The Evolved (The New Era Saga Book 1)

by KT Webb

  Kerr had wrapped Nora into a strong hug. He had the most to lose in this battle. Nora was carrying the future in her womb. But if she had figured out her prophecy, why hadn’t she had a glowing moment? Whitley felt deflated as she realized that figuring out the prophecy was only half of the puzzle. Romulus had said Thatcher claimed it. It could be years before Nora’s baby showed them why he or she was the future of the Evolved. Everyone was stationary for a few moments before all hell broke loose.

  “What do we need to do?” Malcolm asked bravely.

  “Where will we fight?” Kerr asked glancing at Nora.

  Thatcher just shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t even know how I know that much. When the power surged in me, I saw Absalom. He was screaming. He felt me there, and when he looked at me, I just saw it.”

  “He’ll come here. If we wait here, he will come here. We need to take the fight somewhere else. We need to have the element of surprise,” Nora said with certainty.

  “If he’s coming to us the day after tomorrow, we need to draw him out tomorrow,” Romulus said.

  Dorian nodded in agreement and looked at Tahlia. Whitley knew the Virtues had been waiting for this moment for centuries. They were finally going to put an end to Absalom.

  “Where do we take the fight?” Whitley asked.

  “I have an idea,” Nora said. “I can think of a place that will help us gain an edge on Silas. We need to go tonight.”

  Whitley smiled at Nora. She was so tough and in command.

  “Okay, everyone gather what you’ll need. Think simple, warm, and flexible. Be back here in twenty minutes. Nora will transport us all together,” Dorian instructed.

  In only a few moments, Thatcher, Nora, Kerr, Romulus, and Dorian had left the kitchen. Whitley stood looking at her parents and sister. The realization that this could be the last time they were all together hit her very hard. Hadley felt her distress and pulled her into a hug. Their parents surrounded them and they held onto each other for a few minutes.

  “Everything will turn out the way it is supposed to,” Tahlia reassured them.

  Whitley nodded at her mother. “That’s what I’m afraid of. We don’t really know how it’s supposed to turn out, do we? We are going up against a crazy Old Immortal who has made it his life goal to kill everyone who stands in his way. Guess what? We’re standing in his way.”

  “Whitley, I’ve seen you use your abilities. You are kick ass,” Hadley said.

  “Hadley!” Eric scolded.

  “What? She is!” Hadley said innocently, giving Whitley a wink.

  “I know. We’re all great in theory, but are we really a match for Silas and Absalom?” Whitley asked.

  “You heard Thatcher! We’re going to win,” Hadley exclaimed. Whitley admired her sister’s faith in her boyfriend. She knew in the pit of her stomach that they were right; the Evolved were going to win. But it didn’t make her less afraid.

  “Whitley, do you remember when you were seven and Hadley was rollerblading? She was practicing skating backward and rolled down the driveway,” Eric said.

  “Yes. She didn’t see the car coming. But I did,” Whitley replied.

  “I remember seeing it in slow motion. You ran down the driveway and into the road. You pushed her out of the way, just as she rolled into the path of the car. You didn’t think, you just did it,” Eric told her in awe at the memory.

  “I remember. You knocked me over and we both landed on our sides. The impact fractured our collar bones. Yours on the left, mine on the right,” Hadley told Whitley.

  Whitley nodded. She knew what her father was telling her. She needed to be fearless. She needed to do what she could to stop this man, and she needed to protect her sister. She put on a brave face and nodded again.

  “Thank you, daddy. I needed that,” Whitley said.

  The girls each hugged their father and told him they would see him soon. Eric smiled at them and told them he loved them. He surprised them both by grabbing their mother and pulling her into a deep kiss. The girls sighed simultaneously and grinned at their parents. Whitley grabbed Hadley by the arm and pulled her out of the room. Hadley started to pout, but stopped when she realized Whitley was only giving their parents the appearance of privacy. They listened quietly from the dining room.

