Darkening Chaos: Book Three of The Destroyer Trilogy

by DelSheree Gladden

  “Is there really a difference?”

  “Of course. Doing what the Guardians did involves overtaking the person and controlling their ability to access their talents, even the small amount most people can use before they’re unlocked. Combining power should work similar to a Companion link. It will amplify the other person’s talents. For Braden it would simply give him access to a talent,” my dad explains.

  Huh, good to know if only we could figure out how to combine power. I’ll keep thinking on it, but I need to get back to the real reason for this discussion.

  “When the Guardians put their power into the Dorotabos, does it just stay there, or do they have to stay in contact somehow?” I ask.

  “They have to stay in contact. I know for a fact that it is impossible to leave your power inside of someone else,” he says. An air of guilt spreads out from him in waves. He doesn’t keep the reason behind it secret. “I tried once to force my Concealment on you, Libby, to bind some of your talents and hide them. I thought I could keep the Inquisitor from seeing everything. Not only was it so physically draining to do it in the first place, I couldn’t simply do the binding and then leave it. I would have had to maintain contact the entire time.”

  I believe what he’s saying, but I still shake my head. “But the power dropped away as soon as they finished with the Cipher. If they were maintaining contact it had to be minimal.”

  He thinks about that, and says, “I was trying to completely hide one of your talents. Hiding something is always harder than exposing it. That’s why Concealers get what they’re after so often. Very few people have the strength to resist them. Perhaps after they embed their power in the Cipher, who can no longer resist once they’re done, it doesn’t take much power to keep the link. They might even be able to link with more than one Dorotabos.”

  “So getting rid of the Dorotabos means getting rid of the Guardians controlling them first,” I muse. “We were planning on doing that anyway. We’ll just have to try and figure out where they are and target them first. I’d like to leave as many Ciphers alive as possible, just in case they can be revived later.”

  I start making a list in my head of things the team needs to start working on. Maybe they can test out how far away the controller can get from the controlee. Knowing how far away the Guardians are from the Dorotabos will help us locate them when the real battle starts. We will have to take them out as soon as possible. As the list starts forming in my mind, another list comes with it, a list of questions that have been bugging me. One in particular sticks in my mind. I don’t really know if my dad will have the answer, but I decide to ask him anyway.

  “Do you have any idea why the Ciphers don’t have Vision? It’s the only talent they don’t have, but I do. I keep thinking there should be some obvious reason, one that will help me, but I can’t figure it out. I try to use my Vision on the Ciphers, but it isn’t any more reliable directed at them than anyone else. It’s been particularly unreliable lately which so many variables up in the air.”

  My dad smiles. “I can’t say I know for sure, but I have a guess, if you want to hear it.” I nod eagerly. “Celia told me about how Seekers can’t see you or the Ciphers. Normally, whether or not you have Vision makes no difference in a Visionary’s ability to see you, but Vision is unique among talents in that it is granted certain governance. Vision can only see people in the same caste.”

  “Caste? What do you mean? There’s no caste named at an Inquest.”

  “Your caste isn’t named. It’s shown.” He gestures at my arm and the black diktats looping my wrist. “Castes aren’t me guessing, though. Castes are a known fact, well, known to Inquisitors anyway. They never mention the caste because people are supposed to believe there is only one caste. My guess about why Ciphers don’t have Vision is that you took it all.”

  “No I didn’t,” I argue. “They’d be imprinted on my arm if I’d somehow stolen their talents without meaning to.”

  Laughing, my dad says, “That’s not how I meant it. Like I said, Vision can only see within its caste, but you can see both castes. You can also use your Vision much more than anyone else, from what I’ve heard. You needed a lot of power to cross that barrier. All of the Vision in your caste was consolidated in you, so you can keep your members safe and help them win this war.”

  “Huh.” That’s all I can say to him. It makes perfect sense. I guess. It makes me feel a little bad that I may have sucked up everyone else’s ability to glimpse the future or get premonitions and insights, but even more, it settles a heavy mantle of responsibility on my shoulders. I already knew I had to protect the Ciphers, but now I feel their dependence even more. Instinct tells me my dad is right about this, but it does bring up another question.

  “I always thought you figured out who I was because you saw a vision of me. I remember sitting on the couch with you that day. Your body went stiff, and when I tried to call for mom you wouldn’t let me.”

  Pain etches itself deep into my dad’s expression. “I did see a vision that day, and it confirmed who you were to me.”

  “But how?” I argue. “You said Visionaries can only see their own caste, and we’re not in the same one.”

  “I didn’t see you, but just like the Seekers could only see your coming by the effects you had on members of their caste, I saw the effect you would have on me,” he says quietly.

  Years of fear coalesce in this one moment of understanding. “You saw me kill you. Why did you go through with it if you knew you would die?”

  He shakes his head. “I didn’t see you kill me, Libby. I only saw my death, and the vision gave me the impression that I would die if I didn’t help you. I made the wrong choice about how to protect you and it cost me. I didn’t understand at the time that supporting you as the Destroyer would be helping you. I thought the only help I could offer was to change who you were.”

