Of Breakable Things (23 page)

The corner of his mouth lifted. “I don’t think you’ve noticed, but you’re in my head too.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Sometimes, during a thought or two, I feel you there.”

“How?”

“I really don’t know.”

“And how were you able to get into my dreams?”

He let go of her palm and weaved his fingers through hers. She was never more aware of her senses. Desire traveled from his hand to hers, tingling up her arm and then down through the rest of her.

“I’ve heard the mind is much more open to possibility when it is sleeping. Are you angry about me being there?”

“No. But why
my
dreams? Why can’t I get into yours?”

“I’m sure you can. The mind is not always a one-way street. Although”—he grinned—“I don’t think I want you to know the things I dream about you.”

Alex felt her face grow warm, and she wondered if her mind could program her cheeks to flush.

There were so many mornings after Chase had died when Alex would awaken to find pillows propped up next to her bed, slouched in the position of someone beside her. Other times, she’d find things out of place. Pictures of them. Mementos. She’d always convinced herself that it wasn’t him, that she was just going crazy like everyone said. But now she realized the cool scent of him had been there in the room on those mornings, and her heart had felt as light as it did now.

“Why didn’t you tell me you visited when I was still alive? Why didn’t you say something to me?”

“You couldn’t have heard me, and if for some odd reason you had, I worried it would have broken you. It practically drove me crazy to be there, knowing I couldn’t really do anything to help you. Knowing your sadness was because of me.”

Voices outside caused him to flinch. “I should go.”

Alex felt a sharp panic. She stood quickly. “Stay.”

“I can’t do anything to jeopardize my space here anymore. I’m sure they’ll send someone to check on me tonight. I’d better get back to my
cell
—I mean my room.” He smiled, wrapping himself around her again, cradling her tightly. His voice flitted into her mind.
I just needed to see you.
He brushed his fingers through her hair, and before she could beg him again to stay, he was gone. But somehow she knew he was happy. She felt like she was holding a piece of his smile.

***

Alex was never more eager to wake up than she was the following morning. Gray light peeked through the thin crack between her curtains, casting an ashen spotlight on a note next to her pillow.

Just wanted to be the first one to tell you good morning. I’ll see you after sessions today.

Love, Chase

She couldn’t take her eyes off the word
love
. She carried the note during the entire agonizingly long day, feeling its warmth in her pocket. It felt like an eternity before she reached her final workshop. Madame Paleo favored the lecture style of teaching where she could bark at her newburies. Usually Alex took ten pages of notes within five minutes, but for obvious reasons, she found it difficult to concentrate.

The distraction only multiplied when the live version of her daydream came waltzing in the door, and Madame Paleo came to a halt midsentence. Chase had to skip over backpacks and squeeze past students to make his way down the aisle. He handed a note to Paleo.

What are you doing here?
Alex asked. Her entire being itched, wanting him to be closer, wanting to feel the sparks of energy again.

Chase’s eyes pieced through the crowd until he found her and winked.
I need to attend extra workshops. I wasn’t exactly the model student last year. With respect to my actions, they don’t think I’ve learned much about the past especially.

Many of the girls in the room seemed to be sitting up a little straighter. Some hurried to fix their hair, and some even projected their clothes to be more flattering. But Chase’s eyes stayed on Alex until Madame Paleo suggested he take a seat “in the front this time.”

Chase agreed solemnly.
I need to be on my best behavior
, he told Alex, choosing a front row chair. He acted oblivious to his effect on the female population. She could only see his profile from where she was sitting off to the right, but she thought the way he nibbled on his pencil in concentration was adorable. He must have felt her eyes on him, because every few moments, he’d give her a quiet
Hey
and smile while he took notes.

At the conclusion of the session, Paleo did not dismiss the class, but instead ordered them to report directly to the Grandiuse. Several students asked what was going on, but Paleo held up her arms and ushered them out the back of the room without explanation.

