Coming Together (Tèarmann Chronicles book 6): A Christian Urban Fantasy

by TR Moore Ede

  We all fell silent.

  “Okay.” He opened the door. “Then let’s head down to your examinations.”

  As soon as I passed her, Jessie grabbed onto my arm, a mixture of fear and excitement in her eyes.

  There were two types of tests: one physical and one mental. Inside each were smaller tests of sorts to test our strength, endurance, and ability to think on our feet. There was really nowhere to use my powers, as they would only knock out the person—which I didn’t want to do. Therefore, during the physical, I was left with fighting or dodging, depending on which my situation called for. My training as an agent really came in handy.

  They took us in one at a time, me being one of the first to go. Jessie had a look of concern on her face as I exited the room, panting. “Are you okay?” she whispered, as I plopped down next to her. She handed me a water bottle.

  “Thanks.” I chugged a good amount, then wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “I’m all right. I doubt I can tell you anything, though.”

  “Seer,” Officer Geok called.

  She jumped, glanced at me, then scurried over.

  Stop looking as if he’s your enemy. Straighten your shoulders and show a bit more confidence.

  She shot me a look. Easier said than done. She disappeared into the room.

  Soon after, Jason came out. He barely looked winded, as if ready to go another round. I wondered how much of it was his ability to hide things.

  “Just come back for a walk in the park?” I asked.

  For the first time since we arrived, a smile pulled at his lips. “Something like that.”

  “If you and Ir- Flare don’t pass, I’m going to call fraud.”

  He chuckled. “Or perhaps something from our past is preventing us.”

  “Like what? Oh, right.” I leaned back and let out a long breath. Trauma. Rising to my feet, I began walking across the room.

  “Are you all right?” Officer Geok asked.

  I nodded. “I can’t sit still when my heart’s still pounding.”

  When Jessie came out, her face was shiny with sweat. It was likely from both the physical aspect and the nervousness. She hobbled over to the chair and plopped down. It looked pretty typical for her after training sessions, just more stressed.

  “Still alive?” I asked, leaning over her.

  She shot me a glare. She took a few gulps of water, then exhaled a long breath.

  “So?”

  “I think I did okay,” she mumbled.

  I rubbed her head. “I’m sure you did fine.” I glanced over at Irene and Jason. “Don’t compare yourself to those two. Or me.”

  She wiped some sweat off her forehead. “I’m trying.”

  Victoria was okay when she came out, but Eve and Malissa looked ready to drop to the ground.

  Malissa sunk into her chair, head hung back, panting.

  Officer Geok waited until we had all caught our breaths. “You all did very well.” There was a hint of surprise in his voice. Not that I could entirely blame him. He knew none of our backstories. “Your written tests still need to be evaluated. Take a few minutes to relax, and when we’re done, we’ll let you know how you did.”

  “What about the physical?” Jessie asked, slowly calming her heavy breaths.

  “Also still being evaluated. And you have a visitor,” he said, then disappeared into the next room.

  A second later, Mr. Quinn came in. “How are you all doing?” he asked, pulling up a chair.

  “Exhausted,” Jessie mumbled.

  He chuckled. “Well, I’m glad to see they’re pushing you appropriately.”

  Jessie grunted.

  “They should have pushed Flare and Flame harder,” I said, opening up a new water bottle.

  Jason rolled his eyes.

  “I brought some food,” he said, placing a bag on the table. “Flame, pace yourself.”

  “I’ll try,” Jason said, grabbing an apple out of the bag.

  “But will you?” Irene mumbled.

  He said nothing, eating the apple in a few bites.

  About a half an hour later, Officer Geok returned.

  “How did they do?” Mr. Quinn asked, rising from his chair.

  Officer Geok studied the paper. “They all passed and can move forward.”

  Jessie covered her mouth with both hands, a small squeal escaping her lips. Her face turned red when everyone turned to her. She shrunk down.

