Awakening (21 page)

Tomorrow came, and then the day after that. Caitlyn stood up in frustration, walking past Declan not even acknowledging him, to stare at the blank wall. Staring at the blank wall was better than nothing. Caitlyn rubbed at her eyes, trying to stave off the tears of frustration.

“I can’t do it!”

Declan sighed, a move that he had been doing consistently for the past several days. “Of course you can. You are your own worst block. If you think you can’t, you will never be able to. Look, you have already proved you have the capability, you just need to implement the techniques I have been teaching you.”

Caitlyn threw her arms in the air. “But I have been!”

Without even turning around, Caitlyn knew that Declan’s eyebrows were raised highly, making Caitlyn feel like the two year old she was acting like in that moment. “Caitlyn, for the past three days, I have been seeing you try harder than you have ever tried. Stop.”

“What?”

He turned her around, placing his large hands on her petite shoulders. Declan’s blue eyes bored into hers. “You heard what I said. Just stop. You can’t push teleportation. You can’t will yourself to do it. You just can’t. You are trying too hard.” His hand touched her shoulder. “Let go.”

Caitlyn closed her eyes at his words. Garrett had told her the same thing months ago, at her sister’s funeral. She had stood by her grave for hours, having a silent conversation with her sister, begging forgiveness. Begging her sister to forgive her, but more so herself. She stood in the rain for hours, with Garrett watching from a faraway tree as she let go of her guilt.

Now, Caitlyn realized, she needed to let go of her pride. She hadn’t failed at anything since she had been here. She realized with clarity that there were going to be some things that she was not going to be best at, some things that others could do that she could not. Garrett would always have Projection Telepathy over her; she did not have photographic memory required. Jonathan McPherson would most likely have his unique brand of telepathy over her as well. It was not out of the realm of possibility that she would not be able to teleport, especially when it was so rare.

She did not want to disappoint Declan, and she had been worried for days that was exactly what she was going to do. She needed to stop worrying that she was not going to be as great as Declan. Declan was not competition, he was her teacher and her friend. If she could not teleport, she could not teleport. Simple as that. For the first time in a week, she felt better. She drew a deep breath.

“Better?”

She nodded. “Better. Sorry about that.”

He shrugged. “No need to apologize. As I told you the other night, we have all been there. Now, if you are ready to continue, we can sit back down.”

Caitlyn did as she was instructed and walked over to the middle of the stark room again. “Ready.”

Instead of Declan taking his normal place in front of her, he began to walk around her. Caitlyn focused on his steady steps, listening to the rhythmic sounds of the footfalls, the soft swish of his cotton trousers rubbing together. She felt warmth spread throughout her body as she focused on each muscle as it loosened, reducing the tension that she had been desperately clinging to.

Declan began speaking to her, his words calm and gentle. “Take a deep breath. Now, let every thought slip away. Think of nothing but the sway of the wind, the feel of the grass beneath your feet…”

For the first time since her mother’s death, she let everything melt away. Her mother, her sister, her father, the Trust’s expectations, and Garrett all fell behind her. It was Caitlyn alone with Declan’s voice guiding her. She felt at peace as she continued to listen to his instructions, imagining the beautiful foliage around her. Her body and soul finally aligning as one.

It was then she felt the shift. Her body was weightless, floating, ascending. She was tunneling towards its destination, leaving the confines of the training room, where she suddenly felt like she had been imprisoned in for years. Her body and her mind were free. After what seemed like seemed like only a moment, but at the same time an eternity, her body was unfairly grounded. And then she felt it.

Her next breath was an intake of cool air. She opened her eyes slowly, only to squint as the sunlight hit her pupils. The field she had hiked no more than a week ago was alive around her. She heard it before she felt it, the uncontrollable laughter that peeled from deep within, crossing her lips with exuberance. Declan appeared only moments later.

His eyes could not hide the pride that was deep within and Caitlyn felt like she was about to burst from seeing that reaction come from him.

