Strength (The Descendant Trilogy)

by Theresa M. Jones

  For the briefest of moments I felt like crying. Things felt so hopeless.

  “It will be okay. You know this, we all do. Gabby is alive. And though she isn’t ready yet, she will be. We will still be here when that happens and we will be there beside her when she needs us,” he said.

  “But you don’t know that. Yeah, she will be there to save the world, but who will be left when she is ready? That’s years away.”

  “Do you think all of this is just happening? Do you think there isn’t a plan? Do you think she wasn’t meant to be born? Because I’m pretty sure it was NOT just an epic chance of luck that brought your parents together. It was fate. And I’m pretty sure she was born right when she was supposed to. And I’m also positive that you are here for a reason too, to help her. No one can do it alone. How many times have your parents told you that you need to be there for her? You think that’s just because they wanna annoy the hell out of you?”

  He paused, waiting for my reaction and response. I just shrugged my shoulders, unsure of what to say. He sighed.

  “No. The answer is no. They say that stuff to you because they know it to be true.” He said it like he knew it to be true. We don’t speak in such certainties unless you have seen it. And I mean, seen it, seen it. Like in a vision.

  “Are you sure?” I asked him seriously.

  “I’ve been instructed not to talk to you about it because…well I don’t know why. Something about how knowing a vision can alter its path, or whatever, but,” he paused and took a deep breath. The only person who could tell him to not tell me something, the only person he would listen to about it and obey, would be a Council member. And if he told me now, he could get in serious trouble.

  “Listen, I know you will be there on that day with her. I saw it. I think that was the day I fell…” then he cleared his throat. “That was the day I realized how special you are. You were older, so was Gabby. I don’t know, she was maybe our age, maybe a little older. And you stood next to her, telling her that though it was hard, it was something that had to be done.

  “I don’t know why you said that. But I knew what you were talking about. It was the day, the day of the Prophecy.”

  I fell into the chair behind me, fully grasping what he said. I’ve known about the Prophecy since I was like five years old. I knew it to be true, because it had been a vision. But I had never known I would be there to see it happen.

  Then he knelt down in front of me. He grabbed both of my hands and layed them on my lap. I was looking down at our hands, fingers intertwined, thinking about everything that he had said, and the Council had talked about. Just thinking about everything. He released one of my hands, then grabbed my chin and tilted my head up to look him in the eyes.

  “And I also know that I will be there with you. I will stand by your side as we fight for the safety of our lives, as we try to secure the existence of the human race.” He knew this too. Like, knew it –knew it. And for a strange reason, that made me feel so much better. I wouldn’t be alone, I would have him. And Gabby would have me. And hopefully our parents would be there. And we would win, because that was written and foretold.

  So I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him, while I tried to wipe the tears that fought their way out and slid down my cheeks.

  I just had to be strong. Sure it was hard, but that’s what I needed. And that’s what he gave me. Strength.

  Chapter 11

  B2

  I didn’t want to go back home yet. I had no idea how much longer the meeting would go on, but I assumed it would be a while. They couldn’t seem to agree on anything. And who could blame them? Who knew what was right, or what to do, or how to win? We walked around The Compound for a while, not really going anywhere specific, just walking around trying to find somewhere to go.

  Finally Andrew stopped walking and pulled me to a stop. “I figured it out.” He spoke with a smile on his face. “Follow me.”

  “Anywhere.” I thought, but then when he looked at me and smiled bigger, I realized I actually said it out loud. I couldn’t hide my blush, but whatever. I didn’t care. I probably would really follow him anywhere.

  We went to the elevators and he hit in B2. I don’t know where B2 was, since it wasn’t something I had used before. But I didn’t question him. I had been to B1, and I knew it was the basement. I also knew that B2 wasn’t available on all of the elevators, only the really old ones. Usually the floors we went to were up, or to the side, not normally down. Right now we were on the Fourth Floor, where the Hall was, the Cafeteria, the Artists Studios, and the Schools.

  When the bell dinged, and the doors opened, my nose was immediately assaulted by an overwhelming sense of dust. I sneezed, as did Andrew beside me. But we went through anyway and walked down a dark hallway.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hallway not lit up before.” The lights were almost always on everywhere in The Compound.

  “You’ve never been down here before, have you?” he asked me. I shook my head. “Well, hardly anyone does anymore. Sometimes, for a class, Steven will need something from down here and has sent me down a few times. It’s mostly just storage now, but it used to be more. As the Compound expanded, they didn’t need to use this place anymore. It’s just like a typical basement.”

  I nodded, and followed beside him. Even though it was pitch black, we could see pretty clearly. Not like owls or anything, we didn’t have night vision, but it was pretty dang close. So though there was no light in the hallway, the little bit of light that drifted its way down from the elevator allowed us to be able make out some of our surroundings. There were doors on either side of the hallway, and at the end, a bigger door.

  “All the doors are just rooms for storage, distinguished only by what they contain within,” he told me. “But the last one, is where we are going.” He pointed to the last door at the end of the hall, the biggest one.

