by R. T. Lowe
“I’m going to make Felix believe Lofton killed Allison in an effort to persuade him to join his side.”
“Okay,” Sophia said slowly, liking the idea at once, though she wasn’t clear on how they could pull it off. “How do you propose we do that?”
“The gears are already in motion,” Harper said with a wide smile. “Addie, Michele and Nabid will be here within the hour. After they arrive, I want you to go to work on Felix with your knife.” Harper made slashing motions diagonally across her arm. “Make the cuts deep and wait until he starts to stir a little so he’ll feel the sting. Allison, as luck would have it, has the ability to feel other people’s pain, so she’ll feel Felix’s just like she felt Caitlin’s.”
“Caitlin?” Sophia said, giving Harper a quizzical look.
“One of Lofton’s testers abducted her. Allison felt her pain and found her in minutes. So after you cut Felix, she’ll come running, and it won’t take her long to find this place so be ready for her. When she gets here, make sure you’ve taken precautions. All of you need to stay back against the wall until she comes this way.” She gestured at the stairs and drew a line through the air toward Felix. “Then kill the bitch! And no messing around! She’s quite skilled at combat and her hatred of us runs deep.”
Sophia raised an eyebrow questioningly.
“She knows we killed her parents,” Harper explained.
Sophia nodded. There were very few Sourcerors alive today whose parents hadn’t been killed by the Protectors. “Then what?”
“Addie and the others will depart and you’ll wait until the tranquilizers wear off and Felix opens his eyes.” Harper paused. “Then you’ll have a chance to prove you belong on the Wall of Names.”
“I’m honored.” There was pride in Sophia’s voice. The Wall of Names was a place of reverence—a sacred place—for Protectors who sacrificed their lives to defend the Source. Harper had just granted Sophia the privilege of rising above her peers to be recognized as a Defender of the Source for all time. Harper had also informed Sophia she was going to die today. “Tell me what to do,” Sophia said steadily.
“When Felix wakes up, he’ll see Allison lying there.” Harper pointed at an area beside Felix’s feet. “I want Allison stripped naked and a garrote around her throat.” Harper’s eyes seemed to glisten as she imagined the moment. “I wish I could be here to see it. Felix will be groggy and it’ll take a moment for his eyes to clear. He’ll lift his head and his eyes will fall on you. You’ll be there with your knife at your side and Allison split open like a butchered cow. When Felix looks at you, smile at him. Then I want you to laugh as you shove that bitch’s heart down her fucking throat!”
“Understood,” Sophia said calmly. She smiled down for a moment then lifted her eyes, meeting Harper’s. “He’ll kill me.” There was no emotion in her voice. She was only stating a fact. Their training in the art of killing Sourcerors began as soon as they could walk, an arduous regimen that involved more than perfecting the skills required to kill in close quarters with only their hands and ancient weaponry. Protectors were born into a philosophy whose basic principles had changed little in 2,000 years. Death, for the Protectors, wasn’t an end, but a beginning, the moment when one’s consciousness was freed from all physical restraints and allowed to rejoin the perfect state of being that had created all things—the Source. Death, therefore, was nothing to fear.
“He’ll burn you,” Harper said. “It’s a good death.”
“Yes,” Sophia agreed. “Then what will happen?” She knew she shouldn’t have asked the question. It wasn’t necessary for her to know any part of the plan following her death and her knowledge of it could only act to their detriment.
Harper stared at her for a moment, eyes narrowed in thought, then she gave Sophia a thin smile. “There’s also a phone in the bag—your phone. Felix will find it and see you’ve been in contact with Lofton’s people. The data’s already on it. He’ll discover Lofton made a deal with the Protectors to implicate the Order in Allison’s death. When Felix realizes Lofton is responsible—and not the Order—he’ll find himself possessed of a single burning thought. Killing Lofton Ashfield.” Harper put her hands on her hips and smiled down at him. “The compulsion to destroy Lofton will sustain him. It will be his food, his drink, his rest. It will give him a purpose. It will change him.”
“I’d like to meet this new Felix,” Sophia said wistfully.
“The tide is about to turn, Sophia. I can feel it. Without Felix, Lofton and his army of Drestianites would annihilate the Order in a week. But when Felix proclaims himself the Belus, all the Fortresses will rally around him. Then it’s going to be all-out war. A bloodbath. On both sides. The filthy demons will decimate their population and we won’t have to raise a finger. Doesn’t that sound beautiful?”
“It does,” Sophia agreed. Then she asked one more question, her final request. “What will you do?”
“Me?” Harper said, her voice rising in surprise at Sophia’s breach of protocol. “Felix will be distraught, of course, the memory of his little friend dying so violently will torment him. He’ll feel responsible. When he’s not trying to kill Lofton, he’ll mope around. He thrives on guilt and self-pity and Allison’s death will reinforce his weakest tendencies. He’ll be inconsolable for a time, a wall of despair, allowing no one in. Then one day”—she smiled—“he’ll realize he needs his friends, a shoulder to cry on, someone who understands the enormous despair tearing at his soul. Someone like me. From the moment we met, I’ve been the object of his pathetic teenage desires, the girl he lusts after but can never have. I’ll be there for him in his moment of crises. I’ll help him to overcome his grief, and his desire for me, the yearning he feels in his manhood, will only grow. He’ll fight it—of course. And I’ll shower him with the pithy clichés he needs to hear. That Allison’s death wasn’t his fault. That she would want him to be happy. But most importantly, I’ll remind him the best way to honor her memory is to destroy those responsible. Felix will love me for it because deep down he is a destroyer, and when he embraces who he really is, he’ll understand his true purpose, and he’ll know it was me who gave him the courage to become the Belus. Eventually, I’ll give into his desires and let him take what he’s always wanted—what he’s always dreamed of. Allison’s memory will fade and he’ll wake up one morning with me in his arms and realize he’s never been happier. And me? I’ll do my duty until Lofton and his Drestianites, the Order and every other Sourceror on this planet is dead. Then I’ll introduce myself to Felix and he can join his beloved Allison in hell. Until then, I’ll be with him every step of the way, making sure he doesn’t stray from his destiny.” She looked over at Sophia and gave her an ironic smile. “Because even fate needs a little help sometimes.”
END OF BOOK TWO
To My Readers
I hope you enjoyed my book and found it a worthwhile escape from the real world. The reaction to Freshmen, the first installment of The Felix Chronicles, was overwhelming, and if not for the wonderful support of my readers, the story of Felix and Allison and their friends (and enemies) may have ended there. If you enjoyed Five Days in January and want to share it with others who have not yet heard of The Felix Chronicles, I would really appreciate your review on Amazon. A single sentence—or even a word—will suffice. I understand how busy you are, but I would be truly grateful if you could take a moment to share your thoughts. Thank you!
R.T. Lowe
May 2016
Newtown, CT
About the Author
R.T. Lowe is the author of The Felix Chronicles: Freshmen (Book 1) and Five Days in January (Book 2). R.T. is a graduate of Willamette University and Columbia Law School. Originally from Oregon, he now lives in Newtown, Connecticut with his wife and three kids.
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