“Well, maybe not the exact reason, but I still think I’ve got a pretty good guess.” He finished in the paint pan and returned the roller to the wall.
Morgan, who had reached the opposite corner of the wall, finished up her painting along the crown molding. “And what reason is that?”
“You’re a senior in high school. You’ve been spending a lot of time with some new guy friends. I don’t know—maybe you’re interested in one of them? And you’re wondering about me and your mom so you can sort of gauge your relationship by ours.”
Morgan stepped down from her stool and looked at him. “Seriously?”
“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Dylan said quickly. “But just know that every relationship is different. Your mom and I only dated for a few months before we got married. Now, I’m not saying that’s what you should do. Ever. But we’d been friends for about a year before that, and we just felt like we were ready. To be honest, I felt ready to marry her the night we met—even if she did blow me off.” He glanced at Morgan and smiled. “Thanks for the help on this wall, hon. Kyle should be over soon to help me with the others.”
Morgan nodded. Taking his words as her cue, she left the living room and headed straight to her bedroom. Careful to close the door behind her, she immediately lay face-down on her bed, thinking about what she’d just learned.
Orrick had told her that once Chelsea had left the Veneret, she’d married the first man she could. Was it true? Had Chelsea married Dylan so quickly just to distance herself from the life she had walked away from? From the man she had walked away from?
And if that was the case, did it mean Orrick’s other assertion was correct, too? Morgan considered this. Her birthday was in January, and her parents’ anniversary was in June. But had they been married the year before Morgan was born? She couldn’t remember. But if they had… Morgan did a quick count on her fingers. June was only seven months before January.
If, indeed, her parents had been married the year before Morgan was born, Chelsea had to have gotten pregnant before the wedding. Morgan wasn’t naïve enough to believe her parents hadn’t been together before their wedding night, so Chelsea being pregnant was entirely possible.
But then, wasn’t it also possible that the man who had gotten her pregnant wasn’t Dylan? Could Orrick have been telling the truth?
Was Orrick Williams really her father?
Chapter Ten
“I don’t understand why this is so difficult!”
Monday brought with it another training session. Lia’s exclamation was so loud that Morgan heard it clearly even though she was in the basement of today’s volunteer’s house. And she knew just how Lia was feeling: After nearly forty-five minutes of attempting to See something about either Lucas, Lia, or Wen, Morgan was finding herself incapable of sensing anything but the usual emotions she Felt.
For a variety of reasons, she decided not to attempt to See anything Corbin was thinking or doing today. She was almost afraid of what she might find in his mind.
The cadence of Wen’s voice filtered through the floorboards to Morgan, but it was more subdued, so she couldn’t make out the words. She didn’t need to. The emotions upstairs had completely shifted and Morgan was fairly sure training was over for the day.
Without waiting to be summoned, Morgan ascended the stairs and made her way to the living room. For the last half hour, a dull ache throbbed behind her left eye, so she was glad for a break in practicing. Lucas and Corbin, who had been in rooms upstairs, were arriving just as Morgan entered the room.
Lia sat in the corner seat of a large L-shaped sofa. Wen sat to her left and stroked her hand in a placating manner. Morgan Felt Lia calming down and knew Wen was causing that sense of tranquility to overtake her.
Once Lia was lulled into a state of quiet, Wen looked up, appearing surprised to see he and Lia were no longer alone in the room. “Can I help you?”
Lucas flopped down on the couch, propping his feet up on a nearby ottoman. “Lia’s right, man. This sucks. None of us are getting any better at this. I mean, really, I feel like I’m getting worse.”
Wen sighed the deep sigh of someone who saw something coming. “I know it feels that way, but, believe me, it’s not really the case.”
“See, I don’t believe that,” Lucas said. “That first night—when Morgan and I went out to Oakdale and I got that guy’s fedora and pulled Morgan out of the way of that Hummer—everything was so easy. And I know, I know—Miss Scotford said something about a heightened emotional state or something, but that doesn’t explain how the next day, I still felt a connection to Morgan.”
