“Okay.” I tried to shrug off Colleen’s stupid comments, pretend they didn’t sting. “This better be good,” I whispered to Shanda.
“You’re telling me.” Her three-inch sandals clicked against the metal treads as she clacked up the spiral steps at a steady pace, like the dizzying contraption didn’t faze her one bit.
I gripped the sleek wrought-iron railing until my knuckles went white. Under my feet, the steps groaned and squeaked like an out-of-control carnival ride. Butterflies on caffeine flocked to my stomach. So I focused on Shanda’s concert t-shirt. Phoenix, Denver, Shreveport. The name of each city numbed my swirling brain all the way up. At the top, my feet landed on a solid hardwood floor and practically squealed their thanks.
Somehow the white-domed meeting room felt airy and dark all at the same time. Moonlight slanted in from a giant panel propped open for the telescope. “What kind of club meets in an observatory?”
“The really cool kind, obviously.” My brand-new friend pulled me over to a cluster of folding chairs.
“Obviously.” My bare knees wobbled as I plunked down in the cold metal chair. Maybe jean shorts weren’t the best idea for a nighttime meeting in an observatory tower. But it was August in New York.
Dean Frederickson sat in the back row with a notepad on her lap, looking out of place in her wool skirt in the middle of a bunch of teenagers and folding chairs. If the dean was the supervisor of this group, I was in the right place.
The Nexis Guy from orientation stood at the center of the room. That so-messy-it’s-cool sandy hair and those gunmetal gray eyes flashed at me like they had this afternoon. My pulse quickened. No, that couldn’t be the guy Mom picked out for me.
“Welcome to the Nexis Society induction meeting. I’m Will Stanton, club president for the Montrose chapter.”
Polite applause erupted, but I just sank deeper into the chair. Of course the Stanton boy was the current Nexis president, just like my brother was three years ago. Before he disappeared.
Suddenly, the entire room faded into darkness and all the light from the moon refocused around Will’s golden head like a spotlight. When I blinked, I saw my brother’s face. Then I blinked again, and James vanished. My stomach roiled as I curled my fingers under the cool metal seat until the room stilled back to normal. What in the world just happened? What did this guy have to do with James? Maybe this was just my second-born powers trying to tell me something. I needed to talk to Will after the meeting.
“We’re an elite secret society of gifted students. All of our graduating members have been able to attend the Ivy League college of their choice and gone on to exclusive jobs in the upper echelons of society. That’s because we only recruit the best of the best. We have invited each of you because of your academic or family status. Most of our new recruits are freshmen, but a few transfer students made the cut.” The cleft in his chin waved at me as he looked around the room. “If you decide to join, you’ll meet the rest of the Nexis members during initiation.”
His lips were still moving, but I lost myself in those eyes. “In the outside world, the Nexis Society is committed to serving the community at large. But behind-the-scenes, Nexis has a more long term view of bringing peace to the world. And eventually, Utopia.”
I quirked my head at him. Did I hear that right? Will’s eyes sparked silver in my direction, but he just kept talking like his last sentence wasn’t completely weird. Maybe Nexis was stranger than I thought. But if they really wanted to create a Utopian society, why would my mom join up? Something didn’t add up.
Questions buzzed in my brain, but Will’s velvety voice lulled my objections into silence, until the patter of clapping jolted me back to reality.
How had I missed the whole speech? Wow, I must be losing it. I needed to pull it together and focus on my mission.
“You got it bad.” A cackle escaped Shanda’s throat as the applause died down.
“Do not.” But I couldn’t help stalking Will with my eyes across the room as the Barbies circled. Then I caught Shanda’s staring at me like she could read my mind. “Why, is it obvious?”
She snorted, but didn’t say a word as she glided like a swan to the enormous telescope. I followed close on her heels. Anything to escape the strange feelings flocking in my stomach over some guy I didn’t even know. Still, I watched the guy as he talked to a trio of blonde girls. I resisted the urge to growl.
