No ordinary hero (Keepers of justice # 1) (18 page)

I gently push her off me and roll onto my back
, continuing to breathe. I’m drenched in sweat. “I think we’re almost out,” I say.

“Yay!”
She wraps her arms around me.

I wonder if Mom’s mind
will be intact when we get out. If we get out. Will she wake up with the brain of a five year old?

Getting to my feet, I reach for her hand again. But she jumps onto my back. Ouch again. I’m too weak for this.

We trudge on.

I’m not sure how long we’ve been walking, but it feels like a really long time. Cindy chatters on and on, about school, her friends, her life. It’s intriguing. Sometimes I forget that this is my mother. There’s so much about her life I didn’t know, that I couldn’t
possibly
know because she probably doesn’t even remember them herself. Like how could she remember her favorite candy at age five? Or that she was the teacher’s helper? We’re forming some kind of bond here, but I’m not sure if she knows that.

“Kale?”

“Yeah?”

“Is that light?” she asks.

My gaze shoots to the area she’s pointing to. It
is
light. Light! We found the exit. We’re free! I sprint toward it. Run, run, and run, not paying attention to my bursting lungs.

And I come to a stop. It’s all the way up there. I need to climb. With a sack of flour on my back.

I scan the wall. It’s definitely possible to climb up, but I’m so tired. I don’t know if I have any energy left.

“Mommy and Daddy!” Cindy says, clapping her hands.

I hear the voices again. They’re clearer now.
Dad’s
voice. It’s like he’s on the other side of a brick wall. So close yet so far.

“Come on,” I say.

And so starts the long journey up. It’s taking much longer than I expected, and my limbs are on fire, straining and begging me to stop. But the voices and Cindy’s excitement and my own determination make me block out everything else and focus on only one thing. Getting to the light.

Almost there. All I have to do is heave myself over the edge.

“Come on, Kale,” Cindy says. “You can do it.”

My arms are shaking. I don’t think I can.

“Come on, Kale!” she cheers.

I can do this. I
will
do this.

Taking a deep breath, I pull myself over the edge. Fall flat on my back with Cindy right next to me. My lungs are scorching, like they’re about to explode. It hurts to breathe. And my muscles feel like metal. So heavy. I can’t even lift my head to see if Cindy’s okay.

After what must be at least five minutes, I slowly sit up. Cindy is on the floor, sitting cross-legged and staring at the bright light. It tears my eyes to look at it and I squint. I can’t see past the light, so I’ve got no idea what’s behind it. But I do hear voices, loud and clear.

“A coma, like his mother?”

That’s Dad.

“I’m afraid so,” Healer says.

No way. I’m getting out of here! I jump to my feet and reach for Cindy’s hand. “Come, Cindy. I think there are some people behind that light who really miss us.”

She gets up and grabs my hand. I tighten my hold on it, step forwa
rd, and we walk into the light.

My eyes shoot open. I’m in the hospital. On Mom’s bed. Little Cindy isn’t here, but my mother is.

Dad, Scar, and Healer are around me. Dad’s face is creased with worry, Healer’s eyes are wide, and Scar’s indifferent, as usual.

“What happened?” I ask, peering down at Mom. She’s blinking. Blinking? This is the first movement she’s made in months. Dad’s staring at her
, too. With this glint in his eyes. Astonishment. Hope.

“Cindy?” He breathes, reaching for her hand. “Kale, what’s going on here?”

I tell them everything—about five-year-old Mom, the tea party, cave, freaky creatures. Everything.

It would appear as though you
r son has freed your wife
, Scar tells Dad.
She is gaining consciousness.

It’s true. Mom’s eyes flutter open. I can’t believe it! I saved her. I’ve accomplished what other telepaths attempted. I’ve beaten Mom’s coma.

“Samson?” Mom asks, gazing up at his face. Dad nods, his eyes filling with tears. Mom’s eyes move to me. “Kale.” She stretches her arm out. I lower myself closer to her and she wraps the arm around my shoulders.

Dad’s gazing at Mom like he’s seeing her for the first time. Like a guy who got hit with one of Cupid’s arrows.

We don’t talk for a little while. We don’t need to. Just sit in each other’s arms like we were separated for an eternity. It feels like that. Especially to Mom, being stuck as her five year old self for so long.

“It was Kale,” Dad tells
Mom. “He managed to free you.” He plants a kiss on her forehead. “Oh how I’ve missed and yearned for you. I love you.”

“I missed you too, Mom. I’m so glad I saved you. But how did I do that?” She squeezes me close.

I believe I may have the answer to that,
Scar says.
No telepath was able to reach your mother. I attempted as well and could not get into her head. There was a barrier. You, Kale, have succeeded in breaking through the barrier.

I reached the little girl inside
, I finish. He nods.
Something no one else did. I’m the only one who got as far as I did. But why?

I believe the reason for that it because you share your mother’s DNA. You share her brainwaves, blood. As you attempted to enter her brain, her brain did not see you as foreign. You were welcomed.

So I sort of tricked her brain. How cool is that?

Mom’s smiling at me. She kisses my cheek. “You have an ability, sweetie. You’re a telepath.”

“Just like you. I love you.”

“I love you too, Kale.” She looks from me to Dad to Scar. “I’m confused. Why is Scar here? He’s made it clear that he has no wish to be part of the League.”

