

**Fear**

The Hero Chronicles

By Tim Mettey

Copyright © 2014 by Tim Mettey  
All rights reserved.  
Published by Kenwood Publishing Group.

KENWOOD PUBLISHING GROUP  
www.kenwoodpublishinggroup.com  
Cincinnati, Ohio

If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as "unsold and destroyed" to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment from this "stripped book."

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrievable system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For more information regarding permission, write to Kenwood Publishing Group, Attention: Permission Department, 11060 Kenwood Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242.

ISBN-10: 0988542587  
ISBN-13: 978-0-9885425-8-7
To those who struggle to cope with challenges  
on a daily basis. You are not alone.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the fans of The Hero Chronicles for making this experience more fulfilling than I could have ever imagined. Your support inspires me. And I couldn't go without thanking my wonderful marketing and editing team for making my books come alive and shine. Finally, thank you to my family and friends for encouraging me along this journey.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Questions

Chapter 2: Embrace

Chapter 3: Wake Up

Chapter 4: Crowd

Chapter 5: Will

Chapter 6: Special

Chapter 7: Trip

Chapter 8: Tribute

Chapter 9: Misunderstanding

Chapter 10: Teach

Chapter 11: Spaceship

Chapter 12: Return

Chapter 13: Promise

Chapter 14: Packing

Chapter 15: Population

Chapter 16: Too Many

Chapter 17: Orientation

Chapter 18: Mafia

Chapter 19: Dead End

Chapter 20: Invitation

Chapter 21: Death

Chapter 22: Church

Chapter 23: Homecoming

Chapter 24: Halloween

Chapter 25: Baton Rouge

Chapter 26: Home Again

Chapter 27: Hurricane Lisa

Chapter 28: Walter's Story

Chapter 29: Nest

Chapter 30: Change

Chapter 31: Surprise

Chapter 32: Packing

Chapter 33: Fixer-Upper

Chapter 34: New School

Chapter 35: Friend

Chapter 36: Discovery

Chapter 37: The Keeper

Chapter 38: Letters

Chapter 39: Preparations

Chapter 40: Flee

Chapter 41: April Fools' Party

Chapter 42: Mist

Chapter 43: Back

Chapter 44: Trials

Chapter 45: Beginning

Connect with the Author

About the Author

Preview of Power: Book Four of The Hero Chronicles

My reflection in the large semitransparent mirror across from where I was sitting showed how much I had aged over the course of the year. It looked as though I had added five years overnight, forced into becoming an adult too quickly. My childlike features were gone entirely, leaving someone who looked more like my father than me. My face had thinned out, more chiseled and defined, exposing a rigid jawline and every contour in my neck. This older version of me was barely recognizable. The cold, black metal chair that I had been sitting on for the past forty-five minutes was pulling all of the warmth from my body, taking it straight into the ground. It left an unsettling feeling in me, as if my life was slowly draining out of me, just as I felt when I was standing over a dead Coach Miller. Even the fire that was constantly smoldering in my stomach was eerily absent.

"We just need to ask Nicholas a couple more questions about the fire," the police officer had told Cora right after Coach Miller's funeral. I had already answered several questions, excluding the parts about Bryce setting the school on fire and killing Coach Miller, and how this was all part of Xavier's plan to kill me. But still a week later, Cora got a call saying that they were ready for me to come down to the station to fill in some of the gaps if I could. She hesitantly agreed after checking with both Riley and Ester to see if we should go or be worried about anything. Neither of them thought it was a big deal.

So now, here I sat in what seemed to be an interrogation room—nothing but four metal chairs, a long table, and a big one-way mirror, with only one way in or out. I was waiting for two officers to come and play good cop / bad cop to get me to confess, like in the movies. I was confused about why I had been put in here and not out at a desk in front of someone sipping a hot cup of coffee, typing up my statement similar to last time.

The door opened and to my shock and disgust, it was James Caldwell—that slime. He was wearing a tight black corduroy suit, matching his worn leather briefcase. His comb-over had fallen down in front of his eyes. His face was red and he was breathing hard. He looked out of sorts. He shut the door and sat down next to me.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, still not thrilled with how he'd treated Elle last year. He ignored my question, getting out some pieces of paper and a couple of folders.

"I'm your attorney," he answered a few minutes later. I could feel the hatred he had for me. But what he said didn't make any sense. First of all, he was the district attorney of Winsor, so he couldn't be my attorney. Second, why did I need a lawyer? I thought this was just going to be a lot of simple questions.

"Wait a minute, how can you—" But before I could finish my question, the door opened. Two men both dressed in matching dark-blue suits with ties came in, shutting the door behind them. Even though they wore identical suits, they looked starkly different. One had light-brown skin and was completely bald; his face was as round as a salad plate. The other one had pale white skin that made him look like a black-and-white picture. He had narrow features and a full head of white hair that was parted neatly off to the side. His large eyes made him look similar to a Muppet. He was scary looking, like someone out of a horror movie. Both of the men sat down across from us. Neither of them had any papers or briefcases. They just stared at us.

"What's all of this about?" I asked. They didn't speak; instead James answered.

"These detectives are part of the arson division out of St. Louis. They have been brought in because of the peculiar nature of the fire. This is Agent Reynolds and Agent Otto." Agent Reynolds was the bald one and Agent Otto was the creepy, pale one.

"Before we begin," Agent Reynolds said, "we are here to investigate the fire, but more importantly, we're here because we know that you are a Thusian, Alexander Nicholas Taylor Keller."

"You shouldn't talk about that stuff; people could be listening," James whispered in a warning tone, looking up at the big mirror behind them. "When Ester Theasing finds out what you're doing—"

Agent Reynolds interrupted him. "Ester Theasing has no control over us, and we are superior to any of you plain-old Thusians. Don't you think we would have taken proper precautions before we spoke to you, since we're Seekers and have more to lose?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see all of the blood drain out of James' face.

Agent Reynolds continued to talk, but I couldn't make out what he was saying; my eyes began to blur and the sounds around me were muffled. My chest felt as if it had a thousand-pound weight on it, squeezing all of the air out of my lungs. I scooted my chair back and bent down, placing my head between my knees. The world began to spin. Just when I thought I was going to pass out, a weird sensation overtook my senses. My skin broke into a light sweat that covered me from head to toe, cooling me, because now my body had become blazing hot. A surge of adrenaline rushed through me. Not like when I used my Thusian talents—this was something else, something I had never experienced. I regained my faculties enough to realize that no one in the room had been paying any attention to what I was doing. James Caldwell was still arguing with Agent Reynolds. I grabbed some Tic Tacs, slowly put a couple in my mouth, and sat back up.

"And if you think Nicholas and I have to sit here, you're out of your mind. You can tell Xavier it's not going to be this easy," James said. Even with some doubt in his voice, he was full of rage.

"James, your weak attempt at threatening us and trying to avoid the real issue is transparent," Agent Reynolds said. "We both know Nicholas has proclaimed to the Council that he and the other three Thusians have formed The 4, thus completing The 7. With this proclamation, it's our duty as Seekers to do everything we can to aid Xavier, to help The 3 continue to eradicate you Thusians, and to break The 7 to create The Unholy Six."

My head began to pound, and the fire inside my stomach instantly consumed me. "Enough already," I shouted. "I don't care who the two of you are. Let's get this over with. If you want a fight, I'm more than ready."

Agent Otto spoke for the first time. "You should care who we are," his deep, deathly voice filled the empty room, "because perhaps we're part of The 3 or on our way to becoming part of it. If you remember, there's now a vacancy after you killed our brother, Bryce Adams."

Agent Reynolds had taken a pocket watch out to look at the time. Without warning to anyone around, I lunged across the table, slowing time, and grabbed the watch from his hand. I placed it in James Caldwell's empty hand on the table to show them who they were dealing with. James Caldwell and Agent Reynolds moved just slightly during this, but Agent Otto didn't move at all. He kept his arms crossed, watching what I was doing like one of those creepy paintings, where the eyes follow you no matter where you go. I had a feeling that if he'd wanted to, he could have kept up with my movement without any problem.

When time resumed, no one moved. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see beads of sweat starting to drip down James' brow. He took a red plaid handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his face, while his hand shook violently. He threw the watch back at Agent Reynolds as if he was holding a bomb.

"Let's just talk about why you two are here," James said, trying to defuse the situation.

"Nicholas, it seems that a lot of so-called 'accidents' happen when you're around. Do you care to explain why this may be the case?" Agent Reynolds asked. They were actually going to interrogate me about what had happened at the school.

"He's not answering that question. We all know the accidents are because of Xa—" but before James finished Xavier's name, he said, "your friend. Ester Theasing didn't have me resign as district attorney for this. I don't care who you are—don't act like you're here because of some investigation."

For the first time, James and I were actually thinking the same thing. And I was glad to have someone else in here with me, even if it was James Caldwell. His voice quivered, but his point was still clear.

Both of them looked at each other, and Agent Reynolds continued, "Okay, if you want us to be investigators for the fire, then we will start by charging your client with obstruction of justice, involuntary manslaughter of Bryce Adams, and arson."

Great, now I was going to be arrested by two Seekers. This would make me an easier target for Xavier for sure. Luckily the door opened before this could go any further. In walked Ester Theasing, Walter Reed, and a much shorter version of Walter. Agent Reynolds flinched when he saw them and stood abruptly. Agent Otto's steely green eyes continued to stare at me.

"Reynolds, Otto, you are both out of line by coming here," Ester said sharply. "There's no evidence to hold Nicholas, who is a minor. I think I just might let the officers in the next room know what you're up to and have you both arrested. But since that would cause us more trouble than it's worth, consider yourselves lucky."

"That doesn't mean Dane and I can't take care of you Seeker scum outside," Walter said, making a fist that reminded me of a large sledgehammer.

Reynolds laughed at his threat, but Otto never even acknowledged that any of them were talking.

"What are you staring at? What's your problem?" I yelled at Otto.

He smiled, revealing teeth that were as white as freshly fallen snow but wildly crooked. "I just want you to remember my face, because I will be the one to end the 10-10 Hero's life. Hopefully, Xavier will give me this task once I'm part of The 3."

Dane went straight across the table in a flash, but he overshot Agent Otto and slid off the table into the wall.

"How pathetic. If that's the best you can do, then it's a far-gone conclusion that The 3 will prevail. Let's go, Grey," Agent Reynolds said, standing and pushing by Walter.

Grey continued to stare at me as he got up. "I look forward to seeing you soon," he said to me, following Reynolds out the door. I tried my best to show no fear, but he scared me, and for the first time my Thusian talents didn't give me any courage or conviction.

"Let me go after them," Walter said to Ester. "Dane and I can easily eliminate the two of them right now. The threat is clear, and we need to act now. You heard what Grey said to Nicholas." His large arms flexed with anger, making his tight green shirt ripple. He slammed his fist on the table when Ester didn't respond, upset that she was letting valuable time slip away.

But all of this didn't affect Ester at all. She shook her head repeatedly and sat down across from James and me. "No, we can't go after them because that's exactly what they're counting on. We have to be more logical and not let our emotions get the best of us." She looked up at Dane and Walter.

"There are certain rules of being a Thusian. Have you forgotten? We can't kill others because they're on the wrong side. Remember, we're all Thusians, even though they don't think we are. I'm hoping one of them will slip up and lead us to Xavier. He's the root of this evil plaguing us. Taking him out will be the only exception to the rule I will allow."

"Why did they come here, Ester? Why expose themselves to us?" I had to ask something to try to suppress the fear that was beginning to well up inside me.

"They wanted to show you, and all of us, that there are other ways to get to you and the ones you care about. Luckily, these two aren't part of Xavier's little group yet. If they were, you would've been killed, plain and simple."

"Xavier and his two Seekers try to set up ways for us to sacrifice ourselves. They can't just come out and kill us. Aren't they bound by the rule of not killing Thusians?" I asked.

James Caldwell's heavy, short breaths became increasingly louder.

"I would've agreed with you a couple of weeks ago, but after your declaration to the Council, new rules apply. The 3 Seekers can attack The 4 Thusians directly," she said, shaking her head. "You know, Nicholas, you should really think before you speak. We can't be sure you've formed The 7, and now you've put a target on your back while putting countless others in danger."

"I-I can't hand-d-dle thi-s; this is getting out of h-hand." James stuttered horribly. He had his handkerchief out again, mopping up the sweat that was streaming down his face.

James was right—this was getting out of hand. What had I done?

"So what does this mean now for my friends and family?" I spoke generally, but my concern was mostly with protecting Elle from this curse I had now burdened her with.

"Thusians are the only ones who need to worry because Xavier is only interested in us. He doesn't care about any non-Thusians like Elle," Ester said, knowing what I meant.

How could she be so sure? It seemed as if every time she said not to worry about something, I needed to worry. She was just as lost as the rest of us. All I knew was that we needed to keep our guard up against Xavier and the other two. And if Grey Otto had his way, he would come after me personally.

"You, Cora, Riley, and Genevieve need protection around the clock until we can sort out this mess," Ester continued. "Walter, you take care of that." He nodded his head. She turned to James. "You can clean up any mess with the police that Otto and Reynolds created here."

"Yes, of course," he said while putting his papers away in his briefcase.

Ester looked at me sympathetically. "Nicholas, now that you've proclaimed to the world that you're one of The 4 and The 7 has been formed, Xavier will be trying to kill you more often. I know what you're thinking: isn't that what he's been trying to do for the past couple years? No, there's a difference. Now you have his full attention," she said, stopping and looking around at all of us. "Let me be clear—there is no proof that The 7 has been formed. This is a very important fact, and we have to make sure everyone knows it. If others begin to ask questions, then I'm afraid of what might happen. A Keeper, not some old senile security guard, has to verify The 7. That's the only proper way it can be done. The other—" She stopped midsentence and smiled at me in a motherly way, got up, and walked out.

The vast darkness that filled my dreams swirled above me. The flowing mass had one eye that belonged to Bryce while the other steely, cold eye belonged to Grey Otto. Staying one step ahead of it was exhausting. I had to use all of my strength to get away from it. Then from the other end of my dream world came a deafening cry for help. It was Coach Miller; he needed me to save him, but there were screams surrounding me, begging for help. I didn't care about the darkness any more or even helping anyone; I just wanted the screaming to stop. I fell to my knees, throwing my hands over my ears to shield myself from it all. It was burrowing into my mind. I tried to force it out, but it was no use.

"This is just a dream," I shouted and awoke, sitting up covered in sweat. I looked around my room. No one was there, even though I thought I could feel someone's lingering presence.

Bryce and Xavier had done this to me, made me feel as if I was on the edge of insanity. All of last year was a complete lie. Why couldn't I close my eyes and be back at my house in Mt. Vernon, getting ready for school with my mom and dad still alive, with no earthquake? My heart started to pound, my chest began to tighten, and I couldn't breathe. I needed Elle; maybe she could deliver me from these nightmares like she had done so many times before.

I took a deep breath, grabbing some Tic Tacs and popping them into my mouth. It helped. The pressure on my chest subsided but was still present. The regret of helping form The 7 was eating me alive now, because it had inevitably caused the death of Coach Miller, one of the greatest men to ever live. Was all of this really worth it? Sure, Riley had explained what not forming The 7 would have meant, but it seemed things would be better just avoiding the Seekers.

"Nicholas, there's someone here to see you," Cora said from the other side of my bedroom door. The clock read 7:30; it was really early to have a guest.

Before I had a chance to get up, Elle rushed into the room. She jumped onto me. Euphoria filled my body, pushing out any worries. I was delivered safely from my nightmares once again.

"I have missed you so much," she said, kissing me several times all over my face. I was transported into a place of comfort, a place I had longed for. I needed this in the worst way.

We hadn't seen each other much since the fire. Ester had put us on a strict no-talking policy. Our new Thusian bodyguards kept all of us apart as much as possible. Dane was permanently at our house now, and Walter was at Riley's. Elle also had a pair of body guards.

"I missed you, too. But how did you manage to escape your dad and get past the bodyguards?"

She leaned in and gave me another kiss. "I didn't have to. Genevieve and Riley came over and took me from my house. Walter didn't look happy on the ride over. He had his arms crossed, sighing every couple of seconds. He's pretty scary; I was afraid he was going to punch a hole through the roof of the truck."

"Don't be scared of him. Walter was my dad's best friend. You have nothing to worry about with him. He's just very protective."

She smiled tentatively, but it was a smile nonetheless.

Now that Elle knew most of the stuff about being a Thusian, I felt more at ease with us being together, because I wasn't constantly worried about her finding out about my secret life and the lies I had told her. But the downside of her knowing was that it added a different level of danger for her. I wasn't sure if I would have told her myself. I guess that's why Genevieve had done it for me. I hated her for doing it but was thankful at the same time.

A couple of days after the fire, Elle asked me everything about being a Thusian when we were alone. She had me explain why Thusians were destined to sacrifice ourselves for others with no thought for our own safety. I tried to explain Thusians' talents and how there are different types that will help us during the time of our sacrifice. She asked so many questions. It was like she was trying to absorb as much information about us as possible, as if she was a reporter about to break a big story. She was focused mostly on our sacrifice and the Seekers. I got so tired of answering all her questions that Cora had to help at one point. She was a lot better at explaining.

Elle laid her head down on my chest. "I heard about your run-in with those Seekers at the police station," she said, not moving.

"It wasn't a big deal. Don't worry about it."

"I do worry," she said. "Forming The 7 means that you'll soon be locked in an all-out war with The 3 Seekers, and if Xavier is as horrible as you guys say he is, then we all have something to worry about."

She was right, but I hated hearing her say it. She was now burdened by all of this. Maybe Cora was right that if I truly loved her, I should have given her up and moved away a couple of years ago. But that option was far gone, and my selfishness had probably doomed her to certain death or agony, so I had to do everything in my power to protect her from all of this.

I got up and turned on some music. To her delight, it was the playlist she had given me last year for my birthday. Little did she know I could've worn out this playlist from the number of times I'd played it. I listened to it every chance I had.

Coming through my window were tiny rays of morning sunlight brightening my room. It had been cloudy or rainy almost every single day after Coach Miller's funeral. Somehow it seemed as though the weather had been feeding off my emotions, dark and gloomy, so these warm rays of sunlight were appreciated. Little bits of dust floated around in them as if they were riding the rays down to the ground. Everything was quiet except the music. No cries for help, nothing. I had missed Elle so much in the short time we had been apart. This was what I had to fight for, moments like these.

"Nicholas, I've been thinking about where I should go to college. EIU is a great school, and it will allow me to be close to you, so that's where I'm going to go. My parents wanted me to go away, but I want to be with you, and this would be a great way to keep my parents somewhat happy and stay close by."

I didn't know what to say. More distance from me would be the best thing for her. One side of me wanted to tell her that she was making the right decision, but that was wrong in every way. Staying close would mean she would be in more danger. Even with her knowing about the Thusians and the dangers that came along with me being one, it was still a risk I didn't think she should take. But I couldn't get myself to say it.

She continued to talk about Eastern Illinois University, and I just listened. I drifted off into a meditative state, listening to her hypnotic voice.

The peaceful bliss was interrupted by Genevieve. "Sorry, Nicholas, but we have to get Elle home before Walter blows a gasket. He's been pacing around the family room ever since she got here. If we wait too much longer, he'll have worn a hole in the floor. He thinks she's been here too long and we're just inviting Xavier to attack."

Genevieve didn't look happy when she was talking to me. I wasn't sure if it was because of Walter or because of Elle. I knew Genevieve had feelings for me—she had even told Elle about them—but now she was keeping her distance from me. For some reason, seeing Genevieve triggered a strong feeling of guilt in me.

Elle sat up. She gave me one final kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you soon," she said, getting up. Even though we both knew it wasn't really true, it was still nice to hear her say it. She turned back before she was completely out of the door. "You are coming to my graduation, right?"

Without thinking, I said, "Of course I'll be there."

"You better be there, Mr. Keller. It's July 19 down at the old theater in town," she said with her small crooked smile, and turned to leave.

Ever since the funeral, my sense of purpose was gone. Over and over again, I questioned everything that had led to this point in my life. Was I really supposed to be part of this group of The 4 "good" Thusians that was on a collision course to fight against The 3 "bad" Thusians known as Seekers? I had no idea what was right anymore. The only thing I was sure of was my feelings for Elle, but lately those feelings too had become not as clear as they once were, complicated by my life.

Just before midnight it began to rain. It started with a couple of large drops hitting the window, but began to build steadily into a thunderous downpour. With all the rain, I was surprised Dane didn't come running in here with Cora in tow, telling us to follow him to the ark he had just constructed. He was always overreacting. A week ago he had us huddled in the kitchen because he heard something hit the front window. He had the full Thusian team search around the house and in the surrounding woods before we were able to go back to what we were doing. It turned out to be nothing more than a bird making a nest on the porch.

Over the sound of the rain, I heard a large truck roaring down the street, coming to a screeching stop out front. The engine revved and whined, echoing throughout the house. It sounded like a monster truck getting ready to smash a bunch of cars. I hurried quietly downstairs to see what was going on. I tiptoed to the front door and went outside onto the porch. The warm summer air mixed with the rain made the air thick and soupy. At first, I couldn't see anything in front of our house, but then I saw the truck in Riley and Genevieve's driveway. It was one of those large tow trucks, similar to the ones used to tow semi trucks when they break down. The truck's lights were off, but the auxiliary light illuminated the driveway. There, standing in front of it, was Walter with his arms crossed. His large frame was unmistakable. The driver of the truck got out and walked up to him, handing him something. He was only there for a couple of seconds before Walter took it. I squinted to see what it was, but Walter went back inside and the truck reversed out of the driveway before I had a chance to get a good look.

"What are you doing out here?" Dane asked from behind me, making my heart jump.

"You know you shouldn't do that. I could've killed you," I said.

"Answer my question, Nicholas," he said in a way that would have made most confess. Not me, though. He was more annoying than anything else.

"I was just out enjoying the nice weather we're having," I said, brushing by him and going back up to bed.

What is Walter up to, and what did he get from the truck driver? I thought.

"Get up!" Dane yelled at me, throwing a pair of shorts at my head. I pulled the shorts on, disoriented, and staggered into the dark hallway. I could've sworn that I had just fallen asleep a few minutes ago.

"Hurry!" someone yelled from the bottom of the stairs. Dane and I quickly ran through the front door to the porch. Cora was right next to me now, being ushered along too. She linked her arm with mine, not to protect me but to be protected. She seemed scared because I could feel how hard she was shaking. Something about this was different than the other false alarms. In the darkness we stumbled forward, barely getting our feet underneath us on the soggy, wet ground. I felt as if I was constantly falling from the pushing and shoving of the team of people that surrounded us.

The fire inside of me exploded to life, sending a rush of bitter acid into my stomach and up my throat, making adrenaline course through my veins. On each side of us were three Thusian guards, all in tactical suits carrying some type of weapon in their hands, with Dane leading us through the yard toward Riley's. They didn't carry guns because they had very little effect against Seekers. Dane had explained that since bullets only go in a straight line, they are too predictable. The only thing that worked against Seekers was a knife or something like that so the element of surprise was there.

Our guards looked as though they belonged in a video game rather than protecting us. Their alien-looking black and blue suits were puffy on different parts of the body, I guess to protect vital organs and weak spots against attack. The night sky was filled with clouds that hung over us and were lit by the town's glow. I could see everything perfectly. The light revealed something that I didn't want to see. Up on the street to our left stood a lone figure that began to run toward us fast, blurring from the speed. There was no doubt in my mind that it was Grey Otto. He moved toward us swiftly and with purpose. He was dressed in a suit matching our guards', but his was all white.

I was the only one who had noticed the streaking white predator. I yelled, "He's on our left."

As if I was commanding an army, everyone shifted formation in an interlocking wall protecting us from him, but it was no use. He slammed into the line with such force that it staggered apart, leaving large gaping holes. Something was shimmering in Grey's hand; it was different from what the guards had. He thrust the weapon in a large swinging motion through the air, leaving a thin silver streak in its wake as it headed toward one of my bodyguards right next to me. I concentrated to the point that he was frozen in midair. The weapon was round, and it looked razor-sharp with a small dagger protruding out of it. I grabbed the guard it was intended for by the back of his suit and pulled him to my side. He tried to resist me, but I was able to force him out of the way. I slid to the ground under Grey's next attempt to slash me. He just barely missed my chest. On the ground, I kicked his leg closest to me, knocking him off balance. Grey swung his hand at me while falling backward. I caught his arm around his elbow, but his weapon still nicked my hand. I instantly felt the bitter sting of it. I pushed him away with such force that he toppled over. That seemed to infuriate him more, making him even more determined. He came at me again. I slowed time down as much as I could to follow his movement. Even in the stillness of everything around me, he moved almost like time were normal, with just a slight blur behind him. He lunged at me as though his hand was a javelin trying to knock me off a horse. I moved to the side to avoid it, but this time one of my guards jumped in front of me, shielding me from his attack. The guard's Thusian nature took over, forcing him to protect me. I tried to grab him and pull him to safety before he was struck, but Grey's blade sliced into the guard's shoulder and down his back. He crumbled into my arms like a house of cards. Crimson droplets glistened on the blade from the strike. Grey smiled at the sight of blood. It seemed to give him newfound energy, reinvigorating his attack.

This wasn't going to work; we were going about this all wrong. Grey was almost as fast as me, making it impossible to protect everyone out here because everyone's Thusian side would keep getting in my way. What if it had been Cora who had jumped out in front of me? I had to get her out of here. I wouldn't let him hurt her. An idea popped into my head, bringing on another wave of adrenaline.

"Cora, make a run for the house, now!" I yelled in a deep primal scream.

She didn't hesitate; she darted toward it. Grey looked at her for a moment but stayed. He was only after me, no one else. I drove both of my hands against his arm with the blade. I could feel it break under the pressure. In that moment I went to the ground and kicked with both legs up into his stomach, catching him off guard. He was catapulted into the air, crashing into a nearby tree, which sent several branches falling to the ground around him. Even with a broken arm, he got to his feet. Dane had followed Cora to Riley's front door, leaving the rest of us alone with Grey. I picked up the wounded guard, who was not moving. The intense fire pushed me forward so fast that it was a second before Grey and the guards realized I was gone. I was right—Grey was just after me. He didn't care about anyone else. He scrambled after me, ignoring the others. I got to the front door of Riley's house, and the door flew open.

Dane yelled, "Get to the basement," slamming the front door behind us.

The others came into the back door, one yelling, "Clear!"

Walter grabbed the injured guard from my arms, and Cora and I ran.

**

Once we got to Riley's emergency shelter, I sat down on one of the many cots. My body felt like a rusty hinge unable to move because of the stiffness, and the cut on my hand ached. When I moved, pain would radiate through me. It felt as if every muscle and nerve was in a constant state of distress.

It had been hours since we had come down here. The blinking red light housed in a small metal cage on the wall of the shelter was reflecting off the polished, thick steel door, putting me in a deep hypnotic state. Its pulsing was aligned with the beating of my heart—thump, thump, thump. Was everything okay? I wondered. Were Dane and Walter able to kill Grey? My mind swam with thoughts that seemed to be a mixed-up mess. The only comfort I had right now was that the four of us were safe in the shelter. The one positive thing I learned was that Grey was only after me, so Elle, my family, and my friends were safe. The moment I fled the group, everyone around me became safe. He could have easily killed the remaining Thusian guards, but instead, he followed me. He didn't even go after Cora or Dane when they ran to the house. But how long would that last?

This solid concrete tomb had become a second home to us lately. Riley had completed it right before the fire. Little did we know that this room would shelter us each time Walter or Dane thought something was wrong.

"So how long do you think we have to be down here this time?" Genevieve asked, sounding annoyed as usual.

She was on a cot across the room, the farthest away from me. She was propped up against the wall, looking at her fingernails, wearing a sheer purple nightgown with a blanket over her lap. She looked as if she had gotten right out of bed and come straight down here. Until now I had managed not to look at her much. Being down here with nothing to do, I could easily get distracted by her again and let the thoughts that had previously caused so much trouble seep in again. And being exhausted made it easier for my mind to wander to places I didn't want it to go.

"We need to stay in here as long as Walter says we should," Cora said. She and Riley were playing cards on a grated steel table in the corner of the room. Riley avoided conversations about anything that had to do with security. He thought it was ridiculous that The 4 would be put down here for our protection—we were supposed to be the ones who were protecting everyone else from the dangers the Seekers created. We could handle ourselves, he had said over and over in the beginning. He had argued this point with Walter and Dane on many occasions, with little success. But once Cora agreed to be down here, Riley had nothing else to say. He had decided to grin and bear it. He would never go against Cora, at least not in front of any of us.

"I hope nobody gets hurt, or worse. You saw what happened to the guard Grey hit with his Belos," Cora said.

When we first got down here, I asked what weapon Grey had been carrying. Riley explained that it was called a Belos, which was Greek for "missile," "javelin," or "arrow." The reason it was named that was because in the right Seeker's hand, it could inflict extremely precise damage to anyone in range.

"They'll be fine out there," Riley said.

I wasn't sure if he believed that or if he was trying to change the subject to make Cora feel better.

"How are Seekers able to attack us one-on-one? I thought when someone is in need, no matter who it is, they have to help, like Bryce did," I said.

"If a Seeker attacks someone with their bare hands, then the Thusian side won't kick in," Riley said. "That's how they were able to kill off the old Council, Keeper Wren, and all of his followers. My dad used to tell me all about it when I was little. He talked about the Great Thusian Wars. It was usually my bedtime story."

"Okay, that's creepy. Who cares about all of that stuff? Aren't you all sick of these rules? I am," Genevieve said, standing up and stretching to the sky on her tiptoes. I glanced away because I could feel a warm sensation in my chest when looking at her. She had to know that an internal conflict raged inside me because of her. This was probably all part of her plan to make me think about her constantly.

"Does anyone here really think we need these babysitters? I know you don't, Riley. You saw what happened when Thusians who aren't part of The 4 are around. People get hurt. That poor fool of a guard probably got himself killed trying to protect Nicholas, and for what? Nothing," Genevieve said, now strolling throughout the chamber.

"Genevieve, this is how it's going to be for now. We have to go along with the Divine Thusian Council because if they wanted to, they could make things very difficult for us. And I would rather fight against one enemy right now, not two, if you don't mind," Cora said with more command in her voice to make her point.

Guilt washed over me. I grabbed some Tic Tacs to help calm me. I was the reason all of this was happening. I had lost my temper and yelled at the Council that we had formed The 4 with help from a Keeper and that The 7 was now complete. I shouldn't have done that. I put so many people in danger because of my idiocy. Who knows what Bernard Weathers has had to deal with because of it? I never said he was the Keeper, but I don't think it would've been too difficult to piece together who I was talking about. Ester knew and I'm sure the rest did too.

I wasn't the only one concerned about Bernard Weathers' safety. Dane also was worried about him being alone at the Thusian vault, and urged him several times over the phone to come here and stay with us. Dane never said anything about him being a Keeper; he just said on more than one occasion that he was an easy target for those damn Seekers.

Dane told us that he had visited Bernard almost every summer when he was younger. He was kind of the father he'd never had. His comments about him had caught me off guard. Dane didn't remind me of someone who was cultured and sophisticated, the way Bernard seemed. It was funny that I viewed him that way now, because when I had first met him I thought he was some old, deranged hermit living in the hills. I guess, like Bernard, there was more to Dane than I could see.

Dane had to be no more than five-and-a-half feet tall, and he looked like one big muscle. He had dark skin, but not as dark as Walter's. His full head of hair was braided into neatly kept dreadlocks and pulled back into a ponytail. When he wasn't making sure the house was secure or having us hide from shadows, he was watching soccer. The green and blue of the Brazilian flag was represented in all of his clothing choices. He was always paying tribute to his home country and, more importantly, his beloved soccer team. I thought it was odd that the Council had picked him to watch over us because he was nowhere near as imposing as Walter. But early in his stay, we had another false alarm, and he picked up Cora as if she was a feather and forced her into the kitchen behind him. He might have looked like he wasn't strong, but that was just a facade.

I rubbed my face, feeling the tiredness weigh down my eyelids. I longed to be lying under the large oak trees in front of our house, not worrying about anything, with Elle by my side going to sleep. But with those desires, I also thought about the time Genevieve and I spent in isolation away from everyone during the blizzard. I knew I loved Elle and that she was everything to me, but Genevieve was also part of me, no matter how much I tried to push her out of my mind. Whenever I was feeling lonely or struggling with my thoughts, Genevieve somehow always knew and would show up. She escaped from Walter several times a week to come over. Walter had a tough time keeping track of her. He said, out of frustration, that she didn't need his protection because he doubted if she knew what she was going to do half the time, so Xavier would have no clue how to find her. I think Genevieve was making it known to everyone that no one could control her, and that message was loud and clear.

"So when do you think they're going to give us the sign that things are okay? I'm tired of being down here as if we're little kids, not able to wipe our own noses," Genevieve said. She was acting like a little kid, always asking questions that no one had answers to. She just wanted to hear herself talk, I thought. I think it was her way of dealing with the stress and the silence.

Four loud bangs came from the metal door a moment later. We all stood and took a defensive posture together. Riley looked through the peephole.

"It's me," Walter said. "Nothing's going on out there now. Grey has left." Riley unlatched the door, and Walter opened it widely so we could all come out.

"Walter, how's the injured guard?" I asked, not really sure if I wanted to know the answer.

"He was rushed to Bethesda South. He had lost a lot of blood by the time he got there, but Chase met the team as soon as they arrived, so he's in the best hands now. That's all we can ask for," Walter said, patting me on the back as I walked by.

The next morning came too quickly. I had just closed my eyes when I was awakened by voices coming from somewhere downstairs. I pulled my comforter up over my head to drown out the growing noise, but it was no use. I doubt the dead could've slept through all of the commotion. A shower was now the only hope to revive me. I walked down the hall to the bathroom, still incredibly sore from last night. Out of the corner of my eye, I could've sworn I saw Michelle Lightfoot from the Council at the bottom of the stairs, but that couldn't be. What would she be doing here? I must be delirious from lack of sleep, I thought as I continued toward the bathroom.

When I finally went downstairs, I realized I wasn't imagining things. Michelle was here along with the entire Council, all of them sitting in the family room. Cora, Genevieve, and Riley were sitting at the kitchen table, discussing something.

"What's going on?" I whispered, thinking this couldn't be a good sign, looking back over my shoulder.

Before they answered, Dane walked in behind me. "You better get in there, Nicholas. The Divine Council is about to meet," he said, taking a seat next to Riley and grabbing a large blueberry muffin that smelled as if it had come straight out of the oven. I looked at the rest of them for some reassurance, but I didn't get any. Even Genevieve was no help this time.

The Council was sitting in a large circle around the room. All eleven members were crammed into the family room waiting for me, their twelfth member, to join them. After what had happened at the last meeting, I was surprised I hadn't been kicked off. But from what Riley told all of us, there was only one way off the Council—death.

Ester had moved our recliner in front of the fireplace. She was at the head of this meeting, just like the other Council meetings. The governor had her spot, no matter the setting.

"Great, we're all here now," Ester said, motioning for me to sit on a chair next to Walter, which I took quickly.

"I'm so happy to see that everyone was able to make our emergency meeting here in Winsor. With so many of our best Thusians here to combat the growing threat that Xavier and his Seekers have posed, I thought this would be a better place for us to meet under these dire circumstances. We're going through some trying times right now, but we will persevere and prevail as we always do." Several members of the Council nodded their heads, agreeing with her, but not everyone.

"The Council will lead us out of this danger. These months, and maybe years, to come are going to be difficult for all of us. Xavier has become brash in his effort to unravel everything we have created and stand for. But I have great news: we have been getting really close to finding out who Xavier was working with, and now our suspicions have been confirmed."

Ester motioned toward the door. A bent-over man who had to be over a hundred years old was standing in the foyer. He slowly walked into the center of all of us, facing Ester.

"This is John Graham. He has been a dear friend of mine and the Council's for as long as I can remember. John, why don't you tell the Council what you witnessed?" Ester said.

"I was in the vault, finishing up some research on my family tree as I quite often do, at least twice a month, or maybe three times—no, two times. Where was I?" He looked around the room as if he was watching a fly buzz around him. "Oh yeah, I was heading up the long staircase to the top when I saw two men heading down the stairs. When they got closer, I could see that one of them was Bernard, but the other man was someone I hadn't seen before. They were both talking to each other like they had been friends for some time. I didn't think anything of it, so I greeted them both and continued up to the top. And that's when it happened. The water began to fill the tunnel. I was barely able to get up the last couple stairs to avoid the rising surge. Someone had flooded the chamber."

"Thank you, John, for your testimony here today," Ester said. "His story matches the video evidence we obtained. But let me fill you in on who Bernard was with: Xavier."

Everyone responded in audible disbelief.

"You can't be saying that Bernard was working with Xavier?" Walter said.

"That is what I'm saying."

"Then why was the vault flooded?" I asked. "What happened to Bernard?"

"Simple—Xavier was opening another spot among The 3, just like Bryce, Raymond, Josh, and Lisa. And those are only the ones we know of."

"Xavier killed him?" A lump formed in my throat. How could Bernard be a Seeker? He had helped me realize that the four of us were already together, completing The 7.

"This can't be possible; Bernard was a good man. There's no way he was working with Xavier," Michelle said, wiping away some tears.

Ester didn't say anything. She turned on the TV, and there was security footage showing both of them down in the vault talking. Bernard didn't look upset; he looked like he was talking to me or anyone else who visited the vault. Then the image split, showing two separate views. The one on the right showed Bernard closing the records room door, and the one on the left showed a man closing the vault door. Once that happened, water began to rush in, and the video feed was lost.

"The good news is we know Bernard died, but the bad news is Xavier's body wasn't found."

How can anyone dying be good news?

"Are we sure that was Xavier?" Sidney asked. "Because that video wasn't too clear on who was with Bernard."

"It was Xavier," Ester said. "There are only a small number of people who have seen him, and I am one of them. There's no doubt in my mind it was him." She paused. "Thank you, John, that's all."

"Wait a minute," I said. Something wasn't right. "Why would Xavier kill Bernard that way? He could have done it more privately. And how does any of this prove that Bernard was part of The 3 just because he was seen with him?" Not to mention that the only proof we had of Xavier being there was testimony from a very old man and some bad security camera footage, I thought.

Ester didn't even look at me. She pretended I hadn't said a word.

James spoke, also ignoring me. "We know for sure that Xavier has picked Agent Grey Otto to be part of the group now, and everyone is aware of how dangerous he is. It was only a matter of time before he became Xavier's attack dog."

I tuned out what James was saying. Could Bernard really have been part of The 3? No, I said to myself.

Ester began to speak. "Now that the Thusian Vault is flooded, we will need to have our next meetings at different locations to keep Xavier and his Seekers guessing in the months to come. But that still leaves us without someone to watch over the vault once it has been drained and is ready for use again."

Without hesitation, Michelle Lightfoot said, "I'll be the new caretaker. Bernard was a dear friend of mine, and I can't think of any other way to keep his memory alive, so I will take over for him."

This assignment would be a death sentence for anyone who took it; she had to know that.

"That's wonderful," Ester said, writing something down in a small notebook she had on her lap. "We will be keeping you on the Council even though it's not what normally happens. I think, in the best interest of all Thusians, we should keep our group as tight as possible."

Everyone in the room nodded.

"So I would like to call a vote to approve Michelle as the new caretaker and allow her to stay on the Council. Do I have a second?" Ester asked.

Walter said, "I second."

"All in favor say, 'Aye.'" Everyone, including myself, said, "Aye." James was noticeably louder than anyone else.

"All opposed?"

There was silence.

"Congratulations, Michelle, on your new position," Ester said. "Walter, if you could now please update the group about the security," she added, moving to the next order of business.

He stood up and pulled out a green folder. "As everyone is aware, Xavier prefers to have more cunning associates with mental talents versus physical ones to make up his group. He has always preferred to work behind the scenes, but Grey is nothing like that, which adds a whole new level of threat. Grey has been linked to multiple murders of fellow Seekers over the past month. It looked as if he was trying to eliminate all of his competition. Others believe that he takes it upon himself to make sure all Seekers follow their ways of life, and when they don't, death is his solution. Grey doesn't mess around. He will go straight after his target, no matter the odds, as he did last night. So we don't have to worry about him taking hostages like Bryce did last year."

"We aren't sure who the other Seeker is who makes up The 3 yet, but we are getting closer. Our findings also show evidence that they believe that The 7 has been formed, so the protection of those involved needs to continue and increase, in my judgment." Walter grabbed a glass of water next to his seat, downing it. Then he looked back at his paper, continuing, "The attack last night nearly killed Chip Fran. Chase Letterby was close by and was able to get him into stable condition on arrival at the hospital. His immediate diagnosis is paralysis; he won't be able to walk again. His spinal cord was severed. So my official recommendation is we double the guard detail on Nicholas, Cora, Genevieve, and Riley. Only then do I think we will be able to put up a proper defense to their frontal assault."

"No, that's not what we need," I said, pushing the thoughts of Bernard being a bad guy out of my mind for a moment. "We need to have less of you around." I stood up next to Walter, who immediately sat down. "Don't you see? You're all getting in our way. Last night Grey was coming for me, not anyone else, not even Cora. If I'd been alone, taking care of myself, Chip would still be able to walk and Grey would be out of the picture. The three of them are just after the four of us. You heard Walter—they believe we have formed The 7, even if you don't. It only matters what they believe." I was out of breath because I was talking fast so no one would interrupt.

In my panic-driven babble, I had a brief moment of clarity. "I'd like to call a vote ordering all the guards to leave here immediately. Do I have a second?"

Virgil May, the person who'd taken my father's spot on the Council, said, "I second Nicholas' motion for everyone to leave, and I'm doing it because I believe that they have formed The 7. I pray that this will finally end the terror the Seekers have been inflicting on us all."

I was happy to get support.

"I would also like to second it," said Clare Winters, the woman who had replaced my mom on the Council. She was not wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt as she had at the last two Council meetings. She was dressed in a tan business suit.

"You can't second something that has already been seconded," James Caldwell said in a very sarcastic tone, as if she was a moron.

"I am well aware of that, you buffoon," she said. "You don't sit on the Illinois Supreme Court without knowing Robert's Rules. I just wanted to show my support for Nicholas and what the rest of them will have to face in the days ahead."

"Then let's call this to a vote," said Virgil.

"Before we take a vote," Walter said, "I would like to amend the motion. My request is that Dane and I be left behind, along with Elle Canan's guards. Even if the Council doesn't agree to let us stay, we will anyway," he added in a very threatening tone. He crossed his large arms across his chest and flexed all of his muscles for added effect. He looked at me, and the image of him standing in the rain the other night flashed through my mind. Regardless of what he had been doing, I nodded my head, agreeing to his terms.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Ester asked, looking very concerned, as a mother would before her son made a big, life-altering decision.

"Yes."

"Very well, if that is your wish, all in favor of pulling out our guards except for Dane, Walter, and the Swedes, please say, 'Aye.'"

The entire Council voted for it; not one member disagreed or abstained. I'd thought it was going to be harder to free us. But perhaps after Bernard Weathers' death and the gruesome injury that Chip had sustained, they realized that the health of the whole was far more important than the few.

"Now that we have that resolved, I think it's important to point out to everyone here that since the Keeper tradition died a long time ago, if other Thusians or Seekers find out about the claims Nicholas has made, we will not be able to protect him and the other three. We are all bound by the old ways; we don't want that to get out. Remember, we have no proof that The 7 has been formed, and that is the truth," she said, looking right at me.

Ester was trying to protect me while acting like a leader for the Council, but her disbelief was stupid. I wasn't sure if she didn't want to believe me because of what it might mean for her Council or if she was truly thinking of our safety. It was probably a little bit of both.

"Sidney, there is no need to discuss our financials," she continued. "I doubt much has changed in the past month or so."

Sidney looked upset, putting down a large folder next to her seat. She couldn't care that much about giving some report on making money from museums, could she? She took off her black reading glasses and put them into an oversized purple purse that was next to her.

"How and why do we own museums?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"We do because a large majority of the pieces of art were made by Thusians, and this is a way we can control our property," James answered. "And next time, Nicholas, read the reports; this information is in them. Oh yeah, you stormed out of the last Council meeting."

I ignored him. "But I thought everything we did was for the greater good of the world."

James didn't respond to me. Sidney did this time. "We're only doing this to preserve important parts of our history."

"I get that, but why not show them for free?"

She replied angrily, "Who do you think pays to take care of them and show them? We do; it's not free."

"Last time I checked we were earning a billion dollars every three months. Why not use that money to make it free for the public to see the art—or better yet, give the money to charities that help the poor? What are we doing with the money anyway?"

"You are new to all of this, Nicholas," Ester said. "Perhaps after this stormy cloud over all of us fades away we can discuss it with you. I'm sure both Virgil and Sidney would love to have help; they love new ideas."

Sidney sat back, not pleased by what Ester suggested, but Virgil grinned, nodding his head profusely.

"I call this meeting adjourned," Ester said before anyone else could talk.

"Right in here, please," Ester said. She had quickly left the room after the meeting was over and was now leading Cora into the family room as some of the Council members were slowly leaving.

Ester sat in the seat she'd used during the meeting, and Cora filled in an empty seat next to me. Was this the reason she wanted to have such a short meeting? I braced myself for the lecture that was about to happen.

"As the Divine Council governor, it is my responsibility to execute Bernard Weathers' last will and testament. Keep in mind that Bernard was working with Xavier, and I can't be sure if these were his actual wishes. I might add that he only named the two of you in his will, no one else. That's why my suspicions are very high."

She pulled out an old, yellowed piece of paper with curled, jagged edges that looked as if it had been written on back in the Dark Ages. The writing had a lot of swirls and character that made the whole thing look like a work of art, not a will. An ornate dark-purple stamp made of wax or something similar was on the back. I tried to get a better look at what type of stamp it was, but Ester placed a folder behind it. She retrieved a pair of gold-rimmed reading glasses from her purse and began to read.

"'To whom it may concern: I, Bernard Thomas Reese Weathers, of sound state and sometimes mind, would like the following request to be carried out. As a Thusian, I ask for the Sumphoneo, so that all of my requests have to be granted unless it brings undue attention to the Thusians or places others in peril.'"

"What's a Sumphoneo?" Cora asked what I was thinking.

"It's the Greek word for an agreement. If someone requests this, then the will must be overseen by the governor to make sure everything in it is followed," Ester said. She looked back down and started to read again.

"'I give Nicholas my six favorite books of all time. I hope these classics of American literature will give you as much joy and guidance as they have given me over the years. There are valuable lessons in them for anyone who is willing to learn. Also I would like to encourage Nicholas to go visit his old home in New Orleans. Your house, 6550 Main Street, was an important part of New Orleans' history. I think when you go you will find pieces of the past that you should know. Culture is an important part of anyone's education. On your way there, please drop in on a dear friend of mine, Sale Sleester. He lives in Baton Rouge, on Honeysuckle Avenue next to the overpass. Tell him I said hello and I hope he would reconsider my offer of embracing his Thusian heritage, but be warned he is a stubborn man.'"

What in the world was Bernard Weathers talking about? First, he leaves me a bunch of books, and now he wants me to go back to New Orleans and on the way visit a friend of his. Since he had helped me get this far, I thought he would have some words of wisdom for me about being a part of The 4 and what we had to do next or why he was with Xavier. But instead he just left me some books and a trip? And also, he'd gotten our address wrong. It was 5066 Main Street, not 6550.

"Nicholas, the books are in the kitchen. I had Walter bring them in from the car before the meeting. We went through them already." Of course you did, I thought. "Just so you know, there are only five books, not six. This is difficult for me to say, but I forbid any of you from going to New Orleans under any circumstances, because of Bernard's involvement with Xavier. Your safety is so important right now," Ester said, sounding sincere.

My heart began to pound, and the fire began to burn in my chest. I felt some anger because she was telling me I couldn't do something. She was overstepping her boundaries; she had no right to forbid us. I would do as I pleased. I could feel my face and ears heat up, probably turning them red. Ester noticed.

"I didn't word that correctly. 'Forbid' is not what I meant. It's not wise for you to visit any of the places Bernard has said for you to go because Xavier could be using this as a way to single you out and attack. And this sounds like a place where he could be waiting to spring a trap on you. We have to assume he knows what's in that will. We've checked both of these places already for you, and there's nothing there, trust me. We don't need anyone else getting hurt." After she finished explaining herself, the fire dissipated. All the people who had been killed or hurt because of me flashed through my head, making me feel smaller than a mouse. This time, she was right.

Ester continued reading. "'Cora, dear Cora, I have always thought the world of your family, so that is the reason I am giving back an item that belongs to you. This item has no Thusian value at all, just a great memory attached to it. The item is this broken sand dollar.'"

Ester picked up a small clear baggy and handed it to Cora.

"'On one of your trips to the vault when you were no more than five years old, you had just come back from the beach, and you gave me this broken sand dollar. I asked if you'd found any that weren't broken. You smiled and said, 'Of course, but I broke every single one of them to get the doves out, so they could be free.' So please tell everyone not to be sad about my death. I have fulfilled my Final Sacrifice and like the doves, I have been set free. Love always, Keeper Bernard Weathers.'" Ester barely got the word Keeper out at the end.

The two of us sat there staring at the will that Ester was now lighting on fire and putting into a metal trash container. No one said a word. Something about all of this seemed wrong, as if a big part of his will had been cut out. I was sure Ester had omitted a bunch of what Bernard wanted to say to us, so that's why she was destroying it before our very eyes.

"Thank you both. I have to get going right away. Henry and I are approving the final plans for the new school," Ester said, taking off her reading glasses and getting up to leave, but then waiting until the fire died down in the trash can.

We followed her into the foyer. She opened the door and Eric was standing there on our porch. He was wearing his gold Winsor football jersey and was frozen in mid-knock.

"Nice, Keller. I don't see you for a couple of weeks, and you throw a party that I wasn't invited to. Some friend . . ." he said, sliding past Ester.

I motioned for him to follow me up to my room quickly, hoping he could avoid opening his big mouth just long enough so I wouldn't have the Council placing any new restrictions on me.

"So what's going on down there?" Eric asked as I shut the door behind him.

"Cora was just having some people over. What's up with you?" I asked, hoping to avoid his question.

"Livi wanted me to come over here and see if you got your letter yet. I was just going to call, but she said it would be good for me to see you. I'm not sure why, but here I am."

"What are you talking about, what letter?" I asked, confused.

"Come on, you know the letters that were sent out that tell you where you have to go to school this year."

What was he talking about?

"Seriously, you are the most out-of-touch guy I know. The school board determined that not all of the high school students can be schooled on the grounds while the rebuild is underway, so several schools around us have offered to house some of the students. Sycamore, Amelia, Milford, and Mason are all possible homes for us. They're doing a random lottery to determine who goes where."

"What about football?" I asked, not sure how they would still have a football team if the players were all divided up.

"Football and all the other sports are still a go. Any student involved with athletics will be taught on school grounds, so they can still practice as usual."

"So where is school going to be held? In a tent?" I asked.

"From what I hear, they're bringing in some big pop-up school. Not sure what it will look like, but it'll be here at the beginning of August. So did you get your letter or not?"

I began to get a sinking feeling that this was something else that could go wrong. My mind became overloaded. I didn't know how much more I could take. There was a good chance I would be at a new school while all of my friends would be at Winsor.

"No, I didn't get a letter yet," I said, barely getting out the words.

"I wish you were still on the team or you'd reconsider coaching because then you'd be with us at Winsor for sure. Our senior year is supposed to be epic, but if I'm left alone with Amber, Erin, and Livi, it's going to suck. I guess Matt will join my lunch table, maybe even Levi, so it won't be all talk about nails and hair. But it won't be the same without my wingman," he said, flipping his hair back, which had grown out again.

"Who's Levi?" I asked, not remembering who he was even though the name sounded familiar.

"Levi Beverly, you know, he was a wide receiver."

I had no idea who he was. "I guess so. I'll call you when I get the letter," I said.

"You better. Well, I've got to go meet Livi. See ya," he said, leaving.

