The Evolved (The New Era Saga Book 1)

by KT Webb

  “Someone catch me up,” Thatcher said, shrugging apologetically at the woman.

  “I’m going to get them out of here,” Nora said simply. Then she smiled at the young woman in front of her. “What’s your name?”

  “Penny.”

  “Penny, I’m going to help you. I’m going to get you and your baby out of here. You have to trust me. Can you do that?” Nora asked quietly.

  The woman furrowed her brow, but nodded and checked on the baby. Nora leaned forward as she put her hand on Penny’s back.

  “Find more people, and bring them here. I’ll be back soon.” And with that, she disappeared.

  “You two should get people here. I’m going to distract Absalom,” Thatcher said.

  Romulus and Kerr exchanged a look of concern.

  “You can’t talk me out of this. I am the only one here who has an ability that can do anything against him. You two can sense people. It’s a no-brainer, really,” Thatcher told them.

  Thatcher felt mildly uncomfortable as Romulus placed both hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eyes.

  “You have nothing to prove, Thatcher. Don’t forget that,” Romulus said before heading out of the alley. Kerr slapped Thatcher on the back and followed the Old Immortal.

  Thatcher took a deep breath and was about to leave the alley too when Nora reappeared.

  “Where’d they go?” Nora asked.

  “They just went to find more people. I’m going to go offer myself up on a silver platter,” Thatcher said cheekily.

  “You’re what?!” she almost shouted. “Are you crazy? You have no idea what you’re doing. You’re not ready for that.”

  “I have to, Nora. Malcolm left yesterday. He left and went back to them. I have to see if he’s with them. I have to see if he’s helping them do this to these people. But most of all, I have to face Absalom,” Thatcher told her firmly.

  Nora was quiet for a moment. She bit her lip and looked at Thatcher thoughtfully. When they heard footsteps approaching, she nodded her head at him and told him she understood. Kerr had arrived with three more people: a scared old woman, and two terrified teenage boys. Nora didn’t even bother explaining this time, she simply grabbed onto them and disappeared.

  Thatcher and Kerr left the alley together. Kerr was still searching the streets for the little girl from his vision.

  “Maybe she hasn’t lost her mother yet, Kerr. Let me try to distract the Old Immortals while you look for her,” Thatcher told him.

  “Romulus is right, you know. Just because your prophecy tells you that you are torn doesn’t mean you have something to prove. You are who you are, and who you are is one of us,” Kerr told him as he jogged across the street.

  Thatcher stepped out into the afternoon sunlight. If he only looked at the sky, he could almost forget what was happening around him. But the pungent odor and endless tortured screams continued to remind him where he was. He was in Absalom’s playground. Thatcher wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be confused about. He wanted to stop Absalom with all his heart and all his mind. He knew without a doubt his prophecy was not about that.

  After hearing a scream erupt to his left, he took off in that direction. He broke through a row of bushes beside a parking lot to find Absalom standing over a fleshless body. It was obvious that the scene around him was something Absalom enjoyed. He didn’t blink twice at the bodies lying on the ground around him; he almost looked happy.

  Thatcher stepped out from between the bushes. He had seen enough death and destruction today. He needed to distract Absalom and find Silas.

  “What’s up, Hades?” Thatcher shouted.

  Turning in slow motion, Absalom’s lips curled into a devilish smile.

  “What was that?” Absalom asked.

  “I don’t recall stuttering,” Thatcher shot back.

  “Well, Thatcher, fancy meeting you here,” Absalom replied with an almost pleasant smile.

  “Surprise!” Thatcher said with his arms spread wide. “Where’s that boyfriend of yours?”

  “Oh now, we’ve never even been properly introduced, and you’re already insulting me?” Absalom chided.

  “So, is all this your handiwork?” Thatcher asked.

  “Yes, lovely isn’t it?” Absalom asked. “It takes a certain amount of self-control to burn the flesh from someone’s body without killing them. Luckily, I’ve had a lot of practice.”

