Hidden Worlds

by Kristie Cook

  “Let me talk to him,” I squeak, reaching for the phone. Karl merely shoves me back toward the bed and waves his hand. He chats another minute with the Elemental before saying, “Put him on.… Kellan? What is this, tag-team bullying?” He drums his fingers against the table. “I swear to— Listen. How many times do I have to say it? She’s fine. Safe as a puppy—”

  “Kitten,” Cora corrects, way too invested in his conversation. “You told Jonah she’s like a kitten.”

  Karl gives her the evil eye. “Yes, she’s awake. No—she needs her rest. She doesn’t need to be interrogated right now, Kel. Why don’t you go rest, huh? Considering your concussion?”

  My phone beeps. Cora slides it toward me, rolling her eyes.

  Is Karl being nice to you? Are you really okay?

  I smile, the tingly bit blossoming in my stomach again. I tell Kellan: Other than putting me in a motel that I believe might rent by the hour, I’m good. You? Is your head okay?

  A moment goes by before Karl stands up, outraged. “It’s not like I had a lot of choices, Kellan! This place is safe! It’s got a good, strategic location!”

  Cora gives me a disapproving look. “You’re playing with fire, Chloe.”

  I’m well aware of it.

  My father is in the hospital.

  I try calling him when I finally get home, early the next morning, despite Karl’s warnings. I don’t get through on the first two attempts, but my mother answers on the third. She: a) reprimands me for interrupting my father’s recuperation, b) assures me that he’s fine and resting comfortably, and c) doesn’t bother to ask me how I am, despite my also having been attacked.

  I suppose I’d called in an effort to make sure my father’s doing okay, but I feel worse off when I hang up. This, on top of still having to go to school, makes for a bleak morning.

  Lizzie nearly chokes me when she delivers a two-punch of hugging and lecturing before school starts.

  “Geez,” I tell her once I free myself, “it’s not like I was maimed or anything.” But the truth is I’m warmed by her concern, coming on the heels of my mother’s apathy. All of the Cousins cluster around in various states of concern and outrage.

  Alex cuts to the chase. “Talk.”

  “This isn’t the time or place.” Cora motions to the students milling about. “How about we meet at Chloe’s tonight to discuss?”

  This doesn’t deter him in the slightest. “We had no idea what was going on, other than the gossip mill at school yesterday claiming Chloe had been yanked out of class and that you two had been seen with some guy practically running off campus.”

  Cora muses, “That about sums it up.”

  “Who was the guy?” Meg demands. “Everyone said you were with some giant.”

  “I wouldn’t call him a giant,” I say, but Lizzie smacks me. “Fine. His name is Karl Graystone. He’s a Guard—”

  “Why would you need a Guard?” Meg shrills loudly before Cora shushes her.

  “And,” I murmur, “Cora has a point. Let’s talk about this tonight, okay?”

  It isn’t what they want to hear, but all reluctantly agree.

  A few minutes later, I’m in the middle of trying to sound sufficiently sad about resigning from the cheer team with Meg when Cora tugs on my sleeve and hisses, “You better start thinking straight, Cousin.”

  She points into the parking lot. Jonah and Kellan Whitecomb are standing outside of another ugly Hummer, talking to someone through the passenger-side window. As far as I can tell, Jonah is fine; there’s no cast or any evidence that his arm had been broken.

  I have never felt more relieved in my life.

  “What’s this?” Alex asks, following our attention.

  “It’s the new guys,” Meg whispers loudly. “Aren’t they cute? Ohmigods, I forgot to tell you guys—rumor had them leaving campus yesterday around the same time as you guys!”

  Cora mutters something under her breath.

  “They don’t know,” I remind her.

  “Know what?” Meg asks.

  “They’re Magicals,” Cora explains. “Emotionals, to be specific.”

  “What?” Meg squeals, alternately gaping at us and at the twins.

  “Why didn’t someone tells us?” Alex barks. “How long have you known?”

  Lizzie shrugs and smiles faintly while Kellan makes a beeline for me the moment he spots me. Jonah, on the other hand, stays at the car, in deep conversation with whoever is driving.

