Black Orchid (5 page)

“I
don’t like it,” Selene insisted, as she got up and brushed dirt off her hands.
“I can’t guarantee your protection away from the castle.”

“You
can’t guarantee anyone’s protection, let alone mine, with me
here
,”
Adelaide pointed out.

At
this, everyone started talking at the same time, each debating their own
points.

“If
she stays, she could lose her mind completely.”

Adelaide
just barely controlled her reaction to the sound of Griffin’s grim thoughts
inside her own head. Ellie had been practicing telepathy with her so that she’d
be able to control it better, rather than catching random thoughts. She hadn’t
improved too much, though.

Concentrating
the way Ellie had taught her, she sent him her own message.
“You’re not far
off.”

Griffin’s
ears twitched her way. Then he looked over and gave her a little wolfy half-
smile.
“Good job!”

His
form was another thing that Adelaide decided to just not think about too deeply.
He’d allowed himself to be changed into a wolf metamorph by Karin, a Svatura who
had the power to force that ability on others. He’d risked his life to become a
wolf shifter for Selene.

The
Vyusher were first and foremost a wolf pack. Because of their unique hive-like
mind, they wouldn’t accept a non-wolf as her King. But now he couldn’t shift
out of it. Adelaide felt sorry for him more than anything. He’d sacrificed a
great deal to be with his
te’sorthene
. And now he seemed… well, stuck.

Adelaide
tipped her head at his praise.
“You sound surprised.”

Griffin
sat and curled his tail around his feet.
“The first time telepathy kicked in
for you, you could hear every voice in a loud room. It really freaked you out.
So it’s good to see you have better control this time around.”

“It’s
probably because she once knew how to use it and never quite lost it,”
Ellie joined in.

“You
mean my mind may not remember, but my body does?”
Adelaide asked.

“Something
like that.”

“You
should let her go,” Ellie said aloud. Griffin added his agreement, making sure
everyone in the room heard him.

Selene
eyed the siblings. “I just don’t think it’s worth the risk. Everything we’ve
done for Adelaide to this point has seemed only to make things worse.”

Adelaide
frowned as she took in the guilty-looking faces around her. Confused, she moved
to sit back down on the couch. Other than the mental blocks, what else had been
done to her? And why? She trusted her family, but they were holding so much
back. Too much.

“I
can’t, in good conscience, place her in even more danger. What if Maddox goes
after her?” Selene continued.

“We
can take turns watching over her,” Alex said, speaking for the first time.

She
didn’t remember him from before, but his easy way with her now meant that
they’d fallen into a comfortable relationship already.

Adelaide
sent him a small, grateful smile for the support but also shook her head. “I
don’t want anyone watching over me for the same reason I want to be alone. I
don’t think I could handle it if I inadvertently hurt someone. And, honestly, I
doubt I’d be the one needing protection. I’m so on the verge of morphing, an
attack would most likely bring it on in full. Anyone trying to hurt me would
regret it.”

Selene
shook her head and sat down at a nearby desk. For a long moment, she looked at
her clasped hands.

Adelaide
rose. “Please,” she pleaded quietly. She laid a shaking hand on Selene’s
shoulder.

“I
don’t belong here. Not anymore.”

*****

Adelaide
sat in the window seat that’d become her preferred spot in her new home and
looked out over the bright, sunlit landscape.

Selene
had finally caved in about Adelaide’s wish to exile herself, and, now, here she
was in her self-imposed solitude. They’d dropped her somewhere in the middle of
the Australian Outback, which was about as remote as one could get without
going to the polar ends of the Earth. They hadn’t told her where in Australia
exactly, and she hadn’t asked. Hadn’t really cared so long as she was alone.
She’d been here for a few weeks now.

“Hey.”

She
looked over her shoulder at the soft call. Charlotte stood in the doorway. She
was supposed to be a friend. But to Adelaide, Charlotte was just the teleporter
who checked in and brought her provisions periodically. Nothing more.

