understand—if I think you have told any outsider about us, I will do the same. Again.”
“Or you could just ship me off.”
He took a deep breath, visibly struggling for patience. “Yes, that is always an option. Do you understand, Ember?”
Hayden stopped eating long enough to hear my answer. “Yes. I understand.”
“Good,” Cromwell said. “I have some questions for you.” I stared at him until his smile strained.
“May I ask how many times Olivia has used her gift? Besides the time she used it with you.”
I thought about lying. “Only a few times since: a cat, a pigeon, and Squeaky. I’ve gotten her to understand not to do it, but I can’t promise you that she won’t if she sees a dead animal.” I glanced over at Hayden. The sub was gone. Now he stared at me. “Olivia has a soft spot for animals.”
“Squeaky? The hamster upstairs?” Cromwell asked.
I got a twisted amount of pleasure from seeing Cromwell’s eyes widen with surprise. “Yep. Squeaky died. I buried him. Olivia dug him up. I woke up the next day with the thing sitting on my chest.”
Cromwell blinked. “Oh. Okay. Well, most children her age usually don’t attend public school until they have a strong grasp on their gifts. Over the past few days, I have seen no reason to believe that Olivia will be a risk in public school.”
“What about the kids who do pose a risk?” I cut in. “Do they go to the Facility?”
“Someone has been listening to our conversations.” Cromwell glanced at his son. “Yes. Children who could benefit from a more specialized school would attend there. Hayden went there for several years. He was taught to control his gift.”
I stole another quick peek at him. “From what I overheard, it doesn’t sound like a fun time.”
Hayden’s lips slipped into the half-smile, but he said nothing. Cromwell ignored me. “As I said, Olivia will do fine among outsiders. She is such a bright child. She has an old—”
“An old soul,” I finished for him.
Cromwell’s smile was real this time. “And that brings me to you, Ember. There are some reservations.”
“Naturally,” I muttered.
He ignored that, too. “Your inability to control it is a concern of mine.”
“You know, I’ve lived two years with this.” I started tapping my fingers on the table. “It’s not like I run around and touch people. What happened with… Dustin will never happen again.”
“That may be true, but there have been several situations of you losing your temper since you arrived here,” Cromwell said. “That’s a concern.”
I snorted and continued to tap my fingers. I could tell by the way Hayden stared at my fingers it was annoying the crap out of him. “That should probably tell you something.”
“It has told me quite a bit. When you’re frightened or confused, you react violently. Unstably, even. Throwing you into a new school with new people may provoke the same reaction from you.”
My fingers froze over the wood.
Cromwell’s smile turned smug. Just for a second, but I saw it. “I know you would never want to hurt someone innocent, but I fear you just may not be able to control yourself.”
I returned to tapping my fingers. I had no problem with Cromwell thinking that. Whatever. His opinion—
Hayden placed his hand on my arm. I shot him a dirty look, but when he released my arm, I didn’t start back up with the tapping.
“That’s why you need to do everything in your power to control yourself, Ember. I want to keep you with your sister, but if something happens I will have no choice.”
“But she won’t do anything. Will you?” Hayden asked, speaking to me for the first time since, well, yesterday. We’d crossed paths a couple of times today, but he’d ignored me, too.
“Um, I’m going to go with no.”
“Then I’m relieved to hear that. You already have one strike against you, and I’m not playing baseball,” Cromwell said. “You won’t get three strikes with me.”
It
“Or you could just ship me off.”
He took a deep breath, visibly struggling for patience. “Yes, that is always an option. Do you understand, Ember?”
Hayden stopped eating long enough to hear my answer. “Yes. I understand.”
“Good,” Cromwell said. “I have some questions for you.” I stared at him until his smile strained.
“May I ask how many times Olivia has used her gift? Besides the time she used it with you.”
I thought about lying. “Only a few times since: a cat, a pigeon, and Squeaky. I’ve gotten her to understand not to do it, but I can’t promise you that she won’t if she sees a dead animal.” I glanced over at Hayden. The sub was gone. Now he stared at me. “Olivia has a soft spot for animals.”
“Squeaky? The hamster upstairs?” Cromwell asked.
I got a twisted amount of pleasure from seeing Cromwell’s eyes widen with surprise. “Yep. Squeaky died. I buried him. Olivia dug him up. I woke up the next day with the thing sitting on my chest.”
Cromwell blinked. “Oh. Okay. Well, most children her age usually don’t attend public school until they have a strong grasp on their gifts. Over the past few days, I have seen no reason to believe that Olivia will be a risk in public school.”
“What about the kids who do pose a risk?” I cut in. “Do they go to the Facility?”
“Someone has been listening to our conversations.” Cromwell glanced at his son. “Yes. Children who could benefit from a more specialized school would attend there. Hayden went there for several years. He was taught to control his gift.”
I stole another quick peek at him. “From what I overheard, it doesn’t sound like a fun time.”
Hayden’s lips slipped into the half-smile, but he said nothing. Cromwell ignored me. “As I said, Olivia will do fine among outsiders. She is such a bright child. She has an old—”
“An old soul,” I finished for him.
Cromwell’s smile was real this time. “And that brings me to you, Ember. There are some reservations.”
“Naturally,” I muttered.
He ignored that, too. “Your inability to control it is a concern of mine.”
“You know, I’ve lived two years with this.” I started tapping my fingers on the table. “It’s not like I run around and touch people. What happened with… Dustin will never happen again.”
“That may be true, but there have been several situations of you losing your temper since you arrived here,” Cromwell said. “That’s a concern.”
I snorted and continued to tap my fingers. I could tell by the way Hayden stared at my fingers it was annoying the crap out of him. “That should probably tell you something.”
“It has told me quite a bit. When you’re frightened or confused, you react violently. Unstably, even. Throwing you into a new school with new people may provoke the same reaction from you.”
My fingers froze over the wood.
Cromwell’s smile turned smug. Just for a second, but I saw it. “I know you would never want to hurt someone innocent, but I fear you just may not be able to control yourself.”
I returned to tapping my fingers. I had no problem with Cromwell thinking that. Whatever. His opinion—
Hayden placed his hand on my arm. I shot him a dirty look, but when he released my arm, I didn’t start back up with the tapping.
“That’s why you need to do everything in your power to control yourself, Ember. I want to keep you with your sister, but if something happens I will have no choice.”
“But she won’t do anything. Will you?” Hayden asked, speaking to me for the first time since, well, yesterday. We’d crossed paths a couple of times today, but he’d ignored me, too.
“Um, I’m going to go with no.”
“Then I’m relieved to hear that. You already have one strike against you, and I’m not playing baseball,” Cromwell said. “You won’t get three strikes with me.”
It
Similar Books
