by Andy Lewter
Desperate tears spilled down her cheeks. "Edmund, it's so evil…" she whimpered.
Kayla pulled her attention off Dara and balled her fists at her side, sizing up Miles' father with a wicked snarl on her lips. "Where's the girl?"
I gasped as Dara fell to her knees, weak from Kayla's vision.
"She is none of your concern!" Miles bellowed, diverting the attention to him.
"She's not, is she?" Nicholas smiled arrogantly, cocking his head to the side.
"I don't recall her ever saying she was with you." Nicholas stepped closer. "Miles, is it? Can you tell me why she promised Salvus Island to be their leader? You see she doesn't want to live amongst mindless humans like your poor excuse of a family does." He smiled, dauntingly. "She wants to live here like the Valens she is — where she deserves to be. Not shacked up somewhere in a cheap house with no protection!"
Miles’ jaw tensed. "She told you this?"
Nicholas raised his palms toward the sky, smiling wickedly. Angry thunder crashed overhead so loud and hostile that I grabbed Damian's hand by reflex.
Recognition lit Miles' eyes. He caught his lie.
"And breaking into her home to kidnap her gave her a fair choice?"
"Her choice is me." Nicholas pushed Miles’ chest, forcing him to take a step back. "And always will be."
It all went so fast. I heard Miles’ fist connect with Nicholas' face before I saw it. The clamorous sound of bone and flesh rang in my ears. Nicholas flew back, only to gather himself and charge at Miles.
Emerson tackled Edmund to the ground, putting him in a full-body lock. Dara had finally gathered herself and was trying to pry Emerson off Edmund before he got hurt.
"Bartholomew?" Kayla sang as she focused her attention back on Dara. Miles’ mother again dropped to her knees, covering her ears in agony.
The man in the stained burlap nodded in response. He opened a pocket from his belt, plucking out one object at a time. He bent over to the ground, whispering words of encouragement and dropped plant seeds by his feet onto the grass.
The ground ached and groaned in response. Large vines burst out of the ground, reaching for Navi. The vines twisted around her ankles, waist, hands and throat. It wasn't until she hissed in pain that I noticed the long, wicked thorns.
"Salvus plant," Damian spat.
"We can't just sit here, Damian!"
He grabbed hold of my arm and forced me to sit before I could take off. "We have to."
The sky grew dark as night with turmoil, and lightening began to flash in frustration. Miles was able to take a few steps back to gain momentum, swinging his leg and knocking Nicholas' feet from under him with a deafening crack. Blood was trickling down Nicholas' cheek.
The vine wrapped itself around Dara's ankle, victimizing her easily. She was too numb from Kayla's vision to put up a fight.
Edmund had managed to get himself out of Emerson's bind but was again fighting on the defense between kicks and swings. "Now, Jerry!"
Jerry stepped forward on command, pulling the bull's horn from around his neck and placed it against his chapped lips. A low tune vibrated through the trees, making the leaves dance and animals cry in turn. Eagles immediately gathered and circled overhead. Deer appeared in the opening, stomping their hooves and pacing in frustration, looking for the right moment to charge. A jaguar roared in the distance, announcing its imminent arrival.
The eagles tucked their wings and dove down like bullets. They simultaneously picked apart the vine that entrapped Dara and Navi. The vine fought back, swatting the birds away and rewrapping itself around its victims.
The man, dressed in black, darted forward with fierce determination. He bounded into a forward handspring, followed by another and another. He gained momentum and planted his feet, jumping higher than anyone I'd ever seen. He wrapped his left arm against his chest and began spinning mid-air — the wind making a whipping sound around him. Just before landing he held out his right fist and fiercely pounded it into the ground.
Everything silenced. No one dared to breathe…
The animals that once were a protector now scurried out of sight without hesitation. I grabbed onto a nearby tree as the ground began to ache in protest. The earth's crust grumbled and quaked — tiny cracks scattered across the dirt and grass. The groaning became louder, more prominent. The ground began splitting deeply and dangerously all around us.
