“Whoa, I’m dizzy.” Kensei held his head. “Will I always get so dizzy after using my power?”
“There are side effects to your powers.” Mazu knelt down and rubbed Kensei’s back. “Some Æons have figured out how to prevent them, or at least have learned to live with them.”
Jenny thought about her own elusive power. Was it that she could see Astrea, or was there more to it? “Where do these powers come from?”
“That’s a good question. It’s my belief that humans have always had them. Throughout history, there have been people with rare abilities, like the Irish druids, Mapuche sorcerers, Greek prophets, Siberian shamans, and European witches. But as civilization grew, so did fear of pagan beliefs. These early Æons were labeled as heretics, or mentally insane.”
Jenny nodded in understanding. The pressure of fitting into the modern world was overwhelming. So much so that, at one time, being called crazy had seemed the easy way out. At some other time and place, Jenny would surely have been labeled a witch. Instead, she had been diagnosed with a mental disorder. To Cabin, however, she was gifted.
The door opened, and Adriana strolled inside. “Here you are.” She approached Jenny. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“What do you mean?”
“I heard about your bet with Sadi.”
“It’s harmless.” Jenny shrugged.
Mazu raised her eyebrows.
“Nothing is harmless to her.” Adriana looked Jenny hard in the eyes. “The whole ship believes she’s going to kill you, and she just might if you give her a chance.”
“You made a bet with Sadi?” Kensei asked as he rolled his head.
Adriana looked down at Kensei. “What’s wrong with him?”
“Side effect of his power.” Mazu stopped rubbing Kensei’s back and stood up. “But he’ll be alright.”
“Ah.” Adriana nodded knowingly.
“Adriana, I need to run to a meeting. Can you give Jenny and Kensei a lesson with their keys?”
“Sure.”
Mazu left the room, and Kensei rolled over onto his back. “I just need a moment.”
“Take your time.” Adriana looked into Jenny’s dichromatic eyes. “Hold up your key and show me what you can do.”
Jenny stared into Adriana’s turquoise-blue eyes and thought, The only reason you’re giving me a lesson is that you got here before me. If my mom hadn’t died, then I’d have been here before you. Then Jenny took out her key. She tried to form a waveform from the second maze, but it fell flat. Jenny frowned.
Adriana crossed her arms. “Is that all you have?”
Jenny gritted her teeth. That’s okay, I’ll just try another waveform. She went through another pattern, then another. But like the first one, each waveform went flat.
“Anything?”
Jenny grew frustrated, and as she looked over at Adriana, her mind turned to anger. She thought about high school, where the pretty blond girl was on the honor roll and was the team captain of the girl’s football team. Even Ruby wanted Jenny to be more like Adriana. We’re in another universe, and I’m still in her shadow, Jenny thought. “You think you’re better than me.” It was a declaration, not a question.
Adriana scrunched her face. “What are you talking about?”
“Perfect Adriana Thatcher, everything comes easily to you. It wasn’t enough that you were popular at school, you have to be popular here too.”
“This isn’t school.” Adriana shook her head. “But you’re acting like it.”
Jenny clenched her fists. “You’re just a show-off.”
“Why don’t you go back to your room, put on some black makeup, and listen to some goth music?” Adriana took a moment to tie her wavy blond hair into a tight bun and used the fork of her Waypoint key to hold it in place.
“At least I have my own identity.”
“Is that the one where you use your mom’s death to hide who you are?”
Tears welled up in Jenny’s eyes, and she charged forward. Grabbing Adriana’s legs, she slammed the other girl onto the mat. Jenny reached out to lock Adriana’s arm, but the blond girl twisted away and swept Jenny’s legs out from under her. Jenny’s vision flashed as she hit the mat, and the air left her lungs.
Adriana wrapped Jenny’s arm between her legs. “Submit.”
The pain in her shoulder was excruciating. “Never.” Jenny kicked out with her legs to get leverage. No, I can’t lose. I have to win and prove that I belong here.
