ORDER OF SEVEN (5 page)

“I have telepathic tendencies,” he says.

“What the frick does that mean?”

“It means sometimes I can detect what others are thinking, others who I have a connection with and who
are thinking something clearly
.” His brows rise and he tilts his head toward me. Heat rushes up my neck and I look away.

“One more thing,” Nodin says, bringing us back on subject. “Whatever the purpose of your gift, the ability for you to work with Baron is integral to its success.”

My eyes shift to Baron who has seated himself back on the couch. The way he’s looking at me sends a shiver through my body. I want to look away, but can’t. Inexorably captivated, I stare back at him. It’s not until Ben knocks his knee into mine that I snap out of it.

I turn my attention back to Nodin, who seems to be communicating with his guides. “What are they saying?” I ask.

“Well...the most important thing right now is for you two to begin working together.”

“Working
how
?”

“You have to practice with the energy.”

“What energy? This craziness?” I motion between Baron and me.

Nodin’s eyes settle on mine. “No. The energy you channel.”

I have a miniature heart attack. “How exactly is that going to work? I can’t take him to my...” I hesitate. I’ve never spoken of the tree to anyone but Nodin.

He nods. “To start, he can work with the energy you carry. That’ll do for now. But eventually we’ll have to—”

“No, that’s impossible. I can’t—”

“What’s the problem?” Baron asks.

“The energy you see around her is just hers, her aura,” my brother says. “When she channels, she brings in life energy.”

“You mean...?” Baron’s brows furrow.

“I mean universal chi, prana, bio magnetism or whatever you prefer to call it.” Nodin pauses. “All life energy.”

Baron’s jaw drops. Nodin’s not lying; he doesn’t know much about me. I bask in not being the last person to know something for a change. “What are your sources?” he says.

I shake my head. “Source, singular. A tree. And it’s only accessible to me.”

Baron shakes his head. “I don’t understand. Then how can I work with the energy she channels?”

“We’ll have to improvise until we figure it out,” Nodin says. “For now, you can take from her aura and practice working with it. Can you do that?”

Baron’s eyes are scanning me, scanning the room. “Yeah, of course. She has enough for days.”

“Working with it how?” I ask.

“Like I said,” Baron says. “You channel the energy. I’ll harvest it from you, manipulate it and transform it into a kinetic force.”

“English, please.”

He smiles. “I’ll turn your life energy into something that has energy because of movement, like wind or waves.”

“And blast it into the sky like a freakin’ rocket,” Nodin says. “Or so I hear.”

“Wait, you’ve never seen him do it?” I say, surprised.

Nodin shakes his head. “We’ve talked about it on an educational basis at retreats and I hear stories through the SAI community, but I’ve never seen it.”

“It’s not something I whip out at parties,” Baron says, and we all laugh.

“Was channeling ever taught?” I say.

“Channeling was discussed,” my brother says, “but only as far as psychics are concerned, like channeling spirit energies or, in Baron’s case, harnessing energy. As far as I know, a channeler like you is an unknown phenomenon. Channeler simply means conduit. No one is a conduit like you, Devi. No one.”

“Then how do you know so much about what I do?” I say.

“I was informed.”

“Ah. Of course. So your guides made you aware of what I do, but other than us four, no one knows what I am?” I choke back the devastation bubbling to the surface, the realization I may never fully understand my ability. I will never know others who do what I do.

“That about covers it,” Nodin says. “Your aura is impressive enough that you’re like a neon sign to seers, but you didn’t know anything so you weren’t a threat to yourself. Now that you know, Ben can block you.”

“But what could someone want from me?” I turn to Ben. “What’s the appeal?”

Ben shrugs. “Depends what my motives are. Probably depends on your ability’s purpose. Maybe I want to be involved. Maybe I want to partner with you. Maybe I get enamored with your power, your status so to speak. Maybe I want to stop you. Who knows?”

“By the way, how did you know I arced?” I say.

“I didn’t at first, until I got a look at your eyes. Psychics can detect each other a lot of the time. You were temporarily one of us. It’s like your third eye was open.”

“There’s something else,” Nodin says with some hesitation. “You and him...” He gestures to me and Baron. “You’re to avoid being alone together.”

Baron shoots me a look that makes me go all Jell-O inside. “What are they afraid of?” he asks Nodin.

“They say the energy is powerful and unpredictable. You should always have someone with you...in case something happens.”

