Branded (The Branded Series) by K.L. Hawker Page A

coming over to straighten the equipment.
    I stared down
at Lexie, who had begun crying again. I placed my hands over her ears again and
said her name: “Lex?” And again, the sound of gunfire split through my voice,
and she flinched.
    “Guys! I think
she hears gunfire whenever anyone speaks,” I whispered, eyes wide on Lexie.
    I put my hands
back over her ears and imagined myself catching the bullets with every word
that I spoke. “Heal . . . her . . . mind. . . . Erase . . . her . . . fears.”
    When I took my
hands away, Lexie’s eyes were closed and calm.
    “Lexie?”
Rachel whispered. Nothing.
    “Is she
asleep?” Noah asked.
    “I think so,”
I confirmed.
    We watched her
rest for a few minutes until Anna and Ms. Stevens returned with a sandwich.
    “She’s
asleep?” Ms. Stevens asked, surprised.
    “Yeah, Rachel has
that effect on people,” I teased.
    Rachel curled
her lip at me and said, “Hopefully she’ll feel better when she wakes.”
    Ms. Stevens
wiped the tears from her daughter’s cheeks. Lexie’s eyes slowly opened and she
reached for her mother’s hand. “Mom?”
    Ms. Stevens
dropped her sandwich and grabbed both of her daughter’s hands in hers. “Lexie!”
Ms. Stevens laughed and cried simultaneously. “She talked! She said my name!
Did you hear that?”
    I couldn’t
help the smile that crept across my face from ear to ear. “I heard her,” I
said. And I couldn’t help but notice Lexie didn’t flinch when we spoke.
    Lexie’s eyes
scanned the room as she slowly sat up, favouring her arm as she did. “Thanks
for coming, guys.”
    “We’re so glad
you’re feeling better,” Anna said, relieved.
    “Me too,”
Lexie said with a bit of a laugh.
    “Well, we
should probably head back to school and let everyone know how she’s doing,”
Rachel said after a moment of hugs and silence.
    “Anna, we’ll
be out in the hallway waiting,” I said as I kissed her forehead, leaving her
with Ms. Stevens and Lexie.
    “Good job,
man,” Noah said once we were out of earshot.
    “Thanks. I was
kind of nervous, but Rachel told me she had a vision of me healing Lexie, so
that helped to get me in there.”
    “Oh yeah? You
had a vision?” Noah asked, turning his attention to Rachel.
    “Well, kind
of,” Rachel answered.
    “What do you
mean—kind of?” I pressed.
    “I may have
just told you that so you would have more faith in yourself,” she looked at me
guiltily. “If you think you can do something, Jake, you can.”
    I smiled. “Okay,
so that may have worked this time, but don’t lie to me again, okay?”
    She answered
with a smile.
    “But thanks
anyway.” I looked toward Lexie’s door as Anna emerged. A bounty of conversation
flowed through the halls as Lexie and her mother reconnected.
     
    We arrived at school in
time for recess, and were swarmed by friends looking for the update on Lexie’s
recovery. We reported to all that she was doing much better and should be out
in a couple of days.
    Tyler and
Monica were sitting on our usual bench alongside the school when we approached.
    “Hey,” I said
with a nod. “How are you both doing?”
    “Better,
thanks.” Monica smiled slightly as Tyler held her close.
    “Good to hear.
Lexie is doing better. She should be back in a few days.”
    “I still can't
believe she dodged that bullet,” Monica said, shaking her head in disbelief.
    “What do you
mean?” I pried.
    “You didn't
hear the story?” Monica looked at me. “Lexie should be dead right now. That
shooter had the gun aimed point-blank at her head. Then, just as he pulled the
trigger, he slipped or tripped or something and the bullet went through her
shoulder instead.”
    “No, I didn't
know that.” I looked to Anna who appeared just as shocked as me.
    “And it was
lucky that he slipped because it gave me the chance to hide behind that Pepsi
machine.” Monica’s voice became distant as she recounted the frightening memory.
    “Definitely
had luck on your side,” Noah