  Thatcher couldn’t believe how casually he spoke of such awful things. He wished Silas was here too so he could be certain the killing had halted altogether. He needed to think of what to say to keep Absalom from moving on.

  “Where’s Malcolm?” Thatcher asked without thinking.

  “He’s sleeping. He’ll probably be sleeping for a while,” Absalom told him. Something in the way he said the words made Thatcher think there was more to his statement.

  “I can’t believe he would want to miss out on the party you’ve been throwing here,” Thatcher replied.

  “Well, this was never really his thing. Silas and I tend to do the maiming. Malcolm tends to pull the innocent act to bait gullible people,” Absalom remarked.

  “Ouch. Is that what he told you? That I’m gullible?” Thatcher asked. “Well, rest assured, Absalom, I never once fell for his lines about you. I see you for what you really are. I know you hold nothing but darkness inside you, and you deliver nothing but pain and suffering.”

  “Nice speech, boy.”

  Thatcher heard the voice behind him before he had time to react. Silas had appeared from between the row of bushes. He looked just as broody as ever. Thatcher backed up and turned his body so the three of them formed a triangle. There was no way he was going to let them sneak up on him again.

  “Well, Silas! I haven’t seen your brand of crazy in a while,” Thatcher said with a smile. “How long has it been?”

  Silas growled quietly as he took a step forward. “You’re a cheeky little bastard, aren’t you?”

  “Now, Silas, don’t rub in that he doesn’t have a father. You know that’s a sore subject for him,” Absalom scolded his brother.

  Thatcher felt the heat rise in his face. Absalom knew just how to get to him. It made him angry that something so simple could affect him so much. He didn’t want the Old Immortals to see his weaknesses.

  “You know, boys, I lost my father long ago. But didn’t you lose someone a little more recently, Silas?” Thatcher asked.

  The ground rumbled under his feet. Silas was angry. He knew he was taking a huge risk, but he was getting a little desperate. He wasn’t sure why the conversation had gone on so long without a fight. What did they want from him?

  “Thatcher, it’s a shame you didn’t decide to return with Malcolm. I had such high hopes for you,” Absalom said.

  “Oh yeah? Like what?” Thatcher asked.

  “Well, I would have liked for you to join me. If you had, I would have given you the honor of doing away with Malcolm. You could have absorbed his abilities and ruled beside me when I destroy the Evolved and the Virtues,” Absalom replied.

  “Right, then you could have killed me when you were done using me,” Thatcher replied. His heart rate was increasing. Had Absalom just admitted to killing Malcolm?

  “You know me too well.” Absalom laughed.

  “So because you didn’t give me the honor of killing Malcolm, I take it you’ll hold that honor?” Thatcher asked him.

  “Oh, do you still have a soft spot for the boy who betrayed you?” Absalom asked.

  “Why don’t we just kill him?” Silas demanded.

  “We can’t do that, Silas. He hasn’t served his purpose yet,” Absalom said cryptically.

  “Guys, I’m standing right here,” Thatcher said. “Look, it’s been nice, but if we’re not going to fight or anything, I might as well be heading home.”

  “Oh, don’t be ridiculous. I said I wasn’t going to kill you, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun.” Absalom smiled cruelly.

  Bef
ore Thatcher had time to react, thousands of tiny ice shards hit his body. Each shard sliced his skin easily, leaving him to drip blood on the ground from multiple wounds. He formed a flame in the palm of his hand and sent it flying toward Silas. His opponent was quicker than he expected, and managed to twist out of the way before he was hit. Silas was laughing as Absalom took his turn. He wiggled his fingers and shot tiny flames toward Thatcher.

  Thatcher dropped to the ground in time to only be hit by a few of the tiny fireballs. He tried to get back up, but realized he was lightheaded from blood loss.

  He had to work with what he had. From his position on the ground, he focused his energy on the Earth’s core. He tapped into the liquid heat flowing deep underground and imagined it breaking through the ground. As each fountain of lava shot from the ground, it encircled the Old Immortals.

