The Dream Thief by Kari Kilgore (books for 10th graders txt) 📕

about Loretta's map, the pattern that passed right through his sister's house. Or about Rethia's restless night when Loretta was Building.

“I have to get out of here,” Karl said. Maybe if he got his body moving, his brain would stop. “Don’t say anything to Loretta, okay? Let me figure this out.”

"Slow down, just wait a minute. It could have been anyone, some other family. Don't assume that. Not until we know more."

"That's why you told me in the first place," Karl said. "The eyes. I saw them with my own. There's no way it wasn't linked to someone in my family. This might lose me this damned job after all, but I need to get home."

"I'm afraid that's about to be taken care of," George said under his breath, jerking his chin toward the doors.

Karl turned to see Ms. Curtis walking toward them, her face as pale and grim as George's. Normally none of the doctors or supervisors would be caught dead eating in the general cafeteria. Either she'd come to her senses and decided to fire Karl after all, or his day was about to get even worse. She stopped beside the table, taking a deep breath before she spoke.

Karl's jaw dropped when the light through the windows caught the strand of dark blue pearls she was wearing, one he'd been too upset to notice earlier in her office. Mr. Otis's lost first Build with Loretta.

"Mr. Wood," she said. "Karl, may I speak to you alone for a moment?"

George put a hand on Karl's shoulder as he stood.

"Ms. Curtis. I'll talk to you later, Karl." He started to walk away, then turned back. "Almost forgot, this letter came for you today. Sorry to... Talk to you later."

Karl glanced at the lilac envelope long enough to pick out his mother's elaborate seal in the darkest angry green wax he'd ever seen her use. Just another load of shit to add to his day.

He slipped it into his chest pocket and turned to Ms. Curtis. She sat and pulled yet another letter out of her own pocket.

"I have some terrible news," she said. "I didn't want to just forward you a letter like this. Your mother finally got through on the talkbox, but it took the switchboard a while to forward the message to me."

She put the envelope on the table. Karl tried not to confirm it, knowing what he'd see, but he couldn't stop himself. He turned it over. The seal was black.

"What's happened to Rethia?"

"No, not that. She's as well as can be expected. The baby, Karl, the baby was born this morning. Something went wrong, though. He died not long after. A courier brought this. That usually takes—"

"About two hours."

Karl covered his face, the grinding of his teeth sounding throughout his skull. Loretta hadn't been using Rethia. Not at all.

Loretta had been using the baby.

"Well, yes, that's right," Ms. Curtis said. "Never mind what we talked about earlier. You need to go. You're excused for the rest of the week. We'll deal with the rest when you return. I'm truly sorry for your loss, Karl."

She held out her hand, and Karl shook it, hoping she took his trembling and refusing to meet her gaze as sorrow. He'd never been more furious in his life.

"Thank you. I'll let you know how it's going." Karl stood, but before he could get his feet moving his mouth took over. "Ms. Curtis, I need to know something. You taught medical history before you came here. Do you know why women aren’t supposed to Build late in pregnancy? I don't mean the usual reasons we hear, but the truth. Can you please tell me?"

She tilted her head, watching him for a second before she spoke.

"No matter what else may be going on, you're a fine nurse, Karl. You know as well as I do why some things aren't common knowledge, and why they need to stay that way. What we think happens is the baby starts Building in the womb if the mother does, if it's to have the talent. We think the brain isn't ready for that until adolescence when children normally start to show the ability. The strain may be why they're so agitated. If that starts, the mother must take time away from Building."

"What happens if the mother doesn't take time off? Rethia did, as soon as the trouble started. I just need to know."

Ms. Curtis looked down at her hands, then back up at Karl.

"Years ago, long before we even started to understand such things, live birth rates were low for women who were Builders. When they did have children, they were frequently without the talent. For a time, it was thought women should never be allowed to Build during pregnancy lest Builders die out. Some wanted to take it further and ban women from Building altogether to protect from an undetected pregnancy, even though the trouble doesn't start until they're well advanced. Thankfully taking leave when the problem started was adopted instead."

She didn't say the conversation was over, and Karl had an idea she would have told him more if he asked. About what exactly she thought had gone wrong with his lost nephew, or why Mrs. Labine was being denied Crumble, perhaps.

Between the look in her eyes and his mind's screams that he had to get home, he let it go.

"Thank you, Ms. Curtis. Don't worry. I understand why this is sensitive. I'll be in touch."

Karl realized his mistake when he got on the trolley into his neighborhood in Waldron's Gate. No one on the train or in the busy train station paid him any attention, or maybe he’d been too upset and furious to notice. Now on the quieter, more residential route, people kept glancing at his gray uniform and looking away. He remembered that fear from when he lived on the outside, as if just seeing someone from the Columns would doom you to end up there. He couldn't remember ever