by J Gaines
He heard the key turn in the lock again and prepared himself for what was to come. This time, as he was dragged to his chair, he could feel he was significantly weakened physically and it was increasingly more difficult to concentrate. His thoughts returned to his training, and to Virgil and John. As he was secured to the chair once more he desperately searched inside himself for the strength he required, and a realisation slammed into him like a punch. He wasn’t broken, but he was breaking. His headache had been building since he’d left his cell and now it was throbbing with pain, making it even harder for him to focus.
The familiar silence followed, and he waited for the chair to be tipped. As the seconds turned into minutes he felt his arms begin to shake and his heart thumped. And then a voice slithered out of the darkness. A voice he recognised. “It’s been a while, Amias.” There was another long silence and he waited. This was it; his chance had arrived. “Let’s take that bag off your head so we can talk face to face.” The bag was removed, and a feeling of relief flooded through him. There was a light in the room and although it was dim, he was forced to close his eyes, squinting for a sign of his nemesis. “I’m here, Amias. Right here.”
As his eyes became accustomed to the light he focussed on a shape in front of him. Slowly it materialised into a man seated on a chair, one leg crossed nonchalantly over the other. He was wearing a dark black suit that matched his hair, which was longer than the last time they’d met, but which was still swept neatly back. The last part of the man that slowly came into focus was his face. Bit by bit Amias saw the deadly black eyes, watching him calmly as if it were the first time they’d met. “Kaden,” Amias hissed.
Chapter 10
As his eyes became accustomed to the light he concentrated on the man whom killing had become his sole purpose in life. He could feel the strength returning to his limbs and a fresh determination flooded his mind; his hands tingled, and his muscles flexed. Suddenly the back of the chair he was bound to snapped, and he launched himself forward. He managed one step before he felt the bonds against his ankles and wrists tighten. Instead of breaking, they constricted, sending him crashing to the floor at Kaden’s feet.
He looked up helplessly as Kaden began to laugh mockingly. Another sound joined him, a hissing noise which Amias recognised as Andre’s laugh. The bonds, which he felt he could have broken before, bit into his skin again and he cried out in frustration. Straining his neck, he lifted his face to see blood stains on the floor, some new and some old. A pair of hands grabbed him under the arms and lifted him easily to his feet; they then pulled him to the base of the chair and forced him down on it. Andre walked into his line of sight and stopped behind Kaden. He was still hissing with laughter and watching Amias with murderously gleeful eyes.
“Poor Amias, it seems you’re not as strong as you think you are,” whispered Andre.
Amias wrestled in vain to free himself of the bonds around his wrists. “Release me and you can find out how strong I am, Andre.”
“Strong like your friend Reuben?” Andre cackled with delight as Amias continued to struggle. The shadows from the dim light in the room fell across Andre’s face as he grinned hideously and played with his necklace. His dark eyebrows were raised high on his forehead like crooked black birds.
“Andre, please!” exclaimed Kaden with a dry chuckle. “I really must apologise for Andre, Amias. He’s not fully trained yet.” Andre laughed hysterically at Kaden before throwing his head back and howling at the ceiling. Amias stopped fighting against his restraints, aware that it was giving them exactly what they wanted. He closed his eyes and took a long breath, searching for control and an answer to his situation. “Are we boring you?” Kaden spoke softly, much like the first time they’d met, and Amias opened his eyes and looked at him. His face gave away no emotion and he was still sitting with his legs casually crossed. Although he was smiling, Amias sensed something different about him. His eyes looked even deadlier than before, and the wide black pupils had eradicated any innocence that might have been evident before. The suit he was wearing was slim-fitting and tight around his powerful muscular frame, but Amias noticed that his cheekbones were more prominent and his face looked slightly gaunt. Kaden watched Amias with interest, almost as if he were aware of Amias’s observations and felt glad that he was the focus of his attention.
