Taking Flight (Teen Paranormal Romance Series) (The Caged Series Book 3)

by Kellie McAllen

  Whoa. Who was this dynamo, and what had she done with Lexus? I had to admit, it was kind of a turn-on. Griffin and I exchanged a wry smile and followed a step behind her as Lexus headed towards Jaxson.

  I knew my brother really didn’t want to have anything to do with Jaxson, but Lexus was on fire, and neither one of us wanted to extinguish it. She marched over to him, the suede ankle boots I’d given her pounding out her mission on the antique tile floors.

  Her bravado wilted a little when Jaxson snarled at her, but I put a hand on her lower back and whispered, “You got this, babe.”

  A tremor ran down her body, but she took a deep breath and plastered on a brave face. “Jaxson, we want to hear what you know about the missing Specials.”

  Jaxson folded his arms across his chest and curled his upper lip. “On one condition: You don’t try to control me, and I won’t control you.”

  “Deal. That goes for Phoenix and Griffin, too.”

  Jaxson nodded. “Let’s go to my room.”

  We followed Jaxson up the stairs and into the first bedroom on the guys’ wing.

  “Convenient location,” Griffin mumbled.

  Jaxson sneered. “I’ve been here long enough to earn it.”

  The size and shape of the room was the same as ours, but otherwise, you’d never guess it was in the same dormitory. Of course, he had the room to himself.

  Jaxson flopped on the full-size bed in the middle of the room, messing up the satiny, silver comforter. The rest of us gaped at the intricate, black and silver designs he’d painted all over the light grey walls. A large, flat-screen TV covered up some of it.

  “You did this?” Griffin’s mouth hung open like he was trying to catch flies, and he traced one of the designs with his fingers.

  “Like I said, I’ve been here awhile.”

  A sweet, electric guitar and amplifier sat in the corner, and I scowled at it. I didn’t want to have anything in common with this douche bag.

  “Jaxson, tell us your story,” Lexus said, sitting on the bed and folding her legs up under her like this was a slumber party. I didn’t like her sitting there, but there wasn’t really any place else to sit. The bed took up most of the floor space. I perched on the edge of the bed next to her.

  Jaxson pushed himself upright so his back was against the wall. “My parents are both level fours — Mark and Lucinda Merritt. They’re incredible, and I always wanted to be just like them. They taught me about my powers from the very beginning. I learned telekinesis before I learned how to crawl. They said I used to float my toys over to myself, so I didn’t have much reason to learn to walk.” He smiled a little at the memory, his eyes back in time.

  “As soon as I was old enough to enroll, they sent me here to improve my abilities. I was a natural at it, and I climbed the ranks faster than anybody.” It sounded like a boast, but Jaxson didn’t brag about it, he was just stating the facts. It still made me want to punch him, though.

  “I used to go home half a dozen times a year for holidays and weekends and stuff, but then I started to go home less and less. One year my parents said they were going to do some traveling over the summer, and they wanted me to stay here.” Jaxson’s voice got a little sad, and his eyes dropped to his lap. I almost felt sorry for him, till I remembered I hadn’t seen my own parents in a decade.

  The sky outside was getting dark with storm clouds, and the grey light made the room seem gloomy. It matched the mood.

  “After that, Anders sat me down and told me that he and my parents had talked and decided that it would be best if I just stayed here year ‘round, so I could focus on school and my powers. We talked on the phone pretty often, and they sent me letters, but I never went home again — till a few weeks ago.”

  We all knew how that had turned out. Jaxson had kidnapped Lexus and stolen Anders’ car, only to find his house abandoned, his parents long gone.

  Lexus laid a hand on his knee and whispered, “I’m sorry,” and my insides clenched when he gave her a soft look.

  I gave my own theory. “So, if you’ve spoken on the phone, your parents must be okay. Maybe they’re like, on a secret mission or something.”

  Rain started pouring down outside, and the rush of water drowned out every other sound.