Alex remained in place, allowing her peers to stomp past her. And she wasn’t alone. She noticed a few groups of girls merging into their respective huddles and tracking Chase’s movements. Even from several tiers above them, Alex could smell wafts of perfume, hairspray, and intrigue.

Chase hurdled the railing in front of Alex and grabbed her hands to help her out of her seat. The jolt of his touch was addicting. She didn’t dare look at those other girls now. He swung an arm around her shoulders while following the flow of newburies through the dark hallway leading to the Grandiuse.

Chase’s brothers were already waiting at their usual table in the middle of the Hall, on display per usual.

“What is this about?” Chase asked. He slid onto the bench next to Alex. “I’m guessing it’s not a welcome home party for me.”

“It better be short,” Jonas grumbled. “I want to head to the fields before it gets too late.”

“It must be exhausting to be so cranky all the time,” Kaleb teased, but Jonas ignored him.

Chase was sitting so close to Alex that she could practically hear the purr of electricity between them. It was like a thunderstorm approaching, and Gabe kept lifting his palms upward, waiting for rain even though they were inside.

Many newburies tried to steal a peek at Eidolon’s favorite delinquent. Alex could see the trajectory of the whispers arcing like the paths of missiles over the heads of the newburies. Chase was the target. Everyone loved a bad boy. He’d stolen the title from Jonas.

Alex hoped the meeting would begin soon to divert attention. “Hey! What’s that guy doing at the podium?”

“Who?” Chase asked.

Alex pointed to the bulky man with the long hair who looked very out of place standing next to the prim and proper Van Hanlin. “That Westfall guy. He was the one who got rid of the lure birds, and he was there that night with the banshee. Jonas, look!”

Jonas glanced at the podium passively.

“
Commander
Westfall?” Kaleb asked in awe.

“Yeah, do you know him?”

“I just know
of
him.”

“He’s a fighter, right? Is he one of the Patrol? Like Van Hanlin?”

Kaleb shook his head vigorously. “No way. Patrollers are like cops. Westfall was a part of the Ardor Service, which is more like military, but far more exclusive. Think Navy Seals.” He swayed from side to side to get a better look. “I wonder what he’s doing here.”

Gabe raised his eyebrows, openly intrigued. Kaleb rarely spoke with such admiration about anyone. “I think the more appropriate question is why he’s been here without announcing himself. You say he was there the night with the banshee?”

Alex nodded.

“I wonder if you blew his cover.”

“He wasn’t exactly hiding when he took care of the lure birds.”

“No, but newburies wouldn’t recognize him. The Patrol certainly would. He’s the most famous member of the Ardor Service.” Gabe reached for a nearby book and began flipping through the pages.

Jonas was trying to appear unaffected, though he kept glancing up at the podium. “So what’s he doing at Brigitta with us babies, then?”

The question was answered moments later when Madame Paleo took center stage. “You are probably wondering why this meeting was called so abruptly and so early in the evening. Brigitta’s learning center has been given the honor of hosting a spirit from whom we can all learn a thing or two. He’s been generous enough to donate his time.” She beamed at the brute of a man standing next to her. “Ardor Westfall’s objective will be security, his specialty.”

“Look at Van Hanlin!” Kaleb cackled. “He’s pissed!”

It was true. Van Hanlin looked like he was ready to spit nails. The former Patrol officer prided himself on guarding the campus and maintaining order. The professors must have doubted his adequacy, to bring in someone else to ease the rash of misbehavior.

“Furthermore, Ardor Westfall has also volunteered to assist in your studies.”

Westfall stepped down from the platform and began crookedly to circulate the room.

“Assist?” Joey Rellingsworth asked.

“Teach. If we’re going to have a seasoned ardor on campus, we should put him to good use. Consider this your first physical education session of the term.”

“This is going to be fun.” Kaleb grinned widely, sitting up straighter.

Westfall still stood among them and began to speak. He didn’t need to be front and center. A podium wouldn’t provide any more attention than he already had. “As a spirit, your world is up here,” he rumbled, pointing to his head. “And physical feats are no different. It’s all a matter of mental manipulation. I assume the campus still honors the time-honored tradition to haze newburies during arrival. Although you can exercise your brain, your initial response to whatever object is thrown at you is a pretty relevant indication as to what you have to work with.”

