Pretty Monster

by Somers, Jill

Quinn said nothing, attempting to comb a hand through her hornet’s nest of hair.

  “Good afternoon, everyone,” Dash said, voice surprisingly warm. Had her perception of him changed, or was he in a better mood than usual? “Simon asked me to fill in for him today. Let’s start with your assigned readings. I’ll come around and you’ll give me your brief thoughts on your chapters from the weekend. Those of you who were out partying and not reading… I have assignments in mind for you.”

  The class full of exhausted teens managed awkward laughs at that, and Dash began to make his rounds.

  “Did you see him at the party?” Pence whispered to Haley and Quinn from behind them. “Charlie said he was there, but I didn’t see him once.”

  “I didn’t see him,” Haley said. “Not exactly his scene, is it?”

  “I saw him,” Quinn said, instantly regretting it when she saw their wide eyes. She shrugged nonchalantly. “Just for a few minutes. When I went up to the roof for a smoke.”

  Both of them looked like they had more questions, but neither of them dared ask at that moment, as Dash made his way over to chat with Drax in the seat in front of Quinn’s.

  She tried not to eavesdrop, color rushing to her face as he and Drax discussed a lengthy French book she had never heard of. Was he going to ask her if she’d done the reading? Simon hadn’t assigned her anything yet.

  Finally, he rose from Drax’s desk, coming over to kneel at hers. She braced herself for a conversation that would undoubtedly be embarrassing for her on many levels.

  “Hi,” he said to her, eyes making his way to hers almost...

  Nervously?

  “Hi,” she replied, confused.

  “Has Simon given you any reading yet?”

  “He, uh… he kinda just had me reading some textbooks on grammar.”

  He nodded, eyes not leaving hers. “We’ll have to fix that. Simon’s a great teacher, but I think you would have a better time learning grammar by seeing it in action. What kinds of books do you enjoy reading?”

  “Um,” she said, shifting her weight uncomfortably. “I don’t know. I never exactly had a lot of time to read when I was on the run.”

  He nodded, seeming to understand. “Why don’t you tell me about your interests in general, then. Comedy? Drama? Fantasy?”

  Comedy? She wasn’t sure she had the ability to laugh at anything a regular from the real world had to say. Drama? She wasn’t sure she could take any regular’s problems very seriously. Fantasy?

  What even was fantasy those days?

  “Look,” she said. “I don’t know. I read this book of Haley’s called Stargirl the other day. I liked it. It was probably at a fourth-grade reading level. I couldn’t even tell you what genre it was. Why don’t you just assign me your favorite book and we’ll see how I do?”

  He smiled softly. “I know Stargirl. That’s a very good book.”

  Quinn said nothing, mainly because she couldn’t. He was being… nice. How was that even possible?

  “Why don’t you take this,” he said, pulling out a small book that had been stowed away in his back pocket. “It’s one of my favorites.”

  She looked down at the book, which was worn and tattered by time and attention. Salvage the Bones.

  “What’s it about?” she asked.

  “It’s about a teenage girl who comes from nothing—has nothing—yet tries relentlessly to protect and provide for herself and her brothers. She’s sensitive, but tough; impulsive, but intelligent. She grew up in a world full of men, and it hardened her. Gave her this unique, almost poetic understanding of the world. It’s set in coastal Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina… a story of survival.”

  He had heard her, she realized. He was finally starting to understand.

  “I’ll give it a try.”

  • • •

  Math class was next. Quinn felt embarrassed and guilty, as usual, about how much of Zerrick’s time and attention she took away from the rest of the class, but Zerrick was as patient and kind about it as always. After math came lunch break, but with power tech up next, and the knowledge that she would be spending another hour or two with Dash, Quinn found herself unable to eat, or even focus, on anything but the book.

  He had clearly read it many times. She could see his notes in the margins. Some of them made sense. Some of them were the same thoughts and questions she had while reading. Some of them made less sense—more or less jibberish. And then there were things so provocative, so well-thought-out, they would have never even occurred to her; and yet, they were so spot-on, they made her see things in ways she would never have seen them before.

