Page 136 of Psycho Devils: Aran's Story 2

Even I was intimidated by the threat.

Jinx had never cried, and the full-body shudders that racked her weren’t acting. You couldn’t fake grief like that.

Everyone was silent.

Finally, Sadie asked softly, “What can you tell us? Why are you in pain? Please explain?” Her voice cracked.

A long moment passed.

“I don’t use it often, I promise,” Jinx replied weakly.

Jax alpha-barked, “Tell us. Now.”

The hair on the back of my neck stood up as he used his persuasion and words were ripped from Jinx’s throat.

“I suffer,” she gasped. “Every night. That is all I can say.”

Jax roared like a wounded bear.

The awful sound tore through the room and made the hair on my neck stand up.

Jax alpha-barked, “What have you made us forget?”

Jinx whimpered, “So much.” She gasped and shuddered like she was in pain. “I’ve been enchanted to not speak of it.” Tears streamed down her face. “That is all I can say.” Her voice broke. “I promise.”

She trembled violently.

Her tiny figure was racked with anguish as she cowered before her family.

Jax’s hands trembled as he leaned forward and hugged Jinx’s tied-up figure.

My mind was buzzing with new information.

My breathing was ragged.

Bile burned my throat.

Jinx suffered, and she clearly wiped anyone’s memory who witnessed her episodes. Who knew what else she’d taken from us?

As she convulsed with pain, I remembered with startling clarity the first day I’d learned suffering.

Surprisingly, it had had nothing to do with Mother lighting me on fire.

When I was fourteen years old, the tutor at the palace had me take a five-hour-long written intelligence test. It was all questions about analytics and problem-solving.

I’d thought it was easy.

The next day, I’d been pulled out of the few classes I got to take with other children.

My tutor had never looked me in the eye again.

Palace aids had whispered as I passed in the halls. Mother had stared at me strangely during meals, and even the servants had refused to talk to me anymore.

I’d never received the results from that test, and whenever I’d asked about it, people acted like they didn’t know what I was talking about.

They’d lied to me.

Everyone had.

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