Awaking (The Naturals, #1) (12 page)

Morgan just stared at him for a moment, confused. How could he have pulled her back—he was nowhere near her when she slipped. But then she realized what he meant. The same way she managed to take his hat, he managed to pull her out of harm’s way.

“Okay,” Morgan said after a minute. “Enough excitement for tonight. We should get going.”

Lucas nodded absently. He stood and offered Morgan his hands. She took them and he pulled her to her feet. As they started walking, Morgan winced.

“What’s wrong?”

Morgan took another step. Winced again. “I think I twisted my ankle—on the curb.”

Lucas put his arm around her waist and Morgan put her arm over his shoulders, allowing him to help her back to the car. Neither spoke as Lucas drove back to the coffee house. Lucas didn’t turn on the radio.

Morgan stared out the window but didn’t really see anything. The white light that served as her energy throughout their escapade was still thrumming through her veins, but she pushed it down so she could start processing events.

Wen insisted she was a Feeler, but his description did not include the ability to move things with her mind. But then why had she been able to do it? And what about Lucas? Was he right about Morgan sharing the ability with him, or… Morgan though of how she met a wall when she tried to read Lucas, as though he possessed the ability to block off his mind.

Could Lucas be a Natural, too?

When they got back to the coffee house, Lucas got out of the car to help Morgan out and over to her car. He helped to steady her as she dug through her purse for her keys. After she unlocked the car and opened the door, she leaned against the car and turned to face Lucas.

“Well,” she said slowly, “thanks for an interesting night.”

“That’s what I should be saying to you.” Lucas smiled.

Morgan just looked at him for a moment. She rested her hand on his chest. “Thanks. For, you know, saving my life.”

Lucas gave a small smile but didn’t say anything. Morgan felt a gentle pressure against her hand as Lucas shifted forward incrementally.

“I’m still wearing your hat,” Morgan said suddenly. She removed her hand from Lucas’s chest pulled the hat off her head. She set it on him and smiled. “Goodnight, Lucas.”

Lucas nodded. “Yeah. See you.”

Morgan got into her car and Lucas closed the door behind her. She waved at him and he made his way back over to his car. She put the keys in the ignition and started her car, but before she could put it into gear, she heard her phone beep. She fished through her purse for a moment before finding the phone. She smiled—a text from Ris: OMG having so much fun.

Morgan hit reply and started typing when a knock at her window made her jump. She turned, expecting to see Lucas. But it wasn’t Lucas.

Morgan rolled down her window. “Kellen? Stalker much?”

Kellen leaned down so his face was even with Morgan’s. He looked pissed. “What were you thinking?”

Morgan stared at him, confused. “What are you—”

But before she could ask the question, Kellen was holding his cell phone out to her. On the screen played a video. She watched for a moment, confused. But then she realized what she was looking at. It was the street she and Lucas had been on not half an hour earlier. She watched the crowd and saw a fedora flip in the air. Then there was someone in a fedora running down the sidewalk. It was her. She watched, mesmerized, as she saw herself look back, smiling, to see where Lucas was. And then she saw as she was knocked out of the way by the broad-chested man, saw as she tumbled toward the road, directly into the path of an oncoming Hummer.

Then it was as if she were lassoed. Morgan watched the screen as she doubled over, completely changing directions and landing on the sidewalk.

Kellen stopped the video. “Well?”

Morgan was baffled. “How’d you get that video? Are you following me?”

“I didn’t take the video. We have people everywhere. Someone saw you and wondered what you were up to, so she took this video. A good thing, too.”

“You have people spying on me?”

Kellen didn’t seem to hear her. “Weren’t you listening? The only reason the Veneret exist at all is because we keep our abilities a secret. And there you are, out flaunting your abilities on a crowded street.” Kellen sneered. Then he looked at Morgan sharply. “And who’s the guy you’re with?”

“Lucas.”

“You say that like I’m supposed to know who you’re talking about.”

Morgan pointed to the coffee house. “He works here. He’s probably made your drinks before.”

Kellen squinted at the coffee house for a moment. “Dark hair, always wants to suggest what you should be drinking?”

Morgan nodded. “Yeah, that’s him.”

Kellen looked at Morgan, and for the first time since their conversation began, he didn’t look angry. “Really?” he asked, sounding surprised. “And he…”

“Pulled me back from the road, yeah. And he made a guy give him that fedora.”

