that plenty of them were genuine too. That’s why I’d asked Charlie to wade through them to check which ones might be legit.
People were scared and were looking for a spark of light in the darkness. Maybe it was time they had something to turn to besides the twisted views of Variant Valor and the Human Empowerment Network.
After lunch we wandered into the town square and sat outside a charming traditional teahouse, sipping on sencha as we continued our chats. It wasn’t long, though, before we were interrupted by a buzz of excitement—kids rushing through the square, women chattering.
I frowned. “What’s going on?”
Mr. Takata sat up straighter, craning his neck to look around. “It seems there is another visitor approaching the village on the path.”
Alec and Tyler strode into the square, both of them clearly on alert.
Twenty-Five
“There’s someone approaching.” Alec told us what we already knew while Tyler simply extended his hand to me.
I took it and pushed Light to him reflexively. He turned toward the path to the village, not visible past the low buildings and winding lanes. His eyes lost focus, but instead of sharing what his ability was telling him, he just frowned and cocked his head to the side.
“Ty?” I tugged on his hand. “Who is it?”
He shrugged. “The most I can sense is that they’re not a threat.”
I scratched my head. Even with all that extra Light, Ty couldn’t tell who it was?
Before I had a chance to think about it too much, the person in question walked around the corner, solving the mystery of why Tyler’s ability seemed to be malfunctioning.
Nina was in linen shorts and a loose white shirt, stark against her dark skin. Her hair was once again cropped close to her scalp, and she carried only a large backpack, which no doubt contained several weapons and countless secrets.
“Nina?” Alec and I said at the same time. What was the statistical probability of us meeting up in such a remote place? Maybe she knew we were here? But if she’d found us, did that mean others could too?
When she was about halfway across the square, she spotted me.
“Evelyn?” She smiled and rushed over.
“Fancy meeting you here.” I laughed as we hugged. I’d missed her, and I held on for a long moment.
She greeted Tyler and Alec just as warmly and, to our surprise, seemed to know Mr. Takata’s grandmother very well. Her French accent was as thick as I remembered, but she spoke to the old woman in Japanese.
Nina pulled up a chair and joined us. “How have you all been? I have seen some things on the news, but I am taking most of it with a large dose of salt.”
“How have we been? Nina, how have you been? Seems you left a few things out the last time we met.” I folded my arms, jokingly scolding her but unable to wipe the smile off my face.
“And I see someone has filled you in on it?” She threw Mrs. Takata a look, to which the old lady just chuckled, no remorse on her face whatsoever. “There wasn’t exactly complete trust between us when we first met.” She eyed Alec, and he looked down, rubbing the back of his neck. He’d been a jerk to her.
“Sorry,” he mumbled and stole a sip of my tea. Mr. Takata motioned for the proprietor and ordered more tea for everyone.
“It is quite all right. You were being cautious. I understand. But I was also limited in what I was permitted to tell you at the time. There are some Lighthunters who have been pushing for us to remove ourselves from Variant society fully.” She sighed.
“What? Why?” Tyler questioned.
“It is complicated, but it seems that it is proving impossible regardless. That is why I have come here. You were going to be my next stop. You’ve saved me a flight to America. Thank you!”
“Nina, what’s going on?” I leaned forward.
“We are . . . I suppose you could say, investigating? The Lighthunters are visiting Vitals we know, the most powerful ones—even the few Vivids we are aware of. We are trying to get some understanding around what is happening with the Light.”
“What’s happening with the Light?” I asked. That sounded ominous.
“It is difficult to explain.” She sighed. “Remember how a Lighthunter’s connection to the Light is different? How we do not have the abilities or the access that Variants and Vitals have, but we do have a different—in some ways, a deeper—understanding?”