Chapter 10 - Kaleb
I shut the door and kicked off my shoes. I sighed, “Nora, I’m home.” There was no response. I glanced into the living room, finding it empty. So, I headed toward the kitchen and found it empty as well. The house was quiet, even though no one was home.
“Nora?”
I did another look around and scowled. I figured she would be home by now. She didn’t seem like the type to stay out late. I grabbed my phone, planning to give her a call, when my phone started to ring. Brandon’s name popped up.
I answered it and sighed. “Yes, Brandon?”
“We need you down at the training base.”
I scowled. “It’s like eight at night, Brandon. Can’t we torture people during normal hours?”
“It’s Nora.”
Those two words stopped my heart from beating, and I quickly hung up without letting him say more. I grabbed my keys, yanked my shoes back on, and ran out the door. I drove across town to the training base we had.
I parked the car and ran. Brandon stood with his arms crossed and his back to me. I could see Jade and Nora in front of him, looking sick. Nora was pacing back and forth, and Jade was following her, saying something. No one looked hurt.
I was panting by the time I got to them. “What’s going on? Nora, are you okay?”
Brandon turned and stopped next to him, looking at all of them, confused. Brandon looked calm, though, which I didn’t understand. “What happened? What’s going on?”
“Nothing bad,” Jade offered. “Well, yet.” She looked at Nora, who was still pacing. She chewed on her lip as she moved back and forth like she was zoned out now.
“What are you talking about?”
“Nora and I were at the park with Ilsa when I felt the darkness again. It was a good distance away. Brandon sent Asher and Westley to look into it.”
My stomach dipped at this. “Was a hybrid near? Did something happen?” The thought of Ilsa seeing something terrified me. I knew that Jade was able to handle herself, but she was still new to magic and worked best when she didn’t have distractions.
Jade shook her head. “No, we’re fine. They didn’t find anything out there.”
“Then why do you all look like this?” I waved my hands. “If nothing is wrong, why the long expressions?”
Nora finally stopped pacing and looked at me. “It would…they think…I…I apparently have magic.”
I blinked. I soaked in her words and stared at her. I looked at Jade, who nodded. “She was getting the same feeling I was, which means she has magic. We’ve been trying to pull it out, but have been unsuccessful.”
“If that were true and I really did have magic, why don’t I feel anything now? Why can’t you sense any in me?” Nora asked, looking frustrated at Jade. “I feel nothing. Nada. Whatever I felt before must have been in my head.”
“Because it’s new,” Jade offered, giving Nora a tight smile. “Once you get used to it, you’ll feel it more. It takes time.”
Nora ran a hand over her face, looking tired. I looked between them. “So, you have magic. Is that what I’m hearing?”
“That’s what they believe,” Nora said, looking doubtful. “I don’t agree.”
Jade moved closer to Nora. “Let them at least try to pull it out again. You keep giving up before I even get a hold on you.”
“I’m tired of trying,” Nora said, throwing her hands up. “I just want to be done.”
I could see that Jade looked hurt at those words. I cleared my throat. “How about we try again in the morning?” The tension was high, and the more Jade pressed with Nora, the more frustrated she was going to get.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Brandon added, with a nod. “It’s late, and everyone is tired.”
Jade clearly didn’t want to agree, but nodded her head. “Okay. We can try again in the morning.” She tilted her head as she watched Nora. “Right?” Nora rubbed her over her arms, refusing to look at us. But she nodded.
When I got up the following morning, I went to the training ground. I found Jade and Nora standing in the sandpit a few yards from the parking lot. Brandon was standing near the edge of the parking lot, leaning against his car. His arms were crossed as he watched.
“How’s it going?” I asked as I leaned next to him.
Brandon shrugged. “She was easier to convince to train than this.” Brandon shook his head. “Jade and her got into it on the drive here.”
Even standing this far away, you could feel the tension between them. It was rare that Nora and Jade fought; I wasn’t even sure if we could consider this one.
“What’s the deal?”
“Jade doesn’t sense anything in her. When she tried pulling it out last night, nothing happened. Nora doesn’t think she has any.”
We watched as Jade pulled her magic out, fire wrapping around her fingers in a dance. She then threw it at Nora. Nora threw her hands up, and I jumped, ready to start yelling, but then it disappeared.
Brandon even pushed up. “What just happened?”‘
Nora looked at her hands in wonder. Jade’s mouth dropped open in shock.
“She blocked it. She wouldn’t have been able to do that if she didn’t have magic.”
Jade threw her hands up in a cheer, and I could hear it all the way over here. I couldn’t help but smile, knowing there was no way to deny that.
Over the next week, Nora and Jade trained together. I would ask Nora about it at the end of the day. She still couldn’t pull out any magic, but she could block Jade’s. She still didn’t feel anything like she had before, and while she was able to agree she might have magic, she couldn’t use it.
On Friday, I decided to stop and watch. Nora and Jade were in the sandpit, holding a fighting stance. Jade threw a fireball at her, and Nora dodged it. I watched them go after each other, using the hand-to-hand combat they had been trained in.
I couldn’t help but be amazed at how well they danced around each other. Even if Jade was using magic, Nora was holding up well. She dodged each attack, able to stay strong.
