Overcomer - The Battle - Judy Colella (best love novels of all time .TXT) 📗

realm of magic, while here, everyone seemed to know about and practice it, making it almost mundane.

When the bell rang, Tyler gathered his books and told Cian he’d turned out to be the best lab partner he’d had so far. “I knew you were smart,” he said, leaving Cian speechless.

No one – other than social workers, psychiatrists and psychologists – had ever told him that. It felt pretty amazing.

His next class was English II, where he’d once again be dealing with the bizarre Mrs. Farrell, a teacher upon whom he’d had a totally unexpected and rather disturbing effect the week before. The woman had actually spent almost the entire class time flirting with him. When he’d gotten this reaction from girls around his own age, he’d been only mildly discomfited. But Mrs. Farrell had to be at least twenty or more years older than he, and that was disturbing on a whole other level. Well, at least Celeste and Katie would be there. When he arrived at the classroom door, however, he found it blocked by seven or eight girls who had very clearly been waiting for him.

He nearly dropped his books and ran.

“Spider!” shrieked someone behind them in the classroom. “Oh my God, it’s huge!”

Immediately, the girls at the door scattered, screaming hysterically and looking down at their feet while doing a weird kind of dance, flapping their hands at their sides like terrified chickens. Cian looked in through the door to see Celeste standing there, arms crossed, smirking, Katie having nearly collapsed next to her with laughter.

Cian quickly entered, walked up to Celeste, and kissed her soundly on the forehead. “Thank you!”

“You’re quite welcome,” Celeste answered, knowing she could never in a million years have controlled the blush that was warming her face.

One of the female arachnaphobes at the door had cautiously returned in time to catch this exchange, and entered the room, glaring. Katie, meanwhile, had composed herself, and seeing the other girl’s angry expression, stuck her tongue out at her.

Fortunately for everyone, Mrs. Farrell had been in the office making copies, and now, with things having settled down somewhat, she entered the room with an armful of papers. “Seats everyone!”

Only after the rest of the students had gone to their desks did the remaining six or so girls venture back inside, still peering cautiously at the floor.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, what is wrong with you girls?”

“Did they get it?” asked one of them.

“Get what, Miss Edwards?”

“The huge spider. Someone said there was a huge spider. . .” her voice trailed off as she caught the looks of disbelief, incomprehension, and – in the case of the one girl who had figured it out – disgust. “What?” she asked, confused. “There wasn’t a spider?”

Everyone choked back laughter.

“Young lady, what in the world are you talking about?”

“I – nothing, Mrs. Farrell.”

“She’s talking about a really stupid practical joke Celeste Kelly played on us at the door,” responded the girl who’d caught her at it. She was furious by now and out for revenge.

“Miss Kelly?” The teacher addressed her, giving the girl her famous I’ve-Got-You-Now look.

“Um.” Celeste gulped, then remembered where she’d spent the equivalent of a month learning things that could hold back the very powers of Darkness. She sat straighter. “These guys were blocking the door so Cian couldn’t get past them, so I said I saw a spider. It worked.” The confidence in her voice and attitude was lost on no one, including Cian.

“My, my,” said the teacher, surprised, it seemed, at the sudden appearance of a backbone in this erstwhile timid student. Then, to everyone’s utter amazement, she smiled. “Good for you, Miss Kelly. Some people simply have no manners and need to be taught a lesson now and again.” That said, she turned away, shutting off further discussion of the matter.

When class ended, Cian made his way to Celeste and Katie as quickly as possible, suspecting they might be the targets of some serious resentment from their more skittish classmates. “May I walk with you to the next class?”

“Sure,” said Katie, enjoying the jealous glares. “In fact, you can even skip if you like.”

“What?”

“Nothing, Cian.” She grinned. “Anyway, we have so much to tell you!”

“You do?”

“By the way,” Celeste interrupted, “how are you feeling?”

Cian stopped, seeming to be genuinely surprised by her question. “You know what happened? How?”

“Well, yeah. The Ke– , uh, Mr. Croghan came by Sunday evening and told us some of what had happened to you. After that, he brought me and Katie to the Hub where I had an incredible lesson. When we finished, Celesta told us more about how you’d been attacked and why and all that.” She looked up at him, deeply, truly unhappy. “It’s very unfair, I think.”

So they’d gone to the Hub….good. He gazed at her for a few minutes, trying to understand how someone so lovely, smart, funny, talented and . . . unique could possibly care that much about him. He looked down, humbled by her attention, and thanked her for her concern.

Around them, students flowed by like water around river rocks, but their sounds didn’t register in either Cian’s or Celeste’s minds. Then, without saying a word, they moved closer and held each other for a long moment. Katie almost cried – it was the most romantic thing she’d ever witnessed.

When they parted, Celeste gave him a sweet smile of contentment. He returned it happily, and they started walking again.

