“So it seems the crucial question facing us now,” said Ajay, “is what, if anything, does the Center have to do with the Paladin Prophecy?”
“That sounds right,” said Will.
“But if it is true, what is it all for?” asked Brooke emotionally. “Why would they do something this twisted to anybody?”
Will took her hand. “We’re going to find that out,” he said simply. “All of us.”
“How many of … ‘us’ are we?” asked Elise.
“For now, the five of us in this room,” said Will.
“How can we verify that this genetic theory is true?” asked Ajay.
“There’s one obvious place to start,” said Will. “Drop the idea into a conversation with your parents. See what they say, decide what you think.”
“Okay,” said Ajay, a little shaky, looking at the others.
“You can also, really quietly, ask Dr. Kujawa to run tests on you,” said Will. “He was amazed by what he found with me and told me the truth about it. Maybe he finds something that helps us rule this out. Either way, it can’t hurt to check.”
“Word,” said Nick.
“Ajay, there’s something else you can do,” said Will. “First thing tomorrow, grab a note from a teacher for the Rare Book Archive. Read everything you can find about the Knights of Charlemagne, the Crag, and how they picked the school mascot before anyone has a chance to get rid of it.”
“Dude, build a spy camera,” said Nick.
“He won’t need a camera,” said Will. “Any more than I needed a horse.”
“Correct,” said Ajay, a smile dawning.
Tika knocked on the door, then stuck her head in and said to Brooke, “Car’s here for you, Miss Springer. Your parents are downstairs.”
Brooke explained that her parents had flown in from Washington. They’d decided it was best for her to spend a few days at home in Virginia before returning to class. She collected her bag, then gave everyone a hug. Will walked her out the door and into the corridor. Brooke dropped her bag, grabbed Will, and kissed him.
“Call me,” she said breathlessly. “Text me or email me or—”
“Okay,” he said between kisses.
“Don’t let an hour go by without letting me know what’s going on, what you know, and how you are.” Then with a sweet whispered goodbye and a heady rush of freshly washed hair, she was gone.
Will walked back inside and closed the door. The rest of them stared at the grin on his face, then pretended to find something else to look at. Elise, who knew exactly what he was thinking, turned away and crossed her arms.
“Dudes, we need a name for … whatever we are,” said Nick, climbing back into his wheelchair. “The Resistance or … wait for it”—Nick lowered his voice dramatically—“the Awesome Resistance.”
“Thanks for playing, Nick,” said Elise.
“The Alliance,” said Ajay.
“The Alliance,” said Elise, trying it out.
“What do you think, Will?” asked Nick.
“I’m sorry, what?” asked Will, looking up as if just realizing they were there.
“Never mind.” Elise scowled.
Will yawned. “I need to sleep now,” he said.
Nick gave him a fist bump, and Elise held his hand for a thoughtful moment; then Will headed for his room. Ajay followed him to his door.
“I didn’t have a chance to tell you,” said Ajay. “I found your iPhone where you said it would be in Lyle’s office. The police were driving up as I came out. It’s under your mattress. As a precaution, I removed its GPS transmitter.”
“Great job, Ajay,” said Will. “You’re the man.”
“No,” said Ajay. “I believe it’s safe to say that would be you, my friend. And I remain, sir, entirely at your service.”
Will smiled, took the dark glasses out of his pocket, and handed them to Ajay. “When you get a chance, take a look at these. We’re all going to need a pair.”
OceanofPDF.com
DECISION
Will found his iPhone where Ajay had stashed it, under the mattress. It felt good to feel its familiar contours in his hands again, but also sobering and sad, this artifact from his former life. Will sat on the edge of his bed. He looked at his parents’ photograph in its cracked frame. He picked up from the table Dad’s tattered book of rules and opened to the first page:
The Importance of an Orderly Mind.
Sticking with the rules had kept him alive this far. Had he been a little lucky? No doubt. And he knew enough to know he couldn’t count on that from here on out.
OceanofPDF.com
#7: DON’T CONFUSE GOOD LUCK WITH A GOOD PLAN.
He flipped the book to the final page, and the last rule Dad had written: OPEN ALL DOORS, AND AWAKEN.
The biggest question Will had been unable to answer: How did his dad know about the Prophecy? Because it was clear that his parents had known, or they wouldn’t have spent his whole life watching so closely for signs of his Awakening, then training and preparing him the way they did. But why that meant they had to keep him hidden while living like fugitives was another mystery.
He had to face the possibility that he’d never be able to ask Dad about it. He might never see either of them again. Who was going to take care of him now if they had been on that plane, or even if they hadn’t been? In the clear, cold, practical part of his mind, he knew that he’d have to do it, for the most part, by himself now.
Didn’t everybody, sooner or later, once you stared down the barrel of whatever form the truth is hiding in? We’re born; we die. In between you make the best of what’s handed to you, and you love the people closest to you.
What else is there?
At least he had friends now. But who could he turn to for answers to these big questions, the ones his parents had always guided him through before? Dave had been that guy, but he might be gone now, too. Could anybody, even a kick-ass Special Forces Wayfarer, come back from the Never-Was?
Will took out the dice from his pocket and looked at them. Black, with white dots. He wanted to believe these were the same unearthly devices Dave had shown him, but they looked and felt like regular dice. A little heavier and denser, maybe.
Without his realizing he’d moved, Will’s head eased down to the pillow. His orderly mind winked off as quickly as if he’d tugged a string to turn off a light.
Moments or hours later, Will heard a soft bing. He opened his eyes and saw his tablet on the desk, the screen turned toward him. The Center’s screen saver crest was bouncing gently from one side to the other.
He had no sense of how long he’d been out, but it was dark outside. Will glanced at his phone, still cupped in his hand: almost seven in the evening. Sunday. Still Sunday. The tablet sounded that gentle tone again. Will rubbed his eyes, walked over, sat at his desk, and touched the screen.
His syn-app appeared in his “room” and waved to him, smiling. “You’re not alone, Will,” said his syn-app. “And you never will be. Not while I’m around.”
“Thanks,” said Will dryly. “You’re a real pal.”
“You’ve been gone quite a while.”
“What, I’m supposed to keep you informed of my whereabouts now?”
“Not at all,” said the syn-app. “I was just worried about you.”
Will looked at his little double closely. “You sound like you mean it,” he said.
“I do.”
“Why should I believe you?” asked Will.
“If you can’t trust yourself, Will,” said his syn-app with a smile, “who can you trust? Would you like to see the photograph I found for you?”
“I’m sorry, which photograph?” asked Will sleepily.