  A smile pulled at Officer Geok’s lips. “I’m happy to see you’re excited.”

  She gave a shy smile, then hugged me.

  I patted her head, trying to contain my own enthusiasm.

  “Well done,” Mr. Quinn said.

  “Unless you need another moment, we should get into some more of the details,” Officer Geok said.

  “We can assume who is just fine and dandy to get started,” I said, glancing at Irene and Jason, who was on his second or third apple.

  He just stared at me for a long moment as he polished it off. “Perhaps.”

  “How do you eat so much?” Irene mumbled, facepalming.

  Officer Geok seemed amused at the siblings. “Well then, let’s head back. And yes, Flame, the food may come.”

  Jason just nodded.

  We followed him to the meeting room.

  For the next week and a bit, we went through some intense drills. Thanks to my agent training I was able to take in the information well, but there were some days when I came home with my head spinning and my muscles aching.

  We learned a lot of what we could and could not do, although it was mentioned that the chance of us being without an officer nearby was slim, if not nonexistent.

  At the end of training, we had our test, or more accurately, our exam. We all sat at a table with a chair between us. “No peeking until I say start, and no cheating. Seer, Aim, I’m going to trust that you won’t be talking in your minds.”

  “Yes sir,” I said.

  He placed the papers on the table. “When you’re done, bring it forward and you can move on the next part of the test. If you’re ahead of someone, no hints. There is a time limit, but I’m confident you should all finish before then. All right? Three, two, one, go.”

  The soft swish of everyone turning over their papers met my ears. I took in a couple deep breaths to calm my nerves, then began writing down my answers. As expected, I had moments where my mind would go blank. To combat that for time’s sake, I’d move onto the next question and get back to it.

  When I finished, I stood up and headed to the front of the room and handed it to Officer Geok.

  He took it with a nod. “An officer is outside the door to direct you.”

  “Thanks.” I turned and headed in that direction. I shook my arms, trying to rid myself from the nervous jitters that could cause me to mess up.

  The next set of evaluations were mostly filled with testing our different reflexes and thinking on our feet. At some points a couple of us worked together, reinforcing the element of being a team.

  In the back of my head at times, I could almost hear Jessie’s heavy breathing and slight panic as she was still working on thinking on her feet. Bending forward in my seat, I clasped my hands together taking deep breaths. I had gone before her, not that I believed I was done, and had bits of adrenaline running through my system. As her panic pulled at my protective strings, I reminded myself that she was only going through testing and was completely safe.

  During a few of these small breaks I would panic a little, wondering if I had answered or performed in the correct manner. I rested my head back.

  “Don’t think about it too much,” Irene said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

  I forced a weak smile.

  I was so happy when the test ended.

  Officer Kegan—who we had grown accustomed to seeing—walked in, Jessie next to her.

  Her shoulders were stiff as she came over and sat beside me. “I’m not sure I passed,” she mumbled.

  I patted her leg. You were a
ble to become an agent, so I have no doubt you’re able to pass this.

  She said nothing and hugged herself. “Well, it’s over anyway.”

  Grabbing a water bottle, I held it to her.

  “Thanks,” she whispered, unscrewing the cap.

  I glanced up at Officer Kegan. “Do you have the test results?”

  She shook her head. “Not yet. Officer Rasper will be here soon to take you to his house.”

  My shoulders drooped. “But we’re finding out today, right?”

  “I’m not sure. We still have our actual jobs to do,” she said.

  I nodded. “Yes ma’am.”

  “Sit tight, he should be here soon.” She smiled, then left.

  I stared at the door, then glanced at the others. “Another walk, Flame?”

  “I’ve been training to think on my feet longer than you’ve been alive,” he mumbled, just loud enough for us to hear.

  “Not in that way, though,” Irene said before holding a bottle of water to her lips. She took a few gulps then set it down. “It was more survival, not protecting others.”

  “I guess,” he said with a shrug.

