StV: Sudden Onset, part two

"We've answered a lot of questions already," Mrs. Donaldson said. 

"Those fucking cops," Cody put in with quiet fury. 

His mother quieted him with a look, and he looked away, swallowed, and then turned his attention back to Em. She paused, choosing her words carefully, and said, "Mrs. Donaldson, we're Anomalies. We think Evan might have been one too."

"Well," said Cody, and gave a bitter, strangled laugh. "That's better than thinking that he somehow committed suicide by setting himself on fire in his own bed."

Mrs Donaldson was staring at them, though. "Show me," she said, quietly commanding.

Em met her eyes. "All right." She let her own strange ability drift out of her, forming a mug out of shimmering green force. She poured her soda into it, then took a sip; the burst of sugar and caffeine was a profound relief to her system. 

Cody said, "They're telling the truth, Mom." He glanced at Em. "That's my thing. I can tell when somebody is lying. You're not."

She nodded, trying not to get distracted by his cheekbones. "I just make these shapes."

Ryan sighed. "But I'm a sensitive. I can see and hear things in other places, and sometimes I can pick up impressions by touching objects." 

Mrs. Donaldson drew in a deep breath, held it, and then sighed. "All right. I'm going to tell you something that we haven't told anybody else, and I'm trusting you to keep it to yourselves. You're right; Evan was an Anomaly, just like Cody is. It skipped me, but my mother had a bit of the Sight and my grandmother was supposed to be a witch." She swallowed, then wiped at her eyes. "Evan had the gift of fire. I mean, he could warm things up, but when he called to the fire it came. We all saw it. The whole family knew. We just... didn't say anything, after he..." 

Cody crossed to his mother and knelt beside her. He looked at Em again, and this time there was something like resentment on his face. "So what do you want from us?" he asked. 

Em drew breath to answer, but Ryan put a hand on her shoulder. "Will you let me see his room?" he asked gently. "It's okay if you say No. But we'd like to know what really happened, and I think you would too."

Cody said, "Mom?" 

"Yes," she said,  then choked off whatever she might have said next. 

He stood up. "All right. Come with me."