have to hide myself from him. It just felt…right.
My communicator came back into focus as my gaze settled over it, and my chest panged. Furrowing my eyebrows, I gnawed the inside of my lip and wondered why everything with guys was so complicated.
Chapter Ten
AFTER MY MOM DISCOVERED through the cleaners’ rumor mill that the Narcos would be attending the Academy, she freaked. She’d stormed around the house, packing bags, and declared we were leaving that night.
After an hour of pleading, I’d finally persuaded her to stop long enough to hear my news, promising her I’d figured out a way to summon my Charge. She was disbelieving, asking me to prove it. But I admitted that I needed an open, secluded area in which to practice. Skeptically, she agreed. Even though she was scared, she wanted to believe it was possible.
She set a deadline for one week. I had one week before the new academic year started, and that’s the time she allotted me to learn to conceal my power. After that, if I couldn’t summon my Charge, we’d leave Haven Falls.
I scanned my room the next morning and quickly packed a bag with my communicator and a change of clothes. I flew down the stairs, kissed my mom’s forehead, and headed out to wait for Reese.
We decided the best place to practice would be the falls. The triplets and I hadn’t gone there since we were kids, so I didn’t fear running into them. And the second fall was located far enough into the woods that no one else would see us. I was clawing out of my skin with anticipation—wanting to learn everything I could about my power. Not only that, Reese had promised when I mastered at least one power, he’d spar with me. I’d wanted to knock his head in ever since that first night. Of course, now I also wanted to kiss it afterward.
Reese hid his levibike behind the brush near the trail. If anyone stopped by the falls and saw a funky lightshow, he didn’t want his bike traced back to him.
“And I thought I was paranoid,” I said as he layered another branch over his bike.
He raised his eyebrows. “Not taking any chances.” He packed the last branch on, then wandered up beside me, taking my hand and moving us onto the trail. “Besides, I figured you’d be ashamed if you were seen with a Narco.” He smirked.
I laced my fingers through his. “I’m not ashamed.” I glanced down, sidestepping a boulder. “It’s just too hard to justify to anyone. It would only cause more complications. And we don’t need that kind of attention.” I glared at him.
“Agreed,” he said. “But it’ll be torture staying away from you at the Academy.”
My face flushed. How could he be so confident about us? I knew that I liked him, but he talked as if he’d known me forever. Although, I understood he’d probably felt as alone as I did his whole life. Finally having someone to take that away—we fit together like missing pieces of a puzzle. I squeezed his hand, relishing the feel of its warmth.
Reese glanced around as we neared the second fall. “We need to climb.” He pointed toward the top. “It’s flat ground up there, and we’ll be able to see far around us.”
“Okay. How do we do that? I’m not the best climber.”
Reese gave me a wickedly hot grin. Latching my arms around his neck, he scooped me onto his back, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. Then he secured me to him with a leather strap.
“Don’t let go.” He reached into his leather jacket and pulled out a thin brass tube.
“What are you doing?” I stared at the device. It had a tiny three-prong hook at its head.
Reese aimed the brass tube at the fall and turned a small gear. The hook shot out, bringing a clear cord with it, and circled around a rock jutting from the side of the fall. He clipped the tube onto his black leather belt.
“It’s my grappler,” he explained. “Ready?”
I tightened my hold. “Where did you learn how to scale cliffs?”
Reese turned the gear on the device, and we began lifting up as he reached for the first crevice in which to place his hand. “You don’t grow up around airships and not pick up a few tricks,” he said with a grunt, and he began climbing. The pneumatic gears in the brass tube grinded as they helped pull our weight.
When we