Myra:

Myra had just finished checking up on Bobby and was making her way back to her rooms when she sensed people coming down the hall. One of them was Del. His steady, warm energy, like sunlight beaming down at noon, was easily recognisable. Myra couldn’t identify who he was with. The slow moving whirlpool of energy beside him was unfamiliar.

She heard them before she saw them. She recognised Del’s low, even voice but the other voice was feminine and unfamiliar.

“So now that I’ve been thoroughly caught, are you off to rescue more poor little orphans from themselves?” the unknown girl said from around the corner.

“You were my first little orphan, Nyssa,” Del said in his usual composed tones. “And you were more than enough trouble for one lifetime.”

“So it’s back to practicing your scowl in the mirror and polishing your shoes then?”

Myra flushed angrily at this insensitive girl’s mocking words. Del said something too low for Myra to hear. The other person only giggled girlishly.

“You do!” she laughed. “Your expression would scare children.”

Myra rounded the corner and the couple came into view. The girl was older than she expected, with olive skin and huge amounts of thick, wavy hair. As Myra approached, the girl stopped walking to point delightedly at Del’s face.

“See!” she said triumphantly, bouncing on her toes. “If that’s not a scowl, I don't know what is.”

Myra opened her mouth, a sharp admonishment prepared, when Del reacted completely uncharacteristically to the teasing.

“Brat,” he said, reaching out and tugging gently on the girl’s ponytail. She giggled and swatted his hand away. Del made another swipe at her hair, which she dodged, and returned her grin with a warm smile, his eyes crinkling gently. The rare expression brought Myra up short.

“Poor Del,” the new girl said, ducking under his reaching arms. “No one understands you!” She threw her head back melodramatically, clutching at her heart and pressing the back of her hand to her forehead. This made Del laugh outright, the deep chuckle bouncing throughout the halls for the first time in Myra’s memory.

When the dark haired girl caught sight of Myra approaching them, she paused in her teasing just long enough for Del to capture her. He pulled her to his side by her elbow and began marching them down the hall.

“Good afternoon, Myra,” he said when he caught sight of her gaping at them. The girl, Del had called her Nyssa, fluttered her fingers and stepped closer to Del. “Myra, this is our newest recruit, Nyssa.” He nudged the tiny girl towards Myra. Nyssa held out her hand, grinning madly.

Bewildered, Myra shook the girl’s hand. Nyssa went ashen as soon as their skin brushed. She stumbled back a few paces ran right into Del who wound his arm around her waist. Myra frowned at them again. Del seemed very familiar with the younger girl, it was unlike him to be teased by anyone, let alone a girl who was practically a stranger. Del didn’t make friends easily, keeping to himself and rarely sharing anything personal.

“Yes, I know,” Nyssa said shakily. Myra blinked.

“What?”

Del coughed. “Uh, she’s responding to your thoughts,” he said in a half-whisper. “You’re broadcasting them quite a bit and Nyssa is a little receptive at the moment.” Myra quickly shored up her defenses and pulled her thoughts closer. It was something most of the Caul did at least some of the time. It was difficult and exhausting to maintain a mental barrier perfectly, so frequently the compounds were places of free thought and open sharing of emotions. Del was one of the only People Myra had met who kept such a vigorous shield in place all of the time.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“There was what you would call an ‘incident’ while I was being tested,” Nyssa said drily. Del and Nyssa shared an unrecognisable silent exchange, glancing at each other.

“I fear Nyssa has been subjected to more of me than anyone really should be. It is a wonder she is still here and not running in the other direction.” It was a strangely roundabout statement that didn’t really tell Myra anything. Del was prone to these odd little outbursts and Myra didn’t understand a lot of his musings. Worse, every time Myra would ask what Del meant, it was as if he would curl in upon himself and he would refuse to explain. She didn’t know how to respond at all.

Nyssa didn’t share Myra’s trepidation. She only laughed gaily and tugged on Del’s sleeve.

“A truer statement, you have not made, dear Del. You are crazy and I don’t wish to explore that more than I already have,” she said brightly. Myra flinched but both Nyssa and Del ignored her discomfort.

“Nyssa is going to stay in the room next to you,” Del said to Myra. “Could you take her there? I need to fill out a report about the incident.” He didn’t pull a face but Myra suspected that he was just as fed up with the endless amounts of paperwork the compound generated as she was. He never complained. It was his duty and Del always took his duties seriously.

“This way,” Myra said shortly and took off down the hall. Nyssa waved at Del and half-ran to catch up with Myra.

“You are Myra,” Nyssa said as if it meant something more. Perhaps Del had mentioned her before now. “You grew up with Del.” Myra nodded but didn’t say anything. “Did you really grow up here?” Nyssa looked around as if the white walls bewildered her.

“I spent some time in Finland in the compound I was born in, but yes, i spent most of my childhood here with Del.”

“Isn’t it a little boring for children?” Nyssa stuck her head into a room they were passing. It was a conference room with a long glass table and the standard black chairs found in offices everywhere.

“We were too busy to get bored,” Myra said, moving on.

“Where did you play?” Nyssa was still staring into the room. Myra stopped at the end of the hall and waited for the girl.

“There is an arena and a courtyard where we trained,” Myra said from down the hall. She didn’t ask Nyssa to hurry up like she wanted to. It was an overwhelming day for the girl and Myra was doing her best to give her time to adjust to living in the compound. “I can show it to you tomorrow if you like.”

“Training isn’t playing,” Nyssa pointed out as if were obvious. Myra only smiled.

“It is to Caul children.” Nyssa’s expression made it clear that she was glad that she didn’t have to grow up in a place like the compound. Myra didn’t even have to listen in on her thoughts to know that. “You aren’t lucky to grow up outside a compound,” Myra said in answer to her unspoken thoughts. Nyssa crossed her arms.

“How do you know?” Her green eyes sparkled. “You don’t know any different.”

“Neither do you.” Myra took a step towards the younger girl. “Most wild talents are not as old as you. Do you know why that is?” Nyssa shrugged.

“They aren’t as good as hiding?”

“Most kill themselves.” Myra’s voice wasn’t cold, but it was deliberately somber. The loss of their young ones was something all Caul grieved. “Or they do irreparable damage to themselves or others because they don’t know how to use their gifts. Caul children train so that we are strong enough to use our gifts to protect ourselves, our families and the rest of the world.”

“That is an awful lot of pressure to put on a child,” Nyssa said quietly.

“We are stronger than you think,” Myra said. "We need to be." She gestured to another hall, as plain and as the one they stood in. “Our rooms are down here. You can decorate yours however you want if white and boring isn’t to your taste.” She glanced over the girl’s usual outfit. White and boring was definitely not her style. “I can arrange for some of your personal items to be brought over. One backpack will hardly be enough. Or we can take you shopping if you’d like, complete with a Caul credit card.”

“You are nice,” Nyssa said matter of factly, walking past her. “I think I understand a little more, meeting you. Del is lucky to have you.” Nyssa disappeared into her room.

What a strange girl, Myra thought.