I coughed to hide my embarrassed squeak. “I meant for sparring.” I amended my vaguely inviting statement. “Geez, guys, get you heads out of the gutter. I just woke up from a not-so-literal coma.”
“Which is exactly why you shouldn’t be sparring!” Ryland argued. He was adorable when he showed that he cared.
“Fine.” I planted my hands on my hips. “So, can I watch you guys?”
Luke and Ryland exchanged glances as if they were thinking the same thing. For guys who openly disliked each other, they sure were amazing partners in battle. Maybe I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t make up their mind in this crazy place.
“Well, we were just about to pack up,” Luke said, tipping his head.
“Ah, come on. Let’s give the lady a show.” Ryland was always eager to fight and show off his skills. He glanced at the clock. “We still have forty-five minutes left, may as well make the most of it.”
“You mean forty-five minutes for me to kick your ass again,” Luke bit back, bracing his body.
I didn’t miss the hard muscle flexing beneath his training clothes. I suddenly felt hot, even with the air conditioning in full blast. These two boys would be the death of me if I didn’t pick one of them soon.
With a shout, Ryland drew his blades and ran at Luke. Luke disappeared with a pop and reappeared over his opponent. Ryland was quick; he dodged the kick and rolled out from underneath him. They continued in a what looked to be a well-choreographed dance. They knew each other’s weak spots and advantage points. They worked together like a machine.
Luke dodged and was hit by Ryland. “Ah, shit!” He stumbled back.
“Gotta keep your guard up,” Ryland taunted and twirled his blades. They were dull daggers meant for training, not like the ones he brought to a real fight; I had no doubt they could still do serious damage.
“Get the hell out of my head.” Luke pinched his nose and spat blood onto the mat.
“You never were good at blocking your thoughts. All this time and I can still read you like a book.” Ryland laughed.
“And yet I still beat you every time.”
Ryland’s grin faded into a frown. “Enough talk. Come at me.”
I watched them surge forward and clash again. They fought so fast that their arms and legs were like blurs. I didn’t know anything about martial arts, but I’d bet these two could give any black belt a run for their money.
The fight ended with Ryland on his back. He groaned and tapped out.
Luke smirked and offered a hand to help him up.
Ryland refused. He glanced at me, but instead of his usual dashing grin or seductive smirk, his expression was like that of a wounded dog.
“Ryland, are you ok?” I ran to his side.
Ryland shrugged me off and brushed back his blond hair. “Never better. See you later.” He didn’t look back as he left the training room, his daggers hanging loose from his hands.
“He’ll be fine,” Luke said, wiping the sweat from his face. “Ryland’s always been a sore loser. Especially when he loses in front of a pretty girl.”
The compliment didn’t register until a moment later. “Pretty girl?”
“Yeah, you.” Luke said. He paused to take a sip of water. “I know how you look at him. He’s way much charming than me. I wouldn’t blame you if you chose me over him.”
I held in a gasp. “What? Who said anything about—”
Luke shook his head to silence me. “Don’t spare my feelings, Bianca,” He said. “I may have only known Ryland for a few months, but I know that most girls would pick him over me. Good guys finish last.” He chuckled dryly and sighed.
“That’s not true.” I protested and touched his shoulder.
“So you’re saying I still have a chance?” He raised his eyebrows.
When he said it like that it sounded so bad. I didn’t want to compete for feelings. I wasn’t special enough that two guys should care about me like they both did. My entire life I had never been anyone’s romantic conquest aside from a few crushes and guys with a “Asian fetish” (barf, I didn’t even want to think about that).
“What I’m saying is,” I started, choosing my words carefully. “I don’t want to have to make a choice right now. Right now I just want to know who’s after me. Why did that Rogue attack me? Is Ms. Blackwell doing ok?”
Luke nodded, silent in thought. “Well, I can’t solve all your problems. But I can help with one.”
“What’s that?” I perked up.
“I can take you to see Ms. Blackwell.”
“What? How?”
Luke lowered his voice and glanced around. “Just meet me at the teleportation area tomorrow after class.”
#
I was crazy for going through with this. Teleportation had only been approved if students were traveling with a professor for educational purposes only. We had neither of those requirements met.
Luke was already waiting there when I arrived. He was dressed in casual jeans and a t-shirt. I had dressed similarly. We needed to look as inconspicuous as possible.
The gates were locked, and the lights were off. A quick glance around confirmed that no one was around and I hadn’t been followed.
“So, how are we going to do this?” I whispered.
“The academy has certain technological protections against teleportation,” Luke explained. “This is the only point in which people can teleport in and out. It’s normally tightly monitored, but it has been seriously lacking lately.”
“Why?” I asked.
Luke shrugged. “I suspect it has something to do with Ms. Blackwell being off duty and teleportation being banned without a teacher.”
“So how are we going to get away with this?”
Luke pulled a tiny pin off the waistband of his jeans. “When we travel, students are marked with one of these. Those with teleportation talents are monitored 24-7.”
I cringed. “That sucks.”
Luke shrugged again and tossed the pin across the yard. “We’ll only be gone for an hour. No one will suspect a thing.” He offered his hand to me. “Ready?”
