Intangible (15 page)

Sera watched Luke and Marc tease each other. They’d obviously become fast friends—there was an ease to the two of them—and since she was pretty much guaranteed to like anyone that Luke liked, she was sure to become friends with Marc too. Already she liked him. And she was amazed at how easily Marc fit in when so many people hadn’t. In fact no one else but Fey and Quinn ever had.

For some reason, Sera had a feeling this wasn’t just a passing acquaintance as everyone else always was. Marc felt comfortable to her. As if she innately knew him. She’d felt the same way about Quinn the first time she’d met him four years ago. She didn’t know what it was exactly that made her feel that way, but it was there. She looked at Luke laughing hard at something Marc had just said, and she could tell he felt it too.

She was suddenly struck with the desire to get to know him more. Really know him. He was like a puzzle she wanted to solve.

“Where are you from?” she said, when they all stood outside. “Because it’s obviously not Vermont.”

Marc tilted his head to one side, considered her. “No,” he said, “it’s not. How did you know?”

“You’re wearing a parka.”

“So?” He looked down at the black and grey down coat he was wearing, spreading his arms wide. Then he looked at Sera and Luke. Sera had on a sweater and Luke wore only a yellow long-sleeved button up shirt that hung open like a jacket over his t-shirt.

“It’s fifty-five degrees out here,” Luke said. “It’s still warm.”

Marc looked at them, then back at his coat. “It’s unzipped,” he said.

“It’s a winter coat.” Sera laughed and shook her head. “You tuck your hat and mittens into your pockets, Sunshine?”

“Sunshine?” Marc smiled at her. “Are you suggesting I’m from someplace warm?”

“I am.”

He scrunched up his face and shook his head looking impressed. “I’m from Florida.”

“Disney World?”

“Never been.”

“Ah,” Sera said, “that explains it.”

“It does, indeed,” Luke said.

“Explains what?” Marc asked.

“Your coat, never been to Disney World, growing up in the land of blue hair,” Luke said.

“You’ve lost your inner child, and at such a young age,” Sera said.

“It is a shame,” Luke said.

“So young, and yet so old.” Sera peered at Marc, concern on her face. “Do you need help getting back to your car, Sunshine?”

“Do you even remember where you parked?” Luke said.

Marc laughed. “Nice.” A shadow crossed his face for a brief second—almost too quick to be seen. But Sera had seen it. She studied him harder.

Here was a person with secrets, she thought. Just like her.

Sera and Luke said goodbye and headed back to their car. She could hardly believe she’d just spent the afternoon with a person who was completely unaffected by her power. It was almost disorienting. She wasn’t sure how to act around him. Especially because he seemed to like her. He’d been interested in what she said and he’d watched her with curiosity burning in his eyes.

She suddenly, irrationally, wanted to reach him, charm him with her natural draw. But that was crazy. She usually had to fight it off, not encourage it. It wouldn’t make sense to do that to herself or to him. No, she should be happy he seemed immune.

Besides, if she influenced him she’d never know if he actually liked
her
. He’d be just like everyone else. She didn’t want that.

Maybe Marc could be a real friend, like Fey and Quinn, because of his immunity. But then, what if he
liked
her? Was there a boy who would really
like
her? The question scared her because the answer might be no.

But she couldn’t do this. She didn’t want a boyfriend. She couldn’t risk finding out if he’d like her for just her. Because if he did—the thought made her heart thump faster—then there’d be no coming back from that. Which would be wonderful and terrible because in all reality he’d never know who she really, really was. She couldn’t trust that with anyone except Luke.

Okay, she thought as they got to their car and unlocked the doors, that’s settled. She was not going to fall for this boy.

T
he silence in Marc’s mind dissolved into the gentle hum of people’s thoughts once Luke and Sera had walked away. He looked around the streets of Burlington—college students milling around, people heading home from work.

One girl trudged to her car nearby and he zeroed in on her thoughts….
why he hates me so much. I mean, what have I ever done to him? I hate his idiotic class. Stupid, bald, middle-aged has-been. He probably can’t…
Then let her fade back into the dull hum.

In the week since Luke had come up to him in the coffee house, he still hadn’t figured out why he couldn’t hear Luke’s or Sera’s thoughts, or those of anyone standing close to them.

It was so strange.

So interesting.

And frustrating because it made identifying him and his sister as the sought-after twins much more difficult. He was going to have to earn their trust enough that they shared their secrets.

Although, if their lives were anything like his when it came to the sharing of these abilities, then they were never going to tell him anything. He hadn’t come across a single person who seemed to know anything about what they could do. And he figured he wasn’t going to get them to reveal anything. He’d have to catch them at it, so he was going to have to stay as close as possible.

Which was great, because he was really starting to like them both.

Which was
not
great. Because he was really starting to like them both.

These were people he could be friends with. He could see that. He already felt as if he’d known them a long time. Something he’d never experienced with anyone before.

And Sera. Man, Sera. With her piercing grey eyes that felt as if she could see right into his soul. It was slightly disconcerting and yet…totally hot.

This could cause some serious trouble for him because he didn’t know how he’d be able to hand them over to the Shadows once he confirmed what he already knew to be true. They were the ones the Shadows were looking for. And he’d be sending them to their deaths.

Oh, man. He leaned down, braced his hands on his knees, and shook his head. He couldn’t think about that now. He just couldn’t think about it.

