Footsteps in the hallway made Leland and Alexia jumped apart. Alexia felt her face flush red.
“Sorry,” Gregory said.
Alexia shook her head and pushed her hair back. “No, it’s fine. I should go to bed.”
Gregory nodded, skirted around them, and headed down the hall. He closed the door to his bedroom softly behind him. Once he was gone, Alexia finally looked back to Leland.
“Can we talk?” he asked.
“Not tonight, Leland. I’m sorry.” Before he could object or change her mind, she scooted to her room and closed the door.
***
Cali was still tired. Still stressed. But she’d woken determined to hide it better and learn whatever she could. Every time she felt her stress rising, she closed a portal and took a deep breath.
She had to learn as much as she could before Blaine found that one power necessary to break into the Ether. If he got in before they were ready, they couldn’t stop him.
“We are going to try something new today.” Gregory smiled at Lexi.
Alexia perked up. Cali felt jealousy rise in her. She opened portals. All day, every day. Windows or doors. Sure, she could open them to weird dimensions she hadn’t known existed, but she didn’t get to go through them. She just opened them. Over and over again. Everyone else had something new to try.
“What is it?” Lexi asked.
Cali moved closer. She wanted to know.
“I think we can do more with your compelling ability.” Gregory’s stern voice reminded Cali of a teacher standing in front of a blackboard.
“Like what?”
“I want you to think of anything. Anything at all. Try to make me see it. Put the words in my head without saying them.”
“But you can already see my thoughts,” Alexia protested. She looked around, found Cali, and shrugged at her.
“This should be different. I see emotions or intentions, not word for word thoughts. I want that from you.” He locked eyes with her and raised his eyebrows.
“Focus. I know you are thinking of Cali but think of something specific.” Gregory closed his eyes.
Cali closed all her portals and moved next to Lexi. Lexi reached down and grabbed her hand, squeezing it.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she said. “I’m sorry it’s for such a shitty reason.”
Cali couldn’t think of a response and just smiled at her best friend.
“Cali’s teacher drew a fox on…” Gregory started. “On what?”
Cali laughed. She remembered exactly what memory Lexi was thinking of. Her teacher had drawn a fox on her nametag. It was the day she’d met Lexi.
“You heard me?” Alexia smiled broadly.
“No.” Gregory shook his head. “I mean yes, I heard you, but it was faint, and I didn’t understand it all. Try to focus on that for a while. Cali, can you open a window to the Cetteri?”
And just like that, she was pulled away from Lexi and put back on task.
Cali snapped her attention back to her windows. After an hour and several failed attempts, Gregory called out that it was break time.
Cali sat in the shade and Dustin joined her. She rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes.
“Cali? Can you hear me?” Lexi asked quietly.
“Of course I can,” Cali said without opening her eyes.
“Of course you can what?” Dustin asked, pulling away from Cali and prompting her to crack open her eyes.
“Lexi?” she asked, looking around.
Dustin looked at her for a long, silent, awkward moment. “She’s way over there,” he finally said.
“Lexi?” she called.
Lexi spun around with a look of triumph on her face. “You heard me?” She started running toward Cali with a big smile.
Cali hadn’t realized it would sound like talking. Somehow, she’d expected to know the difference when it was just a voice in her head. From across the yard, Gregory just laughed.
Cali noticed the goofy happy grin Lexi wore for the rest of the day.
Raise your hand if you can hear me. The voice would float to her mind, and Cali would raise her hand. Sometimes Dustin or someone else raised their hands. A few times two people raised their hands, but Lexi couldn’t seem to get higher than that. Still, she smiled the whole afternoon.
Hopefully, that confidence means we’re going to win, Cali thought.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The sun set. They worked. Alexia stared up at the moon, glad it was white instead of yellow.
As the night cooled, she took a break to make coffee.
She no longer found her new skill exciting. Just frustrating and exhausting. The bottom line was that Blaine knew what he was doing, and they didn’t.
She carried five mugs into the yard, probably the only useful skill she’d retained from serving. The sigh of her companions made her smile. They were tired, they complained, but everyone was working. And they were improving.
Is it enough? She pushed the thought away.
The mugs were whisked from her hands, and everyone returned to their earlier spots. Except Leland.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Answer to his mind!” Gregory yelled at them.
Alexia couldn’t tell if he was serious. I’m fine, she pushed into Leland’s mind.
Liar, he answered.
“Leland! I heard you!” She spilled her coffee as she hugged him.
“Really?”
“Clear as day,” she said. She pecked him on the cheek.
“Alexia, you heard him?” Gregory was moving towards them.
She nodded and saw Leland’s face redden.
“Very good.” He clapped Leland on the shoulder. “You two keep working on that.”
“Gregory?” Cali called. “Why does this look weird?”
She looked over. The portal Cali had opened had rough edges and the inside looked melted. Her edges had been clean for days. Gregory laughed and trotted back to her.
“Keep working,” he called over his shoulder to Alexia.
I keep having to remember he’s trying to save our lives, she said to Leland’s mind.
If he answered, she didn’t hear it. But she could see the frustration on his face. Hours ticked by.
The sun rose.
