by C. J. Lloyd
“Sure. And I’ll start.” She sneered. “Let’s see … Three days ago, you promised to tell me where Elric is, but my time has been wasted in this shitty military base—that apparently can’t afford cable, yeah, I remember cable—while gutter trash boys hit on me, and nobody around me can look me in the eyes and tell me the truth! Do you know where Elric is or not?”
“Take it easy,” Eden yelled, stepping in with his hand out.
“Take it easy? Who are you? Who are any of you? I don’t trust anyone here,” Jen said, belittling the group. “Violet, right? You’re lying or at the least hiding something. And I damn sure don’t trust her,” Jen added, glaring at Samantha. “Now, tell me!” she shouted, her knuckles cracking with tension.
Violet took a deep breath. “I know things have been weird, but—”
“Weird? Let me tell you about weird. My parents were murdered in front of me by a giant ox monster. I was thrown into a wormhole that spat me out in a world where I was treated like trash for the first month because I was a human, and I suffered from amnesia. I fought in battles and wars that had nothing to do with me and watched people I cared about die mercilessly! I fell in love with Ermak.” Tears rolled down her cheeks, but Jen angrily wiped them away. “Along the way, my memory returned, and I thought Elric was dead until the rumors of Blight being killed raced over Ermak. I knew it had something to do with him.”
Eden stood. “Terra told us you came back because Madison told you everything, and I’m glad she did, but there’s a hell of a lot she missed, especially after she left. And I really mean this when I say I’m sorry to hear about everything that’s happened to you, but you can’t treat people the way you’ve been treating us.”
“You have no idea what it’s like to have everything taken from you. To be utterly alone with no hope of getting the ones you love back. Elric’s the only one I have left … and he’s the only one who understands.”
Violet couldn’t help but hear Elric’s voice in Jen’s words. That suffering that plunged him into darkness gripped Jen too. Those eyes carried an unbearable weight with them. Fortunately for her, Ermak kept her strong. She must have found good friends there.
Violet took another deep breath and prepared for whatever came out of her mouth. The cafeteria went silent. Violet closed her eyes. “Look, I’m sorry—”
“Hold your apologies for someone who cares, and tell me where he is!” Jen slammed her fist on the table.
Violet opened her eyes. “It’s funny. I remember Elric feeling the same way. Sadness and excitement mixed with a lot of frustration. I can see why he felt so connected with you. And why you two have such a strong bond. You love him more than I could ever know.”
Jennifer remained silent.
Sasha tugged at her arm. “You don’t have to take this, V.”
“It’s okay. I knew I would have to tell her someday. I didn’t think it would be in this lifetime, though.”
“Tell me what?”
“Like I was telling you back in the jail cell, Jen, Elric isn’t the boy you loved and fought for anymore. That person, that boy, died years ago when he thought he’d lost you forever.”
“That’s for me to decide, not you.” Jen’s eyes began to water and she began to shake her head.
“Jennifer,” Violet tried to coax her to understand.
“I know he’s messed up and done some terrible things, but just give me a chance to talk to him.”
“Jennifer.” As hot as Violet’s face felt, her body shivered from the energy that had consumed the room. Jen snapped out of it and looked down at Violet. “Elric used his powers to try and kill us on multiple occasions, and just a few days ago, he leveled an entire city.”
Jennifer’s bottom lip quivered as she stepped back from the table. “No. No, he wouldn’t do anything like that … I-I don’t believe you.”
With a nod from Samantha, Eden retrieved a remote control from the counter of the serving table and flicked on the large plasma screen TV. “Look. You tell us what you see.”
It showed the mass carnage and complete annihilation of Boston. Only the structural remnants of buildings stood on the outskirts. In the center was the large crater from the attack that crushed everything to dust. Even the John Hancock Tower was nothing more than a figment of their memories. Below the video, in bold red letters, it said, Death Toll in the Thousands.
A picture of Elric came on the screen, one taken from when he held the president hostage. The other two pictures were of the Fire and Water Titans.
