“She looks a lot like you. If you curled your hair and wore contacts, you could almost be twins.”
I turned and looked at him, my eyes narrowed. “Almost is the key word there, because we are not twins.” My voice was indifferent, but my gaze told him everything.
“Only in looks. Past that, you’re very different.” His green eyes glowed in the moonlight, and his black hair was as dark as the tux he wore.
“Can you read her mind?” I inquired.
“No. They had several shields there blocking all the Members of Council. It’s customary. They know too much.” He didn’t need to say that she’d communicated with me through them. I was aware of how powerful these beings were. I’d never had so much trouble maintaining my mental barrier as I did tonight. She was the strongest telepath I’d ever encountered.
“Interesting . . . ” I murmured and turned away. I knew what was coming; what he’d been waiting to talk to me about.
“You never told me your father was a telepath.”
“I have my reasons.” It was all I could bring myself to say.
“You always have your reasons, Selena, so please enlighten me. What were they this time?” His voice was cold, almost heartless.
I didn’t flinch, but I knew then that I’d made a mistake in not telling him. But I’d done it for him. “When I learned you were a telepath, I immediately thought of my father, and I was always comparing you to him. But I soon learned that you fell short of the man he was. You haven’t quite figured out all the tricks of the trade. If I told you about him, you’d want to know more. You’d start to rely on me to explain things, and you would never grow. He got to where he was because of the struggle. I wanted you to get there too. So, no, Lucas, I didn’t tell you. In time, maybe I would have, but more than likely not.”
He paced back and forth, and I started to leave. This was a mistake.
“You did it because you care,” he concluded.
I stopped walking and turned back to him. His green eyes were alive and fiery. “Some things you need to learn on your own. If I told you, I would become your crutch, and when you left after next year, what would you do? So yes, I suppose . . . I care.”
“How did you know I was a telepath the day we met?” The last time he’d asked me that, the only response I’d given was, I’m observant.
“Your eyes,” I answered begrudgingly.
“What about them?” He was completely clueless.
“You glazed over and didn’t watch my hands. When I saw that, I knew immediately what you were. I blocked you, and you were stunned. I beat you that day because you’ve allowed yourself to be crippled by your ability.” I took a seat on the edge of the marble fountain and looked up into the sky.
“Crippled by my ability . . . ” he murmured the words aloud to himself.
I kept my eyes on the sky, watching the stars, even when Lucas sat next to me.
“Thank you. I still wish you’d trusted me, but thank you,” he said.
“It didn’t have to do with trust. It had to do with what I thought was best.” I was amazed by how far I’d come. How much I’d done. I couldn’t help the unease when it came to Lily and how far she’d fallen.
“I wish my sisters were as understanding as you.” We’d had so many arguments in the last year alone, and things just kept getting worse with Lily.
“You worry too much.” His shoulder bumped mine, and I laughed once.
“You sound like Alexandra,” I glanced at him, grinning.
“She must be pretty smart, then,” he laughed.
“Shut up.” I elbowed him, laughing. I lost my balance, and before I realized it, I was falling backward into the fountain.
Just when I knew I was going to hit the water, he wrapped a strong arm around my waist, pulling me back up. We were close. Very close. I kept my gaze on his chest, broad arms, and full lips. I couldn’t look at his eyes. I shouldn’t look at his lips either because then I was tempted to do something I shouldn’t. It was just so much, too much . . . him. His smell, his warmth, the callouses on his hands—I felt it all. Again, I reminded myself of the line. I waited for him to move back, but he didn’t. My heart pounded in my ears, and when I heard another heartbeat match it, I looked up, finally, into his eyes. I wasn’t ready for what I saw there. He stepped back, and I took an unsteady breath.
“You’re welcome,” he tried to joke, but there was a strain behind it.
“I was going to say thank you until you said that,” I said.
“I could have let you fall.”
“A little water never hurt anyone.” I smiled, more comfortable with the easy banter than the proximity that was screwing with my mind.
“Really?” His smile was smug.
“Really,” I challenged.
When he came at me like I’d expected, I jumped to my feet while pushing back on his shoulder. He hit the water with a crash, and I covered my mouth as I laughed.
“I thought a little water never hurt anyone?” He got to his feet, drenched from head to toe.
“What are you looking at me for? You had it coming.”
He cocked his head to the side as if he couldn’t believe I’d just said that. He climbed out of the fountain and walked toward me.
“What are you doing?” I asked sharply. I backed up as he got closer.
“Nothing,” he lied. Grinning, he darted forward to grab me. I was trapped between him and the bush as he snatched me up, cradling me in his arms while I squirmed.
“Let me go. You’re all wet!” I complained, trying to push him away. The water soaked through my black dress, turning the pleasant breeze chilly.
He finally let me go—in the fountain. I went under and squeezed my eyes shut, holding my breath. Gasping for air when I reached the surface, I tried to stand, but my dress seemed to weigh a hundred pounds.
“Need help?” Lucas snickered at me.
“Sure,” I agreed, taking his hand. As he pulled me up, I pulled him down, and he went over the edge. I stepped carefully over the side, trying not to slip in my heels.
