Read Online Thunder: The Shadows Are Stirring (Thunder Stories Book 1) by Hannah Sullivan - Free Book Online

Somehow it works; teachers have always liked her.
    Once I find the island, we carry our gear to a clearing and set up camp. When we’re done, Topher turns to me and asks, “You ready to try?”
    “Sure,” I shrug, still harboring some doubts. He tells me to relax and clear my mind, like we’re going to meditate. My heart rate slows down; my breathing becomes deep, as if I’m on the verge of sleep, and I let my body call to the Barriers like Topher had taught me. I keep my eyes open to stay grounded, but as soon as I see the mist particles, I’m lost. Every inch of my body feels like it’s being compressed and coming apart at the same time and pulsating tickles crawl over my skin. In the back of my brain, I hear someone yelling. Then my head explodes.
    When I come to, I’m back in the boat and Topher is mumbling and swearing and rowing faster than I knew was humanly possible. My head feels like it’s been hit with a baseball bat (ask Jamie why I know how that feels), and my stomach is on fire. I open my mouth to tell Topher it’s okay, but all that comes out is a groan.
    ~~~
    D ESPITE MY ARGUING AGAINST IT , Topher asks Gunther at the next Circle if he should step out of his position. Gunther growls at him. Apparently, I had crossed through enough of the Barriers for something to claw me, but I had maintained sufficient enough substance on this side that Topher’s reflexive bash to my head pulled me back.
    Gunther bellows at him, “There are NO mistakes! Only LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES!” He quiets down, clears his throat, and asks, “What did we learn from this?”
    Topher answers first, without hesitation. “Don’t take foolish risks.”
    “Act fast when there’s danger; thinking it through can waste precious time,” says my sister.
    Ethan looks at Livs before turning his face away and stating, “Never drop your guard when you’re responsible for the safety of someone else.”
    “Know what you’re getting into when you make a decision and be prepared for the ‘what-ifs’,” Jamie adds.
    Callie’s input is typical of her. “A clear mind is a powerful gateway.”
    Owen, who is curled against Gunther’s side, murmurs, “Trust your friends to watch out for you.”
    And, when all heads turn towards me, I offer, “Trust your own instincts; don’t follow when you should lead.”
    Gunther says, “So. Many lessons learned. You are not leaving, Topher; you are obviously an excellent teacher.”
    And the Circle is concluded with the decision to move to the Training Grounds in a few days, on Livs’ birthday. Gunther-as-Thunder will come with Owen-as-Storm, but not for our sakes. They’ve got Owen’s training to deal with. The man is very much into people being left alone to learn and grow in their own way. He says there are many roads to travel, which lead to the same destination. Everyone needs to find his or her own path.

Chapter Six: Healing
     

    (SAMUEL)
     
    T HEIR FINGERS LOOK AWFUL , all swollen and purple and scraped raw on the tips. I follow behind them as they make their way to Jamie. I’m supposed to be reading up on “Body Language: How to See Beyond the Spoken Word.” Or something like that. This looks more interesting, though, and I’ve got a feeling I’ll be able to learn about body language anyway.
    When we enter Jamie’s domain, the first thing that hits me is the smell. Right away, I’m blasted back to the Training Grounds. The creams and ointments are the same as the ones that we’d used then, and they all contain a distinctive earthy, pine-like odor. The place looks kind of like a school science lab/nurse’s room combo. Tables, shelves, cabinets, and lots of glass jars.
    Gunther’s not around, but Jamie’s face lights up when he sees us. His eyes immediately turn serious as he performs his Healer scan. None of us comes here without needing some sort of patch job. He zones in on their gnarly hands and then narrows his eyes at me, like I had something to do with