“Has it been over a year, Amias?” he questioned, with a feigned sadness in his dulcet tone. “I’m sorry we’re meeting like this, I really am. But as you well know, you’ve left me with little choice. You could be standing by my side as Andre is, and Max was.” As he said Max’s name he smiled sympathetically, as if talking about someone who had recently died. “I’ve been keeping close tabs on you though, my friend. I hear you’re progressing in your combat skills, and that you’re leading your own team. It seems you’ve come a long way under John’s tutelage, but I could take you much further. I can show you how to develop abilities which only you and I can master. Not just strength and speed – much more than that.”
As he spoke, Amias found that he was engrossed in his words. For a moment it almost seemed as if they were back in his nightclub, and that none of the events that had preceded that night had happened. But the moment was gone as quickly as it had appeared, and the faces of Blaise and Virgil, followed by Jasmine’s, flashed into Amias’s mind. He gritted his teeth at their memory, and marvelled at the alluring power of Kaden’s voice.
Amias laughed, his mouth and face hurting as he did so. “You’d still offer me a place at your side, even after what you’ve done? I don’t know whether to feel insulted or flattered.” He looked around at the room they were in, and then down at his filthy, damp clothes. “I don’t think I’ll up take your generous offer today, Kaden.” He was doing his best to remain controlled, but he could feel tears pushing against the backs of his eyes as anger and desperation threatened to overwhelm him. He tasted blood and realised he had bitten the inside of his lip. With each second, he pulled at his bonds and fought inside for the strength to break them.
Kaden watched him for a few moments as if he were reading his mind and had become aware of the conflict inside him. “Okay. Then we’ll get straight to why you and your friend are here. We’d like to know where your base is, and you or Lucas are going to tell us.”
Amias laughed again. “That’s what you want to know?” He continued to laugh and narrowed his eyes at Kaden. “Please tell me this is a joke. You’ve captured us, and you’re hoping we’ll tell you where our base is so that you can murder everyone there? For all your power, you still don’t know where it is?” He spat on the ground. “Take me back to my cell… or kill me now.”
Andre turned to Kaden and whispered something that Amias couldn’t hear. As Kaden listened, his face showed no emotion other than a narrow smile, and his cold, black eyes were still fixed on Amias. “Andre wants to kill you, Amias, but then he’s so impulsive, and would like to add a part of your anatomy to his necklace. I think it’s better I don’t tell you what part.” Andre turned and smiled, flashing his eyes and tapping his finger on his nose. “I told Andre you’d never betray your pitiful, merry band of fools. I told him that if you couldn’t save them in some way, you’d be happy to die for them. But what about your friend, Amias – what about Lucas?”
Amias frowned, unsure what angle Kaden was trying to use. “I’m ready to die, and so is Lucas.”
“I don’t doubt that. But what are you both ready to die for?” replied Kaden calmly. As he watched Amias from his chair, it seemed as if they were the only two people in the room. His smile was incessant, hiding the evil thoughts Amias knew were revolving around in his mind.
“He’ll die before he tells you where the base is, Kaden,” said Amias.
“I believe you. If we’d captured only him, then I believe he’d endure torture every day for the rest of his short life. But we didn’t just capture him, we captured you as well. And that changes everything.�
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Amias searched desperately in his tired mind for what Kaden was referring to. He didn’t know what difference it would make them both being captives. He knew he would never break, no matter what they did to him or Lucas.
Kaden laughed. It sounded joyful, a sound that was out of place for where they now sat. “You still haven’t worked it out, have you. I almost admire you for your lack of self-importance, you know. I don’t think I’ve met anyone like you, and I probably never will. I hear about your faith and devotion to others, and selflessness is one of Virgil’s theories as to why you have such powerful abilities, but I know that’s not just it.” He paused and smiled. “But that can wait for a moment. Back to the question at hand. You won’t die for Lucas, Amias. And that’s because you’ve weighed up the decision in your mind and decided that it’s better for one person to die than many. I believe you also know Lucas, and know that he would do the same, and give his life for theirs. But what if your life is in danger?”
As Amias’s thoughts turned to Lucas, he struggled to believe they’d developed a bond strong enough for Lucas to jeopardise their greatest secret to save him. In fact, he was almost sure Lucas barely even liked him. He could see Kaden was enjoying watching him search in the darkness for an answer that eluded him. Kaden continued. “What if… you’re going to be killed. Their hero, their saviour, the person they believe is the only person with the strength to kill me?”
