Revival (The Variant Series, Book 1) (11 page)

“Think of it like water,” he continued. “Stop the flow and then pull it back toward you.”

Alex tried to do as he asked. She concentrated on the feel of the current, the way it flowed into her and then back out through her palms. She tried to interrupt the process and grab hold of the current.

The flow reversed. She could feel the energy pouring back into her.

“Perfect,” he said. “Now comes the hard part.”

Uh-oh.

“I want you to ground out the charge.”

“You want me to what now?” Alex knew she was on the verge of sounding like an idiot, but she really had no clue what he was talking about. She was beginning to wish she’d paid more attention in Mr. Mulvaney’s Physical Science class last year.

“You need to disperse the charge into something that can’t be affected by it. Get rid of it by grounding it.”

Alex pulled one hand back, stopping the exchange of energy. She held her palm up and followed her instinct, transferring the energy from one form to another. Moments later, a crackling ball of electricity, roughly the size of a golf ball, hovered above her palm.

Declan’s eyes grew wide. “What did you just do?”

She was staring at the roiling mass of static, surprised. “I don’t know! I just knew I wanted to get rid of the energy and… then there it was.”

The sphere of electricity hovering above her palm made her think of a different orb she’d seen only a few hours earlier… one that had been made of
fire
and wielded so skillfully by Brandt.

Before Alex could stop herself, she tensed.

The sphere in her hand started to expand, her anxiety fueling the electrical charge building in her palm. If she didn’t get rid of the ball soon, there was no telling how large it would grow.

“What do I do now?” she asked, panic edging into her voice. “How do I get rid of it?”

“I don’t…” Declan was shaking his head. “I don’t even know… How are you doing that?”

Someone knocked at the door.

The sound made her jump. Her hand jerked and the orb was sent spiraling toward the ceiling. It collided with the ceiling fan, blowing out the bulbs, shattering the ornate glass cover and plunging the room into darkness.

In a blur of movement, Declan lunged forward and covered her body with his, knocking her back to the mattress as he tried to put himself between Alex and the shower of sparks and falling glass.

The door opened. Grayson’s lanky form stood silhouetted in the low light of the hallway. “Alex? Declan? What’s happened?”

“Are you alright?” Declan asked quietly. She could feel the whisper of his breath on her cheek.

Cinnamon.

Woodsmoke.

“Fine,” she said. “I’m fine.”

Alex, once again pinned to the bed, took in Grayson’s upside-down form. Her eyes were slowly growing accustomed to the darkness.

“It was my fault,” she said, trying to free herself and sit up. “I, um, sort of fried the ceiling fan.”

“Ah,” said Grayson. He seemed less concerned once he realized they were both in one piece and that nothing was, you know, on fire. “Not to worry. It’s not the first time something like that’s happened around here. Just need to reset a breaker or two.”

His blasé reaction surprised her. Even her aunt, who was so laid back about most things, would have been up in arms over something like this.

Declan’s room was littered with pieces of his demolished bed frame and hunks of broken glass, but Grayson appeared to be taking it all in stride.

Just how often did Declan and the others blow something up around here, anyway?

“I was just coming to let you know… I’ll be leaving for Washington tonight.”

“DC? Tonight?” Declan echoed. “Why?”

The shadows hid Grayson’s expression and his voice remained monotone. “Business. I’m afraid it can’t wait.”

Declan got to his feet. “Need a lift?”

“No,” said Grayson. “I need you to stay here. I want you and Nathaniel to keep an eye on the others. Monty’s already at the airport prepping the jet.”

The
jet
? They had their own
jet
?

Of course they did.

“I’ll be back in a few days. Sooner if I can manage it. I want you all to stay here at the cabin while I’m gone. Keep Alex safe and out of sight.”

“What about Kenzie and Brian? They have school tomorrow,” said Declan.

“They won’t be going. It’s Wednesday. Their break starts Friday afternoon, correct?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Well, until then, if anyone asks, they both have the flu. I’ll send their headmaster an e-mail later,” he said. “While I’m gone, keep up Alex’s training. And no looking into Brandt, Declan. I mean it. I’ll handle it.”

Declan scowled. “Yes, sir.”

