by Raven Steele
The next several minutes were a blur. Literally. My left eye was swollen shut and the vision in my right was blurry. I limped out the doors and across the lawn. The original plan was for me to speed through the cameras knowing I could easily out run the security guards, but things were different now. I could barely move and yet, as I glanced behind me, no one pursued me.
I ground my teeth together. I truly thought I could beat Victor. I had believed I was strong enough. I believed I had trained long enough, that my skills were good enough. Nothing was true in my life anymore.
With the last little bit of strength I had, I leapt over the fence and stumbled to the ground on the other side. I hoped Oz could see me because the whole world was going black.
I gladly welcomed the darkness.
35
Searing pain coursed through my body. Even my bones ached, as if every one of them had been broken. It was hard to think about anything else.
My eyes were shut. I lifted my eyebrows to try and help open them, but even that hurt. I attempted to sit up on whatever I was lying on, but a wave of dizziness washed over me.
"Lay still," a voice said. It was distorted, as if the person was speaking through a digital recorder.
I settled back down and forced myself to relax. Where was I? I tried to think through the pain wracking my body, but it was near impossible. I needed to relax. Focus on everything I've been taught. Pain was a state of mind. I could get past this.
Forcing measured breaths, I focused only on the air moving in and out of my lungs. I felt it on my lips, as it blew past my tongue and flowed into the dark corridor of my throat. My pulse slowed and my mind cleared. After one more deep breath, I concentrated on my memories.
I had been with Oz at Victor's house. I broke in and fought Victor. I kept my emotions in check as I remembered our fight. At first, he hadn't believed I was Aris, but in the end, I think he did. He hadn't pursued me when I fled his house.
There was something else I was forgetting. The memory tugged at the corners of my mind, making my stomach churn because I knew it was bad. Then I remembered. Emma.
I inhaled a hitched breath. He had her. Did he still?
But that wasn't all. Now that Victor knew the truth about me, he would know Kristen had lied to him all this time. I had to get to her before he did.
I attempted to sit up again, but the pain was so great that another blanket of darkness smothered me back to sleep.
"Hey," a voice said.
My consciousness stirred.
"Wake up. I'm bored."
I felt a jab in my ribs. My eyes rolled behind closed eyelids as I struggled to wake up.
"Seriously. You've been out long enough. Besides, you're supposed to be all super, but right now you look pathetic. Your body looks almost healed, so get up already. People need you."
More poking at my ribs. There was pressure on the skin around my eyelids, and then my right eyelid was pulled open. It took a second for my vision to focus.
I stared up into Amy's face. She grinned wide. "There you are! Have you been faking this whole time?"
She jabbed me again.
"Stop doing that," I moaned. My voice cracked like I hadn't spoken for a long time.
"But I'm bored."
"Go be bored somewhere else," I grumbled, my mind fuzzy again. I was in my room lying in bed. I didn’t remember how I got there.
"You're the only one around. Roman’s hanging out in that weird circular room staring at the ceiling, and Oz is out trying to find Kristen."
I sat up quickly, too quickly, and my head spun.
"Slow down. You're going to pass out again."
"Is Kristen missing?"
"Maybe, but it's only been a day and a half since you've been out. Maybe she went away for the weekend or something."
I slowly sat up and slid my feet over the side of my bed. An old teddy bear had been tucked next to me. It looked familiar. I picked it up and turned it over in my hands.
"I found it in a chest across the street. Roman said it was yours when you were little. I thought you might like it.”
"Thanks," I said, studying a rip in the bear's furry side. Part of the stuffing was coming out where a stitch had popped. I used to take it with me everywhere before we left for Louisiana. I remember the day it had snagged on a nail in one of the tunnels. I was so upset, but then Roman sewed it up for me. Funny I had never thought of that memory until now.
Amy handed me a crumpled paper bag that smelled of grease and old French fries. "Oz thought you might be hungry, but it's probably cold now. He wasn't sure when you would wake up."
I tore into the bag and practically swallowed a cheeseburger whole. Cold french fries came next.
"You're going to choke," she said and handed me a tall soda. I finished it all in record time.
I felt stronger with food in me. I stretched my arms high. The debilitating pain had left my body. All that remained was a dull ache that had settled deep into my bones. I could live with that.
I pressed up and off the bed, waiting to be accosted by dizziness, but it never came. I slowly took a step forward and then another. So far, so good.
"Where are you going?" she asked and followed after me.
"To see Roman."
She continued to follow behind me as if she was afraid I might fall over. I appreciated her concern.
Roman sat in the center of the Halo, his legs crossed and his head bowed, instead of its usual upward position. "You're awake."
"What do you know?" I asked, wanting answers as quickly as possible.
He confirmed my worst fears. "They have Emma and Kristen. Both of them are being held at the docks."
Amy slipped her small hand into mine and squeezed it tight. "What are you going to do?"
I looked down at her. "I'm going to save them."
"They're not alone," Roman said. "Victor's men are there. A lot of them. I also heard something else. A single whisper, almost as if whoever said it hadn't meant to: Principes Noctis. They are here in the city and could easily be at the docks, too."
