Charlene and Thomas started out, followed closely by Winifred. The rest of us fell in loosely behind them. As a group, we entered the building and made for the elevators where we split into two groups.
“We’ll meet on the twelfth floor,” Winifred said.
Bethi, Luke, Gabby, Clay, and Grey stepped into the elevator with Carlos and me.
“Congratulations,” Clay said quietly, looking at Carlos.
Behind me, I felt Carlos nod.
I was puzzled for a moment until Carlos gave me another one of those mental hugs.
Bethi’s eyes went wide as she stared at me.
“Shut up...”
I gave her a crooked grin.
“Bet you didn’t get a hand shoved in your face,” she said.
“Will you ever let me forget that?” Luke asked.
“Nope.”
Gabby glanced at me.
“It’s strange at first, but you’ll get used to him being in your head.”
Hearing her say that relieved me. It was weird having Carlos in there. Not really in a bad way, just...weird.
“I hope so,” I said.
“We’re standing right here,” Luke said.
Gabby grinned at him and leaned back against Clay.
“In your head is a good place to be,” Clay said. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.
The elevator slowed and binged. When the doors slid open, we stepped out. The other elevator was three floors behind, apparently having stopped to pick up passengers.
We lingered by the elevator bank, waiting. I carefully breathed the emotions in and out. Bethi's ran all over the place.
“Tone it down, girl.”
She nodded and immediately her emotions muted. They weren’t nonexistent like Carlos’, or silent like the Elders’, but they were quiet enough that she didn’t overwhelm me. She was getting better.
Behind us, I listened to the quiet conversation of the receptionist with another woman and the approaching click of heels. The doors opened to the second elevator. Winifred and Sam stepped out, followed by Charlene and Thomas.
A wave of panic hit me, and the sound of heels stopped. I turned and saw Penny in the hallway, her gaze locked on Charlene.
I stole her panic as she spun on her heel.
“Charlene,” I said in warning before the woman took a second step.
“Penny,” Charlene said. The woman stopped walking and slowly turned.
In an eerie display, all other movement in the large room stilled as well.
The man behind the desk laid his head down, and the woman joined him. Another man, who’d been reading the paper while he waited in one of the reception chairs, folded the paper on his lap then closed his eyes as if to take a nap. A maintenance worker, who was sweeping the floor with an extra-long dust mop, set the mop on the floor, then took a seat. The unnatural actions had me glancing at Charlene.
Bethi had said Charlene could control people but seeing it was scary crazy. I wasn’t the only one affected by the display.
Penny's fear spiked.
“So much for not abusing your power,” she said, anger shaking her words.
“I don't abuse my power,” Charlene said. “I only use it when necessary. And you've made it necessary.”
“Me?”
“Do you forget what I can do? I know you have a camera in the room, a voice recorder, a new lock on the door, and the police on speed dial. You planned to tape me doing something amazing and then turn me in. It didn’t work the last time you tried, and it won’t work now. That’s not why I’m here.”
“Then you’re wasting my time.”
“I promise I’m not. I have something much more newsworthy to show you. If you take me to one of your recording studios, you can broadcast live.”
Penny narrowed her eyes as she studied Charlene. I could feel her mistrust.
“I don't have that kind of pull,” Penny said.
“I do.” A wave of regret and fear rolled from Charlene with those words. I could understand her regretting her power, but why the fear?
Penny studied Charlene for a moment. Then a surge of the woman’s triumph hit me, and I wanted to grin. She had no idea what she was in for.
“This way.” She turned and started walking.
When she looked back and saw all of us following, I felt her hesitation and soothed it away. As we left the reception area, I noticed the maintenance worker stand and head toward his mop. Scary.
Carlos threaded his fingers through mine, bringing my focus back to our group as we entered the corridor. After yesterday's wandering, I didn't feel so lost when we made several turns before entering a hall with a few glass-windowed doors. Penny reached for one of the darker ones and opened it.
As she stood aside to let us in, she caught Charlene’s eye.
"Someone is going to ask what I'm doing," Penny said.
"I'll worry about that,” Charlene said to her then stepped into the room. The rest of us followed. It was a bit crowded.
“Isabelle, Carlos, Winifred, would you go with Penny into the studio to explain? I'll wait out here for whoever may come."
"I'm not taping you?" Penny asked as she shut the outer door.
"No. You're bringing the world bigger news than me, Penny. The news you were meant to reveal."
Penny was surprised and self-satisfied by Charlene’s last words. Yet, there was still a layer of annoyance and frustration as she opened the studio door for us and led the way in. She turned on the lights, flooding the second room with a brightness that almost made my eyes water. It was a small area with a fake backdrop of the city hanging on the wall behind a couch. Two chairs were positioned on either side of the couch. The staged area faced the equipment inside the room, just in front of the recording booth window.
When the door shut behind us, I enjoyed a new kind of emotional silence. The well-insulated room kept more than sound out.
“I need one of these,” I whispered to Carlos.
Penny’s gaze drifted to me, and her eyes widened in recognition.
“Hi, again,” I said with a smirk.
She glared at me a moment then turned to Winifred.
“So, what are we revealing?” Penny asked.
“The existence of another species,” Winifred said, walking toward the couch. She set down the bag she’d carried and turned to face Penny. Carlos and I stayed by the door.
“What kind of species?” Penny asked, not moving to join Winifred.
Winifred glanced at me, probably wondering if I was really ready for the freak-out this lady was about to have. I nodded.
“The shapeshifting kind,” Winifred said.
Penny laughed then grew quiet when she saw we didn’t share her humor.
“Before I put you on the air, I need some kind of proof. I will lose everything,” her gaze drifted to the booth, “if I don’t have proof.”
Charlene nodded to Penny then pointedly looked at Winifred. Penny’s gaze followed. I could see her frustration with the situation as much as I could feel it.
“You have proof?” Penny asked.
“No. I am proof.”
Winifred held out her hand and changed it to a white paw, then back again.
Disbelief and panic surged from Penny. I took both.
“I’m willing to demonstrate what I am on live TV,” Winifred said. “And will answer your questions after I explain why I’m coming forward.”
As if in a trance, Penny slowly crossed the room to join Winifred by the couch.
“Do it again,” she said, staring at Winifred’s still outstretched hand.
Awe filled Penny as Winifred’s skin slowly disappeared under a layer of fine white hairs. Her thumb shrank back a moment before the rest of her fingers. A paw at the end of a human arm. It was surreal to see. Winifred didn’t leave it like that for more than a heartbeat before everything went back into place.
“Incredible.” Penny sat heavily in the chair.
The door behind us opened.
“We’ll be ready in five,” a man said.
Penny turned with wide eyes.