Psychic Lies: An Urban Fantasy Academy Romance (Psychic Academy Book 2)

by Samantha Bell

  "So, what about the employers?" I asked.

  "They will remain anonymous for now, but considering this, I've spoken with the Major to get you cleared for field work."

  I nearly jumped out of my seat. "Field work? Like outside of the campus?" I shrieked, not believing my ears. I had begun to think I'd never be able to leave the school grounds.

  "Yes, with an escort, of course." She added.

  I beamed. "Thank you so much!"

  Ms. Blackwell smiled and nodded her head. "Of course. Bianca, you remind me of myself," She said. "I remember feeling suffocated by the restrictions of training, especially after I had shown myself worthy of something more. What you went through last month, I'd never wish on a student, but you not only survived, you won."

  "Because of your training. You inspired me," I said. Although Turner had played an instrumental role in strengthening my skills, it made me sick to credit that traitor with anything.

  "The power was inside you the whole time," Ms. Blackwell said and stood. "Well, I should let you get to dinner."

  I nodded. The last training session had left me starving.

  "Oh, and one more thing," She said as I turned to leave. "I've lifted the security on you and relieved Ryland and Luke of their protection duties. It has become quite obvious to me that you are capable of taking care of yourself."

  #

  No more escorts to and from class? It was a dream come true. I had become used to the boys' presence, and while it brought Ryland and I closer, I felt as if a stake was wedged between Luke and I. I could not deny my strong feelings for Ryland, but Luke was my friend and didn't deserve to be cast aside like I had done.

  Ryland met me outside the cafeteria. "There you are," He said. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

  I blinked with surprise. "Oh, Ms. Blackwell hadn't told you?" I asked.

  "Told me what?"

  "Uh, guess not." His question answered my question. "She called me to her office today. She said I don't need babysitting anymore," I said.

  Ryland looked mildly disappointed, but didn't let it show in his voice. "That's good. So they think you're strong enough to defend yourself from any Rogues that might try to come after you?"

  I shrugged. "I guess so. That competition was what I needed to finally have my skills taken seriously."

  "So this means I don't have to be on guard when we're hanging out," Ryland grinned.

  "I guess so," I laughed. "Come on, I'm starving."

  Dinner was pasta, salad and garlic bread, plus extra coffee for me. I'd never get tired of the food in this place. As I walked to my seat, I caught glances of the other students. Their expressions were different. The fear and contempt had been replaced with respect.

  I sat down beside Ryland, thankful that for the first time the whispering wasn't about me.

  Phylicia joined us a minute later. "Guys, have you heard the news?"

  "That I graduated from needing a babysitter?" I asked. Word sure traveled fast around here.

  She shook her head. "What? No." Her expression was dead serious. "Another psychic kid has gone missing."

  "What?" Ryland and I said in unison.

  Phylicia leaned in and lowered her voice. "Yeah, I heard two of the professors talking in the hall. Those young kids, the ones on the news, they were all being monitored for psychic talent. A bunch of them were from dual-psychic families, so they were already on the radar."

  "So someone is targeting psychics who's powers haven't manifested?" Ryland asked.

  Phylicia nodded.

  My mouth went dry and I struggled to speak. "Rogues." I whispered. "No doubt about it."

  "How do you know?" Ryland asked.

  "I just do." I said. "They came after me right as my powers were revealed and they would have caught me too if I hadn't been saved." I gave Ryland's hand a squeeze under the table. "It's gotta be them."

  Phylicia shook her head and rested her elbows on the table. "That's fucked up," She said. "Why are they targeting people like that?"

  "To recruit new blood. They don't believe that psychics should be monitored by the government." Ryland said matter-of-factly. "We should be treated like normal citizens."

  "But we're not normal citizens," I said.

  Ryland shrugged. "I didn't say I agreed with it, it's just what I know." Ryland had been brought up in a family with two psychic parents. He had always known about the hidden world and the reality that psychics lived among regular people, unlike me who had been thrust into this place with barely any warning.