I like…he trailed off.
She shook her head.
By late afternoon, he was at a breaking point.
“This is ridiculous. I’m useless.” He ran his fingers through his hair and stalked away from Alexia. “Gregory, I need to do something else.”
Gregory walked with him toward the back of the yard. Alexia took the time to say good morning to everyone. Once she got a response from each individually, she reached out to the group.
Who wants breakfast?
“I’m starving!” Dustin yelled.
“No, no, no.” Gregory turned. “You’re all doing so well. I’ll make food. You keep working.”
Alexia huffed but did as she was told. She tried to compel Gregory to make chicken salad sandwiches and almost cried for joy when that’s what he came out with.
The afternoon wore on and still they practiced.
“Why rain?” Alexia heard Gregory ask from behind her.
“It is too damn hot,” she said, emphasizing each word. If the weather was tied to her emotions, she wished she could control the heat, but it seemed to increase with her anxiety.
Cali looked over her shoulder and smiled crookedly. “Good call, Lexi.”
“I need a break.” Alexia heard the whine in her voice but wasn’t sure she cared.
Cali nodded in agreement, and when Gregory didn’t object, the group disbanded to separate parts of the yard.
Cali flopped onto the ground with her face bathed in sun and Alexia’s rain. She stared up, expecting the clouds to turn yellow at any second, but Blaine still hadn’t found a way in.
Dustin sat next to her and dropped his chin to his chest. He looked just as tired as Cali, but he ne
ver said it. He reached for her hand. Alexia stifled the envy that always surfaced when she saw them together.
Alexia walked around to the side of the house to sit in the shade. She leaned her head back against the hot siding and closed her eyes. Someone was walking toward her, but she tried to ignore the footsteps.
“Water?” Leland asked, ice cubes clinking in the glass he held. Alexia took a breath before opening her eyes and reaching for the glass. She drank greedily, swallowed and handed the glass back to Leland. He drank the rest in a quick gulp. He held the glass in his palm and looked down at the cool water condensing on the sides.
“I’ve missed you.” He knelt beside her and touched the glass against her neck and ran it down her collarbone. Alexia felt a mixture of cool from the glass and heat from desire. She turned her face back to the sky and let out a soft moan.
“I think I miss you too,” she murmured.
His hand dropped to her lap, the glass along with it, and his lips traced the cool streak left from the water. He placed the glass next to them while working at her belt. She pulled his mouth to hers and unbuttoned his shirt. He reached between the elastic of her panties and her skin before she moved away. “We can’t do this,” Alexia panted. “Not here. Not like this.” Her hands still ran up his chest. She lightly tugged the curls of his chest hair and chewed her lip.
She didn’t want to stop, and it was clear he didn’t either. “I’ll just be up in my room.” He stood and reclasped his belt and started to button his shirt.
“Can I join you?” Alexia blushed but didn’t look away from him.
Leland reached his hand down to help her up. He pulled her to him and in the heat, she thought their bodies could melt together. As they pressed into a new kiss, she felt his tongue move around her mouth. It took all her efforts to rebutton her pants. She separated from his lips, but their bodies were still pressed so close she could feel his breath, feel his heartbeat.
They escaped into the house and up the stairs. She stopped only to open the door and Leland’s mouth found the back of her neck. She knew she was covered in sweat, but he didn’t seem to mind and she decided she didn’t either. She turned to face him and he pinned her to the door, closing it behind them. She pulled her shirt off and bit his lip. He let out a moan and tugged the hair tie free from her ponytail. She shook messy hair loose and her breath was heavy.
Yanking at his shirt, Alexia popped the buttons back open. She dropped from his mouth to his chin, trailing her lips and her tongue down his neck, the indentation of his collarbone, his chest. She slowed, looking up into his eyes as she worked down his abs to his Adonis belt. Pausing, she looked at the bulge in his pants and blew lightly on the trail she’d just run across his hips. Taking off his belt, she opened his pants.
Before she could push them down, he pulled her up so she was standing. She wrapped her legs around him and he carried her to the desk. He propped her up on the edge and pulled at her pants, then his own. She trembled in anticipation. His lips found hers and she kissed him like they would never separate.
She forgot completely about the hot sun. She ignored the looming threat of Blaine. She pretended there was no chance anything would ever change. At that moment, there was only Leland and her.
***
The sun shone on Alexia’s face, and she slowly cracked her eyes open. She wasn’t in her bed; the light was coming in from the east, through an unfamiliar window. Sitting up, confused, her eyes settled on Leland. He lay on his side and his face had been pressed into her back. He groaned and nuzzled into the pillow when she moved away from him. Though he slept, his lips turned up into a small smile. His hair tangled around his face like a dark but beautiful halo.
Alexia smiled at the memory of the night before. She brushed her fingers through his hair, but he didn’t stir. She kissed him on the forehead. He sighed but otherwise made no acknowledgment of her touch and Alexia smiled down on him another moment before gathering her things.
She pulled her pants on quickly but managed to tangle herself in her shirt. With a little effort, she was back in the clothes she’d worn the night before. She trailed her fingers through her hair. Sleep and sweat from training made her curls unruly. Over and over her fingers were stopped by snarls until she gave up and tied it up into a messy topknot.
