The Gifted (Book 2 of Seer Series)

Chapter 2

Mom's eyes had a faraway look while she leaned back and thought about what I had asked her. Pain flickered through her eyes as she pursed her lips. "He... was an old friend," she said softly. She turned her head and looked at me. "Why?"

"I uh..."

Come on, Ruckur urged. Say it. Or at least say something.

Mom chuckled and shook her head when I stayed silent. "He was this annoying voice that popped into my head one day," she said, and Ruckur snorted and muttered 'gee, thanks.' "I dubbed him "Voice" because I didn't have anything else to call him."

"Was he human?" I asked, and she nodded her head.

She pulled me into her arms, and I couldn't help but relaxed. Her thumb went gently up and down my arm, and my skin tingled while she traced patterns that I didn't understand. "He was Michael's older brother and was the Director before he died and Michael took over."

I stayed silent and watched as she furrowed her brows. I was curious about how she knew about him and how he had ended up in her head. Was she... as special as me?

Yes, Ruckur said.

"He says that you are special," I said. I buried my nose in my mother's shirt and closed my eyes. I took in her scent, letting it relax me.

Mom snorted and rolled her eyes. "Far from it," she said bitterly. She paused and sighed, blowing air out through her nose. "I think he means because I have the mark of the Director." She twisted her arm around, but I didn't look. "Did he mean this?"

I, hesitantly, moved my head from where I had it and stared at her pale arm. There, sitting on her light skin, was something that I had been hiding for as long as I could remember. The symbol was darker than the rest of her skin, and it looked worn with age.

Mom watched my face while I studied the mark. She blinked her eyes slowly before nodding her head as if she was confirming something that I didn't say. "Do you have one?" she asked, finally.

I hesitated but nodded my head.

"Show me." It was halfway between a command and a suggestion.

I bit my lip and got out of my mother's arms. I wiped the makeup off of my arm before going to my mother. "I um... stole your waterproof makeup," I said.

"I know," she replied. "May I?" she asked, gesturing to where my arm laid across my stomach.

I hesitated but nodded my head. I watched as she gently took my arm and turned it over where the Φ laid.

She moved her finger across the symbol, and the hair around it stood up in attention. "Is he back, too?" she asked, and I had a feeling that she was talking to Ruckur.

Tell her that I think so, Ruckur said. It might be the reason that I am back too.

"He says that he thinks so," I said, repeating what he had said. "He also said that it might be the reason he is back, too."

Mom nodded her head and narrowed her eyes. A look of annoyance flashed across her face, and I couldn't help but feel intimidated by her. She was dangerous; even I knew that. She was able to kill a grown man and had done it multiple times before. She has never laid a hand on us, but we have seen how much damage she could do to someone.

"Mom?" I asked, finally, and she looked up at me and not just at my arm. I furrowed my brows and cocked my head, wondering who they were talking about. "Who is he?"

"Carith"

Carith.

***

"Mornin', Chase," I said to my twin when I went into the dining room, seeing him play with his food.

"Good morning to you, too," my dad said from the head of the table. He had a newspaper in his hands and was reading from it.

"Good morning, Father," I said sarcastically. "I didn't see you behind that old... reading thing."

"Haha, very funny," he said sarcastically. He flicked the paper back to his face to finish reading whatever he was reading.

"Where is Mom?" Chase asked.

"She went to talk to Michael about some stuff," I said, sitting down. I grabbed some of the food that was set out and started to eat.

"Why?"

Don't say the real reason, Ruckur said.

"Mom is stressing, again," I said, shrugging my shoulders. Why?

Dad flicked his paper down and looked at me. "Is she stressing herself about being a good Director again?" Dad asked, and I nodded my head.

If I am in your body, then I have a feeling that Carith is in your brother's, Ruckur said.

"Great, that means she is going to miss my meet again," Chase grumbled.

"She only missed one thing of yours," Dad said, "And that was because there had been multiple deaths the night before."

Chase's face grew paler while guilt filled his eyes. He was hiding something, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was his fault. "Oh," he said.

You are going to have to see if your mother had found some rituals on their skin, Ruckur said. I don't know what all she had learned about being the Director.

I mentally nodded my head.

"She didn't miss any of Alex's stuff," Chase said, pointing at me. "Nor the other kids."

"Yet," I reminded him. "She hadn't missed any of our stuff yet."

"And, she is going to miss another thing of mine," he grumbled. He tossed the fork onto the plate before throwing his napkin on it. He glared at me, his blue eyes looking like storm clouds. "Do not say that she is going to come," he said, gritting his teeth. Anger filled his body, and I could feel Ruckur stiffen.

"I wasn't," I replied, picking up my piece of bacon. "I was wondering if you were going to finish your bacon."

Chase scowled. He grabbed the bacon off of his plate and stuffed it in his mouth. He walked out of the room, and my heart broke in two because I did not like arguing with him.

Will I ever get my twin back? I asked.

Yes, he replied. But you are going to have to wait and be strong. You can not let him win.

I set my uneaten piece of bacon back on my plate, not feeling hungry anymore. I had no idea how I was not going to let Carith win, but I was going to try. I had to for my family and especially my brother's sake.

I won't.