The Powerless Series: Complete 5-Book Set

by Jason Letts

  “That’s right,” Aoi spoke up as the others’ laughs quelled to chuckles. “You laugh now but all we’ll remember in the end is that I won.”

  “Yeah? Well, we’ll see. Go ahead and grab the dice,” Will said.

  Aoi rolled them, and this time her face appeared next to Vern’s, a fish, a star, a tree, and a door.

  “These dice are definitely fixed,” Chucky said, looking over at Mira, who nodded with thorough agreement.

  “I’m starting to think he rigged the dice so that Aoi would win. Maybe he’s got a thing for her,” Roselyn added.

  “I do not, and I’ll prove it. They both have two points, so they’ll both have to chicken out or the game is over. You see that fish? You know what that means. They have to kiss,” Will declared.

  A flutter of nerves swept through the group and they all waited anxiously to see if Vern and Aoi would follow through. Vern gave Aoi a probing look, one of both curiosity and feeling, but Aoi blinked and looked away. Still, they rose to their feet and stepped toward each other, the smoldering fire just to the side. Mary was sitting close by, and she leaned back as if they were too bright.

  Some appeared skeptical, expecting them to end their charade and break away at any moment, but still they drifted together. Their eyes locked, she craned her neck as he stooped to kiss her. Their lips met, and the shock rippled through the breathless onlookers. His hand pressed against her back. Her hand cupped the back of his head.

  “You can stop now,” Will mumbled to them, though his wistful eyes kept finding their way back to Roselyn. Tickled and pleased, she watched her friends, but Will sighed, looking a bit dejected.

  Aoi and Vern seated themselves on opposite sides of Mary, who had gone pale. They tried to settle down and contain their excitement, but it leaked through flushed cheeks and lips that hung open just a little bit.

  No one knew what would come next, and so they looked at each other in silence for a moment. The game had ended, and it was obvious who the winners were. Suddenly, Mary had the rosiest cheeks of all, and she stood up abruptly.

  “Please excuse me. Nature is calling.”

  Taking long strides, she entered the forest and disappeared among the tree trunks. Mira watched her go, seeing her bring her hand to her face just before she left view. Turning her head back, Mira saw the others begin to clean up after dinner and disperse. Once everyone became occupied, Mira took her chance and snuck into the forest after Mary.

  The thick leaves shielded the sun, and the forest floor offered a cool, collected atmosphere that seemed so hard to come by lately. Not a sound caught her ear, and for a moment Mira thought she wouldn’t be able to find where Mary had gone. But she pressed into the forest’s shady expanse, sure that isolation was Mary’s problem and not her solution.

  Mary had slunk behind a tree where she cried noiselessly. Mira spotted her off to the side, and tiptoed closer.

  “I knew you were coming, but I hoped you wouldn’t find me,” Mary said, looking up at Mira, her knuckles against her nose.

  “Why?” Mira asked, kneeling down.

  “You’re smart. You can probably figure it out. You don’t need me to tell you at all.”

  Mira frowned, trying to sympathize and understand.

  “I only know what you tell me, and what you tell me only I know. You don’t have to keep what you feel all bottled up inside,” she said.

  Mary sighed, wiping away a tear that trickled down her cheek. She shuddered and took a deep breath, looking over at Mira as if she couldn’t fight against it any longer.

  “I guess I always thought it would be me that would get him. Until now there was never anything that got in the way of that,” Mary whispered.

  Listening, Mira offered a slight, slow nod.

  “I know we never did any serious talking or anything, but I thought this was how it started, with chitchat and jokes, and the rest would come later when things quieted down and we weren’t running for our lives. What happened just now, that doesn’t make any sense to me. You can’t kiss like that without some feeling behind it. I never saw it in either of them and now it’s just all hitting me that I’ve been left behind.”

  Mira shifted to a spot on the ground closer to her. She opened her arms and Mary didn’t hesitate to embrace her. Mary buried her face in the crook of Mira’s neck. Mira could feel her shudder as the tears returned.

