brother. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“The dream we shared, there was more to mine.” Tanner didn’t look at him. He kept his gaze locked with Nica’s. “Your hands glowed. What happened to Jensen?”
“He was struck with a spell, one that attempted to shut down his internal organs. I was able to heal Jensen. Then I performed a spell that took away your memories of me. Obviously, I messed that one up. I think…because I didn’t want you to forget me.”
Jensen shook his head, even though he heard the sincerity in her voice. She believed every word she was saying. And Tanner did too.
“No. No way.”
“Go ahead,” Tanner continued to address Nica. “Show him.”
With a sigh, she nodded, got up and walked to the sink, where a sharp knife lay drying on the drain board. Before he realized what she meant to do with it, she sliced her arm.
“Jesus Christ! Nica, what the fuck are you doing?”
Jensen’s chair toppled as he rose and stalked to the sink. He grabbed her throbbing arm and held it over the sink.
“You see the cut,” Nica said, her voice so quiet he had to strain to hear it. “You see I’m bleeding and it’s no trick?”
“Christ almighty, you’re going to need stitches, Nica. Why the hell—”
“No, I won’t. Do you see, Jensen?”
Yes, he saw. The wound was real. Thick red blood welled on her arm and fell to the sink with distinctive little plops on the stainless steel. Her flesh peeled back on each side of the wound. She’d cut fairly deep and would need stitches—
“Watch,” she said.
Nica placed her hand over the cut, her eyes closing as she went completely still.
And her hand began to glow. An ethereal blue, like someone was shining a flashlight through her skin. Jensen released her, his hands falling to his side as he watched.
She held it there for several long seconds and when she removed her hand, the cut was gone.
“Holy shit.” He took one step back before he forced himself to hold his ground.
With jerky movements, she flipped on the water and washed her trembling hands then splashed away the blood in the sink.
With a ragged deep breath, as if she had to work up the courage, Nica looked him straight in the eyes, her expression stoic but the pleading in her gaze killed him. She was waiting for him to refute her yet wanted so much for him to believe her.
Jensen was no fool. He’d seen the cut. She hadn’t faked it.
He glanced at Tanner, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression somewhere between “Holy shit” and “I told you”.
This woman—
No, this wasn’t just some woman. This was Nica. She hadn’t turned into a monster in the past ten minutes. She was still the same sweet, hot woman he’d fallen for.
And he’d fallen. Hard.
Those feelings hadn’t changed because she had an ability that wouldn’t be out of place in an Alan Moore comic book.
And he knew Tanner’s feelings hadn’t changed either. Because Jensen could sense how his brother felt.
Some people might call that magic. Their father had never believed them, had called them freaks—and worse.
Nica could heal with her hands. Yeah, it was weird. But she healed.
She wasn’t a monster. She wasn’t a freak.
He would deal.
Behind Nica, Tanner drew in a deep breath, as if he’d been frozen, waiting for Jensen to make up his mind.
Nica still looked worried, her teeth lodged in her bottom lip, so hard he thought she might draw blood.
He reached out to cup her cheek, sliding his thumb across her bottom lip until she released it.
“Tell me about the other night,” he said. “You said someone attacked me? And you wiped my—our—memories with a magical spell?”
She nodded slowly, her gaze still wary, making him feel guilty for his initial disbelief.
She’d have to cut him some slack. This was an admittedly huge development to comprehend. But one he found fascinating.
“Yes,” she said. “His employer wants me to work for him. He knows what I can do. I
“The dream we shared, there was more to mine.” Tanner didn’t look at him. He kept his gaze locked with Nica’s. “Your hands glowed. What happened to Jensen?”
“He was struck with a spell, one that attempted to shut down his internal organs. I was able to heal Jensen. Then I performed a spell that took away your memories of me. Obviously, I messed that one up. I think…because I didn’t want you to forget me.”
Jensen shook his head, even though he heard the sincerity in her voice. She believed every word she was saying. And Tanner did too.
“No. No way.”
“Go ahead,” Tanner continued to address Nica. “Show him.”
With a sigh, she nodded, got up and walked to the sink, where a sharp knife lay drying on the drain board. Before he realized what she meant to do with it, she sliced her arm.
“Jesus Christ! Nica, what the fuck are you doing?”
Jensen’s chair toppled as he rose and stalked to the sink. He grabbed her throbbing arm and held it over the sink.
“You see the cut,” Nica said, her voice so quiet he had to strain to hear it. “You see I’m bleeding and it’s no trick?”
“Christ almighty, you’re going to need stitches, Nica. Why the hell—”
“No, I won’t. Do you see, Jensen?”
Yes, he saw. The wound was real. Thick red blood welled on her arm and fell to the sink with distinctive little plops on the stainless steel. Her flesh peeled back on each side of the wound. She’d cut fairly deep and would need stitches—
“Watch,” she said.
Nica placed her hand over the cut, her eyes closing as she went completely still.
And her hand began to glow. An ethereal blue, like someone was shining a flashlight through her skin. Jensen released her, his hands falling to his side as he watched.
She held it there for several long seconds and when she removed her hand, the cut was gone.
“Holy shit.” He took one step back before he forced himself to hold his ground.
With jerky movements, she flipped on the water and washed her trembling hands then splashed away the blood in the sink.
With a ragged deep breath, as if she had to work up the courage, Nica looked him straight in the eyes, her expression stoic but the pleading in her gaze killed him. She was waiting for him to refute her yet wanted so much for him to believe her.
Jensen was no fool. He’d seen the cut. She hadn’t faked it.
He glanced at Tanner, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression somewhere between “Holy shit” and “I told you”.
This woman—
No, this wasn’t just some woman. This was Nica. She hadn’t turned into a monster in the past ten minutes. She was still the same sweet, hot woman he’d fallen for.
And he’d fallen. Hard.
Those feelings hadn’t changed because she had an ability that wouldn’t be out of place in an Alan Moore comic book.
And he knew Tanner’s feelings hadn’t changed either. Because Jensen could sense how his brother felt.
Some people might call that magic. Their father had never believed them, had called them freaks—and worse.
Nica could heal with her hands. Yeah, it was weird. But she healed.
She wasn’t a monster. She wasn’t a freak.
He would deal.
Behind Nica, Tanner drew in a deep breath, as if he’d been frozen, waiting for Jensen to make up his mind.
Nica still looked worried, her teeth lodged in her bottom lip, so hard he thought she might draw blood.
He reached out to cup her cheek, sliding his thumb across her bottom lip until she released it.
“Tell me about the other night,” he said. “You said someone attacked me? And you wiped my—our—memories with a magical spell?”
She nodded slowly, her gaze still wary, making him feel guilty for his initial disbelief.
She’d have to cut him some slack. This was an admittedly huge development to comprehend. But one he found fascinating.
“Yes,” she said. “His employer wants me to work for him. He knows what I can do. I
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