20
Willow
“I don’t know if I can do this every day. Two hours of exercise…ugh,” said Paige. The mentors had left them to eat lunch in the dining hall, warning them that they had only fifteen minutes before the next round of training.
“That’s why everyone looks so fit. They’re all goddamn gym bunnies,” grumbled Isobel.
Gabriel smiled. “You guys will be okay.”
Isobel rolled her eyes. “Yeah easy for you to say. We’re not all former basketball stars.” She was quiet for a moment before adding, “But as much as I hate exercise, I’m looking less forward to this afternoon.” Her brows creased in a worried frown as she nervously twisted her blue hair. “I haven’t been able to show them my ability yet. What if I can’t do it again?”
The others gave her words of comfort and encouragement, but Willow remained silent. Although making others sick would be a terrible gift to have, Willow hoped Isobel could soon prove herself to be Starborn. For all their brothers in arms crap, The Order of Orion lunatics were decidedly medieval in their rules of ordinaries not knowing about their existence.
“What do you think we’re doing this afternoon?” asked Tyler. “More magic tricks?”
They all laughed nervously and began speculating. Privately, Willow wondered if she and Lucas would test emotions on each other and fervently hoped not. After last night there was intensity between them, a connection that wound her tight. It wasn’t just from their passionate kiss in the lab, although that had certainly been replaying in her mind. It was him sharing his past, stripping himself bare. Although he refused to acknowledge last night’s conversation, her heart ached for him. But she was also wary—she’d lurched from one disaster to another in romantic relationships. As a psychologist she knew she had plenty of emotional baggage; an alcoholic mother, absentee father, an abusive stepfather, and the welfare system. It all contributed to the fortress she kept around her heart. Childhood guilt about Eve was a self-imposed barrier too. Until she found her sister and put things right, she couldn’t think of opening up, couldn’t think of her own happiness.
Not that happiness was the main feeling she experienced around Lucas. It was raw lust. Overpowering, leg-shaking lust. An enigma with dark, brooding looks, he was exactly what she didn’t need. Too bad her body disagreed every time he touched her. Never before had she felt such a temptation to give herself over to physical desire. She didn’t need to add emotional footsie to the list of things to worry about.
Isobel nodded toward the entrance of the dining hall. “Look out, here come our mentors.”
They were separated into their houses of ability for the afternoon training session. Willow and Lucas met with another group of Starborn in a room even more richly decorated than the library. Thick beige carpet lined the floor, and rich fabrics of red, orange and brown decorated the room. It was a shock to the senses after the Sanctuary’s endless white. A woman and man sitting on two comfortable sofas rose to greet them with warm smiles.
“Willow, this is Jamie and Niesha,” said Lucas. “They’ve volunteered to help with your training. Jamie belongs to the Marsa house, while Niesha is with Luna. They can’t block your emotional telepathy because their abilities are on different metaphysical planes.”
“This is going to be fun. We’ve never had an emotional telepath here before,” said Niesha, her brown eyes shining. Young and pretty, her black hair was braided in elaborate cornrows. “Usually we help out with mental telepaths and do games of mind reading. But they can’t make us feel and do things.”
Jamie, who looked like a skater, even wearing the regulation black uniform, chimed in excitedly, “Yeah, we heard all about Kiara’s freak-out in your audit and Granger’s cry baby performance. Sounds cool.” Like Niesha, he seemed happy and confident, giving Willow some measure of comfort and hope for her Queensgate friends.
The next few hours were spent in uncomfortable intimacy as Lucas relentlessly put Willow through her paces. With Niesha and Jamie’s permission, he searched through their memories associated with powerful emotions. He replayed the memories in their minds as though they were experiencing it in the present. A screen was used to separate Willow from them so she couldn’t use their body language to help detect their emotions. Positive emotions were easy, but as Niesha and Jamie began to experience more destructive ones, Willow instinctively shut down.
