Awakening.
If I had thought I was nervous before in the past four weeks, well, that was a joke.
Today, I had actually barfed three times throughout the first half of the day. With my stomach in knots, I had only stared at my pizza at lunch. Now, my friends were, literally, yanking me down the deserted hallways after failing to talk me into moving from the cafeteria bench when lunch was over.
“I’m gonna puke again,” I mumbled, jerking with the tug Pearl gave my left arm.
“Again, huh?” Jack murmured, hands on my hips, shoving me from behind. “I thought she looked pale.”
“Pale?” Ezra snorted, yanking on my right arm. “She looks like shit. The Kings are going to notice.”
“I should run now,” I mumbled, trying to plant my feet, which didn’t work because Jack kicked the back of my knees, making me move forward. “Really. I should just go before I get anyone in trouble.”
Pearl jerked my chin around. “They’ll catch you if they think you’re just trying to skip out on being Queen.”
I blinked, my feet stumbling forward with their insistent hauling. “Are you saying they won’t catch me if they think I’m running because of something else?”
“There’s a real possibility of that.” She nodded. “They’ve gotten to know you. You’re someone to them now, not just a type.”
Ezra rumbled, “They’d at least give her a head start before they let the hounds loose.”
I whimpered, attempting to plant my feet again.
Ezra was done with this. He sighed heavily and moved too fast. The next second, I was over his shoulder with my stomach firmly planted against his shoulder, my head and arms dangling over his back.
Jack and Pearl were both left blinking as he marched down the hallway.
He swatted my butt when I started squirming. “You’re going. Hold still and try not to puke on me.” The puking thing was a real possibility upside down like this. He smacked my butt again. Harder. “That’s for being a pussy.”
Jack and Pearl caught up with us as he stalked toward the gym, where the Kings waited.
With four Mys, one of each faction, ready to be Awakened.
The first four days of the week had mainly been used to train us…to keep a blank face.
Seriously.
The Kings had pretty much done everything possible, magically, or not so magically, to get us to crack and show emotion. It was very important not to show any type of reaction to someone’s power level — no hurt feelings — after their Awakening, which was damn ironic with the way they had reacted at mine.
But, I was “unique”. How special.
Also, I had been given a book to study in my off time. It was a book on Earth’s animals worldwide. A Shifter’s Awakening could result in any animal that was a bird or mammal as long as its primary habitat was land based, so I was required to know what they were in case there was ever any question.
We had also been educated on the reasons why an Awakening wouldn’t work. Mainly, pregnancy for a Shifter woman. The reason for the overabundance of abstinence talks in my sex education class last year, even though Mrs. Fowler had still harped about it this year.
A possible pregnancy was a perfect example of the necessity for a blank face as a Shifter male tested a Shifter woman for pregnancy. I would never forget the stories the Kings had told us about multiple males — only the father of the baby knows by scent — being called for one female when the Shifter had been a smidge too promiscuous. In other words, forget blood tests. It takes too much of our precious time, so instead, we do it by good ol’ fashioned scent if the pregnancy wasn’t apparent, with no compunction for the embarrassed woman and man or men. In my opinion, Shifters got the bum end of the deal for Awakenings compared to any other Mys faction.
There was one other reason a Mys might not be able to go through an Awakening: if they were just too weak. I had never heard of this, and the Kings emphasized that in their entire reign they had only come across it three times. Ostensibly, there was no rhyme or reason for it. The explanation they had given was a comparison to the Com’s infant mortality rate. Sometimes, nature just grabs hold and takes innocents.
This was the only valid reason I saw for embarrassing a Shifter to test for pregnancy immediately. I wouldn’t want to assume the woman is in one category, but she is actually in another, and allow her to leave. It would only leave Mysticals who weren’t as powerful as us to attempt the Awakening later for the weak Mystical who was standing on the precipice of living or dying.
King Fergus had glanced at me during that spiel. He had said he thought I was going to be their fourth for this sad circumstance. The three times they’d had to bring in added power to pull someone through an Awakening, it hadn’t ended well. They had tried for almost three days straight — I couldn’t even imagine the pain those Mysticals had suffered — to pull the Mys through, all to no avail. Those three had died within the year, falling into a coma and passing away in their sleep.
