ability the previous Starborn had?”
“That’s the idea, I think,” he says. “There’s a lot of theory that floats around when Starborns are researched. A lot of guessing. Truth is, drinking that blood could kill you. Or you could gain the power and lose control of it. Or you might be perfectly fine, with an amazing gift.”
“Gift,” I repeat, looking down at the blood. I’m tempted to tell him about my gift. He really would be the person to talk to, wouldn’t he? If he has studied people like me in the past, he might know what I should do about it. Or he might be able to give me some answers. I decide to play it safe.
“How does a Starborn gain the power in the first place?” I ask.
“It’s in their blood,” he says.
“I know that, but why does it show up at different times for different people?”
“I think it comes about when the person needs it the most,” he says. “When a person with Starborn blood is in danger, it just manifests. It’s a survival instinct. Then they have the power forever.”
“Are there ever unexplainable ones?” I ask. I hope I’m not being too obvious.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, like if a person found that they could read someone’s mind…or see someone else’s future or something…but it didn’t necessarily help them immediately.”
“Sounds pretty specific,” he says, grinning. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“There is a lot that I’m not telling you,” I say, setting my jaw firmly. “I don’t know you from Adam. I’m not saying I know anyone with Starborn powers. I’m just interested is all.” I feel like I’ve given myself away; that I’ve said too much.
He narrows his eyes, but the smile on his face hasn’t faded. “There was one case I studied that had me perplexed,” he says. “There was a man that had the gift of long life. He didn’t know it until he was diagnosed with a rare disease that should have killed him within weeks. But as soon as he learned of it, he started getting better.”
“So,” I say, shrugging.
“So, he didn’t die for another one hundred and fifty years or so. And even then, he only died because he was killed by someone.”
“Why would someone kill him?” I ask.
“Wrong place at the wrong time,” he says. “But the point is, I’ve never come across a case where the power manifested itself unless it was necessary for the Starborn’s survival.”
I stare at my feet as I sit on the cot. His words make me more frustrated because I don’t know what to think about myself. When I gained my ability, it seemed that I was meant to save Lucas. But I didn’t.
“Do you think there are variations from this scenario?” I ask.
“I’ve never seen one,” he says. “I can’t say that they don’t exist. For all I know, a person could have been born with a power, and grew up using it. Again, I’ve never seen such a thing, but who am I to rule it out?” He nods at me, looking at the glass in my hands.
“You might want to at least keep that hidden away,” he says. “If you have it on you when Shadowface gets here, you might as well be handing it to him.”
I nod at Jeremiah and he smiles at me again.
“Now, if I can just find my room,” he says with a chuckle. “People stay in a place like this for so long, they think outsiders already know where everything is.”
He turns to leave, but I stop him this time.
“Hey.”
He stops and looks at me.
“Do you really think Shadowface is coming here? Isn’t there a possibility that he didn’t hear about me? Or that he might not have heard the radio?”
“Well, I wasn’t there,” he says, “but if your sister’s recollection is correct and there was a blonde woman and a man named Samuel in the room, then I would bet my life that they will be coming here. I don’t mean to scare you, but Shadowface is a planner. Everything he does is with calculation and precision. That’s why I
“That’s the idea, I think,” he says. “There’s a lot of theory that floats around when Starborns are researched. A lot of guessing. Truth is, drinking that blood could kill you. Or you could gain the power and lose control of it. Or you might be perfectly fine, with an amazing gift.”
“Gift,” I repeat, looking down at the blood. I’m tempted to tell him about my gift. He really would be the person to talk to, wouldn’t he? If he has studied people like me in the past, he might know what I should do about it. Or he might be able to give me some answers. I decide to play it safe.
“How does a Starborn gain the power in the first place?” I ask.
“It’s in their blood,” he says.
“I know that, but why does it show up at different times for different people?”
“I think it comes about when the person needs it the most,” he says. “When a person with Starborn blood is in danger, it just manifests. It’s a survival instinct. Then they have the power forever.”
“Are there ever unexplainable ones?” I ask. I hope I’m not being too obvious.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, like if a person found that they could read someone’s mind…or see someone else’s future or something…but it didn’t necessarily help them immediately.”
“Sounds pretty specific,” he says, grinning. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“There is a lot that I’m not telling you,” I say, setting my jaw firmly. “I don’t know you from Adam. I’m not saying I know anyone with Starborn powers. I’m just interested is all.” I feel like I’ve given myself away; that I’ve said too much.
He narrows his eyes, but the smile on his face hasn’t faded. “There was one case I studied that had me perplexed,” he says. “There was a man that had the gift of long life. He didn’t know it until he was diagnosed with a rare disease that should have killed him within weeks. But as soon as he learned of it, he started getting better.”
“So,” I say, shrugging.
“So, he didn’t die for another one hundred and fifty years or so. And even then, he only died because he was killed by someone.”
“Why would someone kill him?” I ask.
“Wrong place at the wrong time,” he says. “But the point is, I’ve never come across a case where the power manifested itself unless it was necessary for the Starborn’s survival.”
I stare at my feet as I sit on the cot. His words make me more frustrated because I don’t know what to think about myself. When I gained my ability, it seemed that I was meant to save Lucas. But I didn’t.
“Do you think there are variations from this scenario?” I ask.
“I’ve never seen one,” he says. “I can’t say that they don’t exist. For all I know, a person could have been born with a power, and grew up using it. Again, I’ve never seen such a thing, but who am I to rule it out?” He nods at me, looking at the glass in my hands.
“You might want to at least keep that hidden away,” he says. “If you have it on you when Shadowface gets here, you might as well be handing it to him.”
I nod at Jeremiah and he smiles at me again.
“Now, if I can just find my room,” he says with a chuckle. “People stay in a place like this for so long, they think outsiders already know where everything is.”
He turns to leave, but I stop him this time.
“Hey.”
He stops and looks at me.
“Do you really think Shadowface is coming here? Isn’t there a possibility that he didn’t hear about me? Or that he might not have heard the radio?”
“Well, I wasn’t there,” he says, “but if your sister’s recollection is correct and there was a blonde woman and a man named Samuel in the room, then I would bet my life that they will be coming here. I don’t mean to scare you, but Shadowface is a planner. Everything he does is with calculation and precision. That’s why I
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