Crossing Nexis Page 3

  “The Guardians don’t call us the official Seer Trainers for nothing.” Brooke’s motioned for me to follow her to the nearest door.

  “No wonder Bryan had no problem disarming Jake. Twice. He was probably playing nice.” I followed Brooke around the corner to a bathroom big enough to be a locker room. With actual lockers. “Wow, you guys really have everything.”

  “You bet we do. The Guardians make sure of it.” She opened the nearest locker and pulled out a set of pink-and-black workout clothes, with matching shoes. All in my size. “We’ll call this an early Christmas present, compliments of the Guardians.”

  “I’ll take it.” Shooting her a grin, I slipped into the nearest stall to change into my new clothes.

  “And whatever Bryan did,” Brooke’s voice filtered through the door, “I’m sure he wasn’t playing nice. He’s never been a fan of guys mistreating girls.”

  “Can’t say I disagree with him there.” I mumbled, forcing back images of my nightmare as I knotted my sneakers.

  When I opened the stall, Brooke was fishing through a plastic tub.

  She handed me some black leather pieces. “Strap these on. You’ll be glad you did. You’ve got your shin guards and your arm guards.”

  She helped me slide the padded gear into place on my extremities and around my torso. Then she bent over the tub again.

  “Here’s what I like to call the pièce de résistance. Your helmet, my lady.” Hoisting it high like a crown, she proceed to shove it down over my head. Hard. After she velcroed it in place, she boxed my ears on both sides. “Yep, she’s on there pretty good.”

  “Ya think?” I cupped my hands around the helmet. “My ears are ringing.”

  “That’ll wear off in a minute.” She barely glanced back at me as she strapped on her own gear. “We’ll start as sparring partners today. But you’ll have to fight the boys eventually.”

  “Seriously?” The pads weighed down on my limbs like anchors. I felt like a sumo wrestler in a padded diaper. “Is all of this really necessary?”

  “You bet it is.” She nodded vehemently. “You think because it’s your first day that I’m going to go easy on you? Fat chance.”

  I tried to shrug, but it came out more like an arm flap. “Maybe just a little easy, okay?”

  “We’ll see about that.” She gritted her teeth and pranced out of the locker room.

  I waddled behind her to the sparring quadrant, planting my feet on the blue mats. “What now?”

  Bryan marched over, clad in full boxing gear, too. “Don’t you look cute?” His gaze flickered up and down my outfit. “Too bad cute won’t cut it today.”

  “Now you’re going to talk smack?” I cocked my padded head at him. “You must think you know what you’re doing.”

  He inched closer. “Good thing for you, I do.” Suddenly his lips hovered near mine. Butterflies flitted through my stomach. I lean in closer. Then he pulled out a mouthguard and shoved it between my teeth.

  “Smooth.” I tongued the plastic into place.

  Mark lumbered in behind his son, clapping his hands. “Ready, kids? We’ll take it easy on Lucy today. Just show her the basics.”

  Then he turned to me. “Lucy, welcome to your first Seer Training session. For a gift as unique as yours, the Guardians have designed a very special training regimen tailored to your needs. It’s a three phase system, really, handed down through generations of Guardian trainers. The first phase is physical warfare, learning how to fight to protect yourself from Nexis

  “And now the Watchers, apparently,” I mumbled through my mouthguard.

  Mark’s brow quirked, but he kept going. “The second phase is spiritual warfare. It’s all about learning to summon the armies of heaven to fight with you, especially your designated guardian angel.”

  I blinked at him. “Huh, I never thought about him like that.” But it was true. Angel was always there when I needed him most.

  “And the third phase is the battlefield of the mind. You’ll learn when to summon your angel—and when not to. You’ll have a chance to try out some special tools and techniques to making summoning easier.”

  “Heck, yeah! Sign me up for that.”

  Mark leaned in a grabbed my hand. “I’ll warn you, phases two and three take more energy and skill to learn than the physical training. Our brain and our senses aren’t made to access the spiritual realm. Even though you’ve been given that gift, it can be quite taxing.”

