Wendy stumbled to her feet and began to levitate higher. She screamed at me, sending her powers towards me in a random and rapid pattern.
I dodged them, moving closer and closer to her until she was backed into a corner. "That's a cool trick," I said, pointing to her feet. "Too bad I can do it too." I focused my energy on my own body and easily lifted myself off the ground. Sure, it wasn't true levitation, but it freaked her out just the same.
Wendy stammered, her psychic hold was weak.
I grabbed her with the invisible force and shoved her against the plexiglass wall. She fought desperately, but her energy was not strong enough to overpower me. It was almost too easy. I kept her pinned until the buzzer rang. I let go, and she fell to the floor, gasping for air.
"The judges have determined a clear win for Bianca Hernandez, north campus!" The announcer shouted. "Totally unprecedented! A new student!" He jabbered on, but I shut it out.
I walked out of the arena in a sort of daze. That was too easy. When did fighting come so naturally to me? Me! The girl who never even threw a punch in high school. The girl who cried instead of yelled. I was beginning to think that there was more behind my powers than I had been told. There was a reason those Rogues were so obsessed with me, and I was certain it had something to do with this.
#
"You did great today."
I looked up. I hadn't expected Ryland to forgive me for saving his life so quickly. "Thanks," I said and went back to my lunch.
Ryland sat down beside me. "Sorry for how I acted yesterday," He said. "I was just embarrassed that I let myself get tricked by that asshole. If you and Luke hadn't came, I'm sure I'd be wandering the desert right now."
I let out a dry laugh. "Do you know how many times we've had this conversation, Ryland?"
Ryland raised his eyebrows. 'What do you mean?"
"The usual. I do something. You're rude to me. The next day you apologize. Then we're all good for little while until I do something else to piss you off again." I shook my head. "It's exhausting."
Ryland was speechless. Finally, he spoke. "Bianca, you know how much I care about you. I'm just not good at this sort of stuff."
My heart ached for him. "Then stop pushing me away and getting mad at everything, Ryland." I said, looking him in the eye. "I like you too, but I can't deal with this hot and cold."
Ryland nodded somberly. He leaned in and kissed my cheek. "I know. I'll try to do better."
I let the topic drop for now. "So, what happened last night anyway?"
The blond boy groaned and drummed his fingers on the metal table. "That jerk cornered me in the arena and teleported me to the middle of the desert. And well, you know the rest," He said. "He was still unconscious when Luke came back. I said we should leave him but Luke wouldn't. We dropped him back on the campus grounds and that was it."
"Aren't you worried he's going to report you? You'll get expelled. Again."
"No. He won't say a word because he's afraid of getting himself in hot water, too," Ryland answered and took a sip of coffee. "I've decided to let this grudge go, but if he ever comes after me again, it'll be the last time." His blue eyes were hard and dark, burning with anger.
I nodded and looked around the mess hall. Since the gala, students from other campuses seemed to have opened up to one another. I caught a glimpse of Phylicia. She was sitting at the east campus tables and holding hands with Julian. She was glowing with happiness. Fire talent aside, they really did make a cute couple.
Ryland nudged me. “Hey, earth to Bianca.”
I snapped out of my daze. “Whoops, sorry.”
"Luke's final match is today. Are you going to go watch?" Ryland asked.
"What? Already?" I was surprised. "This week is going by so fast."
"Not fast enough," Ryland muttered as a group of students from the west campus walked by. "I'm tired of all the glares. I just want to get back to Detroit."
"Really?" I asked. "But this is your home."
Ryland chuckled and shook his head. "Honestly, Bianca, I'm starting to think my home is wherever you are."
His words warmed me. I looked down at my empty plate and smiled. "I know what you mean. I' so glad that we're here together. I don't know what I'd do without the support of my friends."
"And more than friends," Ryland leaned in and kissed my cheek. "Have I ever told you that you're sexy as hell when you're sparring?"
I blinked in surprise. I had no idea he was in the audience during my match. "No," I said with a shy giggle. "I didn't think I looked very good at all, actually."
