C. Omololu - Intuition

“Are there a lot of them?”

“More than enough,” Janine sneers. “But I’m surprised that an Iawi is mixed up with Khered. Usually by the time someone’s been around for a while they mature enough to leave that lifestyle behind.”

Sue leans forward on her elbows. “So, what are you going to do about this Drew person?”

“Nothing, if I can help it.” I look at Janine. “I know this is probably weird to hear because you’re his mom and all, but I love Griffon, and I want to spend as much time as I can with him in whatever lifetimes we’re lucky enough to be in together. We were drawn to each other after what happened between us last time. Griffon was the one who recognized that I’m Akhet, and he’s been there through all the craziness that’s happened since. If there’s any fate involved, mine is to be with Griffon. Not Drew.”

“Forgive me for saying this,” Janine says quietly, “but you don’t sound like you’re trying to convince me. Sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself.”

“Watch that car!” Mom shouts, grabbing for the dashboard and pumping an imaginary brake on the passenger side. “He’s pulling out!”

“I see him,” I say irritably, turning the wheel to the left to avoid the Prius’ bumper. Driving with her is always a lesson in patience, as well as three-point turns and parallel parking. She freaks out about every little thing. I can’t wait until I take my driving test next month and can kick her out of the car.

“Get in the right lane. You’re going to turn right up here.”

“In, like, a mile,” I say, putting on the blinker just to shut her up. “I know where I’m going.” I wonder if I’ve had a driver’s license in a previous lifetime, because driving doesn’t seem all that hard.

“You should always anticipate your next move,” she says, craning her head back to make sure there’s no car in my blind spot.

“And the next move of everyone around me,” I finish for her. “I know. Maybe I should get my behind-the-wheel hours with Dad.”

She turns to me, a pained look on her face. “Why would you say something like that? It’s hurtful.”

“I’m just saying that Dad doesn’t get as . . . nervous as you do when we’re driving.”

“Well, forgive me for caring,” she says, folding her arms and slumping in the passenger seat.

“I know you care. I just need you to care a little more calmly.”

“Right!” she says, pointing. “Take a right here. The restaurant is just down this block. Look for a place to pull over.”

I slow down, looking for the restaurant. “Can I stay out past curfew? Just for tonight? I’ll be with Kat the whole time.”

“We agreed on midnight,” she says. “Nothing good ever happens after midnight.”

I double-park next to the row of cars that line the street. “I’m sixteen,” I say, my frustration mounting about my inability to change any of my parents’ stifling rules. “Almost seventeen. Soon I’m going to have a driver’s license, and with all of the money I’ve saved from giving cello lessons, Dad said he’d help me buy a car—”

“Look,” she interrupts. “I know how hard it is to be young. To have your first crush. I’m just trying to help you make the right choices.”

I get out of the car and slam the door. “I don’t need that kind of help. I’m not a baby.” I wish I could tell her how much I’ve been remembering lately. About being in England. About being an adult. That I really am not a little kid anymore.

A car pulls up behind ours and starts honking. I think for a second that Mom is going to give him the finger, but she just glares at the driver. “I know you’re not. And soon enough you’ll be away at school and can make your own decisions. But for now, the answer is midnight.” She glances into the restaurant. I can see Kat and Owen standing just inside the door. “Call me if you need a ride home.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Mom looks like she wants to say something else, but the car honks again, so she just gets in the driver’s seat and pulls out into traffic, swerving to dodge a car that’s pulling out in front of her.

Peter and Rayne walk up just as I’m reaching for the door, and Rayne lets go of his hand to give me a hug. “Are we late?”

“I don’t think so. I just got here. Had a driving lesson with Mom.”

“Ugh. How’s that going?” Rayne asks.

“Fabulous.”

The smells of garlic and lemongrass hit us as soon as we open the door, and I’m glad Kat picked Thai food for Owen’s going-away party. Griffon’s over in the corner talking on his phone, but as soon as he sees me, he hangs up and walks over to give me a kiss. “I missed you,” he says, squeezing my hand.

“Me too,” I say. I feel a pang of guilt about Drew. I’ll tell him, I promise myself. When the time is right. I’ve got nothing to hide.

He pulls me over to the side so no one can hear. “Listen, I can’t stay long. I’ve got some business things to deal with that just came up.”

