by Trisha Wolfe
“Then why are you dancing with me?” I looked into his eyes. They were still focused away from me.
He gritted his teeth, a muscle feathered his jaw. “You’re a good dancer.”
“Bull.” I shook my head. “At least give me the chance to expl—”
“Explain?” Reese finally looked at me, his eyes fire red. “I know what your explanation is, Dez. Jace kissed you, you didn’t see it coming, you panicked.”
“Yes. I panicked.” I sucked in a deep breath. “I didn’t know what to do.”
“So you kissed him back?” he said, his eyes glowing fiercely. “I saw the way you kissed him. No matter what, I knew Jace was my competition. I just thought we had something.” He turned his head away from me, his lips pressed in a hard line.
I opened and closed my mouth, my words dying on my tongue. I had kissed Jace back. I still didn’t understand why, other than I’d been caught off guard and I had panicked. But I couldn’t repeat Reese’s excuse back to him.
He stopped dancing and took a step away from me. “This was a bad idea.” He turned to go, but before he left, he added, “You and Jace make a cute couple.” Then he stormed off the dance floor, leaving me speechless and shaken.
So that was it. One mess up from me and everything between us was over. I hugged my waist as I inched through the horde of dancers. I pressed my back to the mirrored wall, hiding behind the filter of steam. Being raised by the Narcos, Reese’s pride had won out. He really was one of them, after all.
I slipped off the dance floor and out of the club. I wanted to run back to the Academy, but I knew Jace would freak if I disappeared. God, I hated that I could never do what I wanted, when I wanted.
Anger burned in my chest, replacing my guilt. I hadn’t meant to hurt Reese, but he wouldn’t give me the chance to redeem myself. His stubbornness infuriated me, boiling deep in the pit of my stomach. I marched back into the club and searched for him.
Reese was talking with his Narco buddies along the far wall. He wanted to play cruel and callous guy…fine. He had that Narco act down. But I was part Narco, too.
I took off toward him, ready to tell him off right in the middle of Cogs. He’d hear my side whether he wanted to or not. I was halfway across the club when a hand clasped my arm and halted my determined march.
“Hey,” Jace said, stepping in front of me. “What’s wrong?”
I closed my eyes, urging the anger burning in my chest to calm. My body shook, and I knew I had to get a grip. “Nothing,” I said and opened my eyes.
Jace’s forehead furrowed, and his eyes searched mine. “Bullshit. I know when you’re upset. What happened?”
I huffed out a long breath. He knew me too well and wouldn’t believe I wasn’t mad. “I’ll take care of it, Jace.” I glanced around his shoulder. Reese’s eyes caught mine, and flames ignited my blood.
Calm down. I was scared my eyes would shift red.
Whipping around, Jace followed my gaze. He turned back toward me. “Did he do something to you?” His nostrils flared, and his eyes lit with blue fury. “I’ll kill him.”
He released me and started in Reese’s direction.
Shit!
Panicking, I latched onto his arm. “Jace, no.” I pulled against him as he forged forward. “It’s not what you think.” I couldn’t get him to stop. I’d messed up. I shouldn’t have looked at Reese. Crap. I shouldn’t have come back in the club at all with my emotions running high.
Jace was almost to the other side of the room, and I had to do something before he attacked Reese. My mind reeled. I jumped in front of his path, and he stopped. Then I grabbed his face and planted my lips on his. His lips were firm, unyielding to mine at first, as if I’d shocked him. Then I felt him give in. He cradled my face between his palms, and his lips parted against mine.
As we kissed, I maneuvered his back toward Reese, hoping he’d forget about him if he didn’t see him. After a several seconds, I pulled away. Jace’s eyes shone bright blue, and he smiled. I smiled back and quickly slid my eyes in Reese’s direction.
Reese leaned against the wall, his eyes and hands blazing red. The beer bottle he held heated, taking on the red glow…then shattered.
Chapter Sixteen
REESE PUSHED OFF THE WALL, fuming. He took one step toward me, then halted. He stared at me, and his eyes flashed violet. He quickly shut them, blinking the purple away, and headed out the exit.
