Unholy Sundering

by DeAnna Browne

  “Is that all?”

  “Just one more, the training room.” She headed off.

  Caleb kept pace at her side. “What training? I don’t have magic.”

  “It’s not that kind of training.” She didn’t slow, her lips twitching as if hiding back a smile. Was she happy that she finally had his attention?

  “Then what kind of training is it?”

  “After you fought with Leon, he recommended you for combat training. You must have impressed him.”

  “Impressed him? He was trying to kill us.”

  “No. He was bringing you back alive.”

  Right, as if he’d believe that. “I’m not going to war for you people.” He didn’t run away from one ruler to get another.

  “We don’t go to war,” she explained. “We defend ourselves.”

  “Like when you guys attacked me and my friends.” Caleb’s shoulder still ached from that fight.

  Nikki stopped and turned. She closed the distance between them, and he could smell the cleaner from the medical room on her. For such a small person, she was intense. “We train to protect. We train to build, to help, to hunt for food.”

  Her face flushed slightly with frustration. It didn’t look natural on her. He’d witnessed that when she tended to his wounds. But she wasn’t weak either. And for some reason, now that she was standing up to him, he liked her for it. He still wasn’t happy, but he couldn’t blame her for his situation, at least not completely.

  He tried to smooth out his features, and even offered a placating smile. “I’ll go, but I can’t make any promises.”

  “Sounds fair.” She did an abrupt about-face and continued down the hall.

  The noise of the water echoed down the tunnel to greet them. Scones of witch light sent shadows dancing against the walls. Soon, a bright light grew in the distance.

  “Are we going outside?” He thought he wouldn’t see the sun until they left this crazy place.

  “Yeah.” Nikki grinned. “They train outside and in the surf.”

  “How can that be safe? Won’t people see?”

  “We’re very secluded, and my father is alerted when any of our barriers are breached. That’s how we found you and your friends.” She glanced back, and an apologetic look crossed her face. “We have ways to protect ourselves.”

  “Looks like it.”

  They stepped out into the surf. The afternoon sun hiding behind the mountain cast shadows on the beach. Tall cliffs surrounded them, and the expanse of never-ending water shimmered in the sunlight. Actual sunlight on the ocean. The smell of saltwater brushed over him on a cool breeze.

  “What guppy do we have here?” The deep, familiar voice of Leon rang out, breaking the beauty of the moment.

  “Be nice, Uncle,” Nikki warned.

  “We’re not playing patty-cake out here.”

  Dread bubbled in Caleb’s empty stomach as Nikki laughed and patted her uncle on the arm. Nikki could get away with murder with that smile of hers. What was he getting into? He could be fish food by the end of the day.

  CHAPTER 10

  A re you coming or not?” Jemi snapped over her shoulder. For a small woman, she was fast. With her short blonde hair, she could almost pass for an evil pixie.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Becca mumbled and jogged a couple steps to close the distance.

  Jemi had already showed her the supply room, where the woman behind the desk gave Becca a warmer jacket, thank God, then Jemi briefly pointed the way to the cafeteria and sleeping areas. She wasn’t in a talkative mood.

  “So what’s the plan?” Becca sped up to stay at her side. “Am I meeting Andre later to research spells to help Elizabeth?”

  Jemi scoffed. “Hardly. Unless you speak ancient Latin, Andre doesn’t need your help. He needs you to learn what the hell you’re doing with your powers before you get yourself killed.”

  “I’ve survived on my own for this long.” Becca rubbed her face. Granted, she wasn’t great with magic yet, but she knew enough to get by.

  “Thanks to Darion.” Jemi didn’t give Becca time to answer, but took a left down the next path. “The more you know your magic and its limits, the better chance you have.”

  “So, you’re going to train me?”

  “No,” she said. “I’m dropping you off with Lance. He’s in charge of all new recruits.”

  “What about Darion or Caleb’s assignments?” She hated not saying goodbye or talking with them about her agreeing to stay with Andre. It felt…off.

