Word and Breath (9 page)

“So, can you read people’s minds?”

Riana sat with a blanket and a mug of herbal tea on the couch in Tava’s trendy apartment. She wore a pair of Tava’s knit pajamas—slightly long and slightly snug around the hips and chest—and her face was scrubbed clean.

She wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or wanted to start scouring the streets for her sister. At the moment, she was too tired to do either. She was too wound up to sleep, though, which was why she’d asked the random question of Tava.

Tava was a gorgeous black woman—with intelligent eyes, a sleek figure, and a stylish bob. She wasn’t what Riana would have expected from a Soul-Breather.

She wasn’t sure
what
she’d expected.

Tava was curled up in the overstuffed chair across from the couch, and she smiled pleasantly at Riana. “No. Not in the way you’re thinking. We can sense residual feelings in a room—particularly when those feelings are strong. But, unless I personally know the people involved, I can’t distinguish the source of the feelings. And I can’t get any particular information from someone unless I can actually touch them.”

“You can suck out someone’s soul?” Riana asked. “That’s what the stories always say.”

“At the worst extreme, we can empty someone of their spirit, yes—leaving just the body left,” Tava explained. She appeared matter-of-fact about such a possibility, and somehow that was comforting to Riana. “But spirits are resilient. Unless we take it all or take something too violently, the spirit will recover. So we can do lesser extents—different Breathers have different abilities to access subtle variations of the touch. For instance, I can touch someone and feel exactly what they’re feeling. Or I can often retrieve a particular memory or piece of information if it’s actively on their mind.”

Riana winced. “That sounds terrible. No wonder the Union has so many Breathers on the payroll.”

“The skill can be abused, of course.” Tava was still smiling. She was a friendly woman and a smart one. “But it’s not as simple as it sounds. Even the strongest Breather can’t take a thought or memory from someone against that person’s will without damaging them. If a person is not defending himself against us, we can sometimes get information they don’t intend to share. But it’s more like a lucky accident. We can’t sense anything they’re trying not to let us sense. We take what someone wants to give us. We can’t rape someone’s mind by force—if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“I was,” Riana admitted. She squirmed and gave Tava a rueful look. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Most people only know myths about Breathers, so I’m used to misunderstandings. I should have clarified that we can’t take information by force without killing the subject or damaging them permanently.”

Riana gulped. “Right.”

“How’s your tea?” Tava asked, twitching her eyebrows teasingly.

Unable to resist a smile, Riana replied, “It’s good. I’ve never had Tangerine tea before.”

They sat in silence for a moment, and the reality of the situation caught up with Riana again. She cleared her aching throat. “So you don’t think Jannie was killed?”

It was the third or fourth time she’d asked that of Tava, but the woman didn’t look annoyed or impatient. “I don’t. There wasn’t any feel of physical violence in your apartment. Just shock and fear and…” Tava drew her brows together. “…and purpose.”

Riana assumed the purpose was from whomever had come to kidnap Jannie.

Poor Jannie. She wondered what her sister was feeling right now. Where she was. Whether she was comfortable.

She didn’t have her medicine or any of her equipment except her wheelchair.

There were so many ways Jannie could be hurt.

“There are really good people in the Front,” Tava said. “We’ll get her back for you.”

They were comforting words, even if they were impossible to prove. “Thanks.”

“So,” Tava continued, clearly trying to change the subject. “Are you and Jenson an item?”

“What?”

“You and Jenson,” Tava persisted, leaning forward with a teasing smile. “I noticed a certain intensity there, so I was wondering…”

“Intensity is right. But it’s not what you’re thinking. In fact, at the moment, I’d like to wring his neck.”

“Well, sometimes that’s the sign of underlying interest.”

Shaking her head, Riana pulled the covers up over her shoulders. Unconsciously, she thought about Mikel. “There’s not. I think Jenson is smart and attractive—and I might like him more than I realized. But there’s nothing deeper there.”

Tava’s lips tilted up in a private smile. “Good.”

Riana sucked in a breath. “Wait a minute. Are you saying that you…”

Her smile broadening, Tava gave a warm chuckle. “Well, there might be an interest there.”

Riana smiled back, feeling a sudden sense of kinship with the other woman—no matter how different they were in background and nature.

“So is there someone else? Who you
are
interested in? Maybe the unspecified male who called you early and whose call you left the room to take?”

Riana reddened slightly. Mikel had called when she and Jenson had gone back to the loft to meet Tava. He’d asked around about whether anyone had seen anything suspicious. He hadn’t gotten any information, he said, but he’d keep looking into it.

Just hearing his voice had been comforting. He’d sounded concerned about her and asked whether she had a safe place to stay. Riana had to force herself not to tell him where she was or who was helping her.

Irrationally, she wanted to tell him everything, but it wasn’t her secret to share. Despite her growing attachment to him and her sense of knowing him deeply, he’d still been a stranger just a week ago.

She might act silly when she was around him, but she wasn’t fool enough to take that risk.

“I guess that blush is a yes.” Tava didn’t pursue the matter. “One day, you’ll have to tell me about him.”

One day, maybe Riana would.

Just considering the possibility of sharing something so private with someone other than Jannie was completely new to Riana. It felt strange, but not bad or as scary as she would have thought.

“Now if only I could get some sleep,” she said, her voice hoarse from fatigue and emotion.

“I can help you with that if you want.” At Riana’s questioning look, Tava explained, “Despite the common assumptions, my gifts can be used in positive ways. I can help clear your mind of some of your anxiety. It won’t take it away but it will help you sleep.”

