The Secret Read online

  Jake stood next to the door.

  I gasped back into the seat. My heart started pumping furiously.

  Jake’s lips suppressed a laugh as he reached his hand out to me. He was wearing a black leather jacket and dark jeans with combat-looking boots. “Just because you don’t want to help us doesn’t mean we aren’t friends, does it?”

  Looking down at his open hand, I felt a little suspicious. I wanted to believe him—that we could be friends.

  “Hey, Lanie.” Rob leaned over to me.

  I turned to him, catching a half-smirk on his face.

  “Go find those normal friends.”

  Rolling my eyes, I slid down from the Jeep, careful to avoid Jake’s hand.

  Jake shut the door and gave Rob a farewell wave. Stepping next to me, he asked, “Did you have a nice weekend?”

  He had his backpack slung over his shoulder and his dark hair was still a little wet. He looked good. Too good. Butterflies started in my stomach and I tried to ignore them, turning for the school. “Yep.”

  Jake laughed, walking beside me. “So that’s how it’s going to be?”

  Frowning at him, I picked up my pace. “I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”

  Tugging at a little piece of my hair, he stepped to the other side of me.

  Unwillingly, I laughed at his antics, batting away his hand. “Hey. What are you doing?”

  He bumped into my shoulder in light companionship. “Lanie, I know you feel this too. Why are you fighting it?”

  The intensity of his words made the butterflies that had been under control in my stomach rush into my chest, taking my breath away. I put my hand up. “Stop, Jake. Just stop.”

  Putting his hand quickly down to his side, his eyes twinkled with suppressed silliness.

  Even though I didn’t want to, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. “I don’t understand you.”

  Suddenly, Marsha was beside Jake. She folded her arms and frowned. “Oh, gag me with a spoon.”

  “I think it’s cute.” Karen stepped next to her, smiling sweetly at me. “How’s Rob?”

  A heavy arm draped over my shoulder and Reed laughed loudly, a toothpick in his mouth. “What’s up? It’s the Lane-ster.”

  I pulled away from him. He reeked of bacon.

  He didn’t seem to notice, pulling the toothpick out of his mouth and chomping at me with his big, white teeth. “I don’t care what Marsha says…I like you.”

  I shook my head, looking in turn at each of them. How come my emotions seemed to tailspin when I was around them? “Thanks…I guess.”

  The bell rang and the others dispersed, leaving me alone with Jake. I started toward Mr. Drake’s class, but Jake stepped close to me, reaching out to softly touch my fingers.

  My heart fluttered painfully and I pulled away from him. “I’m not helping you, Jake.”

  Jake shook his head and let out a breath, giving me a severe look. “I get that…this isn’t about that.”

  We walked into the classroom and I didn’t feel like I could take a breath. He was still giving me that intense stare as I slid into the seat behind him.

  Mr. Drake rapped the podium in front of the class, nodding at us and using his fingers to comb down the sides of his mustache. “So we’ve talked about choices, people. Heroes have to make choices to make them interesting. No one likes a hero who sits around and lets things happen to them. But today—let’s talk about destiny.”

  As I turned into Mr. Drake, a small tingle started on the back of my neck.

  “Sometimes the hero needs to be persuaded to find their destiny. We see this in the mentor character. They help show the hero what they can become.”

  My eyes connected with Mr. Drake’s and his words started coming apart, swooshing to me in a bright yellow funnel. He kept talking and his words swirled across the classroom, becoming a steady stream straight into my heart. Jolting in my seat, I knocked my backpack off the desk with a loud thud.

  Mr. Drake stopped talking, looking at my backpack on the floor. The class turned to me. The funnel was gone and the yellow melted around me, leaving me with a peaceful feeling. His words…his words had power?

  “Ms. Hart, are you okay?” Mr. Drake stepped from around the podium and walked to my desk, his face softening with concern.

  Jake picked up my backpack, giving me a confused look.

  I held perfectly still. Had I imagined that? “Yeah. I’m fine.”

