Intangible (25 page)

“You coming to Muddy’s with us today?” she said.

Marc looked from Sera to Luke and back again. “Actually, I was hoping I could steal you away for the afternoon. Go down to the lakefront.”

Sera’s immediate smile gave him hope, but then she bit her lip, thinking.

“Just friends.” Marc held his hands up in front of him. “I promise.”

The way she worked her lower jaw side to side in a very slight movement mesmerized him. He really wanted her to say yes, and it suddenly had nothing to do with voices, headaches, or Shadows. Her lips curved up just barely at the corners and she squinted a little as she looked at him, her head tilted to one side. It took all his self control to not kiss her right there and then.

No. He couldn’t do that. He couldn’t fall for her. He gave himself a mental shake, tried to clear his head. Focus, man. Focus. Eyes on the prize. Freedom. A normal life. He didn’t need a girlfriend. He didn’t need that kind of complication. He needed to concentrate on the task at hand.

Focus.

Fey walked up like a splash of ice water, and he regained his inner control. She eyed him suspiciously, glanced back and forth between he and Sera.

“Sure,” Sera said. She turned to Luke and Fey. “I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

Marc could feel Fey’s eyes burning holes in the back of his head as he walked with Sera over to his car. He didn’t need to hear her thoughts to know what she was thinking.

They drove down to Battery Park, left the car there and walked to the waterfront. For once there was no wind to blow the chill right into their bones. But still, there was a quiet, cutting coldness to the day. Marc shoved his hands deep into this jeans pockets to keep them warm, wishing he’d brought gloves. Though Sera would’ve teased him for it, he’d have liked to have them today. Hell, he’d have liked the teasing too.

“So,” Sera said with a sweep of her arm at the lake, “Does this remind you of home?”

“The frigid water? The chattering of my teeth? The loss of feeling in my fingers?” Marc said. “Yeah. Just like Florida.”

“I figured.”

“In fact, I’m surprised Vermont isn’t called the Caribbean of the Northeast.”

She laughed. “That should be the new tag line in our tourist campaign.”

They stood side by side, staring out at the water. There was no warmth to be had from the sun shining on them, but it was beautiful glinting off the smooth surface of the water. If they stood there long enough, they’d see the sun go down behind the Adirondacks across the lake, leaving a color-streaked sky. They weren’t going to stay that long, though. Not unless they watched it from the inside of Marc’s car.

“How are you doing?” Marc said. “I haven’t really had a chance to talk to you. Just you.”

“I’m okay.” Sera looked up at Marc, then sighed. “Mostly. I have to be, right?”

“No, you don’t. You can be how you really are.”

Sera was silent for a moment, then shook her head, and turned to look out at the lake.

“When I was a kid,” Marc said, “I had a turtle. Timmy.”

“Timmy the turtle? Really?” She turned to look at him.

“Don’t laugh. And yes, Timmy the turtle. He was my best friend for a long time.” Marc stared out at the water. “When he died, I cried for a week.”

“Over a turtle?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re comparing Timmy the turtle to my dad because…?”

“I loved him. And he was just a turtle. This is your dad. You have the right to not be okay for as long as you feel not okay. That’s all I’m saying.”

She pressed her lips together and looked back out at the water. “It’s hard for me to not be okay. I feel like I have to be.”

“Well, you don’t. Not with me.”

Sera was silent a moment. “Thanks.”

They fell still. Gulls cried as they swooped around the length of the park. A pair of moms pushing strollers jogged past, the little kids bundled up against the cold.

“I should have brought a coat,” Sera said. She was shivering.

Marc opened his coat wide. An invitation. And she hesitated for only a moment before slipping into it, wrapping her arms around his body. He closed the coat and his arms around her.

She leaned her head on his chest, and he had to work really hard to keep his voice normal when he said, “Better?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

She smelled so good—like a cool summer night—and the warmth of her body against his made him never want to move. He leaned his chin on the top of her head.

“Marc?” Sera turned to look up at him and he was caught completely by the sight of her lips. Man, he wanted to kiss them. She stared at his lips as she spoke. “Why did you come to Vermont?”

“Honestly?”

Sera nodded. “Always.”

“I was looking for you,” he said. Her mouth formed a silent
oh
, and before he thought about what he was doing, he leaned his head down toward her.

And she met him. Her lips were warm and soft, open. He gently explored her lips with his own, his heart wild, his mind on fire, his entire body tingling, growing more intense by the moment. He cupped her head in his hands, reveling in the silk feel of her dark curls. He didn’t want to stop.

He
had
to stop. What was he doing? He was going to scare her away, and that’s the last thing he wanted to do. He wanted the girl. This girl. More than anything else he’d ever wanted. She was amazing. And if she could do what he thought she could do? That just made him want her even more.

He lifted his head, opened his eyes, and saw the most beautiful shining silver eyes, looking just like the reflection of the sun on the water beside them. Below the eyes was a smile.

A smile!

“What happened to ‘just friends’?” She was watching his mouth, and it was all he could do to not kiss her again.

“You don’t kiss your friends?”

“Not like that, I don’t.”

“Hmmm.” Marc snuggled her into his coat a little closer. “You should.”

“All my friends?” She laughed, leaned her head against his chest. He wondered if she could hear how his heart pounded.

He paused, as if seriously considering her question. “Nah, just me.”

She laughed again, leaning back a bit so she could look up at his face. Though he loved the silence in his head when he was around her, he’d have given almost anything to know what she was thinking right then. He did his best to hold her gaze and appear calm. He wished she’d put her head back on his chest and stop looking in his eyes. He was afraid of what she might see.

“Okay,” she said.

“Okay?”

She gave a little nod. “Okay.”

“Really?” That was it? He was in?