I had kept silent during the King’s confessed prior concern. They knew I hadn’t been weak when I had finally shifted, my powers going online at that time. I hoped they never revisited why it had been hard for me to shift, happy that they had chalked it up to an anomaly. Again, I was “unique”.
Before we had entered the gym, Ezra had dumped me back on my feet — no Ceremony Arena this time for these four Awakenings. He had brushed my hair onto my face, ordering me not to look the Kings directly in the eye, since I looked so dreadful. He had also reminded me to stay far away from King Venclaire and King Kincaid because I stunk of fear. I had done exactly that, then Pearl and I had gone into the girls locker room — Jack had ordered Pearl to keep an eye on me to make sure I didn’t run — to change into our black ceremonial robes.
Now, we were back in the gym. The Kings were already changed into their robes and the four guinea pigs were in their white robes and lined up next to each other. Truly, they were test subjects. They had volunteered to be our first. Our practice round, per se, and were fully aware it was, more than likely, going to hurt. A lot. Nonetheless, someone had to do it, and they had been brave enough to donate themselves to the cause.
Shifter male, Vampire male, air Elemental female, and Mage male. It wasn’t the same for every Mystical. Elementals had to wait until they were nineteen or twenty, normally the last day of their sophomore year. Mages and Shifters had to be eighteen or nineteen and Vampires had to be sixteen to seventeen, their lower age due to their need for blood.
The only one I really knew was the Elemental. Had I stayed in the grade I had started the year at, I would have graduated with her in a few years, instead of graduating this year. Honestly, I really did like the girl. She wasn’t the bad sort, so that made this even worse, knowing I might put her through agony without a real outcome — her Awakening.
“Prodigies, listen up,” King Nelson stated calmly. All the Kings were abnormally solemn today. No jokes. No money being exchanged. Just somber faces, knowing what these four Mysticals were going to have to endure — even if I could be used as a vessel. “We went through this before. Each of these individuals’ powers are beginning to peak, so when you push your Shifter, Vampire, Elemental, or Mage power into them, it will immediately attach itself to their power. And then, you pull. Pull their power so it physically touches your Core, then let go as soon as you feel it.” Or you will put them through needless pain. He didn’t say it now, but the Kings had said that just yesterday.
King Fergus glanced at each of us. “Just your raw power. That’s all. No other push is needed. When you’re on point, your own faction of Mys will call to their new sparking power.”
This was exactly why I wasn’t sure if I could vessel. I had two. Not one. The push might not work for just raw power without our will, both of which we had used in funneling through a Mystical of another faction.
King Kincaid said quickly, “Don’t start the process until the other three are at max power after you’re linked. Even the tiniest fluctuation of power during the process can be a distraction to the person on point and cause interference with the pull.” And put them through needless pain. Again, not said, but heard.
“Any questions?” King Venclaire asked casually, his poker face the best right now out of all four Kings.
Pearl inhaled sharply. “How long is the average first try?”
We knew they kept logs on this.
“Around eight minutes for the first attempt,” King Nelson said softly.
None of us looked at the four volunteers. We knew that meant eight minutes of the most horrific pain they had ever felt before. At our hands. Honestly, I was surprised the Kings didn’t bring them in one at a time, so they couldn’t hear each other’s screams. The last person was going to be a mess by the time we — if we did —got to him or her. Although, I was ecstatic the Kings were making their families and friends stay in Mrs. Jonas’s office until we were through. Witnessing the agony of test run Awakenings would have been too much for their loved ones to take.
Pearl and Jack and Ezra had me positioned farthest from the Kings, also, coincidently, the closest to the fire exit, leading directly outside. If I was unable to do this, I was to bolt immediately while they kept the Kings at bay, and meet with them in a week’s time in a little restaurant two towns away. I hadn’t mentioned where I would hide during that week, but I had places I could hunker down at. We would go from there with whatever strategy we came up with at that time.
