Abnormal {Book 1: Completed, Book 2: Ongoing}

Chapter 34

"Sir, you have to understand even though she's my roommate, it's really hard to do anything to her since the commander's son...no, sir...of course I'll try, but she's been suspecting me since I accidentally..."

My hand pauses on the doorknob to my dorm as I hear Raven's voice coming from inside the room. She seems to be on the phone with someone, but her voice is so quiet that I can barely hear the words.

My eyes widen in shock as I realize that she's talking about...me.

"Please, just give me another chance, I promise I won't let you down...yes, sir...of course, sir...I'll do my best..."

Is it possible that Raven is...spying on me?

I burst into the room, and Raven gasps, pulling the phone away from her ear immediately. "What...what are you doing?" She asks in a panic.

"What am I doing? Raven, this is my room! What are you doing?"

Her face is unreadable, and her eyes darken as she looks away guiltily. Then her gaze returns to mine, and her expression transforms, giving me a dazzling smile. "Nothing. Just talking to an old friend."

"An old friend?" I'm practically seething with anger and betrayal. "An old friend that you call 'sir'? And why were you talking about me? And what does Adrius have to do with this?" How is it possible that Raven...my roommate...my friend...

She cocks her head to the side, feigning confusion. "I...I wasn't talking about you. I wasn't talking about Adrius either. Don't assume that..."

"Stop lying to me! Just tell me the truth, Raven!" I snarl, my face contorting with fury. 

She sighs, and motions for me to sit down on her bed. I do so cautiously, my hands clench into fists as I struggle not to punch her.

"Lyanna. I'm going to tell you the truth, now, okay?" I nod silently, wondering what she's going to do. I know that she's not going to tell me the truth. 

Suddenly, she reaches out to grip my arms tightly. "What...what are you trying to do?" I gasp.

"Lyanna, I need you to stop panicking. I want you to breathe slowly and calm down. Then close your eyes. " I feel a soft breeze gently blowing against my cheeks, and my heartbeat slows down as I start to relax. 

"Okay. Now, I want you to remember that I was just talking to an old friend on the phone. I did not call him 'sir'. I did not mention you or Adrius. Just imagine..."

Something feels very, very wrong. I start feeling nauseous as my memories start slipping away, and my body starts shaking with an effort to hold on to my own thoughts. "Just let go of your..." Raven starts speaking again in a soft, soothing voice. 

My eyes fly open, and I pull my arms away from Raven's grasp. "Stop!" I shriek. I don't realize I'm crying until I can feel the salty taste of tears on my lips. 

Raven falls backwards on the bed, her eyes wide with shock. "Stop what?" She asks, trying and failing to smooth her face into a calm expression. 

"Stop...what you were trying to do to me!" I yell angrily, spit flying out of my mouth. "Stop trying to make me think what you want me to think."

She crosses her arms over her chest and stares at me coldly. I feel a chill crawling up my spine as I meet her gaze. I have to get out of here. I have to find Adrius and tell him...

"And isn't what I just did the same as what you do, Lyanna?" 

My mouth falls open as the realization hits me. "I would never...I would never use my powers on a friend," I say through my teeth.

She laughs cruelly and leans forwards towards me. "We are the same, Lyanna. That's why you were able to block my powers."

"You are...you are a monster..." I gasp.

"And so are you, Lyanna."

A monster. 

Abruptly, our dorm room door opens, and Adrius walks in, leaning against the doorway. 

"Is there...a problem here?" He asks. Raven's face relaxes into a smile immediately, and she meets his gaze, her fingers tapping on the mattress. "Not at all, general. We were just talking about the Trials celebrations." Her voice is gentle and calming, but Adrius's face contorts in pain as he tries to fight off her powers. His lifts his hands up to put on either side of his head, as if he's having a migraine. 

"Raven, stop hurting him!" I scream.

"There is nothing to worry about. You should leave now," she continues, her lips curving up in a triumphant smile as she glances at my stricken expression.

Adrius shakes his head in confusion as he tries to fight off Raven's voice. He fingers are pulling at his hair in agony as his body starts to betray him. "Raven," I say in a quiet voice. She barely looks at me, as her attention is focused on Adrius. I close my eyes, and dive into her mind, sorting through her scattered thoughts as I try to find that one link in her brain. There! 

I bind her mind with mine, and then I unleash my power. I envision her relaxing onto the bed, and letting go of any stray thoughts, including her control on Adrius. I envision her taking the phone she used to call her boss, and put it on the ground. Then I envision her using her fist to slam against the glass screen, breaking it. She shrieks in agony as the broken shards pierce her flesh, drawing drops of blood. 

I release her thoughts immediately, and she turns towards me, fist aimed at my face as she realizes what I've done. "You little..."

"Stop." Adrius commands in a cold voice. His face is expressionless as he nods at me. "Lyanna, come with me. And Raven...you know the punishment for using your powers in the dorms to harm another Abnormal. I'll deal with you later. Until then, you are not allowed to leave this room."

Then he walks out the door, and I hurry to catch up.