Possessed Read online

  Possessed

  Thayer King

  Copyright © June 2013, Thayer King

  Cover art by Mina Carter © June 2013

  ISBN: 978-1-939151-33-9

  This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or used fictitiously. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.

  Sugar and Spice Press

  North Carolina, USA

  www.sugarnspicepress.com

  Prologue

  How had it come to this? Keva’s body shuddered as he settled over her, his slim hips slipping between her thighs, the long curtain of his raven curls sliding like silk over her sensitized skin. His full, sensual lips glistened with her dew, and he smelled of her. He buried his face in her neck as he fitted his cock to her opening. The possession was a pleasurable burn as he rocked back and forth until she’d taken him to the hilt. His deep groan filled her with need even as he began to work her. Lacing his thicker fingers with hers, he began to saw his considerable length in and out of her body. Her delicate tissues parted, no barrier as he stroked through her walls. Keva felt herself losing control, and she couldn’t believe it. Her hips lifted into his possession of their own accord.

  This was never supposed to happen. She didn’t handle clients this way. The day had started out as usual, if perhaps a little dull. And then she’d responded to an emergency call for the need of a Channel for a psychic in desperate need of help.

  Chapter One

  Keva Lane scanned the article in the New Psychic Journal concerning the emergence of new procedures to diagnose special abilities in individuals as young as ten. The current protocol was to wait until seventeen, though, if parental permission was denied, as it often was, testing did not occur until eighteen. No parent wanted to find out that their offspring was a mutant. She hated that word and the stigma associated with it. Psychics were not mutants.

  She put aside the research journal. She liked to keep on top of the latest research despite the fact that she would never be one of the doctors here at the Nevada branch of the Institute of Parapsychology, IOP for short. Her value was not in the information her brain could store but in the way it could process the powers for the psychics that filed through the facility for treatment. She was a Channel and a damned fine one.

  Psychics, while given equal rights, were still persecuted and mistrusted to a certain degree. They were encouraged to use their abilities at home and, if at all possible, to hide their talents. This worked fine for those of lesser talents, but those with more experienced talents developed a painful buildup of untapped psychic energy. And when that happened, they needed a Channel to absorb those powers and then disperse them. Channels had no ability to hold the powers they absorbed. Within minutes of a session with a psychic, she could feel the energies pouring back out of her body. It was as though it sweated out of her pores. She had only seconds to appreciate the beauty of what it was to see the world through the eyes of a psychic.

  There wasn’t a lot of glamour involved in being a Channel. Channels had no problem blending in with society. The most backlash Keva received was from her own family. They didn’t know why she wanted to work with freaks. No matter how many times she told them that psychics were not dangerous, they refused to listen. They didn’t understand the importance of her work. Every phone call with her mother always ended in a plea for her to come home to North Carolina and get a normal job.

  Her family wasn’t the only peopleOthers outside her family also seemed to have difficulty accepting that this is what she wanted to do with her life. The last two men she’d dated had both had problems with her work. It was true that if a psychic was attracted to their Channel, there could be some arousal during the connection. But it was a small charge and certainly nothing a Channel would act on. And it wasn’t like they were left alone during the procedure. There was always a doctor present and usually with a student resident or two in tow.

  Keva glanced up when she heard footsteps coming down the corridor. Amy, another Channel, bustled into their shared office and sat at her desk. “Morning, Keva.” She wiggled her mouse and began clicking.

  “Morning, Amy.”

  “I just had a wow session with a jerk with an astounding talent for telekinesis. For a solid minute after we disconnected I could move shit with my mind! It was amazing!”

  “A minute! Wow, he must have been really powerful.”

  Amy bobbed her head and the bun on the top of her head wobbled. Her thick, black hair was held aloft by jeweled chopsticks. Amy flashed a grin. “The rush was the best I’ve had this week.” She began rapidly typing. After each session, they were required to log extensive notes about their experience. Channels were an invaluable tool for scientists to learn more about the minds of psychics.

  Keva checked her appointments for any last-minute changes. Scheduling was done entirely on the computer. No one would tell her if there had been any alterations. She would only be alerted in the case of an emergency. It was her responsibility to keep on top of her schedule. She had a light load today. Just a couple midlevel clients, twins, both of them clairvoyants. She had worked with them a number of times. The lack of appointments didn’t mean she wouldn’t end up dealing with last-minute walk-ins or emergencies. Some psychics were mistrustful of the IOP and refused to come in for treatment until they had no other options. But, in the meanwhile, she would enjoy the free time. Keva reached into the lower drawer of her desk and pulled out her copy of Pride and Prejudice.

  Dean, their other office mate, strolled in half an hour later. “Ladies,” he said before flopping into his desk chair. He began typing furiously using only his thumbs and pointer fingers in a surprisingly efficient hunt-and-peck method.

  The office was a square just large enough for the three of them and a couch they kept by the door. Dean and Amy’s desks were on opposite sides of the room facing each other. Keva was lucky to have the spot opposite the door and in front of the window. She had an excellent view of the desert sand that surrounded the IOP. The building was isolated for miles in any given direction.

