Fusion (2 page)

“What do you mean?”

“You haven’t cheered for over a year. I’m sure it will all come back to you, but I think that perhaps it might be better to ease back into it gently. Don’t you think?”

I turned around and stomped into the family room, plunking down in an armchair.

Mom followed and sat down opposite me. “Arizona?”

“Mom, I know I have somehow lost a whole year of my life, but I don’t remember any of it. I feel like I cheered yesterday! I’ll be totally fine.”

It was mostly true. Although I didn’t
remember
anything that had happened, I felt some of it. Hanging out with Kellan and David in Vegas had been confusing. My strong feelings for David were still there but kept being overpowered by even stronger ones for Kellan. I couldn’t remember when or how those feelings had started, but they were there. He was all I could think about at the moment. His was the face I pictured before I fell asleep and then again just before I opened my eyes to wake up.

Almost losing him in the Bahamas, then walking into his arms at the hospital had forever bound me to him in a way that made it clear that I had to rid myself of my feelings for David. But it wasn’t as simple as that. I had loved David for years. Whatever was happening with Kellan was new. New, but solid, cement—

“Are you listening to me?” Mom raised her voice.

“Sorry, Mom. I got distracted. What were you saying?”

Mom sighed, shaking her head. “I was basically saying that I think you need to take some time to readjust, that’s all. Why not come and watch today, then take it from there?”

“Watch? No way! I’m the squad co-captain!”

“Things have changed, Arizona. That was a year ago.”

If it really was a whole year ago, what about school? Would I have to repeat a year? Or, could I try to catch up? This was a mess. I got up, feeling the strong need to hit something. I shook my head, wondering why I suddenly felt so hostile.

“Hey, how about we head over to the rink and skate for a while?” Kellan had quietly come into the family room without me noticing. I wondered how much he’d heard.

“Maybe even shoot some pucks?” he added.

I closed my eyes. Just the very thought of slamming pucks calmed me. How could he read me so well? I opened my eyes as he walked over and perched on the arm of my chair, running his fingers through my hair.

“Dr. Darley, how are you feeling?” he asked, turning to Mom.

“Oh, much better. Physically, anyway. I’m still hesitant about driving. I guess it will take some time. What about you?”

“Bruised, but getting better. It’s been some week! I just want to get back to normal. Mind if I take Arizona to the rink for a while?”

“Wait! I have to get to school. I really don’t want to miss the game—”

“Hey, we can do both,” Kellan assured me. “We’ll head over to the rink for a while and then go to the game. Okay?”

I nodded. I needed to clear my head. “All right, but Dad wants to talk to me first.”

“Rupe’s home?” Mom asked. “Upstairs?”

“He’s in his study. With a visitor.”

“Who?”

“Some guy called Jagger. Never seen him before. Bit weird.”

“Weird?” Mom asked.

“Yes, he just seemed strange. He’s got these intense eyes. They’re like silver colored. And he feels… cold. Even though I never touched him, it was kind of like he turned the air around him cold.”

Mom pursed her lips. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

“I think he’s okay. Said that Granddad sent him.”

“Spencer sent him?”

“Yeah, I guess it might be some of that Wanderer biz. He didn’t look like a Wanderer, though. Not that I can tell a Wanderer from a human, but he also didn’t look quite human… he looked different.” I shrugged, knowing I wasn’t making sense.

“Do you want me to check in on them, Dr. Darley?” Kellan offered somberly.

“No, thanks, though. I’ll pop into the study and look in on them.”

We nodded as she turned and walked off.

“I guess I better get changed. This is too skimpy for the rink.” I laughed.

“Good idea, though you look really cute in it. I’ll get a drink while you do that. Where is Ella? And Tallulah?”

