Today’s training house was a nondescript brick one-story. As Lucas pulled into the driveway, Morgan took a breath and released it slowly. Perhaps Lucas was right. If Wen did attempt to redirect her training efforts today, perhaps she should allow him to without putting up a fight.
Wen opened the front door as they approached, offering a curt smile and nod to each of them as they passed.
Lia, predictably, was already there, seated at the end of the brown leather couch. Morgan sat beside her, and Lucas made himself at home in a large recliner.
After a few moments of silence, Lia launched into a litany of questions for Lucas about problems that had been on her calc test. She rattled off equations and reported what her answers had been, asking Lucas to verify whether or not she’d gotten the questions right.
Morgan attempted to follow the conversation between Lia and Lucas, but after a few minutes she felt something like a cat watching a Ping-Pong game, so she turned her attention to Wen, who still stood at the door. With a sigh, Wen pulled out his phone and checked the display. Morgan assumed he was checking the time, and curious, she checked her watch.
Corbin was ten minutes late.
It wasn’t as though Corbin had never run late before; however, generally, he called or sent a text with information as to when he’d be arriving.
Immediately, Morgan’s mind flashed back to Aurelia’s attach on her thoughts yesterday. What if the same thing was happening to Corbin now? What if he were driving when it happened? He could be hurt. Or worse.
Panic momentarily flashed through Morgan’s mind, followed immediately by a sense of clarity, of certainty. She could find him: she knew she could. His energy was familiar enough that she felt positive she could locate him, no matter where he was. Casting a furtive glance in Wen’s direction, Morgan took in a few deep breaths and then allowed her mind to reach out in search of Corbin.
She was able to rather easily push out beyond the house she sat in, beyond the bright energies of Lucas, Lia, and Wen. The other energies on the street were dull and common. In the surrounding neighborhood, the common energies were punctuated by brighter, friendly-feeling energies Morgan assumed were Watchers sent to keep an eye on things during the training session. But nothing felt like Corbin. Taking in another deep breath, Morgan focused her mind on Corbin, willing herself to find him amid the thousands of other people in the area.
Then, suddenly, there he was. Though she couldn’t pinpoint his exact location, she could Feel him, Feel that he was drawing nearer. She could also sense that all was not right with him. For a moment, her mind drifted back to the idea of him being attacked, but then she realized that his distress had nothing to do with the present; instead, whatever had made him late was causing him mental disquiet.
“Morgan!”
The snap of Wen’s voice pulled Morgan back to the room, to the moment. When she became aware of the room she sat in, she realized that it was silent and that Lia was looking at her. Lucas, she noticed, was staring at Wen.
Morgan shook her head slightly and managed a small smile in Wen’s direction. “What?”
“What were you doing?” he asked.
She had a very good feeling that since he was asking, he already had a sense of the answer. “Nothing,” she answered automatically. Then she added, “Just trying to figure out what’s taking Corbin so long to get here.”
“Why?” Wen asked. Then he amended, “Why like that? You could’ve called him.”
Morgan glanced at Lia and then Lucas, seeing similar looks of confusion on each of their faces. “I’m not here to work on my cell phone skills. I thought it’d be good practice, trying to find him. You know—real-world application and all that? Why are you acting like this is such a big deal?”
A muscle in Wen’s jaw twitched. “Because I told you not to.”
“You told me not to try to See anything except during training—you never said anything about trying to Feel,” Morgan defended hotly. “I mean, if I’m not allowed to See or Feel beyond whoever happens to be in the room with me, how am I ever gonna get better at this? How will I ever reach my full potential or whatever?”
Wen ran a hand exasperatedly through his hair, mussing up the faux-hawk. “Morgan, you seem to think I don’t understand what you’re saying, but I do. But you don’t seem to be understanding that the limits I’m setting for you are to keep you safe.”
Morgan stood, hands on her hips, remembering the conversation she’d overheard between Mr. K and Miss Scotford, remembering the dream she had last night. “Yeah, because you guys always know what’s best for me, right?”
Before Wen had a chance to answer, the front door opened to reveal Corbin, his expression closed and vaguely apologetic. “Sorry I’m—”
Morgan stalked over to Lucas and put her hand out expectantly. “Give me your keys,” she demanded.
Lucas looked at her like she’d gone crazy. “What? Why?”
She cast a glance at Wen. “I’m thinking training’s going to be a waste of time for me today. Text me when you’re done and I’ll come get you.”
Lucas made no move to comply. “Morgan,” he said softly. “I think you should just have a seat and calm down—”
With a sigh, Morgan turned her attention to Lia, who immediately looked horror-stricken at the idea of lending Morgan her car keys.
There was a slight jingling noise behind her and Morgan turned to see Corbin’s hand extended, his keys dangling from his fingers. Without a word, she crossed to him, pausing only to press Corbin’s hand gently as she took the keys from him. As she walked out the front door, she expected to hear footsteps following her or Wen’s voice demanding she come back. But no one made any move to stop her. She jogged to the curb where Corbin’s car was parked and got into the driver’s seat. As she started down the street, she wondered how many Watchers were even now being notified that she had left training and should be watched carefully—for her own good, of course.
