An older, white-haired man waved at Malcolm from the garage and Malcolm yelled out, “I left the keys on the dash, Tim.” The older man gave a thumbs up in response.
The day was warming, and I asked Malcolm, “How hot is it supposed to get today? It feels like it’s already seventy degrees out and it’s only about nine thirty in the morning. I thought it was December.”
“Welcome to West Texas, Dynamite. It rains, snows, hails, and swelters like the Savannah all in one week, sometimes on the same day.”
Some of the mud puddles were already a crusted lighter brown around the edges.
“Speaking of that, where exactly in West Texas are we? If there was a road sign on the way into town, I didn’t see it.”
Malcolm kept his eyes focused ahead but answered, “We went through a couple of towns actually, and we came in a back way, so that’s why you didn’t see any signs. If we had been on the main road, you’d have seen Smyer, Carlisle, and Lubbock. Since I’m answering your questions, you need to answer one of mine…seem fair?”
My hackles rose, but I replied, “You can ask.”
He grinned. “How did you hit me like that in the infirmary? I need to know, my chest is still sore like I got a roundhouse kick to the sternum.”
His eyebrows rose as he waited for my response.
Silver piped in, “Do you trust him, too? Are we going to tell everybody now? Freaking peachy!”
I sniped, “We should have thought of that before we hit him then, shouldn’t we? Did you think a trained soldier and martial artist wouldn’t notice something like that? Don’t be mad at me, Sister, we both lost our temper.”
All I got was an, “Ah, hell!” and then silence from my personal peanut gallery.
I turned my attention back to Malcolm’s question and then a theory I had been formulating ever since I watched James fight just spewed out. “I think it’s a concentrated push of energy from inside we can control if we put our minds to it. I don’t believe it’s unique to me. When I watched James fight, he moved faster than my eyes could follow. He may not even know he’s doing it. When I hit you, I was upset, and my emotions felt like they flowed into the palm of my hand. I’m not sure if I could duplicate it yet. Haven’t you ever been in a fight, or a life or death situation in the military, and reacted faster or with more force than you thought possible, even with adrenaline factored in?”
My idea felt right and wrong at the same time, but it was the best answer I had. Sometimes a guess is the first step to a solution.
Malcolm was silent for a long time, and I looked around as we walked, waiting for him to process my answer. The sky had turned a brilliant turquoise blue with barely a hint of clouds. A bird rode the thermals far in the distance. The wind was barely blowing, and it felt exquisite.
“If what you say is true, how come nobody has picked up on it before now?” His voice carried a distinct doubting feel.
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s sporadic. Maybe it’s a new development in the last few generations? You’re asking me a question for which I don't have an answer. I’m not even sure my theory is correct, but it’s worth looking into.”
“You’re a strange girl, Dynamite.”
I gave a small smile. “Yup.”
Malcolm chuckled then got serious. “Do you think the hit caused your low blood sugar? By the way, you need to check it when we get back to the house. I don’t want you passing out, or else I’ll be in trouble.”
I shrugged awkwardly with my bag on my shoulder. “I don’t know if it was the hit or something else, but yes, I’ll check it. Why is the security running at such a high level right now? What did Officer Walters say about the girls missing from town and why they suspect someone from here has something to do with it? And how do you know Officer Walters?”
Malcolm shrugged back at me and said, “Maybe your nickname should be Mighty Mouth.”
“You wanted to be my teacher, so teach.” I looked up at him, adding a few coy eyelash flutters.
“Has Gerome told you yet you’re a lot like your mother?”
“More than once, but that still doesn’t answer any of my questions.”
Malcolm sighed and shifted the load he was carrying a little before replying. “I served with Walters in the Army, and we saved each other more than a few times, so we’re tight. He just happened to be from around here, so it worked out. There’s a witness that says one of our people was with one of the girls before she went missing.”