Lucas had tugged his jacket off and was unbuttoning his shirt. Water droplets clung to his tanned skin, and he shook his hair like a wet dog.
“That’s the last time I help you,” he said and laughed, running a hand through his wet hair.
“I didn’t need your help.” I pulled my shoulders back and held my head higher in a show of dignity.
“I’ll remember that.” He clambered out of the pool.
“We should start heading back,” I said. We walked in silence until I reached my door.
“I had a good time tonight,” Lucas said.
“Me too.” My voice had lost all its playfulness in the five-minute walk as cold and fatigue took its place.
“You look beautiful,” he said.
“Thank you.” My hair was a soaked mess, my dress ruined, and my makeup smeared, so clearly he was just being kind. I needed to get inside before he realized I’d crossed that invisible barrier.
“Selena.” He paused.
“Hmm?” I asked, without even looking at him.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Caring.”
I stayed silent for a moment before turning to him. “Goodnight, Lucas,” I whispered as I closed the door behind me.
His whisper followed me all the way to bed that night. “Goodnight, Selena.”
Chapter 48
After the dinner party, it was four days of fighting filled with sweat and blood. I would finish one match only to have another opponent ten minutes later. I was tired and sore, but I’d fought my way to the top through forty-eight men. Now, as I stood in the Gathering Hall, I had one final opponent. One person stood between me and victory. Had this been a team-based sport, this wouldn’t have been possible, but it wasn’t. No matter which team won, someone had to be crowned the victor. The champion.
It just so happened that my opponent was the one person who knew me better than anyb
ody, and the only person who actually had a chance of winning against me. Lucas didn’t underestimate me. I could see it in his green eyes as I watched him now.
His shirt was off, and his muscles looked tight. Already sweating, his skin gleamed and you could see the defined ridges of his abs. He had complete focus on sparring, but I was sure he knew I was watching.
I turned away to stretch. The cheering of the crowd was deafening. Thousands of Supernaturals had come to see who would win. On the second floor, there were balconies where only members of the Council and their friends sat. Every seat was filled.
Someone told Coach Avery that it was time. Standing, I blocked out the noise and walked toward my coach, awaiting whatever advice he had to give.
“I don’t know what to tell either of you. This has never happened before. No matter who wins and loses in that ring, I’m proud of both of you and how far you’ve come, and I’m proud to be your coach.” His words were touching but lost effect when a buzzer rang to hurry us along. “Good luck, both of you.”
Lucas and I turned away, getting into the ring for the last time this year. How fitting that both my first and last fight of the year were with him, my best friend.
“I haven’t actually fought you in almost a year. I hope you’re ready.”
“You’re a sophomore, girl, what makes you think I’ll lose so easily? I’m a year older than you and twice as big.”
I laughed. We both knew that meant nothing with me. “Remember that when you’re looking up at me from the mat,” I called across the ring.
“We’ll see about that,” he said in a teasing voice, turning to wrap his hands.
This was it. Boxing was the only thing I was passionate about. I didn’t know what I would do in the future, but right now this was what kept me going. My earlier fights had left me feeling rejuvenating and in control. I had the killing gene locked down. He would walk away when this was done, and nothing would change. We would not change.
The crowd went silent as an announcer came on to introduce us one last time. I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. A buzzer sounded, and they snapped open.
Good timing too, because Lucas had already crossed the space and thrown a punch at me, which I narrowly dodged. We continued to exchange punches for what seemed like hours, but neither of us could get a leg up. After the last year of training together, we knew each other’s moves as well as our own. We were equals, and whoever won this fight wasn’t necessarily better. Just the one who didn’t make a mistake first. It would be me.
As time went on, I noticed that he was falling back on his only flaw: telepathy. It was his gift and his curse; that much we had in common. His eyes started to glaze over, and he was losing focus. He was intent on not only winning this, but also getting in my head.
How many times do I have to tell him?
Not this time. We were in the middle of the most important fight of the year.
I would wait until he was completely under before striking. I had to do something different. He knew my usual targets: face, throat, gut. I needed a different target, one that was unexpected but could take him down.
Then it hit me, and I knew exactly what to do. Without wasting any more time, I put my plan into action. I stepped in closer to him and—for a fraction of a second—dropped all my shields as I aimed for his face. His eyes narrowed, and he went to block my hand. While he was focusing on the expected, I threw my shields back up and changed direction, right into his sternum. As my fist made contact, the urge to hurl hit me; he’d punched me in the stomach. Before the pain could consume me, I managed to put everything I had into that one punch.
He stared, eyes open, as he fell. I was clutching my stomach as if it would hold back the unbearable pain. Around me, the crowd erupted into applause. I looked down at Lucas. He wasn’t moving. How could that be? Shock filled me, and I dropped to my knees next to him.
“Lucas,” I managed to say despite the throbbing.
He didn’t respond and his face was starting to turn blue.
“Lucas.” I hit him in the arm, but there was no reaction.
“Lucas,” I yelled and slapped him in the face. His eyes were vacant, wide and staring, unseeing.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “No. No. Not you too.”
