Strength (The Descendant Trilogy)

by Theresa M. Jones

  “Let me in, I’ll help you,” she said, but I knew what she meant- I’ll be there for you- because really how could she help me with this?

  “I’m okay, Mom. I think…” I tried to come up with something to say. I wasn’t going to tell her I was having dreams about a Rising Member almost raping me. Dreams so real and freaky that I was truly afraid they might be something more than just dreams. I could still feel that guys hands on my stomach, and I almost gagged again.

  “I must have eaten something bad.” Which was a freakin’ ridiculous thing to say. We all ate basically the same things here. Plus, we were Powerful. We didn’t get sick. This was the first time I had ever thrown up. I had never even seen someone else do it before.

  “Samantha, let me in right now.” Her voice, still showing a little concern, was more forceful now. She was serious.

  I sighed, loud enough that hopefully she could hear it. Then stood up and went to the sink. I splashed water on my face again and took a deep breath before drying it with the towel that hung to the side. My reflection shocked me. My eyes were dull blue right now, not the bright sapphire color they usually were. My skin looked paler than normal too. I really looked sick.

  I reached over and opened the door. She came in and held me at arm’s length, looking me over for any apparent signs of ailment.

  “What happened?” She asked, clearly confused. “Has this happened before?”

  “No.” I said, ignoring her first question. I’m pretty sure it was obvious what had just happened.

  “Are you okay?”

  I nodded. I guess I was. Nothing was wrong. I had a scary dream that made me puke. So what?

  She smoothed my hair back and looked me in the eyes. I think she was trying to figure out if I was lying, and for a minute I was afraid she would look in my mind. She could do it if she wanted. She had the ability of telepathy. Yeah, we weren’t allowed to use it on each other, but who knows with my mom. She often did whatever she wanted, even if it meant breaking the rules, if she thought it was the right thing to do. I just desperately hoped this was a rule she wouldn’t break on me.

  I looked down, not wanting her to search too closely.

  So she pulled me against her. Ever since I turned fourteen years old I was as tall as her, now I was even a little taller than her. So it was weird hugging her. But I liked it. She wrapped her arms around my stomach and I placed my head on her shoulder.

  “If you are sick, David can heal you,” she reminded me. Though it seemed she already knew I wasn’t sick. We never got sick. “But I know you are hiding something from me. And no matter how much I want to know what it is, I will give you privacy. Just know that I am here. I am here for you and always will be.” She sighed, but not in irritation. It was a sigh of…surrender maybe? “I love you so much, my Sammy.”

  And I knew she did. But I didn’t want to tell her about my dreams. What kind of psycho did it make me that I had dreams like that.

  I so can’t believe it happened twice!

  Chapter 6

  Excitement

  The next day, I went on like nothing had happened. Because in reality nothing did happen, except for a bad dream. But whatever.

  I had History, Calculus, and Chemistry II. Yay. My Core subjects… so fun. Actually, the only classes I even remotely enjoyed were Self-Defense and Combat Skills. Especially lately. I still loved to read, and if we had English or some kind of language classes, that might be fun, but we didn’t anymore. Not after last year. Since we age and mature faster than the Powerless, and we learn faster, and we have the best teachers in the world, we don’t take the same classes other teens our age would be taking. We took them all years ago.

  When I sat down for lunch in the Cafeteria with Amber, I wasn’t really paying attention to much. I knew she was talking, I could hear her voice louder than the other ramblings of people around us, but I couldn’t concentrate.

  “Dude, what the heck is wrong with you?” she asked me, after shaking my shoulder. Her eyebrows were scrunched as her frustration flared.

  “I’m sorry, I was just thinking about something.”

  “Well, I hope it was more interesting than my date with Al.”

  “What?” She could NOT have just said that! “You had a date with Al?” How could I have missed that?

  She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Would you please listen to me, now?” she asked, exasperated. I nodded.

