by M. H. Soars
“What happened?” I tried to get up but my head still felt heavy, and I collapsed on the couch again.
“I think you had too much to drink. Julian found you before you fainted and got trampled by the mob,” Rachel answered from nearby.
Bits of memory started to resurface again when I remembered what I had been doing before I lost control. “Melanie!” I screamed, and this time I did get up.
“Whoa, careful there,” Julian said as he steadied me.
I ignored him as I looked around. The emergency lights were on, but the club was almost empty. I didn’t see Matthew, and that made my stomach twist in knots but I suppressed the anguished feeling. I needed to find Melanie.
I heard a commotion behind me, and turned just in time to see Lucas holding Melanie upright, walking our way. They had come from the ‘Employees Only’ door. Melanie’s dress was torn is several places, and she had a big gash on her forehead. I felt a pang in my heart because I knew I was responsible. If I hadn’t let my jealousy take control I would have returned with backup like I’d promised.
“Melanie! What happened?” Mia asked as she went to her.
Eyeing Rachel and Brianna, Melanie lied, “I fell when the lights went out.”
Lucas’s eyes looked dark as he helped Melanie to the couch where I was sitting. Melanie glanced around and asked, “Where’s Matt?”
“I think he's already outside with Vanessa and some of the other girls. Should I go fetch him?” Brianna asked.
I said no at the same time that Melanie and Mia said yes. Ignoring my answer, Brianna and Rachel left the club in search of Matthew. I resigned myself to their decision. I wouldn’t be able to avoid him for much longer, and Melanie clearly needed him. I started to think that maybe Durgin was right. Maybe Matthew and I couldn’t be in a relationship until I learned to control my powers. My lack of judgment had put Melanie at risk. I didn’t know what had happened back in that storage room, but I was glad that Lucas had been there to help her.
I was so caught up in my guilt that I completely forgot about Alexia, who was still pretty intoxicated. She took one look at Melanie and, without regard for Lucas and Julian’s presence, healed Melanie’s wound in front of everyone.
CHAPTER 26
Matthew
A month had gone by since Sam put our relationship on hold. True, worse things had happened last month. Like Melanie confronting a bunch of guys hopped up on a mystery drug that gave them superhuman powers, or Alexia healing Melanie in front of Lucas and Julian. So how come I could only focus on Sam's distance every night? She’d explained her reasoning, saying she couldn’t control her powers — a fact confirmed when she’d blown out all of the lights in the nightclub that evening. But I knew that wasn’t the only reason.
I had messed up. Big time. I saw Sam in Julian’s arms at the club, and I let my jealousy get the better of me. I had enough self-control to keep the Phoenix in check, but that didn’t mean I could control the part of me that had nothing to do with my ability.
I hadn’t hesitated when Vanessa appeared in front of me and offered the perfect distraction from my possessive feelings. I’d used her like any other jackass would. I had wanted to make Sam feel the same raw pain I was feeling. I knew that she hated how Vanessa flirted with me. I thought for sure that Sam would repay me in kind and take Julian to the dance the floor, but when she didn’t, I had enough sense to let Vanessa go. I should have known it wouldn't be that easy. Once I had shown Vanessa a little bit of interest, she made it her mission to remain by my side. I tried to keep myself surrounded with people, but running away from her and avoiding Sam at the same time proved exhausting. I couldn’t help but have a few drinks to deal with the situation. A ‘few’ drinks had turned into a lot of drinks.
I was pretty hammered when Vanessa finally managed to corner me again, and I found myself dirty-dancing with her in front of everyone, including Sam. It was stupid, and yeah, alcohol had played a part. I could have pushed Vanessa away, and I didn't. In that moment I was a horny guy with a sexy girl grinding on him. Only when Vanessa put her lips on mine did the fog of lust vanish, allowing me to feel how wrong having her in my arms truly was. And that was when all hell broke loose.
Sam hadn’t mentioned the dancing or the kiss but I had hurt her, and I hated myself for it. That was the only reason I hadn’t fought her decision. I figured I deserved the punishment of not being with her.
