Chapter 6

Isabell cracked open her eyes to be blinded by the light streaming in through her window through her soft white curtains. The sudden brightness magnified against the color and Isabell blinked against it. Isabell lifted her hand to shield her sensitive eyes from the lights assault until they could focus. Once her eyes had adjusted, and no longer felt like nails were being driven into her sockets, she turned to look at the clock on her nightstand. It was nearly one in the afternoon. Shock swept over Isabell at the thought of sleeping for almost twelve hours, something that couldn't possibly be healthy. Sitting up, Isabell stretched her body and felt as her joints popped from being stationary for so long. Looking down, Isabell found she wasn't in her pajamas but rather the clothes she had been wearing yesterday, including the cloak Jason had given her. Fearing her parent's walking in on her like this, she quickly changed into a fresh pair of clothes and grabbed a bag to stuff her cloak inside. Isabell didn't want her parents assuming Isabell was in league with a cult.

In a weird way, didn't she?

For a moment, Isabell contemplated not going back to the agency. There was no obligation for her to return there, so why go? As quickly as it gained momentum in her head, it lost it. As she already realized the other day, Isabell wanted to see what this life had to offer her. Isabell couldn't help but wonder at the adventures that lay on the path before her. It did dawn on her this could be a double-edged sword. On one side, Isabell had the ventures she could only dream of, while on the other, there was the possibility of horrible events unfolding before her, not to mention the possible danger. Isabell decided she was going to think on the optimistic side of the sword and banish the grave notions away. Running downstairs, Isabell entered the kitchen only to find it was empty along with the rest of the house. There was no need to hide anything from her parents. Both Mark and Linda had already left for work.

Isabell didn't give any thought to it. Her mother and father, did this a lot when they lived in Oklahoma there was no reason to change it now. Entering the garage, Isabell found her bike leaning against the wall as she expected the night before. Isabell made a mental note to thank Iris for everything she has done later. Even if she didn't like Isabell, Iris had still put the locks on her doors instead of tossing them away and made sure her bike was in the garage and locked up.

Leaving her home, Isabell was comforted that she knew where she was going this time. The same pull from the day before pulling her through the twisted, confusing streets and leading her back to the unmarked building. She pulled her bike up to a tree and locked it up. It was out of the way of other cars and hidden out of sight unless you knew where to look for it. Isabell buzzed herself in, and the doors swung open for her without the request for her name.

Jason was already waiting for her in the main foyer. Iris was there, but she stood off to the side when Isabell entered. Iris held the same cold feeling like yesterday, but it felt less frigid. Isabell ignored it and marched right up to Iris. The woman looked shocked at her approach, and a look of weariness entered her eyes.

"I wanted to thank you for yesterday," Isabell said, "You didn't have to put the locks on my doors or lock my bike up in the garage."

Iris looked at Isabell in confusion but nodded her head in acknowledgment. The question of what changed in Iris' attitude tickled in the back of Isabell's head, but she ignored it. She focused her attention on the thing that Jason was holding in his hands. It was a transparent ball that Jason made sure to have a tight grip on like he was afraid to drop it. It reminded her of one of those magic balls that you could do fancy tricks with, giving you the illusion of magic.

"It's good to see you're up and walking about," Jason greeted, "I didn't think you were going to make it out of bed."

"Yeah, well, let's hope that that doesn't happen again," Isabell said, pulling the cloak out of her back and pulling it on.

"That's what today is all about," Jason said, tossing the ball in the air carelessly, "Today we're going to focus on exactly how much power you need to put into your changes, so let's get to it."

Turning away from Isabell, Jason started walking down the hall without waiting to see if Isabell was following. Isabell looked at Iris, who only shrugged, and trailed after him, Iris close on her heels. There was no winding through the agency, and Jason took a more direct route to the training room. The three strolled in silence and Isabell could feel Iris' gaze piercing into her back and fought the urge to squirm. Settling on fiddling with the edges of her cover so Iris couldn't see her gaze was making Isabell uncomfortable. Isabell's orbs tracked the plants winding around Jason's cloak. Following their path around the edges and stretching up to the grand two on the center of his back. The sight of Jason's coat made Isabell feel like hers was, plain.

"Hey Jason," Isabell asked, getting the man's attention.

"What's up," Jason said, slowing his pace to walk alongside her.

"How come my cloak is black, and yours is white with the vines," Isabell asked.

"Jealous," Jason teased.

"N.No. I was just wondering."

"I'm kidding, don't get flustered on me. When you get your protector, yours will change. It will take on design unique to you and your squad, but its color may not change. That only happens with captains. If I speak honestly, we don't know how it works but think it has something to do with the power and the change to your soul. Think of it as a signature."

"So your's changed from black to white when you got your protector."

"Not exactly. I wasn't chosen to be a captain until later when my original captain died."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up."

"It's okay, that was a long time ago."

