Marshmallow

by Annalyse

This is a story about an overly sensitive girl and an utterly reasonable man. Victor Benedict is interrogating his soulfinder yet he doesn't know it. To him she is just a girl with a peculiar gift who caught his attention when he first saw her. For fans of the iciest of the Benedict's brothers. This story is set after the events of Misty Falls.

Him

"Sophie."

"Victor." Her voice is so calm and focused as if we were just talking about the weather. Her long hair is pulled back from her face in the usual braid. Her face shows nothing. She is just the same as ever, like we were somewhere in a bar. Instead she is sitting across from me in the interrogation room, being accused of murder.

I sit down and open the folder I brought with me. I carefully place the pictures in it on the table in front of her. "You know why you are here."

She nods. "I am being accused of a murder."

"Correct. This is the victim, Seamus Moulgean, age 56, died last Wednesday."

She looks down at the photos for just a second then looks back at me again. She stays quiet.

"Did you know the victim?" I begin with the basic questions.

"I did."

"In what relationship were you and the victim?"

"He was my former head teacher."

"When did you last see him?"

"On the night he died."

I am surprised to hear her be honest. I make sure, however, to not let it reflect on my face. "Can you explain the circumstances of your encounter?"

"I went to see him because I needed to talk to him. When I came to his office, his secretary let me in. We talked. Then I left."

"What did you talk about?"

"It's personal."

How can she be so calm? She is only a few feet away from life sentence. "For the record, you are refusing to elaborate the nature of the conversation with the victim?"

"Yes."

I stare at her for a moment, hoping my gaze will have an intimidating effect on her. It doesn't. It never did. "Sophie, you do know that you are being accused of a murder. Your cooperation is essential in your defence."

"I'm not trying to defend myself."

"Are you then admitting to committing the murder?"

"No." Her voice is saying 'obviously'. Her face reflects something else.

I change the subject. I point to the pictures on the table. "The victim was found dead in his office, the cause of dead being enormous nerve damage. The kind similar to him being exposed to a great deal of pain. Since the autopsy showed no physical signs of torture, it is suggested that he was exposed to a different kind of torture."

She nods. "The kind inflicted by someone in the savant community."

"Yes."

She shifts her gaze to mine and adds: "The kind inflicted by an empath. Like me."

"Yes."

The first time I experienced a closer encounter with her gift was a week after we'd met. We were still guests at Topaz Devon's house and her youngest child got hugely upset because Misty stole his water pistol. He started crying in the garden, his face was bright red and he was shouting that everyone was against him. I was considering making him stop when Sophie appeared at the garden gate and approached him with a smile on her face. She knelt down in front of him and started talking to him. I thought she wouldn't achieve anything, the boy being so upset, but he was smiling in a matter of seconds. She wiped his tears away and sent him off. When she stood up and looked around, her gaze met mine. I knew she was a savant when we first arrived but I didn't know what her gift was. I suspected it was similar to mine, but when Topaz came out of the house and thanked her, she only smiled and said it was easier to make him happy again instead of constantly feeling his rage. With that many savants in the area, she was much more sensitive to everyone's feelings thus making it almost impossible to not feel them. She was quietly aware of the hardship her gift represented yet refused to submit to it. 'So what', she said to me after dinner that night, 'if I can feel what everyone else is feeling at this moment. It is still better than feeling absolutely nothing.'

I didn't agree with her then, but I was beginning to now. She was so cold and distant but I knew that was only a façade. It made me wonder what exactly she was hiding inside. "Since you confirmed your presence at the crime scene and your gift matches that of the murder weapon," she flinches, "it is only logical to ask if you did indeed commit the crime. Did you?"

She just keeps staring at me, without uttering a word. I breathe in deeply. "Did you or did you not kill Seamus Moulgean?"

"Do you think I killed him?"

"My opinion plays no role in this."

She smiles, bitterly. "Of course not. It is all about the facts, isn't it?"

I frown. She used to call me the icy Benedict. That didn't surprise me; it was true, but not entirely. Which she did indeed pointed out once. "The fact is you were there. He died because someone shot too much pain waves to him. I've seen you do that once. Why not do it again?"

"That was for self-protection."

"Self-protection, loss of control. It could easily happen."

"I am quite capable of controlling my gift, thank you very much."

"But you're not, are you?"

Her face darkens. She recalls the day I found her crying on the porch. It was late, well past 2 a.m. I was working on a case in the kitchen and decided to go for a midnight walk to clear my head. When I was heading back and walking pass the neighbour's house, I heard a sob. I stopped and slowly approached the house. She was sitting on the chair on the porch, wiping away her tears. She didn't notice me until I was standing few feet away from her. She looked surprised but not because someone was also awake at this hour, but because that someone was me. I didn't sat down, just offered her a tissue I always had on. She thanked me and blew her nose. I noticed she was wearing a white T-shirt with a cat on it and pink shorts with blue stars on them. Her hair was loose. She usually wore it in a braid. When she handed me the tissue back I told her to keep it. "I've got plenty," I said. She smiled a bit and said: "I thought only old gentlemen wore tissues with them in case ladies might need them." I bit my lip because I didn't want her to know I was only wearing them to not temper potential evidence with my fingertips. I considered asking her what's the matter but I was never the one to give advice. Instead I just said: "Problems with a boyfriend?" It seemed to me that was the number one reason why women cried. She shook her head and grimaced. "Too many savants around me. I'm having trouble controlling my gift." That was understandable. "Empathy, right?" I asked. She nodded. "Not exactly fun to be having four nightmares at once." I watched her as she gently stroke her hair back from her face. She was quite beautiful. "Can't you put a barrier between them?" When she looked up, the light from the street lamp shone on her hair. It was gold. "I usually can but it's hard when there are so many savants here. It's easy during the day, but when I go to sleep, the mental barrier loses focus and the gift gets activated without my full consent. It takes a while to get it back on track." I felt as though I was trespassing, I should've gone to sleep. "We will be leaving shortly, so you won't have to worry about that for much longer." She smiled with just one corner of her mouth. "It's okay. It's nice to meet other savants. I'm not in much contact with the Savant net." I shouldn't ask, but I did. "Why not?" She shrugged. "Grandma and papa don't really like the net. Besides, my gift and other savants – not exactly the happy couple." She yawned and covered her mouth with her palm. I started to turn round. "Better go back to sleep," I said. "Thank you," she said, "for the tissue." I shrugged. "Anytime. Good night." I walked away. "Sweet dreams," she whispered softly.

I look at her now and there is nothing soft about her. She is poise and calm but how can she be so peaceful when she is accused of a murder? Maybe Uriel was right. Maybe I had completely misjudged her. I don't like to think about that, I consider myself quite a judge of character. Still, I could never quite decipher her. But it's hard to think about her as a criminal.

"I confess to using my gift on others. It would be hard not to. I even confess causing people pain. But all of that was essential to my survival. I do not enjoy inflicting pain."

I follow her lead. "Why?"

She cocks her head. "When I do that – influence somebody – it hurts me too."

"You mean when you inflict pain on them?"

"Yes. If the emotion isn't already present in the person, I must first conjure that specific emotion and then channel it to another. It isn't exactly a walk in the park."

"But you can do it?"

"Of course. But I can also stab somebody with a kitchen knife and that doesn't mean I am going to do it. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you actually do it. I am right, Victor?" Her voice changes. "Just because you can make someone do what you want, that doesn't mean you will."

"Correct."

She smiles victoriously.

"But there isn't a dead body in the morgue with my name written on it."

She frowns. "It would be so much easier if you could just make me tell you what you want, right?"

"I don't do that."

"Still, at least you could tell if I was telling the truth. Maybe use Sky to tell you that."

"Shame we can't do that."

"Not really." Her voice is quiet, sad even.

It's true – it would be so much easier if we could use telepathy on her. But we can't. Just like Crystal, Sophie uses a different kind of telepathy, emotional, which means she can only influence people's feelings. She can't communicate with savants. As her brother explained, it is as if she's empty inside. Whenever someone tries to talk to her telepathically there is just blank white noise on the other end. She doesn't even register the call. Uriel explains this with the help of frequencies. She and Crystal are simply on different frequencies than the rest of us. But it also means most of the gifts don't work on her. Only the ones that aren't connected with the mind do. Like Xav's and father's and Yves even said he can sense her energy. But the problem is, with these murder accusations, we would really need our gifts. Sky could tell if she's lying, I could make her tell the truth. But we don't try; there is no point in it. Uriel already placed her on the crime scene, she admitted to being there. She doesn't admit killing him but she doesn't deny it either.

"Let's move on," I say. "You confess being at the crime scene, knowing the victim, where were you then at the exact time of the death?"

"I went to the toilet."

"And in that time the victim was murdered?"

"Yes."

"Who killed him?"

She stays quiet. I didn't really expect her to talk.

"You said he was your former head master. Did you have any social interactions outside of school?"

"Yes, after I went to college, we talked occasionally. He kept in touch with quite a few of the pupils."

"But you did first encounter him in school?"

"Yes, I did."

I remember our first encounter. I was visiting Misty Devon's family with Crystal, Xav, Uriel and Tarynn. Her neighbour was Sophie's grandma and as it happens, she was also visiting with her brother, Johnny, whom I've known from the FBI. We occasionally worked together although I had no idea he had a sister. At first I couldn't help but think she was about my age. Crystal has already informed me that she can't get a clear glimpse of my soulfinder, which could mean anything from she was also a soulfinder, a really powerful savant or dead. I was miserably focusing on the last one because this has never happened to Crystal before. She was still hopeful however and insisted we keep on trying. She called some guy, who was supposed to be a cousin from the soulfinder that my parents met. He could help her find my soulfinder, she said. Alright, I said, even though I knew the reason we couldn't find her was because she was gone. Anyhow, when I first saw Sophie, she was talking on the phone in Topaz's home office. She was faxing some documents. At first, I could only see her back, long hair, shorts, tank top. When she turned to face me, she gave me a wide smile. When she hung up the phone, she offered her hand to me and introduced her. There was a brief moment of static when we touched. She stayed for dinner and talked with Tarynn a lot. They were quite close in age and when I was just about to ask her about her date of birth (you can never be too sure) Topaz's youngest child came home from the zoo and ran straight into Sophie's arms. Apparently, she is his favourite adult. They talked about the animals and his new obsession with monkeys and then he fell asleep in her arms. Uriel talked to me about the case we've been working on. Another complication in the savant world. Since this wasn't only a family reunion, we had to drive around and investigate almost every day. I didn't see much of Sophie for the first week except in the evenings, when she talked mostly to Tarynn and Crystal. When her brother Johnny told us about her gift and inability to do proper telepathy, I gave up hope she might be my soulfinder. Anyway, our dates of birth didn't really match. And as I reminded myself, I couldn't really see a future with an empath. Emotions weren't really my thing.