  Mr. Drake tilted his head down, turning on his heel. “Okay. So—let’s talk about the next report coming up…”

  I went to the Art room at lunch, trying to stick with my resolve to make normal friends, and trying to figure out if I’d imagined the whole thing with Mr. Drake. Painting was the only thing that helped me think. Art. I loved it. After being locked away at The Foundation, I’d made a promise to myself that I would never take my art for granted again. The freedom to draw what I want, how I want…was a gift.

  I worked on the lily I’d been seeing in my mind lately, with the vines spreading and growing, the flames of purple, yellow, and a mixture of bluish-pink. Leaning back, I surveyed the room, making sure no one was there. I touched the lily with my pinky, catching it as it formed into the real thing before it could fall to the ground, and pulling it close, smelling the sweet fragrance.

  “Impressive.”

  Dropping the lily to the ground, I turned.

  Marsha tapped across the floor, her stilettos peeking out from beneath her bedazzled jeans. She looked magazine perfect in a white button down, fitted shirt, down to her perfect, salon-manicured nails.

  Running her hand in the air next to the canvas, she hissed, closing her eyes. “I can almost feel what it would be like.” She turned to me, inspecting me closely. “I can almost feel the power that must surge through you—especially when they come alive.”

  Her hair was up, Chinese-looking chopsticks holding her blonde hair in place, and perfectly placed tendrils waving gently around her face. Her green eyes were calm, but I could feel her angst. I didn’t move, watching her walk over to my paints.

  She looked up at me. “Can you draw youth, beauty, health?”

  I held her eyes, but didn’t try to answer.

  She laughed, looking a little insane. “That was me. I could heal. I could make people beautiful.” Picking up a brush, she dipped it in yellow, and stepped to the canvas. “Can you draw the sun?” She made a circle, filling the circle gently. “Desire, love, power?” Looking at the canvas, she whispered, “That was Jake. You never felt alone around him. He could convince you of almost anything.”

  Intrigued and disconcerted, I watched as she did little doodle designs.

  Turning back to me, she rinsed the brush, dipping it in blue. “Can you draw strength? I mean pure force, raw muscle?” She pressed her lips together, making a popping sound with her mouth. “Obviously that was Reed. Nothing could stop him.” She painted a long strip of blue onto the canvas. Stepping in front of me, she reached the brush into the air, pretending she was drawing a design. “Wait…that’s you, not me.” Holding the brush out to me, she waited.

  Cautiously, I took it, unsure if she would try to hurt me or something. But she let it go and stepped back, shoving her hands into her jean pockets and turning for the door.

  I didn’t want to ask, but I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to know. Even though I knew in some ways it would hurt to know. “And Karen?”

  Stopping, Marsha didn’t turn. She shook her head, mumbling, “She wants to know. The Chosen One wants to know.” Jerking around, she glared at me, holding my gaze for a second longer than I was comfortable with. “Knowledge, brilliance, peace.”

  Sadness—deep sadness seemed to wash over her face and I felt myself start to grow very cold inside. I looked down an
d the lily next to my foot disappeared.

  Marsha followed my gaze to the floor and glared at me, her green eyes wild and piercing in authority. “You understand death, don’t you?”

  I felt like I couldn’t swallow and started coughing—images of dead animals melting to ash flashed into my mind.

  Pouncing toward me, she raged into the air. “Oh—he didn’t tell you that part, did he?”

  I couldn’t stop coughing and turned away from her—I didn’t understand.

  “Each day brings us closer to the Equinox,” Marsha said. “And that…brings us closer to our death.”

  Episode 9: The Spy

  “Don’t give me that look—it’s not like cold pizza will kill you.” Rob tossed the box on the table and then waited, searching my face. “What?”

  I dropped my backpack on the floor and slouched into the retro-looking metal kitchen chair that had come with the rest of the dated furniture in the apartment. I tried to hold back the annoyance that I was feeling. “They’re dying.”

