We spent the rest of the night cuddled up in our tent.

I hardly slept with all of the thoughts running through my head. When sleep finally did come for me, I was swept into exhausting dreams. I dreamt of myself doing all kinds of crazy, unbelievable, and impossible things. They felt so real, and when I woke in the morning I wasn't feeling rested.

I couldn't stop a smile from spreading across my face though when I remembered where I was, and with who. I looked up and saw that Garrett was still passed slap out. People always say they wish they could sleep like a baby, well I have been around babies, and they don't sleep all that well. I want to be able to sleep like a teenage boy.

I silently crept from our tent and stepped out into the dewiness of morning. I reached back in for a blanket and went to sit by the little fire pit. The air out here was so fresh and crisp. I looked around and could see nothing but tall trees, and empty camping spots. I chewed my lip and tried focusing my mind and my breathing like Garrett had showed me last night.

I focused in on a leaf.

Nothing happened.

I huffed annoyed. I closed my eyes and tried to think of something. Anything that would be a strong emotion that I could pull from. The first thought that popped into my mind, made my chest hurt...Stephen. I had thought to myself. This isn't fair. I should be excited, and freaking out about the possibility of me being special, and maybe not really related to those awful people I call my parents. Instead, I am just aching for Stephen even more. If I am a Potente, then so was Stephen. He should have lived an extra special, extra-long life. Instead of that, his was cut short, even from a normal human's perspective.

I held onto that sorrow, and that anger and focused on a leaf again. A smile dancing across my lips as it came up. Then I moved my eyes to another, and another, until I had five in the air at once. I focused on them, giving it my all, and lifted my chin. I watched in amazement as I made them float around in tiny circles, the sun playing on the wet little water drops on each one. I gently laid them all back down, one at time, then focused on a new target.

The stick wiggled on the ground, but didn't leave it. I closed my eyes and pictured it in my head, the way I had done before, then tried again. I couldn't hold back my schoolgirl shriek of happiness as I saw it come off the ground and float straight to my outstretched hand.

I stood and turned toward our tent and pointed the stick at it pretending to wield a wand like Harry Potter. I stared at the zipper and continued to giggle as I watched the zipper slide from one side all the way to the other and the flap open on my command.

This can't be real. I must still be dreaming. If it is a dream, I am going to enjoy it anyway. I could see Garrett laying in the tent, still wrapped up in the sleeping bag. I cut my eyes at that zipper next. It was a little more difficult because it was so small and at such a distance, but eventually it wiggled free and the blanket pulled away from Garrett.

"Hmm, what's...?" He mumbled then opened his eyes to look at me. "What are you doing Cade?" He asked surprised to see me standing at such a distance and staring at him. I closed my eyes for a short moment and then popped them back open to watch as the tent shook around Garrett's body. I was trying to lift the whole thing, but he was so heavy. I strained my eyes trying even harder and a shocked look crossed Garrett's face. All of the little stakes holding the tent to the ground shot out of the dirt and the tent folded up around Garrett.

I stopped trying and ran to untangle him, laughing the whole time.

"Cadence!" He yelled as I got to him. He looked angry and his eyes were surveying the entire area. "You have to be careful! You don't want someone to see you." I dropped my eyes to my shoes and pouted my lip like a child who had just been scolded by their teacher. "Hey," He said nicer. "I didn't mean to yell at you...I just need you to be careful, ok?"

"Yeah, ok." I muttered.

He smiled at me and I couldn't pretend to be mad. I laughed and he returned it. "Now help me up, and clean up your mess."

"How would you like me to clean it up?" I teased.

"With your hands, Cade."

"Oh, now, that is so boring."

"You didn't know how to do it any other way less than twelve hours ago." He reminded me. "I can't believe how strong your power is. You haven't even had much time to practice and you almost picked me up. I don't know anyone who can pick up actual people." He mused to himself. "We need to go see my great uncle."

"Your uncle? Is he the one you said may be able to help me?" Garrett nodded his head and then yawned tiredly. I guess he hadn't been able to sleep very well either. "What about my parents?" I asked.

"What about them?"

"I mean, who are my parents?"

Realization crossed his perfect features. "I hadn't even thought about that." He admitted. "I don't think I have ever heard of a Potente giving up a child for adoption. It seems like that would be a risk to our secret."

"Two children." I corrected him. He looked lost. "My brother and I both."

"Well, maybe your brother wasn't one. He may actually be your adoptive parents' child."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Garrett, Stephen and I are...were, twins." I explained.

He furrowed his brows. "Not possible." He said quickly. "Potentes don't have multiples. That is one weird side of our genetics. The women are only able to have one child ever."

I tried to process what he was saying, but I knew he was wrong. "Well, I don't know what to tell you. Stephen and I were 100 percent twins. I can show you pictures. We were identical twins, Garrett."

He looked at me like I had just spoken another language. "That...It can't be..." He stuttered. I couldn't read his expression, but he was looking at me very strangely. "We need to go see my uncle now." He said pulling me to the trail.

"What about all our stuff?" I asked as I trudged along behind him.

"Leave it, I will come back later."