His brow furrowed. “To top it off, there’s also been a local surge of methamphetamine on the market. We have the ideal location for that kind of operation. Not to mention we’re armed, and the locals don’t trust us anymore. It’s the perfect storm headed right our way, and the Council has big fat blinders on.” The last sentence came with anger and a shrug of resignation.
We were almost to the front door of my house, and Malcolm looked at me. “You got a key?”
My heart sunk. “No, I forgot we locked the door.”
Malcolm grunted at me, set his armload on the ground, and pulled out his cell phone. The conversation was brief, and it sounded like he was talking to Gerome, not Maggie.
“Alright, we’ll hang out until they get here with it.” He ended the call and stuffed the phone into his pants pocket.
I looked sheepishly at him. “I’m sorry I forgot.”
He brushed aside my apology. “I didn’t think to remind you either. Let’s cop a squat on the porch. Gerome was at the housing office helping James get set up. The Lee’s don’t have a legal guardian here, and the staff was giving him the run around about staying with Kara unsupervised since he’s only fifteen. I’m sure Maggie put that ball in motion. I don’t imagine Gerome’s too keen on James. The Lees' are headed here after they pick up a key from Maggie.”
I frowned. “Why would Gerome not like James?” I probably already knew, but I had to ask. We sat side by side on the steps, and I tossed my bag in front of the locked door behind me.
“You think he’s blind? I see the way you two are, and you’re way too young. If I were your dad, I wouldn’t let you within ten feet of each other.”
“It’s a good thing neither one of you is my father then.” My eyes tightened to angry slits, but I controlled myself as Maggie had instructed earlier and thought through my frustration. Was I peeved because I felt like they were trying to control me? If they thought they were protecting me, then maybe that was a form of caring I wasn’t comfortable with. Either way, it was another obstacle I would need to navigate in this new life and no real cause to lash out in a fit of pique.
If I wanted the people here to view me as a leader, I would first need to get around my father’s family reputation. Getting mad on a dime wasn’t the way. I needed to inspire trust, not fear.
I thought a tight beam of my plan to Silver, and if she had arms to throw up, I got the sense it would have happened at that moment.
“So you want us to out ourselves, as far as what we can do, to overcome our bad rap? How much sense does that make? Every person who knows our abilities will want something from us; you get that, right? We’ll be making ourselves vulnerable, Sister.”
“I get it, Silver, but can you think of a faster way? I’m not saying we should show everyone right, at first, just key individuals we need as allies. If we build a network of trusted people we can count on, they can take care of our protection while we look at the big picture. Can you do what I’m asking?”
“Most likely, but I also thought you said I wasn’t a god, and I shouldn’t mess around with other people’s bodies so casually. Now you’re all gung-ho because it furthers our master plan for world domination. Which one of us is acting like a god now?”
“You’re partly right,” I admitted. “If you think you’ll make a mess of things then don’t do it. I don’t want to cause any harm, only fix the damage we caused in the first place.”
Silver mulled it over. Malcolm and I had lapsed into silence, and he wasn’t waiting for me to speak,
just staring off into the distance, thinking man thoughts I supposed. Sometimes silence was the best answer a person could give. No children were out playing at the nearby houses, and not many people were moving around in this area, so the day seemed strangely deserted, almost as if Malcolm and I were in separate dimensions while the rest of the world spun on oblivious.
Silver finally grumbled in my mind, “It should be fine, I already found him in the Web. It’s only some bruising. I can fix it to a point. At least, it’ll heal faster.”
“What do I need to do? Can we spare the energy? Do I need to touch him?”
“Touch makes it easier, and we have enough energy if you promise to eat as soon as we get into the house. By the way, what if he freaks out?”
“He doesn’t seem the type. We’ll find out, won’t we?”
I turned to Malcolm after I looked around to make sure we were still alone and held out my hand. “Can I show you something?”
Malcolm looked down at my palm and raised his eyebrows.
