Resistance (The Institute Series Book 2) (10 page)

Shilah goes for my gun that landed on the ground near his feet. My instinct is to run the other way, but I tackle him instead. Constantly changing my mind about what I plan to do, could throw him off enough for me to win. Shilah must have been good at self-defence classes because he manages to push me off of him and I wasn’t expecting it.

We both get back on our feet and I realise I’m going to have to concentrate just as hard as if this were a training session with Chad. I’ve been training with him for months, I should be good at this by now. I know Shilah has bulked up a bit since I last saw him, but how did he get this good, this quickly?

I start walking slowly around Shilah, circling him like an animal stalking its prey. Smirking at him, “Let’s see what you’ve got,” I taunt.

He raises his eyebrows at me, “Really?” He lets out a little bit of a laugh.

“Bring it.”

And with that, he swings his fist at me. Thanks to my training... and glimpsing at what Shilah plans to do through his ability, I manage to block his hits. But his hands are fast, smooth, and each move is calculated.

The loud shouts from the crowd fade out, even though I know everyone is still cheering. I have to block the noise out and concentrate. I don’t know how to catch Shilah off guard when I realise that I may not have to. All I have to do is distract him enough, while still pushing him backwards. Maybe I can get to the end of the field by taking him with me.

But it only takes a second of lost concentration to do me in. Before I know it, Shilah is on the ground, reaching for one of the guns on the ground, and pulling the trigger, hitting me in the shoulder with a loud and painful pop.

Damn it!
“I’m out,” I yell and Shilah runs to the other end of the field with minutes left on the clock. The audience goes crazy and I find myself pinching one of my ears from the noise.

Chad, after giving Shilah a congratulatory man hug, walks up to me, lifting my sunglasses off my face and up onto my head.

“I really thought you could’ve taken him,” he says encouragingly. “Of course, next time I’ll know to watch my back, you sneaky bitch,” he says laughing.

I shrug. “What can I say, I learnt everything I know from you. So what does that say about you?” 

“Maybe that we’re perfect for each other,” he says putting his hand on the side of my cheek, rubbing off some of the paint that sprayed onto my face. He leans down and our lips meet for a brief, sweet kiss.

***

Sitting in the very crowded cafeteria shed, Cyrus stands on a box at the front, gaining everyone’s attention. Everybody’s still on a high from the game, talking and laughing about how it all played out.

I get many congratulatory slaps on the back for doing so well, and for taking out Chad. He’s never been out first and is usually one of the last players in the game, if not the winner. I knew from the beginning it would have been hard to get him out. Anytime he was shot at, he could use his protective ability, so distraction was the only way to defeat him.

It’s amazing how a ten second slip of concentration means the difference between winning and losing. I know it was only a game and it was all done very light-heartedly, but if that was a real scenario, distracting someone with my lips isn’t going to cut it. The only other person I took out was Drew and I think that was just from random firing, not actual skill. I’m beginning to understand what Chad meant every single time I managed to defeat him in training. I got lucky.

“Thank you to everyone who came out today,” Cyrus yells above the crowd. “It was definitely an interesting match. Here come in these new, fresh trainees and they manage to take out the two most experienced people in the field first. That certainly won’t be overlooked. But I would like to give a special mention to Allira.” Suddenly everyone is looking at me and my cheeks are flushing from embarrassment. “She may not have won, but the fact that she got so close without her ability to use as a weapon … well, it was an amazing feat. Well done.” Everyone claps and cheers in response, and I hang my head, a little embarrassed by the praise. “And a big congratulations to Allira’s brother, Shilah, the winner of our match. It seems to me this brother and sister duo could be unstoppable. Maybe we should make sure they’re always on separate teams, hey?” Everyone laughs. “So, let’s all enjoy our food and then back to the real world of work.” He ends his little speech and everyone seems to deflate a notch. Back to work after lunch.

Chapter Eight

Arriving at my new home that I’ll be sharing with Ebbodine, I didn’t realise it was going to be an underground bunker. There’s a small mound in the grass where steps lead down to a giant metal door. It’s obvious that at one point a house used to sit on the surrounding land but has since been demolished.  What is it with this place and underground?  Do they think it’s safer to be buried in the dirt?

I suck in a deep breath and tell myself,
at least I’m not living with Drew.
Poor Shilah and Dad now have that pleasure – Mum won that argument. They’re in an actual house at one of the other properties. To get to their place we have to walk down the hill, past all the farms and the training area, and around the base of one of the mountains. They’re tucked away in bushland. If it wasn’t for Drew, I think I might be asking to come live with them after seeing what I’m faced with right now.

Opening the door, I find Ebbodine fluttering around in her underwear. I let out a sigh at the realisation I’ll be seeing a lot of that from now on. She makes her way over to a small chest of drawers squished in between our two single beds. Mine’s more of a foldable cot type thing. It’s kind of dark in here, being underground and windowless, but a light built into the wall above the drawers illuminates the room in a warm tone. Apart from a bathroom door to the left of me, that’s all there is. I don’t know why Ebb said she had room for me when clearly, she doesn’t.

