“Except us,” Joy commented, digging the steak out of her taco and eating it. “We were given up for adoption when the experiment ended?”
I couldn’t stop pity from filling my gaze as Hope bowed her head. “We were saved,” I replied carefully, trying to figure out how to explain.
“What he’s not saying is we were also meant to be destroyed.” Hope lifted her head, pinning me with a harsh stare. Joy’s mouth dropped open as I tore my gaze from Hope.
“She’s right,” I said grudgingly, not relishing the horror on Joy’s face. “We were declared dead in the records but really, we were the only survivors.”
Joy shook her head, “How do you know all of this?”
“Kendra,” I repeated, sighing. “She raised me,” I said reluctantly. “We moved a lot. I thought it was because of her job as a traveling nurse, but I was the real reason.” They watched me, sympathy in their eyes, and I frowned. “When she thought I was old enough she explained how I’d come to be. She told me there were two others, girls, and when I realized what I could do, I started asking more questions.”
“Which she answered,” Hope stated doubtfully.
“Yeah, I think she wanted me to be prepared, to know why we moved and that if anyone ever found out we had lived, there would be a target on our backs.” I rubbed my neck, knowing Kendra had cared about me in her own way, it just hadn’t happened to be a maternal one.
“Where’s Kendra now?” Joy asked, glancing at us. “We can ask her questions.”
I flinched and Hope murmured, “She’s dead, isn’t she?”
I nodded, keeping my gaze down. I’d begged her to leave when I realized we had moved to the town where she would die, but she’d ignored me, saying the money was too good. “Car accident,” I muttered, guilt surging through me. “I never told her about my ability,” I confessed, my thumb tracing the tattoo on my arm, the last thing she’d done for me. “I was afraid she’d leave me.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Joy reached over, resting a gloved hand over my own. “We protect ourselves and you knew what might happen if you told her.”
“I also might have been able to save her,” I retorted angrily, jerking my hand away from her touch.
“Might being the operative word,” Hope reminded me. “She might have believed you, you might have saved her. Either way, there were no guarantees.” She crumpled up the taco wrapper. “What happened after she died?”
“I left,” I said simply. “There was no record of my existence so I packed a bag, emptied her bank account and came here.”
“To the place where you die,” Hope responded, her tone leaving no doubt what she’d thought of that idea.
“Look, I know you think I’m stupid for coming here, but I was curious.” I shrugged, saying, “What did I have to lose?”
“Your life,” Joy answered immediately, before wincing. “That was rhetorical, wasn’t it?”
“But accurate,” Hope replied, eyeing me. “What I want to know is how did you find us?”
“The cheerleader,” I waved at my hair, “The blonde one. I overheard her at a coffee shop one morning.” Hope’s face grew taut and she grabbed my hands.
“Where?” She asked desperately.
“The one on Main,” I replied and her nails bit into hand. “Ow,” I cried, trying to free myself from her death hold. “I don’t know, okay?” I knew what she was asking but I didn’t have an answer. “I have no idea where she dies, that’s why I followed her.”
Hope didn’t release her grip, instead she squeezed harder. “You followed her?”
“Yes, I know, stalking bad,” I muttered, wrenching my hands away from her. “Trust me, it wasn’t all that interesting,” I lied, doubting she’d appreciate my fascination with her friend. I still couldn’t understand it myself, other than the fact that my ability didn’t work on her. She was full of contradictions, leaving me more confused every time I saw her. “My ability doesn’t work on her, and it made me curious.” Hope and Joy traded glances and comprehension dawned. “You’re not surprised by this. You’ve experienced this too? Your abilities don’t work on Amber, either?”
“Not Amber,” Hope answered cagily. “Looks like we each have our own kryptonite.”
My eyes narrowed. “What’s yours? Or who?” I corrected.
“Houston,” she answered, jerking her thumb toward Joy. “Her brother.” I nodded, glancing toward Joy.