"You are," Ryland said earnestly. "You're a badass fighter, even if you don't think so. I'd bet you could totally win your division if you put your mind to it."
I shrugged off the compliment. "Maybe. I guess."
Ryland kissed my cheek and nibbled gently. "Maybe we should go give you some extra training, privately?"
Heat flowed through my body at the thought. "Hm, I would love unwind after that sparring match, if you have any ideas." I tipped my head innocently.
Ryland grinned, lustful fire burning in his eyes. "Come with me." He grabbed my hand and took me away to his dorm room.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I entered the plexiglass room. The crowds were screaming and shouting, eager to see the next round of sparring matches. The box diagonal to me was the main focus, where two telepathic students from the south campus were at each other's throats.
I forced myself not to listen.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the next match will be in square three." The announcer said. "Bianca Hernandez from north campus and Zoe McMahon from north campus."
My stomach dropped as she entered the box. She had a smug look on her face.
"Zoe is the favorite of the telekinetic division this year," The announcer went on and I blocked him out.
"Looks like they thought you'd be able to take me," Zoe said with a grin. "What a mistake. You're that new girl who likes to run with the boys right? What's your name again?"
"Bianca." I said through clenched teeth.
"Oh right, that's it. I forgot." Zoe laughed and flipped her hair over her shoulder.
The buzzer rang out.
"Let's just get this over with," I said and raised my hands.
"I thought you'd never ask." Zoe replied. She clenched her fists at her sides and grabbed me with her energy, tossing me into the air and onto the mat.
I gasped, the air knocked out of my lungs. I looked up at her from where I lay, trying to come to my senses.
"Pathetic," Zoe said. "You're out of your league, girl." With a flick of her wrist she sent me flying against the plexiglass wall.
The crowd cheered and gasped in awe.
This was no good. I was getting my ass kicked. I couldn't end the competition like this. I struggled to my feet and held up my hand to block her telekinetic grasp. She was strong. Her energy surged forward and pushed against my own. It was all I could do to hold her off.
"I'm not playing, Bianca. Can you survive these nine minutes?" Zoe taunted.
I let the tingle at the base of my neck awake and pushed out with my psychic energy. I grabbed for her, but she dodged. We stopped at opposite corners of the box. There was no need for close contact fighting when we could use our minds.
Zoe attacked again with a hair-raising shout.
My feet slid against the mat as I pushed her energy away. I had to think fast. Going against her energy was not going to cut it. I had to be creative. There had to be another way. I paused to think, my fingertips twitching at my sides.
Zoe stopped to catch her breath. She pushed her long hair out of her face and locked eyes with me. "Giving up?"
"Never." I said. Then I had an idea. If there was no way to stop her from attacking me, I'd just have to trap her somehow so she couldn't get to me. I glanced around. There was nothing but plexiglass walls and a cushioned floor for me to use.
Two minutes. I had to survive the next two minutes and hopefully impr
ess the judges enough to make up for the beginning of the match. I used my energy to grasp and pull on the plexiglass wall behind her.
It felt different from the metal I had bent before. It didn't bend to my will as easily. The wall creaked and groaned, pulling against the bolts that held it in place.
Zoe jabbed out at me with her psychic connection, but I managed to dodge. I pulled harder on the wall and a bolt sprung loose. The announcer was jabbering something and the crowd was growing louder. I couldn't focus on them, I had to focus on winning the match.
Zoe heard the second bolt pop and she realized what I was doing. She rushed forward, attempting to claw at my face.
I used a swift right hook and my fist collided into her eye socket. She fell backwards and the plexiglass bent around her, trapping her against the wall. I pushed the plexiglass against her to make sure she couldn't move.
"You fricken bitch!" Zoe shouted. She struggled to squeeze out of the trap and failed.
The buzzer rang again. The match was over.
I let out a sigh and leaned against the wall opposite her. The plexiglass groaned as I pulled it back up enough to let her escape.
Zoe fell to the ground panting. Staff came running in to check on her.