The idea of being somewhere other than Winsor was not a welcome thought. I lay down right as the world started rushing all around my face. It felt as if I was on the teacup ride at Kings Island, spinning helplessly around, out of control. I grabbed my Tic Tacs, but it was too late. I was sick.

"So what do you think, Riley?" I asked, coming down from my room after the spinning stopped and I was feeling a little better. "Why do you think he wants me to take that trip?"

"I have no idea," he said, looking out of the kitchen to see if anyone was listening to us. "It's probably a trap of some sort concocted by Xavier. I'm not saying I believe Bernard was part of his group; it just sounds like something Xavier would use to his advantage. So for that reason alone you should ignore everything in the will. We all have to prepare to fight The 3. That should be our only concern now. Even Bernard would have agreed with that."

"I disagree," Cora said, holding one of the books Bernard had left me, running her finger down the spine and examining it. All of them had the same jet-black cover with gold-leaf titles and matching gold trim on the pages.

"We can't take any chances with being wrong about any of this, so we should prepare to take the trip that Bernard asked Nicholas to go on. That has to be a priority, too. He wouldn't have told Nicholas to go unless it was important, and just in case anyone thinks otherwise, Bernard was not a Seeker." Cora set the book down on the table and let out a small sigh.

"It's a trap," Genevieve said, echoing Riley's point, but more forcefully.

"Who knows if that was really Bernard's will since Ester burned it? I don't think we can assume anything is what it seems."

"It's unlikely that anyone knew where we lived before, especially the first place we moved to after Mt. Vernon, right?" I said, looking at Cora.

"Yes, that's correct. I think the will was real. New Orleans and Moore, Oklahoma, were the only two places we lived that I didn't talk to anyone about where we were, not even Chase. I made no phones calls that could have been traced and didn't leave any kind of paper trail," Cora said.

"So when are we going?" I asked.

"No one is going anywhere," Walter said, walking into the kitchen with Dane in tow.

"But don't I have to do it, you know, because he had Ester read it?" I asked.

"That's not always the case. If he ordered you to jump off a bridge, you wouldn't have to do that, obviously. He was possibly a Seeker and part of The 3 an—" Walter was interrupted by Dane, who looked shaken.

"Nicholas is right. He has to do what he requested, if it's reasonable, and it's reasonable. Bernard knew the ways of the Thusians better than anyone else, and he knew if he requested a Sumphoneo then Ester would have to read it to you. I'm not sure about the whole Keeper thing, but one thing I know about my dear friend is he always had a reason for everything he did, always. And in case anyone here has any doubts about him, he would never, and I mean never, betray any of us."

I believed what Dane said, but I had been wrong so many times before.

**

The next day, all of our guards left, and my life went back to normal—well, at least back to whatever it had been before. This peace wouldn't last long, so I knew I had to make the most of it right now. Even my panic attacks had all but disappeared.

June brought with it heat and talk of Winsor football, but still no letter. The new coaches were granted some extra practice days with the team since the school had burned down. An unusual number of reporters, more than normal, were following the team's practices. Every news station and national sports program wanted to follow Winsor. Winsor was like a juicy reality show with a gripping plot and plenty of interesting characters.

Unfortunately, I was included in some of the news stories, but not as many as I would've thought. Walter had mentioned that the Council was working hard to kill any stories that involved me. So Coach Hoff became the focus because he took over for his lifelong friend, Coach Miller. Riley said that Coach Hoff had been doing everything he could to honor Coach Miller, so that's why it made such good TV. He made sure the team knew that even though Coach Miller was gone, nothing would change. I was asked to return to coaching along with Riley, who went back. But I hadn't decided about going back yet. Too many things were on my mind to even consider it.

To make matters more complicated was the fact that Walter and Dane were always around us, which made any communication between the four of us impossible. We had to start leaving notes for each other in our downstairs bathroom. We put the notes under a little Longaberger basket that had potpourri in it. Dane would never mess with that basket since he was not into anything "girly," as he put it. At Riley's, we put the notes in the coffee can in the kitchen, because Walter didn't drink coffee. So this became our way of communicating about all things related to The 7 and the trip. It was painstakingly slow. We would have to eventually meet so we could work out all of our different ideas to speed this along, if we wanted to accomplish anything.

Elle was able to visit whenever she wanted now. Her two guards would come along with her when she visited. Dane loved that because both of her guards were tall, Swedish blondes, known as "The Swedes." They may have looked innocent and helpless, but Walter explained that the two had derailed several attacks by Xavier and the Seekers before, so Elle was in the best hands. Dane couldn't help himself around them. He was like a teenager, flirting and doing pretty much anything to get their attention. He followed them around, kind of how Chase had women following him around everywhere he went.

"So are we going to watch the special tonight about the football team? If you don't want to, I'll understand," Elle said as we swung back and forth on the front porch swing.

"We need to make sure we know everything Xavier and Grey know. We can't allow them to get an edge on us." As I finished saying that, I could feel tears forming in my eyes, remembering the image of Coach Miller's lifeless body.

Elle's soft hand caressed my face, bending me toward her. She gave me a tender kiss on my cheek and whispered, "You are so brave. I'm lucky to be with someone like you."

I went inside and got a blanket to set up a picnic on the lawn before we watched the special later. I got a couple of vanilla-scented candles, lit them, and put them around us. Elle loved it, remembering our date on the golf course. We spent the entire afternoon eating and watching squirrels in my front yard run around, jumping from branch to branch as if they were performing a high-wire act. We both thought that the heat was messing with their little minds because they were acting so crazy.

After a couple of hours, the clouds began to thicken. The dense clouds looked like they were fighting against each other in a never-ending wrestling match, making the sky darker. By the time we got up, a light rain had begun to fall. We hurried to the porch to avoid getting wetter.

We settled into the family room to watch the special. The only ones not there were Dane and the two Swedes, who were in the kitchen laughing and carrying on about something.

"And now on Fox Live Sports, we are going to examine and try to make sense of the tragedy that hit the small Illinois town of Winsor. We have exclusive, never-before-seen interviews with some of the witnesses of the Winsor High fire tragedy, and much more. You may have read or heard about the fire, but we are going to give you more insight into what actually happened that horrific spring day."

The slim, chiseled host had been a football star back in his college days, Walter explained. His name was Ethan Feyd. He continued to talk about the school and all of its achievements both on and off the field. He did all the talking from an oversized red chair in the middle of the school's parking lot.

The screen faded to black, then refocused on Winsor High School before the fire, panning over the entire place and then focusing on the statue of Coach Miller in the middle of the parking lot as if it was a mirage. The screen again faded out and came back on the same shot of the statue, but this time it widened, never moving, exposing everything around it. There were now hundreds of flower arrangements surrounding the statue. The picture was a current one. There were also a couple dozen people standing around it, paying their respects. The scene reminded me of my parents' graves because of the number of flowers around their headstones.

"This once-proud school is now in ruins," he said, walking into view of the camera. It followed him as he continued to walk until the fire-consumed school was behind him.

"Why are we watching this?" Genevieve asked. "We lived through this and know the truth, the real truth, not what they think happened. This is stupid and pointless."

"It's not pointless," I snapped at her. "We need to make sure that Xavier doesn't gain an advantage over us, no matter what the source is. We need to gather as much information as possible right now." Genevieve crossed her arms like she was throwing a fit but still stayed in the room with us.

The rest of the program was interviews with current and past students and some teachers. Superintendent Spears was happy to talk about everything. You could tell he loved every minute of it, smiling and laughing as though he was doing a fluff piece for a foundation event.

With only about fifteen minutes remaining, Ethan said, "And now, we have a special interview for you." Chad Reiger walked into the frame and sat down next to him. They were saving him for the end. It was the show's finale.

"Bryce was considered the number-one senior recruit on offense, and you were considered the number-one recruit on defense, is that correct?" Ethan asked Chad. Chad already looked extremely upset. His eyes were bloodshot and his nose slightly red, and he hadn't even answered the first question.

"Yes, we were both considered top recruits," he said in a broken voice.

I had never seen Chad this way. He was always in control both on and off the field.

"So tell me what happened the day of the fire," Ethan asked.

"I was heading to calculus when I heard the fire alarm go off. I thought it was just another drill or a prank, but then I saw the black smoke pouring out of the commons. I, along with everyone around me, rushed to get out of the school, but all the entrances had been locked from the outside, so I helped Oliver—"

"Oliver Rails, right?" Ethan asked, interrupting him.

"Yes, Oliver and I broke the glass out of the doors. I used a fire extinguisher, and he used a chair." He stopped, cleared his throat, and tried to continue but failed to do so several times.

"Do you know why the doors were locked? That sounds like negligence," Ethan said. Chad didn't say anything; he just shook his head no. Ethan offered Chad a bottle of water, which he accepted and drank, clearing his throat.

"Once we got outside, we watched our school burn, and in that chaos, both Coach Miller and Bryce Adams were left inside. And there was nothing I could do about it." Chad began to sob, becoming twisted with grief, putting both of his hands over his face.

Cora, Genevieve, and Elle were crying, too. Why is he doing this interview? I thought. It is clearly tearing him up. What is he trying to prove?

In a sob, he said, "I'm going to dedicate my college football career at the University of Tennessee to both Coach Miller and Bryce." The camera panned away from Chad and Ethan onto the background of the school. There were a couple of people around during the interview, but one person among them almost made me fall off the couch. It was Grey, just standing there, mocking me.

"Stop, pause the TV!" I screamed, scaring everyone in the room. Even Dane came running in, along with the Swedes.

"What's wrong?" Dane demanded, scanning the surrounding rooms for any threat, fists up.

"Back it up and freeze right after Chad is done talking."

Riley went back to the image. Even the second time seeing him made my heart stop.

"There. It's Grey," I said. Everyone in the room stared at the TV in shock, the camera panning slowly enough to give us a good look.

"I don't think it's him. The screen is too blurry," Walter said.

"Are you kidding? It's him! Are you blind? I only know what he looks like based on what Cora and Nicholas have told me, and I know it's him," Genevieve responded.

"We can't be sure. We need to stay calm and collected."

Genevieve stomped over to where Walter was seated. He stood, dwarfing her. She got up on her tiptoes and began poking him in the chest. "If you're going to stay here, then you better get with the program, buddy. Just because Nicholas said you can stay doesn't mean he speaks for all of us!" Genevieve yelled up at him.

Her face was red with anger. I was half expecting steam to come shooting out of her ears like a cartoon. Her comment about me not speaking for her was a surprise. Did she honestly think that I spoke for the group? Most of the time, I just spoke my mind. But I guess that was how she felt.

"Calm down, Genevieve. I'm not saying we shouldn't worry," Walter said.

Genevieve laughed out loud, saying, "Make up your mind. Should I worry or shouldn't I?" and then stormed out of the room.

After the TV special we tried to sneak out many times to meet up, but Walter and Dane were our shadows, always around no matter what. One night, I told them I had gotten a strange phone call that sounded like Agent Reynolds, who was with Grey. I told them I had a feeling that something was wrong with Elle. Walter said the Swedes could handle anything, but Dane insisted they go check, which I was counting on. After they both left, we all hurried to Riley's emergency shelter, which we hadn't used since the night of the attack by Grey. This would hopefully buy us some time alone. When they got back, we would pretend we had heard something and that was why we had come down here.

"Not sure how long it'll take before Walter rips the door off the hinges with his bare hands when he can't find us, so we should hurry," Cora said.

"So what now? I'm getting bored of all this waiting-around-and-communicating-through-little-notes crap. We need a plan. It's bad when I'm looking forward to Elle coming to visit Nicholas," Genevieve said, plopping down on one of the bunks in the back of the room.

"Let's look at all the things we know," I said, ignoring the comment about Elle. "First, Bernard wants me to visit New Orleans and a friend of his. Secondly, we know that Xavier is after a book of some sort, probably some original Thusian manuscript by a Keeper or something."

"You're missing the part where we can't trust anyone, someone killed Bernard, we're all in constant danger, and we have no clue what we're doing. Oh, yeah, and we should be getting ready for some big fight with The 3 Seekers," Genevieve said from her lying-down position, never sitting up. "Riley, you dragged me halfway around the world to find these two, and now what? Where are all the answers you promised me?"

"I think we know what we need to do," Cora said in a strong, commanding voice, sounding like the Cora who knew what she wanted. The tone of her voice was reassuring to me. "First of all, Nicholas will need to visit New Orleans later in the year as Bernard requested him to do."

"But it's a trap, you know—" But before Genevieve could finish, Cora cut her off.

"He has to go, but when no one would ever expect him to go. This will give him the element of surprise to get in and out. We'll also need to play our part here while he's gone."

"You want him to go alone?" Genevieve questioned.

"Yes, he should go alone. It will give the illusion that he isn't going at all. Bernard didn't say for anyone else to be there with him. Xavier would expect us all to go, or at least one of us, so we need to do the opposite of what he would expect. Bernard wanted Nicholas to find out something there before we take on the Seekers; I know it. This is the most important thing right now, nothing else. Bernard's death, the book, and training have to wait. I'm sure what we need to do next will be revealed to us after his trip. Only then can we be ready to fight the Seekers."

"Cora's right, but I'm not sure I would send him alone. One of us should go with him, just in case Bernard was working with . . ." Riley trailed off, very full of compassion and care, so that Cora wouldn't mistake what he was saying as him disagreeing with her, even though he was. Boy, were they getting on my nerves. It was nauseating.

"I'll take Walter with me. This will make it look as though it's a normal trip somewhere, and if we don't make it out to be a big deal, then they won't either. This is the last time we should talk about any of this. When the opportunity presents itself, we'll talk again," I said.

Everyone in the room was nodding in agreement, even Genevieve, who sat up and was now looking at me.

Just then, I had the strangest feeling I was forgetting to tell them something—who knew when we would all be able to talk again—and then I realized what it was.

"I saw Walt—" I stopped midsentence and changed what I was going to say. "I'm not sure if I'm going to be at Winsor this year for school. I still haven't received my letter yet that tells me what school I have to go to. This could be a problem, because who will watch over everyone to make sure there isn't another attack at school, like when Coach . . . ?" I stopped before I said Coach Miller's name. It was too difficult to say. I don't know what stopped me from telling them about Walter.

Cora came over and sat down beside me, putting her hand on my shoulder. Normally, Genevieve would take care of me, too, but she was absent from my side this time.

"There was nothing you could have done differently to save Coach Miller. He died protecting you guys; he's a hero. He did the only thing he knew how to do. It wasn't your fault," Cora said.

"You're the most incredible person I have ever known, and I—" Genevieve stopped and corrected herself. "We care deeply for you. We all will watch over the students and staff at Winsor if you're not there with Riley. We're a team." She looked straight into my eyes from across the room. I looked back at her and could feel our connection again like the night of the winter storm. It was invigorating.

The moment didn't last long.

"Are you guys in there?" Dane asked in a nervous voice, pounding on the door. The hollow thuds sounded like they were made in desperation. He must have been searching everywhere for us.

"Yes, we are, Dane. We thought we heard something," Riley said.

"Oh, okay, it's safe now. We searched everywhere for you, and there's no one out here or at Elle's."

"We'll be out in a minute," Riley responded.

Turning to us, he whispered, "Okay, the next time we talk about this is before Nicholas leaves."

Genevieve walked over to be next to us as the door was unlocked and opened. She leaned in close to me as if she had been longing for this connection between us to move farther along its path. My guilt took over. I pulled away and walked past Dane, who was sitting on a stool just outside the door.

"Nicholas," he called after me, but I was already heading up the stairs. I continued on as though I hadn't heard him.

As soon as I got home, I called Elle. I was still feeling the lingering effects of Genevieve, which made my skin crawl now. I'm with Elle, I told myself repeatedly. Genevieve is just part of The 4, that's why there's a connection.

"Nicholas, you're coming to my graduation and party, right?" Elle asked before she even said hello.

"Hi, Elle, how are you?"

"Hi, are you coming?" she asked impatiently.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world," I said.

"You better not, mister. I just had a bad feeling you were going to call and say you couldn't come."

"Maybe it's best if I don't come," I said, having second thoughts about going. Me being there could put everyone in danger. What if the Seekers were hoping I would be there?

"I know what you're thinking, and no, we will not be safer if you aren't there. You're the reason why more people haven't been killed or hurt. You four are here to protect us, so no more talk of not going. I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Right," I said, trying to sound sure of myself.

I went to my room and locked the door after I got off the phone. I had to be alone. I began to listen to Elle's playlist. With each song, doubts about me going flooded over me more and more. I grabbed some Tic Tacs and began to pace my room. I could get everyone killed. There was no way I could protect them all. I began to feel like an exposed nerve, sending pain shooting through me every time I moved. Stripping off all my clothes, I retreated to my bed and pulled the covers over me to feel the warmth and pressure of my heavy down comforter. Even though it was summer and hot under the covers, I needed it. It brought me back to this world, making me feel as if I wasn't spinning out of control.

In anguish, I let out a scream mixed with rage, frustration, and fear that resulted in both Cora and Dane pounding on my door asking if I was okay seconds later. I reassured them from under the comforter that everything was fine. They eventually left, after a couple more questions to make sure. I had to see Elle tonight to calm my nerves. I couldn't wait until graduation. I had to see her now.

I waited until my clock read midnight, and then I got dressed and ran down the stairs and out the door. My truck was already on the road, taking me to Elle's before anyone could see where I was going or ask what I was doing. I knew it was childish and dangerous, but I didn't want anyone to tag along, even though I knew that Genevieve wouldn't be far behind.

During the brief ride in the truck, I began to doubt Elle's feelings toward me. Maybe her feelings had changed somehow, and that was the reason why I was starting to feel more of a connection with Genevieve. Where did this come from? I wondered. Then my mind took it further. If Elle's feelings had changed, I couldn't blame her. A life with me would be full of danger and secrets. No one should have to go through that. I didn't even want to. Maybe she was just looking for an excuse to escape but hadn't found a way out yet, like when Oliver asked her to Homecoming. She was too nice to say no, not ending it with me because she knew I needed her.

If you love her, it's even more important not to be around her anymore. Cora's words echoed in my head. What other doubts could I have? At this rate I would be crazy before I even got to her house. I pushed down hard on the gas pedal to get me there faster.

I opened and crawled down through her window, which was unlocked, feeling confused about everything now. The first thing I saw was her yellow graduation gown set out next to her bed with a matching hat. Elle was asleep. It looked as though she had gone to bed right after we had talked hours ago. She was breathing deeply in a heavy sleep. I stood and stared at her for a moment. The full moon cast a bluish light into the room. She looked at peace, like she didn't have a care in the world. All of my troubles washed away just by looking at my angel.

I bent over to wake her, hoping for some relief from all of this agony.

"Elle, Elle." I shook her. She didn't wake up at first; she smiled her little crooked smile, still lost in a dream. No matter how I felt about Genevieve, it didn't compare to the intense, unconditional love I had for Elle deep in my heart. This love would give me strength greater than any talents I possessed. I found some confidence in that little smile.

"Elle, wake up," I said a little louder and shook her with a little more force.

She opened her eyes and sat up quickly. "What's wrong?" she asked, panicked.

"Shh, nothing, Elle, I just had to see you. It's been a long time since I sneaked over here, you know?"

She smiled, then frowned. "I'm happy to see you, but aren't you being reckless? One of those Seekers could have followed you, and what if my bodyguards saw you sneak in? They could tell the Council and forbid you from seeing me and coming to my graduation—"

I put my hand under her chin, stopping her midsentence, and gently turned her head toward me.

"Nobody can keep me from you. I'll be there at your graduation no matter what, I promise. The Swedes didn't see me sneak in, and I'm probably not alone. I'm sure Genevieve followed me here."

The mention of Genevieve's name made Elle pull away. Not physically but emotionally, as if a switch for her emotions turned off. We didn't speak again the rest of the time I was there. We just curled up on her large round chair and watched TV. Even though we were touching, I felt miles away from her, like some large void or chasm was forming beyond my control. My newfound confidence faded.

"Nicholas, hurry, we don't want to be late for Elle's graduation," Cora called.

I checked my bright-blue tie one last time in the mirror, making sure the knot looked good, and went downstairs. Cora had purchased another suit for me from Oxford, of course. She must have had them on speed dial. She was wearing a yellow sundress with a matching hat.

I was relieved to finally be going. I had been dressed for over an hour, sitting in my room, staring out the window, fidgeting with my tie, and remembering the first time I saw Riley and Genevieve during that thunderstorm. My sole reason for accepting the life of being part of The 4 that Riley offered was to be with and protect Elle. But now, the longer she knew my secrets, the more we were being forced apart. This was ironic because my secrets used to do the same.

I drove Cora and Dane in my truck to the large Thirty-Fourth Street Theater in downtown Winsor. The graduation ceremony was always held in the school's auditorium, but they had to settle for this location instead because it was the only other place in town that was big enough to hold it. The Thirty-Fourth Street Theater had been built back in the early '20s and must have been the pride of the town then. But now, it had seen better days, though it still had some charming historical qualities. It had several elaborate stained-glass windows complemented by gold leaf carved details all around. The light wood with the rich, dark veins ran through the entire place, making it somehow seem alive. The school had put a lot of money into getting the place ready for this graduation. They had replaced all of the seats with luxury crushed-velvet cushions and put in a glass chandelier hanging in the middle of the entire theater. The only positive thing to come of the school's fire was that this place had new life breathed back into it.

We found our seats and sat down. I avoided eye contact with everyone as much as I could. I didn't want to draw attention to us just in case Xavier was watching and would send Grey after us if we were spotted. Luckily we didn't have to explain who Dane was to anyone around us. Ester and the Council had worked hard on our guards' cover stories even before we knew we were getting them. Walter was the one who had created Dane's backstory. He was a friend of Cora's visiting from Brazil, who was interested in importing coffee to the United States. After his story circled around Winsor, we didn't get any other questions. People actually pretended to know him, calling him by name. Ester had added into his story that he was a widower, which was music to Joy Lemmins' ears, who found us right when we sat down.

"So this is your friend from Brazil-ya," she said in some weird accent. Why was she talking that way? Did she think it made her more attractive or something? And Brazil-ya?

"Yes, this is Dane Blanco. He is staying with us for the year," Cora said.

Joy immediately stuck out her hand. I think she wanted him to kiss it or something, but instead he grabbed it and shook it awkwardly. I began to laugh, and he looked at me, now understanding what was going on.

"I was thinking that we could get some dinner later tonight. I know a great Brazilian steak house," she said, winking awkwardly at him as if she had a speck of dust in her eye.

Cora let out a snort this time and then composed herself and said, "Joy, sorry, but Dane is going with us to Elle's graduation party. Maybe some other time."

Not discouraged at all, she blew a kiss at him and said as she walked away, "Maybe another night, my handsome lamb chop." She wasn't looking where she was going, of course, and bumped into a couple looking for their seats. At least Joy was always good for a laugh. I needed that.

We were seated right behind Genevieve and Walter. Riley was up on stage in a bright-green gown to help hand out diplomas to the graduating seniors. The theater was crawling with Thusians. The entire Council was here, including every Thusian guard who had been at our house at one point or another. I even saw Chip in a wheelchair near the front next to Ester and Henry Theasing. Genevieve turned around and looked at me, not a quick glance but like she wanted to say something. Walter put his arm around her so she would turn back around.

Principal Kitchen walked up to the podium, and the string quartet up on stage stopped playing.

"Good afternoon, and thank you for coming to help send off this incredible senior class." The theater rumbled with applause with a couple of whistles thrown in. Mrs. Kitchen continued, "Before we start the graduation ceremony, we would like to inform everyone that Winsor High School has already begun the rebuilding process, thanks to a generous gift from the Theasings."

Henry popped out of his seat and began to wave to the crowd. Ester stood quickly and then sat back down. The audience responded with less-than-enthusiastic applause for them.

"This process will be a long one, but we will endure through this tragedy," Mrs. Kitchen said. "While some things can be replaced, others cannot. We would like to start this graduation ceremony with a tribute to one of the greatest men I ever had the privilege of knowing."

The lights dimmed, and the string quartet began to play. A high soprano's voice sang above the music. The song was a different arrangement of "God Bless America." The song was so beautiful; I couldn't think of a more fitting type of song to honor Coach Miller. He would have wanted it this way. Pictures began to play on a large screen that lowered from above the stage. At first, there were pictures of him at the school last year, and then there was one when he was younger with a girl, who had to be Lilly. His arm was draped over her, and they both had big smiles on their faces. Look how happy they were. Little did he know then that he would have to pull her lifeless body out of their burning house before they got married. Would someone look at a picture of Elle and me and say something similar many years from now? The thought of her death was enough to take my breath away.

Several other pictures of Coach Miller throughout the years scrolled onto the screen, but then there were pictures of people I didn't recognize. Each one had a name under it and a date. There were at least twenty pictures similar to that, if not more. The last picture was Coach Miller in his Winsor firefighter gear.

"That last group of pictures was all the people that Aaron Michael Miller rescued when he was a firefighter," Principal Kitchen said. "Could all of those people who are here please stand?"

As soon as Principal Kitchen said that, dozens of people stood, including Oliver Rails and several other seniors up on the stage.

"Well, I guess you can see that he had a greater impact than anyone ever knew."

Coach Hoff walked out onto the stage holding a large frame. He turned it to face the audience. It was an oil painting of Coach Miller in his coaching shirt and hat.

Everyone stood immediately, giving a standing ovation. It lasted several minutes before the crowd sat back down.

Mrs. Kitchen then said, "We will also pay tribute to the student we lost in the fire."

What? How can they be doing this? Bryce was Coach Miller's murderer. Pictures of him with Erin appeared, followed by one at the Valentine's Day mixer where he was sitting next to Elle, and finally one of our lunch table last year. I wanted to stand up and yell at the top of my lungs to stop this madness because he was the reason why Coach Miller was dead, but I didn't. Cora, sensing my distress, put her hand on mine. Genevieve also knew I was upset because she turned around and waited for me to make eye contact with her to give me comfort. Her gaze lifted some of the pain I was feeling.

I looked up as the pictures of Bryce stopped and a video began to play. It was very grainy as if it had been shot with a very old camera. Along with the poor picture quality, there was a lot of static in the audio. It was a much younger Coach Miller in the same Winsor football shirt he always wore. His hair was messed up, and he had a big grin on his face. Different players and individuals kept coming up and congratulating him. He was celebrating something.

A voice from outside the shot said, "So, how does it feel to win a state championship after your first year of coaching?"

Coach Miller said, "It's incredible to be part of something like this, but my coaches and players deserve the credit. I'm grateful to Winsor for giving me this opportunity, and I hope I will be able to continue this winning tradition for years to come."

Behind him, someone dumped a large cup of water on his head. He turned and grabbed the person and put his arm around him. The video froze right on that picture of Coach Miller and Coach Hoff together.

The picture faded and the lights came up. Principal Kitchen wasn't standing there any longer. Standing in her place was Oliver. He unfolded a piece of paper that he took from his pocket and walked up to the microphone stand.

"Dear Coach Miller, I was honored to have played for you. Even when my actions didn't represent you or the program well, you never gave up on me. Just like me, there have been hundreds of others you haven't given up on, saving them. I'm only one person, but I speak for everyone when I say it was a privilege to have known someone like you. I will miss you."

I remembered how cruel Oliver had been to Elle and me in the past. He had put us through so much, but he had come a long way from the bully I once knew him as. Coach Miller was right to give him a second chance. I will too, I thought to myself, if I have the chance.

The rest of the graduation ceremony went quickly; it was pretty standard. Elle got her diploma, and so did Chad and Oliver. We waited for Riley outside the theater and headed to the parking lot when he came out.

"Cora, how about you ride with Walter and me?" Riley said. "Genevieve can go with Nicholas and Dane." Neither Walter nor Dane objected, nor did I. I really didn't care who I rode with right now. With any luck, Genevieve would ignore me, and Dane would probably listen to a soccer game on his headphones. I needed some time to think, or better yet, not think.

Dane got into the back of my truck, putting on his headphones like I thought he would, and Genevieve sat right next to me. She didn't talk, but every inch of her side was against me. I wanted to pull away but didn't.

When we had first talked about going to Elle's graduation party, Walter tried to forbid it, but Cora simply said, "We're going with you or without you. Please remember that you and Dane are both here because we allow you to be. The Council doesn't control us. Don't think for one moment that we couldn't escape from you and everyone else, and hide forever. I still have all of my contacts. We can disappear into thin air. You are here to help us, but you are not to interfere. Do I make myself clear?" Walter nodded, not saying anything, and Dane left the room halfway through her threat. Cora always made sure people knew who was in charge when she meant business. This had to be a Thusian talent of hers.

When we pulled into Elle's neighborhood, there were parked cars up and down the street, leaving barely enough room to drive down the middle. It looked as though most of the school was here. Her house was covered in green and gold balloons and signs.

We caught up to Cora, Riley, and Walter, who were waiting on the driveway for us. Walter grabbed me and pulled me to the side while the others went up to the front door.

"Listen here, little man. I'll keep Dane and the others busy so you and Elle can have some time alone. I can't promise anything, but I will do my best." He hit me on the back, which felt like being hit by a club. We walked up to the door. I wondered why he was interested in giving Elle and me time alone. He was so difficult to figure out.

"Dane, we don't need to be so uptight about watching them here. You and I, along with the Swedes and half the Council, will be here. I even think Dr. Chase Letterby will be making an appearance, too, so this is the safest place for the four of them to be right now," Walter said.

"If Chase is coming, you should keep your guard up because that goof needs looking after," Riley said.

Cora immediately slapped him on the back of the head. "Now let's be a good boy today," she said, patronizing him.

"But Ester told us to stay with them no matter where we are and—"

Walter interrupted Dane. "I'm part of the Council and the one in charge here. It will be fine."

Dane looked like he didn't agree but didn't dare challenge Walter further. Mrs. Canan answered the door.

"Hello, everyone, I'm so happy you're here to help us celebrate." As soon as she began to speak, the sun started to shine even brighter as if it knew how special this day was.

"Please come in and make yourselves comfortable. Elle is on the back porch where the food is."

When I walked by, Mrs. Canan stopped me. "Elle has been looking forward to seeing you. She's waiting in the basement. Don't tell Mr. Canan," she said with a wink.

The group walked up the stairs toward the porch. I parted from them and slipped downstairs. Elle was sitting on the couch, flipping through a magazine. She looked breathtaking. She was wearing a bright red skirt and matching blouse. How could she be so radiant? I took a moment to admire how stunning she was just sitting there. She heard me and came running over. She jumped into my arms. Her embrace was a welcome one; the coldness from the other night was gone. Her touch sent warmth through me, reassuring me of her love. I picked her up and spun her around, kissing her. She kissed me back like she hadn't seen me for months.

"I guess you missed me," I said.

"You could say that."

"So why are you down here? Shouldn't you be outside?" What a dumb question.

She must have agreed because she gave me a look that said, Really? You know why.

"Sorry. What I meant was: why are you keeping everyone waiting?"

"There's something you need to know. I haven't told my parents about going to school nearby. They think I'm going to Duke, where they both went. I haven't had the heart to tell them yet."

This wasn't good. I was sure her dad was hoping she would go away for school to escape from me. I couldn't imagine he was going to be okay with any of this.

"What's your dad going to think?"

"Not sure and I really don't care. I need to be close to you because who knows when you may need me? I can't leave you right now."

Cora was right; I should have moved away to protect Elle. Instead of going to a community college and being in constant danger, she would have been attending Duke and escaping my Thusian curse. But now she was changing her future because of me, putting herself in more danger.

"Elle, I'll support you no matter what, but I don't think you should give up on going to Duke. I can come and visit—"

She interrupted, "Nicholas, I'm doing this for you, for us. Don't start sounding like my dad," she said, full of contempt.

That stung a little, but she was right. I was acting similar to him. "I want to make sure you aren't doing it just for me."

"I'm doing this for us," she said.

"Elle, I would like for you to think about this before you tell anyone else." Her eyebrows rose to protest again, but I quickly saved myself from being compared to her dad again by taking her hand and saying, "If you go off to school, it will give me the chance to spend more time with you away from everyone. You can't exactly have bodyguards staying in the dorm room with you." I pulled her closer. "Don't you want more alone time? Because here we would never have that time."

She pulled away and started to tap her finger next to her mouth as if I had asked her a tough question that she had to think hard about. "What makes you think I would let you stay with me?"

I leaned forward and kissed her.

She didn't open her eyes and said, "That's a real good reason for me to think about it some more, I guess." Her eyes opened. "I won't tell anyone yet about community college until we talk about it more."

She grabbed my hand and led me upstairs and out onto the back porch. There were over a hundred people here. I spotted Dane, who looked as though he had circled the house several times in a panic looking for me. Sweat was pouring down his face, and his blue dress shirt was halfway untucked. Part of his dreads had come out of his hat. He didn't look happy when he saw me. He squinted his eyes and shook his head, saying something under his breath that I was sure was laced with Brazilian curse words.

I walked over to Cora and Genevieve, who were off to the side of the porch, talking away from everyone else. Elle started to greet her guests, making her rounds. Riley and Walter had ended up with Mr. Theasing by the food table. If I knew Mr. Theasing, he was probably talking about Winsor football and how he was going to preserve the traditions no matter what. Chase had joined the party, too, but to my surprise there was a woman right next to him on his arm. Not a groupie but someone who looked like a match for him. She was perfect, with light-brown flawless skin. She looked to be from India. Her dress was reflective of that culture, but it had been Americanized, revealing just enough skin, but still classy. She had exotic-looking makeup on her face and a large diamond-looking stone between her eyebrows. She looked stunning and sophisticated and was as tall as Chase. He was making the rounds with her, showing her off to everyone at the party, which was odd because normally he preferred to be the main attraction.

"What's that about?" I asked.

Genevieve didn't wait for Cora to answer. "Chase is trying to make Cora jealous, but he's failing miserably. Little does he know that woman is the bodyguard assigned to him. Dane slipped up when Chase introduced her. He started to say her name before Chase had a chance to say it, so Ms. Rakshita has to be a plant by Walter. We aren't sure if Chase knows and is playing along, but I guess from the way he's flaunting her around, he has no clue. He sure is trying hard to make you jealous," Genevieve said to Cora with a big grin.

"So how's Elle?" Cora asked, ignoring the comment and changing the subject. Genevieve looked away at the mention of Elle's name.

"She's good. But she thinks she's going to stay around here for college," I said in a whisper to them.

"What's this? Elle's not going to Duke? That's not what her dad said just a minute ago," Chase said very loudly, now standing next to me with Ms. Rakshita. Before I could tell him to shut up, Mr. Canan came marching across the patio, looking right at Chase.

"What do you mean Elle's not going to Duke?"

"Sir, I'm as shocked as you are. I just overheard Nicholas say that she isn't going there."

Mr. Canan turned slowly toward me, his face turning deep purple with anger. He looked as if he was going to boil over.

"Mr. Canan, that's not what I said. I was saying that I didn't know where I am going to go to school next year." As I finished the sentence, my sight began to blur, and a sick feeling welled up in me. It was another one of my attacks.

"Don't lie to me, boy." His finger was pointing right at my face. I began to see two of him. Everything began to sway back and forth. My Thusian side didn't flare up for protection; something was wrong.

"You are a cancer, and because of you, Elle has gone through hell and back—and now you're going to rob her of her future!" He continued to yell at me more, but I couldn't focus any longer. A black halo circled the two images of him yelling at me.

The party went quiet; the only thing I could really hear was a ringing sound that was getting louder in my head, and then it stopped in time for me to hear him again.

"Do I make myself clear?" He jabbed me in the shoulder. I staggered backward, barely able to hold myself up.

I couldn't tell what he was going to do next; all of my senses were muted. My Thusian talents were nowhere to be found. I felt helpless. Dane, who was right behind me, pulled me to the side away from him.

"Please, Mr. Canan, calm down," Dane said in a very relaxed tone.

"What are you doing, Dad?" Elle yelled, which echoed in my head. "Leave Nicholas alone!" she said, grabbing my arm to support me too. I leaned on her. With her touch I was able to focus a little better.

"He isn't the one who wants me to stay home. Actually, he agrees with you. He wants me to go away, but unlike you, he's letting me make my own decision."

"You're a kid; what do you know? You will do as I say. You need to leave for school to get a fresh start, not stay home with your mom and me," Mr. Canan hissed at her.

"I'm not a kid anymore, and why do you care what I do? You're never home anyway. Just go off to another work thing and let Mom and I handle this. That's what you're good at."

Mr. Canan stood there speechless. Elle pulled me away from Dane and her dad and took me into the house.

"Elle, I'm so sorry, I didn't . . ." But I couldn't finish the sentence. I coughed, trying to get air.

"Relax, everything's okay. He's an idiot. I can make my own decisions." She sighed, helping me down onto the couch. "It's not your fault; it's mine. I should've known not to keep secrets—they only come back to hurt you."

That comment would have hurt worse if I weren't still out of it, because I felt as though it was directed at me.

"Nicholas, I've been thinking." She took a deep breath, wiping a tear from her cheek. "I think you're right about me going away to school. We need some time apart, and I think it will help you. Look at you! This has gotten you so upset that you're sick."

How had she gotten to this point? This wasn't what I'd wanted or meant before. When would this emotional roller coaster end? I just wanted her to go away to school so she would be safe, not for us to spend time apart. And Elle was definitely not the reason for me being sick.

"What arrrre you talking abooout?" I said, slurring some of my words.

"Don't talk; listen. I think it's best for us to spend some time apart. You have to be without all of these distractions right now."

"Are you breaking up with me again?" I asked, getting back more of my strength and command of my words. I wasn't going to let her go without a fight.

"No."

"It sure sounds like it." I took a deep breath and continued, "Elle, what has gotten into you? I love you and I can't be without you. Don't you see that? I need you."

"Nicholas, that's exactly the reason why we should take some time apart. I'll end up hurting, not helping, you. If I cloud your mind as much as you do mine, then you need this time. Focus on building relationships with those who can protect you and take care of you. They can be there for you in ways I can't." I had an uneasy feeling she was trying to fix me up with Genevieve.

And as if Genevieve knew somehow, she appeared in the room. "Nicholas, are you okay? Cora wants to get you home. Dane and Walter still haven't calmed down Elle's dad. Chase is trying now. We should leave before things get out of control."

I took Elle's hand, not wanting to let go. She kissed me on the cheek and said, "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I'll call you later."

Thoughts of not being with her made things blurry again.

"Go," Elle said and gave me a gentle kiss on my lips, saying, "We'll be fine, I promise."

"Nicholas, we have to go," said Cora, who was now downstairs with Genevieve, helping me up. Cora gave Elle a hug and led me out of the house to the truck.

Once in the passenger seat, I could see from the side mirror Elle, her dad, and her mom all hugging in the front yard, which made me feel better. As much as I couldn't stand Mr. Canan, the last thing I wanted was for Elle to hate him.

Genevieve was driving my truck. She squeezed my hand to comfort me as we pulled out of the subdivision, but there was no comfort to be had right now. My secrets and this ridiculous life were the reason why all of this was happening. I was the cause of my own misery and pain. And everyone around me was doomed to get caught up in my slow descent into chaos.

Genevieve slammed on the brakes, pulling me out of my thoughts. My Thusian talents went into overdrive. The fire lit inside, and my heart began to pound so hard I felt as if it was taking me out of my seat. The adrenaline surge was intense, coursing through my veins. Right in front of us was a minivan engulfed in flames, billowing out black smoke on the side of the road. I was out of the truck before anyone else moved.

There was a woman being pulled out of the driver's seat by two men. She was choking, gasping for air. She tried to talk but wasn't able to form any audible words. She took a deep breath and cried out in desperation, "My child is still in there!" She tried to break free from their grip but couldn't. They weren't going to let her go back.

My surroundings slowed, and the fire that was consuming the front of the minivan became a slow flicker, just slightly moving. Somehow it felt as though the fire was taunting me in a sinister sort of way. It was mocking me, telling me that, like Coach Miller, it would claim another life. My muscles tensed so hard, jerking me toward it, that I could feel my shirt and pants rip. I was at the side door, but it was locked. Through the tinted glass, I could see a car seat. I reared back to punch through the glass but stopped just short of my fist shattering the window because I realized I might hurt the child—and also it would create a draft inside that might send the fire raging back toward the child. I hurried to the driver's side door, which was open, and got in.

Down by my feet, the fire was creeping inside, working its way back from the engine. The heat was unbearable. I threw myself into the back and landed next to the car seat, which held a little girl no more than a year old. She was crying and trying to wiggle out of the car seat straps that were holding her firmly in place. Black smoke filled the ceiling. I unbuckled the baby and kicked out the side window, shielding her from the glass. I knew someone was outside waiting to take her. I handed her out to a waiting Cora. She rushed away to safety with the little girl firmly in her grasp.

Before I had a chance to follow out the window, a small explosion ripped through the front of the minivan, sending a ball of fire at me. I pulled the car seat free from its restraints and held it up to shield myself from the intense, slow-moving fireball. It hit me with such force that it knocked me off balance, making everything resume to normal time. I pulled myself up using whatever I could grab. I kicked hard off the burning seats in front of me, launching myself at the back window, now my only escape. Before I hit the window, it shattered into a million pieces, allowing me to sail clear of the van. Genevieve broke my fall right before I hit the concrete so I didn't get hurt, using her body as a cushion. I looked up and saw Riley moving away from the minivan. He was the one who had busted out the back window for my escape. It was amazing how well we all worked together. We didn't need to talk; we just knew what to do. We were like different parts of the same body, doing the job we were intended to do. We all backed away from the inferno.

The mother, now holding her baby, was crying saying, "Thank you," over and over to us. "You are all heroes." Right then, the fire department showed up.

Walter and Dane ushered us back to the trucks quickly and drove us away from the scene as if we were being chased.

My suit had scorch marks all over it, and I had some minor burns and scratches. The panic attack I was having earlier was over, luckily before I was needed.

Once we were home I got into the shower. The water stung but at the same time was refreshing. My muscles felt as though they had received some type of electric shock, screaming at me each time I moved too quickly. I stayed in there for at least an hour, getting out right when the hot water started to get cold. I thought about Elle and the little girl we saved. Images from each time I had rescued someone played over in my head, similar to the photos of all of the people Coach Miller had saved. Once I dried off, I put on some loose-fitting clothing and gingerly went down the stairs to the family room to relax.

Everyone was in there talking about what had happened.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better because you were amazing out there, Nicholas. The way that you saved that little girl was awesome," Dane said as if he was talking to one of his favorite soccer players. I was half expecting him to pull out a Sharpie for me to sign something.

"We all were great," I said. "It was a team effort." Wow, now I sounded like I was on his favorite soccer team. Riley, Cora, and Genevieve smiled.

"As you can see, the four of us will beat The 3 Seekers, bringing order back to the Thusians once and for all," Riley said, sounding arrogant and cocky, directing his comments right at Walter.

"So this means the two of you can go back to wherever you both came from," Genevieve said, scooting over on the couch, motioning for me to come and sit next to her. I stood.

"Yes, you did work well as a team today, but you are far from ready to take on Xavier, Grey, and the other Seeker. You rescued a little girl—that's it—and you did it all wrong. Nicholas could have ripped that door free and saved her more quickly and cleanly without risking his life."

He's wrong, I thought. That would have sent fire back at her.

"I'm not trying to take anything away from what you did, but imagine this situation: there's a family needing to be rescued from a burning building. Without thinking, you all rush to help, but inside with them is Grey. While you're trying to rescue the family, he's attacking you every way he can think of, most likely using the family members against you. Even if you think you aren't able to save them or realize it's a trap, the Thusian side of you won't allow you to get to safety. You will have to stay in there until the last person is out, no matter what. Non-Thusian, Thusian, or Seeker—it doesn't matter; you'll have to stay until the end. Are you confident you would be able to survive that situation without any training? Because I think you would fail. And that's only one scenario. There are thousands of combinations they could use against you. Don't think for one second that Xavier won't use Grey and whoever else as a sacrificial lamb. He doesn't care if they die just as long as you do, too."

"It's not like we can train for what they're going to do to us," said Cora. "How would you suggest we prepare for that? I don't think it's possible."

"I'll teach you what the Seekers are about. There's much more to them than the killers they are. To beat them, you will have to know what motivates them in that moment and how they think," Walter said.

"I think you two," Genevieve said, pointing to Dane and Walter, "don't want to lose your control over us." She swung both of her legs up on the couch.

"Control? Are you kidding? You do whatever your little heart desires, and most of the time it's the complete opposite of what Walter and I want you to do," Dane said.

Walter had a point. Knowledge is a good thing. Maybe we should try to learn as much as we could about the Seekers because I seriously doubted Ester or any other Council member would help us.

"You're right. We need to learn as much as we can about what we'll be facing," I said.

Genevieve exhaled loudly, clearly disagreeing with me, but I didn't care.

"Very good," Walter said. "Dane and I will answer any questions you have, and we will train and teach you the ways of the Seekers. When I select the Thusian security, they go through rigorous and intensive training to combat Seekers. We need to be able to keep our targets safe along with ourselves. We look at a situation and try to picture different outcomes and the best way to accomplish our task."

"Outcomes? What are you talking about?" Riley asked, leaning in, not wanting to miss a single word Walter was saying.

"What I mean is, let's say you're on a train with hundreds of people. There's a Seeker onboard who's threatening to kill everyone by derailing the train. He knows a Thusian's weakness for saving people, so he pushes someone off the train to get you to follow so he can complete the derailment to kill the other unsuspecting Thusians. In that moment, the outcome needs to be different. Someone trained correctly can see that if they follow after one person, then hundreds of others will die. It will be difficult to fight your urge to save them, but you have to play through the different outcomes in your head so you can see the bigger picture and save more."

"Are you kidding? I could never do that," I said. "You think one life is more or less important than others?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

I shook my head in disgust. If he wanted to train us to disregard life, then I wasn't going to listen. I turned to leave.

"Nicholas," Walter called out to me, "what if a Seeker was here now and had a knife to someone's throat? You could try to rush him, but that's what he wants. Now the hostage is dead, and he has you in a defenseless position."

"But I just can't stand there and let someone die."

He looked right into my eyes. "Then after you're dead, this Seeker decides to pay Cora a visit or maybe Elle. Who would be there to save them?"

I looked away at that thought.

"I'm not saying you don't do everything you can to save people, but without you four, a lot more will die," Walter said.

"I want you to train me," Cora said. "I can't bear the thought of not doing everything in my power to save all the people I love. But just so I'm clear—we value all life. That's what makes us different from The 3."

"I want to be trained, too," Genevieve said.

Riley stood. "I will train, but only if Nicholas agrees."

The whole room was now staring at me. I didn't know what I wanted to do. I began to feel a panic attack coming on, so I blurted out, "Let's go through the training; it can't hurt. Maybe we can pick up some techniques to help us." I didn't know if that was what I really wanted, but I didn't want to go through getting sick again.

So for the next couple of hours, Walter began to teach us different techniques on how to turn our thoughts into scenes, like a picture book. Both Walter and Dane said picturing things was the key. If we could visualize it, then our bodies would perceive it as a possibility, helping us to make our own decision without our Thusian sides making all of the decisions haphazardly. It was similar to how we tapped into our Thusian talents when we needed to use them for scouting last winter. Also how I imagined all of those people getting crushed by the screen at the quarry party, allowing me to look closely at it to see the danger. I wasn't sure if he could teach us anything new, but maybe his training would strengthen our technique to use our talents on demand. Only time would tell.

The next morning I didn't want to get out of bed. All I wanted to do was sleep away the day, exhausted from all of yesterday's adventure. When I finally did get up, it was almost 1:00 in the afternoon. I couldn't believe that Cora had let me stay in bed this long. Even when she let me sleep in, it was only until 9:00 at the latest. Everything that had happened yesterday seemed like a groggy haze filled with things I wanted to forget. My mind wasn't able to completely understand or even take in all of it yet.

"You've got some mail, sleepyhead," Cora said, knocking on my door and coming in. I took the two letters out of her hand. They were identical envelopes from the Winsor Board of Education. I ripped into the first one and skimmed through it.

"You will be going to Sycamore High School to complete your high school career. Please go to their guidance office for further information and class schedule," the letter read.

My stomach sank into my feet. I wasn't going to be with my friends. I took several shallow breaths to ward off a follow-up panic attack from yesterday.

"So you aren't going to Winsor this year?" Cora asked, seeing my expression.

I opened the second envelope, not answering her, and saw that it was an identical letter, but this one read that I was going to attend Winsor.

"Not sure, I got two different letters, one saying I'm going to Sycamore and the other saying I'm staying at Winsor."

She took them out of my hand, reading both front and back.

"It says right here that all questions about attending Winsor should be taken to the guidance dome from 8:00 to 4:00, Monday through Friday this week."

"Did you say 'dome'?" I asked her.

"I did. We'll go first thing tomorrow," Cora said.

There was a loud rumble of thunder, and it began to rain hard like buckets were being dumped onto the house.

Dane came running into my room. "Shouldn't we all go to the basement or something?"

"No, Dane, we're fine. It's just a summer thunderstorm."

"Are you sure? It sounds like a tornado out there." He appeared stressed, looking at the ceiling as though it was going to cave in at any moment.

"These storms are normal. Didn't you have storms like this in Brazil?" Cora asked.

There was another clap of thunder that nearly sent him to the floor.

"Yes, we had storms, but around here aren't there tornadoes every day?"

"No, not every day. Most tornadoes form out in the middle of nowhere," Cora said.

I wasn't sure if he believed her, but still he slowly backed out of the room, making sure to have one of his hands on the wall at all times. For him being a tough guy, it was comical to see him this way.

Cora turned her attention back to the letters and me.

"We'll leave first thing in the morning, and don't worry, I'm sure you'll be attending Winsor. Ester would make sure of that. I'm going to go fix a nice dinner for us. If you're hungry before then, you can get some of the chili I made; it's in the refrigerator. How does stuffed meatloaf, twice-baked potatoes with cheddar cheese and sour cream, and a spinach salad covered in goat cheese and black olives sound for dinner?"

"Wonderful." A bright flash of lightning lit up the room, and thunder followed immediately, shaking the house.

Dane appeared in the room, panicked, almost falling over. "Good. I, I was just checking to make sure you both were okay."

"We're fine, Dane. Would you like to help me make dinner?" Cora asked in a caring way.

He gulped, clearing his throat, and said, "I would."

I stayed in my room and listened to the storm that hung over our house. I grabbed a fresh pack of Tic Tacs off my dresser and began eating them like M&Ms, not wanting any food. With the possibility of going to another school, my stomach began to hurt. It was already in knots. I wanted to call Elle, but she had said she would call me. I would have to wait.

I woke up the next morning still sick. My day, evening, and night had been spent eating Tic Tacs and fighting off my nightmares once I fell asleep. Empty boxes littered my room like a flock of pigeons waiting for a scrap of food to fall to the floor.

Elle had finally called me late last night, but it was of little help. We didn't discuss anything about us taking time apart or even her going away to school. I didn't want to push her about any of it. Most of the conversation was about her dad and how they had worked everything out. I figured I should let her vent about him and not talk about us.

I stumbled out of bed, barely able to stand. My head began to pound from the sudden movement. I took a minute to balance myself, and then I grabbed whatever clothes were closest to me to put on.

The first person I saw when I started walking down the stairs was Genevieve, of course.

"You look like crap," she said. She had on a pink tank top and short black jean shorts with rips everywhere. I was surprised the shorts were able to stay together.

"Don't you have your own house where you can be annoying?" I walked past her into the kitchen to see if anything looked good enough to eat.

"Yeah, but it's more fun here bothering you," she said, following me.

"What do you want?" I asked, annoyed.

She blinked her eyes repeatedly and cocked her head to the side as though she was trying to be cute or something, which she was failing at miserably.

"I want to come with you to school today. Cora went with Riley earlier."

It wasn't even 9:00 a.m. yet.

"Are you kidding? She was supposed to go with me so I could get my school stuff figured out."

"So can I come? I kind of told Cora that I would go with you so she could spend some more alone time with Riley."

