"Hmm, I don't even feel hungry." He smiles at me. His expression turns intense and I dart my eyes away quickly. "Anyhow, we better head out."
I nod my head quietly while helping him put away the games. I tuck the game for Sebastian under my arm and follow Tony up the million stairs back into the hallway.
"I had fun." I tell Tony when we reach my door.
"Me too." He stops and looks at me. I can see some type of emotion stirring in his eyes and I do my best to try and ignore it. "Hey, your eyes are dark green. I haven't seen you have that color before."
"Oh?" I say reaching my hand up to my eyes.
"What power does that correlate to?" He asks me.
"Um, reading minds." His look turns to worry so I quickly clarify myself. "I didn't listen in on your thoughts. I do my best not to use that ability. I don't like to invade anyone's privacy. Well, maybe I cheated a time or two on the game and read your thoughts without realizing it."
He looks relieved and he even chuckles. "Okay then, next time we play, no cheating. Deal?"
I nod my head and smile. "Deal. I guess I didn’t realize how competitive I really am."
He laughs quickly then his expression turns serious again. He stares at me for a good several seconds, all of which I hold my breath during. Finally he says, "Goodnight Willow."
"Goodnight." I say letting out the breath that I'd been holding.
He hesitates at first but then turns around and walks to his room down the hall.
As I lie in bed, I think about how that is probably the first and last time I will play those games with Tony. God willing, tomorrow I will find Alec and things will go back to normal. I do my best to swallow down any feelings that I might have about losing what I have somehow built so quickly with Tony. "He's my friend." I tell myself out loud before I fall asleep.
CHAPTER 7 (READING EMOTIONS)
I hop out of bed when my alarm goes off at five in the morning. My stomach is in knots. It's been four days since I've lost touch with my friends. I pray that we will find them today.
After a cold shower I feel even tenser but at least I'm fully awake. I look around my room for some clean pants but all I have left from the pile of clothes I was given is a yellow summer dress. I go to the laundry hamper and open it up but find it empty. Someone must have cleared it out last night. "Crud." I mumble aloud as I shimmy out of my towel and throw the dress on. I check myself out in the mirror before heading out. There's no way I'm going to be able to fight in this, but it's either this or the flimsy pajamas. I need to get some clothes from my mom before we head out.
The first person I run into out in the hall is Molly. I look her over and consider asking if she has any clothes left but she looks like she'd be some ridiculous size like zero or something. "Where'd you get a dress?" She says snarkily.
"It's all I had left to wear. I need to find something else before we leave."
"I'd give you something of mine but there's no way you can fit your hips into it." She seems overly satisfied by the statement.
I want to remind her that I saved her life, well that could be an exaggeration but still, I healed the heck out of her. I hold my tongue and walk past her. The huff she lets out as she follows is satisfaction enough for me. What in the world is up with this girl?
I rush down the stairs and literally run into Tony at the bottom nearly knocking him over.
"Whoa, slow..." Tony stops his exclamation mid sentence and stares at me with wide eyes. His mouth drops ever so slightly. "What are you wearing?"
Molly laughs behind me and I go flush from head to toe. I answer angrily. "Look, it's all I could find. I need to get something else to wear before we leave."
Tony shakes his head. "No can do. We are leaving now. I was just going to look for you. Your mom and the rest of the search party are already in the parking lot."
"What?" Exasperated I look around hoping that maybe a pair of jeans will appear out of thin air.
"You will be fine." Tony hands Molly and me a muffin and a bottle of water. I slip the bottle of water into a small draw string bag I managed to snag. I pull the wrapper from the muffin and take a bite as we head out into the parking lot.
The air outside is warm and crisp. The sun has barely started to rise so most of the search party's holding lanterns and flashlights. I finish off the muffin as we come up to them.
To my complete embarrassment several eyes land on me. They looked shocked at my choice of attire.
My mom walks up to me. "What are you wearing Willow?"
"The only thing I had left in my room. Please tell me you have an extra pair of jeans in your bag?" I look hopeful.
She shakes her head then sighs. "It'll be fine. We've got to move out. It's best to get an early start if we are going to travel the distance to Molly's village and make it back here by nightfall."
"Fine." I grumble.
"I know Tony taught you some moves but we will still have the same team assigned to Molly and you today. Make sure you follow directions." She eyes me like she knows about the stunt I pulled last time.
"I promise." I cross my heart and she gives me a hug.
We move into formation. The fantastic four flank our sides and thankfully Tony takes his place between Molly and me. I try not to focus on the next several hours I have to spend with her.
"Here you go." Tony hands me a pistol.
I look down at it. "And where exactly should I put that?" I raise my eyebrow.
He seems a little too amused by my predicament. "Hold it. Or you can put it in your bag. You won't need it with our protection anyway."
"Is the safety on?" I ask as I start to put it in my bag.
"Of course." Tony smiles at me and those butterflies start moving around in my already tense stomach. I break the gaze and look over at Molly who is flirting atrociously with Tom. Gag, he looks old enough to be her father. Okay, a young father but still, gross! I roll my eyes and focus my attention ahead as we near the tree line.
