Psy (Alien Castaways #3) - Cara Bristol Page 0,48

Cassie unslung the notebook from around her neck—and heaved it at her abductor’s face. “I…know…what you d-did. I remember…everything—Aunt Mentira.”

If the elocution fell short of perfect, it achieved the desired impact. Mentira dropped her jaw to her chest. But, she recovered nearly as fast, her face hardening. “It won’t do you any good. You’re mine. You’ll always be mine.”

A vicious chill knifed into Cassie’s brain.

No, you don’t! Psy blocked the attack and expelled her.

Mentira snapped her head in shock.

The screen door banged as Psy and Mysk entered.

Wide eyes narrowed to slits as Mentira focused on Cassie.

Traces of the brain freeze returned, an indication her mind had come under assault again, but Psy repelled it. “It’s over. You’re not going to touch her again,” he said.

“I’ve never encountered a more egregious breach of the Verital Code of Honor than what you did, Mentira. Your actions are unconscionable,” Mysk said. “You violated all sense of decency, showing no regard for anyone but yourself.”

“What choice did I have?” She curled her lip into an ugly twist. “I’d been stuck on this primitive planet for a quarter century and never encountered a genmate. Without one, I’d never have children. How is it fair humans can reproduce on a whim, while I may never be able to?”

“Life isn’t fair,” Mysk said. “The Xenos destroyed ’Topia and almost all our people. We’re lucky to be alive—on any planet. I still haven’t found a genmate and maybe I never will. But no one has the right to steal from someone else because they don’t have the same. There is no excuse for abducting and brainwashing a child.”

“It wasn’t like Rachel couldn’t squeeze out another one! In fact, she did.”

Cassie pressed a knuckle to her mouth at the cavalier selfishness and then jerked in shock as Psy repelled Mentira, who’d slipped into her mind again. No wonder he had refused to let her come alone.

I’ll always be there to protect you, he said.

“Since we haven’t had to deal with crimes committed by our own before now, we have no tribunal, so your actions will be reported to Earth authorities.” Mysk grimaced as he fixed a hard gaze on Mentira.

She laughed and crossed her arms. “Go right ahead! Breaking the Code of Honor isn’t a crime on Earth.”

“No, but kidnapping is.” A faint sheen of perspiration glistened on Mysk’s forehead.

“You’re going to have me arrested?” She snorted. “Try it. We all know the charges won’t stick.”

Had she always acted this way? While “Rosalie” had always been controlling and stifling, Cassie had believed her to be loving, well-intentioned. She wasn’t. Nothing good had motivated her actions. Cassie wondered if clarity came from knowing the truth, or if Mentira had been toying with her perception over the years.

A little of both, Psy said.

Mysk’s features adopted a fierce concentration. Sweat trickled down his temples. “We’re not going to report you—you’re going to turn yourself in—”

Her derisive laugh turned into a choke.

“And confess to the kidnapping. You will not attempt to alter anyone’s mind because if you do, you will find yourself unable to breathe. You will accept the punishment they mete out.” For Cassie’s benefit, he repeated aloud the suggestions he implanted in Mentira’s mind.

Her face sagged, and she nodded. “I must turn myself in to the local authorities and confess I kidnapped a child.”

Mysk sighed, signaling he’d exited Mentira’s mind. He squinted as if he had a bad headache and wiped the sweat from his brow.

“Are you okay?” Psy asked.

“I will be.”

Mentira pivoted and grabbed her purse from atop one of the boxes. On the way out the door, she glared at them, hatred mottling her face. “I was a good mother to you. Everything had worked out fine until he came along,” she said and left the house. Moments later, she drove away.

Cassie expelled a sigh of relief and clasped her hands to quell the shaking. She’d insisted on acting as a decoy in the plan to program Mentira to turn herself in, but it had been frightening to be so close to such malevolence, to be the target of it. “W-w-will the suggestions last?” She envisioned Mentira “coming to” halfway to the police station, making a U-turn, and charging to the house to finish what she’d started.

“Oh yes. I erased her barriers of resistance, and I planted the commands very deep. Don’t worry. She’ll confess everything,” Mysk said. “The process went easier and smoother than I had anticipated because you distracted her. She was so focused on you, she