The Retreat (Olivia Hart and the Gifted Program Book 2)

by Alana Siegel

  The lightning bolt was still headed for me though, and I could do nothing but pray that I was the target. Even without a Gift, Luca was fast. His entire body blocked me. The lightning bolt went straight into his arm, and we crashed to the floor.

  Prometheus let out a heinous cackle. He stood in the middle of the staircase like a spectator, enjoying the action. I ground my teeth in frustration, and Luca groaned as I gently laid him on the floor. I looked for a way to halt the throbbing from his singed skin.

  Ms. Magos let out a string of profanities and stamped her foot like a child. I had to get up and protect Luca. I knew she wouldn’t miss on round two. I slid out from under him and prepared for the inevitable.

  Prometheus was laughing wildly now. His body was vibrating from over-excitement. Is this what he wanted? He wanted to drag me out to the desert to let one of his own soldiers kill me?

  I felt hopeless. The worst possible outcome had occurred. Hunter and Graham were looking for a fight and a reason to impress Prometheus. They were fierce and more practiced than us. We couldn’t compete or even protect ourselves. I scanned the room, frantic to come up with an escape for my friends.

  Justin was finally looking at me. Despite the urgency of the situation, my heart skipped a beat. He was desperate. He mouthed something, and it was hard to make out what he was trying to say. I shook my head once to let him know I didn’t understand. He tried again. You…can…stop…this.

  He was wrong. This whole mess was my fault, and I had no way to protect my friends. Ms. Magos put up her hand to finish the job. The least I could do was sacrifice myself and hope the fighting would end. I opened my arms as if to accept my impending death, and Helen threw herself in front of me.

  “NO!” I shouted and grabbed Helen by the shoulders. In that split second I saw that Justin’s Gifted mood ring was a deep red, just like the fluid that poured down from the chandelier. I took a breath in and smelled roses. My Gift hadn’t been smothered like everyone else’s!

  It took all my concentration to block out what was going on around me, but I summoned my Gift. I felt a rush through my body. The power expanded, and I pushed my Gift out as far as it would go.

  I hit Ms. Magos dead on. She screamed and grabbed her head with both hands. Graham and Hunter fell to their knees, crying out in pain. The rain stopped pouring, the tornado died, and everyone became visible. I looked around the room. No one was spared from my Gift. Even Prometheus stopped laughing, but he ironically seemed pleased with my actions.

  “That is why girls are not given the Elste Gift,” he said, his voice only a whisper in awe.

  I was fuming. It was a setup and a test. He didn’t want me to die. He wanted to prove my strength. I looked down at my friends who lay battered on the blood stained floor. Did we need to fight?

  I reigned in my Gift and my friends regrouped behind me.

  “What is this stuff?” I asked, and I shook my arms to get rid of the red slime. Prometheus grabbed hold of his cane and began a slow descent towards me. Hunter rushed over to his side, but Prometheus waved him away.

  With his arms and legs shaking with the effort, he crossed the floor towards me. I didn't shy away because this time I knew that my Gift was strong, and he was merely a shriveled old man.

  We were about the same height, and I stared into hardened eyes. He reached out to touch me, and I saw the shadows of my friends preparing to step in if he hurt me. He stuck two fingers in a glob of red substance on my arm and then raised it to his tongue.

  “Mmhhh, mulberry juice. The white fruit that the original Thisbe turned red when she died of a broken heart, and the only defense against any Gifted person. Except a female Elste, of course,” Prometheus said while licking his lips.

  “What do you want from me?” I asked, making each word distinct and separate. My voice was steadier and stronger than I felt.

  “I want to finish the plan I set in motion eighteen years ago with an Elste necklace,” he replied, and his focused eyes were serious. “Thisbe, I would like you to marry Pyramus.” He motioned to Justin dramatically. The temperature in the room seemed to drop. I looked at Justin in disbelief. Justin was looking at the floor again.

  “It has to be a public event,” Prometheus continued.

  I gulped in an effort to moisten my dry throat. “Why?” I asked, fighting through all the questions in my head.

