Brianna Acero and the Second One's Return

28. Simon Says...what?

Mara walks towards the large body of water and takes off her robe, revealing a stunning black one-piece that hugs her figure perfectly. Cassie does the same, and we take off our slippers to follow Mara into the water. Cassie is wearing one of Mara's swimsuits, a red bikini that looks wonderful against her dark skin, the little frills that hang in the front sway as she rushes towards the pool.

"Now this is what I'm talking about!"

She throws herself into the water, managing to get both Mara and I wet in the process. I walk down the steps, loving the feeling of the cool water against my skin. I wade into the deep end and turn to float on my back, sighing contently as I stare at the ceiling. We enjoy the quiet and relax, allowing our bodies and our minds to rest after these intense few weeks.

"So, Cassie, when did you learn about your Gift?" Asks Mara, swimming up to the two of us, starting a friendly conversation.

"Well, funny story actually," starts Cassie, and I close my eyes to listen, already knowing this story by heart.

"It was when I was around four or five years old. I found a piece of sea glass when we went to the beach, my family and I used to have a house right near it, and I decided to start picking up the little pieces. When it was time to get back my dad told me to put the glass down, because we didn't need any of it in the house. I kept asking him to let me keep it, and I guess he lost his patience because he scolded me and told me to put it down or I wouldn't have any treats. I know, it doesn't sound like a big threat, but I was four and wanted my treats!"

Mara giggles at her outraged expression.

"So, I imagined my dad was the pieces of glass and threw them as hard as I could towards the water. I will never forget his face when he came up spitting out seawater with seaweed hanging from his ears. In the end he was so overjoyed that I found my Gift he let me have my treat and stay up late. It was every child's dream."

She laughs at the memory, and I allow a small chuckle to escape my lips. I know it's a sore topic for her, talking about her father, I'm glad she's trusting Mara enough to open up to her.

"Your dad sounds like a nice guy," says Mara, drifting towards the edge of the pool to give her arms a rest from keeping herself afloat.

"He was," mumbles Cassie, and I can pinpoint the exact moment her words register in Mara's brain.

She looks at me for confirmation, shock written all over her features. I give a subtle nod, and she looks at Cassie with a sad look in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know."

Cassie, to my surprise, just shrugs and gives her a tiny smile.

"It's in the past now, he used to work here with Bri's dad, but he was probably gone by the time you and the boys joined."

That seems to make it worse, as Mara swims over to give her a one-armed hug, or at least she tries to. It's hard to swim and hug someone at the same time.

"But how about you?" Says Cassie, gently pulling herself away from Mara and flashing her a grin, trying to get rid of the tense atmosphere.

"What are your folks like?"

"Well," She starts, still hesitant after Cassie's confession.

"I guess we are your typical family. Our parents always wanted us to join the compound, they were constantly bringing us with them when we were younger. Leti always loved to watch the older kids spar. We were usually left alone, our parents are part of the board, so they were almost always in meetings."

"Who's on the board?" I ask. I had heard about them, but still hasn't met any of the members, at least not that I knew of.

They are the Elites with the highest clearance level within the compound. They organized the missions and come up with the cover stories to tell the public if anything ever gets out of hand.