“Hey roomie,” Ebb says with a smile.

I dump the bag with my few possessions in the corner of the single room and immediately flop on the fold out cot. “Hey,” I reply unenthusiastically.

“Don’t get too comfortable, you’ll have to vacate soon.”

“Vacate?” I ask, wearily. “I was really looking forward to sleeping.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure Chad would love to have you over at his place. Hall is coming over.”

“Hall? Like, Hall from Eminent Falls, Hall? Really?”

“Yes, really. Why is that so hard to believe?”

“Because you have an entire population of males here and you choose someone you grew up with? Just doesn’t seem very Ebbodine-like to me,” I say, smiling.

She throws her pillow at me. “Shut up,” she says before getting dressed.

“I don’t know why you’re bothering putting clothes on, when clearly you will be out of them again soon.” I duck out of the way of her shoe that comes flying at my head. “Stop throwing things at me!”

“It’s not like that with Hall,” she says almost shamefully. “I’m not saying it couldn’t be, but he just reminds me of home. Hanging out with him feels like I’m back there, you know?”

I nod.

“Besides, if either of us is going to get lucky tonight, it will most definitely be you.”

I shudder. Not because I think it won’t happen, but because I think it will. I sit up on my bed, thinking about the possibility. It doesn’t seem like that long ago that I was having this same dilemma, but with Drew instead of Chad. How do I know if I’m truly ready? With Drew, it was a reflex to stop it before it went too far. I never felt comfortable enough with him. Maybe deep down I always knew I couldn’t trust him. But with Chad it’s different. I want to take the next step. I’m fairly certain if Shilah hadn’t taken Chad’s bedroom a few nights ago, it would’ve happened already.

“Umm …” I have no idea what to say. She looks at me with raised eyebrows, awaiting my question. “How did you … When did … What …”

“Spit it out Allira, Hall will be here soon.”

“How did you know you were ready for
that
kind of relationship?” I ask sheepishly.

“What kind of … Oh my god. You’ve never done it, have you?” She looks shocked. “I just assumed you and Chad—”

I just shake my head, shyly.

“Not even with Drew?”

“Definitely not with Drew. We almost … sort of … no.”

“Wow, I was not expecting that,” she says stunned.

I don’t know why this is such shocking news to her. She knows all about my lack of experience, she used to tease me about it constantly. Did she really expect that to change in the seven or so months since she disappeared from Eminent Falls?

“So?” I ask, realising she didn’t actually answer my question.

“I don’t know what to say,” she responds. “It’s perfectly okay not to be ready for it. But it’s also not that big of a deal. Sex isn’t the big, momentous thing that everyone seems to make it out to be. It’s a natural, normal, everyday kind of thing.”

“Every day!?” I exclaim and she laughs.

“Not an
every day
event. Just something that everyone does. It’s not a big deal.” I nod, a bit confused by her words. “If you think your first time is going to be all romantic and perfect, you’re going to be very disappointed,” she adds.

I nod again. “I thought you were meant to be talking me into it, not out,” I say half-jokingly.

“I’m not meant to be doing either. Only you can decide if you’re ready,” she says.

“We haven’t been together very long,” I say.

“But you’ve known him a lot longer haven’t you?”

That’s true. We’ve hung out together nearly every day for almost six months. It’s not like we just met and started dating, I know him. It’s Chad.

“And if he’s not okay with wanting to wait, he can answer to my fist.”

“I think he will be answering to mine first.” I stand up and give her a hug. “I’ve missed you,” I tell her.

“I’ve missed you too. But I’m not into girls.”

“You couldn’t just let that one slide, could you?”

***

I knock at his door and wait nervously for him to answer. If I chew my nails any more, I may have none left by the time I get inside. His place is another underground bunker, a few hundred metres away from mine. I’m realising now what the “you’re welcome” was for yesterday morning when Ebb offered to take me in. After my conversation with Ebb, I can only think about one thing;
that
thing. He answers the door shirtless.
Damn.
I find myself biting my lip so I don’t say what I’m thinking. He’s not exactly helping to distract me from my thoughts.

“Hey,” he says casually, letting me in.

“Hey,” I reply back. “I’m kind of homeless,” I say, closing the door behind me.

He raises his eyebrows at me, “Homeless?” he asks.

“Ebb has company,” I say.

He gives a knowing smile and nods. “So, are you wanting a lift to your parents place?” he asks.

“Not so much,” I say quietly.

He smiles and closes the distance between us, pulling me close. I wrap my arms around him and my hands find their way onto his bare shoulders. He brings his forehead down to mine. I suck in a wispy breath before he smiles cheekily and pulls away. I think he knows exactly what he’s doing to me and is enjoying it. Grabbing hold of my hand, he leads me to his bed, sitting across it and leaning up against the wall. I sit down next to him.

“I …” he pauses.

“You need to tell me something,” I say for him. I don’t need to borrow Drew’s ability to sense that he’s holding something back.

