The Knowledge of the Hidden

Chapter 12

"I have a theory about that invisible house," Sienna muses between mouthfuls at breakfast the next morning, shoving her face with the morning eggs. Josh cringes as a bit flies from her mouth as she talks.

"Maybe you could finish chewing before you tell us," he suggests. Sienna responds by opening her mouth, revealing an entirely unpleasant sight of yellow mush. I laugh. Josh rolls his eyes.

"Gross, Sienna," he groans. She takes a big gulp of water and sticks her now clean tongue out at him.

"Better?" she asks, sarcastically.

"Much, actually."

I stifle a yawn. I hadn't slept at all over night, just laid there in the shelter replaying my interaction with my mom again and again. I had stayed there long after everyone else was up, waiting until I heard the breakfast bell to move from my spot. I knew that the only thing Josh and Sienna would want to talk about was the invisible house, and that was the very last thing I wanted to discuss.

"As I was saying..." Sienna sighs, rolling her eyes at Josh.

"I'm sorry, the invisible house, right." Josh nods, listening. I try to pay appear absorbed in my food, hoping they won't ask me to comment.

"Well I asked my mom about it, I mean, not about the house specifically, she'd kill me if she knew I'd been there. I told her I'd heard someone talking about a magical barrier that only certain people could get through and--"

"Get on with it," Josh says.

"I'm getting there," she replies, unconcerned. "Anyway, I asked her if she'd ever heard of someone having a power like that and she said it sounded like a variation on the shield power where someone can cast a shield to remain somewhere permanently, as a sort of wall. Like what they are trying to do here, around the camp. It can make any structure invisible and control who gets in and out. It's a rare power, she's only met a few with that talent in her life."

"Oh, yes, I've read of them," Josh jumps in. "But only the caster can manipulate the shield. If it was one of those, Lilly wouldn't have been able to get through."

"Only you would try to learn magic from a book," Sienna chides Josh. "I've never even touched one of those things."

"I guess that explains why I can kick your ass at the stations."

Sienna glares at him. "You cannot." She looks at me as if to get me on her side. I try to force a smile. If she notices its fakeness, she doesn't comment. "Mr. Know-it-all here is right, technically, being in contact with the shield caster does give you access through the barrier, but that's not the only way."

"You can be genetically related to someone who has access!" Josh exclaims suddenly, earning him an angry look from Sienna. "What?" he asks, noticing Sienna's glare.

"What did you do, inhale the whole freaking library the day you got here?" Sienna demands. "You haven't even been here a month and you already have every book memorized."

Josh shrugs, and I figure that Sienna might be more spot on than she even knows.

"But that would mean..." Josh trails off, looking at me. I feel my hands start to shake, coming to the same realization I am sure that he currently is.

"Lilly is genetically related to one of the leaders," Sienna clarifies, nodding excitedly. "My money's on Griffin, it'd be just like him to be hooking up when he went to the city..."

Josh's eyes meet mine suddenly and I look away, but I'm not quick enough. I must give something away because a look of recognition quickly takes over his features.