After a couple more hours of interrogation in which I get no answers whatsoever, I let her go back to her cell. The law demands we give prisoners enough hours a day to sleep. But since she is only here for 72 hours (we don't have enough evidence to press charges) I must hurry and take advantage of every possible minute. When the guard takes her to her cell, she looks back at me and says: "I'm sorry, Victor. Truly." I don't know what she's sorry for; the fact that she killed someone and doesn't want to confess it, the fact that she betrayed my trust or that she turned out to be someone completely different than what I thought she'd be.

Her

Back in my cell, I try to sleep but don't really succeed. I knew this would happen when I let the police arrest me at Seamus' office but this was beyond awful. I didn't think Victor would be the one doing the interrogation! That completely caught me off guard. It was so much harder to keep calm in front of him than it would be with someone else. His face reflected nothing. But as soon as I let loose of my gift I could feel his utter disappointment. That hurt more than I wanted it to.

Victor is one of the oldest Benedict brothers. At first, he seemed as an overly cautious person desperately trying to keep everything under control. But after a while, when we started to talk (and yes, I do have to admit, I occasionally used my gift on him – shame on me) I discovered quite the opposite. He was only trying to protect his family. He wasn't icy as I had accused him to be. He just didn't feel comfortable with feelings. Razor sharp mind like his had nothing to do with feelings. Maybe that's why I became more interested in him. Because it fascinated me how different people can be. On one side there was me, a colossal wave of emotions and on the other side, his ability of complete objectivity. Plus, he was good-looking. More than that, even. He was dead gorgeous. His long hair, intense gaze (which he frequently used to intimidate people – I just laughed when he tried to pull that one with me), the way he could wore a suit or jeans and a T-shirt and still looked good. Well, I am only a woman. And he is definitely a man. A tall, handsome, serious yet strangely mysterious and intense man. I liked him a lot.

Only a week after we'd met he asked about my date of birth. I have to admit, I did for a second feel intense longing. I wanted to find my soulfinder. But it was almost impossible, with my gift being what it is. Anyhow, I still told him and we found out we were almost two months apart. I was older than him, which was funny. He didn't look disappointed about that and it soothed the atmosphere. We talked as friends, not as potential life partners. I asked him about his childhood since I knew perfectly well he couldn't discuss his job. He talked about his family and I listened with envy. I often wished I had more brothers and sisters, not just Johnny. I told him about my family and he sincerely told me he was sorry when I mentioned my mother. It has been over ten years now since she died. I still think about her all the time but not with sadness anymore. I can also recall the good things.

Apart from Victor, I also met his two brothers, Xav and Uriel. Xav was hilarious, he reminded me of Misty and it was never boring being around him. Uriel was a bit of a challenge but I liked his simplicity. His soulfinder Tarynn was adorable. We really connected over our difficulties with our gifts. Crystal was nice, too. She offered to find my soulfinder and we tried once but she got a horrible headache. Seems like my kind of telepathy is also not right for her. She felt terribly sorry but I told her not to worry about it. I tried to shake it off but I don't think I succeeded. She did however found Johnny's soulfinder and it was in fact a girl that used to go to our high school. He was so shocked that he just kept staring at Crystal when she told him. I had to close his mouth because they were so wide open. He immediately called the girl and asked her out on a date. She lived in New York, which isn't that far from Washington so I knew they would make it work.

On the second week of our visit we went to a party in the city. It was exciting. I drank tequila and danced all night. My feet hurt at the end of the night. Victor and Uriel drove us and because Crystal got sick, Xav took her home early in the evening and in the end, I was the only one left to ride in the car with Victor. It was strange, to be sitting so close to him, driving in silence when the darkness of the night surrounded us. I was still a bit light-headed from the alcohol and my body was relaxed. I observed his face in the dark. I knew I shouldn't have but I couldn't stop my brain from thinking about the things it did. I kept imagining what it would be like to feel his lips pressed against mine. Yeah, alcohol makes me horny. I am ashamed to admit it. When he pulled over in front of my house, I unfastened my belt and reached for the door. "Will you be alright?" he asked me and I nodded. "I'm not that drunk," I said. "Good." I stared at his lips and he must've noticed because the next thing I remember is him pulling me closer to his body. We kissed and I buried my hands in his hair and he grabbed me by the hips. I have to confess, for a moment I was deciding whether to have sex on the front or the back seats. Luckily (or not, depends on how you look at things) he stopped. He was still breathing heavily but he regained his control. He firmly pushed me out of the car and drove to the next house. I was watching him until he went inside then I sighed, gave up the hope of him coming back and went to sleep.

The next day at breakfast, which we had in our garden, Crystal confirmed everyone what we already knew. She wasn't much of a drinker. When I sat down at the table with a cup of coffee in my hands I smiled at her because she seemed so annoyed by that fact. Xav was trying to cheer her up but it didn't work so I shot a bold of happiness in her direction. She smiled almost instantly. Xav whispered his thanks to me and I just smiled. Then I noticed someone gazing fiercely in my direction. It was Victor. He was sitting on the opposite side of the table, his hands were crossed over his chest and he looked straight into my eyes. I shivered a bit but it was the good kind of shiver. I slowly sipped my coffee and when my gift told me what I needed to know, smiled to him with what I thought was a seduction manner. He didn't react at all but I could feel his desire with every fibre of my body. So I smiled widely, bit my lip and when I saw his eyes shift to my mouth, I knew I had won this match. He wanted to kiss me again as much as I wanted to kiss him.

Now, of course, he doesn't want to do that anymore. He just wants to lock me up, I think bitterly when I stare at the ceiling in my cell. I can't sleep but I don't want to use my gift to channel someone else's tiredness to myself. I want to be by myself. I know he doesn't hate me, neither does Johnny. Papa does, however. I could feel it, when he came to the station. I could feel him from the corridor where I was sitting, waiting to be taken to the interrogation room. He never liked me particularly but he didn't hate me either. Until now. I close my eyes and will myself to sleep. It doesn't work.

Him

She has dark shadows under her eyes. That's the only sign that she might be upset. She still sits with confidence and composure. But I know the interrogation is getting to her. I start with the same questions but she refuses to answer. So I change the topic.

"The victim was a friend of your family, wasn't he?"

She shifts her eyes to mine quickly. "What do you mean by that?"

"He was your mother's classmate back in college. Must be why she decided to put you in school where he was in charge."

"Are you accusing my mother of nepotism?"

"Not directly. But as we could gather from your school reports, you weren't exactly the brightest student."

This annoys her; I can tell by the way she narrows her gaze. "I had a couple of rough years but I've been doing quite well since then."

"I know. You got quite a few excellent grades at university. Still, do you remember entering the high school where the victim was employed?"

"I do."

"Do you remember anything out of the ordinary?"

"No." She's mad at me. Her voice is sharp.

"What about the relationship between your mother and the victim?"

"What about it?"

I almost sigh. "Can you describe it?"

"They were friends, I guess."

"Did they talk to each other outside of the school campus?"

"Perhaps."

"Can you elaborate on that?"

"Not really."

She is pissing me off. She considers herself to be the smartest in the room. "Why did you go to the victim's office on the day he was murdered?"

"I needed to talk to him."

"About what?"

"It's personal."

"Murderers don't have the same rights to privacy as innocents do."

She stays quiet and looks at me. I am using my most intimidating gaze. I will not back down.

"He had some information about my mother," she finally says.

"What kind of information?"

"I cannot tell you."

"Sophie…"

"Next question, please."

This just goes on and on. I don't want anyone else to interrogate her so I stay put. When they take her away for lunch I go to the next room where Johnny and Uriel are observing the interview. Johnny seems distressed. I cannot say what I would do if any of my brothers were accused of murder. Johnny is always here, always watching. He can't believe Sophie would do anything like this but since she isn't denying it, he's starting to doubt her. This must be extremely hard for him. I nod and go to the computer where we have put together a whole portfolio and background of Sophie Westwood. Her mother died when she was 12 years old. She had problems with her gift. Although she didn't do well in high school as she had already stated, she exceled at university. She lived in Baltimore, worked for a savant, who employed her as his personal assistant, head of security, secretary, basically whatever he needed. That guy was also a bit suspicious. This created dubious circumstances. Still… it was very hard to believe she was actually capable of murder.

"Do you know of anyone with similar gifts as yours?" I ask her when we are back in the interrogation room.

"I've heard of someone in Europe who can sense feelings but I don't think he can change them. Also, Sky can see different colours connected to emotions. Other than that, I've never met anyone like me."

"But there could very well be someone like you?"

"I suppose. If they're not in the Savant net, it would be difficult to track them down."

She hands me the theme on a silver plate. "About that, why aren't you a part of the Savant net?"

"How is that relevant to this interview?"

"Just answer the question," I say with my most polite voice.

"My father isn't exactly the biggest fan of the net, neither is my grandmother. It seemed only natural to distrust it so I never joined."

"How did you keep in contact with other savants?"

"Through family friends."

"Why did your father distrust the net?"

"You should ask him that."

"I have a feeling you know."

She's reluctant to answer but in the end, she does. "My mother was a member of the net and an active one. She died during one of the raids and my father was so angry with the management of the net, he banned me and Johnny from ever joining. He is their sworn enemy."

"Your parents – they were soulfinders?"

"No."

I think I see a glimpse of pain in her voice but her face remains still. "Did any of them find their soulfinders?"

"I believe not."

"What would your mother say about her daughter being a murderer?" I strike low, I know. I just lost my patience and see no other way of getting through her.

She pauses, smiles bitterly and says: "Next question."

Her

Victor asked me about my mother. Of course he did. He didn't know the whole story and I sure as hell wasn't planning on telling him. I began to resent him at this point. Only one more day to go, I say to myself when they take me to my cell. And then I'll be free. They didn't find any evidence and they won't. They'll have to let me go.

My parents were quite affectionate about each other. Papa adored my mother even though she wasn't his soulfinder. They were the perfect couple. I remember being a child and wishing my love story would be the same as theirs. They met in college, started dating in their second year and stayed together till graduation. After that, my mother had to move back to England but papa promised her he would find them both jobs so she could move back to the States. A year passed and nothing happened. And then, a phone call. He had done it. My father got my mother a job in the Savant net which meant they could live together and they did. Soon, Johnny was born and then I followed. They were really happy together. But then the horrible night occurred and papa was broken. He was so full of rage and despair and emptiness. I felt it too back then because I couldn't control my gift. My grief was three times bigger as anyone's. And then another thing happened.

