by K. K. Perez
“Even if I wanted to, my parents would never let me leave the country or take time off before college.”
“You’re eighteen, Lucy. An adult. You can make your own decisions.”
Her parents’ distraught faces wavered behind her eyes.
“I can’t. I’ve upset them enough already. And I can’t explain what I am to them without putting them in danger from the Order of Sophia, right?”
Ravi’s eyes darkened a shade. “Come sit with me.” He extended a hand and she allowed him to lead her to the boulders where he’d first demonstrated how to build a shield. Lucy’s gaze tripped along the ripples on the surface of Lake Windermere.
They sat in silence for a few moments, listening to the wind stir the water below. He kept her hand tucked in his, absently tracing the bandage he’d tied.
Slanting his gaze to hers, Ravi said, “Tell me again why you chose Gilbert College.”
Not a question she’d anticipated. “It was where my parents met. And they have a terrific physics department. It just made sense.” Gah. Lucy had become a parrot. “It was their dream,” she admitted.
“Not yours?” Ravi squeezed her hand. “Lucy,” he began with his battlefield calm, “Gilbert College is a Sophist institution.”
She almost swallowed her tongue. “Excuse me?”
“This all started with the photo in your father’s office. You’ve been looking for a complicated answer but the truth has been staring you in the face.”
“What are you saying?” Lucy tried to pull her hand away, but Ravi wouldn’t relinquish his hold.
“Your father works for the Sapientia Group. What does sapientia mean in Latin?”
“Wisdom,” Lucy choked out. From the Greek sophia. “But that doesn’t make any sense. The photo was sent to my dad’s company, which means they didn’t know about me.”
Ravi frowned. “You never told me that.” There was a hint of regret in his voice.
Dammit. “And I wasn’t going to—not after what I’ve seen the Initiates can do.” She should have made the photo disappear. “I’m not involving my parents in this.”
“But they are involved, let’s look at the facts.” A slight snarl infused his reply. “Your mother is a classics scholar. Not many homeschooled students are taught to be fluent in both Latin and Greek these days.”
“She translates ancient poetry!”
He canted his head. “Is that all she does?”
The Pharmakon of Kleopatra. The secret to the philosopher’s stone. Fools’ gold, her mom had called it. But what if it wasn’t? If Professor T was right, then Lucy was the philosopher’s stone. Could the Pharmakon contain the key to understanding her condition? Or controlling her? Her palms grew sweaty.
“Your middle name—Minerva,” Ravi forged ahead. “Who is she?”
Of course he knew Lucy’s embarrassing middle name. Another Roman goddess. The goddess of … “Wisdom,” Lucy said, voice shaking. “She’s the goddess of wisdom. The Roman version of Sophia.”
The horizon smeared.
“My parents are not Sophists, Ravi. They may be mad at me right now, but they’ve always loved me.”
“Is it so impossible?” Ravi said gently.
“Of course it is! The Sophists shot at me the other night. My parents would never hurt me.”
“They shot at the Freelancers after they raided one of their safe houses.”
Lucy stared at him, disbelieving. “You’re defending them?”
“Not at all.” A muscle in his neck flickered. “I’m simply saying that you might not have been their target—that night.”
“The Sophists are murderers, Ravi. My parents are good people. Overprotective, yes. But not killers.”
“Haven’t you ever wondered why you were homeschooled? Why they wouldn’t let you enter any science fairs? Or apply to the best universities in the country?” he said, each question becoming more pointed. “You’re too brilliant to be hidden away.”
“Because of my condition. Because they want to keep me safe.”
“No.” The word was solid as a rock. “Because they didn’t want us to know you existed. They didn’t want us to find you.”
“Find me?” Lucy croaked.
“Lucinda,” he said, and traced the line of her jaw. “Your parents stole you from the Order of Archimedes. We’ve been searching for you for years.”
Adrenaline made each one of her muscles spasm.
“Why would they steal me? They didn’t know about my mutation—they still don’t! You’re not listening, Ravi. The photo was sent to my father’s company. If my parents had kidnapped me, they would have already known!”
