This girl’s brain was riddled with bright crimson flashes of anger. They popped and disappeared as if nothing specific sparked them and no target drew them.
“You saw her come in, Aria. You know who she is.” Baby turned away.
Aria’s slanted eyes glared as she stepped closer to Baby, towering over the petite girl and smirking.
“Don’t turn your back on me, Baby. I want you to introduce me.”
Cassie’s stomach tightened. So much for Sister Shines. She didn’t need an introduction to realize she’d just met the school bully. She had plenty of experience with them.
“I can introduce myself. I’m Cassandra.” She extended her uninjured hand. “It’s Aria, right?”
Aria smirked at her. “Just wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Don’t know why Ms. Klein risked sending out a rescue party. Nothing special about you. Couldn’t even protect yourself against a couple of non-Shine.” The girl’s red hair swished as she shook her head and walked away laughing.
“Sorry about that,” Baby said, remorse dulling her soft glow.
“It’s fine. I already know I’m nothing special.”
“No, don’t take it personally. Aria never likes new girls. I think she’s afraid of change. Plus she wants to be the best, the favorite, the strongest. I suspect low self-esteem under all those muscles and mean words.”
She nodded. Baby’s analysis made sense. And the stray pops of anger she sensed seemed to confirm it.
She reached into her locker, but a sudden jolt shot through her injured hand. She gasped and dropped her t-shirt. Her vision clouded and she bent forward, afraid she was about to pass out. A scene played out in her mind as clearly as if she were watching a movie.
She saw Aria screaming, cradling her head, terrified.
Baby’s hand on her back startled her. The girl’s high-pitched voice brought her back to the locker room.
“Are you sick? Is it your hand? Are you okay?”
She shook her head to clear it. Her hand no longer thrummed with the odd sensation.
“I’m okay. I don’t know what happened. I thought…never mind. Let’s just change for class.”
She couldn’t forget the look on Aria’s face in the vision while she changed clothes or while Baby pulled her hair back into a scrunchie.
But she forgot all about it when they walked into the gym and caught sight of the instructor. It was a guy, maybe twenty-something. She’d assumed all the staff, like all the students, would be female. This was completely unexpected.
As was her reaction to him. Her heart skipped a beat. She was afraid she was blushing. What was wrong with her?
He wore a typical martial arts uniform with a black belt tied around his waist. Though he was wiry and thin, his biceps strained the sleeves of his shirt. His short, cropped hair spiked straight up. Dark eyes zeroed in on her.
Certain she would regret it, she nonetheless sent out a feeler, seeking any sign he might be experiencing the same cascade of emotions.
Nothing. Big surprise. Derrick was the only boy she’d ever encountered who reacted to her that way. In fact, this guy wasn’t even confused by her presence or mildly curious about her. She sensed very little emotion at all.
“I already have a partner,” Baby said. “But Mr. Miyagi will pair you with someone.”
“Who?”
But Baby had already left to join her partner on one of the many mats covering the floor. All the girls paired off, leaving her standing alone.
The instructor raised a hand, waved once, and pointed at his mat.
Oh, boy. Now she had to stand by him and share his mat? Her heart thumped so hard she was certain the other girls could hear as she picked her way between them.
He was even better looking up close. And wore an intoxicating cologne. Funny, she’d never been partial to scent before. This one, however, made her want to lean in closer.
How exactly would this work? Ms. Klein had explained this was the beginning level class—Winter, Shade, and Cain all attended the advanced level—but she had no idea what was expected of her. Was she supposed to observe for a few days until she got the hang of it?
The instructor stood absolutely still, fists balled at his sides. She started to sit down on the mat, prepared to watch and learn.
“Casandra Gold, on your feet.” His voice echoed in the silent room.
She scrambled back up, cheeks hot.
“Welcome to Level One Self-Defense. The students call me Mr. Miyagi. Please do not make me explain the reference.”
Was that a joke? His face remained stony—gorgeous, but stony—with no hint of a smile.