The silence makes my nerves stand at attention. We move quietly, stopping on and off like we did the last time to listen for any sign of trouble. After several hours of walking, we reach the spot where we found Molly. My mom moves through the group to ask her for directions. I listen partially as I look around the woods. Nausea builds as I remember the red eyes of the crazed Reaper who tried to kill Molly.
Tony senses my unease and places his hand gently on the small of my back. It comforts me yet makes me feel more nervous. My heartbeat accelerates as we start moving again.
"It shouldn't be much further." Tony whispers.
My mouth is too dry to talk so I nod my head.
We walk for another hour before we come out of the woods and land on a paved road. Confused I look around.
Molly says quietly. "It's only a little ways down there." She points ahead. We follow the road quietly, sticking close to the trees. Everyone is on guard being out in the open like this.
Soon I can make out a group of buildings up ahead. A sign stating: Camp Cheley marks the entrance. Numerous log cabins dot the area around a group of large common area buildings.
"It used to be a summer camp." Molly says.
"Well it looks like it hasn't been occupied for years." I whisper as we enter the grounds. There is no sign of life anywhere.
"I should move to the front, they may think we are hostiles." Molly says.
"That might be good." Tony looks at me. "I need to go with her. You will be safe though. Hang tight."
I nod as he escorts Molly to the front of the group. The knots in my stomach grow tighter and tighter. I can feel the nausea move up into my throat. I pull out my water and take a few small sips as we walk forward. I try to breathe and count to ten in my head to stave off the panic attack that's threatening to overcome me. My friends could be here, right now.
Molly startles me when she yells out, "It's okay, they are safe!"
I look around expecting people to come out in groups at her proclamation. Nothing happens
. We move up to the front of the building. A metal placard labels it The Commons.
"I said it's safe." Molly yells out even louder. She starts to pull on the front door and Tony pulls her back as someone pushes the door out so hard that it bangs against the wall.
"Get your hands off her." A guy sputters loudly. He walks out into the light to where I can get a good glimpse of him. He must be at least six feet tall. He has dark tanned skin, which tells me he has affection for the sun. I'm guessing he is in his late twenties and by his tone and stance, he must be a leader or someone in charge. The most striking thing about him is his eyes. They are as black as night.
Tony takes a protective stance in front of Molly. My bodyguards pull closer to me.
"Who are these people Molly?" The man asks her. He looks us over and looks none to pleased with what he sees.
"They helped me. I was being chased by a Reaper and they saved me." She steps out from behind Tony. "Your brother left me to die in those woods." She snarled.
Oh this is getting interesting! I move to my tiptoes to try and get a better view of the unfolding drama.
"Come in Molly. The rest of you need to leave." He gestures for Molly who isn't moving forward.
She keeps her hands on her hips. I can only see the back of her long black hair but I can bet her expression is livid. "Are you not listening Erik? They helped me. We need to help them in return."
I'm mildly surprised that she even cares enough about us to speak up. Bonus points earned back for Molly.
"We don't need to do anything." Erik spits, looking at our group like we are contagious.
"The girl who healed me is looking for her friends. They are the ones we found the other day." Molly says gesturing her hand back towards me.
Erik's eyes follow her pointer and he raises his eyebrows. "You may come in too then." He says to me. "They stay outside."
"Absolutely not!" Tony yells.
I try to move forward but the fab four won't let me through.
My mom steps forward diplomatically. "I realize that you have every reason to be cautious. There is nothing to fear from us. We obviously don't wish you or your people any harm, otherwise we wouldn't have protected and returned Molly to you. My daughter Willow needs to find her friends and we believe they are here. I would like for her to be able to reunite with them but you also need to understand that she is my daughter and I am protective of her. I do not know you or your people. However, I've gotten to know Molly, and she tells me that your people are trustworthy. I hope that you can put a little trust in me by allowing Tony and me to escort Willow."
Erik considers my mom's speech. "Why do you need the guy to come?" He looks at Tony with disdain.
"Tony has been assigned as Willow's protector. When you see my daughter up close you will notice that she is very special. She must be protected at all costs." My mom looks back at me and gestures with her hand for me to come forward.
The red sea made up of burly bodyguards part allowing me to walk forward. I move to stand between my mom and Tony. "I'm looking for my friends Connor, Claire and Alec." I say to Erik.
He does a double take and blinks a few times while he takes in my eyes. He looks curious enough that he tells mom. "You both may escort her." He doesn't wait for a confirmation. He turns and walks into the building, followed by Molly, then my mom, me and finally Tony.
The door closes behind Tony and I turn to see another man in his thirties with purple eyes shut the door. He raises his eyebrows at me in surprise and I realize that he must be using his invisibility.
"Molly, go to your room." Erik demands.
Molly huffs then turns on her heal and stomps away.
Erik leads us into a small inner office not far from the front entry. Inside is a square table with several chairs. Erik takes a seat on one side of the table and all three of us move to the other.
When Erik looks into my eyes again, his mouth drops. "Your eyes just changed. What is going on here?"
Tony looks over at me and tells me, "They've turned light blue."
"Oh," I say. That must be because I just saw the guy using his invisibility. How in the world have my eyes suddenly sped up in the changing process?
