by Caleb Karger
My attention diverted to the dummy next to mine. It had been ripped through by a dozen stars in a single throw. I grumbled as I saw Wolf was the only other person at the table. However, his stack of throwing stars sat untouched.
Wolf drew back like he was going to throw a star, but there was nothing in his hand. By the time he released, water had gathered together in midair and froze into the shape of a star. The ice star went whizzing into the dummy, lopping off its arm.
Wolf was like me in the fact that he couldn’t generate water from his hands. Granted, it didn’t shoot out of his eyes the way my fire did, but he could use the water in the air and the area around him. I had to admit it; ice throwing stars were impressive. I tried to think of how I could do something similar.
I grabbed a twig from the ground. My hand filled with heat and the twig caught fire. Using the twig like a wand, I waved it towards the dummy. Three small fireballs flew through the air. I concentrated on them, willing them to change shape. The fireballs turned into throwing stars made out of a lava-like substance.
When they hit the dummy, they looked like glowing, orange potato cake splatters. The heat swelling off of them made the dummy catch fire. Hot Stuff immediately threw a bucket of water onto it before the whole field caught fire.
I tried to do it again only to find the fire had died because the twig had turned to ashes. Frowning, I brushed my hands off. I would need something more durable.
I went to the rack of swords. Some were straight blades, and others were curved. I liked the curving ones most. None of them were fancy like Katherine’s. I wondered if you had to be a commander to get a cool one like hers.
I unsheathed a sword and felt the heat swirling in my palm. My glove glowed like a light had been turned on inside of it. Blue flames burst from the handle and danced up the blade. There was nothing on the sword to burn and sustain the fire; it was by my will alone that kept the flames from dying. The fabric on the hilt burned away, and the blade glowed white from the heat.
I gave the sword a test swing before moving away from the rack and the rest of my teammates. When I swiped at the air again, the fire on the blade looked like a bubble wand giving birth to a massive bubble; only it was made of blue fire instead of soap. The fireball went soaring through the air, harmlessly dying in the sky. I jabbed the blade forward like I was stabbing someone and the fire extended outward in a pillar.
I filled up with satisfaction. It was easier to use the sword as a source of fire instead of creating flames with my eyes. Plus, I didn’t go blind so that I wouldn’t be vulnerable in a fight.
I heard a dripping noise and looked at the sword. It had been so superheated it was melting, it pooled into a glowing puddle at my feet. I killed the flames, and my shoulders fell in defeat.
“You’re going to need a tougher sword,” Katherine said, coming up behind me.
“Where am I supposed to find one?”
“I’ll look into it,” she said. “Until then…keep the flaming swords to a minimum.” She winked at me and went to help someone calling her name.
Chapter 15
The Final Test
T he middle of summer made its presence known by creating a record-breaking heat wave. Every day the temperature had been above a hundred degrees. It made trying to train outside impossible. Everyone moved sluggishly as they drowned in perspiration.
There wasn’t much safety in the house, either. The sun cooked the walls until the inside was warm and toasty. Katherine couldn’t keep the thermostat low all of the time or the air conditioner would freeze over and then there would be no cold air at all. The team hid in any dark corner they could find. Curtains were drawn over the windows to keep the light out.
On top of the unbearable weather was the fact that we were in our last week of training. Katherine no longer instructed us at night or ran through fighting stances with us during the day. We were left to our own devices.
We fell apart under the stress. Long gone were the days where laughter echoed around the house. No one spoke unless it was to speculate about what would be on the test. Mostly everyone stayed locked up in their rooms buried in their notes. The pressure had even gotten to Castile, who I thought was immune to any emotion other than confidence. I caught him sitting in the gym breaking bricks on his forehead repeatedly.
I had never been good at trying to study for a test. For two days, I tried to make sense of the notes I had. I struggled to get through the flashcards Hot Stuff had given me. Whenever I tried to read more than one sentence, the words would blur, and I’d sit there thinking about anything else.