She tip-toed down the hall, wondering what she would say if anyone saw her walk-of-shame. As she reached her door, she relaxed. It was early and the sun was hardly above the horizon. She picked out new clothes at random. She couldn’t stop smiling as she grabbed a towel and headed toward the bathroom. In the shower, she let the hot water run over her skin. She breathed in the steam and let it wash away the stress that had been building inside of her.
She wondered what she was doing. She’d told herself she wasn’t going to get involved with him. After taking the time to get to know him, though, she knew she loved him. But she had to focus elsewhere. She couldn’t afford to get distracted while training to fight Blaine.
Thinking about fighting Blaine turned her blood to ice and the hot water did nothing to warm her. Shivering, she sat down on ceramic tiles by the drain and let the water fall on her. Tucking her head between her knees and wrapping her arms around her legs, she closed her eyes and pretended it was rain.
She turned off the water and trembled. She would ignore her feelings. She would train harder once outside. When she’d gotten out of bed she’d felt rejuvenated. Hopeful even. Toweling off and looking at herself in the mirror, she felt guilty.
Alexia dressed and went down to the kitchen to start making breakfast. Everyone would be waking up soon. She shook her head, trying to clear it. Closing the refrigerator, she looked at the milk in her hand as if she expected it to reassure her.
Her euphoric evening had only been a distraction. Perhaps a selfish one, but even if it was selfish, she’d needed something to take her thoughts from her constant worry. She tried to focus on breakfast and ignore all the babble in the back of her mind. She was just finishing up when Gregory walked into the kitchen.
“You’re up early.” He walked over to the coffee mugs and poured a cup.
“Yeah.”
He swallowed his coffee and let out a sigh. Cali and Dustin appeared, both yawning. Dustin stretched before sitting and all of his joints popped.
“Ugh. Coffee?” he groaned as he looked around the room as if he had never seen it. Alexia pointed toward the pot with the spatula.
He slid a cup of coffee full of cream and sugar under Cali’s nose. “I hate mornings,” she complained. “What’s for breakfast, Lexi? Better be something good.” She looked around the kitchen. “Where is Leland? If my ass has to be up this early, he’d better damn well be here too.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Leland grumbled from the hallway. “I had to wait for you two to get out of the shower.” He looked at Dustin. “Thanks for sharing the water like that. I’m sure one long shower with both of you in it takes less water than two separate ones.” His tone was laced with sarcasm.
“Jealous?” Dustin tried to smile but yawned at the end.
Leland laughed and looked at Alexia. “Yeah, maybe I am.”
Alexia blushed and turned back to the eggs. “Well, these are done. I made waffles and bacon too.” She pulled a plate full of food off the counter next to the stove and placed it on the table. “I found strawberries and whipped cream in the fridge.” She piled the eggs onto one big plate. “Someone really knows you, Cali.”
“Finally, something to look forward to!” Cali got up and opened the fridge. “Today just got so much better. I mean, still not good, but less sucky.” She smiled and helped Alexia line the bar with the food. “Damn, how long have you been up?”
“A while.” She shrugged and grabbed a waffle with her hands. She bit it before she even put it on her plate. “Dig in. Gregory will have us out there in five minutes.”
He cracked a smile. “You may have ten.” He reached for a waffle and the syrup.
***
Cali watched Lexi during training. She trained hard but seemed distracted. Something was off.
“Wait, Lexi?” she called as her friend sulked by her with her head down during the first break of the day.
Lexi stopped and slowly looked up to Cali.
“Is everything okay with you? You’re being weird.”
Lexi blinked, but otherwise her face didn’t change. “Weird?”
“Yeah. Can we talk?”
Lexi’s face slackened ever so slightly as she nodded at Cali. They retreated to the shade of a big tree.
“What’s up with you?” Cali finally asked.
“I just feel like everything is falling apart.” Lexi’s voice cracked.
“What do you mean?”
“I still can’t remember who I am completely. I don’t really remember the Cetteri. I blame myself for Blaine chasing us, which means it’s my fault you’re in the hospital right now.”
“Lexi, that’s stupid.”
Lexi wiped her face and let out a short laugh. “Thanks.”
“You know what I mean. This isn’t your fault.”
Cali thought about the memory she’d visited when she’d been running from Blaine. She’d been standing with Lexi near stairs that grew between two trees. Blaine had come down and threatened them. She’d felt the fear. They had both been so scared.
“I saw him too. We made the choice. What else could we have done?”
“Something besides run and hide, I think.” Lexi looked up, eyes brimming with tears but her smile was broad.
“Too late for that now,” Cali said with a sarcastic smile.
Alexia nodded. Gregory whistled, signaling that the break was over. Cali waited while Lexi brushed away the tears and took a few deep breaths.
Maybe it was stupid to run from him, Cali thought, but we sure as shit are making up for it now, aren’t we?
Chapter Twenty-Five
Alexia chastised herself as she rejoined the group. Sure, Cali knew her better than anyone alive, but she’d told herself to focus and she clearly wasn’t.
Last Time She Died Page 22