  “So, I have a date with him. We already got the go ahead from Sharon and Steven.” Steven was the guy mostly in charge of the parentless kids. He was like a foster father, sorta. He was also a teacher, so we saw him all the time. But it was obvious he loved them like they were really his own.

  “Awesome!” I told her, and I meant it. I knew she had been waiting for this forever. “Tell me how he asked you.” And she did. She told me the whole thing about how they were walking, and then their arms bumped. And then he reached down and grabbed her hand, and she let him. And then he stopped walking and asked her if she would have dinner with him.

  “The problem is…they won’t let us go alone,” she admitted.

  “What? If they go too, then it’s not a date.”

  “Duh. But they said if we had a few more kids there too, then it would be okay. ‘Safety in numbers’ or something like that.”

  I tried to follow her logic, I could tell she was trying to tell me something but I didn’t know what.

  “So…” She drew the word out longer than a one syllable word should be, then she continued. “I asked Andrew if he wanted to go, and he said, and I quote, ‘Only if Sam goes to’.”

  “What?! He said that?” She nodded and her smile grew bigger. I could feel the corners of my lips lift and my eyes grow bigger. All of a sudden I understood the definition of the word: giddy.

  “We could go on like a…a double date?” She nodded again, and then both of us had huge goofy grins. I hugged her, the excitement bubbling over. This would be the perfect thing to take my mind off my dreams.

  That afternoon, after we got the O.K. from my parents, Amber and I stood in my room, going through all the clothes in my closet. Unfortunately, it wasn’t like we could ever go shopping and buy stuff that we actually wanted. The majority of our clothes were bought from my parents who, in my opinion, had no fashion sense at all, or from Sharon, whose fashion was a little eccentric and out there. (She always dressed like a gypsy/witch/ballerina/jewelry collector.)

  We had managed to make some of our own, and even alter some that we had, but still we didn’t have anything fantastic.

  She settled on a black skirt that went about mid-thigh and yellow tights underneath some very colorful converse high tops. Her shirt was kindle flashy- the shoulders were cut out and the front was an image of the band MUSE in rainbow. Her bright rainbow headband topped the whole thing off. She looked funny, but super cute.

  I wore some black skinny jeans with some bright blue flats and a flowy blue top with matching dangly earrings. I felt like I looked a little older and more mature than usual, and I liked that. We both did our hair, and were able to sneak a little makeup on, but not much. Just some lip gloss and mascara.

  “We look awesome!”

  I completely agreed with her. Very different, as always, but still awesome. Her dark skin, to my pale-as-snow skin. Her dark hair, to my blond. Her rich brown eyes, to my bright blue ones. And her punk/I-don’t-even-know-what-you-would-call-it outfit, to my more calm/laid back one.

  “Total opposites.” My smile grew bigger. “Best Friends!”

  We met the guys in the lobby, the first room you see when you enter The Compound. It’s pretty grand. I vaguely remembered the first time I came here with my mom, it was before she married David. Right when my life started to get all crazy. I mean, my dad had just died, but everything overshadowed that. Did it make me a horrible person that I didn’t remember him anymore, and that I was okay with it?

  I’m sure every one of us was remembering our first times. This was another
first. The grownups never let us leave without them. But they were letting us today. We weren’t allowed to go far, only down the side of the mountain a little, just past the Helicopter pad. Back down the side there was a clearing where they had a picnic table set up.

  I knew that they (my parents and probably a few more people) knew where we were going and probably set up the table and stuff. But I didn’t care. They weren’t around. It was just us.

  I looked over at Andrew. He was tall, way taller than me. Since we were still so young, I wondered how tall he would be when he stopped growing. His blond hair was kinda shaggy, hanging around his face and almost covering his big brown eyes. They were only brown right now, since he wasn’t using his Power. He had on some regular jeans and a button up shirt, which was funny because he never wore button up shirts. But he looked amazing.

  His lips were full and pink, and his cheek bones were high and pronounced. He was totally hot in every way.