  She read at the fountain for a while, enjoying the warm sunlight and gentle breeze. Then, not wanting to be late to power tech but having left her cell phone (and only source of time-telling) in the room, she headed straight for the training grounds. There, seeing she was early and alone, she took a seat on a bench and continued to read.

  She didn’t even notice Dash until he sat down directly next to her.

  “Glad to see you’re actually reading it,” he told her. She started to set the book down, but shook his head. “Don’t stop on my account.”

  “It’s okay.” She laughed. “I think I needed to be brought out of my trance a few minutes ahead of training.”

  He smiled a small, careful smile, saying nothing.

  “I’m not sure what’s more interesting,” she said, taking note of the page she was on and closing the book. “The book, or your notes in the margins.”

  “The book, I’m sure. But it’s always interesting to see someone else’s perspective on things.”

  She held his gaze, sure that he was referring to more than just the margins. But he didn’t admit it, and she didn’t ask.

  “It’s a little… beyond me,” she admitted. “A lot of the words…”

  “Don’t make sense,” he finished for her, understanding. “I know. Zerrick talked to me, a little, after your first class.”

  Had Zerrick really needed to share that information with Dash, of all people?

  “Great,” she said, hanging her head in shame. “Is there anyone who doesn’t know?”

  “Quinn, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. I like that book for so much more than the author’s vocabulary. And I knew you’d be able to understand it in spite of that. I could have given you a much more elementary book, but you didn’t need it. English isn’t like math or science. Sometimes your understanding of the subject is more about life experience.”

  “Well, I’ve got plenty of that.”

  He laughed softly, and she found herself captivated by that laugh. What was wrong with her? Why was she suddenly so smitten with the man who not long ago had disgusted her so much?

  Whatever the reason, she needed to be careful.

  “Hate to interrupt,” said a voice from behind them, “but I was here for the five o’clock power tech… Unless this is a private session?”

  Quinn didn’t need to turn around to know that this ornery voice belonged to Trent. She virtually dismissed it, unconcerned that someone had walked in on her and Dash having a moment, but she noticed that Dash did seem a little embarrassed.

  “Very funny, Trent,” Dash said, standing up. “Glad to see you on time for a change.”

  Trent said nothing to Dash, glancing instead at Quinn. “You’re looking better than you did yesterday. Staying hydrated?”

  It was hard for her to read his tone, but it almost seemed intentionally hurtful. Was it possible Trent had actually given up on pursuing her and started resenting her instead?

  She cared, but only minimally.

  Haley and Pence arrived next, and everyone else soon after.

  “I’ve been giving it some thought,” Dash told the group, “and I think it’s time for a change of pace. We’re all a little too comfortable with the current pairings. So today, we’re going to try this: Shade, you’ll be with Pence. Charlie, Tommy. Trent, Haley. Angel, Drax, you’ll stay together, for obvious reaso
ns… Izzo, you’ll join up with them. Two against one.”

  These pairings didn’t make as much sense to Quinn as the original pairings, but maybe that was the point. If Pence was as skilled as she was smart, she was probably a fair match for Shade; besides, she seemed to have a more level head than Quinn, which would help when it came to tolerating visions. Quinn wasn’t sure what Tommy’s abilities were, but Charlie’s super-speed could use a fresh foe. Trent and Haley was a match Quinn certainly wouldn’t want to miss. Earth and strength didn’t have much in common, but she wasn’t sure who she would put her money on. As for Izzo, Quinn was pretty sure she had seen her turn into an animal before. Could Angel and Drax, two monsters with no abilities, take her on?

  Depends what kind of animals she can turn into, Quinn mused.

  She realized she didn’t have a partner for herself.

  “Quinn,” Dash said, “I think we’ll have you pair with me for a little while.”