Johnny has always looked a lot like papa and I had mama's features. But when I hit puberty, the resemblance became uncanny and papa couldn't handle it. Every time he looked at me, he saw his dead wife. It was excruciating. I could feel his pain and disappointment when he realised it was his daughter staring at him not his wife. Soon, he avoided eye contact. I was crushed. Grandma took me in after the first year of high school. We've been already permanently resident in England by that time. We moved there when I was eight. It made things a bit better but I finally got over the fact my father can't properly talk to me when I went to college. Alcohol, partying, it helped. I'm not saying I was an alcoholic or anything, I just learned how to let things go.

I frequently visited grandma in England, even though I went to college in Baltimore. I emailed papa and occasionally called him. Johnny was annoyed by this but he couldn't really understand. No one could. After a while he stopped trying to mend things between us. He relied on me heavily. And that's why I broke his heart when they found me in Seamus' office. I could've left, I know that. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I hope Johnny will forgive me. I hope he'll realise I'm doing this for a reason. If not, I'll have to learn how to live without another family member.

Him

The last day of interrogation. Our last chance to get answers. I must take it. Sophie sits in front of me, still wearing the same clothes in which she came. Jeans and a navy blue sweater, the same colour as her eyes. She still wears her hair in a braid, it's just not as tight as it used to be. I bet she looks forward to her freedom. I do too. I hate being stuck in this dark room with no air. I want to get out. The minutes in the 72 hours have stretched to enormous length and I feel as if we are on a different planet, leading meaningless lives separated from others. I haven't slept much. I can't sleep knowing she's locked up just a few rooms away from me.

"Good morning, Sophie," I greet her when she comes through the door.

"Good morning, Victor," she says when she sits on the chair. "Having troubles sleeping?"

"Nothing I can't handle."

She smiles a little, perhaps to let me know she is as tired as I am, exhausted in this perpetual verbal combat we have been exposed to, so early in the crucial beginnings of a relationship. If I have hoped to become friends with Sophie Westwood before the murder, this interview changed everything. I don't think I will ever be able to look at her the same way, even if she is proven innocent. I feel at unease when I think about that. There is something about her that caught my eye and now I have to let her slip away from my grip because I know there is no way I could ever treat her the same way I did before.

"Is there anything you'd like to tell me before we begin?" I ask her even though I already know the answer.

"No."

"Very well."

We begin the usual questioning. She gives me vague answers. I realise this isn't something new, she was never the direct kind of person. When we would talk, she would often get lost in her thoughts or maybe her mind was preoccupied by her gift, so she never was truly present in any conversation we had. It was like she was beaten down by the weight of everything she felt and she tried to push that aside so she could just talk and let reason hold some kind of grip of the situation she was in. It was sad, really. Her gift was quite astonishing, yet almost impossible to control. She will probably get better once she finds her soulfinder. If she ever does. I don't know which would make me happier.

After an hour or so of meaningless answers I show her the pictures of the body. She doesn't even flinch. There is something wrong with that. Her reaction should've been different. Since she is able to feel everything, the grief and cruelty should at least make her flinch. I begin to wonder whether her control on empathy is so firm nothing is allowed through.

"You've showed me these pictures before," she says and glances at them. "I told you I know nothing. You can put that away."

"Are they disturbing you?" You couldn't tell by just looking at her. "I guess seeing what you're capable of might be a bit overwhelming."

She shoots an angry look at me. I notice she won't really look at the pictures. "Looking at a dead body isn't exactly fun for me."

"No? Then what is? Torturing your brother?"

"Don't talk about Johnny." She lowers her voice.

"Why not? He's obviously upset because her little sister is in jail."

"I'm not in jail. You don't have any proof that I killed Seamus. And as far as Johnny's feelings go – trust me, I know them best. Do you really think I don't sense him in here? He's just behind that glass. And so is your brother. And someone else. I can feel them all."

"Can you tell me what they're feeling?"

"Of course."

"Do it then."

I expect her not to answer but she does. "Johnny feels terribly about me being her. He feels guilty and desperate and sad and even a bit glad." She cocks her head. "I'm guessing that's because you're here doing the interview and not him. He feels puzzled and not quite sure whether I'm telling the truth. Uriel on the other hand is more concentrated on you. Concern, caution, sadness. Why is he sad, Victor? Is it because he can't look at a young savant who is being accused of a crime?" No, he's sad because he knows me. "And then there is the anonymous third party. Hunger, boredom, anticipation. I'm guessing he's looking at the watch and estimating how many hours there are till lunch time."

I'm impressed, I have to admit it. "What about me?" I cannot resist the temptation.

"You want me to say what you're feeling?"

"Yes." Because I don't know.

"She looks at me for a few seconds and slowly starts to speak. "You're determined and tired and confused and sad and angry. You're angry with me."

That's not a question. "Yes, I am."

"Furious, even."

I'm starting to feel it. The huge wave reaching the surface.

"It's okay, you know," she says. "You can yell at me, if you want."

I want to, I really do. But I don't. "Did you or did you not kill Seamus Moulgean?"

She smiles bitterly. "You never let go of that super control of yours, do you? And I'm not answering that question."

"Failing to deny it leads me to think you did it."

"Maybe I did."

"Why?"

"Maybe I didn't."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you? This game of mouse and cat, never actually coming to an end."

"No, Victor, I don't like it." She's angry, her façade melting away. "I hate being stuck in here with everyone judging me for doing something I may or may not have done. Where are your proofs? You're just making assumption on the fact I could have killed him but so could anyone else. We don't know all savants and what their gifts are and I think it is very likely someone else's gift is similar to mine. Yes, I was in his office on the day he died and maybe my circumstances are suspicious but that doesn't mean you have the right to treat me like a criminal. Innocent until proven guilty, right? You can ask me all the questions you like Victor, but tonight I am getting out of here and you cannot stop me."

I watch her regain her calm. She's right, of course she is. I can't keep her in here. "If you say you're angry with us for putting you here, why don't you just deny killing him?"

"Would that even make a difference? Besides, I have my reasons for not telling you everything. The right to privacy applies to everyone."

"Privacy or secrets?"

"Aren't they the same?" She smiles widely.

At the end of the day, we let her go. She doesn't deny anything or admit it but since we have so little evidence, we have to let her go. When she's being escorted back to her cell to collect her belongings, my phone rings. It's Crystal. I don't really want to talk to her but I know she won't stop until I pick up my phone.

"What?"

"Well hello to you too, sunshine." She's bright as ever.

"Do you need something?"

"I do. A precious moment of your time. But first tell me how you're doing."

"We're letting her go."

"That's it?"

"There's nothing we can do."

"Oh, I see. And how do you feel?"

"I don't see how this is relevant to whatever you're about to tell me."

"It is, Victor. It is." She sighs. I start to worry.

"What is it?"

"You know that guy, Marcus, who was supposed to help me find your soulfinder?"

"Yeah, what about him?"

"He came. And Victor… I found her."

I hear ringing in my ears. But all I say is: "Where is she?"

"Close. Very close."

"Tell me."

"Vick… it's Sophie."

If I were the kind of person to describe things dramatically, I would say the ground had opened up beneath me and swollen me whole. But I'm not so instead I just say: "Well, that's unfortunate seeing how she might be the next savant serial killer."

"Victor, I'm so sorry, I double-checked but it's true. Xav said…"

"I have to go. Talk to you later." I hang up the phone. I can see her walking toward me. My soulfinder. A policeman is escorting her but when they reach me I tell him to leave. I need a moment alone with her.

"Is Johnny driving you home?"

"No, I'm staying with a friend. He's not really talking to me right now."

"Can you blame him?"

"Not really." She frowns. "Who were you talking to on the phone?"

"Crystal."

"Oh, is she okay?"

"She's found my soulfinder."

Her eyes widen. "Really? Who is she?" She stutters a little.

"I don't know; she didn't get her name. She's from Asia, so it might take some time to get to her." I was lying my teeth off. I think I was trying to punish her. Sure, I was confused as to what we would do about this murder case but I didn't actually believe she was capable of murder. I know that now. But all the secrets and dead ends, it made me wonder what she was hiding. There was something big and awful hidden inside her that she didn't want to share. I've wanted to find my soulfinder for as long as I can remember and now that I have, I don't feel peace or joy or happiness. I feel angrier than ever. Angry at her. I'm angry that she must be the one, because with all her feelings and my control issues, there is no way it could work. Or it could and it would be so great that we'd lose the essence of one another. And how could I possibly tell her that I'm hers when she doesn't want to be mine or anyone else's. She keeps it to herself, hidden beneath that entire cluster, seemingly safe from the world. I cannot tell her. Not now, with the scent of the cell still on her. She might be my soulfinder but I can choose to deny that. Unlike her, I can make that kind of choice. "I'll go over there once things settle here." I finish my short monologue.

"Why wait?"

"I want to find out who killed the victim."

"Right. Well, I must be off. Good luck with your soulfinder." She smiles a bit and I let her go. When she walks away, I turn around and stare at her back. I should feel something good. But I don't. I just feel exhausted. I need to sleep. Maybe tomorrow I won't feel so disappointed.

Her

So Victor's found his soulfinder. That's a shame. I let the water wash away all the dirt collected on my body. A former classmate has let me stay at her flat and the first thing I did after getting here is take a shower. I stink. I know I do. I put shampoo on my hair and then I can't control myself anymore. I start to cry. I'm glad that Victor's found his soulfinder, of course I am. It's just that I still hoped I might be the one. Fate had other plans, I guess. My body is so exhausted I sleep for 12 hours that night.

In the following days I start talking to Johnny again. He doesn't mention the murder investigation so instead he just tells me about his soulfinder. Her name is Mary Elizabeth and she is an artist. We have lunch and I see how happy he is. This just breaks my heart when I realise that everyone is meeting their soulfinders but me. My gift has never sucked so much.

Tarynn calls me after the interrogation and tells me that she firmly believes in my innocence and is simply annoyed by the fact Uriel questioned that. I thank her but keep my distance. It's best to stay away from the Benedict's.

Papa comes to see me and even though he stays for only a couple of minutes, I start to shake when he leaves and burst into tears. It's awful but I just can't tell him. I can't. He would hate me even more if I did.