  “I don’t know if I can let you leave,” Eric told Tahlia.

  “I have to go. They need me. You need to wait here where you’re safe,” she told him.

  “It’s like I’m losing you again. Only this time, I might lose all of you, forever,” he said quietly.

  “You won’t lose us. No matter what happens, we’re always going to be here,” Tahlia told him. Whitley knew she was pointing at his heart.

  “Promise me something, Lia?” Eric asked.

  “I can try, Eric. What is it?” Tahlia whispered.

  “Come back to me this time,” he pleaded.

  Hadley let a small sob escape her as she hugged Whitley. Whitley was crying silently. She knew she needed to be strong for her sister and her parents. This was not the end for them. No matter what happened, Whitley would make sure her mother would come back to her father.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven:

  Nora

  As she changed her clothes, she turned to see Kerr watching her. Nora blushed slightly, but finished getting dressed silently. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Kerr rested his chin on top of her head and sighed.

  “I don’t want you to come with us,” Kerr told her.

  “I know. But you don’t really get to decide that,” Nora said sadly. “We already know I won’t be in the thick of it. I’ll be safely to the side.”

  It had been part of the plan to keep both Kerr and Nora out of the way, but, since Kerr had developed more useful abilities, he would be needed in the battle. It made her feel better knowing that Kerr would be there to help her family if they needed him, but it didn’t keep her from fearing for his safety.

  “I love you, Kerr,” she said as she pulled away and looked in to his eyes.

  “I love you too, Nora.” Kerr leaned down and kissed her gently.

  Nora pulled him close to her and deepened the kiss. Kerr reached up and tangled his hands in her hair. They poured their souls into that kiss as though it would be their last. When they broke away, Kerr looked at her and smiled.

  “I have something for you, but I’m not going to give it to you until it’s over and Absalom is gone,” Kerr told her with a grin.

  Nora shook her head and smiled back. She knew they would both make it; she had seen it in her dream. They were going to live, they were going to get married, and they were going to have a baby. She kissed him again.

  “Oh, did I tell you I know what we’re having?” he asked playfully.

  “No! Tell me!” Nora exclaimed.

  He leaned in closely and whispered in her ear, “A girl.”

  When he pulled away, he was grinning stupidly at her. She couldn’t help but feel her heart beat a little faster. How had she fallen so hard in such a short amount of time? She watched him pull on his t-shirt and grab a zip-up sweatshirt. She took his hand and transported them into the kitchen to find everyone else waiting for them.

  “Alright, Nora, where are we going?” Dorian asked.

  “To the warehouse where Thatcher killed Caprice,” Nora said simply.

  “Genius!” Thatcher said appreciatively.

  Nora smiled at them all and took Kerr’s hand. “Everyone ready?”

  Within moments, they were standing in the middle of the empty lot. It was dark, but Nora could make out the warehouses surrounding them. She smiled at Thatcher as he released some of his power into the air. Soon, there were small orbs of light dancing above them.

  “Alright, we need to get some things set up, make our battle plan,” Nora said.

  “Nora needs to be somewhere high where she can see the battle,” Romulus said.

  “There,” Thatcher said, pointing to a broken-out window in one of
the warehouses.

  Nora nodded at Romulus and they headed over to check it out. As they made their way up the stairs, Nora looked down at the Evolved. They had come so far. Everyone was ready for this battle. Dorian caught her eye and put his hand over his heart. She smiled and did the same.

  Romulus reached the top of the stairs and pushed the door open. They walked into the large empty room and turned toward the window. Nora could see them all perfectly. She leaned forward and shouted that this would work.

  Dorian sat down and began to meditate. He closed his eyes and began to call to Silas and Absalom. Now they had to wait.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight:

  The Battle

  Kerr

  “Look out!” Kerr shouted.

  He had sensed them coming. He felt their anger roiling through the air. The next thing he knew, there was fire raining from the sky.

  “Ahh! Ouch!” Hadley yelled out, gripping her shoulder. When she moved her hand away, Kerr saw the fabric had been burned away where she was hit.