Launching to her feet, Lucy ripped her hand from his. “I can accept that I’m some kind of mutant, but not that my parents are kidnappers, Ravi. Kidnappers!” She backed farther away from him. “If you’ve known this whole time—why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“We had to be sure.”
“And how are you sure now?” she charged, very close to hyperventilating.
“I performed a DNA test.”
“With what?”
His cheeks colored. “The bloody clothes you left at my apartment.”
“You’re unbelievable, Ravi!” Lucy shouted. “Absolutely unbelievable! And I am so stupid. I was actually starting to trust you again!”
“I told you that you wouldn’t like some of what I had to say, Lucinda. But it’s the truth.” Ravi smoothed his face into a mask of calm. “The Order of Archimedes will never force your hand. However, I urge you to perform your own DNA test.” He paused, inhaled quickly. “I will stay in town until graduation and wait for your decision. A good scientist should want to have all the facts.”
“You’re wrong,” Lucy said as her knees trembled. “You’re dead wrong, and I’m going to prove it.”
A crack appeared in his façade. “Lucinda,” Ravi said in a way that tempted her to remain exactly where she was.
“Stay away from me, Ravi. And my family.”
She ran. Lucy ran down the hill, lungs burning, because it would also be a challenge for her to stay away from him. But she didn’t have a choice. Her parents came first.
She would protect her family no matter what it cost.
DNA-4-U
As Lucy biked past the Gallery, her heart spiraled into a nosedive. The café was now off-limits. Claudia had effectively dodged Lucy in the exam hall yesterday after the physics retake, and Lucy was trying to respect her friend’s boundaries.
Even if staying away stretched every fiber of Lucy’s being like she was on a rack. Especially now. Claudia was the one person she could trust with Ravi’s suspicions about her parents, but she didn’t deserve her trust anymore.
All things considered, Lucy would prefer the medieval torture instrument.
Time to focus. Her gaze dropped to the package in her bicycle basket, concealed in a discreet brown paper bag, and pumped the pedals until her thighs burned. Who knew that peace of mind could be purchased for the low price of $39.99? Or so claimed the paternity-test kit she’d bought with her leftover birthday money.
The unassuming-looking contents of her basket had the potential to change everything. How dare Ravi accuse her parents of belonging to the Order of Sophia? Of not even being her parents?
Two geeky academics hardly fit the bill for America’s Most Wanted.
If Lucy couldn’t prove to the Archimedeans that Victor and Elaine Phelps were—without a shadow of a doubt—her parents, what would the Archimedeans do?
A light breeze stuck to the sheen of sweat covering her face. It did nothing to refresh her. In. Out. Lucy concentrated on her breathing to avoid any green flames sprouting from the handlebars. Her diaphragm tightened in response to her electromagnetic field supersizing itself with anticipation. If only she could shield herself from her own emotions.
Lucy swept the street with her eyes as her driveway came into view. No sign of the Initiates. Of course, they wouldn’t be very good spies if she c
ould spot them. No sign of her parents, either. Both of their cars were gone.
She slammed on the brakes and walked Marie Curie toward the garage. Inside was cool and dark. Only a few birdcalls punctuated the quiet. She drew in a heavy breath and removed the paternity kit, paper bag rustling like autumn leaves underfoot. She read the instruction leaflet three times as the magnitude of what she was about to do hit her again.
Easy as X,Y, Z! the manual proclaimed. Yeah, not so much.
Okay. Time to prove Ravi wrong.
Lucy didn’t doubt her parents, she didn’t, but climbing the stairs two at a time toward their bedroom, a chill worked its way down her body. Despite being alone, she crept along the carpeted landing. Schrödinger gave her a wide berth as static crackled at her feet. Damn Ravi for turning Lucy into a spy in her own home.
Her fingers cramped around the plastic vials into which she would be collecting the samples. Buccal swabs provided the most complete DNA profile, but it wasn’t as if Lucy could ask her parents to sit still for a Q-tip to the cheek. She could venture a guess at how that conversation would go. Toothbrushes were the next best thing.
