“I am thoroughly impressed. Cameron Schuyler, you are downright amazing.”
“It’s a good thing you have such an amazing lab partner,” Cam said with a grin. “But you know, if the word gets out, you might have some competition for a study buddy.”
“We’ll have to keep this on the down low then, won’t we?” She gave him a mock-sour expression and added, “And I think I deserve some of the credit. After all, if I hadn’t flipped through those pages for you… well, the playlist of the lab assistant wouldn’t have helped either of our grades, would it now?”
“Yeah. Great job, flipping those pages. Your fingers sore?”
“They are a bit tired, actually,” Jade said, cracking her knuckles. She grinned at him and they strode out of the biology lab. This guy is something else.
Busy with class, studying, and work, the next two weeks flew by for Jade—which was saying a lot, considering how difficult her first few days of school had been.
“It’s going to be awesome,” Cam said as class ended one Friday. “I haven’t been able to go climbing since last year—last year!” As if that was simply unfathomable. “I’m probably going to be rusty. My brother is going to show me up. He goes almost every weekend during the summer.”
“Josh, right?”
“Yep. He’s twenty-two and Chloe is twenty. They still live with my parents in Denver, and they both go to the University of Colorado.” He thought for a second and then added, “You should come with us, Jade. I think you’d get along really well with them. I know they’d like you.”
“But I’ve never been rock climbing in my life!”
“Don’t worry, I can teach you everything you need to know, and we’d keep it easy for starters. We don’t do anything crazy. I think you could handle it.”
“Well… I’m probably horribly out of shape.”
“Come on, Jade. You’ll be fine. You need a break from your books, anyway. Come get some fresh air this weekend—the weather is supposed to be awesome. You’ll have a blast—I promise.”
His desire pulled at her. She finally sighed. “Oh, all right. I’ll go.”
He whooped like a boy. Glee bubbled inside her—his emotion, but she wasn’t averse to the feeling. “But,” she added as an afterthought, “you have to promise not to make fun of me if I get stuck halfway up the cliff.”
“You have nothing to worry about. I’ll take care of you.”
When Jade returned home that evening, she washed up and took a quick inventory of her minimally furnished apartment. For the most part, she kept a neat house, so there wasn’t much to tidy up. She picked up a bright, striped throw and folded it, then placed it on the old, retro sofa and walked into the kitchen.
At that moment, she heard a knock at the door.
“Jade!” Two young women squealed together when she opened it. They attacked her with hugs and exclamations. Lauren was tall and lean with straight brown hair and deep-set eyes. Sydney, a few inches shorter, had wavy, blonde hair and a curvy figure.
“You look so good!” Lauren said.
“Your apartment is darling!” Sydney said, surveying the living area. “I love all the bright colors. Is that a papasan chair?”
“We brought sushi.” Lauren held out a bag.
The merry feelings in the room surged around Jade. She swayed for a moment, and fought to maintain control. In some ways, being around women was more difficult than being around men. The feelings were usually more intense and often jumped from one extreme to another. But she quickly regained her composure. “It’s so good to see you both.”
Jade’s friends chattered incessantly as she grabbed dinnerware from the kitchen. They told Jade all about making it through finals, the adorable little apartment they were now renting together, and the handsome, older doctor that Lauren had met during her internship at the hospital.
“So how are you hanging in through your summer classes?” Lauren asked.
“It’s not too bad,” Jade said. “Philosophy was hard, but biology class is better.”
“Really?” Sydney asked. “That’s not a subject you used to be interested in.”
“It’s not exactly biology I like.” Jade shrugged. “I guess it’s more the guy I sit by who makes it interesting.”
“You met a guy? Tell us all about him!”
“What’s his name?” Lauren asked. “What does he look like? What’s he studying?”
Jade grinned. “Take a breath, Lauren.” She took a deep one of her own and calmly said, “His name’s Cam. He hasn’t picked a major yet. He has blondish hair and blue eyes. He’s muscular and athletic. He has a nice smile. He’s always cracking jokes and making me laugh in the middle of class. He’s also really sweet.” She suddenly felt embarrassed.
Lauren was the first to speak. “Wow, that’s so great, Jade! I’m so happy you found someone!”
“He sounds amazing,” Sydney said. “You seem so into him.”
“Oh, it’s not like that. I mean, we’re not dating or anything. We’re just friends.”
Their faces fell slightly.
“No, you don’t understand—that’s a good thing. I really like being his friend. I’m not looking for a boyfriend right now.”
Lauren shook her head, either in disappointment or disapproval.
“But he’s single?”
Jade shrugged. “I guess. Why?”
“So, is he not into you then, or what?” Sydney asked, with no attempt at tact.
“That’s not an issue. I mean, I don’t think so. He asked me to go rock climbing with him tomorrow—not that it means anything.”
Both the girls’ faces immediately brightened with this new development. “Are you going?” Lauren asked.
“Yeah.”
“A date! A date!” Sydney chanted triumphantly. Both girls were grinning now.
“It’s not an actual date. We’re going with his brother and sister.”
“Is he picking you up or are you meeting him there?” Lauren asked.
“The three of them are picking me up.”
