Corbin looked at her as if confused by what he was seeing. After a moment, he shook his head. “We can’t trust him. How can you not see that? Morgan—come on.”
She shook her head. “No, you come on. Look, I don’t trust him. But I trust Greg and Ellie and Wen. I think you should cool out a little and—”
“I thought you of all people would understand where I’m coming from, Morgan,” Corbin said, cutting her off. “Guess I was wrong. Look, I can’t talk to you about this right now, okay?” Without waiting for a response, he strode to the door and exited.
Morgan glanced around the room, realizing for the first time that it was empty: Lucas and Lia must have left while she was talking to Corbin. She ran her hands over her hair, gathering it into a pony-tail at the base of her neck. She knew Corbin had never been Kellen’s biggest fan, and she knew he had adequate reason to doubt Kellen’s trustworthiness, but he seemed more worked up than was really necessary. Releasing her hair, she sighed. She would talk to him later, after he had some time to adjust to the situation.
She stood, deciding it was high time to leave the room. The allure of lunch was strong, and she began imagining what she might put together for her meal. So engaged in this mental work was she that she almost collided with Greg at the door’s thresh hold.
“Whoa,” Greg said, putting his hands on her shoulders to steady her. “Just the one I was looking for. Do you have a minute?”
A growl emanated from Morgan’s stomach. “What for? Because I was just about to—”
“I didn’t want to say anything in front of the others,” Greg said, maneuvering Morgan back into the room and closing the door behind him. “There’s a reason why Kellen’s here and not just at any old safe house. He says he’s got lots of details about Orrick’s operation—and it’s very likely that he does, given his position in the organization and his access to Orrick—but he’ll only share on one condition.”
Morgan’s stomach dropped, her appetite with it. “He wants to see me, doesn’t he?”
Greg nodded. “Now, ordinarily, this isn’t something that I’d condone. But, like I was saying before, he’s currently no danger. And I’ll be nearby if you need me—Ellie and Wen, too.”
“Where is he?”
“The library.”
Morgan took in a deep breath and released it slowly.
Greg nodded understandingly. “I’m sorry to have to ask you to do this. It’s just—”
“I know. We need his information.” She pressed her lips together and nodded. “I’ll do it.”
The two of them left the room, Greg following Morgan down the hall and across the living room to the opposite hallway. “I’ll be close, just in case.”
Morgan nodded and closed the distance to the library. She curled her fingers around the doorknob and took in a deep breath before twisting it open. Surveying the room, she located Kellen quickly. He was seated in one of the room’s two chairs, the one that faced the room’s window. She entered the room and closed the door behind her.
“No need to be alarmed. I’m no threat, your keepers have seen to that.”
Morgan finally moved far enough into the room so she could see Kellen fully. “Seriously? Where’s your shirt?”
He looked down, as if surprised to find his chest bare. “Huh, would you look at that.” He looked up at Morgan, a lazy smile gracing his lips. “It’s gotta be the meds. They make me hot.”
She couldn’t disagree. His physical attributes were one of the first things she’d ever noticed about Kellen, and now, bathed in the light that filtered through the windows, his lithe musculature was no less impressive. Biting her lower lip, she pulled her gaze upward to Kellen’s usually keen hazel eyes. “What meds?” she asked, sitting down on the chair adjacent to his.
He waved his hand vaguely. “They’ve got me on a rather large cocktail of some wicked psychoactive drugs.”
“Psychoactive drugs?”
“They cross the blood-brain barrier and can interfere with abilities. The Veneret have studied their effects for years—it’s always handy to be able to shut off a dissenter’s abilities, right? I’m actually a little impressed that the Watchers know how to use them.” He smiled, but it was a little too broad and lazy. “Let’s just say that I’m going to be spending my time from now on in a delightful haze.”
Morgan eyed him warily, unsure how to proceed. After a moment, she decided the direct route would be best. “Greg said you wanted to see me?”