  I thought about grabbing his hand for a minute, but then decided not to. I wanted him to grab my hand. I wanted him to make the first move. He had been one of my best friends forever, except Amber, he was the best of the best. But I didn’t know if he knew how I felt. I was pretty sure he didn’t, since I never mentioned it or anything. But sometimes, when we talked or walked, or especially danced, it was like there was this electrical tether surging between us.

  Maybe it was all in my head- wishful thinking or whatever. But I didn’t care because I could admit that I so had the hots for him.

  And then together, all four of us, walked out the main, huge doors to The Compound, to go on our first dates.

  Chapter 7

  Dates

  We walked out the doors and over the H-pad to the back of it, where there was a trail between the cliffs of this beautiful mountain. There were trees everywhere except the path that we followed. We had all been here before, so it was nothing new. But it still felt new since it was our first time alone together.

  The tree branches hung low, in some places almost touching our heads and we had to duck beneath them. The dirt and stones on the trail crunched beneath our shoes. Amber and Al were in front of us, and Andrew walked next to me. Which was great and amazing and perfect in every way.

  I looked over at him, watching him watch the ground and the trees as we made our way through the maze that nature made for us. He didn’t have any problem walking over the rocks and stumps that protruded from the ground. Really, none of us did. It was kinda a general rule that none of us were ever clumsy. Along with super speed, slow aging, and general awesomeness, we also were pretty freaking graceful most of the time.

  My foot caught on a branch that was sticking up out of the ground forming a trap for the distracted bystander walking by. I placed my hands out in front of me to catch my fall, but I didn’t even need to. Andrew was in front of me holding me up in less than a millisecond. I knew that I could have caught myself. I knew that I probably could have made the trip into a graceful double flip or something. But I was distracted-which was the whole reason for the fall in the first place. My mind was not on walking, but rather on him…

  “You okay?” he asked me as I stood there in his arms. He had both hands placed on my hips. I looked up into his eyes, they were so brown, with only a few tiny flecks of golden yellow that shows when he uses his Power. And like an idiot, I just stood there mesmerized at the depth and beauty in his eyes. Ugh, the whole crush-on-your-best-guy-friend-thing was so lame and turning me into a total idiot.

  But then I could feel him looking into my eyes. Not only did our eyes connect, but our very souls. I felt like I could see and hear all of his thoughts, hopes, and dreams, and he could see all of mine.

  I tried to nod, that of course I was okay. I was not helpless. I didn’t even need his help, not really. But I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t even nod my head. I was lost in all things Andrew.

  So beautiful. Her eyes are so blue, the bluest I’ve ever seen. She is strong. And so funny. Such a great sister. Wish I had a sister. I wish I wasn’t so awkward. She probably thinks I’m a lunatic staring at her like this.

  And then I realized what had happened. I wasn’t only thinking I could hear and see his thoughts, I really could. I stepped away quickly, his arms dropped to his side as his eyebrows scrunched in confusion. I wasn’t sure if he could really hear my thoughts, but I knew I had heard his, and how messed up would it be if he heard what I had been thinking?

  My cheeks flamed. And then the confused look disappeared and was replaced by a genuine smile.

  “You think my eyes are pretty?” he asked me, his tone light. I knew he was teasing me, not in a mean way, but a flirty way. And that’s when I realized, I didn’t care if he saw my thoughts, because I had seen his too and I knew what he thought about me.

  “You think my eyes are pretty?” I teased him right back. His smile grew bigger.

  “Yes I do.” And though his smile was still there, and his voice sounded the same with the light flirty tone, I could see in his eyes that he truly meant it.

  “Good. I think I like that you think my eyes are pretty. Now I can bat my lashes at you anytime I want.” He threw his head back as laughter erupted from his lips. Such pretty lips. Thank God for clumsy falls and magic Power. Something so simple totally just solved the whole I-don’t-know-if-he-likes-me-back-thing.

  I grabbed his hand and started walking, and I felt his fingers lace with mine, his grip tightening. My smile grew.

