Talent Storm (38 page)

She lifted my chin and forced me to meet her mesmerizing eyes. “Then do it.”

Captivated by her, my resolve almost broke. But I knew if I stayed, she’d die, just like everyone else. I couldn’t take that feeling again. I turned, pulling away from her. “I’m sorry. I can’t.” I hoisted my mace and bag, ready to leave.

“Fine,” she said, stepping back and crossing her arms. Her sudden anger was a thorn ripping through my skin.

Emotions overwhelming me, I strode toward the door. Just before I exited, an alarm blared.

☼☼☼

“Let’s go,” Sofia yelled over the alarm as she ran by me.

Startled, I didn’t know what else to do but follow.

While we sprinted down the hall, she answered my unasked question. “It’s the invasion alarm; the perimeter has been breached.”

How did they find us? Damn my curse.

When we arrived in the conference room, the other rebels were already gathered. Valleri issued commands, “Sofia, Pavel, check the back entrance. Make sure it’s clear. Everyone else gather the equipment. Let’s get out of here.”

Sofia’s pained and fearful eyes found mine. We shared a look that seemed to last an eternity during the blaring alarm. She tore her gaze away and jogged down the hall, her sword wavering next to her toned legs. My stomach soured. I worried I’d never see her again, but surely she’d be safer away from me. Right?

Reluctantly, I faced the group again. Kevin hoisted another pack and asked me, “You okay?”

I kept my expression neutral to not betray my emotions. “Fine.”

He patted my shoulder, seeing through my ruse. “Don’t worry. We’ve been through this a lot. The alarm gives us plenty of time to escape, and we have other bases. Val always plans ahead.”

He misread my concern. I only cared what happened to Sofia, not me.

He stepped up and touched my shoulder. “I’ve enjoyed our time together. You’ve been a good friend.”

“Thanks you too,” I said, and meant it.

“Now, let’s get moving.”

Five minutes later, we had packed and hoisted their supplies and began to leave. I took two steps, then froze. Pavel limped down the hallway, his pants and shirt caked with blood, his face set in a pained grimace. He held his axes in one hand and Sofia’s serrated sword in the other. The tip dragged on the ground, as if he didn’t have the strength to lift it.

“They’ve got Sofia,” he said, without looking up.

I exhaled sharply, throwing my hands to my forehead as the world began to crumple around me. “What! How did that happen?” I asked, clenching my fists, my nails biting into my palms.

Pavel lowered his head, and said, “When we went out to scout, they ambushed us. They grabbed her and overwhelmed me. I barely escaped.”

“You left her,” I said, accusingly. “Let’s go after her.”

He shook his head slowly. “They sealed the door behind me.”

My body burst into a green glow. “That’s not a problem. Let’s go.” I took a step forward before feeling a hand on my shoulder. I turned in the direction of the pull.

Val stood, her jaw set. “Jaden, if they’ve sealed it somehow, you’re not making it out. We’re twenty feet underground. The back door consists of five-foot thick steel plates. You can’t get through that.”

Damn, she was probably right. “We have to try.”

She shook her head. “No, we’ll go out the side exit near the front. Once we’re out, we’ll find her. Trust me. We’ll save her.”

I relaxed my shoulders and unclenched my fists. “All right, let’s go.”

Valleri turned to look at Levette, who was thirty feet from us and walking toward the front exit. A full pack rested on her shoulders.”

Where are you going?” Val asked.

Levette flinched, then slowly turned. “I’m just going to check that the front doors are secure.”

Val squinted with a rock hard stare. Levette looked side to side, taking an unsteady step backward. “How dare you?” Valleri asked.

I looked back and forth between them, my eyebrows raised.

“What? No,” Levette said, raising her hands.

A cold laugh escaped Val’s lips. “You can’t fool me.”

Levette screamed as she pulled her glowing great sword from her back. The air was thick with her telekinetic talent. In a flash, she charged, closing the distance to Valleri in a split second. She swung her sword at Val’s head, a glowing trail behind it.

My talent froze her sword mid-swing. Hers flared as she strained against my power. She was no match for me. I threw out my hand, and a green burst of energy surrounded her. She hovered off the ground, imprisoned. I felt a wave of talent emanate from Valleri, blanking out Levette’s yellow haze. I looked toward Valleri.

She shook her head in disgust. “Why?”

