Strange New World Chapter 10

8/7/2019 Strange New World Chapter 10

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STRANGE NEW WORLD V5TERA CASHEN

Chapter 10

The next morning, the house was freezing. I hurried into the living room to adjust

the thermostat, then began making coffee. The headache Id had most of yesterday was

returning. It started behind my eyes, and pretty soon spread to my whole head. In only a

moment, I was gripping the counter for life, my head pounding, the lights too bright for

my eyes.

The coffee was still percolating and it still wasnt warm enough yet, but I decided

to start taking a shower. Perhaps that would ease my headache a bit.

I shielded my eyes from the bathroom light as I waited for the water to become

scalding hot. I took off my clothes and jumped in. My skin burned a little from the

water, but after standing in the shower for a moment, my headache eased a little. I

began washing myself.

When I finished cleaning my skin and I had shampooed my hair, I turned the

water down a little. The bathroom was completely fogged, and the heat clung to my skin.

Absolute bliss in the middle of winter. I began applying conditioner to my hair.

My hand stuttered and went limp. My arm fell down and the conditioner slid off,

aided by the water. I stood there limply, wondering what the hell was wrong, when my

brain exploded.

Oh my god, oh my god, what do I do, what do I do, come on somebody

please help me, oh my god, scream louder they wont be able to hear you,

ROSE ROOOSE! Come on, wake up! Come on Lizzy, wake up please please

wake up dont die on me Im not good at this, cant deal with this, oh my

god, shes bleeding, fuck fuck FUCK ROSE WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? ALEX,


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SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!! Come on, dont do this to me, dont die too, I

dont want you to die, please dont leave us, please please please

EMMA, WHATS WRONG? Oh my god... oh my god, no, okay think, what

do we do, we need towels, and bandaids, and help, oh heres Alex, good

Oh jesus fucking Christ, what the hell happened

Whats wrong with her? Oh Liz, you always get the worst dont you

--stop sobbing Emma, get a grip, she s not going to die, she s still

breathing, so stupid

--its all my fault, its all my

--need to call Edward, hell know what to do, maybe though we should

get her to a hospital, thats probably best

--she should go to the hospital, dont know why Rose isnt so adamant

about that, shes bleeding all over the floor

--come on Edward come on pick up the phone please please please oh

there we go

--I really wish Emma would stop freaking out, she s such a flake, for

god s sakes

--apply pressure here and here, okay thats good, I wonder if there are

any spells in those grimoires for healing, hmmm, interesting, if this happens

to be the norm, maybe we should check that out

--oh thank god, thank god, youre coming, dont really care what the

house looks like or what we look like just as long as you comeoh wow,

Monas really expert at that, wow, I wonder where she learned that from


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--you re kinda porky, hmm, freshman 15 maybe? Guess I m gonna

have to watch my weight if I ever go to college so easy to gain it

--shouldnt we cover her up since there is a man coming? We have

blankets around here somewhere, and we need to cover her up in case shes

in shock

--mm, okay blankets, what blankets, shes all bloody and these are

Grandmas, god I dont want to be here I wish I hadnt been the one to find

her, these blankets are all so nice, oh god

I opened my eyes and found myself cradled in Alexs lap. The bathroom was still

hot and I was surrounded by all my sisters. I looked up at them

--oh thank god! Shes alive, shes awake, oh Lizzy youre going to be

fine

--shes awake

--great now I m all wet for no reason

Emma was crying. Alex was frowning down at me. Mona was watching me

intently and Rose was close to crying. The doorbell rang, then the person knocked loudly

--oh! Thank god, Edwards here, oh Im crying, should wipe my face

with a Kleenex

I watched Rose leave the room. She came back with Edward in tow, whoseexpression was just as distraught as Roses. Emma and Mona got out of the way to let

them in


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--I really hope he can fix her, if he can hell be my hero forever and for

always, I dont care if hes a werewolf, frankly

--that s cool, I mean why would anybody hate werewolves? Absolutely

nuts if you ask me

Edward knelt in front of me and said something to me, but I couldnt hear him. I

couldnt hear anything amidst the cacophony of voices inside my head. I shook my head.

Edward leaned back and look up at Rose.

--pad of paper, got it, good idea

--is she deaf now? Seriously?

Rose handed Edward a pad of paper and he scribbled something then held the

pad out to me so I could see what he had written. What is wrong?

