Vanquished

by Andy Lewter

  I glanced at my watch, noting everyone’s status. Olivia and Damian were with Dave, Hailey, and Bridger. Apprehensively, my eyes drifted to Nicholas’ icon — he was at his house.

  Fury bubbled in my veins at the thought of him betraying us. He showed up begging for forgiveness, only to abandon it all when he didn’t get his way. Just like a rotten child. “Would Nicholas be where his mother is?” I asked, the adrenaline from my anger rushing through my body like a hot geyser.

  “Probably,” Ray answered.

  “We’ll head where he is then,” I decided, dropping my wrist and jumping over a protruding root.

  Loud crashes from the city bounced off the trees, causing my determination and courage to waver. Metal crunches, smashes, and bangs turned more frequent during our pursuit, and I felt my determined will start to slip. I cannot leave my people without help.

  Just as I was about to abandon our plan and run for the city, the low sounds of wood cracked and popped nearby.

  Our movements froze in unison, and we frantically glanced around for the source. The rapid rustle of leaves turned our attention to the left, and Miles and Ray mechanically pushed me behind them.

  A buff Valens with leather straps and a metal chest plate made his appearance before he hurled an entire tree in our direction. As we stepped back, the tree landed several yards in front of us, sliding to a stop before our feet.

  It was when Miles and Ray dropped to their knees gasping for air that I realized there was more than one Valens.

  Whipping around, I faced the perpetrator. The Valens with the sleek black hair stood behind me, smiling with deep wrinkles that curled up his cheeks. “Uh oh…” he criticized, his voice dripping with deceit. “Your friends just became useless.” Deepening his wicked grin, his chilling eyes ridiculed me more.

  Panic thrummed through me as I helplessly watched Ray and Miles suffocate, gasping for a breath that wouldn’t come. Setting my eyes on the Valens responsible, I lowered my chin and ran toward him.

  Grabbing a loose branch on my pursuit, I watched as he waited for me to get close before he took a sharp right that put him just out of my reach. I countered with a spin to keep momentum and redirected my footing. Faintly behind me, I heard Miles and Ray inhale a desperate breath.

  My eyes focused on the Valens, and I clutched the branch tighter, willing my feet to move faster. His black hair waved aimlessly in the wind as he ran. He released a raspy laugh, insulting my ploy as I chased him. “Threatening me with a twig?”

  Huffing out, I launched the branch ahead and smiled as it tangled in his feet, causing him to trip. He tumbled and rolled through bushes and low branches, then he grunted in pain as his body slammed against a tall rock.

  I towered over him, brushing my wildly tasseled hair to my back. “Twig: one. You: zero.” I analyzed his frame and saw his right leg contorted severely to the left. An emotionless chuckle rushed past my mouth when I realized his leg was broken from the knee down. “Now you’ve been rendered useless.”

  Glancing in the direction of Miles and Ray, I turned toward them and started jogging. A loud ruckus made the treetops sway, and I picked up my pace to meet them.

  “Wait!” the Valens yelled, desperation coursing through him. “Don’t leave me! Please! Can’t your friend help? He can heal, right?”

  I stopped my feet and turned around, meeting his hollow eyes. “You just tried to kill my family. Figure a way out yourself.”

  Whipping back around, I picked up my pace and checked my watch to find their exact location. Careful with my foot placements so I didn’t alert anyone I was near, I crept up behind the burly man dressed like a gladiator.

  Miles and Ray were exhausting every method to detain the goliath Valens to no avail. Sighing hard and grasping for ideas, I glanced around. Then I looked up. On a high branch above my head grew the infamous Salvus vine.

  Jumping to grasp a low limb, I heaved myself up and silently scaled the tree. When I was mounted up high, Miles’ cheeks flushed with worry when his brilliant green eyes landed on me.

  The burly Valens wasn’t agile, but he was strong. Miles’ kicks and punches didn’t faze the man, so Ray jumped on his back and attempted a chokehold.

  Working fast, I pulled out a pair of gloves from my pant pocket and slipped them on, securing the wrist. Standing up, I plucked out a dagger that was holstered to my thigh and began sawing the vine. Once severed, I held it up to show Miles and motioned for them to bring him closer.

  Miles shook his head, telling me he couldn’t.

  Releasing a frustrated sigh, I let the vine drop to the base of the tree and jumped. The force of hitting ground created an obnoxious thump, bringing all the attention to me.

  Miles openly gaped, Ray was confused, and the big guy smiled.

  “Finally,” he said as he started toward me with his clown feet. “Something that’ll make the boss proud.”

  I laughed. “What, am I a prize?” I stayed still, anticipating his movements.

  “For me you are,” he admitted. “I may have some fun with you first, though…” he trailed off, chuckling as his greedy eyes raked scandalously over my body.

  Swallowing hard, I took a step back. Miles ran full force to thwart him, but the guy shoved him aside like a ragdoll. Ray turned desperate and jumped on his back for a distraction, but he threw him off and continued toward me — determination set on his features.

  Bark from the tree pressed hard against my back — I was pinned, and a goliath was coming after me.

  The man stopped inches from my body and studied me like a delicious piece of meat. “Yer prettier in person,” he crooned, grabbing my hair and balling it into a fist. “Oh boy, I’m going to have some fun,” he said with a disgusting smile, stepping back once more to enjoy the view.

