by Rebecca Ann
“I don’t know. Long time.”
Lindsey straightened. “Okay. Why don’t we get you something to eat?”
I walked down the sidewalk in a daze, swiping my cane back and forth. Poor Daniel. My stomach clenched at the thought of him out here all alone. I’d seen him around the LI school with his mom, though he wasn’t a student.
We passed the run-down apartment buildings that often had two to three families living in them. Lindsey’s family was one of the few to have their own place, but that hadn’t happened until we were fourteen. She’d lived in one of these buildings until my dad helped them find a nicer place. As we walked, people shouted greetings. A few unfamiliar LIs stopped us for money, but I told them that they could come to the school for a meal and a shower, an extra service offered to LIs during off-hours.
“You do realize you’ve made me break the law twice today, right?” Lily said as she appeared in front of us when we reached the school. Both Sarah and Shannon stood behind her. “I’m not allowed to teleport by myself until I’m sixteen, or did you forget that?”
“I know,” Lindsey said. “I’m sorry, Lil.”
“Thanks for leaving me,” Lily muttered as she walked in front of me, though I couldn’t tell where she was headed. “Can I go across the street to Sully’s and get breakfast?”
“Lil, if we get breakfast, we’ll be late. You see that line?”
I looked across the street at the line of people all the way down the sidewalk. It happened every morning since Sully’s was the one LI restaurant still in business aside from a couple coffee shops a few blocks down.
“I’m hungry, Mom,” Sarah whined, turning toward Shannon. “Can we eat?”
I had to smile at that. Food was one of the few normal parts of our lives.
“Tell you what,” Shannon said, “I see Bethany in the line. Go and see if she’ll help you bring back some bagels.”
“Okay! Come on, Sarah!” A door slammed shut. Lily must’ve been holding the door to the school open this whole time.
I exhaled as she turned back toward the door to the school, Lindsey holding it open. I walked inside and straight ahead toward the stairs, my heels clicking on the hardwood floor. “Shannon, can you do me a favor and get me some more pills? I ran out.” My footsteps echoed through the silent front room as we headed up the steps, my cane hitting the front of each step with a loud clang.
“Sorry I wasn’t at home this morning,” Shannon said as we reached the top and walked down the hall to my classroom. Shannon’s tennis shoes squeaked on the floor, the smell of cleaning products heavy in the air. “I had to bring supplies to my dad.”
I stopped in front of my classroom door, hand on the keypad that would open it. That explained the jeans and t-shirt Shannon wore. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail. “I know, and it’s okay. It’s my fault I ran out.”
When she wasn’t working as the school’s volunteer coordinator, Shannon helped her father, who was a chemist, with his experiments. He’d escaped Ada twenty years ago after he was forced to make drugs that would take away an LI’s powers. He’d made the Lighter drug but fled Ada before the government could get a hold of it. Now he was forced to live in a secret location here in Caldwell.
I wonder how much longer he’ll be safe. After this morning’s announcement—
“Hey, are you okay?” Shannon’s voice jolted me back to the present.
“I need a pill,” I said as I leaned against the still-closed door of my classroom. Eight a.m. and exhaustion weighed me down. My whole body ached. “I almost lost control while waiting for the train this morning.”
“Oh! I’m sorry!” Shannon dug into the black handbag on her shoulder and pulled out a bottle. It rattled as she opened it. “Hold out your hand.”
I almost cried in relief as Shannon dropped a tiny yellow pill into my palm. I went over to the water fountain and, sticking the pill in my mouth, drank enough to wash it down. “Thank you so much.”
“No problem.”
As the words left Shannon’s mouth, our net-screens beeped with a new message, mine already reading it before I took it out of my bag. I sighed as the voice blasted through the hallway. Everyone in the whole building probably heard it.
No LIs are permitted in Normal shops or restaurants or movie theaters unless escorted by a Normal. All LIs must be in their homes by 10 p.m. each night.
“You guys get the newest law?” Lindsey asked. The tap of her boots echoed in the silent hallway.
