“What do you want?” The words fumbled from her lips, body rigid but begging to shake as the fear left her frozen. The emotions were so strong that she was unable to conjure her Origin to her skin.
“To show you the truth,” The man boomed, dreadlocks down to his shoulders and at least three times the size of Cassidy. He took enough steps to close the space between them and pressed his hand to her, seeping the orange into her skin. “Don't fight it,” he whispered, the dark souls surrounding them and transporting them underground, into a Sigma channeling room. In League headquarters.
“I still think bringing her here was a little much. And... with such theatrics, we look like the bad guys!” Sebastian complained out of earshot of Cassidy who was unconscious on the ground under a holding sigil. The room she was in was seeped in Sigma magic and while that strengthened any Sigma, it weakened any other Origin. She was unable to reach out through her bond or even through her Origin to try and contact someone else. She was captive.
“Oh, settle down. She's fine and it's best to try and reason with her before your brother and the others manage to get their hands into her even more. We all know who she could be. She needs to be on our side,” Geneva said, leaning against a rather ornate table, books strewn open with pens outlining specific elements on the pages. The headquarters was not as opulent as the Exodus’, that was evident. The rooms looked relatively old but not terribly special. Inside the space were a few bookshelves full of texts and the room that they were all standing in was a rotunda of sorts with five off shoot rooms along with one long hallway. Each door had a sigil on it in various colors, coordinating with the Origin that it strengthened inside. The rooms were similar to the ones within the Exodus, obviously there to help heighten the magic of the supposed traitors. Sebastian was sitting over the arm of one of the chairs closest to the Chi channeling room, Caleb, the large African American Sigma that had captured Cassidy was standing nearest to the door of his Origin, often glancing over his shoulder to ensure that Cassidy hadn’t woke up just yet. The other two people in the room, Flora, an exiled Omicron, stood tall with long jet black hair and piercing silver blue eyes. Her face was rather gaunt, each one of her attributes sharper than the next. And then, next to her, was Bryan, a Delta with striking resemblance to the Chancellor. It was apparent that the most recent exiled members of the Exodus meant a lot to many of the remaining members.
“You don’t have to remind me as to who she might be, Gen. I know damn well who you made me trigger,” Sebastian snapped back, running his hands over his face to try and hide how badly they were shaking. Sebastian clearly didn’t look nearly as calm and steady as he did when facing his brother earlier and one could only assume it was due to the Chi energy that was surging under his skin. Making Geneva appear to be Cassidy took a lot out of a normal Chi, one that wasn’t addicted to using magic. Sebastian had tried to dial back his Origin use for the past few months since leaving the Exodus. Being condemned as the killer of his sister, using magic for mundane tasks, pushing himself... the were all signs that he was heading down a path that many didn’t return from. Geneva had managed to help him over the weeks but nothing helped when he used this heavily. Not only that but this was the first time since the accident that he had managed to meet Cassidy. It was no secret that the League had orchestrated Cassidy’s death, even the Exodus had supported that claim but no one knew exactly who had done it until now. Geneva needed to ensure that Sebastian was still playing the game that she had set forth and the best way to test that theory was to have him kill for her. She had hoped that he’d be the one to jump in and save her, to forcibly trigger and join with her, but his pesky brother Chase beat her to the punch. There was still time to tilt Cassidy’s ideals, though.
Sebastian leaned up in his chair and buried his face into his hands, letting out a shaky sigh before taking in a new breath and letting it out. This wasn’t the time or the place for him to start losing it.
Geneva narrowed her eyes towards the comment that Sebastian made, shrugging it off before peering over Caleb’s shoulder towards Cassidy who was sprawled out on the floor.
“Be mindful of your quippy nature, Williams,” Gen said, raising a brow at Sebastian, using the greeting that she had previously used to greet Chase when she attacked Cassidy at her home.