The earthquake eased; everything was quiet for a split second.
Damian grabbed either side of my face, forcing me to look at him. "Promise me, Abby. Promise me that you'll stay out of sight, no matter what."
I narrowed my eyes, confused. "But they won't — "
"Promise me!"
I swallowed, unsure of what else to say. "Okay…"
Damian huffed in and out, closed his eyes and charged out of the brush. He jumped over a deep crack, shoved the man dressed in black out of the way and dove toward the live Salvus vine. He pulled out a pocketknife and started desperately hacking off the vine that encased his sobbing mother and grandmother.
"Damian, NO!" Miles cried.
A searing laugh pierced the air. "A human?" Kayla roared, appalled. She pointed at Damian with a crooked fingernail. "You see this, Nicholas? This is the reason why humans and Valens don't mix." She walked dauntingly toward him, boring her dark eyes into his.
"So noble, so hopeful, so… useless" she snidely whispered in Damian's ear.
Damian curled his lip and stared into her eyes, unafraid.
"Now what are we going to do about this?" She tsked as she circled around him. "What do you think, Emerson?" She beamed, seeking her husband.
"I say I should use compulsion on them all to side with us," he gruffed.
"Hmm… tempting. But that's a bit too easy, don't you think? No, I think it's time we show their family just how weak humans really are."
She faced Damian, looking at him square in the eye. "Humans need us for protection! Because at the end of the day, we'll always be better than them," she said, raising the back of her hand.
"Don't touch him!" Miles exclaimed, already in motion. He jumped over the earth's cracks and dodged the reaching Salvus vine. He was a mark of beauty, a destroying angel protecting his kin. He knew where each step would be placed without looking. His dangerous eyes set on Kayla.
I pushed my senses toward him, seeking his drive. I recognized the emotion immediately. And it was so strong that it nearly pushed me back a step.
Love.
Kayla shoved Damian behind her and excitedly got in a defensive stance, awaiting his attack.
Miles ran toward her at an alarming speed — so fast I could hardly see his feet moving. He adjusted himself to an offensive tackling stance, pushing his body to the limit. His muscles were visibly sculpted under his clothing, all working in unison to conquer his prey. She was inches from his grasp.
Not even I saw what happened until it was too late.
Emerson blind-sided Miles, grabbing him by the waist and slamming him onto the ground. He stood over Miles with a crooked smirk, drew his fist back as far as it would go and punched him in the jaw with such force that Miles spit blood across the field.
Miles held no hesitation and kicked Emerson in the chest, forcing him to take several paces back. Miles instantly was back on his feet and they grappled so quickly it was hard to tell who had the upper hand. Miles threw a kick, connecting with Emerson's jaw. Emerson knocked Miles off his feet with an uppercut.
My mouth went dry, my entire body rigid with fear. Each executed move was performed so fluidly, so gracefully… so deadly. I had to keep reminding myself it was real.
Miles turned and ran full-force up a tree trunk, gained momentum, then flipped backwards in the air, knocking Emerson off his feet. Miles quickly placed himself behind Emerson, wrapped his strong arms around Emerson's neck into a headlock and flexed his arms, squeezing his neck with all his might. Emerson yelled in frustration, used his leg strength to place one foot on the ground,
then the other. He shot up from the ground in one fluid jump and flipped Miles forward over his back and in front of him, breaking the headlock. Emerson punched Miles in the eye while he was down, causing blood to gush from a gaping wound above his eyebrow.
Miles wiped his face the best he could so he could see, but in his distraction Emerson landed a blow so hard against Miles’ chest that his ribs cracked audibly. He fell to his knees, holding his torso, gasping for breath.
Emerson stood over Miles with dark, dangerous eyes and blood dripping off his chin. "You mindless filth. Having the audacity to take me on." He chided, curling his lip wickedly before stepping arrogantly closer.
My breaths were shallow and wet — I had to cover my mouth to keep from screaming.
Miles groaned in pain and coughed — bits of blood spackled into the air.