  The thought left a bad taste in my mouth. "I can't believe we were just across the country minding our own business when something like this is happening in our own city."

  "Hey," Phylicia cut in. "Don't feel bad. This isn't our war, Bianca. The feds and the police are looking into it. They have special departments for this stuff. We're just students."

  I knew the government had special programs in place, but that wasn't the point. If more young psychics had gone missing, obviously something wasn't working. I had looked those Rogues in the eye and lived to tell about it, many times. They weren't giving up and no amount of FBI involvement seemed to deter them.

  I pushed my plate away. My appetite was ruined now. "I'm not hungry." I stood up and left without another word.

  Ryland called after me. "Hey, where are you going?"

  "I just need to be alone," I said and didn't look back.

  I walked straight to the training facility and was surprised to find it empty. The retractable walls were tucked away and the training gear was all stacked neatly in it's place along the wall. It was quiet, except for the sound of fans rotating above me.

  How long did I have to wait until I could make a difference? A year? Longer? Would it even matter by then? Would I just go back to my normal life or get recruited by some anonymous government agency to use my psychic skills for who knew what.

  I gathered my energy, letting it flow through my body and locked onto the weights that were stacked in the corner. I lifted them one by one and let them float in a circle around me. With a flick of my wrist I could command the cast-iron to do my bidding. Up and down. Side to side. It was almost too easy. Grasping a body was harder, because they fought back against my energy.

  The sound of the door opening startled me and the plates nearly fell to the mat before I stopped them midair. I whirled around to see Luke.

  "Luke!" My voice echoed in the empty room.

  Luke looked surprised to see me. He pulled his headphones off. "Bianca? What are you doing here? You never train after hours."

  I laughed nervously. "Yeah I know. I actually just came here to think." I waved my hands and let the metal plates fall.

  Luke nodded. "Same," He said. "Well, don’t let me stop you." He gestured to the running track that circled the training area. "I'm just going to do some drills." He threw his headphones back on, vanished and reappeared on the running track.

  I watched him run. He'd weave between the two lanes, picking up speed and then disappear. He'd teleport as he ran, sometimes jumping a few feet, other times across the facility. It was incredible to watch him move.

  I tried to focus on my own exercises, but got distracted every time he'd flash by me. I had been around him long enough now to notice the energy disturbance in the air whenever he teleported. It was a slight change, but just enough for me to catch.

  I gave up and began stacking the metal plates back against the wall. They clanged against each other as I used my energy to pick them up one by one and add them to the pile.

  Luke appeared beside me. "Leaving already?"

  "Yeah," I said as the last plate slid into place. "My mind just isn't in a good space right now."

  Luke stepped closer. "I heard Ryland and I were relieved of guard duty. Is that what's bothering you?"

  "No. I'm happy about that." I noticed Luke stiffen and amended my statement. "I mean, I'm happy because now we can just hang out as friends. No need to be babysitting me day and n
ight."

  "Ah, I see." Luke's shoulders relaxed a fraction. "Well, then what's up?"

  "In a word? Overwhelmed." I admitted and found myself leaning into him.

  Luke wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tight. "Don't worry so much. I know these last few weeks have been hard on you, but you're doing great. What you really need is a vacation."

  "Let me know once you master teleporting across the Atlantic and we'll go for pizza in Italy." I laughed, remembering one of our very first conversations.

  Luke smiled. "I haven't forgotten."

  Why was the energy between us so electric? I forced myself to take a step back, feeling my heart and mind getting caught up in his charm. Tearing away from him hurt. The way he smiled at me made me feel warm and safe. My heart belonged to Ryland, but Luke was so tempting.

  "I should be going now," I said.

  Luke nodded slowly. "Hey, one thing before you go. I know you and Ryland are getting serious and I just wanted to let you know there's no hard feelings."

  My face burned red. "Oh, we're not. It’s just casual." I stammered.

  Luke chuckled and shook his head. "It's ok, Bianca. Don't spare my feelings." He rested his hands on his hips. "I know how you two look at each other. I've come to terms with it." He flashed me a brilliant smile. "I just want you to be happy. If you ever need anything, let me know."