“Have
you seen anything to be worried about out there?” Charlotte didn’t come closer
but glanced out the window from where she stood.

Adelaide
shook her head. “No big meanies to come haul me away anywhere in sight.”

Charlotte’s
lips thinned. “Not taking our enemies seriously would be a huge mistake. Don’t
make me ask your parents and Selene to bring you back to the castle.”

Adelaide
sighed and turned back to her view. “I’m not a child. And I’m not helpless.
I’ll be fine.”

Silence
greeted the statement, and Adelaide inwardly cringed. She’d hurt Charlotte’s
feelings.

“Okay,”
Charlotte finally said. “I’m headed out, honey. I put away all the food I
brought.”

Adelaide
looked over her shoulder gave her a small smile. “Thanks. See you later.”

“You
sure you’re okay? You must be lonely out here all by yourself. Maybe a little
company?”

Adelaide
turned back to her view. “I’m fine.”

After
a small moment of silence, Adelaide assumed she’d left. As Adelaide remained in
her seat, she tried hard to pull up a single memory with Charlotte in it. She
tried until her head started to hurt, just as she’d been doing for the last few
weeks.

Impossible
not to.

She
was still grappling with the consequences of her memory loss and what felt like
an alternate reality.

Unable
to do more than give herself a headache, Adelaide gave up. She watched from her
window as the sun dipped below the horizon, lighting up everything she could
see with a red-orange glow. All of the trees became silhouettes of black with
the brilliance of the sky behind them.

When
she’d first come here, Adelaide had looked around at the scorched, red earth
covered by patches of dried brown grass. “It’s perfect,” she’d declared.

Despite
initially feeling as if she was in a desert location with very little
landscape, Adelaide found that her surroundings were growing on her. She’d
discovered that what initially looked like a flat expanse of nowhere was
deceptive. The land actually rolled, and if she got too far away from the
house, she’d lose sight of it.

Her
new home was basic, a small homestead that appeared to have been there a long
time. Adelaide vaguely wondered who’d originally built it way out here. Some
old Aussie settler most likely. Maybe attempting to raise cattle or sheep.

At
least it was well cared for, with white siding and an iron roof. A covered veranda
wrapped around the front and side. It had a bedroom, bathroom, little sitting
room and kitchen. And, thankfully, it had air conditioning. That was a new
invention Adelaide could definitely get used to. They’d tried to explain it to
her, but she’d tuned them out as the trembling had started up.

She
was getting good at that. Shutting down and shutting out the others.

The
heat had seemed oppressive at first, especially after the perpetual winter in
the Ural Mountains of Russia, which had only just been thawing into spring. But
Australia was moving into winter now, so the temperature was cooling off
slightly, although the coldest temperature she’d seen so far was eighty-nine
degrees. She didn’t mind though. The warmth helped to keep the chill away.
Shivers that had seemed to permanently settle in her body while she was in
Russia now only struck her when Charlotte dropped by and reminded her of
everything missing in her life. Not only had she lost her memories, but she
felt as though she’d lost her family too.

Adelaide
pulled her light jacket more closely around her shoulders. She sat in her
window seat and stared out over the stark beauty of the land, recalling the
last few weeks. She didn’t have many other memories worth going over. She kept
thinking that if she just knew the reason for her memory blocks, she could do
something about it.

For
the thousandth time, Adelaide worried over what that horrible thing could
possibly be. They’d refused to tell her. But what on earth could be so terrible
that forgetting close to a century of her life was a better alternative?

At
least since stranding herself here, she’d felt more normal, more like her old
self. She’d done lots of reading and catching up on human history— or at least
tried to. And Selene had sent along some of the written records of Vyusher
history as well. She’d had lots of sleep. That was unusual for Svatura, who didn’t
need as much as normal humans, but she didn’t have much else to do. Mostly, she
sat in her window and watched the shadows shift with the position of the sun in
the sky and thought about her life. And what she was going to do with herself.

But
not tonight.

