Devil's Advocate (The X-Files: Origins #2)(84)

“I hate to crib a line from the movies,” he said, “but I sense a disturbance in your Force.”

“You could say that.”

“Is it because of the news story?”

“Kind of. How come you let Corinda take all the credit? I wanted you to talk to the sheriff.”

Sunlight smiled. “She feeds on attention, Dana. I don’t.”

“But—”

“Give her some credit. She kept you out of it.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m so out of it.” She told him about the blood test and being suspended.

His smile did not waver. “Don’t worry about it, little sister,” he said. “I have every confidence that this is all going to work out. You’ll be fine. I still intend to have my conversation with the sheriff, and I know Mr. Sternholtz as well. I can have a quiet word with him.”

“You know him?”

“It’s a small town, Dana, and I pay a lot of taxes. That gives me a forum for—shall we say—frank discussions.”

“Oh. Well … that’s…”

He shook his head. “Be calm, Dana. This terrible matter is coming to a close and you’ll be fine.”

“But what about Angelo?”

“Ah, poor Angelo.” Sunlight shook his head. “I am seldom wrong about a person, but I was wrong about him. We all were.”

“How?” she asked. “If you and Corinda have all these super psychic powers, how did you not know it was him?”

“Remember I told you that the angel had powerful qualities, too? This is what I meant. He clearly possesses the ability to block psychic perception. That’s a great gift, and it’s so sad that he used it for the wrong purposes.”

She shook her head slowly. “I know that he’s the angel, but I still can’t believe it.”

“That is the nature of charismatic personalities, Dana. They can convince you that they are angels or saints or people who can and should be trusted. Cult leaders and politicians have used the power of charisma for thousands of years. A psychic with control over his own charisma is to be greatly feared. I can only imagine what will happen during his trial. He is no doubt powerful enough to influence the minds of the prosecutor, the jury, and even the judge. Our legal system is not structured to cope with a person like him.”

“What are you saying? That he’ll get released?”

“It’s possible. Which is why you need to continue developing your own qualities. I can teach you techniques of psychic defense.”

She sipped her tea but didn’t answer.

“This must all hurt you very badly,” Sunlight said gently. “I don’t need to be psychic to see the pain in your eyes. You liked Angelo, abrasive as he was.”

“I liked a killer, great. At least until he chased me down the street. That says so much about me.”

“You showed compassion and kindness to someone who had lived a hard life. Take that part of it and own it. It speaks to your character, Dana. Being fooled and lied to speaks to his.”

She nodded. “Thanks.”

“I expect I won’t be seeing you for a while,” said Sunlight.

“You’re right, because I got suspended.”

“But a suspension won’t last forever, and even your father won’t actually keep you grounded until you’re old enough to retire.”

“He’ll try.”

“He won’t,” Sunlight assured her. “Now … listen to me. I am going to help you figure this out. You’re one of mine now. You belong to my spirit family, and we protect our own. I may not be as dangerous as Angelo Luz, but I have my moments. I have my qualities. And there is nothing I won’t do to protect my family.”

“I … don’t know how to even…”

He shook his head. “You’re dangerously close to blowing some important fuses, Dana. Here’s what you need to do. Go home. Let your parents yell at you. Nod and look contrite and promise to be a good girl. Tell them whatever they need to hear so that they stop lashing out at you. Play the game their way and let them win this round. Then, when things cool down, they’ll reward you for being a nice, obedient daughter who has clearly learned her lessons, and they’ll lift their restrictions on you. So will the school. And then you’ll come back here and we’ll get to work. I’ll teach you everything I can to make you as powerful as you can possibly be, and I believe that you possess incredible potential. Together we’ll apply our qualities to what is going on in this town. If Angelo really is the angel, then we will get the proof that will make it impossible, even for him, to manipulate his way to freedom. We’ll figure out who is selling Eclipse in Craiger and we will shut them down. As we become the most powerful versions of ourselves, we’ll show everyone what people like us are capable of. Not just reading palms and telling fortunes, but being actual forces for good in a troubled world. That’s what I offer, Dana.” He held out his hand. “How does that sound?”

“It sounds … amazing.”

She took his hand and shook it, and for the first time the clouds that had gathered in her life seemed to split open and let clean, clear sunlight spill down.

“Be strong and be patient,” he advised. Sunlight gave her hand a final pump, and then he slid out of the booth and walked out of the store.