Council brought him here right away. He taught here for a little bit—” She lowered her voice. “—before he had the visions. Then he set off on the hunt.” She let out a girlish sigh of longing. “It was the best lecture series we’ve ever had. He’s so young for being so wise. I could listen to him for hours. Of course, I don’t remember exactly what he said. It was how he said it. You must remember, Ms. Fay. You always sat right in the front row.”
“Ah, yes. Quite enlightening.” Marilynn didn’t look at me.
Gia interjected, “Ryan knows him quite well. Maybe he told her.”
For the first time, Ms. Joseph looked at me skeptically. “Really? You know him well.”
“Er, yes,” I said.
Marilynn snorted. “I’d say so.”
When three sets of eyes looked at her in surprise, she colored, muttering, “They’re candidates. Part of the Excalibur program.”
Ms. Joseph’s large eyes turned on me with a bunny-like plea. “Oh, do tell. How well did you know him? Have you actually had a whole conversation? What is he like? Does he eat?”
Although the barrage of questions was overwhelming, the last one made me pause.
“Does he eat?” I repeated cautiously.
Ms. Joseph shrugged. “He’s so powerful. Who knows maybe he’s advanced past eating.”
Wow . I stared at her slack-jawed for a second. Advanced past eating . I had a vision of Matt scarfing down pizza on our first date. “No, he definitely eats.”
“How do you know?” she demanded.
“Uh, he likes pepperoni.”
“That’s so American,” Marilynn scoffed.
“I like pizza,” Ms. Joseph exclaimed. “I’ll talk to the dining staff. I wager they’d love to make him some. Do you think he would like that?”
I was starting to feel like I’d fallen into an alternate universe. I’d never been interrogated about someone so closely before. It was like he was a celebrity. “Um, sure.”
Ms. Joseph clapped her hands with glee. “Wonderful.”
I glanced at Gia. She snickered.
Ms. Joseph touched her hair as she looked at the wall with dreamy eyes. “What I wouldn’t give to be a candidate. You’ll be getting to spend so much time with him.”
Gia cleared her throat. “Ryan doesn’t need to be a candidate for that.”
Ms. Joseph’s eyes widened. “Her and him ? Together?”
“Of course not,” Marilynn scoffed. “She is too young for him.” Her brow furrowed. She looked at me and asked point blank, “You and he have never… dated.”
“W-well,” I stammered. “Not never .”
CHAPTER 9
BASIC ELEMENTS
Ms. Joseph gave me an awed look.
Marilynn made a small sound of distress.
“Are you alright?” Gia asked her.
Marilynn huffed and took a deep breath. “I’m fine.” She pointed us out of the office. “However, you two need to get going. The lift is that way. Your room is on the fifth level. I’ll leave you to find it.”
Before we could say anything else, she’d pushed past us and hurried away.
“Poor girl,” Ms. Joseph sighed, looking after Marilynn. “I know just how she feels.”
With a forced smile on my face, I backed out of the office. Gia followed. I scowled at her. “Matt and I are not dating.”
Gia laughed. “That was hilarious.”
I halted midstride. “You told them that to get a rise out of them?”
“Sure, it was too funny,” she said. “And I really don’t like that Marilynn. She’s kinda stuck-up.”
I couldn’t disagree with that. Still, I groused, “Why did you have to bring me into it?”
Gia laughed sardonically. “Because whether or not you admit it, it’s true. You two were hanging all over each other.”
“We went on a date. Possibly two. Depends on how you look at it.” I felt my cheeks turn red. I was babbling. I stalked into the elevator and punched the button for our room. “Anyway it’s finished. Over. I mean you wouldn’t date a guy who kept lying to you, right?”
Gia gave me a look that said I was the world’s
“Ah, yes. Quite enlightening.” Marilynn didn’t look at me.
Gia interjected, “Ryan knows him quite well. Maybe he told her.”
For the first time, Ms. Joseph looked at me skeptically. “Really? You know him well.”
“Er, yes,” I said.
Marilynn snorted. “I’d say so.”
When three sets of eyes looked at her in surprise, she colored, muttering, “They’re candidates. Part of the Excalibur program.”
Ms. Joseph’s large eyes turned on me with a bunny-like plea. “Oh, do tell. How well did you know him? Have you actually had a whole conversation? What is he like? Does he eat?”
Although the barrage of questions was overwhelming, the last one made me pause.
“Does he eat?” I repeated cautiously.
Ms. Joseph shrugged. “He’s so powerful. Who knows maybe he’s advanced past eating.”
Wow . I stared at her slack-jawed for a second. Advanced past eating . I had a vision of Matt scarfing down pizza on our first date. “No, he definitely eats.”
“How do you know?” she demanded.
“Uh, he likes pepperoni.”
“That’s so American,” Marilynn scoffed.
“I like pizza,” Ms. Joseph exclaimed. “I’ll talk to the dining staff. I wager they’d love to make him some. Do you think he would like that?”
I was starting to feel like I’d fallen into an alternate universe. I’d never been interrogated about someone so closely before. It was like he was a celebrity. “Um, sure.”
Ms. Joseph clapped her hands with glee. “Wonderful.”
I glanced at Gia. She snickered.
Ms. Joseph touched her hair as she looked at the wall with dreamy eyes. “What I wouldn’t give to be a candidate. You’ll be getting to spend so much time with him.”
Gia cleared her throat. “Ryan doesn’t need to be a candidate for that.”
Ms. Joseph’s eyes widened. “Her and him ? Together?”
“Of course not,” Marilynn scoffed. “She is too young for him.” Her brow furrowed. She looked at me and asked point blank, “You and he have never… dated.”
“W-well,” I stammered. “Not never .”
CHAPTER 9
BASIC ELEMENTS
Ms. Joseph gave me an awed look.
Marilynn made a small sound of distress.
“Are you alright?” Gia asked her.
Marilynn huffed and took a deep breath. “I’m fine.” She pointed us out of the office. “However, you two need to get going. The lift is that way. Your room is on the fifth level. I’ll leave you to find it.”
Before we could say anything else, she’d pushed past us and hurried away.
“Poor girl,” Ms. Joseph sighed, looking after Marilynn. “I know just how she feels.”
With a forced smile on my face, I backed out of the office. Gia followed. I scowled at her. “Matt and I are not dating.”
Gia laughed. “That was hilarious.”
I halted midstride. “You told them that to get a rise out of them?”
“Sure, it was too funny,” she said. “And I really don’t like that Marilynn. She’s kinda stuck-up.”
I couldn’t disagree with that. Still, I groused, “Why did you have to bring me into it?”
Gia laughed sardonically. “Because whether or not you admit it, it’s true. You two were hanging all over each other.”
“We went on a date. Possibly two. Depends on how you look at it.” I felt my cheeks turn red. I was babbling. I stalked into the elevator and punched the button for our room. “Anyway it’s finished. Over. I mean you wouldn’t date a guy who kept lying to you, right?”
Gia gave me a look that said I was the world’s
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