We nodded, and Lindsey huffed.
“This sucks! Why would they issue a new law when they’re gonna send us to some secure location in a few days?” She threw up her hands. “What is a ‘secure location’ anyway?”
“A nonthreatening word for prison?” Shannon asked, and I shivered. I’d been trying not to think of it like that. When both Lindsey and I remained silent, Shannon shrugged. “Whatever it is, I have to make sure my father and the rest of the people in the secret location aren’t discovered. The place is about to be in the dark.”
“Why?” Lindsey asked. She sounded more confused than anything. “And secret location, secure location. One of those places needs a name.”
“I can’t say, but with this new order...” Her voice trailed off.
I took a step forward until I was sure my hand would land on her shoulder and not whack her in the face.
“Never mind. I don’t want to burden you guys with this. I’ll figure something out. As for the name, we call it the House of Hope.”
I had a lot of questions, but something told me not to push. Instead I said, “Did you figure out where Daniel’s mom is?”
“Yeah. She got picked up for stealing,” Lindsey interjected. “I got him some clothes, and he’s taking a bath. Shannon, do you think you could find someone to take him until we can figure out what’s going on with his mom?”
“Of course! Victoria, I’ll bring you a new bottle to your house this afternoon. See you both later! I’ll be in my office if you need anything.” Her shoes squeaked as she retreated down the hall.
“Ugh, I have grading to do,” Lindsey muttered, leaning against the wall next to my classroom. Hers was two doors down, and sometimes, if I listened super hard, I could hear her students when they weren’t behaving, which wasn’t often.
“Same here,” I answered as I punched in the code on the keypad and unlocked my classroom. “See you at lunch?”
“Yep,” Lindsey answered as she went down the hall.
I opened the door but turned back around. “Linds, wait!”
Lindsey turned around. “Yeah?”
I dropped my hand from the doorknob. “I just wanted to say thanks for defending me this morning.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Family looks out for one another.”
“Yes, they do. And I’m lucky to call you my family. You and your parents and Lily and Shannon.” My voice shook with the leftover emotion from this morning. “Please don’t use your secret ability next time.” I wiped at a stray tear. I’d done enough panicking and crying for one day.
“Hey, it’s not like I chose to. It just happened.” A pause. “I don’t get it, Vi. I’ve always been careful...”
I reached out and squeezed her hand. “We’ve kept this secret for years, and we’ll continue to as long as we can. It frightens me too, but we won’t give up.”
Lindsey sighed. “I’m just ... scared, Vi. What if someone finds out what I did this morning and reports me?” Then she scoffed. “Then again, what does it matter when we’re all being sent away?”
“They won’t find out,” I said, my words shockingly steady. “But no matter what, you need to be more careful.”
Lindsey’s head dipped. “I know.”
The ten-minute bell rang, and I dropped her hand, stepping back. “I need to go get ready.” I didn’t need to grade, and we both knew it, but I wanted time alone to process everything that had happened.
“We’re not going if I can help it,” Li
ndsey said as I walked away. “I don’t want you to worry.”
I exhaled and nodded, my lips barely curving upward. “I’ll try.” Who was she kidding? Neither of us knew what was going to happen in the coming days, but at least we had each other.
Chapter Two
LINDSEY
“Practice blocking your thoughts tonight,” I called as my second period students gathered their things from their cubbies in the back of the classroom. Nothing was said, but that didn’t mean they weren’t communicating as they walked into the hall, especially the Invies. Rules about students using their telepathy were enforced from day one, but outside of classes and exams, they were free to communicate via their thoughts. Teleporting, however, was prohibited on school grounds. As was shooting sparks at other students for Lighters. Breaking of any of these rules resulted in a warning and then detention. It was impossible to Monitor all two hundred students, but the staff did the best they could. Still, I knew more went on than we could keep up with.
As the last student left the room, I teleported to my desk, appearing in my chair. Sinking back into the cushion with a huge sigh, I let my thoughts return to the train station, my nerves still jangled more than two hours later. One minute, I’d been standing there, minding my own business and trying not to curse at every person that looked my way. Then I’d been choking some Normal. Not exactly the lesson I wanted to teach my students.
