Crowned

“Without a warrant,” I grumble.

Kelly laughs and plonks herself beside Wiki, who immediately slides his arm around her waist. It’s like a reflex action now. I never thought I’d see the day Wiki had a girl in hand rather than a book, but then again, a lot has changed. Two years ago Lebz was a flighty serial monogamist, Kelly and I couldn’t stand each other and Wiki was practically asexual. Now Lebz is a singleton who reads newspapers as well as gossip rags, Kelly and I are friends and Wiki has a gorgeous girlfriend.

On the other hand, some things haven’t changed. I glance at the blonde-streaked quiff on Lebz’s head. As long as I’ve known her she’s been a slave to fashion, switching up her look before I even get a chance to get used to the last one. Today she’s wearing a leather skirt and a ridiculous pair of heels, just to walk round the corner from her house to mine. Kelly, on the other hand, is wearing a cute but casual dress with sandals. It seems she’s rubbed off on Lebz and Wiki’s rubbed off on her.

I lean back in my chair. “So! Tell me all the gossip. What’s new at Syringa?”

The Syringa Institute of Excellence is the best secondary school on the planet. I left at the end of Form Five last year, while most of my peers continued to Form Six, but in my heart I’ll always be a Syringa kid.

“Well, two students pulled a Henry Marshall,” says Wiki.

I frown, trying to make sense of that statement. Henry Marshall, a well-known CEO, vanished under suspicious circumstances a few weeks ago. A security guard found his car in the Airport Junction Mall parking lot. The key was in the ignition and Marshall’s phone and briefcase were in the boot. There were also three bags of groceries on the backseat. So far the police have no leads.

I stare at Wiki in confusion. “What on earth does that mean? They disappeared?”

He shakes his head. “They left their lockers open with all their belongings inside. That’s what people call it – a Henry Marshall.”

“It’s become a thing now,” adds Kelly in disgust. “People leave their lockers open or their bags lying around to bait thieves, and then they watch from a distance to see what happens and film it all on their cameras.”

“Then they post it on YouTube,” says Lebz, whipping out her phone to show me. “It’s not just Syringa. People from other schools have done it, too. It’s really catching on.”

I wrinkle my nose in distaste. “You must be joking.”

“Unfortunately not.” Lebz fiddles with the phone. “The internet is so slow!”

“I think it’s a network problem,” says Kelly. “The last few days my phone’s been acting up, too. Even messages don’t always go through.”

“Ja, my phone, too.” I frown. “I wonder what that’s all about.”

“It’s about poor service,” says Wiki. “Have you forgotten where we live?”

Lebz gives up on her phone, tossing it back into her bag. “The whole Henry Marshall thing freaks me out. It’s like he teleported or something.”

“I’d say he was kidnapped.” Wiki absent-mindedly strokes Kelly’s hair. “Someone grabbed him while he was getting into the car, and there was no time to lock up. A shopping mall is a busy place – they didn’t want to be spotted.”

“My father is friends with the Marshalls,” says Kelly.

“And they haven’t received a ransom call or a letter,” I murmur, as the same words leave her lips. I look up to find three pairs of eyes staring at me.

“You’ve been doing that a lot,” Lebz points out.

She doesn’t know the half of it. Now that my gift has gone Blu-ray on me I find myself predicting all sorts of random things, from people’s words to news headlines. In the past it would take a premonition for me to be able to do that. Now the words just tumble out of my mouth – I don’t even know where they come from. Normally I’d go straight to my grandfather with something like this, but this is one mystery I’d like to solve on my own.

“Sorry. Occupational hazard.” I clear my throat and glance at Kelly, but apart from a thoughtful frown she seems unfazed.

An uncomfortable silence falls over the group. We still haven’t figured out how to handle supernatural matters in Kelly’s presence. Although she knows I have premonitions and has probably guessed that I’m a telepath, she doesn’t know about the Puppetmaster. While we don’t discuss sensitive issues in front of her, we take it for granted that she knows she’s not living in humdrum ungifted reality any more.

Last year she dated Spencer, a drifter from Rakwena’s cell. Drifters absorb psychic energy from ungifted people. In moderation it’s harmless, but in excess… Spencer’s powers were out of control, and he left Kelly drained and disoriented. She doesn’t know the details, but she’s a smart girl. She’s aware that Spencer and his family are different; she just doesn’t know how different.

I clear my throat. “Guys, have some more food, please.”

My suggestion seems to break the ice. We chat about safer topics for a while: school, music and movies, but there’s an undercurrent of anxiety that won’t go away. Eventually Kelly gets to her feet, sensing that we want to be alone. Despite her relationship with Wiki she seems to understand that she’s not really one of us. Lebz, Wiki and I have known each other all our lives.

“I’m gonna fix my make-up,” she declares, then bites her lip sheepishly, because we can all see that her make-up is flawless.

The second the toilet door clicks shut Wiki’s eyes narrow. “Your gift is getting stronger, isn’t it?”

I sigh. “Yes. It’s probably a normal growth spurt. I’m sure it happens to all gifted.”

“Is that what your grandfather says?”

I turn to look into Lebz’s eyes and watch them widen.

“You haven’t told him?”

“He’s been through a lot! Remember? He came back to find that the Puppetmaster had taken over his life, then they got into a battle and he could have been hurt. He needs time to recuperate.”

Lebz and Wiki exchange dubious glances. They know Ntatemogolo has been through far worse than a little rumble with the Puppetmaster. I’m not keeping my growth spurt from him for his sake, but for my own. I’m afraid he’ll tell me something’s wrong. I’ve had a month without major drama, and I’m not quite ready for the holiday to end.

“You have to tell him,” says Wiki. “After everything that’s happened you can’t afford to take these things lightly.”

“I’ll tell him.”

“When?” asks Lebz.

Geez, I should have kept my mouth shut. I understand why they’re worried. Last year the Puppetmaster shape shifted into my grandfather, fooling all of us, while my real grandfather was out of town. If the Puppetmaster could convince me that he was my grandfather for months, it’s logical to assume he can dupe me any time he likes. Logical, but wrong. If he hadn’t fogged my brain with a magic ring I’d have figured out the truth a lot sooner. I’m not as gullible as everyone thinks.

“I’ll tell him the next time I see him, OK? Now let’s talk about Henry Marshall.” I tell them about the dreams I had the day he vanished. “So far I haven’t found a way to link the disappearance to anything supernatural, but there could be a connection.”

“Why would gifted be involved?” asks Lebz. “They like to keep a low profile.”

“I hope they aren’t involved. I think we all agree that gifted criminals are the worst.”

My friends cringe. The downside of being friends with someone like me is that when trouble comes, it’s usually of the terrifying, can’t-call-the-cops-or-tell-the-parents variety. There are eerie occurrences, dangerous chases and sinister sightings. Maybe a superhuman soldier or two. Definitely a lot of complex cover stories.

“Speaking of criminals…” Lebz looks at me, her eyes uncertain.

“The Puppetmaster?” I shake my head. “Nothing yet.”

“What about Rakwena?”

“No.” It hurts to say it. I don’t know why he’s taking so long to make contact, but the more time passes the more I think I might never see him again.

Wiki gives me a significant look. “Don’t you think it’s time you sent him an email? You said he would be inducted into the clan in March. It’s April.”

“The induction is only the beginning,” I explain. “He has to get settled, get used to everyone…”

“Stop,” Wiki interjects. “You’re just worried he’ll come running back here to protect you and ruin all the progress he’s made with his cell.”