by J Gaines
“I know but doesn’t that make us stronger than we’ve ever been? Kaden would be foolish to attack us now, wouldn’t he?”
She smiled wryly. “That’s if they decide to help us. That’s what is being discussed today; it’s far from a given that they’ll provide the help we need. In my opinion, we’ll be lucky if half of the leaders here today pledge their support. Security is on maximum alert!”
Amias was about to reply when she ducked past him and disappeared into the midst of a group of people heading towards the main hall. He stood and watched, feeling the urge to return to his place on the hill.
“Busy, Amias?”
He clenched his jaw and turned. Lucas, unsurprisingly, was dressed smartly. His chino trousers and short-sleeved shirt screamed at an attempt to impress, whilst appearing to remain casual.
Lucas looked Amias up and down, clearly taking in his well-worn jeans and faded t-shirt. “Glad to see you made an effort, hero.”
“Hero?” replied Amias.
“You’re our Harry Potter. They’ll all be looking to catch a glimpse of the man they’ve heard so much about from John. I hope they’re not expecting much.” Lucas sneered and let out a snigger.
Amias clenched his jaw again and tried to resist the urge to clench his fists, too. “At least they’ll have you to look at, Lucas. Did you borrow those clothes from John?” He pointed at Lucas’s ankles. “Those trousers are running about three inches from becoming shorts!” He smiled to himself as he saw Lucas glancing down, raising his foot to check his trouser length.
*
He was almost at the main hall when Sophia tapped him on the shoulder and fell in beside him. “Shall we walk together?” she suggested.
Amias nodded and smiled warmly at her. It was clear she’d also made an effort; she looked even more beautiful than she normally did. Her blonde hair fell loosely around her shoulders. It was the first time he’d seen her wearing make-up, and although he didn’t think she needed it, he couldn’t help but marvel at how it accentuated her cheekbones and full lips. He began to feel uncomfortable; was he was the only one who hadn’t made an effort?
They made their way through the crowds of people standing outside the makeshift hall and went in through the two large doors that had been propped open. Inside was a throng of activity and conversation; Amias looked around nervously for John, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone. The hall was easily big enough to hold five hundred people. For a moment, as he looked up at the large windows and skylights that let in much-appreciated sunlight, he entertained a feeling of hope. John had chosen a good building for the meeting place.
“Amias?”
He turned at the sound of a familiar and welcome voice.
“Mia!”
She walked up to him, ignoring Sophia, and embraced him, kissing him on his cheek. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, Amias. It’s so good to see you. Well done on capturing Max!” She looked him up and down. “And you’re dressed more smartly than I expected!”
He met her eyes and smiled. “It’s good to see you too.”
“I’d love to stay and chat, but John needs me.” She turned, as if noticing Sophia for the first time. “Oh, hi, Sophia. I didn’t see you there. You look very nice today.”
Amias, feeling uncomfortable, watched as they awkwardly shook hands. Mia was dressed in a black blouse tucked into a figure-hugging grey skirt; she’d finished the outfit off with black high-heeled shoes. Her fiery red hair was longer than Sophia’s and she was slightly shorter than her in height, even with the heels. He was glad when John interrupted them.
“Come on, Mia, we’re about to start.” John looked at Amias and opened his mouth but Amias interrupted him.
“At least I’m here…” he said coldly.
John smiled knowingly. “And I’m very glad you are. Your place is here, and you need to hear what will be discussed today. Also, there are people I want to introduce you to.” Amias rolled his eyes and John laughed. “It’s the least you can do today. Some of these people are old friends of mine and others are people we need to help us. You and Lucas are invited to sit amongst some truly great men and women.”
“Old friends, hey?” Amias looked around him. “I can’t see anyone that old here?”
John laughed loudly, a barking sound that caused people to turn and look in their direction. “Believe me, they’re here.” He pointed at four people engaged in a serious conversation bordering on an argument. “That’s my trainer, the one I’ve told you about already. One of the greatest trainers and fighters we have.”
Amias was surprised as he looked at the three men and one woman who were deep in conversation. The man John was referring to was the tallest of the group. He looked around John’s age, possibly slightly older, and appeared to be leading the debate. His brown wavy hair was flecked with grey and fell past his ears. As he pushed his hair out of his eyes, he seemed to become aware that Amias was watching him. His bright blue eyes fixed on Amias’s and for a moment Amias felt the hidden power in him. Before he could enquire about the man’s name, John turned, reached for Mia’s hand and began weaving his way out of sight towards a large door.
Sophia pulled gently on Amias’s arm and pointed at the door. “You need to go, Amias. The council members are heading through. Good luck, I’ll be waiting for you in here.”
Lucas turned and began walking away. “Come on. I don’t want you making me late.”
Amias nodded, in agreement with Lucas for the first time, and smiled at Sophia before following. At the door they were met by a team of guards who searched them and checked their identification. Finally, they were allowed to pass through. The room they were in was almost as big as the main hall but currently there were only a few people in it. In the centre was a large square of tables, with around fifty chairs surrounding it. Amias resisted the temptation to check who else was in the room and thus risk unwanted conversation; he walked over to one of the chairs in a corner of the large square. Somebody slid into the chair beside him and he turned to see Lucas.
