Her mama sat down, her legs crossed. Her light brown hair was piled on top of her head. The TV went silent behind her as she relaxed, stretching her arm muscles and then her neck. There was a coffee table between them covered with crayons and coloring books. She looked over them at Hope. “What’s going on, sweetheart?”
Hope licked the rest of the ice cream off her lips. Her mama had always been special, and she sometimes saw things that hadn’t happened yet. But she was still a mama, and they worried, and sometimes Hope just didn’t know what to say or do. “Nothin’.”
“Ah. Nothin’.” Her mama smiled. “I used to say that a lot so I didn’t worry my mama or daddy.”
Hope snorted. “Nothing worries Talen.” He was her grandpa, but since he looked as young as Daddy and always would, it was easier to call him by name. And besides. His name was her favorite ever.
“All daddies worry,” Mama said.
The sliding glass door opened, and Hope’s dad walked inside. He wore dark pants and shirt with a gun strapped to his thigh. His black hair fell to his shoulders, and his green eyes twinkled. He was the strongest warrior in the entire world, and he had the bestest smile ever. While eyeing first Hope and then her mama, he placed the gun on the top of the bookshelf before picking Hope up for a kiss and then setting her gently down. “How are my girls?”
Hope giggled. Mama wasn’t a girl.
Her dad walked around the table and dropped to the carpet, setting Mama in his lap. “Am I interrupting girl talk?”
Hope scratched her mark again.
Her daddy’s eyes flared, but he didn’t say anything. Just snuggled Mama closer to him. “Paxton joined training again today. He’s getting good. Make sure you tell him I said that, okay?”
Hope nodded.
Mama frowned. “What’s up with Pax?”
“I don’t know yet, Janie Belle,” Daddy said. “The kid seems skittish to me, but physically he appears fine. Maybe nothing is wrong. We’ll see.”
Her mama cleared her throat. “Zane? I think Hope wants to tell us something but can’t figure out how to do it.”
That might be true. Except some things they couldn’t know. If they knew, then they’d do something, and sometimes they were supposed to do nothing for a while. The mark started itching more. Why did she have to be a prophet? The other two prophets were super old, although they looked young. It wasn’t fair.
The door opened again, and Paxton pushed his head in. His messy hair fell to his shoulders. He grinned, showing a gap in his teeth. “Can I come in?”
“Of course,” Daddy said. “Want ice cream?”
Pax walked in, paused, then shook his head. “No, thank you. Um, Zane.”
That was cute. Calling Daddy by his first name. “You can have a little,” Hope said.
Pax looked at Daddy and rubbed his round belly. “No. I have to get in shape. My dad is right. I’m roly-poly.” He moved over to sit next to Hope. “I’m not hungry, anyway.”
Mama’s eyes darkened.
Hope bit her lip. What was going on?
Pax looked from her to her parents. “Did you tell them you can’t find your uncles?”
Hope’s eyes widened. “Paxton.”
His face turned red. “I didn’t know it was a secret.”
Daddy cleared his throat and leaned down, twisting his head to see Mama’s face. “Have you talked to Garrett?”
She shook her head. “Not in a week or so.”
“What about Logan or Sam?” Daddy asked.
Mama’s eyebrows rose. “No. Not them, either.”
Her parents both looked at Hope. She bit her lip harder. She didn’t know everything about the Seven, but Fate had whispered a little to her. And she knew the Seven had to be secret right now. She was so kicking Pax in the ankle later. How could he just open his big mouth like that?
