Mindsiege by Heather Sunseri

and I squirmed under his gaze. He did seem to have some control. He had gotten inside my head, and I hadn’t felt it. Not even a little. Jack had taught me how to sense when he had been inside my head, but Jonas slipped in and out without a single flutter.
    Jonas closed the distance between us. His tall, broad-shouldered frame dwarfed my tiny stature. “Did you learn nothing last night or this morning?” He reached around and placed a hand against the small of my back, bringing me closer. He whispered into my ear. “I can see everything you see. I hear everything you think. I smell your fear, and I feel your pain. I can force you to do exactly what I desire. Anything I want, Lexi. I own you.”
    “And you desire that I stab my boyfriend?” I struggled against his hold. “Or kill myself in a freezing pool?”
    A couple of onlookers stopped and stared. “You okay?” a passing guy asked.
    Tell him you’re fine.
    Without even thinking, I said, “I’m good, thank you.” I glared at Jonas.
    “I never meant you harm. I only needed you to see the extent of your powers. Our powers. I needed to scare you… to make you feel the impact of true mindsiege.”
    “Mindsiege?”
    “A state of absolute mind control, where one person cuts off all logical thinking of another, and compels that person into complete surrender.”
    I blinked at him. “Tell me what is going on, and tell me now , Jonas.” It had been difficult enough just to absorb the idea that both Jack and I had these healing powers and mindspeaking abilities—and then to find out, on top of that, that Kyle, Briana, Georgia, Jonas and Fred were also clones, seven of us in all… But now, multiples too? Dad’s research hadn’t mentioned multiple clones of the same DNA. “So, there’s a facility on campus where other clones live? Are they like us?”
    Jonas tilted his head from side to side. “Yes, with some exceptions. Each of those clones has the ability to get inside your head—if that’s their mission. And if their mission is to force you to hurt someone…”
    “Their mission? Are you telling me that it was your mission to make me kill Jack?”
    “More or less, yes. But I already told you I would never have you hurt Jack.”
    “That’s not an answer.” When Jonas only stared at me, I asked another question. “You said it was called The Farm. Why?”
    “It’s a name the clones started using. They felt like animals being herded together and raised for a common purpose.” Jonas suddenly scanned the area. “We must go. This place is going to be crawling with undercover agents. And they’re all looking for you.”
    “Why would I go anywhere with you?”
    “Because like it or not, you need to know exactly what you’re trying to run from and why you shouldn’t. And since Jack is taking care of Addison, you need me.”
    I wanted to laugh at that. I was definitely showing signs of hysteria. “Why exactly are they looking for me?”
    “Because you’re the one who can heal Sandra.”
    Oh, yeah. Her.
    “And because you’re Peter Roslin’s daughter.”
    I closed my eyes tight. “What do you know about my father?”
    “I know that he didn’t live long after discovering the IIA’s human cloning facility.”
    ~~~~~
    Jonas made a cryptic phone call soon after we reached his car. He refused to tell me anything further on the short drive back to his, Georgia’s, and Fred’s house. He was inside my head, but it didn’t feel threatening. Some moments, like when I punched him, I had free will over my actions; but at other times, I did exactly as he told me. We pulled into the drive a little after nine. Only soft lighting shone from the windows. It looked like a normal home.
    “You could have dropped me off at a hotel,” I said, shutting the door on his small sports car. Was I even safe here? At the sound of the alarm on his car engaging, Jonas joined me on the other side of the car. Even in the dark, I could see the swelling around his eye. I