I’d spent too many years doing everything to keep my powers hidden to have it all come undone because of one stupid mistake. With my luck, someone had probably reported the incident already. I couldn’t afford to get sent back to Ada. My people were counting on me. With the latest announcement and the new law, my soon-to-be Watcher status would be the only bridge between them and the government.
If I could hold back my anger at the way they were being treated until tonight after the final Watcher exam, I could lose it when I had my badge. As long as I didn’t use mind-control.
I glanced around the classroom, my gaze lingering on the blue and red mat covering the floor. How long before teaching the next generation teleportation and telepathy would be nothing but a beautiful memory?
Pushing to my feet, I strode toward the door and rested my hand on the knob. I couldn’t save them all from being sent to this other location, but I’d damn well try.
A whistle blasted through the silence just before I stepped into the hall. My head snapped toward the window. When the sound came again, I rushed over, peering through the blinds as a Watcher dragged a woman down the street. My stomach dropped. This was why it’d taken me two months to take the exam. I wasn’t sure I could arrest my own people. If the plan went the way I hoped though, I wouldn’t have to.
As lockers slammed shut and chattering students drifted into the classroom, I tore my eyes from the street. Now was not the time to worry about what might happen. Footsteps sounded from behind me as I made my way back to my desk. I whirled to find Bethany Woods, a senior Lighter, standing in the doorway, tears swimming in her blue eyes and falling down her pale cheeks, her long, light blonde hair hiding most of her face.
“M-my mom was just—” She inhaled a sharp breath. “Arrested. She—” Another ragged exhale. “Her bracelet malfunctioned.”
In two steps, I was at her side, rubbing gentle circles on her back as I fought to steady the rise and fall of my own chest. I swallowed the thickness in my throat. Oh, God. The person I’d witnessed getting dragged away was Bethany’s mom! “What did the Watcher say?” I asked, trying to control the edge in my voice. Anger could wait.
“I don’t know. I didn’t get a chance to ask her. She just dragged my mom down the street and—” Bethany’s words broke with a sob, and she wrapped her arms around her stomach. “I don’t know what to do,” she rasped, looking up at me through puffy, bloodshot eyes. “It’s just been me and my mom since I was seven. She’s the only family I have.”
I put an arm around Bethany’s shoulders and led her to the desk chair. My students looked on with wide eyes and clenched hands. Terrified whispers floated across the room.
“Sit.” She obeyed, and I grabbed a tissue from the box at the edge of my desk, handing it to her. “It’ll be okay, Bethany. I’ll find out what happened.” I turned toward my students. “I’ll be right back.” Snatching up my net-screen, I stepped over the red and blue mat and out into the hall. I put in one of the ear-pods I kept handy. “Call Mark.” I sighed as the call connected. A second later, Mark’s face appeared. “The mom of one of Vi’s students was just arrested.”
“Wait, what?” Mark asked, brown eyes wide. “Who is it?”
I ran a hand over my dark, unruly curls. “Nancy Woods, Bethany’s mom.”
“Okay. I’ll see what I can do. Give me half an hour.” The screen went black before I could reply. I stepped back inside and made my way to Bethany.
“What’d they say?” Bethany asked, her voice still thick with tears. She sniffed. “Will my mom have to stay overnight at the Watchers’ Headquarters?”
“I don’t know, but Mark’s going to find out. He’s a friend of mine.” The words bounced off my tongue with ease—until Bethany’s face changed to shock. “Don’t worry,” I assured her. “He’s Half-Invisible and a really great guy. We went to school together.”
Bethany nodded as she stood. “Will you let me know what you find out? I just can’t—”
“I know. I’ll come and get you out of class the moment I hear anything.” I didn’t move as Bethany walked out of the room. If there was ever a reason to be a Watcher, this was it. First Daniel’s mom, now Bethany’s. This had to stop.
“Change of plans, guys,” I said, turning to my students. “Class is canceled for the day. Go hang out in the quad.”