"Oh, Miles…" I whispered, tears filling my eyes.
Miles looked in my direction as if he'd heard me. His desperate eyes bore into mine while he clenched his jaw to mask his pain.
Just as Emerson lifted his boot to Miles’ broken ribcage, Miles moved with such determination that I only saw a blur. He grabbed Emerson's ankle and twisted with all his might, causing him to spin in the air.
Emerson landed on his stomach with a jolt.
Miles crawled onto his back and instantly pulled him to his knees, placing his fierce hands on his chin and the backside of his head. Emerson struggled against him, but Miles was too fast.
In a split second, Miles stood up and twisted Emerson's head in one fluid motion, snapping his neck. He turned towards Kayla to watch the horror fill her eyes as she registered what just happened. Emerson's lifeless body fell to the ground with a dull thud.
"NO!" Kayla screamed. She fell to her knees by Emerson, crying tears of agony and despair.
The clouds started swirling in anger above us. Nicholas stepped next to his deceased father and sobbing mother — a deep frown crossed his features as he looked into his father's lifeless eyes.
"You," Nicholas spat, flitting dangerous eyes toward Miles. He lifted his hand toward the ever-darkening sky — lightening flashes answered his command.
My eyes darted across the field toward the others. Damian and Edmund had freed Dara and Navi from the vine. Dara held Damian close, sobbing silently next to Navi. Jerry, earthquake guy and the plant grower were nowhere in sight. They must've run like the cowards they were when they had a window of opportunity.
Edmund walked bravely up to Nicholas. "Nicholas, I understand you're upset," he said gently, holding his hands up showing he wasn't going to fight, "But can we please talk this through? This doesn't have to end in a blood bath."
Nicholas flicked his furious eyes toward Edmund's approach, his dangerous expression never changing. Before another blink, a sudden bolt of lightning shot down from the heavens above and impaled Miles’ father.
Chapter 19
I watched Edmund timidly, waiting for a sign of life — any kind of sign.
Please, please don't be dead.
Several moments passed, each agonizing second that ticked by brought me closer to despair.
Then suddenly, he drew in a weak breath.
I pulled in a gratified sigh of relief.
Dara collapsed next to him, weeping and holding him.
I couldn't take this… I had to do something.
"STOP THIS MADNESS!" I yelled, tripping over my feet as I stumbled into the clearing. Miles’ face fell, everyone gasped at my sudden appearance.
Nicholas’ eyes lit up, he reached his hand out toward mine. "Abby." He smiled, elation and relief at my presence crossed his features.
I stopped in my tracks and put my hands on my hips, denying his offered hand. His copper eyes narrowed in confusion.
"Stop fighting each other already! Do you even know what you're fighting for?" I demanded, a new authority in my voice echoing off the treetops.
"Lady Everett?" Navi beamed, stepping forward. "Do you see it now, dear? Do you see how we need a leader? It's chaos. You need to choose, dear." She watched me expectantly.
I blinked in thought as her previous words echoed in my mind.
"You, and only you, are the keeper of your destiny. It's up to you to choose your own path. No one but you can make that choice."
"Abigail," Nicholas crooned, "Let's go home." He smiled, waving me closer to him. The dark clouds lightened overhead. Bright sunrays of brilliant light started poking through, shining down upon us.
I took an uneasy step back, trying to get my bearings.
Everything disappeared in front of me.
I was happy, holding hands with Nicholas in a helicopter. I looked out the window, down toward the ground below us. Salvus Island was so beautiful from up here. Valens everywhere anxiously awaited my arrival as we circled an area to land. Kayla sat across from us, smiling happily at me. Her eyes flicked down to my left hand, and then back to my eyes.
"You two are going to change the world together," she said gleefully.
I furrowed my brows in confusion, looking down to my left hand. There sat the most beautiful and delicate diamond ring, perfectly placed on my ring finger.
"What the…" I lifted my hand, taking a closer look.
"I know," Nicholas chuckled, planting his lush lips to my temple. "I can hardly believe it either… Mrs. Ludovic," he whispered sensually in my ear.
