Fractured Truth

by Rachel McClellan

  Dying.

  Before I could stop them, memories of the torture I’d endured flooded my mind. My arms and legs stopped moving, and, as if I was breathing, my chest rose and fell rapidly. All sorts of colors clouded my vision, and my head began to spin.

  I was about to mentally call out for Liam, when he swam up to me and spun me to his chest. He held me with one arm, while he swam with the other. I buried my head into his chest and clung to his back. I can do this, I thought over and over, letting the words fill me with courage.

  A sharp tug on the rope almost yanked me from Liam’s grip. He took me by the waist and turned me around so I could see. We were finally at the end. I moved into a sitting position against the tunnel, careful not to touch my back to the slime, and waited for the others to get out. Liam was next to me, watching me thoughtfully. My Light hovered near his face, reflecting in his green eyes.

  The rope jerked again, signaling my turn to go up. I surfaced and crowded my way into the small water closet. There was barely room for Liam when he emerged, even with Aaron pressed as far as he could into the corner.

  “I can’t believe you went through there alone,” Kiera said, shivering, but I hushed her and tried to listen to sounds beyond the door. There were a couple of muffled voices, but I couldn’t tell who or how many.

  Tessa began to untie the rope from each of us. When she reached me, I whispered to her, “Be ready. We’ll bring you the girls as we find them.”

  “Be careful.”

  I took a deep breath and reached for the door, but Mrs. Crawford stopped me. “What if we see the Shadow?”

  My heart skipped a beat. This was my biggest fear. The Shadow was something we just couldn’t fight. “Let’s hope we don’t,” I said and turned the doorknob. Very slowly I opened it and peeked out. The hallway was empty and the lights on. I slipped out of the closet, followed by the others. I could hear better from here. Two muffled voices came from behind a closed door at the end of the hall. I couldn’t hear anything else, but by Liam’s expression, I knew he could.

  “Let’s move fast,” he said.

  I gave a small nod to Tessa, who was just inside the closet’s door, and took off, jogging quietly down the nearest hallway. Footsteps followed after me. I turned right, trying to remember which way to go. The place was a giant grid, and every hall looked like the next. I made a few more turns before I finally recognized the hall my room had been on.

  “Look in all the doors,” I whispered.

  We split up. I went to the one I knew Valerie was behind. The door was locked. I worked quickly, using Light to pick it open. Valerie was lying with her back to me. When I opened the door and she didn’t move, air caught in my chest. Be okay.

  I gently turned her over. Her eyes opened. The blue in them was a sharp contrast to her pale skin.

  “Llona?” she whispered, her voice raspy.

  I nodded and smiled. “We’re getting you out of here.”

  Mrs. Crawford came in behind me and gave her a big hug. “Go,” she said to me. “I’ll take care of her.”

  I nodded and left the room to continue my search. Both Kiera and Aaron had found four other girls and were helping them back to Tessa, but I still hadn’t found May or Sophie. I turned down a different hallway, one I wasn’t familiar with. Just then a loud explosion from somewhere outside rattled the old warehouse. Dust and small debris fell from the ceiling. I almost turned back to check on the others, when movement caught my eye. I focused on the shadows at the end of the hall but saw nothing. I swallowed and continued forward. It was probably nothing. Just a trick of the light. On a floor above me, hurried footsteps pounded on the floor.

  The first room I came to was empty, as was the second. I mentally called out to Liam, How many have been found?

  Six.

  May? Sophie?

  No.

  That was everyone but the two who meant the most to me.

  Keep looking. I glanced through the window of another room. This one had someone. Someone I loved. I picked the lock and opened the door. Sophie looked up at me and smiled, though her eyes were tired. She looked thinner too.

  “I knew you’d come back,” she said. She was wearing a different outfit from what I remembered. A maroon skirt and a black top. On a table to her right was a stack of books and a plate of half-eaten food. At least she was being cared for, better than I expected.

  “We have to hurry,” I said.

  She stood up and clasped her hands together. “I’m so proud of you,” she said.

  “Do you know where May is?”