  It bought Thatcher enough time to call out to Nora before he lost consciousness.

  Nora appeared by his side. She looked between Thatcher and the Old Immortals for only a brief moment, before she grabbed his arm and the world began to spin.

  Chapter Twenty-Six:

  Nora

  Nora had gotten thirty people to safety, but Kerr still hadn’t found the little girl from his vision. Romulus was unable to find any more survivors. He had taken to sitting with the dying in their last moments. Nora watched him with tears in her eyes. She was in awe of the care he showed to these poor suffering souls.

  Nora felt a pull in the pit of her stomach. She thought it was just the emotions and fear she had been experiencing since they arrived, so she tried to ignore it. But the pull got more intense, and she realized she could hear Thatcher calling her name. The pull started again, and she let herself be taken with it. Nora opened her eyes to find herself facing Silas and Absalom. They were surrounded by liquid fire. It weaved around them as though they were encaged. Nora looked between them, then down at her feet.

  “I can’t hold this much longer. They’re too strong,” Thatcher told her. He was covered in blood, but she couldn’t discern where it was coming from. “I’m losing control. We need to leave.”

  Without another thought, Nora grabbed Thatcher’s hand and took him home. Dorian looked up in surprise when she arrived without Kerr and Romulus. But his surprise quickly changed to concern when he saw Thatcher.

  “What happened to him?” Dorian asked as he came forward.

  “Silas and Absalom. I have to get back. Without Thatcher there, they’re free. They’ll find Romulus and Kerr in no time,” Nora told him. The distress in her voice was evident.

  Dorian hoisted Thatcher to a standing position and carefully put an arm around his waist. Nora was worried about Thatcher, but she had to get back. She apologized to Dorian, then found herself back in the alley. Neither Kerr nor Romulus were there, and the screaming had stopped.

  If the screaming had stopped, there was probably no one left to scream. Nora crept along the brick wall to her right. There was something about the overwhelming silence that made every move seem like a sonic boom. Once she reached the alley opening, she swept her eyes across the scene in front of her. Clearly Silas and Absalom had increased their efforts as soon as they were free of Thatcher’s cages. There were bodies everywhere now. No one was moving. Where were Kerr and Romulus?

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a little girl run around the corner. She was small, and she wore jeans and a pink jacket. Her shoes lit up as she ran. The little girl looked around in fear before she came up to Nora. Crouching down so she would be at the little girl’s height, Nora smiled kindly at her.

  “Hi, honey. My name is Nora. Who are you?” Nora asked quietly.

  “Sophie,” she replied in a tiny voice.

  “Sophie, where is your mommy?” Nora asked her.

  “I don’t know. She was here, but when the bad men came I lost her. My daddy is hurt. Can you help him?” Sophie told her.

  Nora gave her a small smile and took her hands. “Where is your daddy?”

  The little girl pointed down the block. Nora looked in that direction and saw Silas and Absalom making their way down the road. Absalom saw someone struggling to move and stopped to snap her neck. When he stood up, he looked right at Nora. Even from this distance, she could see the wicked smile on his face.

  “Sophie, listen to me. Did your daddy look like these people around us?” Nora asked, hating herself for making the innocent little girl look at the bodies littering the street.

  Sophie started crying and nodded her head when her eyes fell on the body closest to them. Nora pulled her close and kissed her head. When she looked up, she saw Kerr and Romulus running around the corner. A look of relief crossed Kerr’s face as he saw the little girl in her arms.

  “We need to get out of here,” Nora told them when they approached.

  “There are no more survivors,” Romulus replied sadly.

  A wall of fire shot up down the middle of the street, and the building next to them burst into flames. Nora closed her eyes with her arms around the little girl. She felt Kerr and Romulus each place a hand on her shoulder as she focused on transporting them to the same place she took the other survivors.

  “Sophie!” she heard a woman cry out.

  “Mommy!” Sophie yelled as she ran in the direction of Penny, the woman with the stroller she had first saved.

