The Gifted

Chapter One

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A dream-shattering sound pierced through the air. What the what what?

I jumped up from the bed, momentarily fighting to get out of my covers as the intrusive sound continued to tamper with my eardrums. I glanced at my clock.

3:25 in the fricking morning!

3:25 when I had been busy dreaming about hot guys on the beach!

Lani jumped up from her bed as well and looked around wildly as she tried to gather what was going on.

"What the hell?" She exclaimed as she grabbed a pillow and pressed it over her face. It was the call-to-assemble signal. What could be that damn important that it couldn't wait until eight in the morning?

This had better be worth my damn time.

I cursed a few indecent words as I finally untangled myself from the sheets. Leilani sprang from her bed and hastily pulled on a sweat pants and her toms. Luckily I slept in sweats and shoes. Not for these particular reasons persé, but incase I wanted to go to a secret party or something.

"Hurry up!" I urged as she clumsily brushed her wild blonde hair into submission.

Even though her mother was the chancellor of the academy, she would still go coo-coo on our asses if we got to the assembly late.

When we exited our dorm room, the hallway was alive with girls hurriedly making their ways to the assembly square. Leilani and I ran down the stairs and had to literally force our way through the exit.

Okay so maybe I shoved a girl like...once, but she wasn't badly hurt or anything. Lani checked.

We finally reached outside where over a thousand academicians gathered, anxiously awaiting what was to come.

Guardians of the academy (or as we called themWatchers) in their sleek jacket suits, surrounded the place and seemed quite perturbed by something.

The morning was deadly cold and I had to fight the urge to grab a jacket from a minor who had better sense than myself to carry one. Leilani grabbed my hand and led me towards a group of chatting boys. Cade was among them.

"God,you're shivering like a leaf Aeja," he commented.

"You think?" I rolled my eyes and punched him on his arm. He feigned being hurt and gave me his signature puppy-brown eyes look and his swoon-worthy smile.

Lord have mercy, I thought as an ill wind abused my skin.

Luckily for me, one of the guys who stood among the group was pyrokinetic. When he heated his hands, I stood closer than a person should next to him. He gave me a very watery,unattractive smile. I hope he didn't think I was hitting on him or anything.

"So what's this about?" I asked Cade.

"Heard it had to do with the Electi or something." he shrugged.

Oh wow, I thought.

An Electi was chosen every Fifty years and then would be trained to become the Queen of the Gifted Ones like myself. I never understood why we needed a Queen, but I guess every set of people need a leader. The Electi, on most occasions was a female.

However, there was only one male Electi known to History: Daniel Jornes. Contrary to much belief, an Electi was not chosen by the royal squad or by any social ranking. All we knew was that he/she developed markings on their skin, heightened senses and very powerful abilities. Each Electi was assigned two personal watchers who would train and protect him or her.