Fractured Soul

by Rachel McClellan

  “What’s that?”

  “He doesn’t know that you know about the pills. You have to keep pretending that he’s not a Vyken.”

  “Right.”

  “Don’t be scared.”

  “Not me.”

  “Keep my phone with you.”

  “I will. And will you tell Christian, I mean, about Tessa?” There was no way I was going to tell Christian I was about to see Cyrus. He’d freak out, especially after I told him and the others about the Shadow, and my suspicions of Cyrus last night.

  “He won’t be happy.”

  “I’ll text you his number.”

  “Call me when it’s over,” he said. “I want to know you’re okay.”

  “Will do. Later.” I hung up, but before I pocketed my phone, I texted him Christian’s number. Bells chimed. No way was I going to class today. I had to find a way into Cyrus’s office, and I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be easy.

  I left my room, nerves shaking and a lump in my throat the size of an apple. Instead of going straight to Cyrus’s office, I went to the dining room to tell May and Kiera what was going on. I found them at a table by themselves. May was in the middle of telling Kiera all about the night before. Kiera looked pale. No smiles this time.

  “Hey, guys,” I said and sat down.

  May sort of smiled, but Kiera didn’t acknowledge me. “I had no idea,” she said, her gaze fixated on a plate of French toast in front of her.

  “About what?” I asked.

  She looked at me. “I mean, I know you guys have been talking about Vykens taking our blood, and them basically drugging us, but I guess I didn’t realize how serious it was until May told me. Fifteen Vykens?”

  “At least.” I looked around the room before I lowered my voice and said, “Something bad has happened, guys. This morning—”

  Kiera took hold of my arm, startling me. “You’ve got to teach me. About fighting, about how to use Light, about everything.”

  I shook my head, although I should have been happy. I’d been waiting forever for an Aura to say that, but the timing was all wrong. “Fine. I will, but first I have to tell you—”

  “Good,” Kiera interrupted again. “Because I don’t want to be a sitting duck.”

  “Would you let her finish already!” May said.

  Kiera looked at her and had a moment of awakening. “Right,” she said. “I’m over it now. I’m listening.”

  I took a deep breath. “Last night the twins were attacked while taking Jackson to the Deific. He escaped and now Tessa’s missing.”

  May brought her hand to her mouth.

  “I’ve got to go talk to . . .” I hesitated, unsure how they’d feel about me talking to Cyrus alone, especially after telling them about Cyrus and the Shadow. “Some people about Tessa,” I finished. It was just a conversation. Nothing was going to happen.

  “What can we do?” May asked.

  “Ask around. Talk to the students and teachers. See if anyone’s seen her.”

  “You can count on us,” Kiera said.

  I nodded and hurried off to Cyrus’s office. Instead of taking the stairs, I took the elevator to make sure I wouldn’t chicken out. When the doors opened I just stood there, staring at the long hallway.

  Ms. Crawford appeared when she walked out from one of the offices. “Llona? What are you doing here?” she asked.

  I forced myself forward, my eyes scanning the name plaques on the wall. “I’m just looking for Ms. Smitty. She said to meet her here.”

  “But she’s probably at breakfast.”

  I looked away, trying not to panic. Think, Llona!

  “Are you okay? You look upset?”

  A sudden thought occurred. I looked back at her, my eyes big, and I hoped glass-looking. “Some of the girls were giving me a hard time. About my mother. Ms. Smitty wanted to talk to me about it before class.”

  Ms. Crawford pulled me into a hug. “Don’t you worry about those girls. Your mother was a special woman. If only we all could’ve been as brave as her.”

  I pulled away, startled. “You mean that?”

  “Of course. I always admired your mother. You come from a long line of independent women. It’s just unfortunate that others don’t appreciate it as much as myself.” She patted me on the arm. “You go wait in her office. I’m sure she’ll be along soon.”

  I nodded and walked past her. Ms. Smitty’s office door was open so I flipped on the light and sat down. The walls were a pale green color. Nature photos, some of forests and others of mountains, hung at eye level, but I couldn’t get near them because the room was also filled with plants. They were everywhere, making me feel like I was in a jungle.

