Joss edged closer to the mouth of the hallway. After a beat, Morgan and Lia followed her.
“Well, if we’re talking popularity here, I could point out that your friends seem to want nothing to do with you lately.”
Though Kellen’s voice was just as easy as usual, Morgan could sense a blunt edge of sadness around his words.
Corbin snorted. “The difference is that the people here? They’re actually my friends. Not that I expect you know what that word means. I’m supposed to be here, now. I belong. You? You don’t belong anywhere.”
Morgan peeked into the common area just as Greg entered it. He eyed Corbin and Kellen closely. “Problems, gentlemen?”
“Just one,” Corbin said, looking straight at Kellen.
Kellen snapped closed the laptop, setting it down as he stood. “No problems here,” he said, moving past Greg to the hallway.
As soon as Kellen was out of sight, Greg rounded on Corbin. “What are you thinking?”
Corbin shrugged, heading to the seat Kellen had vacated and taking up the computer. “I’m just calling it like I see it.”
“No, you’re going out of your way to be confrontational. Corbin, he’s our best bet at gathering intelligence—”
“Blah, blah, blah.”
In two steps, Greg was in front of Corbin. He pulled the laptop from Corbin’s hands. “I thought we’d been over this. You might not agree with everything I do, but you do have to follow orders. And a bit of respect would be appreciated.”
Corbin squirmed in his chair.
“Now, the next time you see Kellen, I want you to apologize to him. If you need to ignore him from here on out, then you do that. But I don’t need you picking fights with him every time you’re together. Got it?”
Corbin’s gaze shifted until it landed on Morgan, Joss, and Lia, who, Morgan realized with a pang of shame, had moved so they were all visible from where he sat. His eyes dropped and he shook his head. “Got it.”
Greg turned and walked toward the kitchen. Without looking in their direction, he said, “Show’s over, ladies. I suggest you continue your training exercises.”
Morgan straightened, embarrassed. Had he knows they were standing there the whole time? She grabbed Lia and Joss by the elbows. “We’re going.” She pulled them back down the hall.
Joss sighed dramatically as she pushed open her bedroom door. “I miss TV.”
Morgan followed her into the room, a cold strand of dread weaving itself through her stomach. She had a feeling this encounter between Corbin and Kellen was the beginning of something rather than the end.
Chapter Ten
Morgan woke to the dim gray of early morning. She attempted to roll but found an obstacle in her way: Joss. The previous night came back to her in a rush. She’d had a nightmare, the same kind she’d been having since her arrival at the cabin—the first since her breakup with Corbin. Knowing it was out of the question to climb into his bed, she had opted for her cousin’s. A heavy sleeper, Joss hadn’t roused, but Morgan found that just being beside someone was enough to calm her and stave off bad dreams for the rest of the night.
She climbed out of bed as cautiously as possible and made a quick stop in the bathroom before heading to the kitchen for some breakfast.
Morgan walked into the common area and was immediately taken aback by what she saw: sitting at the far end of the kitchen table were Corbin and Kellen, deep in discussion. She just stood there dumbly staring at them. In the days since their last interaction, since Greg insisted Corbin stop picking fights with Kellen, the two had been making a practice of avoiding each other. To see the two sitting together and communicating in what appeared to be a civil way pressed all rational thought from Morgan’s mind.
Corbin sensed her presence. He straightened and jumped back from Kellen as though the latter had turned into a flame. Kellen glared at him with a curious look—was it disappointment?
“What’s got you up so early?” Corbin asked in a voice attempting normal.
“I could ask you the same thing. I’m almost always the first one up. Why—”
“We had some business to attend to,” Kellen said easily, an aura of calm settling over him as he leaned back in his chair.
Corbin’s head snapped around and he stared at Kellen, who merely shrugged.
“What kind of business?” Morgan asked, taking tentative steps closer.
