Channeler's Choice

by McCorkle, Heather

  Faces leered at her from around corners and behind classroom windows. Her power flared out toward them and she couldn’t stop it so she ran faster. Shoved by her power, the doors flew open and daylight spilled into the hallway. Squinting against the glare and the sting of tears, she plunged outside. With no more than a thought, power poured into her legs and launched her from the top of the stairs to the sidewalk below. She hit the ground running and didn’t look back.

  “Any good Society has a foundation of honesty.

  Like any family, secrets can destroy it.”

  ~from Life In A Society

  Chapter 14

  Power built inside Aiden until he felt like an engine that had revved too high for too long. The energy wanted out so bad that every inch of his skin hurt from holding it in. But he couldn’t move, not even when the doors swung shut behind Eren.

  A bell shrilled overhead, making him jump. Before the hall could fill with kids, he slammed his locker shut and ran down the hall after her. Someone stepped in his way and only his quick reflexes and a smooth side-step stopped him from plowing them over. Whoever it was started running after him. Fingers grasped at his shirt but slipped free as he sped up.

  “Aiden wait, let her go,” Bridget said.

  Of course it would be her.

  With a snarl pulling up one side of his mouth, he glanced back at her. “Stay out of this.”

  She flinched and pulled back as if he’d struck her. But he hadn’t, or at least he didn’t think he had. The way his power was surging out around him, it was possible. All the more reason to get away from her. The doors blew open for him the same way they had for Eren. Her energy trail veered around the side of the school and went back toward the forest. Pushing power into his legs, Aiden tore across the grass, leaving the school, and Bridget, quickly behind.

  The shade of the spruce trees offered relief from the sun but failed to cool the rising heat of his frustration. Already, Eren’s blue energy trail was fading into the ferns that huddled around the forest path. Soon it was hard to tell her trail from the shades of green energy the plants and trees gave off. She was just too fast for him.

  “Eren come back!” His voice echoed up through the tall trees but his call went unanswered.

  Vibrations started deep inside him, growing until he was shaking so bad his steps faltered. Holding the power in was like trying to retain an inferno that was burning him up from the inside out. He stumbled into a clearing dotted with sapling trees and fell to his knees among them. There was no sign left of Eren or her energy trail. He had lost her. The only thing he had let himself love in sixteen years, was gone.

  A sob tore from him. “Please don’t leave me!”

  Green energy flecked through with gold, started to leak from his pours. The power, the pain, the fear, it was all too much to hold in. With the last bit of strength he had, he touched the place inside him that controlled the power and he turned it into a healing force. Falling forward, fingers digging into the grass, he focused as much of the energy as he could down through his arms and into the earth. Green and gold was all he could see as the power flowed out of him. Not a good sign. It meant his control had slipped considerably.

  The ground shook, jostling him about. That had never happened before.

  When his vision cleared, he looked down to see his sweatshirt in tatters. A short-lived relief filled the void inside him that the massive channeling had left. Once he could think again past the rush of channeling, he was left with only despair.

  It was darker out than it should have been. Concern clawed its way up his back, leaving his skin tingling and his power stirring again. Shapes towered around him. Panic tried to crawl up his throat but he swallowed hard to keep it down. An irrational part of his mind thought of his adopted father hovering over him as he clamped iron shackles onto his wrists. It was stupid, he knew. The man was dead and couldn’t hurt him anymore. Still, the memory refused to go away until he blinked the remaining blurriness from his eyes and saw what surrounded him.

  Spruce trees with trunks several feet thick grew all around him. They were so tall they looked to be hundreds of years old. Their needle-laden boughs blocked out all but a few rays of sunlight that managed to filter through. It didn’t make sense. He’d been in a meadow when he collapsed. Unless…

  “It’s not possible,” he murmured.

  There had been something in the meadow; saplings. He withdrew his hands from grass that was now up to his elbows, and turned his palms over to stare at them. No one had that kind of power.

  “I couldn’t have done this.”