Sam also felt extremely guilty for what had happened to Melanie at the club. Because of that, she spent every spare moment training with Durgin. She wanted to make sure she never lost control again. I barely saw her at the house and only caught glimpses of her at school. And when I did catch those glimpses, Zach had to keep me from following her like a lovesick puppy. I had it that bad.
“Matt, can you quit being so obvious?” Zach asked me during lunch as I watched Sam glide through the cafeteria toward a group of sophomore girls who idolized her.
Since our break, Sam and I didn't sit at the same table anymore. None of us ate together anymore, in fact, justifying the temporary split by saying we had to mingle more in order to find the source of the mysterious drug. I had no problem with that. I wasn’t a snob, and the only people I refused to have lunch with were Vanessa and Julian, but that was understandable.
Durgin had taken care of the little matter of Julian having witnessed Alexia’s ability in action, and for that I was glad. I hated the guy. My blood still boiled at the thought that for one entire week Julian had had Sam all to himself, doing whatever it was they’d done. Just imagining Julian kissing Sam’s lips made me want to rip his head off. I had to keep my distance from him.
After the club incident Vanessa thought we were automatically an item, and I had to set her straight. She hadn’t taken my rejection well, and now she wouldn’t look at me without contempt. Just as well.
Sean plopped next to my seat with a loud noise, and that meant he had something important to say. Zach looked across to his identical twin with narrowed eyes. “What now?” he asked.
“Ethan has gotten into another fight,” Sean replied.
“Oh, man,” Zach said, unable to hide the frustration in his voice. Since Ethan and Alexia’s break up, Ethan had gone completely out of control. He picked fights over nothing. I was surprised he hadn’t been expelled yet.
“This time, it was Lucas who calmed him down. It seems that only Lucas and Julian can get through to him when he goes berserk. I’m worried about him,” Sean continued.
“And Alexia acts like a zombie. I swear that since that night at the club, I haven’t seen her laugh,” Zach mentioned as his gaze found Alexia. She was across the cafeteria, sitting between Rachel and Brianna. You could tell she was trying really hard to show interest in what her friends were saying, but you couldn’t mistake the sadness in her eyes.
I was glad she had found good friends who had no clue about her destiny. When she found out she had been lied to her entire life, she would need them. Damn the Council and their secrets!
Later at La Maison Falafel, I got the news I had been waiting for. Sam announced to all of us that she had finally completed her training. That meant the Prodigy were ready to be unleashed on the world. It also meant that the reason for our self-imposed break no longer applied, and that made me nervous. What if she couldn’t forgive me? I tried to catch her eyes, but she purposely avoided making eye contact with me. What the hell did that mean?
Samantha
Make no mistake, I was still mad about Matthew and Vanessa. But it would be hypocritical of me to give him grief for it when I felt the way I did every time Julian got near me. I loved Matthew with all my heart, but I couldn’t explain — or control — my reaction to Julian. So I decided not to even mention the events of that tragic night.
Staying away from Matthew for a month was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do. It was like there was a magnetic pull between us; it was almost impossible to stay away. I made a concerted effort to avoid him. I hadn’t dared glance h
is way at school, either, for fear that my resolve would shatter and I would run to his arms.
I devoted all my time to training. I was still feeling guilty about Melanie, and that motivated me to get a grip on my powers as fast as possible. Plus I wanted to be with Matthew without worrying about hurting anyone if I unleashed my powers.
When I announced to everyone that I had completed my training, I could feel the bubble of hope surge within Matthew. He had tried to catch my attention, in need of reassurance perhaps that our relationship would go back to what it had been. But I ignored him, wanting to keep the suspense for a bit longer.
We had barely talked the last month, and I was a bundle of nerves by the time everyone went to sleep and I could finally be alone with him. I’d sent him a brief telepathic message asking him to come to my room. Like the rest of my abilities, reaching the others telepathically now had become as natural as breathing. I didn’t have to worry anymore about broadcasting my thoughts whenever I was upset, either.
