Seizure Read Free

flaring.”
    Hi slogged back onto the beach. “I let him win. He needs the self-confidence.”
    “Right.”
    “Hey, I’m a giver.”
    “A saint.”
    It was good to see Ben laugh again. Smiles had been rare since the Heaton case. The media firestorm had burned out quickly, but our parents were not so easily distracted. We’d each been grounded for most of the summer.
    And I mean grounded . The adults had been savvy enough to hit where it hurt. No visitors, TV, or phone. Not even Internet access. It was brutal, like living in a cave.
    With no chances to meet or even discuss our abilities, I’d begun to quietly freak the flip out.
    The virus was a wildcard rampaging through our bodies. Anything was possible.
    Was the sickness gone for good? Had our powers stabilized? Did anyone else know about Karsten’s secret experiment? About Coop? About us?
    I’d been trapped with these questions for weeks. Alone.
    The isolation hadn’t been good for my nerves.
    Ben escaped first. The senior Blues never paid much attention to discipline. My parole came August first, after nearly two months served.
    Good behavior? More like constant moping. I just wore Kit down.
    Hi had finally talked his way out last week. That surprised me. Knowing his mother, Ruth Stolowitski, I thought he’d be last for sure. Not so. As far as I knew, Shelton was still on lockdown. Apparently the Devers had zero tolerance for criminal behavior, regardless of justification.
    Make no mistake, I was still on probation. Strict. Kit was watching me like a hawk. At least, he thought he was.
    Once Hi shook free, the three of us began trekking out to Loggerhead every week. We needed to practice, safe from prying eyes. The isolation was ideal. And, right under my father’s nose, I could visit the island without suspicion.
    Loggerhead is held in trust by Charleston University. Very few have permission to visit. Luckily, dear old dad works here. So do the other Virals’ parents.
    Kit Howard is a marine biologist working at LIRI, the university’s on-site scientific station. One of the most advanced veterinary facilities on the planet, LIRI consists of a three-acre walled compound nestled on the islet’s southern half.
    That’s not all. Loggerhead Island is a full-fledged primate research center, with troops of rhesus monkeys roaming free in the woods. No permanent buildings exist outside the main complex.
    The habitat is as close to undisturbed as possible for a prime hunk of real estate lying just off Charleston Harbor.
    A perfect place to fly your freak flag.
    This was our third practice session, and we’d begun to notice slight differences in our abilities. Strengths. Weaknesses. Variations in style and finesse.
    But the powers were complex, our grasp of them far from complete. What I didn’t understand would fill the ocean. Deep down, I suspected we’d barely scraped our full potential.
    An explosion of sand reclaimed my attention.
    My gaze fastened on a bouncing shape, moving wicked fast. Zoomed. Tracked. Unconsciously, my muscles tensed, ready to spring.
    Then, recognition.
    Ben, flying across the sandbank, a wild look on his face.
    A second later, I knew why.
    He was being chased.

CHAPTER 2
    C ooper exploded from the dunes, fur sticking out in soggy spikes.
    The wolfdog puppy chased Ben down the beach, yapping like mad.
    “Not so quick, are you Coop?” Ben shouted over his shoulder as he cut left, racing for the surf.
    Coop skidded to a halt when Ben dove into the ocean. Thwarted, he barked and raced back and forth.
    “Here boy!” I called.
    Coop tossed one last yip at Ben before trotting to my side. Then he shook furiously, spraying seawater everywhere.
    “Blech!” I wiped salty droplets from my face. “Thanks for nothing, mongrel.”
    Coop looked pleased. I think. Hard to tell with dogs.
    Hi, already doused, was nonchalant. “Did the bad Indian throw you in the water, boy?” Taking a knee, he ruffled Coop’s ears. “Been there.”
    Hi was