Vanquished

by Andy Lewter

  “Liv, it’s okay! You’re okay, just let Nicholas help you!” I shouted.

  “Her shoulder is hurt,” Nicholas announced.

  Soon after, Moui, Damian, and Ray appeared from behind the trees with a rope and flashlight in hand. “We have the rope. Can you tie it around her so we can pull her up?” Athena hollered.

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  Moui tied one end of the rope to a nearby tree and tugged it several times to ensure its security. Inching to the edge of the crevice, she tied the flashlight to the end of the rope and tossed it into the opening.

  “Heads up!” Athena yelled, cupping her mouth.

  “Got it,” Nicholas answered. We watched the rope tug and pull in silence for several moments, waiting for instruction. “Alright, you ready? Pull the rope slowly! Her shoulder is hurt so she can’t hang on well.”

  Damian, Athena, Moui, and I gripped the rope tightly and pulled.

  “STOP!” he roared. I held my breath and gripped the rope tighter as it bounced within my grasp. “Alright, keep going,” Nicholas ordered.

  We moved in silence and worked in unison, pulling the rope back one tow at a time.

  “I need someone to lean over and reach for her. There’s a narrow edge here she can’t reach.” His voice sounded closer, and I could hear their voices mumbling just below the surface.

  “I got her,” Damian announced as he leaned on his knees, peering over the crevice. Athena wrapped her arms around his torso for extra leverage. His forearms and biceps flexed, and he gritted his teeth as he struggled to pull back. Athena shifted her weight and pulled along with him. Olivia’s hand, stone white around her knuckles, held onto Damian for dear life as he hauled her out of the opening.

  Gasping for breath, Olivia lolled on the ground covered in dirt and grime. She held her left arm close to her chest as streaks of tears ran down her cheeks.

  “I’m so sorry. I have no idea what came over me,” she sobbed, embarrassment rolling off her in waves. Damian crouched down and pulled her into a loving embrace.

  I turned my attention to the dark hole and dropped to my knees, leaning over. “Nicholas?”

  “Ah, the voice of an angel. I need your help,” he said in a smooth tone. “Reach your arms down and catch me.”

  “Are you joking? You’re heavy!”

  “Unless you want to jump down here and live happily ever after, you don’t have a choice. It’s shaped like a vase at the opening and I have to jump.”

  I turned around and caught Athena’s attention. “I need your help. He has to jump to get out.”

  “Let me catch him. I don’t want to risk you falling down there, too,” she said gravely.

  A sudden wave of protectiveness washed over me. The idea of Athena being the one to pull Nicholas out of harm’s way made the blood in my veins run dry. Shaking my head, I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips. “Hold on to me.”

  She quirked an amused brow. “Funny.”

  I turned back around and crouched over the cleft. “No one’s kidding.”

  “You’re not serious.”

  Reaching my arms into the dark opening, I planted my feet firmly on the earth beneath me and homed in my abilities. “I’m ready, Nicholas.”

  Athena swore and kicked up dirt clods as she slid behind me, gripping my waist with all her strength. Not a second later, Nicholas’ strong hands grasped my forearms and the weight of his body tugged me down.

  Athena and I both grunted as we mustered the leverage we needed to hoist him up. With one final tug, his shoulders and chest appeared in the sunlight — his jean-clad thighs hit the ground first then the rest of his body fell in exhaustion on the grass.

  A deep feeling of gratitude swelled within me as I watched him recover. “Thank you,” I whispered, a burst of air escaping the corner of my lips.

  Raising a brow at my acknowledgment, he peeked at me with a cunning side-eye. “Damsel in distress is my kinda style.” A warm smile framed my cheeks as I remembered him using that saying when we first met. Such an innocent start of a love story gone awry.

  Nicholas shifted his attention to Olivia as Damian helped her stand. Nicholas jumped to his feet in one swift move, a look of worry placed deep creases on his forehead. “Are you okay?” he asked her.

  Her teary blue eyes met his. “Yeah,” she answered in a calm numbness.

  A hard jab to my ribs snapped my attention away from them. “You’re a moron,” Athena seethed in my ear. “Do you know what could have happened?

