Heather stared back at me with eyes wide, full of confusion and disbelief.
“Sorry,” I said. “I know that was awkward.”
Heather still seemed in shock. “I’ve never seen the two of you fight like that, not ever. Seriously, what in the world is going on? What were you talking about, not being Rayne’s assignment?”
I sighed. “It’s a long story. I can’t really explain that part of things to you. But, I at least want to tell you what happened back at the coffee shop.”
Heather tilted her head with concern. “Look, sweetie, I don’t really get what’s going on between you two, but Rayne seemed pretty upset about you telling me, whatever it is. As much as I’m dying to know even the tiniest little bit of what’s going on with you, if it’s going to cause problems between you and Rayne, I’ll understand. You don’t have to tell me.”
“Thanks,” I said, “but I really want to. I’ll leave the important stuff out. I just need to talk to my best friend, you know? I haven’t talked to my mom in weeks and lately Rayne is getting harder and harder to talk about these things with. It’s just... something crazy has happened to me, and it’s driving me nuts.”
“You know I’m here for you, always,” Heather said. “If you feel this is what you need, than I’m ready to help, any way I can.”
I smiled with gratitude. “You’re such a good friend. I think I took you for granted back in high school. I can’t believe how much harder life is now.”
“That’s funny that you say that,” Heather replied. “I’ve been thinking the same thing about you. Now that you’re gone, I’ve realized more than ever how lucky I was to have you.”
“Me too,” I said.
We both smiled and Heather gave me a hug.
“Are you sure you want to tell me your secret?” she asked.
“I’m positive. I need to talk about it with someone I can trust.”
She nodded thoughtfully.
“So basically...” I began, “back at the coffee shop... I sort of... healed that guy who broke his arm. Actually, he broke more than his arm. He broke two ribs and punctured a lung.”
Heather squinted back at me. “You healed him? What do you mean?”
“Do you remember when your father had his heart attack?”
“Of course,” Heather said. “That night changed my life.”
“Well, I found this stone—a special crystal with healing powers. At least I think it was the stone, or at least part of it was. I’m not a hundred percent sure how it all really happened. Anyway, I’m pretty sure that I helped heal your father from his heart attack that night.”
Heather looked bewildered. “You’re saying you somehow helped heal my father?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” I said. “And this might sound crazy, but I also got shot and almost died at one point back in senior year, and Rayne had to save my life, and then I found the stone and, well, ever since all that I’ve learned more and more that I have this amazing ability to heal. I don’t know why or how it works, it just does.”
Heather squinted back at me. “You’re saying you can heal people... with some kind of mystical crystal?”
“Well at first I thought it was the crystal, but I don’t have it anymore and I still can heal. I think it did something to me. Now I can do it all on my own.”
Heather shook her head. “I don’t know what to say. I mean, I think I believe you... I want to believe you... but, how is that even possible?”
“Honestly, I have no idea. But it’s the truth. I’ve tried it dozens of times. My own body can heal from pretty much anything. I’ve almost died, so many times. And I can use it to heal other people too. But when I do that, most of the time I end up passing out afterward. It’s like, the worse the illness or injury that I heal, the longer it takes for me to wake up.”
I stopped to wait, giving Heather a chance to process what I had shared.
A moment later, her brow pinched. “Wait, go back... Did you say you got shot senior year?”
I laughed once to myself. “Yeah,” I replied. “Twice actually.”
“You got shot twice?”
“I know it’s a lot to take in,” I went on. “If you want I can do something to show you how it works. Do you have some scissors or a knife or something? I can cut myself and let you watch it heal.”
Heather’s lip curled in horror. “No, don’t do that.”
“But I want to make sure you don’t think I’m crazy.”
“None of this makes sense,” Heather said. “But I don’t think you’re crazy.”
“You don’t?”
“No, of course not,” she said. “I just don’t understand how any of this is possible. I mean, you’re my best friend, so I definitely believe you, but wow, you can heal people? That’s pretty insane. I mean, it actually sounds really cool; I just can’t wrap my head around it. My mind is just... boggled. You said you’ve tried it lots of times?”
I grinned. “I know this is hard to believe, but I’ve healed over thirty people already. Anything from a knee injury to cancer to a gunshot wound.”
“Wow,” Heather said, “just... wow. So, is that what you’ve been doing all this time in training? Learning to heal people?”
I shifted in my seat. “Sort of, but it’s more complicated than that. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you the details.”
“That’s okay,” she said. “I understand. If having the ability to heal people is the least of your secrets, then I can only imagine how crazy your other secrets must be.”
I laughed. “You have no idea.” I paused and took a breath. “It’s probably better that you don’t know. Sometimes I wish I could go back and unlearn all the things that have happened. It’s made my life way more complicated. Sometimes I wish I could just come back here to live with you and go to college, but this is my life now.”
Heather patted my arm. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that it’s been so hard, but if it makes you feel any better, I think it sounds kind of perfect for you, at least from what you’ve told me.”
“You do?”
“Sade, I’ve known you a long time. You love helping people. You’re like, the nicest most caring person I know. I can’t think of a better way for you to do that than with some amazing special ability to heal people.”