“I figure if we’re doing this whole honesty thing, there’s something you should know.” He hesitates, trying to find the words.

“Okay,” I say, but it comes out more of a mumble than a word.

“Paxton knows about you.”

“He what?” I ask.

“He knows you have a double ability. That’s why he worked so hard at getting you out of the Institute, and why he pushed for Shilah to go through the training program quicker than he should have. He knew you weren’t going to come here without your brother.”

“How does he know? Why hasn’t he said anything?”

Chad hangs his head. “I told him,” he admits. “While we were still at the Institute.”

“Why?” I ask, anger naturally coming through in my tone without consciously putting it there.

“Paxton wasn’t convinced you were one of us. You adapted well in the Institute and did what Brookfield asked of you. He wasn’t sure you’d want to come with us, or if you were worth the risk. Tate and I agreed that he had to know how important you are.”

I breathe in deep. “Why couldn’t you just tell him that I was Persephone’s daughter?”

“We did. He figured there was a reason why she was with the Resistance and you weren’t.”

“He’s the only one that knows?” I ask, panicked.

“He’s the only one I told,” he replies cryptically.

“But he’s not the only one who knows,” I state, trying to clarify his words.

“I’m starting to suspect Cyrus knows.”

“Cyrus?” I exclaim.

“I don’t know for sure. It’s his other ability. He can tell who’s Defective and who isn’t, and what the nature of their ability is. It’s why he asked you if you could borrow abilities when you first met. I thought that by telling him that you can only amplify, he assumed he had it wrong and dismissed his intuition. This is what his ability seems to be – just strong intuition. It’s not definite and he’s been wrong in the past. But then today, when he chose you for his team, and made that big speech afterwards about you only using your combat skills – I think he’s trying to test you. I think he knows.”

“Okay,” I say, taking in everything. “So what’s the worst that could happen if he knew? What’s the worst that could happen if the whole council knew?”

Chad thinks for a moment before answering. “They won’t let you leave. I know you hate feeling like you’re a prisoner, like you don’t have any choice. I’ve heard Cyrus complaining about it before. They don’t really let him do much, or go anywhere. They don’t want him in any kind of danger. He’s a council member, but they only want him involved in planning and theoretical things. He’s in charge of the training department for recruitment, but he’s never been on assignment. I don’t even think he has left the compound all that much. Picking us up from the half-way point last night was a rarity. I think that’s the farthest he’s been in a long time.”

“So they’ll just keep me here?” I think about it for a moment. “Right now that doesn’t seem like such a bad thing,” I say looking down at our intertwined hands and squeezing tighter.

“Right now, maybe. I just don’t want you to feel trapped, making you want to get away.”

I sense there is more to the story than he is letting on. “You sound like you know what you’re talking about.” I fish for an answer.

Chad sighs. “There was a girl.” I nod my head slightly while my stomach ties itself in knots. Do I really want to know what he’s about to tell me? It suddenly occurs to me that I don’t know anything about Chad’s love life before me. He knows my complete history – Drew. “She didn’t like living here,” he continues. “She missed her old life and wanted to live a normal life in the city, pretending to be something she’s not. She knew I couldn’t leave. I had to stay.”

“So she left you,” I say. He nods.

“I heard rumours that she was arrested a few months later and at first I thought, ‘good’. I felt guilty immediately afterwards though. I wanted to know if she was okay.”

“You didn’t turn yourself over to the Institute just for Tate, did you? You went looking for her. What happened?”

“I found you instead,” he says, letting go of my hand and putting his arm around my waist.

“Did you … love her?” I ask, avoiding eye contact.

“I thought I did. I was a mess after she left. I contemplated leaving when she asked. I contemplated turning my back on my mother and the cause, just so I could be with her.”

“I don’t know if I want to hear any more,” I say quietly.

“But how could I have truly loved her? I found you and completely forgot about her. I fought my feelings for you for so long. I thought that it was impossible to feel things for someone new when I had ruined my life for someone else. It took me a while to realise I needed to follow her, because … she led me to you.”

I feel a blush coming on and I will myself to stop, but I’m sure I’m failing miserably. “That’s why your mother doesn’t like me,” I state as the realisation comes to me. “She thinks you’re going to ruin your life again, but with me.”

He hesitates, but he knows it’s the truth. “She doesn’t know you yet.”

“She doesn’t need to know me. To her, I’m just like the last girl. Is that what that very public display was about yesterday in the cafeteria?”

“I needed to show her how serious I am about you. And you’re nothing like Jess,” he says seriously. “Nothing.” He lifts his hand, brushing a strand of hair away from my face and tucking it behind my ear. A move I’m becoming all too familiar with. He cradles my head and touches his forehead to mine, our lips so close it’s almost teasingly unbearable not to kiss him.

I breathe him in and hold him close. “So, just how long did you hide your feelings for me?” I ask, smiling.

He pulls away. “Uh,” he stumbles for an answer. “A lot longer than I should have,” he says.

Does this mean that this whole time, while I have been annoyed at myself for not telling him how I feel, he has felt the same?