“Down girl. Let’s just wait until the herd thins out.” Shanda’s lips quirked as her fingers slid down the white cylinder, caressing the eye piece. “Come, look at this.” She gazed up at the night sky, then moved the scope with a swift flick of her wrist.
“Thanks for that.” I pressed the viewfinder against my eye socket. Three bright dots formed a glowing triangle. “Pretty. What stars are they?”
“I got your back, girl.” She counted it out on three fingers. “One star, two planets. Saturn and Mars with a star called Spica. I’m calling this formation the August trifecta. They’ll be in different orbits by next week when September comes. Enjoy it while you can.”
“We aren’t talking about stars here, are we?” I tilted my head, studying her black profile outlined by moonlight.
“We both know this isn’t a social club. All three societies have an agenda and this one is no exception.” Her almond eyes flashed as she stepped away from the telescope. “Don’t get your hopes up about these guys. You’ve got to have family ties or the right bloodlines to get accepted with this crowd.” She lowered her voice a notch. “And I don’t think they’re just trying to get into Ivy League schools.”
“Don’t tell that to the outside world.” I stifled a laugh, biting my lip to hold back the truth. If she didn’t know I was from the bloodline of the Seer who was I to burst her bubble? I knew as well as anybody that the societies wanted to use me for my gifts, or to find my brother, or worse. It was the whole reason I was here tonight, at this school even. I was going on the offensive.
“My parents insist we have some inside family connection. If I joined Nexis, they’d do a backflip.” I shuffled toward the open slat in the dome to check out the night. So many stars dimpled the sky. They always made me feel small, but also kind of important. Like I might be on this planet to do something really cool with my gifts. “You have nothing to worry about. Your dad’s connected, right? Or else you wouldn’t be here.”
“Yeah, but I don’t really want a lifestyle of politics, secret missions, and intrigue.” Her voice wavered as she turned back to the telescope and fiddled with the silver knobs on the side. “I’m only here because my dad told me not to join Nexis.”
“Ha! You’re a little rebel. Someone knew what they were doing when they paired us as roommates.” I nudged my shoulder into hers. “Maybe that’s why Nexis needs people like you. To shake them up.”
“Good one.” Her lips curved into the tiniest smile and her face lit up in the moonlight. “Maybe we’re more alike than I thought.”
Will made his way toward us in the dwindling crowd with a muscle-clad blonde guy in tow. “Hey, Lucy.” He said my name. The room wobbled like the rickety staircase all over again.
“How’d you know my name?” My voice came out froggy. How embarrassing.
“We met at your brother’s graduation a few years ago, remember?” His lips curled into a crescent, a slight dimple in his tan cheek. As he stepped closer, I caught a whiff of cinnamon mints on his breath. “James was my mentor freshman year. You remind me of him, except you’re much cuter.”
Petals of heat crept up my neck, my cheeks. The darkness became my new best friend. I could stare at this guy all day, especially with the way he studied me like he was actually interested.
“You got a second? There’s something I want to show you.” His shining eyes made me wonder if I could ever be ready for what he offered. “Wait here. Be right back.”
With a mind of their own, my eyes trailed him as the mysterious Stanton boy disappeared back into the shadows.
“I’m Kevin.” Will’s friend fluffed up his bleach-blond spikes and offered his hand to Shanda. “Where are you from?”
She shook his hand and angled toward him. “I’m Shanda and I’m from the city.”
He crossed his biceps over his chest. “How cool. I’m from L.A.”
“Makes sense.” She gave him a once over, then moved to the scope. “Let’s test the range on this baby. Wanna see Saturn’s rings?” Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced back at me, then motioned Kevin over to distract him.
“Sweet.” He followed her lead and bent over the eyepiece, clueless as a lost puppy.
She really had my back. Smiling to myself, I inched as close to the open slat as I dared and sat down, dangling my feet over the side. The moon bathed me in her silvery light. As the glow washed over me, the sky looked surprisingly normal. Almost like it did back home. What would my family be doing this Saturday night? My little sister Paige was probably still out with her middle school friends, while Mom and Dad attended some high-society charity function.
