“Oh, I don’t know,” Lia said quickly, casting a furtive glance in Morgan’s direction.
“I’ll go sit somewhere else while you two decide,” Morgan said, getting to her feet.
Beside her, Lia appeared to be getting to her feet as well. Morgan turned back to her, confused, before she realized what was happening. Lia wasn’t standing, her chair was being Moved with her still on it. When she was raised to a foot above the ground, she began to flail wildly.
“Lucas, put me down!”
At the guys’ table, Lucas and Corbin were laughing.
“Stop kicking, or you’ll fall when he sets you down,” Miss Scotford said sternly.
After a moment, Lia’s movements stilled. As soon as she wasn’t kicking, she began descending to the floor. When her feet gained purchase on the linoleum, Lia stalked to the guys’ table, eyes locked on Lucas, arm raised.
Mr. K stood as she approached and put his arms out to catch her. “Lia,” he said in his firmest teacher-voice, “go sit down. Do not hit Lucas.”
After struggling against Mr. K’s hands for a moment, Lia gave up her pursuit. Shoulders falling, she turned and stalked back to her table, muttering darkly under her breath.
Morgan glanced at Lucas, who looked stunned by Lia’s behavior. “That escalated quickly.”
He nodded. “No doubt.”
Lia made a scathing noise in the back of her throat and Morgan took that as her cue to leave the table. She wandered up toward the front of the room, where the guys were sitting, but kept her distance. She didn’t want to give the mistaken impression that she was seeking revenge for Lia’s sake. Instead, she headed toward Mr. K’s desk, which was a mess, as usual. With a sigh, she sank down into his chair and tipped her head back, staring at the ceiling. With Lia as agitated as she was, Morgan figured it would be a while before she would be Pushed to do anything.
As she sat, she allowed her thoughts to wander. She wondered if Miss Scotford’s assertion was right, whether Lia could learn to strengthen her ability by working with others. That hadn’t seemed to be the case for Morgan. After she and Corbin connected and she saw Orrick’s office, Morgan hadn’t been able to do it on her own. Then again, it was not as if after one try Miss Scotford was making Lia do things on her own. Maybe that was it: maybe Morgan needed to practice Seeing a few times with the assistance of someone else before she could do it on her own.
Morgan turned her attention to Mr. K’s messy desk, suddenly overwhelmed by the compulsion to clean it. Standing, she reached for the nearest stack of papers and began shuffling them into a neat pile. There were at least a dozen pen and pencils littering the desktop, and Morgan began picking them up and sorting through them, depositing most in the desk’s center drawer.
She was vaguely aware of Mr. K’s voice. His tone was stern, but Morgan couldn’t focus on his words. Then Mr. K was beside her, catching her wrists in his hands. She struggled against him—she spotted a wrapper peeking out from under a notebook and needed to throw it away.
Mr. K’s voice in her ear was firm, but she wasn’t concerned with what he was saying. She twisted her arms in a vain attempt to escape from Mr. K’s grasp. All she could think of was picking up the wrapper and depositing it in the nearest trash can.
And then, suddenly, she stopped. She still saw the wrapper, but she couldn’t figure out why she had been so bent on throwing it away. Sure, it should be done, but that was no reason to fight Mr. K.
Morgan looked up at Mr. K, who still held her wrists. “You can let go of me now,” she said, her voice sounding strange in her ears. “I’m okay.”
Casting a quick glance in the direction of Lia and Miss Scotford, Mr. K released her. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
She considered this, rubbing each of her wrists gently. “I think I’ll live. Sorry about that. I blame Lia.”
Mr. K smiled down at her for a moment before turning his attention to Lia. “I take it you think my desk needs a bit more organization?”
Lia shrugged. “It’s a disaster area.”
“I’ll have you know, there is a very sophisticated organizational system in place here.”
Lia arched an eyebrow at him. “Really?”
“Have I ever lost anything of yours?”
“Well… No.”
He sighed, smiling sadly. “After the job Morgan did over here, that may no longer be the case. I doubt I’ll be able to find anything for days.”
