The Maplethorn Gambit (Book 2, The Maplethorn Series)

Broken Window

"Mary effing Bensen," Keegan groaned. "Who thought we'd hear the pitter-patter of her tiny paws again?" He stood in the center of Mason Connelly's room, turning in a slow circle. "Seriously, I'm asking a question. Anyone? Dodson?"

Parker Dodson pursed his lips and shook his head.

"How worried should we be?" Cam asked.

Keegan peeled off his uniform jacket and slung it over Mason's desk chair. "I'm more concerned about my powers not working on Gates anymore," he said, dropping into the chair.

"Maybe it was just a fluke?" Cam suggested, taking the second seat. "Maybe he misunderstood you?"

Owen flopped onto the bare mattress of his old bed. "Or maybe you've lost them completely."

"Let's find out." Keegan cleared his throat and trained his eyes on Owen. "McIlroy, I really want you to—"

"Wait!" Owen McIlroy sprang to his feet—standing on the bed and holding his hands out in an attempt to defend himself. "I just remembered your power worked on lady Bensen!"

"Did it?" Keegan asked with a skeptical eyebrow. "Sunderland and I had this same conversation out in the hallway."

A peal of thunder shook the windows, drowning out Owen's response.

Cam bolted from his chair and tore the blinds open. "Whoa!"

Black clouds piled high above the courthouse, turning the formerly sunny afternoon a twilight gray. Gusts of wind drove the narrow trees of the yard toward the chow hall, threatening to rip the fragile leaves from their branches as the first drops of rain appeared on the glass.

Owen leaped from his bed and joined Cam at the window. "Guess we were due for some rain."

"Or the Bensens made a new super-kid who can control the weather," Tober suggested, taking a spot beside Owen.

Parker Dodson shouldered his way through the other cadets. "Let me see."

"It's just rain, dude," Owen McIlroy grunted, annoyed at having been pushed aside.

"No, it's not." Keegan rose from his chair. "Our soothsayer is having a vision. Tell us what you see, man."

Parker Dodson placed one hand on the glass and spread his fingers. "I'm standing right here," he began slowly. "But the window is gone."

"Gone?" Owen dragged out the word, making it into a question.

Keegan shushed him. "Go on, Dods. Tell us everything you see."

"It's raining pretty hard, and Drexler and McIlroy are down on the concrete," Parker continued. "Drexler is looking up at me and has his hands above his head."

"Like he's surrendering?" Owen asked.

Frustrated by Owen's questions, Keegan chose a head-slap over a "shh."

The resulting "Ow!" was more for effect than a result of any pain inflicted.

Parker pointed to the ground below. "I'm falling toward him, but it's all in slow motion and..."

"And?" Keegan prodded. "And what?"

"And nothing." Parker turned away from the window and slunk over to the empty bed. "That's it."

"Do you know why you were jumping out of the window?" Keegan asked insistently. "Was the room on fire? Was someone after you? Where were the rest of us?"

"I'm sorry," Parker sighed and pulled his legs up underneath himself. "I told you everything I saw. There was the broken window, then Drexler and McIlroy, then me falling."