The Tracker Hive Academy Year One - Avery Song Page 0,47
to wipe newly formed tears from my eyes.
"Seems I arrived at a good time," Bianca concluded, walking into the room. She offered Shadow Jade the tray, and she took two cookies, skipping over to me.
Offering me one, she smiled. "Cookie?"
"Thank you, Shadow Jade. You can...uh...well, when the couch is back up, you can sit with Alaric again," I concluded.
She nodded but lowered to sit in front of my feet, crossing her legs and focusing on her cookie as she began to nibble it.
Tanner groaned and finally got up. "I hate you."
"That's old news. Next," I replied, returning to my own cookie.
"Bianca?" Alaric turned his attention to her. "Anything on the surveillance?"
She frowned, beginning to walk around and offer the others a double chocolate cookie. "Nothing, which makes no sense. It took a bit of concentration, but I confirmed there is a trail of energy going down the hallway, out the school, and into the woods. Jade was right with her explanation of her needing to chase the source. Whatever happened was definitely caused by someone, and NOT an illusion," she stressed, giving me a small smile.
I smiled back, feeling relieved by her emphasis. I hadn't experienced my hallucinations for more than a year.
Even if Tanner had meant well in some weird way by mentioning it, I personally didn't want the guys knowing about it.
But they may have already picked up on it.
They had read my file. They may have very well found out that I'd been taking medication for my hallucinations for years until recently. Deep inside, I felt there was always a stigma when it came to mental health.
Add my rather abnormal personality to it, and I was the person everyone loved to call crazy when they simply didn't understand me.
I didn't want to be misjudged by these guys. Awkward to admit such truth...even to myself.
"Zion? You were up to something," I reminded, turning my focus back to him.
"Yes," he replied, lifting my hand and turning it so my palm faced up. "Can you make a bubble with a floating rock inside?"
"Sure." It was easy enough, the action taking barely any concentration to accomplish.
Finishing up my cookie, I did as he asked and formed a bubble with a pebble in the middle.
"Bubble!" Shadow Jade had maneuvered herself around and was watching closely while finishing off her cookie. The other guys had risen up to get a closer look, just as Alaric, Bianca, and Tanner moved to stand on the sidelines; everyone's attention on the floating bubble carrying the rock.
Zion smiled. "Now, I'm gonna do something weird, but I need your other hand."
"Define weird," I said, but offered my other hand. "If it's painful, I don't care."
Zeke was standing the closest to me. "Are you thinking of testing out what happened when we first met Jade?"
Zion grinned, giving Zeke a bob of his head. "Yup."
"What happened when you guys met?" Alaric questioned. When no one replied, Zion stepped in. "You'll see in a second, and maybe you'll have answers for us instead."
I thought he'd pinch my hand or squeeze it, but he lifted it up to his lips, pressing them tenderly against my palm.
My shock was having a delayed response, but two elements rushed forward at his touch, the bubble beginning to grow rapidly as the pebble inside started morphing into odd shapes.
I bit my lip hard, hoping the pain would minimize the heat pulsing through me, as well as my sudden desire for Zion, whose eyes were locked on mine. They were changing in color, dancing from a strong blue to a grey.
His lips moved gently along my skin, my eyes fluttering closed as I sighed. "Zion," I warned, my breath but a whisper. I was struggling with keeping my water and earth elements intact.
"If that bubble bursts, are we all going to get soaked?" Zackery pondered.
"The tree inside is pretty cool," Zeke pointed out.
"Are you two ignoring what the hell is happening on purpose?" Zeus sighed. "And Zion. Quit it already. You proved your point. It's getting hard to ignore you."
I opened my eyes slightly, seeing Zion's amusement as he gave my hand one last kiss and pulled away. "That was the reason for Jade and Zackery being targeted," he declared.
"You weren't there kissing her hand," Zackery pointed out.
"Are you stupid?" Zeke, Zeus, and Zion said in unison.
Shadow Jade and I focused on the bubble that had tripled in size, harboring a beautiful tree inside it.