Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 124836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 624(@200wpm)___ 499(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 624(@200wpm)___ 499(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
My breath caught in my throat.
I hadn’t expected those notes.
Lei shifted beside me, but Dima just smiled. “That looks like a photographic memory to me. Although the official name is eidetic memory.”
He tapped the notebook against his leg. “It’s when a person can recall an image, a page of text, or a scene in vivid detail after only seeing it once for a brief period. Like a mental photograph that can be recalled with high accuracy.”
Showing no emotion, she returned to pulling out the daggers.
Yet, Dima continued, “Only a small percentage of children possess this ability.”
TT frowned. “Maybe I just remember things sometimes, so it’s not that special.”
Dima shook his head. “It’s more than that, TT. What you did just now—most people couldn’t do that, no matter how hard they tried. It’s a rare gift.”
She placed another dagger on the ground.
“What you have is special and it’s something you shouldn’t be afraid of. You shouldn’t hide it.”
I could see the doubt in TT’s eyes, the uncertainty that had been planted there by years of trying to fit in, of trying not to stand out too much.
It broke my heart to see her struggle like this, to see her question something that was so clearly a part of who she was. And even more, I didn’t know if I should stop this conversation since it was making her uncomfortable or if I should stay silent and let Dima talk to her.
Mom, how did you do this? And do it right?
Dima touched her chest. "You would be surprised, but people think I’m weird too.”
TT snickered as if she was absolutely sure people thought Dima was odd.
"When I was young, I was told I had an eidetic memory too. When I would show this off in class, not. . .understanding it was strange, kids would make fun of me.” Dima frowned. “But that was because they were little stupid imbeciles with pathetic brains—”
“Dima. . .” Rose muttered.
“The truth is the truth. I was better than those kids and they are adults now and I am even better—”
“Dima.” Rose frowned.
Dima shrugged. “TT, people will always find something to judge you for, no matter what you do. You have a superpower. The important thing is that you don’t let that stop you from being who you are. Don’t make yourself. . .small just because someone else can’t handle your light.”
TT stopped putting out the daggers and stared at him. “Have you killed people?”
I opened my mouth in shock.
Dima winked. “I’ve killed many.”
Tension gathered in my shoulders. “Alright. I think we need to put the daggers back in the trunk and get to the cookout. There’s the grill off and—”
"Please, Moni.” TT widened those eyes in fear. “Just give me ten more minutes to see something.”
I sighed. “Well. . .no more talking about killing people.”
Dramatically sighing just like Chloe would, TT picked up her pace with carefully putting out the daggers.
Dima gave her a supportive nod. “And if you ever need help figuring out your superpowers, I’m here for you.”
TT’s lips twitched into a small smile, but she remained quiet.
And then Dima jotted something down in his notebook. Next, Dima held the pen up from the page. “Now back to the daggers. Why so many and what are they used for?”
I put my view back on all of them.
There must have been now thirty daggers on the ground.
This is crazy.
And to think Lei had been outside Chanel’s place at night talking to ghosts and digging these up. I couldn’t truly wrap my mind around the insanity of it all.
I would never say this to Lei, but I could see why Leo would kill her. This sort of thing would be the direct opposite of his desires for Lei to focus on the East.
Letting out a long breath, I walked over to the daggers.
Hold on. That’s strange.
Some of the daggers had dots embedded into the wood and the dots were small and precise.
Others had lines drawn on them.
Dima wrote something else down. “There’s hidden meanings here, but what are they?”
Rubbing behind the cat’s ear, Rose looked up at Dima. “Would the Bandit and her rebels have fought with these daggers?”
Lei spoke for him, “I doubt it. I always took them as. . .ceremonial.”
Rose raised her eyebrows. “You mean like you think the daggers were meant for rituals or offerings rather than combat?”
“Perhaps.” Lei shrugged. “I just know they were not for battle.”
Chen chose that moment to speak, “I always thought that the blades were maybe good luck items for the rebels. Or maybe something that was given to a rebel once they joined. Something to remember their initiations.”
“Good thoughts,” Dima said. “But then why would the Bandit want Lei to have these, if they were just relics or ritual artifacts?”
Rose looked back at the daggers. “Could they be clues to something she wants Lei to solve?”