“Thanks, Heather. That does make me feel better.”
“Thanks for trusting me enough to tell me,” she said. “I promise I will never tell anyone your secret. I just wish I could do more.”
“Just talking to you has already helped a ton,” I assured her. “Thanks for understanding.”
She smiled. “What are friends for?”
I gave her another hug. As I glanced over her shoulder I noticed the clock on the car dashboard.
“Wow, it’s getting late,” I said. “I really have to go.”
“Do you know when you’re leaving town?” Heather asked. “Do you think we’d be able to see each other again before you go?”
I glanced down sadly. “Probably not. I’ll be lucky if I don’t get in major trouble as it is.”
“Okay,” she said. “But just one more thing before you leave...”
“What is it?”
Heather’s brow lifted. “You should make-up with Rayne. You know that boy adores you, right?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “I know. I will. I adore him too.”
22. DISTANCE
When I got in the car, Rayne’s face was calm, but I could still sense that he was upset. This had to be the worst fight we had ever had. The tension still lingered thick in the air.
“So, what did you tell her?” he asked.
My voice went quiet. “Nothing about Ambrosia. Only about me, that I can heal.”
Rayne put the car into gear and pulled out of the parking lot. “Did she believe you?”
“I think so,” I said. “She said she does. But she promised not to tell anyone. She took it really well.”
Rayne nodded slightly in response,
but he didn’t say anything more.
We hardly spoke on the entire ride back. I hated the distance between us. I wished I could just make him understand.
When we arrived at the house where we had taken the car, Rayne pulled into the garage, and we started to walk up the street.
Rayne walked just slightly ahead of me, like he couldn’t stand the thought of being next to me. I could feel his disappointment, like I had let him down, like being my boyfriend was utterly exhausting.
We made it halfway up the block when Rayne stopped to face me. “Can we talk?” he said.
I nodded but had trouble looking into his eyes.
Rayne took one of my hands. “I can’t say that I agree with your choice to tell Heather about your abilities, or even your decision to go see her tonight, but I don’t want to fight.”
I stared up at him, not sure how to respond.
He squeezed my hand. “Nothing you could do would make me change the way I feel about you, you know that, right? I don’t want to go to bed angry with each other.”
A small, appreciative smile crossed my lips. “Neither do I.”
“Let’s just go get some rest and start over tomorrow, okay?” he said.
I nodded in agreement. I didn’t want to fight with him either.
Rayne continued to hold my hand as he pulled me forward up the sidewalk. We were still quiet as we walked, but it felt nice to at least feel the warmth of his hand, to know that he was still my Rayne.
When we reached the house where we were staying, Rayne led me quietly through the back gate to the balcony outside my room.
“We have a big day tomorrow,” he whispered. “Try to get some rest.”
I whispered back, “I will. You too,” and then he gave me a quick peck on the lips.
I knew things weren’t completely back to normal, but I was glad that at least we weren’t fighting anymore.
Rayne squatted down near the ground and instructed me to climb onto his shoulders. Then, he stood upright and had me try to stand as he held both of my hands. My legs wobbled but I was able to lift my body straight until I was close enough to the railing to pull myself up the rest of the way.
I climbed over the balcony ledge and rested my feet safely on the other side.
Rayne watched me lean over the edge and wave, signaling that I was good to go. Then, he jogged across the back patio around the corner out of sight. I wished I could watch and see how Rayne got in and out of his own room. He was probably doing some cool, acrobatic maneuver just like all the kids I saw at the Academy party the weekend before.
I crept into the room and walked quietly to the lamp by the bed to switch on a dim light. When I turned to locate my suitcase, I jumped with a start. A person stood like a statue at the front of the room.
“I’m sorry, did I scare you?” Orion said as he flipped on the main light.
My feet froze in place as my throat went tight. “Uh... I...”
His tone was dry. “Out for a little fresh air?”
“I... I can explain,” I said stupidly.
“You blatantly disobeyed orders,” Orion barked. “I should march you right back to the border to send you home.”
I shook my head. “No, please...”
“It’s late,” Orion said, annoyed. “And the team has an important task to take care of in the morning, so I’m not taking you back tonight. But as soon as our task is complete tomorrow, you should have your things ready to go home.”
I wanted to protest, to find some way to talk him out of it, but I didn’t think it would be any use. I had broken the rules, and I had gotten caught.
I swallowed, hardly able to speak. “Yes, sir,” was all I managed to squeak out.
Orion left me alone with my shame.
Just as I went to my suitcase to find something to sleep in, a quiet tap came at the door. The tap was too gentle to be Orion coming back to chastise me a little more, so I figured it was probably Rayne checking to make sure I got in okay.
I hurried to the door and turned the knob, only to find Jax standing there waiting for me.
My eyes glanced to the side. “Oh... hi.” I said, a little surprised.
Jax’s mouth turned up at the corners. “Sorry to bother you so late. Is it okay if I come in?”
“Um, sure, I guess,” I said. I opened the door a little wider, signaling for him to enter.