  “Christian said he was taking care of her, but I’m not sure where.”

  The sound of Christian’s name made my stomach turn. “Come on,” I said and pulled her forward.

  Rounding the corner was Mrs. Crawford. When she saw Sophie she rushed forward and threw her arms around her. “I’m so glad to see you!”

  “Take her to Tessa,” I said and continued to search the rooms. Where was May? More explosions went off outside, shaking the warehouse’s frame. When I discovered the rest of the rooms empty, I turned back, anxiety gripping my chest. I had to find her.

  Back at the water closet, six Auran girls and Sophie huddled together. Mrs. Crawford was using her Light to heal some of the wounds on the girls’ arms and legs, while Kiera explained about the water. Tessa was working quickly to tie the rope around each of their waists.

  “We need to go,” Kiera said.

  “I’m not leaving without May,” I said and looked at Tessa. “Get these girls to the surface.”

  Liam and Aaron appeared, jogging toward us.

  “Did you find May?” Aaron asked, his voice hopeful. I shook my head.

  “I want you guys to help these girls to the surface. I’ll continue to look for May.”

  “I’m not leaving without May either,” Aaron said.

  Liam looked at me. “And I’m not leaving without you.”

  Tessa was guiding the girls into the water. A couple of them were crying, while the others appeared as if they were sleepwalking. “I’ll come back for you,” she said. “Just hurry.”

  I nodded and turned back down the hall. I couldn’t hear any more voices behind closed doors, only chaos from above. There was one room I hadn’t checked yet and went there first. I retraced my steps, trying to remember where Christian had taken me when he’d made me try to kill Jackson. It took me a couple of wrong turns, but finally I found it. Like all the other doors, this one was locked. Aaron took hold of the handle and turned hard, breaking it clean off the door. He pushed it open and went inside first.

  Two Vykens whirled around, surprised. I recognized one of them. Creed, the one who helped torture me. Tied up and gagged in the corner was May. Her face was bruised, but the bruises were more yellow than purple. Her eyes lit up when she saw us.

  Creed’s surprised expression turned into a smirk when he saw me. “You came back for some more of my special love?”

  Light shot from my hand and pierced him in the chest. His body flew back and crashed into a shelf behind him. He recovered quicker than I expected, but before I could blast him again, Liam was upon him raining down a fury of fists. Aaron was right behind him, attacking the Vyken who was guarding May. With both Vykens distracted, I went to May and untied her and uncovered her mouth. She fell into my arms and cried on my shoulder.

  “They told me you had died,” she said.

  I wanted to cry with her, but there just wasn’t time. I helped her to stand. She wobbled in my arms but managed to stay upright. Aaron tossed his Vyken across the room, giving himself time to unsheathe a long dagger. He tossed it hard, stabbing the Vyken directly in the throat.

  Liam was still on top of Creed, punching him until his face was unrecognizable. Liam wasn’t out to kill; he was out to cause pain. The crazed expression in his face had me worried.

  “Wait here,” I said to May.

  While Aaron twisted the knife around his Vyken’s throat, effectively decapitating him,
I moved in front of Liam and bent down near the Vyken. “Liam,” I said. “Look at me.”

  He continued to smash Creed’s face, but when I said Liam’s name in his mind, he stopped and looked up at me. “Enough.” I placed my hands on Creed’s shoulders and transferred Light, filling him so full that in a matter of seconds, he exploded into dust and ash. It felt good.

  “He needed to feel more pain,” Liam said.

  I stood up and brushed myself off. “There’s no time. We have May now. Let’s go.”

  Aaron lifted May, cradling her in his arms, and exited the room just as another explosion went off. This one felt right on top of us. I placed my hand on the wall to steady myself.

  “Keep going,” Liam said.

  As we hurried forward, I couldn’t help feeling elated. We did it. No Shadow, no Christian, and we got everyone out and not a single person lost. I just hoped Charlie and Dr. Han’s luck was as good as ours.

  We were almost to the water closet when I heard, “There’s no way I’m letting you leave this place again.”

  Christian.