She drove aimlessly for half an hour, first going north, then turning south, going east or west if she encountered too many traffic lights. When she finally came to a stop, it took her a moment to realize where she was: the park where she spent her summer days reading fortunes for classmates who just couldn’t wait until September to find out what the future held for them. She got out of the car and walked into the park, toward the pavilion she had spent oh-so-many hours beneath.
Though it had only been weeks since she’d last been here, the entire placed seemed somehow changed. The grass that was usually bright green and kept trimmed short was now duller and a little shaggier. Even the trees were different, the leaves losing their vibrant hues and some even adopting a tinge of fall colors.
Could it only have been a month ago that she sat here, telling fortunes to classmates, thinking they were silly for giving her money tell them about their futures? Had really only a month passed since she found out those abilities were real? Was it really so recently that the dull aching emptiness of her mother’s absence was replaced by the white-hot certainty that Chelsea’s disappearance wasn’t just something in the past, something never to be resolved?
Was she glad things had changed? Life was more complicated now, it was true, but she also had a hope now that she’d never dared to let herself cherish before: Not only was her mother alive and safe, but Morgan had Seen her. She might have the ability to actually locate her and bring her home.
A question edged its way into Morgan’s mind, one that had been taking form since she overheard Mr. K and Miss Scotford talking: Why? Morgan had always assumed that her mother had been taken against her will and kept locked away somewhere. Why else would she not have returned? But the Watchers had knowledge of her safety, and in Morgan’s vision, her mother hadn’t seemed to be a prisoner. If that was the case, why hadn’t she come back? Was it possible that she didn’t want to come back?
Morgan shook the thought from her head. Of course her mother wanted come back.
Didn’t she?
/> Morgan closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. As she released it, she allowed her doubt to flow away. There was something keeping her mother away. She needed to find her. But in order to find her, Morgan knew she had to be stronger and more proficient with her powers. She had dreamed about her mother, yes. But that dream didn’t tell her where Chelsea was, or how Morgan could get to her. She needed more. In the silence of the park, without the watchful eyes of Wen or Mr. K or Miss Scotford, Morgan allowed herself to relax, allowed her mind to reach out.
As expected, the energies around her were mostly mundane, but one stood out like a gleaming ray of sunshine amid a wash of gray clouds. A Watcher, no doubt, Morgan reasoned, dispatched to keep tabs on her once she left the training house.
But immediately Morgan noticed something different about this Watcher’s energy. Usually, she was aware of the Watchers only peripherally—they were there, but they weren’t nearby. But this one wasn’t like that. As Morgan focused on it, she realized why: He was nearby, and he was getting closer.
He. Morgan knew the energy she felt was masculine. She wasn’t sure how she did, but she was positive it was true. And as he approached, a thrill coursed through her as she realized that the energy was familiar. It was an energy she hadn’t felt since the summer.
Kellen?
But no. No sooner had the thought registered than she dismissed it. The energy was familiar, yes, but veiled, closed. Whoever it was, he was concealing himself from her. But to what end?
Briefly, she considered hiding; however, where could she really go? She doubted she could block herself off effectively enough to render herself invisible to a trained member of the Veneret. So, for the moment, for better or worse, she stayed put.
This was it. For all the safeguards she had been told the Watchers had in place to ensure her protection, this one impromptu trip to the park would be her undoing. And where were all the Watchers, anyway? Shouldn’t they be descending on her position if her safety was threatened? Or perhaps they had all decided she wasn’t worth the trouble after all. And when she was gone… Corbin would feel so guilty for having lent her his car…
Footsteps fell softly on the thick grass behind her, but she did not turn. Her heart, a bass drum, thudded in her chest.
“Morgan.”
The voice was soft and low, and Morgan’s mind’s eye pulled up the image of long black hair and deep blue eyes. She let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and turned to the speaker.
“Tesin.”
Tesin offered a smile as Morgan’s eyes met his. His hair was pulled into a low pony tail and his hands were plugged into the pockets of his torn-knee jeans. “Long time no see.”
Morgan stared at him. It was almost surreal to see him here, yet somehow it felt as if they had arranged this meeting. From what Wen had told her, she knew that Tesin wasn’t a threat—that he was a Watcher and on her side—but she realized she would have known that whether she’d been told or not. There was something about Tesin’s energy that was friendly, soothing even.
Without preamble, Tesin took a seat opposite Morgan at the picnic table. “I’ve been hoping for a chance to talk to you. I have something to tell you. It’s about your mom.”
She felt her heartbeat quicken. “My mom?”
He nodded. “Look, we haven’t got much time. I’m sure you know you’re being watched. I’m blocking my own presence, so hopefully no one’ll figure out I’m here. But I can only hold the illusion for so long.”
“Why— Why do you have to block your presence? I mean, you’re a Watcher, right? Why shouldn’t you be able to talk to me?”
Tesin offered a brief smile. “Well, I still work for Orrick, for one. And it’s not just Watchers who are keeping an eye on you. I wouldn’t want the Veneret to find me here with you either. They’d wonder why I didn’t bring you in or something.”
She chewed on her bottom lip, Kellen floating to the surface of her thoughts.