“You did it!” He shouted as he picked her up off the ground and spun her in a circle, his laughter joining her own. “I knew you could! I knew you would!”

She hugged him back eagerly. “I can’t believe it!” She looked around her, never leaving his embrace. “This is amazing. No-scratch that. This is beyond amazing! I just transported! What I felt… that was the most incredible feeling ever! What was that?”

He tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “It’s something that we transporters lovingly call the sweet spot. That moment in between is so liberating, so boundless, one cannot fully comprehend until you experience it. I am so proud of you, you know that?”

Declan let her go suddenly, letting his fist pump in the air. “Yes! Wait till Lionel and my dad hear about this! Isn’t this a rush? Isn’t it the most amazing thing ever?”

Her grin went ear to ear. She was on cloud nine. “I still can’t believe it.”

He grabbed her hand for a brief moment and squeezed it hard. “Again.”

They spent the remainder of the afternoon transporting to different areas on the Trust Compound and places Caitlyn had visited before. The longer the distance, the longer she was in the ‘in between’ as she called it. It was thrilling; it was beyond exhilarating.

The sun was low on the horizon when she grabbed his arm, her playfulness still not worn off. “Let’s play hide and go seek. I’ll hide, you seek.”

She closed her eyes and pictured herself by the old gazebo around the abandoned Trust facilities. She realized quickly that she had not let go of Declan’s arm. When she went to teleport, she felt him grounding her, preventing her from getting to her destination. Instead of letting go of his arm, she focused on Declan, imagining his body becoming one with hers, their bodies made up of the same molecules. Declan simply became an extension of herself. She then let go, and felt herself in the in-between before landing softly in the gazebo.

She instantly knew this was different. She could feel herself still holding on to Declan. He turned to her, his eyes wide, his voice in wonder. “How?”

“I… I don’t know. I felt you like you were an extension to me and I was able to.”

“Do it again.”

Caitlyn complied, this time landing both of them in their original spots. It was easier the second time around. She was not sure if that was because she knew what to expect, or Declan was more willing. “I can’t believe I can do this!”

He placed his hands on the sides of her face, giving her a big kiss on the forehead. “I hope you don’t mind, but I think we are going to extend training just a little bit longer this evening. Only this time, you get to be the teacher.”

T
hat night, Caitlyn and Declan practiced teleporting. Declan did not appear to have the natural ability to transport Caitlyn. She attributed this to two things. One, she was probably not explaining it properly to him; and two, they had to end after only a few attempts to do final preparations for the arbitration.

Garrett had been gone for two weeks now. She had received the occasional call from him, but she could tell during those calls that he was under a tremendous about of stress. He asked how her training was proceeding, and she told him how she was able to teleport, but Declan had asked her to keep the arbitration quiet from everyone until it was over. Garrett then had made a comment about wishing that she could teleport to him at that moment, but the Trust would not allow him to reveal his current whereabouts.

She was lucky that she was so busy learning that she barely had time to miss him. Declan had taken her to the airport, where they boarded a private jet. As she entered the plane, her eyes set upon a man with dark skin in his late thirties, early forties. He was reviewing information on his laptop, before shutting it quietly and looking up.

“Declan. This must be Caitlyn, I presume.”

The well-dressed man stuck his hand out to Caitlyn. “Yes, I am. Caitlyn Young.”

“Derrick Adair.” He motioned for the both of them to take a seat across from him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Declan buckled his seatbelt and clasped his hands before turning to his student. “Caitlyn, Derrick is one of our premier negotiators. He attended Harvard Law and works for the Trust’s legal department. We both have a lot that we can learn from him, and it’s always an honor to sit in on negotiations with him.”

“I won’t deny it’s an honor to work with me, Declan,” he advised while winking at Caitlyn. “Did I mention I am modest too?”

She laughed lightly. They soon took off in the air, and Derrick and Declan began talking strategy for the arbitration. Caitlyn found it fascinating and had spent the last two weeks in her spare time reading books on the art of negotiation, but she knew she was out of her element. Declan had advised her that there would be three other people involved in the arbitration; a man named Monroe who was the arbitrator at most of these functions and then two unknown representatives for the Cine Tofa.