I moved on to trying to study with Lily. Her notes were easier to read, but trying to remember anything made my brain tired. Whenever she saw me zoning out, she’d slap the back of my head. I quickly gave up that option.
I knew I wouldn’t be prepared if I didn’t study, but I couldn’t focus. I wandered through the house looking for something to distract me. No matter where I went everyone’s anxiety tainted the air. I decided I’d rather brave the outdoors than be locked up inside.
The moment I opened the door, I was struck by a wall of heat. It weighed me down as if I were wearing a hundred wool blankets and it only became worse once I stepped into the sunlight. I thought with my fireproof ability that maybe I was immune to getting hot. I guess it just meant that the heat never got to the point that it hurt. So, I could still feel overheated and miserable.
I crossed the field behind the house. After going a mile, the grass was longer and wilder. A couple of trees offered a moment of relief from the sun. By the time I reached the lake, the sky was a burnt orange, and the sun was a yellow blob hovering over the mountains.
Gnats and mosquitoes were buzzing around in circles. They ignored me as I passed. I pulled my mask off and crouched down by the edge of the lake. I cupped my hands in the murky water. I took a drink and noticed it had an earthy taste to it. Before I would’ve been afraid of the consequences of drinking unclean water, but I knew I’d be okay now.
Suddenly, the smell of fresh pine trees replaced the smell of the lake. “Shouldn’t your nose be buried in a book?” Katherine said.
I heated my hands up to dry them and stood up. “I tried that. It didn’t go so well.”
She gave me an iffy look, then two boulders burst out of the ground, and she took a seat on one. “So what’s your plan for tomorrow then?”
“I figured I would kind of go with it.”
She didn’t look too thrilled by my plan. “And you think you’ll pass if you do that?”
I sat down across from her. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to make it,” I said. “Of course, it won’t hurt to be friends with the kind and brilliant test administrator.”
She tried not to smile. “I don’t know about that part.”
I ran a finger over the rough surface of my boulder/chair. “What would happen if I did fail?”
She sighed. Apparently, she didn’t want to think about that. “I would send you to the Unnamed Division. They’d probably make use of your power in the forge,” she said.
“So is that where all the rejects go?”
She gave me a scolding look. “It’s not the reject division, and it would be the second-best place for you to go.”
“Why is that?”
“For starters, you couldn’t pass the exams for the Science Division—” I opened my mouth to protest, “—you barely pass the quizzes I give you. You’re a sorry liar, so Preservation wouldn’t take you. And the Black Guard is invitation only. But this better be for the sake of curiosity. You aren’t planning on failing, right?”
“Of course not,” I said as assuredly as I could, but I couldn’t hide the sliver of doubt that I felt. Before she could lecture me, I changed the subject. “Do you think everyone will pass?”
She folded her arms. “I think so, but I’m not sure everyone should be on the team.”
“What do you mean?”
She turned to watch the sparkling water. The last rays of sunlight
filled her eyes, electrifying the green in them. “I’m torn about Lily. With her gifts, she could do a lot of good in Preservation. Timing is everything there. When they chase the wrong leads, things like bombings happen. She’d be able to know for sure which plans were real and which were fake.”
My shoulders fell. “I guess that’s a good thing, but I’d be disappointed if she wasn’t with us.”
“She’s not happy about the idea, either.” She held out her hand, and a smooth stone floated into the air. With a flick of her wrist, she sent it skipping across the water. “My mother used to say that we rarely get to do everything we want in this world. Lily might have to grin and bear it.”
“So you’ve already decided?”
“No, I suppose I’m waiting to…see how things work out.”
I hesitated to ask my next question. I wasn’t sure if this was the time or the place to bring it up. I gulped and dared to speak. “You know, you don’t talk about your family very often. I mean, I get why.” I remembered the painful feelings and images that had hit me when she’d shared her memories with me. “But, I’m curious about them.”
