Read Online The Taking 02: Hover by Melissa West - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Melissa West
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idea how to react to this Jackson. He’s cold, distant, not at all the Jackson I know.
Though I guess I really don’t know him at all.
“There are two elements to our training—internal and external manipulations. We will work on an element of each daily. For today, we will challenge both.” He motions to the guard who walks to open the back door. Six more guards enter carrying stacks of wooden circles that look like wheels, each at least five inches in width and fifteen inches in circumference. They sit the stacks in front of us and exit back out the door they came in through. “Women will each take one, men two.” We all stare at him, waiting for another command. “Well go on. I don’t enjoy repeating myself.”
The group steps forward, each of us grabbing our wooden wheels, and then returning to our spots. Jackson starts for the door, and again we wait, but I now know that he expects us to move without him commanding us, so I step out of line to follow him, the others hesitating for only a moment. We make our way back outside and down Gaia Road, the sun bright above us. Jackson points at the wall of flowers that borders all of Triad. “The Healer’s Wall was erected years ago to protect Triad from outside threats. Now, it operates as a line between life and death, reminding us that outside our walls, there is nothing, no one, only a dying land. Today, you’ll walk that line from the fields to Juniper Gardens.”
Murmurs of surprise and worry course through the group.
“But that will take all day,” a boy calls.
Jackson turns back for the Vortex. “Then I suggest you get started.”
I force myself to head for the wall without looking at Jackson. I don’t want anyone to think he would show me any more kindness than the others. Now I know why they were watching us with such curiosity before. Most of these Ancients know Jackson as the next Logean leader. They have probably never seen him act so casually with anyone.
I reach the wall and turn right, the sun beating down above us in violent waves. I wish he would have told me we were doing this today. I would have dressed in lighter clothes, like shorts and a tank instead of pants. I reposition the wheel in my arms, wondering what would happen if I left it here and picked it up when I made it back around.
“Is it true?” a voice asks from behind me and I turn to see a girl rushing up to me. She’s smaller than me, just over five foot I would guess, but her arms and legs show strength. “I’m Madison,” she says with a small smile.
“I’m—”
“Oh, I know who you are. Everyone does. You’re Ari.”
I shake my head. “What do you mean? How does everyone know who I am?” I start back down the line of the gate, feeling unsettled. I have a long way to go and don’t want to waste any time.
“You came over with J.C. He went back for you. It’s really romantic if you ask me.”
I stop and look at her. “Jackson and I aren’t together. He’s…” What exactly?
“See, you call him Jackson. No one calls him Jackson except his grandparents.”
“Well…” I am at a complete loss on what to say. I don’t know J.C. I don’t see him as the leader he is. To me, Jackson is…I don’t know, more boy, less man, but the longer I’m here, the more I see him with others, the more I realize maybe he was never a boy.
We continue for several minutes in silence, both of us repositioning our wheel from time to time. My biceps have begun to burn already and I wonder how I’ll make it all the way around Triad without dropping it or taking a break.
I glance over the wall to a wide sprawl of mountains in the distance. They are dark, haunting, not at all the look of mountains back home.
“That’s the Alikaia mountains. They used to have a gate in the wall with a path that led to them, but that was years ago. I don’t really remember what they looked like before.”
“Before what?”
“Before the water dried up. Before all the trees and grass
Though I guess I really don’t know him at all.
“There are two elements to our training—internal and external manipulations. We will work on an element of each daily. For today, we will challenge both.” He motions to the guard who walks to open the back door. Six more guards enter carrying stacks of wooden circles that look like wheels, each at least five inches in width and fifteen inches in circumference. They sit the stacks in front of us and exit back out the door they came in through. “Women will each take one, men two.” We all stare at him, waiting for another command. “Well go on. I don’t enjoy repeating myself.”
The group steps forward, each of us grabbing our wooden wheels, and then returning to our spots. Jackson starts for the door, and again we wait, but I now know that he expects us to move without him commanding us, so I step out of line to follow him, the others hesitating for only a moment. We make our way back outside and down Gaia Road, the sun bright above us. Jackson points at the wall of flowers that borders all of Triad. “The Healer’s Wall was erected years ago to protect Triad from outside threats. Now, it operates as a line between life and death, reminding us that outside our walls, there is nothing, no one, only a dying land. Today, you’ll walk that line from the fields to Juniper Gardens.”
Murmurs of surprise and worry course through the group.
“But that will take all day,” a boy calls.
Jackson turns back for the Vortex. “Then I suggest you get started.”
I force myself to head for the wall without looking at Jackson. I don’t want anyone to think he would show me any more kindness than the others. Now I know why they were watching us with such curiosity before. Most of these Ancients know Jackson as the next Logean leader. They have probably never seen him act so casually with anyone.
I reach the wall and turn right, the sun beating down above us in violent waves. I wish he would have told me we were doing this today. I would have dressed in lighter clothes, like shorts and a tank instead of pants. I reposition the wheel in my arms, wondering what would happen if I left it here and picked it up when I made it back around.
“Is it true?” a voice asks from behind me and I turn to see a girl rushing up to me. She’s smaller than me, just over five foot I would guess, but her arms and legs show strength. “I’m Madison,” she says with a small smile.
“I’m—”
“Oh, I know who you are. Everyone does. You’re Ari.”
I shake my head. “What do you mean? How does everyone know who I am?” I start back down the line of the gate, feeling unsettled. I have a long way to go and don’t want to waste any time.
“You came over with J.C. He went back for you. It’s really romantic if you ask me.”
I stop and look at her. “Jackson and I aren’t together. He’s…” What exactly?
“See, you call him Jackson. No one calls him Jackson except his grandparents.”
“Well…” I am at a complete loss on what to say. I don’t know J.C. I don’t see him as the leader he is. To me, Jackson is…I don’t know, more boy, less man, but the longer I’m here, the more I see him with others, the more I realize maybe he was never a boy.
We continue for several minutes in silence, both of us repositioning our wheel from time to time. My biceps have begun to burn already and I wonder how I’ll make it all the way around Triad without dropping it or taking a break.
I glance over the wall to a wide sprawl of mountains in the distance. They are dark, haunting, not at all the look of mountains back home.
“That’s the Alikaia mountains. They used to have a gate in the wall with a path that led to them, but that was years ago. I don’t really remember what they looked like before.”
“Before what?”
“Before the water dried up. Before all the trees and grass
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