I try to focus all my energy into something productive so I do a little bit of investigation myself. I don't know who killed Seamus but I know who does. The twins, Freddie and Josh, or as I like to call them, pain and oblivion. Their gifts are quite unique. Freddie can make your gift stronger, in my case making me feel hundreds of feelings while Josh can strip you naked of your gift. I know which is worse. Even though it's hard to deal with so many feeling, it's nothing compared to the emptiness inside of me.

Freddie and Josh live in a shitty part of town, but I know where they hang out. It's a shady bar with bad music, awful waitresses and slimy customers. Thank God I can look out for myself. I don't know what I'd do without my gift. It's a burden but at least I can shock someone unconscious if necessary.

When I enter the bar, I don't spot the twins right away. My eyes slowly adjust to the darkness and then I see them in the corner. I walk over there.

"Look who it is. Miss Sensibility." Josh smiles but it is a cruel smile.

"We need to talk."

"What about?"

"You know what. Who killed Seamus?"

"You just go straight to the point, don't you?" Freddie hands me a drink. "Beer?"

I shake my head. "I need to know."

"Why? So you can go to your cop brother? I don't think so."

"I won't tell him. I just need to know."

"What will you do with the information?"

"None of your business."

Freddie smiles. I can feel more than before. He's using his gift on me. "Why should we help you?"

"Because if you don't, I'm going to tell the Savant net about your gifts."

"Is that a threat?"

I'm scared. I'm already suffocating. I can't keep this up. Like a magic trick, the door opens and my hero comes in. But with that dark look on his face he's more like a villain.

"Sophie," he says.

"Victor." I try to smile but Freddie's grip is too strong. "Stop it," I hiss to him. He does but I don't think it's because I said it.

"What are you doing here?" he asks me.

"You know me, just hanging."

He looks at me without uttering a word. Then he points to the door. "Wait outside."

"Vic…"

"Go."

His voice is so determined and scary I obey. I don't even look back at the twins. Outside, fresh air makes me think more clearly. Plus, Freddie's gift isn't working anymore. I am myself again. After a couple of minutes, Victor comes out of the bar. He's in his usual suit, his hair pulled back. His sharp eyes are shooting bullets into my brains.

"Fancy running into you," I try to laugh but his anger is so strong I take a step back.

"Could you be so kind as to explain what the hell are you doing here?"

I start to get frustrated. "I needed to talk to them."

"They're criminals. What do you want to talk to them about? Your famous murder?"

I hate how he's trying to link me permanently with Seamus' death. "It's none of your business."

"You're quite wrong there, Sophie. It is my business since I am the agent in charge of this investigation and you our prime suspect."

"You already let me go. You don't have any proof."

"I just got it. You're communicating with the well-known criminals known to be in touch with the victim. How can I know you're not talking to them about the next murder?"

"I'm not! I was asking them who killed him!"

"So it wasn't you?"

I feel disappointed. "Did you really believe that?"

After a couple of seconds he shakes his head. "No, I didn't. But you know something about the real killer otherwise you wouldn't avoid all the questions. So what is it?"

"I can't tell you."

"It's off the record."

"Still."

He seems worn out. As if this conversation has drained him completely. I notice that he stares at me for longer periods of time then quickly looks away. I want to hold him and comfort him but I don't dare to use my gift like that on him.

"You should go home. Leave the investigation to the professionals." He starts to turn around.

"Any luck with your soulfinder yet?" I ask him. I don't want him to go yet.

He stops mid movement. "I have an exact location but I won't go there for a while. I have to think things through first."

"Typical of you," I say and smile a bit. Even in the matters of the heart, he is cautious and prepared.

"Goodbye, Sophie," he says and walks away.

"Goodbye, Victor." I watch him leave.

Him

I wasn't really surprised when I found her in that awful bar. I got used to her surprising me. But I still didn't like her being connected to the twins. I informed Johnny about her actions and he apparently got ballistic on her. It serves her right. She shouldn't have been there in the first place.

I was working hard on the case but Crystal and Xav kept nagging me about Sophie so I finally gave in and showed up at their flat for dinner. Crystal opened the door and hugged me. Xav almost tried doing the same but I growled and he stopped. Instead, we shook hands. They waited after dinner to start the conservation I knew was coming.

"What did she say? What did she say?" Crystal was jumping up and down in her chair. Xav tried to calm her down but it didn't work.

"She didn't say anything because I haven't told her."

"What?" they both exclaimed with shocked expressions on their faces.

"Well what the hell are you waiting for? For both of you to grow old? No offense Vick, but you aren't exactly growing younger and I think I can already spot a grey hair over there."

I use my annoyed look that says 'don't mess with me'. It doesn't work. "I'll tell her when I'll tell her. There is no rush; we must first sort some things out."

"What things? You mean that murder investigation? You don't honestly think she did it, do you? Because I know she didn't and you can sort everything out together, that's what soulfinders do." Crystal is being herself again, eager to do something.

"I want to close the investigation first."

"That could take months! Vick, are you seriously telling me that you'd rather wait a couple more weeks before reuniting with the love of your life? You've always been so determined about this soulfinder thing and now you're just waiting? I didn't think you were such a chicken." Xav looks angry and frustrated.

"Yeah, well, I didn't think my soulfinder would be involved in a murder and look how that turned out." I spit the words out of my mouth. They don't say anything but after a couple of seconds Crystal reaches for my hand.

"What is it, Vick? What aren't you telling us?"

I consider not telling them but I know they just want to help. "I don't see how I can trust her again. There are so many secrets hidden within her and she won't share them."

"Maybe she will share them with her soulfinder."

"There are even slimmer changes of her telling me after she finds out. There is no way she would tell me if she knew I am her soulfinder. The stakes would be simply too high for her to trust me. No, I need to make her spill the beans now, before I tell her."

"How are you going to do that?" Xav has calmed down.

"I don't know. Every time I see her I just get so angry I would rather yell at her than listen."

"That's something new. I don't think I've ever seen you lose control that much." Crystal is amused. Of course she is.

"And the worst part is she can feel it. My anger, I mean. So how can I possibly talk to her when she knows I just want to rip her head off for not telling me the whole story?"

"You just have to do what you do best." Xav is back in his usual teasing mode. "Charm her with your 'I've got my shit together' act and dazzle her with that 'I'm too scary for my shirt' look. Piece of cake." I use that particular look on him and he laughs. "There, you've got it! Now just do that with Sophie around. With your abnormal abilities of self-control, I'm sure she'll be falling for you in no time." He gets up and walks to the toilet.

Crystal looks at me and then cocks her head. "There is something else troubling you, isn't there?"

I look out the window. I'm not comfortable admitting it. "Even if things work out somehow, I still don't know if I this soulfinder bond is going to work. She can't do telepathy, how do I even make contact?" I realise that I've never actually attempted this. After Johnny said it was impossible I just brushed it aside and accepted it.

"She's your soulfinder, of course it is going to work." She knows there is something else I'm not telling her. "Try not to worry too much. These soulfinder things always seem impossible but in the end they work out. That's what it's about."

"I hope you're right. I truly do."

Her

I stopped my investigation after Johnny called and yelled at me for ten straight minutes about how dangerous and stupid it is to go see criminals, especially since I've just been in detention for 72 hours. It was so frustrating, doing nothing, when I knew I had to find out who the killer was. I had to know for sure. But my relationship with Johnny was on thin ice and I didn't dare do anything to put that at risk. Instead, I called my boss and asked if I could have some more vacation days. To my surprise, he informed me that he had already found my replacement seeing how my name was now officially black-listed in the Savant net. He didn't even give me the chance to explain, he just said he would send me my last pay check and said his goodbyes. I was astonished. He just fired me! So besides being accused of murder I was now also black-listed and without an income. How fun it was to be me.

I called Johnny to let him know the bad news and all he said was: "Good, now you can find yourself a proper job." No support there. But he did invited me to stay with him now that it was clear I hadn't committed the murder and had no job to go back to in Baltimore. He persuaded me to stay in New York for a bit to figure things out. I gladly accepted his offer.

When I moved all my belonging to him (meaning one suitcase) I wondered if I should buy some new clothes instead of wearing the same. Since I just got fired, it seemed like something totally irrational so I did it. I went to a shopping mall and bought a new pair of jeans, a skirt and two matching T-shirts and after some thinking a dress with flowers on them. I realised I needed new shoes and turned to find a shoe shop, when I spotted Tarynn and Crystal. They were walking towards me and before I could escape, they were already by my side.

"There you are! Johnny said you'd be here but he couldn't pin down the exact location so we've been looking for you for over ten minutes."

"You asked Johnny to find me? He could've just called." His gift was finding people and their whereabouts but it still seemed odd he would use it instead of just calling. Then again, he must've known I would try to avoid seeing Tarynn and Crystal.

"It's more fun surprising you!" Crystal says and smiles. "What did you buy?"

I show her my purchase and say I need new shoes so we all go to the shoe shop. They tell me they wanted to see me and invite me over for dinner in person to show their utter support. I believe them only when I use my gift on them. It's not that I don't like them, I really do but dinner means spending time with the Benedict's and that includes Victor.

"Will Victor be there?" I ask Tarynn when I try on sandals with pink dots on them.

"Probably, if he doesn't have to work late. I also invited Johnny and he said he's definitely coming." Free food, of course he's coming. I can't think of a good enough reason not to go, so I say I'll come. They're both delighted.

When we arrive with a bottle of wine, Crystal opens the door. The flat she shares with Xav is not that big but it's quite unique. I like the wood and big windows. Near one of them stands Victor with a beer bottle in his hand. He's talking to Uriel but when we enter the room, his gaze shifts to mine instantly. I feel heat rush into my cheeks and I hope I don't look like a tomato. He looks good. He's wearing jeans and a white shirt. Upper buttons are undone, sleeves rolled up. I wish I could just kiss him and this surprises me. I've never felt that shear lust towards anyone. I had a couple of boyfriends back in college but nothing serious. Just to pass the time really. When you're a savant you don't take relationships seriously because you know there is someone special waiting for you. But there could still go something wrong so you don't avoid them either.

Tarynn hands me a glass of wine and I accept it. Johnny walks straight to the guys and they start talking. Xav is cooking and Crystal is helping him although it seems she's just there to keep him company. I take deep sips of the wine and let it calm me. In a room full of savants, my gift starts to get giddy.

"Are you staying at Johnny's?" Tarynn asks and I nod.

"I got fired, so basically don't have to go back to Baltimore for some time if I don't want to."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Will you be alright?" She is sincerely concerned.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I'll find something new." As soon as I'm off the black list. It's funny when you think about it. I'm not even a member of the Savant net but I'm already on their black list. I giggle when I think about that.

