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world. Highly unusual. And very difficult for me. I am still not sure of the outcome of that session.”
    â€œSo that’s what I saw,” I murmured as it all became clear to me.
    Lady Azura looked at me sharply. “What did you see?”
    â€œThe vision I had just now. It was of your session together. Of you trying to help her.”
    Lady Azura sat up even straighter in her chair. “Sara, this is extremely important. I need you to tell me exactly what you saw.”
    So I told her what I had seen. About the black cloud. About the broken mirror. About how the cloud vanished underneath the door.
    When she heard about the way the black cloud had escaped from the spirit and broken the mirror, she drew in a sharp breath. Like that explained a lot.
    Then I told her everything else. About my dreams. About the black cloud over my bed. And about my own ability to read minds. How it seemed to be gaining in strength and frequency with every passing day.
    Lady Azura listened intently. “This explains so much,” she said when I was finished. “I have not seen Nina’s spirit since that night, several weeks ago. I did not see the cloud you speak of, but I discovered the cracked mirror after she had gone. I was not sure how the two things were related, but I knew they were somehow.
    â€œIt makes a great deal of sense that her negative energy was released from her spirit and into this house. I began to suspect your newfound ability to read minds soon after that happened. Now my suspicions are confirmed.”
    â€œSo Nina’s powers transferred from her to me?”
    â€œIt seems so. Whether it was that Nina’s energy somehow attached to your aura, or whether it simply triggered something that was a latent power you already possessed, remains to be seen.”
    â€œLady Azura, I don’t want this power. I don’t want to turn out like Nina. Can you help me?” I begged.
    She clasped my hands. “Of course I can help you, Sara. You are going to have to follow what I say and work very hard, but if you want to, we can get rid of this power together.”

Chapter 10
    I heard the determination in Lady Azura’s voice, but I was worried. What if I couldn’t get rid of this power? Would I end up like Nina? Driving everyone I loved away from me? Landing in the loony bin?
    Lady Azura seemed to be able to read my thoughts. She patted my hand. “Nina was weak and fell victim to her powers. But you, Sara, are strong. Much stronger than she. Perhaps stronger than I.” Her brown eyes twinkled. “This negative energy has been swirling around the house for a while now. It has latched on to you. It is not like your other powers.”
    Now that she had gotten to the bottom of what was happening in the house, Lady Azura seemed reinvigorated. She strode around her room, opening drawers and cabinets, gathering crystals and bringing them to the table.
    â€œI know. I hate it,” I said as my eyes followed her around the room. “I think it’s made me depressed or something. I’ve been moping around all week, feeling sorry for myself because no one cares that my birthday is coming up. And because I’ve been reading my friends’ minds. And every time I do, I feel bad about what I hear.”
    â€œTogether we will help you learn to block the ability,” she said. “It may be difficult at first, but the more you do it, the easier it will become for you.” She spoke with such conviction that I started to believe we could really do this.
    â€œYou mean it’s like riding a bike or learning to whistle?”
    â€œExactly.”
    Haltingly, I told her how I had been able to block it out a few times on my own by imagining I was putting a bubble up around me.
    â€œSara, that is wonderful news,” Lady Azura exclaimed as her face lit up. “That was your own instincts, guiding you in the right direction.” The worried look on her face