Color-Gifted (Color-Gifted, #1)

Chapter Twenty-Five

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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“Megan?” Someone shakes me gently.

“Mmgh.”

“Megan.” I can feel someone’s breath near my ear. “Wake up; we’re here.”

I sigh, slowly rising from my stupor. I look out the window, and it all comes rushing back to me. We’re tailing Christopher. “Where are we?”

“We’re on the other side of Maunekey’s estate.” Evan nudges my arm and indicates towards the window with his head, where I see all my friends gathered. “Come on.”

I climb out of the car and follow Evan to James’s sleek Mercedes, where everyone is talking quietly. We’re off to the side of a quiet back road; there are no houses or buildings around, only tall, imposing trees. Our two cars are parked in a dip next to the road, partially covered by the overhanging branches. It’s a pretty good spot; we’re not completely hidden, but we’re inconspicuous enough and the road doesn’t seem to see much action, anyway.

“The plan so far is to split up into groups and spy on Maunekey and Dane,” James informs me and Evan. “That way, if some of us get caught, the rest won’t go down with them.”

“And,” Jerry adds excitedly, “we’ll be posted at different points around Maunekey’s place, so we can get a better visual. We can use our phones to communicate.” It seems like he’s enjoying this. That it’s making him feel useful, like he’s actively helping Dwayne and Neveah instead of sitting around waiting for someone to let him know what’s going on.

That makes two of us.

Keene nods thoughtfully. “Seems good to me. What do you guys think?” he asks, gesturing to Evan and me. There is something different about him. Something scanning. Nothing like Christopher’s laser-like transformation, which was most probably something to do with his Detector skills—no, this is something very different. Christopher seemed pinpointing, like he was targeting on one particular person or place. Keene . . . Keene reminds me of a master chess player—intently studying the board in front of him, calculating all possible outcomes in his head. I’ve never seen him like this and it is very impressive.

I turn to look at Evan, and find him deep in conversation with James. They’re standing close to together, their hands moving animatedly between them. My jaw almost drops as I watch them in obvious planning-mode.

I take a closer look at Evan; there’s something off about his body language. He is stiff, coiled taut. And even though I know the reason and cannot expect him to be at ease with James, it is still unsettling.

I meet Myra’s eyes. She gives me a What the hell? look and I follow her as she joins them.

Myra grins when the boys look up. “We’re getting pretty chummy, I see.”

James gives a noncommittal shrug as he crosses his arms over his chest. Evan rolls his eyes, but doesn’t say anything.

Myra is enjoying this. “Oh, come on—don’t be like that. What were you guys so heatedly discussing?”