Awakening Book One of the Trust Series(60)

So she listened.

He finally turned his face to hers and her brown ones met his blue. He blushed, she guessed because he realized that he had monopolized the conversation. “I’m sorry.”

Her hand reached out to find his and she gave it a squeeze. “Don’t be. It was nice.”

Caitlyn could see his internal clock winding up again, the world creeping back into his thoughts, the concerns that plagued him every day coming to the forefront. Although Declan was obviously destined for greatness, her heart yearned for him to know some normalcy. He sat up, letting go of her hand.

She stilled his hand and jerked her head down a few thousand feet below. “Don’t. Leave it down there, Declan. Up here… up here we can breathe.” She said, repeating his earlier sentiment.

“It’s difficult not to let guilt creep in.”

“We will head down soon enough. But for now…Sometimes, even when everything seems overwhelming and daunting, sometimes you just need to take time out and appreciate life. You and I are very similar. I think it’s why we get along so well. We will push and push each other and ourselves to death if we let it. Sure, we may have strength and even power, but at the end of the day, can we say that we lived a full life if all we do is work? This is what life is about, Declan. This is what we are fighting for. Our humanity.”





Chapter 18



A few mornings later, Caitlyn awoke in her studio apartment to her cell phone vibrating. She saw that it was a text from Declan.

Can’t meet this a.m. for a run. Sleep in. If all goes as planned, I’ll meet you at ten in the training room.

She rolled over, her clock mocking her in all its electronic glory. Three forty five. She closed her eyes, wondering briefly why Declan was up at that ungodly hour, before passing back out into unconsciousness.

She did not have to wait long to find out. Declan greeted her in the training room at precisely ten in the morning. He wore a huge grin on his face. “Good morning.”

“Well, good morning to you too.”

Caitlyn began to shrug off her jacket. “Don’t remove your jacket.”

She put the fleece back over her shoulders, trying to figure out what he was up to. “Okay. What has you so happy today?”

He smiled broader. “I’ve decided that today is the day you are going to learn to teleport.”

Caitlyn’s eyes widened and she couldn’t help but squeal. “For real? You’re not teasing me, because if you are, that’s cruel.”

He shook his head, laughing. “No teasing. Promise. I just think that if you are going to accompany me to the arbitration, I would like you to know how to teleport first.”

Her mind was still stuck on the fact that she was finally going to learn teleportation and it took Caitlyn a few extra seconds to process what he said. “Wait. What?”

“I said-”

Caitlyn threw her arms around him in delight. “I heard what you said. You got them to agree to the arbitration?”

“About an hour before I texted you. I have been up all night since, setting up the arrangements.”

She hugged him tighter and she felt his arms wrap around her happily. “That is wonderful news. When is it?”

“In four days’ time. Just enough time to get you up to speed. That is, if you are willing to put in some very long hours over the next few days.”

“You’re serious.” She could not fathom why he would want her to join him.

“I think it would provide a lot of valuable insight to you in regards to Cine Tofa. There would be myself, a seasoned negotiator name Derrick Adair, and then you.”

“I would be honored, although I am not quite sure how much help I would be.”

“You will be acting mainly as an observer. It was one of my jobs before I became your mentor, and one of the agreements is that I would continue in my old capacities when they needed me to and my father only trusts me with the job. I don’t see why I can’t combine both.”

Even though it was only as an observer, Caitlyn couldn’t wait to finally get to go out and do something that actually meant something within the Trust. Her heart felt like it was going to burst.

Declan threw on his own light jacket. “So are you ready to try Teleportation?”

She could not believe that she was finally going to be taught the one thing she wanted to know how to do more than anything since she saw Declan accomplish it in his family’s garden. Caitlyn sat down at the table, her brain moving from elation to determination. “Okay. So what do I need to do?”