After a month apart, I craved Matthew’s touch like a flower craves the sun. I decided that tonight was the night. Before my meltdown, things had been escalating between us. It wasn’t like we were strangers diving into a new relationship. I knew Matthew. He was my best friend, and I trusted him implicitly. I’d dreamt my whole life of the day when Matthew would finally wake up. Making love to him wasn’t just about lust, it was about coming together as one. I knew that tonight I wouldn’t be satisfied with only touching him. I needed to feel him beneath my skin, needed to have him inside of me. I donned the lingerie I had been saving for this moment while I waited for him to show up.
Candles were the only source of illumination in my room. I wanted this occasion to be romantic and perfect. I was staring out my window, my heart in my mouth, when I heard my bedroom door open and close, followed by the faint sound of a key turning. I didn’t turn around, and my breathing became irregular. I felt Matthew’s warmth against my back as he placed his hands on my forearms and buried his face on my neck. I shivered and closed my eyes. In response, Matthew pushed my hair out of the way and trailed kisses up and down my neck.
“Matt,” I whispered as I leaned against his hard chest.
“Oh, Sam. I’ve missed you so much.” His warm breath against my neck gave me goose bumps.
I stepped away from his embrace and led him to my bed. I took a few steps back and let his scorching gaze go up and down my body, taking everything in. The short robe covering my sexy black underwear didn’t leave much to the imagination. Without taking my eyes off of him, I slowly untied the transparent piece of cloth that barely covered my body to reveal the lace bra and panties I had on underneath.
Matthew sucked in air and his eyes widened.
“Oh. My. God.”
“Do you like it?” I asked innocently.
“Do I like it?” Matthew replied with a restrained voice as his hands clutched my bed cover in a vicious grip. “It’s taking all of my willpower not to pounce on you and ravish you where you stand.”
I smiled and approached him. Matthew pulled me to him fast. Then his lips were on mine. All the bottled-up sexual frustration from the past month was in that kiss. It was wild. It consumed my entire being. I didn’t know where I ended and Matthew started. It was like we wanted to melt into each other. His hands were everywhere, touching, squeezing, caressing. I felt like I was inside a vortex and everything was spinning at an impossible speed. The only stable presence was him.
Our clothes had magically disappeared, and I was lying on my back with Matthew on top of me. My entire body pulsated with energy and my mind felt like it had scattered into a million pieces. Reality ceased to exist when I found my consciousness slip into Matthew’s mind. All I knew was love and pleasure. I didn’t need anything else.
CHAPTER 27
Matthew
I left Sam’s bedroom just before sunrise, and only because she kicked me out. If it were up to me, I would move into her room so I wouldn’t have to sleep without her in my arms ever again. But she didn’t want to bring more stress on everyone by making our relationship public.
My body was still humming from pleasure, my mind reeling from the experience. I couldn’t put it into words. People say that you never forget your first time, but now I couldn’t remember anything about mine. My first time with Sam had eradicated all my previous memories.
I soon realized that I wouldn’t be able to sleep in my empty bed after having Sam in my arms. So instead, I sat at my desk and got my diary out. I've kept a diary since I learned how to read and write. Over the years it's helped me cope with emotions, since I was never big on sharing my feelings with anyone. Not even Sam was privy to all of my thoughts, and there was no other person in the world that I trusted more.
After I poured my heart out on those empty pages, I went downstairs to grab some breakfast. I was eating my cereal slowly and replaying last night in my mind when Zach’s voice brought me back to reality.
“Oh, boy,” he said as he reached for the box of cereal in front of me.
“What?” I asked.
He shook his head and said something nasty under his breath, but all in good humor. “So I take it you and Sam are back together, huh?”
“Yup,” I replied. I tried to hide my face by looking down at my cereal. I could feel Zach’s gaze scrutinizing me, but I didn’t want to acknowledge it.
“Oh shit, you guys didn’t,” he mumbled. I dared to look up at him again. I maintained my unaffected expression and didn’t deny or confirm anything. It wasn’t Zach’s business what Sam and I did together.