  THIRTY-THREE

  I didn’t want to turn around at the sound of Christian’s voice. Just hearing it sent a burning heat firing across my skin. I took a couple of deep breaths before I turned around. Christian wasn’t alone. Cyrus stood next to him.

  “Having fun stealing my girls?” Cyrus said. He was wearing a black shirt and dark jeans. His hair was slicked back, making him look more like he was in his forties and not in his seventies. I almost didn’t recognize him.

  “They’re not yours,” I said and tossed a hard ball of Light at him. He easily dodged it.

  Cyrus chuckled. “This isn’t going to end well, Llona.”

  Liam moved forward, but I stopped him.

  “Serious, Llona,” Christian said. “Just come with me, and the others can go.”

  Cyrus balled his fists. “No. They’re all going to die. First they keep my witch, and then they take my feeders. I assume you have Sophie too?”

  “They’re all gone.”

  His left eye twitched. “But I still have you.” His eyes shifted to May lying in Aaron’s arms. “And May. Your father won’t be happy with me. He thinks he can convince you to join our side, but you’re just as filthy as Llona.”

  This time I couldn’t hold Liam back. He burst into a wind, spraying dirt and debris all around us, and sped forward. Christian met him halfway, each of them swinging at the other. I would’ve joined in the fight, but Cyrus’s expression stopped me. He was focusing on the ground beneath us. The walls began to shake and then the ceiling. He was using his ability to shake the foundation. Pieces of the ceiling began to break apart.

  I moved to get out of the way but wasn’t fast enough; someone crashed into me from behind. The roof fell, partially catching my legs. A plume of dust filled the hallway.

  “Llona!” Liam called.

  I struggled to get up, but someone was on top of me. A very weak May rolled to the side and gasped, “Aaron!”

  I glanced behind me, realizing what had just happened. As the roof fell, Aaron must’ve thrown May out of harm’s way and into me. I couldn’t see him beneath all the rubble.

  “Aaron’s trapped!” I called to Liam, then coughed on a cloud of chalky dust. It was everywhere, preventing me from seeing Liam, but I heard him coming. I jumped to my feet and started pulling debris off Aaron. May was next to me doing the same, coughing much harder than I was. Up above me was a gaping hole of twisted metal and splintered wood. A swivel chair, along with what looked like a safe, had fallen through. “Help me,” I said to Liam when he appeared.

  “One down, three to go,” Cyrus said. The dust was beginning to clear. Cyrus’s foggy image stood erect at the end of the hall. I didn’t see Christian.

  “Save Aaron,” I said to Liam and stepped away.

  May frantically rubbed her hands together, then clapped, as she tried to create fire, but she wasn’t strong enough. “Kill him, Llona. Please kill him,” she said, her eyes wide, and tears about to spill over.

  I backed up even farther, nodding once at her. It was Cyrus’s turn to feel pain.

  “Llona!” Liam called as he tossed a metal beam to the side. “Wait for me!”

  I ignored him and sprinted toward Cyrus. He laughed and beckoned me forward. Christian sprung at me from a side hallway, but I anticipated his actions and shot Light from my hand, knocking him backward to the ground.

  “Such a smug, self-righteous girl,” Cyrus said. “I can’t wait to teach you another lesson.”

  When I was almost to him, I swirled my hand, creating Light, and pushed it toward him. He dodged it, but I followed it up with one ball after another until I finally hit him. He hissed and punched his hand at the ground beneath me. The concrete buckled and broke into giant chunks, making me fall hard. Exposed rebar sliced open the skin on my arm, but I didn’t scream.

  I placed my hands on the ground to push myself up, but before I could complete the motion, someone took hold of the back of my hair and lifted me up. I came face-to-face with Cyrus. “You are such a disappointment,” he said and flung my body into the side of the wall. A couple of my ribs cracked, and I sucked in air.

  “Llona!” Liam called. He stepped toward me as if to help, but I raised my hand.

  “Help Aaron,” I gasped.

  Cyrus swung at me. I ducked and sprayed Light up at his face as hard as I could. He gritted his teeth and sort of yelled and growled at the same time while his skin bubbled. I attempted to do it again, but he clutched me by the throat and spun me around, pressing my head into the wall. The rough cement tore open the skin on my check.