  “Dad, I’m so sorry,” I say as I hug him. He hugs me back, whispering the same apology to me.

  A rush of air next to me announces Celia’s arrival.

  Turning around to face her, my disappointment wells. “It’s time to go already?”

  “I came back a little early to see if you or your dad had any messages for me, but we probably only have about fifteen minutes before time’s up,” Celia says.

  As quickly as I can, I summarize everything me and my dad talked about. My instructions for what I want everyone to do next follows. It doesn’t take more than five minutes. The next few minutes are for saying goodbye to my dad and closing the gateway with Celia’s help. Standing alone with Celia in the now empty Central Expanse, her face turns giddy and embarrassed at the same time.

  “What?” I ask, stepping back a step.

  She laughs at my wariness. “I mentioned to Braden that I you finally made it to the spirit world as soon as I got to the training house. Poor guy. I’ve never seen him so frustrated. He was practically bouncing off the walls trying to figure out a way to get here. Lance almost had to punch him to get him to calm down.”

  My whole chest seizes up. I want to see him so badly. I’ve been able to sleep through most of our separation. It’s saved me from going crazy missing him. Braden has been forced to slog through every moment we’ve been apart.

  “Did you tell him how much I miss him?” I ask, trying not to cry.

  “I did,” Celia says, “and he had a message for you, too. He said to tell you, the next time you’re together, you won’t have to ask. He didn’t say what you wouldn’t have to ask for, but I’m assuming you do.”

  A slow smile creeps onto my lips. I absolutely do. Not that I didn’t already assume he would be as incapable as I’ll be to stay away from him for even a second when we finally get back together, knowing he’ll stay with me every night makes going back to my cell much more bearable.

  “He also wanted me to kiss you for him, but hopefully knowing he’s dying to get his hands on you again is enough, ‘cause that’s just not going to happen. Sorry.”

>   I just laugh. Then my giggling melts into sniffling. The last night I had with Braden before all this happened was so filled with party prep and craziness that we hardly spent any time together. Him catching me in my room and helping with my dress …hmm. Remembering how we left things makes me want to give in to Milo’s drugs so I won’t have to miss him for so long. I still have seven months until my birthday. That thought insights tears.

  “Celia,” I say, “I know you’ve got a ton of stuff to do already, but finding out how to get Braden here … well, I …”

  She smiles and pats my shoulder. “I’ll do my best.”

  Blinking back tears, I hug her tightly. As soon as I let go, we make plans to meet again and she disappears. I start pulling my spirit back to my body as well, hoping Celia will figure out how to get Braden to the spirit world. I am desperate to see him again, but as I think of everything that happened here today, another reason to have Braden come to the spirit world pops into my mind. Nobody can argue with the fact that being friends with me often means delving into the dangerous and bizarre. Braden has been through a lot with me already. Meeting my dead father is definitely going to be the strangest thing I’ve ever asked him to do.

  Chapter 32

  Combining

  Milo doesn’t bat an eye as Thomas backhands me. I guess he’s desensitized himself to my pain at this point. After five months of holding me captive and pestering me for answers, you would think Milo would realize I wasn’t going to tell him anything. It’s especially infuriating that he’s still trying to get me to tell him my plans, since as far as he knows I haven’t been in contact with anyone from my team since he took me. I guess I lied to him often enough that it doesn’t matter. He’s convinced I’m hiding something.

  Squatting down next to me on the floor, Milo lifts my chin. Blood from my split lip dribbles over his hand. He’s trembling as much as I am, but he refuses to give up. “Libby, just tell me what I want to know and this can stop.”

  “I don’t know what the others are planning, but if you let me call them I’m sure they’d be happy to share,” I mumble through a mouthful of blood.

  His fingers clamp down around my jaw. “Stop this, Libby! I know you have some plan for fighting the Cipher creations. You avoided talking about them before I brought you here. You were hiding your plans from me. I know you were!”

  I avoided talking about the Dorotabos because I had no idea what to do about them. I didn’t exactly want to parade that around in front of people who believed I had everything under control. He shakes me furiously. Even when he stops, my battered body keeps reeling. Three Milos swim in front of me. I have to close my eyes to clear my vision. It helps some, but the pain remains, throbbing deep into my bones. A groan slips out of me. My Naturalism begs for release. It could soothe my injuries in minutes, but I can’t risk using it. Ever since Milo started letting Thomas beat me again he’s been giving me a new drug during these questioning sessions that is supposed to dull me enough that I can’t use more than a trickle of my talents. It caught me by surprise the first time and worked beautifully.

  Milo drops me back to the ground and growls in frustration. I push myself up off the floor, wiping blood from my mouth with the back of my hand. My side begs me not to move. Thomas did a fabulous job kicking me earlier. I’ve had just about enough of this for today. Time to turn this session around, even if it results in another beating.

  “Do you honestly think Howe expects you to get anything out of me, Milo?” I ask. I spit the blood out of my mouth and stare up at him. “He’s manipulating you. You admitted to everyone the day you took me that you plan on taking his job. He has you babysitting me so he has an excuse to keep you out of the loop. Howe plans on killing me, we all know that, but do you even realize that he has every intention of killing you, too?”