  The class broke off into groups at that. Quinn strolled up to Dash, head cocked to the side, genuinely curious. “Is this because you think I could benefit from this pairing, or because Shade finally refused to work with me and everyone else is scared of me?”

  “A little of both,” he told her gently. “I’m sure you can’t blame them.”

  “Oh, I don’t. I’m very used to people being afraid of me.”

  She had meant it in good fun, but she could see from his expression that he took her comment all too seriously. He said nothing.

  “Well, come on, then,” she said, trying to lighten the mood. “Aren’t you going to unleash some kind of turbulent force on me like last time?”

  “You didn’t seem to have any difficulty handling that one.” He took a step closer to her. “Nor did you have any difficulty retaliating. It seemed to me the one thing you couldn’t get a handle on was your mind control.”

  “I’d hardly call it mind control,” she said, making a point to avoid any connection to his mother’s seer-related questions. If Reese was right, Dash was still close to his mother, despite how he ran his power tech class. She didn’t need him reporting back to her. “More like a light influence.”

  “You and I both know that’s an understatement.”

  “Look,” she said. “Compulsion is my most advanced ability. I have never, ever had an issue with it. Except for the time I got captured. But that was for a very specific reason. If I can’t control your mind, it’s not a problem with my abilities. It’s just you.”

  “Right,” he said pointedly. “It’s me keeping you out.”

  “What’s your point?”

  “My point is, I’m winning. Are you going to let that stand?”

  He was good. Very good. He knew what made her tick and what drove her crazy. He knew she couldn’t stand to lose.

  “After all,” he said, “I was able to control your mind.”

  She took a step closer to him, gaze competitive, challenging. Locked on.

  What was it about him that kept her out? Some sort of resistance. What to? Her sexuality? Her appeal? What was it that he didn’t see in her, that everyone else did?

  She thought back to their previous encounters. What had made him finally open up to her? What had made him stop hating her? It was her honesty. It was her fondness for Ridley and Hank. It was…

  Her being real.

  She stopped focusing on seduction and focused on whatever vulnerability she could muster.

  It wasn’t much. She wasn’t ready to be vulnerable to anyone, especially someone like Dash who already made her so unsettled.

  But it did seem to throw him off.

  “How am I doing?” she asked him softly. “Feeling hooked?”

  “Not particularly,” he told her, holding her gaze. “You?”

  Yes. She felt absolutely, positively hooked.

  It was a catch-22, really. If she admitted it, she could probably hook him back. If she lied, as was her instinct, he would win. He knew when she was lying. And that knowledge kept her from influencing him.

  She decided to change the subject entirely. “Do you think it’s wrong? What we’re practicing? What I did to so many people? Compelling them to do what I want?”

  “Yes. I do think it’s wrong. I think the most basic human right is to have control over your own mind.”

  She waited, knowing there was more.

  “But what I’m starting to understand about you is that there were reasons behind everything you did. Maybe you shouldn’t have compelled so many people. Maybe you shouldn’t have stolen from so many people. But as wrong as it is that we have this ability, it’s something we have no say in. It’s who we are now. And those people, out there? The ones that forced us here, kicked us out of our own country, our own homes? They did have a choice.”

  The honesty pouring out of him only compelled her more; at that point, every ounce of her was at his bidding; she knew that he could get her to do anything he wanted.

  She was completely entranced.

  “You’re still winning,” she whispered.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

  They stared at each other, dead silent, each waiting for the other to test the theory, see who was compelling whom. But neither did.

  “Go ahead,” he said softly. “Try.”

  The words were on the tip of her tongue. Commands. Suggestions. But in that moment of pure honesty—in that locked-in, deep connection—it just felt wrong. Wrong, on every level.

  She shook her head, breaking eye contact, looking away from him. Releasing both of them from their mutual holds on each other.

  She could tell he wondered why, but she wouldn’t have an answer for him if he asked. And he didn’t. All he said, in a low volume, directed only towards her, was: “Class dismissed.”

