.

  Tamara chuckled. “Boring as Sasha’s cooking attempts.” She stepped backward, a pre-emptive defense against Sasha whacking her with her hand.

  “Do you think they’ll be able to link Sean and Dave Bolt to Dad’s death?” I asked Mom.

  “We just have to let them do their job,” she said. “There’s more evidence now. Let’s wait and see how they put it all together and see what happens.”

  At least I knew part of it. At least I knew Dad had tried to turn them in to the cops, but that they had blackmailed him or threatened him or something in order to make him keep quiet about their criminal activities. I just didn’t know how he’d died, or what his last words were, or where his body was. It almost didn’t matter now, the details, the hows and whys. I’d met Sean; I knew what he was like. I knew that he was just part of a greater web of criminals trying to protect their own asses from others higher up. But finding Dad, that mattered. Laying him to rest. Laying our frustrating journey through uncertainty to rest.

  I rubbed my hands, which were sore from being grazed by branches and rocks and twigs. “Hey, did you girls get enhanced sensory perception early on in the night?”

  “Oh yeah,” said Savannah. “It was not long after we realized you were late getting home.”

  “Man that was tough,” said Serena. “My ears would not stop ringing.”

  “It’s not something I wish to experience ever again,” I said. “But how did you handle it? How did you cope?” I didn’t tell them that Marco had diffused my sensory overload by putting my hands on his heart and, unbeknownst to me at the time, taking some of the energy into himself.

  “This,” said Tamara, reaching into her pocket.

  “My meditation stone!” I gratefully took it into my hands like a long lost friend, caressing the smooth surface with my fingers.

  “It was Serena’s idea,” said Tamara. “We used that in place of you and connected, holding it in our hands as though you were with us in the circle.”

  Wow. “And it worked?”

  She nodded. “Not completely, but it gave us a few sensory glimpses. Savannah saw the parking lot near the art class and told the cops to look in the dumpster. They found your phones and bag.”

  “I could hear leaves and branches thrashing about, as though it was windy or someone was running through the woods,” Serena said. “Not that it was much help, but now it makes sense.”

  “We even got out Mom’s tarot cards and brought them with us to the station,” Sasha said. “While we were waiting for news, Mom helped us do a spread, and it basically came down to trusting that everything would be okay. She made us meditate together and visualize a positive outcome.”

  I smiled.

  “Never underestimate the power of positive intent.” Mom gave a nod.

  And never underestimate the power and strength of the will to survive, I thought.

  A nurse came in. “Someone is desperate to see you,” she said.

  I sat up straight. “Marco.” I shuffled over on the bed and stood, Mom taking my elbow to make sure I wasn’t about to faint.

  The nurse led me down a corridor and around a corner. As we slowed, a man and a woman exited a room. The nurse stopped to meet them. “Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez, this is Talia.”

  My heart pounded a little. “Oh. Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez, I’m so glad, I mean I’m so… it’s so...” I drew a breath as Marco’s mother grasped my hand. “I’m so sorry.” My chin trembled. “I feel so bad that Marco got caught up in all of this.” I sniffed, clamped my lips tight to avoid tears.

  “Do not worry, my dear,” she said, patting my hand. “My Marco is a tough nut. And he tells me you helped him survive.”

  “He helped me survive.”

  “Team effort,” said Mr. Rodriguez, shaking my hand. “He wants to see you.”

  “And, he’s going to be okay?” I asked, not sure if I would walk in to find his leg had been amputated, or that he’d suffered more damage than I thought.

  “Crutches for a few weeks, some further treatment, and physical therapy,” his mother said. “He’ll make the most of it and get all the sympathy he can. Just warning you.” She touched her finger to the side of her nose. I could tell where Marco had gotten his lighthearted, positive attitude.

  They opened the door for me, and I tentatively peeked in, then stepped through. A nurse smiled, fiddled with somethin
g, then left me alone with him.

  “Did you do something different with your hair?” Marco asked.

  A smile burst onto my lips. “Oh yeah, it’s my ‘just been for a run in the jungle’ look. Are you going to have scar?” I asked, eyeing the bandage around his thigh.

  “Probably,” he said.

  “Good,” I replied.

  “Good?”

  I leaned in closer to him and whispered, “Scars are sexy.”