“Any other questions?” King Kincaid asked.
We were shaking our heads right as Antonio raced into the gym. He slowed instantly, panting, and gave a little wave before climbing the stairs of the bleachers. I gawked at the man. He actually had a video camera in his hand. I wasn’t sure what shocked me more: the fact that he even knew what a video camera was, or the fact that he was possibly filming my demise.
Typical Antonio.
“Well.” King Venclaire was staring at Antonio, like the other Kings. “Let’s begin.” He ushered the Vampire volunteer forward first — probably because he was the youngest — directly in front of us. “This is Benedict Rochfort.”
We nodded to him in greeting.
Unsurprisingly, he was staring at me.
I had never seen the guy before, but I knew he was shocked at my size. I wasn’t even able to hide my face under the ceremonial robe like I had at my own Awakening, because King Kincaid had ordered my robe specially made for my smaller frame. There was, also, the fact that I looked like shit. I knew I was pale, but add in the sweat and my pounding heart, well, that probably didn’t endear me to him, since he knew this was going to be painful anyway. Although, I had to give him his praise due because he calmly peered away from me after a few moments and looked over the rest of my much larger best friends. His heartbeat was a hell of a lot calmer than mine, and I tried to breathe evenly and relax before I started hyperventilating.
Ezra took a large step in his direction as King Venclaire took a hefty stride away.
It was show time.
Moving woodenly, I stepped behind Ezra, to his right, while Pearl moved directly behind him, and Jack moved behind on his left. I breathed deeply, and let my eyes glow like I knew my friends were doing as our power surged. A minuscule amount at first, just a tiny spark traveling to my palm. Another heavy inhale, then I rested my hand on Ezra’s shoulder, feeling his warmth beneath the thin black silk, my sweaty palm gluing to his robe.
Ezra breathed heavily once, from the awkwardness of each of us touching him, before the instant serenity and warmth took over.
Concentrating closely on my Shifter power, making sure it was only Shifter power, I began gently pushing my raw power into him, Jack and Pearl doing the same, the Kings having assured us — unknown to them they were dealing with a hybrid — that it would be done exactly like funneling, except with power instead of will, and that the magical charge the point person experienced would be more intense.
Outwardly, it was, because Ezra grunted, his chin falling to his chest.
“Breathe through it,” King Venclaire said softly, the other Kings now standing behind him. “It’s what you need to pull him through the Awakening.” They had said the pull was the hardest part to accomplish of the Awakening.
Ezra nodded jerkily, as I, and my friends, kept pushing raw power into him.
A few moments later, he asked quietly, “Are you all at max power?”
Pushing the last little bit remaining, I was still concentrating, and my eyes glowed brightly. “Yes.”
Pearl and Jack repeated my answer.
Ezra muttered under his breath, “Thank God.” A shallow breath in and out, and he lifted his hooded head. His eyes must have been shut before because when his face was completely lifted, the Vampire volunteer’s face glowed with blinding spring green light, the guy blinking hard and furiously. Ezra raised his hand, placing it on Benedict’s head.
To which, Benedict surprised us by jerking back and breaking the connection.
King Venclaire steadied the dazed guy when he teetered, still coaching Ezra the whole while. “Keep the power out of your hand until you’re already touching him. The contact needs to be made before your enhanced power releases. You do it before and it’ll shock him.”
That would have been good to know beforehand, but the Kings were firm believers in experience. Now, I could see they were treating these volunteers as a grander experiment than I had initially thought. It didn’t surprise me.
Ezra nodded stiffly, and raised his hand when Benedict stepped forward, albeit this time a little less calmly. He watched Ezra’s hand progress warily, but when he didn’t get “shocked” from the connection he closed his eyes, his face peaceful.
“Push, Ezra,” King Venclaire murmured. “You’ll feel it instantly.”
Ezra was quiet for a moment, then he stiffened, his muscles bulging rock-solid under my hand.
“Good,” King Venclaire continued speaking quietly. “Now, pull, but do not lose the link you have with him.” He went silent. Watching. Same as the other Kings.