I considered writing it down, but I decided to try my voice instead. I cant hear

what youre saying, but I think I can hear what everybodys thinking.

Everybody stared at me. Edwards eyes widened. I couldnt tell if that meant they

had heard me until

--she s hearing my thoughts, jesus, she can hear me right now, hey

Lizzy can you hear me?

--oh no, she can hear all our thoughts, well I suppose thats good, this

must be her ability

--Lizzy, can you hear me? Oh that is so cool! I wish I had that--great now my thoughts arent safe anymore, they arent private, I

wonder what it would take for her to block all of our thoughts out


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Edward picked me up. The world swayed. My sisters moved out of the way even

though they didnt know what he was doing. I didnt either but Id never been picked up

by a guy like this, especially a very muscular guy with broad shoulders and a hard chest.

I admit, I enjoyed it all I could.

Edward laid me down on the couch. He looked up and said something. I looked

around too

--well fine then, we ll just be downstairs, sulking our asses off

--oh okay, umm

--I wonder what hes going to do

--I dont think there is anything in these grimoires to help us but then

again I didnt look very thoroughly the last few days, or maybe I just skipped

over it, hmmm

Rose came into the living room with the grimoires and laid them on the table in

front of Edward, he was kneeling on the floor between the couch and the table. He

flipped through them, and Rose watched him, wondering if he even knew what he was

doing.

He stopped at a page in Grandmas grimoire and pointed out the copy in Dads so

that Rose could read it. As she did so, he turned to me. He seemed to be concentrating.

Then I found out why

--Elizabeth, if you can hear me, nod your head. For answers to yes, nod

once, answers to no, nod twice

Or I could shake my head, I told him. He looked surprised. You know, when

my answers are no.


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--or I guess you could do that, or you could speak if you wanted to, that

way we could talk full out. Just to let you know what I am doing and why, I

believe you are telepathic, Ive met a few before and this their trademark,

being able to hear peoples thoughts, I dropped my shields to talk to you

mentally and since you have been able to answer verbally I am sure that my

guess was correct, you are telepathic, it must be your craft-cast, your ability

in magic. When my mental shields are up, or anybody elses for that matter,

you shouldnt be able to hear my thoughts, etc, so well need to get you

started on learning your own mental shields to block peoples thoughts from

your head so that you can think and hear them talking, it is something you

learn over time and since you have just gotten your craft-cast, it is not going

to be easy. Are you ready for that?

I nodded. Should my sisters learn how to put up mental shields as well? Rose

looked up at that.

Edward nodded. Yes, that would be wise, so that you can learn to master

your own shields in peace. It will be easier for them, and youll need a lot of

concentration in order to focus on those shields which you wont be able to

get if you keep hearing your sisters thoughtsso perhaps its best that they

learn right now

He turned to Rose and said something. She nodded.

Great, and where is that? Oh okay right here, so we go downstairs and

learn this by ourselves? With no help from you or anybody? I dont think well

be able to do it but we can always try


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She smiled at me. She took Dads grimoire with her and went downstairs. Edward

watched her go then looked at me.

So, your sisters will be downstairs, learning mental shielding

techniques. Can you still hear them?

I could, but faintly, like I had water in my ears, or like the radios volume had

been turned down. I told him this and he nodded.

Well, its better than what it must have been like before

I nodded. Then he frowned.

--oh wow, shesperhaps you should put on some clothes, so that youcan be more comfortable. Are you okay with getting up and going to your

bedroom?

I frowned at him. He was being very careful to not look down at my body. I

looked down myself and nearly gasped. I had rolled over to see him better and now most

of my body was showing. I was sure I was blushing when I started to get up. Edward got

up too, mostly to keep his hands out in case I fell over.

I did feel weaker than before. It was like all my energy was gone and I would have

given anything to fall back to sleep, even if I had to sleep on the couch, or on the floor.

My head ached, but this time not from a headache. That headache seemed to be all gone.

I touched the spot and felt bandages taped over my hairline. I must have banged my

head on the tub.

I considered that, and wished I hadnt. I couldnt remember anything from the

time my brain seemed to implode on me until I woke up, except for all those thoughts of

my sisters. Emma must have heard me fall and pulled me out. I really was lucky to be

alive.


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Are you okay?

I looked behind and saw Edward standing a couple steps behind me, watching me

warily. I clutched my blanket tighter around myself and nodded. Im fine, I told him.