  “There, there. Sometimes we’re better off not getting what we wanted. At least you’ll get over the worst of it now instead of letting the disappointment build up longer.”

  She held her for a while until Mary stirred and leaned back against the tree. Her face looked puffy and red.

  “You’re not going to tell me to fight for him? I shouldn’t just keep hoping that maybe one day it’ll work out?” Mary asked.

  Feeling a little uneasy and under the spotlight, Mira tried not to sound defensive while answering.

  “I’m not telling you what you should or shouldn’t do at all. That’s up to you. But this is where we are right now. Don’t forget that the rest of us need you to be a good friend and a good teammate too.”

  Mary nodded, and together they returned to the campsite. Mira hoped Mary would feel better, because there seemed to be so many things to worry about already. Emerging from the forest, Mary left Mira’s side to head to the water where the group put the finishing touches on the raft. On the way down, she crossed paths with Will.

  Mira wondered at Will’s grinding jaw and brooding shoulders. She didn’t have any trouble figuring out she had another problem on her hands. The only questions were what it was and what she could do to help him. Will hopped over one of the logs to sit down on it, casting a sidelong glance to Mira, who took a seat next to him. She waited for him to begin.

  “I’ve thought a lot about it, almost every second, but I can see we’re going to lose with the same certainty that I know my own name. I know you’re fighting for our town and our families, and I care about those things too, but to the Sunfighter army it doesn’t make a difference how much you care about things. They’re just too strong. Fighting against them will get us nowhere, and I can’t do it.”

  Staggering at his announcement, Mira begged him to reconsider.

  “Will, we can’t lose you! You’re not leaving us behind; you’re walking out on us. I know we don’t have much of a chance, but any hope that we might have will leave with you when you go. If you thought about it, didn’t you find something here worth fighting for?”

  Will shook his head.

  “No, you’re misunderstanding me. I have found something worth fighting for, but that doesn’t change our chances. There’s no way to beat them by fighting against them, but it might be possible to beat them by fighting with them. I always knew Cybil gave me this for a reason, and I think it’s time I finally put it to use,” he said.

  Reaching for his bag, he pulled it closer and sunk his hand into it. He produced a thick piece of black fabric, and Mira knew it was the Sunfighters uniform he dredged up in the very river they camped beside. Seeing what he meant now, Mira looked into his eyes and saw their steadfastness in a new light.

  “Are you sure this is what you want to do? If they find out you’re an imposter, they’ll kill you. If we come upon you but can’t see your face, we might kill you too. There’s no telling what’ll come of it,” Mira gasped.

  “There’s no telling what’ll come of anything, but you’ve got to trust me here. I’m not strong enough to take them on when they know I’m coming for them. If I’m going to have any kind of an impact, it’s got to be like this,” he said, shaking his head.

  “What’s going on?” someone asked, causing Mira and Will to jerk their heads. Vern and the others were leaving the river, and it was clear they were confused about what Will was doing with the black uniform. Hesitantly, Will told them what his plan was.

  “So you’re going undercover? That takes guts, no doubt about it. But no matter what you’ve got on, call for us if you get into trouble.�
�� Vern gave him an understanding nod. The sadness on everyone’s faces made Mira feel like they were losing him for good.

  “I’m not going anywhere for now,” Will added, “especially not when it should be in the middle of the night. We’ll try our fortunes tomorrow, but for now let’s dream of where we’ll be if they pay off.”

  Settling in the shade, they resigned themselves to sleep through another sunny night. It escaped no one’s notice how close Vern and Aoi were, but even that got lost among the unbearable worries that would soon bear their fruit.

  Chapter 17: The Battle of Darmen

  Shaking earth ripped them from sleep, forcing their eyes to the northeast where fire rained through the atmosphere. The shock that the fighting had already begun unnerved them, and they raced for the raft at break-neck pace.

  Seeing Will in the black uniform, the emblem of the sun and the clouds clear on his chest, also proved troubling. They would see many more dressed like him before the day was out. One by one, they climbed on the raft, holding their breath to see if it would support them all. It dipped and bobbed, trying their balance.

