Another woman appeared, drawing fluid from a bottle into a syringe.
She tried to scream but couldn't make a sound.
She heard Shade’s voice. “It's okay, Cassie, I promise. Calm down. No one will hurt you.”
She felt a sharp sting in her arm. The voices distorted, like faint echoes in a cave, but she heard Ms. Klein instruct Shade to stay with her. Then everything went black.
*****
When she woke again, Cassie recognized the voices in her room as Shade and Ms. Klein.
“It was a typical example of Shine-baiting,” Shade said. “They were goading her to Shine and threatening to hurt her if she didn't. But they wound up hurting her anyway.”
“This is exactly what I was afraid of,” Ms. Klein answered. “That's why I sent you looking for her.”
“Wish we'd found her before those goons.”
“Me too. Shine-baiting continues to escalate. No one fears repercussions.”
“Those men will think twice before they try anything again.”
“I'd like to think so, but I'm not sure.”
“I wish someone here had healing powers.”
“That would be useful. But I’ve only heard of one Shine with a power like that, and I don’t know where to find her.”
She opened her eyes, careful not to struggle this time lest the woman with the syringe reappeared.
Shade noticed her first. "Hey, girl! Cassie’s awake."
She stared at Ms. Klein.
"Shade, you have no idea who this woman is," she said. Her tongue felt thick, her lips stiff. "We're all in danger. Ms. Klein wants to eradicate Shines."
"No, you don’t understand. She founded Shine Your Light to help Shines."
"She works with the SSS. She's in charge at St. Augustine's. She tortures Shines. Why do you think I had to escape?” Her voice rose with each accusation no matter how she struggled to remain calm.
"I do work with the SSS.” Ms. Klein rolled a chair beside the bed and lowered herself into it. "And I do oversee St. Augustine's. But I assure you I never tortured anyone."
"It's just a front, Cassie.” Shade had such compassion in her eyes. How infuriating to think that compassion was being taken advantage of.
She turned back to Ms. Klein, remembering the evil she'd seen in those blue eyes. She shook her head.
"No. No way. She's playing all of you here, luring you into her control so she can turn you over to the SSS."
"I know what it must have looked like, but believe me, that's not the case."
Ms. Klein attempted to rest a hand on her arm. She shook it off.
"You told my counselor you had special therapy for the stubborn ones."
"Yes. I recognized your strength and wanted to bring you here. The way you resist and buck authority—you're perfect for Shine Your Light."
"We only bring the strongest here," Shade explained.
She wanted to believe them. But how could she?
"That can't be true. I'm not strong at all. My Shine is worthless."
She flinched as Ms. Klein threw her head back and cackled like the menacing woman she remembered.
"You broke out of a high-security facility before I could arrange a cover to transfer you."
"And she sent us to find you," Shade said. "She was afraid something would happen."
"And it did. Because I'm not strong at all. It took the three of you to save me."
"Only because you were outnumbered."
"You'll get stronger," Ms. Klein said. "You just need training. We'll help you hone your Shine, focus and control it, learn to magnify the powers you've been given. No Shine is worthless."
A seed of doubt sprouted. Was she completely wrong about Kimberly Klein? Then she remembered the helplessness of being locked in a cell, the screams of the other girls as they were dragged away, the look on Ms. Klein's face in the newscast.
"No, thank you. I'll take my chances elsewhere."
Shade's eyes bulged. "You can't be serious. It's not safe for Shines on the street. You know that better than most girls. Ms. Klein will help you if you let her."
"There's the stubbornness I recognized at St. Augustine's," Ms. Klein said, laughing softly. "She's had a difficult day, Shade. Her response is understandable. We'll get you started as soon as possible in your new classes, Cassie. You'll benefit greatly from Acclimation and Reintegration, which happens to be taught by yours truly. Shine Self-Defense and Expanding Your Shine are mandatory for everyone. You can choose the remainder of your schedule yourself."
She scowled. "I said no thank you. I'm not interested in a school run by you any more than I was interested in a prison run by you."
