Return To Pandora: Book 1 in The Pandora Series (3 page)

Unexpected Abilities

Our walk home was quicker than I thought it would have been and I was a little upset about that. I wanted to stay away from my mother and not explain that I have a power already, but Zack was determined to figure out why and what we were working with.

So here we are sitting at the table surrounded by his parents and my mother explaining what had happened and how I wasn’t even trying to do anything and the metal stayed suspended in the air on its own.

My mother had a knowing look on her face briefly before she masked it with her unreadable expressions. That always drove me crazy because I could never tell what she was feeling by looking at her. When we were done she spoke and I wished I hadn’t heard her say this because now I knew I was the only hope for our people and their survival.

“My mother was able to move things with her mind, not having to look at the object she was able to move it any were and didn’t need her hands to guide them either. It made her stronger and she thought that the ability would go to me and when it didn’t she thought it would leave our family line permanently. But I guess she was wrong,” she finished with a warm smile on her face.

The look of the others confirmed that they remembered her mother having that power and it made sense that someone in our blood line would receive it again. But I hated that it was me, now they were going to rely on me even more to defeat the Queen. If I don’t then it will be my fault that we all die.

“I had a feeling you would be next in line to get those powers, so I informed John and Isabel about it. But no one else knows about them, just the people in this room,” my mother said looking around the room at everyone.

“Is there anything else that we need to know that could possibly come up in my training sessions that you have neglected to inform me about?” I asked, a little more vicious[y than I intended.

She looked like a mouse cornered by a cat, scared that there was no way out and she was about to die. Which confirmed the truth, she knew more that was vital to us. She cleared her throat and began to speak. I almost passed out from what I heard come out of her mouth.

“Your father, although he was a solider, had a very unique gift that not many people knew about. One that I am sure Christina didn’t even know about. He was able to control the elements, such as Water, Fire, Air and Earth. I’m not positive you will get that ability, but there is a chance you could and if you do, then I have a list of instructions on how to train you to master the use of the elements around you. You will be able to use the water that is inside the pipes in the walls and in the ground even if it hasn’t rained yet. You could control the wind and create a fire. You will be a force to be reckoned with if you get that ability. Even if you don’t, the gift you have from my mother is more powerful than what everyone else has.” She finished looking pleased, which is probably because we were all speechless.

What the heck did you say to that? Ok thanks mom for making me a freak of nature and then telling me that I might be an even bigger freak if I get the powers that my father had? Yeah not exactly the best thing to tell her especially since she looks so excited that I received her mother’s ability to move things with my mind. I just nodded my head and asked to be excused because I was tired and said good night to everyone.

Zack looked a bit startled that I said I was going to bed early, but then he remembered we were training again tomorrow morning. He walked me to my room and I felt grateful for the chance to be alone with him and be able to tell him how I really felt without my mother around to be hurt by my words.

When we were out of earshot and almost to the top of the steps he finally asked, “How are you really feeling?” Sensing that I was really not happy about what we just learned.

I leaned my head on his shoulder and he took me into a hug and gently rubbed my back as I told him how I felt.

“I feel like, like I’m going to screw this up. I mean, I just found out I’m a Princess from some faraway place and I’m destined to defeat the one person who killed my father, who I just found out was a very powerful soldier, and I might inherit his abilities and that makes it even harder for me. I mean, yes I will be more powerful, but what if I fail? I’m not even sixteen yet and I am supposed to fight and kill someone to take back our kingdom. That is a little much for me to handle at once. I’m supposed to be a kid, fall in love, go to parties and have some good high school memories to look back on, not plan a freaking war.”

I realized that he had sat me down on the windowsill. It was big enough to fit a crib sized mattress in it. We had two throw pillows in it that were bright purple and pink, but over the years they have turned dingy and warn. We have a purple sheet covering the mattress and it looks like a little bed in the window.

I used to sit here and stare out the window at the back yard for hours just daydreaming and looking into the trees, trying to find animals moving around. Now I sat here to read or draw the scene before me. Right now it would be full of flowers red, pink, purple and even yellow. The trees were full and green with bird feeders hanging from the lowest branches. Every now and then we would catch birds eating from them and try to write down all the different ones that came by to eat. The only ones I’ve ever really noticed were the Blue Jays.

“I understand,” he said in a soothing voice, like he was trying to calm a screaming kid. “When I was told that I was to be your personal body guard, I didn’t quite understand and then I realized that if you were going to go into battle and could possibly die I wouldn’t want anyone else to have the chance to be your personal guard. That I wanted that privilege to watch you and to save you. When you stood up for me yesterday and said you didn’t want me to die for you, I realized I made the right choice. I didn’t want you to die for us and you didn’t want me to die for you. We will guard each other and we will conquer together.”

He looked at me in a way I have never noticed him look at me before. I realized it was the only way I had ever wanted him to look at me for years, with love. Yes he loves me, like a sister. We grew up together as best friends, but I started to see him as more than a friend. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship and make it awkward, so I left it alone. Now I saw the look that I had given him more than once, finally returned to me.

Before I could say anything I felt his mouth on mine and I willingly reciprocated, opening my mouth so our tongues could glide and tangle together. He tasted so sweet, like my favorite fruit, green apples, but it was sweeter more addicting. I couldn’t get enough of his kiss, the kiss I have wanted for years.

When we pulled away we were both breathless, my lips were swollen and my and the cheeks pink, the look of relief in his eyes was a shock.

