The Elements Trilogy: The Secondaries

Chapter 50: Water

My entire body stiffened in shock, my breath catching in my chest. "Oh my God," I whispered. "Oh my God."

"Are you okay?" She asked, bright blue eyes searching my face. "Are you hurt?"

"Those are my eyes," I said, sitting up as she got off me. "And my voice, you're speaking with my voice. And that's my weird triangle of freckles on my cheek, and my scar on my neck and my-"

"Skylar!" She interrupted me. "Are you okay? Do you know who I am?"

"I'd be fucking stupid if I didn't!" I snapped. "How could I not recognize my own clone?"

My clone cracked a small smile, but I recognized the flash of hurt in those bright blue eyes and I immediately felt guilty. "Evie," I said, standing up to be eye to eye with my clone. "Can you go get the others?"

Evie hesitated, taking a step closer, concern in her eyes.

"Hey, go. I'll be fine. Trust me."

"Uh, yeah sure." Footsteps faded as Evie walked down the hallway away from my clone and I.

"So, uh. What's your name?"

"Kyler." She said, watching my face carefully. "It's-"

"Gender friendly." I said at the same time as her.

She smiled. "Do you like it?"

I couldn't help but give her a small smile back. "It's what I would've named you."

Kyler's smile grew even bigger as a horrible thought passed through my mind. "Why aren't you being controlled like the others?"

"For the same reason Clone Troy wasn't being controlled. We're the clones of superhumans. We're not like regular human clones."

"Do you have...the powers?"

"Yeah, I do. Just as strong and everything. It's in our DNA."

She must have seen my face fall, because Kyler suddenly looked upset. "You're upset."

"What? No, I-"

"It's okay. I know you like to be different."

"Well, hey. How many people can say they have a clone?"

"Mmm, a couple hundred." Kyler grinned, and I felt myself smile back almost immediately.

"You've got a funny sense of humor, Kyler."

"Well I get it from you, silly." Kyler continued grinning at me as a funny feeling exploded in my stomach.

"Right." I said slowly. "I guess I haven't had anything to laugh or make jokes about in a while."

Kyler's face immediately froze as she looked at something behind me. I turned around to see Harry standing there, everyone else standing behind him.

Harry's face was unreadable as his eyes flicked back and forth between Kyler and myself.

"Don't be rude, Skylark." Derek said, breaking the silence. "Introduce us to your cute friend."

Kyler's face reddened slightly. "Skylark?"

"It's his nickname for me," I shrugged. "Guys, this this Kyler. She's my clone."

"I can see that." Harry said stiffly. His face was pale and his eye twitched when Kyler shyly waved at him.

Harry suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me out of earshot from Kyler. "What all does she know?"

"What do you mean?"