A chiseled form plopped down right next to me, legs dangling dangerously close. Making my heart race again.
“Check this out.” Will’s deep voice sent a shiver down my neck.
I jerked at the sound.
With firm hands, he steadied my shoulders. “Careful now.” He crossed his legs over the edge. Between us he opened a leather book with a symbol on it, an embossed circle of raised lines, like flames around a cross. “This is the history of our little group.”
“Little?” I scoffed, turning to look at him. “Doesn’t the Nexis Society have chapters all over the world?”
“You’re right.” His lips quirked as his eyes drank me in. “This book is just for the Montrose chapter.”
“Oh, I see.” I watched him turn the thick parchment pages, filled with strange words. “Is that Latin?”
“Very good.” He flipped the pages, quicker and quicker each time, like he was looking for something. Finally, he paused on a picture of a woman with a halo around her face. Her eyes were dark and shadowed. “This is the Nexis history on the Seer.”
My pulse pounded in my ear at his casual mention of the Seer. I leaned in to get a closer look at the illustration on the page. There were three jewels above the haloed woman—a sapphire, an amethyst, and a ruby. A shiver ran down my spine. Were the gemstones glowing? I blinked and rubbed my eyes. The amethyst was about the same color as the amethysts on the ring my dad gave me as a graduation present. I fiddled with the ring on my left hand.
When I glanced up, Will was staring at me, his platinum eyes shining in the moonlight. Had he been watching me the whole time? Creepy. “Isn’t it cool? This book is all about the founding tenets of our group.” But he wasn’t looking at the book anymore. His gaze flew to the ring on my finger.
I kicked the side of the tower. Folding my hands into my lap, I covered my ring finger with my right hand and shifted my focus back to the book. “The girl with the halo. She’s a saint, right? Is she the founder of Nexis?”
He cocked his head to the side and gave me a strange look. “You’re next in line to be the Seer. Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of St. Lucia, the first Seer.”
“Excuse me, did you just say what I think you said?” All the air seeped from my lungs. Coughing and sputtering, I gaped at him. “I’m not next in line. I’m not even the firstborn. You’ve met my brother.” The entire room felt like it was spinning around me and I couldn’t catch my breath. What was this guy talking about?
“Oh, no. Lucy, I thought you knew…” His eyes went wide as voice trailed off. Then he took both my hands in his. “I can’t believe your family never told you. Since your mom is a high-ranking Nexis officer, I assumed she got permission to tell you the truth.”
Fire burned in my gut as I leveled my gaze at him. “Tell me what?”
He shook his head, palms sweaty. “Maybe you should just ask your parents. I don’t know think this news should come from someone you barely know.”
“Just tell me.” I gritted my teeth together, bracing for impact.
“Okay, if you insist.” His voice, his words transcended my inner chaos. “After he graduated, Nexis discovered James wasn’t the firstborn in your father’s line. Lucy, he’s your half-brother.”
“What?” My stomach clenched into a thousand knots I could never untie. I’d spent my whole life training in firstborn bloodline powers with James and my younger sister, Paige. Dad trained James to be the Seer. It didn’t make any sense. “How could you know that?”
A pained looked crossed Will’s face, and he squeezed my hands. “A ceremony was scheduled to help James harness his Seer powers. But the Nexis Council found an updated birth certificate he’d given to the school for his senior trip. It listed another man as his father. They banished him from Nexis.”
“No.” The barest of whispers left my mouth as one thought played on repeat in my head. No way my mom had an affair. How could she keep it a secret this long? “It can’t be true. You’re wrong.”
“I’m sorry. This is not how I wanted this conversation to go.” Wriggling one hand free, dug his fingers into his short scruff of golden-brown hair. “Just look at the book. And use your gifts.”
“Okaaay…” I let my eyes wander from his face back to the book. The saint’s picture seared into my brain, as if I’d seen her before. My heart pounded a new rhythm as I watched the illustration come alive on the page. The blue, purple, and red gemstones swirled above St. Lucia’s head. Then her eyes hollowed out, sinking several inches into the parchment. You are the Seer, she whispered from the page.