  “Thank gods you’re okay,” Kellan says when he reaches me. “Where’s Karl?” And the next thing I know, I’m in his arms and being kissed.

  I can barely breathe, but I love the sublime sense of protection I feel in his arms. And that kiss … Wow. Just, wow. It takes me a good ten seconds before I can tell Kellan, “He’s gone home for now.”

  The Cousins rubberneck, especially Cora and Lizzie. Cora goes as far to mouth: What are you doing?

  And … she’s right. Because Jonah is here …

  He’s stopped about halfway toward where we’re standing, looking utterly shell-shocked. A riot of confusion and guilt slam around me alongside the beautiful things Kellan’s presence is triggering.

  There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ve just hurt Jonah more than I ever thought I could. I don’t know what to do. Oh my gods. What should I do? What should—

  Alex coughs politely behind me, demanding an introduction. I barely manage to tear my eyes away from Jonah. “Guys, this is Kellan.”

  “Indeed,” Alex says rather coolly.

  Kellan ignores this unnecessary posturing, flashes a smile that appears to weaken both Meg and Lizzie’s knees, and turns his focus back on me. “Karl wouldn’t tell me anything last night, which leads me to wonder exactly what happened. And I can tell you’re disoriented today. Mind filling me in?”

  Disoriented, the little voice snorts. That’s a good way to put it.

  “She’s fine,” Cora snaps. “You neglect to remember she was with a Shaman when she scrambled her brains.”

  He gives her a brief, annoyed look before asking, over the same question the Cousins are asking, “Scrambled?”

  It is wrong, so wrong, but I am deliriously delighted to know just how concerned Kellan is about me, especially in light of what I’ve just done to Jonah. Oh, gods, Jonah. He’s right over there, still as a statue. And the look on his face—it’s like I’ve kicked him in the stomach. “It was a concussion,” I murmur, nauseated. Then I remember, “And you? How are you feeling?”

  He dismisses this, insists he’s fine. Behind him, Jonah is finally moving past us with long, purposeful strides. His expression is now unreadable, and the panic in me wells up significantly. Should I go talk to him?

  Yes, yes, you should.

  “It’s okay,” Kellan murmurs in my ear. “You don’t have to panic. They’re long gone.”

  I am worse than nauseous now. Kellan is an Emotional; he can sense all this in me!

  Cora nearly snarls at Kellan, “Shouldn’t you go with your brother?”

  He glances after Jonah and frowns. “He definitely doesn’t want to be hovered over right now.”

  “How do you know?” she presses, making me want to kick her.

  Kellan simply looks at her, eyes narrowed. Then, to me, he says, “Let me walk you to your class.”

  Cora starts to say something, but Meg manages to do the kicking for me.

  “That’s weird,” Kellan says when we’re out of earshot.

  “What?”

  “Cora’s hostility.”

  I chew on my lip. “She’s sort of overprotective sometimes—”

  “No,” he corrects quickly. “Not toward me, toward you. Have you two been fighting?”

  Realizing it’s going to take me awhile to get used to Kellan’s craft prompts another round of panic, because how in the worlds am I going to be able to hide the mass of tangled emotions I’m feeling toward both him and his brother?

  “Sort of.” He takes my hand in his, our finge
rs knotting together, and the anxiety eases. “Let’s not talk about her. I want to hear about what happened to you yesterday. Karl said you went over a cliff, which is …” I fumble for a worthy enough word. “Terrifying, really.”

  He laughs, flushing. “I didn’t have a seatbelt on, thus a concussion. Stupid, right?”

  “Don’t do that again.” I stop, surprised at how vehement the feeling is. How territorial I already feel toward Kellan. How important his safety is to me. How much I genuinely, truly care. It’s frightening how strong all these feelings are, considering I only met him a week before.

  And that I’m in love with his brother.

  Kellan squeezes my hand. “I won’t.”

  Because I can’t help myself, I ask, “Was that how Jonah broke his arm? From the fall?”

