Half-Born (Half-Blood Chronicles #1) (The Half-Blood Chronicles) Page 6

  And so I let the flood of roiling emotion take over, until I was barely aware of myself. I felt as thought I’d been transformed. Obliterated.

  The electricity seemed to surge and crest, and in that moment, I knew something big was going to happen.

  The power went out.

  There must have been a thousand tiny fairy lights hanging from the ceiling. For a split second, they brightened. Then the entire gym was plunged into darkness. Seconds later, the music cut out.

  A few girls screamed. Then lights began to flicker through the darkness as people pulled out their phones.

  I stood there, stunned.

  I made that happen.

  The room swam. I felt giddy. If I could do this, then no one would ever push me around again.

  All at once, the gym was bathed in fluorescent light. As I blinked, I realized what had happened—the power had come back and all the lights were coming back on.

  I looked around, hoping to see fear. Chaos.

  But people were already shrugging it off. Girls were laughing, and the chaperones had begun to turn off the big gym lights and restore the romantic atmosphere.

  Was that it?

  Seconds before, I’d felt unstoppable. Now my mood deflated.

  The music started up, shockingly loud.

  People were dancing again. It was as though nothing had happened.

  I made my way outside, to the bus stop.

  All I wanted was to be in my bed, under the pillowy down comforter Mom had bought back when we had the money for that kind of thing. Back when we thought we always would.

  The wind cut across the parking lot as though it wanted to tear my jacket right off of me. I looked up and saw storm clouds.

  Had they been there when I left the apartment?

  I couldn’t remember. Suddenly, everything that had happened in the last few hours felt distant, blurry. Like I was looking at it from deep underwater.

  I felt the first droplet of rain just as I made it to the bus stop, and I pulled up my hood.

  My phone rang.

  As I retrieved it from my purse, I had the strangest inkling that it would be Sol. Then I remembered that he didn’t have my number.

  I looked down in disbelief.

  The screen said Dr. Sotheby.

  Chapter 10

  Syd’s father had never called me.

  I answered.

  “Kes? Are you all right?”

  I frowned in confusion. “What?”

  “I heard what happened. Are you okay?”

  “You mean the power going out?”

  “Yes.” A pause. “Is everyone all right?”

  “Um, yeah. Everyone’s okay.” Why wouldn’t they be?

  “Where are you, Kestrel?”

  It was a habit of his—repeating my name as he spoke. It had an almost hypnotic effect.

  “I’m at the school.” I hesitated, then added, “I was just leaving.”

  “Who’s giving you a ride?”

  “Uh…I’m taking the bus.” I was too confused to feel the usual embarrassment.

  “Don’t do that. There’s a storm system moving in. You shouldn’t be taking the bus in that weather. Stay where you are. I’ll pick you up.”

  Okay, this was officially beyond strange. I couldn’t remember Syd’s father ever offering me a ride before.

  He said, “Everyone is worried about you, Kes. Sydney’s told me about the problems you’ve been having.”

  I remembered Sydney’s face, ice-cold, at the lunch table.

  I can’t deal with your drama anymore.

  “She talked about me?”

  “Yes. And she’s very worried. We know you’re going through a very hard time right now. We want to help.”

  All summer long, those were the words I’d longed to hear. This was the moment I’d been waiting for.

  And yet—it didn’t feel right.

  Dr. Sotheby’s voice was in my ear again, warm and soothing. “Let me pick you up, Kes. You can stay at our house until Sydney gets home. Then we can talk about everything. We can fix everything.”

  A couple of fat raindrops landed on my cheek. If the skies really opened up, the bus would slow to a crawl. It would take forever to get home.

  And going to Syd’s house—it was a tempting offer. I imagined sitting at the big kitchen island while the maid heated up some hot chocolate—just like she used to do on cold afternoons.

  That was all I really wanted. To fix the friendship that seemed to have broken—unexpectedly and incomprehensibly.