"What's so funny?" I hear and turn around to see Victor standing behind me. I think I feel electricity pass between us. It's probably just his feelings trying desperately to break free from that cage of his heart.

"I just thought about how funny it is to be black-listed in the Savant net when I'm not even a member." I laugh and take another sip of the wine. Could it be that it's already getting to my head? No, that's just Victor. I tend to act stupid around him.

"I'd call that pathetic but suit yourself." He takes another beer from the fridge. I watch how great his butt looks in those jeans. Snap out of it, Sophie!

He sees me looking at him and instead of blushing again, I shrug, smile and go to Johnny. I can feel his desire when I walk away and I barely resist the temptation to cool myself down with a wave of my hand.

By a weird coincidence we sit together at dinner and since it is a small table, our legs and arms touch making me feel like my skin is about to boil. It's not that hot but it's the emotion that's making me feverish. Mine, his and in smaller portions, everyone else's. Uriel and Xav talk about college, Tarynn and Crystal are questioning Johnny about his newly found soulfinder (who is currently in LA having an art exhibition) so Victor and I are forced into communicating. Only we don't. He eats quietly and so do I. It's so funny, being so close to him and not talking after spending 3 days in constant dialog that I start to smile and I have to stop eating if I don't want to die of suffocation.

"Still thinking about that black list?" he asks me and takes a sip of beer before eating again.

"Not anymore. I just realised we've run out of topics to discuss during the interrogation and are now forced to stay in this awkward silence."

He finishes chewing before speaking again. "I wouldn't say this is an awkward silence since everyone's talking."

"Everyone but us. So it is a bit awkward."

He shrugs and finishes his beer. I wonder how many he's had so far. "What do you want to talk about?"

I know he's just being polite so I put a piece of potato in my mouth before saying: "I got fired today." I love this potato with olive oil, butter and garlic. It's to die for.

"That's unfortunate." What a wonderful choice of words.

"Aren't you going to say you're sorry to hear that?"

"I'm not."

"It doesn't matter. It's what you say when someone gives you bad news."

"Americans aren't as polite as British." My accent is not that obvious and I don't consider myself as American or British. I open my mouth to answer when he takes my glass of wine and empties it. "See? Not very polite."

I can feel he's a bit frustrated but so am I. I steal his potato and when he glowers at me, say with my mouth full: "I ain't British, mate," with a very definite accent. He stares at me for a second and curls his lips in a sort of smile. Oh, good, now he's smiling!

"Tell me, why did you get fired?" He chooses good manners.

"Because I'm black-listed and my boss doesn't like that."

"Since he's also kind of suspicious I find that very surprising."

"I know, right! He's worse than I am."

"Well, actually," he stops to think for a second, "he was only charged for occasional breaking and entering and stealing. That's not as serious as murder."

I've never thought of that before. "Well, this sucks." I eat my last potato and look at the centre of the table to see if there's any left. Nope. I make a sad face and before I realise it, Victor gives me his potatoes. All of them.

"I did steal your wine," he says when I look at him and he winks at me and makes me smile. I eat my potatoes and try to ignore the warmth inside my chest. It's so strange and yet wonderful to see Victor wink. He only moves his eye so his face is still serious, he just shows his amusement with his eyes. It's like it is a secret only shared with the chosen ones.

After we finish eating we decide to play Activity. Since there are 7 of us, we divide into two groups and I am the left out because I can't do telepathy and can't cheat. They mark me as a disadvantage but I say it is only fair to play by the rules. I'm very good at mimics while the drawing just isn't there. Johnny is way better at that. Victor is great at describing things and so is Uriel while Xav and Crystal are great at mimics. Tarynn doesn't really have a strong point since she laughs most of the time. She is in my group with Xav and Johnny. We're losing. When it's my turn I try to show my word as best as I can. The word is cough syrup. First, I show coughing which they guess instantly. Then I show them drinking. They guess that too. They just can't put the two together. Johnny guesses poison, Crystal tea, Xav medicine. Victor looks me straight in the eyes and for a brief second I get a feeling he's trying telepathy with me but then all of a sudden Uriel shouts cough syrup and I scream in confirmation. Again, we've lost. It's Tarynn turn and she has to draw something and naturally Uriel guesses that too. I'm so pissed off I accidentally make a mess of the board we're playing on. If telepathy isn't really my thing, then telekinesis is. I'm quite good at it.

After a couple of plus points on our side, it is Victor's turn. He starts by saying there are three words in the line. Then he says the first is a noun to describe something you must do in order to be good at something. "Practice!" I shout and he nods. Then he says what you do with coffee. "Brew!" shouts Xav. Victor says no. "Make!" I say and he nods. "Practice makes perfect!" I shout before he can go further. He looks at me with an annoyed look in his eyes. "Can you please let me finish?" he asks. "Is it right?" I say eagerly. "You wouldn't be so unsure if you'd let me finish." His calm voice annoys me. "Come on, Victor, just tell me!" He shakes his head. "Say please." I get very annoyed. "Just say yes or no!" He doesn't. "Why you British aren't very polite, are you?" he says and I consider smacking him on the head. When Xav also shouts about him being a pain in the ass, he crosses his arms across his chest and curls his lips. "I'm right, aren't I?" I ask. There is no way he would be so reluctant to answer if I was wrong. "Indeed," he says after some more dramatic silence and Xav starts to dance on the carpet. We have the same number of points now. We could actually win. "I knew it," I say and take a sip of wine Tarynn keeps pouring into my glass. "Aren't you the know-it-all?" Victor says with a sort of smile on his face. I shrug nonchalantly and raise my eyebrows. "I'm just that good, dear," I say, my British accent switched on again. He gives me the peculiar look of amusement again and I can't help but smile. When Xav sits back next to me I look away and see Crystal watching us with her head in her palms. There is something strange in her eyes but I don't get the chance to ask her about it because the game continues.

In the end, we lose. Crystal screams in excitement and starts to mock Xav who just starts to poke her. It's not that late yet but it's a school night so we say our goodbyes. I hug the ladies and Xav promises me we will win next time while Uriel shakes his head in disbelief of his brother's immaturity. I just laugh and assure him we will otherwise we'll have to use drastic approaches. When we all say goodbye there is a huge crowd of people standing in the doorway so I escape to the hallway. I notice Victor do the same. I push the elevator button and turn to him. "Congratulations for the game," I say and smile. He's wearing a black jacket. His eyes are even darker now.

"We wouldn't win if Tarynn and Uriel hadn't cheated. So it's not really a victory."

"Not being able to do telepathy sucks." I grimace. "Speaking of which, I had a feeling that you tried to do it while I was showing you cough syrup. Did I get the wrong impression?"

He looks away before he answers. "I was just thinking about what it would be like to try."

"You can if you want."

He turns his gaze to me. "What?"

"I don't sense it anyway so there is no harm in trying. Johnny used to do it all the time in high school. It would amuse him, me not sensing it at all. I mean, I did sense him trying, just not in the right way. I felt everything back then." I push the elevator button again. It's not working.

"Is that why you had such bad grades in high school? Because of your gift? It makes sense, now that I think about it. You did so well in university."

I stare at him. No one has ever guessed that. "Yeah, that was the reason. I couldn't really concentrate long enough to study since I felt pretty much what all our neighbours felt."

The others join us and we enter the elevator. When we walk to our cars Victor catches up to me. "I want to tell you something but I'll only do it if you answer my question." His voice is low and serious. I look at him with concern.

"What?"

"I might have a lead on the killer but first I need to ask you what the relationship between your mother and Seamus Moulgean was. And don't tell me you don't know because you do."

My heart starts to beat fast. I don't want to tell him but if he knows something, I have no choice. I decide to tell him something, but not everything. "They were lovers," I say. "They had an affair when I was a child."

Victor nods. "I thought they did. Your father doesn't know?"

"No. And I'd like to keep it that way."

"He won't hear it from me."

"So what do you have to tell me?" I stop because we're very close to the cars and I don't want other to hear.

"The killer isn't an empath as we suspected. He's a mimic."

"What do you mean by that?"

"He can mimic someone's power if he's close enough to them. The same happened in London a week ago when a woman was knocked out unconscious by using her own daughter's stunt gift. The killer didn't kill her, just stole some belonging."

"How do you know it's the same guy?"

"We have fingertips we've gathered at both crime scenes. They're not in the system but it seems too big of a coincidence to be anyone but the killer."

"If you have fingertips why did you accuse me of the murder?" I snap.

"If you didn't do it why did you let yourself be arrested?" he snaps back. "We had your fingertips as well. There were many there."

Johnny is signalling me to come to the car. "I have to help you Victor. I can't just sit around and do nothing. I can be very useful."

"There is nothing you can do. We're flying over the victim now and we have to question her." They're flying her over from London like they did with me because the head offices of the Savant net are in New York.

"I can help you by telling you about her emotions. I can chart a whole emotional background if you'll let me!" I sound desperate, I know. I am desperate. "Please, Victor, I need to do this."

"Why?" He leans closer, searching for something on my face. Maybe he's searching for the reason of my strange behaviour. He won't find it there.

"Because I need to know who killed Seamus. He was a good friend of mine," I say even though I shouldn't. But I simply have to be in on this case.

Johnny is shouting now but I still look at Victor. He's thinking hard. When I'm about to give up, he sighs and says: "Be in my office first thing tomorrow morning. You'll do exactly as I say, okay? Otherwise I'll send you home."

"I'll be your slave, I promise." That doesn't come out as I wanted it to. "I mean, I won't do every single thing you ask, I do have some self-respect, I just mean I'll follow your commands. I mean, not all, surely I won't be your personal sex slave or anything, I'll just tell you what I'm feeling, I mean what they're feeling…" I'm getting way too caught up in this.

"Go to sleep, Sophie, you're starting to act crazy again." He dismisses me as a little girl but I'm so grateful to him I give him a quick hug and then run to Johnny who is waiting impatiently. "See you tomorrow!" I say to him as I sit in the car and wave. There is a huge smile on my face. I'll finally be in on the action.

Him

She was sitting in my office at 6.30 in the morning, ready for action. I was quite surprised to find her so eager to find out who the killer was. Then again, if he was her friend, it is only logical. But it still doesn't explain why she kept all her secrets. We started the interrogation and she wrote down a sort of emotional profile of the victim. I found it very useful, actually. So did my boss, Selena. She was crazy about Sophie. She asked her hundreds of questions on why she didn't join the net and was trying to engage her to join. And she did. Sophie was now the newest member of the Savant net. They wrote down all the information about her family and her gift which will surely be very useful in the future. I was proud of her. I started to look at her differently now. I allowed more possibilities. But I still couldn't bring myself to tell her.