  Several minutes passed before I dared to leave. Other than Ms. Crawford, I hadn’t seen anyone else.

  I stood up and peeked into the hallway toward Cyrus’s office. Coast was clear. I went toward the heavy wooden door; it seemed to grow larger the closer I came to it. I stopped in front of it and reached up to knock, but as I did so the door opened. My legs almost gave out, and my head spun as if I’d just stepped off a merry-go-round.

  In front of me, staring at me with a stern expression behind black-rimmed glasses, was Cyrus’s assistant, Jameson. A Vyken. Jameson was the Vyken, not Cyrus. This sudden information rocked my frame, but I forced myself to stay upright. “I need to see Cyrus,” I said, trying hard to sound forceful.

  “He can’t be bothered right now,” Jameson said, his gums exposed.

  “I just have to ask him some questions. It’s important.”

  “Then come back between four and five. He visits with students during that time.” He moved to close the door, but I put my foot into the door jam.

  “It can’t wait.”

  “Let her in,” I heard Cyrus say.

  Reluctantly, Jameson opened the door wide. I moved into the room and away from Jameson, hoping the nausea would leave me, but it didn’t go away. It grew stronger.

  I glanced behind me at Jameson and then back at Cyrus, realizing the predicament I’d just put myself in. I was now alone in a room with not one, but two Vykens.

  THIRTY-TWO

  I reached, as casually as possible, to the nearest chair to steady myself. “Thank you for seeing me, Cyrus,” I said, trying hard to keep my voice from cracking.

  From behind his desk, Cyrus grinned, slow and deliberate. An angel’s smile on the devil’s face. I could see why everyone trusted him so much.

  “Llona. It’s good to see you again. I trust everything has been resolved since our last conversation?”

  Other than his lips, he didn’t move. No shifting, no ticks, or movement of his hands. I don’t think he was even breathing. “Um, yes, sorry about that. I was confused. You know, from everything I’ve been through.” I looked down, away from his gaze that seemed to see right through me.

  “It’s quite understandable. Have a seat.”

  I eagerly accepted. One second longer and I might’ve fainted.

  Cyrus examined me for a minute before he said, “I knew your grandmother and your great-grandmother. Did you know that?”

  I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head. I gulped and said, “I assume they attended Lucent Academy?”

  “They did. Rebels they were. Like your mother.”

  The fog in my head cleared real quick.

  When I didn’t say anything, he said, “Now, what seems to be the problem?”

  I was vaguely aware that Jameson had positioned himself behind me. My muscles tensed. “I’m worried about my friend,” I said.

  “And who’s your friend?”

  “Her name’s Tessa.”

  He moved. A fraction of an inch. “I don’t think I’ve heard the name.”

  “She’s a Lizen,” I said.

  His eyebrows rose. “Auras are making friends with Lizens now?”

  This comment, on the tail of what he’d just said about my mother, sent a surge of anger, black as night, pulsing through my veins, but I forced m
yself to remain calm. For now. “Yes,” I said, my nails digging into the upholstered chair.

  “Strange,” he said, “but I guess that’s to be expected from you. So what’s wrong with your friend, the Lizen?”

  “Tessa,” I said. “Her name’s Tessa, and she’s missing.” The Vyken’s dark poison inside me burned, and I wanted nothing more than to jump across the table and strangle him.

  Just then a beeping sound filled the room. I glanced behind me. Jameson removed a cell phone from his pocket and looked at it.

  Cyrus looked from Jameson and then to me. “Missing? For how long?”

  “A few hours.”

  Cyrus laughed, but when he saw my serious expression, he coughed. “I’m sure it’s nothing. A rebellious Lizen teenager, no doubt, but I’ll promise you this, if no one hears from her by tonight, we’ll look into it.”

  I was about to argue when Jameson interrupted, “I need to speak with you, sir.”

  “I’m visiting with a student, Jameson. Whatever it is can wait until we’re finished.”

  “It’s important.”

