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Tethered Souls Hideaway Cabin

*Liberty*

It was late in the evening, and the sun finally set over the horizon. Ahmed and Faisal just visited with my sister, and I was informed very little on how she was doing. Ahmed knew I was amped up to run to her just as I was a few months ago after realizing the kind of man Chase was. I'm just glad that he never actually became my brother-in-law, and Amir did.

Amir was exactly who Luna and Sarah needed in their life, and I was thankful for whatever spiritual being brought them together.

After a quick shower and helping Sarah use the potty, I stood in the room's doorway that Amir was sleeping in, checking on him. It was the least I could do when his wife couldn't be here. Ahmed and Faisal told me she was able to look in on him once, but it was perilous. I just wanted her home to be reunited with her family, and I wanted Amir's memories of them to come back, so he could be his old self again. I loved getting to know him and his family and understanding their way of life through him.

Sarah worried about her dad. He has held her, and played with her since he lost his identity, but she can feel his sadness of not knowing much about his past, or who he once was. She'd tap into his mind sometimes, urging him to remember their first meeting. She even brought up a time when he played an airplane game with her in the country house that Luna and Chase lived in, but it was odd, because I didn't know Amir ever visited the place in person before. So, I asked Faisal about it. He said maybe it was a moment before they flew to America and when both Luna and Amir was connecting to one another telepathically. They didn't know about Sarah then, and neither did she know anything herself that her powers were slowly opening up. She didn't realize she was in the process of transitioning into a tethered one because her birthday was near, and that is what young tethered souls had done; open themselves up when their powers activate.

It was a lot to take in for someone her age.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around, gazing at my fiancé. He nodded toward the living room of Max's cabin, so I slightly closed Amir's door after watching Sarah cuddle next to him. Amir stayed asleep most days, and some evenings, looking tired and worn out. The effects of the tranquilizer was still running in his system.

As I nodded at Cassie, Cami, and Mera who sat on a couch near the front door, I sat opposite them next to my parents. Raul was outside standing guard, and Max was standing next to the TV with several faces showing of our new allies from across the world who have contacted him about helping us. They saw the news and said, “What the hell?”

Since Luna and Amir's little show on the highway in Texas, people from all over has contacted Max, Colin, and Ahmed to inquire why they did that. Then the guys explained repeatedly what was happening, so I think many people got on board to see Chase and his demented organization be brought down. I know I would if I was a Tethered Soul. But apparently I was something else, something I hadn't quite figured out yet. A Tethered Soul Indicator; a TSI.

I should be able to active my ability at some point in life and see souls who haven't had theirs activated, then I'll be able to extract their powers. Remove them. But I wouldn't want to strip away anyone's powers. At least that was what Luna explained to Ahmed. I didn't quite understand it myself.  I shook my head and glanced around the room, thinking of how we're going to find Luna in Sweden and help her escape.

Hands shoved into his pockets, Colin pressed his forehead against the window near the corner, his back facing us. He hadn't said much since we came here, staying alert for any sudden movements looming outside.

Sloan's partner from Puerto Rico, Maria, arrived a few days ago. She was perched in a chair with her eyes flickered down to her phone, and every so often I'd see her turn her head sideways and speak to someone I obviously couldn't see. She looked wired with anger in her flushed cheeks. I think it bothered her about Sloan being in the same facility as Luna, and also a fellow soul named Dylan Griffin, an Australian man who was linked to a young woman in Greece named Enya.

We had three people inside Sweden and two people in the facility inside Beijing, China, where Sloan's other partner was. Zan Chao. I hadn't had a chance to chat with Maria about how it was being paired with two people, and the abilities all three of them possess.

I believe Max wants to go over a plan to extract our people, and at the same time, bring each building down to free the occupants inside. I wrapped my arms around my waist and suppressed a shudder coming from my body. We just wanted Luna out, and I missed her dearly.

As I listened to a set of heavy footfalls coming down the steps, I turned my neck and watched as Darren joined us. He went to help Sue get some rest while we organized ourselves in the living room.

Sitting next to me, Ahmed tugged on the edge of my collar. “I will check on Luna after our discussion. Okay?”

I nodded and smiled. Ahmed and the group knew how worried I was over her. "Thank you," I whispered to him.