  • • •

  The rest of the week went so smoothly, Quinn almost stopped remembering to act miserable. She liked the majority of the students in the YA. She liked the majority of her teachers. She liked the majority of everyone.

  Dash continued to pair up with her all week. They worked on things besides compulsion. He didn’t suggest trying it again, and she appreciated it. It wasn’t that she couldn’t do it; it was that she didn’t want to. He seemed to understand that.

  By the time Quinn reached the dorms that Friday night, she was exhausted—but in a very good mood. In fact, when she spotted Reese out in front of the building waiting for her, she realized it was showing on her face.

  “Wow,” he teased. “Is that an actual smile I’m seeing?”

  She rolled her eyes, smile lingering. She was glad to see him. “Must have been something I ate. What are you doing in my neck of the woods?”

  “I came to show you something, if you’re interested. I heard you’ve been behaving yourself, getting along with everyone, attending classes. Things that I know don’t come naturally or easily for you.”

  “Thanks,” she said, genuinely meaning it. His understanding meant more to her than he probably knew. “What did you want to show me?”

  He extended both of his hands out to her. “Do you trust me?”

  She eyed his hands skeptically. She didn’t trust him; she didn’t trust anyone. It was her number one rule. But what did she have to lose?

  “No,” she said, putting her hands in his. “But, as usual, I’m up for anything.”

  Apparently that was all he needed to hear, because the next thing she knew, they were airborne.

  Quinn was no expert on deviants, but even she knew that the ability of flight was a rare one. And Reese was good. Within seconds, they were higher than she had ever flown. Within a minute, she could see the entire perimeter of the island’s wall below her, and the ocean around it. His power was not only keeping him in the air, but her, too; their connected hands acted more as a transfer of power than a means for him to hold her up.

  She glanced up at him, wonder written on her face. How had she never thought to ask Reese about his abilities? How had she not known how incredible they
were? Dash might be the more powerful brother, but this… This was something else entirely.

  “You sure this is allowed?” she joked, releasing one hand from his and turning shoulder-to-shoulder with him to look down at the island. “Chief of law enforcement on the island, breaking free so easily?”

  “Don’t you see? It’s no prison break. There’s no one stopping us. Even the wall—it’s just for show. The outside world is at our fingertips. If you wanted to leave, right now, I wouldn’t stop you. Hell, I’d take you. But I’d come back. And that would be no one’s choice but my own.”

  She knew he was right. There was nothing left for her out there. Not without Kurt. Not without her mother.

  Her thoughts flashed briefly to her father, but it hurt too much to even think about him. Then she thought of Crowley. There might not be any positive incentives to go back, but there were still incentives. She had to consider it. She was who she was. She wanted vengeance. She wanted freedom. She didn’t want to be stuck here, to be caged… To lose.

  “Staying here,” she said. “Staying away. Giving them what they want. It doesn’t make sense to me. We could take them. Us against them? We’d win.”

  “That’s a discussion Savannah and I and the rest of Siloh have all had repeatedly. The thing is, Quinn, I don’t think we would win. I don’t think we could. And it’s not because of power or numbers. It’s because of people like him—people like Cole Crowley. People who know everything about every single one of us. Every weakness. They use cruelty as their weapon—cruelty we can’t even imagine.”

  She held his gaze, suddenly feeling incredibly sad. “You know?” she asked him. “What he did? How he got me?”

  “It was in your report,” he explained, sympathy in his eyes. “Savannah and I have to read the reports when new recruits come… We’re the only ones, though. And neither of us would ever share that information. I’m so sorry, Quinn. I’m sorry he did that to you.”

  “Then you must understand, right? Why I should leave—why I should find him? I have to get justice for Kurt.”

  “I understand the urge. But you’re smarter than that. That’s why you haven’t left already. You understand how well protected he is. How he’d probably kill you. How your best shot is staying with us, here—getting stronger. Getting ready.”