and shoved Kayden’s questions to the background. Then Kayden’s touch pulled

back. When the image in front of me shivered like a soap bubble about to burst, I

instinctively snatched his hand and dug my nails in, holding him tight.

Ellery’s image re-solidified. He continued to stare at the doorway as if he could see me.

Logically, I knew he was using my ability against me, a psychological move meant to unnerve his opponent. Unfortunately, it was working.

He took his sweet time moving around the room, the other memories

becoming mere wisps that licked along the edges of my awareness. My full attention was held by Ellery.

He picked up a picture of Kels and me from the dresser, and then rubbed the

pad of his thumb across the glass. He set it down, then dragged his fingertips along the shelves. He paused to pull out a book, flipping through the pages before replacing it, his actions unnervingly casual.

I wanted to leap across the room and make him stop, his defiling touch

leaving a visible smear of evil behind, like a smudge.

He came to a second picture. This one was of Carl and Becca flanked Kelsey

and me in my dress blues at graduation. For a moment he stared at it, his face darkening. “What a picture-perfect family.”

He turned to where I stood and smashed the frame face first against the shelf.

I winced at the sudden violent action, but the sound of breaking glass never

arrived.

His lips curved and a dark, satisfied light entered his eyes.

Pleasure, he was getting such pleasure from this. On a detached level a little

voice chittered a warning, “He knows what you can do. ”

A sharp pain radiated along my jaw, and I forced my teeth to unclench,

sucking in deep breaths, hoping to regain control.

Ellery kept moving, yanking open drawers, and rifling through them with

cold amusement. He pulled out one of Kelsey’s chemise tops, crumpled it in his

hands and buried his face in it.

Cracks spread through my control like spider webs.

“Mmm…” He lifted his head, and his mouth moved, but I couldn’t hear the

words. I coughed away the urge to vomit at the lascivious smile on his face.

Again, his mouth moved, and this time there were only pieces audible. “…time

to play… save her?” He dropped the delicate garment. “Ready?”

He stalked forward so quickly, I stumbled back and flinched when I ran into

something solid. Kayden. Ellery’s image continued forward, and I closed my

eyes, burrowing into Kayden as if to escape a physical blow from a ghost.

Instead, an icy chill enveloped me, and my muscles clenched. The sudden

tightening acted like a full-body charley horse, and I whimpered. Just as quickly,

the sensation disappeared, taking the pain with it, and leaving me to lean limply

against Kayden.

“What the hell?” Kayden’s growl came through loud and clear. “You all

right?”

My mouth was dry, making it impossible to form coherent words so I

nodded.

“Ellery’s signature just lit up like the Fourth of July, then snapped out.”

Under my ear Kayden’s voice rumbled. He turned both of us away from the bedroom and led us to the living room. He stopped at the sofa, and gently untangled my grip from his shirt. “Sit.”

His command was accompanied by a small push. My legs folded, and I

collapsed. He crouched in front of me, running his hands up and down my arms

in attempt to smooth out the goose bumps. My hindbrain was still quivering from the malice in Ellery’s taunts, so I kept my attention on the man at my feet.

He watched me carefully. “What happened?”

“Not…not done yet.” Hearing the fear in my voice woke a familiar burn of

anger. Suck it up, Cyn! Ellery wasn’t here. He couldn’t hurt me unless I let him.

Instead of allowing his verbal attacks to unnerve me, I needed to think, because

if I wanted to win, I needed to outsmart him. “I can’t tell if he was here before or after.” I had been so caught up in the scenes, I hadn’t noted the details. “I need to see how he got the bullet into my safe.”