  “I think that’s what Anders wants me to believe, but something’s not right; I can just feel it. When we talk, the conversation seems stilted, different. At first, I just chalked it up to the fact that we were growing distant. But now, I wonder if they were trying to tell me something. And Anders hasn’t let me talk to them since I got back. He says they’re safe and I just need to trust him, but I want to know what’s going on.”

  Griffin quit fan-girling over Jaxson’s artwork and joined the conversation. “Sarah told us once how Specials who don’t follow the rules sometimes disappear. Do you think that’s what happened? Some kind of jurisprudence?”

  Jaxson pinched his brows and shook his head. “Maybe, but I doubt it. My parents weren’t rule-breakers. I can’t imagine them doing anything bad enough to warrant that kind of retribution.”

  Griffin squared his jaw and put his hands on his hips. “Well, if Anders claims to know where they are, then that’s where we should start. We need to find out what he knows. We need to get into his office.”

  Jaxson rolled his eyes. “I don’t think he’s dumb enough to leave secret information out where anybody could find it.”

  “He’ll have it somewhere, and if I have enough time, I can figure it out.”

  “Do you know what his schedule is like, Jaxson?” Lexus asked. “He volunteers as a Guardian Ad Litem, so he’s probably gone for several hours a week doing that.”

  Jaxson nodded, and his face perked up. “He’s gone from like 7 to 3 on Mondays and Thursdays.”

  Griffin shook his head. “He probably takes his laptop with him.”

  Lexus spoke up. “He’s got a desktop computer in his office. Do you think he’ll have the same stuff on that?”

  “Let’s hope so.”

  10

  Sarah dropped her magazine and raised her eyebrows at me when I walked through the door of our bedroom. “I thought you were trying to keep it a secret.”

  I bit my lip and dropped my eyes to the floor and shuffled over to my bed. “Yeah, I guess I just got too excited.”

  My face was pinched as I looked up at her. “Have people been talking about it?”

  Sarah snorted and sat up, tossing her long hair behind her shoulder and toying with her trio of gold, heart pendants. Her collection of bracelets tinkled as she moved.

  “Are you kidding me? That’s ALL they’ve been talking about. Well, that and the creepy way you controlled Juan without him knowing about it. If your goal was to blend in here, you’re doing a lousy job of it.” She rolled her eyes and smirked.

  I dropped my head again and put a hand to my face. I knew this was bound to happen eventually. Why couldn’t I just be normal for once?

  Sarah scooted closer to the edge of the bed and folded her legs Indian style then propped her chin up on her hands. “So, which one’s better in bed? My guess is Phoenix, but those shy, quiet types like Griffin always make me wonder if there’s a tiger hiding inside.”

  I gaped at her brazen question, my cheeks turning the same color as her strawberry lipstick.

  “I’m not sleeping with them,” I mumbled.

  She quirked her lips and one of her eyebrows. “You thought you were pregnant, Lexus.”

  “I only slept with Griffin once, and I’ve never slept with Phoenix.”

  “But you plan to?” Her eyes twinkled.

  I shook my head. “I don’t know! It didn’t work out so great last time.”

  Sarah chuckled. “Yeah, talk about epic after-effects. Your love life is like a freakin’ soap opera.”

  I sighed and flopped back on my bed, my legs dangling over the edge. No truer words had ever been spoken.

  “I still don’t think it’s fair that you get both of them. Seriously!
Can’t you let the rest of us have a chance with at least one of them?”

  I grinned at her jealousy. No one had ever been jealous of me before, especially not someone like Sarah. She had the looks, the brains, the charisma — she was the total package. But for some strange reason, Phoenix and Griffin preferred me. I couldn’t explain it, but as long as they wanted me, I wasn’t about to give either one of them up. Even if it meant I had to live with the consequences.

  * * *

  I heard my name repeated in the whispers as soon as I entered the cafeteria the next morning. People stopped what they were doing and stared at me as I walked, their heads swiveling to follow me and their hands going to their mouths to funnel the gossip directly to the ear of the nearest person.

  I wanted to hang my head in shame and wretch my arms from the boys’ grasp, but I refused to let myself, even though I knew my cheeks were burning.

  I put a few random things on my breakfast tray that I had no intention of eating, and the boys and I headed for our usual table.

