Psychic Secret: An Urban Fantasy Academy Romance (Psychic Academy Book 1) Read online

  A shadow edged across my vision again. Muted sounds of careful footsteps came from the far wall.

  I summoned my courage and shouted. “Who’s there?”

  Daniel hissed in my ear. “Don’t do that, that’s how people die in horror movies.”

  The crates fell in a crash. Antique jewelry and packing foam tumbled out in a wave. A figure dressed in black stepped out from behind the mess. Whoever he was, he was breathing hard and looked very angry.

  Daniel and I stepped back. He threw his arm in front of me and tapped the emergency dial on his cell phone.

  “911, what’s your emergency?” The operator responded after one ring.

  “We’re at the Detroit Institute of Art, there’s a break in.” Daniel barked. “Send police. Hurry!”

  The man in darkness laughed. “No need, I already have what I came for, children.” He held up something shiny.

  I felt the tug again, but I could barely make out what he had in his hand. If I had to guess, it looked like a necklace. “No, stop!” I cried.

  The man cackled and swung his arm through the air. I didn’t believe what I saw next. The boxes raised up from the ground, raining gold and precious metals. There was a low frequency hum, and they burst into flames.

  I shrieked.

  Daniel pushed me back towards the door. “Let’s get out of here!”

  “No!” I pulled away from him. “I need that thing!”

  The room was hot and filled with smoke. The man had disappeared, but how? The only way out was the door behind us.

  “Leave it!” Daniel obviously had no idea what I was freaking out about. “Come on, let’s go.” He tugged on the doorknob but it was locked. The door must have locked from the outside. We were trapped.

  I swallowed the bile that rose in my throat. “Oh no, we can’t get out.” I screamed. The smoke was burning my eyes. The fire licked the tables and traveled up the heavy curtains that covered the windows.

  Daniel was shouting something, probably to the 911 operator.

  My heart was pounding so loud that it filled my ears. I couldn’t hear anything and despite the stench of smoke and the heat of the fire, I suddenly felt very calm. I raised my arms, splayed my hands wide and felt a surge of adrenaline. There was an odd hum, one that could be felt more than heard.

  I snapped my eyes open and everything around us shattered. The windows against the far wall blew out one by one sending shards of glass raining down, the picture frames broke, and the few remaining boxes exploded with their precious contents flying about the room. The giant wooden door groaned and buckled, falling outward into the hallway.

  I could hear the sounds of sirens in the distance. The fire alarm rang out through the building and the sprinkler system finally kicked on. The cool water rained down on us just as the police came running in.

  I swayed on my feet, suddenly overcome with exhaustion. My eyes locked on to Daniel and then I fainted.

  CHAPTER THREE

  “Young lady, I need to contact your parents,” The doctor said to me.

  I shook my head. I hated the feeling of the oxygen mask on my face. “My dad is at a conference out of state and my mom will worry, please, I’m fine.” I pulled my mask off so my voice wouldn’t be muffled.

  The doctor pressed his lips together and he stood up stiffly. “You do know there are police waiting to speak to you, right?”

  I blinked and bolted up from the hospital bed. Two policemen stood by the door. One had his arms crossed and was staring at me, while the other was working on the report. “I’m fine,” I said again, with emphasis.

  The doctor rolled his eyes and walked away. “Kids,” I heard him mutter under his breath. He moved on to the next room, shouting about insurance or something to one of the nurses.

  The cops shut the door behind them and sat down on either side of the bed.

  “Ms. Hernandez,” One officer said and then looked down to double check the form.

  I ignored it, I was used to people thinking my name and my face didn’t match up.

  “You and Daniel Dolinsky were found at a crime scene this afternoon and are under the suspicion of arson,” The officer continued.

  “Daniel!” I gasped. “Where is he? Is he ok?”

  The second cop spoke. “Being treated for smoke inhalation, but expected to be fine. You’re both very lucky.”

  The first cop cleared his throat and continued. “We’re going to have to ask you a few questions, miss.”