  “The Meta strictly prohibits Elste jewelry to be passed on to a girl. It was the love between an Elste girl and an Horus boy that started the Gifted wars. For that reason, you, my dear, are the only female Elste in the world,” he said, gleefully. I felt the color drain from my face. Vomit threatened to rise in my throat.

  “You gave me an Elste necklace and violated the laws of the Gifted. Why do you want to point this out to the Meta?!” I asked, exasperated. Everything about me was wrong, and it was Prometheus’s fault. “Announcing a wedding between an Elste girl and a Horus boy would enrage them and incite them to attack us!” I shouted.

  “We are continually at the mercy of the Meta. This time, we will fight back,” he said.

  * * * *

  Chapter Twenty-Six: Just In Time

  The idea was unfathomable, but he was telling me the truth about why I was Gifted. We said we wanted answers, and we got them. Now what?

  First, I needed to take care of the business at hand. I turned to Prometheus and said, “I appreciate the offer, but I need to think about it.” The wispy white eyebrows raised on his wrinkly forehead. I was adamant, hoping that by taking my time I could think through an escape route for all of us.

  “I need a minute with Justin,” I demanded. Prometheus looked surprised, but conceded. He knew I was trapped in the middle of the desert. Hunter approached to help him walk back to the stairs.

  Derek and the others looked at me tentatively. Helen leaned down and gave Luca a hand up. His piercing eyes reflected the hurt from not being chosen. I nodded for them to go, and Derek led our pack into the hallway.

  They realized that the issue with Prometheus was not shared with the group. His agenda was clear. They wanted to protect me, by they had no argument to stay because I was the only one strong enough to defend myself.

  Then, I was alone with Justin. The butterflies in my stomach were agitated. Turning away from me and walking to the banister, Justin took out his Gifted Swiss army knife and kept his hands busy. Why didn't I know what to say?

  I watched him for a minute. He wasn’t a Meta agent. He was just another lanky teenager who hated to be the center of attention. It was falling into place, and I finally understood the weight that he carried on his shoulders. He was also a pawn, given his Gift so that Prometheus could roll out his master plan.

  Joining him at the banister, I leaned my elbow on the railing. “When did Prometheus start contacting you?” I asked, ready to hear his story.

  There was a minute of silence and then a sigh of resignation. “I was five. He came to the park where I played as kid,” Justin said slowly like it was hard to say the words out loud after keeping them bottled up for so long.

  He kept his eyes on his knife. I heard him swallow and then he said, “He tossed me a big red rubber ball and told me about you. When I was only five years old, he told me that we would get married one day.”

  He leaned his head down on the railing. “He came back again when I was twelve, and then popped up more frequently after that. He told me stories about the Gifted. It was always high and mighty bull,” Justin said, covering his head with his hands, like he was trying to block out the memories. I saw the years of torture coming down on him. I didn't know what to do to help him so I kept my distance.

  After a minute, he said, “He asked about you often. It was obsessive, and I began to worry he was going to hurt you.” He turned to look at me. “I’d known who you were for years, but that’s when I started checking on you. This was about the time you and Max started dating.” I was shocked. I thought it was a coincidence that we ran into each other.

 
Justin threw his arms down. “Max didn't appreciate you, and it drove me crazy. I was happy when you broke up with him and forced him to realize his mistake, but it was the same time that I realized mine,” he said. He had paced a few feet in the opposite direction. What mistake had Justin made? I waited for his explanation.

  He took a deep breath, and I saw his whole body heave with the pressure. He turned to glance at me. “I dragged you into this mess. If I had more will power, I would have stayed away. I should have taken my cursed Gift to another town where I couldn’t curse you, too.

  “The mistake I made was that I fell in love with you, Olivia. I have always been in love with you. I don't know if Prometheus planted the seed in my head, or if it was fate when you were given the Elste necklace, or if it grew naturally over time,” he said, angrily. My heart stuttered.

  He stood watching my reaction. I didn't want my overwhelming happiness to show on my face. It didn't seem to be the sentiment he was going for. He walked up to me swiftly. “I tried to fight it. I tried to force you on someone else, and it ripped out my heart. I couldn't even come to school. I was too scared that I would fall to pieces just seeing you with Cliff,” he shouted.

