Page 11 of The Fallen

?She shook her head up and down, her hands still covering her mouth. She eased back on her bed, chest heaving. She was trying her best to calm down.

?Once again, he felt like he was doing too much, too soon. How was he ever going to get her to come with him if she didn't want to be apart of this craziness? He wasn't doing a good job of selling the dream.

?He inched closer. Surprisingly, Marie didn't flinch. Her eyes were wide, but she didn't budge. He sat down on the bed next to her and waited. He was already fast tracking her, though at that moment, he didn't want to rush.

?“You don't do that often, do you?” she finally spoke.

?Brenton looked away. It wasn't in his nature to blatantly lie. Sure, a few jokes and overly produced antics, but flat out lying was a no-no. If angels could blush, he probably would be a bright red. He was relieved his body didn't betray him.

?“You know what, I don't want to know,” Marie said. “What's going on?”

?He dove right in, trying to forget the awkwardness that just took place. He didn't know why he was so nervous; to the point of shaking. That had never happened to him before. “Remember when we were wondering if one of your parents was a descendant?”

?She nodded and he blew out a long, deep breath.

? “Well, I believe your mom is,” he said.

?“My mom? How can you be so sure?”

?“I feel her aura. Don't you? I mean, I know you're new at this, but if you could feel mine then you should sense her's, too. She is blocking right now, but I know what she is. She is definitely an Elyos,” he said matter-of-factly. “She has to be really skilled to be able to keep that block up all the time. It takes constant concentration to be able to do that.”

?“But if she was, then why wouldn't she tell me about it?” Marie was confused.

?“I don't know, but we need to talk to her and find out.”

?Marie looked him over. Her eyebrows were creased and he could tell she was biting the inside of her mouth; something he found himself doing often.

?He was amazed by how much they were alike. Even the birthmark on the side of her head was exactly like his. He knew it would be, that was how it was supposed to be. But just the thought of being able to reach out and touch her made him feel giddy. He had been searching for her for a very long time. Now, he couldn't stop gaping at her; thankful he finally found her, neutral or not.

?“What are you not telling me?” she asked.

? He didn't quite know how this twin thing worked, being that he had no use for it all these years, but he didn't want her to know what he was thinking. He wasn't ready for her to know his sappy side yet.

?Before he could try to explain, her mom burst through the door with a scowl on her face.

?“Brenton, I presume,” she said and slammed the door behind her.

Chapter Eight

Marie's mom was seven shades of pissed. Her anger hit Brenton in waves and he tried his best not to collapse from the pressure that was building in his head. He had never encountered anyone with this type of power. She concentrated on him and it felt like she was peeling him, layer by layer. His strength was failing him.

?“Mom, stop!” Marie yelled, standing between Brenton and her mom.

?Marie's mom snapped back and her shoulders slumped. She backed up and leaned against the dresser, trying to hold herself up. Smoke started to circulate around the dresser. She snatched her hand away and in it's place was a burned imprint of her hand.

?Brenton sat up on the bed and watched as Marie made her way over to her mom. The confused look on Marie's face was the breaking point for her; she broke down and sobbed uncontrollably.

?Marie touched the hand print on her dresser. She was glued to that same spot, her face calculating. Brenton tried to stand, but his legs gave way and he hit the floor. The pressure in his head still hadn't subsided.

?Marie's mom stopped crying and gazed at him. Brenton saw the anguish in her eyes. He could feel it more than anything. She was mad at herself for being hostile toward him and not controlling herself better. She let down her guard and he could tell she was trying to show him something.

?Brenton meditated on seeing past her wall. At first, images flashed by quickly. He tried to isolate each one, but he was still too weak. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

? “I'm sorry. It's been a while since I've done this,” she said in his mind. He tried again and this time he could see clearly.

?She showed him Marie as a newborn and how she lie awake at night pining over her. The next image was Marie levitating over her crib pointing at things in the room and those things flying to her as if by command. Another memory went by and he could feel her pain bleeding through the vision. It was Marie lying in her crib, flames encasing her.

?“She was barely a month old. It was hard enough keeping this from her dad, but if anyone else knew what she was...” she trailed off, but Brenton didn't need her to finish the thought. He understood.

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