“Yeah.” I propped the oar against the side of the boat and stretched out my enormous legs in front of me. “You and me both.”
“So now that we’ve put some distance between us and them, do you guys mind telling me where we are going?” Tara asked. “Are we still going to your school?”
“Yes,” I confirmed. “It’s a few miles away and we have to continue to cross by boat.”
“Okay,” Tara said and nodded.
I could tell she was trying to get on board with all this information, but I understood the look of feeling overwhelmed that shadowed across her features.
I would be confused and a little cautious if I were her too, heading across the sea with five unfamiliar men that she had barely known an hour. I tried to empathize with her so that I could better tune myself into what she might need from us and what might help her be less guarded. I knew that we would just have to prove ourselves to her over time.
When I peered over at her sitting next to me, I noticed that she was quietly crying.
“Hey?” I asked and placed my hand tenderly on her shoulder. “What’s the matter?”
Tara hastily zoomed her hand up to her cheek and swiftly brushed her tears away. She looked embarrassed. Her cheeks flushed crimson and she stared down at her knees, refusing to meet my gaze.
“I feel so guilty,” she muttered.
“What do you feel guilty about?” I frowned.
“My friend,” she answered.
“Maddie?” I asked.
Tara finally met my gaze. “Yes.”
“Why do you feel guilty?” I pressed, still not fully understanding what she meant. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I left her there in the woods,” Tara blurted out.
“She ran away,” I gently reminded her. “There was nothing we could do at the time. We couldn’t stop her.”
“I know.” Tara sniffed and picked at a little scratch on her left knee. “I just wish that I was heading to the Mutant Academy with her. It’s tearing me apart to not know her whereabouts.”
“We’ll do what we can to find her,” I promised. “We just have to let the dust settle back there.”
“And we’ll need to take the tracker out,” Pete said.
“Good idea,” I told him with a nod of agreement.
Tara let out a long-winded sigh as if the weight of the world was resting on her shoulders. “I guess that takes away some of the problems.”
I gave her an earnest smile. “See? We’re crossing things off of our to-do list already.” I meant it as a lighthearted little joke and was pleased when I noticed Tara give me a tiny smile. I would take it, no matter how fast it faded.
“You’re going to love our school,” I told her. I wanted to change the subject and get her mind off of the discouraging things that were bothering her. I wanted her to feel hopeful about the future.
Tara peered up at me and blinked with those beautiful fiery eyes of hers. “Really?” She appeared to be intrigued.
“Oh, yes.” Liam nodded in agreement. “You’ll have so much fun.”
Tara smiled. “I hope so.” She shifted her weight and cleared her throat as she gazed longingly behind her.
“Hey,” I whispered and touched her cheek. It was unbelievably soft. A tiny wisp of her hair brushed against my fingers. The strands were like silk. My heart began to pound.
Tara gave me a wary look. “What?”
“Don’t look back. Never look back for anything.” It was the best advice I could give her in the moment.
Tara chuckled ironically, but she still had that melancholy sadness in her eyes. “I appreciate your efforts to distract me and make me feel better.”
“Is it working?” I grinned.
“I’m just thankful I’m still alive,” Tara said. “If I’m being honest.”
“I think we all feel that way.” Gabriel laughed.
I continued to study Tara and her features. She was mysterious, yet a ray of bright light at the same time. Her beauty was stunning, and she was strong-willed, a quality I admired in a female Mutant.
I was definitely attracted to her.
“There will always be time later on to go searching for your friend,” I reassured her.
“I know,” she said and propped her elbows on her knees. “It’s too risky to go back now.”
“Yeah.” I nodded and looked at my brother, who appeared to be as sympathetic toward Tara as I was.
“When things quiet down a little and we’re far enough away from the line of fire, we can try it again,” Liam offered.
I glanced over my shoulder. There was still a row of Fundamental Society scientists and their guards on the beach. I couldn’t see their faces because they were too far away at this point, but I knew they felt helpless, which filled me with satisfaction.
I squeezed Tara’s knee reassuringly and was thankful that she didn’t flinch or shy away at my token of affection. Her skin was warm and soft. She was tough on the outside, but she was also feminine. She seemed to be the perfect balance between the two personality traits.
I hadn’t known her for long, but I was already thinking that she was the total package. We were extremely lucky to have found her when we did. I didn’t want to even imagine the fate that might have befallen her if we hadn’t happened to be in the right place at the right time to whisk her away from the dangerous men chasing her.
As if reading my thoughts, she glanced around the group and smiled. “I just want to thank you all so much for taking me with you.”
“We wouldn’t have it any other way,” Jude said in a friendly voice.
“We’ll be at the school before you know it,” I told her. “Once we’re there, the level of security you feel will double. Everything will work out. I promise.”
Tara peered up at me as if she didn’t quite believe me yet, but she was trying her best to convince herself that I was telling the truth.
“Well, I’m looking forward to the new adventure,” she said.
“If there’s one thing I can assure you,” I told her, “it’s that there will be plenty of safe adventures for you to explore.”
She smiled. “Good.”