“You know nothing about my life or my struggles. Submit.”
“What does a rich, pretty girl like you know about struggling?” Jenny yanked her arm free, almost dislocating it in the process. Jumping to her feet, she stood in the low stance Mazu had just taught her. The two girls circled each other. Rage pounded through Jenny’s veins as she feigned a punch and then kicked at Adriana’s knee.
From her time spent telling fortunes, Jenny had learned to read every tell of a person’s emotions. As they circled each other, she watched Adriana’s face. They tested each other’s defenses with short jabs and kicks. Jenny knew she had to draw Adriana into a more committed attack. She allowed an opening in her defenses and watched.
Adriana pulled her foot back as if she would kick. But if she were going to kick, she wouldn’t put so much weight on it. It was a feint. Jenny raised her arms to block a kick to her head, but actually she prepared for the real attack.
Just as she expected, Adriana kicked with her other foot. The blow was aimed at Jenny’s gut. If it had connected, it would have stunned Jenny long enough for Adriana to put her in another hold. Since Jenny was ready, she caught the kick in the crook of her arm. Lifting Adriana’s captured leg, Jenny knocked Adriana to the ground.
Jenny wasted no time. She took Adriana’s arm between her legs and rolled backward. At the same time, she placed one foot on Adriana’s neck and wedged the other under her back. With this leverage, Jenny extended Adriana’s elbow almost to the point of breaking.
Adriana tapped the mat and Jenny released her.
Jenny panted and pushed herself up to her feet. “You’re a good fighter.”
“Thanks.” Adriana sat up and breathed heavily. “So are you. Where did you learn?”
“I’ve been studying fencing since I was eleven.” She held out her hand to Adriana and pulled her up.
“My dad started teaching me how to box when I was ten.”
“You’re lucky. I never even knew my dad.”
Adriana looked into Jenny’s eyes for several seconds. “Not as lucky as you think.”
Jenny bowed her head. “I’m sorry I attacked you.”
Adriana massaged her elbow. “I’m sorry for what I said about your mom.”
“It’s true.” Jenny bowed her head. “Everything you said was true.”
“Hey.” Adriana squeezed Jenny’s shoulder. “Forget about it. You wanna get some lunch?”
“Yeah.” Jenny smiled. “Sounds good.”
Kensei shook his head as he followed Jenny and Adriana out of the training room. “I guess I’ll just get my key lesson some other time,” he mumbled under his breath.
“Jenny?” Adriana asked.
“Yeah?”
Adriana stopped and turned to Jenny. She pulled on a stray strand of blond hair and chewed her lip. She seemed to want to say something.
“What is it?”
“Do you know anything about your dad?”
“No,” Jenny said, looking sideways at Adriana. “Why do you ask?”
“Aren’t you curious?”
“Um, yeah. I asked my mom about him all the time,” Jenny said solemnly, “but she never said a word.”
Adriana looked into Jenny’s eyes. “Do you know why?”
Jenny scowled, and a lump formed in her throat. “She said it was to protect him and his family.”
Adriana nodded. “I see.”
As Jenny thought of her dad, she felt doors opening in her mind. Clues fell together, like pieces of a puzzle spr
ead across many years of memories. The man from the wedding. The one who gave me a toy. What was his name? “Thatch—Thatcher.” Jenny inhaled sharply.
“My dad has this old house truck full of gadgets.” Adriana looked pointedly at Jenny.
“A converted 1962 Mack truck.”
“He’d take it around to festivals—”
“And weddings.” Jenny stopped and looked at Adriana.
“Yeah.”
“I met him when I was eleven.” Jenny remembered the magical creations inside. “He said he had a daughter, and he gave me a present.”
“The first time I saw you, I knew…”
“You knew?” Jenny’s heart thudded in her chest. “Knew what?”
“That you were my sister.”
Adriana transformed before Jenny’s eyes. She was her sister. She could see it now, and Jenny wanted to know everything about her.
“You’re sisters?” Kensei jumped. “I knew it.”