Suddenly Amias began to realise what Kaden was suggesting. He dropped his head, ready to throw it back and laugh out loud. But as he did, the laughter got caught in his throat and he swallowed as a pain grew in his stomach. Could it be Kaden was right, and that because of the belief John had instilled in him, Lucas would endanger the lives of the hundreds of people at their base just to save him? That they believed his life was in some way more valuable than anything else? He shook his head, forgetting that Kaden and Andre were watching him. “Now you understand, Amias,” whispered Kaden.
Amias lifted his head. “You’re wrong, Kaden. You’re wrong; their faith in me isn’t that strong.” As he heard his own words he realised he was trying to convince himself as much as Kaden.
“You underestimate their belief in you. It’s sad, you know. You’ve been running around trying your best to find me, to gain a revenge you think will fulfil you, but you’ve ignored what’s been going on around you. I’ve spent days with Lucas and I know it already. I can see it in the eyes he tries to hide from me. I can extract it from the insults he shouts about you. Against everything else, John and your people would sacrifice themselves for you.”
The impact of the realisation hit Amias like a train. He dropped his head again, and it felt as if it were physically spinning. Part of him still wanted to laugh at the suggestion that Lucas would do anything to save him, but deep inside doubt was growing. His thoughts moved from Lucas to John: to the many conversations they’d had regarding Amias’s behaviour, and the need for him to set an example. He remembered the times John had told him how the altéré were looking to him as a symbol of hope, and he’d dismissed it. As his mind raced at a thousand miles an hour, his selfishness became evident to him. His reason for remaining a captive, when he could possibly have escaped, had been because of his desire to face Kaden again. He’d made a decision for Lucas because he believed he would share his sentiment, but he now knew he couldn’t be sure of that. He couldn’t be sure of anything except that he’d put his team in danger, and put Lucas in a position in which he would need to make a deadly choice.
“Now you understand,” whispered Kaden.
Amias met his eyes. “Let him go, and I’ll tell you what you want to know myself!”
Kaden laughed. “I’m not a fool, Amias. You would sacrifice yourself, I have no doubt of that. The only way you and Lucas can save each other’s lives is by telling me what I want to know. If you don’t, I’ll kill you both.” On hearing Kaden’s last sentence, Amias lost any control he still held, and let out an anguished scream as he threw himself forward despite his restraints. He slammed into the floor, taking the brunt of the fall on his side and shoulder. Ignoring the pain, he tried his best to move in Kaden’s direction, inching forward as he clenched his teeth. Andre began to laugh, but Kaden watched him with a pitying look on his face.
“How different things could have been. What do you have left now? You’ve lost everything. Jasmine, Virgil and Blaise are all gone. You have nobody.” He motioned to Andre to pick him up, and Amias felt strong hands clench his shoulders and lift him onto the broken chair again.
“Don’t say their names,” spat Amias.
“I know you must hate me, but ultimately it was only Virgil who showed you any loyalty. I believe he felt as strongly about you as he did me.” He laughed through a sneer. “The old fool. For all his inadequacies, he was faithful. As a trainer, he lacked the foresight to understand that I could surpass him and all of our kind – the altéré, as they call themselves.” He spat out the name in disgust. “But in the end I showed him who was more powerful; it was a natural progression. The student became the master.”
“He was already injured. You know that as well as I do. If he hadn’t been, then I know he would have finished you. In the end, it wasn’t even you who killed him.”
“Yes, he was injured, and yes, it was Blaise who killed him. But I would have finished him if Blaise hadn’t. Do you know how he was injured, Amias?”
Amias ignored the question. “You murdered Blaise and Jasmine.”
“And they betrayed you. I did you a service by killing them, you should be thanking me.” Kaden’s voice rose slightly and threatened to betray his calm demeanour. “I gave Blaise everything, and in the end, he was wrong to choose that two-faced bitch over me.”
