Seer

by Ashley Maker

  “Looks good.”

  “Thanks.” I smooth the windbreaker over my stomach, marveling at how legit I feel in the outfit. “Can I pick out one of those hats over there, too?”

  Laila waves dismissively and holds up three bags stuffed full of clothing. “I picked out everything else you should need for your training, including thermals. If you don’t like it, you can exchange it here, but” —she smirks— “I’m sure you won’t. I have excellent taste.”

  While I browse the hats, I ask, “Hey, Laila, you mentioned my file earlier. I was just wondering, since you read it, if there’s anything about my mom? Anything at all?”

  “Staff members only get an abridged copy,” Laila says with the same pity in her voice I’ve come to despise. “A summary of your life events, key facts about you, those sorts of things.”

  Disappointment floods through me. “Oh.”

  “But if I ever do see your entire file, I’ll let you know.”

  My hand freezes over a cream-colored crocheted cap. I meet her eyes. “You’d do that for me?”

  She smiles wryly. “Look, I know how people think I come off, okay? But I’m capable of doing nice things, too, and I can tell this means a lot to you.”

  The crocheted cap is fleece-lined and soft to the touch; it’s exactly what I want. I take it from the rack and smooth it over my hair while studying myself in the little mirror on the counter. My own blue eyes stare back, but I can’t help frowning at the girl I see.

  I totally misjudged Laila. All she’s done is help me, and all I’ve done is think bad things about her. Something in my chest twinges.

  Maybe I’ve been wrong about a lot of things.

  12

  Eight o’clock in the morning is way too early to be standing in a gym wearing a tight-as-sin bodysuit uniform. A small part of me feels like a sexy superhero, but the majority feels out of place, like I’m dressed up for a costume party instead of high school. At least the rest of the students have to suit up, too. Otherwise, I don’t think I’d be able to contain the humiliation.

  My stomach flutters when my gaze snags on a familiar face. Kade is standing next to the head instructor, a tiny woman named Mara. He looks up and our gazes collide before his flickers over my uniform. Awareness sends heat rushing to my face as I return the once over. He’s wearing a bodysuit like everyone else, the leather hugging his muscles like a second skin.

  Instructor Mara shouts my name, snapping me out of my gawking. My face flushes with embarrassment that I got caught checking Kade out. With a frown, Mara points to where the class has already started stretching on mats.

  “Join the class and try to keep up.”

  From what Laila told me, I know this is an Offensive Fighting class, but I have no idea what I’m supposed to do or keep up with. I’ve never taken karate or any other kind of martial arts. My thoughts spin as I head to the side of the mats at the back of the room.

  A tall brunette girl who looks vaguely familiar waves at me. “Hey, you’re Clare, right?” I try to sit down next to her as casually as possible, but inside I’m overflowing with gratitude. By talking to me, she took the eeny-meeny-miny-mo out of deciding which stranger I had to make small talk with. “I’m Piper, one of Tarry’s friends. He told me to save you a spot if I saw you before he got here.”

  “Nice to meet you.” I ease into my first stretch—at least that’s something I can do without making an idiot out of myself—and look around the room. “I didn’t know Tarry was in this class.”

  Piper smiles wryly. “He’s late to everything, and he gets away with it because his dad’s the headmaster. I’m guessing he’ll come running in in about fifteen minutes.”

  “That’s slander if I ever heard it,” an amused voice says from behind us. I glance back at Tarry. He’s smiling, but the sly grin on his face confirms what Piper said.

  “Hey, Tare.” Piper smiles. “Making an effort this morning, I see. The bell hasn’t even—” The high-pitched ring of the tardy bell sounds through a set of speakers on the wall.

  Tarry smirks, but anything he’s about to say is cut off by Kade, who has stepped to the front of the class.

  “Everybody line up. You know what to do.” His eyes meet mine for the tiniest fraction of a second, and then he’s doling out commands that make as much sense to me as a foreign language. The class follows his lead, executing a series of punches, kicks, and combinations of the two in quick succession. They expect me to keep up with this? I start to step off the mats—yeah right, crazy people—but stop when Instructor Mara shoots a glare at me that’s pretty much the visual equivalent of a kick in the rear.