  At the appointed time, she met with the twins, Rafaella and Rafael. Working with Rafaella was a breeze. She was the stronger of the two, and she appreciated the help. Rafael was mistrustful and came more to support his sister than out of any real need for the assistance of a Channel. She returned to her office after the appointment. She had just completed her notes when Dr. Larsen stuck his head around the corner. “Are you free?” Both Amy and Dean were with clients.

  Keva nodded. “What’s up?”

  “Last-minute drop-in.”

  She picked up her tablet computer and followed Dr. Larsen to an examination room. “What type of talent are we dealing with?”

  “Clairvoyance from the description of her symptoms. She’s uncharted and untested.” Which meant they weren’t positive what her ability was or the strength of her talent.

  “What’s her name?”

  “Emily McKethan. She’s nineteen.”

  Keva paused before the examination room and entered the client’s information into her tablet. The information would automatically sync with her office PC.

  Emily was already seated in one of the comfortable chairs they would use during the procedure. She had short, spiky blond hair, the tips of which were dyed bright orange. Her ears were covered in earrings from the lobe to the top. She jingled when she moved from the multiple bracelets she wore on her slender wrists. Currently, she was in constant motion. She had one foot balanced on the knee of her other leg. Her leg bounced up and down rapidly. She ran a hand up her bare arm, and Keva could feel the psychic energy crackle in the air.

  Keva sat in the chair opposite her and placed her tablet aside. No one
liked to feel that they were the lab rat in a scientific study, and she tried to make sure that her clients never felt that way. She held out her hand to the young lady. “Hello, Emily. I’m Keva. I’ll be your Channel for today.” Dr. Larsen sat in a chair off to the side and tried to be as unobtrusive as possible.

  “Hi.” She nodded but did not reach out to shake her hand. “Sorry, I’m too sensitive for handshakes right now.”

  Keva nodded. “Do you only get readings from people, or can you get them from objects also?”

  “Both. Usually it’s manageable, but lately it’s unbearable.”

  “Have you been using your ability at home as much as possible?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay, we’re going to have to hold hands to do this. Don’t worry. You won’t get a reading off me. Channels are like voids. We absorb your energy.”

  “You won’t take it completely away? I mean, I don’t want to lose my power.” She picked at the frayed knees of her jeans. “It’s been crazy lately, but I…I like it. It’s what makes me different. You know?”

  Keva smiled and nodded. “I understand. I can’t take your power. Only the excess flows into me.”

  “Will I need to do this again?”

  “Yes, but you probably won’t need to come back for a few months. Your talents may be growing as you age. If you learn to manage it better, you may not need to come here again.”

  Emily took a deep breath. “Okay. What do we do?”

  Keva extended her hands, palms up. “Take my hands and simply let go. You probably don’t realize it, but you’re probably always holding your powers in check. Let go, and I will take care of everything else.”

  Emily nodded but she paused, her hands hovering over Keva’s. Her dark brown eyes locked on Keva’s as they finally made contact. The connection opened in an instant. Tendrils of energy washed over her. It started in her palms and ran delicately through her body like a winding stream. She felt the universe expanding around her. Emily’s eyes glowed a lighter brown for a second and then it was all over. They broke contact.

  Keva lowered her hands onto the armrests. Amy sat in this chair last. She’d been attracted to her client even before they’d established the connection. Before that it was Ryan, one of the Channels in the office to their left. And then the universe shrank down to its normal size and she couldn’t see any more. Emily’s powers left her, dissipating out into the ether.

  Emily ran her hands over her face. “Oh.” She sighed and then she laughed. “Thank you. That is so much better.”

  Keva smiled. “I’m glad.” She stood and picked up her tablet. “It was nice meeting you. Dr. Larsen will escort you out.” She hurried back to the office to enter her notes. Emily was definitely a clairvoyant. Based on what she’d felt during the connection, Keva estimated her to be a lower-level talent. They graded psychics from A to D, C being the lowest they ever saw here because the abilities of D level talents were so negligible some of them didn’t even know they were psychic. A D level could go through life simply believing that they were lucky, always at the right place at the right time, or constantly just skirting disaster without ever recognizing that an inner ability was guiding them. Level-A psychics knew what they were and fought a constant battle to appear normal.

  She would judge Emily to be a C who was beginning to migrate up to a level B. If Emily returned, the doctors would demand that she be tested.

  Amy and Dean migrated back in and out. It was almost five on a Friday. Some of her friends were talking about driving into Vegas for the weekend, but she wasn’t interested. She hated the sound of the machines in the casino. It was overwhelming. She’d much rather have a quiet weekend at home with a book.

  She was pulling her purse out of her drawer when the office phone rang. It was a rare occurrence, and it usually signaled an emergency. Keva sighed. She was the only one available again. “Hello?”

  “Keva? This is Jen in scheduling. I know it’s a lot to ask but we’ve got a call in for a Channel. You’re going to have to drive out for this one. Level A is the estimate.”

  “Why aren’t they coming in?”

  “They can’t get him to come in.”