FIFTEEN

A
week and a half later with a plan firmly in mind, Marc leaned against his car in the parking lot, waiting. He could feel the anticipation of classes ending as the collective thoughts of everyone in the building swelled quicker and louder, before bursting into firecrackers of sound as soon as the last bell rang. He had to stifle them in his mind, dulling the sounds so they didn’t overrun his own thoughts. People’s thoughts were always louder and stronger when they were excited—regardless of whether it was a happy, sad, or angry excitement—and it took more control to contain those thoughts to the back of his mind.

He felt a rush of relief when he saw Sera walk out a side door and head toward the parking lot. He wouldn’t have to work so hard once she was close enough to him to block out other people’s thoughts. He studied her as she moved through the crowd of students. She seemed to watch people closely, their faces and body language, like she was looking for something. He noticed her focus on a guy who slunk toward the cars by himself. She narrowed her eyes at him, and tipped her head to the side, her dark curls falling over one shoulder. Then she jogged to catch up with him and placed her hand on his arm.

Marc gawked, and almost slid off his car. The guy looked brighter, suddenly sharper. Was he
glowing?
Marc blinked. Now the guy looked normal. Whoa. He blinked again, and nothing changed. Sera was still touching the guy’s arm. Perhaps he’d imagined it. Maybe he was just seeing what he wanted to see.

Maybe.

He thought the guy was walking taller as Sera said goodbye and headed toward her car. Happier, more confident. But that could be just the side effect of talking to a pretty girl. It wasn’t conclusive.

Sera smiled at Marc as soon as she saw him, though he was sure he could detect a bit of wariness in her eyes. If he could just get in her head to know what it would take to get her to trust him, this would be so much easier. He’d never wished so hard to be able to use his gift.

“Hey, Sunshine,” she said, and walked past him to put her book bag into her car. “What brings you here today?”

The sudden silence in his mind now that she was near was bliss and he smiled at her, forgetting to feel frustrated. “Coffee,” he said.

“Coffee?”

“Coffee.”

“At a high school?” One eyebrow lifted. Man, he liked it when she teased.

He raked his hand through his hair. “I was hoping you’d join me for coffee.”

She looked over toward the school where kids were still pouring out of the doors in twos and threes. “Luke and Fey should be out in a minute, I’m sure—”

“Actually? I was thinking just you.” He smiled, gave a little shrug, looked down at his well-worn hiking boots. He’d found the shy, aw-shucks thing worked with most girls. He peeked back up at her. “What do you say?”

“Oh,” was all she said, eyebrows raised, eyes wide, her mouth stuck in a perfect
o
. She looked at him in silence for several long seconds.

“It’s just coffee.” He paused for a moment. “Or tea. Hot chocolate. Juice. Soda. Water. Air, if you’re not thirsty.”

That worked, she laughed at that. He could feel his shoulders relax.

“Yeah,” she finally said. “Of course. Just coffee. Well, tea actually. Sure.” She smiled, but hesitated. She looked at her car for a moment, then back toward the school where Luke and Fey were crossing the grass to the parking lot.

“I’ll drive,” Marc said. “I can drop you at home afterward.”

“Oh, no,” Sera said, turning to Marc.

“What’s wrong?” Luke asked as he walked past them to put his bag in the car. Fey stopped and stood next to Sera, looking hard at Marc. She didn’t like him—he didn’t need to hear her thoughts to know that. It was readily apparent on her face. He wondered what it was that turned her off and would have loved to hear what she was thinking, to know what he had to do to win her over. But he couldn’t. Not with her standing so close to Sera and Luke.

“Dad,” Sera said.

“Dad’s wrong?” Luke said, coming back and reaching over to grasp Marc’s out-stretched hand in hello.

“No, I’m supposed to meet Dad downtown in a little while.” She looked at Marc, obviously torn.

“We could do it another time,” Marc said to her.

“Do
what
another time?” Luke asked slowly. Sera rolled her eyes at him and got this little smile on her face as if she’d just lost a good-natured bet.

“Marc and I were going for coffee. Tea.” She raised one eyebrow and pressed her lips together as she looked at her brother. “I forgot I had plans with Dad for the afternoon and then dinner. I guess I could push it back to just dinner?” She looked over at Marc again. “I could just meet him a little later. I’ll call him on the way.” She turned back to Luke who just stared at her. She punched him in the arm, then looked at Marc again. “Ready?”

“Whenever you are,” he said, jumped up and went around to the passenger side to open Sera’s door.

Luke neither moved, nor changed his worried expression. Fey moved closer to Luke and as Marc got into the car, he thought he heard her ask Luke about him. He looked through the windshield and found she was staring right at him. He sighed. Great. Another person he was going to have to work hard to charm.

As they drove downtown, Sera rearranged plans with her dad. Marc listened to her talk, updating him on school, teasing him about working too hard, pretending to bicker over which restaurant they’d meet at in a couple of hours.

It made him miss his dad.

“How often do you see him?” Marc asked after she’d said goodbye and slid her phone into the pocket of her sweater.

She turned to him, surprised. “We have a father-daughter date once a week—Luke gets a father-son one on another day—and we’ll sometimes spend the weekend at his house. But most of the time we’re with my mom.” She put her hand back over her pocket as if making sure her phone was still there. “What about you? Are your parents divorced?”