that I don’t feel well enough for sparring or hanging out yet.”
Reese nodded. “I hate that you have to lie to your friends.”
“No.” I swallowed hard. “It’s better this way. They would have too many questions about the change that I don’t know how to answer right now. And Jace is dying to spar with me using my power.”
Reese huffed. “Yeah, that’s just what he’s dying to do.”
I sat back, angling myself to see his face. “What do you mean? You saw our practice—he’s all about sparring. And I can’t fight him yet.”
He grimaced and shook his head. “Right…nothing.” He released my hand. “Contact me when you can get away. I’ll pick you up here.”
I squinted, but brushed off his statement about Jace. “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.” My insides fluttered. “I can’t believe this is all real. I’m going to learn how to use Flame and Charge and…I’m bursting.”
He laughed, then took my hand and kissed it tenderly.
I bounced off the levibike and waved, and he hovered off. My mind reeled, but in a good way. I felt completely different from the way I had only a couple hours earlier when I thought my world was ending. Reese was a mixed breed like me. I wasn’t alone. And I was going to learn how to control this crazy power that had scared my mom half to death.
Mom. Crap.
What would I tell her? I wanted to alleviate her worries, but I didn’t know if I should tell her about Reese. She might feel relieved knowing another existed. But for some reason, knowing my mother, she’d find the bad in it. She could find something negative in any situation when it concerned me.
I could at least tell her I discovered how to control my power. Reese had learned on his own. That would stop her from bolting out of Haven.
As I walked through the front door, I was thankful to find I’d beaten her home. I took the stairs two at a time to my room and quickly changed into my pajamas.
Everything was different. I was going to learn to control my power—hide it so that my mom and I would be safe. And I had someone just like me in my life. I wasn’t alone in carrying this secret burden. I smiled, feeling my face warm. My lips still tingled from where Reese had kissed me.
Fishing my communicator from my pocket, my stomach sank. I hated having to lie to my friends, but I’d been hiding the truth from them my whole life anyway. The only difference was that now I actually had to physically hide. I had to avoid them until I learned to use my Shythe power. I needed to think of it as protecting them and not deceiving them.
I sent Lana a message first, letting her know I’d lived through the change but was still very weak. I paused, considering sending Jace a message. Lana would let him know I was all right, but I felt I should send him one, too. I took a deep breath and punched in his number.
I typed: I’m okay. Weak. Won’t be able to train for a while. See you at the Academy. Then I hit send. They would freak out that I wouldn’t see them for a whole week, but I needed the time to practice.
Before I settled onto the sofa, my communicator vibrated. I read the message from Jace: A week? Okay. Feel better…miss you. My heart thudded against my chest. Jace never told me things like that. Maybe he was just concerned, thinking I needed to hear it. And he was probably disappointed I wouldn’t be able to spar with my full power.
I placed my communicator on the table before me, staring at it as if it would grow legs and walk away. I shook the strange feeling away. I’d been falling for Jace. Or, at least I’d thought I had been. But he didn’t think about me in that way. I was Rug Rat. I could finally sort out my confused feelings for him. We’re best friends. That’s all. Granted, he was a really cute best friend, but I didn’t have to feel weird around him anymore.
I thought back to how uncomfortable I’d felt dancing with him…
I didn’t feel that way with Reese. We were the same. He didn’t hold back his feelings for me, and I couldn’t help being attracted to him. The boy was crazy hot. But I also felt safe with him—protected. I didn’t