After a couple of weeks of our joined forces we were still nowhere close to the killer. It was frustrating. I had to move back to Denver but this case was too important to let it go. Fortunately, my bosses in the FBI knew about the net, at least some did so they didn't give me a hard time about it. Still, I was sick of New York. I needed a change of venue. It was strange to investigate the case from such a distance since the killer was in England but the net had no authorities there so we did all our work here. Sophie asked me if we should go there but I had to check with Selena first who wasn't keen on the idea. After almost a week of constant persuasion she changed her mind however and Sophie booked us plane tickets. I suspected she used her gift but I didn't ask her.

So we flew over to England. We were guests at Sophie's grandma's house near London. It was nice to see them together, they were the kind of family I knew from my parents. It was just sad that the relationship skipped a generation. I tried to talk to Sophie about her father but she didn't want to talk about it. When I asked her grandma she kept quiet too but I needed to know. So I did what I had to. I used my gift. I don't particularly like using it because I find it to be an intrusion into someone's mind but since it was a soulfinder matter I put my reservations aside. When Grandma Margaret told me the story about Sophie and her father I almost wished I didn't ask. There was a storm that night and the electricity went off. So I went to the basement to check on it and Sophie went with me.

It is late and the house is silent. Everyone else has already gone to bed. She holds the flashlight for me and I struggle to read the notes above the electricity cabinet. It is pouring outside and there is lightning. I think for a second that most girls are afraid of storms but Sophie doesn't flinch even when the thunder is so loud my ears hurt. She just keeps on holding that flashlight.

"Aren't you afraid of the thunder?" I finally ask her while I try to find the right switch. She moves closer to shine the light on all of them.

"Not really. I quite enjoy them, actually."

I look at her with surprise. "You enjoy thunder?"

She laughs, softly. "I know it's strange. I just feel safe and soothed when it rains and thunders. I love it. It makes me feel free."

"You're weird."

She giggles. "I know." I find the right switch and the light goes on. "Great!" she says and turns off the flashlight. She's standing so close to me. I can see different shades of blue in her eyes. I can even smell her shampoo. She shifts her gaze to mine and I know what's she's going to do. So I do it first. I kiss her. I can taste oranges she ate after dinner. I pull her closer to me. She holds on to me. I've always liked kissing her. Even before. Tonight however, I feel something's changed. I don't know if it's the soulfinder thing or the murder investigation. It's just different. Not as romantic as it was but more real. Her skin is soft and cold. I pull her even closer to my body. I kiss her behind her ear and she giggles. Her arms are on my chest. There is lightning and then thunder. And I realise her grandmother is sleeping just one floor up. I back away.

"What?" she says quietly.

"I can't keep kissing you with Margaret in the house."

"Why not? She's asleep."

I shake my head. "It's weird."

"You're weird." She's still smiling and shaking her head. And then her face changes. She covers her mouth with her hands. "Oh, no."

"What?" I look around to see what upset her.

"Victor, your soulfinder. We're cheating on your soulfinder. I'm a cheater."

"You're overreacting." I feel uncomfortable.

"No, I'm not. It's only a matter of time before you go to Asia and meet her. We can't kiss with you practically being engaged."

"Things don't really work that way, you know."

She is still shaking her head. "I feel sick. I should go to bed." She goes upstairs and I follow her. When she's about to enter her room I stop her.

"I know about your father. Your grandmother told me. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

The look she gives me is pure shock and disgust. "She told you?"

I should have stayed quiet but we had to talk about it sooner or later. At least it got her mind off the soulfinder thing. "She did. And I understand why your relationship is so complicated. You've got nothing to be ashamed of."

"I'm not ashamed of it! And you shouldn't know this; it is not something most people know."

I do. Because you're my soulfinder. "I have to know who I'm living with. I tend to find out things. You should remember that."

"Don't worry, I will." She shoots an angry look at me and goes to her room. I get the feeling that when she closes the door she also closes the door between us.

Her

Grandma told him! How could she. He must've made her because there is no way she would tell him by herself. I walk in circles in my room. I'm so pissed off at Victor that I even consider going to his room and doing something to him. Maybe I could make him scared so he would have nightmares or something like that. I wish I could just punch him but I'm not that strong. I picture his head in the toilet. That would be nice.

The adrenaline finally wears down and I sit on the bed. I don't like talking about my relationship with papa. It's not that I'm ashamed of it like Victor said; I'm just very sad and disappointed. When she died, I blamed my mother for the way papa behaved. It was stupid, I know, but I was just a teenager. I now know why he is the way he is. I understand. But I still wish things could be different.

I don't speak to Victor for two days. We drive around and he talks about the case but I just stare out the window and stay quiet. I resent him for making Grandma tell him about papa. He shouldn't take advantage of his gift the way he did. Then again, so did everyone on many occasions but not like this. This just wasn't right.

On the third day we went to a company where the woman who was stunned worked and we got absolutely nothing. Dead zero. Victor was so angry that he went for a run and I was left alone in the house. After about ten minutes his phone rang and I checked to see who was calling. It might be Selena. It was Crystal. I answered the phone to tell her Victor will be back soon. I didn't want her to worry.

"Hey, Crystal, it's Sophie. Victor is out running but he'll be back soon."

"Sophie! Oh my God, he's finally told you! I'm so happy for you two!" Crystal was screaming in my ears.

"Told me what? What are you talking about?" I carefully put the phone on speaker, I don't want her to permanently make me deaf.

She doesn't even hear me, she just goes on. Her voice is muffled because she's now talking to Xav. "Guess what! Victor told Sophie she's his soulfinder! They're together now!"

I hear ringing in my voice. I just stare at the phone as they go on talking.

"How did you do it? I know Victor's telepathy is strong but since your is non-existent, it must've been difficult." That's Xav now.

"What are you talking about?" I finally blurt out. By the silence on the other end I gather they've realised they'd made a mistake.

"You mean he hasn't told you? But why did you pick up his phone then?" Crystal asks.

"I just wanted to tell you he's out for a run. I didn't want you to worry."

"Oh, no. It's my fault. He's going to kill me." She sounds distressed. I can hear Xav murmuring something to make her feel better.

"Don't worry, I'll kill him first. What were you saying about that soulfinder thing?" I need to hear it again.

"Well, we sort of discovered that you're Vick's soulfinder," says Xav cautiously. "He didn't want to tell you straight away but I figured he'd done it by now."

"Well, he didn't. He told me his soulfinder is in Asia."

"She's not."

"Are you sure you didn't make a mistake?" It would be impossible for Victor being my soulfinder. That kind of thing just doesn't happen. It doesn't.

"Positive. Just try talking to him telepathically. No, let him try. You won't know how to do it." Crystal sure is reassuring.

"I don't think you can talk to a corpse but I'll try. Bye!" I hang up the phone. I'm so pissed off at him I accidentally make the vase explode. Glass flies everywhere but I don't care. I go to his room upstairs and wonder whether I should burn all his clothes or destroy his computer. Why on earth did he lie to me?! And about something as serious as that! But then, another thought pops into my head. Victor is my soulfinder. I have a soulfinder. And it's Victor. I blush when I think about what that means. We can kiss all we want. It wouldn't be cheating. And I can already see myself with a small baby in my arms. No, I shake my head, don't think about that now. First, you must be angry and tell him what a complete idiot he is.

When Victor walks through the door, all sweaty but gorgeous, I'm sitting in the living room with his pants burning in the fireplace. He doesn't register that right away but when he does he stops and looks at me with shock and anger clearly visible on his face. "What the hell are you doing?" He goes over to the fireplace and tried to take the pants out but the fire is too strong so he backs away.

"Oh, you know how it goes, liar liar pants on fire." I give him my sweetest smile.

"You've actually gone mad, haven't you?" He goes to the kitchen and curses when he sees the glass on the floor. He returns with a jar of water and pours it in the fireplace. Smoke goes up and he coughs.

"You know if you get too much smoke in your lungs, you die of slow and painful death."

He glares at me. "Are you insinuating something?"

"Me? God, no. I wouldn't want to do anything that would hurt my soulfinder." My smile gets even wider like someone is stretching it out of proportion.

Victor turns full power of his gaze onto my face. The pants are forgotten. "How did you find out?" He doesn't deny it so I get the last confirmation I need. It's true. My stomach makes a twirl and I feel like I'm going to vomit any second.

"Crystal called you and I answered the phone. She thought there was no way you'd let me do that unless you'd already told me. She doesn't know the extent of my noisiness."

"I bet she'll remember it for next time." Victor passes me and opens the window so fresh air clears the smoke a bit. "So now you know," he says and I turn round to face him.

"Now I know. And I want to know why didn't you tell me? You can't keep something like that a secret."

"I can say the same for you."

"Are you seriously comparing this to Seamus' murder? Is that why you haven't told me?"

"I don't trust you. And you haven't told me everything yet."

"So what?! This is something completely different! You should've told me!"

He stares at me with his lips pressed tightly together. "I won't apologize for keeping it a secret."

"Of course not. You're Victor Benedict." I use my mocking voice. He doesn't like it.

"Besides, it could still turn out to be false. When we compared our birth dates we were two months apart. Were you premature?"

"I don't know, maybe." Grandma will know, I'll ask her later.

"Should we try now?"

I almost shoot pain in him. "No!" I stand and walk away. "You're lucky I didn't burn all your pants, you know. I was considering it." He lets me walk away without uttering a word.

When grandma comes home and we start cooking dinner I ask her about my date of birth. She tells me that I was indeed over a month early. This confirms my suspicions. Apparently, I was very fragile when I was born and they didn't even know if I would survive. Well, I did. I form a theory that because my brains weren't fully developed, my gift formed as it did and that is why I can't do proper telepathy.

At dinner, I don't talk to Victor who chats with granny like nothing has happened. I'm still angry at him but I try to contain myself for her sake. When we finish our desserts he send her off to bed and we're left alone to do the dishes. While I wash them in the sink, he stands beside me and passes me the dirty ones. I don't even want to look at him. After I finish washing and go to the refrigerator, I feel a strange feeling in my head. I turn to look at him and see his face all serious and scary again. "What?" I hiss and take a bottle of wine from the refrigerator. I pour myself a glass.