Too bad that wasn’t what Benedict did. He arched, his shout flaying the air.
Ezra stepped forward, not letting his hand leave Benedict’s forehead and, in turn, Jack, Pearl, and I had to move with him to keep connected, even as the guy dropped to his knees, screaming bloody murder, all of us having to bend at the waist.
The Kings gave no further instruction.
Ezra knew he was supposed to pull until Benedict’s power touched his Core, so that was, seemingly, what he was doing as his massive body began trembling.
At least, I assumed that was what it was. Not me. Not my nature pulling him down.
The key was four powers. Always four. Add another one in and it screws things up. But, like with funneling, I could feel my Vampire side — my weaker side — dormant, like it was hibernating for this and letting the stronger magic overrun my body. I seriously hoped it was enough.
King Venclaire covertly glanced at his watch.
I could have told him it had been a minute and a half. I was counting in my head as the guy continued to scream. He had begun writhing on the ground in torment, but Ezra was keeping his head steady while we squatted around him, keeping our raw power at max.
At two minutes and twenty-three seconds, I felt Ezra’s trembling body jolt.
He exhaled harshly, his muscles instantly relaxed…motionless.
“Let it go,” King Venclaire ordered swiftly, dipping in Ezra’s line of sight. “Let it go!”
Ezra sucked air, nodding languidly.
Abruptly, Benedict stopped screaming, his mouth still open from his last round of agony-induced shouts, so I got a close-up view as a pair of fangs magically grew from his normally flat, white teeth, and when he blinked, his eyes were glowing bright brown and his power charged the air.
I stared as a showcase of emotions swirled through my mind too quickly to process.
Holy shit! I had done it.
My vision went blurry…I fainted.
I woke to a Vampire’s hiss.
Pearl and Jack yelling.
The Kings shouting. The loudest was King Kincaid. I had never heard his wolf growl as viciously between bellows as his wolf was now.
Heat bathed my front, but I was lying flat on my back on a hard, cold surface.
Rapidly blinking my eyes open, I stared in a daze at black material as more shouts erupted around me. The heat on my front intensified as the black blurred at me, then warm, massive arms were wrapping around me and lifting me off the ground I lay on, my feet dangling in the air. I sniffed, still in a stupor. The scent was familiar. It was Ezra, who was crushing me to his chest, his Vampire hissing violently.
“Pearl!” King Fergus shouted behind, and above, me. “Stop this! Right now!”
“No!” Pearl retorted, her voice cracking.
“Jack, let us through!” King Nelson roared. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Screw off!” Jack shouted instantly, his voice strained.
King Kincaid’s wolf growled so loudly it hurt my ears.
Ezra’s Vampire hissed just as fiercely.
Sluggishly, I lifted my hand, unable to see anything except Ezra’s chest, and pulled lightly on his ear. “What’s going on?”
Silence.
All shouting and growling and hissing stopped dead.
Ezra gently drew my face away from his chest, his glowing gaze on my face.
I blinked hazy eyes across the room.
Jack had a ring of translucent, blue water surrounding King Nelson, who looked furious, and King Venclaire, who was merely standing in the middle of it with his arms crossed.
Pearl had King Fergus inside a golden bubble suspended about ten yards in the air, who didn’t appear too happy, either.
King Kincaid was in shifted wolf form about five yards from us with his teeth bared at Ezra and me…or, maybe, just Ezra, since his Vampire had been hissing.
“What’s going on?” I asked again, blinking, peering farther back in the gym, and saw Antonio sitting on the bleachers, appearing amused as hell, recording whatever had happened, but below him on the gym’s floor level were four freaked out Mys volunteers. One of them sporting fangs and glowing brown eyes. “Oh! Oh my God!” Memories bombarded me.
The Awakening! I had done it!
I peered up at Ezra, whose fangs were also showing, and grinned hugely. “I did it!”
His face was slowly turning from scary-furious to normal. “You were unconscious.” He might now look like he was fine, but his voice held a very real worry.