  “Are you sure he wants a Channel?”

  “He’s in a lot of pain according to his friends. He’s going to need you.”

  “All right. Send the address to my tablet.” Keva grabbed up her tablet. She’d log her notes at home. She waved good-bye to the receptionist on their floor as she entered the elevator to go downstairs to the basement garage. The garage was cool and dark despite the track lighting above. Her Prius was parked near the elevator doors. She put all her stuff in the passenger side before climbing into the driver’s seat. Waiting until the air was pumping, she checked the tablet to see if Jen had sent her the address.

  Keva swore when she saw it. The house was off in the fucking mountains. It would be dark before she got there. Just her damn luck.

  She exited the garage. It was about a mile to the outer guard gate. The sun blazed down on the dark blue roof of her car. She slowed as she approached the chain-link fence. An armed guard checked her ID before she was allowed to drive out. Many people thought that the gates and the security were to keep people inside. The opposite was actually true. The security measures were to protect the employees and the psychics from those who objected to their work and felt that the psychics were genetic freaks.

  Keva popped in a CD and let the GPS guide her to her destination.

  Chapter Two

  Several hours later Keva pulled up in front of the two-story cabin. There was an SUV and a truck in the driveway. Grabbing her tablet and her phone, she got out and approached the front door. It swung open before she had the chance to knock. “Hello, I’m—”

  “Keva. You’re from IOP.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “They told you I was coming?” They didn’t usually give out names.

  The man stepped back into the light. He was tall with light brown hair and green eyes. Scratching his thin beard nervously, he said, “No. It’s a thing.”

  “Ah.” She nodded. She didn’t sense any energy coming off him. So, though he was obviously psychic, he wasn’t her client. She’d judge his level to be slightly above D. She stepped inside. Another man, this one with dark hair and brown eyes sat on a couch. The television was on but the sound was muted. He stood when she entered. “Hello.”

  “Hello.” He held out his hand. “I’m Mike, and that is Ken.”

  Keva shook his hand. Like the first man, Mike exhibited no extraneous psychic energy. “So, where is my client?”

  “He’s in the bedroom. But we should talk first.” Mike sat back down. Ken joined him on the sofa, so Keva took a seat, also.

  She placed her tablet on the coffee table in front of her. “So do you know what type of talent he is?”

  Both men shook their heads. “He’s strong as a son of a bitch, though,” Ken offered. “We’ve tried all we could to convince him to go in for help.” He broke off as thunder sounded. “Shit,” he swore under his breath.

  “His name’s Sebastian Michaels,” Mike said. He leaned forward. “We’ve been friends since high school. He’s always been good at hiding it, but the last year, it’s gotten worse. I don’t think he’s been letting it out. It’s so bad, even I can see it.” Thunder rumbled again and both men tensed.

  Keva frowned. She didn’t recall hearing anything about storms in the forecast, but then when she’d checked the weather, she hadn’t been in this area. “Are the storms here bad?”

  “No,” Ken replied.

  Then why did the two of them seem on edge each time the thunder sounded? She shrugged aside her confusion. She wasn’t here for the two of them. “Where is Sebastian?”

  Mike nodded toward a closed door upstairs. “The bedroom.”

  “And you’re sure you don’t know what his talent is? You’ve known him since high school. How could you not know?”

  “He’s never said. His parents disowned him
when he couldn’t hide it from them anymore. He was sixteen.” The sky outside the windows lit up. “Shit. He’s listening to us.”

  Keva’s eyes widened. She pointed to the window. “He’s doing that?”

  Mike nodded, his expression grim. “He’s losing control.”

  “Weather? He can make weather?” What the hell did she classify that as?

  Ken shook his head. “We don’t think so. He doesn’t usually. He’s never been like this.”

  “He’s not dangerous, is he?” Both men shook their heads, but she was unsure. She’d never heard of any psychic being able to affect weather with their moods. She should get back in her Prius and drive out of here. But she couldn’t do that with a clear conscience if she didn’t at least see him first. “All right. I’ll talk to him.” She stood on unsteady legs.

  “I’d better come with you,” Mike volunteered.

  Keva held up a hand. “No need. He probably already knows I’m here.” She climbed the stairs. She knocked on the door and received no answer. She glanced back over the banister at Mike and Ken.

  “Go on in,” Ken said. “He hasn’t been responding to us either.”

  She opened the door. The first thing to gain her attention was the strange lighting. It was a weird, flickering blue that didn’t reach the corners of the bedroom. A glance at the ceiling showed her that it was not the overhead light. She found a switch by the door and flicked it on.

  A groan emanated from her right. A man wearing only briefs stood with his hands braced on the bureau. His body was hard and muscled, his shoulders broad, his waist narrow. Even hunched over as he was, Keva could tell that he was very tall. His thighs and legs looked as though they could have been carved from wood, their perfection was so complete. Keva gasped. His skin glowed blue. The light ebbed and flowed, burning brighter and then dulling in cycles. She’d never seen such a physical manifestation of psychic power. She’d always been able to feel it, sense it, but it had never been visible.