“Struggle to find a chair?” he asked, surprised.
Lucas ignored his question, watching as people began to stream into the room. “Everyone is here. I’m surprised, I thought there would be some who wouldn’t come at all.”
“You actually know these people?”
“Yes. Don’t you?” Lucas was unable to hide his smugness.
“I can honestly say that out of all of them I only know two. John and Mia.”
Lucas rolled his eyes. “Want me to fill you in? Over there…” he pointed at one of the men who’d been in the group of four that John had pointed out, “is Victor Ferguson. He’s come from the US and is the most powerful man in this room – financially, I mean. Although he’s not well liked by his peers... or anyone else, from what I understand.”
Amias looked at the man Lucas was discreetly pointing to; he was dressed in trousers and a shirt with a blazer jacket. His hair was short with a neat side parting and, despite his age, was still jet black. He was flanked by the tall man who had caught Amias looking at him a few minutes before. “Who’s the guy next to him?”
“The tall one? That’s Xavier Bernard. He’s an old friend of John’s and I think he was his trainer.”
“How do you know that?” Amias was still watching Xavier.
“He just told us,” came the indignant response.
“I meant… never mind. How do we know we can trust these people?”
“We don’t. That’s why any visitors were blindfolded on their journey to this location. They also weren’t allowed to bring electrical devices which could be tracked. Security has been at its highest.”
Before Amias could respond there was a loud call for people to take their seats. Immediately the chairs began to fill up; he was surprised at how quickly everyone was seated. A hushed silence fell, broken only by the doors being
closed behind them. Amias looked around the room; who would be the first to address them? He was surprised to see John stand up.
“Hello, I’m John, and it’s my honour to welcome you all here. Thank you for coming to us in our time of most urgent need, it’s truly great to see so many altéré in one room.” He paused for a moment. “Some of you know me and some of you don’t. The ones who do will know that I wouldn’t have called this meeting if I had any other choice. Those who don’t know me… well, you’ll need to take my word that what I am going to ask you today is not undertaken lightly. I believe a threat to all altéré has emerged that is greater than any before. You’ll have heard the name Kaden by now, and some of you will be asking how it’s possible that this young man could endanger all of us.” A general murmuring arose and people began nodding and shaking their heads all at once. John’s voice rose strongly above the disquiet, projecting a power that fought against the rising doubt.
“I’ve been around a long time…” He gave a small laugh but barely managed a smile. “Longer than you might think, and in this time the altéré have fought against each other: for power, for money, for religion, and for other less important reasons. But never before has one of our kind sought to destroy: to be the last and only living person with our abilities. To be what he sees as a god among the humans left on this earth. There are members of the altéré who have joined Kaden, and he may keep them alive and reward them for a short period. But in the end they’ll share the same fate as us, if we allow him to continue to kill altéré. And then what future will our brothers and sisters who don’t have our abilities have to face?”
A voice with a strong American accent rang out from opposite him; it was the man Lucas had said was named Victor. “You talk about this boy as if he is an army himself, John. He will never succeed in what you warn us of.”
“I understand why you would doubt his power, Victor. But believe me, I have witnessed what he can do… I’ve never seen anyone with abilities like his. He has surpassed any of us, and I believe anyone who has come before us.”
“And yet your charge survived two encounters with him?” Victor added coldly.
Amias moved in his seat uncomfortably as people turned in his direction.
“Amias did survive, yes, but barely, and at great personal loss. Kaden has murdered too many altéré to sit and do nothing. And it is murder, Victor, have no doubt of that. They are not casualties of war, or altéré who have joined our cause. They are innocent men, women and children.”
“And what is it you ask of us?”
“That is what we are here to decide,” John replied sharply.
Another voice joined the conversation: a man’s voice, softer than either John’s or Victor’s, yet equally powerful. “Could the strongest of us not move against him, John? You, myself, Victor and any others you deem strong enough. Surely he is not a match for all of us.”
John smiled at him. “We are not the young men we once were, Xavier. It’s possible we could form a team and attempt an assault on him, but even if we were strong enough to overcome him, he is now more than one man. He has amassed an army around him, and most of these are men and women with our abilities. We will need the full strength of all altéré, or we will need to find another way.”
“Then I am with you, my friend,” replied Xavier. “And I speak for all of my people.”
“Thank you, Xavier, I knew I could count on you.” John turned and addressed the rest of the room. “Who else will follow Xavier’s lead and pledge their support?”
As Amias listened, he found an even deeper respect for John. He was surprised at the strength and confidence he showed whilst in a room with these people. Amias had always considered him to be a loner; he’d never expected him to be the leader he was becoming.
“And you’re the self-proclaimed leader of this force against Kaden?” Victor asked indignantly.
“It doesn’t have to be me, Victor. If someone else is willing to lead this response against Kaden, then I will follow them. Will you lead it?”