He nodded with his chin, and then turned his attention back to Max. "Are we going to get on with this or what?"

"I'm trying. Patience. The video feed keeps getting disconnected," Max murmured as he worked on the wiring hooked against the wall. "I think I've got it."

Darren sat on the edge of a recliner, looking tired and exhausted. He and Colin did the first several hours of security today. "Who are you trying to connect to?"

Max looked our way and pointed to each person's face. "These are our friends from several locations around the world. This is Enya Stavros from Athens, Greece. Mila and Siddhartha Patel from Mumbai, India. Fe'ya Assan is from Cairo, Egypt. And Cyrus Shah is in Lahore, Pakistan." Wow. That was a lot of people trying to get through on the screen. "I lost everyone's connection by accident. And one other pair has reached out to us to join our cause. They can't come through for different reasons," Max continued, glancing at each of our faces. "Xavier Salamon from Hungary, and his partner, Kessara Huang, from Thialand."

"Why don't everyone use telepathy?" asked Darren. "Wouldn't that be easier if they're TS?"

Max gave him a grave look. "They can't without risking us in the process. I have shields all around my yard out there, but the hunters doesn't know about this cabin. My grandparents specifically built this place in case a war broke out among our kind. Which they knew could happen one day."

"But bro, wouldn't that be risky for them connecting to us through the internet as well?" Darren countered. He had a point.

Ahmed scooted up and placed his elbows on his knees. "Not really. Max was in the United States Marine Corps for twelve years, and he knows what to do about keeping a secured connection. Using our abilities aren't an option right now. I'll try to help you, Max." He stood up and rewired a section around the back of the TV.

"Hello..." Mila's soft voice said, but no video image didn't show her.

"Mila?" asked Max, his ear now near the speaker.

"Yes, Max. I can hear you. I just can't see you," she replied.

"I can see Max and everyone on the couch," said a masculine voice. That must be Cyrus. Nice English accent.

How could he see us, but the others were having trouble?

"If you can hear me," Max said, speaking near the speaker, "please say tethered."

"Tethered," said two female voices at the same time. Fe'ya and Enya.

"Tethered," said the other masculine voice. Sid. He was one of Ahmed's best friends.

"Tethered," said Cyrus.

"And tethered," said Mila.

"Now that you all can hear us, and some of you can see us, I will begin." Max stepped to the side and eyed the room. "The reason I asked everyone to meet back up is because all five of these people want to fly to Sweden and China to help break out our people. Cassidy Kwan, who is from Taiwan, is a flight attendant who travels between countries, and she is paired with Fe'ya. Both women have extraordinary abilities. Cassidy is able to look at somebody straight in the eyes and get them to do just about anything. Manipulate their thoughts. Mind control. But Fe'ya... she can make someone's mind explode from the inside. Meaning that she can kill a person who gets in her way just like that. Cause the person to have an aneurysm."

Whoa. Seriously? I never wanted to get on her bad side. That's for sure.

"Mila and Siddhartha Patel live in India and are paired partners. They are married and not part of the exception, either."

I looked around the room as every head was tilted, and every eyebrow scrunched together. I guess that was unheard of? "Somehow they have never lost their memories, nor have any complications of being together. They are our Amir and Luna without being Pure Souls. It's really alluring how they can live, breathe, and have children."

"How is that possible?" Cassie asked from the other side of the room.

"Nobody knows. So far, The Patel's are the first of our kind," Max remarked, glancing back to Cassie. "They are the only known pair to be together like this."

"That's-that is amazing," replied Cassie, her jaw slightly opened.

"Mila is from Vancouver. She is Canadian," Sid said through the sound system, which Ahmed and I already knew their backstory, but the others didn't. Sid was the one that sent us the lead rings a few weeks back. "When she was one-years-old, her family visited my homeland. Our powers were activated shortly after our mothers' became friends. But we aren't TSDs. We aren't defective. In fact, Mila and I are the opposite."

"The opposite?" murmured Darren.

"Yes. Opposite. Together, we can actually mend broken Souls. Any Tethered Soul who dislikes their ability and want to have their gift eliminated from their bodies, we can help ease that decision."

"In other words," Mera said, speaking up, and sitting on the edge of her seat. "You can manipulate people's mind. Something like what Cassidy can do."