Morgan made her way back to her table and sat down. “Nice job,” she said to Lia, offering her fist.
Lia smiled, bumping her fist against Morgan’s. “Thanks. And sorry. I didn’t realize Mr. K had such a sophisticated organizational system in place.” She rolled her eyes.
“No joke,” Morgan said. She looked at Miss Scotford. “Now what?”
By the end of training, Lucas managed to lift a table into the air and push Morgan’s chair, with her in it, across the room. Lia, with Morgan’s assistance, Pushed Miss Scotford to spin like a ballerina. Alone, she was able to make Corbin sing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”
When they left the room, Lia’s grin stretched across her face. Though they had only worked on Lia’s and Lucas’s abilities, Morgan felt that this had been their most successful training session yet.
“I bet next time we work on your and Corbin’s abilities,” Lucas said as the group made its way down the hall.
“I’m just so excited it worked,” Lia said. “I was really starting to think I couldn’t do it, you know?”
Corbin gave Lia’s back a reassuring pat. “I always knew you could.”
Lia beamed.
As they walked into the parking lot, the four began heading in separate directions. Before anyone could get too far, Corbin turned and called, “Hey, if anyone wants to, Ris and I’ll be at the Daily Grind later tonight.”
Lucas’s and Lia’s eyes flicked momentarily to Morgan.
“Maybe,” Lucas said, shrugging. “I’ve got some errands to run. If I get done, I’ll text, okay?”
Corbin nodded. “Yeah, let me know. You too, Lia.” With that, he turned and headed off toward his car.
As soon as Corbin’s eyes were off her, Lia turned to Morgan. “I suppose that’s why you didn’t want to meet at the Daily Grind?”
Morgan sighed and pressed her lips together.
“Yeah, what’s up there?” Lucas asked, his voice sounding a little too casual, as if he’d been waiting for the opportunity to ask.
“I just… I want to make sure the two of them can have some alone time, you know? Corbin’s such a nice guy he feels compelled to invite us, even when an outing is better suited for just two people.” Morgan waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
After a moment, Lia nodded. “Ah. I see.”
Lucas didn’t look as convinced. Instinctively, Morgan put up the wall he’d taught her to build, hoping he wouldn’t sense the real reason for her not wanting to spend time with Corbin and Ris.
“Anyway,” Lia said, drawing attention away from Morgan. “I’ll text you guys in a bit. My mom’ll freak out if I bring people over before she can vacuum.” With a wave, Lia turned and headed off toward her car.
Morgan’s hand went automatically to her purse to make sure she had changed her phone from silent mode. When she didn’t find it, she dug around a bit, in case it had fallen into the deeper recesses. After a short search, she checked her back pockets. “Damn.”
“What?” asked Lucas, who had been watching her.
“Can’t find my phone.”
“Maybe it’s in the JY room. Want me to go with you to check?”
“Nah. Thanks though. I’ll see you at Lia’s.” Morgan turned toward the school and jogged to the doors. As she climbed the stairs, she hoped Mr. K was still there. If he wasn’t, she might have to track down a janitor and convince him to let her in.
Her purposeful steps slowed as she neared the JY room. She heard voices. Mr. K and Miss Scotford were still in the room. Her first instinct was to jus
t knock on the still-open door and let herself in, but then she heard her name.
“Don’t you think Morgan’ll be suspicious if we stop her training?” It was Miss Scotford.
Morgan approached the door as quietly as possible and positioned herself so she couldn’t be seen from inside the room.
“Not stop it,” Mr. K said. “I think we should redirect it.”
“She’s a smart girl. So far in training, Wen’s been asking her to try to See. It’s the logical step for her. If we suddenly redirect her, she’ll know why we’re doing it.”
“And if we keep encouraging her to See, she could end up in real danger.”
“But Wen told her not to push out like she did—”
“It’s not that simple, and you know it.” A pause. The shuffling of feet. “According to the source, she’s safe.”