  “You ruin my face, I’ll ruin yours,” he said and slid my face down the wall, staining the concrete red. I did my best not to cry out even though it felt like being stung a thousand times. I needed Liam to stay focused on helping Aaron.

  “I’ll take it from here,” Christian said from behind Cyrus.

  Cyrus shoved him away. “Get away, you moron.”

  “But she’s my girlfriend.”

  Near the water closet, Liam tossed aside the safe. He was almost to Aaron.

  Cyrus laughed. “You really think you love her? All right then. I’ll give you a choice. I will let Llona live, but you must die in her place.” He let his words sink in. “Are you prepared to die for your girlfriend?”

  Christian stepped close to me and raised his hand. He lightly ran his fingers over my forehead. “I’m sorry, Llona. It was fun while it lasted, but I don’t think this is going to work out.”

  Because my face was being pressed into a wall, I wasn’t exactly sure where my aim was, but I shot Light from my hand anyway. It connected with Christian’s knee. He collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain.

  “I guess it’s official,” Cyrus said. “Now leave us alone, Christian, and come back with others.”

  Christian slowly stood up and limped away. I’m not sure if he looked back at me before he left. My eyes were closed.

  “You destroyed him,” I said through my teeth.

  “That’s a matter of opinion.” The ground beneath me began to rumble. “How would you like to know what it feels like to be swallowed by the earth?”

  Concrete crumbled away where my feet once stood, creating a giant hole. The only thing holding me up was Cyrus’s hand around my neck. I better do something quick before this basement became my funeral. “You coward,” I choked out.

  “Coward?” Cyrus said. He pushed my face harder into the wall and slid it down again, bringing me closer to the gaping hole. My blood ran in uneven lines and dripped into the growing black abyss.

  “Can’t you look me in the eyes when you kill me?”

  “And give you the chance to light me up? I don’t think so.” Cyrus squeezed harder on my neck. He continued to lower me as the hole opened even more. Liam almost had Aaron free, but it wouldn’t be soon enough.

  I used every ounce of strength I had left to kick and thrash about. I also spra
yed Light blindly, hoping it would hit Cyrus. One steady stream knocked Liam over, but another caught Cyrus on the arm, giving me a chance to squirm free from his grip. I fell into the deep hole, but at the last second managed to catch myself on a fragile ledge. The earth kept sinking below me.

  Holding his injured arm, Cyrus lifted his foot as if to step on my fingers, but before he could, I grabbed the end of a piece of rebar barely poking out from a chunk of broken concrete. While I dangled from it with one hand, I used the other to shoot Light up at Cyrus. It blasted him hard enough that he flew back several feet.

  I scrambled out of the hole and shot at him again before he could stand, but my aim was messed up when he made the floor buckle behind me, sending me straight into him. He caught me by the throat with his good arm and stood up.

  I reacted quickly by pressing my palm to his eye, spraying Light at the same time. Cyrus screamed, a great horrible sound that echoed throughout the halls. It was such a wonderful sound, his suffering, that I smiled. Unfortunately, my joy was short lived.

  Cyrus swung his hand, a hard fist, directly into the side of my head, knocking me senseless. I fell to the ground, but just as I did, Liam leapt over me and jabbed his elbow into Cyrus’s nose. Blood spurted from it, ran down his chin, and got lost into his black shirt. “Go!” Liam yelled at me.

  I looked toward the water closet. Tessa was helping May drag Aaron into the water.

  Liam punched Cyrus again, knocking him to the ground. “Get out of here, Llona! Now!”

  I pulled myself to my feet and took a few steps away. More explosions sounded from above.

  Cyrus began to laugh, a slow, deliberate chuckle deep within his gut.

  Liam kicked him in the side, flipping Cyrus onto his back. “Shut up!” Liam yelled and withdrew his blade.

  Cyrus mumbled something, then coughed up blood stuck within his throat. His left eye was closed and still smoking from where I had burned it with Light.