  Juan smiled and wiggled his eyebrows at us. “So it’s true, huh? You guys are a threesome?”

  “Yup.” Phoenix nodded and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

  Juan leaned over towards Griffin and stage-whispered, “Isn’t it kinda kinky having sex with your brother?”

  Griffin’s face went pale and his mouth hung open. “That’s not… we’re not… It’s not like that!”

  The whole table laughed at his reaction, and he clutched my hand tightly beneath the table.

  “Are you sure you’re ready to go public with this?” he whispered to me. “These people are our so-called friends. Can you imagine what everyone else is going to say?”

  I gulped and wrapped my fingers in between his as I whispered back. “I’m used to bullying. You’re worth it.” I looked up at him, and his frown melted.

  “So are you,” he said, staring into my eyes, ignoring everyone else.

  The negative responses continued on the walk to first period with a boy on each side of me. Their glares did nothing to staunch the whispers and stares that surrounded us. When we reached my class, they each gave me a chaste kiss on the cheek and looked at me worriedly.

  “Is that how you’re using those super powers of yours, Lexus, making guys like you?” a boy sneered as he walked past on the opposite side of the hallway.

  Phoenix’s body clenched and he raised a fist as he moved to go after him, but Griffin grabbed him and pulled him back.

  “Having fun, guys?” Jaxson approached and slung his arm over my shoulder, eliciting a hiss and a growl from Griffin and Phoenix.

  Jaxson chuckled but let his hand fall to his side. “Easy! Down, boys. I’m not the bad guy here. At least not today.” He winked, and the twins scowled at him. “Don’t worry about Lexus. I’ll look after her.”

  They nodded grudgingly and headed off for their own classes. I took my usual seat, and Jaxson sat behind me.

  “She got you under her spell, too, Jax?” another guy teased.

  Jaxson turned his head slowly and glared at the guy like he could shoot flames from his eyeballs. Electricity crackled around him. “Are you really so stupid to insult the two strongest Specials at this school?” he snarled.

  The bully held up his hands and pulled back his neck, chuckling uneasily. “Just kidding, man.”

  I could still feel their stares and hear them whispering to each other, but no one said anything else out loud that period, for fear of enraging Jaxson. I had to admit, I was glad we’d come to an uneasy alliance.

  After class, Phoenix came to walk me to chemistry. The expression on his face told me he’d experienced some of the same rude comments in his class, but he didn’t look like he wanted to talk about it. I just squeezed his hand and smiled at him, and his posture relaxed a little.

  Mrs. Armstrong started mixing different colored chemicals as soon as the bell rang, and the class clown Devyn immediately piped up. “Hey Miss A, you gonna show us how to make the love potion Lexus used on her boyfriends?”

  Mrs. Armstrong didn’t bat an eye at the comment, just looked at Devyn and smiled. “No, but I have one that will turn a frog into a prince. Maybe your girlfriend would like me to show her that?”

  The class erupted in laughter, and no one else made any comments about us the rest of the hour. Afterward, Phoenix walked me towards my history class, and Griffin met us halfway.

  “Don’t let ‘em pick on her, bro,” Phoenix said, giving me a tight squeeze before handing me off to his brother.

  “You okay?” Griffin looked at me carefully, concern etched in his features.

  I shook my head and waved it off. “I’m fine. People just like to talk. It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

  His eyes grew soft, and he held my hand to his lips. “I don’t want you to have to handle it, Lexus. You deserve better than that.”

  “This was my choice, Griffin. I choose you, and Phoenix. I’m just sorry you have to deal with it.”

  “If you can handle it, I can too,” he said, kissing my knuckles with a smile.

  “Hey Mr. Edwards, I have a history question,” a kid asked at the beginning of class. “Have there ever been any other Catalysts who can control Conduits without their consent like Lexus can?”

  The question wasn’t a joke or an attempt to pick on me, but I still dropped my head to my desk, wishing I could step out of the spotlight for a minute. Griffin rubbed my back as the teacher spent the next several minutes answering the question. Apparently, lots of other Specials had displayed unusual powers over the years, but no one had ever done what I could do. He seemed a little intimidated by me, and I wished briefly that the other kids had the same fear so they’d leave me alone.

