“Perhaps,” Dunn said. “But as we’ve discussed, the specific manifestation of your psychic ability isn’t important at this juncture. Your first year is about developing correct meditation practices and enhancing your ability to connect with others.”
Dunn further explained that the ability to perform this skill was crucial to passing the midyear exam. The reminder ruined Teddy’s state of mental calm. If Boyd didn’t get her for trespassing in the lab, she could be out by December anyway.
Dunn directed the recruits into two rows. “Look to your left,” he said. “That’s your partner for this exercise.”
Teddy tried to catch Molly’s eye, beside her. But Molly fixed her gaze on her meditation mat.
“I’ll project instructions first,” Teddy said. “You receive.”
Molly nodded.
“And we need to talk about last night,” Teddy said.
“Not here,” Molly said.
Teddy looked around, lowered her voice, and spoke quickly. “What were you doing on that computer? Do you think someone lifted the vials before or after we left? We can tell Clint that we were in the lab for those twenty minutes, but we have alibis for the rest of the night. He won’t be happy that we broke in, but we didn’t steal anything.”
Molly, if possible, looked even paler than usual, eyes even larger, circles underneath even darker. “I don’t need an alibi, Teddy, because I won’t be telling anyone I was there.”
Teddy tensed. “Nick knows we were there last night; he stopped me.”
“No one stopped me. Anyway, I don’t even know Nick.”
“Nick. Nick Stavros,” Teddy said, exasperated. “The new FBI liaison.”
Molly shushed Teddy. “Keep it down. Maybe we should just focus on the exercise. I don’t want to fall behind.”
“Listen, I’ve learned the hard way that lying to Clint doesn’t work.” Molly wasn’t thinking straight. Surely it was better to admit they’d been sneaking time on the Internet than to get expelled for stealing the samples. “Does this have something to do with what you were doing on the computer?”
Molly was logical. She wouldn’t risk losing her place at Whitfield again. They’d survive this class, and they’d talk through a plan once everyone had the chance to cool off. Teddy tried to let go of her frustration. She glanced around the room, considering her options for their assignment. Once she’d decided on an appropriate goal—asking Molly to sit on a chair near the window—Teddy said, “Fine, we’ll just focus on the exercise. What channel? Three again?”
“Sure,” Molly said.
First Teddy lowered her wall. She wouldn’t be able to connect with Molly without disarming her mental defense. She watched her electric barrier fade in her mind, then pictured the small yellow radio, imagined turning the dial to channel three, until she heard Molly’s voice.
Come in? Over, Teddy telegraphed, jokingly.
“I hear you, Teddy,” Molly said.
At least they’d gotten this far. Teddy took a deep breath, refocusing on her directive.
Please go sit in the chair by the window.
There was no response. Teddy tried again. And again.
Window. Chair. Sit.
She felt the rough brush of sand. In her mind’s eye, the walkie-talkie faded away, and Teddy saw endless dunes of gold. Molly’s wall? Teddy opened her eyes and looked at Molly, stunned to see a film of sweat glistening on her forehead and her features fixed in an expression of intense mental strain. Molly was actively blocking her—why? Just because she was pissed?
Teddy closed her eyes again, refocusing on the landscape of Molly’s mind. Inside, the wall of sand had only grown higher. Teddy pushed her mind against it, searching for a weak spot. She imagined a gust of wind reshaping the edges of the dune, like the first time she’d broken through Molly’s defense, but grit clouded her vision. Next, she visualized a tidal wave washing the sand away in a sweep. The dune began to collapse. Teddy heard Molly gasp as a score of images rushed forward. Teddy tried to hold on to the few she could: the boat. Jeremy holding his doctor’s bag. Molly in her nurse’s costume. Jeremy leaning forward as if to kiss her—
“Stop it!”
Teddy’s head snapped back as though she’d been struck. The connection shattered. She opened her eyes.
“Don’t do that!” Molly shrieked. “I didn’t give you permission to enter my mind like that!”
Teddy hadn’t intended to enter Molly’s mind. She’d just been trying to complete Dunn’s exercise. She’d pushed her way through only when Molly had blocked her. But now hardly seemed like the time to point that out. Not when Molly was clearly upset and the rest of the class was staring at them.
“You can’t keep doing that! It’s why no one ever volunteers to pair up with you!” Molly’s eyes grew wide as she realized what she’d said. “Excuse me, Professor Dunn, I’m not myself. I think I need to go to the infirmary.” Without another word, she pivoted and raced out of the classroom, letting the door slam behind her.
Teddy rocked back. She hadn’t meant to do it; she just couldn’t stop herself. Aware of the heavy silence that filled the room, she looked up to find the other recruits’ expressions displaying varying degrees of sympathy and satisfaction. But no one—not even Jillian—rushed to deny what Molly had said.
“You crossed a line,” Jeremy said. “Again.”
Teddy flushed with anger. She wanted to blame Clint. He’d promised her that they would work to control her gift. But the only thing they’d done so far was work on her stupid wall. Mustering as much dignity as she could, she lifted her chin and left the room without looking back.
She needed to talk to Clint now. She wanted to get ahead of the situation—both of them, actually: the trespassing in Eversley’s office, and this morning, in Molly’s mind. The others would forgive her—Jillian and Dara and Pyro and Jeremy would, at least. Molly? Teddy wasn’t so sure.
* * *
Teddy’s racing thoughts carried her through Fort McDowell and up the two flights of stairs to Clint’s office. She heard voices inside.
“How many samples were stolen?” Clint’s voice boomed.
“Three.” Nick. She shouldn’t have been surprised that they would be
