her sister’s funeral. She had stood by her grave for hours, having a silent conversation with her sister, begging forgiveness. Begging her sister to forgive her, but more so herself. She stood in the rain for hours, with Garrett watching from a faraway tree as she let go of her guilt.
Now, Caitlyn realized, she needed to let go of her pride. She hadn’t failed at anything since she had been here. She realized with clarity that there were going to be some things that she was not going to be best at, some things that others could do that she could not. Garrett would always have Projection Telepathy over her; she did not have photographic memory required. Jonathan McPherson would most likely have his unique brand of telepathy over her as well. It was not out of the realm of possibility that she would not be able to teleport, especially when it was so rare.
She did not want to disappoint Declan, and she had been worried for days that was exactly what she was going to do. She needed to stop worrying that she was not going to be as great as Declan. Declan was not competition, he was her teacher and her friend. If she could not teleport, she could not teleport. Simple as that. For the first time in a week, she felt better. She drew a deep breath.
“Better?”
She nodded. “Better. Sorry about that.”
He shrugged. “No need to apologize. As I told you the other night, we have all been there. Now, if you are ready to continue, we can sit back down.”
Caitlyn did as she was instructed and walked over to the middle of the stark room again. “Ready.”
Instead of Declan taking his normal place in front of her, he began to walk around her. Caitlyn focused on his steady steps, listening to the rhythmic sounds of the footfalls, the soft swish of his cotton trousers rubbing together. She felt warmth spread throughout her body as she focused on each muscle as it loosened, reducing the tension that she had been desperately clinging to.
Declan began speaking to her, his words calm and gentle. “Take a deep breath. Now, let every thought slip away. Think of nothing but the sway of the wind, the feel of the grass beneath your feet…”
For the first time since her mother’s death, she let everything melt away. Her mother, her sister, her father, the Trust’s expectations, and Garrett all fell behind her. It was Caitlyn alone with Declan’s voice guiding her. She felt at peace as she continued to listen to his instructions, imagining the beautiful foliage around her. Her body and soul finally aligning as one.
It was then she felt the shift. Her body was weightless, floating, ascending. She was tunneling towards its destination, leaving the confines of the training room, where she suddenly felt like she had been imprisoned in for years. Her body and her mind were free. After what seemed like seemed like only a moment, but at the same time an eternity, her body was unfairly grounded. And then she felt it.
Her next breath was an intake of cool air. She opened her eyes slowly, only to squint as the sunlight hit her pupils. The field she had hiked no more than a week ago was alive around her. She heard it before she felt it, the uncontrollable laughter that peeled from deep within, crossing her lips with exuberance. Declan appeared only moments later.
His eyes could not hide the pride that was deep within and Caitlyn felt like she was about to burst from seeing that reaction come from him.
“You did it!” He shouted as he picked her up off the ground and spun her in a circle, his laughter joining her own. “I knew you could! I knew you would!”
She hugged him back eagerly. “I can’t believe it!” She looked around her, never leaving his embrace. “This is amazing. No-scratch that. This is beyond amazing! I just transported! What I felt… that was the most incredible feeling ever! What was that?”
He tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “It’s something that we transporters lovingly call the sweet spot. That moment in between is so liberating, so boundless, one cannot fully comprehend until you experience it. I am so proud of you, you know that?”
Declan let her go suddenly, letting his fist pump in the air. “Yes! Wait till Lionel and my dad hear about this! Isn’t this a rush? Isn’t it the most amazing thing ever?”
Her