“Ready.” I held my breath and touched his hand.
There was an immense pressure and a pop sound. It felt as if I was enduring the worst turbulence of my life. As quickly as it started, it ended. I shook myself and closed my eyes to wait out the dizziness. “I thought I’d be used to this by now.”
“It takes a while.” Luke said apologetically. “You’re doing well. I give you bonus points for not puking. I think this is the furthest you’ve gone.”
I opened my eyes and looked around. We were in a hospital; I could tell by the bland paint and weird smell. I hated how hospitals smelled. Luke had teleported us in an empty waiting room. I made a mental note to ask him how the hell he did this stuff without getting caught once we were safely back; I didn’t want to jinx him.
“Come on, she’s in room 715.” Luke said.
The halls were generally quiet for a weekday afternoon. Nurses and doctors gave us brief smiles as we passed and no one stopped to ask us why we were here. Many of the rooms were empty.
As if sensing the dozens of questions running through my head, Luke answered me. “We’re in a special ward for psychic injuries. These nurses and doctors are specialized. It’s top secret.”
I guess that explained why he was so comfortable teleporting in here. I shook my head and added this to my ever-growing list of things I didn’t quite understand. It amazed me that so many things were hidden right under the noses of ordinary citizens; at least I wasn’t alone in my complicated lies.
I followed him to room 715. It was dark inside and silent, except for the beeping of a heart monitor.
Luke didn’t knock, instead walking straight in and gently pulling aside the curtains to reveal the bed where Ms. Blackwell lay.
My heart panged when I saw her.
Ms. Blackwell was lying in a hospital gown and layers of blankets were piled to her chest. She had a breathing t
ube and several other wires connected all over. The machines monitored her breathing, her heartbeat, and her brain waves. She looked old and frail somehow; she was a pale shadow of the woman that I both feared and admired.
“Oh.” A soft sound escaped my lips. I held my hands to my chest, unable to ignore the pain that was spreading from my heart.
Luke nodded solemnly. “I saw her as soon as the ban was eased, with the Major’s permission, of course.” He shook his head. “She’s been in a coma since that night. No one has any idea what happened to her or if someone else is at fault. The student who was found doesn’t remember a thing.”
I clenched my fists. It didn’t sound like an accident. I’d bet that someone had attacked them just like they had attacked me. I forced myself to look away from her. “Will she come out soon?”
Luke shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”
I walked back out into the blinding light of the hallway, blinking away tears. What emotion was this? It wasn’t quite sadness; it was mixed with frustration and helplessness. Somehow, I felt like the blame was on me. Had the same Rogue had attacked her? I slammed my fist against the wall and the picture frames began to tremble because of my surging energy.
“Hey, don’t lose your cool.” Luke was at my side immediately.
I hadn’t noticed that the chairs were floating around me. I sighed, and they fell back to the floor with a control that I hadn’t expected with my mind in this state. I took half a second to be proud of myself before sinking to the ground and hugging my knees.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Luke said and sat down beside me.
The tiled floor was cold. “No, I’m glad you did. I just didn’t expect it to hurt so much.”
“People create bonds in the academy. Some unlike any other bond I’ve ever experienced in my life. Ms. Blackwell is more than a teacher to me. She’s a mentor and a friend. I hope one day to be as half as powerful as she is. I know you’ve only seen her kinetic skills, but her teleportation and apportation skills are even more impressive.”
I didn’t doubt that. I watched a nurse pass by before speaking. “I would have never guessed that discovering these powers would cause so much pain.” I choked back a sob.
Luke waved his hand and a tissue box disappeared from a nearby cart and reappeared in his hand. He offered me a tissue, which I gladly accepted.
“I know what you mean. I used to wish every day that I never developed the powers I had. It took me a long time to adjust, even with a psychic parent. But, truth is, I always had powers, they didn’t just appear one day. So did you. Maybe they manifested themselves in little ways and other times they were silent, but they were always a part of you.”
I blew my nose and considered his words. “Now that you mention it, I always had a weird knack at guessing who was calling. Even before caller ID was mainstream.” I added with a laugh.
“Maybe there’s a hint of clairvoyance in you too.” Luke mused.
“Maybe,” I said with a shrug. “If I did, I’d use it to help find out what happened to Ms. Blackwell.”
“Don’t lose hope.” Luke forced a smile that echoed my own worries. “Come on, let’s get back before someone notices we’re gone.”
We teleported out of the hospital and back to the academy without incident. The sky was getting dark when we popped back into the designated area.
My vision blurred, but the dizziness was bearable.
Luke went off to look for his pin he threw away earlier. “Probably wasn’t the best idea.” He mumbled to himself.
I helped him comb through the grass near the fence. A minute later, I found the small metal pin and held it up victoriously. I inspected it carefully. “Luke, did you say all students who leave the campus for training have to wear these?”
Luke nodded as he took it from me. “Yep. And those who have the ability to teleport have to wear it all the time. A bit extreme if you ask me.” He secured it on his waistband.
“Hm.” I looked at my hands as I thought. I didn’t remember wearing one when Professor Turner had taken me out to practice. He hadn’t mentioned tracking at all; neither had Ryland.
