Proven

Chapter 15

A/N

It has officially been forever since I've updated.

"How, exactly, are we going to get her back to the academy?" I ask, leaning my back against the wall.

We've moved into my bedroom to hide Mallory and keep our exchanges secret. Emma sits in a neon green bean bag chair in the corner across from the bed I'm sitting on. Paige sits to my right, squinching up her eyes as if deep in thought. On my left, Mallory is playing Angry Birds on her phone. I keep close tabs on what apps she opens. The last thing we need her to do is open up her messages and text her friends a picture of what's going on.

"Well, I don't know, Cara Gibbons, but it sure as heck isn't gonna happen with your just sitting there wringing your hands together," Emma sneers.

I looked down at my hands, noticing that I was, indeed, wringing them. My knuckles have turned a bright white that compares starkly to my pink-tinted skin. Embarrassed, I stick them under my legs so I can't start playing with them again.

"Okay, guys," Paige huffs. "That's enough. We just need a dedicated teleporter to take her back and erase her memory."

The bed bounces beneath me, the product of Mallory scurrying off of it. I whip my head around at her, on guard. In one swift motion, she reaches into her back pocket and pulls something out. A simple square box that must only be an inch in area. I try to contain a laugh. What's she gonna do? Chuck it at us? She obviously has learned anything about us and our skills. We could easily deflect it with our minds and set it hurtling right back to her at twice the velocity.

Sure enough, she throws it straight and me and Paige. I narrow my eyes, trying to figure out how to use my telekinetic abilities. Assuredly, I envision turning away from me. It doesn't work.

"Duck!" Paige screams into my ear, already in a dive for the floor.

My heart pounds, wondering what the heck is going on. I act quickly and clumsily, rolling off the bed. For a split second, I fall to the hardwood floor. The first thing that registers with me is that my head hurts. The second thing is much, much worse: I'm not in the room anymore.

My breathing becomes rapid involuntarily as panic controls my body. Deep breaths, I tell myself. It takes a long time for me to realize that my face is buried in dirt. With a sore neck, I lift my head and look around. Instead of my jaw dropping, it clenches when I see where I am and who is with me.

Large logs are stacked up to create a rickety wall that I can see through in certain points. Moist dirt makes up the flooring of the cabin, bugs crawling across is like they own this place. Two rocking chairs are on the other side of the room, one with red cushions and the other with green. They're currently empty, rocking slightly as if somebody just got up off of them.

Paige is next to me, still out cold. I know this place-- not directly, of course--but I've learned about it. This is where the enemy brings us. This is where they find out our secrets, how we get our abilities.

It's no mystery to me that Mallory did this. Slight victory races through me before realizing how devastating this scenario is. It's come all too sudden, like a stray lightning bolt. My head spins a little bit before I'm finally able to get up and stumble to one of the rocking chairs.

Believe it or not, this chair had the power to save my life or destroy it. And I intend to save it.

A/N

Sucky chapter, I know. My writing skills are rusty, but they'll be back soon enough!