by K Swanson
My stomach growled embarrassingly loud. “I still want Chinese as well.”
Everyone chose what they wanted and we split up to get our food. They all bought something different then headed for some tables we could scoot together.
My first bite of orange chicken was heavenly. Leaning against the table, I used my fork to point at something on Nick’s plate. “What’s that?”
“Egg roll.” Before I could ask what was in it, he cut off a bite and stabbed it with his fork, offering it to me. My stomach gave a small flip, but curiosity got the better of me and I took it.
I took his fork and brought it to my mouth, chewing the vegetable stuffed morsel for a moment. While I didn’t want to be negative, it definitely wasn’t something I wanted to eat again. “Hm.” It was the only thing I could think to say.
“Don’t like it?” Amusement danced in his blue eyes, and my skin heated.
“It’s not my favorite,” I hedged.
He laughed softly as he speared his own bite.
Wrinkling my nose, I turned to Jayden. “What did you get?” It looked like some sort of meat on a bed of veggies and rice. I took another bite of my food while waiting for him to swallow. “Salmon teriyaki.”
I made a face. No thank you. I’d tried fish a few times and wasn’t a fan.
Nick leaned closer to Sam, listening to whatever was being said. Only because he sat directly in front of me did I notice the sudden change that came over him. Nick went completely still, eyes scanning the food court. “Something’s—”
My skin turned icy as shots rang out. I’d recognize that sound anywhere. My handlers had enjoyed testing me with guns just to see how fast my reflexes were. Screams echoed through the cavernous room as adrenaline flooding my system.
The lights shattered from above, raining glass on us as everyone seemed to jump into action. In one smooth motion, Nick sprang up and vaulted over the table, clearing it easily. My eyes went wide, confusion clouding my thoughts as he grabbed me and pushed me against a marble pillar. My breath whooshed from my lungs when his body jerked against mine. With a pained grunt, he stepped closer to me, boxing me between his arms as he unhooked his watch, dropping it to the floor.
Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I wiped my sweaty palms against my thighs. Small pinpricks of pain shot through the nerve endings in my palms.
Being shoved against the wall had only taken a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. I could do something to help. No, I had to do something to help.
Without stopping to think about it, I pulled off my bracelets. They might not keep me from using my abilities, but they would make the experience a lot more painful.
Between one breath and the next, I went invisible.
Nick’s curse would have made me smile if I weren’t trying to make sense of the scene I found after ducking under his arm.
In one glance, I took it all in. The table we’d been seated at was turned over. Lex and Jayden sat with their backs to the table, and sweat dripped down Lex’s face. Blood streaked both their arms from tiny cuts.
Four men in black stood in front of the movie theater, large guns pointed in our direction. One man stepped forward, yelling, “Give us the girl!”
Girl? Me? What would they… was that why I’d seen Adrian? Had he been planning this the whole time?
The leader moved his gun so it pointed at Nick, sending a chill down my spine as my stomach dropped. My entire body shook with cold as my imagination took flight. Did he smirk as he turned? Despite feeling as if I couldn’t breathe, I forced oxygen into my lungs, envisioning what I wanted to do. The guns were the big threat. How could I get rid of them? I supposed I could stop the bullets… in theory. I’d never actually done it before, but it seemed like if I could move objects with my mind, I could possibly stop them from moving as well.
I wiped my clammy hands on my bare thighs. My heart raced almost as fast as my mind. I couldn’t just grab the guns. If their grip was tight enough, I wouldn’t be able to take them.
As I sized up the threat, their guns began to glow red as if they were heating up. But that didn’t make any sense. Unless…
My gaze dropped to Lex. His sweat-soaked shirt clung to his torso. Forcing myself not to focus on that thought, I glanced up to see the men appeared to have a much more tentative hold on their weapons.
Gripping the overheated metal with my mind, I gave it a good yank. Relief filled me as the gun flew across the room, and I nearly sank to my knees. Afterburn was setting in. At first, it was barely noticeable, but each time I yanked one of their guns out of their gloved hands, my body shook more, cold seeping into my very bones. I was surprised my breath wasn’t frosting on the air.
