“Better, csitri?”
Liv nodded. “It doesn’t burn as much.”
“Are you sleeping at all?”
Charlotte loved the complete focus he gave the child, and more, she loved that the other children clearly were happy with her getting his complete attention. There didn’t seem to be jealousy or any vying for Tariq’s attention.
“A little. I read. Thank you for the iPad. It helps when I can’t sleep. I read the books you put on there for me.”
“Good girl. I do want you to sleep, though, so we’re going to have another healing session. I am going to bring in a counselor, someone for you to talk to . . .”
Liv gasped and shook her head, stepping back. “No. No, Tariq. I don’t want to talk to anyone else. Just you. Only you. I can’t talk about it unless you’re there to make it all go away.”
Charlotte’s heart turned over. Clearly the trauma was very, very bad. The child needed help, but she didn’t think pressuring her was the way to go. She’s terrified, Tariq. Don’t make her go yet. She needs you to be her rock until she can get some relief.
She won’t get relief without talking to a professional.
What happened to her?
Fridrick and his friends happened to her. They had Amelia, Liv and Bella. They were holding them underground and experimenting, torturing them. They weren’t the only ones. One of my friends had been taken prisoner as well. I cannot begin to describe the horror they’ve been through.
Instinctively she knew that was why the children were with him and not in other foster homes. Most likely they would have been separated, and no one else was going to understand what they’d gone through.
How can I help?
“Liv, this is Lourdes’s aunt Charlotte. Like you, she has had a brush with a killer. He took her brother, Lourdes’s father, and a friend. Genevieve”—he indicated Charlotte’s friend—“lost her grandmother and a boyfriend. It isn’t the same, but they know how bad it can be. Charlotte, Genevieve and Lourdes will be staying with us.”
Liv was silent for what seemed a very long moment and then her lashes lifted and she looked Charlotte directly in the eyes. “It’s safe here. He makes it safe.” She stepped closer to Tariq and wrapped her arm around his leg. He can help you sleep, and he’ll help Lourdes. Bella’s nightmares aren’t as bad.”
As Liv circled Tariq’s leg with her arm, Danny and Amelia gasped.
It is the first time she has voluntarily touched me herself. It is a good sign.
Poor baby. You are going to have to tell me exactly what happened to her. My friend Grace actually has studied to be a child psychologist. She chose not to stay, but it’s possible she would come back if I asked.
“But she isn’t eating,” Charlotte said gently, keeping the attention on Liv. She was instantly worried about her. Something in her eyes made Charlotte afraid for her. She was only ten, but she looked as if she’d seen too much and didn’t want to see anything else ever again. “Are you?” Charlotte hadn’t eaten that evening, either, and the thought of food made her stomach churn. She pressed her hand in deep and breathed away the nausea.
Liv looked up at Tariq and then down to the ground, shaking her head. “I can’t. It makes me sick to eat.”
Charlotte’s gaze jumped to Tariq’s. She isn’t going to make it if something isn’t done soon, Tariq. I think she’s contemplating . . .
Throwing herself in the lake. I know. I can read minds, remember?
What are you going to do? Something had to be done to save the child. A hospital? A good doctor might help.
Not for this. When we’re alone, I’ll tell you what happened to her and how I intend to help her. For now, I’m just giving her little boosts. But I need her to eat. She needs to get her strength up. They all do, all four of them. None of them are really eating. I tried to distance them from the memory of what happened, but they’re all resistant, especially Liv.“Sometimes I feel sick when I think about food, too,” Charlotte admitted. “Still, I have to eat in order to be strong and take care of Lourdes. Bella, Amelia and Danny need you to be strong.”
Liv shook her head. “Danny and Amelia can take care of Bella.”
“Not without you,” Amelia said, panic in her voice.
They all knew. Charlotte glanced up at Tariq. These children had a psychic connection. She had gifts. Genevieve did. Tariq did as well. She remembered Emeline telling her about going for testing at a psychic center in the United States with her “sister” Blaze. She was obviously gifted as well.
Tariq nodded, encouraging her to connect the dots.