We stayed like that, staring at each other for a while, until he finally sighed in frustration and filled his bowl with milk. “I hope you guys know what you're doing.”
I ignored him and continued to eat my breakfast.
Later that day, Gary called a meeting. It was Saturday, and Rachel and Brianna had convinced Alexia to go to the mall with them. I was sure she’d only agreed so people would leave her alone. Since none of the Prodigy was on security detail today, I assumed one the Council’s operatives was guarding Alexia. That thought did not give me warm feelings.
We gathered in Gary’s office. He looked more troubled than ever as he paced back and forth in front of his desk. Whatever he wanted to tell us, it wasn’t good news. He finally stopped and faced us.
“The Council has decided to go ahead with the Prophecy ritual.”
After Henry’s appearance, Gary had shared with us that there was a ritual that would bind the Promise Ones. He hadn’t told us any details, but we all knew anyway, thanks to Melanie. A sense of foreboding trickled down my spine as I shared a glance with Sam. Melanie’s lips flattened and her eyes tightened the moment Gary uttered the word ‘ritual,’ and my mind went back to when she’d first mentioned its existence after we returned from Arcadia.
"When?” Mia asked.
“Within a week. It will be a full moon.”
“But Alexia still doesn’t know anything about the Prophecy, and she hasn’t connected with Henry at all,” Sam protested in a desperate voice. I had to fight the urge to reach out to hold her hand.
“Precisely. The Council is extremely disturbed that the Promised Ones have not started the bonding process yet. They think something is blocking it.”
Yeah, like you don’t have the right guy, I thought to myself.
“They want to go ahead with the ritual. Don’t worry, everything will be fine after it’s completed.” Gary went to sit behind his desk and effectively avoided looking anyone in the eye. Nice way to show confidence. He didn’t sound like he believed his own words, and it infuriated me that he was willing to follow through with his orders regardless.
“What exactly will happen during the ritual?” Melanie asked without masking her contempt. We all knew the answer to that.
Gary dismissed her question with a wave of his hand. “Nothing for you to worry about. Your job is to bring her to the appointed place at the right time.”
&nbs
p; “Next Saturday is the Homecoming Dance. It will be weird if we don’t go. Besides, I’ll be DJing,” Sean said, trying to buy us more time.
Gary didn’t seem perturbed. “It’s fine. You can go to the dance and bring her later.”
Once dismissed, we went to the game room to vent our frustration.
“That was bullshit,” Melanie said. “We cannot let them do that to Alexia. Henry is not part of the Prophecy!”
Zach placed a hand on Melanie’s shoulder. “We still have one week to prove that Henry is a fake.”
“Fat lot of good that will do to us. We couldn’t find anything on him in a month. What makes you think we will in only seven days?” Melanie contested.
“Just because the Council ordered us to take Alexia to the ritual doesn’t mean we have to,” Sean said with a devilish grin on his face.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“If we can’t prove that Henry is not part of the Prophecy, we can just take Alexia far away from the ritual place. Sure, the Council will be pissed, but they’ll be powerless to stop us. Our job is to protect Alexia, even if we’re protecting her from the mighty Council.”
We all agreed to Sean’s idea. To make sure Alexia wouldn’t be taken by one of the Council’s operatives, we decided to go to the Homecoming Dance together and not let her out of our sight.
But our foolproof plan got shot down. The day before the dance, Alexia announced that she would be going with Lucas and that, no, she didn’t want to share a limo with us.
Samantha
As I stared at my reflection wearing a beautiful, lavender-colored lace and chiffon gown, all I could think about was how tonight was going to end. After much pleading and laying the guilt trip on thick, Melanie, Mia and I had convinced Alexia to ride with us to the Homecoming Dance. It was a small comfort, but we were still apprehensive that Lucas was Alexia’s date. We all knew that Lucas worked for Durgin, so the fact that he had asked her out didn’t sit well with us. I was sure, like everyone else, that Durgin was using Lucas as a preventive measure in case we decided to create trouble for the Council. And that was exactly what we were planning to do.
