didn’t get the hell out of her way.
AnnaCoreen grasped Alex’s left elbow with a strong hand to still her, then dug the blunt end of her thumb against the inside of her elbow. With her other hand, she did the same thing in the middle of Alex’s right forearm. “Breathe in,” AnnaCoreen ordered. “Do it.”
Alex complied, if only to get the woman to let her go more quickly. Ribs that felt bruised protested the deep inhalation.
“Breathe out.”
Alex exhaled, wincing at the answering pain. She hurt like she’d been beaten. Or had fallen down the stairs.
“Again.”
After several more inhalations and exhalations, the nausea began to subside. Whatever AnnaCoreen was doing—acupressure, Alex assumed—worked.
Behind AnnaCoreen, Charlie began to pace. “I can’t believe how much this sucks. Nobody ever has to punch me to snap me out of this shit.”
AnnaCoreen turned her head slightly to address Charlie. “Charlie, dear, would you mind giving your sister and me a few moments alone?”
Charlie left the porch mumbling something about a stiff drink.
AnnaCoreen turned back to search Alex’s face with eyes that no longer twinkled, a grayness to her complexion that hadn’t been there before. “Better?”
Alex nodded.
After releasing her wrist and elbow, AnnaCoreen bent her head over Alex’s palm and quickly cleaned the shallow cut with a round of antiseptic-soaked cotton. As she tore open a palm-sized piece of gauze, she said, “Your sister had to strike you to bring you around.”
“She did last time, too. It’s like I get stuck.”
AnnaCoreen pressed the gauze to Alex’s palm, then wrapped more gauze around it to hold it in place. “Please accept my deepest apologies.”
Alex had no idea what she meant.
The woman secured the gauze with white tape, and Alex noticed that AnnaCoreen’s fingers trembled. “I assumed your empathy was like your sister’s,” she said, her voice so soft Alex had to strain to hear her. “I had no idea.”
“So you know what’s happening to me?”
AnnaCoreen got stiffly to her feet and sat in the rocking chair next to Alex’s, a tension in her body that hadn’t been there when she’d welcomed her into her home. “Understand that I’m not a scientist or doctor. All I know is what I’ve learned from studying your sister’s ability.”
“Maybe just start with Empathy 101.”
AnnaCoreen actually seemed relieved at that, as if simple empathy was something she could deal with. “Empaths, in the most basic terms, are very in tune with the feelings of those around them. They absorb others’ emotions into themselves and feel them as if the emotions are their own. The stronger the feelings, the stronger the absorption. Your sister has told me that she experienced that before the accident that claimed your cousin’s life. Do you think perhaps you did as well?”
Alex shook her head. “I’m probably the most self-centered person you’ve ever met.”
“I don’t believe that for a moment. You open your home to damaged animals that no one else wants, do you not?”
Alex narrowed her eyes. Another psychic guess? “Charlie told you that.”
“Of course,” AnnaCoreen said with a small, knowing smile. “I have a theory, if you’d like to hear it.”
“Okay.”
“You surround yourself with animals because it’s too painful for you to be around people.”
“Because I’m empathic,” Alex said, unable to quell the doubt in her tone.
“Animals give you the companionship you crave without burdening you with troubling emotions.”
“Other people’s problems raise my blood pressure, and the unconditional love of my pets brings it back down. Aren’t there studies that say that’s normal?”
“Even now, you’re rationalizing your ability.”
“Rational,” Alex said with a snort. “That’s not a word I expected to come up in this conversation.”
AnnaCoreen didn’t let Alex’s sarcasm derail her explanation. “Charlie’s ability appears to
AnnaCoreen grasped Alex’s left elbow with a strong hand to still her, then dug the blunt end of her thumb against the inside of her elbow. With her other hand, she did the same thing in the middle of Alex’s right forearm. “Breathe in,” AnnaCoreen ordered. “Do it.”
Alex complied, if only to get the woman to let her go more quickly. Ribs that felt bruised protested the deep inhalation.
“Breathe out.”
Alex exhaled, wincing at the answering pain. She hurt like she’d been beaten. Or had fallen down the stairs.
“Again.”
After several more inhalations and exhalations, the nausea began to subside. Whatever AnnaCoreen was doing—acupressure, Alex assumed—worked.
Behind AnnaCoreen, Charlie began to pace. “I can’t believe how much this sucks. Nobody ever has to punch me to snap me out of this shit.”
AnnaCoreen turned her head slightly to address Charlie. “Charlie, dear, would you mind giving your sister and me a few moments alone?”
Charlie left the porch mumbling something about a stiff drink.
AnnaCoreen turned back to search Alex’s face with eyes that no longer twinkled, a grayness to her complexion that hadn’t been there before. “Better?”
Alex nodded.
After releasing her wrist and elbow, AnnaCoreen bent her head over Alex’s palm and quickly cleaned the shallow cut with a round of antiseptic-soaked cotton. As she tore open a palm-sized piece of gauze, she said, “Your sister had to strike you to bring you around.”
“She did last time, too. It’s like I get stuck.”
AnnaCoreen pressed the gauze to Alex’s palm, then wrapped more gauze around it to hold it in place. “Please accept my deepest apologies.”
Alex had no idea what she meant.
The woman secured the gauze with white tape, and Alex noticed that AnnaCoreen’s fingers trembled. “I assumed your empathy was like your sister’s,” she said, her voice so soft Alex had to strain to hear her. “I had no idea.”
“So you know what’s happening to me?”
AnnaCoreen got stiffly to her feet and sat in the rocking chair next to Alex’s, a tension in her body that hadn’t been there when she’d welcomed her into her home. “Understand that I’m not a scientist or doctor. All I know is what I’ve learned from studying your sister’s ability.”
“Maybe just start with Empathy 101.”
AnnaCoreen actually seemed relieved at that, as if simple empathy was something she could deal with. “Empaths, in the most basic terms, are very in tune with the feelings of those around them. They absorb others’ emotions into themselves and feel them as if the emotions are their own. The stronger the feelings, the stronger the absorption. Your sister has told me that she experienced that before the accident that claimed your cousin’s life. Do you think perhaps you did as well?”
Alex shook her head. “I’m probably the most self-centered person you’ve ever met.”
“I don’t believe that for a moment. You open your home to damaged animals that no one else wants, do you not?”
Alex narrowed her eyes. Another psychic guess? “Charlie told you that.”
“Of course,” AnnaCoreen said with a small, knowing smile. “I have a theory, if you’d like to hear it.”
“Okay.”
“You surround yourself with animals because it’s too painful for you to be around people.”
“Because I’m empathic,” Alex said, unable to quell the doubt in her tone.
“Animals give you the companionship you crave without burdening you with troubling emotions.”
“Other people’s problems raise my blood pressure, and the unconditional love of my pets brings it back down. Aren’t there studies that say that’s normal?”
“Even now, you’re rationalizing your ability.”
“Rational,” Alex said with a snort. “That’s not a word I expected to come up in this conversation.”
AnnaCoreen didn’t let Alex’s sarcasm derail her explanation. “Charlie’s ability appears to
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