  “If I’d known you thought that, I would have gotten all messed up sooner.” He raised his hands, then winced and touched his shoulder.

  “You okay?”

  “Slight dislocation,” he said. “They popped it back in pretty quick.”

  I narrowed my eyes.

  “Got him in a headlock. Somehow.”

  My eyebrows rose. “And that’s how he, um…”

  “Yep.” He nodded. “Didn’t realize my own power,” he said with a sarcastic tone. “Until the paramedics sent my sense of accomplishment plummeting by explaining he’d probably had a partial fracture already, and that it just took something extra to tip it over the edge.”

  I exhaled and sat on the edge of his bed. “I can’t believe we did it. We got away.”

  “I can,” he said. “I had a superhero for company.” He winked.

  “Oh stop.” I was going to nudge him, but didn’t want to hurt him. “Seriously,” I said. “Thank you, Marco. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there. I’m just sorry you had to be there.”

  “I feel the same.” He gently moved his hand closer to mine and hooked his little finger with mine. “So, ah…” He cleared his throat. “I have a promise to fulfill. I was wondering… would you be interested in maybe, um, potentially, um, going on a sort of, um…”

  “Yes.” I leaned over and kissed him right on the lips.

  He laughed. “I haven’t even asked you properly yet!”

  “I knew what you meant,” I replied.

  “Those psychic powers, eh? A poor guy can’t give a girl a surprise these days.”

  “What sort of date would you like to go on?” I asked.

  “Something indoors, I’m thinking. With people around. And security guards. Surveillance cameras. You know, just to make sure the basics are covered.”

  “So you don’t want to go hiking, I take it?”

  “Um, no.” He gestured to his leg. “And this is only one of the reasons.”

  “Yeah, I’m all for crowds and security backup now too. So what if we can’t handle all the sensory input? Two psychics surrounded by a large number of people? We’ll be fine!” I waved a dismissive hand.

  “I’ll settle for a visit to an art gallery,” he said. “Sound good?”

  I grinned a wide grin. “That sounds like my ideal date.”

  “Well it’ll have to wait till I’m off crutches—or you can help me around, your choice.”

  “ASAP,” I said. “I’m not wasting another moment of my life.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.” He curled his finger at me, and I leaned in and touched his lips with a gentle kiss.

  “You better get some rest. And I should too,” I said, standing.

  His eyes went distant, and his hands gripped the side of the bed.

  “Are you okay? Should I get a nurse?” I glanced behind me.

  “No, I remembered something,” he said. “When they took me out of the forest to a clearing so I could get airlifted to the hospital, I kept feeling a pull in a certain direction. When I was in the air I felt it too, and at the same moment the image of that burnt-out car flashed through my mind again. And I kept seeing your surname, but with the middle part in capitals—DelCARta.”

  My heart raced, each beat increasing in tempo as though it were a piece of music leading to a crescendo.

  “I could be wrong, but I have a strong feeling your dad is buried somewhere in the woods not far from where we were taken hostage.” Marco looked directly into my eyes, and the fatigue that had taken residence in them before dissipated. “Find that car, and you’ll find him. I’m sure of it.”

  Chapter 23

  When I returned to my bed, my family was waiting. “I want to be discharged now.”

  “Are you sure you’re alright?” Mom asked. “Stay for a while to get some rest and observation. Not to mention some counseling, darling.” She patted my back.

  “That can wait. First, I need to know—the people who fly the police helicopters, can they, like, use some sort of metal detector thing to search for something like a car hidden in a forest?”

  “Well, I think there might be a tool they use for that sort of stuff, but why?” Mom asked.

  “We need to go looking. Somewhere near where I was held. We need to find a burnt car.”

  “Like that one you sculpted?” asked Savannah. “The one I saw?”

  I nodded. “Exactly. And like the one Marco saw.”

  Oops, that slipped out.

  “What do you mean, he saw one?” Mom asked. “If he’s seen it, then doesn’t he know where it is?”

  “No.” I took a deep breath. “I haven’t actually asked his permission, but I think he’d be okay with it, considering the circumstances.”

  “Permission for what?”

  “I’m getting to that, Savvy.” I brushed my hair back from my face. “Marco, he’s like us.” They were silent as they processed what I said. “But with him it’s all senses at once. He’s a full-on psychic.”