  Jemi shrugged. They turned another corner.

  “So you say there are no blood oaths here, and you’re in charge of this so-called mind security. Who checks your head?” After all Becca had been through, she couldn’t help but wonder, and the mental ache from Jemi’s probing in the cave was far from forgotten. Her hands curled into useless fists.

  Jemi’s gaze dropped to Becca’s fists, then lifted as her lips curled in a sneer. “No one. One of the perks of being number two.”

  “If you say so.” Becca took a deep breath and unclenched her hands. Despite her inclination otherwise, she had to work with these people. If Andre was who he appeared to be, he was the best hope for Liz. So she wouldn’t push Jemi any more for now, but she wouldn’t forget what Jemi had done to her either.

  Jemi continued through the tunnels and soon dropped her off at a simple door. “Tell Lance that Andre sent you. He’ll figure out what to do with you.” She scowled at Becca and left.

  Becca glared at Jemi’s retreating form, and then turned to the door. No use in prolonging the inevitable. There was no security on the door, only a simple silver knob. When she walked through it, she struggled to keep her mouth closed.

  The magic in the room was almost palpable, like a heavy fog causing the hairs on her arms to stand on end. The room was almost as large as the cafeteria. Its cavernous ceiling stretched high, and she couldn’t see the back wall since it appeared to wind sideways. A small mob of people were strewn throughout the room. She didn’t even attempt to follow the different threads of magic and fights carrying on inside. Blue mats littered the floor, and one wall was filled with metal lockers.

  A white-haired woman sat on the floor with calico cats on her lap and shouted encouragement to a pair of young boys in front of her. “Curse the bastard. Get ‘em good.”

  One of the boys flew to the floor. People were fighting, cursing, and one small girl almost appeared to be floating as everyone practiced magic. Controlled chaos at its best.

  How does anyone think straight in this place?

  A thin man in dark fatigues jogged towards her. His light hair was shaved short, and the start of a beard lined his face. “You must be the new girl I heard about. Come to join in the fun, huh?” He carried a heavy accent that she hadn’t heard before.

  “You call this fun?” she asked.

  “Sure is.” He nudged her slightly with his shoulder, like some schoolboy, not the thirty-something-year-old man he appeared to be. “I’m Lance. I run this zoo.”

  “Becca.”

  “So Andre tells me he caught you. Never know what that guy will turn up from the ocean.”

  “More like reeled in from the sea like a dead fish.”

  He laughed. “Come on. We’re not a bad lot. At least not until you really get to know us.”

  “If you say so,” Becca mumbled.

  This man laughed more than anyone she knew. Does Andre grow drugs down here or something?

  “I heard you specialize in the spirit element, right?” He arched a brow and kept his quirky grin.

  “That’s what they tell me.”

  For most people, magic was a general ability, like lighting a small fire or throwing a painful curse at an enemy. Others received specialties, or one specific magical area where they excelled. Like savants in music or math, magicians could specialize. For Darion, it was fire. Most of his curses revolved around fire because that was where his strength lay. For Becca, it was spirit. Whether she could read minds li
ke Jemi, or some other manifestation, was still yet to be determined. The freaky powerful ones, like Andre or Ryma, had more than one specialty.

  “Good, good.” Lance waved a young girl over. “We’ll go over basics and see what you got. We train a bit differently here.”

  He welcomed the young girl with long tawny-brown hair and big green eyes, and then turned to introduce her to Becca. “This here is Navina. She’ll be your sparring partner for the rest of the afternoon. We don’t use demons in here and no physical contact for the most part.”

  “Sparring without touching?” Even if there was contact, Becca couldn’t hurt this young girl with freckles on her nose. She didn’t even come up to Becca’s chin.

  “Navina, take it easy on her, okay?”

  The girl batted her eyelashes and gave an innocent smile. “Of course.”

  “Off you go, then. I’ll check on you in a minute.” Lance jogged off to a boy screaming near the back. Soon, the noise was gone, but the teenage boy’s face was twisted, contorted in pain.