  Now it was my turn to look tough, despite an oxygen mask dangling from my neck. “I won’t speak without my lawyer.”

  #

  Not many girls my age knew much about the legal system. Every summer for the past three years I worked at my dad’s office filling in for vacation times so the receptionists and assistants could have a break. It was mostly mind-numbing clerical work like getting coffee, photocopying or data entry, but I had learned a thing or two over the past few years.

  The cops had left me alone in an interrogation room. I was happy they were gone. The taller of the two had the whole “bad cop” thing going on, while the other looked distinctly uncomfortable with the entire situation.

  When I refused to talk, the jerk cop stormed out and his partner followed.

  I too a sip of water from the bottle they had put in front of me. I was beyond thirsty, but I didn’t want them to see me weak. One drop renewed my thirst and I downed the rest of it without stopping for a breath.

  The door opened and I looked up. To my surprise, it was neither the good cop or the bad cop or a lawyer. It was Daniel’s father. “Mr. Dolinsky?” I gasped.

  Aaron Dolinsky, aka Mr. D, aka Daniel’s dad, was a tall, muscular man with the same curly hair and hazel eyes. His short beard was speckled with gray to match his temples. He looked exactly what I figured Daniel would look like in thirty years. He was dressed in plain civilian clothes. His FBI badge was in his hand.

  He grinned; it was the same crooked grin that Daniel had. “I told you to call me Aaron,” He said. Then his expression turned cold and steely. He threw down his badge on the table. “But right now, I suppose, it’s Inspector.”

  I felt the blood drain from my face. The FBI wanted me now? No way. Wasn’t this a conflict of interest anyway? My mind flooded with thoughts, each more ridiculous than the next. I shrank down into my chair with a shiver.

  Mr. Dolinsky sat down across from me. “Just kidding, Bianca,” He said. “I got it covered. I’m here to take you home.”

  “They’re letting me go?” I gasped.

  “This investigation has been taken over by the FBI,” He said with a smirk.

  “Do cops really hate you guys as much as they do on TV?”

  Mr. Dolinsky let out a loud laugh. “Sometimes, yeah, they do.” He stood and pocketed his badge. “Come on, your mother is worried sick.”

  I walked straight out of the office with him leading the way. I caught a glimpse at the “bad cop” who scowled. He looked like a kid who lost his favorite toy. I ignored him, keeping my eyes straight at the back of Mr. Dolinsky. He stopped only once to sign out and then I was free.

  The evening air seemed sweet. I took a deep breath and smiled.

  Mr. Dolinsky’s black car was parked outside. He opened the door for me. “After you,” He said.

  “Thanks.” I looked over my shoulder at the police office one more time before sliding into the car. “Thanks for getting me out of there,” I said once the office was out of view.

  “No problem, Bianca. I have to look out for Daniel’s friends,” He said. “Sorry that you got caught up in that situation at the Institute.” He glanced at me quickly when he stopped at a red light. “Do you know exactly what happened?”

  I stiffened. I wasn’t prepared for more questioning.

  “Off the record, of course,” Mr. Dolinsky added. “I’m not talking to you as FBI right now. I just want to make sure that you are ok. Daniel already told me what happened, but I’d like to hear your side of the st
ory.”

  “Off the record?” I repeated.

  “Promise,” He replied.

  I let out a sigh as he drove towards the freeway. “Alright,” I conceded. “Well, the whole situation was really weird. I heard some noises in a closed exhibit and you know how I am with being curious.” He chuckled, and I relaxed a bit more. “So anyway, there was some guy in there looking for something. There were lots of boxes of jewelry and stuff. It was a mess.”

  “What happened next?”

  I took a deep breath. In all the commotion, I barely had time to register what I saw earlier that day. It seemed like a dream. I continued, unable to believe what I was saying. “Well, the guy was really weird. He did something and all the crates of jewelry rose up and flew everywhere. Then they caught on fire. After that he must have escaped, but the door was locked behind us.” I shivered. “It was awful.”

  Mr. Dolinsky nodded. “Then what happened?”

