Deviant (Blendling Trilogy #1)

Chapter Fourteen

The weekend after we got back from Orange County, Jacqueline and her daughters moved to Sacramento. Mum was so pissed she stormed the house to demand that they go back and Jacqueline calmly replied that she wanted to keep her circle close. Mum was furious, especially when she discovered that the twins would be resuming school with us. Her relocation, however, didn't go down well with our resident wizard; he promptly notified the council. They in turn sent Hermen to scout the environment. We had to be very careful, especially Cam who started losing control again, mostly around Sherry. And although my core had settled and I felt healthier, my urges were difficult to handle. I became violent if I went three days without a feeding, either of blood, emotions or intercourse. I learnt control after a while; I had to when I accidentally made a woman obsessed with me and mum threatened to call the cops if she didn't stay away, I was a minor. I discovered that the only way to make people obsessed with me, apart from them ingesting my body fluids, was if I fed more than one way from them; like drinking and feeding from the same person's emotions at the same time. Life seemed normal after then but I was dissatisfied.

As days passed and school resumed, I grew more discontent. It felt like a part of me was missing. Cameron, the twins and I had formed a clique of friends; mostly because Cam and Sherry started dating and Belle was used to being around her twin. I could tell Belle was jealous of my exploits, even though she claimed not to be my soul mate. Sitting in the cafeteria, flanked by my friends, I couldn't help but imagine what would happen if I broke the charm. I missed my other abilities, especially the telekinesis and empathy; even though I could still sense other's emotions, now I sought them out mainly as feeding. Mum says I've become cold but I don't think so.

"Earth to Ace" Sherry said, snapping her fingers in front of my face and I was startled.
"Sorry" I say, focusing.
"Cameron just asked if you'd like to hangout at ours after school today" she asked.
"I have plans" I say and quickly adjusted when I saw Belle's face "But I'll swing by before heading home."
"Where are you going" Cam prodded.
"I'm studying with a friend" I say with a frown and Cam's phone rings
"Hey ma" he whispered. I could hear the panic in Gerry's voice
"Are you okay" she asked. "Is Ace there?"  Without waiting for reply, she continued "Bass is on the way to bring you home, something happened."
"Bring the girls" my mum said from the background.

We looked at each other in confusion. I'd heard the conversation with my super hearing but the girls hadn't so Cam told them. I could see them trying not to panic as we left the cafeteria.
"What do you think is going on?" Belle asked
"Is my mum okay?" Sherry asked
"I'm sure they are fine." Cam replied. I kept quiet and wished that I still had my full powers. Losing my insight felt like losing my sight.

***
The girls rode with Bass, I drove their car and Cameron drove his home. The house was locked and all the drapes were drawn when our convoy entered the garage. Mum let us in and behind her, Gerry held a derringer pointed at us. She lowered it when we entered and I was more surprised by the familiarity with which she held the gun than the fact that she was holding one. Bass pried it from her fingers and hugged her. Mum hugged the girls and they simultaneously stiffen in surprise.
"What's going on?" I finally asked, irritated by the emotions I was picking up.

Instead of answering, Bass leads the way into the parlour and takes a seat. When everyone was sitting, he ran a hand through his dark hair and sighed, lowering his head into his hands. Mum was still holding the girls and I found this odd, considering her dislike for their mother.
"What happened, you said something happened over the phone" Cam asks
"Larry Sanchez took Jacqueline" mum said without preamble.
"Who's he?" Belle asked as Sherry screamed "What!"
"He's Sacramento's wizard, the one that called the Council" mum said. "Nasty man"
"She came by the flower shop to buy some black roses and he was there. They destroyed the place with their spells" Gerry continued.
"He threatened to kill you girls if she didn't surrender in peace" Mum said. "Apparently,he has a daughter in your school" Gerry said.
"Simone" I supplied and they all look at me. "I realized what she was last week"
"When your tongue was down her throat?" Belle asked bitterly. I ignore her.
"What do we do?" Sherry cried "We have to get her back"
"We will" Bass finally spoke.
"How? We don't know where he took her" Mum said. I was surprised she felt the need to save Jacqueline.

Bass got up to pace. Ever since I locked my abilities, it had fallen on Bass to solve all our problems and he tried, even though it was obvious that he'd rather be cruising the world with Gerry.
"The council abolished most of its rules in 2000 and became more like the police force, punishing offenders. No one knows why, just that there was a prophesy. So Larry doesn't have the rights to hold another witch for entering his territory. What confuses me is that the council hasn't intervened yet
"If I felt the amount of magic used to destroy the flower shop, a member of the Council must have felt it too. Why haven't they acted? Something is not right"
"This doesn't really help" I said. The twins were holding each other and crying softly in my mother's arms. The emotional backlash from their shared pain was intoxicating and I couldn't help it but feed, feeling guilty that I was exploiting their pain.
"We have to get her ourselves then, Council or not" Cameron said.

I tuned them out as they traded ideas and basked in the aftermath of a good feeding. My head swam like I'd drunk good wine and I sighed in my head. It seemed to me that each time the family gathered it was to trade bad news. I couldn't remember the last time we just sat together to laugh and be merry. Even Valentine's day was spent in a somber mood. Sometimes, I wondered if it was my fault things were going wrong in the family; maybe I was cursed.