"It doesn't matter," I said.
"Who are they?" Amy asked.
"Just someone else in my way." I turned to Roman. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. Everything happening right now is my fault."
"You had to know for yourself," he said matter-of-factly.
"I know now. There is no other way. I must turn. Tonight, I will trade my life for theirs. Tonight, I will die."
Amy let go of my hand. "Die?"
I knelt next to her and looked her in the eyes. "Not die in the sense you mean. I will return, but I won't be the same. I will be stronger and I will be able to destroy Victor and whoever else once and for all."
She wrinkled her nose. "You realize nothing you just said made sense right?"
I chuckled. "I barely understand it myself."
"Are you sure that's how you want to do it? A lot can go wrong." Roman lifted to his feet. His eyes, normally devoid of emotion, expressed great weariness.
"I need Victor to see me die. Not only will I be stronger when I return, but I will also have the element of surprise."
He nodded slowly. "Very wise."
"Did you just compliment me?"
"I believe so."
"Careful," I joked. "You don't want it to become a habit."
"Maybe it should be. Maybe we've both made mistakes."
I watched him for a moment taken aback by his sudden confession. I've never known him to have regrets.
"What now?" Amy asked me.
"Call Oz back. He's safer back here."
She didn't have to be told twice. She pulled out her phone and quickly texted him. A second later her phone buzzed. "He's on his way." She looked up at me. "Do you have to go now?"
Roman spoke before I could. "Aris needs to heal first."
"He looks a ton better than he did," she said.
"It's his mind and heart that need healing," Roman said kindly. "He needs to be strong all ove
r."
"I don't have time for that," I argued. "I need to save Kristen and Emma. Who knows what they've had to endure already."
"Victor is using them as leverage to get to you. They will be kept safe until you arrive. To save them, you must clear your mind so you can think. There is much confusion and fear in you. You cannot face Victor like this."
"What does he have to do?" Amy asked.
"He must become grounded to Earth. Grow connected to her by feeling her vibrations as we walk across her flesh, by hearing her heart beat in every wave that crashes to shore, and by smelling her sweet breath as it blows across the land."
Amy laughed. "Sounds complicated and kind of stupid."
I cracked a smile despite the mood. I was familiar with elemental magic, having been around Roman for years. He practiced it almost daily ever since he learned it from the Ames de la Terre on the Bisou Islands. You had to have an amazing amount of patience to perfect the craft. That's why I never got into it.
Roman lifted his hands into a meditation pose. "It's simple if you know what you are doing."
Part of me wanted to tell him to go to hell and rush off to rescue Emma and Kristen, but the other part of me remained still. I had already ignored his advice once before, and look where that had gotten me. He was right, anyway. My mind was a mess. I couldn't even gather a coherent thought right now. I needed to be focused to face Victor again.
I joined Roman in the center of the Halo. He lowered into a horse stance, legs apart and bent slightly, one arm raised in the air. I mimicked his movements, as he slowly changed into different positions. Our arms glided through the air, our legs following in slow, graceful movements meant to help us become connected with everything around us.
I kept my breathing even as we moved. I imagined oxygen rushing into my blood and through my body, giving cells new life. This is what I focused on. Each individual cell, the basic building block of elemental magic.
* * *
My focus traveled downward to my feet against the earth, and I concentrated on feeling the Earth's vibrations. This grounded me, and I was able to expand my other senses outward. The city was alive and full of pain. I heard the people's cries, smelled their fear. They longed for relief.
With my focus elsewhere, my thoughts cleared and my mind opened. It seemed like a long time had passed when Roman straightened and said, "You are ready."
I rose tall and lifted my chin. I was completely focused. I knew I was unable to defeat Victor, but I could do the next best thing.
I would choose to die.
36
I traveled through the tunnels toward the bay. This was the part of Ironwood that was in need of much repair. I didn't come here often, but when I did, I was reminded of my truly strange living arrangements. Even though my side of Ironwood was nice and well kept, I basically lived in the sewers. When this was all over, I was moving above ground. I was done living in the shadows.
I was almost to the exit when I passed by the older section I used to be banned from as a child. One wrong touch and the whole room could collapse. That's how my life felt right now. The foundation I thought I had beneath me had crumbled. Everything I knew had been a lie, and that left me in a fragile state. One wrong move… I shook my head.
My mind had been clear, but thinking about all of this stirred up all kinds of dangerous emotions. I stopped and inhaled deeply, shoving all thoughts and feelings deep inside me where I couldn't feel them.
I continued forward until I reached the drainage tunnel that led to the beach. It wasn't the kind of beach anyone would ever want to go to. It was boggy and filled with seaweed and garbage that had been washed ashore. It didn't used to be like this. I remember coming out here as a boy to play on the shore, along with dozens of others. All of that had changed when the city had to focus its resources on fighting the growing drug problem. There were no funds left over to maintain Seaside Park, and now all that remained was a smelly, dirty pile of sand and seaweed that people avoided.
I walked along the beach, careful not to step on broken bottles or used syringes. Thank goodness for night vision.