“Brandon,” she replied at my look.
“The guy that almost got hit by the car,” I verified, shaking my head. “I always thought my ability was kind of useless, but when it’s combined with the two of yours….” I trailed off.
“We’re dangerous,” Hope concluded.
“Powerful,” Joy added and I shook my head at them.
“I was going to say superheroes.” I raised my hands. “The ultimate crime fighting threesome.” I paused, when I heard my own words. “That came out all kinds of wrong. Let’s drop the threesome part of that sentence.”
Hope laughed as she said, “Amber said almost the same thing to me.”
“She’s into threesomes?” I leered jokingly and Hope rolled her eyes.
“No idea. I meant the superhero bit.”
“Would you be willing to ask her for me?” I questioned and she tossed her balled up wrapper at my head.
“Ask her yourself, stalker.”
“Guys, I have to go,” Joy mentioned, standing up. “I’m on thin ice as it is since Mom and Dad found out about my skipping class.”
“Where are you staying?” Hope asked and I glanced away.
“Here and there,” I hedged, picking up our trash and throwing it away.
“So nowhere,” Hope replied bluntly. “You can stay with me.”
I stared at her in surprise.
“What?” She eyed me. “You don’t think I’m going to let you disappear, do you?” I glanced to the side, wondering how she knew that was a possibility. “It’s scary, but like Joy said, there’s a reason we found each other, and I’d like to find out why. Plus, Amber only has 13 days, 19 hours, 27 minutes, and 12 seconds to live.” My head jerked up at that knowledge and she gave me a tight smile. “See, you do care.”
“I can’t help you. I don’t know where it happens,” I protested, the urge to run away growing stronger, as I tried to deny how much I did care.
“Yes, but I know when and Joy can find out how,” she said, tossing Joy an apologetic glance, “Amber isn’t the only one. Between the three of us, we can save them.”
“Is that our thing? Saving people?” I scoffed, not wanting to them to know how desperately I wanted to belong.
“You saved Brandon,” Joy reminded me, as if I could ever forget.
“A fluke,” I dismissed, remembering my pain when Kendra had died and knowing it would be a thousand times worse if I failed to save Amber. “I happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
“No, you knew where to be,” Hope corrected. “It was the timing you got lucky on and I can help with that.”
“We need to know how,” I stated wearily, knowing if I left, I’d only wind up coming back.
Joy straightened, nodding stoically. “I can handle that.”
“You just touch someone and know how they die?” I asked as we walked toward a pickup truck.
“More like I experience their death,” she explained, hopping into the truck. “Pain and all.” She gave us a small wave, leaving us standing there as she pulled away.
“I won’t leave,” I promised Hope, scratching the back of my head. “I’m good here.”
“You’ll be better at my house,” she replied, arching an eyebrow. “Where I can keep an eye on you.”
Her determined gaze told me she wasn’t going to let it go and access to a washer and dryer sounded good. “Let me get my stuff,” I answered, giving in and she settled against a rusted pile of bolts to wait.
Chapter Twenty
Mercy
When we pulled up to t
he little white house, two people stood on opposite ends of the porch, facing away from each other.
“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” I mumbled, grabbing my bag as we climbed out of the old car. “She looks like she’s ready to kill.”
“She always looks like that,” Hope answered, waving her hand dismissively. “She doesn’t like Houston.”
“Good to know.”
“What are you doing with him?” Amber demanded, stomping to the edge of the porch, Houston next to her, both of them wearing dark frowns.
“At the moment they don’t look like they like either of us,” I murmured, hitching my bag higher on my shoulder.
“He’s one of us,” Hope answered tiredly and Amber’s jaw dropped. “Houston, Joy is at home if that’s who you’re looking for.”
“It’s not,” he answered immediately and I noticed how his eyes softened when he looked at Hope. “I came to see you.”
Hope’s jaw tensed and I could see the hope she tried to suppress at his words. “Do you believe me?” She asked, her voice saying she already knew what his answer would be.