“Why?” asked Levette. “Because I didn’t want to live underground forever. He promised me power, money, and a life of leisure if I helped him. And because you’ll never beat him. Goldwater is invincible.”

“When?” Valleri asked.

Levette closed her eyes. “Does it matter? I’ve failed and can’t beat you. Just kill me.”

“I can’t believe you did this,” Val said, her eyebrows dipping to shade her eyes. “We were a family.”

“You mean nothing to me.”

Valleri clenched her teeth and turned toward me. “Kill her.”

For a moment, I hesitated while looking the woman over. I didn’t want to kill her, but what choice did I have? She was working for Goldwater.

I squeezed my hand tight. With a crack, she fell limp, her neck broken. I had to be a monster to defeat one. I just hoped that when it was all over, it wasn't too late to regain my humanity.

At first, I only wanted revenge, but now that he took Sofia, I saw that no one would ever be safe as long as he lived. I was stupid to think that I could protect Sofia by leaving. I should have been with her. Valleri touched my shoulder, and I turned toward her.

“Let’s go get Sofia,” she said.

☼☼☼

We ran, seeking the side exit. Just as we past the main entrance, the massive metal doors sheared open with a black glow. Kevin, who trailed slightly behind us, dove behind a pillar. Multiple assault squads poured in between the shredded doors, their weapons drawn I ripped peacemaker from my back, ready to crush them. I took one step forward and froze... it couldn’t be. When my eyes met his, my skin crawled as if a thousand squirming insects were burrowing into it.

“Oh no,” said Barid.

Pavel growled.

“Get out of here!” shouted Valleri.

Before we could move, all of us but Kevin were bathed in black light. We slowly levitated off the ground, immobilized. My heart sank as I realized we’d failed. Sofia was captured, and Goldwater would kill us all.

Suddenly, Kevin burst from behind the pillar, his double rapiers naked and searching for blood. He charged and punctured the front two men’s chests before they could lift their weapons. He dove into the assault squads and attacked. In the first three seconds, four men lay writhing and groaning on the ground. He spun, dodging a blade and deflecting another all while dispatching two more attackers in his path. A huge, scar-faced soldier pushed by two men and swung a war-hammer at Kevin.

The weapon’s massive head hummed toward Kevin’s chest. Kevin threw himself down and rolled past the man, jabbing at his leg while he did. The giant collapsed with a howl, his long red hair trailing behind him. In a single motion, Kevin bounced up and whipped his rapier at Goldwater. It cut through the air like a bullet, aimed at his face. My eyes widened, and hope surged inside me.

The blade froze an inch from Goldwater’s eye before clattering on the floor. Abruptly, the talent that imprisoned us faded, and we fell to the ground.

“Run!” Kevin yelled as he charged the archduke, light glinting off his other weapon.

“Let’s go,” said Valleri, popping to her feet.

I stood while pointing at Kevin. “But—”

“Now!” yelled Valleri.

It only took me a second to know she was right. He was sacrificing himself so that we could live. I still hated it. It felt like a betrayal to leave him after all he’d done for me, but what choice did I have? I spit on the wall, and my talent smashed into the side door, buckling it. To my left, Kevin froze in a black orb of power, inches from striking Goldwater, his eyes blazing with hate.

I felt Valleri’s talent strike the squads. Men immediately rushed Goldwater. He glanced at them, a neutral expression on his face, then turned back to Kevin. Kevin levitated, immobilized, but his limbs were tensed in struggle.

Controlled by Valleri, twenty of Goldwater’s own men attacked him like a pack of dogs. He didn’t look, but his glowing arm moved in a blur as it smacked away every sword strike. With his mind, he swatted Kevin against the wall. I focused on Kevin, and his eyes met mine. It wasn’t fear in them but determination.

“Go,” he yelled.”

I tore myself away and slammed the exit again; it groaned. Soldiers continued to attack Goldwater, but could find no opening. A wave of talent erupted from him and washed over his men. Valleri stumbled back, holding her head and the entire squad charged us.

Just as my last burst of talent sheared through the side door, Goldwater levitated a steel spear with a sick smile and winked at me. He snapped his hand and the spear punctured Kevin’s chest, pinning him to the wall. Kevin screamed and Goldwater turned on us. In that same instant, I surrounded the ceiling between us with talent. With a jerk of my hand, I ripped down tons of concrete and dirt on top of his squad to block the way. His men screamed and died. I coughed as dirt swirled around me and whisked us out the exit.