My heart jumped and my spine tingled. This couldn’t be happening. I tore my gaze from St. Lucia’s hollow eyes to stare up at the moon, inhaling a much-needed breath. I couldn’t take this anymore. I had to get out of here.
“Why don’t you let me take this book home and see for myself?” Reaching for the book, I rose to my feet.
Will stood just as quick and hoisted it over his head. “Not until you’re a Nexis member. If you join us, then we can help you realize your potential.”
“No way. If what you said is true, why would I join a group that banished my brother?” Dimples here wasn’t gonna keep me from my finding my brother, full or half or whatever. He was still my brother.
I jumped for the book, my fingertips grazing the brass emblem. Butterflies dive-bombed the pit of my stomach as the bottom dropped out.
In a split-second, the observatory disappeared, and I was transported to a black field.
Flaming torches popped up all around me. I stood in the middle of a circle, six cloaked figures in black surrounding me. Some men, some women, all with angry eyes that glared fireballs at me.
James emerged next to me. Pillars of torchlight formed a semi-circle around my brother, his face contorted with fear.
I reached for his arm, but my hand went right through him like I wasn’t really there. Or he wasn’t. This was getting weird now. Flames cast tendrils of shadow on each hooded face in the circle, the shadows clawing at James.
Cynical laughter rippled around the fire-circle. “You’re crazy.”
“You’ve been corrupted.” A screech cut across the sphere.
“For your crimes, you are banished.” The hiss was right next to me.
“Banished.” The word echoed five times, each figure nodding in agreement.
James crumpled to the ground at his pronouncement. A choked scream escaped my throat, but only silence came out. Two guys grabbed him by the shoulders and hauled his wriggling body out of the ring of fire. He reached for me.
I stretched out my hand to him. “James!” My voice was mute. I could only watch as two robed figures dragged him out of the circle of firelight.
Then the ground buckled under my feet. Green grass morphed into charcoal hardwood again.
The toe of my silver flat caught a nail in the floor. I lost my balance and teetered toward the edge of the platform.
Will’s mu
scular arm encircled my waist, pulling me toward him. Away from the tower’s ledge. The smell of him so close, with that cinnamon spice, made my heart lodge itself somewhere in my throat.
Bang! The book thudded on the floor.
I flinched, and his other arm wrapped around my back.
“Are you okay?” His gray eyes sliced open the shadows as he held me in his arms.
The butterflies soared straight to my chest and clogged my lungs. My lungs heaved, but I couldn’t nod my head, I couldn’t blink. I was frozen like a statue, the expression on my brother’s face still stamped in my mind. Banished. Whatever that meant, I knew I didn’t want to follow in my brother’s footsteps.
Will’s hand slid from my waist, the other still steadying my back. “You’re fine. I’ve got you.”
“Thanks.” Each breath brought more oxygen, more clarity. “I’m so glad you caught me.”
“Me, too.” His eyes softened around the edges. “I kinda want to keep you around.”
I smoothed my hair down, my fingers bumping along the edge of my scar. It kicked off a drumbeat in my brain. Could I have some lingering head damage from the accident six months ago? Or was I really the Seer? I had to take control of this situation.
“If you won’t give me the book, I think I better leave.” I backed up, an odd feeling settling in my stomach.
Even though we had different fathers, James was still my brother. There was no “half” about it. I had to figure this out. Why would my mom want me to join this group if they banished my brother?
Not to mention I didn’t want to be the Seer. This Nexis guy couldn’t be right.
“Listen, come to the initiation next month. We can look at the book then.” Will’s eyebrows scrunched up like an upside-down V as he helped me to the stairs. “You sure you’re okay? I hope I didn’t scare you off.”
“I’m fine.” My head bobbed, which made the pounding worse. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
“Good. You’ve got a legitimate shot if you want to join Nexis.” His lips lifted into a ghost of a smile. “We’re holding an information session in the library next week if you’re interested.”
Montrose Paranormal Academy, Book 1: The Nexis Secret: A Young Adult Urban Fantasy Academy Novel Page 3