My temper began to flare but died. Cora should be happy, I reminded myself. I needed to start doing things for myself if I was going to be an equal part of The 4.

"You can go, but change your clothes. Put on something that will at least cover some of your skin."

"Okay," she said, bouncing out of the kitchen and out the front door.

Dane walked into the kitchen right after she left, his nose buried in a soccer magazine. "Walter and I want to come, too, if that's fine with you," he said, not looking up.

He just asked me if they could go. He never asked; something had to be wrong.

"What's going on? Why are you asking? Normally you and Walter just tell us what you're doing."

"I want to give you the respect you all deserve," he said, putting down the magazine. "I believe you've formed The 7, determining our fates. I think I'm the only one who believes you right now, though. After I saw how you guys saved that little girl, there is no doubt you're The 4."

He made me feel as if I was doing the right thing in that moment and we had a purpose. If saving people like that little girl was the reason for us to be together, then I would be happy with that, but I had a feeling things would continue to get messier as time went on. No more peace and quiet, if that was what you could call it.

The four of us all got into my truck and headed to the school. Walter sat shotgun because he was too big to climb into the back. Genevieve didn't look too happy sitting back there with Dane. She had tried to get someone else to drive in order for her to be next to me, but I didn't give in. I needed to be in control, even if it was only on the drive to the high school.

I had no idea how I was going to feel being back there. The light, wispy clouds lingered in the sky, kind of similar to the fog that was in my mind making everything feel like a dream. I had driven here a thousand times before, but this was the first time since the fire. I didn't have long for any of those thoughts or feeling to surface, because what I saw was incredible.

From the back, Dane yelled out, "Is that a spaceship?"

Dane was exactly right; in the school parking lot was something that looked similar to a huge, round UFO from the old black-and-white sci-fi movies. The entire thing was white and puffed out like a lopsided balloon. There were large seams that ran up the sides to the top, meeting in the center. Several long white tubes jutted off in different directions, like spokes of a bicycle wheel. There was a small parking lot to the side of it with a sign that read "Visitor Parking" in bright neon yellow letters.

When we got out, we didn't move away from the truck. We watched the large balloon. You could see it swaying back and forth ever so slightly with the wind. It looked alive.

"Dane and I are going to go up to the practice fields," Walter said, pulling Dane, who wanted to continue to stare at the balloon.

Genevieve and I walked over to a sign that had an aerial view of the structure. Each spoke had a label on it to explain what it was. The guidance office spoke was on the opposite side of the bubble.

It was amazing that this entire structure seemed to be some type of big inflatable playground similar to the ones I remembered at kids' birthday parties. It wouldn't surprise me if they made us take off our shoes before we went in.

We walked through a flap that had a sign on it that read "Guidance." The inside was not what I expected it to be. It was a fully furnished office almost identical to the last guidance office. It even had carpet and some of the same office set-ups.

The guidance office secretary, Mrs. Gensler, was sitting in her usual spot behind the computer, barely visible.

"I'm here to see what school I'm supposed to attend this year," I said to her.

She peeked out from behind the computer and said, "Oh, hello, Nicholas. I'll go get Joy Lemmins for you. She's in charge of putting all the students into the different schools."

Joy Lemmins came out of her office. She was dressed in a puffy white shirt and bright green pants, with her large red-framed glasses pulled down onto the tip of her nose. The top half of her looked like the balloon structure we were in.

"Nicholas, it's so good to see you. What's she doing here?" Joy Lemmins asked, sounding displeased at Genevieve's presence.

"I'm here because I want to be. What's it to you?" Genevieve said angrily, taking offense and pushing forward as though she wanted to fight.

"Hmm." Joy turned her body to face me, like if she didn't see Genevieve's face, she would disappear. "So what brings my favorite student here? Have you come to see our new home?" she asked, outstretching her arms to the sky like she was in a Broadway show.

"That's not why I'm here. I received two letters from Superintendent Spears, one saying I'm going to Sycamore and the other saying I'm staying here." I took both of the letters out of my pants pocket and handed them to her.

She refused them, saying, "I don't need to see anything. You're going to Winsor. Coach Hoff and I tried to stop the other letter from being sent, but we were too late. We got the board to allow you to come here even though you're not involved in any sports at this moment. Coach Hoff explained to them that you might be going back to the football program in some capacity, so they all agreed." She smiled, then frowned, then smiled again. She was beginning to freak me out.

"Go ahead and walk around the school. It's stupendous," She said with a lisp, kind of like Daffy Duck. Genevieve laughed loudly enough for her to hear.

I walked past her out of the guidance area to avoid a fight. I saw a sign pointing to the main part of the balloon.

Genevieve followed me. "I can see why Cora can't stand her. I wanted to jam my fist down her throat," she said.

We walked through an automatic sliding door. Above us, in the highest part of the balloon, was something that looked like the sun—not as bright but the same color. It was half of a sphere, and it was radiating a warm yellow light down over everything. Small buds were stuck all over it, as if someone had glued large roses around the outside of it in a perfect circle. I was mesmerized. I had never seen anything so complex, and yet so simple, as this. I looked down from the light to the structure that was placed inside. From where we were standing, I could see pretty much everything in it. The different classrooms were all on different levels, some on the ground floor and others up a ramp or two connected to floating platforms. It reminded me of something that Swiss Family Robinson would have built, except it was made of metal instead of wood. There were colored triangular shades over top of rooms for ceilings that were semitransparent so the light could filter down into the different areas. I was used to the way Winsor did everything so over the top, but this was taking it to a whole new level.

"This school is ridiculous," Genevieve said, amazed.

"It sure is," said a voice from behind us, startling us. We spun around. It was Coach Hoff. "Mrs. Moore, it's so good to see you again, and Keller, how's it going?"

"Great, Coach. We were just checking out the new school. It's crazy."

"It sure is. The Theasings spared no expense, of course. Oh yeah, before I forget: Mrs. Moore, Riley said he wanted to see you up at the practice field when you got here."

Genevieve glanced at me, not sure whether to leave or not.

"Go ahead. I'll be fine," I said, reassuring her. She lingered for a moment and then walked slowly back the way we had come.

Coach Hoff pulled me to the side near the outside wall. "We need to talk," he said quietly. "I know you faked your injury."

My heart jumped into my throat. I immediately felt part of my Thusian fire begin to burn. "Coach, that's crazy. You know the diagnosis that Dr. Chase Letterby gave me. I have a hairline fract—"

"I know, but Coach Miller told me this, and he never lied. He said you needed to avoid the limelight because of who you are. And with all of the recognition you were getting on the field, you had to remove yourself. Remember, Coach Miller and I got you off the bus when the reporters showed up. It made sense why you did it."

My guilt about quitting and letting down the team and Coach Miller resurfaced. "I don't know what you're talking about," I said in the best "I still have a hairline fracture" voice I could manage.

"Nicholas, I'm not here to call you out. I just want to relay a message. Before Coach Miller's death, we talked about you. He said that you were the bravest person he'd ever known—sacrificing something like playing football when you risked the possibility that everyone would hate you for it. Then on top of that you saved Elle and Oliver from the lake. Oliver told me how you saved those lunch ladies and the students during the fire. I'm not telling you this for you to admit to anything. I'm just asking you to coach again, if not for me then for Coach Miller."

I had no idea what to say. The fact that Coach Miller knew and still wanted me to coach with him made me swell with pride. The person I couldn't save during the fire thought I was brave. I felt a tear fall down my cheek.

"What if I said yes?"

"If you did, you would be helping me out. The defense isn't anywhere close to being as good as it has been over the past couple of years."

"Okay, but I'll have to get Cora to agree," I said.

"Great, practice will start tomorrow—of course, after you get permission," he said as if it was the punch line to a joke. "And before I forget: our first scrimmage is this weekend. And it's against your hometown, Mt. Vernon." He headed toward the guidance office, leaving me alone.

What was I going to tell everyone? I was sure that Walter and Dane would be irate about it, and the rest would echo the same response. Maybe I could make them believe this was a way to keep an eye on the team, since that was how Xavier had gotten to me the last time. That had to be the lamest reason, but it would have to do.

When I exited the school, there stood Genevieve. She looked as if she was standing guard. "What was that all about?" she asked.

"He wanted me to coach again, and he said Coach Miller told him I faked my injury so I wouldn't get noticed by anyone."

"I always thought that injury wasn't believable after all those rescues and stunts you've done since then. This is a good thing; now you and Riley will be together, and Cora and I can partner up, like the good old days."

Yeah right, good old days, I thought.

Genevieve and I circled around the school and went up to the practice fields. Walter and Dane were sitting at the top of the first set of bleachers looking out over all the practice fields like two hawks waiting for a mouse to scamper by that they could snatch up for lunch. Cora was also in the bleachers, but was sitting in the second row with Ester. Filling the bleachers between them was a big group of reporters. Genevieve left my side in a hurry and went straight for the bleachers. I wanted to avoid them, certain I would get interrogated by Walter and Dane.

I walked out to where Riley was standing. He was running a couple of drills with the offense.

"So you're coming back to the team?" Riley asked in between yelling at Eric for not getting the ball out faster during his delivery to the wide receiver.

"Yeah, I was thinking about it."

"Jason, you need to run five yards and then turn and be ready for the ball with your hands out. Come on, guys, we need to work harder," Riley shouted.

He turned back to me. "I thought you knew better. You're supposed to lay low so you can get ready for the trip. We all have our jobs to do as part of The 4." He began to lecture me further like he was my dad or something. Resentment welled in my chest. He didn't have any right to treat me this way.

"I changed my mind, and we need to stick together in pairs as much as possible. We need to be on the lookout for the third part of Xavier and Grey's group. What if it's one of the guys on the team? Grey isn't the only one we need to be concerned about," I said. I walked away so he understood I didn't need his permission. After everything I had been through with him, you'd think he would start to treat me as an equal.

Cora, Ester, and Genevieve were now standing by the other side of the field. Genevieve was smiling ear to ear; the other two didn't look happy. I turned and walked over to a drill that Coach Hoff was running, avoiding them. I was sure that Genevieve had told them the news.

"Okay, we need to make sure that we get off the ball fast so we can blow the lineman off the line of scrimmage." Matt was standing with a group of guys as big as him, the defensive linemen. Next to them were the linebackers and safeties. Oliver was running their drill.

I looked at all of them, sizing them up. One of them could easily be a plant that Xavier put in here. I scanned their faces; I recognized all of them. I don't think there was a new face in the crowd. But what if this person was always waiting in the shadows, just waiting for the right time if everything else failed?

"Now let's line up and go again, but this time hit someone, or there will be a lot of running at the end of practice," Coach Hoff yelled.

They lined up and started again.

I looked back toward Genevieve. She and the other two had now been joined by Walter and Dane. They all were discussing something, and I'm sure it was about me.

I turned away from them and continued to watch the practice. After a good thirty minutes, I walked over to where they were standing, knowing I couldn't avoid this forever. I didn't say a word, but I looked each one of them in the eyes, showing them that I wasn't going to back down. Cora was the only one I looked away from. Her gaze was so close to my mom's that it hurt sometimes. I walked past them and down to the truck to wait to see who followed.

Only Cora followed me. "Genevieve told us all about it," she said, catching up to me.

"Of course she did," I said.

"Regardless of how we found out, you really should have talked it over with all of us first. This is going to bring more attention to you and us. Ester has been speaking a lot about consequences if more Thusians find out what you proclaimed. I'm beginning to worry about what consequences she keeps referring to."

"Cora, Coach Miller knew I faked my injury. He told Coach Hoff I was brave for doing it. That's why I did it. Now that he's gone, coaching is the least I can do to honor Coach Miller."

"That's noble of you, but don't you think he would understand?"

"Yes, but this will also give me more time to try to figure out if there are any other dangers we need to worry about here, such as the third Seeker."

She didn't look convinced, so I changed my strategy. "I also don't want to leave Riley alone." I thought that would help my case, playing on her feelings for him. "I will prepare for my trip. I promise, whatever it takes," I said with conviction.

"Okay, but let's talk about the details with everyone when we get home. We have to make sure we're all on the same page."

I wondered what Elle would say about me going back to coaching football. I'm sure, like Cora, she would be worried because of the danger involved.

Walter and Dane didn't say a word on the way home. Genevieve was all smiles in the back seat, just pleased to death about what I had decided to do, as though we'd made the decision together, thumbing our noses at authority.

Later that evening everyone gathered at Riley's for dinner. Sitting around their enormous, round, oak table reminded me of the stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Cora had made fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and greens. The greens recipe was something she had picked up when we lived in New Orleans. It was ironic that she'd fixed it since that was the place Bernard had asked me to visit.

"What were you thinking? There's no way you're coaching," Dane said with a mouthful of chicken, breaking the silence.

Genevieve lashed out at him as if she had been waiting for this. "How dare you tell him what he can't do? You're not in control of us!"

"Just because you ignore every sensible way to stay safe doesn't mean that Nicholas should," Dane responded through another mouthful of food. He kept on eating and then said, "Having him coach football will expose us to more danger. He's a lightning rod for Seeker activity, and those football games are packed with innocent people. While he's on the field, Xavier and his lot could be planning some horrific event that would kill countless numbers of people."

"I hate to say it, but I agree with Dane," Riley said. "Nicholas, you should be preparing for—I mean training with Walter."

"Absolutely," Walter said. "I don't think anything should be more important than the training; everything else should be put on hold or forgotten. Nothing matters but training, and you all know that. The battle between you and The 3 Seekers isn't going to happen on some remote field away from everyone. This battle will continue for years, and there will be a lot of collateral damage. Xavier has been narrow in his approach to trying to kill you, like a scalpel trying to cut a small piece out, but that won't last."

"Narrow approach? He just burned down the school. That seems pretty big, don't you think?" Genevieve said sarcastically, throwing down her fork onto her plate, crossing her arms, and sitting back.

Walter stood, kicking back his chair with such force it went flying backward, hitting the end table in the family room fifteen feet away. He then slammed his fist onto the table, knocking over several glasses.

He began to yell at all of us. "You have no idea what you're facing! The 3 Seekers operate on a much larger scale than burning down schools. They are the most evil force in the world. Don't you understand that? They burn down schools just for fun. They are responsible for world wars and genocide. And at the cornerstone of everything they do is hate. Hate goes much further than any school burning down; it lives on for generations. It's what fuels everything they use to destroy. That fire, if we let it, will consume all of us, leaving no one left. That's why they have to be killed, stopping this once and for all. You all need to start thinking about the big picture and focus on what's important, because we're not just talking about a few lives; we are talking about hundreds of thousands or even millions of lives." He took a deep breath.

He walked away, picked up his chair and placed it at the table. He sat down and began to eat again. All training and nothing else wouldn't be the best way to fight Xavier. It seemed one-sided. That was even more of a reason for me to go to New Orleans.

Everyone at the table began to debate what Walter had just said, all trying to make their point heard. Some agreeing and some disagreeing, they sounded like a herd of cows mooing right over each other, not interested in hearing anyone else.

During this raging debate, part of my Thusian talents came alive. In front of me were all of the choices that could be made about coaching, training, and pretty much everything else in my life right now. It was unreal and overwhelming. I grabbed the table for support. It looked like large moving pictures all overlapping each other, but I could tell what each one was about. After a few minutes of sorting through them, only one made sense.

"Enough!" I yelled. They all quieted. "I'm coaching. Riley is on the field, too, so it only makes sense to have two of us out there. We need to stay in pairs if we all can't be together. That's the best way to keep us safe."

I paused, letting that sink in, and then I continued, "Forgetting about everything and just training isn't the solution, because if we only decide to train, it doesn't mean the rest of the world is going to stop and wait for us to be finished and ready. The thing that makes us strongest is the fact that we have other things we care about and do. Because of this we have been able to survive all of Xavier's plans so far. During my darkest days to come, I will draw upon my memories to give me inspiration to keep on going. Spending all our time training wouldn't allow us to have those moments. But I do agree that we need to continue with the training and learn everything we can about the Seekers, because if Xavier gets bored with trying to find the book or if he finds it, we will be his next challenge."

Walter stood up and walked out of the room. I wasn't sure if he was mad at what I'd just said. No sooner had he left than he reappeared. He sat back down and placed two items onto the table that looked horribly familiar.

The two weapons were identical Belos. Both were oval in shape, with the silver blade circling completely around them. Where you held onto them was made up of something that looked like ivory. It had an old-world look to it. Walter picked up one of them and slipped it over his hand. His hand fit perfectly into the oval hole in the center as if it was made for him. The silver blade circled his hand in a terrifying oblong halo.

He focused his eyes on his hands. "The Belos was designed specifically for fighting and killing Seekers."

"You mean Thusians, right?" Dane asked as though Walter had slipped up.

"Dane, go in and sit on the couch while we talk."

Dane got up and shuffled his feet over to the couch like a defeated little child.

"As I was saying, this blade was made to fight and kill Seekers." He looked around and saw that all of us had puzzled looks on our faces. "This weapon was made so Seekers could fight each other. That is the way the Council picked the original one hundred Seekers. They made them fight to the death for sport. Only the top one hundred who survived would be part of the Seekers. Not only is this how they chose the Seekers, but the top three with the most kills were chosen to complete The 7 after Keeper Wren foretold about its existence."

"Do they still choose the Seekers that way now?" Cora asked, sounding horrified.

"No, they don't. Now they base it on your family tree and how ruthless your ancestors were when they fought to be part of the one hundred. They have the complete bloodlines of the original Seekers and the others who died trying to join. There are now thousands of Thusians with Seekers in their ancestry."

He picked up the other Belos and stood up, backing away from the table.

"The reason why these are so deadly is because no matter how or where they come into contact with you, they will cut deep. Whether the Seekers use a Belos to hit you or to defend themselves against a strike from you, you'll still be injured, either way. This weapon was used to show the Seekers that the only way to kill a target was up close, because that is the only true way to kill a Seeker."

Nervous energy began to course through my veins. I was starting to have a panic attack, but this time it all happened at once. My chest grew heavy, my vision fell out of focus, and the world began to spin. I grabbed my water and took a large gulp. The ice-cold water shocked my system as it went down into my stomach. Everything Walter had said hit me like a ton of bricks. How could I stop a world war or even hate? That was impossible.

"If the Belos is used to fight other Seekers, then why did Grey use it against Nicholas? Aren't these stupid Seekers supposed to follow the rules and just create dangerous situations so we will sacrifice our lives? We aren't Seekers," Genevieve asked, sounding frazzled.

She had both of her bare feet on the table. I focused on her. My eyes scanned her as though I had never seen her before and was trying to commit her to memory. This helped me to stay focused and not let my mind be consumed with anxiety, sending me into another attack.

"Genevieve, I already explained this to you after you all saved that little girl. They don't consider you just Thusians anymore; that is perfectly clear," Walter said. "After Nicholas spoiled Xavier's plans and Bryce was killed, he now considers you The 4. That's the only reason why he would allow Grey to use the Belos."

Walter then proceeded to show us different moves the Seekers would use against us. It was like a combination of wrestling and judo. The whole purpose of the Belos was to get as close as you could so it would inflict as much damage as possible.

I took slow, deep breaths so I wouldn't spiral out of control. The more Walter moved, the worse I felt.

"Excuse me, Walter, could you please sit down so we can talk?" Cora asked. Before she was finished, Dane was already at the table, taking that as a sign to join us.

"Walter, I'm trying to understand what we're up against. How are we supposed to know how they're going to come at us? Clearly you have extensive knowledge about how they kill and think. But who's to say that they haven't decided to do things differently? Maybe the training you think we need is only a small part of the equation. Only a Seeker would know how they might do things."

The corners of Walter's mouth turned down quickly then returned to normal when she said "Seeker."

"So we only have one choice," Cora said. "We should leave now and have them come after us so there will be less of a chance of someone getting hurt. I know for a fact that if I ever came face to face with Xavier holding that thing without the others around," she gulped, "I would be killed. My talents are not physical, only mental. Hiding us is what I know how to do."

Hearing Cora say that made Riley instinctively scoot closer in a protective manner.

Without warning, Walter picked up and threw the Belos at her. Everything went into an almost-frozen state. The Belos was heading right at her with a long, blurred wake that started at Walter's hand. I went to push her out of the way, but to my surprise she was already moving to the side with a plate from the table in hand. When the Belos was in reach, she took the plate and backhanded the Belos so hard that it lodged into the wall across the room, shattering the plate.

Riley was up on his feet and lunging at Walter. Dane grabbed his arm before he was able to land a punch to his face.

Cora, completely composed, took a stray brown hair and tucked it behind her ear. "Point taken," she said.

Riley reluctantly sat back down but was positioned to go after Walter if he needed to.

"You all have both types of talents," Walter said. "Nicholas will have more because he was last to join the group."

"But back to my point—we should leave," Cora said.

For the first time, that option sounded like a good one. With Elle going away to school, leaving might be the only solution.

"That won't work," Walter said. "If you run, they will chase you for sure. It will become a game to them. They will become relentless, destroying everything they come in contact with. Xavier will think you're scared and will smell the blood in the water, creating a frenzy. Instead of running, you should make known your plans to everyone, and don't be shy about it. Even if you tell ten people ten different things, it will help. The more variables he has to deal with, the less likely he is to do anything rash. This is the way you can stay ahead of him."

"That has to be the dumbest idea I have ever heard. First you want us to give up everything around us and train nonstop, and now you want us to announce our plans to the world?" Genevieve said, pulling her feet off the table and sitting up. "And while we're at it, let's just send him a daily schedule of where we're going to be, circling the best times for him to kill us off."

"Why don't you just continue to do what you've been doing?" Dane asked. "Ever since Grey's attack, there hasn't been another. It seems as though you're doing something right."

"Dane's right," I said. Things had been better. I didn't think that it would completely stop them from coming at us, but it was the best option for now. I guess everyone agreed with him because there was no more discussion about it.

On my way out of the house, Walter stopped me. "I need to talk to you alone," he whispered.

He waited for Cora and Dane to walk far enough away to not be overheard, even though both lingered, waiting for me.

"You have to know something, but you can't tell the others."

Really, a secret? Not another one.

"You were the last of The 4 to join. This means that they are going to try to kill you, no one else. If the other three are around, then sure, they'll try to eliminate them, but they will be focused on your death. The Seekers believe that you and only you are worth trying to kill. They believe that you are part of the Seekers because of your talents. They think of you as an equal. And with you gone it would create The Unholy Six, and then their reign of terror would grow out of control."

I kind of already knew that. I just thought it was an understood fact that they wanted to kill me above the others.

"Nicholas, you have almost all of the Thusian talents, and you need to learn to use them."

"How can I do that? Do you have a list of talents and how to best use them?"

"No, but when the time comes, the other talents will also develop. No one is completely sure about what all the talents are. Some think there are twelve, and some think they are limitless. But all I know is this puts you into the leadership role."

"So you believe we have formed The 4?" I asked.

"I pray you have," Walter said.

"What are you doing?" I asked Elle on the phone while I was lying in bed.

"Nothing much. So how's everyone doing there?" she asked.

"Everyone's good. I'm coaching again." I figured I would tell her now and get it over with. I braced for the response.

"Yeah, I heard. Genevieve called me earlier. I'm glad you decided to. The team needs you," she said.

"Why did Genevieve call you?" I asked, not happy that they were talking.

"She wanted to talk."

What in the world was going on?

"About?" I asked.

"Nothing specific."

Elle talking to Genevieve threw me off, but then I remembered the real reason why I was calling. I regained my focus.

"I'm confused why you think we need space. I'm no good without you." That was what was really bothering me; everything else could wait. "I feel like I'm in that icy quarry lake again. You make everything right. I need that."

"I feel the same way," she said softly, "but we still need time apart. There are too many other things and people in the way right now." She wasn't making any sense. "Nicholas, I want what's best for you; you know that. I will just get in your way. I would hate myself if I was the reason you got hurt," she paused, "or worse."

"Elle, that's not going to happen."

"You don't know that. I'm no good for you now. Can't you see that?" Sadness had crept into her voice. "I can't protect you or even understand what you're going through, so I accepted a scholarship to Vanderbilt University today. Dr. Chase Letterby came over and told my parents and me the good news."

Chase had never talked to me about any of this.

"He thinks I'd make an excellent doctor. I care about you so much, but I don't want to hold you back. So many people are counting on you."

Anger billowed to the surface. Everyone was making my decisions for me, and it was time for that to stop.

"Elle, I'm tired of people telling me they're watching out for me. You don't know what I need. Nobody does but me. Do you understand? I'm telling you right now that I need you, no more games. If you don't want to be with me, fine, just say it, but if you do then let's be together."

This was the first time I had ever halfway yelled at her. I wasn't sure how she was going to react; the harsh words that came out tasted so bitter.

"What about Genevieve?" she asked.

Seriously, that was her next question?

"You're kidding, right?"

"You two have become close. I know you care for her, and she has told me she loves you on more than one occasion. I just thought that it made sense for you two, you know, to be a couple—kind of like Cora and Riley."

As angry as I was about everything, I had to come clean about Genevieve. This might be my only chance.

"I do care for her, but I don't love her. I don't love her," I repeated. "We have a deep bond because of who we are. That connection makes things difficult, but it doesn't change how I feel about you. The only time things become unclear is when you need space or break up with me, because then the connection with her becomes even more real, but not because I want her. My relationship with you has been the only thing that has mattered to me since I moved here. When I saw you for the first time in the stands, I thought you were an angel sent here for me, and as time went on I realized you are better than that. You are the air that I breathe, the food and water that make me strong, and most of all you are my soul, the part that gives me strength when I need it. Without you there is no point for me to do any of this." I took a deep breath, waiting for her to speak.

"Are you still there?" I asked, hoping she had heard everything I had said.

"Yes," she whispered.

"And?"

"I love you so much. I want to be with you, nobody else."

That was all I needed to hear. We continued to talk as we used to before she knew about the Thusians, as though none of that stuff ever happened. She even told me to have a good night's sleep, which made me feel good, because soon I would be in her arms. Everything in my head became clear. I was back. But a fleeting thought asked the question: for how long?

**

The next morning Dane was up early, checking out something through the partially closed blinds in our family room. I groggily passed him and headed to the kitchen. Cora was in there already reading and drinking her coffee, and next to her was her pink planner. I hadn't seen that for such a long time. This was the best I had felt in a while. Now that Elle and I were back together, it allowed me to get a full night's sleep. I was about to grab a bagel when Dane yelled out from the family room, "Either one of you expecting someone?"

We both walked out of the kitchen to the foyer to see what he was talking about. Dane was peering out the window next to the door. "It's Oliver Rails."

"Why would he be here?" Cora asked.

I had no clue. I peeked out. Sure enough, he was walking up to our porch.

"I'll get rid of him," Dane said, beginning to open the door.

I grabbed his arm. "No, I'll take care of this."

He reluctantly let go of the doorknob.

"Seriously, I got this," I said to both Dane and Cora.

They both walked into the kitchen, eyeing me the whole way.

Before Oliver could knock, I opened the door. He looked a little surprised by me standing there waiting for him.

"Hey, Nicholas, can we please talk?" His voice was as feeble as a child talking to a stranger.

"Sure." I walked out and shut the door behind me. Whatever was going to be said, I wanted to keep it outside away from listening ears.

"I know we haven't really been friends, but I would like to ask you for a favor."

Friends! Ha! Up until the end of last year, he was my archenemy, my own personal Captain Hook.

"I wanted to see if you would help me with the football team. Coach Hoff asked me to be his assistant coach this year while I'm going to Winsor Community College, and I heard you're coming back. I wanted to say something to you when you were at practice, but you left before I could. The guys don't like me, and I deserve it, but I was hoping you could . . . well, be seen working with me . . . to help get the team to trust me."

He was looking at some bright red flowers on the side of the porch. He was doing everything he could not to make eye contact with me. I'm sure he was thinking that perhaps it would increase his odds of me saying yes. My promise to Coach Miller about giving him a second chance was circling around my head.

"Sure, I can do that."

Oliver looked up, shocked and relieved all at the same time. "This means so much to me, Nicholas. I owe you one."

I stuck out my hand, and he hesitantly shook it.

"I will see you at practice later then?" he asked.

"I'll be there. Meet me by the first set of bleachers so we can talk about the team," I said.

He smiled and said, "Okay, I'll be there around a quarter till nine."

I went back inside and found Dane standing there with his arms crossed. His face had a stern look on it, with his brow pushed down.

"I know you think you should coach football, but I still think it's a bad idea. How in the world am I going to protect you with all of those people around?" he asked.

"You need to stop thinking about protecting me. You need to focus on protecting everyone around us. Dane, you're part of this team just like Walter, and all six of us should be working together to defeat The 3 and save as many people in the process."

He smiled, liking the idea of being part of the group. I got a quick bite to eat then went up to my room, grabbed my bag for practice, and left.

Riley and I got to our trucks at the same time, as we had planned.

"I'll see you there," he said, waving.

The sun was so bright it was blinding. I could barely see out the front window while pulling out of the driveway. I lowered the visor for some shade, and a picture slowly fell from it into my lap. I didn't remember putting anything up there. I picked it up and looked at it once I was on my way. It was a picture of my family and me when I was younger, maybe a year before the earthquake. We were all standing in front of a sign that said "Fire Museum." I knew exactly when that picture was taken. The memories flooded back to me. We had been camping around Mt. Vernon in a nearby national park. We had to go into town so my mom could run an errand and so that we could get some more supplies halfway through the trip, and that was when I went to the fire museum.

I pulled over to the side of the road to get a better look at it. The edges had curled ever so slightly and had the tiniest amount of discoloration. In the picture, I could make out the words on a window next to us: "Winsor Postmaster." Oh my gosh. I had driven by that museum so many times since being here and never made the connection. I put the picture up on my dash and continued to drive to practice, thinking about all of the fun we'd had on that trip.

When I pulled into the parking lot next to the balloon, Riley was there waiting for me. He put his hand in the air as if to say, "Where were you?" I shook my head like it wasn't anything. I put the picture back in the visor for safekeeping and then I parked, grabbed my stuff, and headed up to the practice field.

"What happened to you? I almost came back looking for you," Riley said as we walked.

"The sun was pretty bright; I wanted to take it slow."

He shook his head knowing that it was just an excuse and hurried up the hill, leaving me behind.

Off to the side of the far bleachers where JV normally practiced was another off-white bubble. It wasn't nearly as big as the school, but it was still big enough to fit a dozen buses inside. I hadn't noticed it the other day. This one had a big Winsor Cougars logo on it with the words "State Champs" underneath.

I followed Riley into the front entrance and was instantly transported into our old locker room. Everything was identical but somehow nicer, if that was even possible. It looked like they had recreated it right down to the oversized chalkboard in the front by the door.

"So what do you think? They just finished putting it up early this morning."

I cringed, knowing whose voice it was—none other than Henry J. Theasing. I should have known that he was behind this.

"It looks great," I said, turning around, trying to see how I could escape. Riley must have sensed danger because he was nowhere to be seen. My Thusian talents had let me down, and unfortunately, Henry was blocking my way out.

"What brings you here, Nicholas? Have you decided to coach? The team could use all the help it can get."

I didn't want to answer him, but I knew it was better to get it over with. "Yes, I'm going to help coach," I said quietly, hoping it would make his response equal in tone.

I was wrong. His faced turned bright red with excitement.

"I can't believe it! Hallelujah! Our prayers have been answered." He rushed over and grabbed my hand, shaking it profusely. "Thank God, we have our season back."

"Let's not overreact. He's good, but there's still a lot of work ahead," Coach Hoff said, coming out of the office. "Henry, I think I saw some guys with hard hats talking about taking the weight-room pod and moving it next to the first set of bleachers."

"That's all wrong. It's supposed to go right next to the lockers, connected. Good to see you, Nicholas. Welcome back. Go Cougars," Henry said as he ran out.

"Thanks, Coach. I hate talking to him."

"Riley told me you needed some saving. So, are you ready for practice?"

"I guess. I'm not sure how much help I can really be."

"Are you kidding? Coach Miller said you have a great mind for defense, like you know what's going to happen before it does."

"We both know it was Coach Miller who had the great mind. I was just along for the ride," I said.

"Well, I hope some of his smarts are somewhere in that noodle of yours."

"I'll do my best."

He went back to his office. The large digital clock on the wall read 8:30. I went outside to the bleachers to wait for Oliver. He was already sitting up in the stands, going through our playbook when I got there.

"Hey, Oliver, do you want to talk down here out of the sun?"

"Yeah." He came running out of the stands. "Thanks for doing this, I really mean it. Thank you so much."

"No problem. So give me the rundown of the team and what I have to work on."

"It's not good," Oliver said, looking down at the roster that he had stuck in his clipboard. "Our defense is made up of mostly juniors, and our offense is just as bad off. Eric doesn't have enough time to do anything with the ball. The JV-varsity scrimmage was an even match the whole time."

"So how are the linebackers this year?"

"Terrible. Levi couldn't tackle his own shadow, and Ray and Adam were safeties last year and have been put with the linebackers out of necessity."

"Weren't there any sophomores or returning juniors who moved up to take the outgoing seniors' linebacker spots? I could have sworn we had a couple junior linebackers and—"

"They weren't allowed to come back to the team. A quarter of the team didn't come back."

"Why?" I asked.

"Not sure, but I think it has to do with Bryce and Coach Miller dying," Oliver said with a shrug, looking down at his feet.

"That doesn't make any sense. The football team had nothing to do with anyone dying."

"I agree," Oliver said, "but people are saying the team is cursed: your injury and the stuff that happened to me have only added fuel to the fire."

"How do you think Levi will do?" I asked, changing the subject.

"He has potential, but the other two are just placeholders. If someone comes their way, they might be able to trip them." Oliver continued, "The only positive thing that came from the JV and varsity scrimmage is Eric had over 100 yards rushing. He just followed his blocker right up the middle through the linebackers. We're hoping he can do that during the regular season. Everyone is glad you're here; at least now you can come up with something that will help the linebackers slow down the other team's running game."

I shook my head. "Let's not jump to any conclusions."

"Believe me, you're going to help. You inspire people just by being around."

The first group of players began to arrive. Most of them gawked at us as they walked by. They had to be in shock that I was standing and talking with Oliver. A couple of the guys even stopped for a second, dumbfounded. The best reaction came from Eric and Matt.

Eric let out a loud "Holy sh—" but stopped short of completing the phrase.

Matt grabbed his arm and pulled him past us.

"You can always count on Eric," Oliver said.

"Yeah, Eric is full of it." We both laughed.

Right before practice, Coach Hoff announced that the player-turned-coach had decided to help out this charity-case of a team and become a coach again. The team laughed, but I don't think he was joking. Riley let out a loud whistle, and everyone quieted.

"Our first scrimmage against Mt. Vernon is this Saturday. We cannot take them lightly just because this is the first year they're in division one. Let me remind you that they have been undefeated for the past five years, winning the D-2 state championship each of those years. Coach Williams will have them ready for us. They have something to prove."

The sun was beating down on our practice, baking us like brownies. I gave the guys in my drills a water break every ten minutes so they could cool down. I remembered all too well how it felt to be practicing in the extreme heat of summer.

While I was waiting for the guys to get back from their break, Eric walked by me, bumping into me.

"So you've got a new best friend. What are you thinking? Did you forget about all of the crap he put us through?"

I knew this question was going to come at some point. I had already prepared my answer.

"Coach Miller asked me to give Oliver a chance, so that's what I'm doing. It seems like he has changed." I shoved him to show that he was still my buddy.

"Hey, you better not hurt my throwing arm. It has a million-dollar insurance policy on it. Coach Hoff made sure I got it before the season."

Everyone who heard laughed. It was good to be back.

Coach Hoff and Riley set up a scrimmage. I think Coach Hoff wanted to see what I could accomplish after one practice.

The scrimmage began, and it was a train wreck right away.

"Next time you go for the ball carrier or try to take out a blocker, look from side to side to see where the others are. You all can't go through the same hole. There's not enough room," I said during a timeout.

My group was inept. They looked like rodeo clowns running in circles, trying to escape the bull.

"Sorry, playing linebacker is so much harder than wide receiver," Levi said.

"No excuses. Just do what I'm saying."

And to my surprise, after that they began to work together. They weren't making many plays, but at least they weren't tripping over one another. And that was a big accomplishment.

**

"So how was practice?" Cora asked as soon as I came in the front door. She was dressed in a bikini and jean shorts.

"It went well. Where have you been?" I asked.

"Genevieve and I were getting a tan."

"Do you really think that's wise? You know, being sitting ducks."

She leaned in. "That's the only way we can get Walter and Dane to leave us alone to talk. Are you hungry?" she asked with a wink. "I'll make some of those mini mushroom burgers you love, with a nice horseradish sauce." She hurried into the kitchen, not waiting for me to reply.

I went upstairs and went straight for the shower. As hot as I had been during practice, I still needed the almost-scalding hot water to beat down on me. It was refreshing and invigorating. The steam filled the bathroom, creating a mini sauna. I sat down and drifted off while the shower water beat on me.

"Are you going to get out anytime soon? My fingers are getting pruney."

I grabbed the shower curtain, nearly tearing it down when I heard Genevieve's voice. She scared me to death. I didn't hear her come in.

"Easy there, don't go having a heart attack on me. I'm not the peeping-tom type."

"What do you want?" I said, sitting back into the contour of the tub once again.

"I just want to talk."

"Go ahead. I'm not going anywhere, obviously."

"Do you like me?" she asked.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I like you. You know that."

"That's not what I mean. Do you like me like me, because I . . . I . . . I love you," she said, sounding unsure about what she was saying.

Despite the hot shower, chills ran through my entire body. I pulled back the curtain so I could see her face. Her hair was pulled back into a single braid that was draped over her shoulder. She was wearing a pink bikini top and matching board shorts.

"Genevieve, you know I care for you, but I love Elle, plain and simple. We are together, and that's what I want."

I let go of the curtain to hide my face. I didn't want to see her reaction. I waited for a response but got none. After a couple of minutes I heard the door open and shut. I reached up with my foot and turned the water off. I sat there in the tub thinking about both Elle and Genevieve. I knew telling her was the right thing to do, but it somehow felt wrong deep down in my chest. I was sure it broke her heart, which meant part of me broke, too.

August 19 was move-in day for freshmen at Vanderbilt, and it happened to be the same day as our scrimmage against the Mt. Vernon Rams. The days that led up to Elle leaving were stormy. The torrential rain left the practice fields too wet to use. Even the stadium with its state-of-the-art irrigation system had a difficult time keeping up; large puddles marred it. So we practiced in Sycamore High School's gym when they weren't using it themselves. Because of our random practice schedule, I wasn't able to see Elle very often before she left. And any time I was available to see her, she was packing. I had offered several times to help, but she only wanted her mom. She explained that she just needed to have some mother-daughter moments before she left. So our time together was rare.

The night before she left, I wanted to do something special with her, so I made sure she could spend it with me.

"So where are we going? My dad's worried you're going to kidnap me," she said, joking but sounding half-serious.

"If I knew that was an option, we would be on the first plane out of here."

She leaned in and laid her head on my shoulder softly. Her soft hair tickled my neck, and her perfume was intoxicating. I gripped the steering wheel tightly, because I felt like I was going to float out of the truck.

We pulled into the parking lot of a large industrial complex right outside downtown Winsor.

"Are you taking me to a haunted house or something?" she asked, looking around apprehensively.

"You'll see."

I drove around to the back of the building where the dock doors were located for truck drop-offs. One of the doors had a drive-up ramp on it. I proceeded to the ramp. Elle squeezed my hand nervously. How cute, I thought. I guess with the low-hanging clouds hiding the sun, it did look sort of creepy. When we pulled up to the door, the garage slowly opened, and a yellow glow filled the truck. It was as if we had died and were walking toward the light. But this was all part of the plan.

We pulled up through the door, and it closed behind us. I turned off my headlights, revealing a big, empty warehouse filled with thousands of candles and a single table in the middle.

"Oh my, oh my," Elle said over and over again like a little kid on Christmas morning.

We slowly drove through the candles on a path that took us in a circle that kept getting closer to the center where the table was. The path and candles took us through the entire empty building. It was as though we were on a small boat going across a sea of fire.

I had talked to Dane about having a nice night with Elle before she left, and he convinced me to let him plan it. He said that he was an expert on anything pertaining to the heart. I didn't really want his help, but after he told Cora what he was thinking about doing, she said that I should let him. So I did. And so far, he didn't disappoint.

We reached the middle where the table was. We got out, and Elle grabbed me, pulling me close. "You never cease to amaze me, Mr. Keller."

Before we had a chance to sit down, Dane came out from somewhere unseen, dressed like a butler in an all-black tuxedo with some Brazilian twists—a little color from Brazil's flag was in his tie, shoes, and even in his dreadlocks.

"Please take a seat," he said, pulling the chair out for Elle.

The table was set with silverware and china that looked as if it had been stolen from the royal family.

"Tonight we will feature several different delicacies from the Greater Winsor area. Can I start you out with some sparkling grape pop? This vintage brand was brought all the way from Winsor High School just for you."

Elle giggled at him when he opened the can and poured it into the crystal-fluted glass. He motioned to see if I wanted some, and I said, "By all means," keeping with the whole fancy-restaurant vibe.

He handed us both menus that were housed in large leather folders. On the menu was every different food choice from all of the neighboring restaurants.

"Do you need a couple of minutes, or are you ready?"

We ordered two different appetizers and then our entrees. We had ordered something from a bunch of different restaurants throughout Winsor as well as a salad from "Cora's Kitchen." We had eaten her delicious walnut-raspberry salad so many times before; we knew we needed to include it.

"While you're waiting for your food, I'd like to share with you a tradition from the village in Brazil where I grew up. I hope you enjoy." Dane wheeled over a cart that was completely covered with golden spheres that were about twice the size of a simple marble. They were shimmering just slightly, giving an effect as if they were on fire.

"Each of these," he picked up one in his hand and then placed it between his thumb and index finger, "has a different type of powder encased in it. Each one looks the same, but they're not. You will need to be careful when picking them up because the shell is delicate. Put one in your hand like this and throw it toward any of the candles around you. Make sure you don't grip it. Kind of let it slip out as you throw it."

"Are you serious?" I asked.

He smiled, launching the one in his hand at the candles right in front of us. When it made contact with the ground it exploded, releasing a small white cloud. Then it ignited when it came in contact with the nearest candle, sending a quick flash of purple flames and sparks throughout the small cloud. Then it was gone. It was spectacular.

"These are called Brazipods. They are made before the Maracas Brazilian Firework Celebration. In my village there is a beautiful flowering plant called the Porphyrocoma pohliana, otherwise known as Maracas Brazilian Fireworks. It was first cultivated in my village to be sold commercially, helping us become a vibrant part of Brazil's economy. The flower looks like a purple, red, and pink rocket that has been caught in mid-explosion. So the culmination of this celebration is on the last day, the whole town takes all the Brazipods they have made and brings them to the town square. At night, people bring thousands of candles and religious ornaments. The candles are beautifully decorated with flowers and family crests. Some people work on their candles all year long for this event. The kids from the town get to throw the Brazipods into the sea of candles to create a beautiful light show. We do this as a way to thank God for creating such a beautiful plant that helped our village grow. And don't worry—these aren't too dangerous. Just don't get too close to them when they ignite," he concluded with a smile and a wink.

I picked one up and threw it. It sailed through the air, and instead of hitting the ground first, it hit one of the candles directly, sending red sparks in every direction. Seeing me throw mine, Elle took one and threw it. A puff of white flames followed hers with a burst of gold sparks that crackled. For the next fifteen minutes, we threw all of them into the surrounding candles. The different colors and effects were beautiful. Toward the end, we were throwing groups of pods together, creating large pyrotechnic displays that rivaled some of the fireworks shows I had seen on the Fourth of July. Each time they hit, Elle and I laughed and smiled.

"Your food is served," Dane said from behind us.

We turned and saw that he wasn't alone; both of the Swedes were with him, also dressed in something waitresses would wear, all matching each other.

We walked away from the empty cart and sat down, but before we started eating, the two women and Elle all began to cry. She rushed into their arms and hugged them.

"I'll miss you both so much," she said, still hugging them.

And in unison they said, "We will miss you, too."

"I thought they were her bodyguards," I said to Dane.

"They are here in Winsor, but they've been reassigned somewhere else. At school, Elle will have Dr. Chase Letterby. She won't need as much protection now that she isn't going to be so close to you." His words stung, but he was right.

Elle sat back down. Dane and the Swedes left.

"You have taken me on some incredible dates, and this one is right up there," Elle said to me. "Thank you for doing this for me."

I picked up my chair, brought it around the table, and sat down next to her.

"I love you, Elle, more than anything else. I will forever be yours."

She leaned over, and we kissed, so gently, as though she didn't want to mess it up. I could feel each part of her soft lips against mine. The kiss was generating its own heat, like when the Brazipods hit the fire. The warmth seemed to spread all around, encompassing us with its bliss. Even when she leaned back, I could still feel it.

"We better eat before it gets cold," she said, flashing her crooked smile.

"Of course we should," I said.

I scooted my plate around the table to where I was now sitting. The different foods were in the restaurant's wrapper or to-go container, all neatly placed on our plates and table.

"I wonder how he was able to order all of this food and get it back here so quickly. Just driving to all of these places would take over two hours," she said, unwrapping her grilled chicken sandwich.

"I don't know, but I'm sure he had a lot of help."

Halfway through the meal, some very soft music began to fill the large, empty space.

"Can I have this dance?" I asked. I stood, offering my hand. She took it, and I led her out into the maze of candles to a bare spot. The flowered summer dress she had on danced in the light of the candles. It looked like she was floating in a sea of lights. I pulled her close to my body, and we began to dance. The time began to melt away. The only indication that we had been dancing for a long time was that some of the candles began to burn out.

I led her to the truck, and we drove out of the warehouse. The whole way home, she had her head on my shoulder, trying to be as close to me as possible. She had my hand in hers, and she was tracing her fingernails all around the back of my hand. This was a perfect night, I thought.

Elle and her family left the next morning before I was even up to get ready for the scrimmage. I couldn't really sleep though. Thoughts of Elle kept me awake, and for once I was happy not to sleep.

"Nicholas," Genevieve said, walking into my room early the next morning and shutting the door.

She sat down on the bed, and I sat up. She was wearing a thin pink hooded sweatshirt that covered her almost all the way to her knees. "I need to talk with you about Elle."

I didn't want to hear anything she had to say about Elle right now. I wished she would leave me alone. "I don't want to talk about her, especially with you."

"I know you had a great date last night because I was there, too."

"You were?"

"We all were there. How do you think Dane got all of your food so fast? But anyway, you don't need to speak; you just have to listen. Nicholas, I want to apologize for my actions."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, hoping to avoid this topic.

"I'm sorry about what I said to you when you were in the shower. It's difficult for me to forget about the time we shared during the snowstorm. That was the only time in my life since all of this madness started that I've ever felt complete." She moved closer to me, taking my hand.

"Please, Nicholas." She took her other hand and brought it up to my face. I closed my eyes. She moved her hand down my cheek. My heart began to pound as she pulled in closer to me. I wanted to fight her, but I couldn't. I opened my eyes. She was so close to me; if I wanted to lean in to kiss her I could, but I didn't. Our Thusian connection is the only reason I'm not kicking her out of here, I told myself.

"Genevieve, we can't do this," I whispered. "You know that I love Elle."

She didn't move away from me. "I know, but moments like this make me think finishing in second place is worth it."

"No, it's not worth it, because this isn't a competition. It's only Elle and me. You and I are together because of being part of The 4, nothing else. There is no second place."

She sat back after I said that. She didn't say anything. She just sat there on my bed, not letting go of my hand, looking down.

"You should go. I have to get ready for the scrimmage."

She hesitantly got up and left.

I went down to the kitchen to eat. I was feeling a little nervous about the scrimmage. I hadn't been sure how I would feel—nervous was better than sick.

"So are you ready for the scrimmage today?" Cora asked.

"It's just another scrimmage," I said, knowing she was asking because it was against Mt. Vernon.

"You can act all tough, but if you want to talk, I'm here."

Cora had become more like a friend to me now, only acting motherly every once in a while. As much as I had rebelled against her when she was telling me what to do, I now kind of missed it.

"I'm good. Just been thinking of Elle, hoping her move goes well today."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. Look at the time. You better get going; you don't want to be late. And don't worry about anything outside of the game. Walter and Dane have brought in a lot of extra hands."

Great, I hadn't been thinking about any of that stuff. I grabbed a fresh pack of Tic Tacs on the way out the door. Of course on the ride over with Riley I was beginning to feel panicked about the extra security and why they were coming. I couldn't stop myself; I was quickly becoming obsessed. All I wanted to do was think about Elle, not any of this stuff.

Riley and I were two of the first people there, except for the news and sports stations that were setting up their broadcasting equipment, which spanned most of the parking lot outside the stadium. All of the major networks were there, too, setting up, getting ready for our game. We passed by them quickly but were stopped by a woman.

"Excuse me, my name is Sandra Higgins, and I'm with Local 12 news."

I braced myself for her question.

"Do you know where a restroom is so I can get changed?"

I pointed back to the school balloon, and Riley stepped between us so that if she recognized me, he could buy me time to escape, but there was no need. We walked up to the locker room. I was relieved she didn't recognize me. Not being the headline for a change would be nice.

Our locker room balloon had gained several more attachments. There was now a weight room, a place for the trainers, more coaches' offices, a kitchen, a rec room, and a lot more rooms with lockers. Not only was it for the football team, it was housing all the different sports at Winsor too. Even though these weren't permanent, they were definitely a reflection of the over-the-top way of doing things.

This was actually the first time I had been in the locker room by myself, so instead of going straight to the office as Riley did, I explored. On one wall near the front, there was a large photo of Coach Miller with several of his sayings in quotations circling him. I had heard every single one from him a thousand times. It was a fitting tribute to such a great man. The more I looked around, the more incredible it was. It looked similar to the old locker room but better. I closed my eyes for a second and flashed back to a grinning Bryce standing over Elle. My heart began to thump.

It's time for you to join us. His voice echoed like that of a ghostly specter, beckoning me.

I shook my head and was brought back to the present, escaping his smug voice. Something caught my eye on the offensive side of the locker room in the back. Whatever it was had a white glare reflecting off of it. Anger consumed me when I got to it. I felt an uncontrollable hatred pulse through me. It was a dedication to Bryce, with a piece of plexiglass instead of the door where his old locker would have been. Hanging inside was a picture of Coach Miller with his arm around Bryce. They looked so happy; it was right after the state championship game. I wanted to punch through the plexiglass and shatter it into a thousand pieces. Why did they have to put a picture of that killer in here? I pulled back to hit it when someone grabbed my arm.

"Easy there, what's gotten in to you?" Eric said. He and about a dozen guys were staring at me. They must have entered the room while I was looking at this picture, stuck in my own world.

"I . . . I . . . I'm just so mad that they're gone," I said, trying to hold back as much bile and contempt for Bryce as I could.

"It's cool. We're all bummed, but that's why we need to kick some butt today, for Bryce and Coach Miller," Eric shouted.

The guys in the locker room thundered back, "Yeah!"

"Gather up, men," Coach Hoff called an hour later. I was sitting next to the chalkboard, trying to keep my cool. I had focused all of my attention on our playbook for a distraction. It wasn't quite a book anymore—now everything was on a tablet. All of our plays had been converted electronically, so now they were just a swipe of a finger away.

"Today is going to be our first test; this will show us what the rest of the season will look like. We have gone through hell and back, but we are warriors, and we've been coached by one of the greatest men who ever walked this planet. Today and the rest of the season we play as though he is standing right here with us."

Coach Hoff bowed his head and said a silent prayer followed by a loud "Amen," which everyone echoed. We all filed out of the locker room. The guys were fired up, jumping up and down, which was good—hopefully that enthusiasm would translate into better play.

Riley fell back to walk with me. We slowly distanced ourselves from the group. Right before we went into the side door of the stadium, he stopped.

"There's something you should know about your hometown of Mt. Vernon. It has the largest population of Thusians in any one spot anywhere in the world. There are possibly over two hundred Thusian families living there."

"Does everyone else know this?" I asked, not sure why he had decided to tell me now.

