Wolf Rain (Psy-Changeling Trinity #3) - Nalini Singh Page 0,53

driven to murder.”

Memory’s hand flexed out, her shoulders trembling. At least in this, she could forgive herself. She didn’t create serial killers. “Do you see?” she said to Sascha, as Alexei moved his thumb over her skin in a caress that made her want to curl into him and not emerge for hours.

“I see that you’ve given Amara emotional depth.” The cardinal was frowning, the wonder not yet gone from her voice. “No other E has ever had any success with psychopathic personalities.”

“I agree with Sascha,” Amara said, putting her hands around her knee and falling into a tone that was cool and pragmatic. “This aspect of my psyche has never before been available to me. You’ve opened the doorway.”

Memory had to find the right question to make Amara reveal the truth. “By walking through that door,” she said to this intellectually gifted woman who was inhuman on an elemental level, “do you think you’ll become a better person? A person who doesn’t believe that it’s perfectly acceptable to dissect other individuals in the pursuit of scientific progress? A person who cares if her actions cause pain to others?”

Chapter 20

Twins* are a special case under Silence, the bond between them beyond emotion or a lack of it. Separating them at birth is never recommended. The psychological impact can be catastrophic, and has been known to lead to psychic collapse.

*See Coda 28 for information on triplets, quadruplets, and other multiples.

—Coda 27 to the Silence Protocol

AMARA TILTED HER head slightly to the side, a faint smile on her lips. “You’re very intelligent despite your emotion-centered abilities.” An edge of what might’ve been admiration in that smile. “The answer is no. I believe I can become better at faking empathy as a result of our contact, but I am simply an . . . enhanced version of who I was. No changes to the primary core of my personality.”

This time when Memory looked at Sascha, she saw dawning comprehension darken the cardinal’s expression. “You see,” she whispered. “I make them better monsters.”

Amara laughed and clapped her hands together. “Is this amusement?” she asked, her eyes dancing. “It is a fascinating emotion.”

Flushing, Memory said, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have called you a monster.” It had been an inexcusable lapse on her part—Amara, broken though she was, was no Renault.

Amara waved away her apology. “By any objective measure, I am a monster. An ordinary twin would not have drugged, then buried her claustrophobic sister alive in a shallow grave just to see how she would react when she woke.” A shrug of her shoulders at that horrific statement. “You are also correct in your assessment. If I am a monster, you have made me a better one.”

A sob caught in Ashaya’s throat. Raising one hand to her mouth, she looked to Memory with bruised eyes identical to Amara’s . . . yet so very different. “How long will the effect last?”

Memory frowned, realizing she couldn’t use Renault as a measure. Because of how deeply he’d broken into her mind and how long he’d had access to her, the effect lasted far longer in him now than it had back at the start, when he’d first begun to use her. “Given the time we were linked,” she said slowly, working through the various factors, “and the strength of Amara’s psychic abilities, it’ll most probably last three to four hours.”

Amara sighed. “I suppose owning you is out of the question,” she said with every appearance of seriousness. “I would keep you in a room where I could drink from you at will—I’d feed and water you, of course. Cruelty for its own sake serves no purpose.”

“Jesus.” Alexei’s rough voice, his body coming close enough that her shoulder brushed against him. “It’s like you’re a drug.”

Even though he hadn’t spoken to Amara, the scientist nodded. “The effect is very similar to what I’ve observed in addicts,” she confirmed. “Now that I’ve tasted Memory, I want more. Since I’ve only had a single hit however, I should be able to break the compulsion with ease.” Those extraordinary eyes locked on Memory. “I would suggest you not allow those like me to drink from you on a long-term basis, or you might find yourself considered prey.”

Memory laughed and it held no humor. “Trust me,” she said, “I know.”

Uncrossing her legs, Amara turned to her sister again. “Since this is a temporary effect,” she said, “and you are the most important individual in my existence, I would like to spend the