The Quickening Read online

  “I’m insanely attracted to you. That’s not the issue. I can’t always read your thoughts, and that scares me a little.”

  “Why? I can’t read yours either. It kind of levels the playing field.”

  “You don’t understand,” Tiffany said. “I couldn’t read Mark’s either.”

  “What does that have to do with me?”

  The doorbell rang. “It’s the pizza,” Tiffany said.

  “I’ll get it.” Kat stood and headed for the door.

  “Let me get my wallet.”

  “I said I have it.”

  Tiffany went to the kitchen to get plates and napkins, though she wasn’t hungry anymore. Kat came in and set the box on the table. “That right there is the problem.”

  “What’s a problem? I put the pizza down? Would you rather I put it on the counter?”

  “No.”

  Kat looked very confused. “I have no idea what you want from me right now.”

  The remark made Tiffany sad. “See? I don’t know how to have a normal conversation. Or relationship, for that matter.”

  “We can start there. Tell me why you think that.” Kat sat down and put a slice on Tiffany’s plate then her own.

  “You’re so damn reasonable.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?”

  “No.” Tiffany sighed. “It’s completely foreign to me.” She stared at her plate before taking a bite. “I met Mark when I was sixteen and he was nineteen. He was impossibly pretty and charming. I was different from the other kids, because of—well, you know.”

  “How old were you when your gifts began to show?”

  “I was five or six when I began answering questions before they were asked or would tell a person what they were thinking. I have no idea where the ability came from. My mother didn’t have any that I knew of, and her answer to all of it was to try to beat it out of me.”

  Kat stopped chewing and put her fork down. “That’s horrible.”

  “I don’t want to make this a long, drawn out sob story about how my mother hated me and thought I was possessed by the devil.”

  “But it set your foundation of who you thought yourself to be and what you might be capable of in life.”

  Tiffany thought that what she said was much like something her counselor would have. “So when I met Mark and I realized I couldn’t read him, for some reason, I thought that was a good thing—like it was meant to be. He lavished attention on me, told me how pretty I was, how much he wanted me. It was heady stuff.”

  “Especially for a young girl who wasn’t loved at home.”

  “We dated for a couple of weeks or so before Shade and Sunny finally met him. They pulled me out of the club we were in, and the three of us got in a horrible fight. I was awful to them, Shade especially. It was days before either of them would talk to me again. Shade explained she had been only trying to warn me because she sensed evil around him.”

  “Did you listen?”

  “Yes. It broke my heart, but I broke up with him. When my aunt Darleen paid for my college, I moved back to Seattle.”

  “What was your major?”

  Tiffany smiled. “Medicine. I wanted to be a surgical nurse. Do you really want to know all the details?”

  Kat’s eyes were clear and focused on her. “I want to know everything about you.”

  “I didn’t want to be a doctor. I thought that being a nurse would allow me to use my healing gift in a more subtle way. I found a small room near campus. I loved everything about school. No one knew me, or about my home life. I felt free and brand new, you know? I missed Sunny and Shade terribly, but for once, I felt independent.”

  “Where were they?”

  “They were attending college together in another state. I was in my junior year when I ran into Mark again at a restaurant and he asked me out. I can look back and know that when I stood at that crossroad, I made the biggest mistake of my life.”

  “You’re being awfully hard on yourself. Hindsight is a wonderfully cursed lens to look at your past through.”

  Tiffany didn’t know why the story was flowing so easy from her without any of the usual pain. She thought it might be the compassion Kat was showing and her incredibly insightful remarks. “I can see all the red flags I ignored. Eventually, I dropped out of school. My mother moved here to Seattle and fell in love with him. The two of them ganged up on me until I was convinced I should be grateful for their attention because I was so stupid and flawed. I played right into their hands.”

  “But you’re not. You’re smart and beautiful, and anyone would be lucky to have your attention,” Kat said. “Sorry for interrupting. Go ahead and finish.”

  “Long story short, we were together a year before I married him. Then it got worse.”

  “How long were you married?”

