Page 29 of Catalyst

I froze, torn between fighting him and reminding him I could take care of myself. But… as I let his words wash over me for a moment longer, Kane’s insistence on babying me tothisdegree should have felt smothering, but it didn’t. Instead, he made me feelsafe.

I didn’twantto go to school. Actually, I didn’t even want to leave the apartment. I wanted to stay home with Jace and Kane. Their thoughts were always kind, but the same couldn’t be said for the rest of the world.

I was safe with them, cared for with them, I was… I wasn’t sure what I was, but I liked it. For the first time since Sulien died, I felt like I was with someone who wanted me for me–scratch thattwosomeones who liked me for me. It was like hitting the freaking lottery. Still, no matter how much they liked me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t good enough for them as is, especially if all I did was relax at home.

I knew they’d be okay with me lounging around the house for an extra day or two… how long would they be like that? How long would I be worthy of their love if I didn’t do something to deserve it? They’d eventually tire of me being a mess, even if their minds said something else.

And, if I didn’t push myself to be better, I’d never be enough for either, let alone both of them.

So, against both their protests, I went to school today. My first two classes went fine, but that was expected. The coursework in my gen-eds was so easy that I could do it in my sleep. Unfortunately, all my anxiety centered on the last class of my day: Wearable Combat Systems.

Not only was it a class with a high failure rate, but I missed getting my hero assignment yesterday. Everyone who got theirs had a full twenty-four-hour head start on working with their partner. That meant I’d officially fallen behind, which was a feeling I didn’t do well with.

To make matters worse, by the time I was actually ready to go to class, I could feel the fever from yesterday creeping back in. I was cold and dizzy, and my eyes burned with the weird, tingly need to close them. If it had been any other class, I would have gone home.

When I rounded the corner, Dr. Langford was waiting for me outside of the room. My heart did a nervous somersault and I not-so-casually checked the time on my phone. I was still about ten minutes early… What was she doing out here?

My steps slowed as I approached her. Lanford was about my height, maybe half an inch taller, but the way she carried herself made her feel larger than life. Just being in her presence reminded me of my childhood, and not in a good way.

“Calista… Feeling better?” Her icy eyes sliced through me as she spoke with the precision of a serial killer.

I swallowed hard and put on a brave face; it was one of the things I did best.

“Much.” I lied. “Sorry, I had uh… a one hundred and six degree fever.”

At least, I think that’s what Jace said.

Her eyes widened for just long enough to make me uncomfortable. But her thoughts said I’d just done the same to her.

“That is a…” Dr. Lanford cleared her throat before crossing her arms behind her back. “If you plan on missing class again, I need a doctor's note.”

“Yes ma’am… Hey, about the hero assignments.”

Dr. Langford’s gaze suddenly fell to the floor. This almost sheepish nature was odd for her, and something about that caused my pulse to skyrocket. The dizzy feeling worsened, and for a moment, I debated texting Jace.

“Your absence actually worked out… There was a scheduling conflict with one of the Aegis heroes.” She spoke slowly, and her mind was loud with how she didn’t want to do this to me.

That was the most comforting bit of information I’d ever gotten from Langford’s mind. Maybe my mom had talked to her about how they kicked me out last week. And, if that was the case, I’d probably be paired with my dad or Jack. Sure, I wasn’t exactly fond of the idea of seeing either of them, nor did I exactlywantto hear what they had to say to me… But; they were my family. And, part of me wanted to rub it in their faces that I was okay without them.

I wrapped my hands around the padded straps of my backpack as I shot her the most genuine smile I’d had all day.

“That’s fine… is it someone I know?” I asked hopefully.

Langford stiffened before meeting my gaze. “You know all the Aegis heroes.”

…If I were to point out her gross use of generalization, would it impress her or piss her off? Probably the second. But I knew how to keep my mouth shut when necessary.

“I’m actually glad you showed up a few minutes early.” She continued. “Your hero is waiting at your workstation.”

It had to be Jack. He probably wanted a few extra minutes to argue with me before the room filled up, but I could live with that. So, I pulled my shoulders back and stood a little taller before following Dr. Langford into the lab.

But… seated at my workbench wasn’t Jack. Actually… I wasn’t surewhowas at my desk.

The strange man had a headful of perfectly quaffed dark hair and eyes so dark they reminded me of coal. He was handsome, but in a way I didn’t trust. Once again, that nervous, dizzy feeling returned, but I fought it off. At least I didn’t have to worry about a stranger making fun of me, and he still worked for my family’s Hero Center. That meant that whatever we did could be reported back to my family.

I tried to act casual as I tossed my backpack onto the steel workbench. The heavy bag landed harder than expected, and a bang filled the room. I flinched at the sound, but that man seemed unphased.

The man looked up at me, then down to my stomach. I instinctively pulled my shirt away from my skin, hoping to make my bump less noticeable.

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