  He was holding both of my arms, like he was trying physically to get me to understand. His aggression was having the wrong effect because his anger involuntarily turned on his Gift. When he touched me, I felt the warm ocean waves move under my skin and through my blood.

  “I told you how I felt about Cliff...” I started to say. He shook his head and dropped his hands.

  “It was a failed attempt anyway. I couldn't stand being away from you. I allowed myself those short moments after school when we were alone. I hoped you would get frustrated with keeping it a secret and dump me, but then Lynn was dating your brother. I smelled her everywhere,” he said, his words full of sorrow.

  “I came here to beg Prometheus to leave you alone,” he said and turned away from me.

  There was a long stretch of silence. We were doomed from the day I was born and the second I received my Elste necklace. What was I suppose to do? Everything he just told me caused him pain and suffering, but it was the opposite for me.

  I twisted the ring he gave me around my finger. I didn't care about the Gifted war or the Meta laws. I deserved to be happy, and we would figure out a way to be together.

  “I guess my plan worked, since you found someone else. He seems like a really nice guy,” Justin finished, clearly not as glad as he pretended to be. The problem was that he never asked how I felt. I would have to show him.

  Ignoring his attempt to change the subject to Luca, I said, “It's only pure yellow when I'm with you.” His eyes snapped to my ring that I had lifted for him to see. There was a unique sparkle that I never noticed before.

  “And you’re wrong. Your plan never worked,” I said, keeping my eyes on his. “Because I fell in love with you.”

  He slowly walked over to me. His eyes were wide as they took in the sparkling yellow gemstone on my ring. He brought his hands up to my face, caressing my cheeks, and pushing back my hair. When they wound behind my head, he pulled me against him, and his lips crushed mine. My fingers pulled at his sweatshirt to bring him closer. It was so wonderful that I felt like I could fly through the ceiling.

  His soothing Gift raced through my blood and made my heart beat faster. I could feel my Gift building as well. We were in our old blue cloud, smelling of roses. It felt right.

  The front door crashed open right then. Streaks from the angry, desert sun crossed the floor. It cast dark shadows across the faces of the intruders.

  “Justin Benz and Olivia Hart, you are being arrested by the Meta,” one of the men announced. I thought I recognized the voice.

  “Mr. Dimon?” I asked. And then everything went black.

  * * * *

  About the Author

  Alana Siegel was raised on Long Island, New York. She was the valedictorian of Plainedge High School and graduated with a B.A. and double major in Finance and Accounting from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University. She currently lives in San Francisco, California, with her fiancé, Stefan Mag, and their ragamuffin cat named Zeus. Since early childhood she has loved to read fantasy books. Add a little romance and a happy ending and in her eyes you have a perfect afternoon of reading.

  Connect with Me Online

  Website: http://www.oliviahartbooks.com/

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/AlanaSiegel

  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Olivia-Hart/198744080212227

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  Acknowledgments

  I am fortunate to have truly gifted friends and family who have once again supported another book writing endeavor while celebrating my engagement, enduring my complaints as I studied for the CFA exam, and holding back tears as Stefan and I moved to California.

  A special thank you to my mom, Renee Siegel, and Sarah Moeller for reading thousands of my emails and thoughtfully responding with ideas for unique Gifted scents, descriptions in a teenage voice, and suggestions for who should be the evil characters. Your writing talent and advice impresses me, and your friendship inspires me.

  Olivia’s world wouldn't be the same without the help I received from two talented editors, Carol Weber and Maria Johnson. It was a pleasure to go through your comments and answer questions like ‘what kind of superhero is a meatball hero?’ Detail oriented and professional, you were spot on with your analysis of my work and supportive friends throughout the whole process.

  Finally, I would like to thank the readers of The Charm who wrote reviews, liked the facebook page, and tweeted about Olivia’s story. I look forward to hearing from you again and continuing on the Gifted journey.

  Carol Weber’s website: http://www.carolscorrections.weebly.com

  Maria Johnson’s blog: http://maria7627.wordpress.com

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