  “Three years. During those years, it was so damn hard to reconcile the man I thought I loved with the monster he became.”

  “Where were your friends through this?”

  “I didn’t want them to see the mess I’d made of my life. Especially since Shade had warned me. They begged me to leave him, but when I did, he just dragged me right back. He threatened them, you see. I couldn’t let them be hurt.”

  Kat leaned forward, her voice barely above a whisper. “How did you get out of it?”

  “One day, after a beating, I came to in a puddle of blood in the kitchen. It wasn’t that the situation was unusual, it had happened before, but this time I was pregnant. I didn’t know that yet officially, but I felt Angel’s little light inside me. I crawled to the phone and called the police. He tried to break me while we were married, and when that didn’t work, he tried to kill me.”

  “What happened?”

  “He received a plea deal for nine years.”

  Kat slapped the table. “That’s all?”

  “I know, right?” Tiffany tried not to think of what she’d do when he got out, but she still had a few years to plan for it. For now, she was done talking about him.

  “Anyway, I moved back here and had Angel. I joined Sunny’s business with Shade and started over. They’re all the family I need.”

  “I’m so sorry that you went through that horrendous situation.”

  “All I’ve done is talk about me. Now you know how damaged I am and that I make crappy decisions.” Tiffany didn’t know how she felt about baring her life like that, but she did feel lighter for doing so. She yawned. She may feel better, but she was tired again.

  Kat kept eye contact with her but remained silent.

  “Say something, please,” Tiffany said.

  “You got out alive. I call that amazing. I think it’s tragic that the woman who was supposed to love you, didn’t, and the man who promised to cherish you, wouldn’t.”

  “I don’t want to have a pity party. I just wanted you to understand where I was coming from.”

  Kat took their plates to the dishwasher and loaded them. Then she came back and drew Tiffany to her feet. “Oh, honey, I don’t want to feel sorry for you. I want to show you what love is. What it should feel like.”

  Tiffany’s emotional response tightened her throat, and she felt tears prickle behind her eyes. No one had ever said anything remotely like that to her before. But there was another hitch under her hope. And that was she still knew virtually nothing about Kat. If they were connected through time, how come she didn’t remember this amazing woman? “We haven’t talked about your dreams.”

  Kat took her hand. “It’s been a very long day for both of us. How about we get you settled in your room first?”

  Tiffany waited until they were halfway down the hall. “Kat?”

  “Yes?”

  She took a deep breath. “Will you stay with me tonight?”

  “Yes.”

  *

  Kat understood now why Tiffany’s circle was so strong. She was infuriated by the abuse she’d learned of, but tried to keep her temper in check for Tiffany’s sake. The fact that she dove right into the
homicide cases showed incredible strength. The way she came up and out of that situation to create this comfortable home for Angel was humbling for Kat.

  She’d had it so easy in comparison.

  As much as Tanna meant to her dreams, Tiffany was well on her way to etching herself over the memories. Kat didn’t want to talk about the past anymore tonight. That was a revelation in itself. She’d been waiting to relive it, but now found herself wanting to move forward. When she came out of the bathroom, Tiffany was sitting on her bed looking down at her hands. Kat’s heart filled with tenderness. She wanted to wrap her up and make the hurt go away. She certainly didn’t want to feel as if she took advantage of Tiffany when she was vulnerable. The telling of her story had to have left her feeling drained.

  Kat walked to other side and took her jeans off, then slid under the comforter in her underwear. “Come here,” she said. Tiffany got in beside her, and Kat wrapped her arm around her, pulling her close and enjoying the feeling of Tiffany’s head resting on her shoulder.

  Tiffany sighed before snuggling next to her. “Aren’t we—”

  “Shh. Close your eyes. Rest now.” Kat kissed her forehead. She stroked her back, and it wasn’t long before Tiffany’s breathing became deeper. She looked down at her face and whispered softly so as not to wake her. “Sweet dreams.”

  Kat thought it would take a long time to fall asleep, but she felt herself begin to drift off and dream of an ancient forest.