  Did anyone else find kids torturing each other…unsettling? Evidently not the old lady by the lockers. What was her deal?

  “What’s your name?” Navina started towards an empty mat by the wall.

  Becca dragged her attention away from the injured boy and followed. “Becca.”

  “I’m twelve. How old are you?”

  Becca smiled at her. “I’m twenty-four.”

  “So Andre found you?”

  “That’s one way to put it.” Not used to children’s forwardness, she wasn’t sure how much she should tell this girl.

  “That is not an answer.” Navina was bright for her age.

  Becca swallowed. “No. But maybe I don’t want to talk about it.”

  The girl shrugged. “I heard you turned your sister into a Soultorn and needed Andre’s help.”

  “I didn’t turn my sister.” Becca’s face burned at the stupid rumor. Lowering her voice, she added, “My uncle did.”

  “Yeah. My dad tried to turn my mom into one. I stopped him. That’s why we’re here.” Navina looked proud.

  Becca scanned the room, and for the first time, realized how many people found refuge here. Most people here were outcasts, runaways from a world that didn’t play fair. “Sorry to hear that.”

  “It happens,” she said with a maturity way beyond her years. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

  Becca wasn’t sure if she should be curious or nervous. “What are we going to do?”

  “Fight. Lance says the best way to practice is to pretend we’re outside of these caves. Pretend we’re fighting for our lives.”

  “Okay.”

  “Ready?”

  Becca mentally put up her walls, hoping this would only be defensive. “Yes, ready.”

  Navina spoke in Latin, the language curling off her tongue. Becca took a step backwards. It felt like a battering ram knocking at her defenses. How could this girl be so strong?

  Becca retreated again and again until her back hit the wall. Then, in an instant, a gush of wind hit Becca, flipping her in the air. She landed with a thud.

  The pigtailed Navina appeared above her. “Wanna go again?”

  Becca nodded, pain tingling down her spine. Navina held out her hand with a wide grin.

  After the fourth time of losing to little miss pigtails, Lance was the one to offer Becca a hand. “Having fun?”

  “Getting my butt kicked by a kid? I’ve had better days.” And worse, she reminded herself. At least Navina had been nice. Nice and relentless. Becca stood and dusted off her pants.

  “Andre told me you often combine power with another more experienced wizard,” Lance said.

  “Yeah. My powers were sealed, and I didn’t have time to train. That’s how I stayed alive.” She couldn’t help the defensiveness straightening her spine.

  “It’s dangerous, you know. When you combine powers, you give a wizard free reign of your magic, your soul. Now that you have the time, you need to learn how to survive on your own.”

  She swallowed hard. She couldn’t deny she relied on Darion more than she should, but Lance was right. Darion wasn’t necessarily always going to be there.

  “Then teach me.” Warm determination grew in her muscles, which wanted to be used. She might have been forced there, and might not completely trust these rebels, but she was being handed tools to grow. She’d stay for as long as it took to learn all she could about her power and abilities from these people. She needed to be strong, not only for herself, but for those she loved.

  Lance’s face lit up with a smile. “See? It only took getting your butt kicked by a twelve-year-old several times for you to be eager to learn.”

  CHAPTER 11

  W ith a bowl of clam chowder in one hand and a roll in the other, Becca stared into a sea of people, searching for Darion or Caleb. The huge cafeteria buzzed with people visiting over a warm dinner. She was impressed with their kitchens and how they fed this many people, especially existing underground. There had to be at least fifty or more gathered here at the moment, and there were still others scheduled for the later dinner shift.

  “Becca, over here.” Navina stood on her chair and hollered across the cafeteria, waving.

  Navina was definitely not shy. Warmth spread over Becca’s face as numerous sets of eyes focused on her. The new girl in town. After one more glance, Becca headed over to Navina’s table. People slowly turned their eyes away and resumed their dinner.

  Becca slid into the bench seat across from Navina.

  “Mom, this is Becca. My partner I told you about.”

