Chosen_Book One

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Chosen_Book One Page 8

by Rebecca Thomas

Lily chuckled. “What do you want to talk about?”

  “When did you find out that you had abilities?” Hallie asked her as she grabbed a couple of gummy snakes and settled back into her spot.

  “It was when I was five. My parents were called into see my teacher because they thought I was gifted and talented. It turned out that what I was doing was hearing the teacher say the answers in her head and then I wrote them down or spoke them out loud.”

  “I bet you wigged out some of the kids,” Hallie smirked mischievously.

  “Bullies certainly didn’t bother me after I figured out how to control what I was hearing and seeing. I remember there was a kid in my Year 5 class that tried to steal my lunch from me. I’m ashamed to say that I threatened to tell the class about his love of Barbies, something I would never do now. It made him stop.”

  “Go little Lily,” Kiara laughed.

  “Don’t be ashamed, girl, you did what you had to,” Hallie agreed.

  “Okay, okay,” Lily giggled.

  “What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever heard anyone think?” Kiara asked, curling her leg up and then propping her chin on top of her knee.

  “Oh, you wouldn’t believe the things that go through some people’s heads. Just the other day I heard someone wondering what to dress their pet snake up in for its second birthday.”

  Kiara and Hallie looked at each other and burst out laughing.

  “No way!” Hallie said, almost choking.

  “Way. I had to duck down behind the counter for a minute to calm down before I could let them buy their healing bracelet and candles.”

  Kiara was flat out crying at this point, which was setting the other two off.

  “Did they make a decision?” Hallie asked between bursts of hysterics.

  “No, but they were leaning towards a top hat and bow tie.”

  This did nothing to stop the cackling that was coming from the other end of the sofa. Kiara was laughing so hard that she had to hold her stomach.

  “It hurts… so much…”

  Hallie patted her on the arm comfortingly, even though she was still chuckling. “There, there, it’s okay.”

  “You’re not helping!!”

  Lily covered her face with a cushion to stop herself from falling apart over Kiara’s shriek, but it didn’t work.

  It took them a little to calm down because they kept setting each other off again. All they had to do was catch another’s eye or remember the image of the snake in the top hat and they started the loop over.

  “Oh my gosh,” Hallie said when they finally managed to get it down to wheezing and coughing.

  “I’m sorry,” Kiara breathed, still clutching her chest.

  “I can’t remember the last time I laughed that hard,” Lily admitted.

  Hallie couldn’t either. She and Kiara used to get into giggle fits all the time, but life had snuck up on them and stolen away some of their joy with that prophecy.

  “Maybe we should ask questions that are a bit more serious,” Hallie suggested.

  It didn’t take Kiara too long to come up with one. “What was your favourite thing about my Dad?”

  “Ooh, that’s a tough one,” Lily said, although she looked like she was glad to get

  a break from all the laughter.

  “Too much to choose from?” Hallie asked.

  “Yes, but also, I was still only a teenager when he died, so I didn’t get to know him as an adult. That would have added a whole different dynamic to our relationship. I used to love that he didn’t treat me differently. My parents started walking on eggshells around me once they found out what I could do with my mind. He took it completely in his stride. In fact, he loved letting me put images in his head of the stories that we made up together. He was really great big brother.”

  Lily sighed. “I know that I shouldn’t, because he did so much good, but sometimes I wish that he hadn’t become a Chosen and that he was still around. The good that he could have done over an entire lifetime might not have measured up, but at least he wouldn’t have missed everything.”

  “I used to wish that he wasn’t really dead and that one day he would walk through the front door, sweep me up in his arms and tell me that it had all been a bad dream,” Kiara said. “I still do sometimes.”

  Hallie looked at them both sympathetically. “My parents were better apart, so I can’t really join in on this whole wishing thing.”

  “Don’t you wish your parents had been better together?” Lily asked.

  “Not really. I sort of preferred them apart, rather than together, because then I got to spend time with and know them each individually. Also, if my Dad had lived with us my whole life then Will would have missed out on having him around more and I wouldn’t have wanted to take that away from him.”

  “Have you still not heard anything from him?” Kiara squeezed Hallie’s hand.

  “Nope, not a word. I wish he would just give me one quick call, let me know he’s okay… Ha! There, I have a wish too.”

  Kiara snorted softly. “I know I’ve said this a million times already, but I’m sure that he’ll show up when he’s ready.”

  “I sure hope so,” Hallie agreed. “Now, shall we actually do something other than sit here, gab and occasionally have a fit of hysterics?”

  “Board game?” Lily suggested.

  “It has to be Game of Life or I’m out,” Kiara said.

  “It’s so she can marry me for the 50-something-th time. And she always wins.”

  “But it’s a game of luck?” Lily said confused.

  “Don’t look at me,” Hallie shrugged.

  “Just break out the box and let’s play!” Kiara grinned.