Then I went to my bedroom and closed the door tightly. Edwards thoughts disappeared

completely, as if he had put his mental shields back up. I could still hear my sisters

thoughts, but they were still hollow and low.

I was still alive, and that was good. I dropped the blanket, one of the old ones of

Grandmas. It hadnt been very attractive before Id bled on it, so that was good. I looked

down my naked body and saw that I had a couple of bruises forming. They were tender

to the touch. Once again, I was alive, so I wasnt complaining about them.

I grabbed loose fitting clothes because it seemed appropriate for the day I was

having. I looked at my head in the mirror, which was a good thing, because I had blood

drying alongside my cheeks and neck.

I went into the bathroom. Someone had turned the shower off. There was blood

and water all over the floor. Some of my blood had gotten into the bath mat. I wondered

if wed be able to clean that out or if wed have to burn it and get a new one. My clothes

from the night were still heaped on the floor, but theyd only gotten water in them, as far

as I could tell.

I cleared the mirror to see my reflection, since the bathroom was still foggy from

my shower. Then I jumped when I saw Edward in the mirror. He was leaning against the

doorjamb. He smirked.

Sorry. Didnt mean to scare you. I pointed to the wound on my head. The

smirk disappeared. Yeah, well have to get that cleaned up and looked at. Ive

already called a doctor and hell be on his way, but for now we need to worry


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about your shielding abilities. I dont know if he knows how to shield, so it

would be best if

I nodded. I know, I know. I just want to clean my face. He nodded. I went to

work, scrubbing the blood off and trying not to hit the bandages. When I was satisfied, I

dried off, and Edward led the way back to the living room.

He had moved the coffee table away. In the space, hed put down a bunch of

pillows. He motioned for me to sit and I took the pillows that were leaning up against

the couch. He sat across from me.

...

With Edwards instructions in mind, I jumped in the van and prayed it would

turn on. It did, but the noise coming from the engine made me think it turned on

unwillingly. I didnt really blame it. It was freezing cold, and the van was old. I was

frankly surprised at how long the van had lasted without need of major repairs.

I made it safely up to Industrial Parkway, with only one moment where I

panicked as the motor sounded like it was going to stall. Then I got to the intersection,

and my side got the advanced arrow. I started forward and the van protested even

louder than before. It screamed as I made the turn onto Industrial. Edward had said

that James garage was only a short way up. I hoped, and willed, that I would make it

there without stalling.

James garage was a small building set a little bit from the road. I made the left

turn into the parking lot and thought I was really lucky after all. Until the motor died. I

was safely off the road, but I was right in the middle of the entrance of the lot. The

sidewalk curved downward towards the road, and if I shifted the van into neutral, I

would slide back.


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Fuck! I said earnestly. I shifted into park and got out. The back bumper of the

van was too close to the roadway, and the back tires were stuck in slush on the

downward slope of the entrance. I cursed again and kicked the tires.

I started towards the garage. As I rounded my van, a man came out of nowhere,

with a professional smile on his face. His bright blonde hair stuck up in spikes and he

was only wearing a light sweater, despite the freezing cold. He was cleaning his hands

with a towel, and I could hear his thoughts loud and clear.

Poor bitch, stuck right in the entrance, too funny, I suppose I should help her push the car

out, hopefully she knows what this place is because I dont want to advertise my extreme

strength and agility, maybe shed like to go out for a date, she seems the right age, I wonder what

she is, she doesnt smell very human

On the cusp of that thought, I said, Im a witch. He looked surprised, and his

thoughts went haywire, but not in the direction Id thought they would go. I pegged him

as a shifter, and if James was any indication, shifters really didnt like witches. But the

man in front of me was more surprised at how I had figured out he was something

unusual. Right from his brain, I picked up that witches didnt have shifters sense of

smell, unless I was a witch-shifter, which he doubted.

The man nodded, and gave me another professional smile. When he spoke, his

voice was accented with a southern American drawl. Lets get your van into the lot,

shall we? Why dont you hop in the van and shift into neutral? I can push the van in.

I nodded. I didnt doubt it. The man walked around to the back as I hopped back

into the front seat. When I was sure he was back there, I shifted into neutral and he

began pushing. The van drifted up the slope and into the parking lot easily. He hollered


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something about finding a spot near the entrance of the garage and I steered towards

the front door where there was a parking space.

