Awaking (The Naturals, #1) (8 page)

As Tesin stood, Morgan asked, “What about Ris?”

Kellen gave a wolfish smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep her company.” He winked and he and Tesin headed back out into the ballroom.

Morgan felt a jolt in her stomach vaguely related to Kellen but chose to ignore it—and its implications.

When Kellen and Tesin were gone, Morgan looked at Wen.

“Feeling overwhelmed?” he asked kindly.

Morgan nodded. “A little.”

Wen gave a half smile. “Can’t say I blame you. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now.”

Morgan looked at him quizzically. “What do you mean? How did you react when you found out about all this stuff?”

Wen shook his head. “You don’t understand. We—the Veneret grow up knowing about all this stuff. There’s no big reveal because there’s nothing to reveal.”

They sat in silence until Corbin and Tesin walked into the room. Corbin was looking over his shoulder. Tesin placed a hand on Corbin’s shoulder to keep Corbin moving toward the couches.

“She’s fine,” Tesin was saying. “Kellen’s going to dance with her a little, maybe get her to eat something.”

Corbin stopped walking when he reached Morgan’s couch. When he sat down beside her, she could feel the unease he projected. She patted his knee a couple times and offered a small smile.

“How much has she had to drink?”

“A couple since you left,” Corbin said. “I’ve had a few at this point, too—that was the only way to keep her from drinking.”

Unbidden, information floated to the surface of Morgan’s mind. Corbin didn’t drink. He’d seen his brother come home after too many parties sick-drunk and had vowed years ago that he’d never be that way. He’d even been uncomfortable at his own party the other night when some guys showed up with a keg. He hadn’t drunk a drop the whole night.

Tesin resumed his seat beside Wen and cleared his throat gently before launching into the same basic information they had already shared with Morgan. Then Wen joined in, and the two of them took turns explaining the different ways abilities manifested. There were Feelers, which Wen seemed to think Morgan was: people who could sense and influence the emotions of others and who could interpret what the feelings meant. Related to Feelers were Seers, who could look into a person’s mind and thoughts or see what was going on in a different location. Knowers, as Morgan already knew, had visions of future events. Movers could cause objects to move, while Pushers could influence a person’s actions and behavior.

When Tesin and Wen finished speaking, Corbin just sat quietly, staring blankly at a fixed spot in space before him. Morgan could tell he was processing, so she just let him sit.

Finally, Corbin shrugged. “I guess that makes sense.”

“Really, that’s it?” Morgan asked, surprised.

“What am I supposed to say?” Corbin asked. “Last night I would’ve said you were crazy, but…” He looked meaningfully at Morgan. “A lot’s happened since last night.”

“So,” Tesin said, suddenly businesslike. “Any questions?”

Corbin nodded. “Um, yeah. How can people not know about this—about you? About us?”

“They don’t know because we don’t want them to know,” Tesin said simply.

“But why?” Corbin pressed.

Tesin opened his mouth to reply, but Wen held his hand up. Tesin sighed. “By all means,” he muttered.

Wen leaned forward and looked at Morgan. “Have you ever seen the X-Men movies?”

“Yeah.”

“Think about it: If regular people knew about us, they’d probably react the same way—with fear. People wouldn’t trust us. Worse—some people might want to study or destroy us.”

“It wasn’t always that way, though,” Tesin said, almost to himself.

Wen nodded in agreement. “Legend says that centuries ago, the Veneret lived out in the open, and they were revered. They lived side-by-side with the common, and the common knew what they were and what they could do, but they didn’t fear them.”

“The common?” Corbin asked.

“Regular people,” Wen clarified.

“Well, if that’s the way it used to be, what changed?” Morgan asked.

Wen shrugged. “A lot of little things. There was a time in human history when anything at all beyond the abilities of the common became something to be feared. And in order to survive, the Veneret went into hiding.”

Corbin looked around. “This doesn’t look like hiding to me.”

Wen shrugged. “What can I say? Given our… particular skill set, success tends to come easily to us. We just don’t let people in on the secret to that success.”

Morgan sighed. “I still can’t believe that Orrick Williams is one.”

“It makes sense, though,” Corbin said. “I mean, he’s made most of his money being one step ahead of everyone else. He always seems to know what the next big thing will be. And if he’s got the ability to… I don’t know… see the future or something, then all his success suddenly makes sense.”

