Ungifted (29 page)

“And what I don’t understand,” I interrupted, “is why all of you trust this Duncan guy so much when he works for a council you despise. Seriously. ‘Yes, sir, thank you, sir, it would be an honor, sir.’ I swear, it’s like he’s freaking Superman or the Almighty.”

“Duncan Moore is a legend,” Ethan said. Even now he was defending the guy vehemently. “He’s been with the council longer than any of the actual council members—like, a hundred and thirty years. He was offered the vampire seat on the council but chose to stay with the guardians because he prefers working with the people. He’s known for his kindness and generosity and easygoing nature. Everyone respects him. Rumor has it he’s more influential than even the Seer.”

“And he’s a fierce fighter,” Preston added. “He’s the only vampire in the guardians because he’s one of the only daywalkers in existence. He’s been around so long that he’s been able to train with many of the greats—marital arts masters, boxers, war generals…”

“I heard he even spent a few years with the Dalai Lama,” Cynthia said.

“Dalai Lama nothing,” Caleb chimed in. “I heard he got to train with the Angel Michael himself.”

“That’s a lie!” Ethan said, laughing. I was startled. It’s not often that Ethan Dunn laughs.

“You’re such a moron, Caleb,” Cynthia agreed. “The Angel Michael? You’ll believe any bull anyone feeds you.”

They were getting off topic now, so I tried to get serious. “Okay, so what you’re saying is, he really is a god.”

“Probably the closest thing you could get to it,” Caleb agreed easily.

“And so if
The Duncan Moore
thinks Russ is special—”

“Then we should be kissing Russ’s butt in a major way.”

“That’s definitely what the resistance thinks,” Preston said, sobering the mood as only Preston can do. “The resistance wants him badly, and they’ve asked the five of us to try and help them.”

“Us?” Cynthia asked.

Preston shrugged. “He came to us. We’re his age. We’re the best shot they’ve got at gaining his trust.”

“Right.” Caleb snorted. “Were you paying attention at all yesterday? Russ Devereaux doesn’t trust any of us any more than he trusts the council.”

“Ah,” Preston said. “Very true. But he’s got a major soft spot for our little Gracie.”

All eyes were suddenly on me. “N-no he doesn’t,” I stammered. “I remind him of the girl who broke his heart. He looks at me like it causes him physical pain to be around me.”

“Sometimes,” Preston agreed. “But other times…”

He didn’t finish his sentence. How could he not finish that sentence? Other times
what?
Did Russ really see more than a shadow of his Dani when he looked at me? Could that ever even be possible? I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but my heart was already racing.

Cynthia smiled at me in a way I recognized as her crazy-matchmaking-scheme-in-the-works look. “You’ll win him over, Gracie,” she assured me. “Don’t worry.”

I was so embarrassed. She made it sound like I was desperate for a hookup. I snuck a glance at Preston and then regretted it. He was doing that Analyze Grace thing again. Probably wondering how I could ask him out one minute and then daydream about Russ the next. I couldn’t blame him. I was wondering that myself.

“That is, if I ever even see him again,” I muttered. “It’s not like he left a number.”

“Oh, you’ll see him again,” Preston said. “Trust me, Grace.”

Preston was right.
I did see Russ again. He was passed out on my couch when I got home from school that day. I stumbled through the door rather ungracefully, followed by the four people who’d become my entourage lately. They were, as was most common for them, arguing loudly. Ironically, it was my shushing everybody that woke Russ.

“Sorry,” I said. “If you want to go back to sleep, you can crash upstairs on my bed. We’ll be quiet.”

“Well, most of us,” Cynthia corrected. “Caleb is incapable.”

One guess which ones had been doing most of the arguing.

“How’d you get in here?” Ethan demanded.

Russ sat up and groggily rubbed the sleep from his face. He’d been out long enough that his shaggy, light-brown hair was all matted down in the back. When I realized I was imagining running my hands through it I shook my head and quickly said, “Magic, I assume.”

Russ nodded and pointed a finger at me. “What she said.”

“Aren’t you a little concerned that he just broke in?” Caleb asked me.

I shrugged. “I offered him my couch, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but still…,” Ethan said.

I shrugged again. “Better him than Andrew.”

The mention of Andrew De La Cote made everyone in the room except Russ fall quiet. Ethan looked angry with me, but then what else is new? “You didn’t seem so able to joke about that last night.”

I clammed up immediately. The awkwardness between Ethan and me had been bad before, but after having spent the night together it was practically unbearable.

“It wasn’t a joke,” I said.

Why couldn’t I ever sound angry like he did? All I ever sounded like when I talked to him was afraid or apologetic. But I wasn’t apologizing! I hated that he was always so critical of me. As if he should have any say on how I conduct myself?

“Only two people have ever broken into my house, so when I came in and found it was Russ instead of Andrew, I was honestly relieved to see him. Plus, I’d already extended him the invitation. You wanted to know why I wasn’t upset about him being here, well, that’s why.”

Ethan was annoyed that I had a comeback to his scolding. He wasn’t finished with his lecture. “You don’t take your safety seriously enough.”

Okay, that did it. I could get angry now. I was so sick of his bossy attitude. “Last night a vampire tried to drink my blood,” I said, laughing a little like a crazy person. “The way I see it, if my
guardian angel
can’t manage to keep me safe, then what am I, the
pathetic human
, supposed to do about it?”

