[Southern Arcana 1] Crux by Moira Rogers Page B

my whole damn body.”
    “People kill them?” she asked, her face horrified.
    “They’re scared of them,” Alec said softly. “Having that much power… There have been Seers in the past who’ve gone crazy from all that power, and done some horrific things.” Mackenzie’s eyes went from Alec to Jackson. “You said Nick’s got a sister who is one?”
    “A twin,” Jackson confirmed, hating the look on Mackenzie’s face. “Her name is Michelle, and Alec is right.
    They probably would have killed her already if John Peyton wasn’t so powerful.” He attempted a smile and failed miserably. “Just another of those injustices we were talking about yesterday.”
    “Michelle’s a good kid,” Alec said firmly. “Maybe we should have Nick call her, ask if there are other Seers around.
    You’d think there’d be rumors.”
    “No,” Jackson said, deep in thought. “Not yet. I need to get in touch with Mahalia. There’s a friend of hers, a cougar, named Steven Donovan. I don’t know how to contact him, but Mahalia would, and I…” He shrugged at Alec. “I don’t want to call Michelle unless—or until—we absolutely have to.
    There’s just too much political maneuvering going on with those damn wolves. No offense.”

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    Alec just snorted. “Don’t forget that you can’t call her.
    Even if they let her talk to you, it could cause problems if spell casters from New Orleans started calling her. If they ever get even the slightest suspicion that she might not be loyal…” Mackenzie made a disbelieving noise. “Are you honestly saying they would kill Nick’s sister over a phone call?”
    “Probably not.” Alec didn’t take his eyes off Jackson’s face. “But it’s not worth the risk. Have Nick call her if you have to.”
    “I’m not stupid enough to call Michelle myself. I have half a brain in my head.”
    Alec’s blunt words were upsetting Mackenzie even more.
    She’d gone from bouncing her foot to twisting Kat’s chair back and forth, the movement bursting with nervous energy.
    Her face was flushed, and her eyes widened when they met his. “I’m not feeling better anymore. I—I’m feeling worse.”
    He lowered his hand to her shoulder. “Antsy?”
    “I can’t sit still.” The color in her cheeks deepened as she stared at her hands. “I feel—”
    The bell above the front door interrupted her, the sound barely fading before Kat exclaimed, “Holy shit .” Jackson groaned. “Kat, what the hell are you doing here?” He was disconcerted, Mackenzie had some freakish nervous 118
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    condition, and the last thing they needed was an empath running around the office, soaking up their bad vibes.
    Alec was out of his chair before the door swung shut behind Kat. “C’mon, missy. You are getting out of here.
    Now.”
    Kat stared at Jackson, her eyes wide and face flushed, just like Mackenzie’s. “Oh, my. I, um—”
    Mackenzie hid her face with her hands as Alec bustled Kat out the front door. “Fuck, she could feel that?” Jackson stared at her, bewildered. “She’s an empath. She could feel pretty much anything that you—” His eyes narrowed as he took in her embarrassment and realization washed over him. “Oh. Oh .”
    “It started this afternoon,” she admitted in a hoarse whisper. “Maybe the stress is getting to me. Or maybe it’s sexual frustration. But I really didn’t want to share it with anyone else.”
    “Well…” He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck and tried not to sound too flustered. “What the… I mean, why’re you…?”
    Before she could reply, the front door opened again and Alec stuck his head in. “I need to talk to you, Holt. Now.” Jackson held up a hand, stammered an unintelligible noise at Mackenzie and followed Alec outside. “Look, whatever she’s got going on, it isn’t—”

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    Alec cut him off with an impatient