All three of us exchange glances. Dad pats Mom’s hand, smiling. “We’ll talk about that another time, dear.” They gaze into each other’s eyes like they’re on their first date or something. Eyes twinkling.

Kale
, Scar’s says.
A word outside, please
.

Giving Mom’s hand a squeeze, I tell her I’ll be right back. Scar leads me away from the hospital, into the elevator. “Where’re you taking me?” I ask. I still don’t trust him. Don’t know if I ever will. It’s his fault Stretch is dead, and that’s unforgivable.

I thought it wise to give your parents some privacy
.

I guess that makes sense, but he doesn’t have to know I agree or approve. My back leans against the wall and I cross my arms over my chest.

The elevator doors beep open, and I follow Scar into the foyer, where we take seats on the couch. I’m facing Stretch’s picture and trying not to look at it. I mean, it kind of blows. Being happy that Mom’s okay while Stretch just hangs there, all dead. Should I be happy? Man, if he were here...

Scar’s eyes trail mine.
You do not forgive me. Perhaps you never will
.

You got that right.

I made a mistake, Kale Zenith.

“You cared more about your frickin’ clan than you did about the three of us. Look at him!” I point
to the portrait. “He’ll never smile again.”

No emo
tion registers on Scar’s face.

“Your clan was used to being on its own. They were used to constantly being on the run. We weren’t. Stretch wasn’t. And you abandoned him.”

Something flickers in his eyes. Maybe he’s finally showing some emotion.
Andrew was a good boy. Brave. I regret what I did. Though at the time, I thought I did the right thing
.

My hands ball into fists.

Had I known you three would go after the ShadowBlades—a clear mistake—I would have provided you with my protection.

This is stupid, I guess. We can go back and forth
, but we won’t get anywhere. It won’t bring my best friend back. I’m mad at Scar and I will be for a long time. Maybe forever. Scar regrets what he did, or so he says. I won’t forgive him yet, maybe at all. I guess I’ll have to tolerate him. If forced.

Scar gets to his feet.
I shall leave you to your thoughts
. He walks out the front door.

I look up at Stre
tch. He’d love to hear that Mom is okay, and that Lindsay’s fine. It sucks that I can’t share anything with him anymore. “Even though you’re gone,” I tell him. “You’re always going to be here.” I hit my heart. “Like Dad said. We’ll always remember you, and your bravery. Your picture will stay there forever.” Tears come to my eyes as I stare at the smiling Stretch. I know I won’t always feel this way. Life continues. I just know that wherever I am and whatever I do, I’m always going to have a spot for him. In my heart.

“Hi.”

I whip my head around. Lindsay’s standing there, no longer dressed in hospital clothes. She looks really good, but sad. Just seeing her makes me feel good, even though we’re no longer an “us.”

“Hey,” I say.

“I was looking all over for you.” She sits down near me. Her gaze moves to Stretch’s portrait. “Is that him?”

I nod. She gives me a sympathetic smile. I swallow.

“Listen,” she says, turning to face me. “I was thinking...as soon as you left the hospital, I realized...” She runs a hand through her hair. “I realized that I can’t not have you in my life. I mean, we’ve been through so much together. And I care so much about you.” She continues to play with her hair. “I know how hard it’s been for you. You were forced to be my friend. Another guy could have been a jerk about it and given up, but you stuck it through and made an effort to be nice and get to know me. I haven’t felt such a strong connection with anyone before. And although you were performing your duty, you still were
you
.”

“Yeah, exactly!” Is she saying what I think she’s saying? I’m about to bounce off the couch.

Her eyes are on the carpet. “So I was thinking...maybe we can start over?” She meets my gaze. “I don’t want to lose you. I think we have something good going on, and I’d hate to lose that. It’s hard for me to get close to a person, but I feel really close to you and—”

“I feel very close to you, too
.”

She laughs a little. “Let me finish.”

“Yeah, sorry.”

“So I feel really close to you, and I think it would be a big mistake to end things. I think the best thing for us is to try again. We’ll be living in the same
house and it’d be awkward if we weren’t speaking to each other, right?”

“Yeah, really awkward.” I grab her in my arms. “You have no clue how happy I am now!” I smash my lips to hers.

She giggles and gently pushes me away. “Slow, okay? One step at a time.”

“Anything you say.” This is awesome. I glance up at Stretch’s picture, feel my spirits fall. But Stretch would be happy for me, he’d want me to be happy. I know he’s looking down on me right now, wishing only the best.

“Kale.” X steps into the room. His eyes travel from me to Lindsay. “Oh. Hi.”

“Hi.”

“This is X-Ray,” I tell Lindsay. “X, this is Lindsay.”

They both nod to each other.

X says to me, “Everyone’s leaping off the walls. The place is on fire. Your mom’s out of her coma.”

“I know. It was me who got her out of it.” He steps closer and raises his eyebrows. I point to my head
, then wrap an arm around Lindsay’s shoulder. “Telepathy, thanks to my...girlfriend?”

She nods with a smile.

X’s lips lift slightly. “Nice.”

“Yeah.”

I look up at Stretch. X follows my gaze. His lips form a straight line. Pain flashes in his eyes. “I didn’t say goodbye.”

“Still can.”

He stares up at the picture. Shuts his eyes.

I look at the smiling Stretch to give him my own goodbye.
We’ve defeated the ShadowBlades and saved the world together
.
Thank you for your friendship. Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Wouldn’t have accomplished all I have. Your spirit will rest with me forever, Stretch
.

And that’s a promise.