Wolf Rain (Psy-Changeling Trinity #3)(126)

The operation took hours.

The sister collapsed first, Marshall a second later. Both were caught instinctively by Vasic using his telekinesis. He lowered them gently to the floor just as Yuri’s mental activity spiked so sharply across the neural monitoring system that it set off an alarm.





Chapter 59


Long-sleeved black shirt with fine silver pinstripes.

—Order placed by Memory Aven-Rose


MEMORY COULDN’T BELIEVE she’d allowed Aden to talk her into this. “I don’t know Pax Marshall and he hurt people I care about,” she said to Alexei. “I don’t want to help him.” She’d tried that one time in Chinatown, but she’d changed her mind in the interim, her anger growing with each hour Yuri’d spent fighting for his life.

“Okay. Want to go home?” No sarcasm, just wolfish acceptance of her anger.

“Ugh.” She kicked at the grass on the outskirts of DarkRiver territory. “Aden says Yuri is awake.” Joy had her eyes burning all over again.

The senior Arrow apparently had some memory loss. About a month’s worth. As a result, he didn’t remember Memory. That was all right—she’d make friends with him again, starting with when she went to visit him with her gift of a stylish new shirt. She’d also remind him about the whole being-asked-out-on-a-date situation, to nudge the romance back into gear.

All that mattered was that Yuri was awake. It was a miracle—but it still didn’t make her feel positive toward this Pax Marshall. “I don’t even know what I’m meant to do.”

Alexei hauled her close for a kiss. “Want me to tear the asshole’s head off?”

Memory considered it for long enough that his eyes gleamed amber. “No,” she grumbled at last. “But only because of his twin—she helped Yuri, even though she had nothing to do with hurting him. I’m doing this because we owe her, not him.”

A sleek black vehicle turned into the meeting spot. Pax Marshall, aristocratically handsome with an expression like ice, emerged from the driver’s side. From the passenger side came Theodora Marshall: half a foot shorter than her brother, slender where he was muscled, with more delicate features and longer hair.

The clear blue eyes, however, were identical.

Memory flinched at Pax’s psychic presence, so dark and familiar. “What do you expect me to do for you?” she demanded.

“I don’t know.” His English accent took her by surprise. “But if this fails, my only other option is a planned and smoothly executed suicide.” Memory was concentrating on Pax, but it was Theo’s jolt of pain that had her throat closing up. “I won’t take Theo down with me. She’s already suffering bad migraines and nosebleeds.”

It was hard to keep on fully disliking a man who appeared to love his twin. His shields were locked down so tight she couldn’t feel the emotion, and it could be that he was a world-class manipulator. But Theo wasn’t. And it hurt her to think of Pax dying.

Memory held out a hand. “I need physical contact.”

The telepath touched his hand to hers. Braced for the nothingness, she was startled by the subtle “wrongness” in him. He wasn’t a psychopath, but neither was he normal in the psychic sense. Not sure this would work, she gave him some of her empathic energy—what Amara drew from her in a session.

Hissing out a breath, he dropped her hand.

When she flicked open her eyes, it was to see that Pax had his eyes scrunched shut, one hand at his temple. His twin was close to him, her features stark. “Pax?”

Pax’s lashes lifted . . . and Memory realized belatedly that the twins were connected on an emotional level. It was hidden deep, so deep they might not realize it, but it was very much there. That was why Theo was getting headaches and nosebleeds. Pax’s brain was automatically reaching out to her during the episodes.

He must’ve telepathed his sister because her breath eased. Then he looked at Memory. “The sudden clarity took me by surprise.” His pulse thudded in his neck. “I hadn’t realized exactly how cloudy my thinking had become.”

“Is the effect permanent?” Theo Marshall asked on a wave of naked hope.

“No, I don’t think so.” Memory didn’t know how to heal Pax or if it was even possible. Her entire ability was one unknown after another . . . but things were becoming clearer with each day. “I suggest,” she said to Pax, “that you form a strong emotional bond with your twin.” It wouldn’t be difficult, not with what already existed. “She’ll know when the regression begins and you need another dose.” As good a word as any, she supposed.

Pax Marshall looked to his twin. Neither spoke except to thank Memory, though Memory knew the constant vigilance would wear on them both. She wished she could comfort Theodora in some way, but right now, this was the best she had.

It wasn’t until after they’d driven out that Alexei said, “Has it struck you that an incredibly powerful man in the PsyNet is now in your control?”

“No.” She poked him in the abdomen. “And it’s not going to strike you, either. This is between me and Theo. Don’t you dare use any of this to lean on Pax during negotiations.”

“Empath.” Alexei scowled and shook his head. “Soft as butter.”

“I am not.” Turning on her heel, she gripped the front of his T-shirt. “Talking of which, we need to have a conversation.”