  “We can’t let the rockets get wet,” Mira warned.

  Her bag was the only one they brought; the rest would be left behind to reclaim if they ever returned. Holding the weapons in her lap, Mira kept them steady while the others climbed aboard. Goober got on last, clinging to Roselyn’s uniform with his bottom in the water as the raft entered the current.

  Paralyzed by the fear of where they were headed, it was fortunate the river did all the work of getting them there. Goober pulled himself aboard and stumbled to the front so he could get a good look at the destruction and chaos ahead.

  “It’s spectacular,” he fawned, eyes misty and mouth gaping. “Never will you find a shorter hop to oblivion.”

  No one had anything to say to his disturbing proclamations. What would happen to Darmen and to their families by the time they got there? Having nothing to do but sit and wait, they put their arms around each other and held hands until not a single one was free.

  “Are we going to die today?” Roselyn asked, sniffling.

  “Would that be so bad?” Aoi replied.

  “Not if we do it together,” Chucky answered.

  “I can’t stop thinking about Westley. He said I was going to make a difference. Looks like if I don’t today I never will,” Vern muttered.

  “They must be there, our mentors,” Aoi added. “I wonder if they’re fighting. I can’t imagine the rancher doing any fighting, yet I know he wouldn’t miss his chance to help either. How wonderful it would be if he saw me do something amazing.”

  It seemed like an instant until they came to the bend where the river turned north to its inevitable plunge. In the distance, the clashing forces fought through the dust cloud underneath the towers of Darmen. Stopping at the shore, Will hopped out, preparing to go it alone from here. Over the bank, other black uniforms raced toward the battle. After getting a hint from Mira, Vern pushed Goober off the raft and onto the sand. A hurt look on his face, he tried to get back on.

  “Oh no, we’re not going to let you hang around. The rockets would accidentally go off in our faces!” Vern said to him.

  “Come on, Goober, there’ll be plenty of others to sabotage,” Will said, taking the young boy by the shoulder. He looked back at the group on the raft before turning away. It seemed they would never see each other alive again.

  “Good luck,” Vern said, making a solemn nod.

  “Let’s show ’em where we come from,” Will said, forcing a smile.

  Will turned away after pushing the raft off the bank then started through the grasslands alongside his unpredictable companion.

  The river’s current picked up speed, an unpleasant fact that no one had remembered. Jostling and bouncing around, they struggled to keep themselves on the raft and avoid rocks. All the while, they got closer and closer to that moment when they would have to fight.

  “There’s no running away from this, nowhere to retreat to,” Mira said, sensing that some encouragement now would go a long way. “But only one life need be lost for it all to be over. For the Warlord, who presses bloodshed into our lives unceasingly, he must know that what he begins can only end with him.”

  Mira reached out for Mary, grasping her arm and signaling to her that she needed to find him among the mob of brawlers. Closing her eyes, they watched her try to concentrate on that feeling that had haunted her before.

  Just as they could see the river spill into the cavern of Darmen Underside, Mary opened her eyes and yelped. She tugged on Vern’s shoulder, urging him to bring the raft to shore immediately. Tiny meteors showered down, indiscriminately hitting the ground all over the area.

  “He’s behind the battle, not in it!” Mary crowed.

  Scrambling onto the sand, they scaled the steep bank and saw she was right. He stood alone in the distance, chanting something and holding his hands high in the air. Jerking their heads over to the battle, it appeared that the forces of Darmen strove to get to him just as the Sunfighters fought to break through to the city. Supporters of both sides raced into the skirmish that sprawled around the city’s exterior.

  “This is our chance!” Mira resounded.

  Grabbing her bag, she raced to prepare the rockets on the side of the bank. Her hands moved so fast, her arms shook, and she didn’t seem to blink or breathe. Digging their supports into the sand on the edge, she aimed them at the monstrosity that naively taunted his foes. She lined all five in a row, her heart rending with hope that they have the range to reach their target.