Tiptoeing toward her parents’ en-suite bathroom, Lucy took note of the knickknacks and framed photos that littered her father’s dresser and her mother’s vanity. A lopsided pottery dish Lucy had made for her mom years ago now contained spare buttons and safety pins. Next to it, between the cluster of perfume bottles, sat a photo of Lucy and her mom by a waterfall. Must have been from one of their camping trips. Her mother was hugging her, a protective look in her eyes.
Her dad had a photo of Lucy in a white lab coat and goggles as well as her junior class photo on his dresser. Everyone else at Eaton High had dreaded photo day, but Lucy couldn’t stop grinning, and it showed. She’d been elated to take part in a genuine high school class photo and had ordered enough copies to wallpaper the attic.
Beside the photo sat a crystal paperweight. Lucy tapped her lips as she glimpsed the inscription: Dr. Victor Phelps, 10 Years of Service, The Sapientia Group.
Lucy remembered the awards dinner had been right around the time she’d started at Eaton High. Which meant, if she was doing the math correctly, her dad would have started working at the Sapientia Group after the photo was taken of Lucy. But that wasn’t necessarily significant; it was circumstantial evidence at best.
If her parents were stone-cold kidnappers, would they have been so invested in her, taken such good care of her for eighteen years? No, they would not. Ravi was too blinded by losing his own family to see this issue clearly.
Entering the bathroom, Lucy snatched her father’s toothbrush, which had been casually strewn next to the tap. Her mother’s was neatly placed in a brass-colored holder on her side of the sink.
Lucy would prove Ravi wrong and she would protect her parents from the Orders, the Freelancers—even herself if need be.
She uncapped the first vial with a deliberate motion. Attached to the inside of the stopper was a thin piece of plastic that resembled an elongated cotton bud. Keeping her hand steady, she skimmed the tool over the bristles of her father’s toothbrush, then resealed it, ensuring it was airtight. She repeated the procedure on her mother’s with clinical exactness.
Only science had no hidden agenda.
Lucy unscrewed the third vial and opened her mouth. The swab tickled the inside of her cheek. All that was left to do now was mail the samples, create an online account with DNA-4-U, and wait to be vindicated.
THE GRADUATE
Eleven days.
Eleven days with no answers.
Lucy’s classmates had filled the countdown to graduation with endless parties and sailing trips on Lake Windermere, or so she’d ascertained from the few pity invites emailed to the entire senior class. It didn’t matter that she was still grounded, she wouldn’t have attended anyway.
If Cate and Stew had managed to convince Claudia to come along, Lucy didn’t want to be there to spoil her fun. She had ruined her best friend’s senior year more than enough for one lifetime. Maybe, just maybe, after a summer away from her in Chicago, Claudia might be ready to talk. A long shot, but it was all Lucy had.
Her gaze drifted to the top of her dresser. The tourmaline necklace rested next to her phone. She willed an email to arrive from DNA-4-U confirming what Lucy knew to be true: she was the daughter of Drs. Victor and Elaine Phelps, lightning gene and all.
Zilch.
On-demand answers from the universe wasn’t one of her superpowers.
With a sigh, Lucy fastened the tourmaline around her neck. A true touchstone. Given to her by Ravi and fashioned by Claudia, the necklace had a complex history but it grounded her—and not just her oscillations. She would need as much help as possible today. Besides Claudia, Ravi would be at the graduation ceremony and he would be expecting a decision.
Sometimes, joining the Archimedeans seemed like the only rational choice. They knew what she was and she didn’t frighten them. Professor T seemed convinced she was the key to research that could help lots of people—as well as prolong her own life. Lucy tried not to think too much about the fact that her heart had stopped for thirty seconds. What secret to the lightning gene had Tesla unlocked that the Archimedeans had been unable to reproduce?
But going with Ravi and Professor T would mean abandoning her parents. And they might never get over it. Staying out all night was one thing. Not showing up for freshman orientation was quite another.
A knock startled Lucy from her thoughts and she whirled around.
“I can’t believe it. My daughter, the graduate.”