“Nothing to worry your pretty little head over.” Kellen offered a grin. When he saw that Morgan wasn’t planning to drop it, he groaned. “Look, Corbin realizes we’re probably going to be here for a while—and that the Watchers aren’t going to send me—or you guys—to another location. Corbin wants to bury the hatchet.” He looked at Corbin, awaiting confirmation.
A small spasm flickered across Corbin’s face as he turned toward Morgan. He nodded curtly, looking as if it were against his better judgment to do so.
Morgan eyed the two of them for a moment, not entirely sure she believed them. She considered pushing in with her abilities to check the validity of their words, but stopped short: she didn’t particularly want to Feel or See what was going on in either of their minds. Instead she nodded and continued into the kitchen.
“What, that’s it?” Kellen asked, sounding disappointed.
Morgan went to the refrigerator, opened it, and peered within. “What do you expect?” she asked, selecting a jar of applesauce. “Should I break into applause?” She didn’t look at either of them as she went to the cupboard with the bowls.
“Maybe not applause,” Kellen said, “but something. I find it hard to believe you’d be so thoroughly unimpressed by—well, I understand you being unimpressed by Corbin—but how can you be unimpressed by me?”
“Nice,” Corbin breathed.
“What? I thought you’d celebrate my new vow to be honest.”
“Really? Because it just seems like an extension of your old vow to be a dick.”
Morgan put the jar back into the refrigerator. “Boys, play nice.” She took her bowl and a spoon into the living room and sat down on one of the couches, facing away from the table. Behind her, she heard the sound of chair legs scraping the wood floor and of feet shuffling. The feet continued down the hall, in the direction of the adults’ bedrooms. Tentatively, Morgan Felt behind her to see what Corbin was feeling, but she was surprised to find that he was no longer in the room. Pushing out slightly, she realized Corbin and Kellen were now in the library. Curiosity demanded she press in further to figure out what the two were talking about, but she was able to hold back. If it was true that the two of them had decided to put the past behind them, perhaps they needed some time to work through some things or find some common ground. They deserved their privacy.
But what if that wasn’t what they were doing?
Morgan shook the thought from her mind. What else would they be doing? It made sense that, given their current situation, the two would work to make amends—if even to just keep the living situation bearable.
Didn’t it?
Applying herself to her applesauce, Morgan tried to convinced herself to drop it. She trusted Corbin implicitly. If he said things were on the level, they were.
But a nagging feeling in the back of her mind caused her to push forward with her abilities. At first, she wasn’t even fully aware of it. It wasn’t until she reached the library that she realized she was doing it: At the library, she met resistance. Her mind reeled back instinctively.
Why would Corbin be blocking the room off from others?
“What’s up, Morgan?”
Morgan jumped, clutching at her chest. Turning, she saw Lucas, hair still rumpled from sleep. “Lucas! You scared me.”
“Clearly.” He studied her closely. “Seriously, what’s up?”
She shifted under his scrutiny. “Nothing—it’s just…” She glanced toward the library. “Corbin and Kellen appear to be having a civil conversation.”
Lucas’s brow knit. “Isn’t that a sign of the apocalypse
or something?”
“I know, right?” She smiled, but it faded almost instantly. “That’s not all.” Reaching out with her abilities, she attached herself to Lucas’s energy and guided him to the library.
“Now that’s weird,” Lucas said. “Think we should push through?”
“No,” Morgan said quickly. “I mean, everyone’s entitled to some privacy. The two of them do have some stuff to work out before they can live side-by-side long term.”
Lucas snorted. “I suppose they do.” He pressed his lips together as his eyes did a quick scan of Morgan from head to toe.
She crossed her arms over her chest, uncomfortable. “You think they’re in there talking about me?” Her mind flashed back to Kellen’s insinuation that she was part of the reason he’d left the Veneret. “Lucas, you don’t think…” She was unsure how to word her question.
“You and Corbin had this thing. It’s clear you—” His mouth twitched. “—care about each other. And Kellen…” His lips formed a tight line and he exhaled heavily through his nose. “I think you kinda mess with Kellen’s world view—in a good way. I can’t think of anything but you that could inspire him to leave the Veneret.”