  Quizzically, he raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

  I laid my head on the table. “I thought they just wanted their powers back because…they wanted them back. I didn’t realize they were dying. Marsha told me that if they don’t get their powers back by the Equinox…they will die.” Flashing waves of forest green mixed with a deep steel color etched around the front of my head. I reached up and ripped off my bandage. “Ouch.”

  Rob leaned against the fridge in curiosity. “What do they know about the Equinox?”

  I thought of Marsha’s superior eyes. It had been like she was almost happy to tell me they were dying. I stood, picking up my backpack, and headed for my room. “I don’t know.”

  Sighing loudly, Rob followed me. “You can’t just walk away from a conversation like this. Did you ask Jake?”

  Jake—he’d insisted on giving me a ride home when he found me after school. “No, I didn’t ask.”

  Rob propped his elbow against the doorframe. “I doubt they’re dying. That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think? Why didn’t you ask Jake?”

  I shrugged, not wanting to admit that I wasn’t ready to ask him.

  Squinting in thought, Rob put his finger in the air. “All we know is that it all happens during the Equinox. We need to find out how.”

  I pulled my painter’s smock around my clothes, tying it on the side and pulling it closer around the front.

  My mom had sewn this smock for me. She’d sewn dozens for me. I thought of her soft, white face in the morning before she’d put on her make up.

  I turned to Rob. “I want her safe, Rob. I just want her safe, and I want…” I dropped the paintbrush I’d soaked in yellow, splattering paint all over the carpet. “Arr…” Leaning over, I picked up the paintbrush and glared up at Rob, my voice pleading. “Why would they need their powers to live? It doesn’t make sense to me.”

  Rob didn’t speak for a minute, then he stepped inside and sat on my bed. “Lanie—we don’t know that you’ll die if you don’t have your powers. We don’t know that.”

  I threw my brush down and buried my face in my hands. The emotion that had been welling inside my chest all afternoon finally unleashed. “I just want it gone. I just want these stupid powers gone. I want mom better. I want dad…”

  Rob picked me up and placed me gently on the bed, sitting beside me and holding me. “I know. I know…me too. I wish it would all go back to the way it was.” He hummed the Star Wars theme song as he swept his hand down my hair.

  It was his nervous hum and I couldn’t help but smile a little.

  Rob pulled away. “What?”

  I straightened, wiping my nose. “You—that song.”

  Rob flushed with embarrassment, but smiled at me. “What? It’s a soothing song.”

  I stood up, the sad moment over. “It’s not a soothing song—it’s…it’s—”

  Rob stood, backing out of my room and motioning me to follow him. “It’s triumphant—that’s what it is. You know good will triumph over evil when you hear that song.”

  When I didn’t move to follow him, he reached forward and took my hand, pulling me behind him down the hall.

  “Come on—we’ve got somewhere to go.”

  I pulled my hand back, but kept following. “Where?”

  Taking his keys off the hook, he threw my jacket at me. “It’s time I did some recon work. It’s just strange they all live out there in that big warehouse anyway, but it’ll give me a chance to see what they’re up to. ”

  Fifteen minutes later, Rob’s Jeep tumbled onto the dirt road leading to the house they all shared.

  “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

  Rob shrugged, fixing the overhead mirror so he could see his own reflection in it. “It’s been awhile since I’ve done it, but I’m not worried. I’ll pull over up here and just run the rest of the way.” Turning onto a small side road, he parked the Jeep so it would be camouflaged by the trees.

  I leaned back into the seat. “What if they find out?”

  Rob laughed and yanked his hood over his head. “They won’t find out.”

  I sighed, not wanting to start a fight. “Let me come.”

  Rolling his eyes, he turned off the engine. “We talked about this. I’m faster without you. And I’ll be quick—just do a little checking, rummage through some of their stuff. Think of it as a simple fact-finding mission. I’ll be invisible. What can go wrong?”

  An hour later my phone buzzed. It was a text from Jake: ‘I found something that belongs to you.’