He apprised her carefully before releasing a breathy laugh. “Greg, huh? Tell me, on a scale of one to totally creepy, how weird is it to be living with your old English teachers?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Really? You turned yourself in to the Watchers to satisfy some curiosity about my living arrangements?”
“Okay, fine. That’s not why I’m here.”
“Well, then, why are you here?”
He shrugged, the movement taking more time than was strictly necessary. “Why don’t you tell me, Morgan? Use those amazing the One powers of yours and pull the information from my poor, defenseless mind.” For effect, he jutted out his bottom lip in an exaggerated pout.
She surveyed him, pushing forward with her abilities just enough to determine that he was telling the truth about the medications affecting his own abilities. She supposed that really, since his defenses were nonexistent, she could just delve into his mind to find the answers that would satisfy her curiosity, but she knew somehow that answers derived from that method would not be as fulfilling.
Instead, she sifted through the questions stacked up in her mind. Finally, she asked, “Are you on the level?”
Kellen stared at her, a bemused look on his face. “Which level would that be?”
Morgan sighed. “You know what I mean. What are you really doing here, Kellen? Did Orrick send you?”
He let out a breathy laugh. “You know what? Interestingly enough, you’re the first person to ask me that question since I turned myself in.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but maybe I’m the only one you won’t try to lie to.”
Kellen held his hand out to her. “I assure you, I’m here of my own volition.”
“Why?”
“Why?”
“Yes, Kellen. Why?”
He shrugged. “Isn’t it obvious? I want to help the cause. Team Watcher!”
Morgan narrowed her eyes at him.
He laughed. “What? Don’t tell me—you’re Team Jacob?”
“Kellen.”
“Team Kellen? Even better.” He raised his eyebrows, flashing a characteristic wolfish grin.
She sighed. This conversation was getting her nowhere. She shifted to the edge of her chair, preparing to stand. “Greg said you wanted to see me. You’ve seen me.”
Kellen held out a hand toward her. “No, don’t go.” He scooted to the edge of his own chair, and rested his hand on her forearm.
“Why should I stay?”
His eyes went heavenward for an instant. “Look. You wanted to know why I’m here.”
“Yeah.”
“Well.” He stroked her forearm gently with his fingertips.
She looked down at where their bodies touched, feeling somehow that she needed visual confirmation of what her tactile sense was telling her. When her eyes confirmed what was happening, she slid backward in her chair, out of range of his hands. “Are you kidding me?”
He shrugged, the corners of his mouth upturning in a smirk. “What can I say? There’s something special about you Morgan. I’ve always said that.”
Morgan’s mind flashed back to the night at the Daily Grind when Kellen—along with Wen and Tesin—had first told Morgan about her abilities. Indeed, he had insisted several times that she was special. But that had been because of the Prophecy, because of her special place in Orrick’s plans. Hadn’t it? She shook her head. “You’re messing with me.”
Kellen settled back in his chair looking sullen, as if Morgan had spoiled his
fun. At first he said nothing, and Morgan wondered if she should leave. But then, for just an instant, another look flickered across his face: a brief spasm of disappointment. “I knew you wouldn’t understand.”
Morgan was taken aback. Never had she seen Kellen look so… vulnerable. Not even when Orrick had been draining his energy; then he had been weak, yes—but this was something entirely different. She regarded him carefully, leaning forward to get a better look at his face, allowing her abilities to stretch out, caressing his energy… She shook her head. “No. No way. I can’t trust you.”
At this, Kellen looked exasperated. He threw up his hands. “Morgan, I betrayed him. For you. I wasn’t supposed to come to you in a dream and tell you to wall yourself up so Aurelia couldn’t get to you. I wasn’t supposed to let you go when you thought you were rescuing your mother. When Orrick found out, he almost killed me. Because of you. And it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I left—I left the Veneret, I left Orrick—I left the only life I’ve ever known. For you.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “But no. Still, I can’t be trusted.”