Lauren thought for a minute and then nodded. “That counts.”
“A date! A date!” Sydney sang again, this time bouncing on the sofa and causing Jade to spring up and down along with her. Jade sighed but couldn’t fight the ecstatic mood that was rushing at her from either side. Despite herself, she shook her head and felt her face split into a smile.
~
Dimly illuminated by black lights, the interior of the nocturnal animal building gave off a musty smell laced with the sour odor of fecal matter. It was not altogether unpleasant to Ethan, who stood in a shadowy corner and casually took in his surroundings. Typically he frequented zoos for the research he could glean from the reptile house, but the Denver Zoo’s wealth of information on nighttime creatures was a refreshing change of scenery.
He enjoyed the subtle sounds of the atmosphere for a moment. The light pitter-patter of rodents scurrying across their wood-chip-carpeted habitats. The soft hiss of a snake. Faint crunching as some night creature chowed down on its dinner. The sounds were muffled by the glass, almost nonexistent. But he could hear what normal humans couldn’t.
He examined the sign on the exhibit in front of him, tracing it with a casual finger. The Great Horned Owl has excellent hearing and eyesight, making it ideally equipped to swoop down and catch its prey from the night sky. He studied the bird, sitting erect on a branch behind the glass. It had a very regal appearance, but something about the creature irritated him. Its huge, glowing eyes were too conspicuous, its posture too formal, its ear tufts too pretentious. Like a seasoned professor ceremoniously adorned in cap and gown, it rotated its head and gave him a condescending stare. Ethan glared at the feathery thing and moved on to the next exhibit.
A small crowd of observers had clustered around a cage in the center of the room, staring through its plate glass walls. Hundreds of bats, buzzing with energy, arced and dove through the air. Others hung from branches, blanketed by folded wings
and suspended by tiny feet, or picked at the fruit carcasses littering the floor of the habitat.
Ethan placed a palm against the glass, testing to see if could feel the vibrations from the bats’ radar. The faintest tingle reached his fingertips, imperceptible to normal humans. He marveled at the deftness of such small, nearly blind creatures.
This is more like it.
Ethan drew his hand back when a petite older woman in a bland uniform and a ranger hat passed by. “Although these bats have small, poorly-developed eyes, they make up for their weak vision with excellent senses of smell and hearing. There are about eleven hundred species of bats in the world, which represents about 20 percent of all known mammals.”
Ethan cocked an eyebrow. Inconspicuous but formidable.
The crowd followed the woman to the next exhibit, but Ethan lingered to admire the creatures. An overwhelming sense of discontent swept over him as he realized what he was missing. He wished there was some way to take a specimen home to his collection, but it was too risky. This wasn’t the place. Zoos tended to go overboard with security, and he couldn’t risk being caught on camera. He was way too careful to try anything right now. But maybe there was another way…
He was about to move on when the high-pitched voice of a little girl accosted his eardrums with her frantic wailing.
“No, I don’t want to, Mommy! It’s too dark. I’m scared!” She screamed as they entered the dark building, clawing at her mother’s arm but unable to fight being dragged inside.
Ethan’s lips twitched. Desire flared, but he turned away. Again he reminded himself, Now isn’t the time.
On Saturday, Jade was throwing her things into a tote bag when she heard a knock on the door. A wave of happiness made her euphoric, further intensifying when she opened for it Cam. How did he always do this to her? She was even more surprised when he embraced her.
“I’m so glad you decided to come.” His lips lightly brushed her still-wet hair and his solid mass enveloped her. Her friends’ comments from the night before kept playing in her mind. He’s hugging me because we’re friends. Get a grip, she thought.
Then she remembered why she should be nervous: she had to meet the others. She saw—and felt—Josh first. His hesitancy and nervousness swirled around her. His wiry frame was hunched as if trying to make himself appear shorter, and he shoved a chunk of brown hair out of his dark eyes as he eased to the side to let his sister step forward. Chloe—the female version of Cam with the same coloring and features—skipped over and pulled Jade into a hug. Jade blinked, momentarily stunned with the woman’s sense of delight, but returned the hug a second later.
“It’s so good to meet you!” Chloe said.
“You, too.” Jade tried not to let the proximity with the new acquaintances overwhelm her. If Chloe was anything like Cam—and so far she seemed to be—Jade wouldn’t have to try very hard.
The four of them stood there for a moment, and Jade realized she had no idea what to say next.
“So, are we going to hit the cliffs or what?” This first introduction to Josh’s low, husky voice startled Jade, not at all what she’d expected.
Cam looked at her. “You ready?”
She nodded.
“Great. Let’s go.”
They crossed the lot and climbed into a silver Jeep. Josh drove, with Chloe riding shotgun, leaving Jade and Cam the backseat.
“So, exactly where are we going?” Jade asked.
“The Garden of the Gods,” Cam said. “It’s kind of a tourist magnet, but there are some really good climbing spots there.”
Chloe started to ask Jade something about school, but an upbeat tune came on the radio. Cam squeezed forward past the center console, turning the stereo up to a blaring volume. Then he belted out the lyrics, animatedly rocking out in his seat, complete with air guitar.
