Caloric

The sound of voices in discussion slowly brought Phoenyx out of slumber. Her face was pressed against the bars and she was fairly certain she had unattractive red lines in their place. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. Skylar, Sebastian, and Lily were talking.

“Morning, sunshine,” Sebastian greeted.

She blushed at the sight of him, then quickly got angry at herself for it and pushed those girly feelings aside.

Before she could say anything, her stomach growled loudly, making it known to everyone that she was very hungry.

“Sorry,” she said. “This feeding us once a day crap is really not working for me. On the bright side, I’ll finally lose those five pounds I promised to lose since Christmas.”

Lily laughed. “How do you do that?” she asked. “You just have a way of making every terrible thing seem not so bad.”

Phoenyx shrugged. “I don’t know, force of habit, I guess.”

“Well, I really appreciate it.” Lily smiled and Phoenyx smiled back.

“So, what were you guys talking about?” Phoenyx asked.

“Just trying to find a connection we all have,” Skylar said. “We really aren’t linked in any way. Do either of you have any enemies?”

Lily shook her head and Phoenyx said, “Not that I know of.”

“You don’t owe anyone money? Maybe your parents do?” Skylar pressed.

“Well, maybe the university,” Lily answered. “But I don’t think that counts.”

“I’m sure we have credit card debt but not in any copious amounts,” Phoenyx replied.

“Maybe we’re being Punk’d,” Sebastian said, causing Skylar to sigh and roll his eyes.

“No way! That’s exactly what I said our first day in here,” Phoenyx said excitedly.

Sebastian laughed.

“Hey, what do you know, Sebastian?” Skylar said, “A girl who actually gets you. Better keep this one locked up.”

Sebastian smirked. “My God, Skylar, was that actually a joke?”

Skylar laughed a short laugh. “Anyway, what on Earth could we possibly all have in common? What is the link?”

Suddenly, Lily rushed to the toilet and threw up, stopping all conversation and forcing everyone’s eyes to her. She was very pale and her hands were shaking on the rim of the toilet seat.

“Oh, my God, are you okay?” Phoenyx asked fretfully.

Lily coughed a few times and spat into the toilet before wiping her mouth. “I’m sorry. I think I’m just freaking out a little bit.” Her voice was weak and wavering.

Phoenyx was really getting worried about Lily. They hadn’t had much food the three days they’ve been in here, and Lily just threw up all the food she did have. If they don’t start getting more food, or if Lily couldn’t find some way to relax and keep further food down, being trapped in here won’t be the only thing they’ll have to worry about. Her health could quickly and easily drop in these conditions.

As if on cue, the door opened and the bald man tossed two bags into the room before closing it again. For just a brief second, she noticed a large ring on the middle finger of the hand he tossed the bag with. The emblem on the ring was the exact same design she saw on the pin that guy at the bar wore, the square with the different colored boxes in each corner. Well, in case there was any doubt in her mind that he was involved, she was sure now. Whatever they were doing in this cell had something to do with that symbol.

She crawled forward and pulled the bags through the bars. She took a water bottle out of one and crawled over to Lily.

“Here, you need to drink some of this, sweetie,” she said.

Lily sat down and took the bottle with her trembling hands.

Unable to bear seeing Lily so tightly wound, Phoenyx did the only thing that was in her power to do. She put her hand on Lily’s arm and, as gently as she could, let her will flow through her hand as she said, “Everything is going to be fine. You’re going to drink that water and feel so much better. That burger is going to taste so good.”

Almost instantly, color came back to Lily’s face—her cheeks became beautifully rosy again and the tension in her posture released.

“Okay,” Lily said. She took a sip of the water, then chugged it. When the bottle was empty, she said, “You were right; I feel much better.”

Sebastian grabbed their doggy bag but Skylar kept staring at Phoenyx, narrowing his eyes in thoughtful scrutiny.

“What?” Phoenyx asked, feeling awkward under his gaze.

As if caught off-guard, Skylar blinked and slightly shook his head. “Nothing,” he said and turned to take his share of the bag from Sebastian.

They ate in silence—all of them, or at least Phoenyx, very hungry. Lily was eating her burger just fine. That made Phoenyx so relieved. That didn’t mean she could relax just yet; she would have to keep an eye on her and make sure Lily stayed healthy. But for how long?