Outside in the fresh air, we dashed away. I realized now that I had to work with The Underground. What a fool I was. We’d free Sofia, and I’d submit myself to Valleri’s leadership despite her transgressions.

We ran down several alleys and streets, until we were well away from Goldwater.Pavel struggled to keep up with us but managed. I had no sympathy for him. He let Sofia be captured.

Just then, a man dressed in black popped out from a side alley. I jumped back and drew my glowing mace.

Valleri held up a hand. “Stop! He’s one of us.”

The man looked at me uneasily, taking a step away before turning back to Valleri. “Talent,” he said. “I was too late to warn you about the attack, but there’s more.”

Valleri waved the man behind a building. I couldn’t hear what was said. When she returned, the man was gone. Her aged face was stone, her eyes slits and her jaw tense.

“This way,” she said, motioning with her head in the opposite direction of where Sofia was taken.

“Sofia’s this way,” I said, confused.

She turned on me, eyebrows lowered. “I know where Sofia was taken.”

I stepped back at the venom in her voice. “What did he say to you?”

“Goldwater’s men plan to execute every political prisoner in the Capital Prison.”

Barid gasped. “We can’t let them do that. There are thousands of people held there.”

Valleri gritted her teeth and growled low. “Those bastards... we have to save the prisoners.”

I gasped. “What? What about Sofia, we can’t leave her.”

She wheeled on me with stony eyes. “I will not have you undermining my authority.”

I wilted back for a second, but then stepped up, puffing out my chest. She lied to me about Sofia. “How can you just abandon her? They could be torturing her.”

She shook her head slowly. “We have no choice. We can’t let Goldwater kill all those prisoners. They’re the ones we’re fighting for.”

Barid turned toward Valleri, his guitar strapped on his back. “Val, she might give up information about us.”

I grunted at him. “Is that all you care about? She’s one of you.”

Barid lowered his eyes.

I faced Valleri. “Didn’t you say you were a family? It sure sounds like a trap anyway.”

Valleri nodded, her mouth pressed shut. “Yes, it probably is, but it doesn’t mean we aren’t going to save them. Sofia knew the risks. She’ll have to hold on until we rescue the prisoners. Jaden, you’re coming with us and that’s final.”

I thought about the scores of people who would die in the prison and felt my stomach burn. I didn’t want their deaths to be on me. Should I go with Val? Should I trust her judgment? In a way, she was right to value the thousands over one person. But no. How could I abandon Sofia? I couldn’t bear to have her be tortured like I was. Memories of terrible pain assailed me. I knew then that I couldn’t be without her. I couldn’t help but feel selfish, but I’d already lost so much. In the end, the arguments didn’t matter. Nothing mattered to me but saving Sofia.

The inside of my eyebrows lowered. “No, Val. You promised me we’d save her, and I’m going to. Go to the prison if you want.”

She shook her head. “No, you will—”

I sped away in a flash of green light before she could stop me.

☼☼☼

Sprinting toward the back entrance, my stomach churned with unease. After a few miles of running and a lifetime worth of guilt, I reached the back entrance. I looked around frantically for her. Torn apart bodies and splattered blood lay everywhere. Maybe Pavel
had
done his best. I’d have to apologize to him when I got back. After my eyes landed on the final body, I sighed at not seeing Sofia. There was still hope, but how could I find her? I ran around the area, looking for any indication of where they might have gone. Just then, I spotted a filthy man in ragged clothes with dark bags under his eyes. He propped himself against an adjacent building, mumbling to no one. Maybe he’d seen what happened. I ran over to him, my heart laboring.

He jerked his head up to look at me with wide, crazy eyes. “They’re all controlled, they’re all controlled.”

Ignoring his ranting, I asked, “Did you see where Goldwater’s men went?” I tried to remain calm but began to feel dizzy as I gasped for breath.

The man rattled his head back and forth, frowning. “I can’t tell you. They’ll kill me, like they killed Joey. He knew, just like me. It’s all an illusion. They shot him dead. It’s the only way out.”

I scowled, bearing my teeth. “Tell me,” I said and lurched forward.

He scrambled back, his eyes bulging and his body trembling. “You’re probably one of them,” he said. Well...” He squinted, looking me up and down. “No, I don’t think you are. It doesn’t matter though, I can’t tell you. They’ll melt my mind into pudding or turn me into a beetle. I can’t defy them. Leave me alone!”