Adelaide
had been working through a specific idea for days. Ellie had tried to help her
practice some of her powers while she’d been at the castle, and it’d helped a
little… when the dragon didn’t try to take over. Now she thought she might
practice on her own. She couldn’t do much with her ability to see relationships
or with her new telepathy. She needed other people around for those. But she could
practice the falcon morph.

If
I can figure out the falcon and get really good at it, maybe it’ll give me a
better shot at controlling the other morph. At the very least, it’ll give me a
small amount of freedom.

On
that thought, Adelaide stood purposefully and headed outside.

Nate
sat on the dusty ground and leaned his back against the trunk of a tree as he stared
at the house through the brambles and bushes. Then he heaved a sigh and popped
another piece of chocolate into his mouth and tried not to gag. Something was
seriously wrong with this candy. He normally loved M&Ms, but every bite
seemed tasteless and mealy in his mouth. Although, come to think of it, so had
most of his food lately.

Nate
sighed again, fidgeting with the strap on his backpack. He’d always had too
much energy to sit still for long, so hanging around waiting was not his idea
of fun.

Come
on….Where are you?

He’d
spent the last four days keeping an eye on the small house where Adelaide was
supposedly hiding. So far no one had come in or out, but at night the lights came
on. Someone sat in a large picture window for hours, but he’d yet to make a
positive ID.

I
hope Maddox’s sources are right and I’m not just spinning my wheels here,
Nate thought.
He was anxious to get his assignment fully underway. But he couldn’t do that
until their intelligence proved correct.

He
no longer worried about Adelaide using her telepathy to sense him, not after
the first day when she obviously had no clue he was there. Assuming that
was
her in the house. At least the news that she no longer had her abilities might
be correct. Maddox was counting on that fact. That, together with her lack of
memory, was vital to this plan.

A
green M&M followed the red one as Nate continued his surveillance.
I
really need to bring better snacks if this is going to last much longer.

A
good hour later, Nate was about to give up. His shift was almost over and his
replacement would arrive any minute. Suddenly, he caught the flash of lamplight
softly glinting off golden blonde hair as someone passed by a window. Nate’s pulse
jumped. He waited, staring intently until she suddenly reappeared at another
window. But her back was to him now. She stood there for a little while, but he
couldn’t tell what she was doing.

“Come
on, sweetheart, just give me a little glimpse,” he muttered. And then she
walked away. Nate quickly checked all the windows he could see, but after a
good ten minutes, he gave up on seeing her face.

“Dang
it!”  He fought the urge to get up and kick the tree. With his mood he’d
probably misjudge the force and bring the entire thing crashing to the ground.
His frustration was doubled this evening. He’d had the dream again.

Just
a dream, dude. Any tears Adelaide Jenner may have actually shed were all a
show.

Nate
debated his next move. After four days he was considering looking in the
windows at closer range to verify it was she. It would be a risk. But according
to their spies within the Vyusher, Adelaide’s memory had been wiped clean. He’d
have to reveal his presence to her eventually. But first, he needed to know the
person in there was indeed Adelaide.

Yes.
He’d take the risk.

Nate
felt a surge of anticipation and welcomed the feeling of purpose that came with
it. He hopped up and dropped his book into the backpack he’d brought that
contained gear fit for a cross-country trekker. It was part of his cover story in
case he got caught before he was ready to meet her on his terms. He started by
circling the property, slinking from bush to bush. But before he’d moved far,
the sound of the door to the house opening grabbed his full attention. He
watched as the woman came out. But her back was to him as she fiddled with the
handle. He still couldn’t see her face.

Suddenly,
she turned.

Gotcha
!

Nate
felt a rush of satisfaction. Their intel had been correct. Adelaide Jenner was
staying at this cabin. And he’d seen absolutely no sign of anyone else.

Then
he stiffened slightly and held his breath as she moved into the clearing and
walked straight toward him. Had
she
seen
him
? He hadn’t been
annihilated yet, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. He held very still.
As she continued to walk in his direction, Nate very slowly started backing up.