  Milo’s face screws up in anger. I don’t let up.

  “Howe became president because he was the most ruthless, brutal man in the world. There is no way he’s going to let you live long enough to challenge him. He knows you’re going to be more powerful than him as soon as your talents are unlocked. Which will be what, a few weeks from now?”

  I know that his birthday was yesterday thanks to my visits to the spirit world, but I’m not supposed to have any clear reckoning of time in here. My words finally start to sink in with Milo. His anger is suddenly laced with doubt.

  “Oh, don’t worry about your birthday, Milo,” I say. “Howe will keep you alive until all of this is over. He needs you to show the world I’m not as powerful as they think I am. He needs to parade you around as a traitor.”

  “You’re just trying to manipulate me,” Milo says through his teeth.

  “No, I’m telling you the truth. Two seconds after Howe kills me, he’ll kill you, too.”

  Fire sparks around him. Literally. It’s something he learned to do with his Naturalism from his new buddies, igniting particles of matter in the air. I think it was supposed to be a secret, but as usual, when Milo gets really upset he has a hard time controlling his talents. I’ve already taught it to Celia. Blowing out a long breath, Milo calms himself down.

  “Thomas, we’re done here for today.”

  Thomas grumbles and stalks out of the room. He’s only ever happy if he’s torturing someone. Milo almost follows him out, remembering the glass of drugged water before leaving me to suffer. The glass bangs against my tender lip. Half the water spills down my shirt. It makes my job of corralling the toxin easier, but it also makes my t-shirt stick to my chest. Luckily, Milo is too pissed off to notice. He storms out and slams the door behind him. I only slump down to my mattress out of habit, not any fear of Milo watching me. I still wait a good ten minutes before spitting the toxin into a hole in my mattress.

  A few minutes later, I’m standing in the spirit world. Just inside the barrier, a small group of people turn to greet me. There are only three of them since Celia is keeping as many people out of the spirit world as possible. Only the most trusted members of our group have been told the truth about what can be found here now that the Ciphers are gone. It’s hard to keep something like being able to see people who have passed on a secret, but it’s necessary right now. We can’t risk someone letting slip that I’m coming here every day. I don’t want to think about what the Guardians would do to me if they found out.

  Walking over to the group, I hug Hope and receive a clap on the back from Kyla. The third member is my favorite sentry. Alex Takima shakes my hand firmly. His grip always momentarily surprises me. His slight dancer’s build looks like it should be fragile, but he has a lot of lean muscle packed onto his frame. None of them comment on my injuries. They’re used to them by now, and used to my irritated responses when they do try to ask.

  “I’ll let Celia know you’re here,” Alex says. Focus lines his features as he prepares to depart, but I catch his arm before he goes.

  “If she’s in the middle of class, wait. I don’t want her looking like she’s passed out mid-pirouette again.”

  Alex laughs and nods. Celia has calmed down considerably since joining us, but she still lets her excitement get the better of her every once in a while.

  “Oh, and feel free to give her a kiss goodbye before she leaves,” I say, making Alex’s eyes widen. “It always helps her relax better when she’s here.”

  “She told you?” Alex asks.

  Me and the other girls chuckle. “Of course she did. Celia’s terrible about keeping secrets like that.”

  He blushes, and says, “It wasn’t really a secret. We just didn’t want anyone to think we weren’t putting all our effort into training.”

  “No one thinks that, Alex,” I say, my voice filled with longing. If I could be with Braden right now, there’s absolutely no chance I’d be training.

  The three around me quiet under the pressure of my deflated mood. My emotions are locked up tight, as usual, but pain slips away from Kayla and Hope to wrap around me. Both keep coming here, but neither one has been able t
o contact the ones they want. Hammond and Mr. Walters are still too newly gone to manage reaching the spirit world. I thought that was very unfair at first, but as I watch the tears form in Kayla’s eyes I see the value in not being able to reach Hammond so soon. If she could find him today and visit him every day after, there is no way she would ever move on and look for love again. I suppose there are more substantial reasons for the newly dead remaining out of reach, but things like that seem to work out for the best, regardless.

  “I’ll go get Celia,” Alex says. He pops away from us quietly.

  In an attempt to make up for depressing everyone with my sullenness, I turn to Hope and Kayla. I am about to ask them about the Capoeira lessons Braden has instigated at the training house for everyone. Alex whooshes back into the spirit world, surprising all of us. We all stare at him.

  “Where’s Celia?” I ask.

  “She’ll be here in a minute. She has to go back to the training house first.”

  “Why?”

  Alex shrugs. “I don’t know. She said she has a surprise for you and rushed off without explaining.”

  “Wasn’t she at school?” I ask. When Alex is working as sentry, it usually means Celia’s at school since he’s the only one that can reach her there. School gets out hours before Milo comes to abuse me, but she’s been there rehearsing until at least six o’clock for the last few weeks. He shakes his head, though.

  “We were just finishing up a rehearsal for our duet. You’re later than usual.”

  Thanks to Milo and his persistence. “Why did she have to go to the training house? She can’t bring anything with her.”