“That’s right,” Morgan said, remembering. “Kellen called me and told me to call you and Corbin because he was gonna come pick us all up. When I called you, you asked why you were getting ready—like you already knew that I was gonna come for you.”
“It was kinda the same with me and Morgan,” Corbin said, still standing at the foot of the stairs. “She got all, like, weak and shaky and I took her home. She fell asleep, but every time I went to leave, I heard her calling out to me in my head.”
Lia looked moderately impressed by these revelations, but Wen didn’t seem surprised.
“Both your experiences are likely due to the sharing or transferring of energy you experienced with Morgan,” Wen said. “You still had some extra energy within you, and the way your abilities manifested reflected that.”
“But, wait—I didn’t have that kind of experience,” Lia said suddenly. “I mean, like, I didn’t feel connected to Morgan or anything. Does that mean—”
“You’re not a Feeler, though,” Morgan said quickly. For some reason, she felt the need to reassure Lia that there was nothing wrong with her abilities. “Lucas and Corbin both are.”
“Well, strictly speaking, Corbin seems to be manifesting more as a Seer,” Wen said.
Morgan glanced at Corbin. She didn’t know that about him. Perhaps that was why she’d been able to See when she’d connected with him, but hadn’t had any luck trying to do it on her own.
Wen was speaking again. “But Morgan’s still right. You told me that after the party when Morgan gave you the palm reading, you noticed people kept doing what you wanted them to, right? No extra effort on your part?”
Lia nodded. “And now it takes more work.”
“Precisely. Same thing, just working differently in your case.” Wen glanced at Lucas. “And I can understand how it’s frustrating that things don’t seem to be coming to you as easily as you’d like. And, to be honest—maybe you’re not a Mover at all, Lucas. Maybe being able to pull Morgan out of the way was a freak thing, never to be repeated.”
“Then why do you have me trying to Move things?” Lucas asked, a note of irritation in his tone.
Wen shrugged. “Because I don’t think that’s the case. But if you do, next time we train, you can work on something else. No problem.”
“Wait, is that kinda what Miss Scotford was talking about when she was telling us about the Prophecy?” Corbin asked. When no one seemed to know what he meant, he continued. “She said that the One is supposed to become stronger through the four Naturals. Does she mean that Morgan’ll get stronger because she’ll, like, share our energy or something?”
Wen nodded. “The Watchers have known for a long time that when two of us are working with the same goal in mind, we’re stronger together than we are apart. It’s just like… pushing a car. You might be able to push it on your own, but it’s easier if you’ve got a buddy or two helping out. It’s the same with our abilities. Like—perfect example, Corbin—when you, me, Morgan, Ellie, and Greg all jumped off Desideration Tower when we were getting away from Orrick last month. Now, Greg’s a Mover, but he couldn’t’ve gotten us all across on his own. He might not even have been able to get himself across alone. But since we were all focused on the same goal—”
“We were all able to get across to the next rooftop without falling and dying,” Corbin finished.
Lucas shook his head. “That’s so bad-ass. I’m still mad I wasn’t there for that.”
Morgan raised an eyebrow at him.
“So, the thought is that the four of you are stronger together than you are apart,” Wen said.
“Then why aren’t we training all together?” asked Lia.
“You’ve gotta be able to use what you have,” Wen said. “You can’t always be together. But, as your abilities start maturing, you’ll start practicing together, I promise.”
Lia crossed her arms sullenly. “Don’t see why we can’t work together now.”
Wen didn’t bother responding.
They sat in silence for a few moments before Lucas clapped his hands together. “So, are we calling it a day? I’ve got errands to run.”
“Sure,” Wen said. “I’ll see you guys later.”
They all filed out of the house. Morgan followed Lucas to his car, rubbing her left temple. “You really have errands to run?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Just a few. Is that a problem?”
