by KT Webb
“I’m sorry to hear that. You must be pretty lonely. My father is away a lot on business, and our mother disappeared when we were little. We only just found out she was alive today,” Whitley said wistfully.
Both her parents were alive. How was that possible? Did Absalom and Silas miss someone? If so, they were going to be pretty mad.
“So are your parents freak shows too?” Malcolm asked.
Before she could respond, there was a strange vibration in the air. Malcolm felt the temperature drop, and was struck with annoyance as he realized what it meant. He looked at Whitley and saw she felt it too. She reached over and took his hand, and pulled him up the hill. They reached Romulus and Nora, who were standing in tense positions. They could feel it, and they didn't look happy.
“We need to get out of here, now,” Nora said quietly.
“Get them in the car. I will try to keep them busy while you get back to Dorian. There's no way we can fight without one of them getting hurt.” Romulus was pointing at Whitley and Malcolm.
Nora shook her head. “Either we all go together, or I stay behind. I can hide and keep them from seeing you as you get them back home. That way if something happens and they catch up to you, they'll have your protection.”
Malcolm watched as Nora and Romulus exchanged a look and embraced. When they pulled away, Nora wiped tears from her face. She took a step forward as though she wanted to hug Whitley too, but stopped herself, nodded at both of them, and took off at a sprint.
“Get in.”
Malcolm and Whitley saw Romulus holding open the back door of the Range Rover.
“And stay low.”
Malcolm obeyed immediately, knowing this was the final step in his infiltration, but Whitley stayed back.
“Why is Nora staying?” she challenged Romulus.
“She has to. Silas and Absalom are almost here. Now get in the car,” Romulus said through gritted teeth.
Whitley shook her head and stood her ground.
“Whitley, come on!” Romulus yelled, making the strain in his voice obvious.
“I am not leaving Nora. She needs help. You need to take Malcolm and go. If he belongs to Absalom, he will be the target. I don't think they'll hurt me without Hadley here, they want us both.” Whitley was all business, but stopped to give Romulus a pleading look. “Please, Romulus. My mom has raised Nora like another daughter. I know that if anything happened to her, I would never forgive myself for the pain it will cause her.”
Romulus dropped his head and shoulders in defeat. "You are more like your mother than you will ever know," he said with fierce pride in his voice.
He placed a hand on Whitley's shoulder and kissed the top of her head. She ran after Nora. Romulus hopped in, and soon they were pealing out of town.
Chapter Twelve:
Nora
Nora tucked herself into an alley behind a dumpster. She could feel them coming, and they were close. She could only hope she would be able to buy Romulus enough time to get the others to safety.
She stiffened, hearing approaching footsteps. She focused on an image of an empty alley, and projected it to anyone who may be coming. Sitting quietly against a brick building, she waited for the intruder to move on.
“Nora?” A voice whispered, breaking her concentration. It was Whitley.
Nora stood up and peeked around the corner of the dumpster. She saw relief flood Whitley's face and felt a grin creep onto her own.
“What are you doing here? I saw the Rover drive away,” she asked.
“I couldn't leave you here alone. I mean, I'm basically your sister,” Whitley responded.
Nora felt her face flush and rushed to hug Whitley. “You have no idea what this means to me. But I don't want you to get hurt. You don't know how to control your ability.”
“Don't worry about me, maybe I'll accidentally do something brilliant.” Whitley smiled.
The moment passed quickly as the temperature fluctuated again. She exchanged a nervous look with Whitley, then grabbed her hand and led her to the mouth of the alley.
“Silas likes to use his favorite ability—ice. He can make everything freeze, even in the middle of the summer. Absalom can set fire to anything, even if it’s fireproof. I actually think it’s a bit funny when he and Absalom are together. It’s like they’re having a tug of war with the temperature,” Nora said quietly.
“Imagine what would happen if they ran into Hadley,” Whitley answered.