“Of course you are,” she whispered. Her body didn’t become rigid, and her eyes didn’t lose all emotion the way they did when she threw up her protective wall. “What do you want to know?”
I couldn’t speak for a minute because I was surprised she was actually going to answer my questions. “What were they like? Where did you grow up?”
“Well, I grew up in Vancouver—”
“Wait, Canada’s Vancouver?”
“Yeah.”
My jaw dropped. “You’re Canadian?”
“Yes.”
“Why don’t you say ‘about’ like ‘aboot’?” I asked.
She laughed. “I traveled a lot, so I lost the accent."
“Do you like donuts and hockey?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m starting to regret telling you this,” she said. “Besides, who doesn’t like donuts and hockey?”
“What else?”
“I have an older sister, Lauren. She was an overachiever, popular, a star athlete, and always knew the right thing to wear. My dad worked in construction, and my mom was a teacher,” she said. “My mom and I were the odd ones in the family because we preferred to be curled up in a corner with a book rather than socializing. We used to spend a lot of time together…I miss her.” She shrugged. “She wasn’t the kind of mom that believed she knew every answer, but that was the best thing about her. She was open minded and accepting. She was unbelievably proud of me.”
“What about your dad?”
She frowned. “My dad had certain expectations for his kids. My sister had no problem fitting into his molds. She was sensitive, beautiful, and obsessed with boys. I wasn’t anything like what my dad wanted. He wanted me to be fragile and gullible. It got to the point where he just ignored who I was and pretended I was who he wanted me to be.
“For my birthday one year, I had asked for a telescope and gardening tools. My dad got me a dollhouse and a dress covered in so many frills it was impossible to walk in. He never supported my interests; he thought I was weird. He encouraged it when my sister tormented me. She always asked why I wanted to be ugly and boring. She told me I’d end up alone because no one would want a geek,” she said.
“I’m sorry…”
“People say your family is supposed to love you unconditionally, but when you’re not what they expect they just tolerate you because they have to.” Anger gathered into her eyes. “I’m a horrible person. I wish almost every day that I could go back to that night and trade the lives of my sister and my dad for my mom. I’d do anything to have her back. I don’t understand why I had to lose her, you know?”
“It’s hard when your loved ones don’t understand you,” I said. “People need to let go of their expectations and just let others be themselves.”
“Yeah, it’s gotten a lot better since those days, but we’re not there yet,” she said. The dismal gray cloud that hung over her head a moment ago slowly evaporated. “Come on. We should go inside. Maybe then, you’ll at least attempt to try to be prepared for tomorrow.”
On top of being nervous, I didn’t get any quality rest that night. In my dream, I’d overslept and had to run to school. I’d been in such a rush I didn’t realize I’d forgotten to get dressed. I ran into the gym naked. Ninja filled the bleachers. Katherine got out of the stands, tapped her watch, and said, “You’re too late, you failed.”
Knock. Knock.
“Huh?!” I jolted awake. I’d fallen asleep at my desk. A page from my notebook stuck to my cheek. I peeled it off of me and rubbed my eyes. My back cracked as I sat up and stretched. Outside, the morning was in full swing. I found my mask and put it on just as the door cracked open.
Hot Stuff came in. “You up?”
I yawned. “Sort of.”
“Well, it’s time to get going.” She backed out of the room but stopped halfway. “Good luck, mate.”
“Thanks.”
The team gathered in the living room. A fish bowl filled with envelopes was sitting on the coffee table. I wondered what that had to do with our tests. Then Katherine held the bowl up to everyone so they could take an envelope. I dug around the inside for a minute to be sure I pulled something good.
“Inside your envelope, you’ll find a time and a task. Complete the task, and you pass your test,” Katherine said as she set the empty bowl down. “Even though I’ve arranged each of the situations, I want to be clear that the dangers you’ll face are real. I’ve set the tasks for different times so that I will be available during each test to make sure nothing goes wrong. Go ahead and see what you pulled.”
