by Lucy Roy
“Hey, Fletch.”
“Morning, Nathaniel. Charlise and I thought it might be best to split them into three groups today instead of ten, see if we can give the Replicators and Splitters a bit more of a challenge. What are your thoughts?”
I glanced down at Charlise who’d fallen into step on my right.
“I think that makes sense. We’ll begin with them, but I would like to see how the Illusionists manage when they’re trying to hold up their illusion to multiple people.”
“Alright,” Fletch replied, nodding. “We’ll set the Linkers up with the Telepath and Telekinetics since they should be the simplest to infiltrate, and tomorrow I think we should give the Trackers, Astrals, and the Psychometric a solid focus.”
“My only concern with combining the Linkers with the Telekinetics is that Tessa and Damien seemed to hit quite an impasse yesterday,” Charlise said, looking up at me. “Do you think this is an issue of their ability to work together, or do you think one might have some kind of hindrance?”
I scratched my head. “I’m not entirely sure,” I hedged. “I’ll take them, see how they are today. If need be, I’ll jump in and see what I can work out.”
Charlise smiled cheerfully. “Sounds good, boss!”
She trotted off to sort the Mentalists into their groups, while Fletch and I waited near the sandbox, as it had come to be called over the years. It was a simple wooden structure with walls that were about two feet high. Instead of being filled with sand from the arena floor, soft cushions were spread around. We’d found that an enclosed space, even an open-air one such as the sandbox, helped certain Mentalist recruits focus. It also gave the Astrals a soft place to relax when they projected.
“Why don’t you take the Illusionists,” I suggested. “You can group them with the Astrals for today. I’ll take the Linker group. Charlise can take the rest.”
“Not a problem.” He grinned, flashing a bright smile, then turned and raised his voice. “Illusionists and Astrals, come to me!”
I made my way over to the tables where Charlise had directed my group of seven.
I ran a hand over my chin and put the other on my hip as I looked at them speculatively. For the first time in a long while, I was at a loss as to where to begin. Most had done well with their partners, but Tessa and Damien’s attempts to work together yesterday had been dreadful; I could only assume the same would happen today.
“Alright.” I clapped my hands twice. “I think it might be a bit easier if we go someplace more quiet, so let’s move this outside.”
I turned to lead them toward the exit, and a small part of me hoped that Tessa would join me.
I felt a tentative poke in my mind. I let my walls down, hoping it was her and not Apollo.
‘Thanks for letting me take a break.’
I smiled when I heard her voice in my head.
‘So now this mindreading thing is alright?’
‘Well, I can’t exactly talk about this in front of the others.’
‘Fair enough’.
The more the other recruits saw us talking, the more likely it was that some would begin to suspect favoritism. I’d seen it before. Genevieve had suffered through a good deal of negative attention during her training. Having five affinities, she required more rigorous training than the others, which meant she’d gotten to know more of the mentors than her fellow recruits. It was jealousy, pure and simple, and unfortunately, unavoidable.
‘No need to apologize, it was a lot to take in. Are you planning on dinner with your friends again?’
‘Not sure. Why?’
‘We should probably talk a bit more about earlier, and I still want to hear about your nightmare.’
I could feel hesitation in her thoughts before she finally responded.
‘That’s fine, but do you think we could maybe just hang out? My mind is kind of full right now.’
‘Of course, whatever you want.’
‘Okay. Just give me time to shower after training.’
‘Sure.’
‘And Nate?’
‘Yes?’
‘Use the front gate this time, please? I’ll meet you in the courtyard.’
I smiled.
‘No problem.’
30
Tessa
Later that evening, as I stood in front of my mirror getting ready to meet up with Nate, I couldn’t help the annoyance that flooded me.
Training had sucked royally. My telekinesis was on point, but every other thing about training was miserable.
First, I’d tried to work with Damien again; that was a miserable fail. My mind just wouldn’t let him in. We’d switched partners, and I tried working with Sina, who was also a Linker, to no avail. Martin, our single Telepath, was able to make some headway, but Nate’s theory was that it was because he was only trying to communicate, not take over.
After that, I’d been sent to the side to watch as the others worked with one another. Damien managed to infiltrate Sina’s mind long enough to pluck five blades of grass from the ground, while Martin initiated a telepathic game of telephone with everyone else, sending a message telepathically to Josephina, who whispered it to Kieran, and so on, until it reached Anette, who proudly announced that “Sally sold seashells at an ice cream store.”
I hadn’t told anyone about Nate and Chiron’s suspicions. I knew in my gut that they were probably right. They knew far more than I did about what affinities may or may not exist. I just didn’t want to tell anyone, not even Mary, until I knew something for sure.
As I went to apply a sheer pink gloss to my lips, I paused. Squinting, I leaned in closer to examine my face.
I’d only done my makeup once since we’d arrived at Olympus, and at that point, I’d still been human. Now, as I examined my newly immortal face, I saw it.
My chin was smooth. The little scar I’d gotten in seventh grade had vanished, as though it had never been there.