Victor was taken aback by John’s offer and moved uneasily in his chair. “I’m still unsure this is our fight. Kaden is your problem, as we have our own problems in our own countries. If Virgil were alive–”
“Virgil is dead, Victor,” John interrupted angrily.
Victor raised his voice. “But if he were alive, would he be suggesting a war against Kaden?”
“Virgil was twice the man any of us are. He didn’t want to endanger anybody other than himself. He chose to face Kaden, even when he knew he was gravely injured and it would mean his certain death. But even he didn’t know what Kaden was capable of – the cold-blooded murder of his own kind. Kaden was his student, and in the end, I feel his judgement was clouded.”
Victor shook his head. “Then more fool him. Why was it he was out of the country at a time when he was needed most?”
Amias listened intently to the escalating argument. It was the first time he had heard anyone else mention what Virgil was doing before he returned to his safe-house on the night of his death. He also noticed a change in John’s demeanour after Victor’s last remark. There was a simmering tension between them which he suspected was about to boil over.
“What Virgil was doing was his business and will now always remain a secret. He kept things close to his chest, as was always his way. Be assured that it would have been for the greater good.” Victor was about to reply but before he could the woman who had been standing with him and Xavier earlier intervened. Her voice was calm and measured.
“We all know that Virgil was his own man, Victor. Are you suggesting he wasn’t fully committed to the greater good? He saved my life and yours on more than one occasion. I have never met a more honourable man.”
Victor fell silent for a moment, clearly searching for the most tactful response. “I respected Virgil as much as anyone, Olivia. I was just asking why he was out of the country when he was needed here.”
“As John has said, I’m sure his reasons were good ones. He had a student here whom he was teaching, and you know how committed he was to his students. Especially one who showed the first-strength at such an early age.” Olivia’s eyes turned to Amias. “Let us hear from Amias what he thinks about Kaden. After all, he is the only one of us who has faced him and lived to tell the tale.”
Amias heard Lucas stifle a sniff and looked around to see every person in the room looking at him. His heart began to thump but he got to his feet.
“Why are you standing up?” Lucas whispered.
Actually, he wasn’t sure why; nobody other than John had stood up to speak. He could feel Victor’s eyes fixed on him and he tried to ignore the intense scrutiny.
Olivia addressed him again. “Tell us about Kaden, Amias?”
Chapter 6
Amias looked directly at John, and then into the bright blue eyes of Xavier, who was watching him intently. Olivia said Amias’s name again and he realised he still hadn’t spoken.
He inhaled slowly through his nose. “If you don’t listen to John, you will all die by Kaden’s blade.” Murmurs began to run around the room, and people looked annoyed. He focussed again on John, who was slumped casually in his chair and was watching him thoughtfully. Amias felt the temptation to leave it at that and walk out of the room, but Xavier’s soft voice stopped him.
“You seem very sure, Amias. There are great altéré in this room today, some of the most powerful of our kind. What is it that makes you so certain of this?”
Amias noticed the faintest trace of an accent and tried to place where he had heard it before. “I mean no disrespect to anyone here today.” He glanced down at Lucas who was also watching him. “I appreciate that I don’t know much about any of you, or about the history of your people, the altéré–”
“Your people, Amias… you are altéré,” Xavier interrupted.
“My people…
” he replied, almost to himself. “Yes, I am altéré. I wish I knew more about us and had the time to learn our history. But we don’t have that luxury, and I fear we will all become part of history if we don’t act now.”
Victor got up suddenly. “If he’s so powerful, how is it you’re still alive?”
Amias’s whole body tensed with anger. He took a silent breath and relaxed slightly. “I’m only alive because my brother saved my life, and because John decided to continue Virgil’s fight against Kaden. How am I still alive? By luck… and by good grace.”
John also rose from his chair. “Sit down, Victor. What you hear from Amias today may one day save your life.”
Victor turned to John, and for a moment it looked as if he might launch across the table and attack him. “I’ve heard enough. Kaden is your problem, and you must deal with him the way the rest of us deal with hostilities in our countries. Kaden is not the only threat.” He kicked his chair away and it crashed against the wall. He threw Amias one last look and then strode from the hall. At a nod from John, the guards stepped aside and followed him through the door. There was a moment of silence in the room and Amias realised he was still standing. Slowly, he started to lower himself onto his seat when Xavier’s voice stopped him.
“Please excuse Victor, Amias. He’s become extremely territorial in his old age. He rarely travels outside of America, and he’s always unwilling to become involved in what he sees as other people’s quarrels. It’s a miracle he came here at all. As you’re now probably aware, he has little respect for anybody.” He grinned warmly.
“Xavier is right, Amias.” Olivia raised her hand. “Please continue. If you have something to say which may help us, then now is the time.”
Amias straightened up and nodded at them. “In the time I’ve been aware of the altéré I’ve not seen another person who could match Kaden in strength or skill. Virgil himself told me he was the most naturally gifted in our abilities he’d ever seen.”
“How can he be beaten?” questioned Xavier.