  Fear beat through me. I hopped over the stick shift and put the Jeep in gear, backing up to the road and heading to the house.

  When I pulled up, Jake stood on the deck. The lights from the house shone brightly behind him, illuminating the lines of his face. He didn’t have a coat on and I could see his breath coming out in white puffs. His hands were stuffed in his jean pockets. The familiar pull to him swept over me. I’d been trying to pretend I couldn’t feel it. But now—was he dying?

  I killed the engine and took a breath, trying to calm myself. I had to play it cool for Rob’s sake. I got out of the Jeep and turned to Jake, not knowing what to say. “Hey—got your text.”

  Jake didn’t move and I noticed the tightness in his jaw.

  I tried not to seem nervous. I walked up the steps slowly, scanning for Rob. A fire was burning in a metal pit with chairs surrounding it, but no one else was around. “Where’s Rob?”

  Jake nodded to the Jeep. “You got here pretty quick.”

  Something wasn’t right. “I was in the neighborhood. Where is he?”

  Motioning with a nod of his head to the house, he then stepped in front of me, grabbing my shoulders gruffly. “Why was he spying on us?” His voice was low and tight.

  I looked at his hands, feeling a calm anger sweep over me. I knew I couldn’t trust him. I knew this all felt wrong.

  Jake held my eyes without saying anything. Anger and then sadness washed over his face. He pulled away from me. “Okay, guys.”

  Before I knew what was happening, cold, strong hands clamped down on my wrists.

  “You had me—until you sent your brother to spy on us. Nope, that wasn’t very nice of you. But now we are going to get some answers.” Reed bound my wrists in handcuffs as Marsha and Karen started duct-taping my fingers and hands.

  “What the…?”

  Jake cut me off. “Sorry, Lanie.”

  Reed pushed me forward into the front of the house. The warm air from the room assaulted me. It smelled like cinnamon with a touch of vanilla. I looked around. Rob was sitting at the kitchen table, his hands bound behind his back. Tilting his head up, he shrugged. “Hey, Sis.”

  Annoyance surged through me.

 
Reed manhandled me to the table—giving me a push every few seconds.

  Jake glared at him and gave him a shove in the shoulder. “Just stop.”

  Pulling out a chair next to Rob, Reed pointed to it, but looked at Jake. “Oh—you want me to stop? I’m just getting started. They think they can spy on us? Pffftt.” He jerked his thumb at Rob. “First of all, it’s pretty sad when the people you’re spying on can hear you tripping and, even worse, he breathes like a freaking gorilla.”

  “Do not!” Rob glowered at him.

  Karen sat across from Rob and frowned, avoiding my gaze.

  Marsha stood behind her, holding my eyes. “I guess you weren’t man enough to come to us yourself—you have to send in this pitiful mess?”

  Rob let out a breath. “That’s not fair—I let you find me.”

  I glanced at Rob. He gave a quick shake of his head in answer to my unasked question and I felt myself relax. They didn’t know about his power.

  Reed moved around the table, standing beside Marsha and Karen. Placing both hands down, he leaned over us, glaring. “I’m not fond of the guy—but why shouldn’t we just call Luth right now? For whatever reason, he wants her, and I bet he’d be willing to help us if we told him we have her.”

  Panic swept over me. I tried to sound tough. “Go ahead.”

  Jake put his hand up. “We talked about this. No. Absolutely not.”

  Slamming his hands against the table, Reed pulled away. “Grr…” He whirled in a circle and then moved face to face with Jake. “Don’t you miss it, man? At one time you could have sensed what they wanted. Doesn’t that suck for you?”

  Reed didn’t wait for Jake to respond, but turned to Marsha. “C’mon...”

  Marsha paused in thought and then shook her head. “Luth won’t help us—don’t you remember?” She put her fingers in quote marks and rolled her eyes. “It is ‘good for us to leave the garden for a while—see if we can survive outside of Eden’—jerk.”