Someone grabbed me and pulled me out of the box. It was Ms. Blackwell. Her expression was cold and unreadable. She dragged me through the crowds. "That was unbelievable, Miss Bianca," She said. “But, I do believe we agreed for you not to attract attention to yourself.”
I couldn't tell if she was angry or proud. Maybe a mix of both?
I struggled to keep up with her as she walked, still gripping my arm tightly.
A staff member of the west campus stopped us at the door. "Stop right there," He said. "Deliberate destruction of academy property is an instant disqualification."
My mouth fell open. "What?"
Ms. Blackwell held up a hand to silence me. "Can we discuss this privately?"
The man hesitated and then nodded.
Ms. Blackwell let go of my arm and turned to me. "Go back to the dorm, I'll deal with this."
I nodded dumbly, watching her walk away. Once she was out of sight, I pushed through the crowd and ran as fast as I could to the dorm.
I threw open the door and ran head first into another student. We both went flying backwards. I groaned. "Sorry," I muttered as I stood up.
"Girl, what the hell is going on?" It was Phylicia. Seeming completely unphased by our collision, she helped me stand back up.
I rubbed my forehead where it had collided with her chin. "The competition," I said.
"Oh was your round today? Oh my god, I'm so sorry I missed it. I was hanging out with, you know." Her voice trailed off.
"It's ok," I said with a shake of my head. "I think I just need to lie down."
"What happened?" Phylicia asked.
"Just got out of hand. Seriously, it's fine," I said.
Phylicia looked me up and down suspiciously. "If you're sure."
"I am. Just need a nap." I tried to make my tone as convincing as possible. "I'll see you at dinner, ok?"
I climbed the stairs without looking back and felt a wave of relief wash over me as I got to our room. I tapped my bracelet against the sensor and the door slid open.
"Hey." A voice stopped me just as I was about to walk in.
I turned around to see a girl with curly platinum blond hair. She was from north campus. I didn't know her name but I knew she hung around with Zoe. Great. "What's up." I tried to keep my voice steady.
"You really screwed up that fight, you know," She said. She was shorter than me. Petite and cute but with a deadly look in her eye and a scowl that ruined her otherwise pretty features. "How could you embarrass our start student like that? Zoe didn't do anything to you."
"I was just sparring!" I protested.
The girl looked me in the eye. "Don't worry, I'll make you pay for what you did." She grinned.
My head started to throb and my psychic energy pulsed down my spine. She was trying to get into my head. I wanted to look away but my body wouldn't listen.
My hands raised on their own and the dorm room shut. She was controlling my body. I couldn't blink or speak.
"I could make you do anything I want," The girl teased in her sickeningly sweet voice. Her curly hair bounced as she walked around me. "I could even make you jump out the window."
I struggled to speak. To say no. To shout for help. Nothing worked. She had complete control over my body.
Just to prove her point she tilted her head to the side and I mirrored her. I felt like a stranger in my own body as she made me turn around in a circle. "No one messes with my friends," She said.
What could I do? I couldn't even blink. My eyes were stinging and tears rolled down my cheeks. I was terrified. How could I get her to let go of my body?
"Hey, what's going on?" Ryland came up behind us. He was panting as if he had run all the way from the main building to find me.
"Nothing." The blond said and cut off our connection. "We were just chatting."
I moaned and fell to the ground.
Ryland dropped to his knees and pulled me close. "Bianca!" He glared at the girl. "What did you do, Clary?"
"Nothing." She giggled and skipped away.
"Clary? Do I know her?" I mumbled.
"She's in my telepathy classes." Ryland scooped me up in his arms and opened the door with my bracelet. He laid me down in bed and wiped the tears from my cheeks. "What happened?" He asked again.
"It was terrible." The fear flooded from my body and more tears flowed from my eyes. He dabbed my face with a tissue. "She had control of my body, Ryland. There was nothing I could do to stop her."
Ryland held me close. "She's a twisted one," He said. "I'm sorry."
