Free Stolen by Ella James

eyes and heard Nathan and Meredith talking quickly.
Then, Meredith: “Just get out of her way! Out! Everybody—Marilee! Charles!”
“Stand down!” That was Nathan, and Julia thought, What a tool.
The thought brought him into focus, and then everyone else, too. Julia took a deep breath; the tightness in her chest eased, and was gone a few seconds later.
She closed her eyes, and everyone was gone. Except Meredith. Even with her eyes closed and her focus on not throwing up, Julia could still see the girl’s aura, like a bright light behind her lids.
Meredith, and then Dizzy. Dizzy closer, Meredith farther.
Nathan and Meredith arguing, and then just Dizzy’s dark mess and Nathan’s smear of bold colors.
When she really came around, she was sitting, hugging her knees, on one of the carved-out steps in the theatre. Dizzy and Nathan below her.
Julia cringed.
Dizzy’s real name was Sarah Anne. Charles had said her talent was confusion, whatever that meant. He’d also said she was a “descendent”…and Julia didn’t know what that meant, either.
Note to self—ask more questions .
Dizzy reached out, as if to touch Julia’s hand, and Julia flinched.
“She’s got her senses back.”
“I can take it from here,” Nathan said.
“No, I’m cool. Why don’t you go check on the others. Gods know Meredith can’t handle it. I’m sure she hasn’t summoned Andrew like you asked.”
Nathan shrugged. He looked at Julia guiltily. “Okay.”
Dizzy grinned, and Julia suddenly felt crushed by the room. She was being squeezed, smushed by anxiety, dizziness.
The feeling was gone an instant later.
“Did you feel that?”
Julia blinked at the other girl, unsure what to say. Her mind still felt fuzzy, which…may have been Dizzy. Finally she settled on a nod.
“That’s my talent,” Dizzy told her. “I reach inside you, find your baseline. What you think, how you think. And then I scramble it.” She smirked; her long, layered hair fell over her shoulders, almost brushing Julia’s knees.
“Okay…” She hated herself for not thinking of something better to say.
“What’s your talent?” Dizzy leaned closer, so close that Julia could smell her spearmint breath. “I’ve heard that you see auras, you’re a healer. I believe that, but what else can you do? Don’t lie to me.”
“I— What do you mean?”
“Don’t. Lie.”
Julia felt the painful squeezing in her chest, and she thought about her dreams. No! She thought of Dwight’s pet turtle, Joe. A box turtle they’d found when they were 13—found dead . She breathed again and scrambled up, holding her arms out to keep her balance. “What are you doing?” she gasped.
“Am I doing something?” Dizzy grinned. “You know how these things are. Hard to control sometimes, especially after such a charged session.”
Julia knew she was going to vomit. “Are…you a Candidate, too?”
Dizzy’s grinned widened. “I’m not a Candidate. I’m The One.”
*
Julia walked quickly to the cove where Nathan and the others had gathered, praying the whole time that Dizzy wouldn’t hurt her. She felt embarrassed that she was so afraid, but she suspected the older girl had something to do with that, too. Her hands were shaking by the time she reached the group, but before she slipped into it, a thin hand grabbed her elbow.
“Julia,” Dizzy said perkily. “Are you sure you’re feeling better?”
Those enormous gray eyes were searching, and Julia was pretty sure she understood: Dizzy thought she didn’t remember what had happened.
Though her heart was pounding, she forced herself to smile blandly. “Of course. Thanks for asking.” She stuttered a little on “asking,” but Dizzy didn’t seem surprised. She gave Julia a pat on the arm and they stepped into the group.
Nathan was talking to the Candidates about their Lesson; she only caught the tail end of the conversation, but it seemed like they would be having some kind of sparring contest.
Again, Julia wondered what the