"I wasn't sure if I had discussed it with you and Cora yet. The reason I'm telling you now is that there will be a lot more eyes on you today."

"You should've told me earlier. No wonder Ester and everyone didn't want me to coach again. You should have told me earlier. It makes me look like I'm being reckless and don't care about anyone else. You and your lies," I spat at him, turning to walk down the stairs.

He grabbed my arm. "I'm sorry. Somehow I thought I was protecting you and Cora."

"Protecting—ha! The four of us are the ones who need to do the protecting."

He looked away from me as if he had more to say but wasn't sure how to start.

"You got something else to say? If not, I need to get out on the field," I said.

"I'm sure there is a big group of Seekers in Mt. Vernon, because of how many Thusians are there."

"I'm so tired of being scared. All we do is run away from things. I'm going to face them head on."

"You know I'm all for that. I was actually happy you told the Council, but there are other lives we're responsible for now. I have finally realized that. No more revenge or self-serving behavior," he said.

"If that's really how you feel, then stop withholding information," I said, running down the stairs.

The team must have just run out onto the field, because I heard the roar of the crowd when I entered the tunnel. Normally for scrimmages we used the main gate to get in and out with no big entrance hoopla, but they were treating this like a regular game. I'm sure it had something to do with the increased national coverage of Winsor.

I caught up to the last players. The morning sun had dried out most of the field. I guess the drainage system in the stadium finally caught up.

I looked up into the stands to see who was here, standing by the linebackers while they stretched. Pretty much every Thusian who had been in and out of our house over the past couple of months was here; some were in the stands looking like fans, sporting their green and gold, while others were workers or pretending to be part of the mass of media. Even on the visitors' side I saw some familiar faces. A large group of people were gathering by the fence behind me near the visitors' side. They were all looking right at me. A little girl waved and yelled, "Nicholas, can you come over here?"

Riley heard her and shook his head no, but I ignored him. I wasn't in the mood to give him the satisfaction of doing what he wanted me to do—plus what harm could it do going over there? The fire in me was absent.

My movement toward the group sent a chain reaction throughout the Thusians. They quickly positioned themselves closer to me and the group of people, ready to spring into action if needed.

The girl held out a piece of paper and a pen. I looked at it; she was holding an old newspaper article with a photo of me holding Ms. Rush after the earthquake and a headline that read "10-10 Hero."

"Can you sign it? You're my hero." She was making such big puppy-dog eyes that I couldn't resist. I took it out of her hand and signed it for her, which gave her the biggest smile. As soon I finished, more requests for autographs came. Everyone was so nice. Most of them told me what had happened to their families during the earthquake and how they had survived. Each story of escape was like a badge of courage. The stories were horrible, but everyone still had smiles on their faces while talking about it.

I shook the last person's hand and began to walk back over. Riley had a big grin on his face that said, "Really? We just got done talking about this. What if they were Seekers?" I shrugged my shoulders, walking past him. I looked up into the stands more closely to see where Genevieve and Cora were, and my body reacted before my mind could catch up—I sprinted toward the fence because Grey was sitting in the middle of the stands, staring at me with a big smile. His pasty-white skin made him stand out as though he had a spotlight on him.

"What's going on?" Dane was at the fence, blocking me from hopping over.

I pointed. Riley had caught up and was now looking up into the stands with us.

A group led by Walter moved discreetly up into the stands, surrounding Grey. If I jumped the fence and went after him, things might become ugly. Grey was here to provoke me into doing something. That had to be it.

"He won't try anything out in the open—too many witnesses and cameras. He's a Seeker; he wouldn't reveal the Thusians' secrets. He's hardcore and would never break a rule," Dane said quickly, hoping I wasn't still thinking about going into the stands.

Dane was right. Grey was trying to get to me, making me become irrational. Also he would never trigger a disaster while he was around because he might sacrifice himself for someone else if he was too close. He wasn't that stupid. He was simply here because he could be.

The group of Thusians didn't move in. They settled into seats all around him. He was trapped.

I spotted both Genevieve and Cora, who were sitting in the front row on the 50 yard line not anywhere near Grey, not quite aware of what was happening above them. They were dressed in jerseys with my old number, 32, on them. Cora dressed a little more on the conservative side, looking like one of the moms, and Genevieve was, well, Genevieve.

Eric ran onto the field for the first play of the game, and the crowd cheered loudly. Mt. Vernon's players were a lot smaller compared to our guys. It looked as if we were playing against the eighth-grade team. The first couple of series, Eric pretty much did anything he wanted to do. They were clearly outmatched. But when we were in the red zone ready to score, one of the guys from Mt. Vernon moved past our linemen and hit Eric in the midsection. He was fast, too fast. Not my speed or even Bryce's speed, but he had to be a Thusian; there was no doubt about it. Riley said that there were a lot of Thusians who lived in Mt. Vernon, but I had never expected to see one out on the field. I was shocked.

We settled for a field goal, and then kicked off the ball.

"Get out there, defense!" Coach Hoff yelled.

"Red cream soda, red cream soda, set, hike," their quarterback yelled. He handed the ball off, and the running back ran right up the middle, picking up ten yards easily. My guys were nowhere to be found. The next play was the same with the same result. They were marching down the field. Coach Hoff called a time out.

"It's like he's a ghost. One minute he's there, and the next he's gone," Levi said, bent over and out of breath in the huddle.

The running back had to be a Thusian too. How were we going to stop him?

"This is what I want you to do," I said. "As soon as you hear him yell 'hike,' run straight ahead with your arms out as if you're trying to grab something."

The looks on their faces were priceless. "Coach, are you telling us to forget about the plays that are being called and just—"

"Yes, and when your hand makes contact with something, try to grab it and hold on. This should prevent them from running right up the middle on us every play. Matt and the guys up front need you to plug up the running lanes. Let's see if they have a passing attack."

They nodded reluctantly.

The next play was right up the middle again, but this time Levi was in the running back's lane. This made him slow down just enough, so Matt was able to grab him from behind and drag him down. He couldn't move as fast as he wanted to when he had to move left or right.

My strategy worked. They began to throw the ball, and luckily the quarterback wasn't that great, so most of the passes fell incomplete. But still there were flashes of Thusian talents coming from several other players. This made it difficult for our team to keep up with them. They might have been smaller and looked outmatched, but it was clear why they had won state championships all of those years.

"Can you see them?" Riley asked. "They have so many on their team. It's crazy; it's like standing in a big, open field, waiting for the fireflies to light up—so many Thusians."

"I understand why Walter wanted us to focus on just training," I said. "These are regular Thusians. What will it be like against Xavier, Grey, and the third?"

"Consider this part of our training," Riley said.

At halftime Coach Hoff was focused mainly on our offensive struggles since we were down 3-7. You could tell he wanted this victory to make sure he didn't start a losing tradition, tarnishing Coach Miller's legacy. I shared with Oliver at the half what my linebackers were doing. He adjusted his play calling to do more containment, rather than reacting to Mt. Vernon's plays.

Back on the field, both teams struggled. The Thusians on Mt. Vernon's team kept making plays that locked us in a stalemate.

Riley came up with a trick play near the end of the game—our center would hike the ball past Eric to Nathan our running back, who would then throw it to the side where Eric ended up. And when Eric caught the ball, he would throw it as quickly as he could down field to a hopefully wide-open receiver. This misdirection would make it difficult for the Thusians to get to the ball and would give us our best chance to score. Coach Hoff agreed and had our offense run the play.

Eric yelled hike, and everything worked just how it was supposed to. We got the ball all the way down to the one-yard line and Eric punched it in for the score, using Matt's large body to run everyone over.

When the horn sounded, the stands erupted into a frenzy. We won 10-7. Not the greatest game, but it was a win, and that's all we could ask for. I looked up into the stands to see where Grey was. He had disappeared, along with most of the Thusians. I scanned the stands and was relieved to see Genevieve and Cora still there cheering.

"How was your game today against Mt. Vernon?" Elle asked.

"We won. How's Vanderbilt?" I asked, not wanting to tell her about Grey showing up.

"Awesome, I already made a good friend right after Mom and Dad left. Her name's Noel. She's my roommate. She's from Minnesota, has two brothers and two sisters; we went to freshman orientation together. We got along right away. We have so much in common." I could tell Elle was excited because she was talking so fast.

She sounded happy, and that was a relief. I wanted her to miss me, but if I cared about her I couldn't be selfish. We talked for an hour—well, she did most of the talking. She explained what her dorm looked like and where she would eat her meals. If there was something she could tell me about Vanderbilt, she did. She also told me that Chase was staying in the same building with her and that he was probably there to keep an eye on her. I wasn't sure how much protection he could give her if needed, but at least he was around.

"I have to get going, Nicholas. Noel is meeting me for dinner in ten minutes. I don't want to be late because after that we're going to go get our supplies and books. I miss you, and thanks again for last night. The date will carry me until the next time we see each other," she said.

"I'll visit soon," I added.

"You better."

"I will."

"Love you, bye," she said, hanging up the phone.

After I got off the phone, Cora wanted to hear everything Elle had said. She hung on every word about her beloved Vanderbilt. She was reliving memories of being there; I could see it in her eyes. That school was the place where she'd had her biggest joys and also her deepest sorrows.

No one had talked yet about what had happened with Grey at the game. Walter had told Riley that he and Dane would be gone taking care of some business until later in the evening, and he asked for us to wait to discuss anything. Riley didn't think it was a big deal to wait, so he agreed. And I actually didn't mind either. I wanted to relax.

Two loud, hollow bangs on the front door echoed through the house. I walked in from the family room, and Cora came from the kitchen. It had been so long since we'd answered our own door.

"I'll get it," I said.

"We'll get it together," she said, following me to the door.

Eric was peering in the side window. His lips were planted firmly on the glass, giving it a big kiss with his tongue moving back and forth. Cora made a sound of disgust and went back into the kitchen. I hit the window, and he pulled away.

"The window said you need to brush your teeth," I said, opening the door.

"Ha ha, you're hilarious. What time do you want me to pick you up for the quarry party?" he asked in a very mischievous voice.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, knowing that the quarry party was never going to happen again. After all the tragedy, the school board and the city council had banned it.

"You will learn what it means along with everyone else who was invited. I'll come by and get you around 5:00 tomorrow, and yes, I know you can drive yourself, but I have to make sure my lieutenant is right next to me."

"Eric—"

"I can't tell you anything else." He stepped back and looked around. "They might be listening. Trust me, you'll love it."

"Yeah, I think I'll pass this year."

"Give me a break. You're a bachelor now, so man up. See ya tomorrow."

He went down the stairs, passing both Walter and Dane, who he steered clear of. Neither of them had come from a car or truck. They looked hot and sweaty as though they had been walking for a while. They were followed closely by Riley and Genevieve, who must have been looking out their window waiting for them to get back. They didn't look at Eric as they passed. Of course, Eric noticed Genevieve and mouthed something to me. I turned away, not really interested in what off-color remark he was going to make about her.

"Thank you for waiting," Walter said, sitting down on the couch in the family room, looking exhausted. The rest of us all sat down around him, like he was getting ready to read us a story. Riley was on the couch with him, Cora and Dane were sitting in the cushioned chairs across the room, and I sat in our recliner. Before I could move my legs, Genevieve sat in front of me on the ground, putting her back against my legs. I promptly slid them to both sides.

"No problem," Riley said. "So what happened with Grey?"

"Nothing happened," Dane said. "He's a coward. He used the news people as a shield to get out of the stadium. There was nothing we could do to him while he was with them. We had six different teams follow him off the school grounds, but somehow he slipped through." He crossed his arms and let out a frustrated sigh, sitting back.

"Yes, it was a frustrating day, but we did learn some useful things. It appears Xavier has put a hold on any attacks. The game would have been a great time to send a message to us, but nothing. Grey just sat there," Walter said.

"It was more like he was saying, 'I can do whatever I want, and there's nothing you can do about it. If I want to attack, I will when I want to,'" Genevieve responded sarcastically.

"I agree with Genevieve," Cora said. "I don't think that just because they didn't attack today means we can assume anything."

"Grey being there was only part of what happened today. All the Thusians on Mt. Vernon's team were interesting," I said.

"Yeah, Riley just told me that a whole bunch of Thusians live in Mt. Vernon," Genevieve said, sounding frustrated.

"It seems like the two of you figured out how to beat them," Walter said, smiling. "It was great practice for you to learn how to use some mental talents to outmaneuver them. This will be useful against The 3. It'll be a game of who can think out the farthest and execute strategy better than the others."

After he said that, it seemed as if going up against The 3 was a lost cause because Xavier planned things out over the course of a year if not longer. My thoughts and plans were always in the moment, spontaneous, never planned.

"Later Dane and I are taking the teams back out to the stadium to see if we missed anything," Walter said.

"What teams?" I asked.

"The teams I used today at the game. I put together my most trusted and skilled Thusians to help out."

"Wait a minute. I thought you were supposed to keep everyone away from us. No more Thusian bodyguards because they just get in the way," Riley said with a stern look.

"Having them at the game was one thing, but having them stay around is another," Cora said.

"Ester asked for us to have more guards," Dane said, sounding like he thought we all knew that.

"She, too, voted for only you and Walter to be here. You aren't following what the Council agreed to," Riley said, becoming angrier.

"Be reasonable. I'm trying to protect all of you," Walter said, dismissing him.

"He is being reasonable," I said. "Whenever we've been on our own, we have done just fine, remember?"

"You've been lucky, but who knows how long that will last?" Walter said. He stood flexing the muscles in his jaw, showing the frustration of having to talk about this.

"I will send them away when I'm ready. Don't forget—this is not only for your safety but the safety of everyone around you."

He walked out the front door with Dane following behind.

Our phone rang right when the door shut. Cora answered it.

"Hello? One minute please." She handed me the receiver. "It's for you."

She and Riley went into the kitchen before I could answer. Genevieve remained at my feet.

"Hello?"

"Nicholas, it's been a long time since we chatted."

The fire engulfed me, sending bitter acid into the back of my throat. On the other end of the phone was Xavier. I couldn't say anything.

"Come on, Nicholas, I'm sure you have some things you want to talk to me about, because I have a lot to say to you."

His smug tone was nauseating. I motioned to Genevieve, pointing at the phone and mouthing it was Xavier. She ran out of the room and brought back both Cora and Riley.

"What do you want?" I said, staying composed. I had to control myself enough to see what information I could learn, even if this was a game he was playing.

"I called to say that I'm very impressed with you. You have done a pretty remarkable job surviving all of the little traps I've laid for you so far. I was sad to see Bryce go the way he did, but his replacement, Grey, has already added a fun, new twist to our little game, don't you think?"

"This is isn't a game. Face me like a man." My anger got the best of me. Challenging him was not a great idea.

He ignored me and continued, "But Grey missed his chance, and now he has to sit on the sideline until I decide he may try again. The 3 will succeed at some point, but not anytime soon. I have other things on my plate right now. And it seems the direct approach is something you excel in, so we have to be more creative for you, don't we? I don't think the others will be as difficult to kill when it's their turn to die. Oh, how rude am I? Where are my manners? Hello, Cora, Genevieve, and Riley."

"You expect me to believe a single word you're saying about not attacking?" I demanded. "I know what you're up to!"

"You should believe me. I'm the only person who has ever told you the truth. Think about it. Everyone around you has lied to you at some point, while I have always told you exactly the truth, nothing else. So when I say we won't come after you for a while, it's a fact. But I have to say, I'm intrigued to hear what you think I'm up to."

I didn't fall farther down that rabbit hole. "Why did you really call?" I demanded.

"I simply wanted to call and tell you that I will kill all of you. Keeper Wren thinking that The 7 will balance things out is moronic. He was an old man thinking senile things. So this is a warning—your days are numbered. But out of respect for what you have accomplished so far as a Thusian, I'm giving you one year free from me to get your affairs in order. After that time, the four of you will die, promptly."

"I look forward to the day when I face you," I said, my anger consuming me, making it feel as if I was burning alive from the inside out. "Then I will see how cocky you are. Because the warning you just gave me is the same one you should be considering for yourself and the other two or anyone else who stands in our way."

He paused. "I knew I liked you for a reason, Nicholas." Then he hung up the phone right after he said that.

Somehow I believed what he told me about giving us a year before he would try again. But Grey being in the stands today didn't make me feel certain. We all agreed not to share this conversation with Walter and Dane until we needed to. We knew the Council would show up and vote again, placing Thusians all around us.

Eric picked me up right at 5:00 the next evening. He was dressed in jeans with black dress shoes that shone as though they had just been polished. He was also sporting a black suit jacket over a white button-up shirt. His hair was greased back, and he was wearing black shades like he was a gangster or something.

"What's the deal?" I asked, turning down his car stereo when I got in.

"It will all make sense when we get to school, I promise."

"I thought we were going to the quarry thing."

"Relax. Go with the flow, Keller."

I didn't feel like relaxing. I was still on edge after the phone call. The whole night I had battled panic attack after panic attack, barely clinging onto sanity. While I was lying in bed, I felt as if the walls were closing in on me, trying to suffocate me. The only thing that made me feel any better was to simply get up and walk around the room. It had been a very long night.

We pulled into the school with Riley following far behind us. We made an immediate right turn, which took us down a path that didn't look like it was for cars, more of a walking path. It led us through some trees and ended in a large clearing, which was mostly concealed by some more trees and bushes surrounding it. I could see parts of the practice fields and bleachers through the brush.

Waiting for us were the football team and others from our class. One thing that was obvious about this group was there were no girls anywhere.

As soon as we got out of the car, different people started to come up to Eric, taking his right hand and kissing a ring that I hadn't noticed before. It was big and silver with a large pearl embedded in it. What in the world had Eric gotten himself into—and now me?

Everyone gathered around us, and Eric spoke. He didn't sound like himself, but sounded as if he had a mouthful of marbles. "I want to thank all of the families for coming together on this most special of occasions."

Everyone cheered. That's when I realized who he sounded like—he was doing his best impression of Marlon Brando from The Godfather, and it sounded pretty good.

"As you all may know, the rite of passage is something that has been passed down from generation to generation from the beginning of time. So I have come up with a way to continue this tradition, keeping it alive for others to appreciate for years to come."

He paused, thrusting both his arms into the air and said in a loud, rough voice, "I offer to you Mafia Wars."

He reached into his jacket, pulled out a yellow Nerf gun, and shot a large dart into the air, sending it into the tree branches above. Several other guys from the group did the same thing. The darts rained back to the ground, hitting a couple of different people. The group cheered.

Eric began to explain the rules after everyone calmed down.

"This will be between the junior and senior classes. The game will only be held during school hours, not at practice or at your home. When first period begins, so will the game, and when last period is over, so is the game," he said, continuing the same impersonation.

"Mafia Wars will take place during the first two weeks of school. The juniors can only use Nerf guns and darts that are florescent orange, and the seniors have to use fluorescent green ones. At the end of the two weeks, whichever class has the most players left alive will win." Everyone cheered, but he threw his hands up into the air to quiet them. "And if any of you rats bring anything resembling a real gun, I'll have Keller here take you on a long drive, capisce?" He looked around at everyone so they could tell he was serious. Most were nodding yes. He relaxed and continued.

"If you kill the other team's don, the game is over right then. The kills will be tallied immediately to determine who has won. Whoever has the most confirmed kills from each class at the end will be the next don for the spring Mafia Wars."

Everyone was really getting into what Eric was talking about. The longer I was there with all of the guys, the more it started to sound fun. It was going to be a nice distraction. Eric got both classes to divide up so we could see who was against who. The juniors were on the left and seniors on the right. The junior don was from the soccer team, Brandon Bowman. He was just like Eric, over the top and funny, and he was really into it, too. He was also dressed in a gangster outfit, but he had a group of guys who circled him at all times, dressed in blue suit jackets. It looked as if they had all gone to the same place to buy matching outfits.

"I have one rule I would like to add, Don Eric," Brandon said in his best gangster voice, trying more of a Robert De Niro accent from Goodfellas. "I propose that if a don is killed, he can be brought back to life if someone from his class hits a principal with a dart on the same day during lunch with witnesses from both sides."

Both sides began to laugh and cheer.

Eric held up both hands to quiet everyone. "I accept these terms, Don Brandon, but if the don is killed after lunch, then the game is over."

Don Brandon nodded.

The juniors left soon after that. We all hung around to listen to what Eric's plans were. He had everything ready. Each senior was assigned to do something, and it was all on a map he had of the new school. We were like different chess pieces; nobody was left out. He then went to the trunk of his car and pulled out a dozen different green Nerf dart guns to show us. There had to be hundreds of dollars' worth of guns. He discussed the different gun options, giving both the pros and cons for each. He was prepared. Eric wanted to make sure we weren't going to lose the very thing he'd come up with.

**

Back home everyone already knew about Mafia Wars. Riley had already shared with them everything about it. Dane thought it sounded like so much fun. Even Riley wanted to see how he could be part of it. I doubted Eric wanted a teacher to know about it, let alone be part of it. Dane already was looking up different types of Nerf guns and the types of darts to use.

Walter's response was typical: "This is going to be great training for you." If I told him that we were going to play a game of Candy Land, somehow he would think it would be good training. Genevieve and Cora didn't really care about it. Genevieve got up and went into the kitchen and didn't return. Cora listened to us the whole time, but I could tell she was just doing it to be polite.

"We need to go get the gun tonight before school starts," Dane said.

"Yeah, that was my plan, but what's going to be open on Sunday night?"

He quickly said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." And before I could say anything else, he was out the front door.

I called Elle after Dane left. My mind was swimming with thoughts of what it would be like at school without her tomorrow. She had become my crutch, the way I was able to survive being there or pretty much being anywhere, but now she wasn't here. Elle didn't answer her cell or dorm phone, so I left a message for her to call me. Unfortunately she never did.

I was up early the next morning. Everyone except for Riley was at my house to see me off to school. Dane had packed the gun he had chosen for me.

"You're going to have a great senior year," Cora said, handing me my lunch. "I made our moving meal for today—a roast beef, pickle, and mustard sandwich for you and a PB&J for me—because I think it's important for you to know that we don't have to eat that anymore, since we've found our home."

I gave her a hug and left for school. I was happy to hear that; it was encouraging. In our family room window, everyone was waiting for me to back out of the driveway. Riley was backing out of his at the same time. I had to smile seeing them all there. It was like my family seeing me off—a very odd family, but family nonetheless.

I walked into school with my newly acquired Nerf gun in my backpack, just at arm's reach. Dane had picked a gun that shot small Nerf disks rather than darts, assuring me they would work better overall. When I walked through the heavy plastic curtain, I was blasted by cold air, keeping the hot air out. Both Eric and Livi were standing in the front just as they had at the old school. I was glad to see things were going to be somewhat normal.

"So how are you, you know, without your honey bunny?" Eric asked, sounding a lot like a concerned Joy Lemmins.

"I'll manage just fine."

"Not afraid of any college guys trying to pick up your girl?"

"Eric, how dare you? Elle loves Nicholas. He has nothing to worry about." Livi turned back to me with a big smile and winked. "So how does she like it? I haven't been able to talk to her since she moved in. I bet she is having the time of her life. Has she made any friends? Does she miss home?" Livi's questions came one after another, rapid-fire.

"Woman, give the man a chance to answer. Jeez."

I didn't know which question to answer first so I said, "She likes it there."

"Is Don Eric Iery ready for today?" a senior asked, walking by and flashing his gun.

Again in his best Brando voice, Eric said, "I'm ready for any of those lowlife junior swine. I will make them a deal they can't refuse." Then he turned to me. "Nicholas, I need you around me at all times. That's very important. You're going to tear them up; I just know it. You're my number one. You have my class schedule, right?" He had given me a copy last night.

"Yeah, but I still don't have a clue where all of these classrooms are."

"You really need to get with it, man. The school is divided into subjects—math in one area, English in another, and so on and so forth. It's a big circle with the lunchroom and library in the center. Freshman classes are on the ground floor, sophomores first floor, and on up. So this gives us a big-time advantage being higher than they are. The only thing we have to worry about is the classes that have both juniors and seniors in them because those are going to be a bloodbath," he said with a grin.

"One more thing," he said, getting a kiss from Livi as she hurried off to class with a group of girls before we continued to our classes, "if your gun is taken away by a teacher, you can't replace it. You can borrow from someone else, but the team will be down a gun. This was a last-minute rule change."

Riley was going to love this. He'd be taking guys' guns away left and right.

Matt showed up wearing a crazy-big hooded sweatshirt. He had to be blazing hot, even in the air-conditioned balloon. His Nerf gun was protruding out. He had chosen something that resembled a bazooka.

"Don Eric, I'm here to escort you to your first class. I have stationed our team at every point along the way. Today is going to be insane, so let's try to get through it alive," Matt said.

"Nonsense, this is going to be our finest day. Those juniors better watch their backs."

Eric's explanation of the school was helpful. It was exactly how he'd described. I was able to find my first class, going up three ramps just before the first-period bell rang. I was only in world history for a minute before two juniors started shooting at me from across the room as soon as the teacher turned his back. I dodged a couple of darts, returning fire and killing both of them with one shot apiece. Dane was right—the disks were awesome. They went straight as an arrow. I just had to point and shoot. Everyone began to laugh at what had happened. Our teacher, Mr. Rowland, turned around with a blank look on his face as if he'd missed the punch line to a joke.

This Mafia War was going to be fun, and I guess Walter was right because it had some training elements to it. Having juniors attack me out of the blue would keep my guard up, which was a good thing. A memory came to mind that forced a big smile to my face. When I was younger, my dad and I played a game similar to this. My dad and mom loved the old Pink Panther movies. The main character, Inspector Clouseau, was played by Peter Sellers, who had his butler, Cato, attack him when he least expected it. Cato would keep him alert at all times. So my dad and I hid around the house, trying to scare one another. We tried to get my mom to be the judge, but there was no need for a judge. My dad always won, scaring me to death.

"So did you hear about Amber and Chad?" Livi asked us while we were sitting at our lunch table. Eric had chosen a table that was up against the only partial wall in the whole lunchroom. This was a way he could keep an eye out for any assassination attempts.

"No, what?" Erin responded.

"She broke up with him yesterday."

"I know why," Erin said. "Because she thinks he'll find someone else, especially after his new level of fame because of the interview he did."

"That's not the reason," Amber said, sitting down next to her.

"Oh, I was just saying . . ." Erin turned violet. She had stuck her foot in her mouth again.

"It's not like that. I ended it because I wanted him to have no strings attached to me when he went to school. I didn't want to hold him back." She sounded just like Elle.

Matt and Levi came up to the table, both looking around before they sat down.

"Don Eric, we have a report," Matt said.

"I can't wait for this stupid game to be over already," Livi said.

"Don Brandon has set up the juniors in teams of two. We'll never have a one-on-one opportunity to kill them. They have a total of ten kills already, and we only have two, thanks to Nicholas, but that's it."

"We need to be more aggressive, or they're going to kill us all before the week is out," Levi said.

"Okay, if that's how they want to play, then let's hit them hard right now. Levi, take Nicholas to the nest. It's time for my two assassins to work their magic. Make sure you aren't followed."

"Nest? Assassins?" I asked.

Eric smiled.

I followed Levi, finishing my sandwich as he took me through the maze of ramps and classes, not moving too quickly, always checking around to make sure we weren't being watched or followed. He had his Nerf gun out just in case. Each time we came to a new ramp, he took it. We ascended higher and higher. He knew exactly where he was going, like he'd done this a million times before. We got to a certain point where we couldn't go any farther, but that didn't stop him. He jumped over a handrail and went along a narrow metal beam on the backside of a classroom. We moved quietly because a chemistry class was in full session right below us. This narrow passage was concealed from everyone's view. This had to be some sort of access path for maintenance.

"How do you know how to get up here?" I whispered.

Before he answered he quickly climbed up a short aluminum ladder that was at a forty-five degree angle. I followed. We ended on a steel grate that was connected to the ladder. From where we were, you could see the entire school below us. Not one area was hidden from this vantage point. The way this place was situated, you would have to know exactly where to look from below to get a visual of us. This small area led to a steel walkway that went around the top, starting at the ground and circling higher each time around.

"I know how to get up here because I got the building plans from the office a couple weeks ago when Eric told me what the rite of passage was going to be. We needed to have an advantage. I made a couple copies and returned them before anyone knew they were gone."

"How did you get them?"

"I took them off Principal Kitchen's desk before football," he said with a big grin, apparently very proud of his mischievous feat.

We spent the last twenty minutes of lunch in the nest, spotting juniors. We took turns as the spotter while the other was the shooter, going down to take out each pair of juniors, dropping in on them where they least expected it. We became very effective at getting down to our targets. We knew exactly where to look to see each other, so when the shooter got close to the targets, the spotter gave hand signals to let him know where they were. In just twenty minutes we eliminated twelve juniors. I got six of them on my last time down because three pairs had met up right when I turned the corner. They weren't expecting me, but got off a couple of darts, which fell short, after I had already hit each one of them with my disks. When I got back to the nest, Levi was laughing so hard he could barely talk.

"You should have seen their faces," he laughed, "when you turned the corner. You had already shot enough disks to kill ten of them before the first one was even able to draw his gun. They looked like they had just seen a ghost."

This story got bigger and more exaggerated by the end of the day. Both juniors and seniors sat in the locker room after school, talking about it while getting ready for practice.

In a loud voice, Eric yelled, "Nobody can match the senior Mafia!" The seniors banged their helmets on the chairs and lockers.

Practice was very intense. Everyone looked focused on whatever task he was supposed to fill on every play. This added effort wasn't coming from us coaches but from the guys. Maybe Mafia Wars was all we needed to get everyone motivated to play harder and work as a team. There was only one way to tell if this was going to help. Our first game was against the Colerain Cardinals, almost two weeks away. They were favored to win our league this year because they had most of their starters coming back. This was the first year in the last seven that Winsor had not been picked to win the league. Actually we had been picked to finish third, behind the Sycamore Aves, too. Coach Hoff had moved five JV players up onto varsity the first day of school. I guess he was hoping to catch some of that lightning in the bottle that Coach Miller had created by bringing me up. Three of them were on offense and two on defense. The two guys who were with us on defense weren't the most athletic but were big, both over six feet and over two hundred pounds. So Oliver stuck them in the middle, hoping that this would help stop the run, with Matt leading the charge.

After practice we had a long coaches meeting about some of the things Coach Hoff wanted to change before our first game. We were going to focus on running the ball to keep the other team's defense on the field as long as possible to wear them down, and also because our defense was still green. Winsor had always been a powerhouse on defense with Coach Miller, and now we were going to hide it. It kind of stung to hear the plan, but I'm sure Coach Miller would've agreed with this strategy.

The next two weeks went by fast. Most of my time at school was focused on taking out the remaining juniors. Dane and Riley wanted to hear every detail when I got home, especially who the next day's targets were. Walter never took part in the conversations, but he was always in the room listening, smiling or nodding his head every so often.

On the last day of Mafia Wars and the same day of our first game, there was an announcement.

"Could I have your attention, everyone?" There was no doubt whose voice it was—Joy Lemmins—but I couldn't see where it was coming from. "I would like to talk about some disturbing news that has come to our attention." Her voice filled the balloon.

Almost everyone around me wasn't paying any attention and somehow she knew.

"Everyone needs to listen. Look up!" she shouted.

When I looked up, I was shocked. I felt like the Cowardly Lion visiting the great and powerful Wizard of Oz for the first time. Joy Lemmins' picture was being broadcasted into the large light source at the top of the balloon. Her face was all distorted as she moved from side to side.

"Now that I have your attention," she said, "we are aware that some sort of game is going on involving Nerfy thingamabobs. If any student is caught with one of the shooter things or is suspected of being part of it, the entire class will lose the right to attend Homecoming. We will not tolerate any of these shenanigans." As her voice trailed off, she got closer and closer to the camera, which made her eye bigger and bigger. She got so close that it now looked like one big eye was over top of us. She blinked once or twice, and then she was gone.

Eric and Brandon met after that and decided to keep the game going. There wasn't one person who thought we should stop. I, on the other hand, didn't think it was fair to everyone else if someone got caught, but I didn't care to go against what they all wanted to do, so game on.

The remaining juniors gathered all of the underclassmen who played sports and used them as human shields. It was pretty funny. I'm not sure how the teachers didn't think anything was up.

Riley stopped me after my second period and told me that all the teachers didn't care. It was something that Joy Lemmins had come up with because she didn't think it was right. But if something happened out in the open, the teachers would have no choice.

Even with the juniors' extra help from the underclassmen, we were able to isolate the remaining ones and Don Brandon. From the nest we saw him go into the bathroom, and we had Matt chase away the underclassmen who stood guard. We swooped in. I grabbed Brandon's gun as he tried to draw it, and that's when Eric walked into the center of us, right in front of him. Music was being played from somewhere on Eric. It sounded like an old organ. He walked straight up to Brandon, kissed him on both cheeks, and said, "You broke my heart." Then he pulled out his Nerf gun and shot him in the chest. When Brandon was hit, he played it up as though he was really shot, flailing around and falling to the ground. Some juniors tried a suicide mission to save him but were mowed down by the seniors standing guard inside.

We had our victory, but a rumor was circulating that the two juniors who were left were going to try to shoot one of the principals. This was going to be their last effort to save Don Brandon. Even though we still had thirty to their two, Eric set up guards to watch out for them and to make sure they didn't get a chance. He wanted to make sure that when he whacked someone, they stayed whacked, as he kept saying to everyone. But my concern was that if it was so out in the open, then Joy Lemmins' threat might come true.

Amber and Livi were sitting with me at lunch, talking about how mad they were going to be if someone messed up Homecoming for them.

"Nicholas, how do you think the team will do tonight?" Principal Kitchen asked, walking up to our table. She scared me, sending me spinning around.

"Ah, I think we're going to hold our own against Colerain. In their first game, they beat Moeller by over three touchdowns, and that's hard to do, so it's definitely going to be a challenge. So we'll have to stick with our game plan."

From behind Mrs. Kitchen I could see Matt jumping up and down waving his arms, trying to get my attention. He was pointing off to the right of us. In the background two juniors both had their Nerf guns out, moving toward us.

Mrs. Kitchen is in trouble, I thought, tricking myself. My Thusian talents reacted at the thought—not a lot but just enough. I lunged behind Mrs. Kitchen, and all five darts hit me in the chest. I fell onto them and picked them up before she knew what was going on.

"What has gotten into you?" she demanded, spinning around. The two who shot me had been eliminated by a half dozen seniors who converged onto them from all directions, taking them away fast.

"Sorry, I was just . . ." I had no idea what to say. I looked around and saw one of the guys in a jersey. "I tripped going over there to talk to the guys about the game. Sorry, Mrs. Kitchen."

"Okay, make sure the guys don't go tripping over each other tonight," she said, walking away, shaking her head.

My status in the game and the school soared.

Eric came running up to me. "You are the greatest. I don't think you can do anything else to become more of a legend than you already are. You are Midas—everything you touch turns to gold."

**

We came out of the tunnel to thunderous applause and fireworks, even more than last time. Flashes of light were going off everywhere in the stadium. Cora and Genevieve were in their usual spot. My eyes must've been playing tricks on me because a couple of rows above Cora was Elle. She was standing next to a short blonde I didn't recognize, but Elle seemed to know her. I blinked twice. She was no illusion; she was real. She waved to me, and I waved back. Butterflies filled my stomach.

The game began, but I was in a dream state thinking about Elle being here. I hadn't talked to her about this, so it was definitely a surprise.

"Coach Keller, do you want us to run into the holes again, just grabbing anything we come in contact with?" Levi asked.

I snapped out of it and realized we were already losing by ten points.

"No, that's not going to work. I want you all to go after the quarterback every play. As soon as he drops back, blitz through the same gap. We need to pressure him so Coach Hoff's plan will work."

The Colerain quarterback was tall and able to see all over the field. He could throw the ball with incredible accuracy. We needed to put some pressure on him because our plan of keeping our defense off the field wasn't working. We needed a stop.

Levi was able to get enough pressure on him a couple of plays in a row to make him overthrow his targets. The half was closing, and we had the ball. The quieted stadium began to chant, "Iery, Iery." Eric hiked the ball and kept it himself, running all the way down to the two-yard line, picking up 25 yards. Unfortunately, they stopped us three straight times from punching it into the end zone, and we had to settle for a field goal.

Coach Hoff didn't yell at halftime. He was calm and collected. He gave the team words of encouragement, telling them to continue with what they were doing and we would prevail. I'm not sure if he believed that. But no matter what he said, it didn't change the fact that they were just better than us.

We ended up losing 10-17. Our team looked as if they had let down the world with this loss, but then the entire stadium stood and started to clap for us when the horn blew. Even the Colerain team and coaches were clapping. They gave us a standing ovation. Looking around at everyone, I got a sense that no matter what the score was today, everybody had won.

Coach Hoff shook all of the guys' hands as they went back to the locker room, congratulating them in the tunnel.

I slipped out of the locker room to find Elle shortly after Coach Hoff was done talking. She wasn't difficult to find. She was at the front gate surrounded by Livi, Amber, Erin, and that other girl from the stands, with Cora and Genevieve hovering off to the side. They looked like they were guarding her.

"Nicholas!" She came running up to me.

I gave her a big hug, and when she pulled away, right next to us, a little too close, was that blonde.

She cleared her throat. "Ahem."

"Oh, how could I forget? Nicholas this is my best friend from school—you know, the one I've been telling you about, Noel." She hadn't really told me much about her.

"Noel," I said, but before I could say, "Nice to meet you," Noel said, "Yep, Noel, just like the one from Christmas. I was born January 2, but my mom's due date was on December 25, so that's how I got my name."

I didn't know what to say after that. She was different, a little like Joy Lemmins.

Noel and Elle then began to speak to each other as if I wasn't there. Elle had my hand entwined with hers as she explained to Noel things about Winsor's football team. After hearing every little detail, Noel would either say, "No way" or "For real?" I had only been around them for fifteen minutes, but I was beginning to get a headache. Noel always sounded so interested in what Elle was saying, but her body language was saying something else. She looked as though she had heard all of this before and didn't care.

"Elle, what are we going to do?" I asked.

Instead of Elle answering, Noel did. "Sorry, Nicholas, but we have to get back to school. We have to leave early tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. sharp."

I looked at Elle so she could answer me, not her annoying "best friend."

"I already promised Noel I would take her home to meet my parents. They have been dying to meet her. Dad just got home from work." She gave me a kiss on the cheek and said in a whisper, "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you coming to visit me. Seeing each other for only a little bit will give you even more incentive to come visit sooner."

"Okay, but be careful while you're here." I looked at her so she understood what I meant.

"Of course she'll be careful; it's not like we're going skydiving," Noel said, linking her arm with Elle's.

Elle gave me a look, letting me know that she understood what I meant.

Genevieve was close enough to hear everything Noel said. She could have easily made a snide comment but didn't, and for once I wished she had. Elle gave both Cora and Genevieve a hug and left.

Later that night we all sat around watching TV at Genevieve and Riley's. This had become a normal routine lately. I think I had watched more TV in the past couple of months than I had over the past five years.

"So do you have any interest in going?" Walter asked everyone.

"Going where?" I asked, because I had no idea what he was referring to.

Walter frowned. "Cora, didn't you show him the invitation?"

I shook my head.

"You both were invited to go back to Mt. Vernon for some dedication on the weekend of the anniversary of the quake."

Why was I the last to know again? I became infuriated.

"I really don't think we should go," Walter said. "No reason to complicate things."

"I'm so sick and tired of everyone telling me what to do and not telling me what's going on," I said. "Xavier was right. He's the only one who doesn't hold things back."

The football team went on to win its next three games in September, and school was just school, nothing exciting after Mafia Wars ended. Walter continued educating us about the Seekers every free chance he got. He didn't focus on fighting or strategy anymore, just on their history. I'd assumed along with everyone else that the fighting to become the first one hundred Seekers had taken place over a couple of months, but it was over a ten-year period. Thousands of Thusians died in this process, and it all happened because the Council wanted it to. How could they do that to their fellow Thusians? It was barbaric.

Every time any of us brought up anything about the Keepers, Walter ignored us. On a different occasion, I tried to talk about Bernard to get Walter's thoughts on him and see if he thought he could have been a Keeper. But he avoided me, saying, "I'm not here to give you my opinion on it, only to give you facts. And if those facts include information on a Keeper, then so be it."

After one of our sessions, we were all sitting around relaxing, discussing what we had learned.

"So you're telling us that they were willing to fight each other to the death?" Genevieve asked, disgusted, still not sounding like she believed it.

"Yes, exactly. Keeper Wren tried to fight it before it started but it was no use. He had lost all authority. But that's when he foretold about the formation of The 7 to ensure some type of control once the Seekers were formed, because he knew that the Council would not be able to control them for long."

"Why did the Seekers kill Keeper Wren if he was trying to fight the Council?" I asked. "He was on their side."

"Because they did what the Council wanted at first, even though they would eventually kill them, too."

"Shouldn't the killing have stopped after the Council was eliminated? They blamed them for everything, right?" Cora asked.

Riley tried to answer, but Walter beat him. "No, at that point the Seekers were well established, and they developed their own code to live by, following every rule and decree from a Keeper or from the Council. Once they were formed and given the order to purge Thusians, they did. Luckily Keeper Wren limited the Seekers to three who could do the killing. Can you imagine what one hundred Seekers could do?"

That night Riley had us all sneak into the bunker to discuss everything.

"So do we believe him? Because it sounds crazy," Genevieve said.

"Riley, don't you think your parents would have known this stuff?" Cora asked.

She and Riley were on the same cot. Her head was on his stomach. A part of me was jealous that they could be together all the time.

"Yes, my parents would have told me all of this if they knew. But Walter explains things in such detail. It's hard not to believe him."

Genevieve was leaning against the door. "It doesn't matter who's right or wrong about the history. One thing we know for sure is that everyone, including Walter, your parents, Ester, and Bernard Weathers, talked about the forming of The 7 that Keeper Wren foretold." She then walked over to the cot I was on and lay down on it, forcing me to take her feet on my lap.

"So we know for sure we've formed The 7," I said, "and that we're supposed to fight the Seekers. Besides that, the only real lead of any importance beside Xavier looking for a book is that I have to go to New Orleans." I pushed her feet off me and stood. I took a couple of Tic Tacs out of the box to help soothe my stomach, which was growing more upset the longer we talked.

"I've had enough of all of this. We should just go searching for Xavier and end this once and for all," Riley said.

"Are you kidding? How are we supposed to fight them when you and Cora can't be separated for more than a second?" Genevieve said, sounding jealous. Riley started to argue with her. All of a sudden I couldn't breathe. The blood in my face felt like it was going to come out of my ears. My sight became a narrow tunnel, and I began to fall sideways; nothing I could do would stop it.

"Nicholas, wake up, wake up," someone was yelling at me hysterically. Another voice said, "I think he's opening his eyes." I squinted because the lights were so intense. My skin was covered in a thin layer of sweat. I opened my eyes, and I could see both Cora and Riley over me.

"What happened?" I asked, trying to get up but unable to move.

"You hyperventilated and passed out," Riley said.

A familiar sensation was in my chest, like it was death, the darkness from my dreams. My breathing was sporadic and I was taking in too much air. I began to panic.

"Breathe slower," Cora said, rubbing my face with a wet cloth.

I took a couple of shallow breaths. Cora took my hand and put a pack of Tic Tacs there. I tried to get them up to my mouth but failed, dumping half the pack all over my chest. Genevieve appeared over top of me, taking a couple of them and putting them into my mouth.

"Please get back. You need to give him some room." Genevieve took my arms and placed them up on my chest, and the weight of them slowed my breathing. She took my head and placed it on her lap, turning my head to face her, forcing me to lie on my side, which helped relax my stomach. Finally she began to rub my scalp. I began to feel better. This was a familiar sensation.

"He's having a panic attack," she said. "This has been the only way I have been able to make them go away."

"He's had these before, like at Elle's graduation party?" Cora asked, sounding concerned and shocked.

"Yes, he's had them once a week for a while now."

"There's no way," Riley said, and I was thinking the same thing. I would know if this was happening to me that often. I only thought I'd had a couple of these attacks, but nothing as bad as this.

"Haven't you noticed his shortness of breath and all the other things happening to him?" Genevieve asked.

Both Cora and Riley didn't say anything.

"When I first noticed it, I was coming over late to talk to him. That's when I found him asleep," Genevieve looked down at me, "having an attack. It took me about an hour before I could calm you down the first time. So every night I've been coming over to check on you. I assumed you knew you were having them, so I didn't say anything, Nicholas. We all like to keep secrets, so I just figured this was one you would share when you were ready. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you." She began to weep, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks.

I pulled myself up, moving very slowly. "You've been with me every night, taking care of me?" I asked.

"Of course."

"Genevieve, I don't remember any of this." I grabbed her and gave her a hug. "No more secrets, okay?" I said to her with a smile.

I pushed myself up further, thinking about a secret I had. "This summer I saw Walter meet a guy and get something. The guy was in a large tow truck right in your driveway," I forced out, catching my breath again.

"I saw that, too," Cora said.

"We did, too. He's not the quietest person. And that wasn't the only time he's met up with someone," said Genevieve.

"What?" I asked, stunned.

"Yeah, last week he was up in the middle of the night out on the street," Riley said. "He had a very heated exchange with whoever was with him. By the time I got in position to see who he was talking to, Walter was already heading back."

"This is exactly the reason we can't trust anyone," Genevieve said.

"I know we have our doubts about Walter, but that doesn't mean he's not on our side," Cora said.

"Really? Because if this was a movie, I think the audience would be yelling at us to not be alone with him," Genevieve said, making light of the situation.

"No more talking. Nicholas needs to relax," Cora said, looking just like my mom.

Was all of this uncertainty and stress causing these panic attacks? What if the attack had happened when I needed to save someone from danger, like that little girl? I would be no use to anyone if that happened, nothing more than a liability.

I fell asleep and was awoken by Chase. Cora and he were the only ones in the bunker now.

"Hey, Chase," I said, getting up, stunned I was still in here. I really didn't remember much.

"Stay still, no need to get up for your favorite doctor. Cora has told me everything. I just want to examine you and make sure you're not broken."

After twenty minutes of poking and prodding, he sat down across from me.

"You're not dying," he said with a big toothy grin.

"Then what is it?"

"I think you're experiencing plain old, normal panic attacks."

"Great," I said. "I'm going crazy."

Chase didn't like that and snapped at me, "There's no such thing as being crazy. It only means you have something not working right in your brain."

"Chase, I think you just proved my point."

"If you broke your arm, would you let it heal by itself or would you get a cast?" he asked, sounding angry.

"A cast," I said.

"If you had diabetes, would you take the insulin that was prescribed to you? Or if you had an infection, would you take the antibiotic to make you better?"

"Of course, Chase, I would do all of that. What's your point?"

"The point is that illnesses can affect the brain, too. There are no differences between the ones that affect your body and the ones that affect your brain. We just have to find out what you need to do to overcome it."

"Does this mean I have to start taking medication?"

"No, everyone is different. You being a Thusian will make you hypersensitive to all illnesses and treatments, so we'll need to take things slow."

"Chase, I'll be happy to do that, but I can't control anyone else."

"I know. You'll just have to try to limit your interaction with others until this is figured out."

I knew that wasn't going to happen.

He then explained that I should try to get more sleep, eat right, and avoid high-stress situations, which was a funny thought. He wanted to come back in a month to check on my progress and see what our next steps should be. He asked Cora to keep a journal of what I ate, how much I slept, and all stresses and things that triggered them. After that I went back to lie in my own bed to try to get some rest.

Walter and Dane both tried to get us not to go to the dedication in Mt. Vernon, but I had to. It felt like the right thing to do, no matter the risk and no matter how I felt. If I was going to sleep and eat better, then I might as well face everything else. The unknown would be far worse for my attacks.

So the four of us packed up on Friday after school and headed to Mt. Vernon with Walter and Dane following separately behind us.

The drive helped distract me from my thoughts and growing concern about everything. The anniversary of the 10-10 Earthquake was only a day away. We were going to stay the night after the ceremony at the Best Western Premier Mariemont Inn that was in town and then head back after we visited Mom and Dad's graves the next morning. This weekend trip would hopefully go by fast. Both Riley and I were missing our game against the Sycamore Aves. Coach Hoff understood and encouraged me to go.

During the drive there was very little sunshine, but the gloomy weather didn't stop Mt. Vernon from making the most of this event. When we got close to town, there were hundreds of people lined up on both sides of the road, all placing American flags into the ground, one right after another. They went on as far as I could see. Other groups were placing elaborate flower arrangements every ten feet or so to complement the flags. Each of the arrangements was different than the last but just as beautiful.

When we pulled into the town, there were just as many people in the cemetery, cleaning up all of the sites and making sure all the flowers were looking nice and fresh. How sad, I thought, our town has become obsessed with death and destruction. We should really be celebrating life.

"So what do you think they're going to dedicate?" Genevieve asked. She was staring out the window at the people working side by side in the cemetery.

"I have no clue, but I'm sure it's going to be a nice tribute to the people who perished. There's no doubt about that," Riley said from the back seat.

We pulled into the first gas station in town.

"Let's be quick here," Cora said.

Both the girls went into the store to use the restroom and get some snacks and drinks. Riley and I got out to fill up the truck.

"I know this might be old-fashioned," Riley said, "but I would like to get the blessing of the only male in Cora's life," he said.

"What?" I asked.

"I mean, I want to have your blessing to marry Cora."

My stomach tightened. I knew Cora and he were dating or something. But I didn't know it was that serious. Deep down inside I wanted to scream "no" as loud as I could because a life with him would be full of danger and secrets, but if this would make Cora happy then I was for it. She had already given up the love of her life for me. Besides, who knew what our future held, or even if we had one?

"Sure, I guess so."

He smiled big. I wasn't sure how Cora would react to this, but at least it was her decision now.

Cora and Genevieve got back in, handing out some food and drinks. Walter honked the horn behind us so we would get going, looking impatient.

"Next to the cash register was a brochure about the service and dedication. Tonight the memorial service is at the Second Baptist Church of Mt. Vernon in downtown, and after that they will have a social of some sort. The dedication is tomorrow morning in the middle of the cemetery. It's for a monument to honor those who died trying to save others during the earthquake," Genevieve said, looking at the information.

"I'd like to go to the service and skip the social," I said.

"Nicholas, that sounds great," Cora said looking sympathetically at me. "And after that we'll go to the hotel and relax, just to get away from things."

It was difficult to get close enough to the church to park. We needed to be close in case we had to make a break for it. The roads were filled with hundreds of people already walking toward the church, and we were an hour early. The church was impressive in the distance; it rose into the skyline of the town, dwarfing the surrounding buildings. Its tan stone looked as if it was about to catch fire because the sun had now made an appearance and was casting a bright orange hue onto it. Complementing the building were dark, black glass windows that looked like smoke coming from the smoldering stone.

As big as it was, there was still no way all of the people along the road would fit in it. We parked about a quarter of a mile away from the church, down a side street Cora knew of. We walked among the rest of the crowd, keeping our heads down looking at the ground. The last thing we wanted was to be recognized.

Hundreds of chairs were set up all around the church's outside entrances. People had already started to fill them up. Cora led us up along the side of the church to the far right entrance. We walked through the door and quickly found four seats on the inside of the church near the back that hadn't been filled yet. Every part of the church including the pews looked as though it had been cut out of the same piece of wood, with no visible seams anywhere. It wasn't as elaborate as I'd thought it would be from the outside. It was simple, which made it look even bigger.

Forty-five minutes went by, and the church was now filled to capacity. That's when the pastor came up from the front row to the pulpit. He was dressed in a black robe with dark purple cords and tassels around his neck. He waited a minute or two for the talking to slowly dissipate. Sitting behind him was a group of people dressed in red choir robes.

He started the service with a prayer. His words echoed through the church, bouncing off all the walls. The windows shook when his deep voice lingered on a word.

"Now before we start our service," he said, "I would like to call upon Mayor Jacob Siegel to say a few words."

A man dressed in a shiny black suit with a multicolored tie walked to the front. He put both hands on the podium and looked out over the sea of people.

