Part 20 (1/2)

Tears burned my eyes. I was sad because I knew Lewis didn't understand, perhaps he never would. ”He stole these children and erased any memory from their parent's minds that they'd ever existed?”

Lewis didn't respond, but he didn't need to. How could he not see what he did was wrong?

I swiped angrily at the tears seeping from my eyes. Lewis might not ever understand my position, but he sure as h.e.l.l could explain the facts. ”How did he do it?”

Lewis shrugged, strolling across the room. To anyone else his walk would seem at ease, but I knew his steps were too controlled. ”Everyone has their own special ability, unique to them. His is the ability to erase memories.”

Just as I'd thought, he'd erased any memory of these children. ”And yours? What is your ability?”

He paused for a moment, his square jaw clenched as he weighed his next words carefully. ”As you know, I...I can move objects, small objects.” But there was more, I could tell he was holding something back.

”What else Lewis?” I demanded.

His jaw clenched, those sharp eyes coming to rest on me. ”I can influence people's emotions.”

For one moment I was confused as my mind turned his words over and over, attempting to make sense. Emotions. All the feelings I'd had for Lewis came rus.h.i.+ng back in a wave of nausea. ”Did you...to me...”

He was silent, but I read the truth in his beautiful blue eyes.

Panic clawed its way up into my throat. My heart slammed wildly against my chest. I wanted to hit him. I wanted to grab him by the s.h.i.+rt and demand he take the words back. ”Lewis, did you make me think I was in love with you?”

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. ”Cameron...”

”Tell me!” I demanded, standing.

He opened his eyes and looked directly at me, pleading in his gaze. ”Only at first.”

”Oh my G.o.d.” I moved across the room, the furthest away from him I could get. I felt trapped, an animal in a cage. No where to go. So much for our love being true and pure.

”I'm not now, Cameron.” Lewis came toward me. ”Only those first couple days. You thought I was the murderer, I needed you to like me, to trust me.”

He paused in front of me, his gaze pleading. He started to reach for me, but apparently realized it was too soon and dropped his arms to his side. ”Please, believe me. I haven't influenced you in weeks. What you feel...what I feel...it's real.”

At that moment the only feeling I had was hate. Pure hatred because he'd made me doubt my love for him. It all made sense now. Why I'd had barely any misgivings about leaving town with a boy I'd just met. Grandma had been right, something had been off. I leaned back against the wall, my hands fisted. ”What is my ability? Why does Aaron want me here?”

”He's always wanted you here, partly because he feels responsible for you. You're like a daughter to him.”

I snorted in disgust.

”It's true.”

”Why am I here?” I demanded again.

He sighed and raked back his hair. ”You have more power than any of us, Cameron.” He paced in front of me, as if he couldn't stand still, as if he wasn't sure what to do. ”Your ability to break into people's thoughts is amazing.”

”Olivia can read thoughts.”

”Only from normal people, like us. But that chip in that man's head stopped her cold. You busted through it like it was nothing. We're not even sure what you're capable of. It's why it's so important for you to practice, to learn. I think you'd be amazed at what you could accomplish.”

”You mean what I could accomplish for you and your little secret club.”

He glared at me, obviously frustrated. ”We're only trying to protect-”

”Bull!” I tilted my chin high, staring directly into his angry eyes. Lewis wouldn't frighten me. I was sick of being afraid. ”I'm going home.”

He didn't respond, remaining stubbornly silent. I wanted to scream, to stomp my foot like a child. I needed to have my wits about me, but I couldn't think when he was so close, his scent so warm and wonderful. And in the back of my mind I realized that this could very well be the last time we spoke. But my emotions and anger wouldn't let me care.

”I'm going home, even if I have to walk or swim.”

He raked his hair back, his hand trembling. ”Don't be ridiculous.”

I pushed him aside and grabbed the pink sweater Grandma had gotten me last year for Christmas. My hands shook as I tossed the clothing back into my suitcase. ”Where's my cell phone? Aaron took it, didn't he?”

”Think long and hard about what you're doing Cameron.”

I froze, looking up at Lewis. ”Are you threatening me?”

He looked oddly sad. ”No, only warning you.”

I ignored the tingling fear working its way up my spine. ”Save your warning. I don't need you. I don't need anyone. I'm leaving.”

He strolled to the door, his steps slow, unconcerned. At the hall he paused and looked back, a sympathetic gleam in his eyes. ”I'm sorry, Cameron, but there's only one way you're leaving, and that's if you let Aaron erase your memories.”

Chapter 18.

Only an hour until sunrise. Only an hour and I would be at the docks and on that first ferry across the harbor and to the mainland. Only an hour and my life would be on its way back to normalcy. I hoped.

I had no idea how I'd get home from the harbor, but I didn't care. One step at a time. I had to keep my mind centered. Still, I was shaking as I made my way to my bedroom door. I didn't dare take my suitcase, but had stuffed anything of importance into my backpack, leaving behind the rest.

I kept my mental wall up, not daring to let my thoughts seep from my mind and alert others to my presence. But concentrating was hard under the circ.u.mstances. Unwillingly my gaze went to Lewis' bedroom door. The urge to try one more time to talk him into reason overwhelmed me. I forced my feet to keep walking, tore my gaze from that door and rushed, as quietly as possible, down the dark hall, following the path Olivia had taken the other night. I'd seen that exit near the children's ward and hoped it was the best way out. If I'd gotten my directions right, it would lead to the back of the house and the beach. I'd follow the sh.o.r.e to town.

Heading down the first set of steps, I pressed my hands to the narrow walls to keep my balance in the darkness. Lewis had disappointed me in so many ways. I thought we understood each other. I thought we believed in the same things. We should have, after all we'd had similar childhoods, similar pasts.

In reality we were completely different people. But it didn't matter. I still loved him and each step further away from Lewis, broke my heart a little more.

I turned left, walked ten feet down a dark tunnel only to realize I should have turned right. A cold sweat broke out between my shoulder blades. I didn't have time for mistakes. One mistake could mean the difference between me leaving with my memory intact and me leaving with no recollection of what my life had been.

I had a plan; sneak into town right at the moment when the first boat was leaving. Jump on the ferry and be gone. I couldn't think further than that, and I couldn't think about the plan going wrong. Any mistakes would be my downfall. I turned right and made my way toward the door where the children lay sleeping.

The closer I got, the more my stomach churned, threatening to bring up the chicken and rice that had been brought to my room by a nameless servant. At the door, I froze. I could see them sleeping through the small window, those tiny bundles of power. How could I leave them here? But what could I do? It would be pretty hard to go incognito with twenty small children at my side. As much as it pained me to leave them behind, I knew, for my own sake, I had to.

Turning away from the children's dorm, I focused on the door that would lead outside. Metal, bullet proof, impenetrable, no doubt. A bolt locked the door in place. To the normal person the door would seem secure, but I couldn't help but wonder where the rest of it was. Shouldn't there be an alarm? A camera? But the hall was surprisingly empty.

I slid back the deadbolt and stepped outside into the crisp morning air. Easy enough. Everything was going exactly as planned. And that worried me. It was all too simple. And then I saw the fence and realized life was one big joke. That tall fence continued from the front of the house and apparently wrapped around the back. A fence much too tall to climb.

A cold wind swept from the ocean, stinging my face. Across the harbor, lights from the mainland twinkled and glowed, calling me home. Already the seagulls could be heard, crying their good mornings. It was the right time to leave, but how could I when that huge iron fence rose up from the earth surrounding the yard? I hadn't had much of a plan when I'd decided to leave. I was hoping G.o.d or Fate would smile down on me.