While
he retreated, he looked over the point of his focus and took stock. Although
she barely looked nineteen, he knew her to be closer to a hundred thirty years,
like him.

If
he thought about it impartially, he’d have to admit she was really quite
beautiful even in her plain outfit of jeans and a t-shirt. Nate frowned at his
own thoughts. So unlike him to notice a girl’s outside beauty. He was more of a
personality man. But, of course, saying she was pretty was just an observation.

She
stopped suddenly and looked up to the sky. Nate glanced at his watch. Dave
should be here soon.

Looking
back at Adelaide, he watched as she closed her eyes and just stood there. He
frowned.
What’s she doing?
Then it occurred to him to try to keep his
own inner monologue silent. She was supposed to have telepathy. Maybe she was
listening. She could be playing him for a fool right now.

After
a few minutes, she opened her eyes and sighed. She wrinkled her nose in an
adorable expression of frustration.
Not adorable,
he corrected himself,
fake
. 
Then she jumped into the air only to land with a grunt and stumble a bit. She
jumped a few more times, even flapping her arms like a bird once.

Nate
raised his eyebrows and grinned at her antics.
Is she trying to fly?
She
did have the ability to morph into a falcon. Maybe her lack of memory really
was messing with her powers.

Finally,
after another good fifteen minutes of very puzzling behavior, she stopped.
Shoulders slumped, she slowly made her way back into the cabin.

Nate
moved back to his original position. He didn’t have long to wait before a
shadow fell across his field of vision. “Hey, Dave.”

“Any
sign of her?” asked the tall, greasy-haired kid who didn’t look older than
sixteen. Not one of Nate’s favorite people.

Nate
nodded. “She came out for a while. She’s back inside now, but it’s definitely she.”

“She
as hot as her picture?”

Nate
ignored the question. “Happy watching.”

Dave
grunted by way of reply. Nate grabbed his pack and started to walk away.

“Maddox
wants to see you as soon as you get back,” Dave called after him.

“Got
it.” Nate flashed a thumbs up and headed out. He made his way to the little
creek not far off. He followed it about two miles to where he knew Corin,
Maddox’s talented teleporter, would be waiting. They didn’t want to risk
Adelaide sensing them by teleporting too close to the house. And Nate wasn’t
allowed to know where Maddox’s base was anyway. No one was, other than a few
key people like Corin. So teleporting back and forth was the only option. At
least until he got the plan fully in motion.

“About
time,” Corin griped.

Nate
lifted an eyebrow. “It’s not like I hung out to shoot the breeze with Dave.”

“Maddox
wants to see you.”

“So
I’ve been told.”

“You
don’t keep Maddox waiting.” Corin’s lips thinned, but she didn’t say any more.
She just grabbed his arm and then, instantly and soundlessly, they stood in
command central where Maddox had originally given Nate his orders.

Maddox
was waiting for him there, but he was on the phone.

Is
it just me, or could this grey room use a little more color?
Nate wondered
as he waited for his leader.

Maddox
hung up and laid his phone on the table. “Report.”

“I’ve
positively identified Adelaide Jenner, sir.”

Maddox
nodded. “Excellent. Anything else?

“I
believe the report that she’s lost control or access to her powers may be
accurate.”

Maddox
moved to stand in front of Nate. “Based on what?”

Nate
explained her odd behavior. After a long, tense silence, Maddox gave him a cold
smile. “Even better. Start the next phase.”

“Yes,
sir.”

Nate
left the room. He hadn’t expected more than that. As he walked out the door, he
bumped right into Zara.

“What?”
she snarled.

Nate
gave her a pitying look. Zara was a white wolf metamorph who desperately
followed Maddox around everywhere. She claimed to be his
te’sorthene
,
but Maddox didn’t acknowledge her in any way. It was sad and slightly pathetic.

Nate
shrugged
and
kept walking, his mind on how he was going to handle the next steps of the plan.