Isabell was good at reading people she could see Jason was hiding something. It was painful, maybe from his past, before he was a captain? Isabell opted to drop the subject allowing the group to continue in silence. When they got to the training room, it was just as messy as the day before. One of the rings was clear, and Jason made a beeline for it. Turning around, so he was walking backward, he called out with no warning.

"Catch."

He tossed the ball he was holding to Isabell she managed to catch it before it hit her in the face or fall to the ground. Isabell didn't want to be responsible for breaking a potentially important object. She held the ball to her face to get a closer look at it. There were no imperfections to the orb. She was able to see Jason right through its center. Rubbing her hands along the surface, her hands left no streaks there was an engraving in the glass. The engravings were small enough not to see but deep enough to feel. There was no way to tell what the markings were by touch alone.

"What is it," Isabell asked.

"It's a Powerball," Jason said, walking towards her.

"What do I do with it."

"You put your powers into it. The amount it takes for you to charge the orb properly is the same amount you need to use to shift forms. No more, no less.

Jason settled his hand on its surface, and it instantly glowed a soft green. Isabell watched in fascination and could feel the power radiate through the glass into her hands. The hard surface felt soft like she was touching a flower petal, and she could smell the fresh air outside. The ball warmed in her hands, and she stared in awe and wonder.

"This is going to help me control my powers," Isabell asked.

"Exactly, it will also give me an insight on what kind of power you may have," Jason said, "So why don't we get to work."

Jason took his hand off the Powerball, and it went dark and cold in Isabell's hand. Isabell couldn't help the sadness when the softness disappeared. She almost asked Jason if he could make it come back. He walked over to a part of the wall cleared of weapons, sat down, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

"How is he supposed to have insight if he's asleep," Isabell wondered.

Sighing, Isabell sat down on the ground and stared at the ball. Jason hadn't explained how it worked, but she was smart, she'd figure it out. No ideas immediately came to mind, but she concentrated anyway. Isabell tried to pour her powers in the little ball. No matter how hard she focused, it refused to light up. After ten minutes, Isabell started to feel frustrated. She couldn't get it to even glimmer. Isabell was tempted to ask for help, but she was stubborn.

"Maybe I have to visualize it in my mind," Isabell thought.

In her mind, she visualized the ball, but instead of a glass ball, it was a cup her power was water. She tried to put her power in but realized that it wouldn't respond like that. It took her a moment to realize she needed to know how much she wanted to use first before trying to add the power. Not wanting to use too much, she took a small amount and gently poured it into the cup. The ball glimmered dulling in her hands and warmed for three seconds before it went dark and cold.

"Not enough," Isabell thought.

Feeling a bit bolder by her success, she added more it flew out in a rush, out of her control. The ball became a blinding sun in her hands. Isabell hissed in pain as the ball burned her hands and dropped it.

"Too much, way too much," Isabell thought.

Isabell tapped the ball to test how hot it was, but it had gone cold without her power. Isabell picked it up and decided on a different approach. She imagined the ball in her hands dark and lifeless. White tendrils of energy snaked towards the ball from the edges of her vision, and the ball absorbed it slowly like a sponge. In the real world, the ball grew brighter in her hands and warmed. Stronger and stronger, the light grew until it was shining bright brighter than when Jason did it. The ball didn't become warm like she expected but cold, like ice. Like she was holding a giant ice cube in her hands. It was pleasant and didn't hurt her hands like ice would if in contact with bare skin for too long. The light was blinding, but it had a soft sparkle to it as if doused in glitter. Isabell could feel an icy wind whip around her hair, and she could smell the ice.

"Is it even possible to smell ice," Isabell wondered.

Isabell wanted to revel in the feeling of her powers. It was so cold and magnificent, so apart of her, she wanted to stay in it forever. She knew she was here to practice controlling her powers and sighed at it. Isabell sucked all her energy from it and let it become dead in her hands, like a corpse. Like raising a gate, her power rushed forward and refilled the Powerball. Back and forth, Isabell did this for what felt like hours. Eventually, the exercise became boring, and Isabell was able to make the Powerball light up without her thinking about it. The only exhilarating element was seeing her abilities manifest. Isabell looked over at Jason to see he was still asleep. She stood, and walked over to him and he stirred, sensing her approach. Jason could sense Isabell standing in front of him and could feel the cold wind hitting his face. Opening his eyes, Jason was greeted by Isabell, holding a blinding ball of light in her hands.

"I got it," Isabell said, allowing the ball to yo-yo back and forth between dark and light.

"I see that," Jason said, sitting up and stretching, "And you have ice-based abilities, and their strength."

"What now," Isabell asked.

"Now that your powers are under control, we're going to continue on your transformations."

"Alright."

Isabell handed the Powerball back to Jason, who tucked it into another secret panel against the wall. Instantly Jason started to rattle off animals. So fast, at first, Isabell had a hard time keeping up. Sometimes, Jason would call a different form out midway through a shift and would have to shift again before the last form was complete. At first, Isabell was clumsy, but as they went along, she was able to change more gracefully. For two weeks, the two trained like this until Isabell could change into any animal without him having to say so. It was as if she already knew what he wanted before he said it. They started to incorporate other obstacles for her to change. Sometimes with someone rushing at her and other times her falling from great heights. Each time she was successful.