Morgan stared at him. While he’d spoken, she’d been able to feel the emotions coursing through him, and they seemed genuine. She had no idea how to react. “I’m sorry,” she said at length. “It’s just… You’ve always been on his side. From the moment I met you, you were trying to guide me toward Orrick—toward being his puppet so he could… I don’t know—take over the world.”
Kellen shook his head. “He’s not really as bad as you think he is.”
Morgan stared at him incredulously. “He wanted you dead last time I saw the two of you together.”
Kellen shrugged it off. A closed look came over his face, replacing the vulnerability from moments ago. “He had every right to be pissed at me, Morgan. I let you go. I wasn’t supposed to.”
She tilted her head to the side, apprising him. “Why did you, then? You said you did it for me, but… why?”
For a split second, the vulnerability was back on his face. Then he snorted, the corner of his mouth curling to a brief half-smile. “I don’t entirely know. Believe me, that answer didn’t go over too well with Orrick.”
“Clearly.” She shook her head. “I just… How can you still say he’s not that bad?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Oh, that’s crap,” Morgan insisted. “You’re trying to convince me the man who’s causing all this devastation is actually a stand-up guy? On the basis of what? Because everyone around you’s always told you he’s a good guy? I don’t buy it. So far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing good about that man—”
“He saved me,” Kellen said, breaking through Morgan’s tirade.
Morgan stared at him for a moment. “Go on.”
“My parents died, back when I was nine or ten.”
“Nine or ten?” Morgan asked. “Seems like something you’d remember a little more clearly. I can kind of speak from experience there.”
A kind of spasm flashed across Kellen’s face momentarily, then he shook his head. “It was just so sudden—so painful and scary… I guess I blocked out most of it. Looking back, I just remember bits and pieces about life when they were still around.” He offered the briefest of smiles. “I guess I’m not as strong as you, Morgan.” He paused, his eyes losing focus for a moment before he began again. “Orrick… He helped me to move on. He helped me understand that holding on to my parents wasn’t doing me any good.”
“Kellen, that’s—”
“My parents were both working for him, you know? But not, like, high up. Orrick never even met them. But after they died in a car crash, Orrick… He stepped in. I mean, I don’t have any family. And I was a kid, so it wasn’t like I could just take care of myself.”
“So Orrick took you in?”
Kellen chuckled. “Not quite. He found me a Veneret couple to live with. But he kept tabs on me. He checked on me pretty regularly. He gave me a job when I was old enough.”
“So, you’ve been on his payroll since you were, what? Sixteen?”
“Thirteen.”
Not sure how to respond to this information, Morgan said nothing.
“He taught me, Morgan. He showed me simple things, like how to tie a tie and balance a checkbook. He even taught me how to drive.” He smiled at the memory. “It’s crazy, right? Someone as busy and important as Orrick making time in his schedule to take me out to practice driving? But he did it. And he never complained about it. He never… Even when I took a corner too sharp and bent the rim on his Porsche. He just laughed and ruffled my hair. Ruffled it! Like…” He placed his hand on his head and mussed his hair, a lazy smile spreading across his face. “Can you imagine?”
Morgan indeed attempted to conjure this image in her mind but could not.
“He was like a father to me. In so many ways, he was just like a father.”
“Except the whole trying-to-have-me-kill-you thing,” Morgan noted.
Kellen just shook his head. “You don’t understand. I failed him. He was doing what he thought was right.” He offered a small smile. “Come on, you can’t tell me you’ve never heard of cultures that have extreme consequences for someone who shames the family. This was kinda the same thing.”
“I guess after that, you had to leave. I mean, how do you stay working for a guy who wants you dead?”
“It’s just…” Kellen seemed to compose his thoughts for a moment. “I never had a reason to question him before. I know you see this evil guy, but, honestly, I never saw him that way. It wasn’t until… It wasn’t until he was threatening you. And now, if I’ve gotta choose a side, I’m standing with you.”
