they think I’m not looking. They help the gardens grow—those plants shot up incredibly fast! They light areas later at night. And I met a really tall man with long hair . . . but I don’t think he was human. He looked odd and he was very impolite when I asked him a question.”
Jacob couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s Azuriah.”
“And yesterday, on my way from the school in Taga, I ran into one of the Makalos. His name was Kenji. He seemed very uncomfortable that I’d seen him.” Mr. Coolidge leaned over, hands on the desk, and stared into Jacob’s eyes. “He was mentioned several times in that journal of yours.”
The math teacher’s expression—and emotion colors—practically dared Jacob to deny any of this.
“Okay, you’re right. I’ve got magical abilities and can do stuff with them. And yeah—the journal is a true story. About . . .” He’d almost told Mr. Coolidge the journal was about his dad, but realized that wasn’t his secret to share, and he didn’t know how far into the book Mr. Coolidge had gotten. “About a prince from Gevkan. The kingdom you’ve been working in lately.”
“Magic?” Mr. Coolidge seemingly couldn’t get past that one word, and it looked like he was trying not to reject Jacob’s story right away. “I mean, I’ve seen a lot . . . but . . . but magic ?”
Jacob shrugged. He didn’t have the energy to try to prove his powers. Mr. Coolidge had already seen Jacob molding things—doing it again wouldn’t be more convincing. Instead, he decided to see what the man had figured out on his own.
“What do you think is going on?”
“I don’t know, I don’t know.” Mr. Coolidge dragged his fingers through his thick hair. “Something . . . but it should be impossible.”
“It’s not. Trust me.”
Mr. Coolidge met eyes with Jacob. “How is it not impossible?”
“There’s a link to Eklaron, the planet where I’m from, in the forest between here and Taga Village. You’ve been on a different planet several times over the past week.”
Mr. Coolidge nodded. “I figured you’d say that.” He sat again, looking almost twenty years older. “Well, for what it’s worth and from what I’ve gathered, your cause is a good one. And I’m happy to be helping. But I’m going to need a lot of time to process this.”
“I totally understand.” Jacob stood. “We’re done here?”
“Yes.”
Jacob had to take a break from studying—he couldn’t concentrate. Despite all his arguments, Mr. Coolidge had insisted that he needed to take finals. So idiotic!
He’d been studying for two hours and still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to happen. But what? He scowled at the book and papers in front of him, then stood. He couldn’t take it anymore.
Jacob threw his pencil on his desk, grabbed his ball and a towel, and dashed outside to shoot hoops. Basketball always helped clear his mind.
It had been a long time since he’d played alone. Over the past couple of months, every time he came out, Aldo, Matt, or Kevin would join him. But for once, no one else was home.
Jacob took a deep breath, enjoying the smells of spring and the feeling of the sun on his face. A gentle breeze blew his hair back.
Then he forgot all of that and put everything into his game. He pushed himself hard, and after only a moment, sweat was dripping down his back. When he felt like he couldn’t go any longer, he pushed even more.
But still, the feeling that something was about to happen stayed with him. It had to do with the Lorkon, he was sure. He couldn’t watch them very well anymore, and he knew they’d hidden themselves from his view for a reason. They were about to do something and didn’t want to be discovered. What was it? And was it somehow possible for Jacob to figure it out and stop them?
He’d come to rely on his abilities far too much, and they were becoming a crutch.
In this case, Time-Seeing wasn’t an option. He’d have to think
Jacob couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s Azuriah.”
“And yesterday, on my way from the school in Taga, I ran into one of the Makalos. His name was Kenji. He seemed very uncomfortable that I’d seen him.” Mr. Coolidge leaned over, hands on the desk, and stared into Jacob’s eyes. “He was mentioned several times in that journal of yours.”
The math teacher’s expression—and emotion colors—practically dared Jacob to deny any of this.
“Okay, you’re right. I’ve got magical abilities and can do stuff with them. And yeah—the journal is a true story. About . . .” He’d almost told Mr. Coolidge the journal was about his dad, but realized that wasn’t his secret to share, and he didn’t know how far into the book Mr. Coolidge had gotten. “About a prince from Gevkan. The kingdom you’ve been working in lately.”
“Magic?” Mr. Coolidge seemingly couldn’t get past that one word, and it looked like he was trying not to reject Jacob’s story right away. “I mean, I’ve seen a lot . . . but . . . but magic ?”
Jacob shrugged. He didn’t have the energy to try to prove his powers. Mr. Coolidge had already seen Jacob molding things—doing it again wouldn’t be more convincing. Instead, he decided to see what the man had figured out on his own.
“What do you think is going on?”
“I don’t know, I don’t know.” Mr. Coolidge dragged his fingers through his thick hair. “Something . . . but it should be impossible.”
“It’s not. Trust me.”
Mr. Coolidge met eyes with Jacob. “How is it not impossible?”
“There’s a link to Eklaron, the planet where I’m from, in the forest between here and Taga Village. You’ve been on a different planet several times over the past week.”
Mr. Coolidge nodded. “I figured you’d say that.” He sat again, looking almost twenty years older. “Well, for what it’s worth and from what I’ve gathered, your cause is a good one. And I’m happy to be helping. But I’m going to need a lot of time to process this.”
“I totally understand.” Jacob stood. “We’re done here?”
“Yes.”
Jacob had to take a break from studying—he couldn’t concentrate. Despite all his arguments, Mr. Coolidge had insisted that he needed to take finals. So idiotic!
He’d been studying for two hours and still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to happen. But what? He scowled at the book and papers in front of him, then stood. He couldn’t take it anymore.
Jacob threw his pencil on his desk, grabbed his ball and a towel, and dashed outside to shoot hoops. Basketball always helped clear his mind.
It had been a long time since he’d played alone. Over the past couple of months, every time he came out, Aldo, Matt, or Kevin would join him. But for once, no one else was home.
Jacob took a deep breath, enjoying the smells of spring and the feeling of the sun on his face. A gentle breeze blew his hair back.
Then he forgot all of that and put everything into his game. He pushed himself hard, and after only a moment, sweat was dripping down his back. When he felt like he couldn’t go any longer, he pushed even more.
But still, the feeling that something was about to happen stayed with him. It had to do with the Lorkon, he was sure. He couldn’t watch them very well anymore, and he knew they’d hidden themselves from his view for a reason. They were about to do something and didn’t want to be discovered. What was it? And was it somehow possible for Jacob to figure it out and stop them?
He’d come to rely on his abilities far too much, and they were becoming a crutch.
In this case, Time-Seeing wasn’t an option. He’d have to think
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