The smile on Ms. Klein's lips drooped. Her eyebrows pinched together above her icy blue eyes. "You're tired. You aren't thinking clearly. We'll let you rest for now. But remember this: You will stay here and you will attend classes. It’s for your own well-being. You'll have to trust me. You have no other choice.”
Ms. Klein turned away. “Let's go, Shade. Lunch is almost over."
Shade gave her a sad smile before following Ms. Klein from the room.
She didn't care what that woman said. She may be stuck here, and they might force her to attend classes. But she would never, never trust Ms. Klein.
CHAPTER 9
Cassie watched as the woman she presumed was a nurse unwound layer after layer of white bandages from her hand. She braced herself for the hideous, blistered mess she expected to see. They must be administering strong pain meds considering that she still felt no pain. Or perhaps Cain applied her anesthetizing Shine. She hadn’t seen the girl recently, but maybe she’d slipped in while she slept. She had no feeling in the hand. Surely something was numbing it.
Winter sat with her. She was glad for the company.
“You might want to look away,” the nurse suggested, pausing before unwrapping the last layers of gauze.
She turned her head. Perhaps she shouldn’t see what that monster had done to her. The hand was numb from drugs or Shine, she assured herself. Feeling would return after it healed. Of course it would. She couldn’t let herself believe the damage was so severe that this numbness was permanent.
Winter took her unharmed hand and squeezed gently. “Does it hurt terribly?”
“No, it doesn’t. I feel like it should, but I guess the medication is working.”
Winter cocked her head as if trying to figure something out. “But, they haven’t—”
“Good morning.” Ms. Klein’s voice filled the room as she strode toward the bed. “How are you today? Did you sleep well?”
“Fine. And yes.” She glared at the woman, distrust percolating through her. What else could she say? For now she was stuck here.
She noticed Ms. Klein’s eyes following the nurse’s actions. The two women exchanged a look, communicating something she couldn’t understand. Aside from slight pressure, however, she still felt nothing in her hand.
“What in the world?” Winter sat forward, staring at the wounded hand.
“Winter.” Ms. Klein shook her head, her piercing eyes quieting Winter with a glance.
What did they see? She started to look, but Ms. Klein’s voice commanded her attention.
“Cassie, how high would you rate your pain this morning on a scale of one to ten? One would be mild discomfort and ten would be excruciating, unbearable pain.”
“Zero,” she answered. “I don’t have any pain.”
Ms. Klein shifted to the other side of the bed.
“What about now?”
She shook her head. “I feel some pressure but no pain.”
“Can you make a fist for me, please?”
Her brow furrowed as she focused on the empty place that should be her hand, willing her fingers to curl into a ball. Was anything happening? She couldn’t tell. She felt nothing. Her eyes strayed to her hand, unable to avoid looking at it any longer.
She expected red burns, blistered flesh, blackened char. Anything but what she
actually saw. The gray, ashen hand appeared lifeless, dead. No wonder she couldn’t sense or control it—the limp thing looked like it belonged on a corpse or Frankenstein’s monster. But there it was at the end of her arm.
A jolt of fear coursed through her brain. Her hand was dead. It must be. What would become of it? Would it have to be amputated?
She looked to the others in the room for comfort and reassurance that she would heal, she would be the same old self she’d been before. But the sympathy and sadness in their eyes—even Ms. Klein’s—told her otherwise. All hope that she would be fine spiraled from her like water down a drain. Tears pooled in her eyes.
“I’d like to be alone now,” she muttered, staring into her lap.
“Let me bring some breakfast,” Winter offered.
“No, thanks.” The thought of food churned her stony stomach. How could she ever eat again? That man on the beach had destroyed a piece of her, turned her into a hideous monster.
Ms. Klein cleared her throat. “Winter, you go on to breakfast with the others. Cassie and I need to discuss her class schedule.”
“Are you serious? Classes? With this?” She raised her arm, waving her lifeless hand.
