Glowing Sky: Book One

Chapter Sixteen - Lucas

I had seen everything. Adelaide stood, gloveless, her hands glowing brightly as energy cracked across her fingertips. The woman called Nella stood across from her, looking far more amused than she should be considering she was the target of the storm that filled the sky above.

Adelaide's ability was powerful. She had done little more than take off her gloves and hold her hands up, causing the sky above to surge with electrical chaos. I could feel the power swarming the football field overhead threatening to overtake Nella. Her power filled the air, causing my hair to stand on end in the tech booth that I was tied up in at the top of the football field. The sky grew brighter as lightning cracked across it, in a threatening pattern. Adelaide's hair began to stand on end, her eyes wild, a mix of fear and rage crossing her features. Her features were sharp from the blue glow at her fingertips.

Nella said something that caused Adelaide to drop her hands, the storm dying with a few words I couldn't hear. "Adelaide!" I shouted. She can't give up! She has to fight. Nella wanted something from her and although I didn't know what it was, I didn't trust it to be good. Not with the way Adelaide had been willing to strike her down a few moments before.

She needed to defend herself, to fight. I screamed, but the gag over my mouth made it impossible to be heard. I watched a few more words pass between them, unable to hear. Adelaide's posture changed to one of defeat, melting under a set of words that were lost, impossible to declare as lies, impossible to protect her from. How can you protect someone when they are impossible to reach? Soon they left the field.

Suddenly, the door to the tech booth opened and I saw Adelaide, her eyes raw with a deep pain that made my chest ache. "Lucas," she gasped when her eyes met mine. The one word sounded uneven, broken.

Running over to my side, she untied me with shaky hands, and lowed my gag, placing one hand on either side of my face when she finished. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?" Her eyes filled with guilt and pain, tears causing her honey brown eyes to glisten brightly.

I took her gloved hands in mine, holding them gently, now far more aware of the power they held. "No, I'm okay." I glanced past her and out the door where Nella no doubt waited. "She's pretty fast." I looked back at Adelaide. "No damage. Just a little bruising of my pride when she dragged me up here and a few unnecessary cracks about my poor hair color choices."

She pulled me into a hug, her arms wrapping around my neck. After a moment of surprise from her willing touch, I pulled her close, my arms around her waist. "I didn't know if you were coming-." Her voice broke. After a shaky breath, she continued. "-and then when Nella showed up instead..." She leaned back, her hands falling away from me, and looked into my eyes with tears in her eyes. "... I knew she was the reason you weren't there."

She closed her eyes for a moment, putting up a wall to hide behind. But her emotions were far from being under control. Guilt, pain and fear all surged through her, clawing away her sanity. "It's my fault that you are here. I'm so sorry."

I leaned in closer, still holding her around her waist. "Adelaide." I waited for her to open her eyes again. I searched her eyes when she finally looked back at me. "Why did you stop when you were out there? You could have taken down that girl."

"I... I can't control my abilities as well as I would like. She knows that. And she would have killed you if I didn't kill her first Lucas." She blinked, sorrow washing across her features for a sharp moment before she shut it down, determination taking its place. "I don't want to kill anyone. I can't. Not... no." She gripped my arms, panic setting into her eyes. "She has done terrible things before. And I couldn't let that happen to you... so I gave her what she wanted."

In those words, I felt the fear she had kept inside of her. Nella is the reason for the burden of terror she carries. Adelaide looked and me and nodded, letting me know I had guessed right.

"What did you give her?" I asked, holding my breath, hardly able to process her next words.

"I agreed to go home." She stared down at the ground, her eyes distant.

"I don't want you to go," I whispered placing my hand on her cheek. "You can fight this."

"I can't. Not this time," she replied her voice full of urgency as she placed her hand over mine. "Believe me, it doesn't matter how far I run. She always finds me." She gave a bitter laugh. "There's more beauty in truth, even if it is dreadful beauty," she said quoting East of Eden. "I have no choice."

"There has to be another way." I insisted, disbelief coloring my tone. How can she give up so easily?

"Not one I am willing to take."

"But isn't it worth trying?"

"Your life is not a game piece!" she shouted, anger filling her words. "I have been treated as one and as long I am alive, I will fight for you and the others I care about to be left untouched by this. All of this."

I froze, feeling her determination as it wrapped around me. She could not be swayed. "The only way I can fix this is to go. Just let me go, Lucas. I can't save you if you try to stop this from happening." She cupped my cheek, her touch gentle. "Let me save you. Please."

"I saw your power," I whispered.

She leaned back, yanking her hand from my face like it was dangerous to be so close together as if suddenly remembering that she was doing something wrong. A sense of shame filled her. She was waiting for my judgment of who I now thought she was. She searched my face, attempting to read me.

"Adelaide," I took her hands in mine, ignoring the wave of panic that burrowed the way to the surface of her heart. I removed her gloves and weaved my fingers with hers. "You are powerful and strong." My voice wavered for a moment. "You are not a monster. What you have is a gift." I squeezed her hands.

I sensed a mix of relief and disbelief at my words. I didn't think she had ever heard that before.

I continued. "Don't let others define what you have or who you are. You are in control of it. We can fight this. I can help you." She stood up and moved back from me. She pulled on her gloves. "You need to go Lucas. Far away before she decides to go back on her deal."

I stood up and moved closer to Adelaide. I leaned my head against hers, taking in the smell of vanilla and cinnamon. The smell of her. I leaned back and before I could lose my nerve, laid my heart bare. "I love you, Adelaide," I whispered. I heard her small intake of breath, her heart fluttering in a potion made of elation, joy, terror, uncertainty, disbelief. Her eyes were wide, but her heart was clear. Even through her fear, it was something she considered good. "I will find you and bring you back."

She hugged me tightly against her and then took a step back. She searched my face and then hesitantly spoke, "Lucas, I-."

Nella entered the room and cleared her throat. She motioned for Adelaide to leave the room. Without another word, Adelaide glanced back at me for one final moment and left, making no move to finish her thought. And I knew in that moment that it would be a long time before I saw her again.