  “You guys were together for so little a time,” Victoria said, her head rested back, eyes closed. She peeked open an eye. “Wave? Sapphire? Are you both doing all right?”

  “Just tired,” Malissa whispered, opening a bottle of water. Instead of drinking, she used her power to shoot a mist at herself. “Ahhh.”

  “Sapphire?”

  Eve stared off. “Some of it reminds me of home. My older brother was very concerned about keeping me safe, especially after …” She bit her lip. “Never mind.”

  “After what?” Victoria asked, sitting up.

  “I got in a bit of danger. Just because we’re a small group of people doesn’t mean everyone likes that my dad is on the throne. After I was safely rescued, my brother was set on making sure no one would hurt me again. Part of that was making sure I could protect myself. Better than him being stuck by my side twenty-four seven. I love him, but not that much, especially when he’s being protective.” She yawned. “I’m ready for a long nap.”

  “I think we all are,” Malissa mumbled, resting her head on Victoria’s shoulder.

  “Not yet. We still need to get to Officer Rasper’s house,” Victoria said, bouncing her shoulder up and down.

  Malissa moaned and sat up. “You’re mean.”

  “I can see it in your eyes, you would have fallen asleep. You were always first to fall asleep at our sleepovers, and you had that exact same look,” she said, pressing her finger between Malissa’s eyes.

  Malissa pushed her hand away and leaned back in her seat.

  A few minutes later, an officer popped in to say that Mr. Quinn was there to pick us up.

  Chapter 12

  After a quick greeting, we were driven to Mr. Quinn’s house. The ride there, and even entering the house, was quiet. We were all still in our uniforms.

  Mr. Quinn ensured we all had a glass of water and snacks, then left to do something.

  Jason was the first to grab an apple and began crunching on it.

  “How are you still eating?” Victoria asked.

  “He eats when he’s stressed,” Irene said, pulling off her mask.

  Victoria laughed. “He eats all the time.”

  Jason shrugged his shoulders.

  “Some of the tests were hard,” Jessie whispered, pulling out her ponytail. “I don’t know if I always made the right choice.”

  “They just wanted you to do your best,” Irene said. “Besides, they will be the ones making most of the decisions.”

  I rubbed Jessie’s head. “You went through these sorts of tests at the Agency so you could do missions.”

  “Mmm.” She bent forward, her elbows rested on her legs. “I know, but I was more excited about this.”

  “Either way, Jessie, I think most of us are in the same boat,” Malissa said. She shook her hands. “Ohh gosh.”

  “Get those jitters out,” Victoria said, shaking her. “The tests are over, and there’s nothing you can do to sway the results.”

  She covered her face with both hands, letting out a slow long breath. “I’m surprised I got this far.”

  Victoria patted her back. “You’ve been working hard since before you heard about this team.”

  “I wanted to be able to come to the surface. Joshua wouldn’t have let me otherwise.”

  Eve leaned her head back. “I would be willing to do that again instead of some of my classes back home.”

  “I wish Zack was here,” Malissa mumbled. A smile pulled at her lips. “He could always lighten the mood.”

  “Lighter. Sure. Because I would get him to stop embarrassing us all,” Victoria mumbled. She set her cup on the coffee table in front of her.

  “I agree with Victoria,” Irene said.

  I snickered.

  Over an hour later, Mr. Quinn appeared in the doorway.

  “Do you have the results?” I asked before he could take three steps in.

  He chuckled. “Impatient, are we?”

  “It’s been over an hour,” I said, resting my elbow on the armrest.

  “I do,” he said, a smile pulling at his lips.

  Perhaps he only paused for a minute, but that was too long for me. “Well?”

  “Don’t make him draw it out,” Jessie mumbled, shaking me.

  He stared at the two of us. “Are you sure you’re ready, Jessica?”

  “Read his mind and tell me,” I said, looking at Jessie. “Before I try to grab the papers out of his hands.”

  Mr. Quinn threw his head back and laughed.

