“No, not at all. I’m just trying to get to know Jacob a little better, and he doesn’t talk to me much. Maybe he’ll open up to you. I don’t know, I’m just positive there are things he isn’t telling us, and maybe you can get more out of him than we can.”
I gave her a warm smile and took the plate out into the backyard. Jacob turned his head when he heard the sliding door open. He struck me as nervous. I was making him nervous.
“Hey, Jake, brought you some goodies,” I said. “Mind if I join you?”
“Sure, have a seat,” Jacob replied, keeping his focus on the small device in front of him.
I did just that, crossing my legs and settling the plate next to the sandwiches and lemonade.
“St. Clair’s?” he asked, eyeing the pastries for a moment.
“You betcha!” I replied, grinning, then pointed at the device. “What are you doing there?”
“Oh. It’s an automatic pet feeder,” Jacob said.
“Are you sure?” I asked sarcastically.
I figured he was halfway through with it or something, because to me it looked like a box with some circuits and gadgets on the inside. I doubted Mrs. Smith had actually thought that I could help the kid better than them—it was most likely just an excuse to get me out here with him.
I could at least pretend to help while I asked Jacob some questions, including whether he’d been near the Hamms’ place or not.
Jacob looked at me, raising an eyebrow and making me laugh. “I’m kidding, dude,” I said, then pointed at the device again. “Need me to help?”
“Nah. But you can keep me company, if you want,” he replied, his voice low. “Just don’t tell Mrs. Smith about my cursing. This damn thing’s getting on my nerves.”
I chuckled. “When is it due?”
He sighed. “Tomorrow. I always leave the important stuff until the last minute.”
“Meh. It’s cool. You’ll figure it out. And someone’s dog will be grateful to you in the end,” I said.
Despite his seemingly jovial attitude, Jacob was definitely on edge. There was a mixture of fear and guilt burning through me, and it made me think that I had, indeed, seen him at the Hamms’ house. This irked me.
“That’s cool! So, what do you do for a living again? I think Mrs. Smith told me, but I forgot,” Jacob asked.
There was something odd here. A pattern I’d been picking up on, lately. My Empathy varied from one person to another. The magicals, in general, were a tad more reserved in their emotions—except the few I couldn’t feel at all. I’d yet to figure that one out. But the humans were so raw, so intense in their feelings, that sometimes I thought a magical detector wouldn’t even be needed, if I were to really fine-tune this ability of mine. I kept the idea to myself but did use it to make an assessment of Jacob. I could feel him, but not as vibrant as the Smiths. Maybe he was a magical.
“For a living? I’m working for Homeland Security,” I replied.
Jacob was quiet, his concern bubbling beneath the surface as he continued to fiddle with his pet feeder thingy.
“How are you coming along here, with the Smiths?” I asked, wearing a soft smile.
Jacob shrugged. “I’m good. Honestly, the Smiths are awesome. They’re kind and sweet and always looking after me. I hope I get to pay them in kind, someday.”
I paused, wetting my lips and considering my next question, while I eyed him closely. Going back to my previous reasoning, the Smiths hadn’t shown up on Alton’s list, and it certainly wasn’t automatic for every foster kid to be a magical. Magicals were still rare—perhaps one for every thousand humans or more. But my gut was telling me that Jacob was special, in a Chaos kind of way.
“They changed my life for the better,” I said. “I doubt I would’ve been here today had it not been for them. Have you met Ryann yet?”
He nodded. “Uh-huh. She’s really cool. I think she wants to become president one day or something.”
For the second time in the past ten minutes, I was laughing. After everything that I’d witnessed today, I needed this flicker of innocence in my life. But time wasn’t on my side. In a moment of “Screw this!”, I took a gamble. I’d feel better once I blurted it out.
“You know your way around magic, don’t you?”
My question stunned him. He stared at me for a few seconds, gripping his screwdriver with unnecessary force. His knuckles were white, and beads of sweat blossomed on his temples.
“What… What do you mean?” he asked, barely breathing.
Panic was rumbling through me like an icy wave. Oh, I’d hit a nerve, for sure.
“I’m just looking at this pet feeder. It looks like the stuff of magic,” I said, deciding to drag him along for a suspenseful ride. Not that I was a sadist, but I did find his emotional discomfort somewhat amusing. It was best to shock him now, so I could later ease him into the fact that I was a magical, too.