  A twig snapped behind her, and Kat turned toward the sound. She caught a flash of red tresses flying before they disappeared behind the tree on the left. She went in that direction, quiet as she could, placing each foot lightly as she stepped. She could hear her breathing now.

  She felt flushed with anticipation, the thrill of the chase exciting her even as the scent of her prey heated her blood. It felt like she had waited for this night for most of her life. The rituals were nearly done, the chase was on, but the spoken vows remained. Tiffany had stayed ahead of her for hours, and the dawn was just a couple of hours away. If she didn’t catch her before then, it meant that Tiffany denied her petition.

  One more step, and she could pounce. She went around the tree and her heart stuttered. There in the light of the full moon, Tiffany let her white cloak drop to the grass. She stood naked, her arms raised. An offering to the Goddess, giving permission to be caught.

  Kat took the last steps and dropped to her knees. She took in the sight of Tiffany’s perfection and gave thanks. She’d loved her since she could remember, and now, in this moment, that love was unbearably beautiful.

  Tiffany’s breasts rose and fell with her uneven breathing, drawing Kat’s attention to her nipples. She held herself still, but Kat felt her tremble. She’d dreamt of this night for so long. This was not the exploration of childhood, the fumbling of young girls who explored each other. This was her woman, her mate, chosen by the Goddess. This was everything. She would die for her.

  Tiffany’s sweet scent surrounded her, and the cool night air did nothing to lessen her lust. The pounding in Kat’s heart spread until her entire body pulsed with the pure wanting of her.

  “You have caught me, warrior. Do what you will.”

  “You humble me, priestess. It is you who has conquered me.” Kat’s voice hitched and she looked up at her.

  Tiffany’s eyes sparkled. “Love me then. Tonight is ours.”

  “Forever is ours,” Kat said, then drew Tiffany down on the cloak beside her. Fierce love filled her heart. “I will love you until the end of time.”

  Chapter Ten

  Kat woke and found herself neatly tucked in and alone in the bed. She stretched and recalled her dream. She’d always loved that particular one, chasing Tiffany down in the woods. She hesitated for second. She meant Tanna.

  No, this morning she could clearly recall the scar Tiffany had along her hairline that Tanna didn’t have.

  She wasn’t sure yet how this was all going to work, but she did know that if she forced the situation into what she thought it should be, she would be selling them both short.

  Kat sat up and noticed her jeans had been folded and placed on a chaise in the corner. There were a pair of large porcelain cats on the dresser, and two more in a grouping in the corner alongside a plant. She grinned. Maybe Tiffany did have some kind of subconscious thing for her. She just hadn’t brought it to the surface.

  She heard the sound of a cupboard door shutting in the kitchen and she smelled coffee brewing. She pulled on her jeans and walked out of the bedroom.

  Tiffany looked up when she entered and gave her a sunny smile. “Good morning.”

  Kat stopped. The moment struck her as another important one. She wanted to stretch it out and enjoy it. Kat was still feeling the heat from her dream. “You take my breath away.”

  Tiffany blushed. “I don’t even know what to say to that. Thank you?” She motioned for Kat to sit. “How do you take your coffee?”

  “Black.”

  Tiffany poured her a cup then sat across from her. “Thank you for last night.”

  “I didn’t do anything.” But I wanted to.

  “You most certainly did.”

  “Tiffany,” Kat said. “You may be getting the wrong idea about me.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “I don’t want to be just your friend. I’m not looking for sainthood here.”

  Tiffany grinned. “Oh, believe me. The things that I’ve thought about doing to you would have had my mother throwing holy water on me.”

  Kat laughed. “How did you sleep last night, sinner?” Whew.

  “I dreamt I was being chased in the woods.”

  “Did you ever see who was behind you?” Kat wanted to hold her breath while she waited for the answer. They’d had the same dream and that had to mean something.

  Tiffany shook her head. “It’s an old nightmare that I’ve had off and on for years. I have to run, the urgency and fear builds until I think my heart is going to stop. I hate it.”