I shut the door behind him. “Is everything okay?” I asked.
“I sort of overheard my father ream you out just now,” Jax explained. “I just wanted to come see if you were doing okay.”
I sighed. “Apparently I’m in big trouble. He’s sending me home tomorrow.”
“Sorry,” Jax said. “My father can be a little harsh sometimes. If you want I can try talking to him for you.”
I smiled appreciatively. “You would do that for me?”
Jax took a step closer. “Of course. I would do anything for you.” His stare suddenly bore into mine. His essence called out to me, and I knew it was true. Jax would do just about anything for me. We gazed at each other for a long moment, as if our hearts were speaking wordlessly.
I caught myself staring and looked away awkwardly, confused what kind of message Jax was trying to send. I took a step backward.
“Thanks,” I finally said, staring at the floor. “I really want to stay, so, um...” I glanced up at Jax for a split second and then back at the floor. “Um, so, if you could convince your father to let me, that would be really great.”
Jax looked almost forlorn as he stepped toward the door. “Sure, I’ll do my best,” he said quietly. Then, he gazed at me one last time, as if his eyes wanted to penetrate my soul. “Have a good night, Sadie,” he said, and then he slipped away to the hall.
***
The next morning, I was tired. I hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep. I couldn’t be surprised though. I was the one who had decided to stay out until all hours of the night.
After I showered and got dressed, a firm knock came at my door.
My first thought was of Rayne. I knew we had sort of made up, but I couldn’t get the thought of our fight out of my mind. My second thought was of Jax and the awkward moments we had shared the night before. But when I opened the door, it wasn’t Rayne or Jax’s face that greeted me; it was Orion’s.
“Good, you’re dressed,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone. “You should get something to eat downstairs. We leave in fifteen minutes.”
He turned to leave but then stopped in the doorway. “Make sure your suitcase is packed. We’ll be leaving as soon as we get back.” He took in an exasperated breath. “And when you get back to Banya, I’ve decided as punishment you will be grounded to the campus until I return. One of my guards will remain with you at all times to ensure you don’t leave. Do you understand?”
I let out a heavy sigh. “Yes, sir. I understand.”
If Jax had tried to talk his father into letting me stay, he had utterly failed. Orion was planning to boot me off the mission as soon as he had the chance.
As I headed downstairs, my thoughts turned to Rayne. Had he gotten caught just as I had? Was he in big trouble too? When I walked into the kitchen I hoped to see Rayne there.
He wasn’t.
Jax and Honeycutt were there eating at the table.
Jax flashed me a brilliant smile as I entered. “Good morning, my little lizzy fruit,” he said in a jovial tone. There wasn’t a hint of discomfort in his words, like our entire awkward conversation never happened the night before. I wondered if somehow I had read more into the moment then was actually there. Jax didn’t seem fazed by it now.
“Grab a bowl, join us,” Honeycutt chimed in.
I smiled. It seemed like Honeycutt was always in a good mood.
Just as I had grabbed a muffin and poured some milk into a bowl of cereal, Rayne finally entered the room.
I stared up at him. It took a moment, but he finally returned my gaze.
“Hey,” I said hopefully.
He nodded. “Hey.” But he only gave me half a smile.
I looked down at my cereal in disappointment. Despite our agreement to start fresh in the morning, it was obvious there was still a measure of distance between us.
Rayne was quiet as he ate, unlike Jax and Honeycutt, who continued to converse with each other cheerfully. I tried to look at Rayne several times, and he didn’t ignore me, but he just kept returning these half-hearted smiles.
As soon as I was done eating, I hurriedly washed my dish and left to wait in the front room.
While I sat on the couch I took out my phone and texted Heather. I told her how I had gotten in big trouble for sneaking out and was being sent back. I tried to keep my phone hidden to my side. If Orion saw that I was still using my old Earth number to contact friends, he’d probably confiscate it on the spot.
I heard the doorknob turn on the front door and shoved the phone in my back pocket. Orion’s men, who had all slept in the house next door, filed in the room to await our departure.
When everyone was ready to go, we piled into four different cars taken from the garages of nearby houses. We didn’t use the black SUV’s that we arrived in; they would be too conspicuous. Jax, Honeycutt, and Ash took the first car. Rayne, myself, and one of Orion’s men—who was basically assigned to babysit me—rode together in the next, followed by Orion and the rest of his men in the last two.
Everyone was wearing small listening devices in their ears, so we could stay in communication during the meet. Well, everyone except for me. Apparently, I was only coming along because Orion didn’t trust me to stay back by myself.
“Did Orion talk to you about last night?” I asked Rayne in a hushed tone as we rode together in the back seat.
“No,” Rayne answered. “But if he did, I’m guessing it wouldn’t be good news?”
I stared down at my lap. “He was waiting for me in my room when we got back.” I sighed, almost sounding annoyed. “So I guess you were right,” I said. “It was stupid of me to think I could get away with it. You’ll be happy to know that he’s taking me back to Banya as soon as we’re done here.”
Flood Rising (The Water Keepers, Book 4) Page 19