Movement drew my attention in time for me to watch Lex strip off his shirt, revealing tanned skin and rippling muscles. My control nearly slipped, but I caught it at the last second, gripping the gun tighter.
The remaining lights flashed off, startling a yelp from me as I lost my hold on everything, including my invisibility. The gun snapped forward as if shot from a rubber band, heading straight for my head.
Oh God, this was going to hurt. Squeezing my eyes shut, I braced for impact, even as I grabbed for a thread of my power. Chills swept down my spine as my ability took hold, but it wasn’t until I heard the metal clang against the tiles behind me that I realized I’d gone invisible again. My entire body shook with the effort to hold on to my power, and I nearly sank to the floor when I realized the men had all been disarmed.
Something flew through the air from where Jayden and Lex sat. In the dim lighting, it appeared to be a flat piece of paper, but it expanded, taking on the shape of something ovular that looked small enough to fit in my palm. What the heck?
My legs collapsed as my entire body shook harder, and I wrapped my arms around my knees. I was about to lose that little bit of power keeping me invisible. The cold tile under me made my teeth chatter.
I curled up in front of Lex and Jayden, unable to see what was happening on the other side of the table. As soon as I became fully visible, Jayden paled. An impressive string of curses rang out as Jayden snatched the shirt from Lex’s fingers and tossed it in my direction.
Lex’s eyes shot open before he removed his foggy glasses and took in the sight of me. I didn’t bother to ask permission before tugging his wonderfully warm shirt over my head, threading my arms through the sleeves.
Seconds later, my shorts dropped into my lap.
Nick stood behind me, a slight greenish hue tinting his skin. His gaze stayed on the men across the food court. “They’re out for now, but we should get out of here.”
Trying not to flash anyone, I slid on my shorts over my shaking legs. Shoving aside my feelings, I glanced at Nick. Blood covered the right side of his shirt. “You’re bleeding.” At his look, my cheeks heated.
“It looks like only Sam and CJ avoided the rain of glass when the lights shattered.”
I didn’t want to mention that Nick had been hit with something bigger, so I followed his line of sight. CJ swayed on his feet, leaning against Sam, who rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“Let’s g-get out of h-here.”
I couldn’t help looking at the men on the other side of the food court. They were all passed out on the floor. How did that happen? I bit my lip, trying to get my shivering under control enough to ask, but finally gave up when I tasted blood.
Now that I was more or less covered, I scooted closer to Lex. His skin was a faint red, as if he were getting a sunburn, sweat still dripping down his forehead and into his eyes. He wiped it away with a blood-streaked wrist.
Jayden pushed to his feet before offering a hand in my direction. Our skin made contact, and the cuts along my fingers burned. I murmured my thanks, still not completely sure my legs would hold me up.
My teeth hadn’t stopped chattering, and as Lex got to his feet, he blinked a few times. It was almost as if he’d been in a daze and was just coming out of it.
“Cold?
” At my nod, he lifted me.
“Wh-what are you—” I couldn’t stop my teeth from chattering.
“I have an excessive amount of heat, and you seem to be lacking it.”
Being so close to him seemed to slow my shivering, so I didn’t argue.
Nick turned away, giving a small cough followed by a grunt. Without another word, he walked away from the food court. Was he okay? Provided everyone here was from the Chimera Project, he probably had some sort of afterburn. Power was sort of like a muscle. The more you used it, the easier it was, and the longer it took before afterburn gripped you. So far, I’d guess Lex overheated and Sam got headaches.
My head came up as the sound of someone clapping filled the room. Soon, more than one person clapped loudly.
I buried my face against Lex’s overheated shoulder, a shudder going through my body.
The guys pushed through the crowd, and when I lifted my head, I realized most of the onlookers had their phones out. I cringed. They were more than likely recording us. We’d be splashed across the evening news, and Phil and Min would… I didn’t even know how they’d react. Would they kick me out?