  She points at Tarry and says, “Help her catch up, Blaydell.”

  Tarry falls out of step with the rest of the students. With one hand under my elbow, he lightly guides me off the mats to the back of the room. Then he exchanges a look—more like a miniature glaring contest—with Kade before turning with a smile to me. “Looks like I get to be your tutor.”

  “Looks like it….” I eye the complicated maneuvers taking place on the mats. There’s no way I’m ever going to be that athletic…or that coordinated.

  “Hey, there’s no reason to be nervous.” His eyes take on a mischievous glint. “I promise I’ll be gentle.”

  I shake my head and laugh. “Did you really just say that?”

  Tarry’s smile widens, revealing a dimple in his left cheek. “Quite right, I did. ‘Cause I’m awesome. And so long as I’m your tutor, I promise to teach you everything I know. You ready for that?”

  I try to put on my best serious face, but I can’t stop smiling.

  “You’re on,” I say. “Make me awesome, Tarry.”

  Unlike me, he succeeds in looking serious. “It’s what I do, Clare. You can count on me. Now, let’s get down to business. I want you to punch me in the face.”

  My smile falters. “Really?”

  No jokes this time. His expression remains perfectly serious, and his hands are held loosely at chest level, letting me know he really is waiting for me to hit him. Only, I’ve never hit anybody in my life.

  “Come on already. The suspense is killing me.”

  His lips twitch with a smug smile, and that’s when I know he doesn’t see me as a threat at all. I don’t know why, but that, and the teasing light in his eyes, does make me want to punch him. To prove him wrong about what I’m capable of.

  I swing at his jaw.

  Tarry blocks the punch easily with an upward swipe of his forearm. “Not bad. But try it like this.” He comes to my right side and guides my arm and fist in the exact motion he wants the punch to take. “Like that, but much faster.”

  I punch at his face again and again, until he’s finally satisfied I’m doing it right. Even so, I never even get close to getting past his forearm blocks. We repeat the same basic scenario—he shows me a new block, kick, or punch, and I try to use it, but he avoids me every time—until the bell rings, signaling the end of my first fighting class. The rest of the students disperse from the small groups they’d formed to spar with each other. Flushed and sweaty, Piper joins us. There’s a reddish splotch on her cheekbone that wasn’t there before.

  “Ouch,” Tarry says. “How’d you get that?”

  Piper shrugs. “I wasn’t paying much attention. In fact” —she glances at Kade and Mara— “I don’t think anyone was. Dude,” she says to me, “you are crazy flexible. Your front snap kick was impressive.”

  Warmth rushes into my cheeks. “Um, thanks? I try to stretch out every day. Habit of running.”

  “Well, it’s totally working for you. As soon as you get the technique down, I don’t think you’ll have any trouble at all.”

  “And then I can take all the credit,” Tarry says with a grin as he slings one arm around my shoulder. “You know, ‘cause I’m such a great teacher. You’ll learn more from me than anyone else in this dump.”

  Piper groans, and I laugh.

  “I think he heard me.” Tarry smirks. “We might
be overstaying our welcome.” I follow his gaze and find Kade staring at the three of us. We’re the only three still standing around in the gym, but that doesn’t explain why he looks so ticked off. No, not just ticked off. He looks like he wants to hit someone. And, following his glare back to Tarry, I have a feeling I know exactly who that someone is.

  But why? Tarry’s joke wasn’t that bad.

  The look Tarry gives him in return isn’t much nicer. “Hey, where’s your next class?” he asks, the words echoing slightly in the open space. “I’ll walk you there.”

  Kade’s eyes narrow even more. There’s clearly some unspoken feud going down between the two of them.

  One I don’t want to be involved in.