“Like a buddy system?” Baron says with an amused grin.

“Yes. Like a buddy system,” Nodin says without smiling. “The reaction between you two can be extremely dangerous.” He looks at me sternly. “Consider yourselves warned.”

I’m not sure how I feel about two ghost kids telling me what I can and cannot do, but I let it slide because I don’t plan on being alone with Baron anyway. He’s great eye candy, but he’s Nodin’s friend and seems way older than me.

“Does anyone else need a beer?” Baron interrupts the long silence.

A unified yes rings through the room. Ben goes to the kitchen and brings back three beers for us and a soda for himself. He doesn’t drink. I don’t drink often either. But tonight I am.

“So we’ll coordinate times to practice together,” Nodin says. “and Devi and I will start research on our family.” He holds up his beer. “Cheers?” A plan born. We lift our bottles for pseudo clinks.

“Let’s order a pizza. Anybody else starving?” Nodin says.

“Yeah. Pepperoni and mushroom,” Ben says.

Baron and I nod in agreement. Nodin goes to the kitchen to order the pizza, while Ben turns on a football game. I’m grateful for the distraction.

“Did you get ahold of your dad?” Ben asks Baron.

“Yeah, I did. Thanks.”

I know they’re referring to the phone call Baron took on the balcony earlier. I’m shocked at how relieved I am he hadn’t been talking to a girlfriend.

Before long the doorbell rings and our pizza is delivered, but I have trouble eating. I’m a truffle of emotions: fear atop curiosity, atop anxiety, atop a smidge of hope, atop a layer of sadness. I try to keep my eyes averted from Baron, but it’s not easy. Our reacting energy surrounds us like a womb of percussions. I can tell by his lack of appetite and clenched jaw he’s overwhelmed, too. Despite the colossal urge to stay near him, I need to get away from here.

“I’m exhausted. Do you mind running me home?” I ask Nodin.

He’s visibly surprised. “Sure, no problem. Lemme just finish this slice.”

I go into his bedroom to get my wet clothes. When I come out Nodin is getting his keys from the mantle. “You ready?”

“Yeah.”

Ben stands, and I go on tip-toes to hug him. He turns to Nodin. “We may have to cancel the concert tomorrow night so we can meet here and start working.”

“Here? We can’t do anything here,” Baron says. “We need to be out in the open, in a field or something.” He stands, arms crossed, towering over five-foot-eleven Ben.

Lord help me. “Why?” I ask.

“I need room when I pull energy. I have to change the frequency and compress it to get rid of it. During the day, ideally, so no one can see it. When the energy is dense, it’s hot and bright.”

“Then we’ll find an area that’ll work,” Nodin says. “Somewhere secluded. You’ll need to scout out a location in Oklahoma, too. You can’t always come to Odessa.”

“How often are we getting together?” I ask.

“As often as we can. The more practice you two get the better.”

I shame myself for being so happy about this. This energy reaction between us is painful, yes, but it’s also like a pull, and I find myself drawn to him in a way I can’t explain. It’s strong and intriguing. “What about tomorrow morning?” I say.

“I don’t think we’ll have time. When’s your climb?” Nodin asks Baron.

“Ten,” Baron says. “I need to be there a little earlier than that, though.”

“What climb?” I say.

“I have a competition tomorrow at the indoor gym,” Baron says. “You’re all invited.”

Nodin and Ben exchange glances. I already know what’s about to come out of Nodin’s mouth. “Uh, I don’t think...”

“You don’t think I should go,” I say a little more angrily than intended. “I get it. But I think we should set up a time to practice while he’s here, don’t you?”

Truth be told, I’m grateful to not be going to the climbing competition. I don’t know if I could handle seeing him in fewer clothes. Glistening with sweat. Muscles rippling with effort.

“We’ll definitely start this weekend,” Ben chimes in while throwing me a glance of disapproval. “We’re not leaving until Sunday after lunch. How about Sunday morning, early. Eight o’clock. Does that work for everyone?”

We all agree.

“I’ll find a location between now and then,” Nodin says.

“Happy belated birthday, by the way,” Ben says, “Oh, wait, is that a grey hair?”

“Oh, shut up, ass.” I punch him in the shoulder, hard.

“Happy birthday,” Baron says.

My eyes catch his from across the room. “Thanks.”