"Great job," Jason said beaming, "I only know one person who was able to learn as quick as you have."

"What now," Isabell asked, not asking who the other person was.

"Tomorrow you'll begin the process to get your protector," Jason said, "Take the rest of today to rest and get some sleep. You'll need all of your strength tomorrow."

With a soft nod, Isabell turned and left the room. Following the hallways, she had walked over the last couple of weeks back to the entrance. The entire time she had been training, her parents had no idea what she has been doing. They weren't home until later in the evening, by then Isabell was in her bed asleep. Iris had begun to warm up to her over time, but Isabell could still see a level of reservation in her eyes.

Isabell hadn't seen anyone else since she arrived but didn't mind too much. Walking out the large double doors, Isabell took a moment o to breathe in the fresh air. Walking over to her usual parking spot, Isabell unlocked her bike and pulled away, heading for her home. On her way, she started to think about what was going to happen tomorrow. It was also when she realized how nervous she was.

"What if I fail, or something bad happens."

Isabell shook the thought from her head.

"It's going to be alright, I'll get my protector, my squad, and we'll go from there."

Isabell tried to fill her thoughts with nothing but positive, but she couldn't shake her uneasiness. As if bad things were about to happen, maybe not tomorrow but sometime soon.

Isabell pulled up to her home to find her parents weren't there, as expected. She pulled her bike into the garage and laid it against the wall, exactly where it had been the day before, and the day before that, for the last two weeks. Isabell entered the home after making sure the garage door was locked and then the back door behind her. She wandered through the house more a minute before heading upstairs to her room and flopping onto her bed.

Isabell rested and wrestled with the foreboding she had been feeling for the last thirty minutes. No matter how much she tried to push it away, it kept resurfacing and nagging at her. Isabell sighed and sat up, deciding to go for a flight to clear her head. Not a walk but to fly through the clouds.

She walked to the door that would lead to the attic and ascended the stairs. Her parents had opted to allow that to be Isabell's space since they had no use for it. In a house this big, there was nothing for them to store away. All the seasonal decorations were held int he garage under her father's workbench. The stairs creaked as she walked up the old stairs and out to the balcony. She looked around to see none of her neighbors out and scrambled onto the roof. It would do her no good if someone saw what she was about to do. She strolled to the tip of the roof overlooking the neighboorhood and breathed in the crisp night air. The moon behind her bathed the area in a light glow that made everything look like a strange land out of a fairytale. A light breeze blew through her hair and cloak, making both rustles restlessly. Isabell smiled, and with no hesitation, leaned forward and allowed herself to drop off the room, shifting into a bird before flying into the night sky. Never before would anyone be able to get a view like hers, at least not outside the safety of a plane. There was nothing like flying with the freedom of a bird.

Below her, Isabell could see the twinkling lights of the city below. Above the shine of the stars as if they were diamonds, with moons pale beauty complimenting them. The soft clouds making the stars fade in and out of view. No matter how many times Isabell saw this, she would never get used to it.

Isabell soared over the city to a nearby cliff and changed back into her human form and sitting precariously to the edge. For hours, Isabell sat doing nothing but staring at the stars and the city. In the past couple of weeks, Isabell had found herself doing this often. Knowing that whatever may change in her world, this never would. That thought brought her some comfort. Looking at her watch, Isabell realized that it was midnight and her parents were probably home. None the wiser that she wasn't.

"Time to go," Isabell said to the stars as she stood.

On the edge of the cliff, she turned around and allowed her self to drop from the edge, her arms held out from her sides. Isabell knew she had thirty seconds before she hit the ground, but that gave her twenty seconds longer to stare at the stars. The adrenaline rushed through her like the wind whipped through her hair as she neared the earth. As if it wanted to catch her and drag her back down to the ground. At exactly twenty seconds, she shifted into a bird and took to the skies, defying gravity. The wind caressed her wings as if they were welcoming her back. Sailing above the clouds, Isabell soared with the stars and bathed in the light of the moon. She dipped her wings into the vapors to create jet streams of air behind her. Soaring higher, Isabell danced with the stars and the moon was her spotlight as she twisted, twirled and spun in the air. Isabell folded her extensions in and nose-dived towards the planet only to flare out her wings and launch back into the heavens. Eventually, she made it back home and flew through the open window and landing in the attic. Isabell shifted back into a human and stared up at the sky for a moment longer before closing the door to the balcony. Blocking the night sky and teasing wind from her. As she made her way back to her room, Isabell pulled off her cloak and clothes, leaving a trail behind her. Opening up her dresser, she pulled out a pair of soft pajama shorts and a tank top and pulled them on before climbing into bed. For a moment, Isabell laid there thinking about tomorrow's events one last time before falling asleep. Her dreams took her back to the night sky to soar above the clouds and dance with the stars to bask in the light of the moon.