  “No class, actually.” I shrug out from under Tarry’s arm with an uncomfortable feeling nudging at my conscience, even though I have no reason to feel guilty; it’s not like I did anything wrong. “I’m supposed to meet up with your sister back at the mansion.” The word feels wrong the second it leaves my lips since no one else calls it that. I squeeze my eyes shut tight before opening them again. “I mean, the girl’s dorm. I really should get going.”

  “Hey, I can walk with you,” Piper says. “I forgot my science book and need to go back to my room anyway.”

  “That sounds great.” I look at Tarry. “I guess I’ll see you later.”

  He peers at Kade, then smiles at me. “Yeah, definitely. I’ll save you a spot at lunch.”

  The three of us start to leave, and I’m at the door when Kade calls out my name. My entire body stiffens. I glance back, pausing with one hand on the doorframe. The look in his eyes is still sharp and intense, but one corner of his mouth teases upward. “You’re supposed to train with me in the afternoons. I’ll find you after your last class.”

  For a second, I just stand there gaping at him. Laila mentioned training with Kade this summer, but she didn’t say anything about today. All I can think about is what happened the last time he and I spent time alone. It was one of the worst days of my life. Not one I care to repeat.

  “Don’t forget,” he says.

  Yeah, like that could happen.

  13

  Piper is quiet after Tarry splits off from us to go to his next class. We’re halfway to the mansion before either of us speaks. She brushes long bangs out of her eyes and gives me a sidelong glance. “So, you’re a Seer?”

  My shoulders tense. “Did Tarry tell you that?”

  “No.” She smiles apologetically. “Aaron and I overheard you talking during breakfast.”

  I groan and try to remember what Tarry and I talked about. Nothing too bad, I don’t think. “Look, I’m not—”

  “It’s okay,” she says quickly. “You don’t have to feel bad about not phasing yet. It can take time, especially since you weren’t around your own kind—”

  My own kind?

  “—I was actually really excited to find out. I’m a Seer, too.”

  I jerk my head over to look at her, and it’s like I’m seeing her for the first time. She’s tall and thin and looks like a model in her black suit. Her brunette hair is sleek and pretty in its ponytail, offsetting the olive complexion of her skin. Rich brown eyes meet my appraisal of her. Tall and pretty, and a little exotic looking, but not abnormal. Nothing about this girl screams she sees things she shouldn’t. But she’s obviously been drinking the punch. Maybe if I’m careful, I can play along with her and get some answers.

  “Have you changed yet?” I ask carefully, hesitantly, since that’s what everybody here keeps asking me.

  “Not yet, but Dr. Miles thinks I’m close to the expertus.”

  Yep. No idea what that means. “What’s phasing been like for you?”

  She smiles, and I can hear the excitement in her voice. “Well, I get this amazing vision that I can zoom in and out if I want to.”

  “So your eyes become like binoculars? Is that all that happens?”

  That’s easy enough to explain. They could have some kind of special contact lens. Maybe that’s why they knocked me out—so they could insert them while I was sleeping. I’ve never worn contacts, but I know they can irritate people’s eyes. And my eyes were definitely irritated last night.

  Piper’s eyes tighten at the edges. “It’s called Sniper-Sight, and it’s nothing like binoculars.”

  The hairs prickle on the back of my neck. Sniper-Sight sounds awfully militaristic.

  “That isn’t all, though.” She leans closer like she’s about to tell me a secret. “I also get a little bit stronger and faster, but not every Seer does. The coolest part is that when I phase with Infrared Vision, I can see who’s a Cora and who’s a Rogue by looking at their eyes. Well, with the Coras, anyway. I haven’t met a Rogue yet, but the theory is pretty much the same.”

  Every part of me tenses. “What theory is that?”

  “You know.” She gestures at our eyes with one hand. “The differences in body temperatures give it away and show through the ring around the iris. Coras and Seers are orange-gold. Rogues are dark blue. That’s why they’re called the Dark Ones. Dude, you really don’t know all of this?”

  Dark Ones. Rogues. Coras. Either Piper is crazy like Chris, or….