I look up at Erik who looks part freaked out and part curious. "I have multiple gifts. I am not a Reaper though. I promise." I say remembering Chris's reaction to the red in my eyes.
He thinks it over. "I believe you." He rubs his chin. "Tell me this, how do you get your powers?"
"I'm not sure. We think I absorb the ability to use other people's gifts. I don't take it from them though." I say not sure how to explain myself.
"When Willow is around a new power, within days she is able to use it. The person she was around is never affected. We still don't know the semantics of it but we plan on doing more research once things are settled. Right now we have been focusing on finding her friends. Are they here?" My mom speaks for me.
Erik nods. "The girl is here."
"Claire." I say, excitement filling my chest. It turns to dread. "What about Connor and Alec? What happened to them?" I grip the edge of the table to steady myself.
"They left this morning. Some of our people escorted them to the mountain and have already returned. They made it in safely. They wanted to go back into the shelter to look for someone. I'm guessing that someone is you." Erik answers me.
The door to the room opens and a high pitch scream lets out. "Willow!" Claire comes running in. She nearly jumps over the table and pulls me up out of my chair. She hugs me much tighter than I would have imagined she could.
"Claire!" Tears of relief fall from my eyes. I hug tightly, but not tight enough to break her ribs with my new super strength. She seems so small and fragile. It's been too long since I've seen her tiny figure.
"I thought they..." Claire sniffles into my shoulder. "We all thought the worst. We didn't know what they were going to do to you." She pulls back. Her light purple eyes are filled with tears and her face looks tired from worry.
"I'm okay. I got away. I was so worried about you guys." Tears escape my eyes.
"It was scary outside but these people helped us." She hugs me again quickly. Neither of us wants to part from each other. "Alec was so sick with worry Willow. I've never seen anyone react like that before. He nearly went mad trying to get back into the shelter. The second we stepped foot outside and Alec realized that Connor could move us through the mountain, he wanted to go back for you. We tried to turn around and go back but these horrible people came after us. They came down in droves from the mountainside. Erik and some of his people saved us."
I look to Erik. "Thank you." I say to him and I mean it. If anything were to happen to them, I don't know what I'd do. He nods and I return my attention to Claire. I'm so grateful to have found her. "We have to go and let them know that I'm safe. If Zack or Dr. Hastings finds them, who knows what will happen?" I decide more determined than ever to find Alec and Connor as well.
I turn towards my mom for confirmation but my eyes focus on Tony. His eyes look pained. As soon as he sees me turn his way he looks the other direction, clearly avoiding my gaze.
Claire opens her mouth but Erik interrupts her. "We only have one person here that can take you through the shelter walls and she's sick. You will have to wait until your friends come back or until she's better."
"When are they coming back out?" I ask.
"In two days. We have plans to meet them first thing in the morning at the drop off point." He answers.
"That's too long!" I say a bit too loudly. Erik moves back an inch at my outburst, eyes widening.
"Honey, do you think they will be in danger inside the shelter?" My mom asks me.
Both Claire and I say "yes," simply and simultaneously.
My mom looks to Erik. "Willow can take us inside. Can you provide us with the coordinates of the pickup spot so we have a starting point?"
"Yes, but I am unable to provide any of my people to accompany you." He says.
; "We will be able to accompany her." Tony speaks up. Caught up with my reunion with Claire, I nearly forgot he was there.
"We will need a place for our team to camp out while they wait for us to return." My mom tells Erik.
He thinks it over for a few seconds then says, "They may bunk at the lake house. It's large enough to house them all and has a full kitchen. I will have some of my people set some supplies there for them to use when they return."
"Thank you." My mom tells him, she turns to Tony. "We need to make preparations. I think the best thing will be to head out immediately."
"Yes ma'am." Tony stands up. "I will go make arrangements." He shoots me an interesting look that I can't decipher and then he leaves the room.
What is going on with him, I wonder. The desire to listen in to his thoughts is strong but I fight the urge. I’ll just need to find a time to talk with him when we get back. Maybe this place just puts him at unease. Maybe he’s worried about my safety. For sure, it couldn’t be jealousy over my need to find Alec. No, I tell myself. That can’t be it.
"Thank you for taking care of my friends Erik. Is there anything I can do for you in return? Do you need us to check on anyone inside the shelter for you or your people?" I ask him.
He shakes his head. "None of our people have any family on the inside but thank you for the offer." I remember what my mom told me about the people on the outside who have other abilities. They never entered the shelter because their family members were declined.
He stands up and we follow suit. "Our main concern right now is that none of your people lead the Reapers back to us. We have managed to keep a safe perimeter and don't want it compromised."
"We understand. The team we have with us are some of our best soldiers. They will be careful to avoid detection." My mom tells him. Erik must take her word because he turns and walks out of the room. We follow him into the empty foyer and he escorts us to the front door.
I'm the last one out. I stop to ask Erik a question that's been on my mind since I first saw him. "May I ask what your ability is? I've never seen black eyes."
Finding ELE (ELE Series #2) Written By: Rebecca Gober and Courtney Nuckels Page 9