After she failed a few times to connect to their auras, Lucas knelt beside her and rested his hand above her heart. “You must trust in yourself. When you probe another’s aura you must give yourself over, allow yourself to be open. It is the curse of being Mercuria Starborn—activating our ability requires sacrifice on our behalf.”
Her heart beat wildly at his touch and his words. After that, she tried harder, and did better.
But when she detected raw terror in Niesha, Willow stopped. “This is crazy! Why are you doing this?” she called out.
Niesha was silent for a few moments and Willow sensed her aura slowly change from fear to calm. The screen was thrust aside and Niesha gave a broad smile. “We must help each other. It’s the only way we can live as Starborn. If we didn’t help each other, we’d be alone and lost.” Niesha glanced at Lucas who wrote notes on a clipboard. “Lucas showed us that when Jamie and I were just kids.”
Willow stilled. “You knew Lucas when you were a child?”
“Yeah, I arrived here when I was thirteen. Lucas always helps out in the teen wing of the Sanctuary when he’s not out on missions. He taught me self-defense. Jamie too.” She dropped her voice to an excited whisper. “He hasn’t mentored a neophyte for years. It’s exciting.”
“I’m pretty sure he’s being made to do it,” said Willow wryly.
“But I’ve never seen him so...animated...and so intense,” said Niesha, giving her a conspiratorial wink.
Willow glanced at Lucas. He gave no indication that he was listening; his expression impassive as he finished taking notes of their experiments.
Heat spread across her cheeks.
Niesha gave a knowing smile before embracing Willow in a hug. “That was fun, Willow. See you tomorrow.” Jamie and Niesha waved goodbye and left her alone with Lucas.
“They seem like lovely kids,” she said awkwardly.
He didn’t look up. “Yes.”
“And happy.”
“Yes.”
He was back to his less chatty self now they no longer had an audience, and she wondered if it had to do with last night. A few times today she had tried to sneak a look at his aura, but his shield was always held tightly in place.
“When do you and I go at it?” she asked, and then wanted to kick herself at his surprised look.
An image of their mind-blowing kiss popped into her brain. “Er, I mean when do I test out my emotions on you? Today was pretty easy. Don’t you want to push me so I can do this ascension thing?”
His beautiful green eyes narrowed. “All in good time. This week we work with Starborn from the other houses to build your skill and consistency.”
“But I want to be able to block other Mercurians.” Frustration dug at her. “I don’t want them messing with my mind.”
His expression softened slightly. “Next week we’ll train with Mercurians. You may want to run before you can walk, but it is best to do as previous generations have done before us.”
“Did you follow your mentor so meekly?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
“No.”
She resisted pulling a face as they left the training room.
The next few days of the induction process were emotionally and physically grueling. To motivate herself she thought of Eve, thought of the end goal of finding her. Lucas telling her that the research team had still found nothing didn’t stop her hoping. Didn’t stop her dreaming. Didn’t stop her trying. Each day she pushed herself to learn more, to grow stronger. And each night she collapsed into bed exhausted and fell asleep within minutes.
At first she had
little energy to worry about the ongoing tension humming between her and Lucas. But as the days passed, she tried to peek at his aura when he was preoccupied or busy, hoping to get a clue about his feelings. She got nothing. He was supportive and encouraging of her training efforts, but always kept himself closed and distant. So instead she focused on adapting to the strict training regime. Free to use her ability, encouraged even, to test its limits, she experienced a sense of freedom and acceptance she had never felt before. Niesha and Jamie encouraged and applauded her efforts as she continued to use them as test subjects. When they finished their last exercise and it was time for them to return to their usual duties, Willow was genuinely sad to say goodbye.
