Grey II - Ghosts

Chapter 27 - Leviticus Harp

You've got everything to lose.
Say you have a little faith in me.
Just close your eyes and let me lead.
Follow me home to where the lonely ones roam.

Digital Daggers - Where the Lonely Ones Roam

When I walked out into the hall I was met by a scowling Ailech, which seemed to be his permanent expression when he had to be alone with Ember for any length of time.

"Do you know how boring your classes are for me? A man can only nap so often. I need a hobby."

"You need a girlfriend."

I winked at Ember, breaking my speaking rule just to annoy Ailech. His scowl darkened as Ember blushed, her eyes dropping to the ground, looking mortified yet pleased.

"Well, you seem in a lovely mood."

Ailech muttered back to me as he led the way to my second lesson of the day, Levi, who would work with my mental blocks.

I was in a surprisingly good mood, considering the distaste I had for my last tutor. I knew it was because of Abby, because immediately when he had joined, he had taken my side, because he had given me the benefit of the doubt. It felt good, having someone not expect the worst from me. I liked the feeling. I also liked that my 'trainings' seemed to not be as useless as I had expected.

I had already learned from Zodiac how to work at saving energy in my shields, something I wouldn't have ever come up with on my own. I'd already had a great sparring session with the copper-haired brothers, and now I knew I had another Gift; Sight. I wasn't even upset that James had the same Gift, that maybe the only reason I had it was because he did. I was also glad to see my lesson with Levi would be in one of the indoor forests the Vault housed. I liked that I could sit in its center and not even know it was an illusion, that I wasn't truly outside in the open air.

Ailech left soon after we arrived to get a book from his room so he'd have something to do during my training. He smirked as he said he didn't expect me to have any trouble with Levi, that he would be 'supremely surprised' if our training turned south and became violent. Once Ailech had disappeared through the door Ember looked as if she might cry if I sat next to her on the bench, so instead, I walked along one of the loosely winding paths through the trees. I found a small clearing near the center of the wood, and sat, looking up at the fake sky high overhead.

In some ways the little clearing reminded me of a place I hadn't thought of in weeks, months, my secret place. Though the clearing I was sitting in was much smaller than the one in my own woods, it was similarly shaped, with similar plants quietly growing all around me, similar smells. I wished it still seemed peaceful to me, but instead the similarities just made me think of my dreams, my visions or trances, the ones that had taken me to my secret place, only to be invaded by the Collector. I hated that my clearing was no longer mine.

"Don't worry, this can be your place now. He won't ever come here."

My eyes flew open at the sound of a young voice and I cursed that I hadn't sensed anyone there, it would take a long time for me to be as good as my Pair was in that area, to constantly be on the watch, on guard. It sounded exhausting. My eyes rose to the noise and I saw a boy sitting on a branch of one of the closer trees to me, swinging his legs beneath him, his feet bare.

"How did you know that's what I was thinking of? Can you see minds too?"

I felt a little spark of excitement at being able to meet someone like me, though I wondered why the boy in front of me was going to teach me blocks, not about my Gift. He looked awfully young too, though I knew that didn't mean anything, not really. Chi was young, but she had still been able to accomplish so much.