“Got it, I won’t use any,” Toby says, pulling Alexander along with him.
Once they are out of earshot Zavy speaks first, “So what kind of gift do you have?”
At first, I’m confused by the question. Only I know that I am a Force Lifter. “Excuse me?” I ask, trying to get some understanding out of this.
“Oh come on Adaline. Your father left you, your mother and younger brother are dead, King Renon knows you have no one left. The fact that you can cause him to put a search group together means you have to be of some use to him. No offense, but you don’t have all that much to offer on your own.” Zavy laughs like this is some sort of joke.
“Wait what? I don’t understand. That would mean Alexander would have the gift too. I mean, they’re after both of us,” I stumble over my words, trying to keep my secret as long as I can.
“Well, maybe. I think the fact that one of his own guards betrayed him would be enough reason to find him. But, I want to know what gift it is that you have,” she says as she stares at me, her light green eyes pleading for an answer.
I feel sweat begin to bead up on my forehead. I knew I shouldn’t have been so quick to follow her back here. While Zavy and I were friends I have a keen memory that she never did anything that she didn’t think would benefit her. “I don’t have a gift Zavy,” I say very flatly.
“I have one,” Zavy offers and she catches the curious light flicker in my eyes. “I’ll tell you if you tell me.”
I weigh the decision in my head. I do want to know what gift she has. I need to understand who I am working with. I know that if we stand a chance at staying hidden from Paylon and his search group we’re going to have to work together. “Ok, fine. So I’m a Force Lifter. I mean that’s what my mother had called it. She said I have an enhanced sense of sight,” I mumble, upset that I’m not the only one who knows anymore.
“Yeah I know what a Force Lifter is, but I don’t believe you. That’s one of the most powerful gifts,” she says as she turns and points up into the trees. “Ok, if you’re a Force Lifter build us our shelter. I can tell you’re just dying to use your gift out here.” She smiles as she looks back at me, her eyes full of excitement.
I look at her and then to the trees that surround us. “Zavy, I don’t,” I pause, not wanting to admit that I don’t even know how to use it.
“You don’t know how to use it do you?” Zavy asks me, her eyes wide.
“I just found out yesterday. My mother told me right before they took her. She said she was a Future Holder,” I explain to her.
Zavy shrugs her shoulders and says, “Well then show me what you can do. I won’t judge.”
I look back up into the trees and try to picture the branch snapping off and falling to the ground. The branches begin to shake and pine needles start to rustle and fall to the ground. I pause and take a breath as the forest falls still.
“Let me try again,” I say. I hold my breath and squeeze my hands into fists. I stare at the branches above, focusing on snapping them. I hear a small crack and exhale, adrenaline rushing through me. “Did you hear that?” I say and turn to Zavy.
“Wow, you cracked a branch,” Zavy says, rolling her eyes. “Are you going to drop some or do I need to go up there and do it myself?”
I flip my head and look back at the trees. More small cracks click through the canopy of branches above until some of them start to fall to the ground.
“There you go!” Zavy says. I keep breaking branches until there are tons of them scattered around us. “That should be enough. Do you think you can form them into a shelter for us?”
I look from Zavy to the branches. “Absolutely, not. I didn’t think it’d be that hard to use. I can control it better when I get my adrenaline going. I can’t just turn it on though.”
“You’ll figure it out, don’t worry,” Zavy says, brushing me off.
“What about your gift?” I say, stopping her from turning away from me.
“I’m a Communicator,” she says simply and tries to pull herself from my grasp.
“What does that mean?” I ask her and she laughs.
“You must not have paid very much attention to Ms. White’s lecture,” Zavy says, referencing our school teacher.
“That was seven years ago,” I say defensively but she cuts me off.
“I have an enhanced sense of hearing. I can communicate with people and animals.” Before I can ask her any more questions or have her show me she pulls from my grasp. She goes and starts to collect the branches and looks back at me. “Well come on, are you going to help or just stare at me?” I start to walk around and pick up branches. We begin to form a pile in the center of the clearing. On my next trip out I head to the far edge and scoop
