The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy



Jackson growls a little, not very pleased at the idea, but then turns to Tony with his hand out.

"Sorry," Tony says, looking cheerfully down at Jackson's hand. "As nice as it would be to hold your hand, Jacks, what's...what's happening?"noveldrama

"I can give Ariel my energy," Jackson says, bland. "Through our bond. She can pass energy to her brother and cousin through their bond."

"They...have a bond?" Tony asks, peering around Jackson curiously.

"They have since they were babies," mom says, sighing happily, I think at some memory.

"Weird," Tony says, but he lifts his own hand and smacks his palm satisfyingly into Jacksons. Then, Jackson closes his eyes as he always does and, I think, tries to pass the energy.

We all wait. Tony looks around at all of us.

Nothing happens.

"See?" Jackson says, taking his hand away from Tony after a minute and looking back at me. "It only works with you, because of our mating bond." We try more formulations after that, seeing if Jackson can pass energy to my mom or to Cora, and then if I can pass energy to mom, Cora, or Tony as the intermediary, like how I can with Rafe and Jesse.

Nothing works.

"I wonder if it would work with Luca," mom says, turning her head to the side. Jackson stiffens at the idea.

"An experiment for another time," Cora says smoothly, I think sensing that Jackson is a bit at the end of his patience with the experiments. "Now, your turn, sweetheart," she says, turning a smile on Jesse.

"To begin, I wish not to be called pet names in front of my peers," Jesse says, holding up one finger. His mom's smile just deepens as she makes no promises. "And two...do I have to?" He grimaces and I can tell, in that, that he's a bit afraid.

"I think...you should, Jess," Cora says quietly. "You have to experiment with it sometime."

"It's...weird though," Jesse says, shuddering a little at the thought of it.

My heart goes out to him because honestly I love my gift - love playing with it, experimenting with it, which I do pretty much every night as I light the fire in our little room. If I had a gift I didn't like? God, but that would be difficult to deal with.

"Plus," Jesse says, looking towards his roommates, "I kind of...lost control last time."

"It's okay," Jackson says, turning towards him and nodding his encouragement. "We'll help you again, if you need it. But I don't think

you'll need me this time. I think

you've got this."

"This time?" Tony asks, frowning over at Jesse. "But I thought last time your shadows came out...it happened when you were sleeping."

“So?" Jesse asks, turning to Tony, confused.

“So, Jackson helped you?” Tony asks, his nose wrinkling as he tries to put the pieces together. "Why was he there?"

We all go...a very little bit quiet as I whip my head to Tony, a scowl on my face as I glare at him.

His lips form a very careful "o" as he glances towards me and my mom, who is very studiously studying the ceiling, pretending she hasn't already put this together.

"Moving on," Cora says, far too

et

casually, turning her amused smite on Jesse. “Jess, if you don't want to, you don't have to. But...I'd love to see you try."

Jesse sighs and looks up at his mom, shaking his head a bit as if wondering how he's supposed to say no to that. She grins at him and he takes a deep breath before glancing again at Jackson

Jackson gives him a deep, encouraging nod, letting Jesse know he's here.

And so Jesse closes his eyes for a second - I think imitating Jackson a bit when he passes his energy to me - and breathes in a deep breath.

And when he breathes it out?

My eyes go wide as the shadows begin to seep again from him, eager. Jesse's eyes immediately fly open as he looks down at himself, begins to breathe hard.

"Calmly, baby," Cora says, her voice totally even.

Jesse looks up again, his eyes fastening on hers, and she gives him a deep, steady nod.

And so Jesse calms down, letting the shadows seep from him more completely, I think panicking a little to see them out and free but...letting them exist.