Chapter 2

So Much For Cover

I gulped again, clearing my throat. They were all looking from Chase/Storm to me and back to Chase/Storm again, confused. "Th-That was my host's human name, Morgan Julia Sullivan," I lied. They all nodded and returned to their food, except for Chase/Storm. Still staring at me, he cautiously took another scoop of his chocolate malt, swallowing with too much force.

"Hey, guys, can I talk to Mor - I mean, Blossom, alone?" Chase/Storm said, taking my wrist.

Illustrates Fire rolled his eyes. "Sure, bro. But if you come back with lipstick all over your face, I'm telling Mom," he said, leaning back in his chair. Mid and Poet laughed lightly.

Mid tapped my free arm. "Those two go way back. They've been to the Origin, can you believe it? It's cool that the hosts are brothers. Their host mother's actually my good friend," she said, grinning. "How about you? Where you from?"

Chase/Storm interrupted me. "I really need to talk to Morgan, make sure she's still human." Suddenly his jaw dropped and he gulped. Everybody suddenly got up and backed away, fearful.

"Human? You mean . . . she's still . . ." Mid said, looking around in horror.

Chase/Storm put his hands up in surrender. "Just a joke, chill out." He tried to reason, but Illustrates Fire shook his head at the flat lie.

"Get the Seekers! INTRUDER!" Poet screamed in her shrill voice, pointing a heavily laden arm at me. Everybody froze, and then chaos broke out. People ran everywhere, and suddenly Chase/Storm leaned over to me.

"Let's get out of here." Suddenly he grabbed Mid's skateboard and pulled me up behind him. Holding onto him for dear life, I noticed we were headed straight for the escalator.

"What are you thinking!?" I screamed to him. "We're gonna kill ourselves!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it," he said. "Pull your feet up . . . NOW!" We jerked our feet up and the skateboard came with us, sliding up onto the escalator railing. I closed my eyes and felt something whiz right by my ear. Looking backwards, I saw two black-clad Seekers with pellet guns at the top of the escalator, firing rapidly.

I grabbed the nearest object - a stiletto from a display - and chucked it in their general direction. My hair was flying behind me, and soon we were racing for the exit. Clutching a wad of his shirt in both hands, I hid my head under the rim of his backwards cap just in time. We shattered the all-glass door, and we were both launched to the ground, the skateboard in pieces. Blood was everywhere, and my head was pounding.

So much for cover.