“Aye aye, Captain,” Sebastian said, rolling his eyes as he stood, shoving his hands in his pockets and shrugging his shoulders. “You guys don’t need me for this part, yeah? I’m gonna try and get some sleep before the Exodus comes barking down our door trying to find their girl,” Sebastian said, walking closer to where Caleb was standing and feeling the call of the Sigma room to him, begging for his life force to enter the room and allow it to feed the Origin. Sigmas were a terrifying breed for any of the other origins and most stayed clear of them in general but Sebastian could respect the magic. Everyone had something to be afraid of, it wasn’t their choice to be blanketed in such a dark magic.
“We can handle her.” Caleb nodded, leaning against the doorway and glancing at the woman who they had captive. “Crazy to think that she could be the key to ending all of this,” he said with a laugh, Sebastian clasping his back and squeezing the top of his shoulder.
“Just make sure she survives,” he said with a nod and Caleb agreed. If both sides could agree on anything, it was that Cassidy Hawkins was the one person they needed to survive.
“Don’t be so doom and gloom, Sebastian! We’ll take care of her,” Gen called out as Sebastian started to walk away down the hall, head hung low as his feet carried him back to his room on the other side of the headquarters.
“What a worry wart,” Gen mumbled before clapping her hands together and gazing at Caleb. “Well, we all know that I can’t go in there and the fact that we’re the same Origin means she can’t go into Epsilon with me without growing stronger. So, either Sigma or Delta can handle her, you two boys take your pick.” She grinned, tapping her fingers on the table in front of her. A few moments passed as the boys stayed silent before she pounded her fist on the table and then sighed once more. “Come on, one of you needs to volunteer,” she mused, playing with the ends of her bright blonde hair.
“I can do it. I already have her stable,” Caleb said with a shrug, watching as Cassidy started to stir on the floor in the Sigma room. “And, Origin sharing or not, you definitely wouldn’t be leading this. She’s already terrified of you,” Caleb said with a laugh while Gen narrowed her eyes.
“Well, it’s your job to get her to change her mind about that, alright? We need her,” she said, twirling her fingers on the table and conjuring a mini tornado about the size of her hand, forcing it back and forth to entertain her as she waved Caleb on. “Go on, go on, no use in waiting. Longer we wait, longer they have to find her and rescue her,” she said with a sigh, continuing to play with her windstorm she had conjured.
Caleb nodded, turning on his heel and stepping into the Sigma room, his heart settling the moment he entered and his hairs standing on end as the home of his magic surrounded him. He felt every fiber of his being all at once, closing his eyes and soaking in the moment before turning to Cassidy who was starting to come to on the ground.
“Cassidy,” he whispered, her head lifting to his voice as she recognized it from the alleyway. She tried to conjure her Origin to her hand but the Sigma sigil kept her from being able to use.
“What the hell...” she mumbled, her eyes still adjusting to the light in the room and she could feel the unsettling feeling grow in her stomach. It was as if the Epsilon magic was drained from her body. As if, she were normal.
“What did you do to me?!” Cassidy cried out, scurrying to her feet as she stared at her hands, glancing to the walls and above her on the roof before landing on Caleb. She knew the sigils enough to understand that she was in a channeling room but she’d never been in another Origin’s room before and definitely did not like what she was feeling. She felt empty.
“It’s merely a precaution. We can’t have you trying to atta
ck us… or leave,” Caleb said, waving his hand away which caused two dark figures with not apparent features other than the fact that they were nearly soul sucking. They were lost souls in the middle of limbo, acting to the beck and call of Caleb on a wave of his hand. It may not be a terribly active ability but they caused a mountain of dread to well up within her. He waved his hands and had the figures clasp around her wrists, ridding her of her bindings and sending the creatures back away from her. Cassidy’s skin was pure white except for the bit of blood on her face and her wrists from struggling.
“Why am I here?” she ask, wrapping her arms around her and edging away from the figures, her eyes darting back and forth from them to Caleb. Her fear was palpable, even bits and pieces of it pushing and trying to get through to her bond with Chase.
