“I know,” I say, pulling him in for a kiss. Mason will keep me safe.
***
“A demigod child fighting ring?” I question. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” We’re gathered once again around a table in Marcus’s suite going over our next mission.
“Nyx, why are you always such a pain in my ass?” Mason asks shaking his head. We covered this last night but I couldn’t help but voice my disbelief. Such a strange reality we live in; that a band of murderers are in charge of saving the damaged and broken from a life of hell. But I guess who better than us could understand their plight? What I don’t understand is how Marcus fits into all of this? Why is he hell bent on making the world a better place one moment and then compels me to kill an innocent girl the next? I will lose my mind trying to guess his end game. I need to talk to him.
“Why would anyone want to watch such a thing?” Ianna asks, innocently.
“People will bet on anything. A fight is a fight, Ianna,” Marcus says.
“How do they find the kids?” She asks.
“Demigod children end up there in lots of ways. Some are stolen from the Academy; some are sold to the ring leaders for a lot of money. These people are desperate, one way or another their demigod children will be taken. Either by the Academy or someplace like it or to the men who buy them for fighting or slavery. Most families sell them, choosing to take the money since the Academy doesn’t pay.”
Ianna gasps, “Sell them? That’s dreadful.”
“What did you think happened to children out here? God, you are so damn naïve,” Silas grumbles.
Not about to sit there and listen to him insult my friend, I jump to her defense. “Hey! Don’t talk to her like that.”
Kai interrupts, “Watch it, Silas.”
“Quiet. Each of our missions are bringing us closer to taking down the king pin. Someone is funding these dark deeds and controlling those in charge from behind the scenes.”
“Controlling,” I say to myself, locking eyes with Marcus. Could there be others like him? I’ve only known one other man like him, our father.
“Children of power can be dangerous, which is why they were taken by the Academy. To keep themselves and the people around them safe while they learn to control their powers. These assholes are stealing children and locking them in cages. Not training them but turning them into rabid monsters, only feeding them when they win.” Marcus clicks through a series of pictures showing the condition these children are living in. The poor kids are filthy and some are unbearably skinny.
“That’s sick,” Kai states.
“Those poor children,” says, sweet-hearted Ianna.
“This isn’t going to be easy to watch and take into consideration this footage is a couple years old but you need to see how important we can be to these kids. We could be the only hope they have of ever getting out of there and living a normal life,” Mason explains.
He clicks play and the shaky video begins to play, the image is dark and distorted. Two teenagers, no more than sixteen are circling each other in a make-shift fighting ring with dirt on the ground. Their skin is marred with bruises and dirt. One is on the offensive, charging the other with an electrical current swirling around him. His opponent screams and cowers, refusing to fight, he’s rocking himself and crying. I can’t help the tears that start to fall, my heart breaks for this child. A man approaches the child, he must be one of the handlers, he jabs him in the ribs with an electric prod. Something snaps in this poor broken boy and he unleashes his fury on the handler, fire bursting out of him. He launches on the guard, setting the handler ablaze.
Having killed the offending guard. They try to restrain the boy and his body goes limp as the Taser knocks him unconscious. His opponent kicks him in the stomach before walking away. The brutality of it makes my stomach to roll. When the video clicks off we all sit in silence, unable to put into words what we just witnessed.
A sudden realization hits me. “How old is this video?” I ask, my eyes stay locked on Asher, he’s staring down at the table, his jaw clenched. He didn’t need to see the video, he lived it. Could that really have been him? Is that where he went when he left me? Why he came back branded a murderer?
“I’m sure you can work out the timeline, Phee,” Marcus says pointedly.
My heart sinks. “Ash… is this what happened out there? When you left me?” My tears fall imagining what he endured while I was pathetically rebelling and wallowing in self-pity.
Asher nods, replying, “For a while, until…”
“Until I saved him,” Marcus states with a proud smile.
Asher isn’t amused. “Yeah, my fucking savior.”
“You really want to hash this out now, Blaze?” He asks, with no humor in his voice, daring Asher to take a step out of line.
Asher shakes his head before walking out of the room.
“Everyone has their part to play, go over your information packet and we will meet back here after the fight,” Marcus says, dismissing us.
Everyone files out of the room except me, we have unfinished business. “Why did you do it? Why did you compel me to kill her, Marcus?” I say, getting right to the point.
“She was trying to blackmail me; I have no time for traitorous cunts. I gave her a place on my tour and gave her an opportunity to save her mother and get the revenge she so desperately wanted. Then, threw it in my face when the outcome wasn’t what she wanted.”
“What is she blackmailing you with?”
“Nothing important.” More lies.
“Don’t patronize me. What is going on with you? You are hiding something, Marcus? When did I become the enemy? I thought being family actually meant something to you.”
“Oh are we sharing now? Are we going to bond over our secret pain and braid each other’s hair? On this tour I am your boss, so keep your feelings out of it and do your fucking job.” The last two words were screamed in my face. It takes everything in me not to punch him.
“You’re an asshole,” I seethe. He’s never going to tell me anything.
“Always have been, princess.” He says to my back as I’m walking away.