  Griffin walked me to my English class, and I took my usual seat in the front, but I quickly wished I’d sat in the back instead. The girls behind me started gossiping as soon as I sat down, and they made little attempt to quiet their words.

  “She’s such a slut. I heard she slept with both of them in the same day.”

  “I heard she slept with both of them at the same time!” The girls gasped then started to giggle.

  “Yeah well, I heard she’s pregnant and she doesn’t even know who the father is!”

  “Does it matter? They’re twins; they have the same DNA. Maybe she can’t tell them apart and that’s why she goes back and forth between them.” The girl snickered.

  I desperately wanted to turn around and yell at them, to set the record straight, to stand up for myself and the boys, but instead, my body was paralyzed as hot tears dripped down my cheeks. When the teacher came in, I quickly wiped the tears away and buried my head in my textbook so she wouldn’t notice me.

  As soon as class was over, I dashed to the bathroom and scooped water from the tap, splashing it onto my overheated face. They were just words, I reminded myself. I’d heard them all before. I knew the truth, and I wasn’t ashamed of my relationship with Griffin and Phoenix. That was all that mattered.

  When I was calmer, I dried my skin then combed my hair with my fingers till I looked presentable. Taking a deep breath, I headed out of the bathroom and bumped right into a huge boy whose name I thought was Travis. My eyes were level with his broad chest.

  “Hey, you’re Lexus, aren’t you? I’ve been hearing some pretty wild things about you.”

  I glanced up at him and tried to walk around him, but he shifted his body so he was still in front of me and put his hands up on the wall behind me, boxing me in. I stared at the dark, curly chest hair visible under his thin tee shirt and held my breath to keep from gagging on his heavy cologne as my body started to quiver.

  His voice grew husky, and he leaned down toward me. “Rumor has it you like to do multiple guys at the same time. Ain’t that right?”

  I shook my head and tried to duck under his arm, but another boy came out of the men’s room next door and blocked my path.

  “Hey, Luke! You know Lexus?”

  The other boy lo
oked me up and down curiously, his eyes growing dark. “No, but I heard some interesting things about her.”

  “Me too, man.”

  Travis started herding me towards the entrance to the men’s bathroom, and Luke followed us in. Several more guys were inside, and they turned to look at us.

  “How many can you handle at once, Lexus?” He swung his finger around, counting off the guys.

  “One, two, three, four, five. Unless one of you ain’t interested.” He growled the last part, a barely-veiled threat.

  My body began to shake uncontrollably, and my knees gave out beneath me as the guys drew closer. Travis grabbed a hold of me, keeping me upright, and his fingers dug into the tender flesh around my waist. One of the others reached for the button of my jeans, and I opened my mouth to scream, but a large, sweaty hand clamped over my mouth and nose, instantly choking me. I started to fight, flailing my arms and kicking my legs, but Travis shoved my arms down and wrapped his arms around me, picking my feet up off the floor.

  He was a Catalyst, so I couldn’t control him, but some of the other boys were Conduits. I scrambled for a command, but my mind was too agitated, my body too stressed. I was frozen with fear. I didn’t know these boys, and I had no idea what they were capable of.

  Suddenly, a voice broke through the thick cloud of my distress, and a familiar, deep voice bellowed from behind me. “What the hell is going on?”

  Jaxson!

  The arms constraining me loosened slightly, and my brain started to clear. Immediately, my powers sought Jaxson’s. Long, thick bolts of lightning shot from my body and crackled towards him, meeting his own in the middle and igniting the air with sparks of electricity.

  A moment later, every boy in the bathroom slammed against the wall, cracking their skulls on the concrete blocks and rattling the metal stalls, their faces stunned and their mouths gaping open.

  My own body started to fall as Travis was yanked away from me, but Jaxson was behind me in an instant, catching me.

  “It’s okay, you’re okay, I got you.” His soothing voice whispered in my ear, just audible over the sound of my own gasping.