  Whitley threw a shield of energy above them, and the small fireballs disintegrated upon impact. Kerr looked around him at the other Evolved and the two Old Immortals on the ground with them. Glancing up, he saw Nora pull back into the window.

  Malcolm and Thatcher stood at the front, Whitley stood behind them, and Hadley, Dorian, and Tahlia were standing with Kerr. He looked in the direction the fire ball had come from and saw Absalom stalking out from between two warehouses. Kerr didn’t have time to help Hadley.

  “Silas is coming from behind,” Nora said in his head.

  He didn’t have time to think, he called out to the others to turn around. They turned with him to face Silas as he sent ice shards flying at them.

  Tahlia

  With a wave of her hand, Tahlia threw the force field up in front of them. The ice hit it and fell to the ground. The ground started rumbling under their feet as Silas called to the fault lines beneath the earth’s surface. She watched Kerr out of the corner of her eye. He hadn’t had time to hide before the appearance of Silas and Absalom. She silently hoped Nora would hide him from view to give him the chance to get out of the way. She felt her daughters behind her and knew they were divided. Hadley faced Silas, and Whitley was facing Absalom with Malcolm and Thatcher.

  “He’s going to split the battle,” Kerr told her.

  She nodded and prepared for the quake.

  Thatcher

  Absalom walked slowly toward them, his face a full of predatory intent. Malcolm was to his right, both of them poised for an attack. The ground started shaking as he heard Whitley cry out behind him.

  “Silas is splitting the battle,” Nora told him.

  He nodded his head to tell her he understood. Absalom came to a stop in front of them and looked between Thatcher and Malcolm.

  “Aww, how sweet,” Absalom said with venom in his voice. “You ran right back to the losing side, Malcolm.”

  “No, he came back to the sane side,” Thatcher told him.

  “Well, sanity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” Absalom replied as he raised his arm and twisted it.

  Malcolm began to choke. When he coughed, smoke came from his mouth.

  Thatcher shot a stream of fire at Absalom, but he repeated the hand motion. Thatcher felt fire beginning in his belly and rising in his chest. He coughed violently, tasting the smoke. Soon both he and Malcolm were on the ground gasping for air.

  Thatcher heard a groan and a thud. Instantly, the burning dissipated and he took a gulp of air. Thatcher heard Malcolm gasping beside him. Sitting up, Thatcher glanced around and saw Whitley dusting off her jeans as she stalked away from Absalom. She gave Thatcher a wink as she helped Malcolm to his feet.

  Thatcher shook his head at Malcolm as he took a step forward. “Don’t be a hero, Malcolm.”

  Malcolm growled quietly. “I need to do this, Thatcher.”

  Malcolm

  He took a step forward and faced the man who was supposed to be his father.

  “I am not afraid of you,” he said boldly.

  “I beg to differ,” Absalom taunted. “I seem to remember a significant amount of whimpering over the last few months.”

  “Pain does that to someone,” Malcolm retorted. “I’m sure you did your fair share of whimpering when you realized you’d dealt my mother a death sentence.”

  Absalom gave him a pained look, which was quickly taken over by a sneer. “You think you can hurt my feelings, boy? You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”

  “I know exactly who I’m dealing with. That is why I returned to the Evolved. You are a hollow shell. You breed hatred and suffering wherever you go. You never loved my mother, you were just obsessed with her. You are not capable of love,” Malcolm said, feeling his voice growing louder and stronger as he did.

  “Love? That’s what you think this is about?” Absalom asked with incredulity. “I’ve walked this earth for centuries. I’ve been cast to the side and banished by the one being that was supposed to love me. Love doesn’t last. The only thing that lasts is power.”

  Malcolm was about to respond when he heard Whitley yawn loudly beside him. “I’m bored,” she said.

  Malcolm and Thatcher laughed, leaving Absalom enraged.

