by Dee Benson
Another image began to appear on the wall, of Axel with her hands over her face, mortified at having The Firemaster see her thoughts about him.
"Can I get out of her mind now?" Nigel snapped.
"Yes," The Firemaster said. "Please block her ears."
Nigel said something in return, but Axel didn't hear it because, suddenly, she felt like her ears were stuffed with something thick and gunky.
She rubbed her ears, but it made no difference. She stuck her fingers in them, but couldn't feel the gunk. It must be some kind of illusion.
Tears stung her eyes. I'm helpless.
Axel clasped her hands together, trying not to let her fear get the better of her.
I'm completely at the mercy of these people.
She watched Nigel, Serloyd, and The Firemaster, trying to read their lips. She couldn't make out anything they were saying. Nigel wasn't saying much. Serloyd was doing most of the talking. When he finished, The Firemaster nodded at him and then said something to Nigel.
Nigel looked at Axel and there was a pop in her ears.
"Axel?" The Firemaster said.
Axel looked at him. She licked her lips, which had suddenly gone dry. Whatever he was about to tell her had been Serloyd's idea. That meant it wouldn't be pleasant.
Were they still going to kill her despite the fact that she didn't know why she'd been unable to heal Prince Drake and everyone else during the battle?
Were they going to amputate, or kill, Zanda?
"There are ways to take powers from another," The Firemaster said quietly, his gaze scrutinizing Axel. "The method that the poor Supers use to loan their powers for a fee is only temporary."
Axel frowned, wondering how this related to her. However, since he wasn't talking about amputation or death she was quite happy to listen.
"Desmond has recently developed a permanent solution," The Firemaster continued. "It has worked on two people so far, but we need to test it on more people. It was very painful for the two people we tested it on, so Desmond is currently working on developing a less painful version. However, that will take some time."
Axel nodded slowly.
"There must be a penalty for your failure today. It may not have been intentional, but lives were lost. People were injured, including Prince Drake. Had his injuries been worse, he could be among the casualties. We almost lost our territory. Thankfully, that didn't happen. I have been able to create a wall of fire around the city to keep the government Supers out."
Axel nodded again, but she had to bite her tongue to stop herself from responding. Hadn't she just been an added bonus? Up until last week, she'd had no powers and The Firemaster's army had no healer. The casualties were not her fault. She hadn't caused their injuries. She'd only been unable to heal them.
The Firemaster was observing her in that quiet calculating way of his. Axel was glad her thoughts were no longer being projected on the wall.
"I don't tolerate incompetence. As a result, I am inclined to execute your cousin."
Axel's pulse skittered.
"But I will not."
Axel's relief was so acute that tears sprung into her eyes. Funny how he made it sound like he was doing her a favor. She'd done nothing wrong. Zanda had done nothing wrong. But here Axel was, relieved, and even grateful, to The Firemaster that he wasn't going to kill Zanda, when he had no right to kill her anyway.
Axel batted her tears away with the back of her hand. Anger battled with the relief in her heart. "W-what are you going to do?"
"Don't worry," The Firemaster said, his ice-blue eyes almost kind. Kind in a condescending 'you're so pathetic and I'm so amazingly benevolent' way. "Zanda is safe. We won't hurt her."
More tears streaked Axel's cheeks.
I hate being at their mercy.
However, she mustered every ounce of strength she had and held The Firemaster's gaze. "Thank you."
"But there is still a punishment."
Axel nodded. She didn't care. She would suffer anything so long as they left Zanda alone.
"We will be using the procedure that Desmond developed to take your healing power."
Oh.
Axel wasn't sure what to think.
"Like I said, it's a very painful process, but I'm sure you would rather submit to that than have Zanda come to harm."
"Yes," Axel said quickly. "I will."
"It's your choice," The Firemaster said softly. "If you want to keep your healing power, we can just kill Zanda."
The soft tone of his voice belied his words. That tone was for inane conversations about the weather or vacation plans, not murder.
He really is a freak.
How in the world did Nigel stand to work for him? Axel understood why Serloyd would, but Nigel, despite his cold attitude and dark disposition, wasn't like Serloyd, Prince Drake, or any of The Firemaster's loyal followers.
"You can have my power," Axel said. She didn't know how to use it anyway. It had let her down at the most crucial of moments. Maybe if someone else had it, they would do more good with it than she could. It would only be of use to her if she was planning on staying here in the Super Land, but her life was back in Netherium. When she and Zanda got back, she'd have to hide her healing power. She'd only be considered weird if anyone knew she had it.
A thought hit her.
She should be bargaining right now, rather than just agreeing to hand over her power.
"Yes?" The Firemaster asked.
Axel lifted her brows? "What?"
"You looked as though you wanted to say something?"
"Uh, yes, I did—do." She cleared her throat. "When will Zanda and I be freed?"
The Firemaster was quiet.
The silence dragged out for so long, Axel wondered whether he'd heard her.
Nigel and Serloyd were watching The Firemaster with what looked like apprehension.
The Firemaster didn't look angry. He looked calm as ever. But if his minions were perturbed, maybe she should be too.
"You will be freed when I am reinstalled as king."