Quickly, I opened my mouth and looked to my back molar. Sure enough, the small speck of silver that had resided there for the last five years had disappeared, the surface of the tooth unmarred by the tiny cavity that had once been there.
“Yana!”
My roommate stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, her face coated with a mint-green facial mask.
“Yes?”
“Uh…Did you know our scars go away?”
She frowned at me. “Yes, of course. All injuries regenerate, even old ones.”
“Huh. Neat. What’s with the mask?”
She shrugged and stepped back into the bathroom, returning a moment later with her bathrobe on.
“The mask is for fun. It was something Jonna, my female guardian, and I used to do together each Sunday. It became our ‘thing,’ as you would say.”
“That’s cool.” I smiled wistfully. “My guardians and I had a thing like that. Do you miss it? Those normal, human things you guys would do?”
She sat down on the edge of my bed and fiddled with one of my makeup brushes.
“At times. I am not as sentimental as you and Mary seem to be, but we were a family, just as you were. It is hard not to miss that.” She smiled up at me. “Did your female guardian teach you how to do makeup? You are quite good at it.”
I picked up my brown eyeliner and slowly began tracing a thin line along my top lashes.
“Not really. Analise was never one for makeup, really, but one Halloween, I dressed up as Cleopatra—”
“With blond hair?” She bit back a smile. “It must not have been a very good costume.”
I shot her a glare in the mirror before moving on to the other eye.
“Ha ha. Anyway, she taught me how to do the most amazing cat eye with my liner. I don’t really get a chance to do my eyes up anymore, though, so I never get to play with it. The rest I got from You Tube.”
“I’ve always liked the way that looked,” Yana said. “You will have to teach me. In exchange for braiding lessons, of course.”
“Of
course.”
As I applied a coat of black mascara, I saw that Yana was watching me, smirking.
I screwed the wand back into the tube and turned to face her. “What?”
She shook her head, her smirk turning into a wide smile. “You are here one week and going on dates. I am jealous.”
“They’re not dates. We’re just…talking or whatever,” I grumbled, tossing the tube of mascara back in my makeup case and running my fingers through my hair. I’d taken the time to dry and straighten it, then I’d put on the same outfit I’d worn the night before since I’d only be in it a couple of hours.
“Whatever you say,” Yana teased. “Hey, where did you go today? How did you avoid running laps with the rest of us?”
I froze.
“Uh…Chiron had some stuff he needed to talk to me about. Since I was having such a tough time linking with Damien this week, he wanted to help.”
I knew the excuse sounded weak, and the arch of Yana’s perfectly shaped brows told me she thought the same.
“Alright.” She stood, then put one hand on her hip and rubbed the back of her neck with the other. “Tessa, if you need to talk—I know Mary is your best friend, but…”
I smiled and hoped my appreciation of her gesture was clear. “Thanks, Yana. I really appreciate that.”
She waved a hand. “Do not mention it. Now go. If I cannot have boy stories of my own just yet, I will need to get by on yours.”
I rolled my eyes. “I can’t guarantee mine will be terribly interesting, but we’ll see.”
She wagged a red-tipped finger at me. “He will kiss you tonight, mark my words.”
I raised my eyebrows and smiled. “You’re crazy, you know that?”
She waved both hands in a “go away” gesture. “Shoo! Out the door!”
Laughing, I let the door click shut behind me, and I made my way out to the courtyard to meet Nate.
I found him sitting next to the fountain when I got there, staring up at the sky.
“Hey,” I said quietly, sitting down next to him. “What’cha looking at?”
He turned his head toward me and smiled. “Nothing, really. Just thinking.”
“I see. So…what do you want to do?”
He stood, then reached out a hand toward me. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
I narrowed my eyes at him and took his hand. “That sounds mysterious and creepy.”
He laughed. “It’s not, don’t worry. You seemed to like the zipline field last night, and I thought of another place you might want to see. The view of the sky is even better.”
I let him lead me down the street toward the portal field. He stopped in front of a very plain wooden door with a brass knob.
“That one doesn’t look very interesting,” I remarked.
He paused, his hand on the knob, and turned to me.
“Just wait. And close your eyes.”
“Okay…” I did as requested, and when I felt him tug on my hand, I stepped over the threshold and felt something crunch beneath my feet. A cold wind swirled around me.
He put his hands on my hips and turned me to the right.
“Alright, open,” he whispered.
I opened my eyes and sucked in a breath.
Sprawling before me was the entirety of the Olympic mountain range. Far beneath me, I could see the twinkling lights of the gods’ homes, just above the wispy cloud-cover that separated them from the lower portion of the mountain. Rough, rocky peaks led off in the distance where I could see the thin crescent moon reflecting off the sea, miles away.
The only sound was the wind, blustering and cold.
“My gods,” I breathed, slowly spinning so I could take it all in. There was almost no light up here, so all I could see when I looked up was the black sky, a blanket of millions of stars.
I let my gaze fall back to Nate who was standing with his hands in his pockets, smiling like the cat that ate the canary.
I couldn’t help but grin. “This is amazing.”
“I thought you’d like it. Come on, there’s a shelter over here if you want to get out of the wind.”
