Rising Power (#1 of the Canton Chronicles Series)

The Ties That Bind

"You were watching? I thought you said..."

"I watched some of the candidates, yes. And I think your friend's stunt was the most impressive of them all. We'll just have to wait and see. You run along now."

The door closed behind him with a small thumb.

***

Vanessa looked at her hands. The flower was gone. She stood there for a long time, looking at the empty space in her palms, smiling sadly, when the rest of the teachers arrived.

She informed them of her encounter with John.

"It sounds impressive though, even if it disappeared in the end," Peter remarked, looking at Vanessa's empty hands, trying to imagine the lost flower.

"He is certain to have good luck with the ladies, that guy", said Beth, smiling to herself.

"Beth, your comment is highly inappropriate," Priscilla said shocked and Guido just shook his head in disapproval, knowing his sister all too well.

"He is really strong", said Vanessa, more to herself than anyone else.

"Is that bothering you, Vanessa?" Guido asked with his soothing voice.

"As a matter of fact, it does. It's not just him, but all of them. They did so great in the test, way more than expected. Don't get me wrong" she added hastily, seeing their confused stares, "that's what we want. Express-Heroes. But a fast train has a greater chance of derailing. At least they all seem sane so far."

"Appearances can be deceiving, isn't that what you mean?" Beth asked.

"Exactly. And if someone goes berserk we have no way of stopping them."

"Well, we do have all those guards living around the Academy's perimeter. That's why they are paid for, cases of emergency. And they do have our "special weapons"," Peter remarked enthusiastically.

Vanessa shook her head "Still, fifty guards against a hundred Heroes? The odds are against us, even if they are armed."

"There is one way to stop them if needed, and you know it. No matter how unpleasant it might be," Guido remarked, dead serious.

Priscilla and Peter looked nervously at each other and then at the floor. Vanessa sighed. It all came back to him.

"I will have to seriously think about it."

Although she would rather forget Henry White's existence altogether.

***

Val and Amy were waiting patiently in the boys' room, while Sebastian fumbled with his PA and Mike anxiously circled the room.

"Will you stop playing with that thing? Our friend might be in danger"

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Mike, seriously? SERIOUSLY? We are in the new Academy, with the protection of the Council and the Deities, and you think John might be in danger?"

"He's been in there for a long time..."

"They want us to embrace our Powers, dude. They are not going to kill the first new Hero in Canton. John will tell us everything when he's back"

"Maybe Rehberg is trying to take advantage of him, you know like..."

"Amy!!!" the both boys shouted wildly, and Val burst out laughing.

"You really have something against her, don't you?" she said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Unexpectedly, Amy froze again, looking exactly like she did in her fear test.