Free Caged (Talented Saga) by Sophie Davis

get much from her mind, but I could almost see the waves of dislike rolling off her body as she looked me up and down. I was definitely off to a slow start making friends.
    I studied Cadence as she demonstrated several defensive moves, grudgingly watching her fluid motions and perfect form. I hated to admit it, even to myself, but she was very good. The mastery of her skills wasn’t lost on the students either; they all observed her with rapt attention, seemingly unable to tear their eyes away.
    “Ms. Lyons, if you could help me out?” she called to me.
    “Um, sure,” I mumbled, moving to the front of the practice mats.
    “I need you to walk through the skills Donavon taught this morning. Can you handle that?” she asked in a short, clipped voice.
    “I can,” I snapped before remembering that I needed to gain her confidence, not make her dislike me more than she clearly did.
    Starting slowly, I aimed light jabs at her midsection, letting her block my weak attempts. As the demonstration progressed, I realized that she was fast – really fast. And she was responding to my slow movements with more force and aggression than necessary. Her attitude irritated me and I picked up my game. Soon, we were sparring for real, both of us panting and sweaty. Not only was Cadence fast, she was almost as good as I was. Fearing that she would get the best of me, and not wanting to be shown up in front of a bunch of students, I decided to show her exactly how good I was. My next movement landed her flat on her back.
    Normally, I wouldn’t have stopped there; I would’ve pinned her to the ground until she conceded my victory. However, the audible gasp from the pupils in attendance brought me back to reality. So, instead of claiming my win, I reached out my hand in an attempt to help her to her feet. Her beady black eyes were murderous as she stared up at me from the ground. I recoiled at her open hostility. She reached for my hand but instead of grasping it to let me help her up, her own arm – from fingertips to shoulder – disappeared in front of my eyes. My fingers grasped air. I’d braced myself to pull her to her feet, and her trick had caught me off guard, and I stumbled.
    Several of the students snickered. Cadence’s lips curled in to a snarl as she glared at me through the pieces of her black hair that had escaped her ponytail during our scuffle.
    “Light Manipulator,” she said quietly. I’d known that; I just hadn’t anticipated her using her ability to embarrass me. Cadence moved from where I’d fallen on my hands and knees and began assigning practice partners to the class. I had to bite my lip as the anger and humiliation at her having gotten the last word threatened to cloud my better judgment. Taking three deep, calming breaths, I plastered a smile on my face. I spent the remainder of class suppressing my desire to attack the girl.
    After class, I made my way to the Instructor cafeteria. Gretchen had assured me that the food here would be better here than the students’, but I wasn’t optimistic as I entered and saw long plastic tables anchored to the floor by long plastic uncomfortable benches.
    I joined the end of the line of teachers and assistants waiting to load their plates with mystery meat and crispy lettuce from the food bar. The chicken was covered in thick, brown gravy, and actually smelled amazing. My mouth watered and my stomach rumbled as I searched for an empty table. I knew that I should join some of my colleagues and try and dig around a little, but I wasn’t really in the mood. Finding all of the tables already occupied, I chose the least hostile looking option: a small blonde boy with his nose buried in a book.
    “Mind if I sit?” I asked, approaching his side. The boy looked up at me and his eyes widened, taking on a glazed expression.
    “Sure,” he squeaked in reply. “I mean, sure, it’s okay if you sit. Not sure, I mind if you sit,” he felt the need to clarify.
    “Thanks,” I