Riana felt a little nervous but Tava looked hopeful. And she really did need to get some rest, if she was going to be any good to Jannie. Swallowing over her dry mouth, she said, “All right. I guess we can try it. What exactly will you do?”

“Just touch you. Open a light connection. You’ll feel exactly what I’m doing. If you don’t like it, resist it and I’ll have to stop. If you don’t resist, it will help you sleep.”

Tava got up and walked over to the couch, where she’d made up a temporary bed for Riana.

Riana scooted down until her head was on the pillow, and she tried to adjust herself comfortably. “All right,” she said, staring up at Tava, “Just tell me what to do.”

She was a little nervous but Tava didn’t seem to mind. The woman just reached out and took Riana’s hand.

After a couple a seconds, Riana could feel the connection open up. There was a rush of sensation—as she felt her tumultuous emotions start to drain from her.

She jerked away, startled and uncomfortable.

Tava dropped her hand. “It’s a little odd when you first experience it. But I promise I won’t take anything except the most intense of your momentary worries.” Then, as if she’d just processed something, she wrinkled her forehead and added, “You said you’d never met a Soul-Breather before?”

“No. Never. Why do you ask?”

Tava shook her head. “It’s nothing. It just felt like… It’s nothing. Shall I try again?”

Riana nodded, steeled up her courage, and lifted her hand to Tava again.

This time, the rush of feeling wasn’t as frightening. In fact, despite its intensity, it was almost a relief. She could almost see her anxieties spilling down a drain.

Then, before she could process what was happening, her mind and body had relaxed.

And she fell asleep on the couch.

***

A few hours later, Riana and Tava were drinking coffee in the kitchen when Jenson came over.

Riana had slept better than she’d expected, and she’d woken up rested.

Only to feel the horrible press of reality a few seconds later, as she remembered everything that had happened. That her sister was gone.

For a few minutes, her emotions had gotten the best of her, but she’d pulled herself together before Tava had come into the room and offered her a mug of coffee.

Jenson must have good news. Riana could see it on his face as soon as Tava let him in. She also noticed the special smile Tava gave him and wanted to both laugh and shake Jenson as he appeared completely oblivious of it.

He was fully focused on Riana. He pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and waved it at her.

“We have a possible lead. One of our informants replied to our communications and has some information that might be helpful.”

“What is it?” Riana asked, her throat lurching in hope and expectation. “Do you know where she is?” She reached out to take the piece of paper and peer at it closely.

It was just a typed page with ragged edges—it looked like it had been torn out of an archaic instructional manual.

“The communication just sets up the meeting,” Jenson explained, taking the coffee Tava handed him. “Lunch today at the café in Canning Square.”

“Who’s the informant?” For the first time since she returned from work yesterday, Riana actually felt like maybe the situation wasn’t hopeless. She’d never imagined the Front’s network would be so efficient and wide-ranging.

Jenson leaned against the cabinet, looking cool and casual in the trendy kitchen. “She’s a receptionist for Union Administrative Services. She’s given us good information before. This is good news for us.”

Riana shifted from foot to foot, feeling suddenly self-conscious and slightly uncomfortable. She was still dressed in Tava’s pajama’s—too long and a little snug—and her hair was still in the messy braids from yesterday. But her appearance wasn’t what had bothered her.

She was self-conscious at the way Jenson had said “us” instead of “you.” She wasn’t used to people grouping themselves together with her. Even though these people were helping her, she had a hard time recognizing that the connection was mutual.

“So what time do we meet her?” she asked, putting her mug on the kitchen table and wiping her palms on the cotton pajama pants.

Jenson made a face.

“Oh no.” Riana stepped over and got right in his face. “You’re not going to tell me to stay here. She’s my sister.”

“It would be safer if you stay here,” Tava said softly.

“I don’t care. You can’t expect me to twiddle my thumbs while everyone else does everything for me. I’ll do whatever you say in order to stay safe, but I’m not staying here.” She gave Jenson as fierce a glare as she could muster.

Jenson just chuckled. “I didn’t think you’d be willing to stay put, but it was worth a try. We’ll meet her at noon. I’ll swing by to pick you up at 11:30ish so we can get there early.”

He finished off his coffee and set the mug in the sink. Then he stepped over and gave Tava a casual kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for the coffee.”

Tava’s cheeks reddened, but Riana was pretty sure Jenson hadn’t noticed any sort of reaction.

She followed him to the door of the apartment.

“You’re going to work?” she asked, glancing over his striped tie and tweed jacket.

“Where else?”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I’ve been thinking about it. If the Union suspects me, then they almost certainly suspect you too. I mean, you’re my only connection with the Front.”

Jenson gave her a fond smile. “I’ve already considered that.”

Annoyed by the feeling that he was condescending to her, Riana frowned and stiffened her spine. “I mean it, Jenson. If they kidnapped my sister, who knows what they’ll do to you?”

“That’s the point. We don’t know what they’ll do or what they know. I need to go in or they’ll suspect me for sure. I’ll be careful. I promise.”

“Jenson,” Riana persisted, reaching and touching his arm. “But what if—”

“Enough,” he snapped, momentarily losing his easy insouciance. “You’re just like—”

When he cut himself off, Riana asked, “Just like who?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head hard. “Never mind. We’ve got it covered, Riana. I’m not alone in this. And neither are you.” His expression changed—softened—as he reached out to flip one of her messy braids. “I’ve got to leave. When we go to lunch, get rid of these braids.”

The shift in topic came so quickly Riana just blinked. “What? Why?”