She sought the faces of the other girls, but found them equally placid. Except Baby, who flashed a thumbs up, and Aria who smirked.
“What is the nature of your injury?”
“My…my hand was burned.” She found thinking difficult while his eyes bored into her.
“You will partner me today. Tomorrow I’ll pair you with a Shine.”
“But my hand—”
“Do you expect mercy in a fight? Did the men who attacked you show mercy after you were injured?”
Heat rushed to her cheeks. She shook her head.
“You must be prepared to defend yourself even when hurt. As a Shine, you have an advantage over every opponent you face. Isn’t that true, class?”
“Yes, sir!”
“But my Shine is worthless. It didn’t help at all.”
“Whatever your Shine, you can use it to throw your opponent off their game. No Shine is worthless.”
“No Shine is worthless!” the class repeated.
“In this class, you’ll learn to adapt your Shine to protect yourself. Girls, begin your warm-up exercises.”
He waved her closer. “I know you faced three men. Three against one is never a fair fight. But I can teach you to protect yourself so that this,” he pointed to her arm in the sling, “never happens again. How did they detain you?”
“Um. One of them grabbed me from behind and held me by my arms. I tried to run away.” She didn’t want to sound like a complete wimp. He’d find out soon enough that she did indeed have the most worthless Shine of all.
“Show me.”
He gestured her closer. She gulped. If she sweated any harder, he couldn’t help but notice.
She turned her back to him, and he grabbed her by the arms. Like the men held her on the beach. And yet not like that at all. Because Mr. Miyagi smelled incredible and had powerful biceps that flexed when he pulled her close.
Good Gandhi, this was so not helping with self-defense.
“Like this?” he asked.
He was so close, standing so near, she could feel the heat radiating from him.
She nodded.
“Okay. Break my hold. I only retain control if you let me.”
So it was her fault she was injured? Was he saying she let them hurt her?
She pulled her arms, twisting and tugging, trying to escape his grasp. Her struggles made no impact. Now it reminded her of being captured.
“Come on. Break my hold. Why do you let me control you?”
That wasn’t fair. He was taller than her, outweighed her, and was vastly more muscular.
She panted, out of breath from the exertion.
Suddenly, he swiped a foot across her legs, knocking her off balance. She drew in a breath and braced herself to hit the mat hard.
Instead, she found herself cradled in his arms. He’d caught her. And looked completely pleased with himself.
Her face hardened into a scowl.
“I promise you, one day soon you’ll be able to break away and drop me to the mat.”
She liked that idea.
CHAPTER 12
Cassie flopped onto her bed. Self-Defense left her feeling like a punching bag. Mr. Miyagi—whose real name was Chris, she’d learned—taught her the warm-ups and then demonstrated new holds and moves on her for the remainder of the class.
Lunch was good.
The food choices were surprisingly diverse and delicious. Now if she could just stay in bed the rest of the day. Ms. Klein didn’t seem inclined to make special allowances for her injury. But in truth, her hand didn’t hurt. It didn’t feel anything at all, aside from a few throbbing pulses that may have simply been in her imagination. Pain would be preferable to this bizarre nothing.
One more class today. Shine Enhancement.
Baby joined her in their room.
“Well, what do you think? Do you like it here? I love Shine Your Light.”
She hesitated, unwilling to damper the girl’s enthusiasm. “Love is a bit strong.”
Baby giggled. “You’re new. You’ll realize how lucky we are.”
“How did you come here? Were you at St. Augustine’s too?” She realized she knew nothing about her roommate.
“Yes. Almost everyone starts there. We get swept up by the Patrol and dumped at St. Augustine’s. Ms. Klein separates the Shine from the non-Shine. She also picks up some girls from jail. Like Aria. She was in for assault and damage of property. Ms. Klein bailed her out and assumed responsibility for her. For the SSS of course.”
Her mistrust bubbled to the surface. Baby appeared to suffer no similar misgivings. She decided not to share her own.