Now Kellen looked baffled. “Seriously?”

“How is any of this shocking to you? You’re the one who’s been telling me about all these abilities. I saw you—you can move things with your mind. Why is it a surprise that someone else can?”

“It’s not that it can be done that surprises me. It’s the who that’s doing it. I’ve been coming to this place for a while and I never… I didn’t realize…”

“That he’s a Natural?”

“It fits.”

Morgan nodded. “I did a reading for him, and when I first started, he was kind of… blocked off. Is that maybe why you didn’t realize—”

But Morgan was cut short by the look on Kellen’s face.

“If he can block, he’s probably a Feeler,” Kellen said, more to himself than to Morgan. “But if he got the hat and pulled you back, that means he’s a Pusher and a Mover, too…”

“Is this a good thing, or…? I mean, what does it mean?”

Kellen glanced at her, seeming almost surprised to see she was still there. “It means I’ve gotta make some phone calls. Morgan, do me a favor?”

Morgan nodded.

“Don’t show off. If it gets around that you are…” He looked directly at her. “Let’s just say people won’t be happy. No matter who you are.”

“And… who am I?”

Kellen managed a smile. “You’re special.” He turned serious again. “Promise?”

Morgan nodded again. “Yeah, promise. Kellen… I’m sorry. I guess we weren’t thinking. We just felt so—I don’t know—so powerful. We had to do something.”

Kellen just stared at her blankly. “You… you both felt like that?”

“Yeah.” Morgan looked at him quizzically. “Why? Isn’t that normal?”

Kellen’s face remained expressionless for a moment, but then he smiled. “I’m beginning to think there’s nothing normal about you.”

Morgan felt herself blush and looked away.

“Look, I’ve gotta get going in light of… recent developments. What are your plans for the rest of the night?”

Morgan sighed. “Go home like a good girl.”

Kellen nodded. “Good girl. I’ll be in contact.” He waved and turned, walking toward what Morgan presumed was his car. He didn’t get three steps before his cell phone was at his ear.

Morgan rolled up her window, put her car in gear, and headed home. By the time she pulled into her driveway, she was in a pretty good mood. Besides the whole almost dying thing, she’d had fun with Lucas, and she was confident that Ris was having a good time on her date with Corbin. When she cut the ignition and headed toward the front door, she was even able to keep the limping to a minimum. But her good mood dissipated immediately when she opened her front door. There at the kitchen table strewn with papers and text books sat her father and Lynna Rochester.

Chapter Ten

“Morgan!” Dylan called jovially when he saw his daughter at the door. “There’s pizza in the kitchen if you’re hungry.”

Morgan didn’t look at her father; instead, she glared at her cousin. “What’s she doing here?”

Lynna’s lip curled. “Summer school. If I don’t ace my geometry final’s tomorrow, I’m not gonna pass. Mom says it all looks like Chinese to her, and Dad helped me as much as he could. Uncle Dylan was nice enough to offer his assistance.”

Morgan made a face. She glanced at her father. “I’ll be in my bedroom.”

“No, why don’t you have a seat and eat something?” There was a steely glint in his eye. “I insist.”

Morgan held her father’s gaze for a moment before dropping her eyes and complying.

“Why are you limping?” her father asked as she sat down.

“I twisted my ankle—it’s nothing.”

He nodded. Then he got out of his seat. “I’ll go get you some pizza.”

Morgan and Lynna watched as Dylan left the room. After a few moments, he called, “Where have you been? Out with Corbin again?”

Lynna’s head whipped around so quickly Morgan thought she may have gotten a crick in her neck. “Corbin?” she asked, eyes wide. “Corbin Starling?”

Morgan sighed. “How many other Corbins do you know?”

“What does he mean, again?”

“He, Ris, and I went out to a party last night,” Morgan said, enjoying the look of horror mixed with envy that flitted over her cousin’s face.

“And where’d you go tonight?”

“I wasn’t out with Corbin tonight.” To add fuel to the fire, she added, “But Corbin and Ris are out on a date as we speak.”

Lynna just mouthed wordlessly. Before she could form a sentence, Dylan returned with pizza and a glass of pop for Morgan. As soon as Morgan started eating, Dylan drew Lynna’s attention back to the fascinating world of geometry.