  Cyrus stared at Jameson. By the look of Jameson’s paler-than-normal complexion, I would’ve guessed he was about to tell Cyrus his house had burned down. Now Cyrus was breathing. His chest rose and fell. Once.

  Cyrus stood up. “I’ll be just a moment.” He followed Jameson out of the room and closed the door behind him.

  I inhaled deeply; the tension in my muscles relaxed, as I was no longer controlling the nauseating effect the Vykens had on me. I focused my hearing, trying to listen in on their conversation, but I couldn’t hear a thing. They must’ve gone into the stairwell.

  Several minutes passed. I was too afraid to get up and explore the room, not that I was sure I’d find anything. The only thing I was interested in looking at was a thick row of leather-bound books on a shelf nearby. I hoped I’d find information about the Lizen’s history to give Tessa.

  The sound of an old clock, hanging high on the wall behind Cyrus’s desk, ticked and tocked. Its steady beat reminded me of how tired I was. Tick. Tock. I closed my eyes. Tick. Tock. And then . . .

  My eyes snapped open. What was that? A sound beyond the clock’s mesmerizing tone. Very faint, but definitely there. I stood and moved behind Cyrus’s desk.

  Tick tock.

  I pressed my ear to the wall. Muffled voices too faint to make out, but someone was clearly beyond the wall. As far as I could tell, the placement of Cyrus’s office was in the corner, which meant he should have two windows, one on the north side and another on the east like all the other corner rooms in the school, but Cyrus’s office only had one window.

  I knocked on the wall softly. Hollow.

  Just then I heard the doorknob turning. “Have him call me tonight,” I heard Cyrus say just outside the door. I hurried back to my seat and dropped into it just as the door swung open. I tried to slow my breathing, but Cyrus still looked at me funny.

  “Everything okay?” I asked, hoping my face wasn’t flushed.

  “Yes, of course.” He went behind his desk and scanned the items as if checking to see if anything was missing.

  I stood. “So, you’ll look into Tessa’s disappearance?”

  He looked up. “What?”

  “Tessa. The missing Lizen.”

  “Of course. I will do all that I can.”

  I turned to leave, but he stopped me. “Miss Reese, you come from a long line of strong Auran women, but they had a habit of getting themselves into trouble. I hope that won’t be you.”

  I placed my hand on the door and looked back. “I abhor trouble, sir. Have a good day.” I smiled and closed the door, reeling over what I’d just discovered.

  I was about to start down the hallway when I heard the elevator door open. I dove into the nearest empty office next to Cyrus’s. The lights were off, and, as I crawled beneath a desk, I wondered if I was making a mistake. I hadn’t really thought of a plan, but I had to see what was beyond that wall. If there was even the slightest chance that Tessa was back there, I had to take it.

  Whoever came out of the elevator, probably a teacher, went into an office across the hall. They were there for about ten minutes, shuffling papers and typing on a keyboard, before they finally left. I glanced at my watch. In a few more hours teachers would most likely come to this hall for their lunch break. I couldn’t stay here forever. One hour, I decided. I would wait one hour to see if Cyrus and Jameson left the room. If they didn’t, then I’d have to return at night, which I really didn’t want to do.

  I kept my ears tuned for sounds in Cyrus’s office. Twenty minutes passed and I hadn’t heard a word, not a rustling of papers, or even a chair leg sliding against wooden floors. This struck me as odd. What if no one was in there? What if they had escaped through the wall while I was listening to whoever had gone into the office across the hall?

  I waited another ten minutes, listening to nothing but the slow, steady hum of an air conditioner somewhere in the building. I crawled out of my hiding spot and glanced down the hall. No one.

  Very slowly, I turned the doorknob to Cyrus’s office. I froze when the latch clicked, but no one said anything or rushed to the door. I cracked it open and looked inside. I opened the door farther. The office was empty.

  I moved quickly to the wall behind Cyrus’s desk and felt around for some kind of notch or other object that looked out of place but found nothing. It had to open somehow. I dropped into Cyrus’s seat and swiveled around. I felt under his desk, opened his drawers; I even clicked a few pens thinking maybe it was some sort of remote control. Finally, after checking everything, I swiveled back to face the wall. I stretched my legs out and noticed my shoelace was untied. But that wasn’t all I noticed.

