what he said. “The freak's probably so juiced up on steroids that he couldn't find his own shadow!”
Katz didn't like the agent, and it annoyed her that half the school seemed to consider him as some sort of hero. But she suspected they were really just impressed that one of their number had actually managed to leave this place instead of ending up imprisoned here for life.
“Garrick? He's not an arsehole or a freak. None of us are.” Mark sounded hurt. “And he doesn't take drugs either. “He's with the FBI and they would probably test him for that.”
“Test him? They don't need to test him! All you have to do is look at him to see that he’s on steroids!” The guy was an ape after all, with muscles everywhere. There was no way that could be natural.
“He's a hunter. All hunters are strong. It's part of them.”
Mark apparently wasn't giving up on defending his hero. And that bothered her. Why wasn't he supporting her?
“If he's even that. I mean what sort of gift is hunting anyway? You can bend light with your thoughts. Doors open for me at a touch. For all you know his only gift is telling everybody he's a hunter. He could just be a big fat liar.”
“He's not a liar. He's one of the lucky ones. He can show his gift. Use it openly because no one realises he has one. Most of the rest of us have to hide ours.”
Mark sounded envious, something she found strange in a guy who could play with light beams. His gift was stunning, Garrick's was almost nothing compared to it – if he even had a gift – he could just be naturally good at finding people. Even her own gift was limited. All she could do was open doors, and it wasn't as if she even did anything. They just opened for her when she turned the handle.
“He can't do anything like what you can do.”
“No he can hunt a man across the entire world. Follow their trail no matter how well they cover it. See in the dark. Know the truth when people try to lie to him. And he has perfect aim. Garrick's one of the Westlord Academy's proudest students. One of the youngest agents ever recruited to the FBI. And one of the few people who ever leaves this town.”
“Know the truth?” She heard that and it bothered her, more than a little. “Like the headmistress?”
“No. Mrs. Holdsworth has the voice. She can make you do or say anything. Garrick has the gift of veracity. He can tell when you're lying, and use that knowledge to make you own up to your lies. You can still choose not to answer – as long as you aren't lying. And he can't compel you to say or do anything else. It's only when you try to lie that he can compel the truth. But for an agent it's a useful gift.”
“And ...” Mark ummed and ahhed for a little bit, apparently having something to say but not sure if he should. Eventually though he decided to. “He can fly.”
“Fly?” That shocked her and she wasn't completely sure why. Not when she could watch one girl bounce six feet into the air whenever she walked anywhere.
“Not like a bird or anything. But hunters have the gift of path finding. He can find a trail on the ground, in the sea or in the air. He can read wind currents. Plot a path not just along the ground but through the air. And he has a wing suit. He can leap out of a plane and fly and land without the need of a parachute. He knows just when to level off and when to bank and turn. And that's enough.”
“That's -.”
“I've seen him do it. We all have. About three years ago. He gave us a demonstration. And it was awesome. He streaked like a hawk across the sky and landed as gently as a dove. Just over there on the field.”
But it wasn't awesome. Not to her. One moment he was a hunter and the next he could fly? What if he was sent to find her grandfather? Because if and when she escaped he probably would be sent against him. That was not good. The bitch had been bad enough, but at least she was
Katz didn't like the agent, and it annoyed her that half the school seemed to consider him as some sort of hero. But she suspected they were really just impressed that one of their number had actually managed to leave this place instead of ending up imprisoned here for life.
“Garrick? He's not an arsehole or a freak. None of us are.” Mark sounded hurt. “And he doesn't take drugs either. “He's with the FBI and they would probably test him for that.”
“Test him? They don't need to test him! All you have to do is look at him to see that he’s on steroids!” The guy was an ape after all, with muscles everywhere. There was no way that could be natural.
“He's a hunter. All hunters are strong. It's part of them.”
Mark apparently wasn't giving up on defending his hero. And that bothered her. Why wasn't he supporting her?
“If he's even that. I mean what sort of gift is hunting anyway? You can bend light with your thoughts. Doors open for me at a touch. For all you know his only gift is telling everybody he's a hunter. He could just be a big fat liar.”
“He's not a liar. He's one of the lucky ones. He can show his gift. Use it openly because no one realises he has one. Most of the rest of us have to hide ours.”
Mark sounded envious, something she found strange in a guy who could play with light beams. His gift was stunning, Garrick's was almost nothing compared to it – if he even had a gift – he could just be naturally good at finding people. Even her own gift was limited. All she could do was open doors, and it wasn't as if she even did anything. They just opened for her when she turned the handle.
“He can't do anything like what you can do.”
“No he can hunt a man across the entire world. Follow their trail no matter how well they cover it. See in the dark. Know the truth when people try to lie to him. And he has perfect aim. Garrick's one of the Westlord Academy's proudest students. One of the youngest agents ever recruited to the FBI. And one of the few people who ever leaves this town.”
“Know the truth?” She heard that and it bothered her, more than a little. “Like the headmistress?”
“No. Mrs. Holdsworth has the voice. She can make you do or say anything. Garrick has the gift of veracity. He can tell when you're lying, and use that knowledge to make you own up to your lies. You can still choose not to answer – as long as you aren't lying. And he can't compel you to say or do anything else. It's only when you try to lie that he can compel the truth. But for an agent it's a useful gift.”
“And ...” Mark ummed and ahhed for a little bit, apparently having something to say but not sure if he should. Eventually though he decided to. “He can fly.”
“Fly?” That shocked her and she wasn't completely sure why. Not when she could watch one girl bounce six feet into the air whenever she walked anywhere.
“Not like a bird or anything. But hunters have the gift of path finding. He can find a trail on the ground, in the sea or in the air. He can read wind currents. Plot a path not just along the ground but through the air. And he has a wing suit. He can leap out of a plane and fly and land without the need of a parachute. He knows just when to level off and when to bank and turn. And that's enough.”
“That's -.”
“I've seen him do it. We all have. About three years ago. He gave us a demonstration. And it was awesome. He streaked like a hawk across the sky and landed as gently as a dove. Just over there on the field.”
But it wasn't awesome. Not to her. One moment he was a hunter and the next he could fly? What if he was sent to find her grandfather? Because if and when she escaped he probably would be sent against him. That was not good. The bitch had been bad enough, but at least she was
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