I teleported to Shannon’s office before they could reply. She sat at her desk, Daniel asleep on the couch in the corner. “How is he?” I asked in a whisper.
Shannon’s head jerked up, and she put a hand to her heart. “Lindsey! How many times do I have to tell you not to teleport in here without letting me know first?”
I rolled my eyes as I sat in the hard, plastic black chair in front of Shannon’s desk. “You sound like Victoria.” I picked up her nameplate. I needed something to keep my hands busy. “Bethany’s mom was arrested just now. I saw her get taken away.”
Shannon’s face crumpled. She sat back in her chair, rubbing the bridge of her nose. A strand of her light brown hair fell into her face, out of the messy bun she always wore. “It’s happening in the north, too. LIs are getting dragged from their homes.” She leaned forward, hands in front of her on the desk. “You take the exam tonight?”
“Yes,” I answered, putting the nameplate back on the desk. “I’m afraid I won’t pass. You and my dad and the rest of the resistance are counting on me to get people to the House of Hope. And we don’t know when notices will be issued.” A spark of adrenaline prickled my insides, and I got to my feet, careful not to wake Daniel as I paced around the small room. Shannon grabbed my arm and pulled me out into the hall.
“Lindsey, calm down. You’ve come this far. I have no doubt you’re going to pass, and this isn’t all riding on your shoulders. We have Mark and several others willing to help.”
I exhaled, a hand to my head, which was already starting to throb with a headache. Maybe coffee would help me calm down. “I know. I just—” My net-screen buzzing cut me off. “That’s probably Mark. I’ll see you later.” I started down the hall, but Shannon grabbed my arm again.
“Tell Victoria about your becoming a Watcher. She deserves to know. And I’ll go figure out how we’re going to keep the lights on.”
I let the net-call go to voicemail as I followed her back into her office, closing the door. Mark could wait a few minutes. “I heard they were shutting down the warehouse district. What are we gonna do? We’re bringing hundreds if not thousands of LIs down there in a matter of days. Maybe hours if things go south. When did you find this out?” I perched on the edge of the desk.
<
br /> “Last night. I’ve been trying to come up with a plan, but my research skills suck. I’ve never been good at sitting for hours poring over information at the library. I don’t know why I think that’s going to help, but I’m grasping at straws.” The panic in her voice made my stomach clench.
Then a light bulb went off. “Thank you! You just gave me an idea!” I teleported to my classroom and, closing the door, called Mark back. I only had ten minutes until the next class.
“There you are!” Mark said, relief evident in his words.
“Sorry. I was talking to Shannon. What’s up? Did you find out about Bethany’s mom?”
“Yeah. Her bracelet malfunctioned. They fixed it and released her,” Mark said. I dropped into the desk chair. “So, you can tell your student her mom isn’t going to spend the night in jail.”
“She shouldn’t have to spend even one second in the Watchers’ Headquarters,” I said, the anger I’d stuffed down rising to the surface.
“Whoa, hey, what have I been saying? You can’t be a Watcher and get mad every time someone gets arrested. You’re gonna be doing the arresting.”
I put a hand to my forehead, elbow resting on the desk. “I know! I’ve spent months studying. Hell, you’ve been helping me, which I greatly appreciate. I better pass. I begged my dad to let me go undercover for the resistance.”
“Hey, not so loud. We get found out, and all this work will be for nothing.”
I blew out a breath. “I know. I know.” I shifted in my chair as Mark stared back at me, his dark hair slicked back, his thin lips curved in a knowing smile, his light brown eyes softer than they had been the last few months. He’d shaved the stubble he’d been growing, and it made him look younger. He seemed more relaxed, which meant he hopefully had some time off. We’d both been working like crazy; with his shifts and my studying, we hadn’t had time to hang out outside of training in a long time.
“You ready for tonight?” he asked, his voice loud in the silent classroom. I couldn’t hold back a smirk at the ease with which he asked the question, like I was going for a stroll in the park, not taking the most important exam of my life.