  Normally when people said that, it wasn't sincere, but with Luke I could feel the truth. I nodded and hugged him tight. "Thank you," I said. "Really. You're great."

  "That's what friends do," Luke said. "Anyway, I'm glad that they've decided you can stand on your own two feet. I've known that since I met you, but you know how the older generations are. Sometimes it takes them a while to realize we're not kids anymore."

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

  We weren't kids anymore.

  Those words stuck with me long after I had left the training facility. I went straight to my dorm room, reveling in the fact that I didn't have to check in with anyone before I left, and called Daniel.

  Daniel answered my call in a single ring. "Bianca! I've been so worried!"

  My excitement deflated. I had intended to call and tell him about the competition, but something in his tone let me know now wasn't the time. "What? What's wrong?"

  "The disappearing psychics. My dad's been working double shifts all week and I hadn't heard from you. I was terrified the Rogues had gotten to you too."

  I let out a sigh. "No, I'm fine. Seriously. The campus was away at an event." I couldn’t believe that I forgot to tell him.

  “Oh," Daniel said sheepishly. "Oh. Shit. So I've been freaking out for nothing."

  "I'm afraid so," I laughed. "But, I had good news. I've been cleared to leave the campus. Turns out they finally realized I can take care of myself."

  "That's awesome!" He exclaimed.

  I had to hold the phone away from my ear. "Yeah," I said after Daniel had calmed down. "I was wondering if you'd like to get together tomorrow. It's Saturday, after all."

  Daniel paused for a second. "Yeah, sure." I could hear the shy hesitation in his voice.

  The memory of our last meeting flashed through my mind. We almost kissed. I couldn't let that happen again. Daniel was my best friend and decidedly not boyfriend material. We grew up together. It would be too weird.

  "I really need a break from this crazy world," I said. "I need to feel normal for a day."

  "Oh, I know. The old movie theater downtown is doing an Avengers marathon for ten bucks. Some charity thing. Do you wanna go?"

  Popcorn, superheros, and Daniel sounded like a perfect escape. "It's a date." I said before wishing I could take my words back. "I mean, I'll see you then." I forced a laugh.

  Daniel's awkward laugh echoed my own feelings. "Sure," He said. "I'll talk to my dad about getting through security to come get you. How does that work anyways?"

  "Don't worry about it," I said. "I'll just ask Luke for a favor. Teleporting is way better than driving." I craved normal, but some things were just too convenient to give up. Now I just had to convince Luke to take me off campus, again.

  #

  Thanks to Luke’s teleportation skills, I arrived early.

  “You really need to chill with asking me to teleport all the time,” Luke said. “I know I said I’d do you a favor when you needed it, but there’s too much weird shit going on lately. If the Major found out, he’d kill me.”

  “Hey, I’m off the babysitting list, remember? He didn’t say I had to stay on campus anymore.” I countered.

  “He didn’t say you could leave, either.” Luke said.

  “Technicalities,” I said with a wave of my hand.

  Luke shook his head. “You’re lucky I care about you,” He said. “What time do you need me to pick you up?”

  “Eleven,” I said. “I’ll meet you back here?”

  Luke nodded. “Ok. Please be careful.” He glanced at me as if he was going to say something but then changed his mind. “See you later.” He vanished.

  I walked out of the alley, hoping that no one saw our entrance. There were no screams or strange looks, so it must have gone off without a hitch.

  I only had to wait a few minutes before Daniel arrived. It was impossible not to notice how handsome he looked in his classic polo and khaki shorts. His hair was lighter than I remembered it, probably because the only times I had seen him the past few months was in the middle of the night.

  "Hey, hope I didn't keep you waiting," Daniel said. He hugged me tight.

  "Not at all, I got here a few minutes ago." I breathed in his familiar smell of off-brand fabric softener. Here we were at a movie theater on a sunny afternoon with no worries about psychic Rogues or getting caught breaking curfew. It felt good. It felt normal.