  “Oh.” My eyes widened as I studied his face. That familiar Cooper jawline was rigid. He meant every word he said.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll try to keep things simple today.” He turned to Bryan, Brooke, and Abby, who must’ve come in mid-speech. “Kids, it’ll be your job to assess what level she’s at today. Sound good, Lucy?”

  “I guess so.” I forced a smile around the mouthguard.

  “Great. We’ll start with square one, fight stance. Show her.” He snapped his fingers in Abby’s direction, and just like that Seer Training was on.

  Abby nodded and her blonde ponytail swished as she moved to my side. “We’ve updated parts of the traditional Seer Training. For you, we’ve chosen the Krav Maga fight stance because you’re small and will need to maneuver easily.”

  She demonstrated moving her legs and rocked back and forth on her feet. “Put the right leg back, and the front leg forward.”

  “Like that?” I tried to match her stance.

  “Almost, but point your feet forward and don’t plant them. You want to be able to rock back and forth on the balls of your feet in case you need to kick someone.”

  A grin spread across my cheeks. “I like the sound of that.”

  “Good, Lucy.” Mark grinned back as he positioned Brooke and Bryan in the middle of the mats. “Okay kids, show her how it’s done. Lucy, try to follow along. Mimic what they do.”

  As if on cue, Bryan and Brooke circled each other in a dance they seemed to have down pat. First they threw straight punches at each other, then jabs, followed by uppercuts.

  I moved my oafish legs along beside Brooke, trying to learn the footwork timing as best as I could. At this point, I didn’t have time to worry about the actual punches. Instead, I just let my body remember the techniques I learned in the self-defense classes Dad made me take.

  “Great, Lucy. You’ve got good form.” Mark’s booming voice echoed off the walls. “Let’s try kicks now.”

  The dance drifted to their legs as they moved into a series of straight kicks, side kicks, and roundhouse kicks. Struggling for breath, my lungs screamed for oxygen.

  “Not like that, Lucy.” Mark’s voice filtered in snatches through my wheezing. “Tighten your core.”

  After a three rounds of trying to keep up, I doubled over, hands on my knees. “Can we take a break? That’s definitely more exertion than I’m used to.”

  “Fine, take five.” Concern washed over Mark’s face and he barked out orders. “Brooke, get the girl some water. And a towel. Bryan help her to the flat bench. Now.”

  “Yikes, do I really look that bad?” I sucked down as much cool air as I could inhale. “Man, you guys are really in shape.”

  “Kinda have to be. You’ll get used to it.” Brooke handed me a towel.

  “Not bad for a pip-squeak.” Bryan’s mouth twisted as he gave me a water bottle.

  “Thanks. I’m stronger than I look.” I wiped my forehead without looking up at him. Who wants to see their girlfriend all sweaty and gross?

  “I don’t doubt that.” Mark’s shadow towered over me. “Now that we’ve got you warmed up, you want to try phase two training?”

  “Really?” I peeked up through my lashes. “You think I’m ready?”

  Mark glanced and Bryan with a quick nod. “Would you like to give Lucy her first summoning lesson?”

  Bryan’s blue eyes lit up like fireworks. “Absolutely.”

  “Here you go, son” His dad pulled a small velvet bag out of his pocket. “You do the honors.”

&
nbsp; Bryan took the black pouch from his father, grinning ear-to-ear. Then he turned to me. “Have you ever heard of the sacred stones?”

  The flesh between my eyes bunched up. “Sacred stones? Can’t say that I have. Why?”

  His baby-blues darted toward me, then back to the bag. With a flourish, he pulled on the gold cord and slid a sparkling silver necklace into the palm of his hand. Gingerly, he turned it over.

  “Oh, my,” I gasped, stepping back. “It’s breathtaking.”

  And it really was. A large oval amethyst took center stage as three silver rings looped around the centerpiece dotted with rows of tiny amethysts. Even Abby and Brooke stood with their jaws hanging open, appropriately silent.

  “This is a piece of the Guardian Amethyst.” His face slackened in a look of awe as he slipped the necklace over my head. “It protects the Seer and helps them to harness their power. Since we’re in the training bunker, we have permission to show you how to use its powers.”