I happened to glance at the building, and noticed that James had come out. He

too was wearing a light sweater, but his clung nice and tightly to his lean body. He didnt

have the large, broad frame that Edward had, but he was well-muscled if his biceps and

chest were any indication. Yum.

I stepped on the brake just before the van hit the garage wall and shifted back

into park. I took a moment to take a deep breath, then pulled out my keys and got out of

the van and started towards James.

Thanks, I said to the other man, the one who was broadcasting loudly about

how pretty I was and how shitty my car was. He grinned and went back into the garage,

towel slung over his shoulder.

James just stood there outside the door of his garage, watching me. He looked

wary. Edward had said that he would be like that, because I was a witch, but that James

was the best mechanic around. He loved cars, any make, any model. Edward had

seemed sure that James could fix the van.

I suppose I should have been wary too. I was approaching a man who didnt like

me. But I had spent three days cooped up inside the house with hardly anyone around

and I had been going stir-crazy. I needed to talk to people, even if one of them happened

to be loud and clear with his thoughts. James wasnt. His thoughts were locked tight

behind that mental barrier Edward had. I wasnt sure if I liked that or not.

Hello, James said. He held out his hand awkwardly. I shook it. We didnt get a

chance to introduce ourselves properly before. Im James Larkin. Youre Elizabeth

Barstowe?


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I nodded. Liz, I told him. Did Edward tell you I was coming over?

Yeah, he just called, James said. I couldnt tell whether he was happy or not.

So, what seems to be the problem that youve been having?

We talked about the van for a few minutes. He looked under the hood, knelt

down to check the under-carriage, and all of that stuff that mechanics do.

Alright, he said when he was finished looking at the vehicle. Uh, Edward has

asked me to fix it for you right away. You can stay in the office while we work on it. The

office has heating. Or you can go home and come to pick it up later. Do you have

someone to pick you up?

I shook my head. No, everybodys working, I replied. I have bus money, but,

uh... is it okay if I stay here? I dont want to get in your way, but Im going crazy sitting

at home.

James nodded slowly. Yes, Ive heard that you have gotten your craft-cast. He

looked at me and I couldnt tell his expression. I can understand that would be very

hard on you. But I would prefer it if you didnt listen to my employees thoughts. I can

shield my mind, but as you may have noticed, not everyone does it automatically. And if

you listen to my customers thoughts, keep your mouth shut. I dont want them driven

away.

It seemed put rudely, but it was fair. Agreed. Thank you.

He paused, as if thinking, but then he nodded and led the way into the garage

office. I gave him the keys and took one of the old leather chairs sitting against the wall

to one side. There was no one else in the office. It was still early yet. I had been antsy to

leave the house.


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James went back outside. He and the other man, whose name I learned was

Colin, got the van to drift backwards and then into one of the garage bays. The wall

between the office and the main part of the garage was half-window, so I could watch as

they got the van into the bay. James started working on it and Colin went back to what

he was doing previously. I examined the office, then got out a book and started reading.

With James thoughts silent, Colins thought provided the only soundtrack to my

reading. James must not have warned Colin about my ability, because Colins mind was

yammering away as he worked. The further away from me he was, the lower his

thoughts were.

Then I heard a car drive up. I looked up to see that James had peered out from

behind my van. He frowned. As the new customer parked the car, I could already hear

her thoughts, but faintly. They got louder as she came to the office door and entered.

She was a tall woman, middle-aged perhaps, with long straight blonde hair that

had spent a lot of time inside a beauty salon. Her face was tanned, despite the winter,

and her winter clothes were immaculate, even if they probably werent as warm as they

looked. She barely glanced at me before making her way to the counter to ring the bell.

James shut the hood of the van. He seemed irritated. I didnt blame him.

Goddamn shifters, every where I look theres more of them, why cant they just dig a

hole and stuff themselves in it, everything would be a lot quieter and bills would be passed

through government more easily, but no weve got these morons yapping for this right and for

that right, why do I have to come here, I should just pay the extra hundred bucks for a crappier

job on my Merc, would be a lot easier than having to deal with these animals


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She plastered on a sweet smile as James entered from the garage bay. As the door

opened, a lot of noise filtered into the office, then he closed the door again. It was

amazing how much sound the windowed-wall kept out.

Hello, Elaine, James greeted politely. What can I do for you?