Morgan just stared at him, unsure how to respond. Thank you didn’t seem appropriate, but it was the only thing that came to mind. Kellen didn’t seem bothered by the silence. He picked up a book from the table beside him and opened it to a dog-eared page and began reading. Deciding this effectively ended their conversation, Morgan stood and started for the door. As her hand touched the handle, Kellen spoke.
“You know you’ll have to kill him, right?”
Startled, Morgan turned to look at him.
He glanced up from the book and met her eyes. “That’s the only way to beat him. You’ll have to kill him.”
Chapter Eight
Morgan spent the rest of the afternoon trying to forget her conversation with Kellen. After dinner, she, Joss, and Lucas lounged in Lucas’s bedroom playing increasingly intense games of Connect Four. Joss insisted that playing abilities-only would help sharpen their Moving skills, but Morgan soon realized that it was merely an excuse to pelt checkers at each other when a move was blocked.
During a particularly heated round between Lucas and Joss, there was a tentative knock at the door. When it opened to reveal Lia, Morgan felt the smile on her face slip. Since Thanksgiving, Lia spent most of her free time in her bedroom. Though Morgan and Joss had attempted to draw her out several times, she had firmly refused. Still, Morgan felt a stab of guilt for having fun when Lia was clearly so unhappy.
“Um, Ellie said for me to come get you guys. They’ve made a decision about Kellen.”
Morgan exchanged glances with Joss and Lucas before standing and heading out into the hallway.
Lia lingered by the door. “Morgan, maybe you should tell Corbin. He… I told him, but he hasn’t come out yet.”
Morgan’s stomach knotted. She attempted to talk to Corbin after her meeting with Kellen, but he had been brusque and clearly not in the mood for conversation. She had hoped that a few hours alone would cool him down, but it appeared that hadn’t happened.
Joss touched Morgan’s elbow. “I’ll go too, if you want.”
Morgan nodded and the two started across the hall.
Lucas offered a nod of encouragement before walking with Lia toward the common area.
After a warning knock, Morgan entered Corbin’s room without waiting for permission. Joss followed in close at her heels. Corbin sat on his
bed, guitar resting on his lap. His left hand held the neck of the instrument, but his right dangled limply over the strings.
Joss pushed past Morgan and stood in front of Corbin’s unfocused eyes. “Hey, Ellie wants us.”
Corbin’s gaze fixed on her but he didn’t move. “I’m not going. I already know what they’re gonna say.”
Morgan forced a smile. “Come on, you can’t know.”
The look Corbin wore was unamused. “Psychic, remember?”
Joss gasped in mock surprise. “We’re psychic?”
“Look,” Morgan said, eyes fixed on Corbin’s face. “If Kellen’s really defected and he’s got useful information, it makes sense if they’ve decided to give him asylum.”
Corbin snorted. “If.” He studied Morgan’s face. “You think he has, don’t you?”
Morgan sighed, closing her eyes briefly before looking at Corbin again, steeling herself for his reaction. “I talked to him earlier. Greg said that’s why they brought him here—because he wouldn’t give them anything unless he got to talk to me—”
“Of course that’s his condition. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s tried to manipulate you, Morgan.”
She crossed her arms. “You think I don’t know that?”
“Clearly.”
Joss cleared her throat. “We should really head out there.”
Morgan nodded and followed her cousin out. She didn’t look back, but she Felt Corbin follow at a distance. When he got to the end of the hallway, he stopped, not following Morgan and Joss to the couches.
By the time Morgan and Joss sat, everyone else was already in the room, including Kellen—who had donned an unbuttoned shirt for the occasion. Greg, who was seated on the arm of a couch, addressed the room. “We’ve heard what Kellen has to offer us, and we’ve been in communication with other Watcher leaders. We’ve decided that we will be granting Kellen asylum. And, in the interest of simplicity and security, we’ve decided that he’ll be staying here, with us, at the cabin.”
“Where?” Joss blurted. “All the rooms are already being used.”
The Naturals Trilogy Page 47