Every muscle inside Amias tensed as Kaden insulted Jasmine. “That must have hurt you, Kaden. You saw Blaise as the brother you always wanted. You told me we could build a bond only brothers could share. And he cast you aside because of his love for Jasmine.”
Kaden seemed to hesitate, as if searching for what to do next. It seemed to Amias that he was somewhere other than in the room with them. And then suddenly he returned and looked at Amias passively. “Blaise was as much of a fool as you were. Jasmine played you both.”
“No, Kaden, she loved me.” Amias surprised himself with his response. It was the first time he’d admitted the truth to himself and somehow, despite his dire predicament, he felt free of a pain he’d held onto.
Kaden raised his eyebrows. “If that’s what you choose to tell yourself. You’ll never know if it’s true, unfortunately. I made a mistake putting so much faith in Blaise, but it’s a mistake I’ll never repeat. There was a time I wanted us all to be together and I wanted us to be the family we never experienced when we were children.”
“Virgil told me you had a family, and you were born into wealth. Blaise and I were born and ferried from one foster home to another. How can you compare your life with ours? You’re pathetic, a selfish child who has never grown up and can never have enough.”
Kaden smiled. “You can have everything and still nothing, Amias. We’re not as different as you like to think.”
“I’m not like you.”
“I heard what you did to Max. Does John know how much you wanted to kill him? Does he know how dark your dreams really are? I think if he did he wouldn’t be so keen to support you. You’re becoming more like me every day you try not to be; every minute you search and obsess over killing me, you come closer to becoming me,”
Amias ignored the unsettling yet accurate insight into his psyche. “Take me back to the cell.”
Kaden showed a look of feigned surprise, and for the first time he uncrossed his legs and leaned forward so his hands were on his knees. “Not yet, my friend. We have other things to talk about.”
“You’ll get nothing else from me,” growled Amias.
“I don’t need anything els
e from you. This is just for you to listen to, a gift I want to give you before we part company again.” Amias watched him, and for the first time saw a change in his face; the neutral look of calm was replaced with the faintest hint of excitement. His black eyes twinkled, and he swept back his hair. “I’m going to tell you what you’ve always wanted to know, Amias. I’m going to tell you everything.”
Chapter 11
Amias tried his best to show disinterest. “Take me back to my cell, I’ve heard enough from you today.” He looked at Andre, who was leaning against the wall, leering at him.
“You need to hear this, my friend.” Kaden’s hypnotic tone drew his eyes back to his.
“Stop calling me that,” Amias growled.
“The last time we saw each other, you asked me to tell you what I know about your parents. Back then, I wanted to punish you for not joining me, I wanted to hurt you. But now, after everything that’s happened, you deserve to know.”
As Kaden continued, Amias tried his best to suppress the faintest feeling of intrigue. He looked pleadingly at Andre. “Get me out of here, or kill me, please.”
Andre waved a finger at him and smiled wickedly. He held up his necklace again. “Listen up, hero.”
Kaden interjected. “I know how you feel about me, Amias, but as I’ve always said, you and I are not as different as you think. I’ve dedicated my life to developing the gifts that I’ve been given. To do this, though, I had to find out more about our kind, I had to understand more than just the way our physiology works, I had to discover our lineage, delve deep into our history. I won’t lie – I was disappointed for a long time. Our history is a sad and pathetic one. Our people could have ruled this world, but instead they were torn between fighting each other, and fighting for the sheep who call themselves human.” Amias hung his head and closed his eyes tightly. As much as he fought against the urge to listen to Kaden’s words, he found himself hanging onto each sentence, wondering what revelation he was slowly creeping towards. “My disappointment continued until the day I met you. I believed Blaise had told me almost everything there was to know about you. I was intrigued to meet someone who had shown their abilities at an earlier age than I, the first-strength as your people call it. And when I finally did, I felt something different in you. I could feel your potential… your power. Could you feel it in me?” Amias still hung his head but opened his eyes slowly as Kaden continued. “I know you did. Even if you didn’t know it then, you know it now. You saw something in me that we could only see in each other.” He paused, and then stood up for the first time and walked towards the door. He stopped in front of it as if he were about to leave and Amias watched him with interest.
