Vanquished

by Andy Lewter

  With features as cutting as the tip of a blade, Adele’s mother faced us with outright enmity. Throwing her hands up in defense, she pushed out a protective shield to armor those who stood behind her.

  I could practically see the hackles rise on my mother’s neck. “Get out!” Authority rang in her tone, and it took all I could muster to stop from cowering to her demand. The look in her furious eyes belied a woman detached from all intellect, and the person threatening me through her firmly set teeth was an unforgiving, powerful reality. Only a fool would stand up to her. The punishment was too great, and all Valens knew her capability of breaking minds.

  Good thing I liked breaking the rules.

  I folded my arms and pushed my features to remain indifferent. “I thought we’d come see what you were up to, Ma. We haven’t seen each other in ages.”

  Kayla’s disapproved lip curled in a wicked snarl. I didn’t have to have my ability to know I was about to be handed to. Whipping around, she whispered something to Adele’s mother, and then she faced me with a look so cross it made my heart skip a beat.

  Grabbing hold of my ear like a vice, she yanked me like a limp puppet back into the open room and slammed the door once Ray made his way out. “How dare you interrupt me!” she snapped, unleashing her deranged fury upon me.

  A piercing slap across my cheek rattled my brain and echoed throughout the open space. The monster within me reared its ferocious head, craving to be released from its cage and react. But I couldn’t. Reacting to the creator of the beast only fueled the fire. I remained unmoving, my eyes locked on hers.

  She stepped closer, her face inches from mine. “You need to tell me the information you promised.”

  “I didn’t promise information, Mother.”

  Grabbing hold of my neck, she dug her sharp nails into my skin with a deep-set glower and threw me backwards. “You cease these games now, boy.”

  Correcting my feet and rubbing my throat, I met Ray’s terrified eyes. His stance was ready, and he was waiting for my word to fight. Instead, I met Kayla’s once more and cleared my assaulted throat. “I can feel her coming. Here to Salvus. I assume they all have followed her here since their bunker was demolished when you retrieved Cade.”

  She gasped. Her eyes grew light, and a slight smile raised the corner of her lips. “Here? Now?” she whispered as excitement permeated her tone. She clasped her hands under her chin in delight. “This is the best news.” She turned away in her thoughts, muttering what was probably a plan to overthrow the Valens who stood in her way.

  I knew better than to follow her. I’d given her a piece of meat to chew on — it wouldn’t be long before she came back for more.

  When she was out of sight, Ray shoved me in the gut. “What did you just do?” he seethed, his nose flaring from anger.

  I sighed hard as my stomach turned to stone. Releasing my hold on my ability, I switched it back on so I could sense Ray’s upcoming reaction. “Can I trust you to stay loyal to me?”

  He frowned, his blue eyes blazing with concern. Glancing around to ensure no one was near, he stepped closer. “Trust me to what?”

  I sighed, internally detesting the next part. “To stay loyal. To me.”

  “What’s your definition of loyal?”

  “Loyal: a friend to stick by my side. Loyal: to support me, defend me, and to never betray me — even if that means acting against his wishes for my benefit.”

  “Wishes — what are your wishes?” He started to speak but stopped, then licked his lips to gather his thoughts. “Why are we here, man?”

  I held his gaze and clenched my jaw for a long moment before answering. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m not welcome in the Kavin clan. Abby doesn’t want me, no one else there can stand me. I’m where I’m supposed to be.”

  Ray narrowed his eyes and whispered harshly. “You agree with the training tactics they’re using here?”

  I shrugged. “Whatever works to benefit our side.”

  “Our side. As in your mother’s side?”

  My face turned severe, my eyes fixed on him, and I nodded. “Can I trust you to stay loyal to me?”

  His features shifted from incredulous to shock. Silence filled the room before he spoke, and his cheeks paled from defeat. “No.”

  Grimacing with disgust, I shook my head. “Then why did you follow me?”

