Gifted Ones

Chapter 21 Haven

The wind blows through my hair, whipping it around me like a whirlwind. We just flew in from the city and landed right beside the rocks, because we can't risk any humans calling the police on us for trespassing or we'll start a scene. I stare at the field that surrounds the legendary Stonehenge, taking in the immaculate grass and mammoth stone slabs. The remaining structures are set up like archways, with vertical stones as bases and horizontal ones across the top. Fallen pieces of gray rock lay on the ground in pieces, broken and weathered into soft ovals, almost like bars of soap that have been used a few times.

"These rocks have been here for over 5,000 years," Morgan says. "Did you know that? They've lived through human history as long as we can remember it. They were standing when Jesus was born, when he died, when the Empire was created, when the Empire fell, when the Humans worshiped the Gifted, when Humans forgot the Gifted. And they've just. . . Sat there. For so long." She turns and gives me a small smile. "It must be nice to be so durable, you know?"

"Yeah," I tell her, not really surprised at the philosophical direction the conversation has taken. I guess, in the clan, when you're risking your life and living in fear of discovery, you think on a deeper level. There's less petty small talk, anyway. "But it would be lonely to live that long, watching humanity make the same mistakes over and over."

"But you wouldn't," Garret says. "Because we cannot be rocks. So let's get this started, okay?"

Morgan smiles slightly at his frankness, nodding slightly. "Okay. What's the first instruction?"

"We stand in the exact center of the stones and repeat this chant. Here, everyone get in a circle," Garret says, looking at the paper we found in the chest.

We obey, walking around the pillars to the middle. The rocks tower above us as we gather, their height, age, and endless silence intimidating. I gulp, wondering what the chant will do. In the last Trial there was a hidden chamber, but now I don't see how there could be one. Will the rocks. . . Move?

I stand next to Chase and my dad, facing the center with a slow exhale of anticipation. I'm not going to deny it, I'm scared to death about this. Before we left, I heard my dad arguing with Garret once again about going into the Trial, but Garret said the same thing he did last time: at any point Gabriel might catch up to us, and we can't leave any one person out in their own. At least in the Trials, I'll have eight strong Gifted to protect me. Regardless, I'm scared stiff. Dad hasn't let me out of his sight ever since I left with Kara to go shopping. He was pretty mad about that. To be fair, it was quite a brainless decision on Kara's part. Though I was partly at fault for going along with it. I just couldn't stand another tense minute in that inn with the others. Anne was sulking and grieving after the loss of Jonathan. Garret was so serious, making plans and analyzing the instructions. Morgan was always with him, working alongside. Matthew and Kara were off doing who knows what when they said that they were going off to get lunch, and Joshua was in bed. Even Chase was grim, despite his usually optimistic outlook. I think that's why his father's death tore at him so much. He doesn't seem like that type of person to look at life and just get depressed, you know?

I remember what he said that moment in the hotel room. He never finished the sentence, and it's been eating at me ever since. "Well, it's not exactly the same, but although I've never believed at love at first-" Had he been saying love at first sight? Like, immediate attraction to a certain person? Was he talking about me? I don't know, and all I want to do is ask him about it, but we haven't had a moment alone since Matthew caught us in the bedroom. . . Wait, what am I saying? It's not like we were doing anything incriminating.

"Haven," Chase whispers. "It's just like last time. Stick close to me and I'll protect you. I don't want anything to happen to you." He must've noticed the petrified expression on my face. I shake my head seriously and turn towards Garret.