Morgan stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. “No. That’s crazy.”
Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Is it?”
She opened her mouth to insist that it was, but she was stopped by a memory. “The day Kellen got here, he told me…” She paused, the words feeling awkward. She took in a breath and started again. “He said he never had a reason to question Orrick until… until he was threatening me.”
Lucas didn’t appear surprised by this revelation. “See?”
Morgan pressed her lips together but didn’t respond. She hadn’t spent much time thinking about Kellen’s assertion since that day. She found she couldn’t think about it too much—doing so just confused her and made her uncomfortable. She sighed, casting a glance back toward the library. “Still… I think we should tell Greg about this. Just in case something’s not on the level.”
“Agreed.” Lucas started toward the far hallway.
“Whoa—I didn’t mean right now.”
“Why not?”
A million reasons why it was a bad idea to arrived unannounced in Greg’s room flashed through her mind, but the only one that came out was, “What if he’s sleeping?”
“Pfft.” Lucas dismissed her concern with a wave of his hand. “Unless you’re concerned that he sleeps naked, I don’t see why that’s an issue.”
Morgan squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her palms against her eyelids. “Nope. Not allowing in that mental image. It’s awkward enough seeing him in pajamas.”
Laughing, Lucas took Morgan by the elbow and pulled her along with him. He quieted himself as they approached the library and led the way to the last door on the right. He put one hand over Morgan’s eyes before knocking and she stifled a laugh.
Morgan heard the door ease open and Felt a wave of confusion from Greg. Lucas removed his hand from her eyes and Morgan saw Greg, fully clothed in gray sweats, his hair sticking up at odd angles.
“Can I help you?” he asked, his eyebrows pulled together.
“Yes, actually.” Without waiting to be invited in, Lucas pressed passed Greg, pulling Morgan in with him. “Morgan?”
Morgan, who had been scanning Greg’s bedroom with her eyes, snapped her attention to Lucas and then Greg. As succinctly as she could she shared with him what she’d witnessed and Felt between Corbin and Kellen.
Greg nodded thoughtfully as she spoke. “Thanks for telling me,” he said when she finished. “I’ll check in with Corbin later today.” He walked to his door and opened it.
Morgan walked toward the doorway, but Lucas stayed his ground. “What, that’s it?”
“Lucas.” A hint of warning wrapped itself around the edges of Greg’s voice.
For a moment longer, Lucas’s eyes stayed on Greg’s face. Something unspoken seemed to pass between them before Lucas dropped his gaze and followed Morgan into the hallway.
As she walked toward the common area, her mind replayed the interaction between Lucas and Greg. While it wasn’t exactly unlike Lucas to push boundaries with Greg, Morgan couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something going on with the two of them that she wasn’t privy to. Part of her wanted to ask Lucas what it could be, but the responsible part of her mind insisted it was none of her business. It wouldn’t be the first time that information had been need-to-know and Morgan hadn’t possessed the need. She chose trust.
She led the way to the kitchen and turned to Lucas, eying him expectantly.
A smile stretched across his face. “Let me guess: you want me to make you hot chocolate?”
“Why, Lucas, it’s so nice of you to offer. I would love some hot chocolate.”
He laughed, going to the cupboard to pull out his supplies. “You think that pretty face’ll get you whatever you want, don’t you?”
An unexpected wave of pleasure coursed through Morgan’s body. She felt heat creep into her cheeks and found herself glad Lucas’s back was to her. It wasn’t like her to react to strongly to a compliment—especially one that was probably meant as a joke. She rolled her shoulders, pushing her reaction to the back of her mind, hoping Lucas hadn’t picked up on it. She focused her attention on his hands as he prepared her drink.
He seemed to realize she was watching him. Glancing over his shoulder, he smiled at her. “Wanna see something cool?” He nodded down at the mug in front of him.
She closed the distance between them and looked down at the mug too. It was already full of what looked like hot cocoa. Lucas took her hand and pressed it against the cup, holding it in place with his.
“It’s cold.”