“In her room, I guess. See you in ten.” I rushed up the stairs and back into my bedroom. Now, what to wear to the rink? I hadn’t skated in ages. What was I even thinking, saying yes to not just skating but
slamming pucks
! Ridic. I impatiently tore the cheer outfit off my body and flung it onto my bed. Juicy sweats. That would do. I opened my closet door, walked in, and reached for them. They had been moved, replaced by a bunch of t-shirts, none of which I recognized. I ventured deeper into the closet, suddenly catching a whiff of something nasty. Ugh! It smelled like Ella’s sweaty ballet slippers. But stronger.

A sports bag—not one of mine—lay open on the floor, clothes half in and half out of it. I knelt down to have a closer look, pulling at a sock that was sticking out. Gross. The bag was unquestionably responsible for the stench. I let go of the sock and picked up the bag, emptying the contents on the floor. I looked at the bunch of smelly hockey stuff, wondering what Harry’s bag was doing in my closet. Well, the stuff had to go back into the bag before I died from the fumes. I grabbed the jersey off the floor and started to shove it back into the bag when flashes of me wearing that jersey flooded my mind. I closed my eyes and took a whiff. That was my jersey. I was sure of it. I stood up and put it on. It was big and baggy, but it smelled of me. It felt like me—so much more than the cheer outfit had.

“Arizona! You ready?” Kellan shouted from downstairs.

Jumping into a pair of jeans, I grabbed my cheer stuff off the bed and rushed back down.

“There you are!” Kellan smiled at me. “You’re wearing your jersey…”

“Yeah, found it in my closet. It’s mine?” I asked for confirmation.

He nodded. “Remember?”

“No, not really. I just had a vague feeling that I’d worn it before, so I put it on. It’s comfy, and we’re going to the rink, so…”

Kellan grabbed my hand, squeezing it gently. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Wait. Dad said he wanted to talk to me, so I better go see him first. Did they come out of his study yet?”

“Nope, and your mom is still in there with th—”

Both of us turned to face the draft of air suddenly cooling our skin. The door to Dad’s study had opened, and Jagger walked out, followed closely by Mom and Dad. I sensed a chill between them before I was drawn back to Jagger.

What was with this guy? He was impossibly hot, but in such an unattainable and otherworldly way. I couldn’t take my eyes off him even though I felt the squeeze of Kellan’s grip get tighter. I noticed a silent exchange between Jagger and Kellan. It was just a look, a vague nod, but it was something. I began to open my mouth to ask Kellan what was going on, but stopped as Jagger came to a halt in front of us.

And there it was again, a passing look between them.

“Arizona.” Dad ran his fingers through his hair—a sure sign that he was stressed. “I have to go,” he said abruptly as Mom’s frown deepened. “I’m going to miss the game. Sorry.”

“Where are you going?”

“London. I’ve got to rush off. I’ll call you.”

I had more questions, especially about Jagger, who just looked into the distance, his face again set in the stone mask he’d walked in with. However, Dad didn’t seem in the mood for questions, plus I could ask Mom anyway, so I just nodded. And then, without another word, Dad turned around and kissed Mom, then Jagger and he both faded into nothing, wandering off.

Well, that answered at least one of my questions. Jagger was definitely a Wanderer. I glanced over at Mom.

She threw her hands up in the air. “I have no idea! Not really. All they said is that there’s some kind of emergency that has to be dealt with right away and that Rupert has to go. That’s it.” She rubbed the back of her neck.

“Are you okay, Mom?” I asked, worried that her injures were bothering her.

“Yes, don’t worry about me. I’m fine. I better check on Ella. I’ll see you at the game.”

“Wait, who was that guy, Jagger?” I asked as she started to walk away.

She turned back around. “Jagger didn’t say a word while I was in the study. Just nodded when Rupe introduced us. I assume from what you said before—that Spencer sent him—and from what just happened, that he’s a Wanderer. That’s all I know. Believe me. I am very frustrated by this.” She sighed. “I have to go and see what Ella is up to.”

Kellan pulled at me soon as she left. “Come on, let’s head out.”

“What was going on between you and Jagger?” I asked.

“Huh?”

“Come on, Kell. I saw it.” I wondered if it was a boy thing, like marking their territory or something. That would be silly. I wasn’t the least bit attracted to Jagger, hot as he was. “So?”