“Aria has a temper.”
“Yes, she does. Shine-baiting backfired in her case. She was at some club—a real dive. She snapped when a group of guys cornered her. They wound up calling the police on her. No one wants to partner her in Self-Defense. She can’t help it, I suppose.”
“It’s related to her Shine?”
“Yes. Her adrenaline is affected—like adrenaline on steroids. She produces too much all the time, and when it’s triggered, it floods her system. She has trouble controlling herself. She gets overwhelmed and loses it.”
Thus the crimson flares constantly firing through the girl. “I’d trade her. At least she can protect herself.”
“I’m sorry you were hurt. But you should be glad your Shine doesn’t hurt anyone. And glad people came to your rescue. Some girls…some girls don’t get rescued at all.”
Baby didn’t elaborate and a scan revealed a gray cloud of sadness.
She couldn’t bear to see Baby so sad and snuck a tendril in for a quick brain hug that sent a shower of golden sparks through her roommate’s brain.
“Is that your Shine? Do it again!”
She brain hugged her a second time, this time with more intensity. Baby beamed.
“I could get used to that. I’m glad we’re roomies. I wish my Shine was as good as yours.”
She laughed—she couldn’t help it. How could anyone envy her Shine?
“Are you serious? I’m a total dog biscuit. What’s your Shine?”
The girl’s face clouded. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Now she really wanted to know, but before she could push for details, an alarm sounded.
She jumped off her bed, panic coursing through her.
Baby glanced at her watch, “Oh, right. It’s Wednesday afternoon. Drill time.”
“Drill?”
“In case of evacuation. Come on. I’ll explain while we walk.”
They joined other girls in the hallway, all exiting classrooms and bedrooms.
“You’re probably wondering why the SSS hasn’t closed down Shine Your Light,” Baby said, following the queue.
She assumed it was because Ms. Klein was a member of the group and Shine Your Light was another of their facilities. But she didn't share her theory. “I guess I hadn’t thought about it.”
A group of girls in Self-Defense uniforms slowed them down in the hall in front of the gym. She caught sight of Winter, Shade, and Cain—the advanced class. They waved to her.
“Well, we stay hidden. We follow a strict protocol so no one notices us. This old church was abandoned long ago. It’s the perfect location. The church preached the end of days so the followers built it as a survivalist’s dream. We have bedrooms, kitchen, schoolrooms, a huge pantry for food stores. We even have an emergency generator. It’s all self-contained, completely connected. We never go outside.”
“Never?” If they weren’t allowed outside, how would she ever leave? How would any of them leave?
“Why would we? We have everything we need right here. The van stays hidden in the garage. Once a week, Ms. Klein goes on a supply run. At night we cover the windows and have lights out. We’re completely safe here. Ms. Klein protects us from everyone who wants to hurt us.”
Smoldering panic simmered as the words sunk in. These girls were being brainwashed. Sister Shines, cloistered away from the world, inculcated with the belief they relied entirely on Ms. Klein. She wasn’t sure they were all that different from the previous occupants of the building.
“We also have an underground shelter. The entrance is hidden. If anyone comes around, we evacuate the buildings and hide. We have drills every Wednesday. We never know what time because we need to be ready to evacuate at any time.”
“But if someone was looking for signs of people living here, the bedrooms would give us away.”
“Ms. Klein wants us prepared for the worst. She says if anyone ever comes, they won’t be snooping around for signs of life. They’ll storm the place, guns blazing. So we hide first and evacuate if necessary. Ms. Klein says our safety is more important than anything.”
If only she could believe that was true. But what was Ms. Klein planning?
Someone shoved her against Baby.
“Oops. Sorry.” Aria walked beside her. The look in the redhead’s eyes told her the apology wasn’t sincere before the scan confirmed it. The girl had definitely shoved her intentionally.
“Aria, stop it,” Baby said. “You’ll hurt her hand.”