  We lean against the lockers by my class. “No.” And then, very quietly, so no one around us can hear, “One of those things … those black things, it broke his arm when he was trying to keep them away from the car.” His lips twist ruefully. “I was already out at that point.”

  My brain sort of short-circuits.

  “It’s okay,” Kellan says, his voice as soothing as his hand in mine. And then, as if he knows I need to hear it, “He’s fine now.”

  I gasp, “Why would he confront them?”

  Kellan brushes a few strands of hair away from my eyes. “Because it gave us something to work with. Turns out these things have feelings. We both were able to manipulate them.”

  I think about this, trying to push away the awful images of those things going after my guys. And then I try to not think about how messed up it is that I’ve already classified both twins so quickly in my mind as mine. “How so?”

  “If you find the right mixture, they can be subdued. J had a mass of them on the ground, controlled, until one came shooting out of the woods.”

  “And the lightning storm?”

  “Giuliana’s attempt to get them away from Jonah.” The warning bell rings, and, even though it’s the worst possible thing to do, I’m the one to kiss Kellan goodbye.

  And I like it.

  A lot.

  chapter 18

  Just the thought of Jonah hurt, or angry—or worse, both—nearly brings me to my knees over the course of the next couple classes. Seeing the shock, the pain in his eyes before school was unbearable. Had Kellan not been there holding me, I would’ve dropped straight to the ground, sobbing.

  But then—that’s the thing. I was there with Kellan, and he was holding me. And insane as it is, I liked him there. I more than liked him there. I wanted him there. I don’t understand. How can I feel so strongly about both of them?

  Any hope of an easy out is gone. Someone, one of them, but more likely me, will end up hurt.

  By the time math rolls around, I’m beyond a wreck. I want a chance to talk to Jonah. He’s got to be furious, and I understand that. But I also know him. There’s a bond between us that is impossible to ignore. Talking to him is the key. If we talk, things will make sense.

  But Jonah never shows up to class.

  Why isn’t he here? Has something happened to him? Have those black things infiltrated the school and somehow tracked him down? My mind is racing with so many horrible scenarios that the lockers around me shudder uncontrollably after class, freaking out the students nearby. It isn’t until Kellan arrives that everything around me stills. He explains as we head toward the cafeteria that Giuliana came to get Jonah, since the Shaman who fixed his arm asked to have one more look at it before heading back to Annar.

  There goes your chance to clear the air, the little voice grumbles. And then, Would it even matter to warn you to stay away from this guy until you CAN go talk to Jonah?

  Kellan’s hand finds mine and, as a potent mixture of contentment and excitement sweeps away my anxiety, I realize there’s no way I can stay away from him.

  But the little voice isn’t the only naysayer. When Kellan dismisses himself to go to the vending machine, I’m left behind at our lunch table with two rather pissy girls and one blissfully ignorant non-Magical.

  “Explain,” Cora and Lizzie say in union. Graham looks up from his sandwich, startled by the vehemence in their voices.

  I feign innocence in an effort to mask my irritation. “About?”

  Lizzie leans in. “What was with that show you put on this morning?”

  Before I can say anything, Cora mutters, “Typical Chloe.”

  “What’s that mean?” I ask at the same time Graham says, “Ladies.”

  “Graham, stay out of this,” Lizzie snaps. And then, to me, “Has something else happened that I’m not aware of?”

  Why are they doing this? “Whatever happens in my life is none of your damn business. I thought we established this on Friday.”

  Both girls flush bright red, then quickly shut up when Kellan sits down next to me. He gives them a look, one with narrowed, knowing eyes before turning to me. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine,” I murmur, absurdly pleased that he cares.

  “So, Kellan,” Graham says, obviously trying to broker peace between me and the girls by changing the subject, “how’re you liking it here?”

  Kellan smirks a little. “It’s a typical high school.”

  “I’m assuming you were popular in your old school,” Cora says, but it’s without much malice. No—she’s saving all her pointed looks for me.

  It may be disgruntled with me, but the little voice sides with me when I wonder what her problem is.

  “Popularity is a subjective thing,” Kellan says casually.

  I nearly choke on my orange juice when Cora snipes, “You must have dated a lot.”