“Because you're being lied to,” he said simply, grabbing a chair and sitting on it as he watched her body tremble. It was exhausting to watch her shiver and quake, especially when he hadn't done anything yet but he was used to it by now. Sigmas in general were used to being feared. “The Exodus is not what you think it is, Cassidy. And I'm sorry we had to do all of this to show you but it was the only way.”
Cassidy laughed. It was an honest laugh, not one given out of spite. She truly thought that his statement was downright laughable. The only way to let her know about a group she had came to love was by capturing her? In what world did that make sense.
“Are you kidding me right now? You think I can trust anything you say while you have me locked up? Do you not see the flaws there?” she questioned, trying to shake away the nagging fear that the figures threw on her.
Caleb nodded, a wave of orange erupted over the room and the figures took a step back, giving Cassidy some breathing room. She couldn’t help the heavy sigh of relief that fell from her body when the figures backed off a few feet. Necromancy never seemed so terrifying until right now.
“If you think that I’m going to believe a word that you say, you’re a fool,” Cassidy said, hands clenching down at her sides as she begged her Origin to break the surface.
“It won’t work. Sigma magic is the only entity that thrives here. I don’t want to have to use my powers against you but I will if I have to,” he said, more as a reminder than anything else.
“I get it. You’re terrifying. Can you just get the point already?” Cassidy spat out, taking a few steps back to get even further away from the figures that were stalking the edges of where she was standing.
“The Exodus... their motives aren’t as clear and clean as they’ve been letting you understand. Every person in this building have seen the deplorable things they will do to keep their way of life continuing on. The rules that they created... they’re the ones breaking them, not us.” Caleb let the orange pulse over his hands, watching Cassidy’s reactions as he told her what he knew. Everything relied on her accepting the actual truth.
But, she couldn’t. The Exodus had granted her a home, a family. It had become everything to her so quickly that a few words from a stranger couldn’t seal her doubt.
“But why? Why go through the pomp and circumstance to define this group of people, this fellowship, and base it all on a lie? Wouldn’t it be simpler just to have the Chis convince the new members that the Exodus is the end all, be all? Wouldn’t that make it easier to control all of us?” Cassidy questioned, pacing in front of Caleb as she thought through what the man said. It really was too far fetched to even be plausible. Cassidy was right. The Chancellor and the rest of the Exodus were too strong to just let them run around with their free will in tact. If they had ulterior motives, it would be far too simple to keep them all in check.
“You tell me. Which is better: a willing army or one subdued into thinking that the cause that they’re fighting for is the right one? Having a completely faithful army at your disposal with none the wiser, to protect the family that they have cultivated, don’t you think they’ve done a bang up job? The Exodus didn’t always exist. There was a time in the history of our origins that people just existed with these abilities. The bones of our past are rooted into the Exodus but they don’t have everyone’s best interest at heart. It might seem like they sacrifice the few for the many but it’s more like what the many can do for the few.” Caleb’s voice grew elevated as he spoke. Each person had a different reason for being exiled from the Exodus. The feeling of being striped away from the connection that a member had made was a pain he never wished upon another person for the rest of their life.
Cassidy had to hand it to him. He made the entire scenario make sense, in a way. But Cassidy had spent a good portion of the past two months living and breathing with Exodus members. She could tell that they were genuine in thought and actions. The League had nothing to lose and everything to gain by convincing Cassidy of what the true purpose of the League was. And that fact, very much like the reasoning Caleb gave for not brainwashing the Exodus members, was what terrified her. What if she was wrong? What if she was supporting a group that was against what she had grown to love over the past two months? Could she survive losing her family all over again?
“Say you’re right. Say I believe you. What do you expect me to do about it? I’m... so new. Why do I matter in all of this? I get that flipping a newbie will be easier than a veteran but this seems specific. Like, I’m needed for this in some major way,” she said, sizing him up. She knew there was no way that she could possibly take him on in a Sigma channeling room but there had to be some way out of the compound. Chase had to be looking for her by this point, right?