It was then that I realized what was happening. I took a breath and pushed all thoughts out of my mind. It was my mind, my body. No one can manipulate it but me. Slowly, streaks of green pushed through my vision. The forest was appearing to me once more — I was taking control of my mind again.
Once I was able to see clearly, I snapped my attention to Kayla, who knelt next to Emerson's body, focused on me.
Seeing she was defeated in casting her vision, she huffed in frustration. "Can't you see where your path is meant to be?"
"How can you live with yourself, manipulating people the way you do?"
She stood from her deceased husband, raising her head high and lowering her gaze. "Because you need to see! You can't expect to know your potential living with a human, amongst these mindless beings!" She waved toward the Kavins.
"And you can't expect to get your way by forcing people's hand!" I snapped.
She laughed wickedly, tossing her head back. "Oh, you're such a naïve little twit." She opened a bag she had wrapped around her shoulder and pulled out a book.
I gasped. "How did you—"
"How did I get this?" she interrupted, taunting me by waving a purple notebook.
It wasn't just any purple notebook. It was the purple notebook.
"Oh yes, I got it because you're a dense little child that writes in a diary. And leaves it out for the whole world to see! It was waiting to be read!" She laughed, cynically.
"And lucky for me, this edition started days before you turned." She sneered, placing the book back in her bag. "This little child" —she pointed toward me, announcing to the whole field— "bears three gifts." She squared up to me with a dark expression, watching my reaction.
"The first one — she has the gift of lying! Oh, what a wonderful gift for a leader to bear. I'm sure Valens across the nation would love to hear that their beloved leader has the capability to fool them all." She tsked.
"Second — she can feel people's emotions. It's very useful, yes? Another way — in our own Lady Everett's words — to 'manipulate' the people she's leading.
"And finally — but of course not less importantly, she has premonitions! And surprise, surprise, she was shown this very field that we're standing in right now. But I bet you didn't put that together on your own, did you sweetie?" She scowled.
"And listen to this, it isn't over! Oh, how I love this one." She clapped. "She talks with her deceased father nightly… who also happens to be Valens. What an interesting turn of events — seeing that he denied his birthright of leadership. I wonder what all the other Valens will think about this…" she chimed.
Fat tears ran steadily down my cheeks. She got all those answers from my own writing. I should have figured out my gifts before anyone else. I felt violated and betrayed. My personal life was put on blast for all to hear.
"But, lucky for you, I'm a very caring person." She smiled. "If you come with us now, we can turn these gifts into strengths. We can lead the world together, as the family you should have had all along. Don't waste your time a second longer with anyone that doesn't hold your best intentions at heart." She placed the notebook back in her bag and held her arms open as a welcoming invitation, waiting for me.
I pulled in a deep, unsteady breath and thought of Nicholas. About all the promises that needed to be fulfilled. About a beautiful future that would be full of happiness and love together. I thought of training with him, being strengthened through him.
His eyes were concerned and caring — watching my every move. A tight smile crossed his features while he nodded ever so slightly.
I focused my senses toward him. Guilt.
He knew leaving my friends and family would be hard. I smiled at him for loving me for who I am.
It wasn't until that moment that I knew what I had to do.
I calmly closed my eyes, deep in concentration. I welled up every feeling behind every caress, every kiss — every promise. I remembered how I felt when I first laid eyes on him — and the desperation I felt when we first parted. I pulled every last emotion from every memory into one taught ball, and pushed it toward Nicholas.
Anxiously, I opened my eyes.
Nicholas faltered back a step and then dropped to his knees. His eyes softened with adoration as he clasped his hand over his heart and reached out to me, smiling in disbelief — beckoning me toward him.
I turned my eyes back to Kayla, who was impatiently waiting my answer.
"No."
"Excuse me?" she asked.
"I said no. I belong with people that don't kidnap me from my home. I belong with people that let me choose my future for myself. And I belong with people that keep me protected from wicked beings like you."
