Cêpan.’
Eight stands and shakes Crayton’s hand. He’s tall, and every muscle in his upper body and stomach is very well defined. He’s clearly been training for years, surviving alone in the mountains.
Ella stands as well. ‘I’m Ella,’ she says. ‘I’m Number Ten.’
‘Whoa!’ Eight says. He looks into her eyes. ‘What do you mean, you’re Number Ten? There’re only nine of us. Who told you you’re Number Ten?’
All of a sudden, Ella shrinks down to become a six-year-old girl. I guess there’s nothing quite like having your identity being questioned by a former statue to give you a crisis of confidence. Crayton nudges Ella, and then, just as quickly, she transforms back into her tall, twelve-year-old self.
Eight responds by growing five feet taller to tower over her. ‘That all you got, Ten?’
Determination covers Ella’s face and it looks as if she’s trying to grow another few years, but nothing happens. After a few seconds, she shrugs, ‘I guess so.’
Crayton turns to Eight. ‘I’ll fill you in later, but there was another ship that left Lorien after yours. Ella and I were on that ship. She was just a baby at the time.’
‘Is that it, or is there a Number Thirty-Two I should know about?’ Eight asks, shrinking back down to his regular height. His voice is husky, but also kind. For the first time, I notice his eyes are the most amazing shade of deep green. By the look on Marina’s face, she is noticing all of this too. I can’t help but smile as she nervously tucks her hair behind her ears.
‘Ella’s the last,’ Crayton answers. ‘This is Six, and this is Marina, Number Seven. You appear to be able to shape shift. Anything else we should know about?’ Crayton asks.
In response, Eight expands into a two-headed giraffe, towering twenty feet above us this time. I try to suppress my smile.
‘Indeed I do have that Legacy,’ the head on the left says.
The head on the right lowers to the water and takes a drink before looking up and adding, ‘Among other things.’
‘Oh, yeah? Like what?’ Marina asks.
Eight turns back into a boy and skips along the surface of the pool as if it were solid ice. When he circles back to us, he begins to sprint before skidding to a stop, sending a wave of water towards Marina.
But Marina is not going to get shown up by the new guy. Without flinching, she lifts her hands and stops the water midair, then pushes it back at Eight with her telekinesis. He in turn blows the wave high into the air like a geyser. Not to be left out of whatever game it is they’re playing, I take control of the wind and I use it to push the geyser across the pool until a wall of moving water surrounds Eight on three sides.
‘What else ya got?’ I shout, my voice daring him to keep things going.
Eight disappears from where I’ve trapped him behind the water and an instant later reappears on the jagged rocks above the pool. He disappears again and shows up inches from my nose.
Eight’s sudden closeness is so jarring I reflexively throw a fist into his ribs. He grunts and stumbles backwards.
‘Six! What are you doing?’ Marina yells.
‘Sorry,’ I say. ‘It was a reflex.’
‘I deserved it,’ says Eight, shrugging off Marina’s protectiveness.
‘So you can teleport?’ Marina asks. ‘That is very cool.’
He suddenly appears at her side and casually leans an arm on her shoulder. ‘I’m a fan of it.’ Marina giggles and shrugs him off. Giggles? Is she kidding me?
Eight smiles, disappears and shows up again standing on Crayton’s shoulders, balancing with exaggerated arm circles and wobbly legs. ‘Sometimes I pick stupid places to land, though.’ Eight is our jester, all of a sudden.
I’m struck by his playfulness, unsure if it’s going to be an attribute or a liability. I decide to view it as a positive. I can just see the annoyance and confusion on the Mogadorians’ faces moments before this kid turns them to ash. Crayton leans forward
Eight stands and shakes Crayton’s hand. He’s tall, and every muscle in his upper body and stomach is very well defined. He’s clearly been training for years, surviving alone in the mountains.
Ella stands as well. ‘I’m Ella,’ she says. ‘I’m Number Ten.’
‘Whoa!’ Eight says. He looks into her eyes. ‘What do you mean, you’re Number Ten? There’re only nine of us. Who told you you’re Number Ten?’
All of a sudden, Ella shrinks down to become a six-year-old girl. I guess there’s nothing quite like having your identity being questioned by a former statue to give you a crisis of confidence. Crayton nudges Ella, and then, just as quickly, she transforms back into her tall, twelve-year-old self.
Eight responds by growing five feet taller to tower over her. ‘That all you got, Ten?’
Determination covers Ella’s face and it looks as if she’s trying to grow another few years, but nothing happens. After a few seconds, she shrugs, ‘I guess so.’
Crayton turns to Eight. ‘I’ll fill you in later, but there was another ship that left Lorien after yours. Ella and I were on that ship. She was just a baby at the time.’
‘Is that it, or is there a Number Thirty-Two I should know about?’ Eight asks, shrinking back down to his regular height. His voice is husky, but also kind. For the first time, I notice his eyes are the most amazing shade of deep green. By the look on Marina’s face, she is noticing all of this too. I can’t help but smile as she nervously tucks her hair behind her ears.
‘Ella’s the last,’ Crayton answers. ‘This is Six, and this is Marina, Number Seven. You appear to be able to shape shift. Anything else we should know about?’ Crayton asks.
In response, Eight expands into a two-headed giraffe, towering twenty feet above us this time. I try to suppress my smile.
‘Indeed I do have that Legacy,’ the head on the left says.
The head on the right lowers to the water and takes a drink before looking up and adding, ‘Among other things.’
‘Oh, yeah? Like what?’ Marina asks.
Eight turns back into a boy and skips along the surface of the pool as if it were solid ice. When he circles back to us, he begins to sprint before skidding to a stop, sending a wave of water towards Marina.
But Marina is not going to get shown up by the new guy. Without flinching, she lifts her hands and stops the water midair, then pushes it back at Eight with her telekinesis. He in turn blows the wave high into the air like a geyser. Not to be left out of whatever game it is they’re playing, I take control of the wind and I use it to push the geyser across the pool until a wall of moving water surrounds Eight on three sides.
‘What else ya got?’ I shout, my voice daring him to keep things going.
Eight disappears from where I’ve trapped him behind the water and an instant later reappears on the jagged rocks above the pool. He disappears again and shows up inches from my nose.
Eight’s sudden closeness is so jarring I reflexively throw a fist into his ribs. He grunts and stumbles backwards.
‘Six! What are you doing?’ Marina yells.
‘Sorry,’ I say. ‘It was a reflex.’
‘I deserved it,’ says Eight, shrugging off Marina’s protectiveness.
‘So you can teleport?’ Marina asks. ‘That is very cool.’
He suddenly appears at her side and casually leans an arm on her shoulder. ‘I’m a fan of it.’ Marina giggles and shrugs him off. Giggles? Is she kidding me?
Eight smiles, disappears and shows up again standing on Crayton’s shoulders, balancing with exaggerated arm circles and wobbly legs. ‘Sometimes I pick stupid places to land, though.’ Eight is our jester, all of a sudden.
I’m struck by his playfulness, unsure if it’s going to be an attribute or a liability. I decide to view it as a positive. I can just see the annoyance and confusion on the Mogadorians’ faces moments before this kid turns them to ash. Crayton leans forward
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