  But Kellan clearly is ready to give tit for tat. “Why would you think that?”

  She flushes again and shoots me yet another dirty look.

  Lizzie picks up where Cora’s left off. “We were just asking Chloe about an interesting rumor going around school right now concerning you two.”

  Graham says, confused, “I don’t remem—” but is stopped with what I assume to be a swift kick under the table.

  I totally want to disown both girls.

  Kellan, though, is totally amused. “I’m not much for the rumor mill.”

  “Word is,” Lizzie doggedly continues, “that you two are dating, of course.”

  The half-grin settles on his lips as he pretends to think about this. “Is that what’s being said?”

  Graham chuckles under his breath until Lizzie (or Cora) kicks him under the table again. And rather than verbally confirm the “rumor” she’s conveniently just created, Lizzie just nods. Graham quickly excuses himself to go buy a soda.

  Frustrated, I lean in and hiss, “Idiots. He knows you’re lying. He’s an Emotional, remember?”

  “It’s okay, Chloe,” Kellan says when both girls blanch. “They’re just trying to be protective.”

  “Don’t be reading my emotions,” Cora snaps, but it’s done nervously.

  He is still clearly amused. “Then don’t broadcast them so loudly.”

  She drums her fingers against the table. “Look, a friend of mine in Annar told me about you, about your reputation.”

  I want to crawl under the table. “Cora, stop.”

  “I could mention the things I’ve already heard about you here at school, Cora,” Kellan says evenly, “but that’d be pointless, wouldn’t it? Since I barely know you?”

  She sits back, lips clamped shut.

  “Anything else you want clarified?” he asks after a moment of tense silence.

  Lizzie gives me one last meaningful look and then turns to Kellan. And then she surprises me by asking him about what being an Emotional entails.

  “I’m sorry about my friends,” I say as Kellan pulls a book out of his locker.

  “Don’t be,” he says. “It’s sweet.”

  I laugh. “Right. Sweet.”

  He laughs, too. “Okay, it was annoying.”

  “You don’t have to put up with them, yo
u know.”

  He shuts the locker door. “I think I do.” Then he tugs me closer. “They mean a lot to you. Being around you means being around them. And since I want to be around you, I will learn to put up with them.”

  My heart flip-flops so hard I forget to breathe.

  “And as for my reputation—”

  “I don’t care,” I say, and I mean it. “It doesn’t matter.”

  It’s the first time I’ve ever been reprimanded by a teacher in the hallway to stop kissing.

  Karl is already waiting for us after school, standing outside his Hummer wearing dark sunglasses that make him look like a Secret Service agent. When he sees Kellan, though, a smile breaks out on his face.

  I listen to them chitchat for a few minutes while we wait for Cora. It’s obvious that they are good friends who have a long history with one another.

  “Have you talked to Jonah yet today?” Kellan asks Karl as he hands me my backpack.

  Karl, sunglasses on top of his head now, observes this action with no comment. “I was just over at your house, conferring with him and Giules. He is in the worst of moods, bro. I thought he was going to take a baseball bat to the furniture.”

  My heart sinks, but Kellan merely laughs. “He’s being babysat. Can you blame him?”

  Kellan doesn’t know, the little voice marvels. How fascinating.

  It really hits me then, how Kellan really does know nothing about me and Jonah. He’d never be here with me if he did. He’d never have kissed me. He never would have hurt his brother like that this morning.

  Jonah never told his twin about me. And that stings.

  “Absolutely,” Karl is saying, grinning. “He held back. I would’ve definitely smashed the furniture.”

  “That’s such a typical thing for a guy to say,” Cora snarks as she walks up. “Machismo bullshit is so attractive.”

  “Ah,” Kellan says mildly. “I see that I’m not her only target.”

  “My singular goal in life is to be attractive for you, Cora,” Karl mutters.

  She gives me a very pointed look when I snort in laughter.

  “It’s just, Giules is totally babying him right now,” Kellan continues with Karl. “I honestly thought J was going to jump off the balcony last night when she offered to spoon-feed him soup.”