“Really.” She leaned up toward him, and he was suddenly burning. His lips met hers again, but this time there was an intensity of sparks, like fireworks going off all over his body. He brought his hands up to her face, his thumbs tracing the line of her jaw. His mind was blank except for one thought:
Sera
.

She was everything. She was all. And she was shivering again.

“You’re cold,” Marc said. “Let’s get back in the car.”

“I’m not ready to go home yet.”

He smiled. “I’ll turn on the heater.”

He could have danced her back to the car he was so happy. He had the girl. He’d won. Even without using his ability. He got the prize—he got to be with her.

And now he would know.

Oh. No.

And the Shadows would get her. Kill her. And Luke. His breath whooshed out as if he’d been punched in the gut. He turned to look at Sera walking alongside him, her warm hand slipped inside of his. He couldn’t do this to her. He couldn’t turn her in.

He’d have to figure something else out.

If he could.

TWENTY-FIVE

J
osh’s mom, Anne, stared at Sera like she was trying to place her, and Sera was doing her best to not stare back or turn around and run away in a panic. She’d stopped walking toward the soccer field as soon as she’d spotted Anne. Sera’s eyes searched for something to focus on somewhere else. Fey, Luke, and Marc walked on without her, deep in conversation, oblivious to her absence. But Sera couldn’t move, the weight of Anne’s gaze held her still.

Anne appeared to make up her mind, and headed straight for Sera. She remembered, Sera thought. But that was ridiculous. Impossible. Anne had just woken from a coma the last time she’d seen her, and had been so loopy from the drugs that it wasn’t possible that she’d actually be able to recognize and remember Sera. It wasn’t.

Someone shoved Sera from behind, and she stumbled forward, almost crashed into Anne.

“Walk much?” Naomi said as she sauntered by. Her friends snickered.

Sera’s wide eyes narrowed to mere slits. If Anne hadn’t been standing right there she’d have exchanged a few choice words with Naomi.

“Friends of yours?” Anne said, looking after them.

“I wouldn’t say that.”

Anne studied Sera’s face. “I’m sorry I was staring, but you look really familiar,” she said. “Have we met?”

“I don’t think so. You’ve probably seen me at school things, though.” Sera shrugged. “I’m a friend of Josh’s.”

Anne nodded but didn’t look convinced. At all. “You’re probably right.” She held out her hand. “I’m Anne.”

“Sera.” She hesitated for a moment, but grasped Anne’s hand, only hoping that the warmth Anne might feel from her touch wouldn’t help clarify where Anne had last seen her. Just to be sure, she pushed a thought into Anne.
You don’t remember me.
Over Anne’s shoulder Sera could see that Luke had finally noticed she was missing and turned around to see where she’d gone. His eyes went wide when he recognized Anne, and Sera nodded at him and waved. Anne turned to see who she was waving at.

“That’s my brother and friends. I gotta go,” Sera said, and moved around Anne to catch up with them. “I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

“Sure,” Anne said, and Sera walked away as quickly as she could. It took all her will power to not look back over her shoulder to see if Anne was still watching her.

They had already spread their blanket on the grass, and Fey and Marc had sat down on opposite ends. There was space for Luke and Sera in between. When she reached the group, Marc looked up at her with such a sunny smile, she would have sworn her heart went
ping.
She sat down on the blanket next to him and he immediately reached for her hand. She loved the feel of his fingers intertwined with hers, the look of his strong hands. A small thrill shivered in her heart. It was okay. She could do this. She wanted to do this—be with him. She wouldn’t let it happen again, just had to stay focused even while he distracted her.

Looking around the field, Sera noticed there was a real crowd to watch the game that day. Larger than usual. She spotted Quinn on the other side of the field with some friends and waved. He grinned and waved back. A ten-year-old boy ran too close in front of them and nearly tripped over Marc’s outstretched legs. Boy, there were lots of younger kids running around. Something must be going on at the middle school as well.

Sera suddenly became aware that Luke had gone very still. Then he let out a small, quiet gasp. He’d had a vision. She immediately turned to meet his eyes, read his face.

Luke looked relieved, but grabbed her hand, pulled her up, and said, “Come on.”

Sera glanced back at Marc and Fey but wasn’t able to get any words of apology out before Luke dragged her away.

“Luke, slow down. Where are we going?” Sera tugged on his arm while running to keep up. “Is it Mom?”

“No,” Luke said. “It’s a little kid who’s going to fall off the jungle gym and break his arm. But I want to get there in time to stop it from happening.” He broke into a run. “I have to figure out how to stop them, not just watch things happen like some useless idiot.”

Sera couldn’t help looking over at him as they ran. He was angry, but she didn’t know why. And she’d never seen him frantic like this about some vision. Perhaps this was because of their dad. If Luke had Seen what was going to happen, if he’d had a warning about what was to come, perhaps he could have changed the future and saved their dad’s life. That had to be why he was so intent on saving the little kid from a broken bone.

As they reached the clearing where the playground stood—a brand new, community built playground in bright red, yellow, and blue—they saw a little boy lose his balance from the top of one of the climbing structures and fall. Unfortunately, his arm hit the ground at just the wrong angle, and they could hear him cry out in pain from where they were—too far away to have stopped it.

“No!” Luke reached out toward the playground, then fell to his knees.

Sera rushed to the boy as an older girl ran over to him, too. He was crying hard, and his injured arm was already swelling.

“Is he okay?” the girl said. Her black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she looked like she was about seven years old. “That’s my brother.”

“I think so,” Sera said, and looked around. “Is your mom or dad here?”

“Over there.” The girl pointed to the soccer field. “They’re watching Scotty play soccer.”

“Why don’t you go get them while I stay here with your brother. Okay?”

The girl nodded and ran off.