Morgan’s pulse sped up, and she felt a dampness in her palms. They were talking about her, about impeding her training. But why would they do that? If they were grooming her to be the One they claimed she was, wouldn’t they want her as strong as possible? And who was this source talking about her safety? Weren’t they responsible for that?
“I don’t understand why we can’t just tell her that.” A creaking sound. Morgan imagined Miss Scotford sitting atop a table.
Mr. K snorted. “You think she’d be satisfied with that? ‘Oh, by the way, she’s safe. Where is she? Oh, no idea. But she’s safe.’ Yeah, she’d love that.”
Morgan bit her lower lip to keep from calling out. They weren’t talking about her, at least not only her. They were talking about her mom. They had information about her that they hadn’t shared. She lifted her hand, her palm resting against the door. She should go in, confront them. But as she moved to put pressure against the solid wood, she realized they probably wouldn’t reward her eavesdropping by telling her information she wanted to know. She pulled her hand back, waiting for their conversation to continue.
A sigh. “Maybe I’m being overprotective, but, you know what? I don’t care. After what happened at Desideration Tower… Suffice it to say I want to keep Morgan away from Orrick Williams for as long as possible. It’s just… it’s in her nature to push things, you know? And that’s fantastic—it’s part of what makes her strong. But it’s also the thing that can really get her into trouble.” He paused. “Why are you smiling at me?”
“Nothing. It’s just… it’s cute that you’re so protective of her.”
“It’s hard not to be. I’ve known her for years. That’s why I know that if we tell her that we have any knowledge about her mother—no matter how limited—that she’ll have a hard time leaving it at that. She’ll want to find out more. It’s better for her to keep thinking that we don’t know anything. And why it’s best to get her training focused on something a little less… tempting.”
After a long pause, Miss Scotford sighed. “Fine, Greg. Fine. If you think it’s what’s best, then I’ll go along with it. I just hope it doesn’t blow up in our faces.”
Morgan heard the soft padding of feet and panicked. Miss Scotford was heading toward the door. Quickly and silently as possible, Morgan sprinted halfway down the hallway before turning and walking calmly back toward the JY door. She had taken no more than a few steps when Miss Scotford walked out of the room. When her eyes landed on Morgan, they widened in surprise.
“Hey, Morgan,” she said, a quick smile spreading across her face. “What’s up?”
Morgan smiled too. “Got started home and I realized I didn’t have my cell. I think I left it…” She came closer to Miss Scotford and saw a strange look on her face. It was as if she were trying to determine whether or not Morgan was telling the truth. In that moment, Morgan realized she didn’t know what abilities Miss Scotford possessed. If she was a Seer or a Feeler, she might realize Morgan wasn’t being entirely truthful. Immediately, Morgan envisioned an impenetrable brick wall around her and hoped it was enough to keep prying minds out.
“I didn’t notice a phone in there, but I’m sure Greg wouldn’t mind you poking around.”
Morgan nodded and edged past Miss Scotford. When she entered the room, Mr. K looked up and smiled.
“Forgot my phone.”
Mr. K made a sweeping motion with his hand, inviting her to have a look around.
Quickly, Morgan made her way to the table she’d been sitting at. After a scan of the area, she saw her phone on the floor some three feet behind her chair. She picked it up and turned to Mr. K, smiling. “It must’ve fallen out when Lucas Moved me across the room,” she said, heading back toward the door.
“See you tomorrow, Morgan.” Mr. K nodded in her direction as she left.
As soon as Morgan was in the hallway, she began typing out a text message to Lucas and Lia: I have something to tell you guys.
Chapter Thirteen
Half an hour later, Morgan was on her way to Lia’s house, wondering what home could have so much carpet it would take a full thirty minutes to vacuum.
Lucas and Lia had both texted back, intrigued by what she may have to tell them, but she refused to do so until they were together.
As she drove, Morgan allowed her attention to divert to the trees along the side of the road. A few already had leaves tinged with fall colors. She flipped on her turn signal and checked her mirrors before changing into the left lane. In her rearview mirror, she noticed a black sedan two cars behind her doing the same thing. And when she got into the left turn lane, the black sedan did, too.