“It’s not. It’s just science. Mechanics. Basic principles of physics,” Jacob murmured, then kept on tinkering.
I glanced around, wondering if there was any chance that the Ryders could have been here, if he was in fact a magical. I’d already checked the entrance hall and the living room on my way in. There was no sign of the Ryders’ business card, and it seemed safe to assume that they hadn’t discovered Jacob yet. Reason and logic dictated that I address this with Jacob, just to be sure. Plus, after what had happened with the Cranstons, I had to do a better job of protecting people—especially the Smiths.
“Pour me a glass of lemonade, please,” I said, keeping my tone soft.
Jacob put the screwdriver down, then grabbed the pitcher and filled a glass with chunks of ice and fresh lemonade. Mrs. Smith had dropped some mint leaves in there. For décor, she’d always say, but they definitely gave it an extra kick of deliciousness.
I used my Telekinesis to nudge the glass off the table. As soon as it tumbled, Jacob’s hand twitched. Before his fingers could reach the glass, it was back on the edge of the table. He looked at me, and his heart stopped beating altogether. I’d caught him on reflex alone. I hadn’t even known he was Telekinetic, but it seemed like a good test to run, just in case. Lucky for me, it had worked. Jacob was a magical. No doubt about it.
“Thanks, buddy,” I said, and took a long sip from the glass in question.
“You’re welcome,” he whispered, practically quaking in his boots. The poor guy was caught red-handed, reflexively performing magic, and he was probably waiting for me to say something. My cool demeanor, however, kept throwing him for a loop.
“You didn’t tell me you were a magical,” I added, setting my gaze on him.
Jacob was clearly surprised about the conversation’s sudden turn, but not exactly shocked. Deep down, I was beginning to sense that he did, in fact, know what I was. But how?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jacob mumbled, staring at me. This was an act. I could smell the deceit from a mile away. It would’ve been cute and downright endearing, had I not spotted him earlier.
It made me angry, but I knew I couldn’t blow a fuse right then and there. The Ryders’ effect on me wasn’t his fault. This kid needed patience from me, more than anything.
“Let’s not play this game, Jake,” I said. “You’re a magical, and something tells me you know I’m one, too.”
He let a deep sigh roll out. His head dropped, shame swallowing us both whole.
“I… I didn’t know how to talk to you about it,” he said.
I scoffed. “Nice to see I’m still right, at least once in a while.”
He didn’t say anything, but the guilt ate away at him. I rose to my feet and crossed my arms.
“It’s not the kind of thing you just pop into a conversation with a complete stranger,” he replied finally.
“So I did see you a few hours ago, in the Hamms’ backyard.”
His gaze shot up, finding mine. “It’s not what you think.”
“Then explain it to me, Jake, because I’ve got a lot on my plate right now,” I shot back. “You were following me.”
“No. I was just in the neighborhood, I swear!” Jacob replied. “I’d gone out for a walk, I had my music on… I don’t know anything about the Hamms or whatever. I just saw you go into that house, that’s all.”
I wasn’t buying it. Not after the day’s horrible events. Susan and Larry’s lifeless expressions were forever etched into my retinas. The smell of blood refused to leave my nose. Worry gnawed at my stomach as I thought of little Micah. I certainly didn’t want the same thing to happen to Jacob.
But I also knew how tough of a nut to crack a foster kid could be. We didn’t trust people easily. It was going to take some time to get him on my side. But I didn’t want to leave him in a potentially risky situation, where he couldn’t come to me if he felt like he was in danger. If Katherine’s goons did come around, I needed him to trust me and ask for my help.
I didn’t think the Ryders had found him. They would’ve left the card. They would’ve wanted me, specifically, to know that they’d come by. I didn’t want him to be another Kenneth Willow, and there was something about his emotions that made me feel confident about my assessment. I couldn’t be 100 percent sure that Jacob hadn’t met the Ryders, but my instincts rarely failed me.
“Jake, I didn’t know you were a magical until a few minutes ago,” I said, then blew out. “But you knew about me. I think that warrants some explaining on your part.”
He blinked several times. There it was again. The guilt, the fear of discovery.
“We need to be able to trust each other, dude,” I added. “There aren’t that many of us, to begin with. Especially not in the foster system. We have to stick together. I’ve got your back for life, but you have to let me in.”