“I think I know what it is we all have in common,” Skylar said, catching all of their attention.

“Oh yeah, what’s that?” Sebastian asked mid chew, mostly uninterested in anything but his burger.

Skylar put aside his burger and leaned in toward the bars separating them.

“What you just did to Lily, you’ve been able to do that your whole life—to anyone, haven’t you.” He said this to Phoenyx as a statement and not a question.

At the mention of her name, Lily turned to Phoenyx with a question in her eyes.

Phoenyx’s heart thudded in her chest.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

“It’s okay,” he said. “I’m not judging you or accusing you of anything. You don’t have to be defensive about your gift.”

It was perfectly clear that Skylar knew exactly what she could do. Oh God, she felt like such a freak!

“H-how do you know?” she stuttered.

Hearing the fret in Phoenyx’s voice drew Sebastian’s attention away from his burger and to both the girls. Now she had everyone’s eyes on her.

“Because,” Skylar said. “I have a gift too.”

Just then, the empty water bottle on the floor to Skylar’s right lifted into the air by itself. Phoenyx held her breath and her eyes widened at the sight.

“Skylar, what are you doing?” Sebastian burst out, and he smacked the bottle, causing Skylar to lose his hold over it and sending it crashing to the floor.

“It’s all right,” Skylar said calmly to Sebastian. “They are just like us. They, too, have secrets.”

Phoenyx was paralyzed, trying to process what she just saw and what they were saying. Her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her when she saw that bottle levitate. Her hunger wasn’t making her delusional. Skylar somehow made that bottle move—with his mind.

They are just like us. They, too, have secrets. What did that mean? Does Sebastian have some kind of freaky ability, too? Does Lily? How did Skylar know about me? How could he know I compelled Lily to feel better?

“I’m also a telepath,” Skylar said to both girls. “I hear everything you’re both thinking.”

Phoenyx felt all of her self-conscious blood drain from her face. He can hear everything I’m thinking? Wait, prove it. What number am I thinking of right now? Nine.

“Nine,” he said, pointing to Phoenyx. “And purple,” he said, pointing to Lily.

Phoenyx and Lily gasped in sync.

Phoenyx felt incredibly self-aware now. It was true. Skylar really could read her mind. Every thought she had would not be private as long as she was in this cell with him next door. Her mind might as well be a damn television screen! She felt completely naked.

“Wait, so you’re telling me that both of them have some kind of gift?” Sebastian asked. “What’s hers?” He nodded to Phoenyx.

She felt like she was on display.

“Yeah,” Lily said, still obviously self-conscious herself. “What did you mean when you said, ‘what you did to Lily’? What did she do?”

Rather than let Skylar answer and leave Lily feeling violated somehow, Phoenyx figured she might as well explain.

“I can make people do, feel, or say things just by touching them,” she confessed, squinting as if the words were physically hard to get out. She turned to Lily. “I couldn’t bear to see you so panicked and you can’t afford to throw up with how little they’re feeding us, so I made you feel better. I had to.”

Lily half-pouted and half-smiled. “I thought I felt something…odd. Odd but in a really good way. Thank you. I really needed something to help me calm down.”

Phoenyx exhaled and smiled, so relieved that Lily didn’t hate her or fear her for what she could do.

“Interesting,” Sebastian said, looking smug. “Do it to me. Make me do something.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Really?”

“Yeah, yeah, come on.” He was smiling away.

She hesitated as several slightly humiliating possibilities passed through her mind.

“Yeah, go ahead, make him do something,” Skylar said, amused.

Phoenyx could tell he liked what he saw in her thoughts.

Thinking of something she would rather make Sebastian do, she said, “All right,” and stuck her hand through the bars. “Give me your hand, Sebastian.”

He eagerly came over and put his hand in hers. At the same time Skylar backed away and said, “No, no—not that!”

Putting an extra sensual vibe to it, she pushed her will and said, “Sebastian, I would really like it…if you would give Skylar a big, fat kiss.”

Warm color spread over Sebastian’s face and he said happily, “Okay!” Then he turned in Skylar’s direction, grabbed his face despite Skylar’s protestation and hand smacking, and pulled him to plant one right on Skylar’s mouth.

Skylar forcefully shoved Sebastian away, then glared daggers at Phoenyx, whose raucous laughter was chorused by Lily’s.