Elaine outlined her new problem, all the while thinking about how much shed

rather not be there. Apparently, she loved her car like a baby, even over her real babies,

two teenage kids that she considered little more than brats or a waste of space. Her

thoughts, not mine. I was glad I didnt live in that family.

I guessed that Elaine was also a witch. From the renewed wariness in James, I

was sure she was a witch. My first anti-shifter witch, right before me. I hoped she didnt

figure out who I was.

I didnt have to worry. She thought about who I was for a millisecond before

returning to her thoughts on the dry-cleaning bill and her new maid. Then Colin came

into the office, a wide smile on his face, which she returned, surprisingly.

Hello, Elaine, Colin said, youre looking very beautiful today.

If shed been a cat, she would have purred. Well, thank you very much, Colin.

Got another problem with the Merc? Colin asked. He nodded at James and

James slipped away back into the garage.

Elaine outlined the problem again, and I went back to pretending to read. I had

noticed James glance at me curiously as he left, so I had to make sure that my craft-cast

wasnt too obvious. Plus, the scene unfolding in front of me was a little sickening. Colin

had a huge thing for Elaine, which she returned, only so far as it got her free sex outside

of her marriage.


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Colin followed Elaine out of the garage to her car. Both their thoughts dimmed. I

looked up at the closed door thoughtfully. There was something about the structure of

buildings that made peoples thoughts quieter. I wondered why.

The door to the garage suddenly popped open and I jumped. James slipped back

in. He seemed tense. I gave him a small smile, thinking that he might have needed

something in the office, and went back to my book.

What are you reading? James asked.

I looked up at him. He was standing by the counter awkwardly. I held the book

cover up so that he could see.

Charlaine Harris, he said. He frowned. Isnt that the one about the girl with

telepathy?

I nodded. Sookie Stackhouse.

Figures you would read that. It is fiction thought

I know. I liked the series before, but Im reading it over again just in case theres

something in here that might help me. I mean, you never know.

He nodded. He leaned his hip against the counter. Could you hear that

customers thoughts? I nodded. Anything of interest?

Pertaining to the garage? He nodded again. Well... she likes the fact that you

charge a hundred dollars less for a much better job than the other place she could go to.

Anything about shifters?

I nodded sadly. Yeah. Um, she really doesnt like shifters. I dont think though

that I should repeat what she thought. Shes very self-centred, it seems, and her

thoughts are no-holds-barred rude.


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James took a deep breath. He was frowning at the door leading outside. After a

moment, he shook his head. He muttered something under his breath and left the

garage. I waited, then went back to reading.

But now I couldnt concentrate on reading. I wondered if I should tell James that

his employee, Colin, was sleeping with a witch customer who was just using him for sex.

I didnt want to tattle, and I didnt know how Jamesd react, and how he would take it

out on Colin. And I didnt know Colin enough to decide whether tattling about his affair

with a married witch was the right move.

I wished James would drop his mental shield. I wanted to find out what sort of

man he was on the inside, but not once while he was working on my van did he drop his

shield.

Elaine moved her car into an empty bay and Colin went right to work on it,

ignoring the other car he had been servicing. I could tell James was a little annoyed

about that, but Edward had told him to work on my van too, so he couldnt really throw

stones.

The Mercedes-Benz was done quite fast. Elaine came back to the office with

Colin, simpering up to him, while thinking about when shed be able to sleep with him.

Her brain kept flashing images of Colin naked and writhing on top or underneath her. I

expelled my breath, my brows raised, and tried to look as if I was reading a sex scene in

the book. I wished I had worked harder on creating my own mental shield.

Elaine left. Finally. Even though she was gone, Colins brain was whizzing with

energy. His thoughts were too speedy and excited for me to really pick up exactly what

he was thinking, but I got the gist. He was just as ready to sleep with her, at the soonest


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possible time. He went back into the garage, grinning from ear to ear, and went back to

the car hed been working on previously.

James glanced up at me again, then back at his employee. Then back at me. I gave

him neutral eyes and went back to my book, determined to ignore Colins brain.

A few more customers came and went. No more witches, just a few humans and

another shifter. I watched both Colin and James roll out the professional courtesy and

the hearty welcomes for their customers. Both knew their customers quite well, and they

were downright welcoming to them, even to a little old lady who drove a Buick.

Lunchtime came fast, and the van wasnt finished yet. Colin came into the office

and approached me.

