Kingdom Keepers: The Syndrome Read Online Free Page A

“lose a tail” as Philby called it—some were common sense, others a little trickier. Losing a tail while also identifying the spy was far more complex,
though—easier if one worked with a partner.
    Mind whirling, I called Wanda without telling her exactly what I needed. I didn’t like the idea of inconveniencing her. Despite what she said to the contrary, I never got around to asking
her for help because I could tell she was working late. I fumbled through some lame discussion of dinner, and hung up.
    I was going to have to fly solo. I’d gotten so attached to Jess that I suppose the only time I allowed myself to be more than “half a friendship” was when I was with Finn. Of
course, then I was another half of a friendship. I wanted—no, needed—to prove to myself that I was capable of flying solo, thinking for myself and being by myself. You spend too much
time around others and you begin to depend on them. That didn’t feel so healthy all of a sudden. It made me feel needy. One thing I’d learned growing up was that no matter who claimed
you, you had to first claim yourself.
    I walked past my intended bus stop and picked up speed. I didn’t want to look like I was running, but I needed to reach a different bus line. This particular route briefly ran east,
providing me with a shortcut—one stop past the one at which I assumed Mattie would board.
    If I hurried, I had a chance.
    MATTIE
    If Amanda had come to Orlando from Imagineering School, it had to be urgent. My feet carried me quickly, and I made it to the stop just as the bus was pulling up. At the last
minute, I quickly slipped off my gloves. It was a necessary task, but I dreaded it all the same.
    As I boarded, I made a point to slip so that I could fall onto the driver. He reached out; we touched. A stream of faces flashed in front of my eyes; each passenger who had boarded ahead of me.
I thought it would be an inconsequential stream of people I didn’t know, but it seemed worth a try. And right as I made a move to pull my hand away, I saw something.
    Not a good something.
    Panting and out of breath, the Overtaker boy I knew from the cruise ship had boarded the bus.
Louis…no, Luowski! Greg Luowski!
    I yanked my hand back, ignoring the dazed look on the driver’s face. I would never forget Luowski’s piercing green eyes, a trademark of Maleficent’s zombified army. She was
responsible for the turmoil in Jess’s and Amanda’s lives, and she wanted to take over the Disney parks. But she was long dead; Finn Whitman and the other Kingdom Keepers had seen to
that.
    So why were this boy’s eyes still that alarming shade of green?
    I passed the bus driver and peered over the heads of the other passengers, trying to locate Luowski. Just ahead of me, I could see his strong frame and distinctive red hair. Something told me
that I needed to get to him and read him. “Reading” was the term I used for my visions of people’s thoughts.
    Dropping my shoulder, I muscled through the crowd of bodies. Time was flying, but I wanted to be subtle, so I pretended to stumble and catch his hand. As my powers had grown, I’d learned
to narrow down what I was able to read. Upon contact, I immediately honed in on thoughts relating to Finn Whitman.
    Finn’s face flashed before my eyes, and what I saw wasn’t good. It seemed like Luowski spent a lot of time planning his revenge. When I gripped his hand, he tensed, and I knew that
he sensed me. On the Disney
Dream
cruise ship, I had tried to read him; even then, he was aware that something was amiss. Now he was familiar with my abilities. He started to turn, and I
ducked into one of the rows and sank down into a seat. He scanned the bus, but he couldn’t seem to find me. I knew I would be safe as long as he didn’t link me to the sensation; he
hadn’t seen my face the first time I’d read him, either.
    I mulled over what I’d seen for a long time. There was a good chance that this was what Amanda had