“She’s just eighteen,” Ben says.

I roll my eyes at his lack of subtlety and a blush warms my cheeks.

“Oh, wait, I have something for you.” Ben reaches for his backpack hanging off a kitchen chair and retrieves a sketchpad. He pulls out a page and hands it to me. “Here.”

It’s an intricate, beautiful charcoal drawing of a cherry blossom tree. “I love it. Thank you, Benstein. You’re an asshole, but I love you.” I stand on my toes and hug him again.

“It’s important to love your asshole.”

I laugh. “Something’s fundamentally wrong with you.”

“Can we go now?” Nodin asks, jingling his keys.

Baron steps around the coffee table. Just three steps closer and the energy reaction resurges, flooring me. I practically lean forward with the fierce desire to touch him and make the whipping vibrations settle into the thrum we felt earlier. Ben and Nodin’s bodies tense as Baron nears me.

He stops only a few feet away and looks straight into my eyes. “It’s great to meet you. I’ll see you soon.”

“It’s good to meet you, too,” I say, or maybe I just stand there with my mouth hanging open.

As Nodin turns toward the door, Baron nods at me almost imperceptibly, but I see it. He’s trying to tell me something. I don’t know what it is, but I have a funny feeling he intends to ignore the rule about being alone with each other.

•◊
5
ץ

REVELATIONS

I
n the Bronco few words are spoken. Embers of resentment still glow in my bones. I know it isn’t Nodin’s fault. I understand it’s what his guides told him to do to protect me.
But they could do it again.

No more. I can’t—won’t—let myself look like a fool again. And I know the means to my empowerment: arcing.

My rental house is only about six miles from Nodin’s apartment. We’ve both positioned ourselves close to the college. As we near the street I live on, he finally speaks. “When’s the truck out of the shop?”

“Hopefully tomorrow.”

“Do you need a ride anywhere?”

“No, but if I don’t get my truck back I’ll need a ride to work at one.”

Nodin grimaces. “I have no idea how long Baron’s competition will take. I don’t know if we’ll be outta there in time.”

“Maybe I should just go along then.”

His jaw clenches.

“I’m just messin’ with you. I can walk to work if I need to. It’s a couple of miles. No big deal,” I say.

“You understand the magnitude of this, right? I know how stubborn you can be. You can’t pursue him on a personal level. It’s too dangerous.”

I jerk my head in his direction. “What on Earth makes you think I intend to pursue Baron?” I say.

“Are you kidding me right now? I saw the way you looked at him.”

“Oh shut up. So he’s nice to look at. That doesn’t mean I’m some weak girl who fans herself in the presence of a man. I have no interest in Baron.”

He glances at me. “Just because you two are allowed to meet doesn’t mean you can handle the energy yet. One of you could get hurt.”

I’m being schooled and it’s pissing me off. I squeeze my hands into fists. We pull up in front of my house.

“See you Sunday morning,” I say, clipped and angry, and fling the car door open.

“Call me if you need a ride.”

“Don’t count on it.” I slam the door and stomp to my porch. I know I’m acting a bit like a petulant brat, but I loathe being treated like a moron.

The house is pitch black. I’m the first one home. Not uncommon on a Friday night with two bartenders for roommates, so I grab water from the kitchen and go to my room. I get the gift from Joe out of my still-damp jacket pocket, then toss the rest of my wet clothes on my bathroom floor. I’ve lived here since the end of June—nearly five months.

My dad found it for me and, in a roundabout way, knew my roommates. The bar they work at is a campus staple, and my dad knows the owner, whose son, Jamie, is one of my roommates. He’s a junior at UTPB. Finance major, which is ironic because he looks more like the lead singer of a Euro-punk band. He’s a party animal, and hearing his sex-capades through the walls is awkward as hell, but he pays his rent and stays out of my business. I think our dads have an agreement because mine is always asking about Jamie and I have a feeling Mr. Wilkes is interrogating his son about me—both of us participants in a spy program so our parents can keep an eye on us. But we aren’t that stupid.

My other roommate is a female also named Jamie. It could be confusing living together, but aside from them both preferring women, the similarities end. Serious student. Driven but sweet. Reminds me of Betty Boop because of her small stature and big eyes. To avoid confusion, I refer to the female as Jamie One and the male as Jamie Two. Why does
she
get to be number one? Because she keeps our house clean, which I appreciate more than anything.