The other neophytes made progress of varying degrees. All were coached in mindfulness breathing to reduce their fear of their ability, and instead embrace it. Willow enjoyed hearing their triumphs and failures each evening in the dining hall. Gabriel learned to consistently move inanimate things at will, and one night at dinner had delighted in moving the salt and pepper shakers to everyone’s amusement. Willow had thought it hilarious and surreal. Even other Starborn had smiled indulgently at their table. Tyler, a Jupita Starborn, had been able to manipulate wind with amazing results. But perhaps the most satisfying was Paige. She had battled her fear and was now able to start tiny flames at will, though she was still yet to extinguish them. Isobel was finally able to demonstrate her ability but her mood deteriorated rather than improved as training progressed. Her mentor had taught her to kill a moth mid-flight, but she had been unable to heal it and make it fly again and this tormented the blue-haired goth. Willow had tried to offer her as much support as she could at the end of each day, but Isobel withdrew as she battled with her own feelings about her ability.
On the seventh day of induction, Willow felt nervous. Lucas had brought her to the opulent training room to begin her training with Mercurians. Now, as she waited on a plush sofa she tried to appear relaxed and confident. Her smile slipped when Serena walked through the door. A man in his mid-twenties with scruffy brown hair followed closely behind.
Lucas, who had been standing to the side, stepped forward and greeted them with handshakes.
“Lucas, you know Tristan,” said Serena.
Lucas acknowledged the younger male. “Tristan. This is Willow.”
When she shook Tristan’s offered hand, she was met with a feeling of warmth and openness and realized with a start his emotional aura wasn’t blocked from her.
His kind eyes twinkled when she showed her surprise. “Pleased to meet you, Willow.”
Serena gestured to the young man. “Tristan has recently finished his one year internship with The Order. He’s chosen to stay in the Sanctuary for the time being and help where needed.”
Serena was matter of fact in her manner and Willow couldn’t detect any hostility from her about the lab incident. Still, Willow couldn’t help but be on guard. Serena motioned for her and Tristan to sit on one sofa, while she sat on the other and waited for Lucas to join her. Willow smiled broadly at Tristan all the while looking out of the corner of her eye to watch Lucas take a seat next to Serena. She told herself to pay attention to what Tristan was saying, but instead her entire attention focused on Serena shuffling a little across the sofa to sit next to Lucas, thigh to thigh. And then Willow was paying attention to how Lucas wasn’t shuffling away. A curl of jealously formed in the pit of her stomach and her smile grew broader. She nodded to Tristan agreeing to something she had no idea about.
Serena interrupted her scattered thoughts. “Willow, each day for the next seven days you’ll practice using your ability, but also your shield. Your shield will help give you privacy around other Mercurian Starborn as well as protect you from those who would wish you harm.”
“So you won’t be able to mindfuck me again, you mean?” said Willow, ignoring Tristan’s guffaws.
“Ah, so spirited! And yes. A strong defensive shield will protect you from the incursions of other Mercurians.”
Willow heard her words, but she couldn’t see Serena or the room. Instead she stood alone in a vast desert of dark yellow sand. Wind howled and whipped around her, blowing the sand sharply into her face. Willow covered her nose and mouth with one hand while she used the other to protect her eyes. Her heart beat frantically as the air thickened with the approach of a sandstorm. “No!” she mouthed to the howling wind and coughed as she inhaled the tiny granules. She shook her head, knowing it wasn’t real, but compelled to respond to the imagined threat.
Suddenly the storm dissipated and Serena and the others appeared back in the room. Willow’s throat felt dry and she accepted the water Serena offered her. She drank it thirstily and tried to regain her mental composure. She looked at Serena directly in the eyes. “Fuck you.”
“Willow,” Lucas admonished. “Serena’s only trying to demonstrate to you the power of Mercurian abilities.”
“Yeah, well, someone should change the orientation manual. I’m pretty sure she could be showing me something more pleasant than what she’s been giving me.”
