Siphon (Siphon Chronicles, Book One) by Cyndi Goodgame

having a past—I did not know.
    “This is Dane Crawford.” 
    I didn’t miss the way his eyes danced when I finally said the shortened version of his name.
    Another throat cleared.  Reluctantly I offered, “And this is Foster.”
    Mr. Browning lifted his bushy brows, “THE Foster.”
    Oh, brother.  That’s what I get for confiding in old folks during my teenage years.  I nodded to confirm it.
    A bony finger wagged toward Foster, “You, my son, need a lesson in manners from what I’ve heard.  You and I will have some long talks about how a lady should be treated.”
    Foster swallowed aloud and slunk back to the shadows of the doorframe.  Sadie was nowhere to be found.
    I focused back on Mr. Browning.  “It was nice to see you sir, but not necessarily under the circumstances.  I hope everything...works out.”  My heart hurt for the people in this room.  Their life was being stolen from them without a choice.
    His hearty laugh sounded like rocks rolling around in his mouth. “You’ll stop feeling sorry, young lady.  I watched you worry about us for years.  You brought us joy, not sadness.  I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” 
    Mr. Browning was always intuitive before about my extra sensory abilities.  He somehow just knew.
    “Thank you, Mr. Browning.  I will be back Monday.”
    “With snickerdoodles?” he asked with a huge smile.
    I laughed, “Yes.  I’ll be sure to not come empty handed.”
    We said goodbye to the room as a whole and left through the door we’d entered by.
    The second I rounded the corner, I ran into a body.  From the impact, I knew it to be an elderly person aware of the push that gave not to mention the cane that entered my stomach and dented my hipbone.
    At the same second I tried to right myself with my elbow stuck in his arm, he yanked on my shoulder to hold himself up.  I felt the give as soon as it shot out over my head and before I knew what happened, I was taking a year from the old man before me.  His essence loomed above me in wait, offering to be taken.
    Gone.  It was taken and gone from the man before anyone could stop it.  Woozy and blinking away the pure energy of it, I lingered in the rainbow of colors above his head as the song ended.  I’d never once told a soul about the whispers that talked to me afterward.  Even now, I looked around for someone to comment on the weird A cappella surrounding us. I knew the words by heart.
     
    “Beware the one
    the light will free.
    Repeat thee and
    lose thee
    Sing thee and
    lose thee.
    Repeat thee.
    Repeat thee.”
     
    Holding on to what I thought was the handicap rail beside me, I realized the supposed rail moved and helped me stand.  It was hard muscle, not metal.  After Daniel had me upright, he let me go to help the man.  Somewhere in his nineties I guessed, his dentures fell forward and he garbled out some words that resembled a thank you of sorts.  His face leaned in and something wet fell against my cheek.  He wobbled away moving a little too fast for a man his age.
    “I think your ability might be a bad thing on old men.  You better stick with old women.”
    My sour look made him smile more.  “I just mean I don’t care for the way they react.  It’s like they just...well.  Anyway.  I don’t like it.” 
    Oh my at the blush on this tough guy’s cheeks.  I loved seeing him embarrassed.

DANE  The One They Want
     
    I know why I am here. She isn’t like any of the rest of them.  When she takes years, they truly are happy with it.  She claimed the hurt, but I’m not buying it.  The council would never like it. 
    They already know what she can do.
    She is the one they want.  The long ago prophecy that said one day one would come to stop the council and flush out the crooked system it had become.  That it would one day be corrupt and just like Noah and the Ark, she would clean them out and send them on their way.  All she had to do was...sing!
    “Did you hear music?” It was