I'm not sure this will work. I hear his voice in my head and am so surprised I spill the wine all over my shirt. "What the fuck!" But I don't even mind. I'm too shocked to worry about a damaged shirt. Say something, I hear and the feeling is so strange I just shake my head. It's alright, I'll help you. I don't really know what I'm doing but I try to focus on the direction from which his voice came and I can feel his presence there when I say Hi, there. He instantly picks up my vibe and creates a sort of bridge between us. This is so weird, I say. But there's no mistaking it. Victor is my soulfinder and I am his.

We talk some more nonsense to test our bond and my newly discovered telepathy, which apparently isn't even mine, but as Victor puts it: "An extension of my own, permanently attached in your brains." Great, so I've got unnatural growth in my brains. How delightful. It doesn't really make a difference. To Victor it does, because he's not used to feeling the soulfinder bond but I am. I felt it with many couples including his brother and parents. He wants to talk about it but I'm so tired I just want to go to sleep. Reluctantly he lets me go and I finally escape to the peaceful state of dreaming.

Him

We get a surprise visit next day. Xav and Crystal felt so horrible about not keeping the secret that they flew over and are now also guests in Margaret's house. They questioned us about our bond and I tried to explain it as best as I could. It was strange to talk to Sophie telepathically but at the same time it was like I was holding a phone cord in my hands and there was a microphone in both so I talked in one and Sophie into another. She just created the message; the transportation was all my doing. I was fascinated by that fact but I tried not to let it blind me too much. We still had a killer to catch. And now came the time for Sophie to tell me everything she knew. I wouldn't take no for an answer.

I waited for us to be alone in the house before attacking her. She was sitting in the living room and browsing through the data collected on the female victim. I sat down next to her and checked our bond first. I always seemed to do that. It was still odd to think I'd found my soulfinder and she was already there with me.

"What?" she asks when I sit down and look at her.

"We need to talk."

"About?"

"What you're not telling me."

"I don't think so." She's trying to dismiss me but I'm sick of it.

"You know my secrets so it's time you told me yours."

"You didn't tell me anything, Crystal did. And no, I'm not saying anything."

"Why not?"

"Because they're my secrets."

"But it is something that could help this case?"

"No. I would've told you already if it helped."

"Then what's the point of keeping it a secret?"

"It doesn't concern you."

"I'm your soulfinder. It does concern me." When I decide to use my gift on her (I have to know) she gives out a dying sound. She covers her mouth with her hand.

"What is it?"

"It couldn't be… Oh, no, no, no."

"Sophie!" Why is she always pissing me off?

"I think this female victim is my dad's soulfinder." Her voice is so small I can hardly register it. She shows me the dates. "See? She was born only one week after papa." Her eyes are huge. My gift is already working on her. She's telling me everything.

"That could be only a coincidence."

"Get Crystal to check. Papa lives in London, it's only a 30 minutes' drive."

I give her a call and she promises to check. Then I turn to Sophie. She's completely in my control now. "Tell me everything you know about Seamus Moulgean. Why did you go to his office?"

"I wanted to talk to him because I found some letters of his in mama's closet. I found out they were lovers and not only that but they were also soulfinders. I never remembered my mother wanting divorce but if she knew her soulfinder why didn't she do anything? It seemed strange so I went to his office to talk to him about it."

"And then what happened?"

"He confirmed my suspicions. He told me that my mother was already married when they realised they were soulfinders and so they didn't do anything because mama still loved papa. They had an affair but they ended that too because she just couldn't go on. He felt really sorry for it and all, I felt it. He loved her. And he said how sorry he was that she died."

"When did you leave?"

"When the secretary told him he had another meeting. I went to the toilet first and then…"

"Yes?"

"Well, the whole time I was looking at him he just seemed so familiar. And when I looked at myself in the mirror, I realised it. He had the exact eye colour I have. And very similar hair colour. I looked through the letters he sent to mama and they were dated around a year before I was born. So I figured that there was a reason mama ended things. She must've realised she was pregnant with him. I don't know why she didn't leave papa but I just knew it. I knew that Seamus was my real dad. That just explained so much. Why papa never liked me, why he couldn't look at me. It wasn't that I was so alike my mother. It was that every time he looked at me, he saw him. My mother's soulfinder." She's crying now and I hand her a tissue. But I can't stop now. There is still something I need to know.

"Did you go back to his office?"

"Yes and I found him lying on the floor. He was dead and his secretary was crying next to him. She told me that she heard something and when she came to his office, he was already dead. She was crying so hard and saying something about how everyone will point the finger at her because she let the man in. He was her responsibility. I told her to go. I tried to leave too but I just couldn't bring myself to. So I stayed and let them arrest me. At first, I thought about saying something but then you all accused me of murdering him right away that I was so angry with everyone. I told myself I wouldn't deny it or confirm it. I wanted you to suffer for a bit like I did in the cell when I thought about him. His body. He was so cold and dead and I just felt nothing and it was so awful…" she bursts into tears and I let go of my mind control. I hug her tight and when she comes back to her senses she realises what I had done and tries to break free from the hug but I hold her tight until she calms down a bit. Then she punches me in the stomach and before I know it, I'm on my knees, being shot with a dozen waves of pain. They're not really strong but strong enough to immobilise me.

"You had no right to do that, Victor! I can use my gift on you too!" And she does. I can feel everything she's feeling and it's just awful. No wonder she's such a mess.

Xav interrupts this wonderful bonding moment and for a second he's just staring at me, my fists clenched with anger, tears on her eyes. He sighs and says to Sophie: "You're such a marshmallow."

She frowns. "I'm a what?" I can feel the pain going away.

"You're always crying and stuff. Not like Victor. Even if you shoot him dead with your emotions, he'll never lose control. He's just made that way. Unlike you, who melts over a cat purring on the couch."

She wipes away her tears and says: "I'm not a marshmallow," like a stubborn child she is. Xav laughs and leaves us when I take a seat and put my arm across her shoulder. Isn't it better that I know? Now you can at least talk to somebody about it instead of bottling it up inside. She doesn't answer me right away. Maybe. But I still don't like that you used your gift on me. It was awful. I feel a shock of pain in my chest and realise it's got nothing to do with her. It's all mine. I'm sorry. I feel awful. You can check. She does and she smiles through her tears when she feels it. Crystal comes through the door and confirms Sophie's suspicions. The female victim was indeed her father's soulfinder. This puts the case into a whole new perspective. The killer must have known her family very well and hold a personal grudge otherwise he wouldn't have gone to such extreme lengths to eradicate certain members.

I call Uriel and fill him in. He suggests we should keep the whole family under a close eye so I call Johnny to tell him to keep an eye on everything and I even warn Sophie's father who refuses to listen to me so I ask the local police to help me out. I warn Sophie she mustn't go anywhere without me and she's so pissed at me that I'm trying to control her life that I consider locking her up in her room. Unfortunately, her telekinesis is quite powerful. Why couldn't it be the other way round?

I call the red alarm which means we mustn't talk to anyone outside the family. This time, it's not mine, but Sophie's. Her grandmother seems to enjoy herself, though. This is all very exciting for her. Old people are crazy.

Xav and Crystal decide to stay in case we'd need their help. They sleep in the bigger guest bedroom whereas I move my stuff to the small one. I don't mind, really. One night I pass Sophie's bedroom and notice the light still on. I knock on the door.

"Come in," she says and when I open the door, I see her lying on her bed and staring into the ceiling. She's wearing that cat pyjama with stars on them. When she turns to look at me she smiles and says: "Can't you sleep?" When I shake my head she pats the spot beside her on the bed and I lie down. "Ready?" she asks and before I can answer she flips the switch and the room goes dark. All I can see are the stars glued on her ceiling. "Grandma put them there when I moved here. She thought they would scare off the nightmares."

"Did they?" I ask her.

"Not really. But I invented a new game." She flips the light switch on and off a couple of times and starts to giggle. "It used to make her furious." I can see why. She turns the switch off and we lay in darkness. I can hear her breathing. She moves her body so she's lying on her side and looking at me. "Are you any closer to finding the killer?" she asks me.

I look at her face which is covered in shadows. Her braid is tickling my arm. "No. Not yet."

"That's a shame. I wanted to go see the falling stars on Saturday. Do you know there will be over one hundred of them per hour?" I shake my head. "I guess we could go next year."

It dawns on me that at this precise hour next year we might be in the exact same position. Lying together in bed. Maybe with just a few changes. She starts to giggle and bites her lip. She's not beautiful in the classic sort of way, her features aren't that symmetrical. But her eyes are of different shades of dark blue and her hair glows gold in the sun. Her nose might be a bit too small for her face and she has freckles but I don't mind all that. She's still giggling and when I touch her face with my palm, it's warm. "What is it?" I ask her.

"I know what you're thinking. Or rather what you're feeling."

Of course she does. "Are you constantly checking how I feel?"

"Pretty much."

"You can just ask you know."

"Well where's the fun in that?" She smiles and I do, too. I sleep in her room that night and all the nights that follow.

Her

I've gotten used to Victor by now. He snores, which I hate but I learned that if I make him just a bit nervous, he stops. I know I shouldn't have but I just can't stand listening to him snore. Another thing that surprised me about Victor is that he's a grumpy riser. The first five minutes of each day are horrible. He shoots icy looks at everyone. It helps if I make him coffee. He's also extremely hot. Not just in the way he looks. His body is hot and since it is almost the end of summer, it's still rather hot outside. I sleep with a blanket which is not needed anymore since I've got Victor. He's my own personal thermostat.

We talked about what we'll do after all of this is over but haven't made any conclusions. It would be easier if I'd moved to Denver since I'm unemployed. But he's not that keen on the idea. I think he still doesn't trust me completely. Which is absurd because I've told him all my secrets (well not all, he doesn't have to know that I'm a chocoholic) and I'm pretty sure there are hundreds of things he hasn't shared with me. When I open this subject, he just dismisses me and tells me we have to catch the killer first.

Victor and Xav accompany me to the shops once a week. Grandma's freezer isn't big enough to hold more than a week's grocery so we have to fill it up regularly. They park the car as close to the entrance to the garage as possible. We do all our shopping in the great shopping mall because it is easier to escape if needed. You can just blend into the crowd. I'm sceptical about this full on control of theirs. Like someone would actually attack us in the middle of the mall.

After we buy all the necessary ingredients, we make our way to the exit when I remember Crystal has asked me to buy her tampons. I don't want to make a fuss about it so I just let them pass me, say I forgot something and run back to the store. I can hear them shouting after me but I just ignore them. There is no way I'm telling them I forgot to buy tampons.