"If you hadn't come, I don't know what she would have made me do. She was mad because of my fight with Zoe. I didn't mean to cause trouble. I was just doing by best." I tried to catch my breath as I sobbed.
"It's ok," Ryland said as he rubbed my back. "I won't let that happen again. I can teach you how to defend your mind from people like her. It's not easy, but I'm sure with practice you can do it."
I nodded and rested my head against his shoulder. "They're going to disqualify me for destroying the square." I was quiet for a moment and then chuckled. "God, what a week. I can't wait to go home."
Ryland and I sat in content silence for a while, lost in our own thoughts.
"My last match is this afternoon. Will you still come cheer for me?' He asked after the silence became too heavy.
"Of course," I said. "You know, I think being disqualified is kind of a relief. I wasn't ready for this."
"Yes you were, you did great. It's the academy that has stupid rules." Ryland kissed my forehead. "You're an amazing psychic and I know that you will totally rock at whatever you decide to do with your life. Don't let this place bring you down. Don't worry about the politics. I should have learned that lesson a long time ago." He looked at me and smiled. "You're something special, Bianca. I love you."
#
I chose the best seat for Ryland’s final sparring match. Ryland was facing off against a guy from the south campus. He stared him down like a hungry wolf. He was tense and still, a perfect fighter waiting for the buzzer to ring.
I gnawed on my fingernails. I hated to watch him fight as much as I loved it. He was amazing when he was in the zone. The way he fought was almost beautiful in a way that anyone looking from the outside wouldn't understand.
Ryland hadn't lost a single match. He was a flawless fighting machine. I was in awe of his talents. I bet the west campus was regretting losing him now.
The buzzer rang. Ryland made the first move, lunging forward and lashing out with both fists.
"I wonder what his opponent's talent is." Luke said.
I looked over. "Wouldn't it be telepathy?" I asked.
"Not in the final match. They get matched randomly." He glanced over at me with a teasing grin. "You'
d know that if you hadn't been disqualified."
"Hey!" I poked his shoulder. "Too soon."
"I'm kidding," Luke said with a chuckle. "Your match was fricken awesome. Totally worth getting disqualified, in my humble opinion. The way you bent the plexiglass. Amazing." He shrugged. "Sucks that Ms Blackwell couldn't get them to make an exception. Bet they would if you were from west campus."
"Honestly, I'm fine with that," I said. "Fighting is so not my thing."
"But you're great at it." Luke said with a smile.
I blushed. A gasp from the crowd got my attention back to the match as it unfolded. The small cubes for sparring were cleared away to allow more movement for the main event. Ryland didn't use the space, he kept close to his opponent, locking eyes with him and reading his every move.
"Does that guy know Ryland can read his mind?" I whispered.
"Nope, they go in blind to the match. Neither of them have any idea, unless they've come to watch before. Even then, you never know. A lot people have more than one talent." Luke explained.
I leaned forward to get a better look. So far Ryland's opponent hadn't done anything but block punches. Whatever his talent was, either it was very weak or it was being saved for something big. Based on his status in the finals, I'd bet it was the latter. His opponent was young to be in the finals, about fifteen, which solidified my suspicions that he must be hiding a powerful talent.
Ryland's opponent lashed out with his fists, dodging the attacks as they came. He was avoiding Ryland's eyes to protect him from telepathy.
I tapped my knees. "Come on, show us your power," I whispered. The suspense was killing me. I wanted to know what Ryland was up against.
Suddenly, Ryland was thrown against the wall by an invisible force.
"Telekinesis." Luke and I whispered together and exchanged a look.
"Why did he wait so long to show it?" Luke wondered out loud. "What kind of strategy is that?"
"Whatever it is, it must be good for him to have gotten this far," I said.
"I think Ryland can take some telekinesis after everything he's been through," Luke said and glanced at me. "No offense. It'll just come down to how well the other guy can keep his mental blocks up."
Psychic Lies: An Urban Fantasy Academy Romance (Psychic Academy Book 2) Page 12