“Th–this …” Jen’s eyes widened with tears running down her chin. “This can’t be real. None of this is.” She fought herself free from the soldiers and ran out of the cafeteria.
“Jennifer, wait!” Violet yelled.
Jen broke through another group of soldiers, bolting down the halls. Nobody could stop her.
“Violet, she needs time to herself,” Samantha mumbled.
“Turning on that television sure didn’t help,” Alfred said, nudging Eden.
Eden shook his head. “We don’t have time to try to sugar coat anything. Too many people died to try to play this game. We should be getting ready for the next attack.”
Violet ignored the weak state of her legs and stood. “I don’t know if it’s you or Sirocco, but you can be a cold, emotionless idiot sometimes.”
Leaving them, Violet made her way along the corridor, relying on the cold white cinderblock walls for balance. The ceiling lights poorly illuminated the halls as they flickered rapidly with a low buzz. She remembered the day they had escaped from Area Zero. She had gone back for Elric, only to find that horrific grizzly scene of what had become of the secret military base. Hundreds of people gone. Buildings, palm trees, all replaced by black grains of sand.
Violet’s stomach sunk as a rancid sourness dribbled into her mouth, her legs nearly buckled as a little bit of her lunch spilled from her lips. The memory of Area Zero, London, and now Boston came crashing together.
We were supposed to stop him! We were supposed to save the city and all those people.
She paused, her insides fluttering wildly like a thundering storm, each breath deeper than the last. Get a grip. Come on! Her heart raced as streams of sweat fell down her cheeks.
Her lungs filled with air, then softly released, and for the moment, that’s all Violet focused on, her heart beating against freshly healed ribs. That’s better, now focus.
She closed her eyes, and a flash of warm purple light spread from her center like a network of spider webs seeking out life. Deep sorrow came from down the corridor. There!
With each sluggish step, Violet dragged herself forward. She owed it to Jennifer. Strangely enough, she felt she owed it to Elric as well. She pushed open the door to a small room. The light she allowed in from the hallway cut through the darkness.
In the corner, curled up like a ball sobbing, was Jen. A sliver of light seeped into the room, outlining the rivulets of tears that fell from her round chin. Violet made her way over and eased herself down next to her.
Jennifer wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for what happened. For everything. It’s my fault.” The strong glow of Jen’s eyes gleamed through the watery drops of her broken heart.
Violet always wondered what she would say, how she would comfort the girl she made that promise to. “I wish I had the power to change this … I really do. But it’s too late now. No one can reach him.”
She thought about Sage’s death, and even though Elric didn’t give the killing blow, he assisted in it.
Jen wiped the tears from her face. Her brown cheeks and hazel eyes absorbed the light that pierced the darkness of the cold room. “I will.”
With narrowing eyes, Violet glared. She didn’t care if Jen saw the disbelief. The skepticism cracked her face like an old painting. That pride of hers made Violet sick. “You don’t understand. Seeing it on TV is nothing. Elric’s not the same person. He’ll stop at nothing to destroy everything.”
&
nbsp; “I know. I … I know. But he needs me to be there for him. If I had come back sooner, none of this would’ve happened. I can do it; I’ll bring him back.”
Violet shook her head. “I was right where you were. I had that same confidence. But people almost died because of that confidence … People did die.” She could see Sage’s smiling face in the back of her mind.
“You aren’t me,” Jen argued.
Violet had to hold her tongue and fist back. She wondered how someone so headstrong, so determined and confident could be so oblivious and so blind. “Jen, you don’t know anything.”
“I know Elric better than anyone. I know exactly what he’s been through. And I know what he needs.”
“Jen, he’s responsible for the deaths of thousands.”
Jen’s head fell on Violet’s shoulder. “Thank you for loving him when I couldn’t. I know you tried. Those scars. That pain. You gave your all to try and stop him. Thank you, but it’s my turn now.”