“Yes,” he replied, his voice strong. “I believe you, Hope.” She stopped, staring at him in stunned disbelief.
“But….Gramps isn’t dead,” she stated with absolute certainty, and my forehead wrinkled in confusion, not following.
“I still believe you,” he declared. “I don’t need proof.” Understanding dawned and my gaze flickered to Amber, only to find her staring at me. I smiled but her gaze darted away. “When do you die?”
Houston’s impassioned question drew me back to the drama unfolding and I could see his question caught her off guard. “Most people want to know when they die,” she murmured to him and he shook his head.
“That doesn’t scare me,” he replied, coming down the steps toward her. “Losing you does.”
I had to give him props, guy was smooth. I glanced over at Amber only to find a gooey expression on her face and barely stopped an eye roll. If I’d known that was all it took to melt that ice cold heart of hers, I would have spouted some cheesy lines myself. I threw the couple a disgusted glance as they started to kiss and jogged up the steps.
Amber took in the bag on my shoulder and lifted her chin. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m staying with Hope for a few days,” I replied offhandedly. “What are you doing here?”
“I needed to talk to Hope,” she folded her arms, her face suspicious. “Why are you staying with Hope? And what did she mean when she said you’re one of us?”
“Hope is family,” I answered, the words feeling strange as they rolled off my tongue. “We share similar abilities.” I wasn’t sure what Amber knew and didn’t want to scare her off.
“You know when people die?” Her voice lowered in shock as my eyebrows rose in consternation.
“No,” I replied, shaking my head. “Where, not when.” She grabbed my wrist where I’d had a compass intricately tattooed, and I swore I saw sparks fly when our skin touched.
“Is that why you have this?” She questioned, either not noticing the electricity between us or ignoring it. When I saw the way her pulse jumped at her throat, I guessed it was the latter.
“One of the reasons,” I replied, stepping closer as her fingers traced the detailed design that took up most of my inner forearm. “My ability tells me where someone dies, but I also have a perfect internal compass,” I informed her.
“Then why tattoo one on your arm?”
“To remind myself, I can always change direction.” Footsteps came up behind me and I stepped away from Amber.
“You wanted to see me?” Hope asked, her expression leery. I turned to see Houston walking down the sidewalk, hands stuffed in his pocket.
“Kicked him to the curb?” I asked and Hope spared me a warning glance.
“I wanted to tell you I’m sorry,” Amber replied to her question and I glanced between them curiously. “I’m not upset with you. I don’t blame you. I would have told you to save Brandon if I’d known. There’s no way you could have known what would happen when you did.”
I propped my shoulder on the side of the house, baffled by the conversation, as Amber hugged Hope. Saving Brandon had changed something and I had a bad feeling it involved Amber. “Please don’t tell me that when I saved the football player, I doomed Amber?” I pleaded after Amber had left.
“Not only Amber but at least another dozen students,” Hope replied, her expression heavy. “And I’m pretty sure Brandon is still on the chopping block.”
“Oh, well, great. Glad we changed things,” I muttered under my breath as she opened the front door. “You sure your parents are going to be okay with a random guy staying here?”
“It’s just my dad,” she answered simply, and I filled in the blanks. “And we’re about to find out.”
***
I bounced on the bed, appreciating the softness after sleeping on the ground for the past few weeks. Hope’s dad had been passed out in a recliner when we’d come in, and Hope had tossed a blanket over him, the action practically routine. I’d helped her collect the beer cans scattered around and put them in the recycling bin, not saying a word. I didn’t need to state the obvious.
She’d gathered some sheets and led me to a room the size of a closet where a twin bed was wedged in the corner. She’d handed me the sheets as she’d said, “It’s not much. I think this is supposed to be an office or something, but we store stuff in here, like my old bed,” she said, motioning to it. “I figure it’s better than where you were staying.” She stood awkwardly in the doorway as I glanced around the closet sized space. “Bathroom is down the hall,” she’d announced, then left.