“I’ve seen him before.”

“Where? Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“Come and sit down for a minute.”

“Sounds serious,” I remarked as I followed him back into the family room.

“Not exactly,” he replied. “It’s not like you don’t already know, but you don’t remember yet. I have to tell you so I can explain where I know Jagger from.” He paused. “Like your dad, my mom was a Sigma-W. I only found out recently, when you were taken to Paris by the Sigma-W-Pi. While David tracked you, I was sent to do a brief intro into what being a Sigma-W meant. While I was there, I ran into Jagger who was training to be an active Sigma-W.”

“For real? Your mom? How did she keep that from you?”

“Same way your dad’s been keeping it from you.”

“So, you’re like a half Wanderer?”

Kellan laughed. “Not something that comes in proportions. One is or isn’t. I can be, if I train, but right now I am not.”

“Train? What does that mean? Is that what you were doing at
training
?”

“Nope. I was just learning a bit about it. What it would take to become an active Wanderer.”

“You don’t have any plans to go
active
, do you?” I felt sick as I imagined him just taking off, suddenly realizing how abandoned Mom must feel. No wonder Dad had resisted becoming a Wanderer for so long. He’d chosen to be here for his family.

“No way, Shrimp.” Kellan’s gaze was earnest, but I couldn’t help feeling anxious, knowing that his potential powers came with a price.

T
he cold sheet of white ice shredded to snow as I scraped my stick against it, slamming the puck into the goal.

As soon as I’d stepped on to the ice, my mind had gone blank. All thoughts magically evaporated, allowing me to enjoy the bliss of pure physical motion. All the worrisome thoughts I had battled with on the way to the rink—Would Dad be okay? Would Kellan be summoned by the Sigma-W? Could I skate?—disappeared as soon as my skates hit the ice. My muscles took over, gracefully pushing forward, confident, like I was an expert. I didn’t question it but just went with the flow, allowing my body to take over.

After each stroke landed the puck firmly in the goal, I skated behind the goal posts and emerged on the other side to do it again. I kept going and going, taking turns with Kellan, who seemed just as focused as I was. After a while, he tapped on his watch and pointed me to the bleachers. We skated over and removed our helmets, plunking ourselves down on the wood benches.

Kellan looked over at me and grinned. “That’s my girl.” Then he started undoing his laces.

My girl? That sounded so possessive, yet cute in a weird way. Anyhow, what exactly did he mean? “Huh?” I nudged him and then bent over to loosen my own laces.

“I just mean it was awesome to skate with you again. I feel like it’s been forever, even though it’s just been a week or so. You seem to be yourself again.”

“What does that mean, Kellan?” I asked, slightly annoyed. I was always myself! If anything, I hadn’t been myself during the last hour or so. I mean, I couldn’t skate like that! I had no idea how I had done that. No, that was definitely not like me. I shot him the evil eye.

He laughed. “Now, that’s yourself, as well!”

I hit him, knocking him off balance, and he slid off the corner of the bench, landing on his butt.

I was horrified. “I’m so sorry!” I got up and tried to pull him up, but he was guffawing to the point that his body had turned to spaghetti, and it was impossible to get a grip. I got annoyed again and sat back down. He could help himself up! Silly boy.

He gradually stopped bellowing and got up, then sat back down on the bench. I refused to look at him, concentrating instead on getting my skates off. Then I walked off, leaving him to gather himself. I dumped the skates in Kellan’s locker and walked outside to wait for him by his bike.

“Hey, Poppet! I was just coming inside to find you.”

“David!” I flung my arms around him as he spun me around like a swing. I looked up into his eyes once he put me down on the ground. “How long are you back for?”

His cheerful smile faded. “Not long, I’m afraid. A few days. There is someone I want you to meet—back at the house.”

“Oh, who?”

“It’s a surprise. Where’s Kellan?” he asked, pointing to the bike.

“He’ll be here in a sec.” I shrugged.