“I never knew,” he said breathing deeply. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he really didn’t know how I felt about him.

“I didn’t want to say anything and make it weird if you didn’t feel the same way,” I confessed.

He smiled, such a gorgeous smile and then kissed me again. I felt like I was in Heaven.

Pulling apart I looked into his glowing blue eyes and my heart swelled knowing that he was looking at me so deeply. I was more than happy to know that he had the same feelings for me as I do him.

“I don’t want anyone to know, that I have, or might have an extra ability. We train all the same way together and one on one you and I will practice my mind moving skills,” I said, “I don’t want them to know or think that I can save them just because I’m super powerful.”

He thought about it for a few seconds then agreed. “That makes sense, you have enough pressure already. I’ll tell our parents,” he said.

He helped me up and walked me to my room, which was two feet away, but still, he walked me to the door like a gentleman. He kissed me again and said goodnight.

Then I was left to myself in my room, reminiscing about the way his lips felt so perfect on mine and how I am in absolute shock that he could feel the same way about me, that I do him. I took out my journal and recorded everything including, to my delight, my first kiss from the love of my life. When I was done, I put in back in my desk, showered and laid down to go to sleep. When I did fall asleep, I was thinking about our first kiss and the many more to come.

****

The next morning I woke up more energized and ready for my training. I got to see Zack and practice my powers, since I was showing signs that they are ready to be used. When I got downstairs Zack was already there with all my favorites for breakfast again. When we start the real early days I’m going to hate having to wake up early to cook before we train, but for now I will enjoy the food that was created for me.

He watched me down the food with an amused look as I gave him my best evil eye, which made him laugh. I’m glad to see that things hadn’t changed with us. After I was done with my food I washed it down with my coffee and helped Zack clean up. When we were done we headed out to the warehouse.

Our walk there was quick and I felt a sense of ecstasy shoot through my body when he took my hand in his. I have held his hand before on many occasions, but now I feel like it meant something else, something more. Which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

When we got to the warehouse we stretched, ran and did all the other boring things we had done yesterday.

Then he told me to try to move a sheet of metal. I was excited but scared at the same time. He walked me through the steps he took.

“First clear your mind. Then inhale through your nose and out through your mouth. Focus on the one object you want to move. Finally make it move. Use your hand or your mind or a combination of both to make it go where you want it to,” he said looking at my freaked out face. “It’s not that hard. I mean it is, but you can do it, you did it yesterday without even trying.”

“Right,” I said sarcastically and he gave me the evil eye. I laughed and said, “Ok. Fine I’ll try.”

So I cleared my mind, breathed in through my nose and out of my mouth. I focused on the sheet of metal that almost hit me yesterday and I spoke in my mind telling it to lift. Nothing happened. I tried again moving my hand and directing my focus on that one sheet taking my right hand like I saw Zack do yesterday and swiped it slowly left to right. Still nothing happened. I faintly heard him say ‘focus,’ but I was already trying again. I inhaled slowly and exhaled slowly, focusing only on that one sheet of metal. I conjured the fear I had yesterday, when it almost fell on me and used that as my trigger. I used the fear of being crushed and focused on my target. I didn’t use my hand, I used my mind. I told the sheet to move up and I put all my energy towards that one command. I watched it slowly lift and it gave me the spark of motivation that I needed. I told it to rise to the ceiling and I watched as it rose all the way up to ceiling.

Having a boost of confidence I told another sheet to rise too. It did with a magnetic pull to the other one on the ceiling. Then feeling cocky I tried to grab a machine and move it, but it barely budged and my connection the two sheets on the ceiling was lost and they came crashing to the floor.

“That was awesome Jackie, but I think you got ahead of yourself trying to get that machine up to there too,” he paused briefly and then said, “But I am very impressed that you managed to get two of them up there without using your hands. You need to try to use your hands though, if our plan to keep your extra abilities a secret will work. If they see you do that, your secret is out.”

“I know. I just felt this…pull from inside my head and I knew I would be able to get it up there using my mind. How will I differentiate how to use my mind versus my hands?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I’m pretty new to this too and my dad is still training me. But I’m sure we can get him in here tomorrow to help you get a handle on the two differences.”

“Ok,” I said looking at him.

Using my hands, I tried to part the mess in front of me. I took my hands and lifted them up together right in front of me then pulled them apart slowly. I saw the objects in front of me start to divide, moving to either side of the room.

Feeling pretty confident and happy I turned to Zack and saw that he was doing exactly what I thought I did on my own.

“What the heck?” I said yelling at him.

He gives me a dumb founded look and it gets me ticked off.

“How dare you do that? I thought I was doing that, I’m supposed to be learning and you are not helping.”

When I’m done yelling at him he looks at me defeated and surprised at the same time. I give him a questioning look and I see that everything in the room was levitated just above our heads. I was too busy yelling at him to notice they were rising. Now I know this is me because he needs at least one hand to control them and his hands are clearly not being used to hold these objects up.

“Um first of all, Holy cow! Secondly I didn’t separate the room that was all you, I promise. I was trying to lift them as you separated them. When you throw things at people they can take them from you and throw them right back at you. I was trying to see if I could get them out of your grasp since you are new to this, because I can’t take them from my dad. I’ve tried more than once. He says I don’t focus enough on the energy they are throwing off. I thought that since I know you so well, I could grab them from you, but I couldn’t even get one.”

I heard all the objects crash to floor right as I felt something puncture my shoulder.