I shook my head.
Understanding lit her eyes. “Nell?”
I nodded again.
Talitha’s smile could have warmed the coldest day. “Follow me.”
Like yesterday, she led me through the Learning Sanctum and the gardens and beautiful courtyard behind it that led to the Healer’s Hive. “I assume you wish to begin working with Nell earlier than expected?” She looked over her shoulder at me.
I swallowed, prepared for the rejection.
“Let’s see what we can do to accommodate you and help to speed things up a bit,” she said.
As if it were her own office, she let us inside, gesturing for me to take a seat in the same spot I had the day before. Nell wasn’t in her office when we arrived, but Talitha assured me that she was on herway.
“I would stay, but there’s a ceremony this evening I need to oversee the preparations for. Make yourself comfortable, Cotton,” Talitha said before closing the office door with a quiet click.
Silence encompassed the room, but not the disconcerting type. It was peaceful, one that filled me with hope that things might work out for me in this arena. I could get by in life being nonverbal, but I was simply tired, especially being in a strange, new environment where the only person I depended on to communicate for me was Scarlett. I valued my independence; plus, it wasn’t fair to Scarlett to carry that responsibility. Now, I felt like I could become empowered again.
My knee bounced up and down in excitement as I waited, but just as quickly, it was wiped away with guilt. What had I been thinking, just showing up here a week earlier than planned with the expectation that they would drop what they were doing to help me? How did I allow my desperation to let me get this self-important?
I shouldn’t have come. I should’ve waited until next week. This was a fast way to burn the few bridges we had in this world. I wasn’t an entitled prick, and I wouldn’t start behaving like one now.
I jumped from the seat, intent on leaving before Nell arrived. At least then, she could return to her plans for the day without my interruption. As I spun to rush to the door, it swung open, and Nell’s kind smile greeted me.
“Cotton, what a lovely surprise. I came as quickly as I could. Is everything okay?” she asked, her brow furrowed, scanning my body as if checking for injuries.
I nodded, dropping my gaze to the floor to stare at the polished wood markings.
“Forgive me,” Nell murmured before slipping into my mind.“Is this better?”
Relief swam through me, disregarding how foreign it was to have someone speaking inside my head.“Yes. Thank you,”I replied.
“Oh, good. Let’s take a seat and have a chat about what’s broughtyou back so soon.”Nell held an arm out toward the chair I’d just abandoned.
“I was hoping I’d be able to start working on telepathy today.”I quickly added,“If you’re able to accommodate me, of course. I didn’t mean to…”
“It’s not an issue, Cotton. What about learning sign language then?”Nell’s expression fell.
“I still want to learn it. But I feel like that is more of a long-term solution, seeing as I would need to teach others around me sign language as well. And given the current circumstances…”
“I understand. Your frustration is valid, especially in a new environment. Am I correct in making that assumption?”
“Yes, ma’am. I need to be able to communicate right now. Even if it’s only for safety reasons. I feel trapped in my mind and like a burden when it comes to important situations.”I cracked my knuckles, the sound popping through our silent conversation.
“I see. Tell me, Cotton,”Nell began, leaning forward with her elbows propped on the desk.“Does this have anything to do with the encounter you had yesterday after you departed here?”
I narrowed my eyes.“How did you?—”
Nell grinned, soft and jovial.“We have seers.”
“Oh. Right.”I said, not expecting that response.
“Are you aware that you are not fully Kinetic, Cotton? Talitha and I both sensed it yesterday but couldn’t be sure, considering we haven’t met many of your kind before. Only one other before you. But the vision proved that you hold some power outside of your typical capabilities.”
“I don’t know what happened yesterday. I made a last-second plea in desperation, and then a sigil popped into my mind as if someone placed it there…And suddenly, I intuitively knew what to do. But I’ve never done anything like that before.”
Nell chewed on the inside of her lip, staring at a spot on the desk, seemingly trying to puzzle something together.“Can you show me the sigil? Without drawing it?”She gave me a pointed look, insinuating there was a reason behind it.