"Thank you, Pastor. When my father founded this town some sixty years ago, it grew faster than he could have ever imagined. He would have been so proud to see all of you here today to pay tribute to those who perished saving others during the 10-10 Earthquake. And by the grace of God, we are still here to carry on. My family," he motioned to a group of people seated back off to the left, "is the reason why I have been able to help carry this fine city out of the depths of ruins."

I recognized Mark Siegel immediately, sitting with the rest of his family. There was a lot of cheering and clapping after the mayor's last statement, which I didn't hear.

I overheard a woman next to me say under her breath, "He should be ashamed of himself, making this town into a big memorial and profiting off this tragedy. I heard he's made tens of millions of dollars selling land to those who wanted to bury their loved ones here at the Mt. Vernon Cemetery. He took our town and turned it into his personal piggy bank."

"That's a shame," someone responded to her. "Also, did you hear he was suing Alex for saving his son's life?"

Mark's dad was suing me?

"Now I would like to have anyone who lost someone in the 10-10 Earthquake to rise," Mr. Siegel said.

His family all stood, and then slowly most of the people in the church rose. Cora and I sat there frozen. She looked as though she didn't know what to do either. We slowly stood. Genevieve grabbed my hand to give me comfort, but that action made the man sitting next to her look at me. I could see him out of the corner of my eye with my head lowered. He looked away, saying something to the person next to him, and then he stared back at me. It felt as if the walls were caving in on me. I wanted to leave, but I knew that would draw even more attention to me right now. I had to wait.

"We are sorry for your loss. They will never be forgotten, and neither will the heroes from that day." The mayor paused and made a gesture for everyone to sit. "You may be seated. If you or anyone would like to be buried with your loved ones, please call the city's toll-free number printed on the back of your bulletin.

"In life we are rarely given a second chance. You may know that when the earthquake struck, we lost our patriarch, my father, and also my mother. And I almost lost both of my sons that day, too. One was trapped in the high school for two days, and the other was pulled from the middle school, miraculously, as it was falling in. Everyone knows that story."

This is not good, I thought.

"Right after that my wife and I sought to sue the boy who saved my son and his surviving family. Somehow I thought that because of him my son was injured worse as a result of the rescue than if he had been left alone. But I'm here to tell you that I was wrong. Without the bravery of that young man, my youngest son, Mark, would have been killed. I'm sure of that now. It's people like Alexander Nicholas Taylor, the 10-10 Hero, who make our town what it is."

He'd said my name; this couldn't get any worse. Everyone began to cheer. I leaned over even closer to Genevieve, hoping she would shield me.

"So I would like to apologize to Alexander Taylor now. He's our town's symbol of hope for the world."

Genevieve squeezed my hand even tighter. Cora looked over at me and mouthed to me, "We need to get out of here now," but it was too late.

"Alex, I mean, Nicholas, do you forgive me and my wife?" The crowd's eyes followed him as he walked back to where we were sitting. With each step closer I could feel the air being forced out of my lungs. I dropped Genevieve's hand to run, but my legs didn't move. I slowly looked up, and there he was. My only hope of escape was to go into a full-blown panic attack, but it didn't happen. I wished I would have one so I could be rushed out of here, any way possible. The entire church was quiet. Mr. Siegel was right next to me with his hand extended. What was I going to do? I shook his hand. How is this for facing your demons? My mind mocked me. This was my worst nightmare coming true. If I can get through this, then I can do anything, I said back to the mocking voice. He didn't let go of my hand but took me up to the stage. I didn't look around at anyone. I felt as if I was floating. He began to talk. I couldn't believe I was standing on stage now being recognized as the 10-10 Hero in my hometown in front of everyone. I looked up, and Walter and Dane were in the back of the church, ready to spring into action.

Lord, please end this, I began to pray, hoping God would hear my prayers, especially being in church.

After Mr. Siegel was done talking, I found myself seated among his family, still up on stage. The reverend did a short service right after that, and the choir sang a couple of hymns to conclude. But it didn't matter how short it was because it felt endless. I went through a whole pack of Tic Tacs before it was over. I didn't even realize I was seated next to Mark, who gave me a smile when I looked over at the end.

I was mobbed by hundreds of people from the audience immediately after, all trying to talk to me. Thankfully Cora, Riley, and Genevieve were around me, protecting me, like I was one of the Beatles being saved from my adoring fans. A couple of people managed to get through. Luckily, they were Mark and his mother. She was dressed in some very expensive, church-looking white pantsuit with a large pearl necklace draped across her neck and matching earrings. The oyster that produced those had to be the size of Eric's Volkswagen Beetle.

"Nicholas, thank you so much for saving my baby's life." She leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. She moved over, and Mark walked up to me. He looked just as I remembered him: large brown eyes and scraggly, unkempt brown hair. He was a little older but otherwise the same.

"It sure is good to see you, Nicholas. I'm glad you got called into Ms. Rush's that day with us," he shouted over the crowd.

"Yeah, I still think Tina was the one who was in trouble that day," I joked, remembering that she was sure Mark and I had gotten into trouble and that was why we were being called into Ms. Rush's room. "I saw Tina a year or two ago. She's working at—"

"Yeah, she was working there so she could get enough money for college. She's going to a different school now, and she's my girlfriend," Mark said. "We became pretty close after the earthquake. I guess I have you to thank for that." It was getting harder to hear him because the crowd was becoming even louder, trying to get close to see me.

"So your brother escaped the earthquake, too?" I shouted.

"Yes." He leaned in so no one could hear what he was going to say, which was funny because I could barely hear him. "But he's been in the hospital for over a year now. He has leukemia." The crowd pushed back against Cora, making her fall back into Mark's mom, knocking her backward off the stage. She was about to land right on her neck, hitting the lower part of the stairs. I moved through the people that surrounded us, frozen in their spots. Mark, too, was trying to get to her to break her fall but wasn't going to reach her in time. I stretched out my arms underneath her, catching her before she hit. I used just enough of my talents to help her. Cora, Genevieve, and Riley grabbed me, pushing through the crowd to the back of the church where Walter and Dane were waiting. I looked back and saw Mark, who was waving good-bye to me. Standing next to Mark was Grey, looking on.

Walter insisted on us going home right then. We all agreed, and I hadn't even told them about seeing Grey.

Later that night my house was busy with Thusians coming and going. Ester had sent them to find out what had happened at Mt. Vernon.

She scolded Cora for letting me go, calling it reckless, but Cora put her in her place, letting her know that we could do as we pleased. Ester didn't like that Cora pushed back. She left shortly after that, taking everyone with her, including Dane. He didn't look too sure of what he was supposed to do. Walter nodded, giving him reassurance that he could go. A couple of other Thusians came up to Walter and saluted him as they left. When the last of them left, James Caldwell came strolling out of the kitchen, last to leave.

"I don't care about any of you, so don't misunderstand this as me caring," James said. "You all should listen to Ester. She has been doing more to protect you than any of you are aware. She has disrupted all of our lives for the four of you, and I'm getting tired of it. I wish Xavier would just finish you off or you would fall in line with the rest of us. Either one will do. And you," he pointed at Walter, "should be ashamed of yourself, being on the Council and continuing to go against us, especially after everything Ester has done for you. If it were up to me, I would treat you like—"

Walter stomped his foot hard, sending James scurrying out of the house.

"Wow, he's one big bag of hot air. Walter, I can't see how you don't punch him at every meeting," Genevieve said, making a large swing of her arm like she was sending James to the moon with her fist. Everyone laughed.

The phone rang. I answered it quickly, praying it was Elle, and it was. I had left another message for her, hoping she would call back. More often than not, she didn't call back at all.

"Hello?"

"I can't believe you answered the phone. Where's Dane?" Elle asked.

"He's gone for now. I've been wanting to talk to you. Did you get my messages?"

"I'm sorry; it's school. Noel and I have been so busy—you know how it is." I didn't but I didn't feel like saying it. "Chase told me about what happened when you were at Mt. Vernon."

I waited for her to mention something about being treated for panic attacks too, but she didn't. Chase must have skipped telling her that. Maybe that was off-limits, him being my doctor and all.

"Everything turned out to be okay, don't worry."

"But I do worry. I feel horrible that I'm not there with you, taking care of you."

"I'm fine, and you are taking care of me by having a normal life there at school. I feel better knowing you're hours away from me and safe." Which, painfully, was true.

"I know, but I wish I was there like Gen . . ." She trailed off before she could finish her name.

I needed to change the subject. I didn't want to talk about Genevieve. I didn't want to get into how she had been taking care of me, even though I'm sure Elle would be happy to hear it.

"But enough about that Thusian stuff. Tell me about school," I said. "I need some more details."

"It's incredible! Noel and I are having so much fun, and the fact that Dr. Chase Letterby always makes time to see me during the day has helped me a lot. Everyone here loves him, so I get some special treatment by my professors," she said, full of excitement, but then sighed. "But I wish you were here with me. Maybe next year you could go to school here. Even though Noel thinks it's best for you to do your own thing, so we can have our own lives, I still want you here."

Noel was quickly becoming a pain in the neck, sounding too much like Elle's father.

I didn't tell her but that had always been my plan, way before I had even met her. That was the only school Cora talked about me going to.

"Sounds like a plan, but before I forget, Elle Canan, would you go to Homecoming with me?"

She giggled. "Of course I will. Don't be silly. You didn't have to ask. I wouldn't miss it."

"You know I have to ask. I never want to assume anything."

"What's the theme this year? I haven't had a chance to talk with anyone," she asked, sounding excited.

"I don't know. I haven't really been paying too much attention. That was always your job. I think it's 'Under the Sea' or something like that."

"You're right; that was my job," she said.

Someone said something to Elle in the background.

"I have to go. Noel and I are going down to the library to meet with our study group. I'll call you later to talk about Homecoming more."

"Okay, talk to you later."

"One more thing: I want you to come here for Halloween. There's a big party on campus, and you still haven't visited," she said.

"I'll be there," I said, thinking that it would be the perfect time for me to take a trip down south. I'm sure Cora would agree.

**

The Homecoming parade was a lot smaller than last year without the class floats. We didn't even have Homecoming Court nominations because most of the students were spread out at different schools. So they just brought back all of last year's winners and had them represent the classes again. Eric, Amber, and I rode in the same convertible I had ridden in for the last two parades. Eric was on his best behavior this time. He didn't jump out of the car once, and for him that was some serious self-control. But that didn't stop him from yelling and screaming at different people he knew. He still brought a big bag of candy and beaded necklaces to throw. Amber and I helped him toss some of the stuff out to the crowds. The parade route was even more packed. I guess it was because of the increased amount of media coverage. A camera crew was at every corner. They couldn't get enough of our school. The country loved tragedy, and we were surrounded by it.

Every time Eric saw a newsperson he would throw a lot more candy and necklaces right in front of them so the kids would swarm around, messing up the shot, which was awesome. We took turns the rest of the route trying to mess up their shots.

At the end of the parade, the vehicles lined up outside the stadium where Joy Lemmins was waiting. "Over here, my little chickadees," she said in her normal whiny voice over a big black megaphone that amplified her to the point of almost shattering glass. Joy was wearing all green, including green makeup. She looked like a plump green bean.

Once we were all around her, she motioned for us to get closer, as if she had some big secret to tell us. "We have a little surprise for you. All of you are going to be on Entertainment Now. April Adams is going to be interviewing you as a group, so don't worry about any stage fright."

"Why?" I asked, not happy at all about this.

Joy screwed up her lips in disgust and crossed her eyes like she couldn't believe I wouldn't just go along with it. "Don't worry, I made sure that this wasn't going to be about you, the 10-10 Hero and such," she said, winking at me. "They are here because they're doing a feature piece on the school to show that Winsor can fight back against adversity. You all should be proud."

"Don't worry, Keller, I'll make sure they don't focus on you," Eric said. "We all know they're here for me. This is my chance to be discovered. It was only a matter of time, so it might as well be now." He flexed, ripping off his suit jacket like a wrestler.

We were being ushered into the stadium by a group of people who all had on black Entertainment Now shirts. The stage was set up in the closest end zone. It looked as though they had cut out the stage from the studio and dropped it onto the field.

Off to the side, Coach Stenger was pacing back and forth, biting his nails.

"Coach looks like he's going to stroke out," Eric said.

"Why?" I asked.

"He's responsible for the field. It's his baby. I'm sure he isn't too thrilled about them setting up right before the game."

April Adams, who was surrounded by people doing her makeup and hair, looked at us and came over. She was very attractive. Her blonde hair was nearly white, and her eyes were the color of dark chocolate.

"Look at you guys. You look adorable. I can't wait till we can talk to you on air." She walked through the line, shaking hands with each of us.

When she got to me, she stopped, taking a tight grip on my hand. "Nicholas Keller, it's so good to see you. Chase has told me so much about you." She leaned in to give me a hug and whispered, "Don't worry. I'll make sure you aren't on TV. Chase made me promise." She leaned away and headed back to the set.

Eric whispered, "Seriously, is there any hot babe that doesn't pay attention to you? If we weren't buddies, I'd be jealous."

"What about Livi?" I barked under my breath.

"Low blow, dude, low blow."

We were all positioned up on stage. The cameraman counted down with one hand—five, four, three, two, one—and then he pointed to April and she began to talk.

"This is Entertainment Now, and I'm April Adams live from Winsor High School."

She paused, waiting for the intro music to die, and then she turned to face us and spoke, looking into a different camera. "We are here today to continue with our feature story about the school that has been hit with so many horrible tragedies and how they continue to overcome each and every obstacle. The person we will speak to first is the captain of the football team, Eric Iery. Eric, please tell our millions of viewers if you're ready for tonight's game."

She put the microphone right in front of Eric's mouth, but I didn't hear anything except a barely audible "yes."

She followed up with another question quickly. "So how are you and the team doing this year without Coach Miller?"

This time his answer came out as a couple of groans and then a small, awkward laugh.

April continued as if he had answered her question, moving on to Amber and a couple of the girls, asking about Homecoming and how the new school had been.

Eric's eyes looked glazed over, and beads of sweat were dripping down his face. Was he scared? This was what he lived for.

April said a short monologue about how strong we were and then signed off the segment, and the lights from the set went out. She stood up and again shook everyone's hand, lingering just a moment with me then moving on.

"So do you think you were discovered tonight?" I asked Eric right before we walked into the locker room.

Eric had snapped out of it and answered, "I decided I shouldn't do anything to overshadow the seriousness of the situation."

I laughed. "Sure you did, Eric; that's what I thought you were doing."

**

I kept looking in the stands for Elle, but she wasn't there. I couldn't concentrate on the game. I got to the point where nothing else mattered to me. I started to check every minute or so. After a while I couldn't take it anymore. I walked over to the stands and got Cora's attention, ignoring what was happening on the field.

"Is everything okay?" Cora asked, coming out of the stands.

"Where's Elle?" I asked.

"Oh, her mom called and told me she wasn't able to get away. She was busy doing something at school that had to do with one of her classes, but she's still looking forward to the dance."

I walked back to the sideline both relieved and dejected. I was disappointed that she wasn't coming but thankful she was okay. I had to be understanding. She was embracing her life at college, and I would be supportive.

We went on to beat CHCA by seven points. It was a big win for us. We had won all our games so far except for Colerain and Amelia. With this win, we were ranked second in our league, and from the way Coach Hoff acted, it was as if we had won state already. Levi and Matt were both playing incredibly well, really showing up big each night. My instructions earlier in the year seemed to be paying off, making Oliver's defense pretty good. No wonder Coach Miller loved coaching; seeing the players finally start to get it and overcome the odds made me swell with pride. But that didn't last long; it was drowned out by my nerves because I wouldn't get to see Elle tonight after the game. I would have to hang in there until tomorrow.

**

I looked at the clock on my dresser. It was 3:00 a.m. My stomach swirled with acid. The sickening feeling was familiar. Now that I knew about my panic attacks, I did everything to make sure I didn't have one, especially at night alone in my room. I would load up on Tic Tacs and then take deep breaths and try to meditate to ward it off. I had no idea how to actually meditate, but I pretended to know, and to my surprise it seemed to be working. I fumbled around on my nightstand, searching for some more Tic Tacs. I grabbed several empty containers, shaking each, but nothing. I got up and slowly went downstairs in search of some more, but there weren't any to be found. I unlocked the front door one lock at a time to go out to the truck and look to see if I had any stashed away. Once the door opened, the cold October air swallowed me, eliminating my need for Tic Tacs. My stomach relaxed, and the tightness in my chest released. The moonlight filtered down through the trees. I took a couple of steps out to the porch to bathe in the light like it was a cold shower, invigorating myself.

"Nicholas, wake up. It's already 3:00 p.m.," Cora said, throwing open the blinds.

"What?" I asked, rubbing my eyes, trying to get them to focus.

"I would've woken you up earlier, but I know you haven't been sleeping well. I heard you walking around last night. So how are you feeling, sleepyhead?"

"Actually, pretty good," I said. "Did Elle call?"

"Her mom did. She won't be able to make dinner. Noel and Elle have to go to some lecture. I already called and talked with Eric's mom, Sam, to tell her you won't be going to dinner with them and that you will meet them at the dance later. I knew you would want to wait for Elle."

She was right about that. I didn't care about going to dinner. All I wanted was for Elle to be here.

I got dressed after eating a nice, peaceful dinner. Cora had made a large pot of chicken and dumplings. It was great comfort food, something I was always in need of. There were two knocks at the door. Maybe Elle had finished early.

I rushed down the stairs and opened the door. Standing on the porch was Mrs. Canan. I looked around her to see where Elle was, but she wasn't with her.

"Hello, Nicholas, I wanted to come over and tell you myself. Elle is still at school. She wasn't able to call you, because she's still in the lecture, and it won't let out for another hour. She's not going to make it in time for the dance. I'm so sorry, Nicholas."

"She couldn't call?" I said bitterly, not sure why Elle was in a lecture on a Saturday night, or why she couldn't call me. Somehow this was Noel's fault, I thought.

"No, she couldn't, but she said she will call you later tonight. She wants you to still go to the dance and have fun without her. She's really sorry, Nicholas."

Cora had come to the door halfway through Mrs. Canan's explanation.

"It's so nice of you to come over and tell Nicholas in person," Cora said, leading her out.

I didn't move. If Elle wasn't coming, then I wasn't going to the dance. It seemed pointless. Why didn't she just call? She had enough time to call her mom but not me? I went up to my room and slammed the door, locking it behind me.

I took off my tie and jacket, throwing them across the room. Was this how it was going to be from now on—me waiting for her? Was I going to take a back seat to school and Noel now? I had wanted Elle to go away, but I'd thought we would still talk and see each other when we wanted to. I'd thought that she could stay safe away from me but we would still share everything. I grabbed the corsage that was waiting for her and put it into the trash can. I gripped the side of my desk to calm down.

"Nicholas, do you want to talk?" Cora asked from the hall.

"No, I'm fine."

"Nicholas—"

"Cora, I'm fine, I promise," I said.

A minute passed and she said, "Okay, I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

Cora came back about an hour later, more determined to get into my room this time. "Nicholas, I made some mini hamburgers, which you love. I even topped them with some fresh guacamole and cilantro. You have to be hungry."

I went over to the door and unlocked it for her. Sure enough she was carrying a tray of the mini hamburgers, and in the other hand she had a mug of some type of foamy drink. She came in, setting it on my desk. She made a small plate for me and handed me both the mug and the plate. I took a quick sip from the mug and was surprised to taste the smooth vanilla root beer I loved. It was one of my favorite drinks, but I hadn't had it since we lived in Oklahoma.

"Cora, how did you get this?" I asked, taking another drink and savoring the flavor.

"I saw that the Root Beer Stand has its own website now where you can order their different flavors. So I figured tonight was as good a time as any for me to break it out."

She walked over, shut the door, and locked it. She went over and turned on some music.

"In case we have any company. I don't want them listening in on what we're talking about. Genevieve's probably there now," she whispered, pointing at the door.

We both laughed.

"So what's going on?" she asked.

What a broad question, I thought. I was pretty sure this was going to be a "don't worry about Elle" pep talk.

"Everything," I said.

"Yeah, no kidding, it has been one crazy year," she said, looking out my window.

"Cora, I feel like I'm spinning out of control. Know what I mean?"

"Yeah, it seems as though everything is happening so fast. We don't have time to catch up," she said.

"I'm not so concerned with catching up. I'm worried about what's going on. Nothing has made any sense so far. I have no clear path, no idea what I'm supposed to do. I feel like we're all stumbling blindly down a path, hitting every obstacle on the way. And I'm not sure how much more I can take," I said.

I slowed my breathing, taking one deep breath and then exhaling. My symptoms for having a panic attack weren't around, but I still steadied myself.

"I'll talk; you listen," She took the plate and mug out of my hands and laid them on my nightstand.

"I've felt like this, too, for a lot longer than you. We have so many questions about so many things, and there is no way any of this will ever make sense. But I believe that it will work out."

"How can you—"

"I can because I have faith in you, Riley, and Genevieve. Just because it seems like we aren't all on the same page doesn't mean we aren't trying to reach the same goal. I actually think that's what will make us successful over time. With all of us thinking about things differently, it makes sure every angle of the problem we face will be covered."

"I know that, but we don't have just one problem. We have so many." I took another deep breath because I felt a wave of lightheadedness pulse through me.

"Lie back. Let me talk; you listen," she said again, pushing me back against my pillow. "Nicholas, most of my talents are all about reasoning, and I know you have some of that, too. But let me explain to you how I see things so maybe it will give you some clarity and peace of mind."

I nodded.

"How I'm looking at it now is that we are simply on a course to confront Xavier, Grey, and the other Seeker. Everything else is a variable, not the solution; it may change the course we take to the end, but it does not matter more than the end result. So I weigh each of these variables first to see if they're helping us get to the end. For example, Bernard Weathers: I have seen him as a caretaker, the Keeper, and now possibly part of The 3. Sometimes when I'm at a crossroads with something, I let my instincts take over. That's why I'm 100-percent positive that Bernard was never a Seeker. But don't think this method will make things always go smoothly. Not every decision is going to be nice and clean and make everyone happy. But back to Bernard—he wasn't a Seeker, and he was without a doubt a Keeper. So that leaves us with trying to find out what he was trying to tell us when he wrote that will. Nothing else matters but finding that out."

"How can you be so sure? And what about the Council's motives? Who has Walter been seeing, and what about Grey and Xavier?" I asked as calmly as I could.

"Close your eyes, Nicholas, and think about what you just said. But only take into consideration our goal of defeating the Seekers."

I shut my eyes, feeling like a kindergartener being told to imagine a magical place of make believe. But still I did it. In the darkness of my mind, I saw cloudy images of every question I had asked. Flashes of bright colors swirled around the thoughts. Slowly almost all of the images faded away. The only things left were Bernard Weathers telling me to go on a trip, Xavier searching for some book, and protecting Elle. I couldn't really make out Elle, but I knew she was there.

I opened my eyes.

"So?" she asked.

"I saw Bernard telling me to go to New Orleans and also Xavier looking for a book." I didn't say Elle because I was sure Cora would think I was just being a teenage boy.

"Very good, Nicholas. You're focusing."

"Am I supposed to ignore all the other things?"

"That's not what I'm saying. I'm telling you to focus on what will get us to our goal. Trust your talents to lead you to where you need to go. That's why I'm so sure about Bernard being the Keeper. I could only see that path." She handed me the plate of burgers again.

"Now I'll let you rest, and, Nicholas, don't worry about Elle. She's just trying to find herself. It has nothing to do with you."

I smiled, taking a bite of a burger.

When Cora left, I stopped smiling. I was still upset about Elle not coming or even calling me. I understood what Cora wanted me to do, but I needed to be angry. It made me feel normal.

I was lying on my bed, wide awake, thinking about everything Cora and I had discussed. It felt good to get some clarity on what was important, but it didn't help with my anger. I got out the silver coin that Genevieve had given me and started rolling it back and forth over my knuckles, which I had become really good at doing. It seemed to soothe my nerves and my growing anger. Every once in a while, a little bit of anger would seep out and result in me throwing an empty Tic Tac container across the room to chase after the corsage in the trash can. After the third container, the door handle jiggled then opened.

"The lock is a lot easier to pick in the light," Genevieve said, bent over holding a bobby pin, which she had just used to unlock the door.

"What do you want?" I asked, hiding the coin beside me.

"I came to check on you. We were getting ready to go to the dance when Riley told me what happened."

"It's no big deal. She had something to do at school," I said, not looking at her, hoping not to give her a reason to stay.

She came over and sat down on the bed next to me anyway. "Even if you don't want to admit it, I know you're crushed because it sucks," she said.

I wanted to disagree with her but couldn't.

"I didn't feel like going either," Genevieve said. "I hate getting dressed up and having to be a chaperone. The genie costume from last year was better than the mermaid costume I was going to have to wear tonight."

I laughed.

"Good, you still have a sense of humor. But really, thank you for saving me from that ridiculous outfit."

I smiled and said, "You're welcome."

"I'm so sorry. Noel signed both of us up for a lecture that Chase and Professor Larkin were giving on epidemiology. It's normally for seniors and first year med school students, but Chase got us into it. I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity, and I had no idea it was going to last that long."

I didn't say anything back; my anger was still alive and well. When Elle had called last night after the lecture, I'd pretended like I was asleep when Cora came to tell me she was on the phone. I needed the night to calm down. I really didn't care about the dance, but she should have called to tell me she wasn't coming instead of sending her mom over.

"I know how I can make it up to you. When you come up for Halloween, it will be a perfect chance for us to spend time together. You're still coming, right?"

"Yes," I said immediately.

"Good, I can't wait to see you."

Later on Cora agreed that this was the right time for me to go see what Bernard wanted me to see, so a week later I was in my room packing for the trip. My doubts about Elle had grown. She'd called me to talk every night since Homecoming, trying to make it up to me, but still I was upset. I had told Walter that I had a bad feeling about Noel—not because she was a threat; I was just hoping he would agree and get her away from Elle. But he said she checked out.

Cora and Riley both came into my room when I was getting ready to leave. Riley had a serious look on his face.

"Nicholas, we shouldn't abandon the buddy system. I don't feel comfortable with you going alone. If we're by ourselves, Xavier can pick us off," he said.

It was bad enough that Noel would be there with Elle when I visited, but bringing along Riley would make it worse. I would never have any time alone with her for sure, and that was what I needed to heal my heart, to make things right between us.

"Walter and I have to be the only ones to go if we're going to make it seem like I'm just going to visit Elle and that's it—you know that. No one else can go. We have to find out what Bernard wanted me to know. We can't mess this up. This might be my only chance."

I walked by Riley down to the kitchen, carrying my duffel bag, so we could go over the plan one more time with everyone.

"Walter, you will take Nicholas to visit Elle. That night you must leave to go to Baton Rouge no later than 4:00 a.m., driving straight through. That should get you in around noon," Cora said, pointing to a red line on a map that was next to her pink planner. "That will give you part of the day to visit Bernard's friend and then head to our old house." Cora rolled up the map and handed it to Walter.

"Once you're done you will have to drive straight back. Nicholas has to be at school Monday morning or this plan won't work. This has to be a weekend visit with Elle; it can't appear to be anything else so if anyone is following you, they won't catch on."

"Okay, we've packed everything for the two of you," Riley said. We all walked out to the truck. Genevieve was noticeably absent.

"If you need us, call. We can be there in no time," Riley said.

"We'll be fine. I've been on thousands of missions all over the world. I think I can handle a sightseeing trip," Walter reassured him.

"We aren't going to take any chances. Tomorrow the rest of us will take a little drive to distract everyone watching. This should allow you to slip out undetected," Cora said with a big smile.

"I don't even want to know what you're planning. Just be careful," Walter said with a smirk.

Cora gave me a hug and whispered, "If you get into any trouble, I've put the satellite phone in your bag. It's untraceable. My satellite phone number is on the back of yours. We are the only two who know about these."

"You're going to see him again. He's not going off to join the army. He can handle anything," Genevieve said from behind me.

I was happy to see her before we left. She gave me a much-needed confidence boost.

**

"And now for breaking news: Tropical Storm Lisa developed in the Gulf of Mexico. The Hurricane Hunters have confirmed on their latest run that it has intensified faster than projected to a Category 2 hurricane, and it's on track to impact the Gulf Coast by Monday, somewhere between the panhandle of Florida and Mobile. Stay tuned for further developments."

"It's a good thing it's not coming close to where we're headed," Walter said, turning off the radio. "I had family down there when Hurricane Katrina tore through. They said it was a nightmare."

"Yeah, when Cora and I were there, we had a near miss with Hurricane Carmen. At least a foot of water flooded our neighborhood."

It was good we were leaving now, because there was no way Ester or even Xavier would think that Cora or anyone else wanted me to be close to a hurricane.

Walter didn't talk on the trip. I wanted to ask him about my dad, but each time I was about to, I stopped. Something about him was just wrong. I couldn't figure out what it was. So until I could figure it out, I would keep our conversation to a minimum.

Thoughts of seeing Elle began to flash through my head like a bad flip-book. In most scenarios I wasn't happy to see her. My anger toward her made everything colorless, lifeless, and broken. Pushing those images out was difficult, so I had to repeatedly close my eyes to gain clarity.

"I'll give you and Elle some time together alone while we're here. But at 3:30 a.m. we will need to sneak off campus," Walter said when we passed the "Welcome to Tennessee" sign.

"How are we going to do that?"

"I'll be waiting for you at the back of the dorm, right by the dumpsters. I've arranged for us to leave in a trash truck, and then later we'll make another switch to a different vehicle. Our truck will be there the whole time until we pick it up on the way back. I bought football tickets for Saturday's game on my credit card."

"Won't they know if we don't use them? They scan those tickets now."

"Exactly. I've already given the tickets away to friends of mine from the base nearby. Vanderbilt is playing Tennessee, and my buddy wouldn't miss the Hatred in the Hills game. He's a big Vols fan. This rivalry goes back to the beginning of the SEC conference. The tickets being used will give us another layer for someone to get through to figure out what's going on." He picked up a bottle of water and emptied it in one large gulp.

"While I'm getting the trash truck, make sure you and Elle stay in her room when it starts to get late. Go nowhere else. If there's a problem, get to safety . . ." He proceeded to go over every possible scenario and how I should respond. His military background was coming out. He made sure I was prepared for everything. He was worse than Cora.

We arrived on campus around 6:00 p.m. I was missing my second game, but Coach Hoff was all right because Oliver had the defense humming. After tonight's game they would find out their seeding for the state tournament.

Elle was staying in the Gillette house somewhere in the middle of campus. Her dorm was for both upperclassmen and a few select freshmen. Chase was also staying on the first floor of the dorm.

We didn't have to look hard for Elle. She was standing on the sidewalk in front of the dorm sign, right where she said she would be. I got out and walked toward her.

She had on jeans and an oversized sweatshirt with her hair pulled up. When she turned and saw me, she ran toward me, grabbed me, and locked us into a kiss that sent reassurance through me, crushing any doubts. Her perfume swallowed any remaining resentment.

"Ahem."

I looked over, and Walter was behind us.

"Sorry, Walter, you remember Elle?" I didn't let go of her, keeping my hand around her waist.

"Of course I do. It's a pleasure to see you, Ms. Elle. Who's your friend?"

"This is my roommate, Noel Bell."

Sure enough, Noel was right by us. How could I have missed her, and was that really her last name? Did her parents hate her or something? She was wearing a sweatshirt that read "Vanderbilt Freshman" in hot pink.

"It's nice to meet you, Walter. Elle has told me all about you."

"Well, just the good stuff, I hope," Walter said, showing his bright white teeth.

"All good! You are Nicholas' guardian, along with his Aunt Cora. And you were best friends with Nicholas' dad, right?"

He nodded.

Elle squeezed me, like she was showing me that I didn't always have to lie. The truth worked, too. I squeezed her back, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Well, let's show you two around before tonight's festivities," Elle said, leading us away from the dorm. She explained to us about all the different buildings and facts about the university. She was so excited, full of life. This was where she belonged. I could see it in her eyes. Her vitality crushed all of my hurt feelings. Who cares about a dance?

"Elle, you haven't told them the best part yet."

Elle just stared at Noel, looking puzzled.

"You know, the part about who's our dorm mentor."

"Dr. Chase Letterby," Elle said, trying to sound excited. Walter and I pretended to be shocked for Noel's sake.

"Can you believe it? Dr. Hollywood himself. He has checked on us several times during the school year." Noel's enthusiasm had to be fake because her voice didn't match her I-don't-care-about-anything look. It was so strange.

"Elle doesn't tell many people this, but Chase is a family friend of mine. So it's no big deal," I said very snobbily, like Cora had talked about him at the hospital last year. Both Walter and Elle gave me a dirty look. I had to deflate her; she was annoying.

"We don't want to be late to the party," Noel said, linking arms with Elle on the other side as if we were about to play tug-of-war with her. "The sororities are putting on a big Halloween party in the commons."

"I think I'm going to pass on the sorority party. I had my fill of them back in the day, so I'll check us in to our hotel," Walter said, looking at me. I nodded.

We went back to her dorm room, and I was shocked that it was more like a small apartment. She and Noel each had their own rooms with a common area in the middle. I'm sure Chase had something to do with her getting such a nice dorm her freshman year.

Before we left, Elle and I put on fork and spoon costumes she'd picked out for us. And of course, Noel was the knife.

"We are all a complete set," Elle kept saying over and over.

The party was more like a big haunted house with monsters, ghosts, and zombies around every corner. I had never seen Elle so jumpy. It was adorable. She clung to me tightly, hiding her eyes every so often. We had never gone to a haunted house or even watched a scary movie, and now I knew why. Noel, on the other hand, was not fazed by anything. She looked annoyed by it, which agitated me even more. How could Elle be best friends with someone like this? Noel disappeared halfway through the party, to my relief.

"Hey, Elle, I love to spoon," said some guy in a pink silk leisure suit with a big dollar-sign necklace around his neck, walking up to us.

"Very funny, Dylan. I would like you to meet my boyfriend, Nicholas Ke—"

He cut her off midsentence. "Oh yeah, the one that's in high school, right."

A small piece of my Thusian fire came to life. "That's funny, Elle. I don't remember you saying anything about how Vanderbilt has lowered their enrollment standards," I said, stepping a little closer to him.

"Good one, Mr. Fork," he said, with an over-the-top fake belly laugh.

I guess it was difficult for me to be threatening dressed as a piece of silverware.

"See you in class, Elle," Dylan said, walking away.

"Who was that?" I asked, not happy about him being on campus with Elle.

"Dylan Pure. He's a junior. We've attended a couple of the same lectures."

"You didn't go with me to Homecoming because you were with him?" The ugly words just fell out.

"Nicholas Keller, I wasn't with him; I was at a lecture. And you know how sorry I am about missing it. It was just as upsetting for me. I had visions of Erin or Genevieve dancing with you throughout it."

"Elle, come on," I said, feeling the sting of her comment.

"I'm sorry," she said, taking a deep breath to compose herself. "Dylan is nothing to worry about." She put her hand into my costume, touching my bare back, erasing every thought and concern.

"Okay, Ms. Spoon," I said.

"Good, Mr. Fork."

I led Elle away from the party while Noel wasn't around.

"I have some good news and some bad news," I said. I had to tell her what was going on.

"What's the bad news?" she asked.

"I have to leave later tonight."

"But why? You just got here," she protested. I hushed her but she spoke again. "That means we only get to spend the next couple of hours together. That's not fair. I've been miserable without you. I was supposed to have the whole weekend with you to make up for not coming to the dance."

"Don't you want to hear the good news? I don't have to leave you until 3:30 a.m. That means we have six and a half hours to be together. I'm not going to the hotel."

Her frown turned to a smile. "What are you up to?" she asked in a whisper.

"Just have to go check out what Bernard Weathers wanted me to find in New Orleans."

"You shouldn't go down there by yourself without Cora and the others. I thought Bernard was working with Xavier."

It was amazing how much she knew. I guess she had been speaking to Genevieve again.

"No, he wasn't, and we've worked out a plan. I'll be careful, I promise. You just need to go to the football game like we had planned and have a good time. It's a quick trip back and forth."

"Wait a minute. I hear there's a hurricane."

"We'll be in and out before it even gets close to the coast, and it's going to be hundreds of miles away." I pulled her close, pushing back the spoon costume, exposing her neck. I kissed it gently.

"Not fair. If that's how you want to play, I'll win," she said, grabbing me tightly.

"You would win for sure, but trust me, this has to be done."

"Well, since you're leaving, let's go back to the dorm," she said as we began to walk.

Once we were back at her dorm, we took the elevator to the fifth floor. She took out her ID and swiped it on the door lock of room number 510. Noel was standing inside the room wearing blue flannel pajamas, eating out of a tub of chocolate-marshmallow ice cream.

"I was just starting to watch the old 90210 marathon. Do you guys want to join me?" she asked. I didn't care what we did as long as we did it together, even if it was with Noel. Elle and I lay on the sofa. Elle had her head on my chest while I had both arms around her tightly. I never wanted to let her go. She was my everything. We watched TV for a good three hours, and it was nearing midnight. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Nicholas, are you in there?" Chase said in a deep, booming voice.

"What are we going to do about Nicholas?" Noel said, sounding frantic. "You know no boys are allowed in the rooms after 10:00 p.m. I don't want to get written up; my parents will kill me if I do."

I stood up and opened the door, ignoring her. "Hey, Chase."

"Nicholas, how are you doing? I didn't think you were coming until next week. You should have told me you were here. I could have shown you around myself. Cora called a little bit ago to tell me you were here for the weekend," he said, grabbing me and giving me a hug. "Do you want to stay with me tonight? I have plenty of room downstairs in my flat. I practically have the whole first floor to myself."

I looked at Elle, and he smiled. "You don't have to say any more. If you need anything, let me know. And we should catch up about how you've been doing," he said, which had to do with my panic attacks.

Noel stood up. "Excuse me, Dr. Letterby, but aren't boys not supposed to be up here now?" What was she thinking? Was she trying to get me kicked out?

"Do you want to be written up, Ms. Bell?" Chase asked.

"Of course not, I just didn't want you to think I didn't know the rules."

"Noel, Chase is okay with it, right?" I said. Chase nodded and shut the door.

Noel stood there with her mouth wide open.

"It's like he had to do what you wanted, as if you were the chancellor of the university or something." She looked at Elle. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay," Elle said, standing up and leading me out of the TV room.

Elle and I spent the rest of the night in her bedroom. It was like old times. She wanted to know all about what was happening at Winsor and anything that had to do with Thusians, making sure she wasn't left out. And as usual, she slowed down after an hour of asking, barely able to keep her eyes open, eventually falling asleep. There we lay in the quiet of her room.

The clock read 3:25 a.m. Time with her had gone by so fast. Noel was snoring in the next room on the couch. It was the perfect time to sneak out. I gave Elle a kiss good-bye and whispered to her, "I'll see you again real soon, I promise."

In a half-sleepy state, she whispered, "Love you."

I kissed her one more time and quietly slipped out of the room.

Walter was in a garbage truck around back, picking up the dumpsters with the giant claws and flipping it into the back before I got in.

"Nicholas, just get in the back and keep your head down. Get some sleep."

"Don't you need me up there to keep you awake?" I asked, climbing up and in.

"No, I'm good. I went to sleep after I left you. I normally get up around 5:00, so this isn't too early for me. Early bird gets the worm," he said with a smile. I didn't argue; I wanted to sleep, so I climbed in the back behind the seat and drifted off.

I slept most of the trip, only waking once when we switched from the garbage truck to a black Escalade with tinted windows. When I got up, I was covered in sweat, barely able to catch my breath. I wasn't sure if I was having an attack or if it was just my plain old nightmares.

I climbed into the front seat with Walter. We were about an hour outside of Baton Rouge. He was in the same position as he had been when I went to sleep after the switch, with his black tinted aviator sunglasses on. He didn't move, listen to music, or do anything else; he just drove. He was a machine.

We arrived at the neighborhood where Bernard's friend was supposed to live when the sun was right over top of us. It must have just rained because the sun's heat was creating steam rising up from the pavement. The neighborhood was full of young children on the sidewalks; some people were boarding up their windows. I guess they were playing it safe, even though the hurricane wasn't supposed to come this way.

We pulled up to Sale Sleester's house. It was a brick house painted brown with red accents. It was by the overpass, exactly where Bernard said it would be. It was a nice little house with a manicured lawn and a large black metal mailbox that read "Sleester" in bold gold letters. Walter was looking around, checking all his mirrors.

"What are you looking for?" I asked, looking around, too.

"Making sure we weren't followed."

"That's a possibility? You told Cora that it was impossible for you to be followed, you know, with your military training."

"It is impossible," he said, though not sounding too sure.

"Then, what?"

He didn't answer the question. "We should hang out here for a while and make sure that Sale is here."

"No, we're not. We don't have time to mess around. We need to get this done, head to New Orleans, and get back. We're sticking to the plan." I didn't wait for him to respond. I opened the door and walked up to the house.

I rang the doorbell. A high-pitched bell rang with some familiar tune. Walter was behind me when the door opened.

"Are you Sale Sleester?" I asked.

The guy who answered had to be the same age as Walter. He had pale white skin and a thick red goatee. He was wearing clothes with paint all over them and a pair of work boots caked in mud.

"Who wants to know?" he asked rudely, wiping his hands on a rag.

"We're with a group. This group is a type of club, and one of our members, Bernard Weathers, asked me to find you," I said in a hushed voice. I worded what I said carefully in case we had the wrong guy, even though this was who Bernard said I needed to talk to. The man looked behind himself and walked out just far enough to shut the door.

"What do you two want?"

"We need your help. Bernard Weathers was killed," I said.

His face didn't change at the mention of his death.

"Sale, we need to have your help—"

But before I could finish he said, "I can't help you. I told that crazy old man to leave me alone a long time ago. He's demented, always talking about the fate of mankind and how it rests in my hands. Ha, I'm just a simple handyman. I burned everything he sent me. I don't want anything to do with this secret society crap. So you can take this up with the next Keener who lives in Mt. Vernon."

He opened the door and slammed it in our faces.

"Next Keener?" Walter asked, sounding a little confused.

"He meant Keeper," I said.

Bernard wanted me to locate the next Keeper, and Sale Sleester was it. Thank God for a break. A Keeper would change things and perhaps give us the upper hand. That thought was comforting.

I went back to the truck and got in the front. Walter followed.

"We need to be careful," he said, not looking at me. He was checking all of his mirrors again, still looking as if something was wrong.

"Careful of what? It looks like we just met the next Keeper, and we have the location of the one after him. We've hit the jackpot. Bernard was never working with Xavier."

I wanted to call Cora on the satellite phone to tell her what we found out, but I decided to wait until we got back from New Orleans. There were still more things to learn first.

"I don't know about a jackpot. We're no better off than when we started," Walter said. "If Sleester is the next Keener, Keeper, then we should go back to Winsor and talk to the others to see how we can convince him to help and skip the whole visit to your old house."

"Bernard sent me down here for a reason, and New Orleans is part of it. Then we can come back here and see if we can talk some sense into him before going back."

Walter put the truck into drive and said, "Fine."

The drive to New Orleans was difficult, since it was the first place Cora and I had moved to after the earthquake. All of my feelings and emotions from the trip came to the surface and were raw. I still vividly remembered leaving with Cora like it was yesterday—we passed so many towns that had been devastated by the earthquake. As we went farther away from Mt. Vernon, the destruction was less and less, but low-hanging clouds seemed to make everything look as if it was part of the destruction. On that trip, I was coming to the realization that both my parents were dead and I was never going to hug my mom or dad again. Now that I was older, I understood things that the fifth-grade version of myself had been going through. The closer we got, the more pain I could feel.

All of a sudden a panic attack hit me. It felt as though I needed to save my parents from their fate but was unable to get to them. I began to breathe hard, but it was no use. The harder I breathed, the more I felt like I wasn't getting enough air. A ringing sound slowly intensified.

"You okay?" Walter asked.

But by that time, I was unable to breathe, let alone speak. The last thing I saw was the dash of the Escalade rushing toward me.

"Come on, Nicholas, wake up." Walter sounded like a drill sergeant telling one of his recruits to follow his order. I wanted to open my eyes but wasn't able to. They were glued shut. I was taken out of the truck and put down on something soft and cool. I could feel the warmth of the sun. And that's when water poured over my head. This took me out of my attack fast.

I sat up drenched, breathing normally.

"Good, I was afraid I was going to have to take you to the hospital. You okay? Do you need some Tic Tacs or something?" he said, shoving a pack into my hand.

I shook my head and cleared my throat. "No, I'm good. I think I'm dehydrated."

"I'm taking you home. You aren't in any condition to go any farther."

I wanted to tell him about my panic attacks, but I felt embarrassed. "I'm good, I promise. I just need some water and maybe a little more sleep."

He didn't look like he was buying it.

"We're only about forty-five minutes away, right? We'll be quick and then head back, okay?" I said, standing up, noticing that he'd pulled down a deserted side road and laid me in the grass several feet away from the truck.

"Okay, but if anything else happens, we are going back," he said.

"Sounds good, let's go." I walked back to the truck, concentrating hard so I wouldn't stumble.

As we got closer, I felt better. Walter turned on the local AM station and we found out that the hurricane had taken a turn, heading closer to us. We would have to make this quick. We drove over the bridge that was ten minutes from where we had lived. I still hadn't told Walter that Bernard had put the wrong address in his will, but I figured he'd done it for a reason, and when we were there I would tell him. Most of the houses in the surrounding neighborhoods were boarded up with no one around. Some actually looked abandoned, but others were just hurricane-proofed. We'd definitely picked the best time to come here, under the cover of the impending storm. Walter pulled into my neighborhood.

"Walter, turn on Oak Street and then make a right onto Main Street. Bernard got our address wrong."

He slammed on the brakes. "What do you mean? He was pretty specific on where we were to go. He wants you to go there, just like he wanted you to visit Sale."

"Walter, trust me, in his will he said to visit your home in New Orleans," I said, trying to make him understand. But he didn't; he just shook his head.

"This was supposed to be a simple trip," Walter said.

"I know, but we're almost done. We'll pass the other house on the way to mine. Make the next left on James Street, then right onto Oak. We'll drive by the other house when we turn onto Main toward my actual house. All of this will take twenty minutes at the max."

Walter turned down James Street, where one of many shelters had been set up to wait out the storm for those who could not afford to leave. We drove across another small bridge that went over one of the many canals running through the neighborhood. We turned on Oak Street, and Walter slowed to a stop before we could make a right down Main. He was still five or six houses before the turn, and in front of us was 6055, the house Bernard had mistakenly said was my old house. It was completely dark but not boarded up like the neighbors' homes. No lights were on anywhere, which was odd because most of the surrounding homes had some sort of light on, even if they were prepared for the storm. This house was intentionally made to look as if nobody was home.

Walter had sensed something was wrong about the house, too. This was a trap; it had to be. As soon as I thought that, my talents heightened, and the darkened house came alive. The dark, storm-filled sky was on fire with white light that radiated down onto the house, covering it like a blanket of snow. On the side of the house behind a large bush, someone was crouched over, waiting. The figure was barely visible. Then I noticed some things that looked like nails spread all over the driveway. I concentrated even harder and saw that someone was on the second floor, peering out of one of the darkened rooms. Whoever it was had binoculars.

"There are people waiting for us at that house," I said.

"I'm not sure how you know that, but I think you're right. Something just doesn't seem right about any of it. It looks too perfect."

They couldn't see us, but I knew there was no way to get to my old house now without passing by them. My old house was at the end of a cul-de-sac.

"Bernard was setting you up. He was working with Xavier, or at least he was a Seeker. There's no way anyone knew about this trip besides the five of us," Walter said.

"I don't believe that. I think he gave me a warning. But it does prove one thing: someone is working with Xavier, keeping him one step ahead of us," I said.

"Now what?" he asked.

I sat there, not sure what the right thing to do was. "We're going to park the truck on one of the streets and go to my actual house on foot. I need to know what the purpose of me coming to New Orleans was, trap or not."

"There's no way in the world we are going, Nicholas. I can't afford to risk your life just because some so-called Keeper wants you to go there."

I decided to try to butter him up like Chase. "Your military experience is so extensive, Walter. There's no way anything would happen without you knowing." It didn't work.

"I'm good, but we're still not going," Walter replied dryly.

"I have to trust Bernard." I put my hand on the door handle. "I'm going with or without you."

He shut his eyes and exhaled. "Okay Nicholas, but we're going to do it my way." He then said under his breath, "There's no way I'm letting anything happen to Joseph and Beth's son."

He drove three streets away and parked the truck in an empty school lot, around the side of the building away from the street.

"You follow my lead. We're going to go house to house. I'll take point, and you will only advance when I give the signal. Do you understand?"

I nodded. I didn't want to tell Walter that I was better suited for this than he was, so I followed. He got into the trunk, grabbing a big black duffel bag filled with different supplies for every scenario. He smeared black streaks on his face and put on a black camouflage jacket that matched his pants. He checked his watch and a compass he had on some device that was the size of a cell phone that was likely filled with any information he would ever need. He slipped some things into his jacket pockets. I couldn't tell what they were, but there were two of them and they were round in shape.

"Stay close," he said.

He darted into the backyard of the first house. I was surprised by how quick and agile he was for someone of his size. He reminded me of Genevieve running through the snow last winter. I followed close behind. He never made eye contact with me. Each time I arrived next to him, he advanced to the next house, but only after he was ready, which sometimes took a couple of minutes. Then he would wait at the next spot and give the signal, which was two fingers motioning me forward to come to his spot. We did this routine for a while. The dark clouds from the approaching storm began to overtake our area, giving us ample protection, choking out the day's sun, and cloaking us. Walter was almost invisible in the camouflage, and I was at least wearing a dark-blue windbreaker and jeans.

I sat at a house that had a big redwood deck on the back for a couple more minutes than normal. Walter was checking out something, but from where I was I couldn't see what. He must have been blocking it. He finally motioned for me. Right when I got to him, he ran about five feet forward as everything slowed down around me. Walter began to fall into some type of hole, like the ground just opened up to swallow him. My heart stopped and then, as if it was hit by lightning, pumped so hard and fast. I had never felt this before. Not only could I feel the fire in me, I could also feel it coursing through me. I was hurtling straight for him, stepping lightly, hoping to not trigger the ground to cave in farther. I lunged forward and caught his flailing wrist that was stretched up into the air, grasping at the ground that was no longer there. I pulled up with all my might, throwing him forward like I was competing in the discus at the Olympics. Time went back to normal when he landed, safely away from the sinkhole.

Walter wasn't moving on the ground at all but was breathing when I got to him. On the back of his head was a large gash that was bleeding profusely. He was knocked out cold. A swooshing sound started to get louder, coming from the hole. I stood up and looked into it and saw water flowing out of a large water pipe only a foot from the surface. On the top of the pipe was a crimson stain from where Walter must have hit his head when I threw him clear of the hole. I tore off a piece of his jacket and wrapped it around his head to help with the bleeding.

We were only a street away from my house. I didn't think I could carry Walter all the way back to the truck, and I didn't want to break into a surrounding house just in case someone was there waiting for us. I had to continue forward.

I half carried and half dragged Walter toward my house. Every couple of feet I stopped and looked around to see if I was being followed and to catch my breath. It also allowed me time to look for the increasing number of sinkholes that had formed along the same pipe leading toward my house. I did my best to steer clear of them. Finally, I could see the house across the street. The fire in my stomach began to burn intensely being this close, and my surroundings became crystal clear. I examined the houses around my old one and then mine. It was incredible how things had changed very little. The house looked the same as all the others we had lived in, but this was the first one. Halfway across the street, as soon as I crossed the center line, the pavement began to erode all around us.

"Sorry, Walter, this is going to hurt."

