Talent Storm (9 page)

Nothing. Muscles tensed and blood pumping, I clenched my jaw. Why wasn’t it working? Then I remembered... the injection. It must have been that.

Bastards!
I thrashed around and screamed behind the gag, enraged by my helplessness. The shackles cut into my wrists and ankles, shooting spikes of pain through me. I strained and cursed like a lunatic until my strength fled, as if my muscles had crawled out of my body. I hung limp, my breathing hard and my will broken. It wasn’t fair; I was only protecting myself.

☼☼☼

The next morning, my wrists and ankles ached, like I had walked a thousand miles, holding lead weights. I stood and felt dried blood crack as my body moved. I reached for my talent but only needed to bump the invisible wall before giving up. I stared at the rock floor, familiarizing myself with its bumps and grooves. After all, we’d be friends for a long time.

Footsteps echoed down the hall, startling me. My hanging head jerked up. The officer from before walked with a man in a military suit.

Max, the officer, unlocked my cell door and both men entered.

“Remove his gag,” said the military man.

Max undid the fastener and pulled off my gag.

“Now leave me the keys and wait down the hall.”

“Yes, Sir,” Max said. He handed over the keys and left the cell.

“Hello, Jaden. I’m Commander Martin. The high general sent me.”

My eyes widened. What did he want with me?

“You’re in a bad situation. Using your talent to injure citizens is a capital offense. The sentence is life in prison.”

A spark of energy flickered inside me, and I hissed. “This is bullshit. I was attacked. What was I supposed to do?”

He nodded slowly as if my situation pained him. “Yes. That is unfortunate. The police can’t be everywhere, but it still is a crime.”

“Why did you come here, to rub it in my face?” I asked, irritation scratching at me.

He smiled, but his eyes were humorless. “No. I’m here to offer you a deal.”

My eyebrows rose and hope brightened my spirits. “Anything.”

“Good. The high general feels that your skills are too valuable to waste. He’s willing to pardon you into the custody of the military. If you obey orders, you will not return to prison.”

“I will.”

“Go straight to the Talent Aptitude Test. Don’t screw up.”

“I won’t.” Maybe talent wasn’t so bad. “Thank you sir.”

CHAPTER 6

Wringing my hands, I paced in front of Tema Hall, the banner-strewn courthouse of Locke’s Coalition. A mass of people milled around before me. They chatted, laughed, shouted, and blew horns. Entertainers, dressed in Locke’s green and black, did cartwheels, danced jigs, and sang songs. An assortment of smells—mostly cooking meats and flowery perfumes—danced on the slight breeze.

I couldn’t believe that this day had come, that I would be assessed at the TAT. Some people with talent ended up being weak, while others became legends. What would my future hold? My insides twisted at the thought. I leaned against a wall, and crossed my arms, chewing my lip. Most people loved TAT—the excitement, promise, and revelry of it—but not me. I liked things simple and quiet.

My uncle had soured me to the event too. Any time with him was horrible, but during the TAT he was the worst. He always shot me the most hideous looks, like I disgusted him so much that he might retch at any second.

I viewed the hordes of guests and entertainers again. Surely Ben was worried about me. How often does your best friend get arrested? A back-flipping acrobat drew my attention. I stared, amazed, just as Ben slipped out of the crowd.

“Ben!” I yelled, waving to him.

He spun to face me. “Jaden! You’re here.” He ran over to me, his hair whipping back and forth. “I tried to visit you in prison, but they wouldn’t let me. How did you get out?”

“It seems that I’m allowed to break laws. They released me for talent training.”

“Wow. You’re free for good?”

“Not quite free. I’m still the military’s prisoner.” I rubbed my wrist under my shirt, where the shackles had cut me.

“Still, at least you’re not in a cell.”

I shrugged. “Did you tell Danessa about my arrest?”

He rubbed his crooked nose, shaking his head. “No.”

“Good. Let’s keep it that way. I want to move on from that problem. Make sure not to think about it or she’ll know.”

“I won’t.”

Ben and I continued to chat until we saw Danessa walk up.

I waved. “Danessa.”

“How’s it going?” Ben asked while embracing her.

“Good now that I'm here with my boys.”

