45. Brandon

45

brANDON

B randon tensed involuntarily as Jin's hand came to rest on his shoulder. He knew intellectually that she couldn't read his thoughts, could only see what he saw and hear what he heard, but the idea of someone latching onto his consciousness was deeply unsettling.

Across the room, Morelle watched Jin with a frown, her large blue eyes focused on Jin with laser-like intensity. Brandon had no idea if whatever she was attempting was working. Jin's tether was weightless, and there was no visible sign of Morelle's nullifying ability, so there was no way to tell if she was successfully preventing Jin from establishing her ethereal tether.

Something about this whole setup bothered him. Jin and Mey had freely shared details about their abilities during dinner before Morelle had even attempted to nullify them. Either Amanda had forgotten to instruct them to keep their talents secret for testing purposes, or she had something else in mind.

Amanda wasn't the type to forget such details.

The feather-light pressure of Jin's hand lifted, and Brandon fought the urge to step away from her.

"Well?" Amanda asked, tablet poised to record the results. "What's your verdict?"

Jin grinned. "It's like we thought?—"

Amanda's raised hand cut her off. She turned to Morelle instead. "How did you stop her?"

"I concentrated and imagined snipping the tether." Morelle demonstrated the action of cutting with her fingers.

"Where exactly did you place your scissors?" Amanda pressed. "At the source, meaning Jin, or the destination, meaning Brandon?"

"The source. I imagined snipping the tether extending from Jin's mind."

Amanda's satisfied smile suggested this was the answer she'd been expecting. She waved a hand at Jin. "Now, you can explain."

"With pleasure." Jin turned to Morelle. "Before coming here this evening, I tethered Mey, Arwel, and Yamanu. I held on to those three tethers during dinner and checked on them occasionally to make sure that they were still there and that you didn't nullify them unintentionally. Then, when I attempted to tether Brandon, I not only couldn't establish the connection but also lost the other three." She appraised Morelle with her brown, expressive eyes. "You didn't know I was tethering anyone else, right?"

"I didn't." Alarm flashed across Morelle's face. "Did I destroy your ability to do that?"

Jin didn't look worried. "Let's test it." She turned toward Arwel and then frowned, looking worried. "I can't establish a new connection."

"Step outside," Amanda instructed. "Try it out in the backyard away from Morelle. Distance matters with her nullifying power."

"I'm not actively doing it anymore." Morelle sounded stressed. "I don't know how to turn it off."

Brandon wrapped his arm around her waist. "I think it just needs time to fade."

When Jin and Arwel returned a few minutes later, they both looked relieved. "It worked outside," Jin said.

Tension visibly drained from Morelle's shoulders. "Thank the Mother."

"Yes." Amanda smiled at Jin. "Thank the merciful Fates. We don't want to lose a valuable talent like that."

Jin chuckled. "I hope to only use it for entertainment. I really don't want to be a spy."

Arwel took her hand. "We will never ask you to do something that goes against your conscience. You know that."

"Mey?" Amanda turned to the other sister. "You're next."

Mey shifted uncomfortably. "I'd rather not listen to the echoes here. The house is new, so the conversations would be recent. I don't want to intrude on the Clan Mother's privacy."

Brandon tried to think of other places in the village where it would be okay to listen to echoes of past conversations. "I suggest the grand assembly hall," he said. "A lot of spirited and emotionally laden discussions have been carried on there, but none were private. We can try it there."

"That's a good idea," Kian said. "But we should save it for another day. It's getting late, and Allegra needs to go to bed soon."

Brandon heard the relieved breath Morelle had released, but he doubted anyone else had noticed. He should have realized that she was drained.

"We could test with Arwel again," Amanda suggested. "I have a few ideas about different variations we can try."

"We should call it a day," Brandon said. "Morelle is tired."

The stiffening of Morelle's shoulders made him immediately regret speaking for her. He had promised himself to ease up and be less controlling. And he shouldn't have spoken up for her, but he couldn't help his protective instincts.

"I think I'm good for a few more tests," she said with a measured tone, but he could sense the annoyance she was trying to hide. "Unlike Allegra, I'm old enough to realize when it's time for me to go to bed."

Ouch. He was so in the doghouse.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken for you, but your well-being is important to me, and I'm not willing to compromise on that."

"Brandon's right," Amanda conceded before Morelle could argue. "None of this is urgent, and we can take our time exploring the limits of your ability." She smiled. "From our experience in the university, paranormal abilities diminish with repetition, so performing when you are tired will affect the results."

The tension bled from Morelle's shoulders. "You are the expert, Amanda."

Brandon thanked the merciful Fates and Amanda's diplomatic approach. Perhaps he was saved from the proverbial doghouse tonight.

He'd promised to work on his controlling tendencies, but the line between care and control was a fine one.