I blushed brightly, mumbling, “I just fainted.” I picked at his robe, embarrassed, pulling at it a few times. “I was…overwhelmed.” A quick thought to the Kings listening in, and I added, “The Awakening’s huge. I was nervous.” Truth.
Jack’s hands lowered, and the ring of water disappeared. “You fainted? Like a girl?”
Pearl had already lowered King Fergus, and she was wiping tears off her face as she grumbled hotly, “She is a girl, you moron.” She stomped in my direction, and shoved my shoulder hard, blubbering, “You scared me.” Another shove of my shoulder, then she was hugging me around Ezra’s hold on me, bawling like a babe.
I patted her shoulder awkwardly, because of Ezra, but I hushed her, worrying a smidge about our “no touching” policy, and, ever so slowly, it dawned on me. My friends had thought my unconscious state had been because of my hybrid nature. From what had been happening, it appeared as if they had been protecting me. Keeping the Kings away from me. As Jack pulled Pearl away, comforting her, I muttered quickly, “I really did just faint. That’s all.”
Still in wolf form, King Kincaid took another lurking step forward, his teeth bared.
Ezra completely ignored him to shake me in his hold, all but shouting, “When was the last time you ate? You don’t just faint like that! I know you didn’t eat lunch, so when was your last meal?”
That stopped me, as I rubbed my ear closest to his mouth. I hadn’t eaten breakfast because my stomach had been in knots. Dinner last night…nope, too busy and too nervous, but I had drank from Jack. I had skipped lunch the day before, dealing with one of my touch-friendly subjects. “It’s been awhile.” No wonder every time I had puked today it had been…unpleasant.
His Vampire growled, but he sat me on my feet gently. He was unexpectedly gone. A second later the gym door banged open and closed.
Stunned, I gawked at his speed.
Swiftly, King Kincaid was rubbing against me, his furred body warm as he circled me, growling a little with the movement. Protective and pissed, he was marking his territory. I guess I should have been happy he wasn’t peeing on me. He was my King, and I was his subject. Not only that, his wolf considered me as part of his family. I really was surprised he hadn’t attacked Ezra.
King Nelson marched to Jack and Pearl. “Why did you stop us from helping her?”
“Yes, please explain,” King Fergus ordered through clenched teeth.
“Er…” Pearl, dear God, Pearl, the atrocious liar, began fumbling, “You see, we—”
Jack stepped in front of her and cut her off, stating factually, “We knew she wasn’t feeling well before. She was really nervous.” He shrugged. “She’s our friend. We wanted to help her. We were afraid you might be upset with her.” Not really great excuses, but he had kept it truth to all, not stupid enough to be dishonest with King Kincaid in his wolf form and able to scent deception easily.
King Venclaire was staring at the door Ezra had disappeared through, but he murmured calmly, “We wouldn’t have yelled at her for fainting.” A quick glance to me, then back to the door. “Although, you really need to take better care of yourself. I know the Awakening can be nerve-racking the first time, but not eating beforehand was inadvisable and foolish.”
King Nelson still looked furious, and he pointed directly at Jack’s face. “Don’t ever try that on me again.” His finger swung to Pearl. “And don’t you ever use your powers against a King, or Elder, if they’ve done nothing wrong.” He frowned. “You know better than that.”
King Fergus stretched, popping his back. “She didn’t hurt me. She just stopped my progress.” He shot Pearl a swift, cross glance. “Be grateful I didn’t retaliate.” Quickly, she nodded, and he turned his glare on Jack. “Do that again, and I’ll have you digging wells with only a shovel, and magically filling them, for the next month.”
Jack nodded promptly.
King Kincaid had positioned himself right in front of me, growling at anyone who happened to take a step in our direction. I scratched behind his ears absently, and he leaned against me further, almost resulting in me falling he was so gigantic, so when the gym door banged open and closed again, and Ezra was abruptly at my side, it startled King Kincaid enough that he lunged at Ezra when he appeared.