“Sam can get it. Don’t worry about…” Lex made a wide sweep of the crowd with his eyes, not bothering to finish his statement.
How could I not worry? What if he didn’t get them all? We broke through the crowd to find Nick leaning against a wall, eyes closed as he rested a hand against his stomach, swallowing hard.
“Stop!” someone shouted at us, making me recoil.
Would they force us to wait until our parents were called? My arms trembled around Lex’s neck. I couldn’t decide if I was surprised when only CJ and Sam stopped by the man I now realized was a security guard.
“They’ll take care of it,” Lex murmured as another shiver went through me.
I glanced at Nick. “He doesn’t look so great…”
As I turned my attention to the others, I realized the same could be said about the rest of them. Questions swarmed my brain. Now wasn’t the time to ask though.
“You okay, Nick?” Lex studied his cousin.
Nick limply gave a thumbs-up. A ghost of his usual grin curved his lips.
* * *
As soon as we made it outside, heat washed over me.
“Shit.”
Nick’s muttered curse drew my attention. He spun his hat around and hunched over a nearby bush, shoulders heaving. My eyes widened. Poor Nick.
Sam’s face paled as he moved away from Nick. I didn’t blame him, although puke didn’t bother me much. A couple of the other kids at the institute had similar side effects, and once training ended, our handlers had usually just thrown us back in the living quarters.
Nick spit before standing to his full height, even as he swayed slightly. I squirmed to get down. Lex’s heat felt heavenly, but I wanted to make sure his cousin was okay.
With a sigh, Lex put me on my feet and the hot cement made me wince. “CJ, go get the car started and sit down. You two”—he pointed at Sam and Jayden—“go with him.”
A police car swerved into the lot, lights spinning and sirens blaring. Sam winced and rubbed his temple.
Standing on my toes to minimize the burning on my feet, I moved closer to Nick. Stepping away from Lex sent a shiver down my spine, making me shake harder, but it wasn’t as bad now as it had been before Lex shared his body heat with me.
Without thought, I rubbed Nick’s back as he heaved again. The heat of his body felt good against my trembling fingers. Would it irritate him if I spoke? I didn’t want to take the chance, so I stayed silent until he finally straightened again.
“Better?” I asked.
He looked pale, but after taking a couple deep breaths, he nodded. “Your hand feels good.”
“At least my afterburn is good for something,” I muttered.
Amusement flitted over his features, making him appear more like his lighthearted self. “Let’s head to the car.”
As we headed for the parking garage, Lex tugged me away from his cousin and bent his knees a little. “Hop on.”
I wanted to refuse, but the heat under my feet kept me from arguing as I did as he requested. “Wh-where did my sh-shoes end up-p?”
I shivered, and gripped Lex’s waist harder with my thighs to keep from falling off. Heat still rose off his bare skin, but even I could tell he was cooling down.
Nick glanced at my feet as if just realizing my shoes were missing. “Jayden has them.”
I blinked in surprise. How had I not noticed that? “Oh.”
Nick met my gaze, his blue eyes boring into me. “The next time you decide to disappear out of your clothes—” his voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “Give me some sort of warning first.”
All I could do was nod.
When we got to the SUV, the back door popped open. CJ sat against the opposite door, head resting on the back of the seat. I couldn’t tell for sure, but he appeared to be asleep. In the very back, Jayden was eating something. As I settled into the seat next to him, I raised a brow. He was hungry? Now?
With a shrug, he leaned back, taking another handful of nuts. “I get hungry after…”
As Nick pushed his seat back into place and hopped in, Lex carefully climbed into the driver’s seat. “Where to?”
Sam shifted in his seat. “This has probably already hit the news…”
Nick rested his head against his window. “Let’s head to our usual meeting place.”
They had a usual meeting place? I really shouldn’t be surprised. I felt as though I’d known them for so long, but really, it had only been a couple weeks.
