Chapter Four

After explaining to Nadea what Extraordinaries were, Luca also told her that she would never be safe until she learned how to defend herself. Once Amon and the Lost knew of her existence, they would never leave her alone. All of this new information was a lot to digest, and Nadea felt that most of it was going right over her head.

"Who are the Lost again?"

"Amon's followers, mostly kidnaped, brainwashed children. Keep up, Nadea," he scolded.

She sighed, resting her head on her hand. "And how did you know that I was an Extraordinary?"

Luca's demeanor changed from stiff and serious to relaxed and easygoing. "This is the easiest to explain to newbies," he said with a small smile.

"You can tell someone is one of us once they've used their abilities for the first time. It's a feeling of familiarity. Like coming home for the first time in a long time. The stronger someone's ability, the more intense this feeling is." Luca paused, gauging her reaction to what he was saying. "Have you felt this with me?" he pressed.

Nadea had felt this. At first she thought that it had been some strange attraction, and she was almost relieved to find out that it wasn't. I just misinterpreted this feeling, she thought to herself. Realizing that he was waiting for a response, she cleared her throat and said, "Yeah, I knew you were different, but it didn't feel like 'home'. I thought you were a freak or something." She averted her eyes, knowing that her face might betray her.

Luca laughed just then and said, "Yeah, right." Standing up, he reached into his pocket for his phone. "I'm going to head home, but I'll make sure someone watches over your house while I'm gone. If the Lost don't know where you live now, it won't be long before they figure it out. This is a small town."

The idea of someone watching her or trying to kill her and her foster family was unnerving, but for some reason she trusted Luca and believed that he would protect her. She watched him as he talked to someone on the phone, explaining the situation and then sharing his location. When Nadea asked who he was talking to, Luca brought his finger to his lips and told her to hush before continuing his conversation. Once he was done, he put his phone back in his pocket.

"Does Julia take you to school?" he asked.

"No, I usually take the bus."

"Not anymore. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning. After school, I'll take you to someone who can teach you more about yourself than I can."

Before she could ask where they would be going, Luca showed himself to the door. "I need to go. You're safe for tonight." With that, he left her home and set off at a brisk pace down the sidewalk.

Now that she was alone, she felt overwhelmed by everything; her powers, Luca, her attacker. She needed to talk to someone, and Dante was the first person who came to mind. Pulling out her cellphone, she dialed his number and chewed her nails as the phone rang. And rang.

No answer.

This was a first, as Dante always answered the phone, even when he didn't want to. He knew that he was all Nadea had, the only person she could talk to. And considering that he new she now had powers and that Luca was like her, why would he not answer the phone?

Nadea couldn't help but feel angry. She knew that she was probably overreacting, but she needed to catch him up on what was going on in her life. Dialing his number two more times and coming up empty, she decided to call it a day. Julia and Toby came home, and Nadea pretended that everything was normal; that she didn't have powers, that she wasn't almost killed. As she sat at the dinner table with her foster family that night, Nadea never felt more alone.

The next day, Nadea left after Julia and Toby. She walked at a brisk pace, and her soul almost left her body when she noticed a black Honda with tinted windows creeping up beside her. She was about to run off when the window on the passenger's side rolled down and she saw Luca's annoyed gaze.

"Get in."

"Say please," she taunted.

Rolling his eyes, he grinned before stopping the car. Opening the door and stepping out, he made sure to open the door for her.

"Once you learn how to fight, you can go back to taking the bus," he said gruffly. For a while they drove in a thick, uncomfortable silence. Nadea immediately thought of a way to annoy him.

"You said you could turn into a bird, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well," she started, "Last night I heard the most annoying bird outside my window. It was chirping nonstop. I only assumed it was you." She batted her eyes at him.

Luca's hands tightened on the steering wheel until he was white at the knuckles. His jaw ticked as his teeth clenched. Staring darkly at the road ahead, he said, "I wasn't outside of your house last night, and for your information, I'm a crow. I don't chirp, I caw."

Hearing that, Nadea burst out laughing. "A crow? Luca, I hate to tell you this, but that's so lame!"

He was silent for a while, no longer angry or annoyed, but distant. "I turn into a crow because it reminded me of my grandfather. He loved crows."

That shut Nadea up quickly. Obviously, she'd hit a nerve, and egging him on more probably wouldn't be the brightest idea. Besides, she figured that this would be the perfect chance to get to know him better. "Is your family like you?" She asked.

By now, they'd reached school and were parked in the lot, the car running idly.

"My grandfather was. He kept it a secret though. My family thought he was crazy. I did too, until I turned into a wolf."

Nadea was going to ask more questions, but Luca shut off the car and stepped out. Following him, she noticed that some of the students were watching them with interest. It took her a moment to realize that they were staring because she wasn't with Dante. They were practically joined at the hip, and here she was, getting out of the new guy's car.

"Go hang out with your weird friend. I have people to talk to," he said, eyeing Delilah and a few other girls who had just entered the school building. Before Nadea could say anything, Luca headed off after the girls, leaving Nadea alone.

Going to her locker, she looked around hoping to find Dante. Her best friend never missed school, because he knew Nadea needed him. Grabbing her notebooks for class, she went to Mrs. Barkley's class early. The room was empty, save for the teacher who was writing today's lesson plan on the board.

The teacher turned around and stared at Nadea over her round glasses. "Good morning, Ms. Corvenus. Where is Mr. Vasquez?" She asked, referring to Dante. "Usually when one of you is around, the other isn't too far behind."

Nadea sighed, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "He's not here today." Mrs. Barkley thought to herself for a moment before returning her attention to the board.

"Sometimes, it is good to be alone," the older woman said. Even though it was said with a gentle warmth, Nadea wad offended. She knew what she was trying to say.

"I spend time alone…" she said defensively, knowing that that statement was false. Mrs. Barkley looked at her knowingly.

"Nadea, have you spoken to a counselor since your parents died? I think you're a little too dependent on Mr. Vasquez," she said.

Not knowing how to respond, Nadea went and sat at her desk as the classroom began to fill with students. Luca came and sat beside her, pulling out a notebook. He didn't speak to her, and she didn't speak to him. While he payed attention in class, Nadea just stared down at her desk, thinking about Mrs. Barkley's words. It wasn't Dante's job to be her therapist. They had always been stuck together like glue, but even more so since the death of her parents.