I sunk against Jace. Reese had let his control to slip. It had only been a split second, but I’d seen it. My chest felt hollow, numb. I’d allowed my emotions to control me, acted on my anger. And Reese had almost given himself away. I buried my head in Jace’s shoulder.
This is wrong.
“Hey,” Jace said into my ear. “You all right?”
I nodded against his shoulder. “Yeah.” I drew back and looked into his eyes. “Want to get out of here? I think I’m ready to go back to the Academy.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”
I wracked my brain for something that wouldn’t make him flip out. At least the kiss had calmed him down. “He just said something about the Shythe, Jace.” I held his eyes. “It was stupid. I don’t even know what he said now that made me so mad.”
His eyes studied me a moment before he nodded. “I get that.” He feathered a loose strand behind my ear. “You really want to go? Are you tired?”
“I’ve been working a lot of late nights on my project. I think my brain is fried.” I tilted my head. “Not to mention the late night get-togethers.”
“True.” He smiled easily. “I’ll tell Lana and Nick we’re heading back early.”
I watched him walk off, my heart slamming into my feet. What had I done? I’d just confirmed that we were together. A couple. I’d watched Reese’s reaction. I didn’t know if he was jealous, or pissed because I’d thrown kissing Jace back in his face. Whatever his feelings were toward me, he was furious now. There was no hope. I’d killed us for good.
Jace walked me to the girls’ wing of the Academy, and we stopped before the spiraling staircase. I still couldn’t ride the lift alone. He leaned forward, his fingers lifting my face to his.
“I know things are weird,” he said. “I think after a while it’ll fall into place. I still look at you most days and imagine the best way to take you down.” He laughed. “But now, I don’t feel as bad fantasizing about kissing you, either.”
My face burned. “Well, yeah, but I think we know who has the upper hand. You’re not letting me win at practice, are you?”
“No,” he said, placing a kiss on my forehead. “You do have mad skills. Trust me, I struggle to keep up with you.”
“Thanks, you’re not so bad, though, for a guy.” I cocked my head. “By the way, I told my mom I’d stop by and visit with her tomorrow.”
Jace nodded once. “We should probably go see our parents, too.” He dipped his head, his eyes finding mine. “Later, though?”
“Yeah. We’ll get together.”
He moved forward and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. I tried to match his tenderness, but my mind kept flashing to the angry expression on Reese’s face. I leaned into the kiss, giving him what I had left of myself before pulling back.
We said goodnight, and I bounded up the staircase to my room. After changing into my pajamas, I lay on my bed, staring at the currents flickering inside the crystals along the wall. They moved so rapidly, it was hard to distinguish one from the other as they blended together, only to separate again.
I felt like I was one giant current, pulling away from myself, blending, and then falling away again. I closed my eyes, wishing for sleep.
The next day, I took the steam trolley to my mom’s. We spent the day in our unit, lazing around and talking. She seemed much weaker, but I tried not to reveal how concerned I was. She never wanted me to worry about her. I wished she could find a better placement than the factory, but she maintained it was her only option. The factory didn’
t require occupational documents from the Academy, documents that held her work options as well as her real name.
It felt comforting to be home. I almost didn’t want to leave. There, I didn’t have to think about Jace, Reese, the Narcos, or the situation at the Academy. I could just lay around and pretend everything was right. I was safe, like my mom had always wanted. What she’d spent seventeen years fearing was no longer an issue. As far as she was concerned, I’d gone through the change, survived, and could conceal my identity. So I put on a happy façade for her, allowing one of us to enjoy my life.
Basking in my contentment, I’d messaged Jace, telling him I planned to spend the rest of the weekend with my mom—blaming her previously overprotective behavior—and I’d be back at the Academy late Sunday night.
He believed me. Why wouldn’t he? My mom had always been overbearing. Though this was the first time I’d actually lied about it, wishing she’d relapse into her old ways and bar me from the Academy. One more week of watching Reese with the Shythe girl and having to fake a smile around Jace, and I might snap.
