The Corners: A Psychic Paranormal Romance (Building the Circle Book 4) Read online

  The Corners

  Building the Circle: Book 4

  Maggie M Lily

  Copyright © 2020 Maggie M Lily

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, events, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Certain long-standing institutions, agencies, and public offices are mentioned, but the characters and situations involved are wholly imaginary.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  The cover image for this novel was created through Canva.com. The beautiful people pictured are models, and are in no way associated with the characters in this fictional novel.

  Printed in the United States of America

  Thank you, Julie, for your sage advice and guidance on everything from character names to cover images.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Prologue

  July

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  August

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  September

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Building the Circle

  Reviving Passion

  Thanks for reading!

  Prologue

  Wednesday night, Ellie Hapner sat bolt upright in bed, head pounding with energy.

  Too much energy.

  Matilda had too much energy.

  Getting her bearings, Ellie realized it wasn't just too much energy. Matilda had a disastrous amount of energy.

  "CHARLIE!"

  "Uh?"

  "Charlie, wake up!"

  "Time is it?" Charlie muttered.

  "3:13 a.m. WAKE UP!"

  Charlie groaned. "Ells, wha-? Oh. Whoa. Ugh. Are you going to be sick? I might be sick. Have you heard from Matty?"

  "She texted last night, saying they were in Dallas for a family thing," Ellie snapped.

  "I'm sure she's fine, Ellie."

  "How are you sure of that? I'm not sure of that. This is a 'gone nuclear' level of energy, Charlie."

  "Maybe call Eric? He might know more."

  "Charlie, Gay Boy never knows more than me. Give it up. Why are you placating?"

  "Because I can't think straight. Now that I'm awake, my skin is trying to fly off my body," Charlie muttered, scratching his arms as he tumbled out of bed. "I need to run."

  "I'm calling her."

  Charlie's eyebrows shot up. "What will you say if she answers? 'Hey Matty, just calling to make sure no one sucked away your life.' Something like that? What will you do if she doesn't answer?"

  "Anyone could have sent that text, Charlie. If she doesn't answer... I don't know. I'll call Jake. If she answers, I'll tell her I had a nasty dream or something. I don't know," Ellie snapped, diving for her phone.

  "Here's an idea: Let's sit her down and explain. That way, she knows," Charlie said, heavy on the snark. This was a long-standing point of contention for Charles and Eleanor.

  "Charlie, again. I told you. I tried that in college. Often. She looked at me like I was nuts, shit was awkward. Let's not go back to that. She'll figure it out. Creepy fucking Sam will figure his shit out."

  "Again Ells, if we talk to her together, I can show-"

  "Charlie, we can't show-and-tell; she's not here. FUCK. She's not answering. Something bad is happening. I know something bad is happening."

  "Ellie, calm down. Call Jake."

  "Jake's not answering either," Ellie panted, waiting for the tone to leave a voice mail. "FUCK A DUCK! Call me back, Jacob!"

  Ellie started pacing the bedroom.

  "I can't believe you left that voicemail. I love you so much. I'm going for a run. Call Eric. I'll be back in 20 minutes."

  #

  Miranda tip-toed out of the guest bathroom on silent feet, stepping past the master bedroom where her husband slept. Out of range of Lawrence, she took a deep, calming breath.

  The fern in the front foyer needed water; the cactus in the kitchen window needed to be rotated. Otherwise, the house was peaceful.

  On the back porch, Miranda smiled, basking in the bright, hot July morning sun. It felt glorious after the artificial air conditioning.

  The damp grass in her small backyard was cool underfoot. She didn't sit. Lawrence would be mad if he found her sitting in the grass again. But she wiggled the toes on her bare feet and said good morning to the earth beneath her.

  This was Miranda's favorite part of the day. The house was quiet. The anxiety and loneliness that plagued her were absent, leaving calm contentment in their place. She could sense the earth and its joy at her presence. Gravity gently pulled at her, making her safe.

  As she did every morning, she searched through the world for her loved ones. Her parents were still asleep in their house. Her brother was at the office while his wife lay in bed.

  At last, Miranda searched for her older sister. Finding Matilda was always a challenge. She lived in a high-rise, far removed from contact with the earth.

  But this morning, Matilda was on a ground-floor, somewhere in the southern United States for the second day in a row.

  Matty didn't mention traveling. I wonder if we're still getting together on Friday. I'll call her later, Miranda decided.

  With the check on her loved ones complete, Miranda focused on the earth around her. There was an animal den in the park across the street. Maybe bunnies. She'd watch for the park caretaker before he mowed the grass.

  Her planter box garden was doing well. If it didn't rain in the next day or two, she'd water the soil. The roses in the front—.

  "MIRANDA!" Lawrence bellowed from the kitchen.

  #

  "Linda," a voice called. "Linnnndaaaa. It's time to wake up."

  It was a happy dream. As a little girl, maybe five years old, she was visiting her mother's older sister. They sat around a bonfire and ate toasted marshmallows on long sticks.

