The Reckoning by Teyla Branton Read Free Book Online Page A

on the counter.
    Proximity did make a difference in our sensing ability, as did actually touching someone, but my ability had grown so much that neither was usually necessary. All right, but it may be related to her ability.
    We’d taken bets as to what her ability might be. Jace’s guess was pheromone manipulation, where the person emitted pheromones that made them incredibly attractive to others. An obvious guess considering her reputation—if she was the former actress we’d identified her to be—but I hadn’t felt any of that from her so far. And I knew exactly what it felt like to be controlled and manipulated through pheromones. It was a weak ability because most people could resist once they understood what was happening, but often great damage was done before that point.
    “Ava wants me,” I said to the others. As I passed Ritter, his hand lifted slightly, brushing against me. Warmth spread through my limbs to my extremities. I smiled, feeling rather full of pheromones myself.
    Dimitri’s voice broke off as I entered. The woman’s gaze went between me and Ava, obviously noting a family resemblance in our faces as well as our matching gray eyes and blond hair. I was thirty-one, and at three hundred, Ava was physically six years older, but she could easily pass for near my age.
    “My granddaughter,” Ava said.
    Fourth great-granddaughter, to be exact, but I didn’t care to make the distinction. “Hello, Norma Jeane,” I said. Up close, she looked even more like the Internet pictures of the actress, complete with the facial mole on her left cheek. Not a scar that her Unbounded genes would have eliminated, but something programed into her genetic signature.
    The woman laughed. “Oh, wow, yeah. That’s not really my name, you know. I mean, it was for a time.”
    “What is your name then?” I asked, shaking out the soft white robe in my hands.
    “You can call me Jeane. Jeane Baker. I always liked that name.”
    “Well, there’s a shower back there.” I motioned to the door behind her. “We have some clothes ready for you. I’m sure you’ll be glad to get out of that gunk.”
    She laughed again. “I actually kind of like it.” She slid a hand through the curequick, rubbing it up over her arm and down her breasts. “You have to admit, it gives you quite a buzz.”
    I reached for her. “Yes, but that means you’re already at risk of being addicted.”
    She sighed and placed one hand in mine and the other on Dimitri’s broad shoulder. I pushed mentally at her mind as we touched, but still I saw nothing except the sand stream full of thoughts I couldn’t read.
    Nothing, I told Ava as I helped Jeane put on the robe. It’s as if my ability simply won’t work on her.
    Ava gasped so softly I thought I was imagining it. Dimitri’s dark eyes shot toward her, but neither of them spoke as Jeane disappeared inside the bathroom. Then Ava led the way out of the glass room, shutting the soundproof door behind her.
    “She’s a null,” Ava announced, as everyone gathered around us. “Or at least I’m pretty sure of it.”
    Dimitri blinked. “That would explain a lot. Or at least why you two couldn’t see her unconscious thoughts—”
    “Or her conscious ones,” Ava put in.
    “—and why I couldn’t use my ability to help her heal faster.” He sighed. “That’s going to make it tough to learn where she’s really from.”
    “Uh, what’s a null?” Jace asked, echoing my own thoughts.
    Ava turned toward him. “It’s an Unbounded ability that renders other abilities useless.”
    “So she’s using her ability against us?” I asked.
    Ava shook her head. “Abilities won’t work on a null at any time, even if they aren’t purposefully using their ability. If Jeane were exerting effort, anyone within her range couldn’t use their ability.”
    “You mean you and I couldn’t have been communicating?” I found that hard to believe.
    “That’s exactly what I mean.” Ava sat on the edge of