By the following week, I was back to immersing myself in my studies. I was getting closer to figuring out a solution to my shape-shifting dilemma. I wanted to devote my time to it fully, but Jace was growing suspicious of my constant school obsession. I’d never been one to devote this much time to work during high school. But I assured him that I was intensely interested in our Shythe power because I wanted to secure a good placement in a year’s time.
He backed off a little, giving me space. We were all somewhat different after the change, so he probably believed my newfound work fixation was part of the new me. Jace seemed content around me, and he rested his Narco conspiracy theories. I guess Nick was right about him calming down if he had a girlfriend. We still trained, but only once a week now. And only for fun.
Reese continued ignoring me and spending time with the Shythe girl. I didn’t care to learn her name. There was nothing to say or do about that. I’d blown it. But I soon realized that it hadn’t been all my fault. He’d blown it, too. In my heart, I knew we were supposed to be together. But he couldn’t get past seeing me kiss Jace, and I couldn’t bring myself to forgive him for rejecting me so fully.
I flashed between emotions, ranging from hurt to betrayal to anger, back to hurt, and then finally anger again. My emotions were taking a toll on my power, draining me. And that realization had finally been the key to cracking my project.
Friday morning, before my first block, I met with Mr. Liam in the chemistry room. He set my crystal onto the transfer panel and turned on the device.
“Actually,” I said, “can I try something before we do the normal infuse?”
Mr. Liam shrugged. “Sure, it’s your project.”
I reached over and turned off the machine. In order to infuse crystals with Charge, we had to draw a crystal’s natural energy out. Then it was like an empty void, waiting to be filled with our power. But I realized instead of draining the crystal, I needed to connect with its energy—not extinguish it. I needed to find harmony with the elements around me.
I’d realized that my emotions and desires were able to dictate my power. It was the same as when Reese felt an emotion and wasn’t guarding himself, his eyes changed color. There was something different about us. I had to figure out if that difference could help me control my shift.
Picking up the crystal, I spread my fingers over its smooth surface, feeling its natural energy. Everything on the planet had its own form of energy. Every molecule moved, even if we couldn’t see it with our eyes. I concentrated, thinking of my Charge. More than just willing my power into the crystal, I attempted to want it with all my heart. I wanted the crystal to accept my power and to combine with the energy it already held.
I heard the crackle of current, and I glanced down. My hands glowed blue as the crystal lit up. At that point, a Shythe would normally turn the juice up full blast, forcing Charge into the crystal. Instead, I placed the crystal on the table before me, keeping the current flowing.
Concentrating on my emotions, I desired more than anything to give the crystal my power. I willed the crystal to open up and accept it. I strung a current between my palms, slowly raising the level of power until the current stretched arm-to-arm as I spread them farther apart.
The crystal turned blue, and the current spiked, arcing in a third direction toward the crystal. Charge flowed into the crystal, taking the stream into itself.
“My, God,” Mr. Liam said. His mouth hung agape, and then he shut it, slowly removing his glasses. “Can you do that again?”
I laughed. “I think so.” I smiled at him. “It’s what I wanted. I felt the crystal taking the Charge at will. I didn’t have to force it. I think all I have to do now is be near the crystal and it’ll continue to absorb the energy.”
I held out my hand and sent a bolt into the air. The blue blaze shot straight up, suddenly changed directions, and went immediately into the crystal.
Mr. Liam laughed loudly. “I can’t believe it!” He knelt before the crystal, studying it. “Look at it. It’s regenerating itself. Like it’s slowly dispersing the energy and waiting for more.”
I beamed. I’d figured out how to secure a safe shift. If I could merge my power with a smaller crystal, I could carry it with me. And when I shifted, the wild power could be stored inside the crystal safely.
“How did you do that?” he asked, moving at an angle around the crystal.
I shrugged. “I think that maybe all Shythe can do it. If they’re powerful enough and they truly want the crystal to have their power.” I shook my head. “I’m not sure, but I think it can be done.” I didn’t believe that at all, really. I knew it had to do with being a mixed breed. But I had no way of testing the theory, and I couldn’t admit that to him.