Grayson turned to leave. Almost as an afterthought, he added, “Call my cell if you need me.”

“Yes, sir.”

Grayson disappeared down the hallway.

As Alex got to her feet, she noticed a small cut on Declan’ neck, just above his collarbone.  “You’re hurt,” she said, reaching up.

He caught her hand in his.

“It’s nothing,” he said. He held on to her for just a moment longer than necessary. She started to say something, but he cut her off. “Better go flip that breaker.”

Declan dropped her hand and walked out, leaving her standing alone in his darkened bedroom.

— 10 —

A
lex woke to the smell of coffee and blueberry muffins.

She wasn’t sure which one had convinced her to leave behind the blissful dream she’d been clinging to—a dream of Connor and a life before she fried the computer lab—but eventually she managed to pry one eye open and fix a baleful glare on the digital clock atop the bedside table.

6:27
A.M
.

The events of the previous day came back in a rush. Alex found herself wishing more than ever that she could find her way back into last night’s dream. She settled instead for pulling the duvet over her head and groaning into a pillow.

After the abrupt end of her training session the night before, she’d made her way back to her guest room and discovered two suitcases, filled to bursting with clean clothes, toiletries, and half a dozen books plucked from Alex’s to-read pile back home, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Cil had apparently stopped by while she and Declan had been down by the lake.

The initial rush of gratitude she’d felt at the sight of her belongings was soon replaced by an even stronger wave of disappointment. Her aunt hadn’t even bothered to leave a note, much less find her to discuss things again before leaving. She’d just gone.

Then again, what was left to say?

Alex pushed down the duvet. She could hear movement downstairs and a light shone in the hallway on the other side of the bedroom door.

Might as well join them. She certainly wouldn’t be going back to sleep any time soon.

Throwing on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt (her aunt had obviously known about the weather here and packed accordingly), she padded barefoot out into the hall.

The sounds of movement from below were soon joined by the ringing report of a dropped metal pan.

“Oops,” she heard Kenzie say.

“Well if she wasn’t up before, she is now. Good going, Red,” Nathaniel’s disembodied voice carried up the stairs.

“Heh. My bad.”

Alex made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen… and then stopped dead in her tracks.

The massive kitchen was a culinary war zone.

The beautiful black granite countertops were covered with potato peels, eggshells and what looked to be muffin batter. At the center of the long room stood an immense island, one end covered with discarded pots and pans of various size that someone must have pulled from the dark mahogany cabinets before deciding on the ones currently atop the stove. Some strange green liquid sat in a blender next to the stainless steel fridge… and in the middle of the chaos stood Kenzie, Nathaniel, Declan, and Brian, each occupied with a different task.

Kenzie noticed her first. “Morning, sleepy-head!”

“Sorry if she woke you,” said Brian. He was standing on his tiptoes pulling dishes from one of the overhead cabinets.

“No, no. It’s okay. I was up,” said Alex. “Can I… help?”

“Nope,” Kenzie replied, pressing down two slices of bread in the toaster. “This is a finely oiled machine we’ve got running here. You just have a seat.”

Surrounding the hulking island at the kitchen’s center were six barstools. Alex carefully made her way toward one of them just as Brian went whizzing past her with a stack of plates in his arms. She deposited herself on a stool facing the melee and took in the scene.

Nathaniel appeared to be manning two of the kitchen’s three stovetops—alternating his attention between a pan of bacon, two pans filled with eggs, a skillet filled with hash browns and a covered pot Alex couldn’t see the contents of—while Kenzie carried baskets of what looked to be toast and muffins into the dining area. They were both far too awake for this side of seven
A.M
.

Declan, meanwhile, just stood there, a statue amidst the chaos, staring into the open refrigerator. Judging from the intensity of his gaze, the secrets of the universe were hiding somewhere behind the orange juice and would be revealed to him if he simply glared at the container for long enough.

He looked… Well, to be honest, he looked a little hung-over.

Like Alex, the others were already dressed for the day, but Declan was still sporting the pair of flannel pants and faded gray shirt he’d slept in. He’d obviously not bothered to glance in a mirror yet, because his hair was sticking up at weird angles. Somehow, despite the odds, even dazed and disheveled looked good on him.