“We’ll re-bandage it until we are able to determine exactly what’s happened. For all we know, you may experience a full recovery. And if not, perhaps some physical therapy will help. I’ll bring a doctor in to thoroughly examine you. Obviously this is not something we can handle ourselves.”
She heard genuine concern in Ms. Klein’s voice and wanted to believe the woman would help her. She stared at her hand. She’d never heard of anything like this happening. Her hand should be covered in third-degree burns. Instead it resembled the gray ashes left behind after a fire. It had hurt so terribly following the incident. Why was it numb? Why was it dying instead of healing? Why did she have to be such a freak?
The nurse gently repositioned her arm on the bed and curled gauze around it, layer after layer, hiding the ruined hand. “Now, rest and eat today,” Ms. Klein stood abruptly, all signs of sympathy gone. “We’ll move you into your room later. I expect to see you in my class tomorrow.”
CHAPTER 10
Cassie’s suspicious eyes swept over the tiny bedroom. Two twin beds crouched parallel to one another, pressed against opposite sides of the room. But it was a room, not a cell. That was an improvement. The room looked just the way she’d imagined a college dorm, back when she still imagined herself going to college.
“This one is yours.” The nurse directed her to the bed against the far wall.
The drab bed covering looked exactly like the ones she’d left behind when she’d fled St. Augustine’s. Did Ms. Klein procure these for her alternative facility? Or were the same people supplying both? Either way, she remained convinced Ms. Klein wasn’t telling them the truth.
The beds flanked a window. She peered outside. Palm trees waved at her, and she could almost smell salty sea air. She blanched at the thought of the beach and for a moment her bandaged hand pulsed. Sucking in her breath, she froze in place, hoping to again feel life in her dead limb.
Nothing.
The nurse pulled her attention back to the new room.
“This is your dresser and this half of the closet is for you. And the bathroom is down the hall.”
“I don’t have any clothes. Or anything else.”
“You do now.” The nurse smiled, seeming genuinely pleased. “None of our girls arrive with overnight bags, dear. We know what to expect.”
Imagining a new set of ward wear, she moved slowly to the closet. Though the bedding matched that at St. Augustine’s, the clothing did not. No ward wear. And no dingy gray either.
The closet was stocked with fresh denim and an assortment of bright blouses—all designer labels. Flats, heels, boots, and athletic shoes lined the floor.
She turned her attention to the tiny dresser by her bed. Inside the top drawer she discovered silky, lacy undergarments in every color of the rainbow and all in matched sets.
She opened the other drawers. Skirts, shorts, flannel pajamas, coordinating socks…she’d never owned so many clothes in her life.
A tub of toiletries sat atop the dresser, along with a straightening iron and a curling iron.
She must have looked as stunned as she felt. The nurse laughed softly.
“Ms. Klein likes to shop. And likes to see her students look their best. ‘A girl who looks good feels good,’ she always says.”
She’d never heard Ms. Klein say any such thing. But she much preferred the status of student to prisoner, even if she wasn’t convinced Shine Your Light existed solely to rescue and help Shine.
And she wasn’t about to turn down the wardrobe. She wished Derrick could see her after she showered and changed into some of these clothes.
“I’ll leave you now,” the nurse said. “You’ll want to clean up before breakfast, I’m sure. And don’t be late to Ms. Klein’s class. She strongly disapproves of tardiness.”
*****
Cassie held her breath, staring into the classroom filled with curious eyes. She was certain they all wondered about her bandaged hand, her arm snug against her torso in a sling. Her new outfit couldn’t possibly draw this much attention, particularly when the other girls were dressed in equally chic attire.
Shine Acclimation and Reintegration, designed especially to help the new Shine adjust, was her first class. Ms. Klein stood in front of a handful of girls, none of whom were yet familiar to her.
She didn’t want to go inside. She didn’t want to be here. Her mind churned over the events of the last few days. Too many changes, too quickly. She wished Glimmer had come with her. Having a friend would make this easier. If Derrick’s roommate hadn’t turned her in…if she hadn’t gone to the beach…if she’d escaped those horrible men… But instead, she was here, once again held in a place she didn’t choose to be, everything out of her control.
