Inhibition

Chapter 10

When Cat woke up the next morning, she was not her usual cheery self. She’d been thrown by the earthquake last night and the fact that people could have seriously been hurt. Some probably were.

Cat was also worried about the feelings she kept getting. They were freakily accurate and it was starting to disconcert the hell out of her. She wasn’t one to go all New Age hippie on herself, but she could feel the psychic powers building.

Sadly, she wasn’t the only one unnerved by her powers. She remembered how everyone had stared, even the adults that were supposed to be helping, at the aftermath of her powers. And they just kept getting stronger and stronger.

But the worst thing was the nagging suspicion that the earthquake the night before wasn’t an isolated incident. It truly made her realize just how cut off she was from the rest of the world. Ever since she had left behind her parents and home town, she had not heard one single word of the outside world.

Even on break, when she had gone and stayed with Finley’s family, she hadn’t heard anything. She had gone exploring a village that was already remote and cut off from the outside world. This was probably a good thing, since that area was home to the seven families that ruled over all the magic users. It was better that people were oblivious to where it was, those that lived outside of the town, and those that lived in it as well. It was a safety net for the people who lived there.

Now, though, Cat needed that information. Needed that connection to the outside world. For all she knew, the entire world could have ended, and she would still be stuck at the Academy twiddling her thumbs and learning the basics of magic.

Cat padded into the kitchen, her bare feet silent on the dorm floors. Finley was already there, which wasn’t surprising. Finley rose early and went to bed early. She most likely hadn’t been there last night, and even if she had, she wouldn’t have still been there when the earthquake had occurred. As a result, she looked much better rested than Cat felt, and probably looked too.

Headmaster Sharpe had also canceled school for the day, a risk since he had already shortened school the previous day, but a calculated one. People would be hurting after this, shocked. They most likely wouldn’t have gone to school anyways. If they had, the results would have been bad. Emotion-wrought teens with the powers to level mountains? Thanks, but no thanks.

So he’d made a good decision. That didn’t mean Cat had to like, or even respect the man. Actually, she kind of hated him more now that she knew their esteemed Headmaster knew how to manipulate people. You know, because she had no reason to be suspicious, after the previous Headmaster had led a cult and murdered her best friend, after kidnapping her and knocking Cat out. Yeah, no reason at all.

Finley’s head jerked up at her entrance, even before Cat opened her mouth.

“I need some information.” Cat took a deep breath and exhaled before continuing. “About the outside world.”

Finley’s expression was blank as Cat waited for a response.

“Okay.” She nodded as she answered, then went back to her coffee.

“Okay? That’s your answer?” Cat didn’t know whether to be confused or exasperated. Seeing how awkward this conversation was, Cat was leaning towards exasperated.

“Yes, okay. I know where you need to go and I’ll take you there.” She turned away and muttered under her breath. “Just let me finish my dang coffee.”

Cat let her be and went to get dressed. In a tight blue tank top, and comfortable jeans, Cat was ready to go. Finley had already been dressed before their conversation, and when Cat emerged still hopping around trying to tug on her shiny new combat boots, her coffee was finished as well.

After another awkward silence, Finley led her out of their dorm and into the elevator. Finley, never chatty in the best of times, was downright mute. The only sound in the elevator was the sound of their combined breathing and the tension level was ratcheting higher with every breath.

The only word Finley had spoken was when they had gotten on. She’d merely said, “Down.” And then she went quiet. With a silent prayer that the elevator actually went done, and didn’t screw with them like it usually did, Cat settled down to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

And wait just a little bit more.

All the while the elevator was going down, and faster than normal too. Cat could sense with her magic what she couldn’t physically feel with her body. Wherever they were going, it was deep under the earth. The thought made Cat fell just an itsy bit uncomfortable. The only entrances were elevators that could break, into a place too far down for their screams for help to be heard. Now that’s a comforting thought.

After a bit more of a wait, Cat got bored.

“Are we there yet?”

“No.”

Pause.

“Are we there yet now?”

“No.”

Pause.

“Are we there now?”

“No.”

Pause.

“How ‘bout now?”

“No.”

Longer pause.

“And what abo-”

“Finish that sentence, and you die.”

Cat went quiet after that, and silence reigned supreme.