  “Pleased to meet you. I’m Bree,” she said, while struggling with a wiggly toddler on her lap. Bree looked young for a mom, with a thin frame and brown hair braided down her back. “And this little monster is Thomas.”

  Thomas had brown curls covering his head and clam chowder plastered on his face.

  “Hi, Thomas,” Becca said.

  He stuck out his little tongue.

  “Nice to meet you too.” She stuck her tongue out in a playful return.

  “I heard you had a rough first day of training,” Bree said.

  “Only because Navina kicked my—” She stopped herself before swearing.

  Bree laughed. “Don’t worry. I heard all about it. I know it can be rough, but if it keeps us safe, it’s worth it.”

  Becca wanted to ask if they were really safe. She guessed they were safer hiding here than struggling out in the wild or surviving in the city. Becca couldn’t let herself completely relax though. Not when the true monsters were still out there.

  “So what do you do here? I’m curious to know what comes after training.” Becca wondered what all those kids would do with their skills.

  “Everyone has a different job to contribute to the community. I’m what you call a Mundane. I work in the nursery with the young children.” Bree quickly grabbed the roll her son tried to chuck across the table. “They keep me busy, for sure.”

  Navina spoke up. “I got my magic from my dad.”

  Becca remembered Navina’s earlier comment that her dad had tried to turn her mom into a Soultorn. Bree looked down at her son and didn’t speak.

  Caleb then crashed down into the seat next to Becca’s, with two bowls of soup and a handful of rolls. “I was looking all over for you.”

  “Got enough food?” Becca eyed his overflowing plate.

  “Those training with Leon get doubles. His orders.”

  “Leon?”

  Before Becca could get an answer, Navina chimed in. “Leon’s the top military commander, and Andre’s brother.” She turned to Caleb. “I’m Navina.”

  “I’m Caleb. Nice to meet you.”

  “This is my mom, Bree.”

  As if on cue, Thomas chucked the bowl across the table. Caleb caught it before it clattered to the floor. The toddler erupted in laughter.

  “I think that’s Thomas’s cue we need to leave,” she told Navina. “Nice to meet you, Becca and C
aleb. I’m sure we’ll see you around.”

  “But, Mom...” Navina complained.

  Bree lowered her eyes, and Navina quickly quieted.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Becca. Wear some pads.” Navina chuckled and grabbed the plates. She and her mom walked away.

  “Rough first day?” Caleb glanced at Becca before biting into a roll.

  “Nothing bread and butter won’t solve.” Becca swiped one of his rolls, hers already finished. “Who makes this stuff? I’ll marry them and live underground for the rest of my days.”

  Caleb stifled a laugh and ended up choking on his bread. It took him a couple moments to clear his mouth. “You must have had a good day.”

  “I got put in my place by a twelve-year-old.” She swallowed a bite and continued. “One of my better days. What about you?”

  “The person who trashed me was much older, Leon actually.” Caleb pushed his hair out of his eyes as he dug into his soup. “Plus side is working on the beach.”

  “Security team? Isn’t that dangerous?” She didn’t like the idea of him being on the front lines of any conflict, especially if it didn’t involve both of them.

  “Not any more than usual.” Caleb shoveled in a couple more bites.

  The idea didn’t settle well with Becca, but she couldn’t blame him. Keeping up their strength and skills would only help them when they left. “Have you seen Darion yet?”

  He shook his head.

  “I’m sure he’ll come around by nightfall.” After the words left her mouth, she realized what they sounded like. She ducked her head. “I didn’t mean that how it sounded.”

  “We’re not on the run anymore, Becca.”

  “I know…” She couldn’t remember when he started using Becca and stopped calling her Rebecca, the girl he first knew. The girl he had loved. She knew it was for the best, especially seeing she no longer was the girl he loved. Years in the city had changed her. They were friends, close friends, which was best for everyone, but these awkward moments still crept in now and again. “There are some rooms assigned to families and couples if you want, but that’s Andre’s call.”