  “No offense, but you will have to get through me,” Jason said.

  Jessie grabbed the back of my collar. “Just shush, and let him tell us the answer.”

  I grunted.

  “Have we all calmed down?” Mr. Quinn asked, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.

  I pursed my lips and waited.

  Mr. Quinn waited to see if anyone else was going to have an outburst. “Congratulations, you all passed.”

  Jessie clamped her hands over her mouth when she let out a little squeal.

  Malissa covered her giant smile with both hands.

  The excitement was evident throughout the room. Even Jason and Irene looked pleased.

  “I didn’t think I would pass,” Eve whispered, almost vibrating.

  Victoria patted her shoulder, trying to hold back her own giant smile.

  Reaching over, Jessie began to squeeze the life out of me.

  I decided, what the heck, and squeezed her back, not entirely sure what to do with the nervous energy pulsing through my veins.

  “And that’s starting to hurt,” Jessie mumbled, patting my arm. “Stop, please.”

  I chuckled and let her go. “Goodness,” I mumbled, shaking my hands.

  Mr. Quinn chuckled as he handed me a piece of paper. “Here’s your evaluation.”

  “Thanks,” I said, taking it. I studied it for a long moment, searching for the section of things where the critiques were.

  “You all did very well. Both Officer Geok and Kegan were impressed,” he said.

  “I don’t think they thought any of us could do it,” Irene said, glancing up from looking at her test.

  “I’m sure they’ve changed their minds about you two after your first evaluation,” Victoria mumbled, elbow rested on the armrest.

  Irene rolled her eyes and said nothing, likely not wanting to engage in a pointless argument.

  “And as you have all passed, you have earned these,” he said, handing us each a belt with our name tag attached. They were slightly different to what a police officer had. I thought it was wise to have the small difference as we weren’t official members of the force.

  The belts were blacks with a number of pouches. Inside was a badge, also similar but not exactly like a real officer’s, and clearly stating that we were volunteers. We also found our earpieces and voice ch
angers. Other pouches held a small first aid kit, pens, a notepad, sewing kit, and a cord to change our earpiece.

  As an agent, I was accustomed to having one in, but this was different. It was the color of my skin and a lot more discreet. I examined it for a long moment, then turned it on and slid it into my ear. As expected, it wasn’t the most comfortable but was manageable. Picking up my voice changer, I stared at it. Well, I assumed that’s what it was. “Voice changer?” I asked Eve, holding it up.

  She looked up and nodded. “It's not very comfortable,” she warned before demonstrating how to put it in. She cringed, then smacked her lips. She shook her head. “I don’t like the taste. And yes, it was assured that it’s fine to have these in.”

  My eyebrows inched up the slightest bit. Her voice did change enough that if she approached me from behind, I wouldn't have known it was her.

  My eyes shifted to the voice changer in my hand. I didn’t really want to put it in. After a long sigh, I opened my mouth and stuck it in. I winced when I pushed it in harder than perhaps I should have, resulting in my gum bleeding a little. “You made that look easy.”

  “Sorry. It should slide in when you get it in the right place.”

  I nodded, rubbing my jaw. With a long sigh, I tried again, being more careful when I put it in. Thankfully, I managed to get it in properly that time. “Okay-” I shut my mouth, hand flying to my throat. Great, now my voice sounded weird to me. And I already didn’t like to listen to recordings of myself. Obviously, it didn’t sound the same, but it may as well have judging by my reaction. I shook my head. “No, I don’t like that.” I reacted like nails on a chalkboard.

  “You’ll get used to it,” Eve said, sliding her earpiece in.

  “Hopefully, quickly,” I mumbled. “One thing's for sure, this will probably help me get over my aversion to hearing recordings of my voice.”

  A smile pulled at Eve’s lips.

  Victoria rubbed the outside of her jaw, seeming to be mentally preparing herself to hear her new voice. “We …” She sighed, shaking her head. “We’ll see what this does to Zack’s voice.”