Mixed Feelings (Empathy in the PPNW Book 1) Read Online Free

gracious as to not punish us for the audacity of
asking. Your reputation for leniency reaches far and your deeds are celebrated.
For these reasons, we ask that you lend us your resources and aid us in finding
these children. Had they made their way to the Queen, we would have been
alerted. Should we not locate them and their powers prove too much to keep the
balance, we shall be punished. We can offer you payment.”
    I couldn’t imagine what sort
of payment they meant, but the idea didn’t appeal to me regardless.
    “I don ’ t … uh. ..” I trailed off, trying to decide what would be the best thing to say.
These two had come to me when I was a child, menacing me and making snide
comments about my “power level,” but judging me harmless and leaving me with a
warning. Now here they were asking for my help. I needed to know more about why
the tables had been turned . “ Are you absolutely sure they were kidnapped ? Maybe someone just got wise to your gig and hid them
from you. I mean, if I knew you were coming when I was little, I would have holed up in a crawlspace until you went on your way. It can’t be on
anyone’s bucket list to let you near their babies. ”
    Another snap of frustration
whipped out of Laurel to cut into my cheek, but there was a muddy edge of
disgust in it. I straightened slightly, bitter at his reaction, and turned
toward him, frowning. It took him only a moment to notice my expression and the
nervous thrumming in him boomed like thunder as Hardy spoke.
    “They were taken, not hidden.
We found chaos, panic, crying humans , but no trace of the children. ”
    I squirmed slightly at the
picture he painted . Crying humans and chaos meant
missing kids to me. I had enough experience with parental panic to imagine how bad it could
have been. My mother had nearly had a meltdown once when my brother Thomas had
hidden too thoroughly in a hall closet. Three sets of parents finding out their
children had been kidnapped would have been a million
times worse.
    “ Okay, ” I said after a few moments, still stuck in the memory of my own mother’ s anxiety. Pity for the missing children and their distraught parents was
sloshing in my belly like I’d sucked down a gallon of olive oil; I was feeling
more than a little sick.
    “We were assured you would be
of help!” Laurel said when my silence stretched on. “ Are you helping? Why do you not answer?”
    I looked his way as Hardy
mumbled something I couldn’t understand and Laurel quieted . Begrudgingly, he lowered his head slightly as if he’ d been chastised . His
humiliation wasn’t any more pleasant to experience than any of his other
emotions.
    I turned to Chloe, realizing
the feeling of her was nearly lost against the riot of Laurel’s revolving
psyche. She was watching me intently, fascinated and
impressed, all worry over the appearance of our guests gone from her mind. I
liked the way she was looking at me, actually. It was rare to surprise her,
especially in such a positive way.
    I was pretty impressed with
myself, come to think of it. Not ten minutes ago I’d wanted to pee my pants and
hide under my desk. Now here I was being given the respect of two beasts that
had haunted my nightmares since childhood. I latched on to her awe , using it to muffle the greasy pity and Laurel’s
painful remorse.
    I took a deep breath,
focusing on Chloe and on the fact that I’d been asked to help reunite three
families. I considered my own fear as a child when I’d been confronted by these
so-called scouts, and how awful it had to be for three kids who were taken from
their families before they’d even been given a chance at being judged harmless
and left in a sandbox .
    What if whatever had taken
them was worse than these two? I might’ve been only hope these kids had. I
couldn’t turn my back on them, not if there was anything at all I could do.
    “ I ’ ll help, ” I announced. I wasn’t sure how, or what, but
something had to be done and I