  “Daniel called 911,” I said. I hesitated, not sure if I should admit to what happened next. How had I broken those windows? Was it really me or was it from the heat of the fire? I doubted everything now.

  I glanced at Daniel’s dad who was waiting patiently for me to continue. If Daniel had already told his side of the story, did he already know about whatever the heck happened with me? Whatever. I needed to tell someone, may as well be Inspector Dolinsky. “Then I’m not really sure what happened,” I said, and it was the truth. “I felt really weird and then all the windows shattered. The sprinklers turned on and I fainted.”

  Mr. Dolinsky nodded. “Yes, that’s what Daniel said too.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. Then I wasn’t crazy. Thank goodness. “I don’t remember anything that happened after that. I woke up in the hospital and then was taken in by the police.”

  There was silence as we drove until reaching my house. Mr. Dolinsky parked the car and then turned to face me. “Listen, Bianca, I know this was a really weird night for you, but I need you to promise that you won’t mention any of the strange events to your parents. They were only told about the fire, nothing more.”

  I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Alright,” I said. I wasn’t going to argue with an FBI inspector. “But, why?”

  “It’s classified.”

  I nodded again.

  “I want you to meet me tomorrow morning at my house. Just tell your mom that you’re studying or something.”

  I raised my eyebrows. Mr. Dolinsky knew as well as my mother did that I would never get up early on a Saturday morning to study.

  “Or, shopping then,” He laughed.

  “Alright.” I reached for the door handle. “Anything else?”

  “Yeah,” Mr. Dolinsky said, almost as an afterthought. “Until the investigation is over, I need you to promise you won’t tell anyone about we talk about.”

  I nodded.

  “Bianca, you’re psychic.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  How was I supposed to sleep after that?

  I lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling and counting the minutes until morning. What kind of person drops a bomb like “you’re psychic” and then leaves the explanation for another day? It was like a bad cliffhanger.

  I rolled over and closed my eyes. Daniel’s father promised it would all make sense in the morning. Maybe I was just going crazy. A mental breakdown was much easier to consider than the fact that Mr. Dolinsky thought I had some supernatural psychic powers. I was no expert, but I was pretty sure that was against the laws of science or something.

  I needed a better explanation than that and I was going to get it at dawn.

  #

  The sun was barely over the horizon when I pounded on the Dolinsky’s front door. The air was heavy with dew and the entire neighborhood was quiet.

  As expected, I hadn’t slept a wink. I waited until six in the morning, tip-toed out of the house, and ran straight to the place where I would get answers.

  I knocked again, even louder than last time. The sound echoed through the cul-de-sac, but I didn’t care who I woke up.

  The door opened a minute later. It was Daniel’s father, Inspector Dolinsky, dressed in a robe and holding a giant mug of black coffee.

  He rubbed his eyes and looked down at me. “Bianca, when I said the morning…”

  “No. I want answers now.” I interrupted and brushed past him. “I’m not leaving until you tell me what really happened yesterday,” I paused and then added, “Please.”

  Mr. Dolinsky sighed and took a swig of coffee. “Fine,” He said. “I suppose I owe you that much.” He motioned to the living room. “Go have a seat. I need to make more coffee.”

  I went to the living room to wait.

  Nothing had changed since Daniel’s parents got divorced a few years ago. Mrs. Dolinsky had been the one to decorate and take care of the house. Judging by the dust on the shelves, no one else cared much. I sat down on the green couch that looked like something my grandmother would have picked out in the 1990s. The brass clock on the wall ticked ominously in the silence.

  I sat with my arms crossed over my chest until Mr. Dolinsky returned.

  He came back a few minutes later, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans and two cups of coffee. He set one down in front of me before taking a sip of his. “So,” He said as he sat down across from me. “What do you want to know?”

  “Where do I start?” I stammered. “You dropped me off last night after some crazy ordeal and then go: Oh, but the way, you’re a wizard, Harry!” I did a terrible Hagrid impression.

  Mr. Dolinsky laughed. “No, not a wizard. Psychic.”

