I focus all my mind power on feeling Duke’s energy; he’s right across the street. I can do this. I picture pushing the words I’m at Bobby’s. Help toward him … into him. The words seem to tumble around in my brain just like they did sometimes when I practiced, when Duke would look at me and say, “Are you even trying?”
“I’m trying,” I say through my teeth.
Bobby turns toward me. “Good. You’re finally on board?”
“I hate you.”
“Strong feelings help enhance your ability. Work with those.”
I take a deep breath and try to relax. He’s not going to manipulate me. Someone help me. As if in answer to my call, there’s a pounding at the front door and then Laila’s voice. “Bobby, open up. I know Addie is in there and I have to talk to her. Addie, please don’t be mad at me. Just let me in.”
Bobby smiles. “Poor Laila. She thinks you’ve barricaded yourself in my house out of anger.”
I open my mouth to answer, but I can’t. Bobby is constricting my voice. So I narrow my eyes at him, wishing I had the power to shoot darts out of them instead of having my useless power. There’s more banging. Help me, I scream in my mind. From the back of the house there is a loud clatter, and Bobby’s face registers shock for a moment.
“Addie!” Duke’s voice is loud and coming from inside the house. “Are you in here?”
Bobby growls. “Need to change his access. I guess we’re turning this into a party.” He drags me out of the kitchen and shoves me onto the couch in the living room. Then he palms open the front door and pulls Laila inside. “Sit,” he orders her, pointing to the spot next to me. The moment she locks eyes with me, I know she’s not analyzing the situation properly. She sits down and says, “I’m so sorry, Addie. I don’t know what came over me. Please forgive me.”
By this time Duke is standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. “What’s wrong, Addie?”
“What do you mean what’s wrong?” Laila says with a grunt. “She saw me at your house, Duke.”
He maintains my stare. “Is that it? Because I heard you. You were asking for help. That was you, right?”
My eyes dart to Bobby, who still hasn’t loosened my tongue, hoping Duke will get the hint.
“Well, say something already,” Laila says.
“She told me,” Bobby says, clearing his throat, “that she’s too angry with the both of you to talk right now. She didn’t want you to know she was here.”
I remember Bobby saying it was hard to control me and do other things at the same time, so while he’s talking I try my hardest to break free of his influence over me. If teenagers have stronger bursts of powers than adults do, then surely our ability to combat those powers is stronger too. It’s Bobby, it’s Bobby, it’s Bobby, help, I say over and over again in my head as I try to break free.
Duke marches up to Bobby and grabs him by the collar. “What have you done to her?”
“No more than what you’ve been doing.”
He slams Bobby against the wall with a vibrating thud, and I break free of his control. My muscles are so tense that the second I’m released, I spring forward. My mind must’ve still been screaming as well, because as I hit the floor I yell out, “Help.”
Duke drops Bobby and comes rushing to my side. “Are you okay?”
“Don’t touch me. Get him.” I point, but Bobby isn’t where Duke left him. Before I have a chance to even wonder what wall he slithered through, he is standing behind Laila, who is holding a knife to her own throat, a look of panic in her eyes.
“Addie,” Bobby says. His eyes are like fire. “This isn’t how it was supposed to happen. Why did you have to call him here?”
“Laila, what are you doing?” Duke asks, still squatting beside me.
“First she is going to Erase the last hour of both of your memories. Then she is going to kill herself, because her father is such a loser. Right, Laila?”
She nods, and a small trickle of dark blood runs down her pale skin.
“Bobby, you don’t have to do this. We’re not going to tell anyone.”
“Now why don’t I believe you, Duke?”
Despite the situation, I feel a sense of calm come over me that helps me analyze things. “Duke,” I say under my breath, “do something.”
“I’m trying.”
“Can’t you knock the knife out of her hand or send the couch flying at Bobby’s face? Do something.”
Bobby lets out a low, chilling laugh. “Yeah, Duke. Do something,” he says in a high-pitched impersonation of me. “Make something move.” He picks up a picture frame from the bookcase next to him. “Move anything.” He hurls the picture toward us, and Duke holds up his hand to block it. It ricochets off his palm and hits my leg. It lands on the floor between us, the glass splintered.
I look at Duke, whose face is panicked. “What’s wrong with you?”
“The girl deserves an answer, Duke.” Bobby gives me a look of patronizing pity. “Why don’t you tell her how Ray helps you deceive everyone? Don’t you find it odd, Addie, that Duke can only move things when Ray is around?”
“Stop it,” Duke says.
“Oh, sorry, am I interfering with your concentration? Are you trying to give her happy feelings right now?”