  When he opened the door, I sneezed again, and even had to bat away a spider web at the edge of the entrance. Then my nose was assaulted with something other than dust. Ink. Paper. Leather. Wood.

  “Books.” I basically whispered the word. Reading was by far one of my favorite things in the world to do.

  “Yeah. Most of them are super old. The library upstairs is where they keep most of the books. These are just extra copies, or really old books we don’t need to use very often. Maybe older versions of books that have been updated, things like that.”

  He flicked on the light, and though I had to squint against the brightness for a minute, it didn’t last long. My eyes adjusted pretty fast. The room was circular, not one corner at all. All along the walls were shelves of books. In the center of the room were four couches, all facing each other, forming a square.

  “We can stay in here for a while; no one will come down here looking for us.”

  I walked with him, still with our fingers laced, as we headed toward the couches. There were enough that we didn’t really have to share one, but what fun was that? He sat down on one, and then pulled me down next to him.

  “Just so you know, that couch,” he pointed to the one to the right of us, “has springs poking up through all the cushions.” Then he pointed to the one to the left, “That one has bugs in it I think.” I doubted that, but didn’t argue with him. Then he pointed at the one in front of us. “And that one, well it has stains, and though no one else can smell them, I’m sure you could and wouldn’t want to sit over there.”

  He was smiling, and I knew he was kidding, making excuses for us to stay on the same couch, but I didn’t mind.

  “Well, I don’t like bugs, and I don’t like stinky things, and I really don’t like poking springs, so I think this couch is perfect. Good thing it’s the biggest one.” I laughed a little, and he smiled back. He leaned back against the arm of the couch, and opened his arms for me. I welcomed the invitation, and leaned into his chest.

  Back when we were younger, we used to be allowed to have sleepovers. Now, only the girls c
ould stay with the girls, and boys with boys, but I missed laying next to him like we used to.

  “Do you really think things will be okay in the end?” I asked him, as my eyelids started to grow heavier.

  I could feel his head move as he nodded. “Yeah I do. I know it will be hard, and many people will be hurt and killed along the way. But in the end I believe we will be victorious.”

  I curled into his chest. It was hard, but soft at the same time, and the perfect temperature. Warm, but not overwhelmingly hot. I mean, it was hot, because he had a smoking body, but not that kind of hot.

  We lay there and our bodies started to finally relax a little more. I just kept thinking about not wanting to go back home.

  We can stay here tonight, if you want? He said it like a question, giving me the choice. He would stay with me if I wanted, or leave me here alone if that’s what I preferred. Or, I knew, he would walk me back if I wanted him to.

  Instead, I turned off the lights. Sometimes it was totally awesome to be telekinetic, because I really didn’t want to have to get up to turn them off. I knew he would know my answer. I didn’t have to actually say anything.

  He pulled me closer into his chest, kissed my forehead, which was probably the sweetest thing ever, and then started rubbing my arm. All of a sudden a blanket landed over me, covering me from my shoulders down to my feet. I kicked my shoes off, then curled my toes back under the blanket. I didn’t question how it got there; I already knew that he had pulled it over us.

  And that’s how I fell asleep, curled into his arms, on an old, dusty couch, finally feeling completely content.

  Chapter 12

  Even Worse than Before

  Right before I fell asleep, I started falling again. I instantly realized what was happening since this was now the third time it happened. And immediately started freaking out, because I knew what would be coming.

  My senses began to fade as I fell backward. The darkness surrounded me again. I could no longer see anything, everything was just black. I could no longer hear anything, not my own breathing or heartbeat. I couldn’t feel anything, not the couch beneath me, or the air around me. I couldn’t smell anything, not the dust, the ink, the paper, or even Andrew.

  I was curled into a ball. My knees were pulled up to my chin as I lay on my side. I could feel the tears drain from my eyes and smell the salt they contained. I could taste that strange sticky taste that you get after sobbing hard for a long time.

  I cleared my throat, realizing what was happening. I pushed myself into a sitting position, so that I could better assess my surroundings. This time I wasn’t outside at all, but I didn’t know where I was. I sat on a bed, old and filled with sharp springs. There were no covers on the bed though and it smelled pretty rank in there, like things hadn’t been cleaned for a while. Furniture was overturned, and decorations were smashed. It looked like a vandalized or abandoned suburban home.

  I got up and walked out of the bedroom, and then through the living area to go back outside. I still didn’t know why I was there, or why I had been crying. Every time I had this dream, although the surroundings changed, I was always crying.

  When I walked out, I immediately recognized this place. It was the little town right down the mountain from where The Compound was. I had only gone down a few times, just as we passed through. We never stayed there. Even though it had happened years ago, you could still feel them there, the Rising. They had come and destroyed the town who knows how many years ago, leaving nothing but the stench of sulfur and death. It was a ghost town, one that creeped everyone out.

  I walked down that street, headed back to The Compound. Coming down it would take maybe an hour, if you went fast, but going back up it would take at least two hours. Usually the only way to The Compound entrance was by helicopter. But if you were really careful, had a ton of time and energy, a bunch of luck, and knew your way, you might be able to make it up by hiking. It was dark outside, not even a single star in sight. So I figured I should get moving now and try to get home as soon as possible.