All four Lasalle brothers glanced at Alex, but they quickly resumed attention because Westfall ambled past their table. He swept his brown hair into a ponytail, revealing smooth, ageless skin, with the exception of his brow. Even when he wasn’t frowning, the lines on his forehead were ever-present. Alex was surprised to find that this man who had supposedly served Eidolon for centuries looked only slightly older than Kaleb.

“Half of the battle is reflexes!” He launched a glass orb to the other side of the room.

Reuben instinctively covered his head with his hands. The orb slammed into his forearms and ricocheted to the wall, where it smashed behind his head.

Ardor Westfall grunted in disapproval. “Quick reflex but wrong reaction. You allowed the force of it to hit you.”

The Hall was filled with nervous titters of laughter. Reuben slouched deep in his seat and tugged at his shirt collar.

“Don’t be embarrassed. That was a typical reaction for a newbury.”

A hand shot up in the air. “The object can’t hurt us, can it?”

“The object itself cannot, but the force of it can, especially with certain materials.” Westfall walked to the front of the hall. “Reflexes can be conditioned, but only to an extent. In their absence, we must tighten the mind and concentrate on exercising it. Please look for my notes,” he ordered, pointing upward.

A projection hovered above him like a thought bubble. The words appeared letter by letter, dictated by his mind. He displayed several tactics under the title:
Defense
. The words didn’t make sense to Alex.

Barrier

Slingshot

Flickering

Sword swipe

“Many talents are too difficult to learn consistently and effectively. You might never have the mind power to execute seventy percent of the abilities we will be discussing in the next few weeks, but it’s beneficial to learn about them anyway. You don’t learn history to fight a war, do you? But today! Today, you get a taste of it all. It’s time to strengthen your minds using action. Those spirits to whom I spoke before the lesson, please come up front!”

Four kids lifted themselves from their seats, including Jack and Calla Bond.

“Movers,” Gabe said curiously. “Why does he want the movers?”

Dex Justice, a Darwin ally, sauntered arrogantly to the front of the room, shoving Jack with his shoulder before positioning himself in a horizontal line with the others. Scrawny Jack scanned the room nervously with his green eyes until they rested on Alex who smiled, trying to make him feel more comfortable. He offered a little wave and half the room recoiled, thinking it was directed at one of them.

Westfall leaned in to whisper something to the group, who listened to his command with avid interest. He handed each of them a glass orb the size of a softball.

“What are you doing, Ardor?” Van Hanlin asked with a frown.

Westfall didn’t even look at him. “Conducting a little experiment.” He lifted his hand high in the air and brought it down swiftly like he was giving the okay to begin a race. At his signal, all four spirits elevated the orbs in the air before pelting them forward at a speed to rival professional baseball pitchers. Alex would have found this interesting to watch if all four orbs weren’t aimed directly at her.

It began so quickly, yet somehow her mind slowed the seconds leading to the impact. In her peripheral vision, Alex saw the kids around her curling away, but she focused so intently on the orbs that her vision began to blur. The contents inside the orbs, silvery flakes, rose and spun like a sandstorm, and in her thoughts, she ignored the glass and snatched the sand with her hands.

Chase gasped and leaped from his chair to block her, but it was unnecessary. Alex didn’t need to look at the shock on the faces of the Lasalles because she could see the reflections of their wide open mouths in the four glass bulbs that remained suspended in midair, twirling before her like harmless bubbles.

They remained trapped by the stagnant sand until Alex relaxed, and the hands in her thoughts spread their fingers, allowing the grains to trickle down. Without the pull of her concentration, the orbs clanked to the ground and rolled away.

Westfall shrugged without remorse. “I was curious.”

The room filled with laughter.

“Don’t look so offended. I wondered if you might dodge them before they were even thrown.”

“How would I have known to do that?”