I fidgeted, suddenly uncomfortable. “Look, I’m not making moves. Give me your hand or don’t.”
He shifted his bulk on the steps and turned as he slid his huge hand into mine. I closed my eyes and thought to Silver. “Can I watch?”
It felt like being snatched by a speeding car as Silver grabbed my mind and attached it to hers. I was in the Web and staring at what I assumed was Malcolm’s presence, a floating, wavering light of brilliant grayish moon blue. Off behind Malcolm’s ‘moon,’ I saw another light that shone just as intensely and I assumed it to be his sister, Melody. Silver just barely touched the surface of Malcolm’s light with her own, and I felt her leave a tiny bit of something behind. His light flared like a sunspot had erupted. Suddenly we were back into ourselves, and my sister sent a thought to me.
“It’s like releasing a virus that burrows into the spot of the damage, and instead of causing more harm, it sets right what it can. That’s the simplest way I can describe something that happens in the Web and transfers over to the cellular level on the physical plane.”
“Can he feel what you’ve done? How long should it take?”
“I guess he probably felt a little boost of his energy, maybe a zing like an electric shock. It shouldn’t take long. Go back and ask him.”
At that, she let her grip on me loosen, and I opened my eyes to the physical world as I released Malcolm’s hand.
His eyes bugged as he rubbed his pant leg before he touched his chest. “What did you just do?”
“Consider that my apology. Do you feel any pain in your chest?”
The big man arched his back and crossed his arms at the wrists before he turned his attention to me again. “No. Do Gerome and Maggie know about this?”
“Not yet but I plan on telling them today. I’ve got a nose to fix, after all.” I unzipped my gym bag. The trail mix had to be in there somewhere. I found the purple package and tore it open with only slightly shaky fingers. Silver sighed in my head, disgusted. I could tell Malcolm had noticed my shakes, but he didn’t remark on it, and so far no freakout, which was encouraging.
“So why did you tell me first?”
“I need allies. I need friends who will watch my back while I figure out a way to save our people from themselves, kill the Soul Eater, and end this civil war.”
“Ambitious little thing aren’t you?”
I put every bit of my determination to save our people in my expression. “Yes.”
I heard a distant shout, and we both ended the rather intense moment by staring off in between the houses. About fifty yards away, James and Kara approached. Kara was waving her hand in the air in a dramatic way with something small I assumed to be the house key gripped in her fist. James walked calmly by her side carrying his coat, a placid pool to her rollicking stream.
I tilted my head back and emptied almost the whole small bag of trail mix into my mouth. Sweet combined with salty was satisfying but made for a thirsty snack. My mouth was already dry so as soon as we got into the house, I was going to grab a glass of water.
Silver sent a thought my way. “Juice, you need more sugar. Then you need to make yourself a sandwich. By the way, you’re an idiot.”
I thought back childishly, “I know you are but what am I?”
When James and Kara came even with us on the porch, Malcolm took the key from Kara then picked up his packages. I had a mouthful of trail mix still, so I grunted hello from the steps.
James chewed on the inside of his lip and said with a concerned lilt, “You look pale. Did you check your blood sugar?”
I shook my head, and he lifted me to my feet by my upper arm as Malcolm opened the door to the house. A traffic jam occurred as we all either hung our coats or unlaced our boots and left them on the mat. I lost my balance a little bit as I took off the last shoe, and Malcolm steadied me.
“Hey, Romeo, get her stuff and shut the door.”
Kara gave a loud, “Ha!” then wandered to the kitchen. She pulled out a chair for me as Malcolm steered me toward it.
“Hey, who tracked mud all down your hallway?”
I pointed a finger at Malcolm. The front door closed. James appeared in the kitchen digging through my bag. He wanted the glucometer I was sure. I didn’t feel too bad, but it had snuck up on me fast last time. I said, “Juice?”
Malcolm set a glass of orange juice in front of me. Some sloshed over to bead in a puddle. I sipped until it was safe enough for me to raise the glass to my lips.