Again I tossed him, right over the sinking road, and followed with one leap. He luckily landed in some tall grass in the front yard. He was at least groaning now, which I took as a good sign. The massive, gaping hole behind us filled with water and was now consuming a large part of the street. I took Walter to the back of the house and gently put him down next to the back porch. The back door had been boarded up but not for the hurricane. It looked abandoned. I searched around the house quickly to see if I could tell if this was a trap or not. After my third time around, I pulled off the boards covering the back door and then searched for a black stone. Under a thorn-covered bush, I found it. I rolled it over, and underneath it was an old, dirty key. This was where Cora had put it when we first moved here, just in case we got locked out. I was happy to see it still there but wasn't sure if the locks had been changed.

I knocked on the door several times to see if anyone was home. I knew it was announcing we were here, but I didn't want to barge in on anyone. After a few more knocks, I took the key and tried the lock. At first the lock wouldn't turn, but after a couple of shakes it slowly moved the cylinder that unlocked the door.

Walter started to groan more loudly. I pulled him up and into the house, putting him on the couch in the front room. The pink, dust-covered couch was rather small for his massive body, but it would have to do. He began to shiver so hard his teeth chattered. He was soaked, so I pulled off his boots and covered him with a couple of handmade quilts I found in the corner of the room in a box. I searched for something to clean his wound and sterilize it. In the kitchen I found a bottle of cooking brandy in the back of one of the mostly empty cabinets. I wasn't sure how he was going to react when I cleaned his wound with it. When I poured it on, he didn't move at all. He just lay there like I was using tap water, not alcohol.

The front family room was filled with cobwebs. Some decorations and knickknacks were displayed. The walls now had an elaborate, red-floral pattern wallpaper on them that was beginning to peel, not the plain white we'd had when we were here.

I peered out the boarded-up window. The dark clouds formed long, crooked fingers, which looked like they were going to grab us. Hurricane Lisa was approaching.

Thankfully the electricity was still on, so I turned on an old TV I found. At the bottom was a red strip scrolling with information about the storm, mostly explaining where the mandatory evacuations were happening.

"The eye should go west of New Orleans," the news lady said. "Everyone should evacuate now. The hurricane is a Category 3 storm with winds in excess of 129 miles per hour. The storm is moving faster than we originally thought and has moved much farther west. It will make landfall by morning."

I looked at Walter; he was in no condition to be moved yet. We had to wait until he was conscious before I could move him again. Luckily the pantry in the kitchen had a couple of cans of soup. I fixed some for myself and some for Walter, forcing him to swallow spoonfuls of broth, hoping this would help him become strong enough to move.

After eating and getting Walter to swallow some more of the broth, I searched the house for clues as to why I had been sent here. Each room contained a couple of boxes and had garbage scattered about. "I'm here, Bernard, now what?" I said out loud. There was no sign that Cora and I had ever lived here. I found a photo of an older lady with a cat. I was guessing she was the last owner. I went into my old room. Nothing looked how I remembered it. I closed my eyes and was transported back in time. All around me was my old room. Even though I knew it was a memory, it felt so real. I walked around looking at different things. Then I remembered a secret place where I'd put things that I didn't want Cora to find.

The memory faded. I walked over to the dirty old closet and found the small panel on the inside wall of the closet. It came free with a nudge. A book fell out of the space along with a couple of my GI Joes I had left behind when we moved.

The book's title read Of Mice and Men, and it was identical to the set of books Bernard had given to me. Was this why he'd sent me here? I slid down onto the floor and flipped through the book, but I found nothing. Just like the other books, there was nothing out of the ordinary about it.

In frustration, I slammed the book down, sending a large cloud of dust and dirt into the air. I grabbed the book and the two GI Joes and went downstairs. I settled down next to Walter in an oversized, beat-up recliner that luckily had a sheet over it. I stuffed the book between Walter and the couch for safekeeping. No matter how I positioned myself, I was uncomfortable. How could things get any worse? This was supposed to be a quick trip.

Listening to the howling wind and the now pounding rain helped calm my anxieties, which were beginning to take over. This was no time for a panic attack. I fished out my last box of Tic Tacs, which only had a couple left. I only put one into my mouth. This was going to be a long night; I needed to save at least one for later. I closed my eyes and drifted asleep.

**

A loud cracking sound awoke me. Walter hadn't moved from his spot on the couch, but now he was snoring and had knocked off some of the blankets I had put on him. That was a good sign, but what was that sound? I looked at the oversized clock on the mantle above the fireplace. It was 1:00 a.m. The sound of the hurricane had intensified dramatically. I could now hear things hitting the house. On the TV, the local weather person had a graph up showing that the storm had strengthened to almost a Category 4 hurricane and that it had moved even farther west. Landfall should happen before sunrise, so now New Orleans would get the worst of the winds and storm surge. I hoped Walter would be well enough to move before morning. We had to get out of here. New Orleans and the Army Corps of Engineers had developed a series of levees and locks to make sure that any storm surge would be significantly minimal in the surrounding parishes. When we lived here, Cora had made sure of that. Hopefully, this would allow us to escape the worst of it.

The bright, pulsing red of the hurricane on the TV's radar was showing all the feeder bands heading toward us. I turned it off just in case the Seekers down the street got impatient and started to go up and down the street, looking for any signs of life.

Another sound came from the back door a couple of hours later, making me pop up, fully awake. Acid erupted in my stomach. I went into the hall, looking back toward the kitchen. There was a man standing in the doorway with the storm raging behind him. He was dressed in a black rain suit with his hood pulled up. He didn't make any sudden movements; he pulled off the hood and slowly walked toward me. I couldn't make out who he was. He had to be a Seeker here for us. I wanted to go after him, but Walter would be an easy target just lying in the family room, especially if there were others. I backed into the family room enough so I could keep an eye on both Walter and this man. He walked more into the light, and still I didn't recognize him at all. Maybe he was seeking refuge from the storm, or maybe this was his house. His long, wet, messed up blond hair fell in front of his face. He was skinny but not like Riley, more in a sunken, sickly way. He brushed the hair out of his eyes and spoke.

"So, Nicho—"

Before he finished saying my name, my body went straight for him with such quickness and ferocity that it startled even me. I knocked a picture off the wall, sending pieces of glass and the frame at him. The pieces hit him at the same time as I slammed my fist into his chest, sending him back toward the door. His raspy voice was all I needed to hear—it was Xavier. He caught himself on the frame and grinned from ear to ear. I went at him again. My movements were quick and precise, striking at different parts of his body systematically. He moved just enough to lessen the blows, but I was still hitting him so fast he could barely keep up. He moved past me with a thrust toward the front room. His movement was not blurred like Bryce's or Grey's. He was just as fast as I was. I landed another blow to his back when he entered the room, which propelled him toward the front wall. He had used me to send him where he wanted to go.

I moved in front of Walter, protecting him. I was now on defense. Xavier dropped his fist with a big smile, rolling his head around, cracking his neck.

"I'm glad to see you understand that I have an advantage here," he said, taking off his rain jacket slowly, folding it neatly, and laying it on a nearby box. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed a cut on his face from where a piece of glass had cut him.

"You said you wouldn't try anything! You lied!" I yelled, feeling so much rage and hatred. This was the person who had caused so much death and misery for so many.

The fire in me felt like it was roasting me alive. I wanted to make him pay, but I couldn't because I had to protect Walter. I yelled in frustration.

"Nicholas, I've only come to talk." He smiled. "I know you might find that difficult to believe, but I have. You're the one who attacked me first, remember?"

"Shut up. Don't feed me any more lies. I saw the trap you had waiting for me at the other house that was in Bernard's will."

"Please, those two aren't with me. I'm truly insulted by the accusation." He picked up an old ashtray lying next to him. "Those two are just plain-old Thusians."

"You're lying."

"Do you think I would honestly make such a weak attempt? And why would I lie? I'm the only one you can trust." He flipped the ashtray, making it spin in the air before catching it. Then he took out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and took a deep drag off it. "But I do have to confess: I did try to kill Walter. The sinkholes were meant for him—I knew you would get by them with ease, and it looks like I almost got him. I'm guessing you had something to do with him escaping them."

I didn't say anything. Cora's words about new places and people came to me: always let others do the talking.

He continued, "With the water table being so high around here, their drainage pipes aren't buried too far underground, and with the high percentage of sand in their soil, a couple of well-placed holes in the pipe can eventually work their magic and create those lovely sinkholes. You know that's why they bury their dead above ground around here. If they didn't, a good rain would bring poor dead Auntie Mildred floating down the street in her coffin." He laughed at his morbid joke. He was now looking at a picture on a bookshelf, not paying much attention to me anymore.

He turned to me. "Do you know how difficult it was to find you? I knew Bernard was too smart to tell everyone where you used to live. So I scouted out this neighborhood a couple of months ago and stumbled upon this house. It looked so much like your house in Winsor that it couldn't be a coincidence. So here I am."

"Why?" I asked calmly. I had to keep him talking in case this was a trap. I needed more time to figure out how to get Walter out of here.

"How many times do I need to say this? I'm here to talk."

"What do you want to talk about, then?"

"Let's talk about why two Thusians are sitting down the road waiting to kill you. You've made quite a mess for yourself, haven't you? Blurting out to the Council that you formed The 7 has caused some big waves in the Thusian community. They're afraid that without a Keeper to verify The 4, you'll bring on an apocalyptic horror to the world, which you know has happened several times before. You know The Unholy Six? I myself think they're over-exaggerating, but who can blame them?" he said with a snicker.

"There is no way two plain old Thusians are trying to kill me; that's what you and your two Seekers do."

"Nicholas, do you honestly think things are so black-and-white? Just because someone is a Thusian doesn't make them good automatically. You can't be that naïve. There are bad Thusians just like there are good ones. But don't worry; those two Thusians down the way, they will meet their end soon enough. I've seen to that. No need to thank me."

He sat down in the recliner. I wanted to attack, but I was sure that was what he wanted. He was just making himself look unprepared. I still had to stand in front of Walter for his protection.

"With you proclaiming you're the 4th, it has made things difficult for me, I have to admit. All of a sudden Thusians are on high alert. Even the Thusians who don't know what they are seem to be sensing my plans to end their miserable little lives, which is making things a bit more of a challenge. But I'm happy about that because it was getting boring out there. You're even making a believer out of me."

"Who gives you the right to kill them? A Thusian's sacrifice is what should balance things out, not a group of killers."

He laughed and said, "We both know that no matter what you or I say, we are never going to see eye to eye on that point." He stood. "I have an offer to make you. I'm searching for something."

"I know. Bryce said you were looking for a book."

His face twisted ever so slightly, showing some frustration. "Bryce was weak," he spat with some anger. He took a deep breath and continued, "I want this book because it has the original writings of the first Keeper and tells the history of the Seekers. If you give it to me or tell me where it is, I will guarantee that the four of you along with all of your loved ones will be safe from further attacks, forever."

"There's no way I'm going to help you. You better be ready for a fight."

He smiled. "A fight is what you have been told will happen, right? It's not going to be a direct fight against the three of us, no matter what anyone has told you. Sorry to disappoint, but this is going to be on my terms, not yours. There is going to be a lot more collateral damage; I can promise you that. You have no idea what I'm capable of. But the Thusians around you do, and they are scared. If they were smart, they would help you, but in their pea-sized brains they think you're wrong and will try to stop you. With no Keepers, these Thusians you trust will come for your head eventually to make sure you fail. Think about my offer, because I'm the only one who can protect all of you from them and me."

"Forget it. Even if what you say is true, there's no way I would work with you. You might be surprised what Cora, Genevieve, Riley, and I can do."

"I'm beginning to see what you're capable of, but I know one fact you're forgetting. You have morals, and everyone else around you doesn't." He looked at his watch and then grabbed his jacket, putting it on.

"You know, if you weren't protecting him," he pointed to Walter, wrinkling his nose up, "I believe you could've killed me and ended this. I underestimated your physical talents, clearly. But instead you've surrounded yourself with people who will hold you back—and out of all people, him." He flicked his cigarette at him. "I think you should really know the people you're willing to risk your life for, because some people deserve to die." He went to the front door, kicking it open. "I feel bad for you, Nicholas."

He looked outside and yelled over the howling of the wind, "The hurricane sure is getting nasty. Oh yeah, before I forget, I have one more surprise for you. Hopefully this surprise will do both of us a favor and kill Walter." He walked out of the door into the raging storm.

I went to the door and forced it closed. I watched him go down the driveway to the sidewalk at a leisurely pace, like he was enjoying the beautiful weather. He weaved in and out of sinkholes until he disappeared from sight.

"Nicholas, is everything okay?"

Walter was sitting up on the couch, rubbing his head.

"No, everything's not okay," I said. My words, like a knife, seemed to cut the power because everything went dark. "We need to get out of here, now!" I yelled.

A loud, pulsing alarm started to blare from somewhere in the neighborhood, which shook the entire house. It cycled away from us, then right back at us.

"What's that?" Walter asked, struggling to stand and come over to me while holding onto the book I had put next to him.

"It's the levee horn. It's been breached or is about to go any minute." I'm sure we have Xavier to thank for this.

We could see the scene unfolding in front of us from the front porch. My Thusian talents were in full effect. It looked far worse than any disaster movie I had ever seen. The hurricane structure had large black clouds mixed with purple, and it had white lightning surging through them. Small waterspouts circled the beast. It was beginning to bear down on us, sending intense bursts of wind and rain at us. It looked apocalyptic. At the far end of the neighborhood, near the canal, the streets were beginning to fill rapidly with water, like a wave washing up onto a beach with no chance of receding.

"This way," I said, taking the book out of his hand and helping him off the porch.

He could barely keep himself upright, stumbling every couple of feet. I continued to have to balance him as we headed toward the end of the cul-de-sac. The roar of the water coming toward us was unreal; it sounded like a washing machine filled with rocks. We needed to get up on top of the levee wall to escape the surge. It was the tallest point around here and our only chance. Once up there we could make it out of here on foot. I kicked over a small wooden fence and then helped Walter up the steep grassy embankment to the highest point. The wind gusts were so hard they nearly knocked us back down the hill.

"Did you hear that?" Walter shouted to me over the wind.

Unfortunately, I had. It was screams for help from the direction we had just come. There was a family trying to escape the storm surge that was destroying everything in its path, but they were struggling to get to the levee. They would never make it without help. The wall of water would overtake them for sure. My body reacted, freezing the wave a block away, suspended in its journey of damage and destruction. The rain, too, had frozen, along with pieces of debris that were being carried by the wind. The mother was helping a little girl, and the father was holding a small baby tightly.

By the time I got to them, the water had made it to our street, creeping closer. The father pushed forward with the baby, running by me. I grabbed the little girl, picking her up so the mother could run freely. Walter's Thusian side took over, helping him regain his strength. He was barreling down the hill, with a small blurred streak behind him. He was in an all-out sprint to help. He grabbed the girl from my arms and pointed back to the mom. I turned to see that she had stopped to pick up a brown shaggy dog. Even with time slowed, the wave overtook her. I threw the book up to Walter and dove off the hill, hitting the wave of water head-on. I moved through the water with ease; there was no resistance as I grabbed handfuls of water, allowing me to navigate easily. The water burned my eyes and had the taste of gasoline. I squinted and saw her being quickly carried away, still clutching onto the dog. I dug my hands into the water and jetted myself at her. I lost sight of her for a second behind some storm debris in the water. I had to move around things, which made getting to her slower. I finally had a clear shot at her, but before I could propel myself forward, a large part of a house swept between us, cutting me off. I had no other choice but to go through it. I grabbed the water and pulled as hard as I could, sending me right at the center of the house. The water rushing past my ears was so loud it hurt. Just when I didn't think I could take it anymore, I hit the house, jarring me but not enough to stop me. It felt like I'd gone through a wet cardboard box filled with glass.

The woman came into view at the surface along with the dog. Both were kicking wildly, trying to stay up in the rushing water. A thought entered my mind right when I saw them: what if I die trying to save them? With that horrible thought, my body reacted. I veered off sideways, slamming into a grill that was lodged into a tree under the water. I could feel ribs shatter and my shoulder pop out of its socket, becoming lifeless. I was stunned, not able to move or swim for a moment. I have to save her. That thought focused me again. I pulled with one arm, sending myself toward her with my other arm dragging behind me. I grabbed her as I went by. She had the dog by the collar, so I took them with me as I shot toward the nearest part of the levee. The dog shook the water off at the edge and went running up the hill. The woman coughed several times on all fours. She looked shaken up but okay. Her husband came running down to us to help her. Walter was standing guard over the little girl and the baby. His large frame was shielding both of them from anything that could hurt them.

"You saved my mommy and Sega," the little girl said when I got to them, hugging one of my legs, sending tiny waves of pain through my body. I grimaced and smiled.

We helped them to the shelter in town where the water couldn't reach. The town hall was being used as a hurricane shelter. It had been fitted to protect against anything Mother Nature could throw at it. Police cars and fire trucks were lined up out front with their lights flashing, illuminating everything.

Once the family was safe inside, Walter and I slipped away. I wanted to stay to make sure they would be okay but figured we might be a bigger threat to their safety than the hurricane. With those Thusians and Xavier out there, it was best for us to get away from here. A block away, I collapsed from my injuries. The adrenaline had subsided, and now all I could feel was screaming pain. Walter tried to support me, but first he grabbed my arm. He pulled it up with force and it went back into its socket. I almost fainted from the excruciating electricity it sent through me, but it was over quickly.

"We need to get you to a place where I can fix you up," he said, handing back the book.

I nodded, not able to say a word.

We passed by a group of people walking toward the shelter. When they got to us, an older man at the front of the group said, "You should really come back with us. It's going to get worse out there."

"Yeah, you don't want to end up like those two guys down on Main. The house they were in got swept away and there was nothing they could do."

So that's how Xavier took care of the two of them, I thought.

"We have a Humvee waiting for us. I have to get this young man to a hospital," Walter told them.

"Okay, be safe," the strangers said reluctantly.

Walter punched through the window of a car down the nearest side street. The late-model rust-colored car had already been riddled with debris and had a bunch of small holes in most of the windows. But other than that, it was in good shape. He started it as soon as we got in.

"Where are we going?" I asked, lying against the door for support.

"We're going back home."

"No, we need to go by Sale's and then go back to Vanderbilt. We need to stick with the plan."

"This wasn't part of the plan, and you're hurt."

"Walter, if we don't then we'll have to come back down here again. And I know that isn't what you want to do, because I don't. Also we need to ride out the storm, and we might as well do it at Sale's." It didn't seem like he was listening to me, so I tried a different angle.

"I can't drive the whole way. It hurts too badly."

He thought for a minute then said, "Okay, we'll go there. But as soon as I get you fixed up, we're heading back to Vanderbilt. The storm isn't going to let up just because we're there; we need to get farther away than Baton Rouge."

The drive to Baton Rouge took three times as long because for most of the drive we had to slowly navigate around different obstacles the hurricane had put in the middle of the highway. We went through a stretch where we had to drive around a bunch of boats of all sizes littered everywhere. And a couple of times the gusting wind nearly took us off the road. But as we went farther northwest, the wind began to die down. Even the cloud cover became sparse. We were on the outside of it for now, but it would catch up.

At the intersection before Sale's neighborhood, we could see a large plume of black smoke on the horizon. As we pulled into his neighborhood, the smoke started to get bigger. I had a sinking feeling as we drove closer to his house, and my fears were realized when we turned the corner. Sale's house was completely engulfed in flames. Several fire crews were trying to put it out, but with very little luck. The fire was just too intense.

"This has Xavier written all over it," Walter said.

We got out and watched as they battled the blaze. My pain was gone, and all I could feel now was despair. Several others were outside watching the fire with us.

"Did you see what happened?" Walter asked the man next to us.

"No, just got here myself. They said that the owner of the house was trapped inside when the blaze started. He didn't make it."

He looked at Walter, then at me. "Are you okay? It looks like you both need some help, too."

"No, we're fine; it looks worse than it is."

I smiled, trying to back up what Walter said. I'm sure we looked pretty bad off.

We watched for a minute longer and then went back to the car.

"We led Xavier right to Sale," I said, hitting my head against the passenger window.

"You don't know that. He could have found out about it from Bernard's will. Also, there are a lot of ways that the fire could have started."

"Seriously, Walter, you think that it's a coincidence that it caught fire the day after we visited him? If you do, you're naïve. What was I supposed to learn, Bernard?" I shouted, wincing in pain.

"Nicholas, we need to get you fixed up before we head back."

This was an absolute waste of time, I thought. Bernard had me go to Sale's house, which resulted in him being killed. Then he sent me into a trap and Xavier showed up. And who knew if the next Keeper really lives in Mt. Vernon? And what were the books all about? The one I'd found was as useless as the others.

I closed my eyes, and my surroundings and pain slowly fell away. I was awakened when we stopped. I slowly got up and looked around.

"Where are we?"

"Oh good, you're up. You've been out for about seven hours."

We were no longer in the car we'd taken from New Orleans. I was now riding in the back of a large military Humvee, but not like Eric's brother's—this one seemed to still be in use by the military. My arm was also in a sling, and my ribs were taped. I was feeling better.

"Where did you get the truck, and how did I get in here?"

"I took us to a base and borrowed some stuff to fix you up. It's the least I could do. I figure I owe you a bunch for saving me and getting me to your old house. But enough talking; you need to rest. Lie back down and I'll wake you when we get close to Vanderbilt."

I did as he said because I was exhausted. He threw me a brown paper bag with a sandwich, chips, and a couple packs of white Tic Tacs in it, which I immediately consumed.

The bumps of the road kept me awake. My mind drifted. What if I'd had a full-blown panic attack in the water when the woman needed my help? She and I both would have drowned. My head began to pound; I took a deep breath.

Relax, I told myself. You'll be home soon.

It was 12:30 a.m. when Riley finally came up from the basement.

"He's out cold. After all of that driving and the bump on his head, he won't be waking up anytime soon."

Genevieve was changing the dressing on my side, and Cora was attending to my arm.

"It's amazing. You're already showing signs of healing," Cora said, finishing up.

"Nicholas, before you tell us what happened, Cora needs to explain how she thinks Ester knew where you were going and our plans," Riley said.

"I've been thinking about this a lot," Cora said, "and I still have no idea. Somehow she knew exactly where Nicholas and Walter were. The only people who knew where they were going were the five of us and Elle."

"How did you find out that she knew?" I asked.

"Because they confronted us. It had to be Walter," Genevieve answered. She walked over to the trash can, throwing away some of the old bandages.

"Do you really think so?" Cora asked.

I thought for a moment, remembering how Walter kept looking back when we got to Sale's and the two objects he'd put into his pocket when we went to the house in New Orleans.

"Walter did keep looking around. I thought he was making sure we weren't being followed, but I don't know now."

Seeing me begin to tense up, Genevieve put her hand on my leg and rubbed it, trying to help me relax.

"Let's forget about that for a minute then. Tell us about the trip," Riley said.

"Wait a minute," Cora said. "We need to figure this part out first."

"Cora, don't you want to hear about the trip?" I asked impatiently. They still didn't know about Xavier.

"We do, but we had a run-in with Jacob Siegel in Mt. Vernon," Cora said. "We went there to distract everyone from you going to New Orleans. But while we were there, he stopped us with a large caravan of cars and trucks right before we could visit Beth's and Joseph's graves. He had James Caldwell with him and an entourage of other Thusians. He was angry, yelling at us to stay out of his town. He said that the four of us had unleashed a terrible plague on the world and all of that blood would be on our hands. And then Ester showed up, and—"

"I think that can wait. I had a run-in with Xavier in New Orleans," I said impatiently.

That got their attention; no one spoke again. I then proceeded to tell them everything, not excluding any details. I took out the book and handed it to Cora, who immediately started to analyze it. I finished by telling them what Xavier had said about Walter.

"Walter's the problem," Genevieve said. "I knew it."

"I agree," Riley said.

"I am?" Walter said, coming up from the basement, holding an ice pack to the back of his head.

"Yeah, you are, and you've been telling Ester everything we've been doing," Genevieve said, sitting closer to me.

"Xavier was in New Orleans with us when you were knocked out. He didn't think I should waste my time protecting you. He said that some people deserve to die," I said. "And you must think we're blind and stupid because we've been watching you do whatever you're doing in secret—you know, your secret meetings."

All four of us were now standing, ready for anything. Walter walked past us and went to his room, where he retrieved some things and then came back and set them on the coffee table. We hadn't moved.

Two of the items were identical. They were the things I'd seen him put into his jacket. The other was a blood-red rock that had a number three engraved into it.

When Riley saw the rock, he pulled Cora behind him, and I instinctively did the same with Genevieve, even though I wasn't sure what was going on.

"You are the third Seeker," Riley said.

Walter didn't deny or confirm it. He walked into the family room and sat on the couch, looking out the large picture window. We slowly followed him.

He began to talk. "I was forced to be part of the one hundred Seekers a long time ago before I was even old enough to drive. Five of my ancestors were part of the original one hundred. And my father was part of The 3."

No one said anything. I sat down because Walter didn't look like he was going to do anything, and my talents were absent. I could only feel a small flicker of fire in my stomach. He unwrapped the two objects, revealing the two Belos he had shown us before.

"I'm not the third Seeker, but I was summoned to be. Xavier was trying to recruit me to be part of it ever since Bryce died and one time before that, but I rejected it. Now I'm afraid Xavier has been tracking me ever since. And when you saw me outside those times I was trying to use the Seekers to get information to help us."

"But why recruit you? Just because your family is part of the original one hundred, that doesn't make you a Seeker, does it?" Cora asked.

"You're not invited to be a Seeker. You just become one. They aren't asking you to be part of the one hundred; they're telling you. One day I was sitting in my ROTC barracks reading a book on a high school retreat, and someone came in and handed me another red stone with the number 100 carved on the top and the Thusian symbol carved on the bottom. I knew what it was when I saw it.

"The stone is soaked in the blood of an animal sacrifice, which represents us sacrificing everything to be part of the one hundred. It wasn't like I could do anything. They don't give you a choice whether to be part of it or not. So I've been using it to my advantage to combat them ever since."

"You should've told us," I snarled. I was angry with him for not telling us any of this. He had put all of us in danger. His lies proved again how right Xavier was about being the only one who told me the truth.

"You have been putting us in more danger," Cora said.

"Please hear me out, and if you want me to leave after, I will." He cracked his knuckles and then continued.

"At first I considered joining The 3 so I could find out what Xavier was up to and maybe end all of this. But I couldn't do it because my father had made me promise to never join The 3, no matter what. My father was known as the Wanderer."

Riley gasped. His face showed a certain level of fear that I had never seen in him before. Whoever this Wanderer was, he had to be bad.

"When my dad was chosen to be part of The 3, he was given the task of traveling the world looking for Thusians—alone with no support from the other two Seekers—and eliminating as many as possible. He was a killing machine, the most horrible Seeker in the last hundred years. I have no idea how many Thusians he killed or what horrors he created because no one would ever talk about him. But the fact that the name Wanderer still makes most flinch means he must have been a monster.

"He was in Haiti, probably starting a war or something, when he heard of a woman who had lifted a car off a person in a small town outside of Port-au-Prince called Bon Repos. So my dad traveled to set up a Final Sacrifice to kill her. He found the place where it had happened and talked to several people who had witnessed it. They confirmed that a teenage girl named Imani had saved a man who got trapped under a car while changing a flat tire. She was part of the restavèk system, in which children and teens are sent to be slaves for the wealthy."

"Wait a minute, a slave?" Genevieve questioned, sounding very skeptical.

"Yes, slavery is still happening all around the world, in one form or another." Walter continued, "So they went on to tell my dad that Imani was not able to fix the flat herself, so her boss had to change the tire. While he was under the car, it fell on him, crushing his legs. She ran to his aid and lifted it off him while some others nearby pulled him out. The thing that perplexed my father about the story was: why did she save him? He knew that since she was a Thusian, she had to try to save him, but she had also screamed for help. She didn't have to yell. Why not just pick up the car and wait for the Thusian reaction to wear off? Then the car would have killed him, releasing her from his control, because once a boss died, his slaves went back to their families.

"My father traveled up into the mountains of Pétionville later that night to find Imani. He located the compound and crept to the back, where the slaves normally lived. He found her sitting in a little wooden shack made of concrete blocks, knitting and singing. The main house was bigger than you would find in the Hollywood Hills, but still there she was in this makeshift home, happy, singing away. He looked through the door at his next target, but something came over him. He was taken by her beauty and her compassionate eyes. He fell in love with her instantly. His desire to kill her and every other Thusian was extinguished. He took her that night from that place and brought her to the United States. He cared for her over the next couple of years before they shared their feelings toward each other.

"But Mom was really the one who rescued my dad that night. He never again was the Wanderer. Most Thusians and Seekers assumed that he was replaced by whoever was running The 3 then. They moved to Mt. Vernon and started a life there. Nicholas, your dad's father, Harry, helped them. My dad never spoke of Haiti or anything else he had done in his past. My mom was the only way I learned anything. She also shared with me the reason why she saved her boss that day. It was so God could bring her and my dad together." He leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees and rubbing his face.

"The Seekers ended both of their lives three years before the earthquake. Your dad helped me get through it, Nicholas. I even stayed with you for a week after they were laid to rest. Beth and Joseph got me through it."

I believed everything he said, without any doubts.

"Walter, we trust you and you can stay," I said, and everyone agreed.

"Thank you. But I think it's best for me to leave. You're right. I'm putting you four in more danger than helping you. And, Nicholas, if you confronted Xavier while protecting me and we're still here to talk about it, then you don't need me or really anyone else," he said, sounding proud.

"Walter, it's the middle of the night," Cora said.

"I'm leaving. I've been around so many different types of Thusians, even some who have had multiple talents. But when Nicholas went into the water to save that family's mother and dog, it wasn't like anything I have ever seen a Thusian do before. I could barely see you in the water because you were moving so fast. It was like you were a torpedo. It was even more incredible than the rescue of that girl in the van."

He turned to face the others. "Part of a house was swept into the water, and instead of going around it, he went straight through it, shattering it like it was made of toothpicks. The part that was just above the water exploded like a bomb went off. He then grabbed the woman and the family pet, all with a dislocated shoulder, and was almost to the shore before I had even moved from my original spot. I'm not sure if you've formed The 7 but one thing is for sure: Nicholas is one of the most gifted Thusians to have ever been born. And for that reason alone I should go."

"Walter, you could have saved her, too," I said.

"You are too humble, but there's no time for that. You have to find the next Keeper in Mt. Vernon because," he paused "if you don't, then you will have to go through the Trials."

"Trials?" Genevieve and Cora asked at the same time.

Riley just shook his head.

"It seems like Riley knows what they are. I'll let him explain." Walter went to his room to pack up his stuff and minutes later left through the front door.

"Trials," Genevieve said as soon as the door shut.

"The Trials were mentioned when we were summoned before the Council. James Caldwell insisted that the Council send us to the Trials, but Ester dismissed him," Riley said to Genevieve. But the look on her face showed she didn't have any idea about what he was saying.

Riley stood up in deep thought. He started to speak several times, stopping before he even got started.

"My da mentioned the Trials to me once," he finally said, his Irish accent returning. "He said that when the last one of The 4 is found," he pointed to me, "he will be tested on the different talents the group has, I think. Nicholas, your Trials will consist of a physical test, a mental test, and a shield test because those are all three of our main talents. All of us will be included in the Trials too, but this is really a test for you, Nicholas. If something happens with us and you aren't part of it, then it doesn't count. And the thing that makes these Trials so horrible is there's no timetable. We will all be there until the last test of the Trials happens. There is nothing formal about it, and all of this will happen while Thusians and Seekers are under the same roof."

"You mean every Thusian and Seeker will be there with us?" Genevieve asked.

"Yes," Riley answered.

"How can these Trials just keep going on and on, and how in the world would I prepare for them?" I asked.

"That's the point. My da said that the Trials have to be avoided. There is no way to prepare."

"But this will give us the perfect opportunity to kill Xavier there," I said.

"We can't," Riley said, crossing his arms and looking down. "First of all, we won't be able to see him, and even if we could, all Thusians and Seekers are safe at the Trials."

"Why won't we be able to see him?" Cora asked.

"Because everyone will be wearing a Musterion Shroud," Riley said.

"Musterion Shroud?" Genevieve asked.

"It's a large black cloak that has a very large hood that comes over your face. No one can see who you are, but you can see out of it."

I went back to the open-ended timetable for the Trials, which to me was the bigger problem.

"You mean that I'm going to be tested at any time for who knows how long and all the while being surrounded by Seekers? How in the world will I survive this?"

"I don't know. The Trials haven't happened in over a hundred years."

"So that's it," Genevieve said. "How are we supposed to help him? We need to run. That's the only way. Nicholas, I can't let you get hurt." She reached for me.

Cora looked like she agreed, but I couldn't run. My path was set, and if the Trials were part of it then I would have to face them. That's the way I looked at it, and that's what I saw when I closed my eyes. I was fighting for my right to have a life with Elle. Running would make everything worse. I had to face it so I could take control of my life.

"We are not going to run," I said. "You know they would go after everyone we love if we did, including Ashlyn," I added, looking at Genevieve. "And Riley, this was again something you should have told us. You keeping things from us has been hurting us," I scolded him.

Being home after New Orleans was somewhat relaxing. My mind and body felt as though they had been put through an obstacle course filled with land mines, so being here was good. I talked to Elle, and even that seemed better than before. The first day back to school helped me get into a routine that I craved. Even feeling as good as I did, I sensed a panic attack just waiting to happen. What was wrong with me? I was taking control of my life, which I thought would eliminate the attacks. Chase said they were normal and I would need to figure out how to cope with them. But it seemed like I was broken, as if my body was ready for anything but my mind would shut me down without warning. It was like my thoughts betrayed me, making me feel alone.

"Nicholas, are you in there?" Eric asked, throwing a balled-up paper napkin at me across the lunch table.

"Yeah, just thinking," I said, throwing it back.

"Knock it off. Thinking is overrated."

I smiled; he didn't know how right he was.

"So what'd you and Elle do?" Amber asked.

"We went to a Halloween party and then . . ." I stuttered, almost saying that I went to New Orleans. "Then the football game."

"What? No frat party? Lame-o. Because that's where I would have been," Eric said.

He leaned over the table to get a high-five from me, but I didn't even raise my hand, so he settled with getting one from Matt.

I got up and went back to my class before lunch was over. I wasn't paying any attention to where I was walking, focused on my internal struggles. I walked up two sets of ramps when the fire in me lit, taking me by surprise. I looked up, and all around me were people wearing tan coveralls and blue hard hats, working on different parts of the structure. At first it didn't strike me as odd, so I went into my class still looking for a possible threat.

An alarm went off, and then an announcement followed. "This is a fire drill, not an earthquake drill. Please move to the nearest exit."

I stood, and everything froze. In front of me, two of the workers were charging right at me. The slow, blurred wake behind them showed that they were heading in my direction as fast as they could. I turned, grabbing a desk and throwing it at them, and then jumped off the ramp onto the side of another class platform. I knew exactly where I was going to go: the nest. I scrambled along the edge, making my way through the different twists and turns. The workers had vanished, but I could still hear a group of them searching for me. Once I was in the nest, I scanned around to see how bad the situation was—it was far worse than I could have ever imagined. There were at least five or six workers spread out everywhere looking for me. They had every possible exit covered. My hands began to shake. I was having another attack. I slid down into a sitting position.

Listen! I yelled at myself. You've been in worse situations. If they kill you, then who will protect Elle or Genevieve or Cora? You're no good to anyone dead.

At the thought of their names, I jumped the rail. I landed on the ramp below, which sent a wave of excitement through the workers, who stormed toward me from all different directions. Each worker moved at different speeds. Some looked frozen in their tracks, and others had small wakes behind them. The only one who looked like he might cause me trouble was heading up the ramp. I moved past him, tripping him, and then weaved in and out of the others, not wanting to make contact with them because I was still nursing my hurt ribs. I was halfway down the next ramp when Riley came running up behind the last two. With a couple swats of his arm, he sent both workers over the rail, falling to the ground below. We ran out the closest exit.

"Riley, what happened?" Coach Hoff yelled at us.

"There were these workers . . . and some supports came loose that they were working on." Blood was trickling down Riley's side, soaking him. He fell forward. I caught him.

"Over here, we need help!" Coach Hoff yelled to the nearby emergency personnel who were running the fire drill.

Riley must have gotten hurt before he'd come up the ramp. I couldn't leave him alone with anyone. Who knew how many more of the workers were here?

As they loaded him into the back of the ambulance, I got in. I closely watched the paramedics as they worked on him. I pulled the satellite phone Cora had given me out of my backpack. I dialed her number, and she picked up after only one ring.

"What's wrong?" she asked frantically.

"There was an accident at school; Riley's been hurt. We're taking him to Bethesda South," I said.

"We'll meet you at the hospital," she said.

After the fifteen-minute ride, when they opened the back to get Riley out, both Genevieve and Cora were standing there. They wheeled him into a room down the hall. We all followed close behind. They tried to make us leave the room, but it wasn't going to happen. We all stood there as they were running different tests and treating his wound, which looked like a large stab wound right under his shoulder and toward his back. At one point Riley opened his eyes and smiled at us.

Walter arrived, walking in with a man and woman dressed in full army fatigues. They backed the other doctors and nurses out of the room, forcing them to leave us. The medical personnel tried to protest, but both of them showed guns and they retreated.

"Very good," Walter said. "Williams, Hale, get Riley in stable condition so we can get him ready for transport."

Both of them saluted Walter and began to work on Riley. They moved a lot more quickly than the other doctors. The two Thusians moved in sync with each other. It was like a flawless ballet.

"These two medics are the best I have. They may not be Dr. Chase Letterby but they're a close second. What happened to you two?" he asked. "I heard them call it in over the police scanner."

"I was attacked," I said. "A group of people disguised as workers came after me as soon as the fire drill started. Riley came up to help but must have been hurt before he got to me."

"Sir, the patient is stable," the female medic said to Walter.

"Very good, Hale. Cora, you will need to come with us. Genevieve and Nicholas, I need you to create a distraction so we can get him out of the hospital. I don't think they're going to like us taking their patient."

"They've got cameras. They aren't going to let you walk out of here with him. I don't care who you are," Genevieve said.

"We know what we're doing. Just go and be helpful for once," he said to her. Before she could react, I grabbed her and dragged her out of the room.

"Follow me," I said. Farther down the hall, I fell to the ground.

Genevieve began screaming the most blood-curdling sound I had ever heard. Doctors and nurses came from everywhere. Through the feet of the people surrounding us I could see the gurney being rolled out of the room.

I spent the next twenty minutes convincing everyone I was fine. Genevieve didn't help much. She sat by my side, holding my hand and playing the helpless friend, just there to comfort me. Finally, Dr. Flemming came into the room and sent me home.

In our driveway there were dozens of vehicles. We rushed in and found Riley sitting up on the couch with his arm around Cora, smiling. For how bad the wound was, he looked pretty good.

"You guys did a great job," Walter said to Genevieve and I.

"Riley, you're in good hands now," he added, looking at Cora.

Everyone filed out of our house, leaving only the four of us.

"The only way for us to find the next Keeper is for us to be in Mt. Vernon," Cora said.

We were both downstairs eating breakfast. School had been canceled for the week until they fixed the damage. While I had been running from the workers, Riley was busy fighting against a group of them, which ended with him breaking the support for the ramp, which sent them all down two stories.

"What do you think?" Cora asked.

I shuddered at the thought of having to go to a new school; it was bad enough going to school without Elle. But Cora was right. We didn't talk about it any further because we both knew it was the only way.

"Riley and Genevieve are already making plans to see if the house next to yours in Mt. Vernon is for sale. I'm pretty sure Riley will tear it down and build another house like the one next door, fully protected," she said, cleaning up some dishes.

"Are we really going to go back to my house and live?" I wasn't sure if it was livable after being empty all of these years.

"The house is in great condition. It's been well taken care of by the city," she said.

"Why have they been taking care of it?" Then it dawned on me. "Because somehow it was part of my fame and is probably part of a tour to make them money?"

Cora nodded. "Yeah, something like that."

I popped a few Tic Tacs into my mouth.

"It took Ester a long time to get it back for us. The city was claiming ownership because it was abandoned, but James Caldwell did some sort of legal thing to get it back. So it's ours again."

I had mixed feeling about going home, not only because of a new school but because that was the place where all of this started. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel being there. What if it brought on a series of panic attacks?

"So when will we move?" I asked.

"At the end of the semester, right after Christmas break begins. That will give us some time to get the house into working order. Also, if Riley hasn't gotten their place by then, they'll live with us for a bit."

"Is Riley going to teach there?"

"No, they don't have any openings. So he and Genevieve are going to be looking for the Keeper the whole time."

"That's good. I don't need anyone at the school with me. It's best if all of you are working to find the Keeper."

"I'm actually going to take a part-time job at the school in the copy room, so we can stay in pairs. I had a couple of friends there who got me the job."

"I don't think staying in pairs matters as much there. Remember, there are more Thusians in Mt. Vernon than anywhere else on the planet, so I doubt there will be any attempts on me."

"I don't know if that's true. The Seekers could look at this as a way to kill more of us."

"I'll be safer there than anywhere else," I said. "Think about all the Thusians that will be around, so there has to be a certain number of Seekers, too, and their families. I would have to think that the Seekers wouldn't want to kill off their brothers and sisters."

She paused and then said, "You're right, Nicholas. I don't know why I hadn't thought about that before."

Also, Xavier said he wouldn't attack for a year and I believed him.

I thought this move was going to be for the best, no matter how I felt about leaving. Elle was no longer in Winsor, and being close to her had been the most important thing to me before. I had no real ties here anymore except Eric, but he would be just fine without me.

I went up to my bedroom and put on my favorite song on Elle's playlist, "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney and Wings. The lyrics to this song pretty much summed up my life, lost in something I'm trying to understand. It explained things perfectly. Sometimes I would play that song on a loop for hours. The repetition trapped my mind, not allowing it to spin out of control. I think repetition was part of the way for me to eliminate these panic attacks.

Eric was at our locker when I arrived to empty it on the last day of school before break, which made it difficult to pack up everything without him asking too many questions.

The time since we'd decided to move had gone by quickly. The football team had gone on to finish tenth in the state, which was an incredible accomplishment for them and our school. Because of all the media attention the school had been getting, they still had a ticker-tape parade for the team downtown. This time I was not in it. I hadn't been at all of the games, so I stayed on the side. It was good to just sit by and watch it.

Eric, Matt, and Levi were the main reasons why the team had done as well as it had, so they were out in the lead car, and like always, Eric was eating up the attention. Elle had surprised me a couple of times, coming home to visit before we moved. Most of the time Noel was in tow, being annoying and bothersome as usual, but the last time it was just Elle. Genevieve and Riley had picked her up and brought her here for my birthday. I really didn't care how she got here to see me, but the fact that she was developing such a close relationship with Genevieve was kind of worrisome. Who knew what they talked about or what half-truths Genevieve told her?

School on the other hand had become boring. Ester had put an ID system in place for all people going in and out of the building, and she also put Walter in charge of security for the school. He made sure everyone who was going into the school was there for a reason, so I didn't have to worry about getting attacked.

"Have any big plans for break?" Eric asked.

"No not really, just hoping to relax."

He smiled and said, "Relax, ha! You can do that when you're dead. I'm going to have this killer party on New Year's. You're coming, right? No excuses."

Cora and I weren't going to tell anyone about the move, just like we hadn't in the past. We'd decided to tell everyone we were going to go on a cruise, so we could pack without any interruptions. Then I would let everyone know once they were back in school.

"Remember I'm going on a cruise with Cora?"

"Dude, that sucks, I completely forgot." He flipped his hair out of his eyes. "I was hoping you could bring Elle and Genevieve because they definitely would raise the hotness level of my party. I don't want a party full of dudes."

As he talked, I grabbed all the things I wanted to take with me, like my picture of Elle and my picture of my parents and me that I'd found in the truck; I could live without everything else.

"Why are you taking all that stuff? You're going on vacation, not moving."

"I just wanted to change out the photos for some new ones." I was out of practice in lying. I sounded awkward. "Eric, thanks for being such a good friend." The words came out of my mouth again very awkwardly. How weird did that sound?

"Right and you have been a swell friend, too," he said sarcastically.

"See you around," I said.

He waved at me, but his attention had turned to Livi, who was now leaning against the locker. It was comforting to know that Eric would have Livi after I was gone. Not sure why it was comforting, but it was.

Genevieve was waiting for me in my kitchen when I got home after school.

"Nicholas, can we talk?"

I didn't feel like talking to her right now. Her talks usually got me angry about something. But I couldn't avoid her.

"Okay, let's go into the family room." I was hoping that Riley or Cora would be around for the talk, but I was out of luck.

"I wanted to tell you that I'm worried. I think we would have a better chance of succeeding against the Seekers if it were just the four of us. With Elle in the picture, things are more complicated. They may try to use her against you. That's why I left Ash behind."

Her point was well thought out, but was it for the right reasons? I was never able to read her intentions.

"I've thought the same thing many times, but it doesn't really matter. She's at Vanderbilt, away from all of this, and she is part of this."

She started to say something but stopped herself. "Let's talk about this later tonight. Now you need to go get ready."

"For what?" I asked. "I have a couple more things to pack."

"Cora and Riley said they have some big announcement to make at 6:00 p.m. and the packing can wait till tomorrow; we'll have help from Walter and his guys. So they sent me over here to wait with you. I'll get ready in Cora's room, and then we can go over together. And, Nicholas, look nice," she said with a wink.

What could their big announcement be? Every time I tried to think about what it was, marriage popped into my head. Was that really what this was all about? And was I okay with this? I'd given Riley my blessing, but I thought he would have waited until things were safe. What we had to face was going to be hard enough, but them being married would complicate things more than they needed to be right now.

I tried to call Elle, but she wasn't in her dorm room, and she didn't pick up her cell phone either, which was peculiar. I thought she was coming home tonight. Maybe she was at another lecture with Noel or that idiot Dylan. The very thought made me see red.

She's getting ready to come home. That's what she's doing, I convinced myself, going up to get ready. I went downstairs to watch some TV after getting dressed in nicer clothes, but there was nothing on. All of the local stations were talking about the sixty-degree weather we were having.

"Nicholas, are you ready to go over?" Genevieve asked, walking down the stairs. I looked at the clock on the mantle; it was a quarter till. Genevieve walked into the family room and looked like she was radiating light. Her tanned skin shimmered with thousands of tiny pieces of silver glitter, complemented by a silver cocktail dress she was wearing. Everything she did seemed to be in slow motion. She was stunning. But she thankfully opened her mouth.

"What are you looking at?"

I was getting ready to pay her a compliment, but instead I said, "Not sure. I'll let you know when I figure it out."

We got into my truck and drove over to their house because she didn't want to walk over there in her heels. The house didn't have any lights on. I slowly pulled down the driveway. It reminded me of the house in New Orleans where the two Thusians had been hiding, waiting for me. My heart began to race, but the fire in me was absent.

"Stay in the truck."

I was at the door before Genevieve could move. I didn't bother knocking. I cracked open the door and slowly crept inside to see what trap was awaiting us.

"Surprise!" The lights came on, and I was surrounded by all of my friends from school. Riley and Cora were among the group. A large sign hanging in the room read, "We will miss you." I was stunned. Everyone was there, even Chad and some of the other football players who had graduated. Half of the Winsor staff including Coach Hoff were there.

"It was so hard to keep this from you," Eric said, giving me a big hug. "If Cora hadn't told me you weren't allowed to tell anyone about the move, I would've been hurt. But it was all part of the surprise, and we got you."

Standing behind him was my angel. Elle smiled her crooked little one. I pulled her to me.

"I tried to call you," I said.

"Believe me, it was difficult not to answer it when I was right next door. I missed you," she said. She gave me a kiss, and the room applauded.

"Oh, how my little boy has grown up." The words sent chills down my spine because I knew that voice. I turned. Joy Lemmins was there, and next to her was Coach Stenger. He looked at her with adoring eyes.

"Have you met Harvey?" she asked.

"Yes, we've met," I said.

He extended his hand and I shook it.

"Harvey finally worked up the courage to ask me out. It was love at first sight. Wasn't it, kissypoo?" she said, pulling him close to her, squeezing him.

I wanted to laugh because as long as I had known her she'd been trying to get close with Chase, Riley, and Dane.

Cora came over to me and gave me a big hug, taking me away from Joy.

"I'm so proud of the man you've become. Your parents are so proud of you, too." She fished out an envelope from her purse. "This is for you." It was addressed to Alex in my mom's handwriting. "Don't read it now. Wait until you're alone."

Why couldn't she have given me this letter later? Walking around with it was torture because all I wanted to do was read it. I tried to pretend that the letter wasn't in my pocket, burning a hole. Luckily Eric and Livi distracted me for a while because when the music came on they began to swing dance, and everyone cheered. I guess they'd been practicing because they were in sync and awesome.

The rest of the party joined in. Amber was dancing with Chad, looking like they were a couple again. Matt was dancing with Erin right by them. Riley was with Cora, and Genevieve was nowhere to be found. I danced with Elle, but my thoughts were consumed with wondering where Genevieve was. I tried to force her out of my head, but it was difficult. I was becoming worried something might have happened.

"I forgot to tell you that Chase came to my house today and told my parents that I've received a scholarship to study in England for one semester next year. And Noel also got the same invitation," Elle said, sounding so excited.

"That sounds great," I lied. This had Ester and the Council written all over it. But until I knew for sure, I would play along.

The rest of the night was filled with a lot more dancing and fun. Eric found a piece of mistletoe and was trying to kiss anyone he could. Livi didn't care; she was laughing at him, encouraging him. He came over to Elle and me.

I held up my hand. "Back off, unless you want to eat that."

"Don't worry, Elle's safe. I wouldn't dare kiss my best buddy's girl. I was hoping you could point me to Genevieve."

Elle laughed and pointed to the kitchen area. "There."

Genevieve was leaning against the refrigerator, arms crossed. It was the first time I had seen her all night. I felt better. Eric went straight through the crowd right to her. He put the mistletoe above her head. Everyone in the party quieted, waiting for her reaction. She looked around and then focused on me. She grabbed Eric, dipped him back, and planted a big kiss on his lips. The room exploded with applause and laughter, except for Livi who stopped laughing immediately. Eric came up with red lipstick smeared around his mouth. Livi stormed out of the house. Eric saw her and staggered after her, trying to get his bearings.

"I think Eric got more than he bargained for," Elle said, laughing.

I nodded my head.

The party began to slowly die down until it was only Elle, Genevieve, Cora, Riley, and me. I wanted to say something to Genevieve about what she'd done, but I knew it would just make things worse.

There was a knock at the door. Riley got it; it was Noel. Are you kidding me? I thought.

"I'm here to take Elle home," she said loudly enough so anyone in the house could hear.

"Why is she here?" I asked, refusing to let go of Elle's hand.

"Noel didn't have anywhere to go for Christmas because her family is going out of town for a couple of months, so I invited her to stay with me. She agreed to stay at my house during the party because I wanted to be with you alone." Elle gave me a kiss and whispered, "I'll see you soon."

After she left, I walked into one of the unused back bedrooms of the house. I grabbed the note out of my pocket and slowly opened it.

Dear Alex,

You were just born three hours ago, and regardless of what your father is saying, I'm going to write this now. You are sleeping right next to us. The love I have for you is like nothing I had ever thought possible. It's all consuming. All of my hopes and dreams have now been fulfilled because you are here. Your father and I are already so proud of you. Writing this letter is a family tradition that has been passed down over the generations. This note is to be given to you before Christmas vacation of your senior year. The reason for this letter is to pass down some wisdom, because through your teenage years I doubt you were listening much to your dad and me. But that's normal because that's what we did when we were your age, especially your dad.

First, love God and family with all of your heart. They will never let you down, no matter what you think. Secondly, never doubt your heart. When you are facing any problem, most people tell you to take your emotions out of it. But I disagree completely with that. Love and compassion are the two things that fuel the universe, and they both come from the heart, so when making any decision, make sure to use your heart. It won't let you down if it's filled with love. And the final thing I'd like to pass on is to never ever give up. Your dad is looking over my shoulder as I write this, telling me that this should be number one because giving up is what most people do when they hit a little road bump. I'm sure your dad has probably already drilled that into your head by now about not being a quitter. He also wants me to tell you that if you find a good fishing hole, keep it a secret. I'm giving you life lessons here, and he's talking about fishing.

