Ronnie had a hard time finishing his sentence.
- This is just between us - you can freely speak. No one else needs to know.
- Promise?
- Yes, I promise.
- I entered the mind of one of my teachers and controlled her briefly. I feel...
- What do you feel?
The brothers were tired and Garret suggested they stop and take a breath. Sable countered their desire and told them to continue practicing.
- Now, back to the subject...
- I felt that it was wrong. The hypnosis did not last very long and after it ended, she felt guilty. I couldn't tell her that I controlled her mind.
- That is not such a big surprise. I assume you handled the whole situation perfectly?
- "Perfect" would be an exaggeration, but yes - in the end everything was fine.
Sable decided it was time to stop the brothers' sparring match and Ronnie replaced Garret.
- What were you two discussing? - Garret asked.
- That matter is between me and Ronnie only. You, on the other hand... your defence is good, but your offense is lacking. You're still a long way from challenging anyone on board New Hope.
***
The training session continued for almost two and a half hours. The boys were drained by the end, but their enthusiasm was sky-high. Now that they were back on Earth, Tyler could finally ask Ronnie what happened in university. Garret was just as curious:
- Yeah, I want to know, too.
- Alright, here's what happened: I waltzed into the dean's office to discuss my future. His suggestion was simple: pass the exams and university becomes no longer an issue. But then something else happened - I can't tell you how, but I hacked into his phone and computer.
- Are you serious, mate? - Tyler exclaimed.
- I'm not kidding, man; the entire database and the photos from his phone were at my disposal without lifting a finger. He then let me see my classmates. I had Italian class...
- Oh, you mean with that sexy Italian teacher? What was her name, again? Azzurra Abbatucci, right? - Tyler said.
- Precisely. So then I wanted to see if I could read her mind like you did back at New Hope and, uh... well... it was all leather and chains.
Garret's and Tyler's eyes widened.
- Then she told me to follow her to the library, dragged me into a dark room and was just... all over me, dude!
- You cheeky bastard! - Tyler exclaimed once again. - How was it?
- We didn't have sex. As tempting as the opportunity was, I didn't take it. She wasn't herself: I was controlling her mind... somehow.
- I'd have killed for such an opportunity. - Garret pointed out and after a couple of moments of silence added:
- And then there was silence...
- Indeed. - Tyler accompanied him and they all laughed.
It was late, but the boys decided to stay out for a little longer. Tyler brought up another topic of conversation: coming up with a collective name for themselves.
- We're not a band, Tyler. - Garret said.
- I know, but this is a name we could use in front of society. You see where I'm going with this?
- I see. Well, brainstorm time! Any ideas?
- The Immortals. - Tyler suggested.
Garret disagreed; it sounded like the name of a sitcom to him. Their collective name had to sound like the one of a biker gang or a metal band, something powerful, menacing and identifiable. Garret had just the right name: The Immortal Trinity. Ronnie agreed on it and so did Tyler. The new Trinity was born that night... at least on a basic level.
Once Tyler and Garret headed for their respective homes, Ronnie climbed to his room, turned on the laptop and saw a message on Skype from Ashlynn. She wasn't pleased:
"Call me once you come online. We need to talk."
He replied "I can't; my parents are sleeping."
"I DON'T CARE, RONNIE!"
He called her:
- What's wrong?
- You tell me what's wrong, Ronnie! Sharon's seen you flirting with a teacher! What do you have to say for yourself?
- So you believe those talebearers more than me?
- They're my friends!
- Well they're rotten as well, but I suppose nobody has told you that. There was nothing between me and that teacher - it was a normal conversation.
- You're lying.
- No, I'm telling you the truth. Also I'm very tired. I'll talk to you in the morning.
Ronnie ended the conversation and shut down his laptop. His exhaustion could not allow him to talk for very long, yet he felt guilty that he ended it prematurely and could not explain everything. Once again he could not spill the whole truth; there was simply a lot of controversy around him hacking into the dean's computer and brainwashing his teacher. He didn't want to lose her; he cared for her and guarded her like his own eyes. The crossroads, at which he was stuck, kept becoming more and more complicated. Ronnie had to juggle between his relationship, his friends, keeping the truth about himself and what he does away from the whole world. The weight of the load had only begun to increase.
Chapter X
Housebreaking
Ronnie barely slept that night. Ashlynn was torn apart by suspicions of infidelity on behalf of Ronnie. She knew that he flirted with women, even though he was no womanizer. This was one of the lessons her mother taught her: always be suspicious of your significant other's behaviour around women. Her mind was buzzing, which was not uncommon; a woman's mind is always moving. Ronnie shared last night's conversation with his mother and in reply she said:
- That sort of concern is silly. What were you two discussing?
- All I said was that I was soon leaving university due to personal reasons and then she gave me a business card in case I had spare time and felt like going out. - Ronnie said.
- So there was nothing subtle about it? Just going out and talking?
- Yes, just that.
It should be noted that Ronnie omitted the situation in the library for obvious reasons.
- In that case she has nothing to worry about.
