He stepped toward her. “I know you told them something.”
She stood her ground, her chin lifting, pale eyes meeting his. “Is there something to tell?”
“No.”
“Then you don’t have anything to worry about.”
She started to turn away. He grabbed her elbow. She threw him off fast, dropping the bottle and not even flinching when it shattered on the paving stones.
“I didn’t tell anyone anything,” she said. “I don’t have anything to tell.”
“Bull. I’ve seen the way you look at me, and now they’re doing it, too.”
“Maybe because we’re all wondering what’s wrong. Why you’ve changed. You used to be a scared little boy, and now you’re not, and that would be good, but there’s this thing you do, staring at people with this expression in your eyes and…” She inhaled. “I didn’t tell the elders anything.”
“Yes, you did. You had a vision about me. A fake vision. And you told.”
“No, I didn’t. Now, I can’t leave Seanna alone?—”
He grabbed her wrist, fingers digging in as he wrenched her back to face him. “Tell me.”
She struggled in his grip. “Let me?—”
He slapped her, so hard her head whipped around, and when it whipped back, there was a snarl on her lips. She kicked and clawed, and he released her fast, stepping back. She hit him then. Hit him hard, like a boy would. Plowed him in the jaw and when he fell, she stood over him and bent down.
“You ever touch me again, Bobby Sheehan, and I’ll give you a choice. Either you’ll confess it to the elders or I’ll thrash you so hard you’ll wish youhadconfessed. I didn’t tattle on you. Now leave me alone.”
“You think you’re so special,” he called as she climbed the back steps. “You and your second sight.”
“Special?” She gave a strange little laugh, and when she turned, she looked ten years older. “No, Bobby Sheehan, I don’t think I’m special. Most times, I think I’m cursed. I know you’re jealous of us, with our powers, but you wouldn’t want them. Not for a second. It changes everything.” She glanced down at him, still on the ground. “Be happy with what you have.”
Hewas not happy with what he had. As the year passed, he became even less happy with it, more convinced that Rose and the elders were spying on him from afar. Spying on his thoughts. This was not paranoia. Twice, after he’d done something moderately wicked, his mother got a call at work. Once from Mrs. Yates and once from Rose’s mother.
“Just asking how you are,” his mother said over dinner after the second call. She slid him a secret smile. “I think Rose might be sweet on you. She seems like a nice girl.”
“Her family’s not nice,” the Gnat said as she took a forkful of meatloaf. “Her one brother’s in jail.”
His mother looked over sharply. “No, he isn’t. He’s in the army. Don’t spread nasty gossip?—”
“It’s not gossip. I heard it in town. He’s in jail for fraud, and so was Rose’s dad, for a while, years ago, and no one thinks there’s anything weird about that. I overheard someone say the whole family is into stuff like that. They’re con artists. Only people act like it’s a regular job.” She scrunched up her freckled nose. “Isn’t that freaky? The whole town is?—”
“Enough,” his mother said. “I think someone’s pulling your leg, young lady. There is nothing wrong with Rose Walsh or her family. They’re fine people.”
For once, he believed the Gnat. He’d wondered about Rose’s brother ever since he took off a few years ago and Rose said he’d joined the army to fight in Vietnam, but he’d been over thirty, awfully old to sign up.
Con artists. That explained a lot. Rose was conning the elders right now, telling them stories about him. Trying to con him, too, into not wanting powers. He did. He wanted them more than anything. And he was going to find a way to get them.
Hespent months researching how to steal powers and learned nothing useful. It did not seem as if it could be done, and the more he failed to find an answer, the more the jealousy gnawed at him, and the harder it was to focus on keeping the dragons fed and happy. He had to do worse and worse things, and it made him feel even guiltier about them. Together with the jealousy, it was like his stomach was on fire all the time. He couldn’t eat. He started losing weight.
He had to go back to Cainsville. At the very least, the visit would calm the gnawing in his stomach and let him eat. He would talk his mother into a special trip to Cainsville and he would go see Hannah. Not the elders. Not Mrs. Yates. Certainly not Rose. No, he’d visit Hannah. She’d help him set things right.
His plan worked so beautifully that he felt as if the success was a sign. His luck was turning. He asked his mother to go and off they went that Sunday. He arrived to hear that Rose was in the city, and he found Hannah in the playground, tending to an injured baby owl.
“Did a cat get it?” he asked as he walked over.
She’d started at the sound of a voice, and he expected that when she saw it was him, she’d smile. She didn’t. She scooped up the owl and stood.
“Bobby,” she said. “I didn’t know you were coming today.”