Luckily, King Venclaire was on the ball and had already disappeared from where he stood and, suddenly, smashed into Ezra, knocking him back and out of the way from King Kincaid’s sharp teeth, which only missed Ezra’s side by less than an inch. The room silent, King Kincaid crouched, growling, while King Venclaire whispered softly to the furious wolf, slowly taking the sandwich Ezra had in his hand, holding it out.
The growling stopped, and King Kincaid sniffed. Gradually, he leaned forward and gently bit into the sandwich, bringing it to me. I removed it from his mouth, careful not to hit any of his sharp teeth, and he plunked down in front of me, baring his teeth at Ezra, who stood still with a carefully blank face.
However, Ezra being Ezra, he muttered harshly, “Eat that, because if you faint from stupidity again, I won’t catch your ass next time.” He glared.
I bit into my gifted sandwich with vigor.
The Kings gave us a fifteen-minute break. I didn’t think it was because I had fainted. The break was for the volunteers, who were really freaked from what they had seen in the first Awakening, and then, afterward. Also, King Kincaid needed time to compose himself.
No one wanted to go near him. That much was obvious, since they were giving me — him — a wide berth. Ten minutes into our break, after I stood motionless, allowing him to know I was fine, he lifted a smidge — he didn’t have to go far — on his back legs and gave my face a big lick. As I was wiping drool off my cheek, he trotted to where Ezra, Pearl, and Jack were talking quietly. Stopped. Turned his head toward Ezra, silently bared his teeth — Pearl’s and Jack’s mouths twitched — and then, finished trotting to where his robe was and shifted.
Turning away from seeing him butt naked, I strolled to my friends and mumbled another simple apology, not embellishing, with the Kings in the gym, on why I had fainted. The sandwich had already made me feel better, but I knew it had also been bottled anxiety and overwhelming relief that had made me faint. Plus, they already knew I had been a bundle of nerves earlier.
Now, I was fairly bouncing on the balls of my feet as they grumbled complaints in my direction. All complaints geared toward the fact I had worried them. If we hadn’t been in front of everyone I would have hugged them, but we were, so, instead, I nodded, failing miserably to keep the grin off my face.
I did it! I did it!
In fact, I broke down and did a little happy dance. Couldn’t be helped.
My friends stopped complaining. Stared. It was like it dawned on them that…I had done it! Then, they were chuckling, and properly vibrating with energy, too. I had done the impossible! I had broken the barriers! No babies needed to be offed because of some stupid, old ass Law, which held no basis whatsoever.
Hybrids could, in fact, do an Awakening. Therefore, the Mys race could continue with them. I wanted to shout to the rafters in delight and excitement! Maybe, it was evolution that had changed hybrids since thousands of years ago or, perhaps, it was just fear our ancestors had experienced that made them create the Law, but hybrids were not what ancient Mysticals had claimed. A hybrid was here to stay — not a plight on the Mys community — when I finally had my say, or demand, and I most definitely would when my dictate held as much value as it was loud.
“We’re ready to begin,” King Venclaire interrupted our unsaid mini-celebration, “If you four would be so kind?”
Moseying across the gym to the Kings, I grinned at Antonio sitting on the bleachers.
Still filming, he peered around the video camera and smiled, giving me a proud nod.
I did it!
King Venclaire startled me from behind, placing his hands on my shoulders and turning me to the left, murmuring, “Pay attention. It’s your turn.” A squeeze of my shoulders, then he moved away as King Kincaid brought over the Shifter volunteer.
My friends stood behind me as King Kincaid glared directly over my head at Ezra, whom I heard growl a little in his throat, obviously getting irritated. Hell, I was, too, since King Kincaid had no true basis for the real frustration riding him, but nothing could bring my mood down. Not even after the Shifter was hidden under his robe on the floor, and I knelt, my friends quickly touching me and giving me that god-awful jolt.
Warmth came directly after when we made our link. As they pushed their power into me, my own rose with theirs. I jerked, but quickly steadied myself. It felt like I could run across the entire United States of America and not even be winded. Our combined power was hard to control it was so potent. It built inside me like a ticking time bomb, and I knew I was shaking slightly when I whispered hoarsely, “You guys there?”