- I know, but she's just so... paranoid. I understand the presence of paranoia, but at times I feel she goes too far and I don't know how to remedy that, how to circle around the problem. I don't want to give up simply because it's difficult.
***
- He's hiding something, Ashlynn. I'm sure he is. Ask your friends to keep an eye on him.
Heather was Ashlynn's mother and she always had something to say in order to help her child. She knew very well that her daughter could act rather childish and naive and did anything to prevent that from harming her.
- You mean you want Sharon, Zoey and Abigail to spy on him? - Ashlynn responded.
- Yes, of course; it should reveal his secrets and as a result you'll know the whole truth.
Usually such conversations were led over a cup of coffee or tea, mostly in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon. Heather could think easier that way. She was a good example of typical female curiosity: should there be something shrouded in mystery, lies and secrets, she had to know everything to the last detail. Seeing her child in pain, doubt or suffering was something she constantly tried to avoid by helping her as much as she could, using what she had experienced in her frivolous youth: one-night stands, almost never sleeping with the same guy twice, alcohol and recreational drugs. Heather was no role model, although her bad experiences could benefit her daughter and prevent accidents from ever happening. She continued:
- That's why they are called secrets: because someone out there doesn't want the rest of the world to know something. It works on both the high and low levels of society, sweetie. If the price for the truth is your relationship... well, you might just have to pay the price. Ask yourself this - would you feel better living in a lie and remaining in chains or knowing the cold, hard truth, but being free?
Ashlynn thought about her mother's words and made her decision: the truth was now her ai
m. She called the Gossip Crew and told them to spy on Ronnie whenever possible.
***
Ren'ul wanted to set up an outpost closer to the Immortals. He and Retion were in the command room thinking of how to turn that concept into a reality. A platoon would be either too noticeable or insufficient and also, depending on the circumstances, it could end up utterly defeated. Once again, sending Furot's son was out of the question. The sacrificial lambs had to be the three assassins.
- Your magnificence, if the assassins are to be the only ones constructing the outpost and being in charge of it, they'll need a lot of defences to support it. After all, we're waging a war against Immortals.
- We will supply them with everything that is necessary. It's not a problem, Retion. Though we have to provide them with a ship large enough to contain all of the equipment, yet small enough not to be detected. Do we possess anything that fits these criteria?
- I will ask Huklin and find out if we have such a vehicle. In the meantime, I would suggest that you thoroughly instruct the assassins regarding their task. Your current resentment is obvious, but if there is anyone aboard this ship, besides you, my liege, who is capable of taking on the Immortals and New Hope, it's the assassins. I'm not necessarily saying you should earn their trust, your magnificence, but rather... persuade them to do it. It is entirely for the cause; you should know it better than anyone else. Once they become obsolete, you can erase them from reality. That outpost might just make the necessary difference.
With those words the dialogue ended, Furot stood from his throne and headed for the assassins' chamber. The hallways of his ship were very well illuminated in bright yellow and green. Those colours resembled the ones of poisonous substances; rumours around the ship suggested that if one falls asleep on a wall, it would engulf and dissolve their bodies and souls. In reality, though, this was something that Ren'ul himself conjured up just to keep his armies on their toes at all times. He was their commander, their king and leader, wearing heavy armour, a yellow cape and an infatuation with war, death and genocide. Nothing could be hidden from him. His soldiers fell to their knees every time they appeared before him.
***
Ronnie contacted Garret and Tyler first thing in the morning and told the about his conversation with Ashlynn. Tyler was mildly said... livid:
- Is every man talking to a beautiful woman a cheater? For God's sake, I can't believe it! You didn't tell her about what happened in the library, right, Ronnie?
- No, of course not, are you mad? That will cause a riot.
- What else did she say? - Garret asked.
- She said that they have seen me talking to Mrs. Abbatucci...
- Who? - Garret asked.
- The Gossip Crew.
- Those fucking scandal-mongers! I'll melt their lungs and fry their brains! - Tyler was incensed and huffing fire. He nearly singed his night-stand in the process. That made him take a deep breath and calm down, before he could cause any damage to his room.
- What happened, Tyler? - Ronnie asked.
- Nearly caused a fire in my room. I should calm down now.
- Yeah, you do that, buddy. - Garret agreed. - You got any ideas on how to deal with that, Ronnie? If you need help, you know we're always here.
- So far I have no clear idea. I'll talk to her on Skype. You could listen in secret; she should not hear you talk, though I'm not sure if you'll be able to hear everything else, apart from my own voice.
- Try it and we'll instantly find out.
And so Ronnie texted Ashlynn. Soon afterwards she called him.
- You kept your promise. - she said.
- Yes, I did. Last night I was tired and my thinking wasn't sober at all - that is why I had to get some sleep. Going any further would have resulted in me saying nonsense.
The brothers were completely silent and their ears were wide open.
- Just tell me the truth, Ronnie - did you have sex with the teacher?
- OK, Ashlynn, consider this: we were talking in the middle of a corridor, in front of a classroom. Do you think that's a comfortable place for sex? Because I certainly don't.
