With hands out in a submissive manner, Wyatt steps back. “I don’t want to hurt you, Newman.”
I take a step forward, not sure if I should be worried or not. “Grandpa?”
He waves me back. “I’m fine. That was pure luck on his part.”
Wyatt points a finger in Grandpa’s face. “It’s called a double-leg takedown. Very effective on those who are too stubborn to know better than to pick a fight with me.”
Grandpa rolls to his feet and wipes the sweat from his eyes. “I’m giving you one more chance. Keep your mouth shut.”
“It’s not going to happen. Besides, people are going to notice when he suddenly lights up, or burns down the forest because he gets all pissy. I’m sworn to protect, just like you. Your grandson is a threat to the well-being of everyone around here. This isn’t about a kid with a hair-trigger temper. This is about a kid who’s a walking weapon, so back down, old man.”
“We came to you for help. It’s a sad day when neighbors stop giving a damn.”
Grandpa throws a double jab. Wyatt fakes to the right, rotates to the left, and Grandpa shoots in. He grabs Wyatt’s hand and kinks it into an abnormal position, dropping Wyatt to his knees. A wince covers his face and a curse flies from his lips.
Bending close, Grandpa growls, “This is what we old guys call a twist-his-arm-until-he-does-exactly-what-I-tell-him-to-do.” He swivels around and braces Wyatt’s arm in a hold that looks cry-worthy painful. “If you don’t back off, I’ll break it.”
I can hear Wyatt sucking in air, fighting the pain the wrestling hold is creating. “You’re a cop.”
“I’m off duty. Trust me. It’s the spirit of the law that applies here. You’re threatening the well-being of my grandson, and I have the right to defend him.”
Wyatt struggles, but in the end, Grandpa has him good and caught. “Okay, okay. I won’t talk. Like you said, who would believe me? What he can do isn’t logical. Hell, it’s impossible.”
“Swear it.”
“I swear to God I won’t say a word. I won’t have to. He’ll draw attention to himself. I hope you know what you’re doing, old man.”
Grandpa lets go, and Wyatt hisses his relief as he cradles his arm to his chest and tests its motion.
Their encounter has my blood sweeping through my veins like an Indy race car on its last lap. “So now what?”
“We go home,” Grandpa says, clenching and unclenching his left hand. I think he’s hurt it, but knowing him, he won’t admit it.
Although the clasp is melted, I can still slip the belts free, and I let the weight vest drop to the floor, along with the ankle weights. I swipe up my T-shirt from where I tossed it and shrug it on. “Why did we come here? All we did was create more problems.”
By the end of the day, all our neighbors will know who and what I am. Kera and I will have to leave.
Wyatt hops to his feet and follows Grandpa like a pit bull after its favorite doggie toy. “I told you I wouldn’t talk, but you’ve got to think this through, Newman. Your boy here gets mad, he lights up. It’s impossible!”
“So you keep telling us,” I sneer.
He ignores me and harps after Grandpa. “Do you know how long he can light up without burning up? Everything is exhaustible. That fact should apply even to him. We’re all created with limits, right?”
I can see Grandpa weighing the odds of leaving versus listening. I don’t like it. I start toward the door. “Let’s go, Grandpa. We don’t need him anymore. I can deal with this on my own.” And I can. All I need to do is exhaust myself to the point where I don’t want to think, let alone catch fire.
“Boy,” Grandpa shouts, stopping me in my tracks, “what did I tell you about letting your crow get bigger than your cockscomb?”
I’m not sure what he’s talking about, and I’m scared to ask.
“You’ve got more to learn than you think,” he adds, then turns to Wyatt. “What are you suggesting?”
“Wait here.” He scrounges in the storeroom and pops out holding a firefighter’s suit. “I’ve got the protective gear. We should test him out. Find that edge, that place where he breaks.”
This guy was all for turning me over to the pitchfork-wielding townspeople à la Frankenstein, and now he wants to help the monster? I take a protective step back. “I’m not sure…”
Grandpa’s suddenly bobbing his head in agreement. “You may have a point.”
Deep in my bones, I know it’s a bad idea. From the moment Kera opened my eyes to what I really am, to the melting of the metal clasp, I know my limits are far and beyond what they should be. If Faldon’s right, every time I was forced to kill someone, I inherited new powers. I may have limits, but they’re so far out there, testing them may very well get someone else killed.
I try again. “Kera says I should only use magic when absolutely necessary.” I remember the first time I’d used it and the sick feeling that rushed over me, how I couldn’t even walk, and the mess I’d left behind. Grandpa means well, but neither of them have any idea what they’re in for. “Pushing myself can upset the balance of nature. What you’re suggesting is dangerous.”
“Don’t fool yourself, kid,” Wyatt says as he stuffs one leg into the fireproof suit. “You walking around is dangerous.” The suit slides up Wyatt’s other leg. “How many people know about you, bonfire boy?”
“Not many.” Grandpa hands Wyatt a pair of fireman boots. “People would think we’re running on half a tank if I said anything. If you hadn’t seen it for yourself, you wouldn’t have believed us.”
A sharp, short laugh erupts from Wyatt as he jerks on a boot. “No doubt.”
How’d they go from beating each other up to buddies in less than a minute? Watching Grandpa help Wyatt suit up is surreal. “This is crazy. I know what I’m capable of doing and it’s not something you want to see.”
Grandpa snorts. “Already seen it, remember?”
Wyatt looks from me to Grandpa, his face reflecting his intense interest. “Umm, yeah, I’m pretty sure I want to see it again.”
I can feel the anger grow in my belly. To Grandpa, I’m someone who needs discipline. To Wyatt I’m a weird phenomenon he can’t wait to experiment on.
“You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“Calm yourself,” Grandpa says. “We need to see if we can control what sets you off, or at least regulate the reaction. Then you’re safer. We’re all safer. That’s what we came here to do in the first place, right? Make you safer. That reminds me. I should get the hose.”
“What? We’re doing it here? In the barn? It’s made out of wood. Does that not ring any alarms?”
“We can’t do it outside where everyone can see,” Wyatt says as if I’m the dumbest person alive.
“Don’t worry, son.” Grandpa slaps me on the back. “I’ve got you covered.” And off he trots to get the hose.
“Seriously, kid. Show a little trust,” Wyatt adds.
Wow, this guy’s been hit in the head one too many times if he thinks I’m going to trust him. “Aren’t you the one who wanted to rat me out five seconds ago?”
“Yeah, well,” he shrugs. “Now I don’t.”
My instincts scream at me to run. I don’t, and I’m not sure why. I voice my objections one last time. “I’m gonna go down as saying this is a really bad idea.”
Grandpa turns to Wyatt. “I say we use the industrial hose your daddy has at the shop.”
Wyatt throws him a thumbs-up and lumbers off. I clasp my head between my hands and spin away. My nerves crackle under the surface of my skin. “Grandma is going to kill us.”
“Stop digging in that well. It’s deep enough. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” He grabs my arm and hauls me to the center of the barn and scuffs a black X on the floor with his boot heel. “Stand right there. Now, when I say so, go ahead and light up. Don’t push yourself too much. We want to see how hot you burn normally.”