  Absalom threw his arms out, surrounding them with a wall of fire. The heat reverberated back at them, the flames moving with his laughter. Malcolm realized he was actually terrified. This wasn’t a game. Absalom wasn’t going to mess around this time. He was here to kill them. All of them.

  Whitley

  As soon as the fire wall went up, a horrifying sound filled the air, like the earth was ripping apart. She turned just in time to shove Hadley as the ground split between them. Whitley looked across the opening into her sister’s eyes. That was close—too close for comfort. What was even more terrifying was that they were now divided, and the fissure was too wide to jump across. The words of their prophecy played through her mind in the few seconds she stared at her sister.

  Although you are the same, you may go different ways. But your greatest strengths appear when you are as one.

  Whitley furrowed her brow as she considered their current predicament. Right now, they were heading in different directions. Hadley had turned to face Silas just before he attacked, and Whitley was turning back to fight Absalom. Even with this short of a distance between them, she felt an emptiness inside her. When they were together, they were stronger, they were in tune. But when they were apart, something was missing.

  Whitley snapped back to reality just in time to see Absalom use one of his acquired abilities to launch a steel pipe at Malcolm. It was too late to put up a shield, so Whitley focused on the pipe. At the last minute it split in two, continuing its trajectory on either side of Malcolm.

  Dorian

  Dorian looked next to him, where Kerr had been standing just moments before. He was gone. The ground had split open, and Kerr was gone. It hit him hard just thinking about the possibility that they’d lost one of the Evolved so quickly. He pushed the thought from his mind in order to keep his focus. He tried not to panic as he whipped his head around looking for him.

  Silas had thrown ice shards at them, and attempted a physical attack on Hadley. The thunder began to roll overhead and lightning struck the ground next to Silas. The wind whipped around them, and Silas nodded appreciatively.

  “Nicely done,” Silas taunted. “I can’t wait to add that to my repertoire.”

  Silas attacked. The water poured from his hands, freezing as it came. Taking aim at Hadley, he was taken off guard when his assault backfired. A blizzard whipped around Silas in an instant. Dorian could see him desperately trying to pull back his ability so the freezing onslaught would end. When Silas finally regained control, he tried a different approach.

  Dorian tried to shout a warning, but it was too late. Tahlia was struck by a spear of ice. Dorian knew he couldn’t kill them, but the distraction would be enough for Hadley to let her guard down. If only he
knew where Kerr had gone.

  Nora

  Romulus was tense. Nora kept looking at him because she knew how badly he wanted to join the fight. No one was moving. It was like watching a deadly game of chicken, each side waiting for the other to strike first. Something was changing. A subtle shift in Dorian’s body language told her something was going to happen.

  She watched as Tahlia gathered her energy and shot at Silas like a bullet. Her heart was in her throat as Tahlia made impact with Silas. Romulus shifted his weight nervously.

  “Go help them,” Nora said simply.

  “I can’t. I need to stay with you,” Romulus told her.

  “I don’t need a babysitter, Romulus. I’m safe here. They need you,” Nora replied stubbornly.

  She could see the inner struggle he was going through. He needed help making up his mind. She punched him in the arm and transported him inside the fire wall.

  “Ouch,” he exclaimed, then took in his surroundings.

  Nora gave him a stern look. “Go.” Then she transported herself back inside the warehouse.

  Hadley

  Hadley watched in horror as her mother fell to the ground. The spear of ice was sticking out of her abdomen.

  “Mom!” Hadley screamed. She ran over to her side, letting the wind die in an instant. Romulus had appeared and was trying to pull her away from her mother.

  “Hadley, listen to me,” Romulus yelled over the roar of the fire.

  “We can’t lose her. If she’s gone, there’s no hope,” Hadley yelled back.

  Romulus shook his head at her and smiled. “Remember, only the Evolved can kill an Old Immortal. You will not lose your mother today.”

  Hadley suddenly understood. Only she could defeat Silas. She couldn’t worry about her mother or the other Virtues.