I’d been sitting here ever since, trying to wrap my head around the fact that I had not one but two sisters and their abilities easily rivaled my own. I’d known there were three of us saved that night, but they’d been abstract to me, and now they were very real.
I glanced at the door, knowing I could walk out and they’d never be able to find me. I’d come here to satisfy my curiosity about the place where I died, and found an even bigger mystery. The smart thing to do would be get as far away from this place as I could.
I grabbed my bag and headed for the door, knowing I’d made the right decision as I tiptoed past Hope’s snoring Dad. My foot hit something hard, and I muttered a muffled curse, freezing when his snoring stopped. It started back up again a second later and I exhaled in relief. I did not want to have to explain my presence in his house.
Dim light shown through the door and I made my way to it, relaxing as the door shut behind me with a soft snick.
I flipped the light switch, blinking at the sudden brightness. I dropped my bag on the floor and turned the shower on, humming happily when steam billowed around me. I stripped quickly, not wanting to waste the hot water, and hopped in. I scrubbed every inch and washed my hair twice, then stood under the hot water until it ran cold. I shut off the water and wrapped a towel around my waist, stepping out of the shower and into the extremely angry gaze of Hope’s Dad.
“Who the hell are you?”
I raised my hands, and hoped my ability wasn’t wrong as I stared down the business end of a shotgun. “Mercy,” I answered, eyeing the shotgun uneasily. I was almost positive Hope would have mentioned if my expiration date was today, but I also didn’t want to push my luck with the drunk man holding a gun on me.
“I asked for your name, boy, not to listen to you beg for your life.”
“That is my name…sir,” I tacked on because being polite had gotten me out of more than a few tight jams.
“What the hell kind of name is Mercy?” He growled, eyeing me like I’d made it up. “And what are you doing in my shower?”
“Hope offered me a place to stay,” I said carefully, figuring the question about my name was rhetorical anyway. “When we came in you were….asleep,” I continued, deciding on discretion.
“Passed out drunk, you mean,” he said
bluntly. He waved the shotgun at my chest and I flinched. “What’s that on your chest?”
I didn’t need to look down to know what he was asking, and recited the words by rote. “A man with hope will know joy and keep mercy.” His expression changed as I finished and the gun dipped toward the floor. “I figure that’s where my name came from,” I told him, and after meeting Hope and Joy, I was positive.
“You’re one of the kids from the Nightingale Foundation,” he sighed, his shoulders drooping. “I had hoped…well, it doesn’t really matter now.” He gestured to me, keeping the gun lowered to my eternal gratitude. “Get dressed and come to the kitchen.”
I heard him mumbling as he walked off, “I need coffee.”
I grabbed clothes from my bag, happy I didn’t have to have this conversation wearing nothing but a towel. I combed my wet hair back and ran a hand over my chin. I needed a shave but didn’t think the old man would appreciate having to wait on me.
When I went into the kitchen, a pot of coffee rested on the table between two plates with sandwiches on them. “Have a seat.” He poured himself a cup of coffee then offered it to me, but I shook my head, content with the sandwich. “How did you meet Hope?” He asked, stirring about five tablespoons of sugar into his coffee.
“By accident,” I said honestly. “I ran into one of her friends –”
“I’m going to stop you right there, boy. My Hope is a sweet girl, but she doesn’t make friends.”
“I think you might be wrong about that, sir.” His stare would have made another man fear for his life, but I was well acquainted with death. “She has some really good friends from what I’ve seen.”
“Are you one of them?”
“I’m not sure yet. I hope to be.”
He considered me for a minute, then lifted an eyebrow, the gesture reminding me of Hope, “Carry on.”
“Her friend, Amber, invited me to a party and that’s where I saw Hope.” I left out the part where I’d run into her in the hall at school and then practically forced Amber to invite me to the party so I could find out more about Hope.
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