Others were entering the ring now, and I tried one last time, slamming my hand down on his chest. I opened my mouth to call for help, but he jerked. He blinked once, and there was recognition in his eyes when he looked at me. He sucked in a breath of air and slowly exhaled. He was all right. I hadn’t killed him.
I took a deep breath and sank onto the floor. “Are you okay?” I whispered.
“Fine,” he grunted, sitting up.
“Why did you look like you were dead, then?” I stuttered on the word dead.
“You stopped my heart when you punched me, and you started it when you hit me again.” His words were husky, and he was breathing harder than normal.
“Oh . . .” I said, not able to find the words.
“Selena! Ms. Foster!” People were calling as they crowded around me, completely oblivious to what had just happened. I pulled my knees up and wrapped my arms around them. I really did not want to deal with all of this right now.
“Hey, y’all need to leave. You’re not supposed to be up here,” Lucas spoke up, noticing my discomfort.
As the crowd cleared from the ring, others entered, replacing them, and these people couldn’t be sent away.
“Ms. Foster, that was quite a fight. One hour, thirteen minutes, and fifty-two seconds,” Aldric Fortescue said as he approached me with his arrogant granddaughter. He stared at me with peculiar fascination.
“It felt longer,” I said. I was tired, physically and mentally.
This was the Council, and appearance was everything. Despite the nausea and stomach cramps, I got to my feet and faced them like the champion I was.
“I imagine it did. That reminds me.” He looked at Lucas. “How is your . . . ” He motioned to his chest.
“Fine.” Lucas’s voice was deep and unemotional. I could tell he didn’t want to talk about it.
“Good, good . . . ” Aldric murmured. “Well, I just wanted to congratulate you on your victory. We will see you both tomorrow at the awards banquet.” He turned to leave along with Anastasia, who’d stayed unnaturally quiet throughout the conversation.
I glanced over at Lucas, who was looking away, and sighed.
“You used telepathy to beat me,” he said. I was expecting that.
“Yes.”
“I knew you would do that. That’s why I hit you in the stomach. I just didn’t expect to have the wind knocked out of me.” He chuckled, and his deep voice rumbled around me.
“What’s funny?”
“You. You beguile me. You fascinate me. You’re beautiful, and yet you have a brain. You’re not afraid to think for yourself, and your smart mouth gets you into trouble more often than not. You’re not a stupid teenage girl with her head stuck in the clouds. You see things how they are.” He turned to me, staring into my eyes with such conviction. “There are just so many things about you that you wouldn’t expect. You’re perfect. I don’t know how you do it.” His voice was distant, as if he were talking to himself. He was looking at me in a way that demanded a response. I couldn’t ignore him.
The sincerity behind his statement rocked me to my core. Not because he actually thought this about me, but because he saw what no one else could see. I wouldn’t let them, and yet, he saw it. I’d given him the only thing I had left to give, and he knew it. This moment was so intense and so fleeting. My fight or flight instincts kicked in, but I was done fighting him.
“You’re wrong. I’m far from perfect.” That was all I could say as thoughts of my constant struggle for sanity surfaced . . . and my failing grades, Lily, my parents, the other me . . .
As we stood there in silence, I became aware of my surroundings. The crowd was cheering ecstatically, and reporters were calling out
my name in hopes of getting an interview. Outside the ring, Coach Avery was beaming as he spoke with Aldric. In all this chaos, I was standing silently with Lucas, and the conversation had taken an awkward turn.
“You should go,” he said, motioning to the reporters.
“Yeah . . . ” I walked over to the edge of the ring and ducked under one of the ropes. After slipping through, I jumped off the edge and hit the floor with a thud.
“Selena! Ms. Foster! Could you please answer a few questions?” People shouted to me from across the single rope that separated us.
I looked back at Lucas once before turning to the reporters. He was watching me with his usual mysterious half-smile, and for once, I found myself wondering what he was thinking.
Chapter 49
Today was my last day at the Council, and as beautiful as it was, I hoped not to be back anytime soon. I took my time admiring the garden as I made my way to the Gathering Hall for the ceremony. I strode in through the double doors and was pleasantly surprised that the paparazzi and most of the fans were gone, as was the ring, and everything else boxing-related. Instead, they’d been replaced by the finer things in life—classical musicians, tablecloths, and silver cutlery. There were only a few hundred people here today, and I instantly felt more at ease away from prying eyes.
“Ah, Ms. Foster, just the girl I was looking for. Please, join us.” Mr. Fortescue’s voice was just audible above the music and I turned to the group of people. “Dimitri tells me that you’re moving into an Advanced Battle Simulation class.” I turned and saw that Dimitri was my very own Professor Vonlowsky. I still didn’t know why he was here, but it wasn’t my place to ask.
“Yes, and both her sisters as well. They are all very gifted.” There was a sarcastic note in his voice, but Aldric appeared not to have noticed.
“Really? Is that so? What are their gifts?” he turned to ask me.
“Alexandra’s a fire user, and Lily . . . she was a healer until recently. We’re not entirely sure what she is at the moment.” I didn’t want to go into Lily’s condition. Even thinking of Lily now made me get the feeling like something was going to happen.
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