I tore the envelope. There was a small piece of paper inside that read: AIRPORT. TAKE THE 2:30 FLIGHT TO WASHINGTON. ENSURE EVERY PASSENGER SURVIVES. I swallowed. I knew my task wasn’t going to be simple. It didn’t say make sure the passengers arrived; it said “survive” for a reason.
Kavi was the first to be tested. He left with Katherine. I watched from a window as her red car disappeared down the road. The rest of us had time to kill. I didn’t like going first, but it was better than waiting around.
The others struggled to stay occupied. Wolf peeled a carrot, but he’d gotten past the skin fifty slices ago. Lily buried her nose in a book about boats. I wondered if that’s where she was going to be tested. Spaz tried to play video games; only his character kept dying because he was zoning out.
I found a quiet spot on the balcony and tried to remember what Katherine taught us about airplanes. I thought about all of the things that could go wrong. Then I tried to work through each situation in my mind. Every scenario I imagined would be difficult to handle, and what if I hadn’t thought of everything? All of my mental preparation would be useless.
I went to my room, found a backpack, and filled it with clothes. I had to appear like I was going on a trip. I went online and purchased a ticket. I must of have looked up how to survive a plane crash a dozen times before I went and sat on the front steps. My foot tapped the ground repeatedly. I kept checking the time, hoping it would go by fast and yet slowly at the same time.
Finally, it was time to go. I had to run through the wilderness to get to the nearest town, but it felt good to speed through the woods at eighty miles an hour. Running pushed out all of my jitters. Although, a few times I tripped on a rock or a fallen branch and tumbled fifty feet before getting up.
When I got close to the town, I removed my mask, and my uniform disappeared. I was left wearing shorts and a T-shirt. I brushed off the pine needles and moss I’d collected on my falls. I wandered out of the trees and onto the town streets. I did my best to appear to have been a guy out hiking.
A bus took me into the city, and from the bus station, I called a taxi to take me to the airport. I wanted to be able to run the entire way, but that might’ve raised too many unwanted questions. An hour later, I was able to spot my destination.
The airport was
out in the middle of nowhere. Only fields and farms surrounded it. It was a massive structure of gleaming glass with a roof that looked like the tops of a dozen white tents. I could see planes coming and going.
The taxi pulled into the unloading zone. I grabbed my bag from the trunk and headed inside. I reached into my pocket to double check that my mask was with me. A few security guards watched me carefully. I smiled and waved at them to help ease their suspicion.
I’d only flown once before, and it was to visit my grandma in Florida, but I didn’t remember security being so extensive when I was a kid. I had to remove my shoes, any metal items, and empty my pockets.
I wasn’t sure what to do about my mask, but I was running out of time to come up with an idea. The people behind me were getting agitated as they waited for me. I scrunched up my mask so no one would be able to see the symbol on it and stuck it in the plastic bin next to my shoes. I practically ran through the metal detector then waited on the other side for my bin.
The woman watching the x-ray machine shook her head and took my bin out of the line. Worry gripped my chest. She seized my mask, turned it about, but couldn’t make sense of it. She called someone else over to inspect it. They looked back and forth from the mask to me. This isn’t good, I thought.
“Sir, can you explain what this is?” the woman asked.
“Oh, it’s just a face warmer,” I said.
“Is there any metal in this? It keeps setting the detector off.”
The machine must’ve been sensing the billions of nanotech in the mask. “Yeah, it’s got some kind of heating device in it. Perfectly harmless, though.”
They looked unsure about giving the mask back, but I snatched it before they could change their minds. I stuffed it gratefully into my pocket. I looked around to see I had caused a scene. I took my things and walked away in a hurry.
As I waited to board the plane, I studied the other passengers. There were a lot of people traveling for business judging by their clothes, a couple of families, and tourists; no one shady or out of the ordinary, but looks could be deceiving. Katherine had been drilling that into our minds the past few weeks.