the storeroom. But the eager-to-please smile was gone. Instead, he was frowning in my direction – his blue eyes intense.
‘Stand up, Nico,’ Fergus barked.
Crap. Crap. Crap.
I stood, my eyes still drawn to Ed’s.
‘Right, if you can’t tell me what we’ve been discussing, I’d like you to empty out your pockets,’ Fergus went on. ‘Then maybe we’ll discover what’s so distracting that you appear to have failed to follow the past fifteen minutes’ discussion.’
No. My thoughts careered ahead of me. If Fergus found my phone, not only would it be confiscated but he would want to know where I’d got the money to buy it. How was I going to explain that?
‘Nico?’ Fergus repeated. I shook my head. It wasn’t fair. Fergus would never ask an ordinary student to turn out their pockets. As usual, he was picking on me.
Ed was still staring in my direction. All of a sudden, his gaze shifted and he made direct eye contact. I knew only a few seconds had passed but suddenly it felt like time had vanished. That everyone had disappeared apart from him. And then I heard his voice in my head.
Say this: Sorry, sir. We’ve been discussing the Magna Carta, sir.
I opened my mouth and said the words. As I spoke I knew that Ed was inside my mind, telling me what to say.
Like, I was present. And yet, not present.
It was, without doubt, one of the freakiest experiences of my life.
Fergus frowned.
‘And the Magna Carta is?’ He folded his arms, and stared at the floor, clearly expecting me to crumble.
I stood, my heart racing. Ed’s voice sounded in my head again, but I was panicking so much I could barely follow what he was saying.
Calm down, Nico.
I blinked.
Just listen , Ed’s voice went on. The Magna Carta was an English charter, issued in 1215, which limited the powers of the king and which has been used as the basis for constitutions around the world. Many of our rights and freedoms come from that one document. That’s what we were discussing. How an ancient piece of writing still affects our lives today.
As he spoke, I repeated the words. I knew I wasn’t saying them in the way I normally spoke, but there wasn’t time to personalise them. It was my voice, but it was, undoubtedly, Ed speaking.
‘Very well, Nico.’ Fergus looked up at me, sounding puzzled. ‘You may sit down.’
As Fergus looked up, Ed looked away. His presence inside by head vanished completely. I sat down, shaken. For a few seconds I was unable to take in what had happened. And then the bell rang for the end of class and everything fell into place.
Edward O’Brien was the name of the boy with the Medusa gene that Jack had told me about – the one who hadn’t wanted Jack’s help all those months ago. Jack had been convinced Fergus would know about the boy and he was obviously right.
Ed had psychic powers, just like me and Dylan – except, in his case, the Medusa gene had clearly given him the ability to read minds . . . and to communicate without speaking.
Everyone around me was moving towards the door. Ed was still at his desk, loading books into his bag. I leaped up. Ed glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. He sped up, hauling his bag onto his back, almost running out of the room.
Completely forgetting my decision to speak to Ketty after class, I grabbed my textbook and pushed my way to the door.
Ed was already out. I looked both ways down the corridor. There. He was scurrying away, round the corner.
I ran after him, praying some teacher didn’t appear out of nowhere and stop me for speeding down the corridors.
I caught up with him just outside the back door, in the so-called Tranquillity Garden. It’s a small patch of grass with a bunch of flower beds. You’re not supposed to talk or run around out there.
Needless to say, it’s hardly ever used.
‘Ed?’ I said. ‘Wait.’
He kept on walking.
‘Stop.’ I reached out and grabbed his arm.
‘What?’ He hung his head, as I let go of his arm.
‘What
‘Stand up, Nico,’ Fergus barked.
Crap. Crap. Crap.
I stood, my eyes still drawn to Ed’s.
‘Right, if you can’t tell me what we’ve been discussing, I’d like you to empty out your pockets,’ Fergus went on. ‘Then maybe we’ll discover what’s so distracting that you appear to have failed to follow the past fifteen minutes’ discussion.’
No. My thoughts careered ahead of me. If Fergus found my phone, not only would it be confiscated but he would want to know where I’d got the money to buy it. How was I going to explain that?
‘Nico?’ Fergus repeated. I shook my head. It wasn’t fair. Fergus would never ask an ordinary student to turn out their pockets. As usual, he was picking on me.
Ed was still staring in my direction. All of a sudden, his gaze shifted and he made direct eye contact. I knew only a few seconds had passed but suddenly it felt like time had vanished. That everyone had disappeared apart from him. And then I heard his voice in my head.
Say this: Sorry, sir. We’ve been discussing the Magna Carta, sir.
I opened my mouth and said the words. As I spoke I knew that Ed was inside my mind, telling me what to say.
Like, I was present. And yet, not present.
It was, without doubt, one of the freakiest experiences of my life.
Fergus frowned.
‘And the Magna Carta is?’ He folded his arms, and stared at the floor, clearly expecting me to crumble.
I stood, my heart racing. Ed’s voice sounded in my head again, but I was panicking so much I could barely follow what he was saying.
Calm down, Nico.
I blinked.
Just listen , Ed’s voice went on. The Magna Carta was an English charter, issued in 1215, which limited the powers of the king and which has been used as the basis for constitutions around the world. Many of our rights and freedoms come from that one document. That’s what we were discussing. How an ancient piece of writing still affects our lives today.
As he spoke, I repeated the words. I knew I wasn’t saying them in the way I normally spoke, but there wasn’t time to personalise them. It was my voice, but it was, undoubtedly, Ed speaking.
‘Very well, Nico.’ Fergus looked up at me, sounding puzzled. ‘You may sit down.’
As Fergus looked up, Ed looked away. His presence inside by head vanished completely. I sat down, shaken. For a few seconds I was unable to take in what had happened. And then the bell rang for the end of class and everything fell into place.
Edward O’Brien was the name of the boy with the Medusa gene that Jack had told me about – the one who hadn’t wanted Jack’s help all those months ago. Jack had been convinced Fergus would know about the boy and he was obviously right.
Ed had psychic powers, just like me and Dylan – except, in his case, the Medusa gene had clearly given him the ability to read minds . . . and to communicate without speaking.
Everyone around me was moving towards the door. Ed was still at his desk, loading books into his bag. I leaped up. Ed glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. He sped up, hauling his bag onto his back, almost running out of the room.
Completely forgetting my decision to speak to Ketty after class, I grabbed my textbook and pushed my way to the door.
Ed was already out. I looked both ways down the corridor. There. He was scurrying away, round the corner.
I ran after him, praying some teacher didn’t appear out of nowhere and stop me for speeding down the corridors.
I caught up with him just outside the back door, in the so-called Tranquillity Garden. It’s a small patch of grass with a bunch of flower beds. You’re not supposed to talk or run around out there.
Needless to say, it’s hardly ever used.
‘Ed?’ I said. ‘Wait.’
He kept on walking.
‘Stop.’ I reached out and grabbed his arm.
‘What?’ He hung his head, as I let go of his arm.
‘What
Similar Books