“Mom,” she muttered, embarrassed, cheeks warming.
“Can’t I be proud of my little girl?” Laughing softly, her mother strolled toward Lucy with her effortless grace. “Not so little, I know.”
“Proud?” The question became a peep.
“Oh, honey. Of course I’m proud. So is your father.” She stroked the tiny scar above Lucy’s eyebrow from the stapler incident, and Lucy inhaled the faint aroma of smoke. It was pretty early in the day for her mom’s one cigarette. Could she be stressed about graduation too?
Lucy fingered the tourmaline.
“You scared us to death on prom night,” continued her mom, “but that doesn’t negate everything you’ve accomplished.”
“Tell that to Dad.”
“Your father is all bark, no bite. Trust me, he adores you. I think what he finally realized is that you’re not three years old anymore and that he can’t protect you from everything—although he tries.”
Lucy’s breath caught for a moment. Her mother had never spoken so frankly to her about her dad before. “I don’t need him to protect me,” she forced out, almost reflexively.
“I know it’s time for you to stand on your own two feet.” Her mom cupped her cheek. “Just give your father some time to catch up. We’re both going to miss having you at home.”
Lucy’s heart was in a tangle. “I’m not going anywhere for a couple months,” she said, knowing it might not be true.
Sadness glinted in her mother’s eyes so quickly that Lucy nearly missed it.
“I wanted to give you your graduation present early.” She reached into the pocket of her cashmere cardigan. “I thought maybe you could wear them to the commencement ceremony?” Lucy’s eyes widened, throat growing dry. “I’ve noticed you haven’t gone anywhere without the necklace Claudia made you,” her mom said, glancing at the stone. “When I saw these, I thought they’d match perfectly.”
Her mom held out two tourmaline bracelets, like garlands of night. Lucy accepted them with a dagger-sharp breath. She reached out for her mother’s energy as their fingers brushed but there was nothing. If only Lucy had an equally iron grip on her emotions.
“Do you like them?”
An expectant gaze drilled into her. The bracelets were exquisite. Cool. Smooth. Thick bangles an inch wide that sat heavily in her palm. Their potential meaning weighed even more heavily.
“Where di
d you find them?” Lucy rasped.
“I can’t reveal all my secrets,” she said. “I wanted to get you something special for this special day.”
Lucy slipped them on either wrist and painted on a smile.
“They’re beautiful. I love them.” And the more grounded Lucy was today, the better.
“That makes me very happy, honey. Your father will be too. He had to go out early to run a few errands but he’ll be at the ceremony.” Her mom dropped her gaze to check her watch so she didn’t notice the way Lucy’s face fell. Her dad was still avoiding her. “Lucy, you should get going. Don’t you need to pick up your cap and gown?”
Lucy tipped her gaze at her phone and her heart tumbled.
9:35 A.M. She would be late to her own high school graduation if she didn’t leave soon—but that wasn’t why Lucy couldn’t speak. There was an email notification.
From DNA-4-U.
She snatched the phone from the dresser and pressed the screen to her chest before her mom could see.
“You’re right.” Her smile trembled at the corners. “I’d better jet.”
She took two steps and her mom stopped her with an uncharacteristically tight hug. Lucy detected the scent of peppermint beneath the smoke. The embrace was warm and it didn’t take a sixth sense to know the affection was real. Lucy squeezed the phone harder against her heart and guilt twisted like a knife. It was her secrets, her lies that threatened to tear her family apart.
“You’ll always be my little girl.” Her mom breathed against Lucy’s temple. “Don’t forget.”
“I won’t.”
Her mom planted a swift kiss on her cheek. “See you at the school.” As she exited, she enthused, “Break a leg!”
Nodding, Lucy cast her eyes to the floor. She didn’t want her mother to see the tears threatening to spill over.
After she’d gone, Lucy spun around to look at herself once more in the mirror. On the outside, in her cheerful royal blue dress, she looked like any other American teenager on her way to her high school graduation. If her mom knew Lucy had almost killed someone and pulled off a heist with mercenaries, she’d never think of her as her little girl again.