The Edge

Tola: Part Ten

Tola woke up the next morning to the sound of hushed voices.

The atmosphere in the room felt tense, which did more to wake her than the sound of voices. For a moment, she was worried that Roland had taken a turn for the worse. That fear faded when she realized the conversation was coming from the stairwell, and that the emotions she felt were less panic or worry and more frustration, bordering on anger.

She told herself not to listen. Being nosy was...well, it wasn't a sin, but it was a character flaw to be avoided. Tola lay back down and pulled a pillow over her head, trying to block out the conversation (and with it, her urge to eavesdrop). She didn't have to grapple with herself for long. After a minute, even less than that, the stairwell door was flung open. Nathan stomped across the living room and into his and Roland's room, slamming the door behind him. Gideon shot upright at the sound, looking around with tense, frightened eyes. "It's okay," Tola whispered, pulling aside her pillow and reaching over to touch his shoulder. "Nathan had a fight with his parents. That's all."

"...why do people love slamming doors?" Gideon grumbled. He lay back down, wrapping his arms around himself. Tola could feel the anxiety radiating off of him. She reached over to pat his shoulder and try to soothe his anxiety.

She still hadn't told him about Nathan possibly spying on them.

It wasn't like she thought Gideon would do anything drastic about it; he had brothers, so he knew that teenagers eavesdropped sometimes. The problem was that Gideon was not always good at being subtle, and sometimes his overbearing or threatening tendencies could make serious conversations difficult. If she wanted to ask Nathan what that spike of emotion had been, she'd have to be careful, and find a way to speak without so many eyes on them.

That task became a lot more difficult when, it seemed, everyone decided today was the day to visit: family members bringing news from town, friends helping with whatever supplies they could spare, and even Edward was in and out of the house instead of staying gone for the day. All the strangers made Gideon a lot more protective, which also made things difficult. Tola tried to stay calm and focused on Roland, but still kept an eye out for a chance to speak to Nathan alone.

One finally came in the late afternoon. Tola was tending to a sleepy and still-feverish Roland and Gideon had stepped out to get some water. Nathan was in the room, still on his bed, still on his tablet. Perfect. "I saw you listening to us yesterday," Tola said, doing her best to sound nonjudgmental and matter-of-fact. "I'm not angry. I'm just curious what you heard."

Nathan didn't say anything. He did look up from his tablet, though, so Tola kept talking. "Do you know anything about what's happening with those men?" she asked. "Gideon wanted to know. He's not looking to start a fight. He just wants to keep us safe."

Nathan laughed, a harsh and bitter sound. "No one's safe around here," he said bluntly.

Tola believed in a lot of things, even some things that people might find ridiculous, but she tried very hard not to be superstitious. In her mind, there was a difference. Superstition involved a level of presumptuousness about her control over life and the universe. It was all very silly.

Thinking Nathan's first words to her being so ominous was a bad omen would be very superstitious. She knew it didn't mean anything. And yet, she could feel her stomach clenching with anxiety.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Nathan turned back to his tablet. Tola wanted to demand answers, but she knew from experience that pushing him wouldn't help. So, she swallowed past her nerves and turned her attention back to Roland. If she let control slip and let some of her emotions show, it was only partially on accident. She might have tried to keep her abilities from outright influencing people, but she wasn't above using them to make it very clear how she felt. What he chose to do with that was his choice. Considering his behavior, he might not even care that she was concerned.