“It’s who you are. Or, at least, who your parents are,” Caleb said and Cassidy’s heart leapt into her throat at his comment, almost buckling her to her knees.
“What about my parents,” she muttered, chewing on the inside of her lip as she waited on bated breath. It’d been so long since she had seen her mother, it cursed her that she sometimes couldn’t remember what she looked like. And, her father’s death was still at the forethought of her mind and fresh. It wasn’t that long ago that she was going to his for weekly dinner and now he was rotting six feet underground.
“Your mother wasn’t who you thought she was. She was one of the first,” Caleb said, glancing around the room and then out towards the door before looking back to Cassidy. “She started the League,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest as the words hit her stronger than she ever thought possible.
“No,” she said, shaking her head and trying to hide the tremble in her voice. “My mother was… sick. She’d been battling that for years. And instead of asking for help, she resorted to another mea—”
“Autopsy said she OD’d, right? But, the toxicology came back as inconclusive?” Caleb said and Cassidy’s words trailed off, distracting her when he hit her with the truth.
“How did you know th—”
“Because, it’s the easiest way to kill one of us without making it look like a murder. A few of us have issues with it over the years. Addiction to your Origin can be intoxicating. You feel like you can’t breathe without using. You become lost, incoherent. You babble and you lash out. It looks like you’ve gone mental but in all reality, you’ve just lost yourself to the never ending power inside you.”
Caleb stared at his hands and dropped the large dark figures that were circling Cassidy. She was still a threat but he felt comfortable enough to let her sit in the room without being threatened. “She’d been exiled from the Exodus for a few weeks by the time of her death. She’d seen too much, found out too many secrets over time and that was too dangerous. She was more of a liability and with her problems that already had grown over the years, staging her death was easy. Overloading her with magic was probably the easiest and magic doesn’t show up on an autopsy.
“So, while you thought that your mother had gone batshit and just gave up, we all knew differently. Some of us believed the story that was sold to us. Some could see through the utter bullshit. When it was your father feeding us the bullshit, it was harder for many to d
eny it as fact.”
“My father? My Da- my Dad had nothing to do with this world... he- he wouldn’t be able to hide something like this from me. He... you’re wrong. I don’t know who told you this story but you’re wrong.” Cassidy shook her head vehemently, unable to believe what Caleb was spitting out now. It was just more propaganda to get her to turn against the only family she had grown to love.
“Not him. Not Mr. Hawkins. When your mother died, there was no way to ensure you could be protected, no way of knowing that you would be able to stay safe with all those out there who would target you. You weren’t triggered yet and your mother wanted to make sure that only happened if you were fated to have these abilities. She didn’t want that choice taken from you.
“So, the Exodus did the only thing that they could do without triggering you. They found a man in a nearby town, used a Chi to implant a backstory capable of explaining your entire history. Then, the Chi was forced to fix your memories, erase the Exodus history and implant one that would keep you safe and secure. All at the request of your father,” Caleb said, leaning forward in his chair and resting his elbows on his knees, leaning forward and clasping his hands together while she processed the information presented to her.
Her history, her memories, they were all, supposedly, fabricated. She couldn’t remember her mother, she couldn’t remember her real father... and the man she thought was her Dad was just another man off the road. How could this all be true?
“So then, if this is all... say I was to even try to believe everything that you’re saying. Who, then is—”
“Your father?” Caleb interrupted her again, nodding his head when he realized where her thought process was going. “Well, that one is easy. You’ve met him. Your father is the Chancellor.”
Chapter 10
Cassidy laughed a guttural laugh once more. It resonated in the pit of her stomach, reverberating up her windpipe as she couldn’t control it. Her hand lifted to her lips to stifle it, shaking her head back and forth at the utter craziness of what Caleb tried to tell her.
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