“Ready for that history test tomorrow?” asked Katie, a wicked gleam in her eye.

“What test?” Alarmed, Cian and Celeste had spoken simultaneously.

“Ha! Now you sound like me and Celeste!” she crowed. “Anyway, no test – I was simply checking to see if you guys were still sane.”

“Katie!” Celeste smacked her friend on the shoulder in mock outrage.

Cian laughed quietly, his heart soaring with something he’d never experienced before. He was fairly certain he knew what it was, but he was too afraid to believe in case he was wrong. But no matter – because whatever it was, he wanted to hold on to it for as long as possible and dared not risk its loss by letting anything that might want to harm him or Celeste know what was in his heart.

FOUR

 

Cian came home from school smiling, elated, but when he got inside and heard the thrum of the two washing machines downstairs, reality settled back in. He dashed up to his room to drop off his books before checking on the laundry. After supper, Croghan called and told him that since Celeste’s training was, for the most part, done, it was time for his. He added that he’d be by later that evening, then hung up without further explanation.

Homework, laundry, and his other chores finished, Cian was relaxing in his room trying not to think about Celeste, when the doorbell rang. A minute or so later, one of the younger boys came upstairs and told him someone was there to see him and Mr. Geller in the library. Relieved by the interruption, he headed downstairs, entering the library at the same time as Mr. Geller.

Sliding the double door closed and latching them against intruders, the social worker turned to Croghan, who was putting a book back on one of the shelves. “So what can I do for you, Gerald?”

“I’ve a request with regard to the boy.”

“The boy” was sitting on the sofa by the window, wondering what his mentor would tell Geller this time.

“And what would that be – please sit, Gerald. You look like you’re about to start pacing. . .thanks.”

Making himself comfortable in one of the nearby chairs, Croghan replied, “Well, when our friend here was still in Atlanta under the auspices of the Marcus Institute, it was discovered that earlier in his life he had attended a martial arts school.”

“Oh? And you want him to continue?”

“Well, yes. You see, he did the regular disciplines, but he also had an unusual talent with, er, swords.”

Mr. Geller glanced over at Cian, who was frowning at Mr. Croghan.

“Did he enjoy it?”

“Oh, that he did, Joe, that he did. In fact, I’d very much like to see him continue. It’s a rather healthy sport, and I’m sure he misses it. Am I right?”

Cian nodded, giving the Keeper a narrow stare. I know what you’re up to. Clever man, Croghan. “I do, but actually I’ve continued to practice the movements even without a sword because I didn’t want to forget anything.”

For Joe, the idea of allowing one of his charges to train in the martial arts wasn’t too out of the norm. After all, martial arts had been proven to help youths with troubled pasts find a productive, controlled outlet for their inner turmoil. But the notion of letting him train in swordsmanship was a bit disquieting, between knowing what he did about Cian’s past and contents of a pysch-eval transcript in which Cian had mentioned that he would consider killing his former foster-mother and foster-brother for what they’d done if the law didn’t punish them. Cian’s state of mind was still in question, therefore, at least as far as Joe was concerned. Who knew how far-reaching the effects could be of such a tortured life?

Right now, and as far as Joe could tell, there was nothing in Cian’s demeanor that led him to believe the boy capable of harming someone else, much less committing murder. But wasn’t that the sort of thing one always heard people on TV say after someone went on a killing spree?...I knew the guy—nice as could be. It’s hard to believe he killed thirty people... He gave Croghan a thoughtful stare. “Are you sure this is wise?”

“Believe me, Joe,” Croghan replied, “I know the lad better than anyone at this point. I honestly think it’ll do him a world of good.”

Geller thought about it for a few minutes, then got to his feet. “Would you gentlemen mind if I had a conversation with the head of the Martial Arts Academy first? He’s a good friend whose judgment I trust. Besides, you’ve given me a lot to consider and I won’t be rushed into this.”

Cian and Croghan exchanged a glance, both recognizing and respecting Joe’s concerns, and that his should be the final word on the subject.

“I understand,” said Croghan. He turned to Cian. “Let’s go for a walk while Mr. Geller handles this, shall we?”

Getting to his feet, Cian agreed, and they went out, leaving Joe to sort out this latest challenge.

 

*******

 

Because of what had happened over the weekend – the boy’s unnatural sleep and resulting exhaustion – Mr. Geller had called Cian’s job Sunday night and asked them to please excuse him from his Monday night shift. This would mark only his second week as an employee, but since Geller didn’t know how the boy would be feeling by then, he didn’t want to leave Mr. Halloran short-staffed at the last minute. Cian therefore was free to go with them to the school which, it turned out, was located less than a mile from the house.

After a lengthy discussion with the man who ran the Academy, it had been mutually agreed that Cian might very well benefit from attending, but that nothing would be decided regarding his continued sword training until Mr. Geller had witnessed the young man’s behavior during an introductory