Youre Liz, right? he asked. I nodded and he smiled. Im going to do a lunch

run, probably to the Tim Hortons just up the road. Did you want anything?

Sure. I started getting out my money, but he put a hand out.

Dont worry, Ill pay for it. Then he added with a chuckle, Nothing extravagant

though.

I gave him my order and thanked him. He brightened and grabbed a light vest to

wear to give the appearance that he was normal like the humans and did mind the cold,

when he actually didnt. The practice annoyed him, but James insisted on it. From that I

deduced that shifters blood must be a lot warmer than humans or witches. They didnt

mind the cold as much. I felt envious. I hated the cold weather, especially when I had to

take the bus to school.

I read in almost complete silence. The sounds from the garage were quite

muffled, and Colin wasnt around anymore to provide his thoughts for sound. Every


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once in awhile, when someone walked by on the road, I could pick up a bit of their

thoughts. But James and I were the only people in the shop.

I sighed. I put my book down and got up. The door to the garage was stronger

than I imagined and I had to put more force into opening it up.

James looked up from the back of the car where he was working. A machine was

working in the bay Colin had been working in, and it was quite loud. I went over to

where James was and ignored the squirmy feeling that his look produced from me.

Umm, I began, I know I probably dont have any right to tell you this, and it

feels a lot like tattling, but I figure since you... dont really like witches and you work

with him, you should know... James straightened, watching me. I looked him straight

in the eye and didnt back down. Colins been having an affair with that witch, Elaine.

A few heartbeats as we stared at each other, then James nodded. I suspected.

He went back to work. Every once in awhile, I pick up Elaines scent in our house.

You guys live together? I asked, surprised.

Colin and I, and Edward, share a house on Kennedy, he told me. We each

share room and board expenses. Its why hes been able to pay for that spazzy Jag of

his. He shook his head, mostly at himself I think. I didnt want to get involved in it.

Witches like her get very mean if they dont get what they want. But Colins naive.

Yeah, I get the sense he doesnt think of her as a witch, more as of a fuck-

buddy, but I didnt say it, woman whos great in the sack. But her... she doesnt care

about him, not at all.

James considered me. And that bothers you?


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I did a double-take. I hadnt realized it bothered me that much. But I nodded.

Yeah, it does. Colin seems like a nice guy, and shes probably gonna hang him out to dry

with no warning. I thought you should know.

James stood up and leaned against the van. Thank you. He wiped his hands and

went around the front of the van to lean under the hood. I followed him slowly, watching

what he was doing. He stiffened, but didnt look at me. I sighed and went back into the

quiet of the office.

I got through another chapter of my novel when the door between the garage and

the office opened. James came in, wiping his hands again. He was frowning. I looked

back down at my book and concentrated on reading.

I heard, rather than saw, James sit down behind the main desk. For awhile, the

silence was excruciating. In the past three days, I had gotten used to knowing every

single little detail about what my sisters were thinking. They hadnt been able to perfect

their mental shields just yet and I had gotten new insights into who they were.

But sitting in the office with a man whose mind was protected by a brick wall who

didnt like witches... it made me a little nervous. I hadnt been able to tell if he had been

genuinely grateful about what Id heard between Colin and Elaine. Plus, he had told me

not to listen to his employees thoughts, and I had certainly made a large trespass in

them.

After a moment, I looked up to find him staring at me. His stare was intense. I

stared back at him. We sat there for a minute or so, just staring at each other. I frowned,

but didnt back down. His eyes were bright blue, and they were piercing. If eyes were

weapons, Id have been dead.


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The door opened and I jumped. I hadnt even heard Colins thoughts at all. But as

I looked away from James to see Colin come through the door with take-out bags from

Timmys, his thoughts bore down on me like a freight train out of nowhere. After all the

silence, the loudness of Colins thoughts made my head hurt.

Colin was saying something, but I couldnt even hear it over his thoughts.

--ooh, look at these two, I think James is starting to like her, well maybe not hes got such

a look on his face, haha, poor thing shell never know what hit her, make sure Ive got all my

bags, didnt leave any in the car, no, good, like I said no ranch dressing, they didnt have any

left, fucking busy in that Timmys, all those damn high school kids, so loud, just like Elaines

kids, I couldve sworn Id seen Elaines girl there, didnt even say hi to me, she must see me five

times a week

Tears gathered in my eyes from the pain, but I blinked them away. I forced my

head up and looked at James again. His gaze had softened, but he was no less intense.

