“Actually, Cherry is just fine.”
“Cherry, really? Isn’t that more of a porn star name?”
Anger and, to my surprise, a flash of protectiveness rose up within me, which I had to contain rapidly. However, I was more than game to correct my youngest brother’s flippancy. Although he said nothing with malice, that didn’t stop his choice in words of being incredibly rude.
But the psychic answered before I could. “Stripper name, actually, but it’s short for Cheribelle. All of us eldest Donmoue children have had traditional Southern first names and have ever since our however-many-times great-grandmother immigrated here.”
“Cheribelle?” my brother repeated, smiling broadly. Nope, I didn’t like that expression either. “I have to admit, that’s a pretty great name. Sort of like classic ol’ glamour.”
“It’s got a ring to it,” Cherry said.
I frowned. I didn’t like that she was bantering with my brother as easily as she did with me.
Why does that matter?I asked myself.
“Well, apologies for doubting you, Miss Cheribelle Donmoue,” Jackson said, leaning into his video camera. “I am at your disposal.”
“You need to take this seriously,” I said. Jackson’s flirtatious slow blinking and smirking was not only making me a bit nauseous (who wanted to see their little brother try to seduce someone?) but it was also annoying me that he was refusing to see how important this was.
Our father and our brother were dead, murdered by someone who had no psychic energy whatsoever. While I was no oracle myself, I was certain that was both rare and dangerous, not something to be taken lightly.
“Come on, bro. You come to me saying there’s some brainless assassin?—”
“Psychic energy-less assassin,” Cherry corrected without missing a beat.
“—whatever. You’re telling me this assassin not only infiltrated our house, killed seven people, including dear ol’ Pops and big bro, but then also sawed through a beam because he magically knew I would be under it?
“I mean, couldn’t it just be a selkie? Or even a dryad? They don’t have minds like most of us sentients do.”
That was true, but I wassurprised Jackson knew it. When Cherry had dropped her revelation, I’d wondered if it could be one of those, or an aberrant person who was magically resistant to leaving any sort of psychic echo. Or maybe even someone cursed? Blessed?
“It could also be a Leshy,” Cherry said. “Or some type of ancient vampire. Which is why I want to help. If I can eliminate ninety percent of suspects, it would greatly aid the detectives on the case.”
“Oh, is that all?” Jackson said with just enough sarcasm for Chris to snort in frustration, but Cherry continued like she hadn’t heard it at all. Who knew, maybe she hadn’t?
“That’s pretty much the long and the short of it,” Cherry said with a nod.
“I know it sounds insane,” I said. “And if I hadn’t witnessed her abilities several times, I probably wouldn’t believe it either. But we need to take this information to the police.”
I would never forget her walking through the office, moving almost like a banshee, compelled by things I could not see, and occasionally asking me questions in that deeper, raspier voice that was so different from her regular voice. It was one of the most compelling things I had seen in a long while. If she wasso captivating, how had her mother been at the height of her power?
“Then take it to the police. Why are you calling me?”
“To hear your perspective on things, and check your energy signature,” Cherry said, still as unflappable as ever.
Honestly, I had to hand it to her. Jackson had a proven ability to distract people, whether with charm, irritation, or outright provocation, but Cherry was like a dog with a bone, determined to get what she was after.
I admired that.
“Check my energy signature? Like an anime? I don’t mean to question your craft, but...”
Cherry didn’t even blink. She tilted her head slightly and stared into the camera like she could look through my brother’s soul with it. And who knew? Maybe she could.
“I guess I’m just questioning it.”
“I always find it funny that fellow magical folks are the most suspicious of us oracles. Why do you take it as a matter of course that you can transform into a wolf and then return to human form with your clothes intact, but find it difficult that someone has clairvoyant tendencies?”
“She has a point, you know,” Christopher said, which was just about the last thing I expected from him, because even though my little brother was annoying the hell out of me, I understood his reticence to believe.