“Are you okay?” Jayden’s voice startled me, and I looked up to see him watching me.
“Yes…?” I wasn’t sure why he was asking me. Or perhaps his words had a hidden meaning?
“You’re shivering.”
“I get cold after…”
“Do you need to…?” He gestured to the empty seat between us then cringed. Was he hoping I’d say no? I guessed he was in luck since I could feel myself getting warmer.
Biting back a chuckle, I shook my head. “I’m all right.”
He attempted to mask the look of relief that flitted over his features before he could turn to look out his own window.
Aftermath
By the time we stopped, my shivering was gone and I just felt a bone-deep weariness. More than likely an adrenaline crash. I’d experienced them before— usually when I’d been locked in the panic room or sharp objects were thrown at my head.
Their “usual meeting place” happened to be a large tree house in the woods near CJ’s house. Instead of climbing up the rope ladder, CJ sat in the dirt and waited for the rest of us to do the same.
Jayden dropped down near Lex, a pencil in his fingers. He brought a knee up to rest his elbow on. “Now what?”
Lex ran his fingers through the already mussed strands of his dark blond hair. “Is everyone all right? No serious injuries?”
I glanced at Nick, waiting for him to say something. Instead, he shook his head with the rest of us.
“Then I guess let’s start with asking what exactly you are.” Lex’s attention jumped from me to Jayden and back.
Jayden studied the rest of us. Nick tugged on my hand, gently pulling me down next to him.
“I don’t know.” Jayden’s words were barely a whisper.
Nick rubbed the back of his neck. “What do you mean you don’t know?”
With a small shrug, Jayden spun his pencil through his fingers, staring at the dirt between him and Nick and me. “My dad has… powers. He didn’t have my abilities with drawing.” With a grimace, he added, “Well, not that I know of.”
His reluctance to talk about it was clear.
I found myself releasing a pent-up breath when Lex turned his attention to me. “And you? Were you even in a boarding school?”
I grimaced and shook my head. “No.” I dropped my gaze, unwilling to witness the inevitable moment of an
ger when they realized I’d lied to them.
“W-were you an ex-experiment?” Sam’s soft question brought my head back up.
I closed my eyes, leaning against the tree behind me. I wished I could say yes or know with some certainty about what had happened. “I don’t know.”
CJ touched my arm, getting my attention. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know how I got…” I gestured to myself when words failed me.
“Were you born with powers then?” Lex asked. He didn’t seem to mind his lack of a shirt, but I found the sight of his tan chest a bit distracting.
“Maybe?” What part of “I don’t know” didn’t he get?
He raised a brow, silently asking me to elaborate.
“I don’t remember anything beyond living in the institute.” Looking at Sam, I asked, “Were you an experiment?” Based on his question, I was pretty sure I already knew the answer.
Sam’s hazel eyes took on a slightly haunted glaze. “Y-yeah.”
Did that mean there was an institute nearby? But they didn’t live in one… did that mean I wasn’t an experiment? Or did I only live there because I was an orphan?
Nick’s head tilted slightly as he considered Jayden. “What exactly can you do? In the heat of the battle, I was too busy trying to protect someone who wasn’t there and didn’t get to see the display of your power.”
Jayden ducked his head, cheeks turning red. “There was no display.”
CJ snorted. “That’s a lie. You tossed a piece of paper onto the battlefield, smoke filled the air, and when it dissipated, the men were all down.”
Jayden shrugged as though it wasn’t a big deal. “I can create things.” He licked his lips, the silver ball in his tongue making an appearance. “It was a sleeping gas grenade.”
Nick frowned, more than likely trying to picture what he said. “Like, out of thin air?”
“No. In my drawings.”
Sam’s face lost color. “That d-dragon you g-g-gave me? Is it g-going to c-come t-to life?”
With a huff, Jayden shook his head. “I can’t create a living creature. And what I draw is exactly what I create. I mean, it’s a little more complex than that, but that’s the gist of it.”