Violet thought about Elric’s cold eyes right before he destroyed Boston and sent them running for their lives. He was like an emotionless robot. “He’s a monster, Jen. He will kill you.”
“You don’t get it. From the day I met him, he never had much. Then to have the few who cared about him taken away … It must’ve killed him inside. He never had the chance to know his real parents or know what happened to them. Just like me, he was an orphan. I never knew my real parents either. We were both alone until we found each other. Then I …” Jen clenched her fist and winced as tears fell from her eyes.
“I don’t know what else to tell you,” Violet said in a near whisper. “Nobody here can stop you from feeling the way you do. But you haven’t seen it. The pain and destruction he’s caused. You haven’t felt the emptiness that pours from him.”
“I’ve made up my mind even if it kills me.” Jen got to her feet and fixed her hair into a ponytail. “Nobody should be alone in a world like this, especially Elric. He deserves more than hatred.”
There was a love there that no one could ever understand. Even with the ability to feel everything around her, Violet was blind to that love. Unconditional. Undying and unbreakable. Violet thought she had that love for all of them. Especially Elric. But she didn’t.
Not after the sight of him helping take Sage away, and then Boston. .. She would never forgive Elric. But this girl was willing to go the distance.
“Jen, I know you love him, but—”
“You’ll never understand. I’m moving past all that.” She closed her eyes. “Are you done?”
Jen’s words hit hard. Violet’s face flushed red. Her knuckles cracked into a fist. “I hope you’re as strong as you think you are. That love you have for him. You’re going to need it. I promise you that.”
She wanted to slap Jen in the face, knock some sense into her. The girl was insane.
Jen was silent.
Violet took a deep breath; the anger sweltering from Jen was impossible to ignore. She’s more stubborn than I’ll ever be. But she’s gone crazy if she thinks she’s going to change him now.
Jen extended a hand, and Violet saw that her expression had softened.
Violet accepted Jen’s offer and rose to her feet. “Well, no point in trying to change your mind then. I think it’s time to get back to the others.”
“I don’t know if I can. I’ve been a real piece of work lately.”
Violet smiled. That’s putting it mildly. “We’ve all had a rough time since the attacks in Boston. Besides, Eden owes you a huge apology for what he did.”
“You know Elric loved you guys, right? I mean more than anything. When you brought him back that day and left him, all he thought about was all of you. He was worried. Broken.”
A memory flashed in the back of Violet’s mind. Her lips curved softly, remembering the rigorous training Zaroule and Sage put them through. No amount of training could prepare them for all the loss they had to endure.
A hand was placed over Violet’s shoulder. “I know you can’t forgive him. But don’t lose hope, okay?”
“Things would have been different if you came back sooner. But just like you’ve made your decision … I’ve long since made mine.” The bitterness of their conversation was still on Violet’s lips. The failure to save all those people in Boston, heavy. Still, she wouldn’t take that anger out on Jen. “But I’m glad you’re here now. It has to mean something, right?”
Chapter 4
Worst Behavior
Wheels squealed as a blazing red Ferrari whipped around the corner of L.A.’s busiest street. From the roofless coupe, Elric’s messy black hair blew wildly into his pale face, sirens blaring just behind. From the driver’s seat, Enzo wailed with a raised fist and, struggling to keep herself from flying out of the car, Rai grabbed onto anything she could.
Police cruisers bolted through the dust and smoke of peeled rubber like bullets out of a smoking pistol. Elric glanced down at Rai’s fingers digging into the leather of his seat. Her trembling hand pulled a few blue strands behind her ear.
“Don’t you think we’re going a little too fast, Enzo?” she blurted from her perch stuffed in the middle. Her tiny, slender frame sat just over the shift with her boots straddling the base.
“What? We’re only going ninety-five,” Enzo argued, his dark-brown eyes big and consumed with excitement. The speed demon had him now.
Rai yelled, “In a forty-five!”
A devilish grin stretched over Enzo’s dimpled dark-brown face as his fingers wrapped around the clutch. He slammed it forward and shouted in an attempt to compete with the roaring engine. Rai and Elric were thrown back.
