A Conquest Like No Other by Emma Anderson Read Free Book Online Page A

continue to develop
up until adulthood. I think our abilities overload our immature brains, causing
them to shut down,” Charli explained. “By twenty-one, my seizures had stopped
completely. But even before that, as my sense of knowing, seeing and feeling
strengthened, my bouts of seizures decreased accordingly.”
    “What do you mean sense of knowing, seeing and feeling ?”
Nikki asked, having forgotten about what prompted this conversation. She was
completely intrigued by what she was hearing.
    “Psychics could have any number
of abilities. I’m nothing like those circus acts that take your money after
reading your body language. Sometimes I just know things without being able to
explain how I came by that knowledge. Other times I see things, and usually the
feelings accompany what I’m seeing. I don’t know how it works, but the best way
I could explain it is when you mentioned you were heading home, I got a feeling
of dread. That feeling had me exploring the situation further,” Charli said, looking
down at her hands. “I have managed to strengthen my ability over the years,
allowing me to have some form of control over it. Once I got the bad feeling
about you going home, I opened my mind up, pushing it for a vision. A man came
to me, one who I feared. Evil seemed to surround him. I couldn’t make out too
much about him, except he has a scar down the right-hand side of his face. And
he’s pissed at you for some reason.”
    Not once during Charli’s story
had Nikki considered that the woman was lying. She had always kept her mind
open to the possibility that the existence of extrasensory perception was more
than a myth. And after seeing what she’d seen the last couple of months, with
Devil and Judge being living proof that other beings walked the earth, beside
humans, she welcomed the knowledge with open arms.
    Then with the mention of the
scar, further, more unwelcome knowledge was gifted. Nikki immediately knew who
this man was, though it was impossible because he was meant to still be in
jail. While Paul had been waiting in jail to stand trial for what he had done
to her, he pissed the wrong person off and ended up getting a warning at the
pointy end of a prison-sculpted knife. It would also explain the man she had
seen the day before at the hospital reception desk. She had only seen his
profile from the left, effectively cutting her view off of his scar.
    “You know who he is,” Charli
stated, rather than questioned.
    “He’s my ex, but he’s meant to be
in jail still.”
    “He attacked you. That’s why he
was incarcerated,” Charli said after a moment’s silence. Again it was a
statement.
    “Yes.”
    “Then I don’t think I need to
tell you to steer clear of him. Go to that other guy. The one who’s not human.”
    “How do you know that?” Though
she had yet to confirm exactly what Viper was, she had her suspicions. In
truth, she’d been questioning why a vampire, mountain lion shifter, and warlock
would encourage Viper to accompany them while they saved Gabby and herself, if
he were only human. He had brought some skill to that warehouse. Her fuzzy
memory was adamant about that.
    “The same way I know you need to
avoid going home,” Charli replied on a smile. “Why do you think I knew I could
trust you with my secret? You’re not new to people who are different.”
    “Thank you, Charli.” Nikki pulled
out a piece of paper and pen. “This is my number. If you or Emily need
anything, please ring me.”
    Taking the offered paper from the
now standing Nikki, Charli replied, “Thank you. Take care and be safe.”
    “You too,” Nikki said over her
shoulder as she headed toward the only safe place she could think of.
    At the hospital’s front doors,
she caught the attention of one of the security guards. He walked her out to
her car. Once she was safely ensconced in her vehicle, she called upon a person
she hadn’t spoken to in three years.
    “Hello,” came the gruff words
down