Chapter Twenty
“JACE—” I CLAMPED MY MOUTH SHUT. The room spun, and I couldn’t find any words as my heart hammered in my ears. I’d forgotten about the trace function on our communicators. I pinched my eyes closed, cursing myself for being so stupid.
Reese held onto my hand and remained silent. His eyes flicked over Jace. I hoped he could hold that stoic demeanor until we were out of the room.
Jace’s expression was pained. His eyebrows knitted together as his eyes studied me. “Please tell me this isn’t what it looks like.” He shook his head. “Please tell me he attacked you—that he…” He gritted his teeth. “Tell me anything, Dez! I’ll tear his eyes out if he hurt you!”
“I’d never hurt her,” Reese spoke up.
“Shut the fuck up, Narco!” Jace took a step forward, then back. He pressed his hands over his face. Finally, he looked at me again. “When I couldn’t find you, I thought something happened to you.” He glared at me. “So, is this the project you’ve been working on?”
I could barely think over the thumping in my chest. I wanted to rewind time. I wanted to say the perfect thing to make this all go away. But my mind blanked. “No, Jace, it’s not.” I took in a deep breath. “But…I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” He turned, paced, and then shot around toward me. “Sorry? What is this?”
Reese threaded his fingers through mine. “We’re together.” He glanced over to me, gauging my reaction. I nodded once, speechless, so he continued. “I care about Dez. And she cares about me. We’re together. That’s all I can tell you. Sorry, but that’s just the way it is.”
Jace’s eyebrows furrowed. “You’ve been seeing a Narco behind my back?”
I shook my head, stammering out, “No…I wasn’t. I mean—” I looked to the ground, trying to gather my thoughts. “Jace, I was with Reese before you kissed me that night. I just didn’t know how to tell you.”
“So you led me on?” His voice was hurt. My chest burned. “You honestly let me think you cared about me. But you were with a Narco?”
“I do care about you.” But my words were too late.
Jace’s hands pulsed with power, glowing blue. A spark of Charge leaped from his palms and crackled into a blazing stream, reaching toward the floor.
“What did you do to her?” Jace asked Reese, taking a step forward. “There’s no way she’d ever be with you. You had to do something to her.” Charge sparked around his feet, marring the ground where he walked.
Reese shoved me behind him. “Jace, don’t do this here. We can handle this, but outside the Academy…if that’s what you want.”
Jace ran at Reese with his hands turned out—wrists up—a blue stream of Charge shooting from his palms. Reese knocked me out of the way to the floor and met Jace head-on in a clash of blue and red—Flame and Charge. Jace threw punches, striking Reese in his stomach. Reese took the blows, delivering hits in return.
They were going at it full force. No training exercises. No pretending to use powers. I heard the grunts and clash of power; they were hurting each other. Because of me. I had to do something.
I tried to find a way into the fray, but their power was too fast. Think, Dez.
Reese crossed his arms over his face, blocking an attack from Jace. He wrapped his arms around the countered blow, getting shocked in return. Jace raised his hand, ready to land another shock, but Reese pressed his palm to Jace’s chest, burning him. I panicked.
Before I could stop myself, I began to shift, my power growing. I trembled as my body rapidly transformed. My Kythan instincts were taking over. I stretched out my arms, and a burst of white light enveloped my hands—my arms. It was more powerful than the first time I’d shifted. A white, nearly translucent, casing cocooned me. I screamed, and the shell expanded in a flash—muting all sound for a split second as the power rocketed out.
Jace and Reese flew against the wall. They fell to the floor as the blast faded, sound returning to my ears in a low hum.
Reese stared at me, awe in his eyes. This was the first time he’d seen me shift. But Jace’s face was torn—his eyes wide and fearful. I clasped my hands together, outing my white power.
“What the hell?” Jace said, barely audible.
Reese jumped to his feet, forgetting the battle. “That was amazing.” He cupped my face. “What was that?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know.” I smiled up at him. “But I didn’t lose control. I was able to stop it—to shut it down.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out my crystal. “I made this. It helps rein in my power.” My momentary excitement faded as I saw Jace climbing to his feet.
“Jace,” I said. “I can explain.”
“You better. Because right now, I’m trying really hard not to lose my shit.” He backed away—a step away from me.
I glanced at Reese. He nodded his approval.
I took in a deep breath and looked into Jace’s eyes. “I’m half Narco, Jace. My father was Narcolym.” I moved toward him, but he took another backward step, farther away from me. “I’m sorry I could never tell you or the others, but…my mom. She was scared. I was scared. And what I am, it’s something that has to be kept secret. Others would hurt me if they knew I existed.” I stopped and pressed my lips together. I wasn’t sure he was listening to me.