Page 12 of Visions & Shadows

“Hey,” I mutter, sticking to the way they like to talk on Earth.

“Aren’t you going to introduce yourself?” Robert asks.

“Ryan Jackson,” I reply, my tone brisk.

Giving them a chin lift, I continue to walk toward my truck.

“Don’t you want to hang with us?” Megan calls out.

“No.” Not sparing them another second of my precious time, I open the driver’s side door and climb in behind the steering wheel.

“Did he just do that?” I hear Megan gasp.

“His loss, baby,” Robert mutters.

When I glance at them, I see Robert’s features tighten with an arrogant look, anger simmering in his eyes as if he thinks he actually stands a chance against me.

I almost let out a chuckle. I haven’t lived over two hundred years to be bothered by a bunch of teenagers. I have much bigger worries.

Like finding a way to get Alchera to feel comfortable with me so I can take her home before her visions of the chosen ones start.

Steering my truck away from school, I quickly forget about Robert and his friends, and my thoughts turn to my charge, who gave me the cold shoulder today. At first, I thought I was making progress, but she suddenly changed toward me, and I’m not sure why.

I know she likes to spend most of her free time by the waterfall, but I can’t just show up because it will look creepy.

I stop by a diner and order a burger and fries to go, which I eat in my truck. Once I’m done with the way too greasy meal, I start the engine again.

My thoughts revolve around Alchera during the drive out of town, and I come to the conclusion that I’ll have to win her friendship before approaching her about going home.

Home. I’ve only been on Earth three days, and I’m ready to return to Vaalbara.

Everything is different here. The fast pace. The processed food. The filthy air. The people who don’t give a shit about each other. The list is endlessly long.

Everyone keeps staring at their phones and hardly pays attention to what’s happening around them.

To make matters worse, I’m staying at a motel just on the outskirts of the town. It’s flea-infested and makes me long for my own house every time I enter the room.

Why was Alchera angry with me today?

Once again, the thought pops into my head as I turn up a road, and I’m tempted to enter her mind for the answer.

During all the years I’ve trained with my father, I’ve learned a lot. He taught me how to fight. How to not invade my charge’s privacy by intruding on her thoughts, but to focus more on her feelings. Only when I sense distress from her, is it acceptable to enter her mind.

It's the only reason I didn’t listen in on her thoughts when she toldme to leave her alone.

Fuck, it would make everything so much easier, though.

No. She might feel you in her mind, and it will freak her out.

Now that I’m here on Earth with Alchera, it’s clear as daylight she’s far from happy. Not once have I seen her smile, and she doesn’t interact much with any of the other students.

I actually get the feeling she’s hiding, trying to blend in with her surroundings.

It doesn’t sit well with me. It makes me want to wrap my arms around Alchera so she’ll feel safe, but I’m pretty sure she’ll lose her shit if I try that right now.

I let out a sigh as I turn the truck up another road, and ahead, I see Alchera duck into some bushes.

Shaking my head, I drive past her before turning onto a dirt road. I park the truck behind two large trees, and climbing out, I jog back toward the trail Alchera takes to get to the waterfall.

---