  Even though I knew there was no one around, I was on edge. It was always the same, he would show up and attack me. This time I would be prepared though. I checked my internal shield, it was up. Then I pulled the Power down swiftly, this time I wouldn’t do it slowly and still be caught off guard.

  I had it ready, the warmth and strength flowed freely through my veins down to each of my limbs. I knew that if someone was looking at me, I would have a visible plum colored aura surrounding me. My eyes would have turned from bright blue to a deep plum that glows, and the ends of my hair would also be lifted in the air and plum.

  I stood in the middle of the street and just stopped. My skin was prickling with fear and anticipation. My heart pounded fast. My arms went up into a defensive position, one you would imagine a boxer would stand in right before a fight, with both of my sweaty fists clenched in front of me and my elbows bent.

  I listened. I listened for anything, any sound or movement.

  Out of nowhere a man appeared behind me and hit me in the head with something so hard I went down to my knees and barely caught my face from eating cement. In less than half a second I had rolled over to my back, ignoring the pain and dizziness, and kicked at him, aiming for between his legs.

  But he grabbed my foot before it could make contact and pulled on it so hard that I lifted off the ground, flew through the air. My entire body smacked directly into the wall of a building on the side of the street. The impact was harder than I thought it would be. It felt like I had a broken rib, and maybe my ankle was broken too. But I couldn’t think about it. So I pushed myself up from the ground, again ignoring the pain.

  But by the time I stood up, he was there, and punched me in the face.

  I fell down, this time on my back. The crazy spots in my eyes grew in number and frequency. I could taste the familiar, metallic taste of blood filling my mouth. Before I could even attempt to stand up or roll out of the way, he was on top of me, straddling me just like before.

  “Oh pet, did you think you could actually fight me?” His laugh was a viscous disgusting sound. “There you were, standing all brave in the middle of the street with your Power flying around you like you knew I was here.” He looked down at me as I struggled fruitlessly against him.

  “Get off me. Now!” I tried to make my voice sound scary, but I doubt it worked.

  “How the hell did you know I was here?” he growled at me. I realized that he was serious, and he really thought I had come here looking for him. But then I realized something even better. I didn’t have to hold back with this douche. So I released the full force of my Power on his mind, trying to figure out what he was thinking about.

  I think it wasn’t the strength of my Power that shocked him, but the suddenness of the attack. And I could see all of his thoughts. The problem was that he knew I could, and it pissed him off.

  He pushed me out of his mind, and blocked his mind off to me before I even knew what the hell was going on, and then he hit me again. And again. And again. Until the pain was too much for me and my mind started blacking out. This was something I welcomed. I wanted desperately to get out of the hell hole of a nightmare.

  Then I felt what could only be described as a mental slap. I felt like he had shocked my brain awake. Like he defibrillated my brian. It hurt like hell and there was nothing I could do to fight against it.

  “Oh no, you aren’t leaving me just yet. Tell me now how you knew I was here or I will slice the skin off your body,” he screeched at me. And what was scariest of all was that he was being 100 percent honest.

  I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know he was here, I didn’t even know why I was there. But should I tell him that? I was pretty sure he would kill me if I did, but I think he was going to kill me either way.

  All I could think about was what he had been thinking about. He had been planning on trying to find the location of The Compound. I’m pretty sure this is the closest they have
ever come to finding us, and it scared me more than dying.

  He took out a knife and sliced it down my arm creating a crimson river that flooded down my fingertips. I tried, tried and failed, to stop the scream that burst from my lips. I had never before felt such pain. It was like acid being poured into my veins. I felt like my arm was burning.

  “Do you like this blade, little pet? It has been forged with demon blood. I hear it’s pretty painful to mix angel and demon blood. But why don’t you tell me. What do you think would happen if I plunged this through your heart?” He was smiling and his eyebrows were raised, enjoying this game he was playing.

  I would not give him the satisfaction!

  “You can go back to Hell, because I won’t be telling you anything. You can do whatever you want with me, but you will learn nothing from me,” I promised him.

  “You say that now, only because you haven’t felt everything I plan to do to you.” And just as he cut open my shirt, revealing my bare chest to the world, I started falling again.

  Chapter 13

  Confessions

  I jumped up from the couch, and stumbled around another couch before I got the edge of a shelf. I really didn’t know where I was running to, or what I was doing, or where I was, but I couldn’t get that last image out of my mind. That look of hunger and lust after seeing my breasts.

  I slid to the floor, my back against the shelf and tried to focus on not crying too hard.

  “Samantha, what’s wrong?” Concern dripped from his voice.

  I cleared my throat, and looked around trying to remember that I was here with him. I wasn’t in my room, so no need to be confused. And thankfully I was no longer in that dream, down in the town just below us where there was a Rising member set on killing us and raping me before torturing me.

  I looked up at him as he bent down in front of me. He got on his knees and scooted closer to me. He placed both hands on my knees and looked me right in the eyes, urging me to tell him something.