"And if you are never reinstalled?"
"Then you will never be freed."
"I could just run away."
"You'll never leave without Zanda."
In that moment, Axel realized her mistake. She'd let them know how much Zanda meant to her, and now, they were using Zanda to keep her in line.
Did she dare pretend not to care about Zanda? What if they killed her? Was it worth the risk.
No. It isn't.
But she could try something else. How much did they want her healing power? "I will give you my power in return for my freedom." Axel paused. "And Zanda's," she added casually, as though Zanda were an afterthought.
"Very well," The Firemaster said. "You're useless to me anyway. Surrender your power and then you may leave."
Axel stared at him. Did he mean that?
He looked at Desmond. "Strip her of the power tomorrow morning. Then she may leave."
Axel almost collapsed under the wave of emotions that hit her in the chest at The Firemaster's words. She was leaving? He was allowing her to leave? Tomorrow?
"And Zanda too?" Axel asked.
The Firemaster's blue gaze was fixed on her.
If he didn't agree to release Zanda, then her freedom meant nothing. She couldn't leave without Zanda.
"Yes," he said softly.
A tremor started in her hands. Her head felt light. She couldn't believe it.
By this time tomorrow, she and Zanda would be back in Netherium.
Chapter 19
"I'VE BEEN SO WORRIED," Trojan said, jumping off his bed as Axel walked into the dorm late that night. His eyes were full of concern. A deep frown lined his forehead.
Angelo sat up in his bed. He gave a low whistle, lifting his eyes heavenward. "Gracias, Dios."
Everyone else was asleep. Obviously, Axel's welfare didn't concern them. She allowed Trojan to give her a bone-crushing hug, and didn't at all mind the slap Angelo g
ave her on the back although it was so hard one would have thought she was choking and he was trying to get whatever she was choking on unstuck from her throat.
"Are you okay?" Trojan asked. "What did they do to you?"
"Not much," Axel said. "They just wanted to make sure I didn't deliberately refuse to heal today. Once they established that I don't know why I was unable to heal, they—"
"How did they establish that?" Angelo asked.
"The Firemaster and Serloyd had Nigel read my mind and project it on the wall."
Trojan and Angelo immediately looked horrified. Axel wondered what they'd think if they knew she'd allowed Nigel to read her mind voluntarily last week.
"Beasts!" Trojan said draping a beefy arm around Axel's shoulders.
"What else?" Angelo asked. "Did they hurt you in any way?"
The door to the room opened. They all spun around. The lights from the hallway beyond the room silhouetted Desmond's profile. "What are you two doing still awake at this time?"
"Um, we're eighteen," Angelo muttered under his breath. "Tonto."
"I'm still seventeen," Axel whispered, barely moving her lips.
"Me, too," Trojan whispered.
"Get into your beds," Desmond snapped. "Axel, get out here."
Trojan and Angelo shuffled towards their beds. Axel made her way towards Desmond. She closed the bedroom door as she stepped out into the hallway.
Desmond handed her a small piece of paper. "The scorching will take place in the biology department. Here's a map."
Axel took it from him. "Scorching?"
"Yes."
"Is that what they call the 'strip you of your powers' procedure?" It sounded painful. And violent.
"Yes. Be there at six a.m." Desmond removed a small tub from his pocket. It contained two small white pills. "Take one of these before you sleep now. And take the other one in the morning before you come."
"What are they for?" Axel asked.
"To numb you from the pain of the scorching." Desmond smiled grimly. "Although nothing can really numb you from the pain."
"What, exactly, does it entail?"
Desmond turned and began to walk away. "No point borrowing tomorrow's trouble today. You'll find out in the morning."
Axel watched him disappear through the double doors at the end of the hallway, then she returned to the dorm.
Trojan and Angelo were both in bed now. Neither of them stirred as Axel crossed the room. In fact, Angelo was snoring loudly as though he'd been asleep for hours, not just barely a few minutes. Trojan would still be awake though.
She gave him a poke as she passed his bed which was the closest to hers. She moved to Angelo's bedside table and grabbed his bottle of water. He always had water on his nightstand. She uncapped it and knocked back one of the pills that Desmond had just given her.
Trojan sat up as she lay down on her bed. "Has he gone?" he whispered.
"Yes."
Trojan rolled off his head, and silently padded to her. He crouched down at her bedside so that their faces were level. Axel could only barely make out his expression in the darkness. "There's something I wanted to tell you," he whispered.
"What?"
"Promise me you won't say a word to anybody about this." He raked a hand through his hair. "I'm taking a big risk by telling you this."
"What is it?"
"First, promise me you will not mention what I'm going to tell you to a single soul."
Axel frowned. He sounded so serious. "So long as you're not asking me to help you cover up some kind of criminal offense? You haven't murdered anybody, have you?"
"Of course not. It's about The Firemaster, and, uh, some people who don't like him." His tone was cautious.
"Tell me. I won't tell anybody."
Trojan was quiet for a moment.
"I promise," Axel said. "Tell me."
Trojan exhaled silently. The only reason Axel knew he was exhaling was because she felt his breath on her face. "Okay." He paused again. "There are rebels. People who disagree with The Firemaster and want out of this place, want out of his agenda."