  “But you did,” Fane’s voice came from high above him.

  Craning his head back, Aiden searched the trees. Were it not for the orange glow of Fane’s energy drawing Aiden’s eyes, he wouldn’t have found him. He was at least one hundred and fifty feet up a tree.

  “How did you get up there?”

  “One moment I was running after you, jumping over saplings, the next one sprung up like a fairytale beanstalk and caught me in it.” Though Aiden couldn’t see Fane’s expression, his incredulous tone told him it was comical.

  “Sure, it’s funny from down there.”

  A flash of blue sky through the green needles reminded Aiden of Eren’s energy. His heart was so heavy he didn’t think he’d ever be able to stand again, despite Fane’s smart wit.

  Spruce boughs rustled overhead and the tall grass was blown down beneath the force of Fane’s power as he landed. His hand came to rest on Aiden’s shoulder. Tears stung Aiden’s eyes. If he lost Eren, he also lost Fane. He’d never had a best friend and now he couldn’t imagine being without him.

  “You have nothing to worry about, you know. Even if she chooses to suppress her power, she’ll still choose you,” he said.

  The led curtain of despair lifted slightly from him, but Aiden was reluctant to allow hope in yet. Unable to speak, he let the silence draw out.

  “Unless you don’t want to be with her if she isn’t a channeler.”

  His wide eyes filled with the sight of Fane as he looked up. The black curls of hair around Fane’s face hid his expression for the most part, but Aiden could tell by his rigid posture that he was cautious.

  “That doesn’t matter, of course that doesn’t matter. I want to be with her no matter what.”

  Fane’s shoulders relaxed and he smiled as he extended his hand to him. “Good, because Eren loves you and that isn’t something she gives out lightly. You’re like a brother to me and I’d hate to have to kick your butt if you hurt her,” he said.

  Warmth filled Aiden. “Really? A brother?” he asked as he let Fane pull him to his feet.

  Fane’s grin widened. “Of course, but you should know that all ready.”

  And just like that, the despair and tension was gone.

  “Alright, little bro, let’s go get my lady an apology gift. What do you think she’ll like?”

  “That shirt is bound to impress her.”

  They laughed and for a moment the weight of the world was bearable.

  In only a few steps Fane turned around and looked back at the newly grown trees, shaking his head. “That’s amazing, I didn’t even know we were capable of such a thing.”

  A different kind of weight came crushing back down on Aiden. His eyes were drawn to the massive trees that still hummed with his energy.

  “We’re not supposed to be. I think it has something to do with this master Rector thing.”

  “Well, it’s pretty amazing.” The awe in Fane’s voice and the reverence on his face made the whole master Rector thing a little less overwhelming. After all, it wasn’t like he was alone anymore.

  “We must embrace who we become

  within our Societies, but never forget

  where we began.”

  ~from Life In A Society

  Chapter 15

  Footsteps creaked on the stairs leading up to Eren’s attic suite. She sat up on her bed, reaching for another tissue. Her vision was blurr
ed and her eyes felt puffy. She was fairly certain she looked to be as big a mess as she felt. Why wouldn’t her grandfather just leave her alone?

  “Grandfather, really, I don’t want anything,” she called out as she heard the first steps on her hardwood floor.

  “Not even double chocolate mocha ice cream? Seriously, cause I think every girl in your state needs that,” came Caitlin’s voice.

  Eren almost smiled, then the tears welled up again. Would Caitlin think she was horrible for considering taking the pills? Surely she’d heard about her and Aiden’s fight, or else why would she come bearing ice cream? By now the whole school had probably spread the news about it.

  “I’m not really up for company.”

  Heeled boots clicking on the wooden floors, Caitlin practically skipped into the room and plopped down on Eren’s bed beside her. “Of course you’re not, which is why I’m here.”

  Sniffling loudly, Eren turned away and faced the window. Muted light poured through the glass, assaulting her eyes. Normally the sun felt good, its energy revived her. But today she wanted to hide from everything that reminded her of being a channeler. It was kind of impossible with Caitlin’s energy dancing around her, but she was determined to try.