He nodded. “Here’s the cool part.” He wagged his eyebrows at her before cupping his free hand around the other side of the mug, his first hand still pressing Morgan’s palm to the cold porcelain.
After a moment, Morgan felt warmth radiating through the sides of the cup. She looked up at Lucas, amazed. “Did you just—”
He shrugged. “Basic chemistry, right? If you Move molecules up against each other, they produce heat.” His gaze remained on her for a few moments more than was strictly necessary before he removed his hands from the mug and took a step back.
Morgan turned her attention to the cocoa, bringing it to her lips and taking a sip. It was the perfect temperature. “You know, you’re pretty amazing.”
He smiled, but something about it was strained. “That’s what all the girls say,” he murmured, his gaze drifting to the counter.
Morgan took the opportunity to look at Lucas—really look at him. Before life in the cabin, he had favored short sleeve button down shirts, but, out of necessity, he’d transitioned to tee shirts and jeans once they’d arrived. The look suited him. Even now, in his black and gray pajama bottoms and close-fitting black tee, he looked somehow older, more mature, than he had mere months ago. And, if Morgan was completely honest with herself, he was more than modestly attractive. Though his black hair always had a slightly disheveled, unkempt quality, it suited him. The cut of his jaw was strong, and his light blue eyes were gentle and honest.
“I bet the girls all do,” she said quietly.
His eyes found hers, a half smile touching his lips. He opened his mouth to respond, but movement at the far end of the living room caught Morgan’s eye and he turned to see what was distracting her.
“Corbin,” he said, lifting his chin in greeting.
Corbin’s eyes passed between the two of them before he returned the gesture. “Made any coffee yet?”
“No, but I can.” Lucas moved back toward the counter.
Morgan took the opportunity to leave the room, hurrying down the hallway toward her room.
Her hand was almost to her doorknob when Lia emerged from her room. On impulse, she rushed down the hall toward her.
“Morning, Morgan—wait—what?”
Morgan gr
abbed her by the wrist and towed her back to her bedroom door. Before Lia could protest, she opened the door and pushed her inside.
“Morgan! What is going on?” Lia’s eyes were wide and worried. “Is it the Veneret?”
Morgan froze, taken aback by Lia’s question. “What? No.”
Incoherent mumbles filled the room as Joss shifted on her bed. After a few moments, she managed to open her eyes and focus on Morgan and Lia. “Wassgoinon?”
“I have no idea,” Lia said. “Morgan just shanghaied me in the hallway—”
“I needed someone to talk to,” Morgan said defensively.
Joss pushed herself to sitting, suddenly looking more alert. “Girl talk?”
The room’s two chairs slid across the floor, positioning themselves behind Morgan and Lia. Joss nodded encouragingly. “Sit!”
Morgan and Lia acquiesced, exchanging glances.
Joss brought her legs up and hugged her knees to her chest. “Okay, what’s up?” She grinned. “I wish I had popcorn.”
Morgan covered her face with her hands. “Changed my mind. I don’t need to talk.”
Joss pegged her with a pillow. “Come on, Morgan.”
Removing her hands from her face, Morgan took in a deep breath and released it. “I think I just flirted with Lucas.” The words tumbled out of her mouth without preamble and she pressed her lips together, waiting for a reaction.
“And?” Joss asked.
“What? That’s it.”
Joss apprised her closely before exchanging glances with Lia. “So…?”
Morgan stared blankly at her cousin for a moment before turning to Lia, hoping for some clarification.
Lia wore the face she donned routinely in the Journalism and Yearbook classroom when trying to explain simple concepts like lead- and caption-writing to first year students. “I think Joss means so what?”
Morgan looked back at Joss. “What’d you mean, so what? I think I just flirted. With Lucas.”
Joss gave a labored sigh. “Morgan, this isn’t a crisis situation. I mean, you two are friends, right? You like Lucas, don’t you?”
“Well, yeah,” Morgan said slowly. “Of course. But I don’t like him like that.”
The Naturals Trilogy Page 49