***

Garrett and I had ridden my bike to the bus station and he used the last of our money to get us a town over. We walked up to a little white house on a quiet street and Garrett knocked on the door.

"Garrett." The handsome man who opened the door said. "Such a surprise." He reached out a strong, tan hand to Garrett.

He shook it and then stepped into the house, me in tow. "Uncle Wes, this is Cadence James, she just moved here a couple weeks ago from California." He introduced me.

Wes looked me over and smiled curtly. "California, huh? You must hate it here."

I laughed nervously and extended my hand to him. "A little, yeah." I admitted. "It's nice to meet you."

Wes looked back and forth between Garrett and me. "What's this about?" He asked Garrett.

I was feeling really unwelcomed here. Garrett must have sensed that because he reached over to hold my hand gently. "Uncle Wes, we need your help." He said. "I think Cade is one of us. She's just recently been able to do things, things she wouldn't be able to otherwise, but her parents are definitely not like us."

"You think she was adopted?" Wes asked skeptically.

"I don't know any other explanation." Garrett admitted.

"Show me." Wes said gruffly to me.

I looked around. "Oh, um...ok." I muttered looking for something not breakable to use. I looked over to the dining room that was positioned off of the living room and honed in on one of the wooden chairs. I smiled as it glided just above the ground from the dining room, to stop just in front of Wes.

"How did you learn if your parents aren't able?" He asked me obviously impressed.

"I taught her." Garrett answered for me.

"When?"

"Last night."

Wes's mouth fell open. "Last night?" He repeated and we both nodded. "Wow." He said amazed.

"I'm a fast learner." I praised myself.

"There is more." Garrett told him. "Carrianne Montclair, she was unable to harm her. Also, yesterday she caused the ground to shake."

"Let me try." Wes said looking at me carefully. "I can hear her mind just fine. Can you sense her?" He asked Garrett and Garrett nodded.

"What about protectors?" Garrett asked him.

"She knew of Carrianne's ability?"

"Yes."

I was confused by what they were talking about so I just darted my eyes from one to the other.

"Protectors can keep themselves from being affected by another's abilities, but they have to know what they are guarding themselves from." Wes answered my unasked question. "Now that you know I can read you, and Garrett can sense you, try stopping us from doing so."

"I don't know how." I said.

"Concentrate." He said simply.

I took a few deep breaths and imagined I was locking up my mind. I had a strange feeling come over me. Almost like I was suddenly lightheaded, but I got over it quickly.

"I don't sense anything." Garrett commented.

"Neither do I." Wes agreed. "A protector indeed." He mused smiling at me now. "You shook the ground?"

I rolled my eyes glancing at Garrett. "He thinks I did." I told him. "I think it was just an earthquake."

"Un-guard your mind. I need to see it." He said as he closed his eyes. "Amazing." He whispered then opened his eyes to stare at me in wonder. "That was you." He agreed with Garrett. "You're very powerful."

"She nearly lifted me." Garrett chimed in. Wes looked at me even more impressed. "There is more though."

Wes and I turned our eyes to him at the sound of his worried voice. "She says that she had a twin."

Wes's eyes bugged slightly and he looked around the room quickly. "A boy?" I nodded. "Think of your bother for me." Wes said urgently. "Picture him from as young as you can."

I closed my eyes and pictured our first day of first grade. The day that Bradley Taylor threatened to put gum in my hair, and Stephen stuck a red crayon up Bradley's nose and told him if he ever thought about threatening his sister again that he would shove it so far up that it would stab him in the brain. Wes's slight chuckle echoed the one in my head. Then I thought about the time we were ten and Stephen had found me crying in my room because Kyler liked Jessica more than me. He had told me that any guy who could ignore the fact that Jessica smelled like old cottage cheese was not someone I wanted to be with anyway. Then I skipped ahead to a not so happy memory. I remembered the first time my dad came into my room, drunk and angry looking for me. Stephen had gotten his baseball bat out from under his bed and threatened our father until he backed off. Then I remembered the last day with him. Our last conversation, his last hug. I opened my eyes to let the tears that were building up behind my eyelids be free. "I'm sorry." I apologized. "I can't do that anymore."

Garrett put his arm around me and looked to his Uncle.

Wes looked sad too. "It's true." He whispered to no one in particular. "The story is true."

"What story?" Garrett asked.

Wes looked to me seriously. "Cadence, darling. I know of you and your brother. There were rumors...I never believed they could be true."

"I didn't know there could be twins either." Garrett said.

Wes looked away from me to Garrett. "I wish that was what I am referring to." He said solemnly. "The rumors I am talking about are much, much darker." Wes covered his face with his hands. "Cadence, you can't let anyone else find out about you. You're in danger just by being in this town."

"What are you talking about?" I asked as a chill ran up my spine.

Wes ignored me and looked to Garrett. "Keep her away from the Montclairs."

"I live next door to them!" I said loudly.

"This is very bad." Wes said. "You have no idea how powerful you are. You must keep this secret. There are people who would kill you without a thought about it, dear."

"Why?"

"The same reason they killed your mother." He whispered. "The same reason they killed your brother."

"My brother?" I repeated.

"Someone must already know."