Smiling, I pulled her into a close hug. I sure did enjoy the feel of her breasts against my body.

“That’s obvious. You’ve been holding me long enough.”

I jerked away, my face growing hot. “Sorry.” Damn, I’d have to get used to her being a telepath.

“I do like a firm embrace, but if you hugged me any longer I'd have to go take a cold shower,” Danessa said while winking. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“That's why I let you go; I didn't want you to miss the TAT. Otherwise...”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Why don't you two just go under the bleachers and get it over with?”

“Don't be jealous. You know you're the one for me.” Danessa kissed her hand and pressed it on Ben's cheek.

“I was just about to say the same thing. Ben sure is dreamy,” I said, batting my eye lashes at him and then giggling.

Ben threw his arms around our shoulders. “What would I do without you two?”

Ben guided us inside the bustling lobby of the main hall where citizens excitedly chatted. We walked up the stairs through the rows of stadium seating until we found three adjacent seats. We squeezed by the knees of several citizens to sit.

The main hall, the largest indoor space in Rapid City, was capable of seating every citizen. With a few minutes to go, it was nearly full. I wondered if my uncle would show. Large colorful banners hung from the ceiling as tributes to great citizens of the past. I spotted Tema Locke’s banner, the founder of Locke’s Coalition. She stood in black leather armor, holding two short swords that glistened in the painted sun. Her illusions helped carve out the freest kingdom on the continent during a time of chaos.

Danessa eyed Ben and frowned before turning to me. “You were arrested? Are you okay?”

I sighed, shaking my head at Ben. “Yeah, I’m fine. The three punks turned me in, but the prison released me because of my talent.”

“Huh. The Coalition sure does value telekinetics, but not as much as I value you.” She kissed my cheek.

“Thanks. Maybe you can get me out of jail next time,” I said.

She laughed. “Let’s hope there isn’t a next time.”

I faced the center of the hall again. Commissioner Shantice James stood at an oak podium. As the commissioner, she was one of the two most powerful people in Locke’s Coalition. Only the high general matched her rank. Since she was the Coalition’s most powerful telepath, she also assessed all graduates for talent and potential.

She was dressed in luxurious, royal blue robes that were accented with swirling gold designs. Her dark skin and aged face hid in the shadows of her raised hood. Her head was lowered, and her hands were pressed together in front of her chest. She looked like a great sorceress from the stories, about to cast a spell.

The excitement in the hall was palpable as citizens wagered on how many elites, adepts, and proficients would be found. I couldn’t imagine the stress of being the first person assessed. Although it was an honor, it was a big disappointment if they were talentless. When the commencement bells rang out, the spectators cheered loudly.

Commissioner James lowered her hood and raised her hands. Her arms dropped, and the hall grew silent. She addressed the audience with her powerful voice. “Today we discover which of you will join the ranks of the Talented. While all citizens of the Coalition are important, it’s those with talent that protect the past ideals of America—liberty, freedom, and justice for all. Some of the Talented, like Archduke Goldwater, exploit the talentless for their own selfish gains. Here, in the Coalition, we despise tyranny and will always fight against it.”

The crowd chanted as one, “Locke’s Coalition: where freedom reigns, where injustice is intolerable. Talent protect her from her enemies. Talent continue her grandeur. I pledge my body, mind, and talent to the coalition. I will defend her from her enemies and make her grand from within.”

Shantice glanced down at her podium before calling the first name, “Lilly Astor.”

Lilly... could it be?

Squinting at the blond woman that stepped up, I nodded. She was the Lilly from the park and the one I’d embarrassed. What was she doing at the TAT? She was a year younger than I was. She should still be in school. I shrugged, hardly caring, because I could finally apologize.

Ben looked over at me, smirking. “Here’s your chance buddy. Maybe you can catch her when the TAT is over.”

My stomach began to burn as I anticipated the apology. Would she accept it?

Danessa gasped before bouncing in her seat. “That’s the girl from the party. She squinted while cocking her head to the left. “Why do you want to catch her?”

Because she’s perfect for me
, I thought.

“Ooo, somebody has a crush.”

Feeling my face burn bright, I lowered it. “Stay out of my head.”

Danessa poked me in the ribs, laughing. “You love her. You want her babies.”

