Free Discovery by Lisa White Page B

Tom’s eyes narrowed. “Did you interfere?”
    â€œNo. Grace’s willpower must be getting stronger than we thought. All I know is he just left her standing alone at her front door.” Ben was finally in control enough to look up at his older brother. “She was crying.”
    â€œSo. Remember she’s just a job. If she cries, that’s part of being human and you can’t worry about her feelings. You just need to keep her alive until her twenty-second birthday. The Council will take it from there.”
    â€œThe Council? What do they know?” Ben was tired of listening to the Council.
    â€œEverything,” reminded Tom.
    â€œNo, really, Tom. What do they know? We don’t even know who is on the Council. To be honest, I really don’t think we know anything at all! All we know is that we have to live by their rules just because they are the governing body of the Powers, the so-called old superheroes.”
    â€œI hate that term,” Tom interrupted.
    â€œWhatever. Okay, instead of superheroes, let’s just say those of us with
special powers
,” Ben smirked.
    â€œBetter,” Tom inserted.
    â€œAnyway, this great, all-knowing Council determines how those of us with special powers can live our lives and yet we don’t know anything about them. We just get these random messages about discharging our duty and how do we know it’s real? How do we know the Council is real, Tom?”
    â€œBecause Mom and Dad told us.”
    â€œMom and Dad are dead because of the Council.” Ben’s words were coming out of his mouth faster than his brain could filter them.
    â€œNo, they’re dead because of the Anti-Powers. The Council tried to save them. You know that. You and I would be dead too if not for the Council.”
    â€œRight,” said Ben, rolling his eyes. “Sometimes I think I’d rather be dead.”
    â€œBen, calm down.”
    â€œNo,” Ben vented at his brother. “This is too much. The Council groomed me to be Grace’s Guardian just like they groomed you to be the Chosen One. Did anyone ask us if we wanted these jobs? No. They just threw them to us and told us to handle it. Well, what if I don’t want to
handle it
anymore?”
    â€œThen the Council will assign someone else to protect Grace and you’ll never see her again,” Tom stated bluntly.
    Those words immediately silenced Ben’s rage. He already knew them to be true but he had never felt their reality more than he felt them at that moment. In the middle of his madness, Ben knew one thing. He could not lose Grace. He loved her too much. He just hoped no one else knew how he felt or he really would never see her again.
    â€œIf that’s my only option, to stay or to quit, I better shut up and suck it up because I’m not quitting this job. I have too much time invested in it.” Ben tried to sound firm on the subject and hoped Tom bought his bogus excuse.
    â€œGood,” said Tom. “You just need to hold it together a little longer. Once Grace turns twenty-two, the Council will take her in and your job will be over.”
    â€œAnd your job will begin,” mumbled Ben.
    â€œLook, Bro. I’m sorry I’m the Chosen One. Like you said, I didn’t ask for this. The Council decided this a long time ago. And I’m sorry Grace is the last survivor of the Family. It’s not my fault your best friend is the only human remaining on earth with the DNA needed by the Council to survive.”
    â€œNeeded by the Council
and
the Anti-Powers,” said Ben.
    â€œExactly,” said Tom. “And once she turns twenty-two, if the Anti-Powers get her, Grace’s life is over.”
    â€œHer life, our lives, the Council — ”
    â€œBut you won’t let that happen, right?” reminded Tom.
    â€œRight,” sighed Ben.
    â€œSo let’s just keep her alive until she turns twenty-two and her DNA is