  Chapter Eleven

  Caleb was exhausted. A combination of his visit to the Citadel and all the essay marking he was having to catch up on had wiped him out. The latter had ended up being a mindless reprieve from the guilt, which had been amplified by his trip to Europe to be berated by the council. Ezra had already expressed most of his anger at the hospital, so he was on the defensive on Caleb’s behalf to make sure that the Elders decided not to do anything rash. Caleb’s job was spared, but they were going to be keeping a close eye on him for a while. He had to earn back their trust.

  Once they had decided on their judgment, Caleb had been allowed to go straight back to London, but he decided not to go directly there. Instead, he took the long way back, driving through Switzerland and France before taking the channel tunnel to England. The time behind the wheel was worth it as it allowed him to clear his head of some of the negative thoughts, which helped him to start planning how he was going to approach training Kiara when she was well enough.

  Supportive but firm seemed like the right stance, but he would have to adapt as they went along, as he did with all his Chosen.

  Caleb gently tossed the last marked paper onto the nearby coffee table and let out a sigh. Thankfully, someone else was down to mark his student’s exams, so he wouldn’t have to do another huge pile of paperwork for a while. He could focus on more important things and return to the job he really loved, starting the following day.

  He considered going to straight to bed, but his laptop pinged with an email and he realised he had forgotten to check his inbox in a couple of days.

  From: Mee.lau68

  To: cal-iforniadreaming

  Date: Sunday, April 22, 2018 at 9:42 PM

  Subject: Hello?

  Nephew,

  I have not heard from you in a while, so I’m writing to check in. Is everything going well with the job in London? How are your students? Do you think you’ll be staying on after this year?

  Not a lot has been happening here, except those frat boys got kicked out of the house down the street, at last! Also, my petunias are growing well this year. I have attached a picture, so you can see for yourself.

  Hope to hear from you soon,

  Love from your Aunty

  PS: Have you found a nice girl yet?

  Caleb
smiled a little as he finished reading the email, then chuckled when he discovered that she’d forgotten to attach the photo. He’d tried to teach her how to use the computer properly a few times now, with little success. At least she could send emails, that was much easier than talking to her on the phone. Instead of replying right away, he decided to look through the other emails first.

  From: kikikikiiiii

  To: cal-iforniadreaming

  Date: Saturday, April 21, 2018 at 11:23 PM

  Subject: :)

  Hey!

  Just making sure that you haven’t been buried under a landslide of essays.

  You’ll be happy to know that I got a 74 on my project. I’d say that it was mostly because of your help, but I think there were some pity marks thrown in because I looked like I had been hit by a bus :P

  I’m looking forward to training on Monday. I can’t wait to start doing good things and helping people. It’ll be like being a social worker, like I originally planned, except I can also lay someone out.

  Anyway, I hope you’re not still beating yourself up too much and I’ll see you Monday afternoon.

  Kiara

  From: byanyothername

  To: cal-iforniadreaming

  Date: Saturday, April 21, 2018 at 8:01 AM

  Subject: Help!

  I’m having the girls over tomorrow for a food and movie night and I have no idea what food to buy!

  Also, hi :)

  Lily x

  Oops, it was a bit late to reply to that one. Hopefully Lily figured out that she should buy everything in the supermarket. Hallie would eat it all without breaking a sweat.

  When Caleb saw the last email, he almost didn’t open it, but then he reminded himself that he was supposed to be building trust, not being a chicken shit.

  From: e.mahmid

  To: cal-iforniadreaming

  Date: Friday, April 20, 2018 at 12:12 PM

  Subject: [No Subject]

  Caleb,

  I know that you’re planning to start Kiara’s training in the next couple of days and I wanted to wish you good luck. However terrible the bridge event may have been, it is not bad enough to break with tradition.

  Keep me updated with your progress as often as possible.

  E.

  Well, that wasn’t so bad. Caleb knew that Master Mahmid and the other Elders wouldn’t go easy on him, but it was good to know that he hadn’t ruined his relationship with his mentor to the point where they lost all civility. Maybe, given time, he would see that more generous side of him again. The mere thought of it helped to send him straight to sleep for the first time in weeks.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Whoa, this place is cool.”

  When Kiara had turned up at the address Caleb had given her, she had been surprised to find that it was some run-down building in the middle of Battersea. For a Guardian safe house and training area, she had expected something a little fancier. However, when she pushed the fire exit open and made her way inside, it was like a completely different place. Sort of like stepping into the TARDIS, but without it being bigger on the inside.

  The interior was seriously swish; bright and airy, with all the latest technology. There was a corridor off one end of the big training room, which she assumed was the ‘safe house’ part, for whenever Chosen and their Guardians needed to lay low in London. Apparently, there was no one staying there right now, so they had the place all to themselves. This was good, because Kiara was sure she was going to make an absolute fool of herself.

  “That’s what all the new Chosen say,” Caleb smirked, beckoning her over.

  She had dressed in her gym clothes, like he requested. He stressed that she needed to be able to move and be comfortable because they were going to be spending a lot of time getting her up to speed.

