all.”
I was completely confused now. What was so weird about having a brother? “I don’t get it,” I finally said.
Beside me, Cece shrugged. “Most of us here at Winter-haven are only children—at least, everyone I know is.”
“Except for Jack,” Kate put in.
“But . . . but why?” I stammered, looking around at the other girls, hoping for an explanation. “I mean, why is everyone an only child? It’s got to be more than a coincidence, right?”
“I don’t know,” Sophie said, shaking her head. “No one’s ever been able to explain it.”
I shifted in my seat, strangely unsettled by this latest revelation. “I should go,” I said, pushing back from the table. “I’m supposed to go to Dr. Blackwell’s office, if I can find it.”
“I’ll walk you there,” Cece offered, and I nodded gratefully as she stood and picked up her tray.
Minutes later I was following Cece through several mazelike halls, up a flight of stairs, and down another hall that seemed to go on forever. Finally we climbed another flight of stairs and made our way past the old headmasters’ portraits before at last reaching the carved wooden door that led to Dr. Blackwell’s office.
“Here you go,” she said, a little breathlessly. “Do you want me to wait for you?”
“No, I’m fine.” I was breathless too. Probably nerves more than anything else. “Thanks, though.”
“Okay, I’ll see you later, then. Have fun,” she added mischievously, then turned and left me there.
I took a deep, calming breath, trying to steady myself beforeI faced the headmaster and the truths he’d no doubt tell. Just as I raised my hand to knock, the door swung slowly open, creaking on its hinges. “Come in, Miss McKenna,” he called out, and I stepped inside, my palms sweating like crazy.
“Sit down,” he said, gesturing to the same chair I’d sat in the night before.
I did as I was told, wiping my hands on my jeans. “Thanks,” I murmured.
“Tell me, how was your first day here at Winterhaven?”
“It was . . . good,” I said, barely able to speak. Why was I so nervous? He’d never been anything but friendly. Even now he was smiling warmly at me, his silver eyes twinkling in the firelight.
“I’m glad. Mr. Gray assures me that you will have no trouble whatsoever catching up with your coursework. All the classes were to your liking?”
I cleared my throat before speaking. “Yes, sir. I . . . um . . . unfortunately I missed my fencing class, but—”
“That’s fine, don’t worry,” he said, waving one hand in dismissal. “You’ll get there tomorrow.”
For a full minute he said nothing, and I started to squirm in my chair. Finally he spoke. “Now I suppose you see that Winterhaven is unique in more ways than one. I hope that does not make you uncomfortable.”
“No, I . . . I’m a little surprised, that’s all.” I couldn’t help but wonder what his psychic abilities were. After all, my new friends had told me that everyone at Winterhaven had them, even him.
“And you’ve read the code?”
“Yes, sir.” I reached into my back pocket and pulled it out, unfolding the page with damp hands.
“No questions?”
“No, it’s pretty straightforward. A lot of it doesn’t apply to me anyway, since I don’t really have any control over my visions. They just . . . come.”
“To the contrary, Miss McKenna. I think you will find that your visions can be harnessed, perhaps put to good use. But all in due time.”
A bubble of hope welled in my chest, and I nodded.
“Also, keep in mind that adherence to the code is very important where extracurricular activities are concerned. We want your school experience to be as normal as possible, which is why we allow our teams to participate in the All-Ivy League. When interacting with students from other schools, it is vital that you keep the COPA in mind at all times.”
“Of course,” I said. I got it—don’t let the regular kids see what freaks we
I was completely confused now. What was so weird about having a brother? “I don’t get it,” I finally said.
Beside me, Cece shrugged. “Most of us here at Winter-haven are only children—at least, everyone I know is.”
“Except for Jack,” Kate put in.
“But . . . but why?” I stammered, looking around at the other girls, hoping for an explanation. “I mean, why is everyone an only child? It’s got to be more than a coincidence, right?”
“I don’t know,” Sophie said, shaking her head. “No one’s ever been able to explain it.”
I shifted in my seat, strangely unsettled by this latest revelation. “I should go,” I said, pushing back from the table. “I’m supposed to go to Dr. Blackwell’s office, if I can find it.”
“I’ll walk you there,” Cece offered, and I nodded gratefully as she stood and picked up her tray.
Minutes later I was following Cece through several mazelike halls, up a flight of stairs, and down another hall that seemed to go on forever. Finally we climbed another flight of stairs and made our way past the old headmasters’ portraits before at last reaching the carved wooden door that led to Dr. Blackwell’s office.
“Here you go,” she said, a little breathlessly. “Do you want me to wait for you?”
“No, I’m fine.” I was breathless too. Probably nerves more than anything else. “Thanks, though.”
“Okay, I’ll see you later, then. Have fun,” she added mischievously, then turned and left me there.
I took a deep, calming breath, trying to steady myself beforeI faced the headmaster and the truths he’d no doubt tell. Just as I raised my hand to knock, the door swung slowly open, creaking on its hinges. “Come in, Miss McKenna,” he called out, and I stepped inside, my palms sweating like crazy.
“Sit down,” he said, gesturing to the same chair I’d sat in the night before.
I did as I was told, wiping my hands on my jeans. “Thanks,” I murmured.
“Tell me, how was your first day here at Winterhaven?”
“It was . . . good,” I said, barely able to speak. Why was I so nervous? He’d never been anything but friendly. Even now he was smiling warmly at me, his silver eyes twinkling in the firelight.
“I’m glad. Mr. Gray assures me that you will have no trouble whatsoever catching up with your coursework. All the classes were to your liking?”
I cleared my throat before speaking. “Yes, sir. I . . . um . . . unfortunately I missed my fencing class, but—”
“That’s fine, don’t worry,” he said, waving one hand in dismissal. “You’ll get there tomorrow.”
For a full minute he said nothing, and I started to squirm in my chair. Finally he spoke. “Now I suppose you see that Winterhaven is unique in more ways than one. I hope that does not make you uncomfortable.”
“No, I . . . I’m a little surprised, that’s all.” I couldn’t help but wonder what his psychic abilities were. After all, my new friends had told me that everyone at Winterhaven had them, even him.
“And you’ve read the code?”
“Yes, sir.” I reached into my back pocket and pulled it out, unfolding the page with damp hands.
“No questions?”
“No, it’s pretty straightforward. A lot of it doesn’t apply to me anyway, since I don’t really have any control over my visions. They just . . . come.”
“To the contrary, Miss McKenna. I think you will find that your visions can be harnessed, perhaps put to good use. But all in due time.”
A bubble of hope welled in my chest, and I nodded.
“Also, keep in mind that adherence to the code is very important where extracurricular activities are concerned. We want your school experience to be as normal as possible, which is why we allow our teams to participate in the All-Ivy League. When interacting with students from other schools, it is vital that you keep the COPA in mind at all times.”
“Of course,” I said. I got it—don’t let the regular kids see what freaks we
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