Page 74 of Cerulean Truth
James raised an eyebrow. "Are there any exceptions to the rule?"
"Specialists have automatic clearance, which is woven into their energy signature," Lucy’s neighbor, Tom, chimed in.
“And what happens when someone does penetrate the Layers of a Collective without clearance?” James inquired, his gaze scanning through the class.
“They die!” three children in the front—whose names I didn’t catch—yelled out simultaneously and with far too much enthusiasm.
I was astonished by the knowledge of these young students. Maybe I was placed in the advanced class of seven-year-olds? Surely this level of intelligence wasn't normal for their age.
After what felt like ten minutes but was, in fact, over an hour, James dismissed the class, announcing that our next session would involve practical lessons on creating and the use of portals.
As I left the class, I felt James's eyes burning holes in my back. Before I could make my way out completely, I heard him call my name. I didn't turn around.
He hadn't spoken to me since my arrival, which was more than vexing. Honestly, what could he possibly have to say to me now?
"Emma, wait up!" He hurried to my side, but I chose to ignore him. "What, you're not talking to me now?" he asked, surprised.
"What, youaretalking to me now?" I countered dryly.
He sighed. "I deserve that. I'm sorry. I should've been there more for you, and I don't have any excuse. I'm just very sorry about it. Can you maybe forgive me and we can give it another try?"
I halted, looking up at him in astonishment. My gods, his mood swings were really messing with my head. "What the heck do you want from me, James?" I asked, exasperated.
"I already told you," he answered, flashing a small but rare smile that made all my well-aimed anger evaporate. I sighed, knowing I would lose this battle with myself.
"Fine," I said through my teeth. "You're forgiven. Now, what do you want from me?"
"Just to be there for you. I nearly had a heart attack seeing you in my class. I hope that wasn't too hard for you?" he asked quickly, changing the subject. I let him.
“Well, it could've been a little less humiliating, maybe if someone else had been the instructor, for example.”
“I think Matthew was behind this, to be honest. I happen to know he was consulted by the triplets on your training. And considering I lost a bet to him, in which I had to take over this class, it wouldn’t surprise me if he orchestrated this himself.” James grimaced.
“Who is Matthew?” I asked.
“Matthew Conners, he is the top Recruiter for our Collective and one of my best friends. As such he’s in charge of educational programs for all magi. You'll meet him soon enough.”
His piercing green eyes held mine, and each second made it harder to look away. That warm, unsettling feeling started to flood my insides again.Darn it, what is that?
James's gaze dropped to my lips, and my pulse quickened in response. I didn't want to get sucked in with him again, but his magnetic pull made keeping my distance horribly difficult. My breath hitched as he took a step closer, the heat radiatingfrom his body almost brushing against mine. His arm nearly grazed mine, sending shivers down my spine, and I could feel my resolve crumbling with every heartbeat.
“This is me,” I said, as we walked past the ladies' room, deliberately cutting our interaction short. If he was taken aback by my sudden change in tone, he didn’t show.
“Will I see you next week in class?” he asked in a neutral tone, yet beneath the surface, there was a subtle intensity that hinted at something more. I nodded, and quickly entered the bathroom.
A few more minutes in his company, and I would’ve been star-struck all over again.
“Breathe, Emma,” I instructed myself, looking in the mirror.
I waited the appropriate amount of time, making sure James was nowhere to be seen when I exited.
I spentthe rest of the weekend studying up as much as I could on the history of Cyclos, thankful for all the books I’d gotten from the Triplets, as a way of distracting me from the fact I had the hots for my next President.
Going out on Sunday afternoon toward the Fall Palace, I didn’t expect many others to find their way into the Universitas during the weekend but as it turned out, I was sadly mistaken.
While scrutinizing the inner workings of the Touchstone, a guy with a distinctly "Hollywood-like" aura, appeared around the corner. It wasn't just his tall stature, broad shoulders, and clean-cut features that caught my eye; he exuded a polished and glamorous demeanor, oozing with arrogance. But what truly set him apart was his effortless command of attention from every onlooker in the hall.
While still assessing this charismatic stranger, my gaze shifted abruptly as James made his entrance accompanied by two friends, a blond guy and the black-haired girl I recognized as “Pro” from the Offensive-class. In an instant, the attention of literally everyone pivoted from the Hollywood-like figure to James. Only mister Hollywood himself didn’t seem to notice him, as he was too busy chatting up some girl on the opposite side of the Hall.