James had opened up my kit and pulled my free hand out, palm up on the table top in his direction. Malcolm seemed content to let him doctor me, and truth to tell, James was pretty good at it. His hands moved with no nervousness. The machine had beeped a response before I knew it.
“Not too bad this time. It’s sixty, but you need to eat.”
I nodded toward the bread box on the counter. “Sandwich?”
Kara hopped up out of her chair. “I’ll do it!”
I stared at her moving cheerfully about, opening drawers and searching for things.
James murmured to me, “In answer to your question, yes, she was always this way.”
I smiled a hesitantly and lowered my lashes. His pale green eyes caught me for just a moment.
Malcolm issued a fake cough and kicked James’ chair leg under the table.
I rolled my eyes at the big man. “Yes, Malcolm?”
“Since you’re out of commission, I need Romeo to help me put up the lights outside, and Kara can stay with you in the house if that works for them?” His request came out more like a command.
James agreed good-naturedly. “Sure, I can help as long as we wrap up before one or so. I still need to pick up some things for our place.”
“So Gerome got you squared away?” I asked.
Kara squealed in girlish delight while she continued to slap together a messy sandwich as she tossed words over her shoulder. “Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you…we’re going to be neighbors! Gerome got us a house right next door!”
James looked a little embarrassed. “It was the only way they would let Kara and me live alone. Gerome said he would keep an eye on us.”
Malcolm’s face split into a huge grin. “I bet.”
I kicked his shin under the table, but it only earned me a wider grin and a sore toe.
Kara put a lopsided yet still appetizing collection of bread, meat, and lettuce in front of me. An old memory resurfaced of my father making one like it and jokingly calling it a Dagwood. I tried to straighten the thing up, but stuff still fell out.
I took a big bite.
“How is it?” she asked.
I mumbled ‘good’ through a mouthful of food and Malcolm rose from the table.
“Alright, you seem in good hands, we might as well get to it.”
“Set the timer on the stove for forty-five minutes and when it goes off check her blood sugar again,” James instructed. “It should be back to normal by then I hope. If not, get us, Kara.”
He was flippant, but I could tell Malcolm was worried by his lingering glance. I dug into Kara’s messy concoction with gusto so they would get out of my hair. I sincerely hoped Malcolm didn’t try to warn James off with some manly mumbo jumbo when they were out of earshot. I guess if something like that scared him off, he wasn’t the guy for me.
Malcolm went down the hallway to the master bedroom and returned with a big black toolkit. He made it look light, but I knew it had to weigh about forty pounds. After he had set it by the door, he sat down on the not-so-clean floor, to put on his boots. James used a kitchen chair since Malcolm almost consumed all the space in the entryway.
I swallowed my mouthful of food and asked, “Don’t you need a ladder?”
Malcolm snorted. “Now I know you’re not with it…do I look like I need a ladder? Come on, Romeo, the sooner we start, the sooner we finish.”
James looked up at me from tying his last boot and mouthed, ‘Romeo?’
I pointed a pinkie to my sternum and then to him. His face reddened after he got an ‘aha’ light in his eyes. When he rose to follow Malcolm, he ran the pad of one finger across my cheek as he walked by. I had shivers all the way down my spine and an instant explosion of butterflies in my stomach.
Silver chimed in. “Wow, he’s goooood.”
I snapped at her for ruining the moment. “Shut up!”
Kara had been leaning up against the counter watching the whole silent interchange. Instead of teasing me she had turned incredibly stern. When the front door shut, she pushed herself off the counter edge to take a seat. Kara drilled me with her stare the whole time I finished the hastily prepared meal. I began to feel like a bug under a magnifying glass…in the sun. Her scrutiny was intense. I forced myself to finish.
I pushed my plate away and drank my orange juice before daring a look at Kara.
Chimera (The Weaver Series Book 1) Page 17