Though she was sure it was nothing, Morgan felt her pulse quicken. She made the left turn at the light and got into the rightmost lane. The black sedan did likewise. She glanced in her side mirror, attempting to see who was driving the car, but the tint of the glass and the reflection of the afternoon sun made it impossible to tell.
When Morgan turned right down Lia’s street, the sedan continued down the main road. Her shoulders sagged, releasing the tension she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. A breathy laugh pressed its way between her lips as scanned houses for Lia’s address. Like the Veneret would send a car to follow her: if they really wanted to know about her comings and goings, they had more effective ways of doing so.
As Morgan pulled her car to a stop in front of Lia’s house, she felt something tugging at the edges of her consciousness, like a forgotten memory attempting to assert itself. She pushed the feeling down as she got out of the car, only to have it push back, causing her to lose her balance and lean heavily against the door. The dull nagging sensation gave way to a riptide of energy coursing through her mind.
So lost was she in the sensation that it took a moment for Morgan to understand what was happening: She was being read, her thoughts ransacked by the same blinding energy she’d encountered before. Aurelia, Kellen had called her.
The thought of Kellen reminded her of what he’d told her to do: Build a wall. She struggled to call to mind what Lucas had taught her, but there was nowhere to build a wall: everything was bright and blinding; she couldn’t tell where her thoughts ended and the invader’s began. Within her mind, she fought and clawed, but she found herself unable to push the other presence out.
Hands gripped her by the shoulders. She struck out, unseeing, her attention focused inward, but the hands held her firmly. By degrees, her mind cleared, the invading mind ebbing from her own like the tide from the beach. Morgan blinked a few times and realized who was touching her.
“Lucas.” Her voice was quiet and weak. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Lucas.”
His green eyes searched her face. “What the hell was that?”
She shook her head and attempted to move away from her car, but Lucas held her in place. “Let go.”
“No.” He opened his mouth to continue but closed it quickly, pressing his lips into a tight line. He took in a deep breath and released it before starting again. “When I turned the corner, I saw you get out of your car and just… collapse. I ran to you and… You had no idea, Morgan. You were just freakin
g out. You had no idea I was standing here. It scared the hell out of me and I want to know what happened.”
Morgan studied his face. What could she tell him without telling him everything?
Before she had a chance to figure it out, the soft click of a door floated to them. “Hey, guys.” Lia’s voice was tentative.
Morgan tried once more to move and Lucas let her. Though he said nothing as the two of them started toward Lia’s house, she had the distinct impression he would not their conversation.
Lia backed into the living room as they approached, allowing them entrance. “Come on in.” Once they were inside, Morgan closed the door.
A slim, attractive woman was standing in the living room. She smiled at Morgan and Lucas. “I’m Lia’s mom,” she said. “If there’s anything you need while you’re studying, don’t be afraid to ask.”
Morgan and Lucas thanked her and introduced themselves politely before Lia ushered them down a nearby hallway.
“We’re working in the office,” she said, indicating the last door on the left.
When Morgan entered the room, she was struck by its size. A large L-shaped desk dominated the space, and a leather couch lined one wall. Lia immediately took a seat in the office chair. As Morgan sat on the couch, she couldn’t help thinking that Lia, framed by the large chair, looked something of the evil dictator bent on world domination. She smiled to herself, imagining a fluffy white cat in Lia’s lap.
Lucas went to close the office door behind him, but Lia stopped him. “If you close it all the way, my mom’ll think we’re in here having an orgy.”
Morgan stifled a giggle and Lia raised an eyebrow at her. “Sorry. I just never thought I’d hear you use the word ‘orgy.’”
Lia did not look amused but said nothing. Instead, she began spreading her math book and notes over the desktop. Morgan was unsurprised when she noticed what appeared to be color-coding.
Lucas sat on the couch beside Morgan and set his backpack down at his feet. He turned toward Morgan, the look in his eyes telling her he’d bookmarked where their conversation had left off.
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