“All right, that’s enough, Danessa,” said Ben.

Danessa faced Ben, frowning. “I was just having some fun.” She turned back to me. “How did you even start to like her? Your only experience with her was getting slapped.”

“That’s just what I’m into,” I said.

She looked at me skeptically, out of the side of her eye. “Really?”

“Yeah. Something about getting hit really turns me on.”

“That’s weird.”

I laughed. “Just kidding.”

She punched my arm. “Oh. I hate when you do that. So what’s the real story?”

“Sorry. Remember when I used to talk about the perfect girl I’d met at the park party a while back?”

“Yeah, I remember. The way you used to talk about her showed me another side of you. That was right before we started dating.” She inched closer, patting my arm. “I finally felt like I had some competition.”

I laughed nervously. “The woman at the party and the one from the park are the same person.”

Danessa squinted, lowering her eyebrows while staring at Lilly. Then, she leaned away from me, crossing her arms.

Somebody’s jealous, I thought while admiring Lilly.

“I am not.” Danessa shook her head, then pouted.

I shot her a hard stare.

She shrugged. “Sorry.”

Lilly stood before Shantice, ringing her hands and biting her lip. I didn’t envy her. Shantice extended her arms, her hands appearing from her robe’s long sleeves. She touched the side of Lilly’s face with her fingertips. Lilly flinched, her eyes growing wide, but she stood her ground. The commissioner held her hands firm for some tens of seconds before lowering them. The completely silent crowd leaned forward in tense anticipation. Some bit their nails while others tapped their feet or fidgeted.

Shantice faced the crowd. “Citizen Lilly Astor is an illusionist!”

The audience roared while clapping excitedly.

Amazing. It was a great omen to find talent with the first assessment. Now that she had talent, we’d be together during advanced training.

After Shantice raised her hands, the crowd fell silent. She broke out into a large smile, her eyes sparkling with delight. “I detect Psi waves of one-hundred thirty-two cycles per second, she is one of the adepts!” she yelled.

Lilly broke into a huge smile as she waved to the audience.

An adept, Lilly? It was unheard of for the first person assessed not only to have talent, but talent at the second strongest level. For some reason it made me want her even more. The onlookers and I clapped vigorously. I shouted her name, too excited to contain myself. Her dark eyes met mine. Although I smiled, she glared, her mouth set in a thin line. She was clearly still mad. I slouched in my seat trying to hide myself. She’d never forgive me.

“Aww, poor baby,” Danessa said, rubbing my back.

I raised my hands in annoyance. “Still listening in?”

She looked down. “Sorry.”

After a few more assessments with mixed results Shantice James called, “Sid Trayler.”

Sid, the pudgy weasel from my basic classes, walked up to the podium. We had hated each other for years, which in a way was odd. We were both bullied for much of our lives. It seemed like we should have bonded under the torment, but I couldn’t stand him. I saw why
he
was bullied. Shantice placed her hands on his head and her talent poured forth. After a moment, she nodded with a broad smile.

“Sid is a telekinetic.” The crowd cheered, and an excited smile broke out on Sid’s face.

What? I couldn’t believe he had the same talent as me. Now there were three telekinetics in the Coalition. What a jerk.

“And he’s one of the elite,” said Shantice. Sid threw his hands up, his smile spreading to near madman proportions. The crowd roared, clapping and cheering.

I gasped, shaking my head. Sid, an elite... really? Talent, I’d never hear the end of it. The crowd quieted as Shantice raised her hands.

“Can you believe it?” Ben asked. “Sid always seemed so pathetic. If he’s talented, I better be. I can’t believe he’s an elite.”

I huffed, throwing my hands up. “Tell me about it. What are the chances? Now he’s going to be stronger than me. I can’t believe I’m not the only telekinetic.”

“You’re the only vegetarian telekinetic though,” said Ben.

I rolled my eyes at him.

Danessa rubbed her chin. “Huh, he’s a little sexier now.”

Ben and I stared at her with squinted eyes.

“Oh, I’m just kidding. There’s nothing he could do to be sexy. You two on the other hand...” She wrapped her arms around our necks, and I settled back in my chair.

“He has the potential to fire at a
record
three hundred-twenty Psi waves per second.”