closer, it's unlike any charm bracelet I've ever seen, with one glowing charm right in the middle. I t ap the charm until the glowing turns off. I get off the stool, looking around because I know I'm about to be kicked out. "Hey, is that Noelle's watch?" I ask, seeing it on the next table. "Is it working yet?"
"Not yet," he says. "It's not technology I've ever seen before, but that makes sense."
"Yeah, since she's a time traveler."
"She told you?"
"I was there when she first showed up," I say, heading for the watch. It's partially taken apart with all the pieces surrounding it. "How can you travel through time without the powers to do it? Or does she have time traveling power?" I ask, glancing at him.
"Honestly? Even if she does have those sorts of powers she wouldn't be able to jump very far in time at her age," he says. "I'm not sure what's going on with that girl, but it's interesting. Although there's another reason I stuck her with you."
"What's that?" I ask.
"If she turns out to be an assassin from the future, I want you to take her powers before she manages to get too far."
Noelle. An assassin. I stare at him to make sure he's not joking. Then, when I can't tell, ask, "You're kidding, right?"
"Not at all. Children have been used for nastier jobs since the beginning of time, practically. They look innocent, they probably ARE innocent, which I have to admit, makes them worse."
I still stare at him, horrified at how easily he's discussing this. "Noelle isn't an assassin," I finally say.
"Watch her a bit longer before declaring that," he says. "Because if that watch was made by a technopath, it wouldn't have broken that easily."
"You think she broke it?" I ask, stunned.
"Or stole it before it was ready. But don't tell her I said that," he goes on. "We don't want her getting suspicious."
No, we just want ME getting suspicious. As if I didn't have enough to worry about already! "I'll keep an eye on her," I say reluctantly. I've got a headache now, thanks, Nico. We both glance up as someone knocks on the door, watching as a tall, beautiful redheaded woman peeks in.
"Nico, dinner's ready," she says. She glances at me. "For you, as well," she adds.
"I don't--" I start out.
"We'd be happy to have you, Morgan," she says with a smile. This is Lady Rose, Zoe and Sunny's mom. She was there when I first met everyone, but it's been so hectic since then that I almost forgot. "If you want, you can call the dorm and tell them you won't be there?" she offers.
Before I can reply, Nico's tossing me a cellphone. "Push three, star, three," he says. I do as he says, listening as the phone rings for a moment.
"What now, Nico?" Banshee asks.
"Hi, Banshee," I say. "I'm going to be at the apartment for dinner--can you tell Vinny for me? I know he always gets irritated when people don't show up."
"Of course," she says. "What happened?"
"Well... can I tell you when I get back?"
"Sure, I'm not the only one who wants to know."
That means I need to tell the entire dorm who I am, I think with a sick ball forming in my gut. I'd rather not, but if Mastermental is going to take me, himself, they really need to know, don't they? Maybe? "Yeah," I say belatedly. "Thanks."
I hang up the phone and hand it back to Nico. "I can stay," I say.
"Good," Lady Rose says, "now enough playing with machines, let's eat!"
CHAPTER FOUR
It's almost nine by the time I get back to the dorm. My head is spinning, so many things have happened. The dinner was strange, being in an actual family setting rather than in the dorm setting. I've never actually had a family dinner before, at least not since before Mom left us. Even then, what little I remember about the meals is tense and stressful. The meal at Nico's place had been... different. They had two apartments, basically, with the wall taken out between them and the second kitchen converted into this plant nursery
"Not yet," he says. "It's not technology I've ever seen before, but that makes sense."
"Yeah, since she's a time traveler."
"She told you?"
"I was there when she first showed up," I say, heading for the watch. It's partially taken apart with all the pieces surrounding it. "How can you travel through time without the powers to do it? Or does she have time traveling power?" I ask, glancing at him.
"Honestly? Even if she does have those sorts of powers she wouldn't be able to jump very far in time at her age," he says. "I'm not sure what's going on with that girl, but it's interesting. Although there's another reason I stuck her with you."
"What's that?" I ask.
"If she turns out to be an assassin from the future, I want you to take her powers before she manages to get too far."
Noelle. An assassin. I stare at him to make sure he's not joking. Then, when I can't tell, ask, "You're kidding, right?"
"Not at all. Children have been used for nastier jobs since the beginning of time, practically. They look innocent, they probably ARE innocent, which I have to admit, makes them worse."
I still stare at him, horrified at how easily he's discussing this. "Noelle isn't an assassin," I finally say.
"Watch her a bit longer before declaring that," he says. "Because if that watch was made by a technopath, it wouldn't have broken that easily."
"You think she broke it?" I ask, stunned.
"Or stole it before it was ready. But don't tell her I said that," he goes on. "We don't want her getting suspicious."
No, we just want ME getting suspicious. As if I didn't have enough to worry about already! "I'll keep an eye on her," I say reluctantly. I've got a headache now, thanks, Nico. We both glance up as someone knocks on the door, watching as a tall, beautiful redheaded woman peeks in.
"Nico, dinner's ready," she says. She glances at me. "For you, as well," she adds.
"I don't--" I start out.
"We'd be happy to have you, Morgan," she says with a smile. This is Lady Rose, Zoe and Sunny's mom. She was there when I first met everyone, but it's been so hectic since then that I almost forgot. "If you want, you can call the dorm and tell them you won't be there?" she offers.
Before I can reply, Nico's tossing me a cellphone. "Push three, star, three," he says. I do as he says, listening as the phone rings for a moment.
"What now, Nico?" Banshee asks.
"Hi, Banshee," I say. "I'm going to be at the apartment for dinner--can you tell Vinny for me? I know he always gets irritated when people don't show up."
"Of course," she says. "What happened?"
"Well... can I tell you when I get back?"
"Sure, I'm not the only one who wants to know."
That means I need to tell the entire dorm who I am, I think with a sick ball forming in my gut. I'd rather not, but if Mastermental is going to take me, himself, they really need to know, don't they? Maybe? "Yeah," I say belatedly. "Thanks."
I hang up the phone and hand it back to Nico. "I can stay," I say.
"Good," Lady Rose says, "now enough playing with machines, let's eat!"
CHAPTER FOUR
It's almost nine by the time I get back to the dorm. My head is spinning, so many things have happened. The dinner was strange, being in an actual family setting rather than in the dorm setting. I've never actually had a family dinner before, at least not since before Mom left us. Even then, what little I remember about the meals is tense and stressful. The meal at Nico's place had been... different. They had two apartments, basically, with the wall taken out between them and the second kitchen converted into this plant nursery
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