“Not cool,” Skylar shouted, aggressively pointing his index finger at her.

Sebastian eagerly smiled at Phoenyx.

“That was amazing,” he said in a kid’s-first-time-to-Disneyland sort of way. “Oddly enough, I have never felt more turned on.”

Skylar made a very disgusted face and a guttural gagging sound.

“Oh, don’t flatter yourself,” Sebastian said to Skylar. Then to Phoenyx he said, “I mean, from your touch, I felt…totally enamored, I guess would be the right word for it. In that moment, I was completely willing to do anything you asked.”

“Actually, I felt oddly turned on also, despite the icky stomach pain,” Lily admitted. “For a moment I almost thought I was going lesbian.”

Phoenyx laughed, feeling much more comfortable now. “I don’t know why it is but there’s always a sensual sort of feel to it. When doing it, I feel this very carnal feeling it in my gut. I think that somehow gets transferred to the person I’m compelling. I really don’t get how it works, but it does.”

“I bet you’re amazing in bed,” Sebastian said dazedly. Then his eyes widened and his smile fell. He said, “Did I just say that out loud?”

The other three all laughed. Skylar joined in, albeit begrudgingly.

“So, Sebastian…” Phoenyx began, purposefully not addressing his comment and trying like hell to keep thoughts of her dream out of her mind where Skylar could see them, “Skylar said you both have secrets too. What’s your special talent?”

“You mean aside from making a fool of himself?” Skylar teased.

Sebastian playfully glanced sideways at Skylar, then said, “I am a master of illusion.”

“What does that mean?” she asked.

“I can make anyone see whatever I want them to see,” he replied. “For instance…”

Suddenly, barking came from the other side of the bars and, to their amazement, Phoenyx and Lily turned to see an adorable yellow Labrador puppy sitting in front of the door, barking and wagging his tail. Phoenyx, mouth agape, stepped closer, staring at the very real dog in front of her. Then right before her eyes, the puppy disappeared like an image reflected on water whose surface had been disturbed.

“Wow!” Lily gasped. “That was amazing!”

“Thank you,” Sebastian said and gave an overly dramatic bow.

“So, this is why the two of you do what you do,” Phoenyx said. “You make your money by using your powers and no one is the wiser.”

“Exactly,” Sebastian said. “It all works out quite brilliantly. Except for in the case when my illusion doesn’t reach the cameras in casinos and the owners start wondering why I’m making money off a losing hand. That’s the only time we ever get in trouble. I haven’t quite figured out how to make more than two or three people see the illusion. Of course, cameras don’t pick them up, either.”

“That’s really very cool,” Phoenyx praised. “I think I’d probably be doing the same thing if I had a gift like that.”

He smiled and nodded.

“Now then,” he said, “that leaves Lily. What can you do?”

Lily froze up when everyone looked at her.

“Why don’t you demonstrate on me,” Skylar said to Lily. “I have a small Swiss army knife.” He pulled it out of his jacket pocket and extended his arm through the bars.

Why would she need a pocket knife? What kind of ability would call for such a tool?

“Really?” Lily asked hesitantly.

“Absolutely,” Skylar said confidently. “In fact, I’ll make it easy for you.” With his other hand, in one swift motion, he opened the pocket knife and sliced a three inch long gash on the inside of his arm. Blood streamed from the wound and dripped onto the cement floor.

“Skylar,” Sebastian exclaimed.

“Come on, Lily, there’s no going back now,” Skylar invited, the epitome of calm.

Lily rushed to the bars and put both of her hands over the bleeding wound. As they all watched with horrified eyes, the separated flesh pulled itself back together and sealed seamlessly. All that remained as evidence of the incident was the blood on Skylar’s arm and the few drops on the floor. Otherwise, his arm was unblemished.

“Holy shit,” Sebastian exclaimed. “While I have to admit that was a brilliant parlor trick, don’t you ever do anything like that again. You scared the bloody hell out of me!”

“Lily, that was incredible!” Phoenyx said, awe-struck. “You can heal people. I think you’ve got the most amazing gift out of all of us.”

“Thanks,” Lily said bashfully.

“Thanks for not letting me bleed to death.” Skylar winked at her.

She laughed nervously. She really was adorable.

He smiled at her. Then he sat down with his legs crossed, all business again. “All right, now that we have all the cards on the table, let’s have a real talk.”