  As she swam back to wakefulness, Linda wasn't sure if it was a dream or a memory. The warm fire was bright, though. Peace washed over her from the remembered sensations.

  She never got the chance to take Ree camping. Lucy would show him how
to toast marshmallows. Lucy would love Ree and keep him safe. Thank God for Lucy.

  Linda resigned herself to never seeing her son again. Still, she trusted Ree's life would be as joyful as possible with her best friend and adopted sister. Ree would have a better childhood than Linda or Lucy.

  We had each other when no one else wanted us, though. We made our way together. If that's not family, I don't know what is.

  Mental force slammed against Linda's brain while she was adrift in sleepy reflection. Sometimes, if they caught her at just the right moment, her mind was open enough to take before she was alert enough to fight. Today wasn't one of those days.

  "Why do you keep fighting?" he asked. "You'll lose. You'll get tired and be forced to let go. We all know it'll happen. Just let me help. We can let you out of the cage, Linda."

  "Fuck you," she breathed.

  "No, I want to understand. Why are you fighting this?" His voice sounded concerned. Compassionate.

  This one always pretended to care. He asked questions, concerned for Linda's wellbeing. It made the violent invasion of her mind that much worse. She didn't bother answering. She wouldn't allow a mental binding to persist.

  "Linda, why? You don't need to stay in this basement. Just let me bind with you. Accept it. Binding to me is better than David. You can get out of the cage. I hate seeing you like this. Please stop suffering this way. Let the binding hold. Let it be. There's no use to this, no point to it," he pleaded.

  She spit in his face. His mental attack flinched back in surprise and revulsion.

  "That was uncalled for," he said, voice frosty.

  She smiled, mental walls now firmly in place, ready for a siege.

  "Why? Why are you doing this to yourself?" he demanded.

  Linda's smile turned towards a grimace as the pressure built behind her eyes. "I'm hoping you fuck up and kill me by accident. You can't take my bindings, John."

  #

  "What a weird fucking week," Jake groaned, dragging himself toward wakefulness. Matilda was still asleep, resting against him in a booth. Trellis siblings and significant others slumbered in clumps and clusters throughout Clyde and Ava's restaurant.

  "It's only Wednesday, man," Will murmured from the booth behind him. "Your head going to explode?"

  "Yup. And not from the whiskey. Everyone else still out?" Jake whispered.

  "Hennessy was awake an hour ago, then crashed again. Any idea what time it is? I can't see the bar clock from this angle, and my phone's in my pocket," Will muttered.

  "You been sittin' on your phone all fucking night? It's 5:42 a.m." Jake's chuckle was quiet as he noticed missed calls from Ellie.

  "Who am I going to call? Everyone I talk to is here. I didn't want to shuffle around and wake Pip. Sun's coming up. Can you feel it?"

  There was a pause. "Yeah. Yeah, I can. Will, why can I feel the sun coming up?" Jake asked, just a hint of worry to his voice.

  "No idea, man. Can feel gravity pulling on me, too, if I think about it."

  "Holy. Fuck."

  July

  Chapter One

  Adaline giggled. "Quit touching! It tickles when they move."

  "I know. That's why I keep touching them," Sam laughed, running his fingers over the wildflower garden marked on Addy's back. Without his touch, the markings looked like a typical tattoo. But, as Sam's fingers drifted across her skin, the flowers swayed, caught in a light breeze.

  The Walker and Mistress Life stood in a patch of tall grass in the middle of their clearing outside of Dallas, surrounded by blooming plants and scurrying creatures. The scent of fresh flowers and damp earth mingled with the energy of love, uplifting all life within the vibrant space.

  "We should go back to the restaurant. See how everyone is doing," Addy offered reluctantly.

  "When the wildflowers sway, is it time for sex?"

  "Isn't it always time for sex?" Adaline asked.

  "You can read my mind!"

  "Children, now is not the time for sex," Evelyn chuckled from the perimeter of the clearing, just past the tree line. "It's sunrise. It's time to talk."

  "Boo," James chided her. "They're good kids. They did what we wanted them to do. We can come back later."

  Evelyn rolled her eyes while they walked toward the center of the clearing to be closer to Samuel and Adaline. "They weren't thinking sexy thoughts. We should talk to them before they go back to everyone else."

  Evelyn ran her fingers through the wild grass, inhaling deeply, a slight smile reflecting in her violet eyes.

  James heaved a put-upon sigh, untouched by the loving energy around him. "Fine. How do you feel, Sam? Why are you glaring at me?"

  "Did you know about the cold?" Sam demanded. "I knew it would do something. But not that."

  "What cold? What happened?" Watching Evelyn revel in the positive energy amused James.

  Sam continued to glare.

  "We've discussed this. You're better at Walking than me," James said, flippant, still watching Evelyn. "What happened? I didn't look. I couldn't see you taking the name, so there was no point in looking."