“Is that why you never talked to me at school?” Jenny asked.
“Yeah, sort of.”
“But why?”
“Because every time I saw you, it reminded me that my dad was unfaithful to my mom.”
“Oh.” Jenny looked down.
“It’s not your fault, it’s his. I’ve never forgiven him. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends, or maybe sisters.” Adriana raised her eyebrows.
Jenny nodded. “I’d like that.”
Adriana reached out and hugged Jenny.
“You know”—Jenny laughed—“deep down, I think I always knew.” They parted and continued down to the mess hall. “So, what’s he like?”
Adriana shrugged. “I haven’t seen him in a while, not since my parents split up.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. It’s better actually. Though I never hear from him, except for a birthday card once a year.”
Jenny thought about her own birthday. She had never received a card from him, but she didn’t bring it up. “What about your mom?”
“She’s my mom.” Adriana scowled. “She’s tough on me, but my older brother can do no wrong.”
“Wait, I have a brother too?”
“Yeah, you do.” Adriana smiled.
“Do you have siblings, Kensei?” Adriana asked.
Kensei nodded. “Two sisters.”
“Older or younger?” Jenny asked.
“Both younger.” Kensei described how his single mom wasn’t around much because of work. So, he’d helped raise his two younger sisters as much as any father. He cooked meals, braided their hair, and did everything else expected of a parent.
In the mess hall, fried chicken, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and bread pudding filled the stainless steel serving bins. Jenny had worked up an enormous hunger from training and was already salivating when she took her tray. After filling her plate, she brought it to the table with the other white uniforms.
Although Billo had finished her lunch, she offered to stay for the company. She pushed her empty tray to the end of the table and leaned forward. “It’s Kensei, right?”
“Um, yeah,” Kensei mumbled around a bite of chicken.
“I’m a bit of an amateur psychologist.”
“Here we go—” Adriana rolled her eyes.
Billo glared at her before turning back to Kensei. “I know about Jenny and Adriana. Now I want to know what your mental illness was.”
“I, uh…” Kensei looked around the table for support.
“Don’t worry.” Adriana put her hand on his. “We were all misdiagnosed with some form of psychosis.”
“What was yours?” Jenny asked Adriana.
“Nothing interesting, just migraines and early-onset blindness.”
“Oh?” Jenny said. “That sounds pretty serious.”
“Yeah, at around six, my migraines got so bad that they’d sometimes leave me blind for hours.”
“I had Todd’s syndrome,” Kensei blurted out.
“Hmm.” Billo stroked her chin. “That’s a new one.”
“My perception would get messed up. Like I’d have trouble telling how big or small something was.” He stared at his hands. “My family called it the ‘Big Littles.’”
“It must have something to do with your ability. Most of our diagnoses do. Imagine, if we’d have stayed at home, we’d probably be in some mental hospital. But here, we’re gifted.” Billo transformed herself into Lin and back to herself.
“I want to bring this cure home,” Adriana said. “No one should believe that they’re crazy or lose their family members to some disease.”
Jenny had always believed that Adriana’s altruistic personality was an act. Could it really have been genuine? “We totally should. You know, it’s weird how we hardly know each other even though we went to the same school.”
“I guess we just had to come to another universe.”
Jenny laughed. “You know, my mom hoped that we would be friends.”
“Because we’re sisters?”
“Yeah.” Jenny nodded and scooped up some potatoes.
“You’re sisters!” Billo said and looked at Kensei. “Did you know?”
“I just found out,” Kensei said. “It makes sense, though. Our powers must be genetic. I wonder if my sisters have abilities.”
“Then why aren’t there more people here?” Billo asked. “There must be more to it than genetics.”
Jenny remembered how her mother had been able to see Sally, right before her seizure. “Some people might be carriers, or it might be recessive. Who knows?”
Kensei nodded. “Did you hear that they’re calling us Astreans?” He opened his backpack and fed Leon bits of bread pudding.
“Yeah,” Billo said. “I like it. It makes us sound exotic.”
