Chapter 143

• I watch the ripples through the trees and foliage move in satisfying patterns with every turn and twist of my hand, sighing loudly that it’s become this easy, so second nature, and doesn’t thrill me as it did at the beginning of honing my gifts. The downside to having them is the ability to feel others’ emotions beyond Colton. Whether I want to or not, that, too, has been heightened in the past few months, so I must constantly dampen it down. I hate feeling what anyone near me feels, just from being within ten feet. Unlike when Colton and I share moods and emotions, it feels more invasive somehow, but it helps me deal with my people. Feeling when they are hurt, sad, or afraid, I can put them at ease or help in some small way. It’s like being psychic, in a way.
• “Who knew you would turn out to be this gifted?” The familiar snooty female voice behind me startles out of my absentminded manipulation of the trees. I turn in surprise, bristling slightly to face Carmen as she stands behind me. Her hands are on her hip as she stares at the forest over my head and seems almost impressed for a moment. I was so engrossed and homed in on what I was doing that I neither felt nor sensed her, which I guess is not good. I tune in on her and sense her tension, locking my eye on her pale blues as she hesitates and looks away submissively.
• The tables are turned, and I am no longer fading in her shadow. I experience a ripple of satisfaction and a small glow of smugness that she has learned who not to mess with at least in six months. I’m a force to reckon with.