Nora nodded with wide eyes. She hadn’t thought about that dynamic. It was more evident than ever that they could not get their hands on the twins. If they absorbed their powers, Absalom and Silas would be unstoppable.
Nora looked out at the park that was busy again, now that the effects of her ability had worn off. She frowned and closed her eyes. She could feel them, they were close. Her eyes snapped open and instantly focused on two figures loping toward them.
“Listen, you need to really focus. I know you haven't been able to control yourself yet, but if you're going to figure it out, now would be perfect,” she whispered urgently to Whitley.
Whitley nodded and closed her eyes. Nora grinned as she took a step out of the alley. “This is gonna be fun.”
All at once, the Old Immortals recognized her. She could see the change in their bodies as they continued forward. Nora could almost imagine the wicked smiles on their faces. They were confident, and they were sure they would be gaining more power today.
A chill ran down her spine, and she felt her hair stand on end. Something was happening. Nora chanced a glance at Whitley, and relished the look of triumph on her face. She would not be alone in this fight.
“Ah, little Nora Lowell. You've grown since we last met,” Silas sneered.
“I've grown in more than one way, Silas,” Nora spat out his name.
“All the power I feel can't be from you. Have you found an Evolved playmate?” Silas asked playfully.
“Yes she has.” Whitley stepped forward.
Nora felt Whitley come to stand beside her. Energy was crackling in the air. Whitley was a quick study.
“Oh, who is this?” Absalom asked. “No, don't tell me. How is this even possible?”
Nora cringed as the Old Immortals exchanged excited glances. Whitley looked so much like her mother that it was not difficult to determine whose child she was. She knew they would now be focused on Whitley, and it would only be a matter of time before they got a matching set. She had to get Whitley out of here before they got too many ideas.
“I'm going to make you invisible,” Nora whispered to Whitley.
“You can do that?” Whitley asked shocked.
“Well, kind of. I mean, I can make it so they can't see you. They're looking at you like a piece of meat,” Nora responded disgustedly.
Nora smiled as Whitley melted from view.
“What's this? You can make things disappear now?” Silas asked incredulously, his nostrils flaring in his long, narrow nose.
“Don't be a fool. She's just messing with our heads. The girl isn't gone, she's still here somewhere.” Absalom looked around.
“Oh, she's here somewhere. But you'll have to kill me in order to find her. Think you can manage that?” Nora was feeling cocky.
“Well, I've been itching to kill someone today,” said Silas with venom in his voice.
Absalom shifted and began to form a ball of fire in his hands. Before he could do anything with it, electricity crackled in the air as Whitley shot past her. Nora could see her, but they couldn't, and that girl had moves. The impact she made when she collided with Absalom was intense. Nora saw his body ripple as Whitley shot straight through him. Absalom was shocked and gasping for breath.
“This girl has inherited her mother’s abilities. I have to say, I am so intrigued by her mere existence. None of the other Old Immortal females could have children. Why her mother?” Silas mused.
Nora began to feel her nerves creeping up on her. Something wasn't right. They hadn't mention
ed Malcolm at all. Their focus had completely changed the second they saw Whitley. Nora hadn't planned on having to defend someone. This was just supposed to be a distraction. She had to do something.
“Well, this visit has been so nice, but I think we should be going,” Nora said awkwardly, searching for her next move. Then it hit her. “Oh, I almost forgot, I was so sorry to hear about what happened with Thatcher.” Nora knew her reference to the death of Caprice would rattle his cage and end the meaningless banter.
Silas looked confused, as a look that resembled loss crossed his face.
“I should clarify. I meant I was sorry he didn't kill you too,” Nora said sweetly.
Silas snarled and threw out his arms. A burst of power came from him, and the ground began to shake as the temperature plummeted. Ice shot up around them in a circle, and people began to scream. Whitley grabbed Nora's hand, and she squeezed in response. Nora began to panic. What was she thinking going up against these two? Especially in such a public place. The humans around them would be killed if Silas unleashed another earthquake.