The two men threw around various names that she did not recognize as possible opponents, weighing the strengths and weaknesses of all. They also discussed what they were willing to give up to get the Cine Tofa to release their hostages as well as what the Cine Tofa would probably demand. It was a constant weighing of pros and cons between the two of them. Sometimes they both agreed, and other times, each of them were on opposite ends of the spectrum.

Declan had explained that the arbitration would take place in neutral grounds in Montana. Both sides had facilities there, for the sole use of negotiations and treaties. They had landed on time, and Caitlyn was led to the Trust hunting lodge. The exposed log walls and cedar interior made her feel more like at a retreat rather than a negotiation. Declan led her to the large bedroom that had been set aside especially for her, advising that she had some time to put away her things before meeting Declan and Derrick in the great room. The negotiations were set to start that afternoon at two pm as scheduled.

The three of them walked into the negotiation hall, quiet, as they were led to a large room. Declan whispered to her softly, “Monroe is here already.”

Sure enough, Monroe sat there, hands on the table, sorting through various papers. He looked past the seasoned negotiators at Caitlyn, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Derrick, Declan, Caitlyn. So glad you could make it. Henry and Sierra will be here shortly. Hopefully, we can make this short and sweet.”

Declan and Derrick glanced at each other at that information. Those were two of the names they had tossed out on the plane. Both had particular dislike for the each of them. Derrick shook his head in frustration. “I am afraid not this time, Monroe.”

Monroe tilted his head down and sighed. “I figured you would say that, Derrick. Caitlyn, are your rooms to your liking?”

Caitlyn could sense his sincerity. “Yes, they are more than adequate. I appreciate the opportunity you have allowed me to be involved in the proceedings.”

Monroe waved his hand as if it was nothing. “I have nothing to do with who handles the negotiations on the Trust end. You should purely thank Declan for this one. It is a rare opportunity to be able to observe such proceedings and very few have gotten the privilege. Both sides are very protective of who they let join in the negotiations.”

Caitlyn could not help but smile at Declan in thanks. He had warned her that this would end up being fairly intense, and there would be long hours over the next few days, not that long hours would intimidate her. Monroe made general chitchat with the two of them; it was obvious that the three of them had worked together often over the years, and Monroe and Derrick were sharing stories of their wives and children.

It was then that Sierra and Henry walked through the door. Sierra was tall, redheaded, and confidence exuded off her in waves. Caitlyn could not help but stare at her coolly; she could tell that the other female clearly had a chip on her shoulder. Henry was almost kind in contrast, his body grandfatherly and his demeanor soft. It was not until she took in his eyes that she saw the anger that was smoldering behind them. She realized that his demeanor was a front to put those in front of him at false ease; he was really a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Derrick quickly exchanged pleasantries with them before moving to one side of the large oak table. There was a cool respect in the room, with the tension lying just underneath, mounting as the minutes passed. Monroe cleared his throat. “I believe we have everyone here. Please. Let us all sit.”

Henry and Sierra exchanged glances with one another before taking their seats. The Trust sat on one side of the table, the opposition directly facing them, with Monroe sitting on the end. Monroe cleared his throat, his voice somber. “This arbitration session has been agreed to by both sides to discuss the release of particular individuals. As decided by the treaty of 1989, I’ll listen to both arguments and both requests. Upon proper deliberation and argument, I’ll come back with a decision that I deem to be amiable to both parties. Should one or both parties disagree with my decision, they will have the right to decline the decision or appeal for a new arbitrator. Is this agreeable to both parties?”

Derrick nodded and Henry gave a quick bob. Monroe shuffled some more papers. “Good. Let’s proceed. The Cine Tofa will begin with their requests.”

Henry spoke up. “The Cine Tofa would like to negotiate for larger recruiting areas. The Trust still has a disproportional recruiting area.”