even rarer than your sister’s.”
“I’m not bad—I’m not evil,” I blurted out. But then it hit me.
Maybe I was. Good people didn’t kill.
He smiled evenly, but something about it made me shudder. “I know, my dear. But what happened was inevitable. It could’ve been Olivia or a boy who got too close to you. Your friend, for example—what’s his name? Ah, yes. Adam. It was bound to happen. Truth be told, I should have intervened long before this. The incident could’ve been prevented.”
I was confused and scared, really freaking scared. This man knew about everything, even Adam. And what he’d said was true. It could have been Olivia or Adam.
“There are other people here like your sister. Others who are gifted in a way the world could only fantasize about. Here,” he said, “she is not alone.”
I sank a hand into my curls and pulled them off my face. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me.”
“I know. Things are terribly confusing for you,” he said. “You’re worried about Olivia, about your mother. Why a strange man would bring you into his home.”
I laughed then. It sounded a bit rough. “No, really?”
“But you don’t have anything to worry about anymore. We’ll take care of your sister. And we’ll try to take care of you.”
I looked up, trying to sound braver than I felt. “Do you even understand how creeptastic this sounds? You’re a complete stranger to me. You keep talking about gifts and stuff that makes no sense.”
“I can help your sister, Ember. Her gift of giving life and healing needs cultivation. And she needs to be around others like her—others who will understand.” Cromwell drew in a deep breath, and his eyes met mine. “Then there is you, and frankly, I’m not sure what to do with you.”
Tiny hairs on my neck stood up. “What do you mean?”
“When I was Olivia’s age, I had no one looking out for me. I’ve made it my life’s mission to make sure no other gifted children face what I did.” A dark look stole away the warmth in his eyes. “Both you and your sister are valuable for different reasons. There are people out there who would seek to manipulate what your sister can do, and abuse what you can do. I intend to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“Really?” I glanced around the kitchen for an exit. “That really didn’t answer my question.”
“Your sister belongs here, Ember. For that reason alone, I am willing to take a risk on you.”
There were a lot of doors—escape routes—in the room, and Olivia was upstairs, but I was a weapon of mass destruction. I could take the weirdo. “Is that so?”
“This is your new home,” he said like it explained everything, like he wasn’t a delusional, kidnapping freak holding my family prisoner.
“Huh?” I looked at him.
“You will be staying here from now on.”
Needing no other reason than that, I shot across the table. The edge of the oak table cut into my stomach for a nanosecond, and then I was flying backward. My sneakers skidded across the floor. A second later, an unseen force pinned me against the wall.
Cromwell’s expression didn’t change, but he sighed. “That’s enough, Gabriel. Let her go.”
I hadn’t even noticed someone else was in the kitchen. He stood in the archway—a boy about my age, maybe a year younger, with a head full of blond curls and the prettiest face I’d ever seen on a guy. He had his hand raised in front of him; a look of concentration wrinkled his brow.
“Gabriel,” Cromwell said again. “Let her go.” Gabriel looked like he’d rather toss me through the air some more, but he lowered his hand.
I slid down the wall, stumbling to the side.
“She was going to touch you,” he said, his voice surprisingly deep. “This was a mistake.”
Cromwell pushed away from the table and stood. He turned to the boy. “Gabe, is there something you need?”
Gabe finally pulled his eyes off me. “Where’s Hayden? He didn’t
“I’m not bad—I’m not evil,” I blurted out. But then it hit me.
Maybe I was. Good people didn’t kill.
He smiled evenly, but something about it made me shudder. “I know, my dear. But what happened was inevitable. It could’ve been Olivia or a boy who got too close to you. Your friend, for example—what’s his name? Ah, yes. Adam. It was bound to happen. Truth be told, I should have intervened long before this. The incident could’ve been prevented.”
I was confused and scared, really freaking scared. This man knew about everything, even Adam. And what he’d said was true. It could have been Olivia or Adam.
“There are other people here like your sister. Others who are gifted in a way the world could only fantasize about. Here,” he said, “she is not alone.”
I sank a hand into my curls and pulled them off my face. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me.”
“I know. Things are terribly confusing for you,” he said. “You’re worried about Olivia, about your mother. Why a strange man would bring you into his home.”
I laughed then. It sounded a bit rough. “No, really?”
“But you don’t have anything to worry about anymore. We’ll take care of your sister. And we’ll try to take care of you.”
I looked up, trying to sound braver than I felt. “Do you even understand how creeptastic this sounds? You’re a complete stranger to me. You keep talking about gifts and stuff that makes no sense.”
“I can help your sister, Ember. Her gift of giving life and healing needs cultivation. And she needs to be around others like her—others who will understand.” Cromwell drew in a deep breath, and his eyes met mine. “Then there is you, and frankly, I’m not sure what to do with you.”
Tiny hairs on my neck stood up. “What do you mean?”
“When I was Olivia’s age, I had no one looking out for me. I’ve made it my life’s mission to make sure no other gifted children face what I did.” A dark look stole away the warmth in his eyes. “Both you and your sister are valuable for different reasons. There are people out there who would seek to manipulate what your sister can do, and abuse what you can do. I intend to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“Really?” I glanced around the kitchen for an exit. “That really didn’t answer my question.”
“Your sister belongs here, Ember. For that reason alone, I am willing to take a risk on you.”
There were a lot of doors—escape routes—in the room, and Olivia was upstairs, but I was a weapon of mass destruction. I could take the weirdo. “Is that so?”
“This is your new home,” he said like it explained everything, like he wasn’t a delusional, kidnapping freak holding my family prisoner.
“Huh?” I looked at him.
“You will be staying here from now on.”
Needing no other reason than that, I shot across the table. The edge of the oak table cut into my stomach for a nanosecond, and then I was flying backward. My sneakers skidded across the floor. A second later, an unseen force pinned me against the wall.
Cromwell’s expression didn’t change, but he sighed. “That’s enough, Gabriel. Let her go.”
I hadn’t even noticed someone else was in the kitchen. He stood in the archway—a boy about my age, maybe a year younger, with a head full of blond curls and the prettiest face I’d ever seen on a guy. He had his hand raised in front of him; a look of concentration wrinkled his brow.
“Gabriel,” Cromwell said again. “Let her go.” Gabriel looked like he’d rather toss me through the air some more, but he lowered his hand.
I slid down the wall, stumbling to the side.
“She was going to touch you,” he said, his voice surprisingly deep. “This was a mistake.”
Cromwell pushed away from the table and stood. He turned to the boy. “Gabe, is there something you need?”
Gabe finally pulled his eyes off me. “Where’s Hayden? He didn’t
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