Anyway, Dad and I are so proud of what you have accomplished so far. Now get back to the party we're throwing for you and make sure to give us both a kiss and tell us how wonderful we are.

Love forever and ever,

Mom and Dad

I wasn't prepared for this. I barely made it to the bed in the room before I began to sob; the tears felt so heavy going down my cheeks. I swung my legs up onto the bed, flipping over on my stomach.

"I miss you so much," I sobbed. All of my fears, doubts, and emotions were coming out at once, making it hard for me to breathe. I wheezed, trying to get some air. I felt a warm hand on my back, patting me.

"Nicholas, everything is going to be okay," Cora said, sitting down next to me.

I flipped myself over and grabbed her. She took hold of me, hugging me tightly.

"I know what you're going through. I miss them, too. But you have to remember that they'll always be with you. When I'm sad about your Grandma and Grandpa being gone, I just think of them, and I can feel their love helping me with each step of my journey. Your parents will help you, too.

"Come on out when you're ready. We still have a little bit of cake left, and I know you haven't had any yet."

My room was almost empty. I only had a single box to take down to the truck. Walter had come over to help us pack as Genevieve said. This made everything go a lot quicker. We were packed and ready to go in two hours flat. The last box contained the books Bernard had left me, plus the one I'd found. Several times over the past couple of months I'd tried to read them, but there was nothing to them. I had read most of the stories in years past or knew the stories already. Bernard had said that there were lessons in them for me to learn. I was pretty sure I had learned every lesson these books could have offered. It couldn't be a coincidence that I'd found the missing book at my old house. But whatever these books contained, I couldn't unlock their mysteries.

I brought the box down and put it on the back of the moving truck. Genevieve and Riley were going to keep their house for now, in case we needed a place to hide out, so they didn't pack as much. Cora and I were never going to come back to this house again, but she hadn't given it away like in the past. She thought it was best for it to sit empty. Cora and I stood in front of the house as we had done several times before. She bowed her head and said her prayer. I closed my eyes and did the same this time. My thoughts and prayers were about my loved ones and how I wanted them all to be protected against evil. As if God was listening, the sun began to peek out from behind the winter clouds, casting its warmth down on us. Cora squeezed my hand and went to the moving truck. I got into my truck. Genevieve got in with me, and Riley got in with Cora.

"So are you ready for this?" Genevieve asked.

I didn't feel like talking, especially after what had happened at the party. I wasn't jealous about the kiss, but I thought it was unnecessary. It just brought more attention to us. At least that was what I was telling myself.

I didn't get to see Elle before we left for Mt. Vernon. She was too wrapped up with Noel and making sure her Christmas break was filled with everything Winsor could offer. I talked to her briefly on the phone but that was it, hardly enough time.

I stared out the window, not really paying attention to anything on our ride to Mt. Vernon. I just followed Cora. We arrived quickly. We were driving by the Mt. Vernon sign when it dawned on me that I was finally moving back to the place I thought I would never call home again. I wanted to go see my parents' graves, but I knew I would have plenty of time for that later now that I was living here. In town everything was eerily still the same, as if the earthquake had never happened. The only difference was all of the Christmas decorations they had put up. There was even the Whippy Dip that Mom and Dad used to take me to after my baseball games. It still had the large cone sitting on top of it with two large scoops of vanilla ice cream.

My mind drifted to somewhere in my past.

"Alex, don't you worry. I'm sure everything is going to be okay," Marcus said.

"Don't say that to him," Cora whispered. "We don't know that for sure."

"I'm just trying to be comforting. He looks catatonic; maybe he's hurt somehow," Marcus said, looking back at us from the driver's seat.

"He's been through a lot today. If he did everything they said he did, then there are other things to worry about now that are bigger than all of this."

"What are you talking about? He's a hero."

"We have to find Joseph and Beth; they will know what to do now."

"Shouldn't we stop to help some of these people, Cora? The area looks like a bomb went off. I don't recognize the town."

"No, we need to get Alex back to his house and wait."

The memories of Cora and Marcus driving me through town came back to me. She had already been worried about what was going to happen to me because I saved those people.

At the end of the downtown area was the roundabout that would take us to my neighborhood. I hadn't been this far in town yet. I nearly swerved off the road because of what was in the center. It was a bronze statue of me holding Ms. Rush.

"Hmm, that's something you don't see every day," Genevieve said sarcastically.

Normally anger filled me at this type of thing, but instead I felt some pride, perhaps because I knew this was my hometown and it was an honor, even though the statue existed to make money. So instead of getting upset, I smiled. Joy Lemmins would be so proud, I thought.

We got to my neighborhood, and every house was different; some had been modified from the existing structure and others rebuilt. I didn't recognize any of them. It was as if I had arrived in a new town I had never been to. At the stop sign before our house, I took a couple of Tic Tacs out and took a deep breath, preparing for the emotions I was going to have. I closed my eyes and exhaled. Genevieve reached out and grabbed my hand. We drove to my house, and instead of turning into the driveway, the moving truck stopped. I got out, seeing why they hadn't pulled in. There was a massive black gate blocking the driveway; it looked the same as the gate at the cemetery. My house looked the same as it did the day we left it. It looked out of place with all of the newer homes around it. The lawn was pristine, not a blade out of place, and the landscaping looked like it was professionally done and maintained. Even though it was winter, a lot of the plants were in full bloom, and the grass was green as though it were the middle of spring. I looked closer and saw that everything was fake, made to look a certain way all year long. The lawn was covered with hundreds of flower arrangements and decorations, all paying respect to my family and me. It was the city's shrine. Now I could see why they didn't want to part with it. That might mess up the cash flow.

The four of us walked through a small entrance in the gate, up a small stone path on the side of the driveway to the back of the house. Cora pulled out a key and unlocked the door. Entering the house was like going into a time warp. Everything was exactly how we'd left it. Nothing had been touched. There were some very noticeable cracks in the walls from the earthquake, but that was it, no dust on anything. Everything was perfect, too perfect.

"Is it safe to stay here?" Genevieve asked, running her hand along a long, jagged crack in the wall. Normally she was being sarcastic, but from the look on her face, she was serious.

"It's safe; it just needs some work. I had the place checked out two weeks ago," Cora said.

"With a little elbow grease we can fix all the cracks and holes. I helped your dad work on it; I think I can manage to fix it back up," Walter said, walking in the back door behind us.

I was glad to see him.

"Missed us?" Cora said.

"After helping you pack, I feel like you're all my family now, and you should never abandon your family, no matter what. If you would have me back, I'd like to stay here with you."

"Well, it's good to have you back," Cora said, giving him a big hug. His large arms engulfed her.

"I'm glad you're here, because we have to get things fixed up in a couple of days," Riley said, walking into the family room, removing a sheet from the couch. Fixing things up would help keep my mind off the fact that I was starting a new school again without friends and Elle.

My house wasn't very big. It only had two bedrooms upstairs. But Dad had finished the basement to give us more space, increasing the size of our modest two-story home. I was the first to go upstairs to the bedrooms to look around. I'm sure everyone was waiting for me, not wanting to intrude. I went straight to my parents' room. The door was open all the way with a velvet rope draped across it. I unlatched it from the door and walked in. Everything was still how they had left it that morning, because Cora had put pretty much everything back where she thought it had gone when we got home right after the earthquake. The bed was partially made; my mom's makeup was still out on the dresser, and my dad's towel was hanging over the bathroom door. The walls were covered with pictures of us, along with some art I had done in school. My mom had treated everything I made as if it was a Picasso, always framing it and putting it up on the wall. In the corner of the room was an extra pair of fireman boots my dad kept around the house to use for yard work or shoveling snow. He always looked so funny in those big boots. Mom and I used to sip hot chocolate in their bed and watch him shovel. Every once in a while, a snowball would find the window and always seemed to scare my mom, which resulted in a good laugh.

I didn't bother going to my room because I remembered everything about it too well, but I could see that it also had a velvet rope blocking the doorway.

We unpacked the truck, and everyone picked different parts of the house to sleep in. I went to my room; Riley and Walter went downstairs to the basement to sleep on the two old couches my dad had down there. Walter said that he'd gotten my parents one of the couches when they moved in as a house-warming present. Genevieve ended up in the family room, and Cora took my parents' room. At first she didn't want to, but I encouraged her to, telling her Mom would have been upset with me if I made her sister sleep anywhere but in there. My parents would have wanted this place to be somewhere you could feel at home.

By the time I went up to my room with my stuff, the rope had disappeared along with the one outside my parents' room. I settled down, just as if I had never left. It was still decorated with pictures of all of the latest football and baseball greats from seven years earlier. The model fire trucks that my dad had helped me put together were still on top of my bookcase, which had every children's book imaginable on it. It was surreal being back. I was finally home.

Cora fixed a large Christmas dinner that first night. It didn't take her very long to go to the store and fill our pantry and refrigerator. Walter and Genevieve went with her to help. Walter bought a Christmas tree and Genevieve decorated. We all ate dinner looking at the freshly decorated Christmas tree that shone in the dark family room. It was nice to have some sort of Christmas, but still I ate quickly and returned to my room, wanting to escape from everyone. I needed to be alone with my thoughts.

And of course, I was surrounded by darkness my first night back. The nightmare didn't scare me anymore; my real life was far worse. I could hear the people calling for help as they always did. Everywhere I moved, the darkness followed, blocking my path to them. I lunged into the darkness, hoping I would be able to grab someone and pull them to safety through it. When I lunged toward one of the voices nearest to me, I hit something hard. It knocked me back, and I awoke to find myself tangled up in my blanket, falling off the bed. Genevieve was sitting on the edge of my bed, pulling me back up.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked, shocked to see her.

"I heard you from downstairs, so I came up to make sure you weren't having a panic attack."

"I'm fine." I untangled my legs from the sheet. Genevieve moved up the bed closer to me.

"Nicholas, I know I'm not Elle, but please don't blame me for you not being able to see her. It hurts me to see you in so much pain."

"What are you talking about? I'm not doing that."

She reached for my hand and I pulled away.

"See, that's what I mean." She paused and took a deep breath. She reached out and touched my cheek with the back of her hand. Then she was gone.

Walter was incredible at fixing things. He was like a one-man army, which Riley jokingly nicknamed him. We could barely keep up. He knew how to do pretty much everything. The repairs on the house took less than two days. Cora and Genevieve fed us and cleaned up after us, speeding up the process. The whole week back I never saw any of my neighbors, anywhere. I was sort of looking forward to seeing if Randy still lived next door. Eric was the high-school version of my fifth-grade friend and neighbor, Randy. The more I looked around, the more I noticed that I didn't see anyone ever. Every so often a car would go by, but that was it. Where was everyone?

Riley, Walter, and I were sitting at the kitchen table, taking a break from painting.

"So Nicholas, why do you think Xavier went to New Orleans?" Riley asked.

"I haven't really given it much thought. I've been preoccupied with staying alive," I said, and Riley promptly started to laugh; then he winced, grabbing his side where he'd been stabbed.

"Riley, you know you can't discuss that stuff," Walter said.

"Why not?" Genevieve asked, walking over with a pitcher of lemonade to refill our glasses. "We need to find out everything we can before Xavier does, right?"

"Ester says it's best not to discuss anything because you never know who's listening," Walter said, pointing to the walls and mouthing the words "They are listening, just like at your house in Winsor." He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. That must have been how they always knew what we were up to.

Cora entered the room. "Walter's got a point. We should really stop talking about all of this stuff. We have to start listening to Ester and the Council, because we are being hunted, and they're our best chance," she said with a wink.

"All of this sucks," Genevieve said with a smile.

This fake talk went on for an hour. Everyone took turns talking about how bad things were and how we needed to work with the Council.

**

In my bedroom later that night, I was rolling the silver coin back and forth, drifting in and out of sleep. The wind had been gusting harder, blowing the leafless trees up against the house, making a scratching sound. The gusts were bringing in the cold air that was supposed to usher in winter. My door opened, and Genevieve was standing in the doorway with her finger up to her mouth, motioning for me not to say anything. She walked over to my stereo slowly and turned it on.

She tiptoed over to my bed and sat down. She leaned in close to whisper. Her warm breath sent chills down my spine. I wanted to pull away, but I couldn't.

"I'm worried about Ashlyn. I've been thinking about her so much after the fire at the school. I haven't been myself, you know. I feel like I'm going to crack."

"I know, we're all worried," I whispered back, happy to know that some of her behavior could be explained by her worrying.

"I'm afraid she'll somehow resent me for leaving her when she needed me most. I don't think I could forgive someone if they did that to me."

"You did it to protect her; it's that simple. She might be upset, but she will come to understand."

"Is that how Elle feels about everything?" she asked.

"I think so," I said.

She curled up on the edge of my bed and lay for a while. I didn't kick her out; I just watched over her, listening to the music and the wind.

I awoke to some banging from downstairs the next morning. I was still in the same position I'd been in watching over Genevieve. She must have slipped out in the middle of the night. I looked at the clock: 6:45. Walter and Riley had started early. I slowly got out of bed, still dressed in my pants and shirt from the day before. I walked over to the window and looked out while a couple of snowflakes began to fall. My front lawn was starting to look the same as I remembered it. We had removed almost all of the flowers and tributes, and of course Cora was taking the time to write to everyone who left an address, telling them thanks. There were a couple of pieces of wood and stone art that were beautiful, so we left them. I touched the window, and the cold from the outside bled into my hand. I stumbled over something that was near the window, the box of books.

I grabbed the books and brought them down to the kitchen. Cora was already sipping on some coffee, eating a fruit-filled Danish. Her hair had changed from brown to bleached-blonde and she had on a long Christmas sweater. She hadn't been changing her appearance much over the last year. It was good to see that she was perhaps returning to normal. Genevieve shuffled into the kitchen looking half-asleep, wearing just a long shirt full of holes.

I didn't know why I'd brought the books down. Looking through them was pointless. Cora picked one up and looked at it with Genevieve leaning over her shoulder to see. Cora's eyes moved over it quickly, but she didn't say anything; she just studied it.

"Stupid books, what a big help," Genevieve said, leaving the room.

"So, Cora, what do you think?" I asked.

She was already examining the next book, thumbing through it.

"So?" I repeated.

"Not sure what to make of it," she said. "Just ordinary books written in some very unique font, but besides that, nothing special."

The rest of Christmas break was filled with finishing up the house. We discussed several times how we were going to try to locate the next Keeper, but always speaking quietly and with music playing. Our plan wasn't very clear. It was like when we were searching for the 4th member of our group all over again, but this time without help from a Keeper. Riley was the positive person during these talks, always saying that they would be drawn to us. I would just have to have faith that he was right or we would strike upon some blind luck; either one would do.

**

On the drive to school the first day back, my stomach had the familiar, heavy pit sitting there, making me empty another pack of Tic Tacs into my mouth. I had done this many times before, but this time was so different. I should've felt at home, finally returning, but it felt just like every other new school I had ever gone to. My dad's truck should have been accustomed to every dip and turn of the road, but with me behind the wheel it was as if it had never been here.

The beginning of January became bitterly cold—no snow but the temperatures hovered in the teens. On my way to school, I passed a large granite building that hadn't been here before. It was the Mt. Vernon Museum of Natural History. It had pale white columns that stretched up and were capped off by massive arches ripped straight out of Greece. How fitting in a town filled with Thusians that they would build a museum of this scale here.

Down the road was Mt. Vernon High School's sign. It wasn't ornate, but like everything else, it was perfect. On the sign there was a rock creature wearing an orange jersey with a bright orange MV on the front. It read "The Home of the Mt. Vernon Earthquake." Are you kidding? I thought.

The lot was full but not with any flashy, expensive cars like at Winsor. There were far more trucks than anything else, all varied in age, color, and condition. I pulled into a spot at the end of the farthest row and walked to the main entrance. The high school was on the outside of town and had sustained only minor damage during the quake. It was pretty much the only building that survived mostly intact. It had served as the main triage center for all who were injured.

There was a sign posted on the first set of doors that read, "All visitors must check in."

Cora had tried to come down here and get my class schedule, but because of Christmas break they had told her I would have to check in on the first day to get it. I rang the buzzer to alert the secretary behind the glass window. She didn't immediately look up. She was engrossed in a magazine, sipping a cup of coffee. I was sure she had heard me, but I wasn't going to ring the buzzer again, no matter how cold it was out here. She only looked up when a delivery person rang the bell after me.

"Can I help you?" she said through the intercom.

"Yeah, got a delivery of copy paper," he replied.

She reached under the counter, and a loud click came from the door. He pushed it open and took his dolly filled with boxes inside.

"What can I do for you?" she asked me through the intercom right after the door closed.

"This is my first day of school," I said, not feeling well all of a sudden; the familiar feeling of having to go to a new school was looming over me.

"We have been expecting you, Mr. Keller. Come in."

The door clicked again, and I grabbed the ice-cold handle and went in.

"They're waiting for you in the conference room," she said, walking me down a very short hallway.

Who was waiting for me? I grabbed a couple more Tic Tacs.

She turned and opened a door. When I went around the corner to follow her in, my stomach dropped as though I'd gone over a large hill. There in the room were James Caldwell, Ester Theasing, Clare Winters, and several other people I didn't know. What was going on? I didn't go farther into the room. I didn't want to be here alone with these people. Cora would normally be here for something like this. Where was she?

"Come on in, Nicholas, and shut the door," Clare said.

I didn't move.

"There's nothing to be afraid of; we're all friends," Clare said.

James promptly snorted, saying under his breath, "Yeah, right."

Ester stood up and walked over to me. She leaned in and whispered, "Everyone in here is a Thusian. They all know who you are and what has happened. I thought it would be best for you to meet some of the other important Thusians who are not on the Council. They can help."

She leaned back and put both of her hands on my shoulders, looking at me and nodding her head as if to say, "Go ahead; it's okay."

I sized up the room one more time and sat in the empty chair at the end of the table. Everyone but James smiled.

"Everyone, please go around the room and introduce yourself to Nicholas and tell him what your main Thusian talent is," Ester said.

"I'm Clare, which you already know. I have the talent of reasoning."

The next person was James, but he looked to the left, not saying anything.

"Oh, I'm Alice Gordon. I'm a counselor here, and I think my talent is physical. But I'm not too sure yet. I was young when I first showed my talent. My parents said it was some type of strength, so I'm not 100-percent sure yet," she said, blushing a little.

Then the next four people introduced themselves, telling me what they thought their talents were. Each of them had different jobs here at the school; one was a janitor and the others were teachers.

It was now Ester's turn to speak.

"All the Thusians that are in this room can be trusted; if you ever need anything feel free to search them out. We just want you to know that you are not alone anymore."

Everyone's eyes were fixed on me. I wanted to hide under the table.

"Do you have any questions before you start school?" Ester asked.

I shook my head no.

"Okay then," Alice said, standing and coming over to me, handing me a paper that had all of my classes on it. "I will walk you to your first class."

I quickly walked out of the room, and she followed me down the hall before any of the others got up. Alice was taller than me, and thin, with skin that looked like coconut milk. Her bright red hair was pulled back in a neat bun. Her face was slender with some freckles.

"Is it true?" She looked at me. "Are you part of The 4?" she asked in a hushed voice.

Everything in me said to run from her, but I didn't. I nodded yes, not saying anything. Why lie when I was sure everyone already knew anyway?

She made a high-pitched squeal like she had just seen her favorite singer in person, clapping her hands. "My parents were right. I promise I won't tell a soul."

"I don't care who you tell." With more Thusians knowing we've formed The 4, maybe the Keeper would seek us out.

She slowly walked along with an extra spring in her step. I wondered how she knew. I guess it had gone viral through the Thusian community. In that moment I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing; I guess time would tell.

"We have a new student, Mr. Becker—well, a new old student," she said, walking into a class that was already in the middle of its lesson. "Where would you like him to sit?"

"Find a seat anywhere," he said, turning back to the chalkboard and continuing on with his geography.

There were only two empty seats, and both of them had something wrong with either the desk or chair. The place I sat was the least damaged of the two. The desk just rocked back and forth a little. I stuck a book under the leg to balance it out. It was a good distraction from my new surroundings.

"Hi, my name is Heather Locsin. What's your name?" the girl sitting on my right asked, but not in a whisper. She was loud. She had black hair with bright red streaks throughout and some blonde highlights too. It was pulled back in two pigtails that sat almost on top of her head. She had on a gray hoodie with matching pants and shoes. Her skin looked the same color as Genevieve's, suntanned.

"My name is Nicholas Keller," I responded in a whisper.

She smiled, nodding her head. "Oh yeah, I heard you were coming back to Mt. Vernon," she said as loudly as before.

"Ms. Locsin, do you have something you would like to share with the class?" Mr. Becker asked.

"Yeah, this is Alexander Nicholas Taylor Keller. He's back. So I was trying to get to know him, you know."

I couldn't believe her. This was far worse than being a new student. What was next? I shouldn't have thought that.

"Where are my manners? Nicholas, come up to the front of the class so we can get to know you better," Mr. Becker said.

He had to be joking. He wasn't.

"Mr. Keller, come on up," he said again.

My knees began to shake. I didn't want to go up there. How could I get out of this? Maybe I would have a panic attack. No, stop, I said to myself. That would be worse. Everyone was staring at me. I stood. Heather encouraged me as I struggled with each step up front. I barely made it to the front next to Mr. Becker.

"So who would like to ask Nicholas a question?"

Several hands went into the air. I think I would rather face Xavier and Grey than this.

"Yes, Mr. O'Dea."

The guy who stood looked like he was in junior high. He had thick braces and was wearing a pair of bright blue–rimmed glasses. His black, greased hair was slicked off to the side.

"Why did you leave Mt. Vernon in the first place?"

"My aunt moved after the earthquake, and I went with her." I hoped that if I was boring, as I was in interviews, that it would shorten my time up here.

A guy with a flat-top haircut who looked like the stereotypical jock wearing sweats stood to ask a question. "Ah, why are you back?"

"My aunt moved me back," I said, again keeping it short.

"Okay that's enough of those questions," Mr. Becker said. Good, my plan had worked. "Let's focus on the earthquake, Nicholas, so we can get some educational value out of this interruption."

He began to fire off question after question about what it had been like in the school that day. I tried to be brief with him, but he continued asking, probing further. My mind was beginning to lock up like rusted gears. I was in a dentist's chair without any Novocain, while he drilled and drilled. I searched around the room for help, but there was none. The only person who looked sympathetic was Heather, and she was the reason why I was up here. Her large brown eyes looked so sorry.

"Mr. Becker," Heather finally said, interrupting him, "I need help getting ready for the quiz next Friday."

I didn't wait for him to answer her. I rushed back to my seat, burying my face in my backpack.

I glanced up quickly to see if he was looking at me, hoping the nightmare was over. He was erasing the diagram that he had been drawing on the board behind me that showed my journey within the school on the day of the earthquake, as if it was a football play Coach Miller had drawn up. How did they know where I was and how I'd saved those people? Each X on the map had a person's name attached to it. All three people I'd saved were up there: Mark Siegel, Tina McBride, and Ms. Rush.

I laid my head down on the desk. The girl in front of me was sitting in such a way that Mr. Becker couldn't see me with my head down, so I continued that way for the rest of class.

For the rest of the morning, I moved in a fog, unaware of my surroundings. I snapped out of it at lunch just long enough to order some food.

Nicholas, I told myself, you are part of The 4. You are called to protect these people. Act like it. You need to overcome these petty fears and take control of your life. Of course they know all about you—get over it.

My little pep talk worked. I was now sitting in the cafeteria, eating alone, which was fine by me. I really needed to start focusing on finding the next Keeper. I could have met him or her already.

Two people had joined me a couple of minutes after my internal conversation: Heather from geography and Mark Siegel. Both were carrying on a conversation like I wasn't there.

When I looked up at Mark, he said, "So how's your first day back at Mt. Vernon?"

"Besides first-period geography, it's been fine," I said.

"That was my fault," Heather said, holding up her hand. "Sorry, Nicholas, I tend to stick my foot in my mouth."

"It's fine," I said.

"I'm glad you're back," Mark said with a mouthful of pizza.

"I wonder if they're going to start up the tour again," Heather said.

Mark answered, "There's no way Nicholas is going to do that, right?"

Both of them were looking at me, waiting for a response to a question I didn't know how to answer.

"You know what we're talking about, right?" Heather asked.

I shook my head no.

They both looked at each other.

"A year after you saved Mark, Tina, and Ms. Rush, they were taken around to different parts of the affected areas to raise support and morale."

"Yeah, it wasn't that bad," Mark said.

"Of course it wasn't bad for you; it gave you all that time you wanted to be alone with Tina," Heather said.

Mark smiled, continuing, "We got to retell what we saw you do that day. It brought hope to so many people. A lot of people needed that."

This made me angry. Why did they make them do that? And why had they gone along with it? It was probably Mark's dad's idea to make money.

"I'm sorry you had to do that."

"You don't understand; they were paraded around like celebrities," Heather said.

"I still feel bad," I said, not sure if she was just trying to make me feel better.

"So, do you recognize anyone here at school?" Mark asked, changing the subject. "There aren't many people that stuck around after the earthquake, but there are still a couple dozen or so," he said.

I shook my head. Even if I did, I doubted I would recognize them, and I wanted to avoid my past so I could focus on the present. That was what I was here to do.

"Does Randy still go here?" I asked.

"No, Randy moved away with his mom after the earthquake. His dad was killed. I haven't heard anything about him since then."

I went into my last class of the day and sat in the first open chair I could find. Mark came in a couple of minutes later, sitting down next to me, and said, "I feel bad for you, you know, being a new student. I bet everyone has been staring at you."

"Not sure, but it's fine; I'm used to the whole new-student thing."

"I guess." He leaned over and whispered, "If my dad suing you was the reason you left, I'm so sorry. He wasn't thinking clearly. Ha! Come to think of it, that's most of the time."

"It wasn't the reason. I didn't even know about the lawsuit until the dedication."

"Good." He leaned away and class began.

The next couple weeks of school were filled with me searching pretty much in vain for someone I didn't have a clue how to find. Riley, Cora, and Genevieve were also striking out. Genevieve and Cora started working at the most popular restaurant right in downtown, Farmer Brown's. Cora's part-time job at the school didn't work out. She was only there two hours a day. Being at the restaurant would allow her and Genevieve the opportunity to talk with a lot of different people. But like me, they didn't have much luck, although the food they brought home was great, so I guess it wasn't a complete loss.

Riley finally got a job as a long-term substitute teacher at the high school around the same time that Genevieve and Cora went to work and Walter became an ROTC officer for the school.

"I don't think we are ever going to find the Keeper," Genevieve said quietly, taking a bite out of her Farmer Brown's sandwich.

"We need to be patient," Riley responded.

"Patient, are you kidding? We've been here almost a month, and none of us are any closer. Why do we need the Keeper anyway? We have completed The 7; that's good enough in my book," Genevieve whispered.

"Bernard wanted us to find the Keeper; I know it. If we somehow can find the next one, then I'm sure we'll have a clearer understanding of what we need to do next. And we can then avoid the Trials," Riley said.

Cora sat quietly eating her food, just listening to them. She was watching them as if she was at a tennis match with the ball going back and forth.

"So, what do you think we should do?" I asked Cora, getting up from the table and turning on some music.

She looked up from her plate. "I think we're doing what we should be doing right now. We're at the two places in town that have the highest number of people. I have faith that somehow we'll find him or her so we can start our journey."

No one spoke another word. We didn't know if she was right or wrong, but we didn't have much of a choice; we were here now, and we might as well do our best under these circumstances.

I went up to my room and Cora followed me. She came in behind me and shut the door.

"What's going on?" I asked before she turned.

"I wanted to talk to you about how school is going."

She asked me that every day. Why come up and shut the door to ask that?

"It's fine, why?"

"Because I'm worried about you. I never wanted this life for you. I think Beth would be disappointed in me for not shielding you from all of this."

"It's not like you had a choice. I was pretty much going to do what I wanted to do anyway. Plus, no one at school really pays attention to me. It's kind of nice for a change. I don't think they want to talk to me because of all the hoopla the town has made about me around here."

She gave me a half-hearted smile.

"Cora, what's really going on?"

"I know that Riley asked you if it was okay to marry me, but I want you to know that I will never abandon you. I'll always be here for you. My sacrifice is to protect you."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm old enough to take care of myself." Then I whispered, "After all of this is over, you have my permission to do whatever you want, even if it means marrying Riley, but I think Chase would be a better fit for you," I joked.

"Ouch, that hurt," she said, punching me on the shoulder. She leaned in and gave me a hug.

The time at Mt. Vernon was going by quickly. It was already the end of March and still nothing. Riley wanted me to start trying to get involved in school activities to broaden my search, but I had yet to do so, still not sure if I thought that would even help.

"Now if everyone will please get your books out and turn to page 78," Mrs. Hester said.

Mark was dumping all of the contents from his backpack onto the table, looking for something. "I can't believe I lost my book again. I had it just last night," he said, sounding very annoyed. Mrs. Hester started to read aloud. All the while Mark kept looking and going through his backpack over and over again, like it would somehow miraculously appear.

"You can share with me," I said, scooting closer so he could see my copy.

"Thanks, Nicholas."

Cora had put Bernard's copy of Of Mice and Men in my bag when she saw my syllabus. I guess if nothing else, these books would at least come in handy for some schoolwork.

A couple of minutes later, Mark began to make noises like he was watching an intense movie, oohing and aahing. What was he doing? I didn't want to look over, but it was no use; he was growing louder.

"What?" I whispered.

"Can I borrow that book tonight?"

"Don't you have your own copy at home?" I asked quickly, pulling the book away from him.

"Yeah, but it's lost and . . ." He trailed off, not finishing his sentence.

**

Later at home I was lying on the couch watching TV, which had become my every day after-school activity because I was able to finish all my homework in study hall, and I couldn't talk to Elle because she was still in class. On the way home, it had begun to spit wet snow. Through the window I could see it beginning to pick up now. Genevieve had been watching TV with me but had fallen asleep in the oversized leather recliner that my dad had spent most of his time in. It had been in the basement, but Walter moved it upstairs to give Riley and him more room. I glanced back and forth between Genevieve, the TV, and the snow. The snow reminded me of the time we'd spent together during the blizzard. My thoughts of Genevieve and what she meant to me had increased. I couldn't stop myself. Every time I thought of Elle or talked to her, Genevieve was right there on my mind.

Two loud thuds came from the front door, which awoke Genevieve with a jolt. I got up to answer it, looking though the peephole first. It was Mark. He was standing there without a jacket on and with snow all over him. What was he doing here? Hopefully he wasn't going to try to borrow another book.

"What are you doing here?" I asked with the door only cracked open, hopefully not giving him a reason to want to come in.

He simply said, "I need to talk to you about who I think I am." He pushed open the door to get in, letting some of the cold and snow in, too.

My heart began to pound; I felt a panic attack coming on. I stumbled back and bumped into Genevieve, who took hold of me and helped me to the family room, allowing Mark to come right in.

He followed us.

"Nicholas, do you want me to get you anything?" Genevieve offered.

"No, I'll be fine. I just need a couple minutes alone with Mark."

Cora walked into the room, but as she entered, Genevieve caught her arm and led her back out.

"Nicholas, I'm sorry for barging in on you, especially since you're not feeling well. But I had no choice."

I still couldn't form words yet for fear of getting sick, so I nodded.

"I know you are a Thusian," he said slowly, like the word was foreign to him. "And I guess that makes me one of them, too," he added, still sounding unsure.

His words didn't shock me; actually they made me feel better. With the town consisting of so many Thusians, it wasn't a surprise. Our story was probably circulating among all of them in town. I held up a finger to my mouth to make sure he whispered. I turned up the TV.

"I guess your dad told you all about what's going on," I said.

His forehead wrinkled up like he was trying to figure out a difficult math problem in his head. "My dad?" he asked.

"Mark, why are you here?"

"When I shared the book with you today," he whispered, "I began to see two different sentences. The first one was Steinbeck's, but the other one was, well, not quite a story." His tone became more excited but was still hushed. "It was a journal."

Hearing that I sat straight up. The symptoms of my panic attack were gone. Could this be the book Xavier had been searching for?

Mark continued quietly. "In each letter there is either a dot or a straight line. When there's no dot or straight line, that's a break between the words and sentences. This somehow revealed a secret code or language to me. I have something called 'total recall.' Once I look at something, I can see it forever. I can do a bunch of other neat tricks, but now I see what they were all for—" He stopped mid-thought, taking a deep breath. "At the top of the book's page, there was a statement. Do you have it?"

I got it out of my backpack, which was on the couch next to me. He took it from me, opened to a random page, and read it like he was telling me a secret.

"This is the personal journal of Keeper Bernard Weathers. If you are able to read this, then this makes you a Keeper. You are now entrusted with all of its secrets." Mark looked up at me and said, "That sentence is on the top of every single page."

I grabbed the book, staring at the top of the page. I didn't see any of that. It was just a plain old sentence.

How could he be the next Keeper? This seemed like something Xavier would set up, a trap. Maybe he'd seen the book in New Orleans. My heart began to pound as my Thusian talents kicked in. I scooted away, taking a defensive posture so I could make it out to the hall to block Mark if he made any attempt to go after Genevieve or Cora. Right now I wished that I knew where Riley was. I would take Walter or even Dane. Grey could be waiting outside the door.

"Nicholas, you are part of The 7, aren't you? It references The 3 Seekers and The 4 Thusians several times right here," he said, not paying any attention to me, engrossed with the book. He was just quickly flipping through each page.

"You know, after the earthquake my vision began to blur. I thought it was because of an injury from hitting my head or something. It only happened when I was looking at certain people. When those people moved, I could see a slight blur behind them as though they were a drawing that was smudged all the time. Some were worse than others. But when I saw you at the dedication, you weren't blurred at all. When you moved, you looked like you disappeared then reappeared, like a movie frame that skipped. I thought I was going crazy, but it makes so much sense now. You were moving so much faster than the others," he said excitedly, like so many years of frustration were finally making sense. He continued to flip through the pages quickly.

The fire in me died. I didn't feel any threat from him. I needed to get Cora.

I went to the kitchen to tell Cora what Mark had said. She got Riley and Genevieve without saying a word to me. They all came into the family room, where Mark was still going through the book. Cora turned up the TV even more, and then they proceeded to ask Mark a series of questions about what he knew. He answered each question with very specific and purposeful answers as if somehow Bernard had transported some of his knowledge to him.

After an hour of intense questioning, Riley said, "He's it."

"Yes, he is," Cora agreed. "It also seems that we have the book or books that Xavier has been searching for."

On cue, Mark spoke. "You have more of these?" he asked, holding up the one he had been looking through.

I went up to my room and grabbed the rest of the books.

His eyes got big and round when he saw them. It was like I'd just handed him something he had been searching for his entire life. He began to go through each book as fast as he could, looking at every page. He then began to lay them out on the family room floor, putting them in some type of order—not in a straight line, but a circle.

This went on for over thirty minutes. The four of us sat there, not saying a word, engrossed in his tedious arrangement of the books.

"There" he said. "I think I have them in the right order."

"Order, ha! It looks like you just threw the books onto the floor," Genevieve said.

He didn't look offended by her comment. He took it as a question because he began to explain how all the books were connected. "Each book discusses different elements of being a Thusian. Some are about talents and some are about history." He pointed to another one in the middle. "And this one lists the bloodlines."

"We have it," Riley said, loudly interrupting then quieting himself. "Xavier has been searching for something you have had in your room this whole year." He laughed, then stuck both hands into the air.

"What are you talking about?" Mark asked.

"Xavier, the head of The 3 Seekers, has been searching for a book, and we think it was the one that had the complete bloodlines of all the Thusians," Riley said.

"No, I'm sorry, but we don't have that book," Mark said while looking through one of the books close to him.

"How do you know that?" Cora asked.

"Because this book keeps referring to something called the Silver Scroll that contains the original bloodlines." He pointed to the one in the middle again. "That only has the bloodlines from when the Thusians came to America."

No one argued with him. Riley sat down in defeat. Everyone looked upset now.

"Hey, what's gotten into you guys? We just discovered who the next Keeper is, and also it looks as if we have a lot more information that can help us, right?" I said.

"You're absolutely right. Welcome to the family, Mark. You're going to stay for dinner," Cora said with a big, welcoming smile. "I'm sure you, too, have a lot of questions for us."

He smiled and nodded.

A large mailbag was on the kitchen table the next morning when I came down to go to school. I could barely get up. It had been such a long night of trying to get all the answers we had been searching for. Mark wasn't really prepared for all the questions. He kept having to go back to the books to make sure he was telling it the right way. Even though he could remember everything he read exactly, it didn't mean he understood it. He was brand new to all of this. His parents, like mine, hadn't shared any of this with him. So we sent him home to get some rest and decided we would revisit all of this again the next day after school.

"I can't believe that woman Joy Lemmins is actually allowed to be a counselor. She followed me into the parking lot," Dane said, annoyed, walking into the kitchen. "I thought she was going to jump on the hood of the truck so I wouldn't leave. Hey there, Nicholas, I hope you've been safe while I've been gone."

"We've done okay, but I'm sure if you had been here, we would have been safer."

"I highly doubt it. Can't stay, Ester has me stationed downtown around the mayor's office. Got to go. Who knows what Jacob Siegel is going to do?"

Cora dumped the bag out onto the table and started to go through all of the mail that had been sent to Winsor for me. The amount of mail had dwindled a lot; it looked as though this had been saved up for quite a while.

We had separated most of the letters into piles based on size when Cora picked up a big, thick, tan envelope with a handwritten address on the front. She began to open it. On the inside was another envelope with a different handwritten address on it. She continued this for a couple minutes, finally getting to the last envelope after opening a couple dozen or so that had enclosed it. She held it up, looking closely at it as if she was seeing a ghost. She turned it over so I could read it.

The worn, thin, yellow envelope had a return address on it that read "Bernard Weathers, Anchorage, Alaska."

It had to be a mistake. I grabbed the envelope, opening it quickly to find a letter addressed to me. It was a single page:

Dear Nicholas,

I hope you have received at least one of the six letters I sent through my network to your school. I have used this network for a long time whenever I need to send a letter out that is something I want to keep a secret. The reason for six is I never know who will die or who will fail to pass the letter along. I want to say it was a privilege to meet such an incredible person like you. I'm happy The 4 was completed in my lifetime. I have a lot to tell you. But I had to make sure no one else would get this letter, so that is the reason why I had it sent to the school. I hope by now you've realized that I sent you to New Orleans to discover that Thusians also want you dead. Sending you there was the only way I could show you that you threaten so many more, not just Xavier and the Seekers. Please forgive me for this. I hope that Sale was willing to assume his role as the next Keeper. He's a stubborn man; he just needed to be asked by someone else like you, I hope. If not, I trust that Mark Siegel will be more willing in Mt. Vernon. He doesn't know anything about Thusians or what a Keeper is, so slowly explain it to him and please give him the books I gave you; they will help him a lot in discovering who he is. Also, I trust you found the other book at your old house. I intentionally left it there for you so you would understand that the books are more important than just the stories in them. There's a hidden message within the books that a Keeper will be able to read, no one else.

Nicholas, the next thing I'm going to tell you will be difficult to hear, but I think you have known this for a while: you and your family and friends are in grave danger, worse than you could ever imagine. Between the Council, the rogue Thusians, Xavier, and the Seekers, there is no safe place for you anymore. Tell Cora she needs to get you a new suit.

I wish I could be there with you. I pray that you will be able to do what I think you can do for Thusians and for the world.

Regards,

Bernard

Cora was reading one of the other identical letters she'd found in the bag. It was exactly the same as the one I had read. She quickly turned on some music in the kitchen. Then she got out her satellite phone from her purse and made a call.

"Kip, it's Cora. It's time. I have one person to add: Mark Siegel. Okay, good. I'll meet you. Yes, the first suit. I'm leaving now," she said, getting off the phone.

"What was that all about?" I asked.

"We don't have much time; we have a lot to do. Go upstairs and get the first suit I got for you from Oxford," she whispered.

I looked at her, confused.

"Go," she said urgently.

I got my suit bag with the two griffins on it that was hanging in my closet. She cleared off the table with her arm, sending all of the mail onto the floor. She tore open the bag and grabbed the suit jacket. She opened the jacket to where the inside pocket was and ripped it away from the suit, destroying it.

"Cora, what has gotten into you?"

She put a finger up to her mouth to quiet me. She looked at the piece she had torn out, and on the inside of it was a white label with some writing. "Listen, I don't have time to explain. Do what I say; we have to disappear."

"Slow down. What's going on?" I wasn't about to go back into the dark.

"Bernard has given me the code to go into hiding. I don't know how he knew what it was, but if he's right, then we don't have much time. Who knows how long this bag of mail sat at Winsor?"

I grabbed the outside envelope that his letter was in. "It says January 12."

"Nicholas, you need to do what I say from now on." Her voice changed from wanting me to hurry to "just do it."

"Okay, what do I need to do?" I said.

"Go get Mark from his house before school starts. I pray we aren't too late."

"What should I tell him?"

"Tell him whatever you have to. And make sure you go with Riley and Genevieve. I have to go now so I can get back."

"Where?"

She looked at the pocket and showed it to me. It read Illinois State Museum, Springfield.

"Who's going to go with you? You need to take someone."

"This doesn't work that way," she said.

"Are you kidding? I can't let you do this alone."

She gripped my arm tightly and said, looking right into my eyes, "If I don't go by myself, he won't meet me, and if that happens, then we can't go into hiding. He's the key to making this work. You have to get them here before we go get Elle."

Cora was out the front door and driving away before I could even tell Riley and Genevieve what was going on. I showed them both the letter. Genevieve seemed more concerned about Cora going by herself than Riley did. Maybe he knew what she was doing. Walter wasn't home, and she hadn't mentioned him so I didn't search him out.

We got into the truck to go get Mark. What was I going to tell him? Nothing I thought of was any good.

Dane was out front of Mark's house, not at the office. He waved to us as I pulled up to the big white home with large pillars. I went up the marble staircase and rang the doorbell. The long, drawn-out gongs rang throughout the large house, echoing anywhere they could.

"Yes, can I help you?" A man dressed in a butler's uniform answered the door. He was very tall, resembling Frankenstein, just missing the bolts.

"I'm here to see Mark."

"Master Mark is getting ready for school. One moment," he said, shutting the door.

No sooner had he shut the door than it opened. "Hey, Nicholas, I thought we were going to talk after school," Mark said.

What was I going to say to him? How was I going to convince him to go? Tell the truth, Elle's voice echoed in my head.

"We are all in terrible danger. You have to come with me now."

He nodded his head as if he knew exactly what I was talking about. "Bernard mentioned several times how dangerous it was going to be. I got ready last night for something like this. Give me a minute; I'll meet you at the truck."

I went back to wait for him, marveling at how telling the truth worked so well. I knew it wasn't always the best thing to do while people were trying to kill us, but it did have its advantages.

We all went back to my house, waiting for Cora to return. As the hours went by, Riley became noticeably upset, not calm like before. He went from sitting in the family room to standing and staring out the window, continually looking for any sign of her. He had my satellite phone. I told him to call her, but he refused to do it, saying that he had faith she was okay and that he didn't want to ruin any chances of her meeting up with Kip. Genevieve had tried to get him to tell us who Kip was, but the only thing Riley knew was he'd made it possible for Cora and me to disappear the first time.

Genevieve turned to Mark to see if he knew anything. The only thing he knew was that there were currently six different Kips who were Thusians, and he didn't know enough yet to determine which one it was or if he was even part of the current bloodlines that Bernard kept.

Riley saw something and went to the door. Cora came bursting into the house. Everyone jumped to their feet.

"Good, everyone's here," she said, rushing in.

Cora had with her a large steel briefcase that she set down on the coffee table, pulling out several square packs that looked like sandwich containers. She handed them out to each one of us.

"Take anything out of your wallets and purses that has been tied to any of your personal information. No matter what, a library card or a credit card, it all goes in this envelope," she whispered in a hurried tone.

"You want me to be called Shirley?" Genevieve said, holding up a driver's license. "I don't think I would pass for a Shirley."

"We don't have time for this right now—just do what I say," Cora said. "Nicholas, Riley, go put these license plates on the trucks. Forget about the moving truck; we're leaving it behind with everything else."

I grabbed the stack of plates, and we went out to change them. By the time we came back in, they had packed up everyone's stuff and put it at the door ready to go.

"Here's the plan," Cora said. "Nicholas and I are going to go get Elle at Vanderbilt. I've already called Chase to let him know we are coming. Kip is sure that someone already knows we're going to run. We don't have much time. So the rest of you need to leave now. Go to Vanderbilt and wait at the Skyline Chili on Montgomery Road for us. They have a place in the back where you can hide. They're closed for remodeling, so no one will see you. Mark, what did you tell your parents?"

"I told them I was going on a school retreat."

"They believed that?" Riley asked.

"Yeah, they don't really care too much about what I do. I've been gone for a week at my friend's house before they even knew I was gone."

"And what are you going to tell Tina?" Cora asked, following up the first question.

"We aren't seeing each other right now, so I'm good with that," he said, sounding a little upset.

Cora continued, "Riley, wait until I call you on the satellite phone; then I will tell you where to meet us. We need to leave there between midnight and 3:00 a.m."

Cora struck a match and lit the envelope that contained all of our old identities and the letters from Bernard. She threw it into a metal trash can and put it out on the porch. We loaded up the trucks and left.

"What about Walter?" I asked Cora on the drive.

"Walter's on his own. He's too involved with the Council; he can't go. Don't worry, he can take care of himself."

Cora and I arrived at Vanderbilt exactly as planned. We had to act as if nothing was wrong, like it was just another visit to Elle. There was no room for errors. Cora had emphasized that a lot on the ride down. The campus seemed really busy for a Friday, with a lot of people outside. It was warm here, so I guess I would have been out there among them.

When we pulled onto campus, Cora became a different person. I had only seen her act this way a couple of times, only when talking about Vanderbilt. But now she was actually here. She lit up with so much positive energy it was radiating from her pores. Her head was jumping back and forth with each sight the campus had to offer. She was home. This was the place where Marcus and she had been on top, the king and queen. This was her safe place.

She didn't say anything; her mouth was sealed shut. I wasn't sure why. I actually wouldn't have minded hearing about anything to get my mind off the danger. I could feel my heart begin to pound, and I began to sweat. No, not a panic attack now. I had to do everything to stay strong and not allow myself to give into it. I took a slow, steady breath and cracked the window, downing half a pack of Tic Tacs. I needed a distraction, and luckily, I saw it.

Chase was waiting for us in the parking lot in front of the dorm. He had on a dress coat and a pair of glasses that I had never seen him wear before. He looked like he was playing the part of a professor. Cora got out of the truck and ran up to him, giving him a big hug. If Riley had seen that, I'm sure Chase would have been flat on his back. They immediately began to talk. I walked over to them slowly, still feeling some of the lingering symptoms.

"I'm so glad to see you both. When I heard you were coming, it made my day. I didn't think I was going to see either of you before I left for Madrid." He smiled. "Like my glasses?" he asked.

"When have you ever needed glasses?" Cora asked.

"I don't. I just like that it makes me look more distinguished."

Cora turned away and laughed.

"Cora, we don't have time for this," I whispered under my breath to her.

She whispered back, "We have to make this look like a normal trip so we don't tip anyone off. If we blurt it out or make one wrong move, we will have a much bigger problem."

She was right, but I was scared of not being quick enough. The thought of failure made my stomach knot up. Back behind them, I noticed a group of women gawking at Chase, which helped take my mind off things. Every move he made, the girls moved with him. It was funny.

"What's that about?" I pointed over to them, trying to distract myself further. Chase and Cora both looked over at the group of girls.

"Those are known as the Dr. Chase Letterby Fan Club, or the CLFC," Cora said. "No matter where he is on campus, the fan club is never far behind." She hit him in the arm. He swung his large arm around her and gave her a big, one-arm hug.

"Let's get out of here and go to my flat. Elle only has one more class left; she said she would meet us there. You guys can stay with me tonight. Our April Fools' bash is sure to bring a lot of people to Vanderbilt. Around here it's kind of like a second Halloween, with a lot more pranks. I bet you remember it well, Cora."

"I do," she said, full of excitement.

He picked up our two small suitcases under one arm and led us to the dorm. We walked past the elevator and down the hall where his flat's entrance was. Nothing indicated from the hall that his place was here, nothing Chase Letterby-esque. I couldn't believe that he would actually stay in the dorms with the rest of the students anyway. Knowing him, his flat was probably two dorms together with every comfort known to man.

He opened the first door on the left in the hall and we followed him in. I had underestimated what he would have demanded as part of him taking on the dean of medicine role and living here. His flat consumed all of the rooms on the left side of the floor. They had knocked down all of the walls, making a massive open space. I looked down the hall again and could still see all of the doors that would have led into the dorm rooms, but from the inside the doors weren't there. They had put drywall over them. His place looked like a plush New York City penthouse. It was only missing the view of Central Park. He showed us to where we would be sleeping. It was surrounded by etched-glass walls that gave just enough privacy, complete with a bathroom and sitting area.

"I have to get ready. The faculty is putting on the April Fools' party this year, so I need to get going and help out with any last minute preparations. They can't do it without me," he said. "Cora, would you like to come and help?"

Cora looked at me, I could tell she didn't want to leave me, but she knew she had to act as if nothing was wrong. She gave me one of her famous "don't do anything foolish" looks.

I said, "I think I'll wait for Elle here, and then we will be over later."

"Sounds good, Nicholas," Chase said, dragging Cora out the door.

I wondered if not telling Chase was a good idea. He would help for sure, especially when it came to Cora's and my safety. He'd had a part in our first disappearance, so why wasn't he included this time?

Thirty minutes later there was a knock at the door. I hurried over and cautiously opened it. Elle lunged through and grabbed me. She kissed my neck several times, which left me frozen.

"I missed you so much! I'm so glad you're here. We've been apart way too long," Elle said, still kissing me all over.

She looked incredible, wearing a lace-covered tank top with a large "Vanderbilt" across the chest and a light red jacket. Her hair was up, exposing her neck, making my heart skip a beat or two.

"Wow, so this is Chase's place!" Elle said. She had a tight hold around my waist, pulling me in. To my surprise, Noel wasn't with her. I was relieved.

"I had no idea he was living like this. I just figured they gave him a nice big dorm down here, not the entire floor," she said, leading me through, wanting to get a good look at everything.

"Nicholas, I left my purse in here. Could you—" Cora said, walking back in the door and stopping when she saw Elle.

Elle ran over and gave her a hug. "I missed you, Cora," she said.

"I missed you, too, Elle." Cora pushed her back and said in a very excited tone, "You are looking so beautiful; you're making the college-look work for you."

"Thanks, Cora. And the care packages you've been sending me have been so great. You know you don't have to," Elle said.

"When I was a freshman here, my mom used to send me care packages, and I figured I would know exactly what you really needed."

"You did great, and all of those helpful hints on where to eat and get my books and supplies were helpful. I've become really popular on my floor," Elle said, bubbling with excitement.

It hurt to hear how excited Elle sounded about being here, because soon I would be taking her away from it all.

They started talking fast about school, and the only thing I caught was that Noel would be here soon. Sure enough, a few minutes later there was a knock at the door. Elle ran over and opened it. It was Noel.

"Look at this place! Isn't it amazing?" Elle said, leading her in.

Noel looked around, but like before she didn't seem to be impressed at all. She was surveying the area, looking for something—but what?

"Elle, this is a pretty sweet pad." Again, her words didn't match her demeanor. She looked unimpressed, as if this was something normal.

Cora seemed to sense something about Noel, too, because she began to quiz her about college and then shifted to more personal questions. She asked her so many questions in a row that even Elle started to look at Cora with inquisitive eyes.

Cora concluded by saying, "Noel, I'm so sorry about the twenty questions, but Elle has become like a little sister to me, so I want to know everything about her life, including the people she's friends with. Plus I've been in the car for a long time with that one," she pointed to me, "and he's not a big talker."