  “Dump your bag over there and we’ll get started. I’ll show you where the kitchen and stuff are later when we take a break,” he said.

  “Okay, cool,” she smiled, jogging over to the corner he pointed to in order to offload her stuff, then zipped back over to him.

  “Am I right in thinking that you’ve had no other fight training?” he asked.

  “Apart from a judo lesson I took at school which ended horribly, you’re right, no training whatsoever.”

  “Good, that means we’re starting with a blank slate. Sometimes it can help Chosen if they know how to fight, other times it can hinder them because it makes it harder to learn how to use their gifts.”

  “I get gifts out of this? Dang, why didn’t you tell me sooner?” she grinned.

  Caleb snorted and shook his head. “Have you always been this cheeky?”

  “Yes, but usually only with Hallie. Now that we’ve been through a life or death scenario together, I think I can extend it to you as well.”

  “Consider me honoured.”

  Kiara was glad that she had decided to forgive him for the lies that he told, she would have missed out on having a friend for a teacher and that would have sucked.

  “Where do we start?” she asked.

  “We’re going to start with some basics here on the mats. If you can get the hang of those, then maybe we can move onto something more complicated.”

  “Sounds good to me,” she smiled.

  Caleb took her gently by the arm and guided her into the middle of the square set of gray mats laid out on the floor.

  “Place your feet a foot or so apart, find a stance where you feel comfortable and stable,” he told her.

  Kiara followed his instructions, planting herself properly before looking back at him for the next step.

  “You good?”

  “Yeah, now what?”

  “Now look over there,” he told her, nodding over towards the gym equipment that was lined up against the wall to her right.

  As she was turning her head, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him move, but didn’t realise what he was doing until it was too late. One moment she was standing and the next she was flat on her back with an amused Caleb standing over her.

  “Hey!” she said indignantly. “That’s not fair.”

  “No, it’s not, but it’s sort of a rite of passage for Chosen. What did you learn?”

  “Not to let my guard down,” she sighed.

  “Exactly,” he said as he stuck his hand out to help her back onto her feet.

  Kiara took it, surprised at how easily he pulled her up. She wasn’t sure why, based on how he dived into a river, completely unphased, from a bank that had to be at least fifteen feet high. If she thought about it, there had barely been any splash.

  “How long have you been doing this for again?”

  “10 years now,” he said. “A year of training, then three Chosen. None of them had as long as you have to get this right.”

  “Well then, I’d better do them proud,” she said with a determined nod.

  Caleb looked pleased that was the attitude she decided to take. Despite her moments of worry and doubt, she wanted to make what time she had left as meaningful and as good as she possibly could, just like her Dad had done.

  “Okay, your second lesson for today is that I can teach you everything you need to know about fighting, but it will do very little if you don’t use it in tandem with your abilities,” he said.

  “What abilities?”

  “Chosen gain heightened senses, quicker reflexes and become sturdier than the average human being when they are given their prophecy. You won’t have noticed this in the last few weeks because you haven’t been shown how to hone those abilities.”

  “Cool. How exactly do I hone them?”

  “Focus.”

  “You make it sound simple, but it’s not, is it?” she said, crossing her arms.

  Caleb immediately pushed them back down again.

  “You have to be able to clear everything else out of your head, like you would if you were practicing meditation,” he explained.

  “So, just empty my mind?”

  “Yup.”


  “Can I close my eyes?” she asked.

  “For now, yes. Obviously, you can’t do that in the middle of a fight.”

  “Obviously.”

  Pressing her eyes shut, Kiara kept her hands hanging loosely at her sides and tried to push all the thoughts floating around in there out of her head. Nothing about her butt still throbbing from where she hit the floor, or what they were going to be having for dinner tonight at Hallie’s, or whether the weather was going to be good tomorrow. All of it had to go in order for her mind to be quiet.

  “Ready?” Caleb asked.

  Kiara nodded rather than say anything.

  There was quiet for a few moments, then Caleb said, “What am I doing?”

  His voice was much further away than it was before, she hadn’t heard him move.

  “I’m not sure…” she said, trying not to let her confusion cloud her empty head.

  “Focus harder. Listen.”

  Kiara had to really think about reaching out to wherever he was in the room, listening out for any small sound, however quiet. It took her a little while, but eventually she heard something.

  “Are you… playing with my bottle of water?” She could swear that she could hear the quiet sloshing of liquid moving back and forth.

  “Open your eyes,” he said.

  When she did, she had to turn all the way round to find him over in the far corner, turning her bottle of water over and over in his hands. He was smiling.

  “Well done,” he said. “Now, catch.”

  Quick as a flash, he used a strong arm to lob the bottle like a rugby ball across the length of the room. Her first instinct was to panic, but that wasn’t what he wanted her to do. She was supposed to be focusing.

  Kiara followed the bottle with her eyes, letting her instincts take over. As she gave into them, it was like she was seeing what was happening in slow motion. Without even thinking about it, her hands went up and the bottle of water landed square in the middle of them. She didn’t even stumble at the force of its impact.

 

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