I have trouble finding the right ones so I look around to find someone who could help me. It's then that I notice a strange figure lurking in the distance. I get a strange vibe off him. I instinctively feel for him and what happens is just awful. I can feel him doing the same! I get sick and in that moment the shop assistant comes to me and asks me if I need help. When I explain to her what I'm looking for, I try to look for the figure but he's nowhere to be found. I start to panic.

Victor, where are you? Thank God for the soulfinder thing.

Just finished loading things in the car.

You should come here. I think the killer is here somewhere. As I say it, I can feel fear spread over me like someone splashed water over me. I know what's going on. He's using my own gift on me. When I try to shake it off, it doesn't work, he just sends another wave over me, this time sickness. I almost vomit in the middle of the shop.

Where are you? Get to the exit now! We're coming.

I can't. I think I'm going to faint. I hide myself behind the women's section of the store and kneel down. I try to breathe but it doesn't work. He just keeps sending wave after wave of different emotions. There is no way he's beating me with my own gift! I focus hard but I can't gather enough strength to inflict pain so instead I decide to connect emotions. I choose an old women slowly walking past the toilet paper and channel her emotions to the killer. It won't stop him but at least it will slow him down.

Where are you? We're in the elevator.

The women's section. Well this is embarrassing. They find me with my head between my knees right beside the shelves stocked with all sorts of tampons. Victor comes straight to me and helps me on my feet. I shiver. Fear is still very much present in my body but at least the sickness is gone. "He's still close," I say. "He's using my gift." I realise how dangerous it actually is. He could shoot another pain wave into someone's brains and actually kill them. We have to get out of here. When I propose that, they just shoot me down.

"He's so close, we can't let him get away. Can you get a clear location on him?"

I just stare at Victor. "I don't think you understand me. We need to get out of here. What if he uses my gift on you?"

"Then transfer it to him. It's your gift, not his."

It doesn't feel like it. Fear he's sending is just in small quantities, not enough to make me scared to death, but enough to make me want to bail.

"Xav and I will look around."

"I'm coming with you!" I blurt out before he can say something else.

"That's what I was going to say. Stay behind me at all costs. If you notice something, tell me telepathically, okay? Don't say it out loud."

I nod and we go our separate ways. I stay behind Victor when we look around the meat, vegetables and fruit section. When we make our way to the dairy products, something strange happens. I can hear strange noise in my head. I don't know what it is so I ask Victor about it.

Are you trying to tell me something?

No. Why?

I hear strange humming in the back of my head.

Victor turns to me and cups my cheek with his hand. He looks into my eyes and then I think I can feel him in my head but it's over before I can say for sure.

He's trying to use my gift on you but it's not working.

What? Why would he do that? And just then I spot Xav with the corner of my eye. He's standing behind Victor with a gun in his hands pointed straight at his brother. I know what he's about to do. He'll shoot him. The killer used Victor's gift on him. I don't know how but I gather all the anger I feel for him, focus and in a short second before Xav pulls the trigger, send a huge wave of pain to his body. It hits him in the exact second he pulls the trigger. I can hear the gun go off and for a second I feel all the fear of the gathered crowd and then it's over. Victor looks around to see his brother lying unconscious on the floor. The bullet hit the ceiling and there are sparks coming out of the hole. Before anyone can do anything, I sense the killer with my over sensitive gift and since I can't shoot two pain waves at once I instead decide for the easiest feeling which is happiness. I send so much of it that I hope he dies of laughter. Euphoria can also be deadly. His grip over me loosens and I know it's working. I've had 25 years of practice and he thinks he can beat me? Not a chance.

I approach Xav with Victor and he quickly feels his pulse. I bite my lip. "I might've overdone it."

"You think? His heart beat is slow as a turtle's!"

The crowd has started to gather around us and I suddenly realise how this must look. Xav was trying to shoot Victor and then he suddenly collapsed dead on the floor. This will need so much mending. We quickly call the ambulance and Victor grabs my hand and we search for the killer. We find him near the freezers where he is collapsed on the floor, laughing his socks off. He can't even speak, that's how much euphoria waves I shot at him. Victor puts him out of his misery and makes him go to sleep. He waits by his side while I wait with Xav. When the policemen come, we ride in the ambulance to the hospital. Victor calls Crystal and she is already there when we arrive. They take Xav to the emergency room and we go to the waiting room. I feel so bad about everything that I almost start to cry.

"Don't do this to yourself," says Victor. "You saved my life and he'll be fine. You acted on the spur of the moment. He'll understand, believe me." I didn't and I almost bit all my nails off waiting for the doctor to come. When he finally did, he told us that Xav is perfectly okay and that he's already awake and asking for Crystal. It appears there is nothing wrong with him but they would still like to keep him overnight for observation since he just passed out in the middle of the store.

When Crystal goes to see him the policemen come and some agents as well. Victor talks to them and explains everything. I wait by the vending machines while they talk. I'm still a bit shaken up. It's not exactly every day that I encounter a killer. It was awful when he used my own gift on me. I never thought about how people felt when I influenced their emotions. It was awful. I feel Victor's arms around me and I turn to hug him. I bury my face into his neck and try to calm down.

"You did well. The killer is already behind bars and Xav will be fine." He kisses the top of my head.

"I was so scared," I say. "I thought he was going to shoot you. I could see it."

"He didn't. We're all fine. Everything is going to be okay."

I don't believe him but I don't say anything.

Xav comes home the next day and I apologize to him about shooting him dead with my pain wave. He says not to worry about it. It was better than the alternative. He hugs me and I hug him back. He's my second favourite of the Benedict's brother. Victor explains to us that the killer was actually the one who called the police after Seamus died and that was why the police found me with the body. I never really thought about it before but they did come pretty fast. They also found pictures of me and Johnny in his flat. Victor wouldn't let me see them. Apparently he went to the same university as mama and Seamus and that was where they met. He held some kind of grudge against them but the main reason why he killed Seamus was because he was mad. Literally. The leading therapist on the case asked for a confirmation but I refused. There was no way I was doing an emotional chart of that psycho. I didn't want his feeling inside my body. It would be too disgusting.

I talked to papa before leaving. When I mentioned Seamus I felt his hate as always but there was something else. Envy. I didn't know how to explain it until it occurred to me that he must've been jealous about his soulfinder bond with mama. I told him about the woman who Crystal confirmed was his soulfinder but he said he already had a great love in his life. He didn't want another one.

We returned to New York. There were still some things to be taken care of. I was staying at Johnny's and Victor came round every day even though we saw each other at work. The Savant net offered me a permanent job and I was so surprised that I accepted at once. Then I remembered that Victor lived in Denver. How could we manage this? I talked to Selena about it and she was so pleased to her about us. She said she could manage with me travelling to New York twice a month and I could do the rest of the work from home. This made me so grateful that I hugged her even though it wasn't all that proper.

When I told Victor about it, he seemed pleased. But I could still feel the dark cloud over him. I finally gather the courage to face him about it.

Him

She's waiting for me in Johnny's apartment. By the look on her face I quickly gather that this is the time to be serious. "So," I start, "I guess this is the time to make some decisions."

She nods. "We need to talk about us." I sit down next to her at the kitchen table. She looks down. "I know you still don't trust me. And your feelings are very confused."

"Don't tell me what I feel, Sophie."

"I can't help myself."

I sigh. "It's not that I don't trust you. I don't trust us. Ever since Zed found Sky I was mad with the desire to find my soulfinder. I had a whole idea in my head of what you'd be like."

"And I'm not good enough to match the criteria."

"No, you're not." She blushes. "Because it was stupid. I cared more about what we would accomplish and how we would look. I didn't think about how we would fit together. And that's why I'm not comfortable about it. I fear we'll eat each other alive. I fear we'll disappear because we're so different."

"We're not that different."

"No? Just look at us." I gesture to my perfectly fitted suit and her oversized sweater, leggings and messy hair. We couldn't be more different.

"You're just looking at our appearances. So what if you're all professional and I'm more casual. I know how you feel Victor. You feel like you have to have everything under control because if you don't something horrible is going to happen. You have such a tight grip over yourself that you don't leave any room for errors. So what if we'll fight? Couples do that. It's not a big deal. You need to let go of that ideal of yours of how your life should look like. Even if we screw up, it's still worth a shot. We're soulfinders for God's sake, if we won't figure it out then who will?" She raises her hands to prove her point. I do love how she uses her hands when she talks. She moves her entire body when she speaks.

"And what do you propose we do?" I ask, wanting to hear her talk some more.

"I'll go back to Baltimore, pack my things and move to Denver. We don't have to move in together right away. We'll spend some time together and go from there. I'll fly to New York when I'll have to and you'll catch criminals and we'll live happily ever after. Well, more or else. I hope. If not, we could still do couple's counselling."

She sounds so untypically rational that I start to laugh. "You've really thought this through, haven't you?"

"Of course. You're my soulfinder." She smiles a bit shyly and I shake my head. I can just see her how well she'll blend in with the rest of my family. She'll be my mother's favourite daughter. I'll have to worn her before she takes her shopping. My mother's taste is awful.

"I think your plan sounds surprisingly reasonable."

"Thanks. Crystal helped me."

Well that explains a lot. We move to the couch and turn on the television. "You do realise my brothers will nag you constantly when you'll be around, right?"

"Why would they do that?"

"Because you're such a marshmallow."

"Am not!" She throws a pillow in my face. I use my telekinesis to make it go away.

"They'll make fun of you."

"Trust me, when I get my hands on them, they'll be eating out of them." She gives me the most sweet and scary smile I've seen on her. Somehow, I believe her.

She falls asleep on the couch and when I carry her to her bed she murmurs something in her sleep. I find myself smiling when I cover her with a blanket. I really do hope things will turn out between us. I know we'll have to work hard at it. But at least she managed to calm my worst fears. All beginnings are rough and soulfinders are no exceptions. You may think we have it easier because at least we know who the right person is. That's true but it is also incredibly terrifying to start a life with an almost stranger.

I turn the light off and go to the living room. I look around and see her stuff scattered all over the place. This is how my apartment will look like in a couple of weeks. There is no way I'm letting her live on her own. Not after that killer tried to hurt us. Her stuff will be all over my apartment. And I'm going to learn how to like it. I take one final look at my sleeping beauty before I leave. Xav was right. She is such a marshmallow. Hard on the outside but totally soft on the inside. It just means I'll have to be that much careful to make sure no one hurts her. I can already see how my brothers and their soulfinders might tease her. Well, I'll just have to make sure to tell them exactly how I'll make their lives miserable if they touch but a hair on her head. She's my marshmallow. Hands off.

The End

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