Noel smiled and laughed.

Elle looked at her watch. "We better get ready for tonight or we'll be late," she said, locking arms with Noel.

"We'll meet you for dinner at 6:30," Noel said.

"Where do you want to eat?" Elle asked. "We can eat at the commons, or we can eat at Food for Thought at the library or—"

"I actually would love to eat at the commons if you don't mind. It will bring back some fond memories," Cora said with a big smile.

"Of course we can, Cora. Anything for Vanderbilt's pride and joy," Elle said.

As soon as they shut the door, Cora said to me, "I don't trust Noel at all; her answers were just too perfect, as though they were practiced or rehearsed."

"I'm glad you think so because I've thought there was something strange about her since the first time I met her, but I didn't dare say anything to Elle. She thinks Noel is her best friend here. Walter checked her out and she came back clean. You don't think Elle is in danger, do you? Another Bryce?" I asked.

"No, Xavier would never waste his time or one of his Seeker's time on Elle. But something is definitely going on with Noel; we need to keep an eye on her tonight. If she's going to try something, it will be when you're around. Did you tell Elle yet about leaving?" she asked.

"I didn't have time. You see how alive she is here."

"Nicholas," Cora said, looking me right in the eyes, "we are going to have to make tough choices, but this is not a choice. We all have to go into hiding. Elle is part of this; she knows that. She may be upset at first, but she will realize it's for the best."

I knew Cora was right, but the last thing I wanted was for Elle to resent me for taking her away from something she loved.

"Let's focus on making sure that Elle will be alone later tonight," Cora continued. "That's when you'll tell her and then we'll leave."

I nodded.

We met them for dinner at the commons close to 6:30. Both Elle and Noel looked as if they had been getting ready the whole time. Their hair had been done in elaborate styles with different colored sticks and bows all over—from what Cora told me, the more insane, the better. Their nails also had some crazy designs on them. As bizarre as it all seemed to me, somehow Elle made it work, still looking just as beautiful as ever.

I wasn't surprised that while we were in the commons, more than a dozen faculty and students sought out Cora to say hi. She was like a celebrity here. The buzz in the commons grew steadily louder, reaching a fever pitch when Chase joined us in the dining area. Noel and Elle were blushing quite a bit; I guess they hadn't seen this much attention here.

After the commotion died down, we were able to finish our food. We all got the special, which was a bunch of April Fools' dishes that looked like some things they weren't. We had pizza soup, ice cream that was actually mashed potatoes, beef that resembled chocolate cake, and for dessert a hotdog that was really ice cream in an angel food cake bun. It was all interesting to eat, kind of throwing off my senses. They took April Fools' seriously around here.

"What time do we all want to meet?" Cora asked, finishing off her hotdog dessert.

"The party starts at 8:30, so let's meet at Dr. Letterby's place at 8:15. We'll all walk over together," Noel said, moving uneaten food around on her plate with her spork. I don't think she cared for the special.

"That's not going to work for me, Noel," Chase said. "I have to be there earlier because I'm still setting up some things for the party."

"Okay, you can go earlier, and the rest of us will meet you there." Noel flipped some of her bangs out of her face to the side, sounding annoyed. Chase noticed her rudeness. He looked at her, puzzled, like he had never heard anyone speak to him that way before.

Realizing that everyone was staring at her, she said, "I'm sorry, Dr. Letterby. All of this attention is making me feel uneasy."

I knew what she meant; I had felt that way so many times before. Chase smiled and said, "It's something one has to get used to. I'll see you all at the party then."

Back in Chase's flat, Cora had taken out what I was supposed to wear. I hadn't even seen her pack it. It looked ridiculous. Half of the suit was white, and the other half was black. It looked like a black-and-white photo gone terribly wrong. Cora had on a dress that resembled a fun-house mirror. When I looked at her, my reflection was distorted.

Cora explained to me what the April Fools' party was all about. The founders of the school were Thusians, and of course part of our history is misdirection. So the younger Thusians created the April Fools' bash so they could all get together in plain sight of non-Thusians and socialize once a year. The crazy outfits came much later in the '60s and '70s.

"This party will give us the opportunity to get both Elle and Chase by themselves so we can tell them. I hope the party will ease the blow of them having to leave."

"Chase?" I asked.

"Yeah, he has to come, too."

"Why didn't you say that before?"

"I knew Riley wouldn't go along with it. But I can't leave Chase alone to face Xavier or anyone else."

"How are we going to change his identity? He's recognized everywhere he goes, so how's he going to disappear?"

"He's not going to disappear; he's going to die. We've arranged for his jet to crash tomorrow. The pilot has orders to get on the plane, fly over the Pacific, and parachute to a waiting boat."

"How in the world?" I asked, not sure how Cora was able to get all of this worked out in a couple of hours.

"Kip is very resourceful. He can pretty much do anything he needs to do."

I shook my head in disbelief that Cora had such a powerful friend who could arrange all of this. "How am I supposed to tell Elle she has to leave everything? She's so happy here; what if she doesn't want to come?"

"You're going to have to convince her," she said, putting on lipstick. "We have to take everyone we love into hiding. Kip has been making this type of thing happen for us for a long time.

"When everyone is safe, we'll make plans to go after Xavier, Grey, and whoever the other Seeker is, ending this nightmare. Mark will be the way for us to get the upper hand, but first we need to escape."

"Are you sure Kip can do what he says he can do?" I asked, not sure how a suit maker could make us disappear.

"Kip is the best. Remember when we first disappeared? He did that."

"Are you two ready?" Elle asked from outside the door.

I opened the door. What she and Noel were wearing was provocative, not like Elle normally dressed. She looked incredible though. They each were dressed in a black pinstripe suit complete with tie, vest, top hat, and cane. The only thing missing was the dress shirt, exposing a lot of skin. I wanted to throw a jacket over her.

"You guys look exquisite," Cora said, going out to get a better look at them. "I see the two of you did your homework on what to wear, and you added your own twist—cute. The top hat and cane make your outfits brilliant."

Cora explained on the walk over that the first time you attended the party, everyone, girl or boy, had to wear a suit of some kind. Girls tended to wear a solid-color suit with variations, and boys traditionally wore a two-colored suit. This whole thing was weird to me. I found myself longing for Winsor's elaborate dances over this. I wasn't sure if I was ready for college as much as I thought I was.

The four of us walked in the front door of the student life center where the party was taking place. What we had on turned out to be more conservative than what others were wearing. I saw a couple that looked like they had cut a bright-pink velvet dress and a white tuxedo down the middle and sewn them together, both wearing the combination. A group of girls was wearing dresses upside-down. We walked down the hall to a large sign covered in plastic hands all pointing in different directions. But everyone seemed to know where they were going, including Cora, Elle, and Noel. I followed them as they walked down the middle of the hall with their arms linked. They were walking so fast I could barely keep up. From the way Cora was acting, you would hardly know that we were trying to escape certain death.

Have fun, girls, because it may be your last for some time, I thought.

Chase was at the entrance of the hall, greeting everyone who entered. His outfit was not too crazy. The only thing different was that he had a set of fake arms sewn onto his all-black suit jacket that mimicked what his real arms were doing. When he saw us, he let out a big, deep laugh.

"You all look incredible. Look, I got an extra pair of hands, kind of what it's like when I'm operating. Get it?" Cora and Elle laughed, but Noel's laugh was noticeably absent.

He escorted us into the hall, pointing out all of the decorations that he and the medical department were responsible for. I had to admit it was pretty awesome. Chairs and tables were mounted to the ceiling of the hall—complete with tablecloths, plates, and silverware—forming perfect seating areas above us. On the ground were what looked like hundreds of hanging chandeliers, larger ones each surrounded by eight smaller ones. Each of them was emitting soft light. Several groups of people were using them as table and chairs, pretty ingenious.

"I haven't seen this in such a long time," Cora said to Chase.

"I know. I had them replicate the last one you helped plan. To this day it's still the best setup the school has ever seen. Would you like to dance?" Chase asked her, with all four of his arms reaching out. He looked like a spider.

"We have only three hours to get them back to the dorm and ready to leave," I whispered to her as she was led out to the dance floor. She nodded.

"Look, Elle, it's Dylan," Noel said.

Sure enough, he was standing near a guy in a black-and-white-striped suit that made me dizzy looking at it. I didn't want to see or talk to him. I already couldn't stand that guy from the last time I was here.

"Hey, Dylan," Noel yelled over to him.

He came right over to us without any hesitation. He was wearing a mix of black-and-white parts of a suit with a couple of mini disco balls attached to his sleeves.

"Ladies, you look so sexy in those suits," he said.

I walked up closer to him. I wanted to hit him for how he was looking at Elle. Elle grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"You remember my boyfriend, Nicholas?" Elle said, trying to keep me by her side.

"Of course I do. It's good to see you again," he said, extending his hand.

I reached out and gripped it. Right when he grabbed my hand he began to squeeze as if he was trying to break my hand, which made me mad. I squeezed back, feeling a pop in his hand. He pulled away, rubbing it.

"Nice grip, high school. It's good to see you all, but I've got to go."

Elle hit me. "Was that necessary?" she asked.

"Not necessary but deserved," I said, making sure not to lose sight of Dylan as he slithered away.

"I'm going to get us some drinks. Elle, do you want to go with me?" Noel asked.

"No, I'm going to dance with Nicholas." It was obvious that Noel didn't like this response. Elle took my arm and led me into the sea of people dancing to a slow song that I didn't recognize.

"Elle, now that I have you alone, we need to talk about something serious."

"We have all night. What's the rush?" she asked, pulling my body up against hers. My mind went blank.

"This can't wait," I said, shaking off her effects. "We're in danger; we have to leave tonight."

She pulled away to look at me. "How long will you be gone this time?"

"This time it includes you and Chase. We all have to go into hiding along with Cora, Riley, Genevieve, and the new Keeper. Bernard sent me a letter warning me."

"You found the next Keeper? And how did he send you a letter? He's dead."

"Elle, you're missing the point. We'll have plenty of time to discuss all of the new stuff, but now you have to prepare to leave with me tonight. We need to leave right after midnight to meet up with the others."

She didn't say anything. I began to panic that she was going to refuse.

"I have to tell my parents something first and then figure out what I'm going to do about school."

"Cora already did that for you. The scholarship you were granted to study abroad will start earlier. All you have to do is call and tell your parents your plan about going. Cora has arranged for you to see them in a couple of weeks. You'll receive full credit for everything you will miss. While you're gone, though, you will go by a different name. Cora has all of your new IDs."

"What about Noel and my parents?" Elle asked.

"Your parents will have guards, but we can't take Noel; she's not part of this."

I couldn't see how she honestly was talking about her at a time like this.

"She's my best friend. I couldn't live with myself if something happens to her because she knew me."

As much as I wanted to disagree with her, I couldn't.

"I'm not sure what I can do, but at least I'll have Walter and Dane, or even the Swedes, begin protecting her, like your parents. But right now we have to worry about ourselves."

She gripped me tightly. "I love you, Nicholas," she said, then kissed me.

We packed as much of Elle's stuff as we could fit into a single suitcase and brought it down to Chase's. Cora had told Chase that he needed to come to help protect us, which he bought. But he wasn't going to be ready until later that night, closer to 2:00 a.m. He had to make sure he did his part of the teardown of the party so no one would be tipped off.

Elle went upstairs to spend some of the remaining time with Noel before we left. I drifted in and out of sleep for an hour or two but was awoken fully by an alarm I had set. It was time for me to go get Elle. The clock read 1:45. I put on my shirt and shoes and tiptoed out, not wanting to wake Cora yet. When I got to Elle's floor, I could see from the elevator that her door was cracked open. The fire lit, and I entered quickly and quietly. Everything slowed around me. The dark room was turned instantly into a bright-white room. I found Elle asleep on the couch just like I'd left her, but Noel was sitting by the window looking out at something, dressed in regular clothes.

"Noel," I whispered, still trying to size up the situation.

She didn't turn but waved me over to the window, pointing down into the courtyard. I shut the door and went over to her cautiously. I looked out over the mist-covered field in front of the dorm. Five hooded figures were spread throughout, heading uniformly toward the dorm. The fog swirled slowly around them as they advanced.

"They're coming for you. You never should've come here. You have put Elle in so much danger. It's not Xavier; he always works under The 3 Seeker rule. This has to be a group of Thusians taking matters into their own hands."

How did she know all this stuff? "Who are you?" I asked, puzzled, still watching the group.

"I'm Elle's Thusian bodyguard put here by Walter. I was supposed to keep you two apart, but that obviously didn't work out. But before you get all mad, we need to think of how to get Cora and Elle out of here. You go get Cora," she said like she was commanding someone in the army.

"How do I know I can trust you?" I slowly backed up, blocking Elle from Noel.

Cora was in the doorway. "How many are there?" she asked.

Noel responded, "Five."

"Chase is on his way up here now."

"We should all split up," Noel said, standing. "I'll take Elle with me, and we'll meet up at Chase's office across campus in an hour. Then we can get out of here. I called Walter already to let him know."

"Noel, that's not going to happen. We aren't splitting up," Cora said.

Chase entered the room too. He didn't say anything; he looked scared. The more they talked, the more the fire in me raged.

"We will all leave together," I said. Before Noel could disagree, Elle woke up.

"Elle, we have to go now. There are some Thusians coming for us," I said.

"Once we're outside, we have to move quickly to our truck together. Does everyone understand?" Cora said.

Everyone nodded.

I was right next to Elle, and Noel was on the other side. We took the stairs to the bottom floor. We looked out the front set of doors. My heart was beating so hard that the fog stopped moving, and all the particles suspended in the air froze, allowing me to see the cloaked figures perfectly. I still couldn't make out who they were, but it was clear we couldn't go that way.

"They're right in front of us." I pulled Elle back away from the door.

We went to the back of the dorm, and then two of the hooded figures appeared outside the door. We turned away from it and ran down the hall. There was no way we were going to get out without confronting them. No scenario I could see in my mind was working. The only thing I knew was that we would have to face them, but not around the students in the dorm; they might get hurt or be used against us.

I led everyone straight to Chase's flat and shut the door, bolting it.

"We have to face them. It's better to do it in a place where we can see them coming. Anywhere else will give them the advantage."

"No way, let's hide and then sneak out," Chase said.

"They will use the students in this dorm against us," I said.

"We need to get them out of here unharmed," Cora said.

"Pull the fire alarm; there's one against the wall near the kitchen," Chase said, full of panic.

"Great idea," I said. "Cora, take Elle to the very back right by the pull station, and stay out of sight. When the five of them are all in here, pull the alarm. Noel, Chase, and I will face them."

Noel didn't say anything. She took off her sweatshirt and started to swing her arms back and forth. She looked like she was stretching before gym class. Chase was reluctant to take his spot by us, but he did, on my other side. Cora took Elle to the back.

The three of us stood side by side, waiting for the door to open. We had left it unlocked so they would funnel through a single door, making it easier to pick them off.

The fire in me exploded, sending intense adrenaline coursing through my body. It felt like acid was burning me as it went through. Everything slowed, and the room became bright. The white fire pulsed around everything.

Along the wall where the door was, four different spots began to slowly implode. The Thusians had opened the other doors in the hall and were breaking through the walls that had been covering them.

I hurdled over two couches, heading to the farthest two doors. Those were the ones closest to where Elle and Cora had gone. The walls gave in, filling the room with dust and pieces of wood. The first Thusian closest to me came through the dust like a rocket, still in his black robe. In one of his hands he had a Belos that he was pointing directly at me. I had a sinking feeling that these were actually Seekers trying to make a name for themselves.

He swung at me with it wildly when he got close. His movement was blurred, but not much. I eluded his first swipe easily, but the cloak made it difficult to follow all of his movements. The loose black fabric concealed some of them. I grabbed his arm, and, using his momentum, swung him into the wall next to the exploded door. He flew through the air not at full speed but in slow motion. I was able to meet him right before he hit the wall. I went underneath him, grabbing hold of his cloak above my head, and threw him even harder at the wall, making sure he hit it as hard as possible so he wouldn't get up. His body hit the wall and went limp, crumpling to the ground.

I turned back to see how everyone was doing. Chase was fighting one up near the front door, and Noel was fighting the biggest of them. He was at least Chase's size if not bigger. She was striking him quickly, making him stagger around. The other two were moving throughout the flat looking for Cora and Elle. They would find them in no time. With every ounce of my strength, I pushed myself toward them. They were each carrying a Belos. I ran through a half-glass wall right next to them, lowering my shoulder to hit the first one, leaving my hands free to block any attempt to cut me with their blades. The jolt of my hit nearly snapped the first one in two. He immediately flew into the one next to him. Both of their hoods came off from the force. I continued driving them to the back of the room like they were suspended by some invisible rope, allowing them to move freely backward without any resistance. I stopped just short of the window, and the two of them went crashing through it; the glass shattered, sending them to the ground outside.

"Cora, pull the alarm!" I yelled, thinking that they weren't as likely to use the students at this moment because they were probably too hurt.

Cora reached up and pulled the alarm, resulting in a loud horn sound filling the dorm. I turned back to go help the others.

Chase landed a large right hook to the attacker in front of him, sending him back to the ground. Noel was running at Chase with a full head of steam, because just past him, another one of them had entered into the room, swinging his arm at Chase, which he didn't see because he was turned toward me. The blade was shining as it went through the air about to claim Chase. The alarm stopped along with everyone in the room. I went running at him as fast as I could. I didn't know if I was going to make it, but I had to try. I concentrated harder, hoping time would reverse, but it didn't. I wasn't going to make it. I was too far.

Right before the blade hit Chase in the back, Noel reached him, knocking him out of the way. He fell to the ground; she snapped the arm with the Belos in it, and the blade fell to the ground. Then she kicked the attacker, taking out his knee, and finished him with a knee to the face.

Elle let out a cry, and I turned around to see what was wrong. She was pointing at the doors as another wave of hooded Thusians came in. This was far from over. They didn't advance; they just stood in the doorways waiting.

Noel staggered backward to Chase and me. Chase had some scrapes but looked okay.

"Nicholas, I don't know if we can handle another round of this," Chase said, out of breath.

Noel fell to her knees.

"Noel, are you okay?" I asked. She held up her hand; it was covered with blood.

Chase and I noticed the same thing at the same time. The front of her shirt had a large slash through it, staining the rest of it red. She fell over into a pool of her own blood.

Chase scooped her up and ran with her to one of the back rooms off to the side, disappearing faster than I had ever seen him move.

The new wave of attackers closed in on me, ignoring Chase and Noel completely. I counted six of them, and those were the ones I could see. I clenched my fists and looked at them. Their slow, blurred movements were all I could see now. I had to be precise and decisive, disabling them with one blow so they couldn't get by me.

I went at the group. Before I had a chance to strike the first one, they all fell to their knees like some unknown force bent them to its will. Behind them were Ester, Walter, and Dane, accompanied by dozens more. Some were in the shrouds, and others were in street clothes. Ester was shouting something. Only after time went back to normal for me could I make out what she was saying.

"Anyone who attempts to kill any part of The 7 will be executed immediately and their families excommunicated. I have heard the cries of our Thusian brothers and sisters, and I have enacted the Chriō Trials."

No one moved. Ester walked past the group on the ground and handed me a large, completely round stone that was smooth as glass and the size of my palm. It had swirls of black and white throughout it. It looked like the two colors were fighting each other right on the stone. Carved into it was the word "Chriō."

"This rock summons you, Alexander Nicholas Taylor Keller, along with Genevieve Pereira, Riley Moore, and Cora Keller, to the Trials, which will take place one year from today. Then and only then will we be able to see if The 7 has been formed."

"Disappointing, but rules are rules," Grey said, walking into the room, stepping over one of the attackers and different pieces of broken furniture. Everyone recoiled at the sight of him.

I started moving toward him.

"Nothing can happen now. You know this, Grey," Ester said to him, but she was looking right at me.

"I do. I guess I'm going to have to go back and tell Xavier the bad news."

"Tell him I'm ready for whatever happens," I sneered, feeling the acid come up my throat like I was breathing fire.

"Ha, you have no idea what you're in for. I actually feel bad for you now, knowing what's coming," he said, walking out of the room.

Elle and Cora must have gone to check on Noel, because they were gone. After everyone had left, including the ones on the ground, I went to find them. In the back corner was an open door. I wouldn't have found it if the door hadn't been cracked. Inside was a fully functioning operating room. Chase was rushing around Noel with speed and dexterity, ignoring everything else. He had already put an IV in her arm and was prepping her for surgery. The blood had been coming from a large, straight cut that went from her chest down to her belly button. She had sacrificed herself for Chase.

Chase didn't need anyone's help right now. He was able to easily perform all of the jobs of the doctors and nurses who would normally be assisting him in the room. Elle began to cry. Cora took her out of the room, but I couldn't leave. Watching the way Chase moved was like watching him perform a miracle right in front of my eyes. Everything he did was graceful and specific. As he worked, Noel's color began to return to her cheeks. He worked this way for an hour straight. It was remarkable. It gave me a completely different appreciation for who Dr. Chase Letterby was.

When I came out, Elle asked, "Is she going to be okay?"

"Of course. It's Chase; he's the best."

"If I can't take care of a simple laceration to the stomach, I would have to turn in my Greatest Doctor in the World card," Chase said, coming out of the room.

"Chase, will you be fine here alone with Noel?" Cora asked. "Because I should get Elle and Nicholas out of here and meet up with the rest of the group."

"Of course I'll be fine. She should be back on her feet in a week or so. She's a tough little girl. The way she handled that giant was impressive, and she sacri . . ." He trailed off.

"You know she's a Thusian," I said.

"Of course I do," he said.

The six of us piled into my truck at Skyline Chili, with Mark, Elle, and me in the front and Riley, Cora, and Genevieve in the back, leaving Riley's truck behind. Cora told them about the fight and then about the summons.

"So what does all of this mean now?" Genevieve asked as soon as we started driving.

"It means that we all have to go to Scotland for the Trials," Riley said. "There is no escaping this fate."

Before Cora could say we should still run I said, "I don't care about the trials or even going into hiding. No matter where we go there is going to be danger. At least we have a year of none of that because of what Ester decreed. No one would dare go against her. We are going back to Mt Vernon."

I was about to ask if Elle had to go to the Trials, too, but I held back, because I was sure she would want to go, and that was the last thing I wanted. She needed to be as far away from these Trials as possible.

The sun was beginning to rise the closer we got to Mt Vernon. Its orange glow cast a brilliant light over the landscape. As we drove into it, Elle leaned in close to me and whispered, "Nicholas, I'm no use to you. I'll just get in your way."

I didn't have anything to say to that; all I could do was put my arm around her. She wasn't useless to me, but I didn't want to tell her that because I didn't want her to think she was going with me to the Trials.

She whispered again, "And when the time comes that you're in trouble, like Chase, I won't be able to protect you." Tears began to roll down her cheeks. "You know that's why I didn't talk to you as much when I first got to school. I was trying to make you get used to being without me, because I knew others would be better for you."

My heart swelled with love. She was sacrificing everything for me.

"Elle, you are everything I need and want. You are the love of my life. You do so much for me." I kissed her tear-soaked cheek.

She pointed to the back. "She loves you, too. I can't do the things she can do. I'll just get in the way. I will always love you, but if one day your heart turns, I won't be upset; I won't. I want you to be happy and safe."

"Stop talking nonsense." I squeezed her.

"Nicholas, I'm willing to share."

"Shh," I said. I didn't want to hear any more of it.

Everyone in the truck had fallen asleep. I pulled over at a gas station about forty-five minutes outside of Mt. Vernon as slowly as possible. Elle awoke when the truck stopped. She stretched and looked at me with a big smile. Then her smile disappeared suddenly. It was like she had temporarily forgotten about what had happened and what she had been saying, and then remembered everything.

When we finally got to Mt. Vernon, Elle said quietly, "Oh my."

"Are you okay?" I took her hand. She didn't turn away from the window. Mark was looking out, too. I forgot that she had never been here.

We went through most of the town before she looked back at me.

"Nicholas, I never knew how bad the earthquake was. All of those people in the cemet . . . I now know why they called you the 10-10 Hero, because while all of this death and destruction was happening, a young boy risked everything to go back in to save others. I love you," she said, leaning on me.

When we got home, I took Elle inside, showing her each room. She stopped in each one and stared at it like it was telling her a story I couldn't hear. When she looked into my parents' room, she turned and gave me a smile and a kiss on the cheek. That was the type of comfort I had been searching for when I'd returned here the first time. I was glad to get it now.

"You can take a shower in the upstairs bathroom. I will downstairs. Cora is fixing us food now," I said.

"It's so good to be here with you, Nicholas."

I left so she could get washed up, and I went down to do the same. After I was done, I went into the kitchen. Everyone was around the table, staring at the stone sitting in the middle of it.

Cora had prepared an amazing lunch in such a short amount of time. She had fixed enough food for a small army. Riley was busy eating and looking at a notebook with handwritten notes in it.

"Riley, what are you looking at?" Cora asked while loading up his plate with more food. He put up his hand, stood up, and turned on some music to drown out what he was going to say.

"It's my father's old journal. He talks about the Trials so briefly in here." He tapped on the journal in frustration. "He alludes to them as nothing more than a trap to kill off The 4."

"Then why does Nicholas have to do this, if it's just a trap?" Elle asked, walking in behind me.

"Because—" But Riley couldn't finish; Mark interrupted him.

"Because if he doesn't, then the Council will continue on and the Seekers will gain more strength and keep Thusians from their Final Sacrifice," Mark said. He took a bite of his sandwich and then continued, "It seems like it has been a trap in the past because none of them had a Keeper to help them during the Trials."

"You seem to know a lot for a kid who didn't know he was a Keeper or even a Thusian until just recently," Genevieve said.

"Once I learned that I was the Keeper, everything began to make sense. It was like everything I read lined up and began to work together as one . . ." Mark drifted off as if thoughts he couldn't control had distracted him from this conversation.

"I guess you're our very own Thusian Dictionary," Genevieve said.

"Yes, I guess I am. But I only know what's written. It's up to you to interpret and figure out the other stuff for yourselves."

The next morning was one I would remember for the rest of my life. Waking up to Elle was incredible. We had fallen asleep next to each other on my bed, neither of us wanting to leave the other's side. The soreness from lying so still next to her was the best feeling in the world.

Elle and I made our way downstairs still in our clothes from yesterday. We didn't care. We were just enjoying being with each other. Cora was busy in the kitchen, of course, and Riley was eating, still poring over his dad's notes. Genevieve sat with both of her knees up to her chest, sipping on a cup of coffee. She looked awful, as if she hadn't slept at all.

"Well, it's so good to see you two kids up. What will it be?" Cora asked.

"Cora, everything you make is wonderful," Elle said. With that comment Genevieve got up and left the kitchen, giving me a dirty look. What was that all about? Cora filled our plates with food.

Chase called earlier and told us that Noel was going to be fine, like he had said before. She was already up and around. This news brought a smile to Elle's face. I was glad too, but a worried feeling began to grip my neck as if it was going to choke the life out of me. How could Elle be happy after everything that has happened? And how could I have done this to her, the person who gave my life meaning? I'm so selfish. I had put her in such terrible danger, and now my worst nightmares had been realized. The darkness that filled my dreams was now coming to life and surrounding her, putting her just out of my reach with no hope of protecting her.

END OF BOOK THREE
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Tim Mettey serves as CEO at Matthew 25: Ministries, an international humanitarian and disaster relief organization. Tim uses his many experiences and expertise in responding to disasters around the world to set the background for his The Hero Chronicles series. Tim struggles with and has overcome multiple learning disabilities with reading and writing to create this series. Tim advocates for literacy and education worldwide and hopes his journey can be an inspiration to others. He says, "Our disabilities do not define who we are, they make us stronger."

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POWER

Book Four of THE HERO CHRONICLES

The sounds of spring surrounded me as I sat on the ornate stone bench; its cool, smooth surface was soothing no matter how long I sat there. This bench, this place, was somewhere I visited a lot. Even though my seat was made of stone, I still found it comfortable and familiar, like a broken-in couch or recliner. Surrounding me on all sides were several young trees, just starting to bloom. Birds at play were singing and bouncing from branch to branch around me enjoying the warmth of the sun. On the bench next to me was the black and white swirled stone that had summoned me to the Chriō Trials. I had left it here at my parents' graves after one of my visits. Only here did I feel the strength to think about what might lie ahead for me and the others at the Trials.

My hometown of Mt. Vernon, the place I had fled from after the earthquake so many years ago with my Aunt Cora, had once again become our residence. But I didn't feel at home here, not at all. The closest I got to feeling a sense of home was sitting here in front of my parents' graves, in the Mt. Vernon Cemetery. Some might think it was morbid that I would feel so at ease and at peace here in a cemetery, but to me it was a place where I could escape everything, all of the thoughts and pressures of my new life. No talk of Seekers trying to kill me, no meetings about the Trials that I would soon have to endure and no thinking of my eventual death because of my great Final Sacrifice. Also, here I wasn't the 4th Thusian, the One who had to lead the 3 other chosen Thusians against the 3 Seekers in a battle to the death. This had become my only safe place, my timeout, my refuge. Nobody ever bothered me here; they just let me be, and that's how I liked it. This time away allowed me to clear my head and only think about things that I wanted to, with no interruption.

I looked back, and Cora was still sitting in her truck, waiting, like she always did. The first couple of times I came by myself, driving my dad's old Bronco, but Cora insisted that she drive me here, no matter how long I wanted to stay. So this had become our routine most days.

My stomach began to rumble. The lunch Cora had packed was calling to me. But before I would eat anything I wanted to talk a little more with my parents. Talking to them as if they were here with me helped me to focus my thoughts.

"Hi, Mom, Dad. The other families that have loved ones buried here planted trees kind of like the one by your headstones. It's really starting to look beautiful—not a place of misery and death, but more a place of celebration. Some people have even put in decorative paths and flower beds," I said.

I paused as I searched for words to explain how I was feeling. I opened the bag sitting on the bench next to me and retrieved my gourmet sandwich since I was starting to feel a little sick. I took a bite and continued, "I don't know if I can do what is asked of me. Cora says that you both are with me always and will be with me every step of the way, but sometimes I feel so alone, helpless, you know? Like no one in the world understands me." I let out a grief-stricken sigh, taking another bite.

"I miss you both. I wish you were here. I feel like my soul is lost, I'm being pulled in every direction. I'm still not too sure about going away to Vanderbilt for college either. What if the Seekers follow me there? The life of a Thusian is hard enough, but now being part of The 4 makes it seem like everything is too much for me to handle. And now I have to go prove myself at some stupid Trial and—" I put my sandwich down and lifted my hands to my face. I could ramble on about this for hours, but it wouldn't change a thing.

I slowed down my breathing, taking a couple of meditative breaths and then sat straight back up, pulling myself together.

"Cora said that you always wanted me to go to Vanderbilt, Mom," I continued. "I guess it's not going to be all bad. At least Elle will be there, and a couple of my friends from Winsor and Mt. Vernon. Eric got a football scholarship and his girlfriend, Livi, got an academic one. Mark and Heather are going there too. You both know Mark and his family, of course."

I picked up the lunch sack and dug through it until I found a small water bottle at the bottom, unscrewed the top and took a drink.

"The past couple of months have been nice, not having to worry about being attacked by the Seekers. Not having Xavier and his two crazies plotting to kill me has been a relief, but at the same time, it's making me think more about the Trials. Why go through the Trials to prove that we formed The 7? It just doesn't make sense, when we all already know we did. Bernard already confirmed it. Why do we have to go through with it?"

I took another drink.

"You both know, I never wanted to be famous for saving anyone, and I certainly never wanted to be a part of any of this. I just want to be normal. Is that too much to ask?"

Cora honked the horn twice. I turned and waved to her, gathering my stuff. It was time to go.

"I'll be back again later. Love you guys."

As I walked to the truck, I noticed a thunderstorm forming on the horizon. The tops of the dark, ominous clouds seemed to be lifting higher and higher toward the heavens. Even with the sun out, I could see lightning flashing in the storm, illuminating the clouds in the most violent yet beautiful way.

"Looks like a bad storm is moving in," I said, getting into the truck.

"Yes, I see that," Cora said, putting the truck in drive, never looking at the approaching storm.

Every time I came here with her, I asked if she wanted to join me at my parents' graves, but she always thoughtfully declined my offer. I wasn't sure if she didn't want to be upset around me so she could be my rock or if she just wanted to have some time alone. Whatever the reason, she was still here for me, as always.

"So, have you talked to Elle lately?" Cora asked. "I miss her."

"No, not recently. We agreed not to talk for a while, just in case someone was listening in on our conversations like before," I said, feeling the empty place in my heart ache, longing to hear her voice even for a brief moment. But for her safety, this is what we had decided to do, and this feeling would have to be a welcome one because it meant she wasn't in harm's way.

"Do you know if she's coming back to visit anytime soon?" Cora asked, pulling out of the cemetery. She knew why Elle wasn't around, so I wasn't sure why she was asking.

"No, Noel just got to Winsor a few weeks ago. Elle wants to get her moved in and settled before she visits us."

After the attack last year at Vanderbilt in Chase's flat, Elle somehow felt personally responsible that Noel had gotten hurt so badly. Cora and I tried to explain that Noel was her Thusian bodyguard and that it was her job to protect Elle no matter what. But Elle didn't care; she still felt responsible. I would have been angry about having a guard placed with me without my knowing, but not Elle. To her, Noel was a friend, and nothing else mattered. When Noel started to recover from the attack, Elle made up her mind that Noel would move in with her in Winsor.

**

After Cora and I got home, the storm moved in over our house. I was lying in bed, flipping the blank silver coin that Genevieve had given me over my knuckles, listening to the rain falling against the roof. It sent a comforting pitter-patter sound through the roof and into my room.

"What time is Mark coming over tonight?" Cora called up to me from somewhere downstairs. "I'd like to see what else he has been able to figure out."

"He should be here soon. You know—" I had begun to yell over the noise of the storm but stopped because she appeared in my doorway.

"You know, his dad isn't too happy about how much time he's spending here with all of us. He thinks we're bad influences on him, which is funny because Mayor Siegel makes money off of dead people," I said with a little contempt and sarcasm in my voice.

"I'll make us some dinner while we wait for him to slip out of his house." She didn't respond to what I said, but I knew she agreed.

"Cora," I said calling her back into the room before she went downstairs.

Something had been bothering me for some time now, and I knew Cora would be able to talk me through it, if anyone could.

"Am I supposed to be doing something more?" I asked, sitting up and propping the pillow against my headboard and then leaning back on it.

She looked puzzled by the question.

"I mean, should I, or we, be doing more things to, you know to help, the, ahh...world or something with our talents? You know, like fight crime or something like that?" I said, rambling.

A beaming, radiant smile came to her face, like one I used to see from my mom when she was proud of me for something. She came over and sat down next to me on the bed, putting a hand on my knee and giving it a pat.

"You're so wonderful. I'm so proud of the man you are becoming." That wasn't the answer I was looking for.

Seeing my look of frustration, she answered, "We're doing what we're supposed to be doing. This isn't like the movies or a comic book, where the bad guys are broadcasting what they're going to do so we can come to the rescue. And no, a police scanner wouldn't work either."

She laughed as if she had made a joke.

"If we went looking for ways to help, it would be fruitless, a waste of time. We would probably go months before we were even able to help anyone." She took a deliberate deep breath. "The real heroes are the people who risk their lives every day, like the military, police...oh, you know all of this already; I'll save the speech. So if one day you decide to do one of those jobs, then of course you would be able to use your talents more often, kind of the way Coach Moore did as a firefighter.

She paused and looked at me very seriously. "Nicholas, don't confuse the real world with the magic of movies. You're doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing right now. The only thing you should focus on is going to school—"

I interrupted, "What about the Trials and Xavier and—"

Cora continued, "Going to school and the Trials are the two things you should be focusing on now, you're right. After that, we will worry about Xavier and Grey. Because we, and I do mean we, will be able to stop whatever evil they are up to when the time comes."

The phone rang and I quickly answered, hoping it was Elle. But it wasn't.

"Hey, Nicholas. Sorry, I can't come over," Mark said. "My dad won't let me leave the house. He's being a little more crazy than usual."

"No problem, Mark," I said, disappointed that he wasn't Elle. "I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, I hope I can come over soon."

I hung up the phone and told Cora that Mark wasn't coming over because of his dad. That didn't surprise her, because Mayor Siegel was, in her words, "a two-faced, annoying politician."

**

"Cora, do you mind if we stop by the Mt. Vernon Museum on our way home?" I asked the next day as we were driving home from the cemetery. Cora and I had been exploring different parts of Mt. Vernon ever since we had decided to stay here.

"Riley's expecting us at home," she said. "You know how he gets when we change what we're going to do."

Riley had become overprotective of Cora almost to the point of ridiculousness. He was so upset that he wasn't with us when we were attacked at Vanderbilt. Every time I brought it up, he changed the subject. I think he was more upset that Chase had been there instead of him. Even though there was no way Cora would ever fall in love with Chase, it still bothered Riley.

"But, if we're quick, then I don't see any problem with stopping," she said with a mischievous smile.

She turned down the decorative red brick road that led back through an ornate and pristinely maintained lawn and garden, which surrounded the massive estate. The museum sat back from the road. We drove by a large bronze plaque that said it was dedicated to everyone who lost someone in the earthquake. This was the most frequently visited site in Mt. Vernon other than my old house, and it was about time that I found out what it was all about.

We drove around the football-field-sized parking lot for a while, looking for a place to park. We only succeeded after a school group came out and freed up several spots in the middle.

"Are you sure you want to do this now?" Cora asked, sounding suddenly uncertain.

"We will just go in for a minute. It was your idea to get fully acquainted with Mt. Vernon, remember?"

She nodded, but I could tell something was still wrong and that she didn't really want to be here. A loud clap of thunder rumbled. Another spring storm was firing up because of the clashing warm and cold fronts. It was like the storm was warning me not to go in. But I wanted to see what was in store for me, no matter what. Especially if this was one of the ways that the Thusian Council was profiting from the public. Since I was a member of the Council, it was my duty to be well-informed.

We walked up a marble white staircase, which looked like it belonged outside the gates of heaven. I kind of expected Saint Peter to be waiting at the top to let us in.

"Hello, and welcome to the Mt. Vernon Museum and Discovery Center," a middle-aged woman with white hair said from behind a Plexiglas window like at a movie theater.

"Nicholas and I would like to just look around," Cora spoke up.

"You can either get a day pass or a three hour pass. The rates are behind me," she said with a smile.

The day pass was $75 and the three-hour pass was $50. How could it be so much? It was just a museum. The art museum in St. Louis was free.

"We just want to look around," Cora said, sounding as shocked as I was that it cost so much to get in.

"If you are a resident you can get a season pass for $150. It will give you unlimited access to everything we have to offer here, including first chance to get tickets to any of our events. Are you both residents?"

"We certainly are," I responded forcefully, making her look at me.

The lady did a double take. "Oh my, I didn't mean to offend you both. Please come on in," she said, getting up off her stool and going out a side door and then opening the door next to us for us to enter.

"It's such an honor to have you here Mr. Taylor...ah...Keller..." she stuttered. She then bowed to us as if we were royalty, as Cora and I walked past her into the front lobby.

The main lobby area was enormous. It had a large dome over it with several skylights, and there were several shops selling souvenirs with Mt. Vernon on them. There was also a line to one side for some sort of ride, and on the other side there was one for a movie. Both Cora and I wandered around, ending up in one of the many shops. I picked up a miniature cemetery Christmas ornament. It was creepy. Why would anyone want to put that on a tree? While I was trying to think of who might want this, I heard loud talking coming from a different part of the shop.

"Are you kidding me?" Cora was saying, in a very demanding voice. She was holding up a framed picture of me holding Mrs. Rush. "You are profiting off of Nicholas and this tragedy? How dare you! I want to talk to the manager right now," she said, pointing her finger at the poor teen cashier who looked frightened.

The girl quickly went over to a door that was next to the customer service desk.

"Cora, what's the big deal? I expected to see this, didn't you?"

"I did, but using your likeness without our permission is not right. Nobody asked us."

I tried to calm her down, but it didn't work. She had her arms crossed and her face was bright red. She wanted answers, and the manager was the only one who could give them to her.

The door opened, and I recognized the man who came out as one of the Council members. I couldn't remember his name offhand, but he was very familiar. He was tall and lanky, as if he had been pulled and stretched by a taffy machine. He had on a red sport coat and tan slacks. His pants were just a little too short, exposing his white socks.

"Nicholas, Cora, it's so good to see you," he said, extending his hand. I took it and we shook.

"Why are you selling this stuff? It's wrong," Cora said more calmly, maybe because she recognized him as a Council member and didn't want to cause us any more issues with them on account of the upcoming Trials.

"Nicholas knows why," he said, looking at me like he wanted me to answer the question for her.

What was he talking about? I shrugged my shoulders, having no clue why I would know. He motioned for us to follow him over to his office. He shut the door once we were all inside.

"You are aware of what's going on here, right?" he asked me, looking very intent.

I looked at Cora, not sure what to say or how to answer. I knew that the Thusians made money from museums all around the world, but that was it. Sidney Reese from the Council had mentioned it cost a lot of money to run them, but that's all I knew.

"Excuse me, what's your name?" Cora asked before I could answer.

"I apologize, miss. My name is Sal Warner," he said, straightening out his legs as if they were hurting from sitting.

"Mr. Warner, I'm upset that you are using Nicholas to make money. I can stomach using terms like 10-10 Hero and other references, but having a framed picture of him from the newspaper seems like... well, it just seems wrong."

He looked at me as if he was expecting me to jump in again and give my thoughts, but I had no clue what he was thinking.

"Nicholas, you know what's going on here?" he asked again, like this time I would say something.

"I'm sorry but I don't know what you are talking about," I answered, puzzled.

His face dropped, as if he couldn't believe I didn't know the answer. He stood up, opening the door to look out and closing it again as if he were expecting someone to show up.

In a hushed voice he said, "You should know what's going on here, Nicholas. If you don't, then I can't tell you."

He opened the door and said in a loud voice, "It was so nice of you to drop by. Please feel free to walk around and let me know what you think of the place. We have spent much time and effort to make sure things are just right. And Nicholas, I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting."

Cora and I walked out of the office, confused. Cora seemed less upset, probably because she was wondering what in the world he was talking about.

We wandered to the back of the room to a large corridor where a group of students was being escorted by a tour guide into the exhibit. On the walls were different pictures of people and places. Each had a little story accompanying it, explaining what had happened in the picture on the day of the earthquake. My brain was in such a haze from seeing all of this stuff. It made it hard for me to think about what Sal had said or, actually, what he hadn't said.

Cora nudged me to snap me out of my trance. I looked straight ahead. In front of us was a small blue house that had collapsed. The whole room around it was painted black with only spotlights shining on the destroyed home.

"Can anyone tell me what this house was?" the tour guide asked, walking over to the front of it.

"It's a house destroyed in the earthquake," someone answered from the group.

"Yes, that's right, but can anyone tell me why we have this particular house on display and why it's so important?"

"Is it the house that the 10-10 Hero lived in?" a young child answered.

"You are on the right track, but remember, Alexander Nicholas Taylor Keller's house was not destroyed. You can still see it on our city tour. Anyone else?" the tour guide asked.

No one said anything this time.

"This is the house where Joseph Taylor, the 10-10 Hero's father, died saving the Hall kids, all three of them."

Several people made sounds like that was going to be their next guess.

"Joseph Taylor was a member of the Mt. Vernon Fire Department and was the first to respond to this house during the earthquake. The children's mother was outside. She'd been injured by a falling branch. Joseph Taylor went in without any backup or help from anyone else. He rushed through and saved Madi and Stephen, ages three and four, and then went back in and rescued little Carsyn who was only a year old. He got him out the front door right when the first major aftershock shook the New Madrid fault line again. A piece of the framing struck him in the chest, piercing his heart as he carried little Carsyn. Even with this injury, he was still able to get the baby out to his brother, sister and mom." Most of the spotlights on the house dimmed, leaving just one fully illuminated.

"Out of twenty firefighters in this city, all but four died during the earthquake, saving others. Heroes, every one of them."

She waited a second to let that soak in and said, "Now if you will follow me."

The crowd moved out, allowing me to see everything fully. In front of me, the single spotlight was on a full cardboard cutout of my father in firefighting gear. I actually remembered when that photo was taken. It was right after Easter, and we had gathered at the fire station for the annual Easter lunch with the families. That year all of the firefighters had to get pictures taken for a directory that the town was putting together. My mom and I were sitting with a couple of other families when my dad came out, ready for the picture.

Cora laid her hand on my shoulder pulling me back to the present. "Let's go; there's no reason to stay here. I'm sure Mark is already at the house with Riley and Genevieve."

I didn't look at her; I continued to stare at my dad's cutout. Next to him was another one, but this one was of the Hall children. Each one of them had freckles and was undeniably related. I stared at each one of their faces, trying to commit them to memory.

"Dad was a hero," I said, walking past the building and following the tour. I knew I didn't have to go on but I wanted to. I was curious. Maybe this place would shed some light on other questions I had about that day which had never been answered.

Next we entered an even larger room than the last one. It was triple the height and just as wide. In front of us was a tattered commercial building with nearly all of the glass windows shattered out of it. Parts of the building were twisted and bulging. How was it still standing? I thought. The group that we had been following was on a platform at least three stories tall overlooking the entire structure. Cora followed me up a series of ramps, and we settled in behind the crowd again to listen.

"This is the building where Beth Taylor saved her co-worker, Lisa Miller, and friend, Ester Theasing."

I pushed up through the group without even thinking. The first image I saw was a picture of my mom on a plaque attached to the railing, which became blurry because of the tears that suddenly formed in my eyes. I wiped the tears away before anyone noticed.

Inside the structure were three cardboard cutouts. One was hanging out the window, being pulled up by the second one, while the third was already going down the stairs that could be seen through the broken building.

"Beth Taylor freed Margaret Miller, who was pinned underneath a beam that had fallen on her. And here you can see Beth Taylor holding onto a dangling Ester Theasing, who fell out of a broken window. Once Ester was safe, Beth continued to search the building and eventually died later, when one of the aftershocks hit. And this entire museum," she held up her hands and said in a loud voice, "everything here was paid in full by Ester and Henry J. Theasing. They wanted to show their gratitude to such an amazing family, and you all will be happy to know that half of all the proceeds go to a college fund that sends any child who was orphaned during the quake to school, free of charge." Everyone began to clap as they followed her down to leave.

I was in disbelief at what I was seeing and had just heard. I had only heard stories about how my parents had died, and yet all this time, the actual places were here in this museum for anyone to see. Everyone who had visited the museum knew more about my parents' deaths than their own son did. And on top of everything, Ester was one of the people my mom had saved. Why hadn't she mentioned that or any of this? My head began to pound.

The past and present swirled around in my mind along with flickers of anger and sadness. I grabbed ahold of the nearby railing to steady myself. Cora tried to move me, but I couldn't release my hands. My grip was so tight that my knuckles were turning white and I felt like I could easily bend the railing if I wanted to. My mind began to overload.

"Nicholas," Cora said putting her hand gently onto mine. "Everything is okay. Your parents are heroes. These displays are evidence of that. I'm not sure why Ester hasn't shared any of this with us, but we will get our answers, I promise."

She pried my hand off the railing and led me down the ramps to the ground floor. I walked over to the building that loomed above me. I climbed over the rail and reached out to touch the broken building. I looked up at my mom holding onto Ester Theasing. The cold steel against my hand was like ice, sending intense chills through me like wave after wave of calmness.

Cora helped me back over the railing and led me through a narrow tunnel to the next room. I froze, not able to move. In front of me was E. H. Green School...but it couldn't be. Why couldn't it? I asked myself. I had just seen the house and building where my parents died; why not have my old school sitting in here for everyone to see, too. This was different from the other two rooms. There was a path that led through the broken parts of the school with a glass wall protecting it. As I began to walk in, I was transported back to the day of the earthquake.

**

"Someone help me, please." I heard a voice penetrating the chaos of the crumbling building; it sounded like Mark. Sparks were raining down from the ceiling, and broken pieces of the school were everywhere. I darted forward as I saw Mark on the ground ahead of me, trying to drag himself out of some concrete rubble.

"Don't move, I'll help you," I yelled to him. I tried to help him up, but he wasn't able to stand.

He screamed in agony, "My leg!"

A piece of metal was sticking out of his shin, and it was lodged into a larger piece of the wall, holding him in place.

"Mark, this is going to hurt." I found a loose wire nearby and tied it around his leg like a tourniquet to slow down the bleeding. Then I pulled his leg free of the metal.

His screams were drowned out by another earthquake that began to make the building sway back and forth again, rumbling so loud it felt as if my eardrums might explode. I picked Mark up and got him out of the building.

"Did you see Tina or Ms. Rush?" I asked him frantically.

He didn't answer, still in too much pain. He was in shock. So I ran back into the building in search of them. The school was now in even worse shape. All of the lockers that had fallen over were covered with debris. The school had become a maze of destruction.

"Tina!" I yelled as loudly as I could. I didn't hear anything other than the school creaking and groaning. So I ran in the direction that I thought Ms. Rush's class should have been.

The shaking stopped for a moment, and that's when I heard sobbing. The cries sounded like a wounded animal caught in a trap. I climbed over several piles of concrete and found the source of the crying. A wall had toppled over and onto several desks. Underneath the desks was a badly injured Tina. She was covered in blood. Her face had several cuts on it, which were bleeding heavily, matting her hair in a thick braid of blood and dust. Where she wasn't bleeding, she was covered in a gray chalky powder.

"Tina, hang on! I'm going to get you out of here," I said, crawling into the space where she was. She didn't respond to me. She just continued to cry. The desk that was protecting her was buckling from the weight of the wall. Another aftershock would make it collapse, crushing us both. From the inside I couldn't pull her free because a large piece of concrete had her pinned down. I moved to the other side to get a better look. I could just see her legs sticking out. I knew this would be the only way to free her without causing the wall to collapse.

I grabbed onto the concrete piece that was holding her down and pulled with all of my might. It shifted just enough for me to grab her legs and pull her free.

Bracing part of the wall with my back, I grabbed her legs and began to pull her out. She began to scream at the top of her lungs, a high, blood-curdling scream. She was in agony, but this was the only way I knew to save her. I scooped her up and navigated my way through the broken school to safety.

I laid her down next to Mark, who was now being attended to by several teachers and students. Then another aftershock hit, which felt as strong as the first earthquake. The school began to collapse.

An image of Ms. Rush flashed through my mind. I had to get back in there. A couple of people tried to grab me to prevent me from going back in, but I pulled free and sprinted into the building. This time pieces of the ceiling were raining down all around me, exposing the blue sky with several of those rainbow clouds. A couple of ceiling pieces nearly hit me, but I was able to avoid them, almost as if I had a force field protecting me.

I arrived at the place where I had found Tina, and shouted, "Ms. Rush, Ms. Rush!"

I waited for an answer, but there was no response. Everything was still shaking; the remaining walls were caving in. I had to find her before time ran out.

I began to yell again, moving farther in toward her classroom, and that's when I spotted her large wooden desk. It was covered in metal, wires and broken walls.

When I got to it, Ms. Rush was under it. She wasn't moving at all. How was I going to get her out of here?

"Please help me," I shouted out.

"You can do this, Alexander," I told myself, "because if you don't, she will die."

I reached down and pulled Ms. Rush up, putting my arm underneath her limp body. I was barely holding her up, using all of my might. I started to climb through everything, trying to make my way out. It was difficult. She was so heavy, and the landscape of the school was treacherous, just waiting to swallow us both. One wrong move and we would both die. I was halfway to safety when the shaking intensified even more.

"Run," I told myself. And with that I began to run, clinging onto Ms. Rush. I braced myself to be crushed, but I wasn't. We were outside. I looked back and realized we had just cleared the building and in one final exhaustive groan the building collapsed.

**

"Nicholas, Nicholas, are you okay? We can leave here if this is too much."

Cora's question brought me back to the present. "I'm fine, but let's get home."