I looked around and saw a small, three-sided, wind-beaten structure with a thatched roof. The front was wide open, giving an unobstructed view across the mountains.
I followed him over to the shelter, our shoes crunching in the unmarred snow. Icy droplets slipped into my sneakers, sending a chill up my legs.
“You know, hanging out with you is starting to have some benefits,” I joked. “You know all the best places to hide when you don’t want to be bothered.”
He slid a glance in my direction before pulling two blankets down from a shelf on the side wall.
“And here I thought you just enjoyed my company.”
I wrapped myself in the thick wool blanket and sat down on the bench that ran along the back wall.
“I guess you’re not so bad.”
“Thanks.”
I pointed a finger at him over the edge of my blanket. “Sarcasm will get you nowhere, buddy.”
He swatted my finger away and sat down next to me, his long legs sprawled out in front of him. I kind of wished he’d hold my hand again, but the frigid air was keeping me from letting my hands out from under the blanket.
“So how are you? After today, I mean. You seem okay.” He sounded apprehensive, as though he wasn’t sure how I’d respond.
“Eh. I’m so-so. I don’t want to trick myself into thinking I might be something that, up until now, I didn’t think was real. It would be so amazing if that were true, you know?”
I took a deep breath, letting the crisp air flow through my nose and lungs.
“So I’m doing the mature thing and ignoring my problems until you and Chiron figure out an answer.” I gave him a cheeky grin and pulled the blanket tighter around me.
“Ah, so you’re leaving it up to us to figure out what you are?”
“Well, technically, you should’ve figured it out a week ago, but let’s not split hairs.”
He gave me a withering look but otherwise didn’t respond.
“Listen,” I said. “I’d really rather not talk about that right now. Let’s just get with Chiron and you guys can have me do whatever tricks you think will prove I’m a Mimic. Until then, I just want to go about business as usual. I’ll train with the others and work on my telekinesis, and we’ll go from there.” I nudged him with my elbow. “Okay?”
He sighed and rubbed a hand across his chin, then turned his head to face me. “Sure. But Tessa, this is something we need to figure out. If you’ve got more power inside you, it can’t be pent up. It’ll eventually force its way free, and you’ll be in a whole mess of trouble.”
I tried not to cringe at the “force its way free” part, but I couldn’t help it. As if on cue, I felt my power stir, sending a feeling of restlessness through me.
I sighed. He was right. The power that seemed to be a living force in my mind was far more than just telekinesis, of that I was certain.
“Let’s just give it a few days, okay? Let me get through this week so I can at least try to work with my group at training. If nothing else, it’ll give me exposure to other powers, which could come in handy when you guys perform your ‘tests’ or whatever.”
“I can live with that,” he conceded.
“Thanks.”
“Now.” He raised his eyebrows. “Tell me about this dream.”
I pulled the blanket tighter around me as I thought back to the nightmare I’d had the night before.
“It was weird, almost like the precursor to what you saw that day before school.” I contemplated telling him to just look into my mind so I wouldn’t have to talk about it but figured that would mean I’d have to relive it, which was definitely not preferable.
He cocked his head to the side in question. “How so?”
I blew out a breath. “Okay, so do you remember how the last thing I saw before I fell into that…darkness or whatever…was someone running at me?”
/>
He nodded and pulled one leg up on the bench so he could face me better.
“Well, this was everything up until that point.” I stared at the collar on Nate’s jacket, using it to keep myself focused as I detailed the dream and all of the people in it for him.
“It was so weird. The way we spoke, it was like we had been doing this every day. Then those men...” I shivered, then raised my eyes to look at him. “Crazy, right?”
Nate’s brow was furrowed in confusion, and his mouth hung slightly open, as though he were trying to puzzle something out.
I snapped my fingers in front of his face. “Yoo hoo. What is it?”
“It’s—it’s just—I mean, I’ve only seen it happen once, but what you’re describing…the way that woman was killed—it’s like you’re describing what happens when a god is destroyed.”
I blinked, then laughed. “Gods, now that makes sense. We were just talking about that last night. I’m not surprised I dreamt about it. Hasn’t that ever happened to you?”
He looked at me dubiously. “Hasn’t what happened?”
“You talk about something or do something or watch something on TV, then you dream about it that night?”
“Yes, but I don’t think that’s what happened here. You’re very clearly describing the destruction of a god.”
“Oh, come on, there are only so many ways to imagine that happening! Don’t you remember? I called it an ‘energy suck,’ and that’s exactly what I saw. There is literally no other way to describe that.”
“Alright, I might allow you that, but what about the part where you said it wrapped around you? Is that something you would imagine happening during an ‘energy suck’?” He raised an eyebrow in challenge.
I pursed my lips. “I don’t know, there’s probably some weird psychological meaning to it that I haven’t thought of yet.”
“And the men and women who you’ve never seen before? What’s your explanation there?”
“Who’s to say I’ve never seen them?” I shrugged. “Maybe they were in the restaurant the other night and I just don’t remember. Or maybe I just made them up.”
Denial was seeming like an excellent vacation spot at the moment.