“And I also wanted you to know, I had trust issues too. I still do. I know what it’s like to keep my guard up and keep others at bay, but I felt that opening myself up those who cared about me was good for my soul.”
“Yeah.” Tara nodded in agreement. “I can see where you’re coming from, I guess.”
I took her hand and gently squeezed it. “I know it will take some time, but I can assure you that we are doing what’s best for you.”
Tara nodded. This time there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes. “I’ll do my best to trust you all wholeheartedly. It’s not like I was doing so well back there on my own.”
I gave her a tender smile. I could live with that for now.
11
Tara
Seagulls cawed a wonderous song as they flew overhead. A gentle breeze flowed through my hair and caused it to brush up against my cheek. I felt a tickling shiver of excitement rush through my body and ripple through my bones.
The sky was gray overhead, but I didn’t feel bleak at all. The overall sense of danger had massively decreased since we had arrived at the school. The guys hadn’t been lying — we had journeyed across the ocean for several miles to get to the Mutant Academy, which they attended. My level of trust for them had substantially increased.
“We’re here.” Pete gave me a handsome smile.
“Wow.” I nodded up at the school. “This place is incredible.” I was in awe of its grandiose perfection.
Jude was docking the boat at the shore and the sound of the water lapping against the wooden dock was lulling. I loved the creaking sound of the dock itself as it shifted and moved against the weight of the boats.
“It’s hard to look at this school and not be drawn into its splendor,” Pete admitted.
I nodded. “You hit that right on the mark.”
The school itself was gallantly perched in the middle of a magnificent island surrounded by immense areas of radiant green grasslands, with slick coal-colored rocks and boulders edging the perimeter of the island itself.
Mutant Academy looked like a collegiate paradise. It was modern with lots of windows that I was sure provided tons of panoramic views and a wealth of natural light. I couldn’t wait to go inside those walls and see what was contained within.
My curiosity was skyrocketing by the second. I was overwhelmed with the exorbitant number of things around to keep my eyes and my mind busy. It was like sensory overload, but in a wonderful sort of way.
I was trying to absorb everything around me, but it was too much to focus on at once.
“You’re in luck,” Pete said with a smile, cutting through my thoughts.
“Huh?” I turned around to look at him.
“We’re just starting our second year here,” he explained and pointed up at the school. “We have loved every minute of it so far.”
I gave him an enthusiastic smile. “That’s a relief.”
He chuckled and cupped his hand over my shoulder. “You’re going to love it, I promise.”
“I’m starting to believe you guys more and more,” I said with a chuckle.
My senses tingled with electric bliss when Pete placed his hand on my shoulder. There was a depth of warmth to his touch that felt like magic against my skin.
I observed Jude as he docked the boat and harnessed it to the anchor with the rope. The muscles in his back and shoulders were pronounced. He was definitely eye candy, but all of these feelings were new to me.
I didn’t know how to process how my mind was working and reacting to these gorgeous guys that were giving me such positive attention. I had no experience with the opposite sex and it was a bit daunting.
At the same time, my stomach flipped with elation every time I looked at them. They seemed passionate about keeping me safe and bringing me into their intellectual world.
“I have never had the opportunity to learn in a structured environment like this,” I admitted somewhat sheepishly, as if somehow that was my own fault.
“That’s about to change.” Pete’s smile was so kind that it made me feel like melting into a puddle right in front of him.
“I’m going to be a first-year, right?” I guessed.
“That’s right.” Jude had finished docking the boat. “We’ll need to go and talk to the headmaster to sort everything out.”
I gave him an uneasy nod. “Sounds good.”
I couldn’t keep up with my rollercoaster of emotions. They were bouncing from awed to confused to attracted to nervous. It was difficult to get on board with their excitement when I couldn’t predict what was going to happen. For the moment, I decided to just be grateful that we were no longer within shooting range of the Fundamental Society.
“This place is impressive,” I said as Gabriel helped me climb out of the boat.
“You haven’t seen anything yet.” Gabriel chuckled. His eyes twinkled as if he felt proud that I was raining down compliments about his beloved school.
“I can’t wait to see the rest,” I admitted.
There was something profound about Gabriel that really drew me to him like a magnet, even though he was the one who had put me under his spell back at the Mutant safe house in the woods.
We exchanged a glance that lasted for several seconds. “You aren’t going to hypnotize me again, are you?”
Gabriel rolled his eyes as if he heard that line a million times a day. “It’s mind control, not hypnotism,” he countered.
“Same thing.” I shrugged.
Gabriel grinned. “Not really.”
I wasn’t sure if we were flirting with each other, but I enjoyed his company. In fact, I enjoyed them all. Even though I didn’t know them very well, they made me feel safe. They had lived up to their promises so far, and I wouldn’t doubt their intentions until they gave me reason to. I hoped it would never come to that.
We walked down the dock to the shore, and eventually reached the lawns that surrounded the school itself. I observed various other Mutants as they went about their routines or enjoyed leisure time on the lawns.
