he would have thought they were at a home in Cape Cod.
Across the room a fire burned, two high back chairs faced the flames. A slender hand rested on an arm of one of the chairs. Gabe saw an oversized ring on one of the fingers and a stone that appeared to be an opal. The nails were unpainted, but clean and well kept, the skin tone alabaster. A white linen cuff hung around the elbow and peaked out from behind the chair.
“Mirada?” Uri confirmed once all his friends were in the room.
The woman did not answer, instead she stood and approached the group. Her movements were haunting; she glided as if her feet did not touch the ground. Her hair was long, climbing down to the middle of her back, and the color was a pale blonde. Her features were small and delicate; her lips thin, her cheeks glowed with a soft and warm rosy color, her eyes a pale blue, almost gray.
Gabe stared, he couldn’t help thinking about how this was the woman, the woman who had captured Michael’s heart like Rachel had his. He had never thought of his mentor as someone who was capable of feeling something like romantic love. He seemed so logical and methodical.
“He wasn’t always that way.” Mirada said looking directly at Gabe.
“What?” Uri asked, completely confused by her statement.
Gabe’s mouth fell open, she couldn’t have been talking to him, he didn’t say anything out loud. There was no way, he thought.
“Michael actually used to be quite the romantic.” Mirada added, not looking away from Gabe.
“Oh, you’re doing that thing— you know I hate it when you do that.” Uri growled.
“Doing what thing?” Rachel asked, noticing the stare locked between her beloved and this strange woman.
“Mirada is a telepath as well.” Uri answered.
“What?” Gabe exclaimed, shaking his head as if he were trying to shake her out of his mind. “She can read my thoughts? Can I block her?”
“Doesn’t work that way, I’m afraid,” Mirada answered with a smile, and she extended her hand delicately. “I’m Mirada, but you all already know that. Thanks for that, Uri.”
Though it was obvious Mirada was kidding, Uri quickly jumped to his own defense, “I wouldn’t have brought them here if it wasn’t an emergency.”
Mirada laughed as she turned and walked back to the chair she had originally come from. “Calm down, Uri, I knew you would bring them here when I first allowed Michael to share with you my home’s location.”
“What? You knew I—” Uri began, suddenly stopping as he contemplated the absurdity of it.
“Mrs. Harwood, you should take this other seat here, warm yourself next to the fire. You can’t be expected to be subjected to such harsh traveling in your condition.” the woman said waving to the empty chair next to her.
“My condition?” Rachel asked curious. “What condition? I’m fine.”
Mirada didn’t answer, instead she simply sat quietly.
“How do you know our names?” Haim asked.
Uri and Gabe both chuckled, amused that Haim seemed so far behind the situation.
“What? What’s so funny?” he groaned.
“Why don’t we go outside and keep watch? I’ll explain it all to you out there.” Uri insisted, pushing his slow witted friend out the front door.
Gabe, Rachel, and Mirada were now alone in the room. There was an awkward silence hanging in the air as neither Gabe nor Rachel were sure where to begin.
“You really should warm yourself up.” Gabe agreed, walking Rachel over to the chair. She couldn’t stop thinking about what the woman had said, “In your condition.” What could she have meant by that? She decided it best not to look directly in her eyes, as if it would protect her from the thought reading in some way. Suddenly, she realized Mirada was probably reading her thoughts right then, and now she knew she was thinking about all of this. Rachel accidentally glanced at Mirada who was already looking at her. The woman smiled. Panicking, Rachel looked away quickly.
“Relax, I would never do anything to hurt the two of you.” Mirada added in an attempt to comfort the pair.
Gabe glanced around. Spying a small wooden stool, he stepped away momentarily and pulled it up next to Rachel’s chair. After sitting, he looked to Rachel. He could see she was uncomfortable. Gabe reached out, taking her hand into his, using his abilities to calm her. Rachel looked into the fire, entranced by the flames, a small smile emerging on her lips.
“Nifty trick. Does she mind?” Gabe heard the words echo