Morgan nodded.

Corbin turned his attention to Tesin and Wen. “So,” he asked, “just how common are, you know, Naturals?”

“Not common at all,” Wen said promptly. “You two are probably the only Naturals here.”

“Wait,” said Morgan. “If they’re not common, then how is it that Corbin and I both are Naturals? I mean, we’re the same age, we go to the same school. That’s gotta be—I don’t know—statistically improbable, right?”

Tesin laughed. “‘Statistically improbable,’” he repeated quietly.

But Wen just smiled. “I think you’ll find most things happen for a reason.”

Morgan opened her mouth to ask another question, but just then, Kellen walked into the room, half-carrying Ris along with him.

Corbin was on his feet immediately. “What happened?” he demanded, crossing to where Kellen stood and leaning down to look into Ris’s face.

But Kellen didn’t look concerned. He just chuckled. “I think the alcohol finally won,” he said simply. “It might be time for you two to take her home.”

Morgan joined Corbin and looked at Ris. Her eyes were closed, so Morgan tried calling her by name. When that didn’t work, Morgan gave her face a series of light taps. Ris stirred momentarily before falling back into her stupor.

“How much did you let her drink?” Corbin demanded, staring at Kellen.

“How much did you let her drink?” Kellen returned easily.

Corbin bristled and Morgan was afraid he might try to hit Kellen. She grabbed his wrist and tugged on it. “Corbin, help me carry her.”

Corbin looked at Morgan and nodded reluctantly. Kellen helped situate Ris’s right arm around Corbin’s shoulders and her left arm around Morgan’s shoulders. Corbin and Morgan each placed an arm around Ris’s waist. Before they left the room, Morgan nodded a goodbye to Tesin and Wen. There was something odd in the way Wen was watching them, but Morgan was too distracted to give it much thought.

As Corbin and Morgan half-dragged Ris through the hotel, they did not draw much attention. Indeed, most people seemed far too interested in themselves or their own friends to notice anything else. When they got to the front door, Corbin dug through his pants pocket for their valet slip and handed it to one of the valets.

Morgan shifted uncomfortably as they waited for the valet to return with Corbin’s car.

“It’s my fault,” he said quietly.

Morgan looked at him, confused. “What?”

Corbin shook his head. “I shouldn’t’ve let her drink so much.”

“Let her,” Morgan scoffed. “Ris is a big girl. She’s never been to a party like this. And she was a little nervous to be coming out with you. I’m sure she didn’t realize the alcohol would hit her like this.”

“Still.”

Morgan was spared having to answer because the valet pulled up with Corbin’s car. It took some work, but she and Corbin managed to get Ris into the back seat. When Morgan took her place in the passenger seat, she cast a dubious glance at her friend.

“I hope she doesn’t throw up.”

Corbin didn’t dignify her concern with a response. Instead, he put the car in gear and headed out of the city.

The ride to Ris’s house passed in silence. Ris’s living room light was on, and Morgan hoped that Ms Perry was asleep on the couch, not awake doing Sudoku.

Corbin was able to get Ris out of the back seat. Instead of the two of them supporting her weight like they had before, Corbin insisted on carrying Ris into the house himself. Morgan walked ahead and tried the front door. As expected, it was unlocked. Morgan eased the door open, poked her head in, and smiled. Ms Perry was asleep. She turned back to Corbin and waved him in.

The trip into Ris’s room was quick and quiet. Morgan took Ris’s shoes off and covered her with a blanket. Corbin smoothed Ris’s hair away from her face and kissed her on the forehead. Then they snuck back through the house and closed the front door. They didn’t speak until after Corbin had pulled out of Ris’s driveway.

“I think you should drop me off at my car,” Morgan said. “I can get home from here.”

Corbin shook his head. “It’s late. I want to make sure you get home safely.”

“Then follow behind me. I need my car.”

“For what?”

“What do you mean, for what? It’s my car and I need it.”

“Tonight?”

“What?”

“Do you need your car tonight?” Corbin repeated.

“Well, no, but I need it tomorrow—”

“Then I’ll pick you up tomorrow and I’ll drop you off then.”

