I keep to myself that morning and join everyone for lunch in the kitchen. I avoid contact with Zee, instead sitting with Tessa. She's quiet and calm and doesn't ask questions. Zee looks kind of offended, but doesn't ask me to sit with him. I really hope Will's little speech didn't affect him that much. I like Zee.
After lunch Liz takes us to the door at the end of the hall, which leads to the north wing of the house. I'm not sure what I expected, but this isn't it. There's a couch in the middle of the room across from two sofa chairs, a coffee table between them. There are three doors leading from the room, which I'm assuming to be the "study rooms".
"Well, this is the main room and those three rooms are the labs. Since none of your abilities are the same, testing will be done separately and on different days. I'll give you each a schedule and it will be your job to be on time. You're all adults, or soon to be, so you can't expect us to chase after you." Liz hands us each a piece of paper.
Gemma Nadine Slate - Telepathy
I glance over at Tessa's sheet. Precognition through Automatic Writing? She catches me looking at her page and shrugs, then smiles. Precognition.. Seeing the future?
"As you see, there isn't any testing today, so you guys are free until dinner. During which we'll work out a chores schedule." Groans of displeasure, me along with them. "Oh come on, you can't expect to live in a house and not have to contribute. Now, let's get out of here." She ushers us back into the main hall of the house. I'm about to ask Tessa if she wants to go for a walk when Liz interrupts me. "Gemma? Could I talk to you, privately?" Tessa smiles in that quiet way of hers.
"I'll catch you later Tessa." She waves and I turn to Liz. "What's up?"
"Let's go back in here where no one can eavesdrop." I nod and follow her. She closes the door behind us and motions for me to sit down. I pick one of the chairs and she sits on the couch. "Now, this isn't meant to alarm you, but Jackson Forte knows that you're here. Yesterday after you'd arrived he asked, more like demanded, to see you."
"I still don't understand why he wants to meet me." Liz shakes her head.
"We have no idea." The way she says we all the time prickles, but I can't explain why. "We're willing to make him wait as long as possible.."
"But?"
"But.. He's got some telepathic ability of his own. He's making his guards go crazy. One almost released him last night. Since then we've taken extra precautions to ensure he stays where he's meant to." I lean back in my chair. Some killer that I've never met wants to meet me and they can't restrain him properly?
"Can I go now?" She nods. Without looking back at her I shut the door behind me and stalk down the hallway. Instead of going to my own room, I go to Zee's. To hell with what Will told him. I stop outside his closed door and knock loudly. A few seconds later Zee opens the door, surprised to see me. I brush past him and sit heavily on his bed. He closes the door slowly and turns to look at me. "I don't care what Will told you, I'm not like that, okay?"
"How'd you.. Oh, right, you can read minds."
"Actually, I was eating breakfast when you guys walked in. I was hidden. I didn't mean to overhear, but it was kind of unavoidable." Zee doesn't seem mad, which I'm thankful for. He crosses the small room and sits beside me.
"Hey, it's all right. So, what's wrong? You look like someone told you'll never walk for the rest of your life." I sigh a little, my anger ebbing with each passing second.
"Have you heard of Jackson Forte?"
"Yeah, sure, he's been on the news for... Oh God, don't tell me he's your boyfriend or something." I laugh a little.
"Hardly. I don't even know him."
"So, what about him?"
"Apparently he's been looking for me. Cops arrested him in Colorado, which is only two states away from where I live. They have him somewhere, but Liz just told me that he almost got away last night. To come here, I guess."
"Hold on.. Jackson Forte, the guy that's killed a couple people, is going across the country to look for you?" I nod.
"I guess."
"How creepy."
"Liz told me he's a Telepath too, so he's making all of his guards crazy." Zee swears under his breath.
"So what happens then?" I shake my head.
"I don't know. They want him here, but not if he's going to kill me or something. They want me to meet him."
"Are you going to?"
"Well, yeah, I guess so. I mean, If he almost escaped last night then who knows how long it'll take before he actually does get out. But if he wants to meet me, then I'd rather do it under my terms and not his."
"It sucks, but I guess you're right. When do you meet him?"
"I don't know. I kind of left Liz before she could tell me."
"Well, why don't we go down and ask her?" I sigh and look at Zee. There's nothing but brotherly protectiveness in his eyes. No matter who Crystal was, I think Will was wrong. I stand up and take Zee's arm.
"All right, let's go."
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