  Ray threw his hands up. “I don’t know, maybe a part of me thought your selfish ways died on the island the last time we fled it.” He stepped closer and held his face close to mine. His blue eyes burned with anger, and his features dripped with revulsion. “I see now that I’ve been mistaken. I’ll see myself out, pal.” Ray stormed away, leaving a ripple of marred acrimony in his wake.

  A part of me swelled with pride — my friend had come a long way over the years, finally able to stick up for something he believed in. But I couldn’t help the hurt that followed his departure.

  But alas, I had to go on. Once the beast inside me was awakened, there would be no stopping what happened next.

  23

  “Did I miss the band breaking up?” Adele asked as she draped her legs out my bedroom window.

  “Ray would have slowed me down, anyway,” I muttered, deep in thought as I stared blankly at my wall. “Hey, what kind of gifts do your parents have? My mom seems really interested in them.”

  Adele adjusted her body and faced me. I sensed a sudden melancholy from her. “They’re not the same as they used to be.”

  “Isn’t that what happens when she gets a hold of them?”

  She shook her head and looked away. “They hardly recognize me anymore.”

  “They must be important to her, especially with how she reacted when I walked in.”

  Her ice-blue eyes grew wide. “You walked in on their training? Do ya have a death wish?”

  I shrugged. “Maybe. Does it matter?”

  Unblinking, she huffed incredulously. “Mom has a protective shield. I’m sure it’s impenetrable now, thanks to your mother. Dad? His is more complex.”

  I raised an intrigued brow. “Go on.”

  “He has the ability to create, manipulate, and read electromagnetic waves. Televisions, radios, mobile phones — he can speak to the devices. He can hack into them and read the information he wants.”

  I rubbed my temples as I took in her information. “No wonder Mom is so enraptured with him…” I mumbled in thought. “When was the last time you spoke with them?”

  She snorted with mock laughter. “Depends on what you refer as ‘talk’.”

  I met her smirk, waiting in silence for her answer.

  “I mean, if you consider how they reprimand me for dipping out of training, how disgusted they are I’m not offering my talents, and how much of a disappointment I am to every Valens that ever existed? Two weeks ago.” She snapped her attention back outside, surely to hide her betrayed feelings on her features.

  I pursed my lips as I carefully put my next words together. “When was the last time they were themselves?”

  Several moments of silence passed — I started to wonder if she’d heard me. When she finally spoke, her voice was as gentle as the cool breeze rustling through my window. “About six months ago. They told me they loved me, how they worried for my future. Kayla had taken interest in my dad especially, so their training sessions grew longer and harder. They’re unrecognizable now, body and mind. They don’t look the same; they don’t act the same. I became a nuisance to them — now I’m just a disappointment. So I stay out of their way.”

  She swung her legs back into my room and met me — her features were glum and vulnerable. “They used to care — always worrying about me, making sure I had everything I needed. Now when I see them, they’re just an echo of what used to be. And it’s up to me to figure out the rest.”

  I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Adele. That must be hard.” I held her gaze before speaking again. “Kayla hasn’t… gotten a hold of you? I’d imagine she’d love your…”

&nbs
p; “Gift?” she answered, finishing my sentence.

  “Right.” I pressed my lips together as I thought of Kayla using her vicious training tactics on Adele.

  A devious grin raised her cheeks. “I can’t say she hasn’t tried. Kinda hard to keep someone in a room when they don’t need an exit.”

  A slow smile played on my lips as a rapid knock sounded on my door. Kayla burst in a second later, her dark eyes darting all around my room. “Who are you speaking with?” Her tired expression was impatient and frazzled. “Where’s your phone? Who’s here?”

  I glanced nonchalantly where Adele once sat then reached over to my nightstand where my phone lay turned off. “I’m not speaking to anyone. You sure you aren’t hearing things now? Getting into all those heads I’m sure has its repercussions.”

  She smirked. “You and that wretched mouth of yours! It’s going to get you killed one day.” She sighed and tapped her foot with her hands on her hips. “Come with me.”

  Glancing around my room once more, I stood from my seat. Avoiding eye contact, Kayla turned on her heel and departed from my room.