He probably hadnt even looked away from me since Colin came in.

I forced myself to meet his gaze. His eyes widened just a bit. I stared into them

and soon Colins thoughts dimmed until they seemed like a radio turned low. The pain

in my head eased. I could hear what Colin was saying now and I looked up at him.

Colin was looking between us, wary. Er, is there something wrong?

I shook my head and smiled a little. No, nothing really. I just got a bit of a

headache. Its gone now.

Colin nodded, thoughtful. Well, okay. Thats good then. Heres your hot

chocolate and your food.

I thanked him and opened up my take-out bag. He and James chatted a bit before

Colin sat down in one of the customer chairs with his own lunch. The three of us ate in


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silence. I glanced at James occasionally but he wasnt looking at me anymore. Colins

thoughts were still on low.

I wondered if concentrating so hard on James eyes had helped me gain a bit of a

shield for my mind. Edward was supposed to come over tonight to help me practice my

mental shield again. Id ask him about it.

When he finished eating, James got up and silently went back into the garage.

Colin and I glanced at each other as we finished our food.

Colin asked, Are you new?

New at what? I asked him, even though I knew perfectly well what he was

referring to, since I could hear his thoughts.

New at being a witch, he expanded. I nodded. Huh.

Why do you ask? I watched him carefully. He was thinking about it, turning the

answer over in his head. I heard all sorts of different explanations he was curious about,

but I wanted to hear which one hed choose to say to me.

Well, a friend of mine, Edward, he mentioned that you were new, cause youre

one of the Barstowes, right? I nodded. He wants us to protect you. That must suck,

needing a bunch of shifters to protect you.

I shrugged. I didnt know you guys were supposed to protect us.

Well, we wont be watching over your every move, thats for sure. His head

filled with images and he suddenly grinned. Although, that would be fun, standing by

your window at night, watching you undress.

I balled up my napkin and threw it at him. It bounced off his shoulder and landed

lamely on the ground at his feet. Pervert! But I was laughing with him too.


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You dont have to worry, he added, chuckling, well probably be too busy each

night to spy in at your windows. I guess he was thinking that if we ever met you, wed

have to make sure you didnt do anything stupid.

As if wed do anything stupid, I said, frowning. Then I considered the twins and

had to nod my acquiescence.

He looked me over. What are you, craft-casters, the ones with extra abilities? Or

just regular witches?

Craft-casters.

Yeah? Whats your ability?

I looked at him. He looked curious, but not in a defiant way. I believe I am

telepathic.

Colin grinned. Really? Ha, that is so cool! So you can hear my thoughts, anything

I think?

I snuck a look at him, smiling. Pretty much.

He kept laughing, and kept thinking about how awesome that was. Frankly, I was

a little surprised. Do you have to open your mind to it, or does it just come?

It just comes, I replied. Unfortunately, I dont need to do anything at all to

listen to peoples thoughts. The only problem with that is that sometimes I cant hear

people are saying because their thoughts are too loud. I mean, Ive got four sisters, so

their thoughts combined pretty much drown out anything they say.

He sobered a little, though his lips were still quirked. Yeah, Id bet. You have to

practice shielding, right? I nodded. I guess you can tell that I dont know how to do

that shielding. James has tried to teach me so many times, but I just cant do it. For


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shifters, its harder I guess. Both James and Edward have had centuries to practice their

shielding.

My jaw dropped. Centuries? Seriously? I realized I still had food in my mouth

and quickly shut it.

Colin smiled mischievously. It made him look a lot younger than he was. Yeah,

both James and Edward were made shifters. James was bitten by another shifter, and I

believe James himself bit Edward. Made shifters live a long time if theyre smart. I was

born a shifter. Im not quite 50, but I wont be dying anytime soon.

I looked him over. I had thought he was in his mid-twenties. He didnt look fifty.

The oldest he looked was thirty perhaps. He enjoyed that. Do you know how old

Edward and James are?

James is very old, Colin told me. Hes one of the few old shifters still around,

probably because hes a smart guy, he didnt allow himself to get killed like some of the

others would. He might be 700, maybe, I dont really know. But Edwards a lot younger,

maybe 200? Something like that. Youll notice the made shifters dont like drawing

attention to the fact that they are so old. Makes witches a little... shifty, you know what I

mean? He grinned.

