21

Someone was pounding on my door, and I heard the cot on the ground beside my bed get moved, and put into my closet. I stood up and grabbed a robe, and put on my slippers, so it would make sense what took me so long.

I walked over and jerked the door open to glare at whoever decided to wake me up, "Hello Angela, I just thought I'd stop by and tell you that I'm stealing Jackson to join me on some business out of town." He leaned down, "We'll just be an hour or two away, and it's going to be a week. So you'll be training alone with Alton. Also I want you to start practicing with your powers."

He turned around and walked away. I didn't have anything to say to him, after we found and saved Donavon, who had been hiding in my room, thankfully to my fridge he never had to leave, and there was always surveillance on my room now. I slammed my door shut, alerting Donavon that is was safe to move again.

My closet door opened, and Donavon wobbled out, it had been about a week since we saved him, but he was just starting to walk by himself, "What did your dad say I didn't hear all of it."

I shrugged, and dropped my robe, slipping off my slippers, standing in a cute t-shirt that covered down to my thighs, "He's taking Jackson on a trip, and I'm stuck training with Alton, whose going to get me to use my powers apparently."

He pulled the cot back out, and sat on it, "Why is he bringing Jackson with?"

"I don't know I didn't ask, but I'm sure Jackson can hold his own, so he'll be safe."

Donavon didn't have a shirt on, so I could see the gauze wrapped around his ribs, I walked over, and started undoing it, "What are you doing?"

"We forgot to change it before we went to bed."

He nodded, and helped me unwrap it, I grabbed the stuff to redo it, but he stopped my hands, "You know, I can do this myself. Right?"

I smiled, "Yes I know, but it's easier when someone else does it."

"Yeah."

I placed the gauze over the cut, and wrapped the stuff around his chest. Sadly I still didn't know what it was called, but I knew how to use it. I'd finished wrapping it around him, and tucked it under itself, but I just stayed right there looking at my work. It wasn't as neat as Lorena's, but it would work for now, and it was neater then his is.

Donavon touched my cheek, "It's not your fault."

I stood up, and tried to force a smile, but failed, "Not my fault exactly at least, if I hadn't followed Jackson, I never would have met you, and then Alton would have me here with just him, Bianca, Sophie, and Garrett. Your mom wouldn't be dead, and you'd both be safely hiding out with my mom."

He looked at me for a few minutes, and we just stayed there, "It's not your fault, I followed you, after your mom told me to stay. I know you weren't there, but she begged me not to go, it would be dangerous, she told me over and over again, but I still went."

I walked over to my bed and sat down, "But see it is my fault, you followed me, because you liked me. You'd be safe if you'd never met me. And you can't tell me anything else. But you getting stabbed isn't exactly my fault, but you left safety for me. So please just stay here until we leave."

He nodded, "I will."

I yawned, "Thank you, but I'm going to bed now."

"Okay goodnight."

My dreams weren't just dreams they were nightmares, I had my full powers, and in this dream, I killed everyone I cared about even in the slightest. I set the whole world on fire, only letting a few select people stay alive, and just like with every other dream, I'd kill myself in the end, by stabbing a giant icicle through my heart. I'd learned right away how to keep myself calm during my dreams, so that I didn't wake Donavon up, but when I saw him burning alive in my dream, that was hard to stay calm.

I sat up and looked over at him, and he was peacefully asleep. I wondered what he could do, I mean all I'd heard was the Miriph's could control people, but he can't, and I don't understand why not. I pulled my legs up to my chest, and looked at him, then at my clock. Lorena will be here soon, then I can go for my run.

Right as I thought that there was a knock on my door, and she walked in, "Oh, I hope I didn't wake you up."

"No, I've been awake for a few minutes." I stood up, and grabbed my running clothes, "I'm going to take off for a run now."

She walked up behind me, "You should give a date with Jackson another try."

I finished getting dressed, "I can't, he's out of town for about a week."

"Oh, that's right, Debbie said something about us needing to make sure we clean everywhere in his room and the King's room too." She walked to the bathroom, ready to start cleaning, "Did they go together?"

"Yep."

"Aren't you worried?"

"A little, but I know he can protect himself."

"Okay, well have fun, I'll be here until you and Bianca come back to study."

"Okay, and see you later." I stepped out the door, and looked back at her, "But I'll see about after he comes back."

I walked to the gym, but Bianca wasn't waiting like she usually was, today there was only Alton. I remembered my dad saying that I had to practice with my powers, and I was training with Alton from now on. I walked in, and set my stuff down.

Alton walked up behind me, "Okay, your dad said no running anymore, we have to focus on your powers."

I turned towards him, "My dad is gone, and I don't want to practice with my powers ever again.”

“God, you're busting my balls here. If your dad finds out I don't make you practice with your powers, well I'll be the one going on out of town business with him-"

“What is this out of town business?”

He looked away, “I really shouldn't tell you.”

I glared at him, “Alton, if Jackson is in danger, I want to know.”

