The Knowledge of the Hidden

Chapter 16

I see my mom at dinner that night, dropping my food and running after her when I see her leaving the serving line with Leighton in tow. I don't stop to let myself think about the consequences, just run and call her name.

Leighton spins around first, squealing with glee and running into my arms. I hug her awkwardly, meeting my mom's eyes over her head.

"I need to talk to you," I say.

"What about?"

Leighton tugs on my jacket, trying to get my attention, but I ignore her. I glance around, there's no one nearby. I cut right to the chase. "Are you the one that's supposed to cast the shield over the camp?"

My mom's eyes widen. "Who told you that?"

"Does it matter?"

She's staring somewhere beyond me, toward the distant sounds of the dinner chatter. She bites her lip, taking a shallow breath. "I guess not." Pause. "But I can't talk to you about that."

I shake my head. I was expecting as much. "Just tell me if you're the one who's casting it."

No pause this time. She answers immediately. "I can't. I'm sorry."

I purse my lips, deciding to change tactics. "Well, if you were—hypothetically—you'd wait until Luke was here right?" I ask.

She looks nervous, fidgeting her weight between her feet. "I...Luke is safer where he is right now." I take a deep breath. So much for Josh's theory.

"Fine. Whatever. I knew you'd say that." I turn to leave.

"Lilly, wait," she says, "I'm sorry that's not what you want to hear but..."

I don't let her finish that sentence.

The next day after chores, Josh and I make our way to the school tent. He hasn't mentioned my conversation with my mom since I told him the night before, though I thought he'd have more to say on the topic. I'm grateful though, not keen to relive the unpleasant conversation, and focus my energy on finding information I can use to help Luke.

We sit there for several hours, Josh recommending every book he picks up, while I'm more interested in reading the scribbled notes in the margins. Someone must have written something that could help me, though I'm not entirely sure what that would be.

"This one is a really good one," Josh says, holding up an old book titled Magnus Occult in the Genetic Sequence. I roll my eyes. "What?" he asks.

"You've said that about every book you've picked up," I say. "I can't read the entire library in one day." I can't help but add, "I'm not you."

Josh laughs. "Okay, okay," he says. "But if you're interested in the science behind powers—"

"Which is a big if," I point out.

"—this is the best book on the genetics of it. It's still somewhat speculation based but..."

"Josh," I interrupt.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

He smiles, rolling his eyes at me good-naturedly.

I'm currently flipping through a book on family trees, though it isn't doing me any good, as most lineages haven't been documented for centuries. Josh glances at the title of my book, biting his lip. I know he still doesn't buy my theory about Erica, but I can't let it go.

"I still don't understand why you don't just ask your mom."

"I'm not speaking to her," I reply, "It's not like she'd tell me the truth anyway."