  “C’mon, let’s go eat,” I told him.

  “If you want. But I would be okay just looking into your pretty eyes as you bat those lashes at me.” Then it was my turn to laugh and I knew our friendship would be ok. That this, whatever this was, would work.

  When we rounded the last curve in the trail, we saw in the clearing Amber and Al already sitting at the table. There was a candle in the middle, and Christmas-type lights strung along the tree branches. It really was romantic and I was so freakin glad I was there with my best friend and the guy of my dreams. Well, not literally, I was totally thankful that guy wasn’t there.

  We walked to the table and sat on the other side of them. When I sat down next to Andrew our legs touched under the table and I could feel the warmth through my jeans.

  As Amber was telling another story, (she talked a lot) Andrew leaned over and whispered in my ear, “You look really pretty today, and not just your eyes.” I smiled. It was a subtle, smooth move. I was almost positive neither Amber nor Al had seen him move at all.

  I tried to be as subtle as I scooted on the bench closer to him. Even though we weren’t really supposed to do it, after that little encounter on the trail, I couldn’t help but want to look into his mind again. I figured this was the safest way, offering an invitation.

  Thanks. I told him in his mind. It wasn’t as hard as some of the others made it out to be. If you descend from Verefidel, it is likely you will be telepathic (the ability to read minds) and if you can do that, then you should be able to project your thoughts to someone else. It’s not a subconscious move, like telepathy is, but with a little practice anyone could do it. At least, that was my opinion, even though the others don’t all agree with me. Some have practiced at it for years and still can’t seem to do it right.

  He turned his head and looked at me, a question in his eyes. I knew, just as well as he did, that we weren’t supposed to use our Power on another Order Member unless their safety was involved. But maybe my life was in danger of being frustrated to death while my best friend kept on talking when I only wanted to talk to the guy next to me.

  You’re very welcome, little rebel. His voice in my head was like opening the gates to Heaven and letting a little piece of that perfection float in. It wasn’t exactly like his audible voice. It was different, smoother somehow, and yet, so great.

  I tried not to laugh out loud. Rebel? I’m the furthest from a rebel compared to these three. They were always getting into trouble, while I was always taking care of my sister. Instea
d of laughing, I smiled.

  So, this is an awesome night. I wasn’t really sure what to say, I just wanting to feel his Power on my mind and mine in his.

  Below the table, where my hand was resting on my leg, he reached over and grabbed it. He didn’t look at me as he did it. He continued to look at Al, as he was replying to something Amber had said.

  I could feel our Power connect-latching on to each other. Our minds were already linked, and with our hands, the Power was surging, wanting a release.

  Yeah it is. Probably the best night of my life so far. I could see the gold in his eyes grow. I imagined that my eyes would start turning from sapphire to a plum color soon too.

  “So, guys, Sam and I have to go over there,” Amber said effectively breaking the trance Andrew had unwittingly put me under. She pointed to a corner of the trees, “And talk for a minute. Cool?”

  They both nodded, and I just went along with her trying not to be upset that she had interrupted me and Andrew. I knew that she didn’t know that we were even doing anything to begin with.

  “So…don’t hate me, but I really want to spend a little time with Al, just the two of us.”

  “As if I would ever hate you for anything.” I told her. “And anyways, as it happens, I wouldn’t mind being stuck alone with Andrew for a while. But how?”

  “I already figured it out. So, you know on the other side of the H-pad, there is another picnic table. I thought one of us could go over there.” My head involuntarily shook a little. The table over there was breaking apart and there were no lights at all. It was a freakin dump. I knew there was no way she would go over there.

  I took a deep breath, tried not to sigh, and smiled at her.

  “You are just lucky I love you so much,” I told her, and then she wrapped her arms around my neck.

  “Thanks Sam! You’re the best! This is the best night of my life! We’ll come get y’all in like… 30 minutes or something after y’all leave.”

  “Okay. Let’s go try to convince Andrew that I’ll keep him safe in the scary trees.”