“What’s up?” Luke asked, noticing my furrowed brow.
“I didn’t wear one when I went out and got attacked. Professor Turner didn’t even mention it.”
Luke’s eyes widened. “That’s not allowed. He would have got in major trouble. Are you sure?”
I nodded. “I’d never seen one until today.”
Luke’s expression darkened. “Who did you say was with you that night?”
“Ryland and the professor.”
“Something’s not right. You go out without trackers and conveniently get attacked?” Luke paced back and forth as he spoke.
“Do you think it was intentional?” I asked.
“All I know right now is that I don’t know who to trust in this school.” Luke put a hand on my shoulder. “Be careful, Bianca. And don’t go anywhere with Turner or Ryland.”
I gasped at his accusation. “You think Ryland could be behind this?”
Luke chose his words carefully as he spoke. “I wouldn’t put it past him. Did he ever tell you why he got transferred from the west coast? He has a history.”
“No way. He wouldn’t try to hurt me.” I tried my hardest to believe my words, but how could I be sure? I didn’t really know him better that anyone else in this school. I had no reason to believe that he wouldn’t be out to get me, aside from the times he had saved me.
“He’s your partner,” I added. “Surely you know him better than me. You know that he wouldn’t hurt me. How many times have you guys saved my ass?”
“Doesn’t matter. Somehow that Rogue knew exactly where you would be. Again.” Luke stressed the last word with a pointed glance. He looked out in the distance. “It’s important for you to know that there are forces at work behind the scenes that most students don’t even think about. It wouldn’t surprise me that someone within our walls was collaborating with the Rogues.”
A chill ran down my spine. “Well, it that’s the case, we just need to find out who did it before anyone else gets hurt.”
“You make it sound so easy,” Luke said with a dry chuckle.
“I don’t want anyone else to get hurt. Please, tell me if you find any clues.”
Luke considered my words. The silence stretched between us. “Fine. I promise I’ll tell you if I hear anything, but promise me you’ll stay out of trouble.”
I nodded. “Promise.”
Luke grabbed my hands and held them to his chest. “I know that we have more important things to worry about, but I just want to be with you.” He sighed. “Do you think once this is all over and we get proper teleportation rights back, we could get that pizza in Chicago?”
I smiled and the warmth from his hands spread to my heart. “Luke, I would like that very much.” I kissed his cheek.
Once this was over, I swore to myself that I would figure out what was going on in my heart. Until then, I just had to wait it out and see.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
There was no way I would believe that Ryland was behind any of the strange events that were happening. Sure he was far from perfect; he was quite honestly a bit of a jerk most of the time. But I somehow knew deep in my heart that there was no way he would be involved with something as evil as attacking the academy students and professors.
Instead of moping in my room all night to think about it, I decided to go right to the source. I threw on some shorts and a tank top, tied my hair and went down to the gym to blow off some steam. I figured that Ryland would show up down there eventually, and then I would get him to talk.
When I arrived there were two guys using the rowing machines and a girl stretching on a yoga mat. I ignored them and headed over to the treadmill. Over the past few weeks I had been able to get my speed up without feeling like I was dying. I still had a long way
to go before I would consider myself a “runner” but my progress as satisfying.
Just as I suspected, about half an hour later Ryland showed up. I glanced at the clock. It was past curfew and everyone else had left the gym. I met his eyes in the mirror and hit the stop button on my treadmill.
“Don’t stop on my account,” Ryland said as he walked towards the weights. Headphones were dangling around his neck.
“I wanted to talk to you.” My legs felt like jelly, but I managed not to look like a fool as I stepped off the treadmill.
“Why? Want to gloat in my face about how Luke is a better fighter than me and how you two ran off after class to do who knows what.” He sneered.
The poison in his voice hurt me. “What? No! Wait, how did you know we left?”
“Luke was supposed to spar with me after dinner and he never showed. I figured it had something to do with you and you just proved me right.”
My face burned red. “You shouldn’t trick people like that.”
“Whatever.” Ryland shrugged and stretched his arms above his head.
I did my best not to be distracted by his muscles and failed. “Listen, I came here because I wanted to talk to you.” He scoffed, but I kept talking anyway. “Haven’t you noticed that something weird is going on here?”
“Yeah things have been plenty weird here since you showed up.”
I flinched. My resolve was fading fast. Maybe Luke was right. Maybe I couldn’t trust Ryland after all. He obviously had no intention of listening to me; he was too caught up in his own defeat to even care about the rest of the academy.
“You know what, fine!” I threw up my arms, ignoring how the metal plates latched on to my energy and trembled around us. “I was going to ask for your help but you obviously don’t care about anyone but yourself.” I turned to storm off.
Ryland’s hand closed around my wrist. “You’re wrong. I do care. I care about you.”
“Then why don’t you show it?” My voice trembled.
“Because I don’t want you to get hurt.”
I didn’t know what to say. I could see myself reflected in his eyes. I looked more like a confused child than a strong psychic in training. No wonder he thought so little of me.
Psychic Secret: An Urban Fantasy Academy Romance (Psychic Academy Book 1) Page 14