“Yes, you can. Focus.” He let another drop of his blood fall into the cup of my hand.
Tired, hungry, and frustrated, I glared at the pool of blood. Why wouldn’t the damn thing form, already? Anger heated my face. There was a tug in my stomach and a vibration ran up my spine. My hand buzzed as if it had fallen asleep, and electric sparks zapped at my fingertips.
“Mostrami la verità,” I said.
Like a sprouting seed, a silver globe grew in the palm of my hand.
Chapter Eleven
I practically jumped with excitement, the globe jiggling in response.
Professor Attwood dropped the pushpin. “There, you have it!” he said. “Now, ask if I’m true. You can say it in any language, and it will answer you in that language. Remember, only keys and charms must be spoken in formal Italian.”
“Why are they in Italian?”
“The keys and charms were once in Latin,” he said. “A wizard adapted them into Italian. The change made for a better implementation of magic, so it caught on, and soon everyone used his system.” He nodded to the globe. “Go ahead and ask.”
“Is Professor Attwood true?”
His smoky image appeared in the globe and said in a tinny voice, “I am truthful.”
“Now, simply pull your hand into a fist to close the globe.”
I closed my hand over the globe, and it popped like a bubble, leaving behind little silver sparks. I sank into my chair and leaned forward, shaking uncontrollably. I wanted to vomit.
“I suspected you might have a reaction to the power,” he said. “In a few weeks, your body will get accustomed to the power and the side effects will cease. You can avoid the reaction, by eating a healthy diet. Don’t skip meals.”
“Yeah, I haven’t had breakfast. Or lunch”
Professor Attwood retrieved a juice pouch from a small refrigerator behind his desk and then handed it to me.
I gave the pouch a curious look.
“What’s the matter? You don’t like punch flavor?”
“No, it’s not that. I just thought you’d give me a goblet of something, not this.” I fumbled with the wrapping on the straw.
He took the straw, unwrapped it, and stabbed the pouch for me. “I’m addicted to these. The kids bring them back from your world for me.” Professor Attwood returned to his seat while I sucked down the sugary goodness. “Truth globe wielders in ancient times were considered thieves. For they stole lies by revealing what was true. Anytime you aren’t sure of someone, I want you to use your globe. However, you must be careful. It’s best if you can find a way to get their blood secretly.”
“Why?”
“If they are untrue, they may kill you just for asking.”
“Oh.” My shoulders sank. My ability didn’t sound very useful. Or safe.
“The globe isn’t suitable for battle, but it does come in handy for interrogations.” He picked up a pen to take notes. “You won’t be a forward Sentinel. Also, you’ll feel weak afterward, so make sure to keep something sugary with you.”
“What were my parents’ globes?”
He looked at me sharply. “Parents?”
Crap. Crap. Crap. Think of something, fast. I tried faking calm, but the stern look on his face made me nervous. “Um, did I say parents? I meant parent.” Yeah. Good one. Can I be any more tragic? I’m obviously not cut out for keeping secrets.
He raised a brow. “I clearly heard parents. If you meant your mother, you would have said mother. What aren’t you telling me?”
I gulped, wavering between telling him about my parents or not. The truth globe had said to trust him. I hoped the hocus-pocus blood trick was legit and decided to go for it. “Carrig is my father. Marietta is my mother. Put the two together and here I am.” I forced a grin at the end.
He dropped his pen. “I don’t believe it. Why would Marietta defy the warnings? He’s a Sentinel, for Christ’s sake—a reckless one at that.”
Reckless. I filed that away to think about later and bit my lip. Maybe Professor Attwood would tell me Carrig and Arik were wrong, and the prophecy didn’t spell disaster. “It’s a mistake, right? I can’t be the Doomsday Child.”
“If you are the presage, I believe you are our salvation, Gia, not our doom.” His smile comforted me and I breathed a sigh of relief. “There is a way of knowing the truth. A drop of your blood should do it.”