Finding Sky

‘I know how to manipulate people’s minds,’ said Victor, tucking the recorder in his pocket, ‘but I would never think to do it to such an extent.’

‘That’s because Kel y’s evil and you’re not,’ I suggested. ‘I’m not joking when I said it was like brain mugging. He stole from me, trying to make me hate you.’ I reached for Zed’s hand under the table.

‘The pictures are stil there in my head even if I know they’re false.’

‘Have you heard of a gift like the son’s before?’

Zed asked Saul, squeezing my fingers in reassurance. ‘I don’t like the way he went after Sky, making everything worse.’

Saul rubbed his chin in thought. ‘The Ute talk of people who thrive on the emotion of others. They are the parasites in the savant world.’

‘And the daughter, what can she do?’ asked Trace.

‘Maybe she has a gift with shields—at least she talked about breaking through mine but it wasn’t strong enough to stand up to Daniel Kel y. He’s very powerful. I resisted for as long as I could.’

‘Probably longer than she expected,’ commented Victor. ‘And it didn’t take properly, did it? You questioned al the time.’

‘Are you going to arrest him?’

‘Ah.’ He sipped his coffee. ‘The thing is, Sky, this isn’t evidence that I can use to apprehend Daniel Kel y. He’s a powerfulman; his money buys a lot of silence. No judge would accept your account, especial y after the confused version you’ve already given to the Las Vegas police accusing others.’

‘Zed and Xav.’

‘Yeah. They dropped their investigation when I proved that they couldn’t have had anything to do with your abduction, but it discredits you as a witness.’

‘I see. So there was no point me tel ing you al this?’

‘Of course there’s a point. We have the truth now and it ties up the things we didn’t understand or couldn’t know. It is invaluable that we are aware that there are other savants out there working on the dark side.’ He curled his lip ironical y at the Hol ywood echo. ‘Yeah, we have a dark side too in the savant world. We could’ve walked into al ma

I’l have to review who’s had contact with him.’

I felt better to know that I had been of use. Revived by this thought, I checked the clock: seven thirty.

‘You know something? I want to go to school today.’ I’d give anything to feel normal again—to be with friends who couldn’t change my thoughts, read my mind, or make things explode. It would also delay having to have the big conversation with Zed that I knew was coming.

‘What?’ Zed rubbed his rough chin. ‘You have the perfect excuse to miss class yet you want to go?’

‘I don’t like skiving. It makes me feel as if I’m sick, as if I’m letting Daniel Kel y win.’

‘Wel , if you put it like that, then we have to go. I’d better get ready. Man, I didn’t bother to revise for my physics test thinking I’d be with you here today.’

Saul frowned. ‘If you’re using Sky as an excuse to duck work, Zed …’

Zed was up and away. ‘Meet you down here in twenty minutes, Sky.’

‘I’l just let my parents know what I’m pla

Sal y and Simon were real y happy that I felt wel enough to face school.

‘You were absolutely right, darling,’ bubbled Sal y over the phone, ‘you needed a change of scene and the Benedicts were the best place for you to go.’

‘But I’l come back home tonight.’ Being here was too painful as I’d made up my mind to reject the savant world.

‘Wonderful. We’re pla

‘Not Vegas?’ I groaned, remembering Simon’s new idea.

‘If you’re feeling better, then we should put the bad memories to bed—see what the city has to offer.’

‘I don’t want to move there.’

‘Nor do I, darling. But you know Simon, he has to fol ow this to the end and then he’l decide our way in any case.’

I had no desire to go back to a city holding the Kel ys. ‘This woman who has got in touch: who is she again?’

‘Mrs Toscana—a friend of Mr Rodenheim apparently.’

‘What hotel does she manage?’

‘I forget. Circus Circus was it? Something like that.’

It rang no bel s but the coincidence was too suspicious; I decided I’d mention the approach to Victor just to be sure. ‘OK, Sal y. See you later.’

I walked into Wricke

nridge High at eight thirty

flanked by Yves and Zed. It felt strange: I’d only been away for a few weeks but it could have been months.

As I anticipated, I attracted guiltily intrigued stares. I didn’t need to read their minds to know what they were thinking: There she is—the girl who was kid napped. Cracked up, we hear. Gone crazy.

‘That’s not true, Sky,’ murmured Zed. ‘No one thinks you’re mad. They understand.’

We walked into the office to register my return. Mr Joe practical y leapt the desk to give me a hug.

‘Little Sky! You’re back! We’ve al been so worried!’ He wiped a tear from his eye and sniffed, part genuine, part enjoying the drama. ‘Are you quite sure you are ready?’

‘Yes, Mr Joe.’

He gave the Benedicts an assessing look. ‘You’re going to make sure she’s al right?’

‘Yes, sir,’ promised Zed.

‘You do that.’ Mr Joe handed me a card to take to my form room. ‘Now get along with you. You don’t want to be late on your first day back.’

And that was what it proved to be like: everyone was bending over backwards to help me settle in again. Even Sheena and her Vampire Brides were nice to me as if, like a spun glass bauble, I might shatter if they said anything cruel. Weirdly it made me miss their stupid bu

At lunch, I went along with Zed to the music practice. I wasn’t expecting to do any more than watch but Mr Keneal y was having none of it. He put me back on piano.

‘But the concert’s next week!’ I protested.

He produced a score from his bag with a flourish.

‘You’re right. Plenty of time to learn the piece I picked out for you.’

‘You’re expecting me to perform on my own?’

I looked round the room hoping to find some support from my fel ow students but even Nelson was gri

‘You were expecting not to? Why learn an instrument if you don’t want to be heard?’ asked the teacher.

I didn’t think he’d understand the pleasure I took in playing for myself so I kept quiet about that. ‘I’m not sure I’m feeling up to this.’

‘Nonsense. Best response to a hard knock like you’ve had is to fight back.’

I suppose I shared that philosophy. ‘OK. I’l have a look at the music.’

Mr Keneal y moved on to the violins, saying over his shoulder. ‘You’d better do more than look. Your name is already on the programme. I told Nelson to put it back on as soon as I heard you’d come to school this morning.’

Victor was lounging against his car at the end of school, waiting for us to emerge. He had some bad but not entirely unanticipated news for me.

‘Maria Toscana—better known as Maria Toscana Kel y.’ He displayed a photo of Daniel Kel y’s daughter on his laptop as we sat in the back seat of his Prius. ‘She married an Italian Count but she dumped him two years ago and joined Daddy’s empire. Lucky escape for him, I’d say.’