Tesin raised an eyebrow at her. “What?”
She knew she shouldn’t be surprised that he could sense her feelings, but she found she still needed a moment to collect her thoughts. “It’s nothing—it’s just… Does Kellen know you’re here?”
Something flickered in Tesin’s eyes. “Why?”
“It’s nothing. I just…” She shook her head. What had she expected him to say? That Kellen had defected from the Veneret and was now an agent for the Watchers? That he was driving Tesin’s getaway car? “Why are you taking the chance? I mean, if you needed to tell me something, couldn’t you have Mr. K or Miss Scotford or—”
“I tried.”
Something in the way he said the words made goose bumps rise on Morgan’s arms. “What do you mean?”
Tesin opened his mouth and closed it again. After taking a breath and releasing it, he spoke. “You know I’m a Knower, right?”
Morgan nodded.
“Well, I had a dream about your mom. I told Greg and Ellie about it, and I told them they should tell you, but they thought it was a bad idea.”
Morgan’s mind flashed back to the conversation she’d overheard. Was he the source? “I think I know what you’re talking about. Earlier this week… Well, Mr. K and Miss Scotford were talking and they didn’t know I was outside the room…. They said something about ‘the source’ saying that my mom was safe.”
A muscle in Tesin’s jaw twitched. “Really?”
She nodded. “That was you, right? You’re the Knower who told them that? I mean—”
“I’m not the only Watcher who’s a Knower. And I haven’t heard anything about what you’re talking about, so I can’t give you more details about it. All I know is what I saw.” He paused, watching Morgan carefully. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”
Morgan knew exactly what he meant. The dream she’d had about her mom was spinning so quickly through her head she wasn’t surprised Tesin could pick up an energy coming from her. “I… I had a dream, too.”
He nodded encouragingly.
“I wasn’t trying to—I mean, not right then, you know? And… I’ve never had a dream like that before, but I could just tell it wasn’t a regular dream. It… It felt different. And I saw her. She was in a… a grey house. And she was… talking on the phone. I don’t remember what she was saying, but…”
“Wow, Morgan.” Tesin smiled. “That’s amazing. Have you told anyone else?”
She shook her head. “I wanted to, but…”
“I get it. It’s hard with dreams. People don’t always believe you.”
“I want to hear your dream,” Morgan said, remembering the reason Tesin had come to find her in the first place.
“Well, I guess it makes a little more sense in context now. In my dream, you found her.”
“But… but I didn’t. I don’t know where she is—”
“But maybe you will. Sometimes I have brief flashes in dreams before it all comes together and makes sense. Maybe it’ll be the same for you.”
Morgan thought about this. Perhaps Tesin was right. She might have another dream that would reveal where her mother was, but… “What happened after I found her?”
The slightest shadow of a smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Everything changed.”
Morgan just stared at him for a moment. “Changed how?”
“She rejoined the Watchers, and the two of you fought alongside together.”
A thrill coursed through Morgan’s body. “And we won?”
Tesin’s head inclined just barely. “She has an effect on you, Morgan. Your mom… She’ll turn the tide. If you do this, if you find her, so many problems will just… go away.”
Morgan smiled. “Tesin, that’s amazing. You don’t know how amazing that is.” She opened her mouth to continue, to tell him about her own dream, but he cut her off.
“That’s not all,” he said. But something in his voice shifted, and Morgan realized whatever else he had to tell her wasn’t nearly as good. “I had another dream a
few nights ago.”
She waited a moment for him to continue. “Tesin. What happened?”
He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, he looked sad. “In the other dream, Orrick found her first. The ending wasn’t nearly as happy.”
“How—how’d he find her?” Morgan felt a panic bubbling in her chest, as if Orrick were knocking down the door of the grey house as she sat here talking. “When? Tesin, when? How can I stop him?”
But Tesin just shook his head. “I don’t have those answers, Morgan. Knowing isn’t an exact thing. I don’t know which dream to trust, or if somehow they’ll both come true. I mean, maybe neither of them will come true.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, Morgan. I mean, maybe Greg and Ellie were right, maybe I shouldn’t’ve told you—”
Morgan felt a prickling in the corners of her eyes. She rubbed them quickly, not wanting tears to form—not here, not in front of Tesin. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for telling me.”
He nodded. “I just figured… you know, if it was me… I’d wanna know. But Morgan, like I said, it might not mean—”
“I know,” she assured him. “But, Tesin, if you get any more information…”
“I will,” he agreed. “No matter what the Watchers think, Morgan, I think you’re old enough. I think you have a right to know things like this. I mean, I know they think they’re protecting you, but… You have the right to know.”
Abruptly, Tesin glanced around the park, as if he felt eyes on him. “I should go,” he said.
Morgan nodded. “Of course.”
He looked directly at Morgan, into her eyes. “Don’t do anything reckless, Morgan, okay? Like I said—”
“I know, I know. You’re not sure what you saw is real or if it’s even going to happen.”
He offered a small smile. “And, you know, don’t mention me coming to see you with anyone. The Watchers’ll be pissed I didn’t respect proper channels, blah blah…”
The Naturals Trilogy Page 30