  Kerr smiled at Nora and Romulus. The relief in his face was evident. Nora looked around the room at the traumatized people she brought here. She had brought them to a safe house belonging to one of their scouts. No one said anything about how they arrived, or about what they had seen. Nora didn’t know how they were going to explain everything these people had witnessed.

  “Can I have your attention, everyone?” Romulus said.

  When the whole room turned their attention to him. He cleared his throat and made his way to the middle of the group.

  “I’m sure you’re all confused and scared. No one should have to witness, endure, or experience the things you saw today. You don’t know us, and you have no reason to trust us. But I need you all to understand something.” Romulus paused. When he saw that he still had their undivided attention, he continued, “There are many horrible things that happen in our world. Men are responsible for some, but other things are not as easily explained. The truth is, there is no easy explanation for what you witnessed today.”

  “You’re angels!” Sophie exclaimed as she ran to Nora’s side and took her hand. “You saved us from the bad men. You brought me back to my mommy.”

  Nora felt her heart melt as the little girl smiled up at her with love and awe. She squeezed Sophie’s hand. Romulus smiled at her innocence and continued his speech.

  “We have brought you all to a safe house where those men will not find you. The official story you will hear from the government and news reports will be that there was a gas leak or an explosion,” Romulus told them. “You will know that is not the case, but it is easier for the world to believe that story. I only ask that you carry in your hearts the people you have lost. We were sent to save you, but we were too late to save you all. I am deeply sorry.”

  The survivors spoke amongst themselves for a few moments. A few were crying silently, holding onto each other for comfort and support. One man stepped forward, looking Romulus in the eye.

  “You’re right, we don’t know who you are. But what little Sophie said is true. You saved us. I know a miracle when I see one. No one would believe us if we told them otherwise,” the man finished and shook Romulus’ hand. “Thank you.”

  Nora watched the people she had saved through the tears in her eyes. She couldn’t imagine what they were going through. The town was very small, but they had only about a third of their population remaining. She looked at Kerr and saw the same sorrow she felt reflected in his face. She linked her arm through his and leaned her head on his shoulder.

  “We should go,” Kerr whispered to her.

  “Yeah, but how will they get home?” Nora asked.

&nb
sp; “We’re not too far from their home. The scout will take care of everything,” Romulus explained.

  Nora nodded and grabbed Romulus’ hand. They faded away and found themselves standing in the foyer of Dorian’s house.

  Dorian came out of the kitchen. The relief was written all over his face. He pulled Nora into a tight hug, then shook hands with Romulus and Kerr.

  “Thatcher had a lot of minor cuts, but only three were deep. He lost a lot of blood, but he’ll be alright. Hadley, Whitley, and Tahlia came back shortly after you left. They took him to the hospital in Benton,” Dorian told them.

  “Thank you, Dorian,” Nora said as she stepped forward to hug him.

  They made their way to the kitchen and sat down. Romulus excused himself to wash his hands. Nora suspected he had held the hands of some of the dying. Once they were seated, Kerr and Nora shared their story with Dorian.

  “They’re getting braver. They haven’t done this much destruction in years. It was bold to do something so public. The survivors have complicated things for them. They’re likely to become reckless,” Dorian told them.

  “What do we need to do?” Kerr asked.

  “We need to train. We need to be prepared for any of us to take them on at any moment,” Dorian told them.

  Nora knew their lives were getting more complicated, and she didn’t know what that would mean for them. She closed her eyes and laid her head on the table. No matter what, she would be ready the next time she came face to face with Silas and Absalom.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven:

  Dorian

  Dorian, Romulus, and Tahlia spent hours every day training the Evolved to control their abilities. They spent very little time working with them on any physical training. The chances of them getting close enough to either Silas or Absalom to engage in hand to hand combat were slim.

  When they weren’t training, the Evolved were getting to know each other better. Dorian had noticed Thatcher and Hadley’s budding relationship. He was pleased to see that Kerr had taken the initiative to spend time alone with Nora. Whitley spent a lot of time with her mother, making up for lost time.