Morgan made a face. “It feels like someone’s wiggling an ice pick around in my brain. Can you drop me and then do your stuff?”
“My stuff won’t take long.”
She pressed her fingertips to her forehead, massaging the bone. “Lucas, just drop me at home, please.”
Lia appeared at Morgan’s side, her fingertips brushing Morgan’s elbow. “I could take you home, if you want.”
Morgan looked at her, surprised. “Really?”
“I wouldn’t’ve offered if I didn’t mean it.”
Morgan looked at Lucas and shrugged. “See you,” she said, walking over to Lia’s car.
Lucas made a face but waved goodbye.
Lia slid into the driver’s seat. When Morgan got in, she looked at her. “Thanks, Lia. This is really nice of you.”
Lia rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Like doing nice things is so out of character for me.” She put her car into gear and started down the street.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Whatever.” Lia sighed. “So, where do you live?”
Morgan gave Lia directions and they traveled in silence for a few minutes.
“I’m sorry,” Lia said abruptly.
Morgan gave a sidelong glance in her direction. “For… what?”
“I shouldn’t’ve snapped at you,” Lia said quietly. “I’m just so frustrated with all this training. I mean, I just thought by now I’d be getting better at it, you know?”
Morgan nodded. “Yeah.”
“And, I mean, Wen’s nice and all—and he doesn’t make me feel bad when I completely fail at the task he set… but I just feel like he doesn’t get it, you know?”
“Yeah, I know.”
Lia laughed. “At least you had a little success.”
“Sure. But I’m not allowed to do it again.”
“What d’you mean?”
Morgan sighed. “Wen says it’s dangerous for me to try to See anything beyond—well, beyond you guys, I guess.” Her fingers curled into a fist. “He won’t even let me look for my mom.”
“I’m sorry, Morgan.”
“Thanks.”
“It’s crazy, though, isn’t it?” Lia said, more to herself than to Morgan.
Morgan glanced at her, waiting for her to continue. When she didn’t, she prompted her. “What’s crazy?”
“Huh? Oh.” Lia gave a brief half smile. “It’s just… It looks like they’re really expecting a lot out of us. Out of you. But… I just don’t feel like we’re ready for any of it. Or at least, I’m not.”
“Oh, believe me. I feel the same way.”
“That’s actually kind of comforting. Sometimes I feel like I’m…”
Morgan looked at her. “Like you’re what?”
Lia shook her head. “Nothing.”
“Lia.”
Lia sighed. “Sometimes I feel like I’m not really a part of this, you know? I feel like I’m an outsider.”
Morgan laughed. “Welcome to my life.”
“Not anymore, though. I mean, not with the others. They’re, like… I don’t know… drawn to you. I mean, you’re always hanging out with Lucas and Corbin. Mr. K’s always kind of looked out for you. And then… Well, then there’s me.”
“Oh, come on, Lia—we hang out,” Morgan protested. “You come out to the Daily Grind with us—”
She shrugged. “But I feel like you guys only invite me because… you know… because I’m a Natural. Not because I’m one of you.”
“Lia, the only reason I hang out with Lucas or Corbin is because they’re Naturals. None of us were friends before that. And you are one of us.”
Lia pulled up in front of Morgan’s house and sat staring straight ahead. Morgan reached out and touched her arm gently. “Thanks for the ride.”
Lia just nodded.
“And thanks for… you know… offering to listen if I wanted to talk.” She smiled. “I appreciate that you’re looking out for me—even if that means you report me to Wen.”
Glancing toward Morgan, Lia smiled. “Sorry about that. I just… I didn’t know what else to—”
Morgan shook her head, cutting Lia off. “No worries. Maybe next time, to keep Wen from having to do an intervention, I’ll just take you up on your offer.”
Lia nodded. “I am here for you. And—” She broke off.
“What?”
“If I, you know, need someone to talk to…?”