All three squeezed where they touched me in answer.
Careful not to put any of this god-fearing power into my hand yet, I reached through the hole of the volunteer’s hooded robe. Touching the Shifter’s head, I made it a point to take a firm grip on his hair. The Vampire had thrashed around, and this guy, more than likely, would do the same. Feeling Ezra bend over my back, I paused, listening to him whisper, “They didn’t tell us this, but don’t pull hard. That’s what I did wrong. It’s difficult, because you’ll want to, but pull gently, like taking a tiny spark and making it grow larger, just faster than normal. If you pull all at once his power will fight yours.” That was seriously going to be damn near impossible with the amount of power flowing in me wanting to strike.
Nodding jerkily, I pushed my amped Shifter power through my palm. I choked for a heartbeat as the power unleashed, but quickly stifled when I felt the Shifter volunteer’s wild animal magic slam against my own, automatically attracted and attaching to my point power.
I pulled.
Too hard, damn it.
The guy screamed as my rocketing power was unleashed on his.
Ezra had been right. I literally felt his magic try to pull away from mine, instinctively protecting itself from the greater pull. Breathing calmly, I pushed back instead of pulling, and he quieted again, trembling under my hand.
I tried again, learning from my mistakes. Struggling with the method, because it was new, I fumbled more than a bit but, eventually, I only let a pinpoint of my power from the center of our connection pull back, like mine was tricking his with an allure that it couldn’t deny, since his power was attracted to my magic. His followed. As I pulled and widened the pinpoint in fast increments, it was like a tornado, but upside down, the pinpoint traveling up my arm with the larger opening at my palm.
He did scream, but I moved the magic quickly, memorizing the approach for future use. Our attached magics moved past my shoulder, and aimed straight for my Core. When it hit, just that tiny little point, directly against my Core, it was similar to the warmth that occurred when the four of us were merely linked. But, with the extra power push floating inside me, the sensation was that much more amplified. Sublime serenity.
Against my body’s tranquil objection, I quickly broke the connection, yanking my power back, feeling the awesome power of the four of us blow through my frame once more.
His scream mutated to a whinny, and my hand slid off his head as he rapidly shifted.
His robe lifting high above where we squatted, Pearl, Jack, and Ezra gently, but quickly, tamped their power down, mine going with it, and the three of them released me.
Seeing the hooves in plain view, since shifted he was freaking huge, his robe only covering his head and back, I blinked and cocked my head, smiling, already knowing exactly what he was with the extensive white feathering on his legs. Rising from my squat, I yanked the robe off him. Remembering at the last minute not to show any emotion, I stated factually, “You’re a Clydesdale horse.”
Thanks to Ezra’s advice, mine had only taken forty-five seconds.
I grinned at him.
To which he lifted a sardonic eyebrow, but the corners of his mouth curved slightly.
After giving counsel to Pearl, hers only took thirty seconds, even when she messed up at first too, the sensation one that had to be manipulated and learned.
With our words of wisdom given to Jack, his took a mere fifteen seconds with only a minimal scream out of the Elemental I was partial to. Although, I didn’t like her so much after she about blew us back against the bleachers — an air Elemental — when her power flared from her outstretched hands, the normal pose for an Elemental Awakening.
The Kings’ lips twitched at that. Another lesson they had wanted us to learn.
Lesson: bare down at an air Elemental’s Awakening.
I was afraid to ask about a fire Elemental. What were we supposed to do? Wear flameproof robes? Or just duck? It was something I would have to ask Jack later, since he had seen it before at his Awakening. Or, even simpler, I could put in the request they raise their palms up, instead of directly at us, the idea having merit. Better than being soaked, burned, buried, or blown away.
The Kings allowed us leave after that, nodding approvingly and high-fiving each other for “teaching” us so well. Whatever.
School wasn’t out yet, and because it was the last day with finals still occurring, the hallways were quiet as we left early, bodyguards following. I stretched as we exited King Hall, and then raced to my Hummer, ready to be able to have a real conversation. My friends chuckled behind me, jogging to catch up.