Morgan ate her food quickly and excused herself to her bedroom. She was just laying down on her bed when she heard her door open. She turned to see her cousin standing in the doorway.

“The hell, Joss? Ever hear of privacy?”

Lynna rolled her eyes and closed the door behind her. She sat down on the papasan Corbin had fallen asleep on the day before. “So, like, a date-date? Or do you mean, like, a friend-date?”

“What’s a friend-date?”

“You know, like, when friends go out. But, you know, a guy and a girl.”

“Well, they are kind of friends.” When a look of relief spread over her cousin’s face, she quickly added, “But that doesn’t mean he’s not interested in her.”

“But it doesn’t mean that he is.”

Morgan shrugged. “Maybe not. Still, how many times has Corbin asked you out—even only as a friend?”

“You’re a bitch.”

“Takes one to know one,” Morgan said lazily, staring at the ceiling.

Jocelyn crossed her arms and stared sullenly at the floor. It was minutes before she spoke again. “So, where were you tonight?”

“Like you care.”

“I’m trying here, okay?”

Morgan looked at her cousin. “Yeah? What is it exactly that you’re trying? Are you suddenly attempting to be a decent human being, or are you just trying to make yourself feel better after what your minions said at Corbin’s party?”

Joss let out an exasperated sigh. “Look—I’m sorry, okay?”

Morgan sat up, facing her. “Really? You’re sorry? Oh, well, then, everything’s forgiven. Let’s hug.” She rolled her eyes.

Joss threw her hands up. “Look, I’m sorry that you think I’m a bitch. I’m sorry that you got stuck being the freaky one and I got to be popular. I’m sorry I still have a mom and yours is gone—”

“She’s not gone.”

“It’s been ten years, Morgan,” Joss said quietly, averting her eyes. “If that’s not gone, I don’t know what is.”

“You’re wrong. She’s still alive.”

A look of pity washed over Joss’s features. “I know that’s what you want to believe. I believed it, too, for a long time—”

“It’s true, though.”

Joss closed her eyes and shook her head. “No it’s not.” She opened her eyes. “Morgan, I’m sorry, but sooner or later you’re gonna have to accept the truth. She’s dead.”

“Get out,” Morgan said quietly. When Joss made no move to comply, Morgan repeated herself, louder this time. And then louder and louder still. Before she knew it, she was on her feet, towering over her cousin and screaming. “Get out! Get out! Get out!”

Joss finally scurried from the room, slamming the door behind her. Morgan sank down into the papasan, sobbing. Despite Kellen’s assurances to the contrary, Morgan couldn’t help wondering—what if Joss was right? What if her mother really was dead?

When her father came in to check on her, she was completely unresponsive, but he was undaunted. Morgan heard the scrape of the legs of her desk chair against the wood floor, the sound of the chair accepting his weight.

Minutes passed. The only sounds in the room were Morgan’s sobs and her father’s even breathing. Slowly, slowly, Morgan felt herself regaining control. It didn’t feel like it did when Lucas calmed her; instead, her father’s magic was simply letting Morgan realize what she was doing, letting her find her way back to center.

Finally, Morgan was able to look up at him. On his face was the same look of tight control bordering on detachment that he wore whenever she lost it—as though if he let himself be moved even a little he would lose it, too.

“What’s up, hon?”

A quick debate took place in Morgan’s mind. To tell or not to tell. Honesty finally won. “Joss said that Mom is dead.”

He just nodded slowly, pressing his lips together in a tight line. “I’m not surprised. Your uncle’s been telling Aunt Ashleigh for years to give up on your mom ever coming back. He thinks that accepting she’s gone will be easier on her than holding out hope that her sister’s still out there.” He managed to smile at this, a humorless smile. “He thinks I’m crazy for still believing. Lots of people do.”

Morgan felt words forming on her lips—words that would tell her father about what Kellen said about Chelsea still being alive; words that might even tell him everything about Kellen, and everything about herself.

But she bit back the words. Instead she asked, “Then why do you still believe it?”

“I can’t explain it,” he said quietly. “I just think that… if she were really gone, I’d know. And since I still feel like she’s out there somewhere, she’s gotta be.”

She offered a thin smile. “I think she’s out there, too.”