  We can fix everything.

  Dr. Sotheby’s voice promised to give me everything I wanted.

  But there was another voice in my head now—one that sounded suspiciously like Sol.

  It’s not real.

  I heard a rumble and looked up, thinking it was thunder.

  The bus was approaching.

  I pressed the phone to my ear. “It’s okay. The bus just got here. I’m just going to go home.”

  “You don’t want to be riding across town in this weather.” Dr. Sotheby’s voice was stern and commanding. “And I’m sure your mother wouldn’t want you to, either. Stay there. I’ll pick you up.”

  The bus lumbered to a stop. I fumbled with the phone as I pulled out my bus card. “I’m fine. Thanks for the offer, though.”

  “Kes—”

  I hung up.

  I climbed aboard the bus with a sense of giddy unreality. I’d never hung up on an adult before.

  Then again, I’d never done any of this before.

  I thought of the black heels, the ones I’d tossed into the bushes outside the school gym. Of Rain and Angela.

  Of Sydney. Had she really talked to her father about me?

  The phone rang. Dr. Sotheby’s name flashed across the screen.

  I didn’t answer.

  Outside the big, plexiglass window, the rain was coming down hard. There was a bright flash on the horizon—lightning?

  Maybe I should have taken up Dr. Sotheby on his offer.

  No. I didn’t know what was going on, but I was suddenly sure I’d made the right decision.

  My feeling of disquiet was growing. Was it just the impending storm—or something else?

  I took out my phone and tried to call my mother.

  No answer.

  That wasn’t unusual—when she was at work, she was usually too busy to take calls. I knew she’d check her messages on her break.

  I tapped out a quick text. Hey, Mom. Give me a call when you get the chance.

  I nearly added, Nothing urgent—as I so often did, so that Mom wouldn’t freak out.

  Tonight, I didn’t say that. I couldn’t shake the feeling that, whatever was happening, it was urgent.

  Time passed, and the bus made slow progress down the dark streets. Rain sluiced down the windows, and I saw another flash of lightning.

  Mom didn’t call me back.

  We were nearing the Maple Street stop. If I got off there, I could transfer to the bus that went to White Falls General Hospital. It would add another half-hour to my commute. And God only knew how many minutes of standing in the rain.

  Everything’s fine, I told myself. But I no longer believed that.

  As we approached Maple Street, I made a decision. I was going to the hospital.

  My phone rang. I checked the screen and felt a rush of relief.

  “Mom? I’m sorry to bother you at work, but—”

  “Kes.” The voice on the other end was not my mother. It was a male voice, and it took me a second to recognize it as Sol’s.

  The bottom seemed to drop out of my stomach.

  “Where are you?”

  “On the bus. How did you get my mom’s phone?”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I was going home, but—”

  “Don’t go home.”

  “Where’s my mom? Put her on the phone.” My voice was shaking.

  “I can’t. Listen, Kes, she’s okay, but she can’t talk.�
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  “What happened?”

  His tone was one of strained calm. “I don’t have time to explain everything now. But I need you to come and meet me.”

  Several possibilities flashed through my mind, none of them good.

  “Should I come to the hospital?”

  “No. They’ll expect that. Where are you now?”

  My stomach wouldn’t stop flipping over. I felt like I was in free-fall.

  I took a deep gulp of air and told Sol where I was.

  He swore under his breath. “Look, I’m going to come get you, but it’s going to take a few minutes. Listen to my instructions very carefully. Skip the next stop and get off at Industrial Boulevard instead.”

  “Okay, but—”

  “Once you get off, find yourself somewhere to hole up. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  The shock was starting to wear off. “This is ridiculous. Just tell me where you are. I’ll come meet you. Dr. Sotheby can give me a ride.”

  “You talked to him?”

  Something in his tone of voice set off a warning bell. “He offered me a ride home from the dance.”

