𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧

Thirty- Four

There's the pic I drew for Liana ^

Any ideas for reaching 5K?

 Liana closed her eyes and sat back on her cot, trying for the thousandth time to reach out to Jerik. When it didn't work, she glanced up at Beth and Corey, who were staring at her.

"I already told you guys," she grumbled, sitting up. "I'm a Psychokinetic."

Beth tilted her head. "What you do is just so weird. Is it true that there's really an army of Bluebloods with abilities?"

"Yes!"

"Are any of them teleporters?"

"No."

Their conversation had been pretty much like this for the past half- hour, and Beth demanded to know everything about Outcast Island. Meanwhile, Corey sulked in the corner, glitching in place, and Iris sat on a chair, trying to lift a cup though her collar. Taylor was passed out on his cot, smothered by their jackets.

"Why not?"

"All the teleporters were taken from their homes at birth!" Liana threw up her hands. "You told me that!"

"Right. I forgot."

"For goodness sakes, Beth, stop questioning her!" Corey grumbled as his hand flickered out of sight and reappeared an inch away.

Beth scoffed and asked Liana to shatter a glass again.

Liana?

She jumped, before realizing it was just Jerik. Thank god.

Where are you? What happened? Are you okay?

We followed Blackthorne through the tunnels and tackled him as he tried to teleport, but we ended up in their base instead. But-

Are you safe?

For now, but- we discovered something.

His mental voice paused. What is it?

They're using the Teleporters to make their little devices.

Teleporters?

The Seventh Ability. They're taken from the Blessed Lands at birth and caged up like animals. Children. Their blood and heartbeat is used to simulate a reaction that allows SEAM to teleport.

An ear splitting silence followed, but finally Jerik responded. You want me to rescue them, too.

Yes.

It's going to take us a bit to find where you are, but we'll come.

And then he was gone, replaced by the quiet chatter of the Teleporters.

Liana was finished with Beth and Corey's arguing, and crossed the room to sit by Iris, who was not having luck with her cup.

"I just don't get how you shattered it!" she said as Liana plopped down next to her. "I can't even move mine! The air won't bend to my will!"

"Jerik spoke in my head."

"Again? Why can he only speak to you?"

"He can mind- link me with Taylor, too."

She pushed the cup away, putting her head in her hands. "Yeah, he only speaks in your head."

"He told me my mind was more open than others," Liana said slowly, remembering what he had told her. "Others felt cold and sharp, like Taylor's. But mine was... warm? I don't know."

Iris sighed. "What did he say? How soon can he get us out?"

"He said it would take a bit for them to find us."

Iris's gaze followed Liana's, and for a moment, they both started at Taylor's sleeping figure. Than Iris whispered, "I know it's selfish, but I wish Travis was here."

Liana put an arm around her friend's shoulder. "It's not selfish, Iris."

After a few seconds of silence, she pulled away, focusing on the cup again. "Maybe I should try something easier, like a piece of cloth."

Liana tied a rag to the door handle, trying to explain to Iris how to shatter the shield that the collar used. "You can't take no for an answer. Imagine the shield as glass, not metal, and use your wind to break through it."

Iris closed her eyes, whispering to herself. Free like the wind. Her brow creased, and she thrust out her hands.

After a few minutes of silence, she let out a breath. "I can't do it!"

Liana tilted her head in sympathy. "Do you want to try again?"

She shook her head, plopping down on the cot next to Taylor's. "It's so easy for you, but we're not all that powerful."

Liana picked up a hint of envy in her tone, but decided to ignore it. "In the meantime, we can work on getting these collars off." She reached up to fumble with the panel.

"It won't work, we've tried," Corey grumbled.

She was getting a little fed up with his negative comments by now. "You're quite the ray of sunshine."

He scoffed, running a hand though tawny hair. "I don't want you getting your hopes up." Corey glanced at Beth, who was sleeping on a cot with her pale lips mouthing silent words.

As if to prove him wrong, Liana burst the glass he was drinking from, making sure to levitate the shards away from his face. "You were saying?"

Corey rolled his eyes and plopped back down on his chair. "You're impossible."

She shrugged and rolled over into her cot, glancing at Taylor's unmoving figure. "We are going to get out of here," she whispered. "I promise."