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Nick looked up, mouth full of bacon. He chewed quickly, wiping his chin with the back of his hand. “So.”
“Your father and I were talking,” Mom said, nodding toward his napkin pointedly. He picked it up and cleaned his hands. “With everything that’s going on, we want to make sure the rules are clear.”
“About what?” Nick asked, glancing at Dad. He was mopping up his last bit of French toast in the puddle of syrup on his plate.
“Being Guardian,” Mom said, andthatcaught Nick’s attention. Excitement began to build, but he did his best to keep himself in check.
Of course, he failed spectacularly. “I get to go out on my own? Hell damn,yes.” The table rattled as his knees bumped the underside.
“Not on your own,” Dad said. But before Nick could deflate, he added, “You’ll either need to be with your mother, Seth, or Mateo.”
“Why now?” Seth asked, ignoring the look Nick shot at him. “I mean, I know what Nick is capable of. He can handle himself.”
“I can,” Nick said firmly. Relief, then, when Seth reached over and squeezed his hand. Did he need Seth’s support? Possibly, but not as much as hewantedit. There was a difference.
“You can,” Mom said. “And we’re proud of you and how hard you’ve been working.” She sat back in her chair, right leg folded underneath her, the sun pouring in from the window above the sink. “This thing… with Owen. I don’t need to tell you he’s dangerous, but I think it helps to be reminded. He’s killed people, Nick, and hurt many others. There’s no telling what he might do now that he’s here.”
“Which is why I asked why now,” Seth said. “I’m trying to figure out what’s changed between a couple of days ago and this morning.”
Nick studied his parents, cataloguing every fleeting expression, parsing through whatever he could latch on to. They looked resigned, and that didn’t sit well with him. It felt like a last—or only—resort.
“We have to be prepared,” Dad said finally. “Until we know exactly what Owen is doing, we need to tread carefully. While we think this has to do with his father, we can’t know for sure until…”
“Until we find out ourselves,” Nick finished for him.
Dad nodded. “Eyes open. Always be aware of your surroundings. We weren’t kidding when we said we don’t want any of you going off on your own, suited up or not. I just wish…” He looked down at the remains of his breakfast, the syrup congealing on the plate. “I wish it hadn’t come to this.” He laughed hollowly. “But it has, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it.”
Nick stood abruptly, chair scraping on the floor. Without looking at Mom or Seth, he circled the table, stopping next to Dad. Hesitating briefly, Nick settled his hand on the back of Dad’s neck, pulling him against his stomach. Dad clutched him, fingers digging in. “I know you’re scared,” Nick whispered. “I am, too.” More than, but he had a feeling Dad already knew. “I can do this. You know I can. Trust, remember? You and me. I’ve got your back if you’ve got mine.”
“You and me,” Dad whispered back. “Always.”
“And me,” Mom said, and Nick startled. He’d almost forgotten she was there. He looked over at her, and she wasn’t smiling. She covered it up quickly, but Nick caught it before it disappeared. For a moment, she’d looked almost… angry? “I’ll help you as best I can. After all, I’m the only one who’s telekinetic like you, remember?”
“Right,” Nick said. “You are.” He stepped back away from his father. “So, what do we do first?”
“Your pill,” Mom said, and there it sat on her palm. “Gottakeep that mind moving like you want it to. Take it, and we’ll decide on the best course of action.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Of course.” He took it from her and swallowed it dry, making a face at the bitterness on the back of his tongue. Then, without thinking, he opened his mouth wide to show her it was gone, just like he’d done when he was a kid.
She said, “Close your mouth, Nicky. No one likes to see that.”
A fly, fat and heavy, landed on Dad’s plate, dipping its legs into the syrup. It buzzed loudly, and Nick thought of electricity crackling. Miss Conduct, standing in an alley, bangles clicking together. A memory, foggy, distant. A phone being smashed on the ground. His… phone?
You’re children. You’re children. You’re—
You don’t know me. I don’t know any of you. And it’s better if it stays that way. Knowing people means getting hurt. And I’m not going to put myself into that position. Not again.
“Nick?”
The voice echoed in his head as he looked over at Seth, a worried expression on his face. He’d risen half out of his chair as if he wanted to go to Nick. “You all right?”
Mom reached over and circled her fingers around Seth’s wrist, tugging him back down. His face went slack for a split second before he smiled as he looked at her. “Thanks for inviting me over to breakfast, Mrs. Bell. I appreciate it.”
“Anything for you,” Mom said, letting him go. “Sit, Nick. Let’s make a plan. Here’s what I’m thinking.”
