The Seven (Fist of Light Series) by Derek Edgington Page A

looked at him as he appeared to be. I wasn’t about to be mothered, though, no matter his misgivings.
    “I dunno. You don’t even know how to get to my place. Maybe I should come with you.” His brows drew together.
    My irritation trickled through my voice, giving it both a slightly petulant and angry tone. “Come on, man, you’re not my mother. This is Em we’re talking about. You look like you’re all roses with her. Don’t want me to cut in or something?”
    “I’m just looking out for your best interests! And they include not getting killed. She may be a rose, but roses have thorns. Be careful not to be drawn in and come out pricked. If you were to die, I would be honor bound to go and avenge your death. I’ve got a lot of math homework, so don’t mess up, OK?”
    I figured that was as close to a “be careful” as I was going to get to out of Jas, which was far more preferable than being coddled. He was beginning to get ready for football practice and, no doubt, I would soon be seeing Rex come around the corner if I waited long enough. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with him at the moment and so decided that it was time to make my exit. I said my goodbyes and exited the locker rooms. My internal autopilot engaged, and I began the trek to the stadium.

— Chapter 5 —

    I’ d known Jas for all of two days and wasn’t sure how far to extend my trust across the still unstable bridge that had been forming. Sure, he was a nice guy, and we seemed like we would be tight excluding the addition of supernatural powers. When those were added into the mix, everything became cloudy. I couldn’t be sure how far I could trust someone when I had such a miniscule amount of time to gauge their depth of character. He had already given me reason to distrust him by shoving me into a brother-brother relationship.
    I couldn’t see him as an enemy, as hard as I drove my overactive imagination to envision it. I knew when searching within every nook and cranny for enemies, they were sure to be found, which would transform me into a highly cynical and paranoid person, more so than I already was.
    Everything crowded in the back of my mind upon arrival at the field. I prompted my temple with a physical tap, figuring that Jeeves would take notice and extricate himself from a slumbering state. He had been incognito all day; I presumed he was just exhausted from the training me, considering he was a mental construct in my mind. Of course, I had no idea whether all the supernatural could sense his presence when he took to the field. Although, there was a prevalent feeling harbored that Em and any other people like me would and could do so without any conscious thought. Jeeves’ energy would burn upon the senses of the Empowered like a torch set feet away from the skin. I could feel the pulse of the amulet, overlapping with my heartbeat. The warmth it radiated was comforting, a security blanket with more bite than the average bear.
    Emily was sitting in the bleachers, on the far side of the field. She stood out from the cold metal framework, which was practically deserted, excepting a few juniors and seniors who congregated there after school. Nearing her, the tension within me increased in tempo to the beat of giant butterfly wings the size of an elephant. I was anxious to find out what Em had to share if it could provide me with more information on my enigmatic skillset. I had lost a part of myself after gaining the other, and was still attempting to reconnect the two wriggling new parts of my being. Maybe she would provide the bonding material that would tether them and enable me to move forward.
    Her legs were crossed at the ankles languidly, on the bleachers. For a moment, she seemed lost, searching inside herself for a question in which only she knew the answer. She leapt up and gave me a hug as I neared her, and it was awkwardly reciprocated.
    “It’s great to see you, Caleb! Sit down. We have a lot to talk about. Don’t