“No, absolutely not. Don’t come to me.” Morgan grinned. “Of course, you can talk to me. Like you said, I can kind of understand it.”
“Thanks, Morgan.”
Morgan nodded. With a final smile at Lia, she exited the car. Before walking up to her house, she waved goodbye.
Upon entering the house, Morgan headed straight for the kitchen and poured herself a glass of milk. As she sat at the kitchen table, she thought about her conversation with Lia and smiled. It was strange how quickly things could change. She might just have made friends with Lia Roderick.
Chapter Eleven
At the conclusion of Morgan’s last reading on Wednesday, she groaned and buried her head in her hands. While she knew she shouldn’t be discouraged by not having found the last Natural yet, she couldn’t help being just a little disappointed.
She felt someone sit down in the seat beside her and glanced over to see Ris looking at her with wide, concerned eyes.
“You okay?” Ris asked.
Morgan nodded. “Yeah. Just… a little headache.”
She felt bad about lying to Ris, but, she reasoned, this was a much more minor lie than some of her others.
The bell rang to dismiss them from lunch, and Morgan stood, feeling like a terrible person. How many lies would she have to tell Ris? Ris, who had been her best friend through good times and bad, deserved better. Morgan had to be better.
Forcing a smile, she fell into step beside Ris and linked arms with her. “Maybe we could hang out tonight.”
Ris glanced at her. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. We could study for that math test. Yours is Thursday, too, right?” Though they weren’t in math the same hour, they both had the same teacher and the same course.
“Sure.” Ris smiled. “It’s been a while since we’ve studied together.”
Morgan shrugged. “Though, it is math.”
Ris nodded. “Kind of the blind leading the blind.”
Giving Ris a playful nudge, Morgan laughed as they continued down the hallway.
In Senior Math, Morgan attempted to both pay attention to the lesson and pass notes to Lucas. In reality, they did not pass actual notes. Instead, Morgan would start things off by sketching something—usually a stick figure—and then passing the image to Lucas. Lucas would then add something else to the picture: a tree, a dog, a machete. Each time the paper was passed back and forth, a new element was added. By the end of the hour, today’s picture included a polar bear, a lion, Saturn, a palm tree, and several dead stick figures.
She shook her head. “Nope. Big date.”
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t get your panties in a twist,” she said, bumping him in the shoulder. “Ris and I are studying for the math test.”
“Sounds awesome,” Lucas said, though his tone indicated otherwise. “You guys need a tutor? Because, unlike you, I actually understand this stuff.”
“Then why, Mr. Wizard, aren’t you in, like, calculus or something this year? Why are you in senior math for dummies?”
He shrugged. “Seriously, though. You want me to come over and help you guys out?”
“Thanks for the offer, but I think it’ll be good, you know, just me and Ris?”
“I understand.”
“Besides, test’s not till Thursday,” she said.
Lucas gave a short laugh. “Ah, so you’re planning to study with me tomorrow night?”
“You free?”
“I don’t know… my schedule’s pretty booked.”
Morgan just rolled her eyes. Lucas veered off down a hallway and Morgan pressed on toward the JY room. Her current task was to write out captions to accompany images that were going into the yearbook, so she got to work immediately, even before the bell rang. Writing captions was a task she’d taken on one day when she’d had nothing else to do, and she was surprised how fun it could be.
Toward the end of the hour, Morgan headed to the front of the room where Lia had set up shop to show Lia her progress.
“You headed to the Daily Grind today?” Lia asked as she leafed through the captions.
“No. Ris and I are hanging out.”
Lia nodded, but Morgan sensed she was slightly disappointed.
“Lucas and I are getting together tomorrow to study for Thursday’s Senior Math test, though. You want to join us?”
Lia shrugged. “I’m in calc. I mean, I’ve got a test Thursday, too, but—”
“Lucas is pretty good at math stuff,” Morgan said. “Besides, even if we’re studying different things, it’ll be nice to have company, right?”
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