Fight Club
Ruins mar every city we visit. The glistening new cities are declared perfectly safe with the dangerous demigods locked away or under the control of those in charge. How did the world come to this? They built the new worlds on the broken back of the former society. Makes me wonder who is this king pin that has turned the world so jaded and full of hate?
Spotless cities, perfecting the illusion of peace while outside of the city limits the slums are teeming with the people who don’t fit into the new world. I belong amongst them; the lost souls with no place to call home.
The longer I spend out here I see how these people could have lost all hope. No one, not even the great Marcus Ryan himself can magically make the world a peaceful place, free from evil. Then again, most people would argue that I am evil, that I should have been put down like an animal.
Is it possible to do evil deeds in the name of good? When I think about all the time I wasted punishing myself for the things I had no control over, I want to go back and smack some sense into her. The world is a scary place but I see a light at the end of the long dark tunnel. I see a world where humans and demigods co-exist. If we can overcome the corruption of compulsion. I’m determined to do my part to make the world a better place. At least I hope that what we are doing is making changes for the better. With Marcus at the helm, who really knows.
I wonder if we really are making a difference, if we are being lead to slaughter by a madman. Are we freedom fighters or terrorists? Or are we just assassins available to the highest bidder? Fact is, I have no idea, we follow our orders without question, like good little soldiers. We’ve put all our faith in Marcus and his cause, though I love my brother, his motives remain unclear. Which puts us all in danger.
Our attack has been scheduled to take place during one of their usual fight nights. So most of the
security detail will be at the fight and not with the kids. The derelict warehouse sits on the outskirts of the city. The only exception to this façade being the ten-foot-high fence surrounding the building but that isn’t going to stop us from getting these kids out. Asher cuts a hole in the fence low to the ground, keeping up appearances that the kids managed to get out on their own. Waiting a few moments to make sure the coast is clear before we run to the warehouse.
Kai gets to work on opening the door while the rest of us take cover around the side of the building. Pressing my back into the wall, I adjust my sweaty grip on the gun pressed against my thigh. I try to calm my breathing, get myself in the right head space for the things that we are about to see and do. I compartmentalize every emotion raging through my body until my hands no longer shake and my focus is unwavering. We are under strict orders to kill any and all security we come in contact with, which is a hard order to swallow but there is no mercy in Marcus Ryan’s world. I just hope we don’t come face to face with any.
The sound of the lock clanging to the cement sets my heart on edge and adrenaline coursing through my veins. Mason motions for us to enter the warehouse and begin our sweep. It’s go time.
This place is disgusting, the foul stench of urine and filth is so strong it burns my eyes. I pull my shirt over my nose and mouth. The brutality of this place makes me sick. It’s all so overwhelming; too much suffering, too much injustice.
Asher takes the lead, unlocking cells, telling them we are here to save them. So many abandoned children, it breaks my heart. They are no different than we are but are being treated like wild dogs. Rows of kennels of various sizes, each containing a young child with a blocker like the ones we wear but around their neck like a collar. Their silence if deafening, they don’t say a word to us. Conditioned through pain to follow orders or the consequences will be dire. I hope it isn’t too late for them. Why does the world have to use broken children as currency?
We come to one of the larger cages, the boy inside is sitting on the ground arms crossed, refusing to budge. Asher nods toward him saying, “He’s their champion.” Slowly he approaches the child, saying calmly, “You’ll be safe with us. Don’t you want to be free?” Holding out his hand. With apprehension the boy reaches out, following Asher and Kai out of his cell.
A few feet out of his cage, he grabs Kai’s gun from the holster. “There is no freedom,” he says holding it under his chin. The loud click of an empty gun ricochets through the room seconds before Asher tackles the boy, securing his hands behind his back.
From the corner of the room I hear a whimper, a little girl is curled into herself, face buried in her knees. When Mason and I approach, her wide eyes stare. She doesn’t seem afraid, more curious. I smile at her, kneeling down to her level. “Hello sweetheart, what’s your name?” Brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes, so deep and blue.
“Mikka,” she says quietly.
“Do you know that boy?” I ask. She nods in reply. “Was he your friend?” Her eyes go wide and she nods her head. “Are you hurt?” She shakes her head.
“Mikka, my name is Phoenyx. Will you come for a walk with me?” Holding out my hand. She looks at it, then glances at Mason standing beside me, she blushes at him lowering her gaze. “He’s pretty handsome isn’t he?” I ask. She smiles up at me, nodding her head but doesn’t speak. “Would you like to sit with Mason and me in the truck?” Another nod, she takes my hand. “Let’s get out of here.” If only it were that simple.
I follow a few feet behind the front line with Mikka tucked safely under my arm. We lead the rest of the children out through the hole in the fence and into the back of the transport. Piling in after them, I tuck Mikka between Mason and me as we start on the bumpy road out of here.
Sitting in the transport truck, Mikka starts to shake at my side. The adrenaline from her rescue wearing off as the tears start to fall. I pull her into my lap, holding her small body as Mason rubs her back. I wish I could keep her safe with me and never have to see her cry again. After a few minutes her body grows still as she falls asleep.
