The Autumn Prince

60. Sounds of Thunder

Rachel showed new signs of tension and instability the following morning. Her symptoms weren't extreme, but I spent an hour after kissing her just chatting in her cabin, keeping her company. I was grateful that she refrained from talking about my dad or her desire to fight him. Her anxiety and my fear made both of us feel smaller than we were. By the time Katherine knocked on her door to announce Becca's blueberry pancake breakfast extravaganza, Rachel's nervous tics had all but vanished.

Food helped, but I continued to avoid the subject of my father. The others kept throwing uncomfortable glances my way during awkward gaps in the conversation, as if they felt the storm approaching and were afraid I wasn't doing enough to protect them from it. It annoyed me as much as anyone that I couldn't get a grip on my responsibilities, or even determine what they were. From where I stood, the best outcome was a quick death. I wanted to hide behind our defenders, but how long would it be before Caratacos brought that devastation closer to home, or spread his poison throughout the school, or even the city, the way he ruined Amy's clan? Even if he didn't, could I simply dismiss Rob, Sloane, and Gloria as casualties? The noblest part of me called for justice. Every other part was paralyzed by fear.

"It's going to happen sooner or later, and we'll be right there with you," Katherine said, far too calmly, once we were back in her room. "I think I speak for everyone when I say I'd rather go down fighting than the way your mother did."

"It's not that simple, Kath," I sighed. "What makes you think he'd settle for killing you?"

"What choice would he have? Without you it's the end for all of us."

"If that was true, Rachel wouldn't be here."

"What do you—?" Her forehead creased as my point sunk in, then her eyes widened and she covered her mouth in sudden realization. "Oh."

I nodded. "He could keep you around for years if he wanted to, and you'd probably end up thanking him for it. We might have the same genetics but his abilities are a lot more aggressive than mine."

"Maybe that's only because you're a better person than he is."

"Chemistry doesn't care," I said. "I'm afraid his influence will be too strong, or that I'd have to stoop to his level just to prevent him from controlling you."

"Stoop how?"

I shrugged, "I don't even know. You saw what he did to Rachel, she was ready to do anything for him."

Katherine put a hand on my shoulder. "And you don't think we'd do the same for you?"

"Not like that," I said. "You wouldn't kill someone for me."

"Wouldn't I? You've never put it to the test. I can't think of one time you've given any of us an order."

"Okay, go make me a sandwich."

"I mean a serious order."

"This is serious, I'm hungry."

"That's exactly what I mean," she laughed, "you can't do that without joking around and everyone knows it. Your dad's commands are probably a lot more forceful. You've also got that ESP thing and your grandmother's powers, so you're in touch with more than what's on the surface. You're limiting yourself because what you can do scares you. I think you're stronger than you realize."

I shook my head, annoyed but not at her. "Everyone keeps saying that, but I don't see how it's true. Sure, I have these powers, if you can even call them that. I don't know how to do anything useful with them. I hit him with that mind thing as hard as I could, tried to fry his brain from the inside, and he barely felt it—he said it's because we're related."