Is everyone living on this property gifted in some way? Even the older couple? The Waltons?
He nodded again, his eyes cool, watching her. All the while he stroked Liv’s hair, murmuring softly to her. The little girl clung tighter and Bella screeched and tried to get him to take her for a “horsey” ride.
Charlotte looked around again. The property was beautiful, rolling and green, an oasis surrounded by a very high fence. It wasn’t the fence that kept danger out, she was certain of that. At first glance that’s what it appeared, but she was learning to see with more than her eyes. She felt a ripple of power anytime she came close to the fence. She glanced at Tariq again, raising her eyebrow in question.
Safeguards. I’ve placed them all along the lakefront as well so that if Liv or any of the children get too close without someone watching them—and we want eyes on them at all times—then the safeguards come into play and warn them off.
She didn’t altogether understand how that would work. An alarm?
Anyone trying to penetrate the safeguards will run into a shield and yes, we will be alerted.
Around her, Genevieve and Lourdes talked with Danny and Amelia. Liv didn’t look at anyone other than Tariq, with the exception of the occasional quick look at Charlotte. The little girl took a deep breath. “Are you Tariq’s girlfriend?”
Instantly everyone went silent and stared at her. She opened her mouth to answer in the negative. She didn’t really know what she was to him. His lover? What would she call herself?
“In my country, with my people, Charlotte would be called avio päläfertiilam, which means my lifemate. She is more than a girlfriend to me. Much more.” Tariq caught Bella in both hands and swung her expertly to the ground. It was clear he’d done that maneuver more than once.
“Does that mean you like her . . . a lot?” Liv persisted.
“Yes,” Tariq answered.
“If she doesn’t like us, do we have to leave?” That was from Danny, who studiously avoided looking at her.
Charlotte’s breath caught in her throat. They were all worried about losing their home and Tariq, their safety net. Because of her. She shook her head. “First, I like all of you already. Bella has made my Lourdes laugh and be happy again, something I couldn’t do for her. I would never want you to lose your home, nor can I imagine Tariq turning his back on you for a woman. If a woman asked him to do that, she wouldn’t be worth anything to him and I would hope he’d dump her immediately. More, if Tariq told you that you were part of his family and he has given you a place to live under his protection, he would never be anything but loyal to you.”
She knew with every cell in her body that was the truth about the man. She felt things now, especially anything to do with Tariq, as though they were connected; she knew him inside and out. He was a man of his word and he was extremely loyal. She wanted the children to know that much about him because it was clear they needed stability. She intended to ask Tariq a lot of questions.
“Really, Tariq?” Amelia asked for confirmation.
The children still looked as if they were holding their collective breath. Their fear beat at her. Tariq slipped his arm around her waist, still touching Liv, consoling her with one hand stroking caresses in her hair, a soothing action meant to keep her from bolting. He tugged at Charlotte until she was beneath his shoulder, her front tight against his side. Without warning, they were all connected. Tariq to Liv, Tariq to Charlotte, Tariq the conduit between them.
Images arose, so terrible, so disturbing, at first Charlotte didn’t believe they could be real. They were images from a really bad horror film. A monster of a creature crouched over Liv in a small room. There were cages in that room, cages where children were kept, a cage where a man was kept, a man bloody and tortured. Liv lay on the floor, and the thing with blazing red eyes and sharp, serrated teeth tore at her little body, ripping chunks of flesh from her, trying to devour her alive.
It couldn’t have happened. Not for real. Not to that beautiful child with the pale face and bandages everywhere. She hadn’t screamed. Hadn’t cried out. Her older sister was locked in a cage in the other room and if the monster didn’t get Liv, he would go after Amelia. Bella was in another cage close by, but not close enough for the girls to touch. Liv was terrified, and she knew she would be eaten alive, but she refused to scream. She didn’t want the baby to know monsters ate little girls.
The monster’s face was distorted. His skin on one side appeared to have melted and his flesh just sloughed off. One eye hung half in and half out of the socket. What was left of his hair fell in long, dank dreads. He had Liv’s blood smeared all over his mouth and chin. Up this close she could see flesh in his teeth.