As soon as we were driving outside the front gates, I gripped the steering wheel tight, squealing, “I did it! I did it!” I sucked air, groaning deep, “I did it!”
From the backseat, Jack moaned in good humor, “God, she faints like a girl. She squeals like a girl. What’s next? Does she want praise like a girl?”
Peering at him in my rear-view mirror, I saw his grin. “Yes. I do.” I mock scowled, but whispered seriously, “Do you know how hard it was for me to go in there and even try?”
“Hard enough you forgot to eat,” Ezra grumbled, but a second later he placed his hand on my thigh, chuckling softly. “Sweetheart, you were very brave.” A gentle squeeze, his words soft. “I don’t know anyone else who would have gone in front of four Kings and tried to do an Awakening if they were in your shoes.” Another squeeze. “You did good.”
Pearl’s hand landed on my elbow — below window level — and she whispered breathlessly, “That was so amazing! I was so scared there for a second, but you did it! You walked,” she paused, and amended, “you were pushed right into that gym and had the balls to go for it! That bloody rocks.”
Jack’s hand landed right above hers. “Seriously, Lily, what you did today was kickass.”
I smiled, feeling truly content. The way I always did around them. “Thank you, guys.” I paused, and then my tone was soft. “And, thank you for protecting me when you thought I’d fainted for other reasons.” A quick glance at each of them. “Seriously, you guys are the best.”
Jack chuckled, rubbing my arm before releasing me. “You would have done the exact thing if the roles were reversed.”
I nodded. “Duh. I love your ass.”
He groaned again, but I saw him smiling in the rear-view.
Pearl patted my arm again before sitting back. “We need to celebrate. We’re done with King Hall. No more classes. No more teachers.”
Ezra rubbed his thumb over my leg and pointed with his free hand across me, his arm obscuring my line of sight for a second. “There. Let’s grab some grub and head to the beach for a few hours.”
My stomach growled on command. Sounded like a plan.
Now, if we went to the beach, we did so on private property. We had promised the Kings we would do so, and since none of us wanted to be caught on national television killing Coms again, we actually obeyed the rule. Plus, this was one of the few privileges afford us during our extensive “grounding” and we didn’t want it taken away.
We picked up food and our swimsuits, and went to the assigned older Mage’s beachfront house. I really liked the old man, Richard. He always had tons of junk food in his cabinets when we dropped by. Also, I think he enjoyed our company too, since his mate had died many years ago. He was a recluse, and definitely off, his scent even corked, but that didn’t mean he didn’t chatter up a storm whenever we were there, and his magic felt mighty powerful. Sweet and innocent gramps look-a-like or not, his power was astounding.
After filling our bellies in his kitchen, he herded us out back, babbling merrily, “Shadows aren’t always innocent, vegetarians aren’t always sweet, not everyone enjoys killing, opposites inevitably attract, emotions can be destructive and deadly, never ask a favor from someone you don’t know, the dead stink, kill any bastard with silver skin, children are a true gift, with dark comes light, Commoners can advance, dragons from children’s fairy tales are my favorite creature, time keeps moving, innocence doesn’t mean innocent, the mighty fall head over heels, and remember you’re young.” A shooing gesture. “Go act like it while you can.”
We stared. Yeah, definitely off.
More hand shooing in our direction.
So, we did.
Pearl and I sunbathed lying on beach towels over warm sand.
Ezra swam so far out he looked like a tiny dot in the ocean, and then zoomed back to the beach in ten seconds flat, only to repeat this multiple times, the equivalent of a Vampire doing laps.
And, what does a water Elemental do around the ocean?
Cause trouble, that’s what.
Jack enjoyed making a wave swell up over Pearl and me when we were almost asleep, and then, fall down on us. He also delighted in making Ezra shoot up from the ocean in a spray of water. Moreover, he found it extremely entertaining, immediately following this, constructing a grand throne of water a few feet into the ocean that he sat on high above us so we couldn’t reach him when we tried to pummel him.
All in all, it was a perfect afternoon.
Other than the seaweed I had to pull out of my hair.