  “Kes, listen to me. Dr. Sotheby is not your friend. Under no circumstances are you to go anywhere near him. Does he know where you are?”

  “I told him I was taking the bus back to my apartment.”

  He swore. “How long ago was that?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe half an hour? What’s going on? Why shouldn’t I go with him?”

  “I don’t have time to explain. Just—don’t go near him. If you do, your life will be in danger.”

  “What?”

  “Just get off at the next stop. Wait for me. And if the good doctor calls again, tell him you’re on your way to the hospital.”

  Rain was pounding down on the roof of the bus. I considered what a long, cold, miserable wait it would be.

  But something told me I needed to trust Sol.

  “If this is some kind of joke—”

  But I already knew it wasn’t.

  “Just wait for me, Kes. I’ll explain everything when I get there. And Kes?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Be careful.”

  Chapter 11

  The bus driver gave me a strange look as I got off.

  Industrial Boulevard wasn’t a great part of town, a no-man’s-land between the old factory district and the city’s struggling downtown.

  I stepped out into the driving rain, my insufficient hood pulled up over my head.

  There wasn’t much in the way of cover here. I ran to one of the low-rise buildings and shrank back against the brick wall, trying to stay under the shallow awning.

  I pulled my jacket closer, shivering uncontrollably.

  Had I finally lost my mind?

  I barely knew Sol. And yet somehow, on his instruction, I was standing here on a deserted street—in the middle of a storm.

  But he’d had my mother’s phone.

  And those other things that had happened…

  The power going out. The strange electricity that had built up inside me.

  That was real.

  Something moved in the darkness. A figure was approaching, coming from the end of the block.

  I nearly called out. But as I squinted through the driving rain, I hesitated.

  As the figure drew closer, I saw that whoever it was wasn’t as tall as Sol. He was shorter, not quite as broad-shouldered. Yet something in the way he moved was deeply familiar…

  Beneath the raincoat, a pair of crystal blue eyes met mine.

  Dr. Sotheby.

  I tensed as he drew nearer.

  “Kes?” He was approaching rapidly. “Thank God you’re okay!”

  The closer he got, the more I saw it—there was something different about him. Something vaguely inhuman.

  He was within ten feet of me now. The rain pelted down around him, but he didn’t seem to notice it.

  “My car’s parked around the corner. Come on. Let’s get you out of the rain.”

  His voice sounded the same. I could even smell his usual cologne, the one Sydney bought him every year for Christmas. A sharp, almost astringent combination of wet earth and pine needles.

  I took a step to the side, edging away from him.

  How had he found me?

  As the thought flashed through my mind, I came to a conclusion.

  I didn’t trust him.

  And that meant I needed to get out of here. Except I’d told Sol that I’d be at the bus stop. If I ran off, he’d never find me.

  Dr. Sotheby took a step. “Kes…”

  “Don’t come any closer!”

  Something in his demeanor had shifted. He knew—I was sure of it—that I wasn’t going to come with him.

  Not willingly, anyway.

  His eyes narrowed. “I’m afraid you’ve come under the influence of some very dangerous people. You shouldn’t believe their lies.”

  His words made me hesitate. Could he be right?

  “How long have we known each other, Kestrel? I only have your best interests at heart. I’m afraid I can’t say the same for this boy, Sol Kyrion.”

  I frowned. Sol had shown up out of nowhere. And yet…

  I trust him.

  Dr. Sotheby smiled—a gentle, fatherly smile. “You’ve fallen under his spell, haven’t you?”

  I stared. How did he know all this? Had Sydney told him?

  “I can hardly blame you. You’re young and impressionable, and with everything you’ve gone through, you’re looking for answers.”

  I frowned. Sol had spoken of change, of strange new abilities. And of leaving my old life behind.

  But maybe there really was a normal, non-magical explanation for everything that was happening to me.

  Maybe if I gave Dr. Sotheby a chance…

  “What’s happening to me?”

