“Me, too.” His eyes softened around the edges. “I kinda want to keep you around.”
I smoothed my hair down, my fingers bumping along the edge of my scar. It kicked off a drumbeat in my brain. Could I have some lingering head damage from the accident six months ago? Or was I really the Seer? I had to take control of this situation.
“If you won’t give me the book, I think I better leave.” I backed up, an odd feeling settling in my stomach.
Even though we had different fathers, James was still my brother. There was no “half” about it. I had to figure this out. Why would my mom want me to join this group if they banished my brother?
Not to mention I didn’t want to be the Seer. This Nexis guy couldn’t be right.
“Listen, come to the initiation next month. We can look at the book then.” Will’s eyebrows scrunched up like an upside-down V as he helped me to the stairs. “You sure you’re okay? I hope I didn’t scare you off.”
“I’m fine.” My head bobbed, which made the pounding worse. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
“Good. You’ve got a legitimate shot if you want to join Nexis.” His lips lifted into a ghost of a smile. “We’re holding an information session in the library next week if you’re interested.”
“I’ll think about it,” I choked out, fleeing for the exit.
Will’s oh-so-charming expression did nothing to scare away the fear rising in my throat. I descended the wobbly stairs into the darkness, my overworked heart thudding like crazy in my chest.
Seer or no seer, James’ scared expression, his hand outstretched, followed me into the depths. Did I just imagine the entire thing, because of this imposing tower with its creepy haunted-house vibe? Or did something really happen to my brother because of this group, just because he wasn’t the Seer? What would Nexis do to me if I really was next in line to be the Seer? Too many questions assaulted my brain.
“Wait.” Shanda’s voice rang out behind me. “I’ll walk back with you.”
She sped out the door and dragged me down the path, practically wrenching my arm out of its socket. She glanced around the empty quad—the strangest expression on her face. Bending down to tie her shoe, she motioned me to do the same. I crouched next to her.
“I think we’re clear.” She hissed in my ear. “I didn’t want to tell you before, in case they were eavesdropping. Here’s the deal. They’re not using that telescope to watch the sky.”
The air stilled around us. “What do you mean? You showed me the August trifecta.”
“Please.” Her breath puffed in my face. “They didn’t bother to change the focus. They have it zoomed out too much. You can see the trifecta with the naked eye. Look.” She outlined the three stars with her fingertip.
I blinked up at the black sky. She was right. I could see the three stars almost as vividly as I’d seen them in the telescope.
“Real astronomers would want to see Saturn’s rings, not stuff you see for yourself in the night sky.”
“So if they aren’t watching the stars, what are they watching?” A shiver ran down my spine and I straightened my knees to get up.
Shanda grabbed a handful of my t-shirt, holding me in place. “They’re watching something here on campus, or someone. It could be anything. But if I were a creepy stalker with a telescope, I’d watch everything. And everyone.”
I could almost feel eyes on me. Whose eyes I had no idea. Maybe Will was watching me right now, planning something worse than being banished like James. God only knew what these people had in mind for the real Seer—especially if they thought I would be the next Seer.
Swallowing back the rising acid, I followed Shanda back to our dorm. Too many emotions swirled inside me. I curled my fingers into fists, my nails digging into my palms. I knew just who to call to get to the bottom of this half-brother nonsense. My parents.
Chapter 3
“Hello?” Dad’s groggy voice croaked back at me through the phone. One peek at the clock told me I should’ve waited till tomorrow. My room was like a dungeon, dark and cold. But an angry inferno still burned me up inside. I couldn’t let it go.
“Sorry to wake you, Dad,” I said, my voice loud and snappy. Wait a sec, did he even know the truth? Maybe he didn’t. I bit my tongue.
Shanda mumbled something at me and rolled over. I slipped on my flip-flops and padded out of the room, leaving her alone in the dungeon. Flapping down the stairwell to the empty dorm lobby, I inhaled a deep breath—willing calm to spread through me as I exhaled.
“Hey there, Monkey.” His pet name for me hung in the air, like a sliver of hope I could almost reach out and grab. “Is everything okay? It’s after midnight there, right?”
“I don’t know.” Such a Dad question. The anger softened into a sadness that wobbled my voice—sadness for him, sadness for me. I couldn’t be the one to tell him, not if he didn’t already know. But I had to know the truth. “What happened to James? Why did he get kicked out of Nexis? Why would you guys still want me to join? I just don’t understand.”
“What do you mean, what happened to James? Calm down, sweetie, you’re not making any sense.” He cleared his throat. “Just tell me what happened tonight.”
My forehead scrunched as I plopped down on the nearest lobby sofa. Maybe he knew after all. “I went to the Nexis induction meeting like Mom wanted. The president told me I was next in line to be the Seer.”
“Oh, Lucy. I’m so sorry.” He exhaled into the phone. “I never wanted you to find out like this. We just wanted to protect you.”
“So it’s true?” I screeched, then clamped my hand over