  I shrugged and curled my lip at her in a smirk. “I knew you wouldn’t fail me.”

  She huffed and raked her curls in frustration. “Moron,” she whispered, abruptly turning away.

  Ray pulled his healing hands away from Olivia, and she stretched her freshly healed arm with a smug grin. Nicholas kept his worried eyes on her as they all made their way back toward the bunker.

  Athena walked ahead of me. I was lagging behind the group, deep in thought. Everything was so fragile. The future of humans and Valens rested on the tip of a sword – and that future falls on me. The heaviness of that burden made my mind restless, and I found myself bitterly biting my nails, digging in my mind find a solution to the madness.

  It wasn’t until I bumped into Olivia that I realized she was watching me with… concern?

  “I’m so sorry. I started and couldn’t stop – maybe I was trying to prove myself? I don’t know… I feel like an idiot now,” she said, her eyes focused on my feet.

  I smiled. “Hey, I’m just happy you’re okay.”

  She sighed and tucked a curl behind her ear. “What were you thinking about just now?”

  “How to save the world.”

  She frowned deeply when she realized I wasn’t being sarcastic. “What did you have in mind?”

  Biting my lip, I cupped my neck and turned my eyes heavenward. “I need to speak to the U.S. Government somehow. But they’ll think anything I say is trickery at this point.” I sighed and met her eyes. Her expression mirrored mine. “And I’m not sure how to get them to believe in what I have to say.”

  She licked her lips and pulled in a breath. Her eyes shifted somewhere far away, and after a long moment, a light reached them that I hadn’t seen before. “Have faith,” she assured. “Sometimes the answer is right before your eyes.”

  “If only it were that simple. I love you for your humble heart, Liv.” I wrapped my arm around her and we continued on the path in silence.

  My mind was detached from everyone the rest of the afternoon as I buried myself in a whirlwind of dead-end thoughts. I was sitting numbly in a rocking chair when my eyes fell on Brittney and Tara as they padded into the room.

  An idea buzzed in my mind, and I jumped to my feet in a snap. In two large bounds I was next to a startled Brittney with wide eyes. I gave her a warm smile to reassure her. “I have a few questions to ask you,” I whispered, looping my arm with hers and tugging her down the hallway, into the kitchen. Tara followed curiously behind.

  I opened the pantry and quickly waved them in. They eyed me like I’d lost my mind, but followed my gesture anyway.

  Before shutting the door, I glanced around to make sure no one caught sight of us. “I wanted to ask you about Cade.”

  Her eyes narrowed in confusion. “But Edmund and Dara have already asked me about him.”

  I nodded. I had been unaware they already spoke to her, but pressed on. “When was the last time you talked with him?”

  She blinked her eyes and nervously cleared her throat. “Talk with him? It was before I came for your graduation. I’ve been with your clan since — he won’t know how to contact me.”

  “Would he talk to you if you reached out?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “There’s no way he’d make himself vulnerable like that.”

  Her reply surprised me. “Vulnerable?”

  Her features shifted to one of disgust. “He’s a coward. Always second guessing himself. He never quite fit in with my other sibli
ngs. One day he packed up and ran away without so much as a note. Eventually, he landed in the lap of the Ludovics and now his hatred toward humans is playing out tenfold.” Venom dripped from her words, and her eyes were lit with fury.

  “So you have other siblings? Human and Valens alike?”

  Brittney’s mouth turned to a straight line, and deep creases of anguish formed around her eyes. “Of course we did, but his resentment toward humans blinded him. After siding with the Ludovics, he became a prideful man who runs off of hate and a lethal power trip.” She paused and focused on Tara, biting her lip before going on. “I always watched after him when we were young — keeping the others from bullying him. It was all playful banter, but I knew their innocent games affected him more deeply. He’s dangerous now. Unpredictable. He hunted down his own siblings and singlehandedly—” She choked up for a moment, then carried on, “Well, they’re all gone now. He kept me for last since I was his favorite. He told me after the slaughter that he spared me because he loved me most.” Her eyes met mine, raw and angry. “He took my husband for punishment. For being a human lover, he said.