  “I thought you knew about the choice, I swear. I would have told you if I knew you didn’t.”

  Eren shrugged and tried to will her to go away. All it would take was a good shove with her power, but there was no way she was going to do that. A growing part of her never wanted to use it again.

  The bubbly energy rolling off Caitlin became heavy with sadness and retreated, though Caitlin herself never moved.

  “Is it really so bad being one of us? I know I’m probably not like your friends from L.A. but I thought—”

  The pain in her voice cracked the wall that was going up around Eren’s heart and made her realize how selfish she was being. Turning around, Eren grabbed Caitlin’s arm, stopping the flow of words.

  “No, you’re not. You’re a better person than any of them could ever be,” Eren said.

  Caitlin looked down. “Too bad my parents disagree.” A moment later she met Eren’s gaze and the creases between her eyebrows had smoothed out and her bright pink lips were curved up into a smile. “Well, I am the best healer channeler in the junior class.”

  “And probably the senior class too, but that isn’t why. You’re a good person inside,” Eren said.

  Smile widening, Caitlin glanced down at the carton of ice cream in her lap, but not before Eren saw the gleam of moisture in her eyes. Something fluttered in Eren’s chest. What had she said wrong?

  “You know, even if you choose to take the pills, you’ll still be my best friend. Nothing will change that,” Caitlin said.

  Tears stung Eren’s eyes again and her chest tightened as though her lungs couldn’t expand. For so long she had thought only about what she’d lost when she became a channeler. Now, sitting here with Caitlin, she realized how much she had gained. Caitlin was so good to her, she felt like she at least owed her an explanation.

  “It’s not that I don’t want to be a channeler, it’s just…” the rest of the words wouldn’t come out. If she said them, she feared it would give them the power to come true.

  Heaving a deep sigh, Caitlin’s eyes dropped. “You just want to be normal.”

  Eren shook her head and the words came in a rush. “It’s not that either. I’m just not sure I want to be this warrior channeler of legend that my grandfather says I’m destined to be.”

  One light blond eyebrow went up as Caitlin frowned at her. “It’s only a Mayan legend. The world isn’t going to end in our lifetime and there isn’t going to be a war to decide the fate of the earth. Its old superstition is all.” Her tone mimicked Eren’s grandfather’s so well that it almost made Eren smile.

  For a moment the twinkle left Caitlin’s eyes and she fixed Eren with a serious look. “You can’t let superstition rule your life. It’s too short not to seize it.”

  Coming from Caitlin who was always so flippant, such words packed a lot of punch. Five hundred years didn’t seem short at all to Eren, but she got Caitlin’s meaning. Death could find even a channeler at any time. It found her parents, and Aiden’s. Sitting up, Eren drew her legs beneath her.

  “You’re right.”

  Caitlin beamed. “Of course I am.” She handed Eren a spoon. “So what do you say we start seizing a bit of this ice cream?”

  Using her sleeve to wipe away the rest of her tears, Eren accepted one of the spoons. Smile fully restored, Caitlin took the lid off the ice cream. The way her energy lit up the room made Eren realize the world was always a better place when Caitlin was around. Maybe it was time to let her old life go and embrace her new one.

  The first delicious spoonful of ice cream chilled Eren’s tongue and she closed her fluttering eyes, reveling in the taste. Laughter bubbled from Caitlin, making Eren almost forget her anger and frustration. With a friend like Caitlin by her side, she thought maybe there was a chance she could let go of the past. And just maybe, her parents would understand.

  “Our power and long

  life spans are not advantages over

  normal people, they are responsibilities.”

  ~from Life In A Society.

  Chapter 16

  Paint flew from Eren’s brush as she attacked the canvas with a vengeance while singing along to a particularly angry Avril Lavigne song. The drop cloth beneath her feet was splattered with red, orange, and pink paint, making her room look like a crime scene. So absorbed was she in the painting that was emerging, she didn’t even notice the mess. For at least the hundredth time, she stepped back to look at her work.

