The Hybrid Girl (Andromeda Book 1)

Chapter 13

That was a lot easier than I thought it would be, I mentally pat myself on the back as I enter the training facility and find everyone already there.

Everyone is dressed for the gym. Alex is sporting grey joggers and a white top, whereas Andre has opted for navy blue joggers and a black top. Jesy is wearing khaki green leggings and a matching, baggy hoodie. Leigh-Anne and Perrie are both wearing a darker shade of green leggings. Perrie has paired it with a white cropped top and green jacket, and Leigh wears a sports bra and jacket that match her leggings.

"Was this planned?" I smile in admiration at how good the three of them look. They shake their heads but smile at the coincidence nonetheless.

Turns out they're all waiting for me because they want to know how the lesson went. More specifically they want to see me use my powers. Leigh-Anne is the most excited to see but she notices me shift uncomfortably when Jesy asks and she changes the subject and suggests we all go into the common room to grab a seat.

"So, what happened?" Jesy asks again, an eager look on her face.

"Well, I didn't do much magic or anything," I say quickly, "mostly we just talking."

"About what?" Andre questions.

"Everything," I shrug, "like... alien-related."

I start to repeat the story Norma told me, leaving out the bits about my dad and the argument at the end. The five of them listen religiously with wide eyes and when I stop talking, they are lost for words.

"You okay?" Alex wonders worriedly.

"Yeah, it's just a little insane," I sigh.

"You're telling me," Leigh comments breathlessly. "Life in another galaxy. Mars used to be a planet with life. Wonder what NASA's smartass would have to say about that."

As usual, Leigh-Anne's light-hearted banter lifts my mood as I chuckle along with everyone else. She squeezes my hand reassuringly and then looks at my neck with a perplexed stare.
"No necklace?"

Although we've only known each other a few weeks, I smile at how perceptive Leigh is, considering she's realised I always wear my necklace. I start to tell them about the gemstone situation. Explaining how the gems need to be pure for them to work. It makes a lot of sense as to why I never had any unexpected power outbursts because I always wore it, or the ring, or both.

"You weren't wearing either of them on the day that weirdo broke into the university," Leigh remembers in amazement and I nod. "But you were wearing it yesterday and that's why you could make a shield on instinct before but not yesterday. That damn rash had the craziest timing."

"That's mad," Perrie raises her eyebrows.

"It's a bit like how you see it on supernatural shows," I add for a bit of cinematic effect, and to pull the conversation away from the lesson, "like how vampires are susceptible to vervain and werewolves are susceptible to wolfsbane. Only you have gems instead of plants. And one will inhibit, one will speed healing and the third will greatly enhance."

The group simultaneously avert their gaze away from me making me knit my eyebrows together in confusion. Surely TV shows shouldn't be something to get uncomfortable about, especially with all the new information they've had this week.

Jesy changes the subject and carefully deduces, "so if she made you take the necklace off, you must have done a bit of magic." An amused smile creeps onto my face and the group gets incredibly giddy. Pleading me to show them some sort of power, I roll my eyes and give in.

"If I can do it right," I condition, not wanting to get their hopes up if I fail to do it without Norma's presence. Closing my eyes, I take a steady breath in and then breathe out. I feel the buzzing of life around me. Norma said the life energy from living beings would be weaker than that of nature, so I struggle to hone on it. When I feel it, I let it surround me and the faint buzzing gets stronger. Holding my hand out with my palm facing upwards, I imagine what I want to happen and then open my eyes and whisper the spell,
"Lucernis."
A moderately sized ball of yellow light appears in my hand, lighting up the entire room. All five of their jaws drop and I bite my lower lip nervously. It looks really pretty, I won't lie. It hovers a little higher in my hand and grows in intensity when I plough more life-energy into it.