  “That’s a hot commodity, Lucy.” Abby’s gaze landed on the new piece of jewelry around my neck. “If it ever fell into Nexis hands, who knows how they would bend its power to their own will?”

  My hands couldn’t help but play with the shimmering stone around my neck. Glints of lavender and flecks of violet danced in the light.

  “You know, the Guardian Amethyst is only one of the sacred stones.” Brooke’s voice filtered in from somewhere beside me.

  I tore my gaze away from the purple stone. “What do you mean?”

  “All of the secret societies have a sacred stone. It’s what their whole society is built around.” Brooke’s eyes were wide as she stared at me.

  Abby elbowed her sister in the ribs. “Way to go, Brooke. Now she’s probably more confused than ever.”

  Brooke shrugged. “I just thought she should know.”

  “Does that mean Nexis and the Watchers both have an amethyst, too?” I could feel my face doing the bulldog scrunch, but I didn’t even care at this point. What else weren’t these people telling me? It seem like a never-ending carnival fun house of secrets being revealed at every turn. Except it wasn’t fun anymore.

  “No, silly,” Brooke shook her head, causing her blond bangs to swish in front of her glasses. “Nexis has the ruby, and the Watchers have the sapphire.”

  Boiiing. Her words rolled around in my brain like a loose marble. “Do they each have special powers or something?”

  Brooke nodded and Abby shook her head. Why did I get the feeling I didn’t want to know the answer to my own question?

  “The only stone you need to worry about is the Guardian amethyst. It will help you harness your powers.” Bryan’s fingers wrapped around my hand and I stilled, glancing up at him.

  “Excuse me?” Taking two steps back, I dropped his hand. “If the amethyst does that, what do the other sacred stones do?

  “My son is right.” From the back of the circle, Mark cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Don’t worry about them. Let’s focus on the amethyst, and how you can use it to help you.”

  “Okay,” I mumbled, frustration mounting behind my eyes. Clenching my teeth, I gulped down all my clever comebacks. I guess my sacred stone questions would have to wait.

  Mark crossed his arms over his chest and stared at me. “Tell me how you’ve summoned your guardian angel in the past.”

  “Say what?” I practically choked at the words, “guardian angel.” The necklace warmed against my chest. “I never thought of him that way, like a sweet little cherub or something.”

  Beside me, Brooke barely stifled a giggle.

  “Is that what you think we are too, sweet little cherubs?” A laugh rumbled from his chest. “Guardian just means protector, and this angel is your protector, right?”

  I bit my bottom lip, debating how much to divulge. At this point, they were probably way past thinking I was crazy. “That’s definitely how I would describe him. He’s strong, much more powerful than the idea of angels I always had in my head.”

  “Good.” He scratched his chin. “But you still haven’t answered my question. How did you summon him to protect you?”

  “Oh, that.” I studied my sneakers as the truth spilled out. “I don’t usually summon him. He just appears when I need him. Except that awful night . . .”

  “Lucy, I don’t want to make you relive something painful.” He placed a hand on my shoulder until I met his eyes. Kindness loomed large enough there to keep the memories at bay. “But this is part of your Seer training, learning how to summon your angel to do his job. To protect you. And others. The Guardian Amethyst only works with your natural process. So whenever you’re ready, I’d like to hear about that night and how you called the angel.” He dropped his hand and stood there, waiting.

  I couldn’t look at him and picture my angel. So I shut my eyes, focusing on the truly awe-inspiring moments of that night—how my golden-eyed angel came when I called, how he split that tree in two, freeing me with it. My heart leapt into my throat as I pictured the dazzlingly-but-deadly show of purple lightning that exploded all the demon shadows into fireballs.

  “I just remember being pinned against that giant tree. Then I prayed for God to send my angel. He came in an instant.” I opened my eyes to find Brooke and Abby by my side.

  Bryan just stared at me, lips parted in awe. Mirroring exactly how I felt on the inside.

  Mark’s face lit up like a roaring fire, eyes lifting toward Bryan. “We can work with that. Do you think you can try it again, the exact same way?”

  “I can try.” I shivered, feeling naked and bare with my insides scooped out and strewn all over the floor. Every Cooper in the room stared at me. Heat flashed up my neck.

