The Quest by Adrian Howell Read Free Book Online Page A

younger kids still looked dazed, but most seemed to hear what I was saying.
    “This is my sister Alia,” I said.
    Alia gave a little wave, saying nervously, “Hi.”
    The annoying teen girls smiled at us.
    “I want to know who you all are,” I said. “If you could tell me your names and ages, and uh, talents, if any.”
    A few started to talk at once, so I stopped them and pointed to each of them in turn, going around the cabin like a schoolteacher.
    “I’m Daniel Livingston,” said a dark-haired boy about my height. “I’m thirteen. No powers of course.”
    “James Turner,” said James. “Sixteen last week. No powers yet.”
    “I’m Heather,” said the girl who had called Alia a cutie. “I’m eighteen. Nothing ever. My parents aren’t psionics.”
    “I’m Candace,” said her friend, and I guessed that she was the same age. “I can speak some French.”
    “That’s nice,” I said dryly.
    The next kid, sitting in Candace’s lap, was a little smaller than Alia, and it took some coaxing before he said quietly, “I’m Teddy. I’m seven. I think they took my big sister and my parents.”
    “You’ll find them,” I said in a confident voice, lying through my teeth, and Teddy gave me a weak smile.
    “I’m Max,” said the next boy. “I’m eleven, and I’m a spark!”
    “You’re already psionic?” I asked in surprise.
    Max grinned. “Yeah, I can shoot lightning and everything. I can even–”
    “Shut up,” I said frostily, and he did, instantly shrinking into his chair. Now that we were well out of New Haven’s hiding bubble and I was calmer, I could sense psionic destroyer powers around me. The only one I felt now was a pyroid’s.
    “Addy, be nice,” Alia said into my head, giving Max a reassuring smile. “He’s just scared.”
    The next boy was the one with the baby.
    “I’m Patrick,” he said, holding the infant gently in his arms. “I’m ten, sir.”
    “Please don’t call me ‘sir,’ Patrick,” I said with a wry smile. “Is that baby your brother or your sister?”
    “Neither, sir,” said Patrick. “I just picked it up. I think it’s a girl but I’m not sure.”
    “Well, you’ll find out when you change its diaper,” I said briskly. “You picked it up, it’s your responsibility. Get some help from the others if you need it.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “And please don’t call me ‘sir.’ It makes me feel even more uncomfortable than flying at this altitude.”
    Patrick bit his tongue before he repeated himself, and a few of the kids laughed lightly.
    Alia went up to Patrick and gently touched the baby’s arm. The baby woke and carefully wrapped its fingers around Alia’s thumb, smiling up at her and cooing softly.
    “It’s so little,” whispered Alia, gazing down into the baby’s eyes.
    I asked Patrick, “How did you manage to keep it alive when we crashed back there?”
    Patrick looked down at the baby. “Well, when the window broke, I was afraid we might hit something or turn over. I didn’t know what else to do, so I put the baby behind me and used my body as a seatbelt.”
    “That was good thinking,” I said, impressed. “You saved its life.”
    “Thank you, sir.”
    Alia was beaming at Patrick, and he looked away embarrassedly. As my sister continued to play with the infant, I pointed to the next person, who in appearance reminded me a little of Laila Brown.
    “I’m Rachael Adams,” she said. “I’m seventeen, and I’m a hider.”
    “We could use a good hider,” I said.
    “I’m not very good yet,” she said apologetically. “I just came into my power last month. I can only hide myself and anyone within a yard or so.”
    “Better than nothing.”
    And so it continued. After the baby, the youngest was only five years old, the oldest, nineteen. I learned that most of them were children of Knights and other important Guardians who had been called out to meet the Angel threat, while a few were from common Guardian families where both