  I had to shout to be heard over the rain, and my voice sounded shrill, on the edge of hysteria.

  “Come with me, Kestrel, and I’ll explain everything.”

  I’d known Dr. Sotheby since I was five years old. We’d lived down the street from each other for a dozen years. And there were countless times I’d slept over at his house…

  If he really wanted to hurt me, wouldn’t I be dead by now?

  But something made me hesitate.

  I held up my phone. “Let me just call my mom first.”

  He frowned. “Your mother’s busy at work. In fact she’s the one who asked me to check in on you.”

  Goosebumps prickled my arms. “You talked to her?”

  He smiled. “Just a few minutes ago.”

  I felt a chill run the length of my body. Mom didn’t have her cell phone. Sol did.

  Dr. Sotheby was lying.

  And that meant I needed to run.

  He lunged.

  I felt my adrenaline surge, and that vast, empty space inside of me opened up. The strange energy rushed in to fill it—just as it had at the school gym.

  This time, what happened felt almost familiar—like a dance I’d finally learned the steps to. As the power built up inside me, I knew what to do.

  There was no light, no noise—nothing like the stuff I’d seen at the loft party. But I could sense the energy as it left me.

  Dr. Sotheby staggered backward with the impact. I hesitated for half a second. Just long enough to see that whatever I’d done, it hadn’t knocked him out.

  But I’d take what I could get.

  I turned and ran.

  I had no idea where I was going. I just wanted to get away from Dr. Sotheby—and maybe lose him down one of the dark alleys.

  I heard a shout behind me and put on as much speed as I could.

  When I came to the first intersection, I darted to the side. This was a smaller street, not the big broad thoroughfare where the bus had dropped me off. It was darker here.

  Maybe I could hide.

  I could have sworn I heard multiple voices in the street behind me. Men’s voices—deep an
d unfamiliar.

  Dr. Sotheby was not alone.

  The realization sent a new jolt of adrenaline coursing through me. I felt a burst of speed and ran harder than ever, nearly blind from the rain.

  Halfway down the block, I slowed long enough to turn onto another street. I needed to lose these guys, whoever they were.

  But as I prepared to put on a burst of speed, I realized my mistake.

  I was heading straight for a dead end—and I wasn’t alone.

  There was a hooded figure waiting at the end of the alley.

  I slowed, but it was too late. By the time I stopped, I’d nearly barreled into him.

  I screamed.

  The figure threw back his hood.

  Sol.

  I let out a strangled sob and dove into his arms.

  A moment later, I felt his hands on my shoulders. He pulled me back and studied me, his dark eyes serious.

  “You okay?”

  I nodded shakily.

  He seemed to relax a little. “Wanna get out of here?”

  I let out a semi-hysterical laugh. “Yes. But—not that way.” I gestured back the way I’d come. “Dr. Sotheby—”

  “I know.” Sol pulled me deeper into the alley. “Don’t worry. I’ve got another way out of here.”

  There was a door near the end of the alley—so narrow and grimy that it was nearly invisible. He pulled it open and gestured for me to follow.

  It was dark inside, and barely warmer than the outside had been. Some sort of abandoned building. Within a minute, we’d come to a door on the other side.

  I followed Sol outside. We were in another dark alley.

  Nearby, a car was parked. Sol’s Range Rover.

  I smiled through chattering teeth.

  Inside the car, it was still warm. But now my dress was soaking wet, and I shivered convulsively.

  Sol didn’t wait for me to buckle my seatbelt, but peeled away from the curb almost immediately.

  I clutched the seat. “Where are we going?”

  He glanced over, looking distracted. “Somewhere far, far away from here. But not yet,” he added, catching my look of alarm. “First we need to grab the team.”

  “Where’s my mom?”

  Something flickered across his face. I didn’t like it.

  “She’s with Nev. She’s safe,” he added, as I opened my mouth to protest.

  “But when I talked to you, you had her phone.”