I nodded. I think I can understand that. Edward told me a bit about what it was

like, shifters being slaves to witches. Did you have to go through that?

Colin shook his head. I was born recently. I didnt have to live through that. But

any old shifter will tell the younger ones about how bad it was, to warn us I guess. He

looked down and shook his head. He was very careful to keep Elaine out of his thoughts,

but at least he knew he was doing something that not everyone would sympathize with.


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I decided to change the subject. What else is there in this world? What other

beings? He grinned again. Vampires? His grin got wider. Really, theres such a thing

as vampires?

Of course there is. You think pop culture was founded on lies? Active

imaginations? Nuh-uh. Vampires exist. So do a whole host of other beings. Dont call

them things cause that tends to piss them off. Pretty much every supernatural story is

based on something real. Humans may have twisted the facts to make the story scarier,

or less scarier, but story is based in truth. So vampires exist, fae exist, demons, angels,

necromancers, clairvoyants... anything that seems supernatural, is part of the

hinterland. Have you seen that huge fae apartment building yet?

Where?

Its right on Yonge St in the heart of Aurora. I shook my head, eyes wide. Well,

if you havent seen it yet, the veil probably hasnt sensed you yet. Their apartment

building is hidden under the same veil or cloak or whatever that the hinterland district

is, and that the government offices are. You go into the entrance, and the veil recognizes

the supernatural in you, and lifts up so that you can see the world we have built for

ourselves.

So where is it? Is it on top of another building or something?

No, its just down from the church. Its a narrow lot that had a building on it

years ago, and the wild has pretty much claimed it, at least on the normal surface. But

under the veil, whew. The buildings huge. Its probably a good idea that normals cant

see it because it is pretty eccentric.

I think I just live down the street from there. Wow. Ill have to check that out.


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Just then James knocked on the window above Colins head. Colin twisted

around and James gestured. Colin sighed. Id love to stay and chat, but I have to go

back to work, apparently.

He grinned at me as he went into the garage. I started cleaning up my lap and got

up to look for a garbage can. When I sat back down and pulled my book back onto my

lap, I snuck a look at James. He was further into the garage, looking through a tool

chest. He didnt look at all like a 700-year-old werewolf. Hell, I wasnt even sure he was

a werewolf at all. He could have turned into a sparrow for all I knew.

But to be alive for 700 years and to be a slave to some witch for most of that

time... Colin was right. James was a smart man. Probably practical. Or wary. He had

good reason to not like me, or other witches, and for once I didnt mind that.

James turned around and I went back to reading. Id gotten a few pages in when I

started thinking about the fae building just up from where I lived. That intrigued me.

How many times had I walked past that spot when I was younger? I had never seen

anything but the wild, claiming that lot, with a few spaces where grass had been pushed

down by teenagers looking for a place to hang out. And yet there was a whole building

underneath this veil, filled with supernatural beings.

My curiosity was piqued. I wanted to check it out. But Id have to wait until the

van was ready. Unless I left now and came back later for the van...

I wrestled with the need for action and common sense for twenty minutes. James

came in while I was thinking and it took me a minute to look up at him.

Unfortunately, there are parts in your engine that need to be replaced, James

told me. I need to special order those parts, so it may take some time. You can leave

your key here and Ill call you when you can pick up the van.


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Alright, thanks, I told him, smiling. Perhaps I smiled too brightly, because he

frowned at me. He handed me my set of keys minus the vans key and I started gathering

up my stuff.

When he spoke next, his voice was low. When Colin came back, what did you

do?

I paused and looked at him. Um, Iwell, Colins thoughts were just so loud that

I couldnt hear anything else. So, I used your staring contest to help me concentrate and

make his thoughts lower.

I was just looking at you. You were the one who turned it into a staring contest.

I bit back my anger, and said, Seriously? Youre laying the blame for it all on

me? He didnt say anything. Look, I dont really know what I did. But staring at you I

guess helped me build some semblance of a mental shield to keep Colin out. Im gonna

ask Edward about it... unless you know how it happened.

I looked at him. After a moment, he said, Sure, ask Edward. Just dont use me

like that again.

He went back into the garage. I raised my brows and got my coat on. I was out the

door with my stuff before I even considered what I was going to be doing.

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Strange New World Chapter 10