“Don’t tell that to the outside world.” I stifled a laugh, biting my lip to hold back the truth. If she didn’t know I was from the bloodline of the Seer who was I to burst her bubble? I knew as well as anybody that the societies wanted to use me for my gifts, or to find my brother, or worse. It was the whole reason I was here tonight, at this school even. I was going on the offensive.
“My parents insist we have some inside family connection. If I joined Nexis, they’d do a backflip.” I shuffled toward the open slat in the dome to check out the night. So many stars dimpled the sky. They always made me feel small, but also kind of important. Like I might be on this planet to do something really cool with my gifts. “You have nothing to worry about. Your dad’s connected, right? Or else you wouldn’t be here.”
“Yeah, but I don’t really want a lifestyle of politics, secret missions, and intrigue.” Her voice wavered as she turned back to the telescope and fiddled with the silver knobs on the side. “I’m only here because my dad told me not to join Nexis.”
“Ha! You’re a little rebel. Someone knew what they were doing when they paired us as roommates.” I nudged my shoulder into hers. “Maybe that’s why Nexis needs people like you. To shake them up.”
“Good one.” Her lips curved into the tiniest smile and her face lit up in the moonlight. “Maybe we’re more alike than I thought.”
Will made his way toward us in the dwindling crowd with a muscle-clad blonde guy in tow. “Hey, Lucy.” He said my name. The room wobbled like the rickety staircase all over again.
“How’d you know my name?” My voice came out froggy. How embarrassing.
“We met at your brother’s graduation a few years ago, remember?” His lips curled into a crescent, a slight dimple in his tan cheek. As he stepped closer, I caught a whiff of cinnamon mints on his breath. “James was my mentor freshman year. You remind me of him, except you’re much cuter.”
Petals of heat crept up my neck, my cheeks. The darkness became my new best friend. I could stare at this guy all day, especially with the way he studied me like he was actually interested.
“You got a second? There’s something I want to show you.” His shining eyes made me wonder if I could ever be ready for what he offered. “Wait here. Be right back.”
With a mind of their own, my eyes trailed him as the mysterious Stanton boy disappeared back into the shadows.
“I’m Kevin.” Will’s friend fluffed up his bleach-blond spikes and offered his hand to Shanda. “Where are you from?”
She shook his hand and angled toward him. “I’m Shanda and I’m from the city.”
He crossed his biceps over his chest. “How cool. I’m from L.A.”
“Makes sense.” She gave him a once over, then moved to the scope. “Let’s test the range on this baby. Wanna see Saturn’s rings?” Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced back at me, then motioned Kevin over to distract him.
“Sweet.” He followed her lead and bent over the eyepiece, clueless as a lost puppy.
She really had my back. Smiling to myself, I inched as close to the open slat as I dared and sat down, dangling my feet over the side. The moon bathed me in her silvery light. As the glow washed over me, the sky looked surprisingly normal. Almost like it did back home. What would my family be doing this Saturday night? My little sister Paige was probably still out with her middle school friends, while Mom and Dad attended some high-society charity function.
A chiseled form plopped down right next to me, legs dangling dangerously close. Making my heart race again.
“Check this out.” Will’s deep voice sent a shiver down my neck.
I jerked at the sound.
With firm hands, he steadied my shoulders. “Careful now.” He crossed his legs over the edge. Between us he opened a leather book with a symbol on it, an embossed circle of raised lines, like flames around a cross. “This is the history of our little group.”
“Little?” I scoffed, turning to look at him. “Doesn’t the Nexis Society have chapters all over the world?”
“You’re right.” His lips quirked as his eyes drank me in. “This book is just for the Montrose chapter.”
“Oh, I see.” I watched him turn the thick parchment pages, filled with strange words. “Is that Latin?”
“Very good.” He flipped the pages, quicker and quicker each time, like he was looking for something. Finally, he paused on a picture of a woman with a halo around her face. Her eyes were dark and shadowed. “This is the Nexis history on the Seer.”
My pulse pounded in my ear at his casual mention of the Seer. I leaned in to get a closer look at the illustration on the page. There were three jewels above the haloed woman—a sapphire, an amethyst, and a ruby. A shiver ran down my spine. Were the gemstones glowing? I blinked and rubbed my eyes. The amethyst was about the same color as the amethysts on the ring my dad gave me as a graduation present. I fiddled with the ring on my left hand.
When I glanced up, Will was staring at me, his platinum eyes shining in the moonlight. Had he been watching me the whole time? Creepy. “Isn’t it cool? This book is all about the founding tenets of our group.” But he wasn’t looking at the book anymore. His gaze flew to the ring on my finger.
I kicked the side of the tower. Folding my hands into my lap, I covered my ring finger with my right hand and shifted my focus back to the book. “The girl with the halo. She’s
