Supernaturals: Secrets (Book 1)

{1} Release

Skylar

I glared at Adasia Lelings as she smirked at me, her eyebrows twitching teasingly. "How did you do that?" I whined for what felt like the hundredth time that week, trying to ignore the feeling of disappointment fluttering in my stomach as my ego deflated.

"I told you, Sky. I've told you a million times. I can shield myself. Hypnosis doesn't work on me," she explained once again, rolling her eyes impatiently.

I shook my head, desperately trying to grasp the information and force it inside my brain. "Okay, okay. I get it. Sort of. Explain to me how it works. Y'know, how you make the shield. No power is unbeatable, so surely there must be some way for me to figure out how to break it."

Asia gave me a surprised look, her head tilting slightly to the right. Obviously she hadn't expected me to have actually listened when Lee gave my class a lesson. Okay, maybe seventy-five percent of the time I was distracted, spinning a pencil between my fingers and daydreaming about a much, much more simple life; but sometimes what our leader taught was so repeated throughout my head that it was permanently branded there.

My best friend squinted her eyes tightly, trying to recreate what it felt like when she used her shield. A moment passed before her features relaxed and slowly her eyelids opened. I was not surprised to see her normally baby-blue eyes glowing a deep, dark blue. This happened for all of us, the supernaturals; our eyes glowed a different color to show our status, our ranking in power. 

Some people were able to change their eye color, to make them seem lower or higher in power as many supernaturals hunted and kidnapped others to make themselves more powerful. That ability was extremely rare, however; there had only been one case in existence and the subject was no longer alive.

Our eyes also glowed when thinking about or using our powers; some were even, with practice, able to turn it off. Adasia's eyes were the color of a highly powerful supernatural. There was only one other so far, our friend Rhyme Jeggers, whose power was manipulation over nature (plants, trees, etc; but not animals). At the thought of my two amazing friends I frowned. Why was it that my best friends were the strongest? Besides the officers, of course. Sometimes it seemed hardly fair.

"Hey, you alright, Sky?" My thoughts were snapped back to the present as I glanced, slightly surprised, at Asia. Her face was concerned, but she smiled cheerfully as I returned from my dream world.

"Um... yeah. Sorry, what were we talking about?" I gave a fake smile, ignoring the flush that raised on my neck from being caught. Asia groaned, gritting her teeth lightly. As a hyperactive, outgoing teenager, she was not one to be patient.

"I was telling you how I use my shield, remember? You really don't pay attention. As I was saying before you so rudely drifted away, it's like I can tell when someone is about to use their ability. Besides the eyes, of course, 'cause a lot of students here have learned to control it. Anyway, it's like this deep look of concentration crosses over their face, even when using the most simple of powers. It's weird. I've asked around, and nobody ever sees that sort of thing."

I nodded, raising my eyebrow for her to continue.

"So when they're about to attack, I basically..." she spun her arms in circles, trying to get me to understand, "close my eyes and start imagining that there are these blocks building up on all sides of me. It takes what feels like a while, but it's almost like in reality, time is slowing for me. 

Anyway, I think of it like legos; they build up in the most congruent, parallel way before creating the perfect shield; barrier; whatever you'd like to call it. 

Then, when I feel confident enough, I open my eyes and it's as if everything is zapped back into the right time. All around me there's this thin, glowing blue wall, like I'm trapped in this almost transparent room. Nobody else sees it, apparently, but me. Then I just watch and concentrate as their powers come flowing slowly at me in waves of color. The time changes again, everything slows like watching an action movie. It's an amazing experience, really."