Raising a Hero

Chapter 35

...Sloppy. Sloppy sloppy, god.

But, he still had given me a 'commandment' so that meant I had to listen through to it to the end.

"You know how weird that sounds?" I said.

Gus averted his eyes, rubbing a hand on his upper arm. "You know I can tell when you lie, right? Even if I'm not touching you."

I just slumped there. At this point, I didn't know what was going on. God told me not to say anything, even saying I shouldn't talk about where I'm from because Gus would find out, but then he gave the stupid kid mind magic—just what was he expecting from me?

"Look," he said slowly, "I...you...I was just thinking other countries were really something when I was looking around for stuff—I was just really curious about where you were from and so I...I don't even know if you noticed, but I looked a bit into your memories while you were asleep the other night and—that's part of why I wanted my own bed because it was just too much of a temptation---I didn't see all that much, but I just...what I did see didn't make sense, I mean, with how you act about magic and then what I know about magic and I thought that other lands are just different but then..." he took a deep slow breath. "But then you lied."

"Can you always tell when someone lies?" I asked, feeling a cold sweat on the back of my neck. I suddenly doubted myself. Should I have tried harder to keep this a secret? Didn't Nehcor know how bad I was at that?

"No! No, only if there's eye contact."

So basically, just me, Hal, and Milly, since he was trying to not advertize his eye color.

So sloppy.

Gus's wrung his hands. His eyes darting back and forth, though not quite meeting mine.

Which confused me. I had every right to feel like I was in trouble, but what about him? Hadn't I only ever been open with him?

"Hey, what's up? Why are you acting so nervous?"

He bit his lip, then cautiously looked up at me. It was so unlike his usual devil-may-care attitude that it made me feel anxious too.

"I just...have this weird feeling—but it's overwhelming too, that if I—if I know too much..." his eyes were wide and fearful on mine. "That you'll disappear somewhere."

So that's how Nehcor was going to play it.

I ran a sweaty palm down my face. A visit to the temple was in order tomorrow.

"I mean, other worlds don't even exist," he said, with an edge of nervous laughter. "And if they did, how would you even be here? That's just stupid."

"Why can't there be other worlds?"

"...Pardon?"

I settled my gaze on him. This was a hole that simply couldn't be ignored. Nehcor would just have to clean up after himself. I'd keep as much as I could.

"Logically, why couldn't there be other worlds?"

Gus's knees pinched together. He rolled his lip so hard it looked like he had eaten a course of strawberries.

"Are there?" his voice had gone quietly, as though being told the most protected of secrets.

In answer, I just smiled.

Even as Gus shivered, he smiled and his eyes sparkled.

"Is...is it okay?"

I lowered my head to him.

"As long as you don't ask how I got here," I said, just as quietly, "I think it will be okay."

"So something really will happen if I know?" And with the flash-quickness of a teen mood swing, he was suddenly angry. "Why did you let me into your head from the beginning if that were the case?"