And then Willow was pulled under again into another vision of Serena’s. This time she stood facing a bed, and in that bed lay a large naked male partially covered by white cotton sheets. No! Again Willow tried to call out but it made no difference. She could see his short dark hair, his tanned broad shoulders. He moved and the sheet slid down to expose the length of his back. Seeing the scars again, after knowing why they were inflicted made them somehow worse, if that was possible. He moved again, this time to roll over. Lucas lifted his arm and covered his eyes as though he was trying to block out something from his dreams. His muscles bunched and then smoothed out again and Willow couldn’t help but take her fill of his hard-bodied physique.
At the periphery of her mind, she knew Serena was messing with her, but she was powerless to stop her body from becoming aroused at his nakedness in body but also in spirit; his true self exposed during sleep was mesmerizing.
“How was that Willow? Any better?” Willow saw Serena’s amused expression as the real world came into focus.
“Yes, thank you, Serena. Much better,” ground out Willow, unwilling to go another round.
The rest of the afternoon was more rewarding. Serena taught her about the different Mercurian abilities and their corresponding psychic grid patterns. She had shown Willow how to better sense telepathic wavetones and how to detect cracks in the shields Mercurian Starborn put up to protect their thoughts and emotions.
Tristan and Serena allowed her to breach their defenses. First with wide open access and then with tiny cracks that required her to furrow down. Tristan’s emotions were all positive—she experienced his joy, his contentment, and even his excitement.
All Serena’s emotions focused on lust. Lust toward one man. Her fierce desire radiated hot and pulsing toward Lucas. He sat, seemingly unaware of the byplay occurring between the two women, and focused only on Willow—coaching her on how to penetrate their shields. When the Mercurians put up their shields at full capacity, Willow had some luck with breaching Tristan, but Serena was in another league. Serena manipulated and challenged her relentlessly throughout the session, and Willow felt like a puppet with little control.
Later, sitting with a beer cradled in her hands, Willow sat with Lucas in the living room of his quarters. Rather than crashing into bed like she had done the previous few days, she’d felt strangely energized and had been reluctant to turn in straight away. Lucas had suggested a drink and she readily agreed.
During the training session, Willow had noticed Serena’s gaze snaking toward Lucas at every spare moment. Although it annoyed her, she understood Serena’s attraction to Lucas. Everything about him screamed hot masculine sexuality. Now back in his quarters, she stole a quick glance at him sitting across the dining table. Her breath caught as she took in his broad shoulders accentuated by his regulation black T-shirt.
Irrationally, she hated the thought that Serena may have run her hands acro
ss his body, may have touched his scars…touched his heart.
“When did you and Serena date?” she asked, using her best casual voice.
He jumped in his seat. “What?”
“You and Serena?” Willow looked over at him under her lashes, embarrassed to have asked the question, but needing to know the answer.
“When I was her mentor.”
“She’s the only neophyte you’ve ever mentored?”
“Yes. We were in our mid-twenties. She came into her ability late and I had been with the military team for a number of years.” When Willow didn’t say anything, he added in a soft voice. “It was expected.”
“What do you mean expected?” Annoyingly, her voice sounded too much like she cared.
He hesitated, rubbing his eyes, and then leaning back against the kitchen chair. His voice was gruff as he explained, “Expected. Arranged. The Council prefers Starborn to remain in sanctuaries and find mates within The Order. There are only a few of us. Perhaps eight thousand in the world. The induction and initiation process provides heightened emotions, which some see as an optimal scenario for creating strong bonds between Starborn of the same house.”
His green eyes were intense as he looked across the table at her. “It’s why I’ve avoided mentoring. I’ve no time for Council manipulations into people’s personal lives.”
“Oh, okay then.”
The air was suddenly heavy with tension. When he held her gaze, her heart pounded.
“I’ll choose my own mate.” The huskiness in his voice sent shivers down her spine.
He looked away and Willow was released from his sensual spell. She rushed off to bed and spent the next few hours, and then days, telling herself that she too had no time for Council manipulations or Starborn mating. That he was simply her ticket to increasing her power and finding her sister. Deep down though, she knew she was fooling herself.
Starborn (The Order of Orion Book 1) Page 14