“Business?” I lean toward him. “Sekhem?”

“Yes,” he says, glancing around. “Remember the break-in at our fuel cell lab in Switzerland?”

I nod. “Back when we first met.”

“Right. Well, they’ve decided to abandon that lab and merge the operation with one in Silicon Valley. A couple of the people I work with are coming in tonight to start setting it up.”

“So that means you don’t have to go away this summer?” I know it’s selfish, but that’s the one thing that’s been hanging over our heads—the fact that he could get called away to help at the laboratory in Europe at any second.

“Nope,” he says, his face brightening. “Just to San Jose. I’ll be a little busier here, but it’s so much better for everyone.”

“Much better,” I agree. I look over his shoulder and notice that everyone’s already gone from the lobby and disappeared into the dining room. As we get settled in our chairs, Kat sits so close to Owen that she’s practically in his lap, but that bothers me less than it usually would. They really have spent almost every minute together that he’s been here, and I know how she must feel now that he’s leaving. I sip the sweet orange creaminess of my Thai iced tea, feeling the caffeine surge through my body, and try not to worry about everything else in my life.

Rayne splits her spring roll in half to let the steam escape as we pass the appetizers around. “Hey, I saw Veronique again today,” she says. Her tone is casual, but I can tell by her face that she’s testing me.

I stop mid-sip and watch the orange tea crawl back down the straw. “What? Where?”

“At the café. She came in right after me. We talked a little bit while we were waiting for our drinks.” She takes a bite of the still-steaming roll. “She’s pretty cool. Is there any way you could give her another chance?”

Griffon leans forward, his eyes full of concern. “What did you say about Veronique?”

Rayne looks back at me. “You didn’t tell him?”

I’m trapped. I put one hand on Griffon’s arm, but he doesn’t move. “We ran into Veronique last week on the street. It was no big deal—she just wanted to apologize, but I told her I never wanted to see her again.”

He shakes his head slowly, but I don’t know if he’s angry at Veronique or me. “Excuse us for a second,” he says, getting up and throwing his napkin on the table. I follow him out to the empty hallway by the kitchen, anger trailing behind him like a plume of smoke.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he demands when we’re alone. “You know how dangerous Veronique is.” Griffon’s eyes are flashing, and I instantly wish I could take it all back.

“I didn’t want you to worry,” I say as calmly as I can. “You told me yourself that there wasn’t anything the”—I’m about to say Sekhem, but I swallow the word; there are still too many people around to talk freely—“they could really do about it. She’s free to go wherever she wants.”

Griffon’s eyes seem to get darker. “Sometimes not all of us agree with their rules.”

“I’m sorry,” I say. I grab his hand and he doesn’t pull away, which I take as a good sign. “I just knew you’d try to deal with it, and I didn’t want any trouble. I guess I was hoping she’d go away.”

He seems to soften a little bit. “How can I make you understand how dangerous rogues are?” he says. “They have no laws, no morals—they do exactly what they want, when they want, without any thought for anyone else, Akhet or Khem.”

I squeeze his hand. “I don’t think Veronique is at that level just yet.”

Griffon squeezes my hand back and I know I’m forgiven. “Not yet. But she still can’t be trusted. You have to promise me—no more hiding. If anything like this happens again, you have to tell me, okay?”

I look into his face and see the sincerity in his eyes. I swallow hard. I have to tell him about Drew. “There is one—”

“Kat wants to know if you guys are coming back,” Rayne interrupts. “She says she has an announcement.” She looks from me to Griffon and I know she’s trying to gauge the severity of this particular argument.

“Kat loves to make everything dramatic,” I say.

Griffon looks back at me. “What were you going to say?”

I shake my head. “It was nothing.” After all, Drew doesn’t exactly count as a dangerous rogue Akhet. “Let’s go back.”

Griffon turns to Rayne. “Listen, Veronique is dangerous. If you see her again, call one of us. Right away.”

She holds up her hands. “Okay, okay. I will.”

Kat taps the edge of her knife on her water glass as we slide back into our seats. “Right, whatever you two are pissing about, shut up. I have some news.” She giggles at Owen as he kisses her playfully on the neck. Whatever her big announcement is going to be, they take a break for a quick make-out session.