I could see she was determined to prove a point, the same determination she had when we started training. I know Nora and Jade only joined because they were forced to, but I also saw the way they both lit up during it. After they learned proper technique, they were stunning to watch.
I watched Jade throw her elbow back, smacking Nora in the face. The sound echoed for a moment as Nora tumbled back, landing on her ass. I couldn’t help but smile seeing how far they had come.
I clapped, getting both of their attention. They were panting, covered in sweat, as they looked at me. “You guys look great.”
Jade wiped at her forehead. “We’re equal, but I still have the upper hand with my magic.”
Nora looked frustrated as she got up, rubbing at her cheek that was a little red now. “I’m getting better.”
“Still unable to pull it out?” I asked, looking between them.
Jade nodded. “Yeah. We’re thinking of having Chelsey or Marie see if they can get it out since I’m still pretty new myself.”
Just then, the sound of a phone going off made all of us pause. Jade turned around, looking at her bag. She pulled it up and scowled. “Shit, is it already nine? I’m late for my meeting with them.” She looked at Nora. “Do you want to join me?”
Nora shook her head. “No, I’m going to keep practicing.”
Jade gave her a nod as she pulled her bag up. “Okay, same time tomorrow.”
Nora nodded, and Jade hurried off. I watched Nora’s face fall as Jade walked away.
“You look unhappy.”
Her eyes snapped to me. “Because I am. We’ve been doing this for a week, and nothing has changed. I don’t feel anything.”
“It doesn’t happen overnight.”
“Easy for you to say, you can shift. I’m a witch that can’t use magic. We aren’t struggling with the same thing.”
I hated how she compared herself. Everyone was different, and I wanted her to know that. I threw my bag down. “Alright, let’s see what you have.”
Her eyebrows went up. “Excuse me?”
“I want to see where you’re at.” I moved into the sandpit and pulled my hands up, taking my fighting stance. She looked at me like I was nuts.
“I’m not sparring with you.”
“Why not? Afraid I might help?”
She ground her teeth together. “How can you help me get my magic out?”
“That I can’t, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help in other areas.” I moved, swiping my leg underneath hers. Nora jumped just in time, looking at me with angry eyes.
“I just said, I wasn’t sparring with you!” she yelled, her hands curling into tight fists.
I swiped my leg again, and this time, it pissed her off.
She ran at me, throwing her arm up to punch.
I dodged as she missed. She turned around, looking at me, frustrated.
Her eyes narrowed on me, and her shoulders rolled back.
Her back straightened as she suddenly took a calmer stance, ready to attack.
“We learn at a young age that your mind and your body have to be in agreement. If they fight each other, it won’t happen. You’re probably stopping yourself from success. You need to learn to set that aside, to calm your mind and just let your body do what it needs.”
Nora charged, throwing her arm up to hit me. I grabbed her arm, turning her, and pulled her against me.
She threw her elbow back, landing it in my gut.
I felt the impact but quickly grabbed her elbow, pressing her further back.
I could feel she was panting, her muscles shaking.
It was clear she wasn’t prepared for my strength.
“Are you saying my mind and body aren’t agreeing?
That I’ve been stopping myself from being able to use magic this entire time? ”
“No, but you could be stopping it now,” I said, simply. “Relax and stop worrying about. Just let whatever happens happen.”
Her other arm flew back, her elbow connecting with my cheek. I winced at the contact. I let go, and she turned around, shoving her knee up into my gut. I wrapped my arms around her, tackling her to the ground. We both landed hard, knocking the air out of us.
“Do not tell me to relax!” she snarled, kicking her legs at me.
I caught them, twisting her around and pinning her to the ground.
She bucked up, and I tightened my hold on her.
The position was close and intimate. My body was pressed tightly against hers, and I watched sweat roll down her neck over her chest.
“I’m just saying, if you worry about it so much, you could be blocking your own ability.”
She moved her leg up, her knee connecting straight into my groin. The pain radiated up my entire body, and I lost hold of her. She slipped free as I curled into a fetal position.
“Fuck, really, Nora?” I grunted, taking a deep breath in. “That was a cheap shot.”
“You don’t understand what this feels like,” she snapped, practically screaming. “Don’t tell me to relax. Don’t tell me that I just need to let my body do what it needs. You have no idea what this is like.”
I took a deep breath, trying to push through the pain. I slowly uncurled and looked at her. I thought of all the times I felt anger like her, questioned why things weren’t going right. “I was a late shifter. I shifted last in my class, and believe me when I say I understand.”
Her face dropped, and her shoulders sank. She suddenly looked lost. “What?”
I slowly sat up and sighed.“Nora, I’m not saying this all to be an ass.
I’m saying it because it’s true. If you worry so much, you can quite literally block your ability to grow.
” I leaned forward, my balls and dick pulsing in pain.
“I had someone help me for months because I couldn’t shift.
No matter what I did, I was the same person. ”
Her shoulders dropped. “I didn’t realize you were a late shifter.”
I looked at her. “Yes, so trust me when I say I understand being frustrated and knowing your body isn’t doing what you want it to.” I inhaled slowly and pulled myself up. “You have to give it time. This isn’t going to just happen overnight, Nora.”