Her heart began to beat quickly, and she felt faint. This hadn't happened before. Maybe she was just nervous. The world spun around her, and confusion sank in. Nora closed her eyes to keep herself from throwing up.
“Well, that was new.” Dorian's voice broke through the waves of nausea.
Nora opened her eyes and found herself standing in the library at her house, still holding Whitley's hand. Silas and Absalom were nowhere in sight. Somehow, she had transported Whitley and herself to the safest place she knew.
Chapter Thirteen:
Dorian
Dorian smiled to himself as he looked at Nora. He knew she was slowly growing more powerful, inheriting the abilities he had enjoyed in his youth. It seemed the death of Caprice had set the prophecies in motion, and the Evolved were growing at an accelerated pace.
“How did I do that?” Nora looked pale as she sank to the floor. “Where are Silas and Absalom?”
“Nora, your ability is growing,” Dorian said gently. “I'm inclined to believe you're all going to see a burst in power now that you're all together. The prophecies will start soon.”
Dorian felt a confusion settle over the room, and he looked at the faces he'd seen grow from a distance. He'd been waiting for them to grow more comfortable with the idea of having powerful abilities. The discovery of Malcolm was troubling. There had only been five Evolved in the prophecies. He wasn't sure where Malcolm fit in, but he knew his appearance wasn't going to bode well for one of the Evolved.
He listened to Nora and Whitley share their story about their encounter with Silas and Absalom. He was concerned about the interest they showed in Whitley, but knew it was expected. The only positive was that they still didn’t know there were two of them. He needed to keep it that way for as long as possible. If they never saw them together until the inevitable battle, it could give them the element of surprise they needed to win.
“They really didn’t mention the boy at all?” Dorian asked Nora.
“No. It was strange. They didn’t even seem distracted, and they seemed more interested in witty banter than anything else,” Nora said.
“Well, Absalom always did like to play with his food,” Tahlia said.
“Yuck!” Hadley and Whitley said in unison.
“He really eats people? That’s not an ability I’m going to inherit, right?” Thatcher said in shock.
Dorian and Tahlia laughed. “No, he doesn’t really eat people, I was being facetious.”
“Oh good,” Thatcher said, not completely convinced.
“Absalom killed my father,” Kerr said suddenly.
Dorian looked at Kerr. He’d been quiet since the girls returned. He should have known Kerr would see everything they saw within a few moments. Dorian was kicking himself for not realizing that Kerr wouldn’t know which of the Old Immortals was responsible for the death of Cole Mason.
“Yes, he did,” Dorian said simply.
“I can still see him. I see him every time I think about my father. Every memory of my father is haunted by his face,” Kerr said in a strained voice.
Before anyone could say anything to him, the library door opened and Romulus walked in with Malcolm. Romulus looked at Nora and Whitley with interest, before introducing Malcolm to the rest of the Evolved.
Taking a deep breath, he decided now was as good a time as any to explain what would be coming next. So far, all he'd told them was a history lesson, but they had no idea what the future held, and it was his job to tell them.
“Romulus, Tahlia, I think it is time to share the rest of the story with the Evolved.”
Romulus nodded, and Tahlia took a seat.
“When the Old Immortals discovered their power was being dispersed amongst their descendants, they began to worry about their future. The Creator saw this and felt sorrow, because through the years we had never questioned or worried about what our Creator had in store for us. The Creator appeared to three of our number in dreams. The first had an unwavering faith in the Creator’s ability to guide our paths, the second possessed a hope for the future, no matter what it meant for the Old Immortals, and the third had experienced and demonstrated great love in all that he did.” Dorian paused to allow questions, but found there were none.
“In their dreams, they were each told to journey to the sacred meeting place where the Old Immortals worshiped the Creator. When they arrived at the temple, they saw the bright white light the Creator often chooses to appear as. The three became known as the Virtues.” Dorian paused to allow himself a sip of water.