An icy gust rolled from Elric’s left side as Rai dug an icy blade into the shift area, using it as a handle to keep from being thrown out of the topless coupe.
Elric ignored Enzo’s howl of excitement and obnoxious laughter, focusing on the rearview mirror. Five police cruisers raced behind the Italian luxury beast, lights flickering in the desert Cali heat. They organized pretty quick.
The Ferrari dealership went up in flames fifteen minutes after the manager refused to let Enzo test drive one of the newer models. One thing led to another, and now they were in the midst of a police chase. This just three days after Boston.
A deep exhale left Elric’s lungs as he eased back into the leather bucket seat. He wasn’t big into fast cars and the fancy life. Never was. He thought about his childhood with that girl he once knew. They used to go to all kinds of fundraisers and yacht parties with her parents. She was dead and gone now. Like everyone else.
Elric cracked his neck, sat up and began unclipping his seat belt.
Rai’s turquoise eyes dropped down to the straps. “Where’re you going?” she asked as an icy breath left her lips.
He took hold of the windshield and pulled himself up. Judging the speed and force of the wind, he could glide easily. The crimson glow consumed his dark-brown pupils hungrily as he caught them in the rearview mirror. Sharp. Diabolical. “Take my seat. I want to stretch my wings a bit.”
She reached out and grasped his hand. “Elric, you don’t have to?”
“Take my seat. I’ll be back.” His tone became direct and brackish, cutting Rai at the knees as her eyes met his bloodlust gaze.
He whipped around the hood of the car. Buildings, people, and other vehicles were a blur. The force helped him stay close to the windshield.
Elric yelled, “Enzo! Speed up!”
“I’m at one-ten in a city. You know I will, though.” He howled again.
Elric launched himself into the air. The wings tore through the back of his shirt, blocking out the sun below the police cruisers. He gave one flap, catching the wind, then dove toward the lead cruiser.
He crashed into the hood, and the whole front crumbled, dropping the engine below the cruiser. Windows shattered, rattling everyone inside as the cruiser flipped on its nose. Elric leaped to the hood of the second vehicle. With his razor-sharp claws, he sliced through the roo
f like scissors through paper. He yanked out the passenger. The man’s face was beet-red, his eyes wet with tears and frantic with disbelief. Elric tossed him into the wind before he could get a word out.
“I need back up, now! Get him off me!” the driver shouted into his radio.
A third vehicle pulled up beside them. Bullets from the passenger seat pelted the thin layer of darkness that coated Elric’s flesh, dissolving on impact. Blackness slithered from Elric’s arm and wrapped around the vehicle. The cruiser was lifted off all four tires and hurled into a building across from them.
Screams and the shattering of glass were quickly devoured by the roaring sounds of the chase. Elric ripped the driver out of the vehicle he was on and jumped into the air, flapping to keep up with the Ferrari.
The cruiser crashed into a restaurant, sending people scattering. It wasn’t long before the beating of a helicopter filled their ears as it approached from the west side.
The officer fought to break free of the claws that cut through the straps of his body armor. He cursed, dripping with sweat. “What the hell are you? What do you want?”
Elric’s eyes burned into the officer’s.
“We just want to relax,” Elric replied apathetically.
With just as much care as his voice carried, he tossed the man to the side. The officer smacked the tar and rolled into a ditch.
One of the cruisers fell back, whipping around in the direction where the officer lay. The other valiantly continued the chase, fighting to catch up to the sleek-bodied Ferrari that flowed in and out of traffic. It whipped onto the highway with a screech. Rai must have been cussing and fighting Enzo from the passenger seat.
Why red, Enzo? Elric thought, shaking his head in the dry air.
Elric turned and slung a black mass of energy at the trailing helicopter. With smooth precision, it swayed out of the way. He stiffened his wings, gliding away from the police chase, hoping the helicopter would follow. Instead, it darted around him, continuing after the red Ferrari.