“You gonna make me stop, Baby?” Aria emphasized the nickname, contempt dripping from both syllables. “I’m terrified. When are we gonna see your Shine? Not convinced you really are a Sister Shine.”
Baby scowled but said nothing.
“She’s a Shine. I can tell.”
“You’re a pretty sorry excuse for a Shine too, new girl.”
She gritted her teeth. Don’t react. That’s what she wants. Eyeing the girl’s burly frame, she reminded herself they were all on the same side. Or were supposed to be.
Sister Shine. Sure.
A closet at the end of the hall gaped open. The queue bottlenecked, girls entering one at a time.
Aria apparently lost interest in picking at them. She drifted away and joined friends.
Inside the closet, a side panel stood ajar, revealing a hidden passageway. The air grew cool and dank as she descended a stairway. She emerged into a large underground cavern and joined the other Shines milling about. Camping lanterns illuminated the cramped space.
Baby pulled her into the glow of a lantern, divided her hair into sections, and braided it while they waited. The girl’s brazen invasion of personal space stunned her. But not as much as the realization that she found the gesture comforting. Fingers combing through her hair and the rhythmic weaving of plaits was soothing.
She noticed a passageway leading off from the main room and asked Baby about it.
“That’s the tunnel out,” Baby replied, separating another three sections of hair and folding them together. “It stays below ground and leads away into the woods. I’m not sure how far it goes. Maybe a mile? If we ever really evacuate, we’d leave completely.”
She attempted to count all the Shines but couldn’t keep track—they moved around too much. Her best estimate was around fifty to sixty girls. As dim as the light was, her eyesight seemed particularly keen.
Odd. That wasn’t something she’d noticed before.
Ms. Klein stood in the center of the room, stopwatch in hand.
The nurse exited the stairway last and closed the door behind her. “That’s everyone. All doors are sealed.”
Ms. Klein clicked the stopwatch and scowled. “Ten minutes, forty-five seconds.” The woman’s blue ey
es blazed in the lamplight. “That’s almost eleven minutes, girls. Two minutes longer than last drill.”
Ms. Klein turned slowly and seemed to pierce each girl with her crystalline gaze.
She felt Aria’s irritation sizzle before the girl spoke. “We have several more girls to squeeze through that opening now.” The girl’s eyes flicked toward her and Baby.
“Thank you, Aria, for voicing the thought that I’m absolutely positive is crossing every mind. I don’t care how many Shines join our group, I want every one of you down here in under five minutes. The alarm is triggered by the approach of an unexpected vehicle. I’ve carefully calculated the time it takes to navigate the driveway, park, approach, and knock on the door. I’ve even factored in an extra thirty seconds considering visitors might wait and knock a second time. I want—no, we need every one of you safely hidden with the doors sealed behind you before that front door opens. I expect better next time. See you all in Shine Enhancement.”
Ms. Klein and the nurse retraced their steps out.
Cassie and Baby joined the crush squeezing out of the hidden room.
“You go ahead. I need to ask Ms. Klein about something,” she told Baby when they emerged into the hallway.
Ms. Klein and the nurse turned down another hall as she caught sight of them. She scurried after them, hoping to find out which of the other girls had escaped St. Augustine’s—and if they might be joining Shine Your Light too. She would push for Glimmer to join them at least. If Ms. Klein really had the best interest of Shines at heart, she must be attempting to gather the girls who fled.
She shuddered at the thought of Glimmer still out there. Guilt settled like a rock in her stomach until she reminded herself the explosions were not her fault. They couldn’t have been.
Which meant someone else targeted the building. Was that person lashing out against Shines, intent on harm? Or had the person hoped the explosions would free some of them? Shine sympathizers were banding together and gaining ground in their opposition of the SSS and the Shine Proposition. But bombing wasn’t their style.
Someone intended to harm as many Shines as possible, she was certain. And instead of focusing on finding the bomber, the media was blaming it on her.
Shine: Season One (Shine Season Book 1) Page 63