  “Yeah, that.”

  The man sighed and looked past me across the room. “I’m not sure where to start.”

  “Anywhere,” I pleaded.

  “Alright,” He shrugged. “Well, you know I work for the FBI. What very few people know is that I work for a division of the FBI that deals with unexplainable events.”

  “Like UFOs?”

  “No, they have a different department for that,” Mr. Dolinsky said almost too casually. “Anyway. I work with people like you. People with powers that seem to defy science and reason. The government has been involved for the past several decades to ensure that we keep the public safe.”

  “Safe? From psychic people?”

  “Yep.” He nodded. “If people like you don’t learn to control their powers, it can be very dangerous.”

  “People like me,” I whispered. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

  “I know this is hard to believe,” Mr. Dolinsky continued as if he could read my mind.

  “No kidding!” I slumped back against the couch.

  There was a few moments of silence. The only sound was the clock ticking on the wall. Finally, Mr. Dolinsky spoke again. “I know this is hard,” He repeated. “But we have measures in place. Policies. Best practices. It won’t be so bad.”

  I looked at him as he sipped his coffee. Mine was going cold on the table. “Why me?”

  Mr. Dolinsky raised his eyebrows. “Why you? Why anyone?” He shrugged. “Despite advances in technology and research, we know very little about this phenomenon.”

  “What do I do now?”

  “For the moment just hang tight.” Mr. Dolinsky said. “I need to contact some people and get everything in order.”

  “Hang tight?” I shook my head and let out a cynical laugh. “You mean, just go back to normal like I’m not some freak? How do I know any of this is real? Is it a joke?” I felt energy raising in side of me. “I don’t want this. I didn’t ask for it. I just want to graduate high school!”

  The wave of energy rippled inside of me with the same low hum.

  “Bianca, I need you to relax.” Mr. Dolinsky’s voice was calm and even.

  His calmness irritated me. “How can I relax?” I asked. “How can I even believe anything you say?” I let out a gasp, fighting back frustrated tears.

  Suddenly, the mug of coffee in front of me rose from the tab
le. It cracked and shattered, sending ceramic and coffee flying in a circle.

  My lips trembled. “No. This can’t be real.”

  “It is real, Bianca,” Mr. Dolinsky ignored the coffee seeping into the plush carpet and the shards of ceramic scattered around the living room. “I promise this will make sense soon. It might take a little while, but you’ll learn to live with it.”

  “Is everything ok, Dad?” Daniel appeared at the foot of the staircase. His brow furrowed when he saw the mess. His eyes flicked from his father to my tear-stained face. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing,” Mr. Dolinsky said in a tone that assured no follow up questions would be asked.

  I suddenly felt very sick. I blinked and swallowed hard but my vision kept fading in and out. Exhaustion was consuming me. Strangling me. My body was so weak. Why hadn’t I slept? I looked from Daniel to his father.

  “I don’t feel so well,” I muttered.

  Daniel caught me as I fell forward from the couch and helped me lay down. I didn’t miss the look he shot his dad before going to get a towel to clean up the coffee.

  “Using your power will drain your energy. That’s why you fainted yesterday,” Mr. Dolinsky said once Daniel was out of earshot. “You didn’t sleep last night?”

  I shook my head.

  Mr. Dolinsky sighed. “Let’s get you home so you can rest. In the meantime, try to avoid any outbursts like that. Now that your powers have awakened, you need to remain as calm as possible until we get things sorted out.”

  “Sorted out?” I asked.

  He nodded. “I will be in touch soon. There’s a program in place to help young psychics after their talents activate. Once I make a few calls, we’ll have answers.” Mr. Dolinsky said. “To be honest, I’ve never been around when someone activates. I’m normally involved much later down the line. So, please be patient with me.”

  Mr. Dolinsky helped me to my feet. He touched my shoulder and looked at me straight. “Listen, Bianca. I’ve known you since you were a little girl with lopsided pigtails and braces. You’re like a daughter to me. Trust me, I will do everything in my power to get you the help you need.”