  Kat wavered. How could something that brought her such happiness bring Tiffany something completely different? She opened her mouth to say something, but Tiffany’s phone rang and she got up to answer it.

  “Hang on,” Tiffany said. “It’s one of my regular clients. I’ll be back.”

  “It was me,” Kat said softly as Tiffany went out the back door. “I was chasing you.”

  Someone knocked on the front door, but before she could ask Tiffany whether she should answer it, the lock clicked and Shade walked in.

  “What are you doing here?” Shade looked down at Kat’s bare feet.

  Her snarly tone prickled Kat’s temper, but she kept her cool. “Drinking coffee. Want some?”

  “Where’s Tiff?”

  “Outside, on the phone.” Kat slowly and deliberately sat back down, conveying by action she didn’t feel at all threatened or feel the need to defend her position at the table. The now-familiar sensation tingled along her scalp. She put an image in her head of a gate slamming closed and was ridiculously pleased when Shade startled.

  “Nice trick.”

  “I learned it a long time ago when I was doing a story on mind control.” Kat shoved her irritation down. She didn’t want to alienate her. Frankly, and Kat wasn’t too proud to admit it, Shade could be a little scary.

  “You don’t even want to know.” Shade grinned at her wolfishly and slid into a seat at the table.

  Kat kept her face neutral but still felt like a small chill nonetheless. “Are we going to have a problem?”

  “Only if you hurt her.”

  “It’s not my intention.”

  “I know. You were a little slow on the draw.”

  “Then what’s with the pissing contest?”

  “I like you.” Shade laughed. “Habit. She’s my little sister, and it’s my job to protect her.”

  “Can’t fault you for that.” Kat hadn’t realized how much she missed having female companionship since Jordan moved away from Seattl
e. There were phone calls and e-mails and such, but the face-to-face, sit down and have a cup of coffee days, were few and far between. It was another check on the pro side for leaving her high-pressure job. Kat was happy to trade corporate sharks for psychics and screwed up political bullshit for clans of warrior maidens.

  “What are you grinning at?” Shade said.

  “It’s a beautiful day,” Kat said. She noticed Shade’s eyes were still bruised from the attack, but the thick eyeliner worked with it. She wasn’t wearing a bandage, and her hair covered the staples. “How’s your head?”

  “It’s healing fast,” Shade said. “Sunny did one of her numbers on me, and I’m hoping Tiffany can take this goddamn headache away. It’s screwing with my equilibrium.”

  “They find the guy yet?”

  Shade shook her head. “No, and Beenie’s left town. Otherwise, I’d be able to find her.”

  Tiffany came in the back door. “Good morning.” She crossed straight to Shade.

  Kat saw her search for the wound and then lay gentle hands on Shade’s head. Shade’s eyes closed and she laid her head back on Tiffany’s chest.

  Kat wasn’t prepared for the rush of jealousy that hit her. She held herself still and grappled with the unfamiliar emotion for a moment. She knew it was unreasonable and uncalled for. That’s what made it feel worse. She got up to refill her coffee to distract herself.

  Sunny came barreling in the front door with Jordan right behind her. “Why haven’t you called me?”

  “Ssh,” Tiffany said. “I’m almost done.”

  Jordan winked at Kat, who tried to shake her head subtly, which caught Sunny’s attention and she narrowed her eyes at her.

  Way to go, Jordan. Now I’m her target. Sunny tilted her head to the right, but Kat shut the gate in her mind just as she had with Shade. Sunny lifted an eyebrow, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. “Impressive.”

  “Got any coffee?” Jordan asked and headed for the pot.

  Kat looked around the room. Yes, she’d trade the newsroom for this crowd any day. “I’ll make another pot.”

  *

  Tiffany half-listened to Kat go over the details of the cases she’d done yesterday with Jordan, Shade, and Sunny while she opened the curtains in the living room to let the sun in. She continued through the rest of the house. She picked up a toy in the hall and dropped it off in Angel’s room on her way to her own.