  It was of a massive, Victorian-style house with the sun setting behind it, casting an array of colors all around it. With so many colors on the canvas, it should have looked cheery and beautiful. But the windows were all dark, the open garage was empty, and the plants and lawn surrounding the house were all dead. The painting had a forlorn, empty feel to it. It was her old home back in California, the one where she had lived with her parents, when she led a normal life. Tears stung her eyes and she tried to blink them away. One escaped and rolled down her cheek, making her brush furiously at it.

  The pain of her parents’ deaths was still so raw that at times like this it felt as though it would cripple her. It wasn’t just that she missed them, she was mad at them. Would they have wanted her to take the pills and live a ‘normal’ life? Since they had raised her with no knowledge of her channeler powers, it would seem that way. But how was she to know? They’d never even told her what she was, let alone discussed it.

  The more she brushed the tears away, the more flowed. Sniffling, she dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve. Caitlin was in the shower and the last thing she wanted was for her to come out and find her crying again. After a long night of being the most amazing friend ever, in which she had literally let her cry on her shoulder, burdening Caitlin with more angst seemed cruel.

  “That’s so sad and beautiful,” Aiden’s voice came seemingly out of nowhere.

  Startled, Eren spun around and dropped into a fighting stance, holding the paintbrush out as if it were a knife. Seeing Aiden standing in the arched opening to her bedroom with his hands behind his back, made her feel foolish. Maybe the music had been a bit too loud. There was no anger left when she looked at him, only a profound sadness and guilt. Had he meant her or the painting?

  Her eyes flicked to the painting as she sniffled. “It’s my old home in California,” she said, hating how choked her voice was.

  Aiden stepped forward and held something out to her, drawing her gaze back to him. It was a bouquet of paint brushes with colorful wooden handles. They were the expensive kind. Eren shuddered to think what a dozen of them would have cost him.

  “I’m an idiot. I’m so sorry. I should have told you, I was just so afraid that you would choose your old life over me,” he blurted out, his words all running together.

  His e
yes were glossy and his throat worked hard as he swallowed several times. The words stung her heart. That was exactly why she had been feeling guilty. Caitlin told her that Aiden was afraid and she felt stupid for not realizing it herself. Taking the bundle of paint brushes from him, she stepped close and took hold of his hand.

  “Does it have to be a choice between the two?” she asked gently.

  Not looking up, he shook his head. “Of course not. I’d love you no matter what, even if you choose to suppress your power. We could make it work.”

  The wall Eren had been building around her heart came crashing down. It wasn’t that she had decided to take the pills, just that she really didn’t want it to matter to him.

  “You’re amazing, you know that?” she said.

  He looked up, pinning her to the spot with the defenseless look that softened his face. Eren never imagined a guy would look at her that way, as though she held his world in her hands. All thoughts of ever taking those pills fled. If he could love her so unconditionally, then she thought just maybe she could learn to accept what she was.

  “You’re the amazing one. No more secrets, I promise,” he said.

  “Good, because if I’m going to learn to be a channeler and a Rector, we’re going to need honesty between us.”

  Aiden smiled so big it looked like it hurt. But the smile wilted as he wiped at a tear that still lingered on her cheek.

  “I don’t ever want to make you cry again,” he whispered.

  Eren dropped her head and turned so her hair hid her face.

  “Are you done with the mushy stuff?” Fane asked from somewhere in the sitting room.

  Rising up on the balls of her feet, Eren kissed Aiden lightly before dropping her paintbrush into a glass of water. She rubbed at her chin where she was sure she’d gotten at least a little paint, then freed her long black hair from its clip. It was still a bit damp from her shower. The inspiration to paint had struck her as she had stepped out and she knew if she hadn’t pulled her hair back she would have got paint in it. The bit on her chin was proof that she’d been right.