Mr. Liam laughed uncontrollably. “Of course! All this time, I’ve been thinking that I needed to stabilize the power. You’re a genius.” He patted my shoulder once, hard. “You get an A.”
I laughed and touched the crystal, dousing the power. It was as if I was connected to it now. The crystal responded to my every wish.
“Oh,” he said. “You better hurry. You’re going to be late for the assembly.”
“Another one?”
He nodded. “Yes, I think the headmaster actually has something important to say this time.”
I packed my project away in a cabinet in Mr. Liam’s office and rushed out the door. I found Lana, Nick, and Jace easily. They were in the same row as last time. I inched down the packed row, taking the empty seat Lana had saved for me. She raised her eyebrows at me questioningly.
“Project,” I said, explaining why I was late.
Before I could stop myself, I glanced over. Reese was in his same seat, also. But this time the Shythe girl wasn’t there. Trouble in paradise? Then I shook my head, scolding myself for making jokes at his expense. For my next project, I wondered if I could make a crystal absorb my negative emotions.
The headmaster walked toward the podium, and the audience quieted. He tapped the brass-circled microphone and sent a loud screech echoing through the room.
“Just testing,” he said. “Welcome back. I’m happy to announce that week one was a success. At first, we had our doubts that the two races could be integrated so quickly without any backlash. But you wonderful students have exceeded our expectations.” He glanced around. “Today, I have an exciting surprise. Members from the Shythe and Narcolym Councils are here to discuss the next step in the Peace Act. What will follow shall secure the Kythan as a joined force.” He paused a beat. “I’d like to welcome Shythe Council member Phillip Tuner.”
Applause rose around us, and I looked over to Jace. His expression was stunned as he watched his father take the podium. Then I checked out Lana and Nick. They were just as surprised.
Mr. Tuner smiled. “Thank you. I’m not going to waste your time. I’m going to get right to the point. Our species is in danger.” He surveyed the room, p
ausing for effect. He was no longer smiling. “Not just the Shythe, but the Narcolym, as well. Since the fall of Egyptian pharaohs, the magics bestowed upon us have been dying. As the world moves away from magics and toward technology, we find fewer places where we’re needed. And we all understand that as Kythan, our ability to survive depends on the survival of the human race as well as their need for our magics.” He bowed his head for a moment before continuing. “We undertook the Peace Act as a trial run toward our ultimate goal. And, our ultimate means of survival. We’re joining the races. Not just by living together in peace,” he paused, “but by uniting the races—bonding.”
Chapter Seventeen
A RUCKUS BROKE OUT, and Kythan jumped from their seats, wearing shocked expressions. I was unable to move. When what Mr. Tuner had said finally sank in, I swung my head toward Reese. He was already looking at me. I studied his features, trying to assess if he’d known this was coming. But his eyes reflected the fear I felt.
Lana reached across my lap and rested her hand on Jace’s arm. “Looks like we were way, way off,” she said, trying to draw his attention from their father. Then she sat back, giving her father the evilest look I’d ever seen from her.
Mr. Tuner slammed a gavel. What, did he think this was court? “Please, settle down.” When his order went ignored, he snapped his fingers into the microphone. The back doors swung open and Narcos dressed in battle uniforms stormed in holding weapons.
Oh, God.
The student body immediately fell quiet and sat back down. “Now. Let’s continue.” Mr. Tuner looked around, daring anyone to object. “I didn’t mean it lightly when I said our species is in danger. If we can’t find a way to survive without the humans, in less than a hundred years—less than one Kythan lifetime—we’ll cease to exist.”
I glanced over to Jace. His jaw flexed as he kept his eyes trained on Mr. Tuner. Then he slowly turned his head toward me, but looked right past. I’d never seen his eyes look so angry, wild. Not even when he’d almost fought that Narco at Cogs. He was staring at the Narcolym troops. I’d need to perform major damage control before he started a rebellion.