“Corbin, don’t be ridiculous—”

“Morgan, drop it.”

There was a finality in Corbin’s voice and Morgan realized she wasn’t going to win the argument. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared out the window grumpily until Corbin pulled up to her house.

“Morgan?”

Morgan glanced at him. “What?”

“Is any of this stuff, you know, kinda freaking you out?” He wasn’t looking at her.

Morgan thought about it. “Is it crazy? Abso-freaking-lutely. Is it freaking me out? No.”

“Why not?” This time, Corbin actually looked at her.

She shrugged. “I guess because I’ve always been different from other people. And let me tell you, being different because you’ve got some sort of crazy ability is a helluva lot better than being different because your mom up and disappeared and everyone in the school thinks it’s because your dad killed her.”

“That’s why Lynna stopped claiming you as family, wasn’t it?” Corbin asked. “Joss, I mean.”

Morgan nodded. “Kids are terrible. After my mom disappeared in second grade, it seemed like the whole school knew about it. I’m sure they did—I mean, it was kind of big news. My dad was taken in for questioning and everything. He was a suspect until the cops realized his alibi was airtight. Still, they called my dad a psycho and they called me a psycho. And when Joss stood up for me, they started calling her a psycho, too.” Morgan sighed. “She’s always cared more about what people thought about her than I have.”

“Cared more about that than her own family.”

“Thing is, I don’t even blame her—not really. Not for that. The thing I can’t stand is that she turned into somebody I don’t even recognize. She’s completely consumed by other people’s perception of her.”

Corbin reached across the car and covered Morgan’s hand with his. He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze.

Morgan looked down at their hands and then over at Corbin. “Wow. Talk about things that kinda freak you out.”

At this, Corbin laughed. He removed his hand. “I guess we are a strange pair.”

Morgan raised an eyebrow at him. “Pair of what?”

Corbin shrugged. “Naturals, I guess.”

Morgan nodded. “I guess.” She glanced at her house. “Look, I should head in. You’re not gonna, like, insist on walking me to the door, are you?”

Corbin shook his head. “But I will sit here until you’re in the house.”

“Fair enough.” Morgan looked at him. “Thanks, Corbin.”

“You’re welcome,” Corbin said. “For what?”

“For being a completely decent person to have my first freaky experience with.”

Corbin smiled. “Well, then, thank you, too.”

“I’d say anytime, but…”

Corbin laughed. “Goodnight, Morgan.”

“Goodnight.”

Morgan got out of the car and walked up the driveway to her house. She unlocked the door and let herself in. It was only after she closed and relocked the door that she realized her father was sitting in the living room.

“And who was that?” he asked, a twinkle in his eye.

“Banish that thought right away,” Morgan said, walking into the living room and sitting down on the couch. “Just a friend. Kind of.”

“He’s kind of just a friend?”

“No, he’s just kind of a friend. What are you doing, anyway? Peeping out the window at me?”

“That’s a father’s right.”

“A father’s right to be a creeper?”

“Absolutely.” He smiled. “By the way, speaking of things fathers have a right to know: where’s your car?”

“Ris’s house,” Morgan said quickly. It was almost true—it was still near there. “I went over there earlier to get ready and Corbin picked us up there. And after he dropped Ris off, he wouldn’t let me take my own car home. He said… He wanted to make sure I got home safely.”

“Well, that’s nice. A bit inconvenient, but nice.”

“Don’t worry. He said he’d take me to my car tomorrow.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

Morgan raised an eyebrow in return. “I don’t like your tone, sir.”

He just smiled. “Did you have a nice time?”

Morgan nodded. “It was alright.” Morgan yawned. “On that note,” she said, standing.

He stood too. “Goodnight, hon,” he said, hugging Morgan and kissing her on the top of her head.

“ ’Night, Dad.”

Chapter Seven

Morgan called Corbin at seven thirty the next morning to ask him to shuttle her to her car. He arrived just after eight o’clock and handed a brown paper bag to her after she slid into the passenger seat.

“What’s this?”

“For you.”

Curious, Morgan opened the bag and pulled out a round, wrapped package. She unwrapped it and found a bagel. “Spinach Asiago—how’d you—” Morgan stopped herself, realizing she knew full well how Corbin knew what kind of bagels she liked.