  "I'm so glad you could get out for a day," Daniel said.

  "Not as much as I am!" I laughed. "Come on, let's go. I want some popcorn."

  #

  We spent the next eight hours engrossed in an Avengers movie marathon. I ran out of popcorn twice.

  There was no other way that I would of rather spent time with my comic-book-loving nerdy best friend. The guy who convinced me to be the Robin to his Batman for a costume contest in ninth grade. The kid who walked me home from school every day and would take the fall if we ran late because we stopped to buy candy at the 7-11.

  When the marathon finally ended, Daniel shot me a look and said. "Tacos?"

  "Tacos!" I agreed with a grin.

  We found an authentic taco joint a few blocks away, where Daniel ordered us a family platter of carnitas with extra cilantro and fresh salsa on the side.

  I lost track of time while we ate and talked. He filled me in on everything that was happening in the neighborhood, how our friends from high school were doing, even the status of the little old lady who lived around the corner and was always adopting new cats.

  My heart filled with warm joy until it reached a breaking point. We talked until long after the tacos were gone and we had been banned from anymore free soda refills.

  The night was warm and calm when we finally left to make our way back to the theater. We walked in content silence, both smiling from reminiscing together.

  When we stopped at the theater, I gave Daniel a tight hug. “Thank you so much,” I said.

  I didn’t want this to end. I looked into his eyes, unable to tear myself away. The magnetic pull was stronger than last time. Spending the day with him was what I needed to remind myself of what an amazing guy he was. I was so lucky to have Daniel as my friend. I sighed.

  "What's up?" Daniel asked. He held my hands gently and tipped his head, his brow creased with concern.

  His big brown eyes were killing me. "I don't know," I admitted. "I just, I don't want this day to end."

  Daniel smiled softly. "I know what you mean," He said with a chuckle. "I really miss the old days. Just me and you. No Rogues to worry about. No psychic powers. No curfew. No secret academies." He went on. "Things were s
impler then."

  I nodded slowly. “Yeah,” I agreed.

  There was a pause. We were frozen in time, staring at each other and not knowing what to say. The need to feel his touch was maddening.

  “Do you ever wish things were different?” Daniel asked.

  “Different how?”

  “I mean, how it would be if you were normal.”

  I hesitated. Sure, this whole psychic thing hadn’t been an easy road, but I had emerged from the challenges I faced so much stronger than I ever thought I would be. “Sometimes, but I don’t dwell on it.” I admitted. “Do you?” I turned his question back to him.

  Daniel looked down. “Sometimes,” He said. “I really miss you. And because of all this, I was never able to tell you how I feel.”

  “How you feel? You can tell me anything. You know that,” I said. Daniel blushed and I realized what he was hiding. I pretended not to, but my heart started fluttering. “Daniel,” I spoke when the silence became too much to bear. “I think I know what you mean. I’ve been thinking a lot lately.”

  A spark of hope lit up his eyes and it killed me.

  “I swore to myself that I wouldn’t let you be hurt by the psychic world anymore,” I said. “I know that it ruins relationships and tears friends and family apart. I don’t want to do that to you again.”

  Daniel looked away. “I understand.”

  My heart ached at the sound of his voice. I stepped towards him and hugged him, wrapping my arms around him and not letting go. “Daniel, you’re my best friend. I’d never forgive myself if you were hurt because of my secret.”

  Daniel nodded. He hugged me back. “I know. Thank you.”

  “And I want you to know that I do love you. More than anyone I’ve ever met. You’re my best friend and I know that we’ll always be here for each other when things are tough.” I let out a shuddering sigh as tears threatened to spill over. “But you deserve someone who you can be with every day and live a normal life. You’re going to find her and when you do make sure you tell her that I say she’s the luckiest girl ever.”

  Daniel smiled softly. “You’re not going to disappear on me, are you?”

  “Never.” I held out my hand and wrapped my pinky finger around his like we did when we were kids. “I swear. I’ll always be around, you’re not going to get rid of me that easy, Daniel Dolinsky.”