Cave.

Quarry.

Mama.

A man... Dark eyes holding her own. Fear flaring. Fear dying. Was she going mad? No, Mama had said.

She couldn't remember what she had said. It was blurred, like the voices, like the pain...

Sleep. Take a nap. Let everything drift away. After she woke she'd be able to think and plan how to handle this weirdness.

She crawled under the covers and curled up in a ball. It was going to be okay. She could handle whatever was happening to her. She just needed a little time to clear her head and decide what action to take.

And pray that the voices stayed away.

"I WANT TO SEE HER," GRADY SAID when Phillip opened the door two hours later. "And I don't want any arguments or protective crap, Phillip."

Phillip stiffened. "Why should I argue? I'm the one who phoned you. Remember?"

"But by this time I'm sure you've been mentally cursing me and considering the possibility that you'd be better off without my interference."

"Maybe."

"May I come in?"

Phillip didn't want to let him in, he realized. Grady had changed in the years that had passed. He had been only a young man of twenty-five when he'd approached Phillip about taking on the care of Megan. Now he must be in his mid-thirties and although still lean, still darkly handsome, beneath that glittering exterior he seemed weathered and scarred by experiences Phillip could only imagine. Even when he was younger he'd had an aura of power and confidence that was a little intimidating. Now that power was refined, more subtle, but infinitely stronger.

He shrugged and stepped aside. "I couldn't stop you, could I?"

"Yes. You could shoot me." He came into the house and closed the door. "But that wouldn't be smart. I may not be what you want for Megan, but you don't like burning your bridges." He glanced around the living room. "Nice. Cozy."

"We like it," Phillip said. "Megan and I picked out the furniture when we moved into the house after her mother's funeral. It was a new start for both of us and I wanted her to feel perfectly comfortable."

"I'm sure she does. You did a good job in cocooning her. When you're a youngster, you need security."

Phillip stiffened as he caught the implication. "You mean she doesn't need that security, now that she's an adult. You're wrong. Everyone needs to feel safe."

"But sometimes we don't get what we want or need. Where is she?"

"She's lying down. She's not feeling well." He stared at him accusingly. "Did you have something to do with that?"

"Yes." He glanced at his watch. "I can give her another thirty minutes to rest. I could go in and help, but she'd be better off if she came out of it herself. Why don't you give me a cup of coffee while I'm waiting?"

"I'm not feeling hospitable." He gestured to the kitchen. "Get it yourself."

"Whatever." He headed for the kitchen. "I'll even make one for you."

Phillip followed him and stood in the doorway watching him while he rummaged through the cabinets until he found the coffee. "What did you do to her?"

"I did a little experimenting." He scooped coffee into the coffeemaker. "I had to see how much she could take."

Phillip stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"I lifted control." He gave Phillip a level glance. "I let her voices attack her. I thought the zoo was a good place since it's generally a happy escape for most people and there was a good chance the impact wouldn't be too heavy. I didn't want to make her face her particular demons, but I made sure she'd know they were there."

"Damn you."

"I thought that would be your reaction." He shrugged. "I thought it necessary. I had to see if she was still as strong as she was when she was a girl."

"By hurting her?"

He nodded. "By hurting her."

"And what did you find out?"

"That she's a thousand times stronger. Molino would feel that he'd made a tremendous coup if he managed to kill her. She's not only her mother's daughter, but she's a powerhouse in her own right." He added impatiently, "I know you don't want to hear that. Too bad. Face it, Molino is either on her trail now or will find her eventually. It will be better if she's prepared. If we're prepared." He turned on the coffeemaker. "And she can help herself. She has a talent. I'm going to use it."

"Screw you. I won't let you near her."

"Phillip." Grady's voice was soft. "You have no option. You're not her uncle. She's mine. I only lent her to you. Now I'm taking her back."

"That's crap. She's a human being and she doesn't belong to anyone."

"She belongs to me until I find the Ledger. After that, she can walk away. The two of you can disappear into the sunset." He paused. "We have to find it, Phillip. You know we do. Risking one life is a small price to pay."

"It's not a risk I'm willing to take. Not if it's Megan's life."

"I told you that it might come to this when you agreed to take her on."

"I didn't think—it was all abstract. She's my family now."

"Then I'm sorry for you," Grady said wearily as he sat down at the table. "But there are other people out there who are going to die if we don't risk Megan."

"It's not fair. Molino's a crazy son of a bitch. She's probably only a Listener. Not a Pandora."

"I hope she's not. But if she's a Listener, then she's one of the strongest talents I've ever run across. She can still help us if I can channel it. All I need is a clue, a path to take. I'm running into blank walls and out of time."

"She has her own life."

"And she can go back to living it after she gives me what I want."

Phillip shook his head. "I can't believe you're that hard."

"Not hard enough. If I was, I'd have let your Megan kill herself or go crazy in that cave instead of carrying her on my back for twelve years." He looked down in his cup. "And I believe you're wrong. I think she's a Pandora."

"That doesn't mean she should be shot like a rabid dog."

"Tell that to Molino."

"She deserves a chance."

"She's had her chance. I gave it to her. It wasn't easy." He raised his cup to his lips. "Now it's time for her to pay the piper."

"Like her mother," Phillip said bitterly.

"Possibly. No promises." He finished his coffee and stood up. "I'm going in to see Megan now. If you're going to stop me, you'd better go get that gun you keep in the top left drawer of your desk. You've been thinking wistfully about it for the last ten minutes."

Shit.

"Sorry. I didn't eavesdrop purposely. I respect you and I can understand your concern," Grady said. "Actually, I'm no Mind Reader. Sometimes it just seeps around the edges."

"I hate all this psychic crap," he said through his teeth.

"Yet you took it when you needed it." He waved his hand as Phillip started to speak. "I didn't mean to try to give you a guilt trip. I never wanted your gratitude. And you're not alone. Most of the world is uneasy with the thought of psychics. So is Molino. It's not only hatred and revenge that goads him on. He's afraid of us and he's jealous. He sees talent as a weapon of power and he doesn't want anyone to possess it if he can't." His lips twisted. "Molino is definitely into power."