  “That’s when he told me if I stay on good behavior we could have him back. My husband died long ago, and the robot Kayla created is now inhabiting his body.” Her eyes turned sad, and she swallowed a few times before going on. “Mom and Dad went into hiding. We talk sometimes on the phone, and I promised to never disclose their location. But that’s the thing, isn’t it? None of us are safe. If we don’t hand our minds over to Kayla, we will never be safe.”

  I swallowed hard as I digested her words. Tara clasped her hand over her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks. Brittney wrapped her arms tightly around her shoulders. “I’m tired of hiding — of living in fear. Thank heavens for your turning, Lady Everett. You are the best ray of hope we have for humanity.”

  A heavy knot twisted in my stomach. I knew she spoke the truth, but anxiety from that responsibility burned deeply. Every day I prayed I was the person everyone hoped for.

  I cleared my throat and refocused my thoughts. “You said contact will make him vulnerable?”

  Brittney wiped Tara’s tears then met my eyes. Exhaustion consumed her features. “He loves me greatly. I am Cade’s weakness.”

  Excitement pulsed like lightning through my veins. I shifted my footing and raked my hair as my mind raced with thoughts and plans. This is it — this is the answer I’ve been seeking.

  5

  I hugged Brittney and squeezed Tara’s shoulder before departing the pantry. I assumed Brittney wanted to console Tara and explain things further, so I left them to their peace.

  Dashing around the corner and skidding out of the kitchen, I glanced around before my eyes landed on Athena’s lavender eyes. She jumped to her feet and met my pace.

  “Who are you looking for?” she asked with concern.

  “Edmund.”

  “Oh. He’s outside training with all of Brittney’s kids,” she replied with a sarcastic undertone. I met her gaze and raised a brow. “What? Just saying there’s a lot of them. I can’t keep track.” She shrugged. “Except that Buster guy. He has a sweet gift.”

  I glanced at her. “Do you mean Bridger?”

  “Whatever. I’m a little jealous of him. Don’t tell a soul, though. I know where you sleep.”

  I busted through the door and was greeted by a cool, comforting mist. The gray haze from the dense clouds made it darker outside than it should have been. “Are they in the field?” I asked with eyes set straight ahead.

  “Yup. I think your sister is with them, too.”

  I felt uneasy about Liv wanting to be involved in this war. She was the only member in my family I had left to protect. If she was in the midst of a brawl, she too could become lost to me. Just as everyone else had in my family.

  Chewing on my lip, I started thinking of ideas that’d convince her to change her mind.

  I stepped onto the path that led to the open field. Weaving in and out of trees with Athena at my heels, the opening soon appeared and the view of everyone came into sight.

  They stopped their movements when they saw our approach. A small smile turned up my lips as I recognized Tara’s siblings. They all shared slight similarities, making it easy to pinpoint their relation. “I need a few words with Edmund, please,” I announced loudly.

  But then my eyes fell on Silas, the smooth-talking human who convinced me to dance with him at prom. I sensed conviction laced with exhaustion from him. His wild hair lay damp with sweat on his forehead, his lips were cracked and his knuckles were bloody. My focus then shifted to everyone in the field as I took in their demeanor. They all held the same determination, the same hope.

  It was then I knew what their aid in our war meant to them. This was their family. Their future and ours combined. It was the only thing they felt they could do to help. Who am I to take this away from them?

  “But first, I’d like to know who these warriors are that so earnestly train for what they know to be right. Please, introduce yourselves.”

  Silas raised his hand. “I’m Silas,” he hollered with an alluring grin. “But you undoubtedly remember me,” he winked. He wrapped an arm around the brother next to him. “This is my other human brother, Brooks.” A deep blush flushed Brooks’ cheeks, and he looked away. Silas released his hold on him and waved to the others across the way. “Over there is Hailey, Nathan, Nora, and Bridger — all Valens.”

  I nodded and smiled at each of their exhausted figures. “What an honor it is to meet all of you. What are your gifts?”