"No, ma'am," Mila said, clearing her throat. "All we can do is to take away the worries of their powers. We are called Tethered Healers. We can heal anyone who is hurt as well. My husband, and I understand that you don't enjoy being part of the Tethered Species, and that's okay. We will help ease your suffering while your partner is in one of the facilities until we're able to shut them all down."

"It's not going to be that easy, Mrs. Patel. We will always have to be one step ahead to take down this organization," Mera said, tearing up and shaking her head. My mom held my hand and squeezed tight, emphasizing with her.

"And that is our aim, miss," the other female said through the speaker. Enya, I believe. "I have to get my partner Dylan out. He is with Sloan and Luna."

"Guys. Guys. Let's focus on one thing at a time. Especially since our connection here is fuzzy. The wires aren't working properly." Max ran his hands through his hair and messed with the wires again. "So you all know the abilities that Sloan, Maria, and Zan have. Right?"

I turned to look at my parents, and they shook their heads. Max looked at Maria and nodded. Then she stood up to address the room.

"We are known as the Tethered Triangle. The three of us were born on March Seventeenth—the luckiest day of the year. We all met during our first year of college in New York. Sloan and I were both vying for Zan's affection, and we later came to a conclusion to date each other exclusively. Shortly after our eighteenth birthday that year, our abilities became active. I was the first to come into contact with Zan while he was in his country, visiting family. Then a few hours later, we both connected to Sloan as she was working at a nursing home. We couldn't understand what was going on, but sometime after that we met a man who gradually helped our transition. We know him today as, The Hunter. He is Chase Marquette who has been on the hunt for us, and he will never stop."

"So the three of you have known him before?" I asked, almost whispering. She nodded back.

"We have. We realized it was to get us together, then experiment on us harshly. He found out that we harness many gifts. When we are together as a whole, we can shield all those around us. We are from parents who are Pure Souls. We found that out when we felt the aura around our parents. Zan lost his father before his powers became active, but by looking at photographs of his family, he knew it then. His mother's powers manifested a few months ago, and she was captured. She is being held in China now, and she was in Russia."

"What about you and Sloan's parents?" I pondered as I stared her way.

"Mine are still alive and don't have their abilities. But they will one day," Maria replied. "They don't know about their genes or our species. I doubt they even paid attention to the recent news that's been broadcasted all over."

"And Sloan, and her sister's parents are alive," said Max. "Though, their father is about to be a target. His ability has activated, but his wife's hasn't. Their birthday passed a month ago, and they reached out to me for guidance."

My mother spoke up after taking a sip of her water. "They know about their children and the gene?" Max nodded back.

"Yes. Mrs. Sullivan has always known about Tethered Souls. Her father's family dating since the sixteenth century kept diaries and journals to pass down to their descendants. She stumbled upon a hand-written book by her great-grandfather who talked about his pairing to a Queen. He never wrote who it was, because he was protecting the woman's identity, but he also included about an organization who collects people who are different. We know them as the Biological Research and Development Agency. Chase Marquette is the leader of this group, and he is trying to find the science behind our hidden species."

"But why? He is one of you guys, right?" my father questioned.

"He is," Max responded. "But this goes deeper than that. Chase's partner was named Silvia. She was from Brazil, and he met her in Houston. After they made contact and fell in love, she suffered from the consequences of meeting the person she was paired for. She eventually got ill and died, and that devastated Chase. It hurt him so bad that in 2010 he found the organization and did what he could to take over. He succeeded as you can see, and he will stop at nothing to collect anyone who has the gene, whether their powers manifested."

"Chase is an asshole," I huffed, earning several looks my way.

"Sorry," I murmured, narrowing my eyes.

I was still shocked to learn that Chase had a partner who died after their meeting. Now he wanted to figure out why that happens. So do we, but not at the expanse of other people.

"I don't get why Chase acted like he knew nothing in the beginning. It doesn't make sense," I said, scrunching my brows together.

Finally, the screen turned on, and we could now see all five people who were listening in to our conversation.

"From what I understand, Chase didn't know about Luna straight away," Max said, standing against the wall with his arms crossed. "He's always known about Sarah. It wasn't until Luna murmured Faisal's name on video footage that he knew she was like him. He waited and made her have the worst treatments possible, so she'd crack and say who she is. Then he wanted to keep having fun with her. He had her under his control."