“That boy, would rather die than be set free,” I whisper to myself. Once again, I’m grateful that I was sent away to the Academy. I would have ended up someplace like that, or worse. So many years I thought of it as a prison, now I can see it for what it truly is; a safe haven for demigod children to live without being used and manipulated, a place where they can be treated like children, not slaves.
I lean into Mason. “There is no safe place for them here,” I whisper to him while staring at the sweet faces of the children we rescued. I wipe at the selfish tears flowing down my cheeks, I have no right to show them my vain tears. My tragedies are nothing compared to theirs. They don’t need my pity; they need my vengeance. Mason curls his arm around us, lending us his strength.
Adam starts the process of deactivating the collars, the oppressive metal falls to the floor one by one in a symphony of clangs; the sound of their collective freedom.
“I will make the world safe for them… for all of us,” Silas says.
His sweet words might comfort some, but I’m not naïve enough to believe that the children of the world will all be safe. “New monsters are born and made every day, when will it ever be safe for them?” I say quietly to Mason, who kisses the top of my head. He doesn’t try to convince me with fancy words and dreams of a better tomorrow. I’m lulled into superficial security by his strong heartbeat and the rocking of the transport.
Holding tight to Mikka until the last moment. Cold dread seeps in as the truck pulls to a stop, signaling that the time has come for us to go our separate ways. She begins to cry, clinging to me. “Everything is going to be okay, I promise. You will be safe now.” She grips me even tighter, my heart is breaking and I decide to make a promise I may never be able to keep. “We will see each other soon, I promise.” I kiss her head and reluctantly hand her over to the team that will take them to a safe house where they will start the process of finding their families or sending them to the Academy. I hope one day I get to see her sweet face again, full of excitement and happiness.
Pulling Silas aside, I ask, “Can you come see me after you drop them off? I need to know where they are sending her.” He looks a bit leery but nods before climbing into the truck and driving away. I want her to run free in a world where children aren’t sold, used and abused until they either die or harden into monsters themselves.
True Colors
The sound of Silas’s voice wakes me. What time is it? The light is just starting to shift into morning. He came over as promised, late last night. I couldn’t sleep without knowing where Mikka would end up. Silas assured me she will be sent to the Academy. I must have fallen asleep sometime after that; I don’t remember coming to bed.
He must be on the phone; I can only hear his half of the conversation.
“Marcus is leading them… they’re getting close. It’s all a front... No, I’m clean, I refused to be part of the action. Just get me out of this, these people are insane, they are following him blindly… Yes! Just end it, I don’t care how… Okay, I’m coming now, see you in 30 minutes.”
I cringe, he called us insane. He wants out of the Titans but more importantly he just blew the Elites’ cover. Fuck. What do I do? He walks into my bedroom, I lay there with my eyes closed tight, laying completely still, desperately trying to control my breathing. He betrayed us but I can’t confront him on it yet, I need more information. I can’t trust his actions or his words. He stands beside my bed for a moment, watching me before I hear him leave.
The moment the door closes I jump up from the bed, getting dressed in a hurry. What do I do? With our cover broken we will have to run, disappear and never come back. In a mad rage I throw all my shit in my suitcase and book it out of there as fast as I can. Patting my back for how quickly I’m prepared to flee, but to where? Mason. His room is the closest, so I run through the hall as quickly as I can, hauling this awful suitcase behind me. I bang on his doo
r until he opens it, looking half asleep.
“Fuck sakes, what?”
I push past him, dragging my suitcase behind me trying to catch my breath enough to explain.
“You escaping again, babe? Or moving in?” he says with a smirk.
I can’t think of a delicate way to explain this. “Silas blew our cover!” I say in the midst of a thick sob, collapsing into a chair. “I packed everything, in case we need to leave the country.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” he asks, a small smile playing on his lips.
“I was sleeping but I heard him talking on the phone. He just, he told them everything.”
He kneels down in front of me, asking, “Them who? Babe, you need to slow down. Silas blew our cover?”
I nod, trying really hard not to cry. “He said we were insane. What are we going to do?”
“Don’t cry, everything is going to be okay. I’m calling Marcus.” Taking out his cell and dialing his number. “We got problems, brother. Need you to get over here ASAP. I don’t give a shit what time it is, just get over here.”
A few minutes later, a very pissed off Marcus storms in. His eyes drift from Mason to me and then my suitcase. “What the fuck is all of this?”
“Silas outed us, I’m assuming to his father, about twenty minutes ago. We don’t know what his motivation is for blowing our cover. He has been disgruntled most of the whole tour. We know his father is that he is powerful which means he’s most likely on the wrong side of this war.”
“Fucking Silas. Well, he didn’t disappoint. I knew he was a time bomb of betrayal just waiting to happen. Does he know you know?”
“No, I waited until he left before I came here.”
“Good, that puts us one step ahead. Don’t let on. We need to see what he will do with this information.” Taking out his cell he dials a number. “Don’t give a fuck what time it is, Adam. Where is Silas? Get eyes on him and whoever he’s meeting with, I want ears on them too, I need to know everything he says.”
Titan Elite (Demigods Duet Book 2) Page 10
