“Keep practicing. It’ll become second nature,” Mathew said, patting her hand. “You up for some company?”
Ellyssa put the book down and rose from the bed, as Rein and a black man entered. Stopping short, she stared in disbelief. Besides history books, never in her life had she seen a black person. His skin was dark and wrinkled, his eyes black as night. His wiry grey hair bounced freely in tangled clumps. He wore the same dress as everyone else, only his clothes hung off his thin, frail body.
Everything she’d been taught about people of other races surged forward. They were untrustworthy, imperfect. Emotions swirled inside her, confusing her. Unsure what to think, what to do, Ellyssa slipped into her old skin, expressionless, her body poised to defend herself.
Responding to her defensive posture, the smile gracing the doctor’s face fell, replaced by a curious scowl. Rein’s eyes narrowed and his body visibly coiled. The black man stood there, just as relaxed as when he had first entered. He placed a wrinkled hand on Rein’s forearm.
Ellyssa quickly sized up the competition, preparing for their first move. The black man and the doctor would be easily disposed of. Rein would prove a bit harder, but not beyond her capabilities.
Brushing off the old man’s hand, Rein stepped forward, but Mathew popped in front of him with his hands held up, warding off expected hostility.
“Ellyssa, what’s wrong?” Mathew said.
She tore her eyes from the black man and focused on the doctor. “I trusted you.”
Unprepared for her response, Mathew blinked. “Yes. I promised no one was going to hurt you. And no one is.” He turned his body halfway toward the black man. “This is Jordan,” he said, sweeping his arm in introduction.
Still wary, Ellyssa stepped back, but her body remained tense. “Jordan? Your leader?”
Mathew looked from her to Jordan, then back to her. He raised his eyebrows. “Oh, I see,” he said with a nod. “There are people of many heritages who live among us, Ellyssa. Quite different than what you are accustomed to, I’m sure.”
With a quick step forward, Jordan brushed by Rein, who tried to hold him back, but the old man knocked his hand away. Although feeble-looking, the leader moved with vigor. He extended his hand to Ellyssa. “Pleased to meet you, Ellyssa. I’ve heard much about you.”
The drawl of Jordan’s dialect was even more pronounced and slower than Rein’s or Mathew’s. ‘Pleased to meet you’ sounded more like ‘Pleaz ta mitcha.’
Ellyssa stared at his proffered hand for a moment, noting the tan skin of his palm. Her gaze floated to his face. Amusement glimmered in his eyes, but so did tiredness. His full lips twitched, as if on the verge of breaking into laughter.
With his hand still extended in the air, she jumped into his head. An onslaught of goodness thrummed inside the old man. He was very sick. He held absolutely no ill will toward her, only inquisitiveness about who she was and why she was here.
Against everything drilled into her from a very young age, Ellyssa took an instant liking to the older man, which surprised her.
Hesitant, like a wild animal taking food from a child, she stepped forward and placed her hand in Jordan’s. His grip was surprisingly strong, considering his health, and…leathery.
“It is-” Ellyssa paused. “I mean, it’s nice to meet you, too,” she replied. She glanced at Mathew, who nodded encouragingly, a smile of triumph gracing his face. She grinned back at him.
“Do you mind if I stay and speak with you?”
Ellyssa’s smile faltered. She didn’t want to answer the questions she’d seen floating in the old man’s head. She was still unsure what to reveal. Maybe everything. Maybe nothing. She chewed on her bottom lip as she debated, then stopped as soon as she noticed the common display of indecision. She erased all expression from her appearance. “Of course.”
Ellyssa returned to her bed while Mathew rolled the chair over next to her cot. With an audible grunt, Jordan took the offered seat. Mathew settled on the empty cot next to hers, while Rein leaned against the edge of the doorway. Rein ran his fingers through his chestnut hair, rearranging the spikes into a new pattern, before he folded his arms. Unease etched his face as his eyes moved from her, to Jordan, to Mathew.
She didn’t understand him at all.
“From what I was told, you were called here?”
Ellyssa tore her attention away from Rein and nodded.
“And, as I’m sure Rein or Doc told you, we have reason to believe Jeremy was the one who was captured and taken to The Center.”
“Yes.”
“He was special. Extraordinary, actually.”
“That is my understanding.”
“Do you know how he came to be here?”
“No. I was not informed.”
Jordan looked at the doctor.
Mathew shrugged.
“About thirty years ago, when he was still a newborn, not more than a couple of months old, I took him in, like I did Rein and Woody, and raised him.”
Ellyssa’s gaze shot to Rein. She had no idea what he must be feeling losing someone he loved. No idea at all.
The brightness in Jordan’s eyes faded a little and a slow tick worked in his jawline as he continue, “I loved him like he was my very own.
“We don’t know much about his mother, only that she was unmarried. She had him secretly. I guess her original plan had been to raise him and slowly integrate him into society.” He pulled his frail shoulders into a shrug.
“When he was born with the dark hair, she knew he would never be accepted. Somehow, she learned about one of our people. She left the baby with them, and they brought him to me.
“For years, he grew, he played, and he was intelligent, but he never spoke. No babbling or cooing, like other babies. Not until he was three, but even then, his words did not come the conventional way.” Jordan leaned forward. “He spoke in my head.”
Forgetting to maintain unresponsiveness, Ellyssa’s eyes widened. Although she knew of Jeremy’s gift, had experienced it herself, the possibility of such an occurrence outside of The Center still seemed unfeasible.
“His words were as clear as those I am speaking to you now. But there was more to it. He could make you know things, understand things.”
“That is what happened to me,” she uttered in disbelief.
“I thought I was going insane, when he first did it to me.” Chuckling, Jordan eased back.
The old man’s laughter was deep and throaty, and fell from him easily. She liked it.
As the chuckle died, Jordan’s dark eyes fixed on her, his expression turned serious. “Do you know why he could do that? Did it have anything to do with The Center?”
Ellyssa considered the chances of Jeremy’s condition being a byproduct of The Center. It would definitely explain Jeremy’s unique ability. And it wasn’t like her father would ever admit such a weakness on his behalf or The Center’s. After all, the only reason Ellyssa had found out about Subject 20, Ida, was because… She paused at the thought.
It was because of Jeremy.
Did the strange dark-haired male somehow know he’d come from The Center?
Ellyssa dismissed the idea. If he’d known, then Jordan would’ve known. But maybe, somehow, he had felt a connection. One strong enough that he’d reached out to her.
As their expectant stares stayed locked on her, Ellyssa wondered how they would react to her own unique ability. Would they accept her as easily as they had Jeremy?
She was torn.
Her complete treachery toward her father, her brothers and sister, of everyone in society. But wasn’t what her father planned a betrayal, too? Genocide of all society, to be replaced by new and improved models.
Ellyssa’s gaze flicked to Rein; his eyes scrutinized her, waiting for an answer.
Now was not the time to share. But, eventually, she had to tell them.