“Grace—”

“No, really Ethan, please, tell me what the proper way to react to something like that is, because they don’t exactly cover it in school.”

“Grace, stop. I wasn’t saying—”

“No, I won’t stop! Last night I was
too
scared for you. Today I’m not scared enough. Nothing I do is ever good enough for you, and everything I say is wrong. I swear you would rather I just take a dive off the deep end. Maybe I’d be a little more tolerable to be around if I were strapped to a hospital bed somewhere, completely gorked out on medication.”

Ethan let out a frustrated breath and glared at Cynthia. “I can’t talk to her,” he muttered, storming into the kitchen.

“No one asked you to!” I shouted after him.

I plopped down on the couch next to Russ, and Caleb immediately sat on my other side. He threw his arm over my shoulder and gave me a quick hug. “Don’t let him get to you, Grace. I think you’ve done everything perfectly.” He laughed and added, “Except for the part where you asked my brother out after saying no to me. Seriously, if you’re going to give him a chance then you have to give me a shot, too. It’s only fair.”

I couldn’t deal with any more of this. I rubbed my aching head and let out a long sigh. “Can I ask you a question, Caleb?”

“Only if it’s personal,” he teased.

“Why are you so determined to go out with me?”

I glanced quickly at Cynthia. She was listening very carefully with narrowed eyes. I knew she didn’t like her brothers hitting on me, and I hoped my next question didn’t upset her. “Cynthia said werewolves love a challenge, and also that they like to dominate weaker people. So do you keep hitting on me because you like intimidating me? Or is it because I said no?”

I heard Russ choke on a laugh and looked around the room. Preston was watching me now with intrigue, and Ethan had come back in the room looking just as curious about the sudden change in conversation. Cynthia’s face was the one that bothered me, though. She was standing tall with her arms folded tightly across her chest, looking very smug while still managing to glare at Caleb. It made me think my guesses weren’t that far off.

I looked back at Caleb and before I could chicken out said, “Because it makes me very uncomfortable and I’d like you to stop.”

“Grace.” Caleb gave me a patronizing smile. “It’s because I really like you, and I’m not generally one to give up on what I want.”

The line was too smooth. He was trying his best to win me over and blind me to his real motives. “Since when?” I asked. “We’ve gone to the same school for over a year and you’ve always treated me the same way everyone else does—like I’m a fly you need to shoo out of your face. You’ve always laughed and called me Disgrace along with everyone else, and suddenly I’m just supposed to believe that you honestly like me?”

“Good for you, Grace,” Cynthia muttered. “It’s about damn time.”

Caleb glared at his sister and then turned back to me, his smile long gone. “I never knew you until now. Cyn would never let me get close.”

“Because I knew Grace was special! I didn’t want you to hurt her!”

“So that’s why?” I asked Caleb. “Because you found out I’m different? That makes sense, I guess. I mean, you were teasing me and picking on me that day until you touched me. That’s when you changed.”

“It’s not only that, Grace.”

It didn’t matter. I had the answer I needed. It was the one I’d assumed all along, anyway. It wasn’t
me
Caleb liked. It was the fact that I was different. I was special, and winning me would be like winning a prize. He wanted a trophy.

Caleb started to argue, but I didn’t need to hear any more of his excuses. I’d already lost interest so I changed the subject. “How am I different?” I addressed this question to the entire group. “You all keep saying I’m special—and it’s obvious something’s not normal when I touch people—but what exactly is it? What happens?”

Apparently this question was the signal for us to have another powwow. Everyone gathered around and took a seat.

“I’m not exactly sure how to explain it,” Cynthia said. “Being around you is very calming.”

“You curb the wolf,” Preston said. “You neutralize the animal instincts. Wolves are by nature very high-strung and predatory. Our need to dominate, as you said earlier, doesn’t flare as much when we’re near you. When we touch, it’s practically gone. We’re even cut off from the pack mind.”

“Pack mind?” I asked.

“Sure, Grace,” Cynthia said. “I know I’ve made you read enough werewolf books to understand that one. I mean, it’s a little different, but the basic concept is the same. Our minds are all connected through our alpha. We can sense each other, and if we focus we can send specific thoughts. We can always feel and hear our pack.”

“But when we touch,” Caleb said and pulled my hand into his, “that’s all gone—the pack, the instincts, and even our canine senses. I couldn’t know for sure, of course, but right now I feel almost human.”

I gently pulled my hand back to my own lap. “Andrew said something like that, too—that I made him feel human. I’m surprised you all like that, though. Shouldn’t you be uncomfortable without all of your senses? Especially being wolves?”

“It does go against the grain,” Preston said. “I wouldn’t like it for long.”

“I would,” Cynthia grumbled.

“But it’s kind of a nice break to be able to think for yourself and not be driven by instincts.”

“What about you, Ethan?” Cynthia said. “Do you feel something, too?”

“I’ve always felt connected to Grace, but I’m supposed to.”

Ethan stopped.

It got as silent as the grave for a minute, and Ethan expertly avoided Caleb and Preston’s inquisitive stares. “Oh, just tell them,” Cynthia said. “They can keep a secret, and they already know everything else.”

“Tell us what?” Preston demanded.

Ethan gave Cynthia a nasty look and then sighed. “I’m bonded to grace. I have a nephilim warrior’s bond.”

Both of Cynthia’s brothers sat in shock for a minute, and then Caleb let out a long, low whistle.

“Well, that explains a lot,” Preston said.