  This is insane. What did she say about the eyes? Orange-gold and blue and the ring around the iris. No, I don’t believe it. I’m not a part of this. What happened in the bathroom…contacts! It has to be contacts. I fight the impulse to touch my eyeballs. My hand is halfway to my face when Piper speaks.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Concern flashes across her face. She sidesteps away from me. “You look like you’re gonna hurl.”

  I don’t want her to know how much this is getting to me. I need to play it cool. Just keep asking questions. Focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, I take a deep breath and try to keep my voice level. “So what’s the difference between phasing and actually changing?”

  “No one can control their phasing. It just happens whether you want it to or not, and it can be sporadic. But after the expertus, you’re in total control. You can use your abilities as much or as little as you want.” She smiles and her voice becomes wistful. “I can’t wait until I change. I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.”

  That makes one of us. Did they brainwash her to have absolutely no regard for sanity and self-preservation? Does she like white lab coats and needles and house arrest and who knows what else they haven’t told me about yet? Because she is way too gung-ho to get out there and be a Seer.

  No, thank you.

  I want to pretend none of this happened. In fact, if that is what’s happening to me—if I really did phase in the bathroom last night—I’m not going to tell anybody. Ever. All I have to do is keep these people from finding out, and then I can ditch this lie of a school as soon as I turn eighteen.

  Having a plan helps my erratic heartbeat settle. I’m feeling almost calm again when we get to the mansion and I find Laila sitting on one of the couches in the common area. She looks up from a large book splayed across her lap. “There you are. I was starting to wonder what was taking you so long.”

  I wave goodbye to Piper and perch carefully on the other side of the U-shaped couch. “Sorry. I stayed behind in class for a few minutes.”

  “Isn’t that one of Tarry’s friends? Were you with him?”

  “Yeah, we stayed after for a few minutes until Kade got upset and kicked us out. Well, not literally, but I don’t think he liked us staying in there so long.” I point at all the books on the coffee table between us. “What’s all this?”

  She taps the pages across her lap. “This is how you’re going to get your high school education.”

  My brow furrows. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  She smirks and flips her hair over a shoulder. “That means you’re in accelerated training. All your regular school subjects will be taught to you by a private tutor—you’re welcome—so you’ll have more time for combat classes and physical training.”

  A half-groan,
half-sigh slips out before I can stop it. “Well that explains my last class and what Kade said about training.”

  “Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea,” Laila says with a pitying smile. She pushes a book into my hands. The cover says AP Chemistry. “We haven’t even got started with you yet.”

  “Advanced Placement?” I hold the book up in disbelief. “I’ve never even taken regular Chemistry.”

  Laila grins. “Welcome to accelerated training, Clare.”

  * * *

  By the time Laila wraps up our little study session a few hours later, I’m so confused about ion symbols and charges and all the different compound names that my head hurts. Does she seriously expect me to memorize the Periodic Table? If this is the first session, I can only imagine the kind of academic torture she’s storing for later. The last thing she said before we split up at the cafeteria doors for lunch was that I would enjoy our Defensive Fighting class together. Less than inspiring words, if you ask me.

  Tarry waves from inside the cafeteria. He saved me a spot, just like he said he would. We walk to the lunch line and go down the buffet choices like before, except this time the main choice is chicken or cheese enchiladas. Trays laden down with our purchases, we head to one of the lunch tables, where Piper and the other two guys are already seated.

  “Hey, Clare,” Piper says once Tarry and I sit down. I don’t miss the weighted look that passes between Tarry and the muscular guy with the reddish blond buzz cut across the table.

  Piper gestures at the other guy, the one who has the same olive-tanned skin she does. “This is my brother, Jeremy.”

  Jeremy smiles shyly, revealing the most adorable matching dimples. I can’t help but smile back. He looks younger than the rest of us. A year, maybe two. Before he has a chance to say anything, the reddish one cuts in.

  “What, no one’s going to introduce me?” He holds a hand out over the table and smiles, gray-blue eyes twinkling. “Aaron Swift. Nice to meet you.”