  Shoving my hands in my hoodie pocket, I followed her down the hallway and pushed my senses out to get a read on her. Her emotions jumped around so much I couldn’t get a grasp, so my thoughts drifted mechanically to my forbidden happiness.

  Abby’s beauty… it couldn’t be described. From her rich, brown hair that blazed fiery red in the sun, to the green flecks emerging from her captivating, hazel eyes. The very thought of her consumed me entirely. Her silky, glowing skin taunted me to touch her. Her brave, vulnerable reactions possessed me to protect her.

  But her presence, her presence makes me burn. A simple graze from her fingertips sends my restrained resolve into an unyielding frenzy of craving, yearning, and protecting what should be mine.

  She was not mine. After what I’ve done to her, I can’t say I blamed her decision. But that didn’t mean I had to like it.

  Kayla guided me outside to the back patio. The sun was setting, and a cool breeze caressed my skin and disheveled my hair. We used to spend dinners here with Dad, pretending to be a happy family. Every time we came here, I wondered if Kayla was faking it to fulfill my desires. When she used her gift on me at night, my dreams of a close family bond had been revealed to her. I was quite positive she used my weakness as a ploy for her training tactics.

  She soon realized giving me what I longed for turned me weaker, so the dinners stopped.

  She placed her hands on her hips and roved her eyes over the darkening horizon. “You need to tell me more,” she stated. “Cade said the girl is strong. Is it true she’s reached supremacy?”

  I clenched my jaw. “Yes.”

  She released an impatient breath. “Blast. That throws this whole ordeal into a loop.” Her dark eyes snapped toward me, analyzing me for weakness like she always does. “Is she near?”

  My eyes narrowed as I reached out to Abby. A ping of regret for what I was about to do pierced what was left of my heart, turning it into cold, brittle, ash. The beginning of the end was present, and nothing could stop me now. “She’s nearly here.”

  “What are their plans, Nick?” she pressed firmly. I could sense her gentle façade slipping.

  “They’re scrambling and have nowhere else to go. If I know Abby, and I do very well, I’d bet they’re coming for a surprise attack. Which is exactly why I’m sensing her nearing the island.”

  “That’s a huge assumption,” she stepped forward, inching her intense face close to mine. “Are you sure?”

  “I may have been cut off from their communications, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t get to know their strategies while I was with them. I’m most positive, Mother.”

  “How did you manage to cease communication? I thought you and that girl share the same gift? You know, love and all that garbage.”

  I pursed my lips and scowled deeply. “I shot her with lightning when she broke up with me.”

  Kayla threw her head back and laughed in a pitchy cackle. Once her amusement calmed, she inhaled with annoyance, and her expression shifted into dark shadows of rage. Her angry eyes set on the horizon; I watched as her riled features gradually softened. Her confidence flourished, and a slow smile spread across her face. “We must bump up our next move sooner than expected.” She glanced at me with a look that made me feel uneasy. “Two nights from now will do.”

  I readjusted my footing. “What’s our next move?”

  Her brows furrowed. “Nicky, I can’t trust you with that kind of information.”

  The clouds above darkened and churned, mimicking the anger slipping inside me. “I told you everything you need to know. Why are you cutting me off?”

  Her humorous gaze mixed with annoyance met mine and she said, “You can’t possibly think parading back into my home will grant you delicate information. I’m allowing you to stay here after you betrayed your own blood. That is payment enough.”

  I clenched my jaw, eyes set on her. “You don’t think I’m beneficial? How about when the time comes that she comes after you? She is unstoppable, Mom. Not even you can detain her.” I stepped closer, a dangerous smile plastering my face. “She hesitates with me, Mom. Whatever you think will work on her won’t. You need me.”

  Her gaze turned calculating, and she raised her chin. Her lips twitched in thought, which told me I’d caught her interest. “Will you be able to get the job done, son? Be rid of her by your own hand?” Narrowing her eyes, I felt the familiar hum of her gift tickle my brain. Instead of waiting for my response, she wanted her answer by taking a glimpse into my mind.