A couple of male Mutants were kicking a soccer ball around. A pair of female Mutants chatted on a blanket while they soaked up the rays of sunlight. A solo girl walked a few feet ahead of us. Her eyes were focused on a tablet in her hands which she was scrolling through.
“They look like they are having fun,” I mentioned to Jude and nudged my chin in the direction of a group of Mutants that were perched under a cluster of beautiful pine trees toward the east end of the island.
“Yeah.” He nodded in agreement.
I didn’t know why I suddenly felt so overcome with emotion. My eyes welled with tears at the instant draw I felt toward the school. I was intoxicated by the allure, but I didn’t know how I was going to overcome the misery of my past to ever function in a normal society like this.
Suddenly, the vivid memory of my mother drowning in that horrible pod surged back into my mind, unwelcome. I wished that the lives of my family members could have been spared too and that they could have seen this place. I gritted my teeth and lifted my chin to the sun. I knew that my mother, father, and brother were here with me in spirit.
The breeze whispered to me and it was their voices that I heard, their gentle coaxing and soothing words of encouragement. They would want me to succeed no matter what. I had to honor their legacy by doing the best I could and keeping the driving force of motivation alive and sparkling in my mind.
I turned my face away from Jude so that he wouldn’t notice that I had been consumed by my own emotional havoc. I wondered if there was even the remote possibility that my brother might be alive and well somewhere out there, and whether I would ever see him again.
It was certainly a hope that I wanted to keep alive and kindled within my heart. The flame wouldn’t die out. Whether he was out there or not, I knew that he would be willing and ready to support me no matter what happened, no matter where the path of life took me.
Then suddenly an exciting thought entered my brain. What if my brother had somehow managed to make it here to the Mutant Academy and was parading around the campus somewhere? It was a dream, a stretch of the imagination. Even still, I kept my hopes up.
I peered up at Pete. “So, can the students just roam freely?” It was a foreign concept that I struggled to understand but found enthralling.
“Yep.” Pete gave me a friendly smile. I loved the way his full lips curled at the edges as if he was always up to something mischievous underneath that studious demeanor of his.
“That’s excellent.” I nodded with a grin. “I don’t even know what I’ll do with myself.”
It was all still a little hard to believe. I felt like I had to pinch myself in order to realize that it wasn’t all just a perfect dream unfolding in the subconscious of my mind.
“Let’s go inside, shall we?” Gabriel’s piercing eyes electrified my senses with a newfound vibrancy that I couldn’t shy away from.
I gave him an eager grin. “Absolutely. I would love to take a tour inside the school.” I was enamored with the prospect and potential that this place had to offer me.
As we walked inside, I looked around with pure awe, feeling dazzled. The hallways were warmly lit, but at the same time, there was a modern, technologically advanced theme going on around the campus.
There were computer and tablet stations everywhere. There were laboratories, but not the kind at the Home Base pods with the Fundamental Society. They were more like experimental classrooms.
There were weight lifting rooms and gymnasiums, workout rooms and martial arts studios. And those were just the physical options. There were also plenty of art choices as well, with studios for painting, pottery, photography, and more. The school had an abundance of different activities to help Mutants thrive.
Opportunity and freedom surroun
ded me, sending me into an infatuated bliss. I was in complete heaven here at the Mutant Academy and I couldn’t wait to become a student.
“Oh, let me introduce you to Dr. Dean,” Liam said with a whimsical smile as we approached a man with a silver buzz cut and boulders for muscles that sat atop his shoulders.
“Dr. Dean?” Liam asked as we walked up to the man from behind.
He spun around and gave us a curious look. “Liam and Nick? Who do we have here?”
I shifted my weight uncomfortably as Dr. Dean sized me up from head to toe. He wasn’t subtle about it either.
“This is Tara,” Liam said.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said and gave the professor a polite nod. I wasn’t sure whether I should attempt to shake his hand, so I just kept mine clamped together at my waist.
“Where did she come from?” Dr. Dean quizzed and focused his attention on the twins.
Nick cleared his throat and scratched the side of his nose. “We rescued her.”
“Rescued her?” Dr. Dean appeared confused. “From where?”
“A Home Base camp,” Liam said.
“Interesting.” Dr. Dean nodded, and his eyes lit up with intrigue.
“Dr. Dean here is one of our defense specialist teachers,” Liam mentioned. “He used to be a brute for the school too.”
“That was in the stone ages.” Dr. Dean chuckled lightheartedly, and I tried to relax a little.
“Anyway,” Liam said and gave his brother an apprehensive glance before turning back to face the professor. “We were hoping to get Tara enrolled as a student.”
“Here at this school?” Dr. Dean’s demeanor instantly shifted, and he pointed to the floor as if he were alarmed at the proposal.
“Well…yes,” Liam said awkwardly.
“Hmmm….” Dr. Dean said, as if he doubted the possibility of me becoming a student.
I stared at him. There was something about the way he was looking at me now that left me a little unnerved. I didn’t appreciate it, although I understood. He didn’t trust me. I could see the flicker of disapproval in his eyes. I would have to prove myself. It was one thing to be brought here as a guest, but it was a whole different ball game if I wanted to enter their elite world.
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