Corey took Teri’s icy hands and held them between his own. “She’s too cold. I need to wake her up.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Ruddy said.

  “What?” Xeke said. “Her not freezing? Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.”

  “What? I didn’t mean …”

  Corey tuned out their bickering. He lifted Teri out of the coma he had induced. She sat up and blinked.

  “Why is the truck buried in snow?” she said.

  “Hi, Teri!” Ruddy said. “I’m glad you are awake! We all are. Everything is okay. We decided to stop here for the night.”

  “Why are you talking to me like I’m a two-year-old?” Teri asked.

  “Uh … I was ...”

  “The truck stalled, but everyone’s fine,” Corey said. “We just have to stay warm.”

  “Xeke is going to dig a snow cave!” Ruddy said. “That should keep us warm until the storm passes.”

  “Why can’t we stay in the truck?” Teri said. “It’s pretty well insulated, especially with the snow around it. This way we get residual heat from the engine block too. And there’s probably a dozen ways to use Xeke’s powers to keep us warm. Heat is just molecular motion after all.”

  Xeke raised an eyebrow. “You seem to be feeling better.”

  “Better than what?”

  “Well, after what happened ...”

  “What happened?”

  “Back at the campsite.”

  “What campsite?”

  Corey got a sinking feeling. He met Xeke’s eyes for a second.

  Ruddy stared at Teri. “Uhhh.”

  “We’re glad you’re feeling better, that’s all,” Xeke said. “We were worried about you.”

  “What happened to Ruddy’s clothes?” Teri said.

  “Um ... they were covered in poison ivy, remember?” Ruddy said.

  “No.” Teri’s eyes darted from one face to the next. “What’s going on? Why is everyone looking at me like that?”

  Corey’s thoughts went to the worst possible place, to one of his darkest memories. Alexi, handcuffed to a chair, two DSSA agents questioning her. The pressure from her powers growing, until … he wrenched his mind away from the memory.

  Teri stared at him. Her eyes were wide. “Who’s Alexi?”

  This is bad, Xeke said. Teri doesn’t remember anything that happened.

  Woah, Ruddy said. She’ll hear you.

  No, she won’t. I’ve got a wall up. I’ll be able to tell if she breaks through.

  Are you sure?

  Trust me. I dated a mentalist for years.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  Teri was shaking, and not just from the cold. “Why won’t anyone tell me what’s going on?”

  Xeke held up a hand. “It’s no big deal. You must have been asleep when it happened. There was so much happening ...”

  “You’re lying to me.” Her eyes flickered between them. “You’re all lying to me!”

  Her panic hammered into Xeke. Sweat beaded on his face in spite of the cold.

  The truck was getting smaller by the second. Xeke was trapped. He wanted to lash out—blow the side off the mountain—anything to end this once and for all.

  “Everyone take it easy,” Corey said. His face was pale.

  A chill went through Xeke. He let go of the power he’d seized.

  Shit, he said to Ruddy. I almost lost it and I don’t even know why.

  This is a pretty fucked up situation, Ruddy said.

  I’ve spent years learning to control my anger. And just now … well, you don’t even want to know what I was thinking. Somebody’s messing with our emotions.

  Teri wouldn’t do that! Ruddy said.

  It’s Terry, Xeke said. This is proof she’s tampering with memories. Teri doesn’t even remember you getting covered with poison ivy.

  I don’t know, Ruddy said. She just woke up, and a lot has happened. Maybe she’s confused.

  Dammit, Ruddy, Xeke said. Everyone is falling apart, and Terry is responsible.

  “Why won’t anyone tell me what’s going on?” Teri said. “What did I do?”

  “What’s the last thing you remember?” Corey said.

  “We were on the road … it’s fuzzy.” She swallowed. “I hurt someone, didn’t I?”

  Ruddy flinched.

  “You haven’t hurt anyone,” Corey said. He patted her hand. “We’re all a little wound up. Let’s relax and talk this through.”

  “Why can’t I remember anything? I don’t even know how we got here!” Teri buried her face in Corey’s shoulder. “Why are you all afraid of me? Ruddy? Tell me. I want to know.”

  What do I do? Ruddy said.

  Uh, tell her what happened, Xeke said. Just be careful.

  “It’s nothing. We stopped at a campsite, I got poison ivy all over my clothes, and you fell asleep and had a bad dream. It’s over now.”

  “What campsite?” Teri was still shaking. It was colder now, and the truck seemed even more cramped. Xeke found himself reaching for the door handle and pulled back.

  “Why did we have to leave Penatuka?” Teri sobbed. “Why can’t we live there? What happened? What did I do?”

  Xeke didn’t know what to say. Teri clutched Corey tighter.

  “Fred said you could come back after a while,” Corey said. “There’s no reason why not.”

  “Everybody would be happy to see you,” Xeke said. He smiled. “I know Sean would.”

  “Sean?” Teri said. “Who’s Sean?”

  What. The. Hell, Ruddy said. Xeke! What the hell?

  Ruddy stared at Teri. He could only imagine the look on his face, but he couldn’t force his mouth to close.

  I told you, Xeke said. Terry is erasing memories.

  Teri pulled away from Corey, and pushed herself up against the opposite side of the back seat.

  No way, Ruddy said. She wouldn’t do that. But the cold feeling in his gut grew.

  Teri huddled into a ball and sobbed.

  She did it. Xeke’s rage hit Ruddy like a kick in the teeth. Think about it. Terry is jealous of Sean. She’s jealous of us. She’s afraid of anyone who gets close. She wants to destroy anyone who cares.

  But ... Ruddy’s face got hot. Son of a bitch. You’re right, she did. She lied to us. He looked around the truck, waiting for Terry to appear.

  Teri’s body shook as she cried. Corey’s face was white as a sheet. His lips moved, but no words came out.

  Ruddy clenched his fists around the steering wheel. It creaked. Xeke was right. This was Terry’s doing. He’d defended her, and she’d been lying to him the whole time.

  It was time to get rid of her. Whatever it took. A little voice in his head begged him to calm down, but the rage burned it away.

  The frame of the truck groaned as Xeke’s power gathered. Cracks spidered up through all the windows.

  Veins stood out on Ruddy’s silver arms. We’re on to you now, Terry. No more lies. Come out and face us, you bitch.

  Teri was crying so hard she could barely breathe.

  Please. Terry’s voice sounded distant. Stop! This is what she wants. You’re making her stronger …

  Fuck you, Xeke said. We’re done with you.

  Ruddy’s head throbbed. He could see red spots dancing at the edge of his vision. His silver hand formed into a dagger, like the one he’d used to kill General Hines …

  General Hines. The scene replayed in Ruddy’s mind. He saw the light of life fading from Hines’ eyes as he slid off the blade and fell over his desk.

  The fog cleared. Rage turned to shame.

  This is wrong, Ruddy said. Something’s wrong with us. We’re being controlled.

  Yes! It’s Terry!

  No, I don’t think it is. Stop for a second and ...

  I’m done thinking, Xeke said. We’ve been thinking about this for weeks while that bitch has been destroying everything. Goddammit, she erased Sean! Is she going to erase us?

  A tree splintered outside the truck. If you take someone’s memories, you take their soul, Xeke said. It’s murder. She’s a murderer ...

  Teri screamed.