Mind reader
1638 Words
Ben sat down as he began to eat what Nancy had brought for him the following day. Nancy had brought him some clothes and toiletries as well from the city, clothes which he took upstairs to his room to try later.
“There’s a chamber with hot showers inside and you can take your bath in there,” Nancy was saying.
“Thank God! I was starting to live like an animal. No offense to your friends,” Ben said and made her chuckle.
“So I take it the wolf threat is over?”
“It’s all thanks to Matthias and his pack and to Wonderbee too. They’re all heroes.”
“He is too modest,” the dragon said.
The dogs were all outside at the moment.
“Why wasn’t I here for the fun?” Spot grumbled, “I’m a better fighter.”
“I’m sure you are; which is why you and Wonderbee are going to be staying here with Ben.”
“You can leave me with them lousy dwarves but not him.”
“You’ll have to get along.”
“Where is this coming from?” Wonderbee jumped in.
Nancy sighed then she looked at them, “It’s my cousin. She’s been up on my tail criticizing everything in my life. I don’t want her to know about you, not just yet or she may make me get rid of you guys.”
“She is the boss,” Wonderbee said sarcastically.
“I am picking up that Wonderbee doesn’t like her that much” Ben said.
“I’ve been picking up a bad vibe from her. I don’t know what it is yet. I don’t trust her.” Nancy made to protest against what Wonderbee was saying, “I speak the truth, Nancy. You must use your amulet.”
“I would not. After all, she is my cousin. Why would I suspect anything ill of her?”
“Exactly!”
“You really believe she is hiding something?”
Wonderbee nodded.
“Then I must find out – tonight.”
“Forgive me for intruding, but how?” Ben asked.
“With this,” Nancy showed him the amulet in her neck. It was a small amulet, almond-shaped and green. It was a gem with nothing much out of the ordinary.
“It was a gift from my godmother. When I rub it, it opens my mind to telepathy. I can tap into some people’s minds and read secrets. I could say it makes me a psychic.”
“You can do that just by rubbing an amulet?” Ben was thinking that in his dream last night Wonderbee had mentioned something about Nancy being able to read minds.
“Yes.”
“A demonstration would be nice,” Ben pleaded.
“Are you sure you want me in your mind?”
“I am skeptical but super curious. So what do I do? Do I focus on something? Do I close my eyes?” Ben couldn’t hide his excitement and the others were still surprised that he wanted Nancy poking around in his head.
Nancy chuckled, “Most people want to hide their secrets but not you. Okay. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Just stay as you are and it is my job to lower your defense,” Nancy said then she closed her eyes.
She took the amulet between her fingers and rubbed it softly. After a short while, she opened her eyes again and they were glowing. It was a remarkable thing to see. It was as if a light was behind her green eyes, a clear non-blinding light behind her pupils.
“Your eyes are glowing,” Ben was awe-struck.
“You see my light?” she asked. Ben nodded and heard the others gasp.
“It is invisible to others,” Nancy said.
“It is?”
“Even Wonderbee can’t see it.”
“I don’t know how but I can,” Ben leaned closer to her.
She squirmed uncomfortably in her seat because he came in close to her to look in her eyes. She couldn’t avert them to look away because he would realize that he had made her shy. So she looked back into his eyes as well.
“You are beautiful,” Ben said in almost a whisper and Wonderbee turned to face him, and then she cleared her throat loudly to break their trance.
Ben then realized that this was the most awkward thing to say in front of her, “I mean you have beautiful eyes,” and then he retreated back into his chair.
“And now your guard is down,” Nancy sat up straight, “Your mind is like a maze I could easily get lost, but one thing is clear and you can’t hide this one. You are heartbroken over your first crush. ”
“Yeah, those are hard,” Wonderbee said and even Spot seemed to agree and Ben felt mocked they were making light of his emotions.
“Guys seriously?”
Nancy chuckled as the light in her eyes dimmed and disappeared.
“I’m convinced. Go read your cousin; she will not be able to hide anything from you.”
She suddenly looked away from him to shut down a beeping from her wristwatch.
“I regret that I have got to leave you guys so soon. But there’s always tomorrow.”
“Perhaps it’d help if you came earlier. You give me food, a place to stay, and yet I feel like I don’t know you that well,” Ben said.
“I’ll try.”
“Don’t forget what I told you,” Wonderbee said.
“It won’t slip my mind.”
“Don’t forget my morning treat,” Spot added.
“I’ll remember. Well, as Ben says, tomorrow it is.”
“Tomorrow it is,” they all responded at the same time and they laughed at themselves.
“I do say that huh,” Ben scratched his head a bit embarrassed.
Nancy nudged him and then got up. They walked her to her flying bike and said their goodbyes again before she left.
The sun descended fast and paved the way for the night, and for the Xeronis moons and starry night sky.
Ben came to join Matthias on the third floor who sat on the destroyed balcony, looking at the forest expanse.
“I couldn’t help but notice something very odd,” Ben said breaking the silence.
Matthias looked at him so he continued, “It’s the princess and how she roams freely without any guards or soldiers.”
“And...?”
“If you ask me I’d say there is something wrong with this picture,” he said making a gesture as if he was holding an invisible frame, “The princess thinks it’s trivial to have such security because she has never met any real threats to her life.”
“That’s quite an observation,” Matthias mused.
“An observation anyone is likely to make... even an enemy of the kingdom.”
“What are you implying exactly?”
“You tell me. There have been two attacks already. There was a dragon at the old mines, and I don’t think the wolves were after me, initially. I just carried her scent and got in the way. If you ask me I’d say someone is trying to assassinate the princess!” he let it sink in before shifting his full attention to Matthias.
“Matthias, you must tell me all you know about the wolves.”
Matthias wanted to protest but Ben asserted his firmness by adding, “Nancy’s life depends on it.”
“You are very intuitive,” Matthias sighed.
“You have no idea.”
Matthias looked into the woods ahead and then he began, “What you guessed was correct; there had been an increased wolf activity in the surrounding parts of the kingdom. My pack and I then decided to investigate. Wolves have allied with Bloodrubis, and they are both hostile towards this kingdom.”
“Bloodrubis?”
“They are the natives of this land. Their empire collapsed a long time ago in a war that reduced them into tributary states. But their numbers have been expanding and soon they will leave the caves and the forests and attack the cities to reclaim the land that was once theirs.”
“But where do the wolves come in? Why this alliance?”
“In case you haven’t noticed, wolves are not full-time beasts. They are very intelligent and they have their own societies. They want to settle in the cities and not have to hide away their animal side. And I sense they have spies at the very core of this kingdom; I don’t think the kingdom will stand for long.”
“They have to be warned. I have to tell Nancy,” Ben said getting up.
“You think they don’t know?”
“Tell her what, Ben?” Wonderbee moved from the shadows and came towards them.
“That someone is trying to kill her.”
“You’ll only trouble her for no reason. We checked again and again and it seems there were only three wolves. Their scent mostly lingered in places where the princess usually dallies,” Matthias jumped in.
“If something is threatening our princess, then we ought to do something about it. Let’s say protecting her ourselves (without telling her of course, she tends to hate that kind of attention),” Wonderbee said.
“You are right. We ought to protect the princess. Are you in or not, Matthias?” Ben asked. Matthias got quite a stare from Wonderbee that he only sighed in defeat.
“I am.”
- Writer