Chloe turned around in her seat to see what he was doing and chuckled, shaking her head. But then she shrugged and joined in, holding her fist like a microphone and squeezing her eyes shut while she wailed away. Jade couldn’t help but laugh. Still giggling, she glanced at Josh. He wasn’t partaking in the merriment, but she thought she caught the hint of a smile tug at the corner of his mouth.
After parking, the four of them strode down the path through huge boulders that jutted out on either side. Some were rounded smooth while others were sharp and jagged, all in hues of rust, gold, and burnt orange.
At the face of the cliff, Cam and Josh prepared the equipment while Chloe helped Jade into the harness. Before Jade realized they were gone, Cam and Josh had begun free climbing and were six feet up the surface of the rock wall. She was amazed—it looked smooth and nearly vertical to her, but they found footholds with ease. Both guys were strong and, despite her petite stature, Chloe looked athletic too. What if Jade was in over her head?
Cam and Josh disappeared over the ledge to secure the ropes. They were back soon, and down again at her side. “You ready to try it?” Cam asked.
“Um, well…” She knew she couldn’t put it off much longer. “I guess now is as good as ever.”
“Don’t be nervous.” Cam stepped closer and put his arm around her waist, gently pulling her closer to him. “I’ll be right beside you the whole time.”
Jade’s pulse quickened. She was close enough to smell his aftershave, and the scent was intensified by the light sweat that beaded on his temples. She met his eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s do this.”
Cam fastened the rope to her harness. Then he secured the other rope to his own and they approached the face of the rock wall together. Cam stood right behind her until she was above him. Then he climbed up next to her.
She was slow, taking her time to feel out each cleft and notch in the rock face before trusting it with her full weight. Now that she was clinging to it, small crevices in the rock were visible. Before she knew it, she’d reached the top.
“You did it!” Cam said.
“That was so cool!” Jade said. “And this view is amazing.” They walked around on the top for a little while, admiring the views from every side.
“Ready to see how we get back down?”
“Sure.” Jade’s nervousness had vanished, completely drowned by Cam’s exuberant feelings inside her. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.
He showed her the proper way to rappel. “Feet out, and keep your legs perpendicular to the cliff.”
Going down turned out to be more fun than climbing up. Cam had shown her how to let the tension out of the rope to propel her downward. Initially she took it slowly, but when she grew braver, she let more rope out at a time, causing her to fall faster. Once she fell for a long stretch, squealing with unexpected delight at the thrill it gave her.
Everything about the experience was unusual for Jade. She wasn’t athletic, never did anything dangerous, and as she was now realizing, never had that much fun with life. Seeing things from Cam’s perspective, she felt like she’d been living in an alternate universe. A different side of her came alive when she was with him, and she liked that person.
They climbed all morning. When it was past noon, Chloe volunteered Josh and herself to trek back to the Jeep for the food.
While they waited, Jade and Cam sat down in the shade of a small tree at the base of one of the large rock formations. She was warm after the climb, having abandoned her sweatshirt hours ago and rolled up the legs of her jeans. A slight breeze ruffled her hair and made her feel relaxed—although that was more likely the work of Cam’s presence.
She idly watched some visitors snap photos, the sun gleaming off the camera.
“So, are you having a good time?” Cam asked.
“I am. Thanks for inviting me. I really didn’t want to crash your party.” She looked to him for a response, but his face and emotions were completely blank. His eyes froze as if he were in a trance. She stared at him, realizing that he was having an episode. This time she remained calm, remembering not to get worked up when his feelings were sucked
out of her.
The first change was the life returning to his face. The second was his surge of pleasant emotions washing over her like a tidal wave.
“You’re back.”
“Yeah, I am. Sorry about that.”
“How was the trip?”
“Fine.”
“Tell me about it. I really want to know. It’s so…” She hesitated. “So interesting.”
A bemused expression curved his mouth. “Well, there’s really not much to tell. I just relived the previous few seconds or so: me asking you if you were having a good time, then you answering.”
“Oh.”
“You smell amazing, by the way. Especially in slow motion, with the super senses.” He grinned at her, watching for her reaction.
Jade’s face was suddenly hot.
Slowly, he leaned closer to her until his face was only inches from her neck and inhaled deeply into the hair that fell over her shoulder. “Mmm,” he said playfully. His breath tickled her neck and she giggled, tucking her head down and pulling away. Embarrassed, she tried to think of a way to change the subject.
“It doesn’t seem like your blackouts slow you down at all.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. You did that free climb up the cliff. Wasn’t that a little dangerous?”
He shrugged. “I’m not giving up my life just because I have this issue once in a while.”
“But shouldn’t you… I don’t know, be careful?”
“I’m careful. I don’t drive or operate heavy machinery, but I won’t give up everything I love.”
“Okay. I get that. So, you said the episodes started after a snowboarding accident? Can you tell me about it?”
“You want to hear the story?”
“I’d love to, if you’re willing to talk about it.”
“The accident happened shortly after New Year’s. Josh and I were at Keystone, and it was crowded. Nice weather, and snowing—one of those snows with huge flakes that makes great powder. You ever skied?”
Empath: The Flawed Series Book One Page 5