Kenzie sidled up behind Declan and cleared her throat. He flinched at the sound.

“Either move it, Decks, or hand me the eggs. Your choice.”

Declan let the refrigerator door close and stalked toward the island at the center of the kitchen. “There better be some coffee left.”

Kenzie shook her head and retrieved the egg carton. “How do you like ’em, Alex?”

Alex, who had been staring thoughtfully at the rumpled form of Declan while he filled his mug, started at the question. Like who? Declan? At the moment, she was fairly certain he was an ass. But maybe that was just her.

“I’m sorry?”

“Your eggs,” said Kenzie. “How do you like them? Scrambled? Over-easy? Up on the sunny side?”

“Oh! Um, scrambled, please.”

Kenzie deposited the egg carton on the counter next to where Nathaniel stood frying bacon. “Adam and Eve on a raft and wreck ’em!”

Nate smiled. “Two scrambled eggs, coming right up.”

Next to Alex, Declan stood savoring his coffee as if it were a lifeline. Definitely a late night for that one.

“You want some?” he asked, holding up the mug she’d been staring at. His voice was still a little rough from sleep. Alex tried not to find it attractive.

Honestly.

She tried.

“I’d love some,” she said. “Thanks.”

Declan filled a mug with coffee and nudged the cream and sugar in her direction.

On the other side of the room, Kenzie raised an eyebrow. “Well at least last night’s bender at The Corner Hole didn’t fry your brain to the point you completely lost your manners. I suppose that’s something.”

“Corner Pocket,” he corrected automatically. “And I told you, that’s not where I went.”

“So then where
did
you go?” asked Brian as he wandered back into the kitchen.

“On a little fact-finding mission.”

“Yes.” Kenzie plucked the lid off of the large pot and stirred its contents. “Because you can learn so
many
interesting things from Jim, Jack, José and Johnny. Full of information, they are.”

“I thought Grayson didn’t want us looking into the Brandt thing.” Nathaniel set the bowl of eggs he’d been whisking back onto the counter.

“Yeah, well.” Declan shrugged. “What the boss don’t know won’t hurt him.”

“Uh-huh.” Nathaniel turned his attention back to the stove. “Cause that’s worked out so well for you in the past.”

Brian pulled out the barstool next to Alex and slipped onto the seat. He looked back and forth between Declan and the out-of-reach coffee pot.

With a resigned sigh, Declan filled another mug, dropped in a spoonful of sugar, and slid it toward the boy. “I’m telling you, kid, you keep drinking that stuff and it’s going to stunt your growth.”

Brian just smiled and sipped at his coffee.

“So what did you find out?” asked Alex.

“Not a lot. Brandt’s been off the grid for the last few months. Near as I can tell, our run-in with him at the bookstore was the first time anyone’s seen him since January.”

“So what’s he been doing in the meantime?” asked Nathaniel.

“That, brother, is the $64,000 question.”

“Maybe he was on vacation,” said Brian.

Everyone turned to look at him.

“What?” he asked.

“Psychopaths-for-hire don’t take vacations, Brain,” said Kenzie. “Not one’s like Brandt, anyhow… Not without leaving a trail of charred corpses along the way.”

“Oh,” he said slowly. “Right.”

“On that note,” said Kenzie. “Who’s hungry?”

*   *   *

Alex was stuffed.

Eggs, muffins, bacon, coffee… Oh, and the pot on the stove with the mystery contents? Turns out, it was filled with grits. So naturally she’d had some of those, too.

Why hadn’t someone stopped her? All sense of self-restraint had flown out the window after the first bite. Now she was miserable.

Her sudden voracity wasn’t all that surprising, given that her last meal had been a latte at Bayside Brews the previous afternoon.

The others had invited her to have dinner with them the night before, but Alex had declined and gone to bed early. Or at least, she’d tried to. In the end she’d simply lain there, staring at the ceiling and over-analyzing everything until exhaustion finally claimed her around two
A.M
.

At least the coffee was helping with the lack of sleep. She was fairly certain she’d consumed enough of the dark liquid to fuel a small country for at least a week.