"Then why don't they just leave?" Axel asked. "The Firemaster is a rogue here, so they can go to the Super government and they'll receive immunity from The Firemaster."
"Then why don't you do that?" Trojan asked. "Why don't you just leave?"
He had a point. But it didn't matter anymore. Axel grinned. "I am leaving. Tomorrow. The Firemaster has agreed to let me and my cousin go."
There were a few moments of stunned silence. Then Trojan leaned forward, his face just inches from hers, as though he were trying to see her and work out whether she was joking.
"I'm serious," Axel said. "He said that if I agree to give up my healing power, then they will release me and Zanda."
"You're going to be scorched?" Trojan sounded incredulous.
"Yes. Do you know what exactly that is?"
"They've never used it on anybody—"
"They said they've used it on two people so far."
"Yes. Let me finish. They've never used it on anybody they didn't want to kill. It's such a horrific process that they wouldn't do it on just anybody. They don't know if anybody can survive the scorching. So they only use it on people they're planning to kill anyway."
The lightness that had filled Axel's heart since The Firemaster agreed to hers and Zanda's release evaporated. "Really?"
"I'm not trying to scare you or anything, but it just sounds strange that The Firemaster would agree to release you after doing so much to get you here. I mean, he killed your parents, kidnapped your cousin, and now he's just going to let you go?"
"It's because he's decided I'm of little use to him. He wants my healing power. He'll probably put it into somebody who knows how to control the power, or he maybe even use himself."
"You tapped into the Gifts and Graces," Trojan said. "Why the hell would he want to let you go? It sounds to me like he's just manipulating you. Just trying to ensure that you give him your power."
"No, the scorching was kind of like an afterthought," Axel said, although Trojan's words were causing doubts to fill her heart. "He seemed fed up with me."
"Then he would kill you, not release you. Nobody ever gets released." Trojan shook his head. "I have joined the rebels. And we are planning an escape. If, after your scorching, you don't get released, feel free to join us."
THE NEXT MORNING, AXEL was awake well before six a.m. She took the second pill and then left the dorm before everyone else, including Trojan, woke up. She appreciated Trojan's friendship and she usually liked his company, but she didn't need him raining on her parade this morning. The Firemaster had promised to release her and Zanda today. She had to believe that he would.
All the things her parents had told her about The Firemaster flooded her mind as she walked through the still, silent grounds of the school campus towards the biology department.
He's ruthless.
He's violent.
He's evil.
Had they ever said he didn't keep his promises?
Do ruthless, violent, evil people keep their promises?
Axel's heart was heavy as she approached the biology building. She pushed against the door. It was locked. It was probably still no later than five thirty a.m.
She sat down on the steps leading up to the building and clasped her hands in her lap.
Trojan's words from last night echoed in her mind. Nobody ever gets released.
There's a first time for everything, Axel told herself.
But what if Trojan was right? What if, after the scorching, she wasn't released? What would she do?
I'll escape.
She'd join the rebels Trojan had told her about.
But what if she died? Trojan's words about scorching being reserved only for people who were going to die anyway, weren't very encouraging. If that was The Firemaster's plan for her she had no way of escaping.
A small creak behind her made her look over her shoulder. Nig
el was standing in the doorway of the biology building. His eyes were cold, almost empty. Something about his expression made her think of a zombie. An empty shell of a person being controlled by some external force. The Firemaster.
She rose to her feet. "Is Desmond inside?"
Nigel nodded once.
"Is he ready for me? I know I'm early."
"He's not ready, but you may wait inside." As ever, his voice was deep and rumbling, with a slight hardness to it.
"Uh, before we go in, can I ask you a question?"
He just looked at her. His gray eyes were like chips of steel this morning.
"Will I survive the scorching?"
"Yes."
"So…it won't kill me?"
"No. But it will be traumatizing. It will also be hard on you emotionally and psychologically. Afterward, you will need time to recover, both physically and mentally."
"But I'll live? And I'll be able to leave this place with my cousin?"
A muscle worked in Nigel's jaw. "You will live. And you will be able to leave."
That was all Axel needed to hear. Her fears vanished as Nigel led her through the building and into a waiting area. She would be fine. No matter how traumatic the scorching was, it was a price she was willing to pay to buy hers and Zanda's freedom.
THE SCORCHING ROOM WAS small and empty. Every surface was gleaming white from the floor tiles, to the walls, to the ceiling. And it reeked of disinfectant.
It was also pretty cold. That was nice considering the crazy heat in this land.
"Relax," Desmond said.
Axel tried to relax. She exhaled slowly. Tried to force herself to feel calm. But it was hard.
Nigel entered the room, holding a tray.
On it were a bunch of syringes and small tubs full of colored liquids. There were also wires and electrodes.
I can't believe I've found myself among these sick people.
She looked at Nigel and immediately took it back. He wasn't 'sick'. At least she didn't think he was. There was more to him.
Axel allowed her gaze to trail him. His black T-shirt hugged his chest and wide shoulders. Black was definitely his color. It heightened his dark appeal.
Nigel looked at her and caught her watching him.