  “OK, after they launch, we chase him down make sure it’s over. Got it?” she barked.

  A tiny meteorite struck down just in front of the rockets and bounced past, scaring them to death. Vern rose to intercept anything else that fell at them while Mira went to light the fuses. Holding a match to one and then moving to the next, the flames ate away at the fuses, traveling up to ignite the rockets and propel them forward.

  A loud whooshing sound came when the first rocket launched, and the group of six poked their heads above the bank to watch it curve through the air. Tiny sparks shot out the back as it flew to the Warlord, who could do little more than turn his head before it was upon him.

  When it exploded, large sparks of blue light shot out in all directions. They sparkled and shimmered in a glowing burst that seemed to come from nowhere. Just as it began to fade, another one exploded behind it, releasing orange stars to form a colorful dome just above the ground. The yellow one followed, then the next until all five exploded in the air, delivering an ear-splitting report and a flash of bright light that none of them had ever seen before. It looked like falling stars were crippling their enemy.

  The six of them rushed past the bank to their target. Each rocket scorched the Warlord as they exploded around him. He reeled to the side, his arm over his face only to walk into another blast that knocked him back onto the ground. He squirmed, defiant and resolute though the clothing on his chest caught fire and burned away.

  Though the battle was far to their right, the dramatic explosions intensified the frenzy. Only two newcomers raced to intercept the small party racing for their vulnerable commander. But Aoi slammed her shoulder into one of them, knocking him out, while Vern and Chucky took care of the other without breaking stride.

  They could see the Warlord lying on the ground just a few yards ahead, weakened yet holding onto life. Within moments they would be on him, and it would all be over, but then something in the air appeared before them. Thickening lines took shape, filling in instantly with shining red. From nowhere, a figure formed before them, one they knew well.

  “Clara, please. We have to end this!” Mira shouted.

  Her sister stood before her master, brandishing her golden sword, ready to slash them to bits. Because she was an illusion except for her sword, they had no way to fight her, and so their run dwindled to nothing.

  “You ain’t gonna lay a finger on him
,” she growled.

  “Kill them,” the Warlord ordered, still writhing on the ground.

  She stepped forward dutifully, malicious eyes shining under her helmet. The others took a step back, except for Mira, who held her ground empty-handed.

  “You wouldn’t hurt us, Clara. Not after you saved my life,” Mira said.

  “Clara’s no one. And I didn’t never save your life!” Clara shot back, though she stopped advancing.

  “Yes, you did. You spared me the last time we met, and it was so sweet. Thank you.” Mira cooed bashfully.

  “No, I didn’t! It was just! That’s not what happened at all!” Clara hollered in a huff.

  “It was touching,” Vern spoke up. “Don’t see kindness like that much nowadays.”

  Clara stomped her feet and spat her words.

  “I sent people to your home to kill you! I was fixing to kill you myself! I’m a killer,” she argued.

  “He’s getting up,” Aoi whispered to Mira, and indeed it was true. The Warlord’s arm held him off the ground. Burned and bloody, he wore a raging expression beyond comprehension.

  “Clara, you’ve only been fighting against yourself. That face that came to me in the garden, your face, was that of a loving sister. That’s who you are and you’ve got to find it, wherever it is.”

  “Kill them,” the Warlord uttered in a growling wheeze. His servant twisted in her red armor to cock her sword. She gritted her teeth at Mira, who wouldn’t relent.

  “Am I the same to you as everyone else here?” Mira asked. “Just another body with no face or no name? Can you be absolutely certain I mean nothing to you? Because if that’s the truth you might as well kill me, because I’m already dead.”

  Racked with anguish, Clara shut her eyes and the sword in her hand vanished.

  “No, you don’t get it. I gotta do what he says,” Clara mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself and looking down. She had heavy brows over watery eyes.

  “Clara, no one can make you do anything but you. You’ve got to believe you’re doing the right thing and that your family still cares about you. That I do.”