Up ahead was a set of old, wooden stairs that led to the shipping yards and docks. Instead of going up them where I would be more exposed, I decided to sneak beneath them. Roman wasn't exactly sure what part of the pier Emma and Kristen were being held at, but if I got close enough I should be able to hear their voices.
The Docks District had been built sixty years ago in an attempt to make Coast City more accessible to freighter ships. The landing pier went out at least a hundred yards into the bay, where the water was much deeper. Between the decaying dock and the dirty beach, the whole place stank.
I held my breath as much as possible as I waded through the water beneath the boardwalk above me. The water was cold, and any other time I might've questioned my decision, but I had one goal and nothing was going to stop me.
Once I reached the center of the great structure, I held still and listened closely. At the far end, where the water was deeper, several smaller docks jutted from the pier. Boats tied to them gently rocked back and forth. Occasionally a bell would ring from within their cabins.
On the north side, a man and woman argued. Their muffled voices spoke about not having enough money to keep their boat parked on the docks, an odd conversation for this late at night.
I continued down the pier, stopping when I finally heard a familiar word. Judge Lamrey. Two men were talking about Emma's mother and whether or not she could be counted on for some upcoming trial. I tried to listen as I moved in their direction, but many of their words were drowned out by the waves crashing around the wooden posts holding up the pier.
As I drew closer, I recognized the Physician's voice as one of the men, but not the other one, who spoke in a stronger, deeper tone.
Another quieter conversation reached my ears. It was further down the docks where the water was much deeper. I might not have heard it at all, if I didn't know the sound of Emma's voice so well.
Someone was asking her questions about me. I moved closer, slogging my way through the water until it reached my chest. I could hear better from this spot and immediately recognized who was talking to her: Victor.
"I don't know why you're trying so hard to protect him," he said, speaking to her in a harsh whisper. "Don't you know that it will get you killed?"
"Like I told your men before, I don't know who this Aris is. I only know Adam from work." Her voice was strong. Even in the face of death, she didn’t falter. I didn’t deserve this woman.
I looked up through the wooden slats above me trying to see how many men were up there, but I only spotted three sets of shoes. There had to be many more. Victor rarely went anywhere without an entourage.
"Adam is Aris," Victor said. "Don't you get that? I need to know where he's been all of this time."
"I don't know what else to tell you," Emma said, sounding tired.
"Are you sure he's going to show?" the man with the deep voice called from across the pier. "I don't have much time. My plane is waiting."
"Don't worry," Victor said. "He will be here."
"You better not be wasting my time," the deep voice said again.
I sloshed through the cold water toward the sound, trying to look up through the slats to see who would dare speak to Victor like this. I didn't think anyone ordered him around.
That's when I saw him. Through a small gap in the planks stood a man with silver hair. I repositioned my line of sight to get a better look at him through my narrow view. He wore a dark, expensive looking suit with a blood red tie. Bushy eyebrows shaded his dark eyes, and his high cheekbones reminded me of an aristocrat.
I didn't like the positioning of everyone on the dock. I wish they would've been more clumped together, but they all seemed so spread apart. It also made sneaking up on them extremely difficult. I lowered my head and skimmed my fingertips through the top of the water. Did it really matter if I snuck up on them? I already knew the end
result. I just needed to make sure Kristen and Emma stayed safe.
With new resolve, I waded back to shore until I reached the stairs leading to the top of the pier. I quietly ascended them. Even though I wasn't trying to surprise anyone, I didn't want them to be alerted to my presence just yet.
Once I was at the top, I ducked beneath the awning of a ticket stand where I could have a better view of the pier. Other food and small souvenir shops lined the back of the platform with a few scattered kiosks in the center. A small stage had been erected in the center where outdoor bands performed in the summer. It was meant to help bring people to the area, but because of the stench, not many did. Only dockworkers and those coming in from the occasional cruise ship stopped at the shops.
At the end of the long platform, where fingerlike docks protruded out into the sea, I counted two dozen men. I looked for the man in the suit. He stood off to the side, staring down at the lit-up screen of his cell phone. Despite having gray hair, he was extremely well-built, with broad shoulders and a thick trunk. A woman stood behind him in a long black dress. She stared out across the sea, her dark hair blowing in the wind. Even from this distance, I had a distinct impression there was something supernatural about her.
"Aris!" Victor called into the wind. "I can smell you. Come join us."
I licked my dry lips and swallowed. With my fingers curled tight, I left the shadows and walked down the pier toward him. Guns immediately appeared and pointed in my direction, but I didn't stop. I lifted my hands in the air to show that I was unarmed.
"Let the girls go, and I will do whatever you want," I said.
Victor walked down the dock toward me and glanced to the side, motioning at two men. They stepped aboard a small yacht. Behind Victor was Emma. Our eyes met and she gave me a small smile that filled my heart with warmth and light. She would never know how much comfort that action gave me.
I stopped moving when Victor was about fifteen feet in front of me. He did the same. The silvered-haired man was there with him, the woman close by. Her complexion was pale in the moonlight, and she continued to stare across the water as if she wished she were somewhere else. Several feet behind her stood the Physician, rubbing his tongue against his canine tooth.