“Me too,” Adriana said.
“Adriana, can you give us some advice on the mazes?” Kensei asked.
Billo leaned forward.
“Well, you can’t memorize them,” Adriana said. “They’re different every time. The only way to win is by finding a shortcut.”
“That’s what I’ve been told too,” Jenny said. “So how do we do it?”
“You need to find your special ability,” Billo said.
“Is that all?” Jenny said.
“Practice,” Billo said. “Use your key.”
“Not all of us knew our ability before we got here.” Adriana looked at Billo.
“How did you find yours?” Jenny asked Adriana.
“As Billo said, it had something to do with my condition, my sudden blindness. Over time, I found that I could restore my eyesight through meditation. When I first touched my key”—Adriana traced its shape under her uniform—“the same sense of peace washed over me.”
“That’s how it worked for me too,” Kensei said. Leon scrambled onto Kensei’s shoulder and looked furtively around the room. “You should see my skills.”
“You mean hitting your head on the ceiling?” Jenny laughed.
Kensei slumped in his chair. Leon hopped onto his head.
“Speaking of skills,” Adriana said. “You are one hell of a fighter, Jenny.”
“Really?” Billo looked at Jenny curiously.
Jenny sat up straighter in her chair and squared her shoulders.
“Yeah.” Kensei rubbed his neck. “I couldn’t beat her.”
“Neither could I.” Adriana narrowed her eyes at Jenny. “She’s got quite a furious streak.”
After clearing his plate, Kensei checked his Topo and excused himself from the table. “I’ve got to go meet with Lin. I’ll see you guys later.”
They waved goodbye to Kensei, and Billo turned to Jenny. “Everyone’s talking about your bet with Sadi.”
Jenny sunk lower into her seat as Adriana glared at her.
“Do you really think you have a chance?” Billo asked.
“Well, no one’s ever passed every test before.”
“Well, I can’t wait to see your next round. What time did y
ou get?”
“21:00.”
“Ooh, that’s rough,” Adriana said.
“I know,” Jenny said, “but that was the only time available.”
“People are scared of Sadi,” Billo said.
“For good reason,” Adriana added.
“But we’d all love to see her lose,” Billo said.
“She won’t make it easy for you,” Adriana said to Jenny. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to take you out of the competition.”
Maybe she’s right, Jenny thought. She hadn’t considered what Sadi would do to win.
The girls spent the rest of their meal talking about things back on their Earth. When they were finished, they dropped their trays off at the cleaning station.
“So, what do you want to do now?” Billo asked Adriana and Jenny.
“I don’t know,” Adriana said. “We could go swimming.”
“I was thinking of something more indoors,” Billo said, “maybe volleyball.”
Jenny jumped as her Topo buzzed against her side.
“What is it?” Adriana asked.
Jenny pulled her tablet free and checked the screen. “Oh, it’s time for my appointment with Lin.”
“Better not be late,” Billo warned.
“Hey Jenny,” Adriana said.
“Wanna hang out after your meeting?”
“Yeah, sure,” Jenny grinned. “I’d like that.”
As Jenny raced out of the mess hall, someone kicked her ankle. She lost her balance and fell, skidding to a stop on the white floor of the hallway. The sound of laughter was like a punch to her ears. Waves of heat washed over her like hot flashes. She looked back and saw a group of four gray-uniformed recruits. Sadi and Aindriu were among them.
A hand reached down to her. It was Moeshe, the tall young man in the blue uniform. Jenny took his hand and let him pull her up.
Sadi sauntered over with a big grin on her freckled face. “Guess who just got the highest score?”
Jenny’s face went sour. All she wanted at that moment was to hurt this girl. “You wouldn’t be in first place if Trey were still alive.” Jenny covered her mouth and wished she could take back her words.
Sadi clenched her jaw, and she trembled. “Just wait. I’ll teach you what pain really is.”
“Not if I teach you first.”
Sadi’s pale face turned red.
The Key of Astrea Page 27