Ms. Klein noticed her new student hovering in the doorway. Her eyes narrowed, but she smiled. “Come find a seat. We’re ready to begin class.”
She forced her feet to move, to carry her into the room. Avoiding eye contact, she shuffled to an open seat and dropped into it.
“I’d like you all to meet Cassandra. I’m sure you saw her briefly when our rescue squad brought her in.”
The other girls smiled. Her insides squirmed, but she returned the smiles.
“I know you’ll all welcome her and help her as she adjusts. Adjusting is what this class is all about, Cassandra, and we’re all here to support you. I’m going to repeat what I’ve told each of the Shines here when they joined us.”
Ms. Klein’s gaze bored into her as she spoke. She had the feeling something was expected of her, but she didn’t know what it was.
“Shines are yanked from their homes before they reach adulthood and independence. Instead of taking your chances on the street where the SSS and hatemongers will catch you and lock you away, consider Shine Your Light your college—your home. You’ll be surrounded by your sister Shines, protected, provided meals and training. Surely you can see the benefit to remaining with us?”
Was that a rhetorical question? She’d already attempted to decline the offer to remain—and was told she had no choice. She suffered the deep dread that she was being sucked into something sinister. She was sure there was more to Shine Your Light than she and the other girls were being told.
And yet, Ms. Klein’s words were true. If she left, where would she go? She couldn’t go back home to her parents—the Patrol would be watching the house carefully following her escape. Derrick had mentioned a shelter, but who knew what had become of him after he helped her. She’d probably never see him again.
So for now she would stay. She would attend classes. She would smile and nod and play nice. And she would have a place to sleep and something to eat while she waited for her hand to heal and plotted her next move.
Ms. Klein’s eyes were still on her. Her stiff smile faded slightly. Ap
parently the question was not rhetorical.
She tucked her arm closer against her torso, cradling it. She returned Ms. Klein’s plastic smile and nodded.
Ms. Klein appeared relieved. “Wonderful. A smart girl like you will catch up quickly. Now, girls, let’s resume where we left off yesterday. Is it a good idea to contact your parents? Even just to let them know you’re still alive?”
She barely heard the murmured replies as her resolution cemented itself. Of course these girls weren’t allowed to contact anyone. This was a growing group of off-the-grid Shines, cared for, groomed by, and taught by Ms. Klein, completely dependent on Shine Your Light.
The question was: What did Ms. Klein intend to do with them?
CHAPTER 11
Shine Self-Defense was next on the schedule. She actually looked forward to this class. If she could learn to overpower people the way Shade, Cain, and Winter overpowered those men on the beach, that alone would make a stay at Shine Your Light worthwhile.
“Hi.” One of the other girls in the Reintegration class greeted her. Her voice was high-pitched. “Are you heading for Self-Defense? Want me to show you where to go?”
The building wasn’t that big, and she thought she could find her way to the cafeteria/gym no problem. But she wasn’t about to reject an offer of help. A quick scan revealed amber flickers of curiosity and a fuzzy white glow of eagerness.
“That would be great. Thanks.” She smiled her gratitude at the girl, trying not to stare at the tiny ringlets curling around her face. The curls, coupled with her low stature and high voice, made the girl seem very young.
“I’m Audrey,” the girl offered with a smile. “But everyone calls me Baby. I’m new, too. I think they moved you into my room this morning. So we’ll be roommates.”
Roommates? She hoped she could get used to that squeaky voice. But at least the girl was friendly.
The small locker room was filled with girls changing clothes. Baby led her to a locker—a misnomer as no lock hung from the door—and opened it to reveal workout clothing and hair scrunchies.
“Hey, Baby.” A tall redhead, already changed and ready for class, loomed over Baby, arms crossed. “Who’s the new girl?”
Shine: Season One (Shine Season Book 1) Page 62