"No shit," Cami snapped. Faisal held her hand in his and draped an arm around her shoulders, calming her down. Her brown curls hung limply around her face as she closed her eyes and looked frightened for my sister. I was glad Luna met her. "He still has her under his control. How are we going to get her out?"

I wanted to tell her we were all wondering the same thing, but I didn't want to say anything. The whole group was all on edge tonight.

Cami tucked her strands behind her ear and wiped her sweaty palms onto her jeans. "They'll hurt her even more in that place. It's worse than St. Matthew's," she said, her voice cracking.

"That's where I come in," Cyrus said, starring at her through the screen. "I am a Psychologist from Pakistan. I personally know Faisal and Amir. The organization makes it seem like to the rest of the world that it's a regular psychiatric hospital, just like all the other facilities, but we all know the truth. And the show you guys did in Texas alarmed those who have our genetic abilities. My partner is from Rome. Gabriella and I are part of the exception. We met in school before manifesting our abilities, and she studied to be a therapist. Even though we want to be more than acquaintances, and we have a relationship, we chose to stay in our countries, so we don't risk the consequence of being together. We could move to Africa, but right now, we have different plans. She and I will meet up in Sweden and infiltrate the facility there. But first, we will head to Greece. Enya Stavros has a powerful gift, and we need her help before we continue."

"What can you do, Enya?" I asked, gazing at the young woman. She must be eighteen, and she had long dark hair over her shoulders and deep brown eyes.

"I can literally hide Cyrus and Gabi from being detected. Think of it like having a magical cloak over them at all times. Harry Potter's cloak, if you will. And Cyrus will go in to extract Dylan while Gabriella will get Sloan and Luna. The cloak is different from having a shield. Tethered Souls cannot sense the essence of their powers."

Wow. I so wanted to have the tethered gene. Not that I hated having whatever power I had in my body, but being able to hide people was genius. That was kind of badass. Invisibility.

"What about the two people who couldn't come through on the video call?" my father asked, gazing around. "What can they do?"

"Xavier can control the weather, and he can create a weather distraction for us," Max said, staring at him. Then he shifted his gaze back to the screen. "And Kessara is able to cause someone to have paralysis. All she has to do is touch a person on their shoulder, and they won't be able to move for about thirty minutes or so. She'll also have to go with us undetected."

"The downside to this plan is..." Cyrus murmured, gazing my way. "If we are caught, Chase will use Luna to lure you to her, Liberty. His son has a dark side and only you can pull it out of him."

"Where is Matthew anyway?" Cami asked, adjusting her legs. "Does anyone know?"

"Matthew is with his father," said Sarah, waltzing into the room. "He just woke me up and asked where I am."

I jumped up quickly and made my way to her. I looked down at her hand, and Luna's ring was off. "Where is your mum's ring?" I asked her.

"It fell off. I was having a nightmare, and then I looked for it. I miss my mom and can't find it."

My mother hopped up and took her hand. "I will look after her and find Luna's ring," my mother said, gazing down at Sarah.

"Does Matthew know anything?" Sid asked loudly.

Sarah shook her head. "No. I don't know where we are. And I don't know where my mom is, either." She cried a little, and then my mother carried her down the hall to the room she had been staying in since we came here.

Then we heard Amir in the distance, as he slept. He was thrashing around and gasping for air, it sounded like.

Faisal, Max, and I paced toward his room, slightly opening the door. Amir was curled on his side and holding a body pillow tight.

"Baby?" he murmured in his sleep. "Bring... me... back." He panted.

"What's happening with him?" I asked the guys.

Max's eyes shot straight up, and he lightly chuckled. "I've heard about this ability before, but I have never seen it happen."

"What ability?" Faisal asked, glancing over to Max.

Max replied, "Amir and Luna are reaching each other in their dreams. They can connect that way."

***

The ending where Max said, "Amir and Luna are reaching each other in their dreams. They can connect that way." Their connection and blood oath is so alluring. It's magical. 💗
 A new twist! Surprise!

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING MY BOOKS AND SHOWING YOUR SUPPORT!! LOVE YOU ALL!!!

What do you think about the new crew of Souls, and their abilities?