  Hailey shifted her eyes uneasily around the field. “I can freeze anything I touch,” she said and then glanced at Nora next to her.

  Nora cleared her throat. “I can regulate my body temperature to my surroundings. Makes it hard for Tara to find me,” she said as a dark grin spread across her features.

  Nathan adjusted the weight on his heels. “My body doesn’t need sleep. I mean, I nap when I want to. But I don’t need it.”

  “Telekinesis,” Bridger said in a rush.

  I shook my head in awe. “All of you have amazing and useful gifts. No doubt, you’re all Elite Valens. I know I’m going to expect your assistance when the time is right.” My eyes shifted to Brooks, Silas, and Oliva. “From all of you.” Sighing, I glanced at Edmund and tilted my chin up. “I have an idea.”

  His features turned uncertain. “Oh? Okay…” He gave instructions to the others. I watched as Olivia and Hailey paired up to grapple — I tried to hide my wince as I witnessed Hailey knocked Liv to the ground.

  “So you have an idea,” he said matter-of-factly as he stepped close.

  I glanced confidently up at him. “Are you good with computers?”

  “Brittney is Cade’s weakness,” I said as I looked at everyone back at the house. Edmund, Athena, Nicholas, and Damian stared blankly at me.

  “Are you wanting to lure Cade to her?” Damian asked, scratching his head.

  “No. I think we should find out his location though. Maybe she can pull information out of him under our terms.”

  Athena scoffed. “Find his location? How are we gonna do that? We already have spies littered all over the country. Kayla and her puppets are only found when they want to be.”

  I ignored Athena and focused on Edmund. “I was thinking we could tamper with his phone. He has GPS on it — Brittney said she talks to him from time to time. Maybe we can, I don’t know, find a way to hack into the system and find him.”

  Damian looked at me incredulously. “That is definitely not how it works.”

  I frowned at him. “But it’s an idea. Since the U.S. Government’s aid is a lost cause to us, we need someone on the inside to prepare us for what’s next.”

  Edmund’s features slackened. “Abby, without help from humans, I’m afraid we’re getting more and more outnumbered by the day,” he said quietly.

  “So you want to do nothing,” I snapped.

  He held up a finger. “Now I didn’t say th
at…”

  I stood from my seat as heat crept through my cheeks. “Yes, you did! We’re not training everyone to waste time! We’re training to prepare for this wretched war that was created by the lust of power and greed! And if that means we all fall trying to do what we know is right, then I’m still walking into this mess with both eyes open. I will not fail my people, my family, and I will not fail myself out of something as petty as fear.” Anger pulsed through my veins and my eyes stayed firmly on Edmund.

  “All I meant to say was that we need to proceed with caution,” he said calmly. “Not refrain from intervening.”

  I sighed and started pacing, cupping the back of my neck with my palms. Nicholas’ gaze pierced through my animosity. I hadn’t even looked his way, but I could feel his calculating eyes watching my every move.

  “Is there a way we could track his phone?” Damian asked Edmund a minute later.

  Edmund shook his head. “Miles is the best one on the computer.”

  “Abby,” Edmund said. “You’ve given us new ground to think about. We’ll see what we can come up with in the meantime. Thank you.”

  Not being able to trust my words, I nodded curtly and stormed down the hallway. Letting my feet guide the way, I found myself bursting through the front door. The fresh pine air soothed my resolve, and the light mist cooled my skin.

  I hadn’t noticed anyone followed me outside. “You got angry so quickly back there.” A deep voice murmured behind me.

  Pulling in a calm sigh, I turned around and shoved my fists in my pockets. “That’s what happens when you care.”

  Nicholas lowered his chin and his copper eyes darkened. “I know the feeling.”

  Shrugging indifferently, I turned back around. “I’m going for a walk.” My feet sloshed through the damp grass, and I fell into a comfortable pace. Pushing my hands deeper into my pockets, I closed my eyes and tilted my face up toward the sky, reveling in the refreshing drizzle running down my cheeks.

  “I thought about parting those clouds and bringing the sun out, but I’m enjoying watching you too much.” Nicholas chuckled.