Exceptional by Jess Petosa

mind.
    Luke.

Chapter Eight
     
    Luke looked down at Ally, who was now motionless in his arms.  He had caught her.  He had saved her life.  He had heard her scream ring out across the lobby and was able to react in time to catch her.  But in the process, he had revealed something about himself that no one else knew.  Something he had never planned on sharing.
    “Luke?”  Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him, a confused expression on her face.  She peered to either side for a moment, giving Luke a chance to look up.  A few Exceptionals that had been too close to him when he had reacted were just picking themselves up off the ground.  They hurried away from him and into the crowd.
    Aden appeared in the growing empty space around them, clapping loudly.  “That was some performance, Luke.  My special son.”
    Luke’s muscles coiled through his body, and he kept a firm grip on Ally.  He wanted so badly to look down and explain things to her, but he couldn’t break his gaze with his father.
    “You set me up,” Luke growled.
    “I had no choice.” Aden smirked.  “You are doing the City a great disservice by keeping your special abilities hidden, son.”
    “What happened?” Ally managed to croak.
    His father seemed perfectly happy to answer this for her.  “When Luke saw you fall from the upper level, he rushed forward and saved your life, using a special ability that no other Exceptional his age has.”
    She looked up at Luke, ignoring the large crowd gathered around them.
    “You did?”
    Luke answered her through gritted teeth.  “Yes.”
    His father walked over to them, patted Luke on the shoulder, and then stepped back again.  “It seems our Luke here can cancel gravity in a small area.  Or maybe a large area as well.  The details will be discovered with some tests and assessments.”
    “I don’t understand.” Ally eyes flitted around the room as she tried to make sense of what had happened.
    “You were weightless, and floating above the ground, unable to fall to the ground.”  Luke finally looked down at her.  “When I told you that I had extra abilities, I down played it a little.”
    Ally cocked her head.  “You think?”
    “It was magnificent, really.” His father beamed at the crowd.
    “Don’t you think this would be better spoken about at home?” Luke snapped his head up.
    “I agree.” His father motioned to the Guards behind him.  Ally watched as they stepped past him, stopping next to Luke.  “But first, your Ordinary here is going to be taken to ORC and checked in.”
    The whole lobby had been silent until now.  The hundred or so Exceptionals began to whisper amongst each other, their eyes on Luke and Ally.   He knew his father was going to be upset him with, but he didn’t expect this.
    “What?” His voice came out almost a gasp.
    “Oh, don’t worry.” His father waved his hand in Ally’s direction. “She’ll still be yours.  But I think it is time she had a proper induction into the City.  I also believe that you need some time to sort through your priorities, something I’ll be directly overseeing.  I’m sure you’ll be able to focus much better with out this Ordinary around.”
    Luke’s eyes flicked to the Guards standing beside them.  After a long moment of suspenseful silence, he set Ally on her feet.  The Guards stepped forward and each took one of her arms.  She looked back at Luke, her eyes pleading.
    “Please, don’t let them take me.”
    He just shook his head, holding his hands out in front of him in apology.  “I’ll come for you.  I promise.”
    He watched as one of the Guards pulled a silver syringe from a case in his hand.  He stepped beside Ally and shoved it into her arm while was still holding eye contact with Luke.  Her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed in the Guard’s waiting arms.  He threw her over his shoulder as though she were nothing more than a doll, and strolled through the lobby and