SCINTILLATE - Book #1 of The Light Key Trilogy

Chapter 24

A mighty flame follows a tiny spark.

My fingernails dug into the seat cushion. After a few stuttering attempts at speech, I found my voice again. "There's a name for people with silver auras? Are there more of us somewhere? Why do we have no color?" Questions tumbled from me. This was better than any book from Say Chi's.

Giovanni held up his finger, hovering just over my lips as if to quiet me. I wanted to be offended, to swat his hand away, but I couldn't seem to conjure up enough insult to override the other sensations I felt. "Do you know why we have this little indentation above our lips?" he asked in a hushed voice.

My lips snapped with electricity. I could hardly breathe. "No," I murmured against the shadow of his finger, which slid slowly away from my mouth.

"My mother told me that when we are new babies, needy and helpless, an angel comes to quiet us. Presses its finger to our lips and forever marks us with the touch of an angel. You are like that baby now."

I bristled. "Does that make you the angel?" I asked with a bit of shaky sarcasm.

"Hardly. But I can see you feel very alone. I do as well. I've been alone most of my life."

I leaned away from him. It was one thing for me to see into people's energy, read their emotions. But I'd never had anyone do it to me. It was creepier than naked-in-school dreams.

Giovanni looked away, as though he knew I needed a break from his gaze. "I've spent my life studying this," he said. "And searching for people like myself. I couldn't believe it when I saw you. I'm afraid we are extremely rare. I think, Miss Cora, we are an endangered breed."

Fear and incredulity slithered into my body, raising every blade of hair on the way. He meant it literally. It brought to mind my mother's letter about changing our very beliefs about humanity.

"But we're humans, not breeds. We may have differences, but there isn't more than one kind of human."

Giovanni's head rolled against his seat. His eyes were serious and unwavering. "You are wrong about that."

I could have argued, but my notions about humanity had already been rocked. I looked down at the clover tattoo around my finger. I had to be willing to concede there was a lot I didn't know.

"Why endangered?" I didn't like that word. It made me feel like I was surrounded by hunters, with red dots of lasers trained on my skin. It made me feel one shot away from death.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. There are so few of us. I've heard of Scintilla hiding in pockets around the world, but I can't seem to find them."

"I think I'm looking for one myself."

His gaze shot back to me, blond eyebrows raised. "Yes?"

I rubbed the smooth bed of my thumbnail over and over. "My mother."

"How long has she been missing?"

"More than twelve years."

He studied me with a haughty expression. I narrowed my eyes. I didn't know this guy. I only knew we were the same. And he had more information than me. Information I might need. The muscles in his jaw tightened. "Well, good luck to you." His tone was a bitter young apple, hard and sour. "She is likely gone forever."

The bus rolled to a stop. He rose, but I pulled him back down.

"Where do you get off quashing my hope like that, you—?"

"This is my hotel," Giovanni said calmly, pointing to an old but classically lovely building on a busy street corner. "Where are you staying?"

I looked around with no idea where I was or where I was supposed to be. I'd been so absorbed in talking to Giovanni that I hadn't paid attention to our route. He smiled sympathetically and stood again. "You are not alone, Miss Cora. Come with me, and I will buy you something to eat. We can talk more. Then I'll help you find your lodging, yes?"