He rolled his shoulders, “It's his own fault for saving Donavon. Your dad doesn't want him to reproduce.”

“Yeah, I got that much, and I understand why, but who tried to kill him, and why?”

“You really are dense.” He walked over to a weight bench, “Fine, run.”

I started stretching, and watched him, “You know, you should run more often, you may look like you're fit, but neither you nor Jackson could keep up with me on foot.”

He guffawed at me, “You're kidding, right?” He stood up and walked over to me, “I could beat you at a sprint race any-”

“Not a sprint race, a regular running race. But you still couldn't beat me at sprinting either.”

I bent down and touched the ground flat palmed, and I couldn't really see him, but I knew he was standing behind me, so I straightened back up. He leaned in over my shoulder, “Let's see about that.”

I elbowed him away from me, “Well then, find someone to start the race.”

“Not needed.” He pulled out his phone, and it started counting down, “We're stopping at the corner up there.”

I rolled my eyes, “That isn't very far at all.”

“So, it's a start.”

It was getting close now, so we both got ready side by side, and the buzzer on his phone went off. We both took off, I got a good head start, but he quickly caught up, only to slip because his shoes weren't made for running like mine. I slammed my hands onto the corner, and turned around, only to find him putting his arms on either side of my head.

“Okay, so maybe you can run better, but I'm bigger, stronger, and I can use my powers at will, we don't even know if you can use yours.”

I ducked out under his arm, “Well, I'm smaller more flexible, harder to catch, and I don't want to use my powers.”

I turned and started jogging away, and he threw an icicle a few feet away from my head, melting it before it hit anything, “Well, I guess we'll have to see how well you can dodge ice then, or maybe you'll have to throw one right back.”

I stood my ground and watched him watch me, he started forming another icicle, and launched it just slightly closer to me. I didn't even flinch, I was used to people throwing things at me, my mom has always hated me, now however I know why, and that makes me hate her even more. He throws another icicle to the other side of my head, even closer.

He makes another one and throws this one close enough that I feel the breeze above my shoulder, “Come on Angela, why aren't you freaking out?”

“I have my reasons.” And I had metal knives thrown at me when I was 12, I'm pretty used to this by now.

He grunts and throws a giant ice ball at the ground, throwing a fit, “This isn't fair, everyone else would be telling me to stop. What is wrong with you.”

I looked at my nails, “I already told you, I have my reasons.”

He stomped over, grabbed my hand, and forced me to look at him, “You're not even the slightest bit scared.” It was more of a statement, but I answered anyways.

“Nope, I'm not.”

He dropped my hand, and walked away, “Fine run.”

“I thought you were going to run with me?”

He punched the punching bag twice before answering, “I don't feel like it.”

“What ever suit yourself.”

I started my run around the room, and noticed that he kept watching me. I was half way around on my last lap when Garrett came in. He walked over to Alton, and whispered something in his ear that made him go pale and just stare at me.

“Angela, looks like we're done working out for now. Also we're skipping breakfast.”

I finished my lap and walked over to them, “What's going on?”

Garrett smirked at me, “Bianca and Sophie found something about you in one of the books.”

“Me?” Now I was confused, was I prophecy or something.

Alton pushed him, “Not you, but others like you.”

“Oh, okay let's go.” I grabbed my bag, and walked out the door, heading to the library.

Garrett and Alton were following a little ways behind me, whispering back and forth with each other, I was curious, but I wanted to know about myself, and right now learning about the past was a good place to start. I walked into the library, and like usual it was deserted, except a small table in the back.

I walked back there and Bianca called out, loud enough for the librarian to shush her, “Angela, hurry up you have to see this!”

I jogged the last 5 or so steps there, and leaned over the book they were looking at, “Okay, what do I have to see?”

Sophie wiggled a little bit, “I think it would be quicker if we explained it.”

“Whatever you say, shoot, I'm all ears.” I sat down in a chair across from them.

Sophie took a deep breath, “You're not the first person to have both powers. As a matter of fact there's been hundreds of cases actually, all female.”

Bianca jumped in here, “Lots of people tried to fuse the powers in their children, but only a few females got it, no males. If a male was born with both powers he would die before the age of 1, but more often then not he'd be born with 1 of 3 things.”

“Either fire or ice.”

“No powers.”

“Or a Miriph.”

Sophie leaned on the table and pointed at me, “Some females ended up as Miriph's too, but lucky for you, you didn't.”

Garrett walked over, “Have you gotten to the good part yet.”

Sophie made googly eyes up at him, “Not yet, but Bianca's just getting started.”

Bianca made a disgusted face, “Most of the females that got both powers had their powers locked by the age of 5. There's only two documented cases where they didn't have them locked.”

The library door banged open, and Donavon came hobbling in, “Deborah stopped by and said everyone was here, talking about how the Miriph's were created.” He stopped next to me, “I want to know.”

Garrett scoffed, “Oh, wow, you would show up.”

Sophie smacked his arm, “Well, we'll have to go back a long ways to explain it.”

Donavon sat down beside me, “That's fine.”