  Instead of staring back at them, I mashed my eyelids closed and pictured those beautiful golden eyes. My angel, come to me now. Show yourself to me. I need to understand you.

  Bryan cleared his throat. “Out loud, sweetie. Say it out loud.”

  “Oh, okay.” Heat spread to my cheeks, but I refused to open my eyes even though I was sure they were still staring at me. “Please come, my angel. I need you here with me.”

  Silence blanketed the darkness hanging heavy behind my eyelids. Any embers of hope that I could summon my angel sank into a slush pile at my feet.

  “Nothing’s happening,” Brooke whispered.

  “Like you could see it anyway,” Bryan mumbled under his breath.

  “Right, ’cause I’m not gonna kiss her.”

  “Shut up,” Bryan hissed.

  “Quiet, both of you.” Mark’s voiced bellowed loud enough to silence their bickering. “If you two distract Lucy, I promise I’ll send you both to your rooms.”

  “Sorry, Lucy.” Bryan wrapped his hand around mine, but I kept my eyes shut.

  “Me, too,” Brooke murmured.

  “Try again, Lucy.” Mark’s tone softened around the edges. “This time, put both hands around the amethyst and concentrate. Really concentrate.”

  “Okay.” I squeezed the amethyst between both hands and waited. Thinking back to the one good part of that awful night, I wracked my mind for exactly what I’d asked for by the tree. Was it my imagination, or did the stone warm up a little? Maybe I was on the right track.

  An idea plopped into my brain, so I said it out loud. “God, will you please send Angel to help me. I need to see him. I need to understand.”

  Pfftttt…Air whooshed around me in a stormy blast, blowing my hair back. I snapped my eyes open.

  In a flash, Boom! there he was. The beautiful angel-man with eyes of gold, shimmering in lightning-white brilliance in front of me. So bright I couldn’t tell if he had wings or a white robe. He defined light itself—pure, sparkling, and mesmerizing with glints of rainbow colors, like diamond facets. I blinked, shielding my eyes from the whiteness, until my gaze landed on his golden eyes. They weren’t as blinding.

  He tilted his head at me as if to say, “What do you want?”

  “I just wanted to see you again.” My li
ps curved as my heart filled with so much peace I could barely remember why I called for him. “And to say thank you.”

  I tuned out the muffled gasps around me. The only thing that mattered right now was Angel. He was here, and I needed to know why I’d been given this gift. Why did the world need the Seer right now? Shielding my eyes, I focused on that golden head, shaking back and forth like I’d never understand.

  “But I want to understand. Why me? Why now?” I couldn’t tell if I’d spoken out loud or only in my head.

  The whiteness around him shifted a bit. Did my angel just shrug his heavenly shoulders?

  “You can’t tell me? Or I just won’t get it?” Were my lips even moving?

  The light wavered up and down, almost like a nod. Did that mean I couldn’t understand the infinite wisdom of heaven, or he wasn’t allowed to tell me? A bubble of frustration gurgled inside me, curling my fingers into fists.

  Mark’s voice filtered through the whiteness. “Ask him something.”

  A silly question burned into my thoughts. “What’s your name?”

  My angel didn’t move. Not going to answer that one.

  “Ask him to do something,” Bryan said.

  That small request pinged an odd note in my spirit. Angel wasn’t a dog who barked on command. He was so much more powerful than that. But there was one thing I wanted to see again.

  “Can you do the lightning sword thing again?”

  The diamond-shine ruffled around in an odd shape, almost like wings. My angel was laughing at me.

  “What? It was cool.” I tried not to laugh too, so I bit my lip instead. “How about something simple? Can you fly around the room?”

  He nodded, but the white diamonds didn’t move an inch.

  I threw my hands up. “C’mon, work with me here.”

  He shook his head, and the whiteness started to fade.

  “Wait! I need you.” I screamed, trying to reach for him. “Come back.”

  Slowly the white lightning rematerialized in front of me.

  “Thank you,” I breathed. “I don’t want to push you away, I just want to understand.”

  Okay, little one. The words formed in my head as the whiteness nodded. Pearlescent fingertips reached toward my temple. Just like he’d done the first time we met, in the hospital.