Page 60 of Ace
‘Which proves he’s a stronger psychic than he realizes. This is why he needs you.One day at a time, Savannah. Isn’t that what your great grandmother used to say?’
That made her smile.‘I think you know me too well, my friend.’
‘It happens.Listen, when this is over, I want you to visit me at FBI Headquarters and undergo a few tests. Meet my boss. Tuck’s always looking for new talent.’
‘No. Strong trees need each other’s shade, but they also need to stand in their own sunlight to grow. I’d never intrude on Keller’s workplace unless he asked me.’
Isaiah chuckled.‘Another one of your great grandmother’s pearls of wisdom?’
‘Actually, that one’s all mine,’Savannah answered with a titch of pride.‘Remember, I’m from the bayou where clinging vines kill even the hardiest trees. That’s not what Keller needs. Did you know he can’t read your mind? Do you know how hard that was for him to sit with me and not know what you and I were talking about that day?’
‘You mean the day you saved my life?’Isaiah whispered psychically—as if anyone else could hear him.‘I still can’t thank you enough. You’ll never know what you did for me and Roxy. My son.’
‘It was my pleasure,’she replied.‘You’d do the same.’
‘I would.But yes, I know Keller’s not happy. The adjustment’s been hard on him.’
‘Because the rest of you can psychically check in with each other anytime you want. You talk to each other like it’s no big deal, just like we’re doing now. But Keller can’t. Think about it. He was used to being the man in charge when he was in the Army, but now he’s the odd man out. The wannabe, always looking in, but never quite belonging to the mean kids’ club.’
‘Hey, whoa, I object. We’re not intentionally mean to anyone, and—'
‘Yeah, I get it, you don’t mean to exclude anyone, and if anyone was the odd man out as a kid, it was certainly you. But honestly, Isaiah, each time you Deuces Wild guys converse psychically behind his back, that’s precisely what you’re doing. All of you. Even your boss. How would you feel?’
That shut Isaiah up. Because of their shared mental link, Savannah now knew precisely what a misfit he’d been as a kid, even as a young adult, right up until the day he’d met Eden Winchester, the FBI agent now tracking Keller. How could they both not understand Keller when they’d been the exact same type of misfit?
‘I never thought of it like that,’Isaiah finally murmured.‘You’re absolutely right.’
‘It’s simple pack mentality.Dogs do it all the time, and human beings aren’t much different. They tend to forget what it’s like being the outsider the second they belong to a family, a society, a church, or whatever. They clan up, close up, and they draw a line to fence everyone else out.’
‘Man, we could really use another Level Ten, someone with your unique insight on our team.’
There was that term again.‘What on earth is a Level Ten?’
‘Someone like me. Like you and probably your Gran Mere, too. Someone with multiple psychic skills.’
‘Like…?’
‘There are many different talents, Savannah. Telepaths read minds and Clairsensitives sense other psychic energies. You and Keller are Intuitives,commonly called Empaths. By the way, Keller is the strongest Empath I’ve ever met.’
‘I know. He just needs to learn to balance how much of himself he gives away. He wouldn’t have those killer migraines then.’
‘Keller has killer migraines?’
Ooops. She’d just told on Keller, not good. But Savannah could also sense Isaiah’s I-told-you-so grin all the way from the East Coast.‘I never knew he suffered with his gift until now. See how strong you are?’
‘Well, um, yes, but I shouldn’t have told you. That’s for Keller to share.’
‘Understood, Savannah. I won’t break your confidence. But as far as other psychic talents, I have yet to come across a true Telekinesist, someone who can actually move physical objects with their mind. Most I’ve met were fakes who relied on sleight of hand, magnets, or other tricks. I haven’t met a Psychic Surgeon yet either, but the Russians claim they’ve got one. If they’re telling the truth, that person would be able to psychically heal damage done to a person’s psychic consciousness.’
‘Psychic consciousness?’Savannah felt like a sponge.
Isaiah’s excitement was growing.‘Amazing concept, right? The belief among scholars studying psychic phenomenon is that all babies are born psychics, to one degree or another. Isn’t that wild? Unfortunately, we’ve come into a world where those gifts are ignored or rejected at birth, even treated as black magic andwitchcraft. Psychic babies didn’t live long in the Stone Ages. Imagine what happened during the Middle Ages or the Inquisition. Then along came the Renaissance, and the few babies strong enough to have survived, were at last able to contribute to society in phenomenal ways.’
‘You believe psychics fueled the Renaissance?’That actually made sense. Psychics did see things differently. How could they not?
‘No, I believeallpeople are psychics, Savannah. Every man, woman, and child walking the earth todayisgifted. Some gifts are just stronger than others. Some are encouraged to grow while others are stamped out. Some gifts are scary, like yours and mine.’
She held her breath. Scary?