  The brain can never lie to the beholder, and she knew this. So I didn’t flinch a muscle as she robbed the sight before me.

  I witnessed Abby adorned in a plate of protective armor across her chest. Her dark, wavy locks blew in the angry winds, and the murderous look on her face revealed only one anticipated fate — she had come for Kayla’s life.

  She was successful at remaining unnoticed by our guards. She must’ve continued training since I’d seen her last. Slinking silently from one shadow to the next, she grew close in her approach. Kayla was near and her attention was firmly set on her target.

  “Abby,” I crooned, advancing toward her with the smile I knew made her knees weak. “Why are you here?”

  Her breath caught, and her eyes glanced at me. A mixture of confusion and anger shot across her features, but it was too late. Kayla had grabbed and constrained her in the next breath.

  Walking up to her struggling form, I leaned over to meet her terrified eyes with a haughty smirk. “Scared?” Standing back up, my mother began laughing fanatically in her ear.

  “Now or never, Nicholas,” my mother quipped, her cutting eyes set on me. “You have one chance to prove your devotion.”

  Her tests — these visions she casts, they’re how she programs minds. Once her victims give into her demands, their reality is wiped clean. Their morals, hopes, and dreams deletes from their memory, and Kayla reprograms them for her benefit. This was why I’d failed her time and time again — I could never force my will to bend for hers. Never could I let myself submit for her gain.

  Until now.

  Focusing my attention on Abby as she struggled to break free from Kayla, my ears filled with heavy breaths and scuffs on the ground from their struggle. A slow, deranged smile raised my cheeks as I cupped my hands around her soft face. Her frightened eyes flickered with hope as our bond ignited like a rabid fire, gasping for air to sustain the flames.

  I chuckled, peering into the beautiful eyes I’d adored ardently from first glance. “You should have picked me, love.” Tightening my grip around her face, I twisted her head in a quick snap.

  The next sound I heard was a low thud from Kayla dropping her lifeless body at my feet.

  My mother appeared on the patio once more, this time wearing a rare smile I’d seen only one other time in my life. “Finally, the son I’ve raised has arrived.”

 
My pride swelled from Kayla’s compliment and my features matched hers. My mind was clear from all contention — my worries and stresses set free. Finally able to think without irrational thoughts clouding my weak mind, only one task was at hand. And I am ready. “As you can see, it isn’t me you have to worry about. It’s her. And her time as leader has come to a close.”

  24

  “But I thought she was like… your girlfriend?” Adele asked, scratching her head from confusion.

  “Things change,” I answered, annoyed at the topic.

  “So you came home ‘cause she chose that other dude?”

  I turned away and sighed hard. “I came home because I had to.” My tone came out sharper than I anticipated.

  Silence hung heavily for a few moments, and I ran my tongue over my lips as my mind drifted to a darker place. “I’m going to need that favor.”

  She faced me, folding her arms. “Well, what is it?”

  I stood and slipped on my leather jacket that was draped over my bedframe. “We’ll talk more tonight. Wanna pop back in later?”

  She threw her head back and groaned pathetically. “You’re killing me! I’m so bored. What am I going to do all day?”

  I shrugged. “I dunno. Go to lunch in Paris?”

  She scowled at me, crossing her arms in a cute tantrum. “By myself? Lame.”

  I chuckled, shaking my head. “Alright, I gotta go. See you tonight, okay?”

  Pinching her lips in disapproval, she angrily held my eyes and disappeared.

  Sauntering down the hallway, I made my way into the kitchen to scrounge when my attention shifted to the Valens sitting at the kitchen table, drinking placidly from a steamy cup. When he caught sight of me, he choked on his hot coffee and spilled it down his shirt.

  “Cade,” I noted, releasing a daunting corner smile.

  “You,” he glowered his hands shaking with anger. “How dare you show your face in these corridors? You deceitful snake! Someone capture him! Lock up this hypocrite!”