“The Virtues returned with the Book of Prophecy. The Creator had given them a glimpse into what the future held for our kind and our descendants. The prophecies told us enough to know how important the future would be and where we would be in this moment.”
Dorian could see his words sinking into the Evolved. Hadley and Whitley were holding hands, staring at the fire, both biting their lower lip. Thatcher was concentrating on the floor with a furrowed brow. Malcolm looked confused and terrified. Kerr was pacing.
“You were the three. You are the Virtues,” Kerr said with absolute certainty.
Romulus stepped forward and put a hand on Kerr's shoulder. “Yes, son, we are. And we are all that remains of the Old Immortals who chose to follow the Creator’s plan.”
They looked at each other for a moment, then Kerr nodded, and resigned himself to the couch.
“Dorian has the most faith I've ever seen in one being,” Tahlia said, revealing the first of the Virtues.
“And Tahlia has more hope than all of us put together.” Romulus beamed at his sister with pride.
“So that leaves love. It makes sense to me that you would represent love after seeing the glimpses of your life.” Kerr smiled at Romulus.
Dorian was pleased to see Kerr and Romulus sharing so much already. He knew how important Kerr was to his brother. He felt Romulus had suffered enough through the years of watching and waiting.
“Okay, so what did this creator tell you three?” Thatcher asked. “Can you skip the big show and just tell us? I'm getting pretty tired.”
Dorian smiled kindly. It would take time for Thatcher to warm up to them.
He continued, “Well, the Creator was trying to show us the reason we were here. After all the years of allowing us to help the human race, he was finally ready to show us his master plan. We were created to usher in the New Era. The Era led by our descendants. We were the tools the Creator used to bring forth the future he had in mind for his world.”
Nora had regained her equilibrium and felt it was her turn to share. Over the years she studied their history, and had come to know it as well as the Virtues themselves.
“The Creator has always wanted to bring the human race full circle. In the beginning, the Creator was able to walk with humans—teach them, and lead them. But through the years, humans lost that connection. Because of their attitudes and actions, they were for
ced to live in ignorance. Some of the humans continued to be humbled by the one who had created them, while others felt he had abandoned them and decided to raise their families without the knowledge, love, and guidance of the Creator.”
“Whoa, this is starting to sound like some kind of crazy cult,” Thatcher said with his hands raised defensively in front of him. “I mean, I've met a lot of religious fanatics in my life who all think they're right. I am not interested in some weird religious stuff.”
Dorian, Nora, Romulus, and Tahlia laughed loudly.
“I don't think you quite understand, Thatcher. This isn't a cult, and unfortunately, your membership isn't really negotiable, it's just who you are. The Creator is the inspiration for every god that has ever been. No matter what religious preference a person may have, no matter what various deities they think they're worshiping, they are all the same one. The Creator has many names. He has many homes, many languages, and many aspects.” Romulus smiled broadly.
For a moment, there was complete silence as the concept of every god being the only one settled in. Dorian waited patiently for the questions he was sure would come, but the first one was not what he had expected.
“So, what you're saying is that all those times in history when people killed each other over their religion, it was pointless? All those people died for nothing,” Malcolm said quietly.
Dorian tried to decide how best to explain. “Yes, Malcolm, that is exactly what we're saying. It is unfortunate, but it has happened time and time again. And unfortunately, the world isn't going to magically accept the New Era you will be responsible for. More will die pointlessly, of that I have no doubt.”
“Wait a minute, the gods of every religion are different. They punish differently, they demand different forms of worship from their followers, and they all have their own set of wrong and right.” Whitley began to argue.
“Ah, there it is,” Dorian said. “You're not talking about the Creator. You're talking about religion. Belonging to a certain religion and belonging to the Creator are two different things. If you possess faith in your Creator, hope in the future your Creator has in store for you, and demonstrate the love your Creator instilled in you, you are following the right path, no matter what any religion has twisted those things to be.”