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sandwich to suppress a smile.
    “We’ll
probably all gather at the Nelson house for Jessica’s big dinner, and of
course, you’ll be there too,” he mused aloud. I wondered what he was thinking
as he stared at his plate.
    Once
again feeling upbeat, I got up and grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge and
held up an extra one. He nodded, so I tossed it to him. “What about Seers?” I
began. “Laci said Western’s campus is a great place to search for potential
Seers. How can you spot one?”
    “You
can’t literally spot one,” he said, rolling his eyes. “It’s all in the Essence.
A Seer’s Essence feels weak, like it has holes in it. Once you’ve felt it, you
never forget it. And a Seer’s eyes will have numerous gold specks reflecting
their lack of Essence. Golden Eyes we sometimes call them.”
    “Weird,”
I said. “I can just imagine Laci walking around campus bumping into people
intentionally, peering into their eyes, or introducing herself with a handshake
– always on a quest to find a Seer.”
    “Actually,
that’s pretty much what she does. Mr. Nelson also has ample opportunities to
meet potential Guardians since he’s the director of human resources for the
grocery chain. He meets a lot of people and shakes a lot of hands as well.”
    My
brain lead my thoughts off on another tangent, and I asked, “How did you guys
get me out of the woods yesterday when I was unconscious if you couldn’t carry
me?”
    His
smile trickled away. “You never should have been unconscious in the first
place. I told you not to come after me. Alex, you have to understand that your
life is more important. Amethysts are rare and can save lives. That makes you
valuable…indispensable.”
    I
slammed my water bottle on the counter. “Just because you think that doesn’t
make it so,” I said angrily. “Your life is just as valuable. I couldn’t leave
you out there with that monster who wanted to suck your Essence dry. You needed
me, and I couldn’t stand the thought of…of…”
    “Of
what?” he asked, his eyes dark.
    “Of
losing you,” I shouted at him, tears welling in my eyes. I dropped my plate in
the sink with a “clang,” turned around and stared out the window at the front
grounds. Inside my chest, my heart was having trouble beating steadily. “I care
about you,” I whispered. “But,” I said a little louder, “if it makes you feel
any better, I would have done the same for anyone.”
    In an
instant, he was standing directly behind me. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m
not upset with you; I’m mad at myself. I thought Kieran had me for sure, and I
was going to die, and when you jumped down, all I could think about was him
hurting you. The thought of them capturing you while I lay there helpless…that
thought made me crazy. I was scared.” His voice was barely above a whisper.
    I
wanted him to wrap his arms around me – to reach out and comfort me, but I knew
he couldn’t. Even if he could, I didn’t know if he would. Closing my eyes, I
nodded slowly to indicate I’d heard him and had accepted his explanation. But I
didn’t trust myself to turn around, because I was either gonna start crying or
start screaming. Frustrated, I stood perfectly still and gripped the cold,
granite countertops until my knuckles turned white.
    Next
to my ear he said, “Madison used telekinesis to transport you while Jessica
guided you through the woods.” He walked away, and I heard him grab his plate
off the counter. Still rigid, I turned and watched as he rinsed both our dishes
and put them in the dishwasher. “I’ll make dinner tonight. Only seems fair
since you made lunch,” he said, trying to sound casual. “Give me a chance to
grill you that steak.” He turned around and I nodded. “Want me to show you
around the island?”
    I took
a deep breath. “Sure.”
    For the
next couple hours he gave me a tour of the island. We walked the gravel trail,
and I found out that he liked to get up early