  “No way!” Sasha gasped. “And you have proof?”

  “For sure. His ability led to Sean’s associate finding the money Dad hid from them years ago at Luna’s grave. And it helped us know what to do to escape, and where to go once I got to the road. He said he felt where the car might be as he was being taken to hospital. And that if we found it, we could find Dad.”

  Mom sucked in breaths as though desperate for oxygen.

  “So do we just tell the police this? About our gifts, about Marco’s, and ask for their help, or do we…” As I was speaking, my hands tingled and a warm rush spread through my skin.

  Serena tugged her ear, and Sasha wrinkled her nose. I didn’t need to look at my other sisters to know they were feeling it too. I knew deep inside that we had to do what we could on our own first, with our abilities, before asking the authorities for help. And they were still working on tying up the details of my kidnapping and escape.

  “Mom?” I said, tugging on the curtain around my bed.

  “If a nurse comes in, I’ll tell them you’re having some alone time with your sisters after all you’ve been through.” She winked.

  I pulled the curtain closed around us and held out my hands. We connected, and I was overwhelmed with gratitude that I was with my sisters again, doing what we did best. Jolt, bubbles, the usual, and then the sensations. Once we’d let go of each others’ hands, Serena quickly jotted down the clues on her phone.

  Then, after Mom arranged for my discharge, we went out to the waiting room to meet Mr. Jenkins and my sisters’ boyfriends.

  “Talia,” Mr. Jenkins said. “Are you okay?”

  I nodded. “We need your help. All of you.” I looked each of them in the eye.

  I handed Mr. Jenkins a piece of paper with some directions on it that Savannah had seen and asked him to take the boys in his car with him while Mom drove me and my sisters. I glanced outside at the still-dark morning. “Is there anywhere we can pick up a shovel at this hour?”

  • • •

  We arrived at a clearing just past a dirt track that had fed through from a larger road. Mr. Jenkins had made a call and stopped off at a friend’s house in the city to pick up the supplies we needed. As morbid as it was, I hoped we would need them.

  We all got out of our respective cars and began walking through the forest. “So we just keep walking until you feel we’re at the right spot?” asked Riley, his arm around Savannah.

  “Pretty much. The clues we got will reappear when we need them. We just have to
trust in our ability.”

  “And are you sure you’re okay to walk, Talia?” asked Leo. “I’m sure a couple of us can carry you if you need us to.”

  I waved away the suggestion. “Thanks, but I have renewed energy. I can do this.” I would probably need two days of sleep after all this, but for now, I could keep going. Had to. I couldn’t wait a moment longer.

  Mom hooked her arm in mine, and we walked on together.

  I felt a pull to the right. Savannah squinted to the right as a subtle glimmer of morning sun started filtering through the trees. “This way,” she said.

  There was still enough of a track to drive on even though it had become overgrown, but in our vision we had seen ourselves stop the cars at the clearing, so that was what we’d done.

  We walked farther, a team of explorers, moving forward toward the discovery we yearned for. The dirt track curved around a hill of rocks, then went downhill and around. We followed it, and what I saw at the bottom of the hill took my breath away.

  I lost all my strength. Mom supported my body weight and asked Leo to help her.

  “I’m okay, I’ll be okay,” I said, breathing deeply. Seeing the car, just like the one I had sculpted, was the weirdest feeling. Savannah had the gift of sight, but today I too could see something I had seen before, though in a different way.

  “Oh my God,” said Jordan, experiencing his first piece of evidence that our gift was real.

  “Do you think he…” Savannah didn’t have to complete the sentence for me to know what she meant. But it just didn’t feel like Dad had been burned in that car. I had felt the heat, but like I was watching it, and Savannah had said that after seeing flames she had experienced a sort of blackout, as though something had covered her.

  I stepped over pebbles and rocks and sticks, inching closer to the car.

  “Be careful, sweetie,” said Mom.

  Mr. Jenkins followed me.

  I needed to get close to it. My hands were outstretched like they had minds of their own, desperate to touch the burnt and rusting metal. I approached the car, my body tingling all over, little pinpricks of sharpness shivering across my skin. I placed my hands on the trunk of the car, and it was like electricity shot through me. I flinched. And then the overwhelming emotions came.