  At the base of the wall, where the floorboards came to meet it, part of the floor was slightly raised. I wouldn’t have noticed the deformity by looking down on it. I stood up and pressed my toe onto it. I heard a clicking sound and a section of the wall sunk in. I pushed on it and felt it give.

  I was about to push it all the way open but stopped as I remembered all the horror shows I’d watched with Jake. A common mistake of victims was never telling anyone where they were going. I didn’t want to be a victim. I pulled out Liam’s phone and texted: “Found secret room in Cyrus’s office, behind desk. Latch on floor. I’m going in.” I hit send.

  Before I got a response back, I pocketed the phone. I could probably guess what Liam would say, but there just wasn’t time to wait for someone to come with me, nor would I risk anyone else’s life.

  I pushed on the door until it was wide enough for me to slip in. It was dark and cold and the air smelled faintly of rusted copper pipes. I produced a ball of Light. Just in front of me was a narrow, metal stairwell that spiraled down into darkness. I swallowed and gripped the railing. Here goes nothing.

  I wasn’t sure how far I’d gone, but by the change in the temperature, I guessed I was beneath ground level. A little bit farther and the stairs finally ended at the beginning of a long hallway. On each side were doors with small windows covered by bars. It reminded me of an old, abandoned psychiatric hospital. I really have to stop thinking of scary movies, I thought. I pushed the images from my mind and continued forward.

  At least there were lights down here—two light bulbs hanging from a wooden slat ceiling. Occasionally a drop of water would find its way between the warped boards and fall to the concrete floor. Parts of the floor had a greenish-blue hue as if mold had taken root. That would explain the pungent smell.

  I avoided the green areas and stopped only long enough to peek through the bars of each closed door. Up ahead, I heard faint voices. I worked quickly. Other than metal beds, some of them turned upside down, the rooms were empty.

  I thought my efforts had been a waste of time, but then I looked into the last room. Tied to a chair and head slumped forward was a person sitting motionless. Although her head was covered by a black cloth, I knew by her tan pants and black shirt that it was
Tessa.

  I tried the doorknob and exhaled when I found it unlocked. I carefully opened the door to avoid any creaking of what looked like a two-hundred-year-old door. Tessa remained still. I didn’t allow myself to think that she may be hurt. I just needed to get her out of here.

  After I closed the door behind me, I went to Tessa and lightly touched her back. She jerked as if doused by water and thrashed back and forth. “Be quiet, Tessa. It’s me,” I whispered. I removed the head covering.

  She blinked several times. “What are you doing here?” She glanced behind me toward the door.

  “Saving you.”

  Not far off another door opened.

  “Hide!” Tessa said.

  I looked around. My only option was under the bed. I moved to dive under it.

  “Wait! The hood,” Tessa whispered.

  I scooped it off the floor and pulled it back over her head. Just before the door opened, I slid under the bed. The concrete floor was cold and wet in the corner.

  Three people—or I should say Vykens by the way my body was reacting—walked into the room. For several seconds no one said anything. Then, “Someone’s been in here,” I heard Jameson say. “I can smell it. Search the room.”

  There was only one place to look in the cramped room.

  Black boots shifted in the doorway. If they found me, they’d surely kill me and Tessa. I looked around helplessly. The dim light in the room reflected off an oily water puddle just in front of me. The surface of it contained all the colors of the rainbow, shifting slightly by the commotion in the room.

  Footsteps walked the floor.

  A rainbow.

  My mother.

  I guessed I had about ten seconds before I was discovered. I flexed every part of me as if I were lifting a two-ton car and wished to be invisible. Be invisible. Change! Sweat broke on my brow.

  Boots approached the bed.

  I imagined my skin shimmering, transforming into actual Light. My nails dug into my palms. Change! My body began to vibrate, rattling my insides until I thought I’d break in two.

  A knee joined the boots on the floor.

  Be invisible! I was shaking so hard I thought I might be having a seizure.