- Maybe you did it in a different classroom. How can I tell that you're honest about it?
Ronnie could not come up with an immediate answer, so Tyler helped him out:
- Tell her that... that you're always honest.
- Why would I lie about it and how would I benefit from it? I say what's on my mind, right?
- Don't toy with me, Ronnie! You know exactly how you would benefit. It's in your blood. You'll flirt with any woman who attracts your attention.
- Allow me to correct that for you: just the pretty ones. Look, I'm a little busy today...
- Are you just going to postpone this conversation until I lose my mind? I'm not going to be in such an abusive relationship like this one.
- How am I abusing you, Ashlynn? I give you enough breathing room and respect. You know that I can't be right next to you all the time. It's hard to explain the situation right now and honestly, I don't know if I can. I don't know if I'm allowed to discuss it openly, though I can assure you that it has nothing to do with university at all... except for the final exams.
- Fine. We'll talk about this later. Bye.
Ronnie felt crushed. It wasn't going too well for him and the brothers could tell. Tyler felt something in Ashlynn's voice and told Ronnie:
- Ronnie, your lovely dolly girl may be in support of the idea of exposing the truth, but... I fear that she may be hiding something.
- How can you tell? - said Garret.
- I'm not too sure, but it seems there was something odd about her voice. It didn't feel natural. My suggestion is that you keep your eyes and ears open at all times, Ronnie. The Overlord is not the only threat we're facing.
Ronnie's mother knocked on the door to Ronnie's room and told him to come for breakfast. Garret spoke to Sable and was told to walk around the area of Frankfort and practice mind reading, but not venture into mind control to avoid causing chaos. He wasn't too sure about Sable's proposition; he gave them the freedom to do something that could cause problems, should it go out of hand. Ronnie had breakfast and went out to meet the boys. He told his mother that it was yet another part of his training and that it was necessary. Before leaving, she urged Ronnie to be careful. Regardless of his age, she still saw him as that tiny boy that was running around the house while she was doing her best to keep the house nice and tidy.
***
Kunala pondered on Furot's words. They were forced to go to a planet and rely entirely on themselves. Regardless of the fact that she disliked the Overlord with a passion, she felt secure and safe around him, knowing that very few entities in the Universe could match his strength and fighting prowess. She wanted to stay on the mother ship. Mintelk and Helaka were far from pleased with her mindset:
- This will help the Hordes and us both at the same time. It will give us a glimpse of what their world is and maybe, just maybe, with just enough luck... a safe hiding spot. - Mintelk said.
- Hide? - Helaka cried out. - From not just Furot, but the Immortals, New Hope and the inhabitants of that planet? It will be us against everything and everyone. We will have no weapons, no equipment and no help from the backbone of Ren'ul - the Hordes.
Their conversation was interrupted; Retion burst into their chamber.
- Your time has come. Do not disappoint the Almighty One; you know how irritated he is at the mere sight of failure.
- Well maybe he should send someone who can handle it better. Didn't Gibel express his desire to fight enough times already?
Kunala's words were unrefined and violent. Retion wasn't going to put up with such behaviour:
- You are already fully aware that you three are the most versatile infantry units on this vessel. Do not act ignorant and innocent. Now follow me to hangar 531, so that you may receive detailed instructions regarding your equipment.
Kunala had no other alternative. In the past she h
as been tortured and mistreated not just by Ren'ul Furot, but also by Retion. He had been authorized by the Overlord himself to exercise violence, should the assassins disobey, after a failed attempt at inciting a rebellion. At the time they were not entirely familiar with the fact that the Hordes were not the same races that the Overlord fought. They tried a lot of alternatives: escaping in a ship, sabotaging the controls to the mother ship, detonating the mother ship itself. Not even turning Gibel against his own father helped, which was odd, since Gibel's blood and mind were burning and he was itching to go to war. Now they had another opportunity, which, in order for it to work, they had to think and act smart. What the assassins also needed was to explore the planet as much as possible. Retion began the briefing:
- Listen carefully, because I'm not willing to repeat myself. Huklin will provide you with the necessary spacecraft and equipment for the job. You will go to that planet, quickly find a hiding spot for the craft and set up an outpost. You will also have to explore your surroundings and think about the security of the outpost. Huklin shall explain everything you need to know about the devices you'll be using.
The group reached hangar 531. Huklin was busy shouting at some Nokuls, a race that the Overlord usually employed as mechanics in the hangars. Generally competent and clumsy both at the same time, they were constantly tinkering around with the spaceships of the Hordes - all the drop ships, fighters and carriers. The spacecraft that Huklin was in charge of developing was a drop ship crossbred with a fighter; in other words, it was a necessary crossbreeding, because it could serve as additional defence against attackers, namely the Immortals and New Hope. Without any hesitation, Huklin began clarifying all the changes that had been made to the drop ship:
- This drop ship is fitted with foldable turrets that the ground forces normally use during military activities, force fields like yours for the ship as well as portable ones for the outpost that you're going to build or find. You'll be on your own and we won't send any additional backup.
The Immortal Trinity: Inheritance Page 13