  "After we took the names, the cold took Adaline." Sam's voice vibrated with anger. "You could have warned me about that! It could have hurt her... more than it did."

  "What the fuck are you talking about? What cold?" James grunted, now paying full attention.

  Sam glared harder. "The cold. The emotional distance. The coldness. When Walking."

  Evelyn's voice was full of wonder. "The indifference? Adaline got whacked with indifference? What was that like?"

  "I didn't feel anything. I-I tried to take his power," Addy stammered, eyes filling with tears.

  James snorted, looking at Sam. "That's interesting. You're still tightly bound in accordance. How did you keep your energy and keep the accordance?"

  "I took her through time with me. It hurt her. Why didn't you warn us?" Sam snapped.

  "Took her through time? You shared the thoughts with her?" James asked.

  "No, I took her through time. I took her with me," Sam clarified, confused by James's confusion.

  James's face dropped into a grumpy scowl. "I don't know what that means, Sam."

  "I took her with me. Like I brought Matilda back with me when she fell into time."

  Evelyn's mouth dropped open. "Lady Light fell into time?"

  "You pulled Adaline through time? Not just sharing the thoughts, but pulled her with you in time?" James ran a hand through his hair, bewildered.

  "Yes. You should have warned us, James! It hurt her. I didn't realize the cold was part of the energy that could be shared. I wasn't paying attention to it while I was waking up!" Sam yelled.

  "Uh, I didn't know, Sam," James soothed.

  "You two are in uncharted territory on the accordance front. Anyway, don't be afraid of the indifference. 'The cold.' So dramatic. It's an emotional switch. It serves a purpose. Use it to maintain sanity." James was moving away from Evelyn as he spoke, trying to be inconspicuous about getting out of arm's reach.

  Evelyn's body posture screamed of unhappiness, shoulders ridged with anger in the middle of the love clearing. "James," she warned.

  "That's not what we're here about," James blurted. "How do you feel?"

  "Too much energy," Adaline murmured.

  Evelyn nodded in understanding. "I can feel the energy radiating from you both. It's gigantic. We didn't know it would do that."

  Sam's face was a question mark.

  "The accordance you two have is absurd," James scrunched up his face in disgust. "Do you share brain space now? Yeesh. Anyway, don't worry about it, Adaline. It changes. It'll shrink as you two get less lovey-dovey."

  Evelyn scowled at James again. "Stop that! I don't want them to be less lovey-dovey. They're adorable like this. Quit saying that shit. There's too much rampant energy here. You'll fuck it up!"

  Sam's lips quirked at the corners.

  "Don't look at me like that, Samuel," Evelyn shared her scowl with both men. "We did
n't do this phase-"

  "Oh, yes, we did!" James argued, offended.

  "No, we didn't. We had a lustful decade of rampant sex," Evelyn corrected. "Then, we got bored and became more like snarky siblings."

  "We didn't get bored. You tried to kill me," James mumbled.

  "You started it. Don't be a jackass. You picked a fight and lost. Not my fault," Evelyn shot back. "Anyway. Yeah, there's a lot of shared power. It'll settle down once you use it. What's with the flower garden and the compass markings? Are they part of the accordance?"

  Sam shook his head. "We planned to ask you. You're Mother Life and Father Time now. You're supposed to know things."

  Evelyn glowered at him.

  "It doesn't feel like the accordance mark. It moves like the accordance, but it feels different," Adaline added.

  "We didn't have that, even when I allowed accordance. Josiah and Madrid didn't, either," Evelyn shrugged. "Sometimes the energy does interesting things on its own. Other than the power overload, you feel okay? Reasonably like yourselves?"

  "Who else would we feel like?" Adaline's face furrowed in confusion.

  "Oh," Samuel said, gaze unfocused.

  "Did he just-?" Evelyn stammered.

  "Yeah," James laughed. "He did."

  Sam's voice was distant. "I understand. I see them. No, that didn't happen to us, Evelyn, we're fine."

  Adaline looked at Sam. He shrugged.

  "There was a pair before James and Evelyn, who didn't transition well. She lost control and started the Black Death. We're fine. Still us."

  James's gaze turned suspicious. "You'd say that even if you weren't fine, though. If you were out of control, would you know it?"

  Still staring at Sam, Evelyn smacked James. "Stop it."

  There was a lengthy pause. Sam eventually broke it. "Why are you staring at me?"

  "She's scared," Adaline whispered. "She fears you. Fears us."

  "I told her we use time differently. She's never seen it before," James grinned. "She'll be fine."

  Sam's brow furrowed in concern. "I didn't mean to scare you, Evelyn. It's fine. I'm still me."

  James let out a quiet, mocking chuckle. "At some point, we'll Walk together, so you understand. I don't step in and out of it like that. It's difficult for me to use time. I don't pinpoint focus. But Josiah taught me how to do it, and he was terrible at it. There were benefits to leaving you both to play with your energy on your own, without our guidance."