The Search for Artemis - By P. D. Griffith Page 0,62
nights in bed, resting, not holed up in the Library studying things that aren’t even a part of the curriculum.” Dr. Brighton moved to the door, opened it, and turned to Landon, ushering him to exit into the hallway. “Come on.”
Landon stepped into the hall and watched as his professor turned off his office light and shut the door.
“Good night, sir,” Landon said as he turned to go to his dorm room.
“Good night, Landon, and I hope you’re ready for our session this Saturday. Don’t think because it’s the week before Thanksgiving that I’m going to go easy on you.” Dr. Brighton smiled.
“I wouldn’t dream of it, professor,” Landon returned before continuing back to his room on the fourth floor.
Landon’s mind reeled; he couldn’t shake his professor’s unexpected reaction moments earlier. Dr. Brighton had confirmed Landon’s suspicions—Artemis was important. But why? And it was obvious to him now that continuing his search would be dangerous. Dr. Brighton’s reaction was one Landon had seen in movies and television shows. It was the one the character got when they learned they were looking into something they shouldn’t.
Once he was in bed and about to drift off to sleep, he hoped he’d convinced Dr. Brighton that his search was innocent. Just like those characters in the movies, Landon needed him to believe that it was just natural curiosity, and not the truth that he was searching for.
• • • • •
“Landon, I’m going to apologize now for what I’m planning on doing to you today,” Dr. Brighton said as they walked under their usual training arbor in the Secret Garden. The morning was cold and gloomy. A cold front had rolled in during the night, covering the sky in dark rain clouds. Streaks of blue light cracked across the sky. The stone under Landon’s bare feet felt cold and hard.
“What do you mean?” Landon asked, concerned.
“Well, it’s going to be painful, but I think that by the end of this session, we may uncover the root of your issues. Until you’ve confronted whatever it is that’s holding you back, I don’t think these sessions will move beyond what we’ve already accomplished.”
“I’ve tried, but I don’t know what the problem is,” Landon replied, desperately attempting to convince his professor not to cancel their sessions in the garden. He needed them. It was the one place he’d seen improvement in his abilities. If Dr. Brighton ended them, Landon was sure he’d be kicked out of the Gymnasium in no time.
“You see, that’s what I was afraid of,” Dr. Brighton said as he pulled off his coat and move to the edge of the creek.
Dr. Brighton raised his right arm, and out of the creek a group of small, smooth river stones floated into the air and began to hover above his outstretched hand. He looked menacing, and Landon was stricken with a paralyzing fear of what was to come next.
“I’m going to try something a bit unorthodox, but the concept is simple. All you have to do is stop the stone before it hits you,” Dr. Brighton said. “You stop them, the exercise is over and we move on with your training. If you don’t . . . then I hope you have a high tolerance for pain.”
Without warning, one of the stones orbiting above Dr. Brighton’s fingers bolted across the training ground and collided with Landon’s rib. The pain seared through his body, forcing out a guttural groan, but Landon became determined to prove himself to his mentor. I’ve done this before, he told himself. He’d stopped the books Brock threw at him in the Library. He’d only done it once, but . . . I’ve done this before.
He widened his stance, elongated his back and stretched out his hand, intent on stopping the next stone before it rocketed into his body.
Before he could blink, another rock flew through the air and blasted him in the stomach. Landon held firm. The impact made his entire body constrict as the pain surged through him, but he remained strong and unmoved.
Stones three and four made contact with Landon’s body with as much ease as the first two. With every stone, the pain became more and more unbearable. Landon’s face winced with discomfort, and his eyes welled up with tears, but he continued to grit his teeth, resolute to stop the next.
Soon Dr. Brighton started to ask Landon questions before sending the next stone toward him.
“What’s stopping you, Landon?” he yelled over the thunder.