  A heinous smirk plastered my face. “I might have some fun myself.” Reaching toward the ground, I grabbed the Salvus vine I had dropped and dashed around his back. Pulling the vine firmly against his body, a wave of relief coursed through me as I watched thorn after thorn digging into his skin like daggers.

  He fought back, pulling at the vine and growling so loud it echoed, sounding like a rabid beast in the forest. But I kept running, feeding the vine through my gloved hands and watching his strength weaken from the poison seeping into his veins.

  Eventually, the gladiator was completely wrapped in the vine and fell like a timber, out cold on the forest floor.

  Shocked, Ray peered down at him and scratched his head. “Abby, I’m a little concerned about your ability to tie people up with vines.”

  “Babe,” Miles murmured, scooping me up in his arms with an adoring grin. “That was brilliant!”

  “You should see the other dude,” I chuckled, kissing his nose as he sat me down.

  “What happened to him?” Ray asked, glancing in the direction we’d ran.

  “Let’s just say he won’t be going anywhere for a while.” I turned my attention to the Valens asleep at our feet. “Much like this guy.” We all laughed as I readjusted my armor and checked my watch.

  The heaviness from the event sunk in as I watched the icons from the people I loved moving sporadically over the screen. Suddenly, the ground shook and groaned. Severe cracks in the earth split and separated all around us, dividing what was once a solid foundation into countless pieces of land. Car alarms and screams filled the air — I can feel the panic from here.

  My instincts took over immediately. I was gone.

  27

  “Abby!” Miles cried, tailing my flank. “We have to stick to the plan!”

  “They need me,” I answered, my feet sailing mechanically over the mangled earth.

  “They’re the distraction. You need to get in!” he reminded.

  I slowed my movements to a brisk walk and tensed my jaw. “I know that, but we’re also heavily outmatched.” I stopped and pleaded with his fierce expression. Ray had caught up and stood behind us, checking our surroundings.

  After a moment, his
features softened, and he pulled in a deep sigh. His tongue ran over his lips as he peered into my soul, reading me like a book he’d memorized long ago. “You can’t save everyone, Abbs.”

  Just then, a solid black pillar of smoke billowed up as tall as a tower in the sky.

  “Miles…” I trailed off with anxiety, my eyes fixated on the increasing cloud of smoke.

  “Yeah, I’m not gonna stand around and watch this,” Ray blurted when he noticed the smoke, taking off the next instant and sprinting toward the action.

  Miles shot me a knowing glance as we started after Ray. First we heard the screams, then we saw the destruction. Rubble from broken buildings littered the ground as far as we could see, and burnt ash and soot covered what was once well-manicured streets.

  Checking my watch, only one icon on the screen mattered to me in this moment. Grabbing Miles’ hand to keep him close, I took off toward my sister. “I need to see if Liv’s okay.”

  “I know,” he replied, squeezing my hand for reassurance.

  Hand-in-hand, we scurried in silence through the broken streets of Salvus. The thundering booms began again, and they were close. Frantic Valens fled passed us with terror present on their faces.

  This madness has to stop.

  I checked my watch once more and found Olivia and Damian’s icons just a block from where we were.

  “Wait,” Miles said in hushed tones, glancing around before guiding me to a hidden fence next to a tall tree. Pulling me flush against his solid frame, he peered into my eyes with complete admiration. But there was worry, an anxiety that I guessed he felt from what was about to come. “I love you so much.”

  Beaming, I stood on my toes and molded my lips to his. “Tell me more later. ‘Cause there will be a later, okay?”

  Grinning uneasily, Miles nodded and released his tight hold on my body. As he looked ahead, his features shifted into the dark shadows of a deadly warrior.

  We took off in the direction of the ruckus and rounded the corner. What lay ahead sent my mind into a wave of mind-numbing shock.

  Shattered buildings, fires, black soot from explosions, bodies. Valens were sparring with one another on top of buildings and on the street. Screams and explosions invaded my ears, making communication near impossible. But the feeling of revenge — that’s what assaulted my senses the most.

  Greedy, ravenous avengement.

  My eyes landed on a fierce fighter dressed in attire similar to my uniform. She held up a shield as protection from a spray of fire, flashing me the image of a crest with an E on her chest.

  Olivia.

  The Valens advancing on Liv was throwing streams of flames from his palms. He jumped on top of a car and cupped his hands together. A thick wave of fire blazed in a ferocious tunnel from his fists, fully encasing Olivia in his lethal flames.

  I ran as fast as my feet could carry me then jumped off a piece of rubble and collided into the Valens’ ribs — his fire shaft remained on full blast as we tumbled, igniting everything it touched.

  Smacking against the pavement and rolling intertwined in the dirt, he pulled his hands back and unleashed a powerful inferno against my body — point blank.

  The fire licked and charred my bodice, and the look on his smug face made my adrenaline to surge forth even more, thrumming in my veins like venom.

  Gritting my teeth, I mounted myself on his torso. His smug look turned angry when he realized I remained unaffected, so he pushed the flames harder from his palms, cocooning us in a cyclone of immense heat.

  Pushing my back straight, I balled my fist and punched him in the face. Seemingly unfazed, he grunted with exertion as the hellfire grew thicker around us. Scrambling, I pulled the dagger from the sheath on my thigh and watched as the metal melted off the hilt like butter.

  There I was, in the center of a massive fireball with nothing but my body as defense. It wasn’t until I saw a light blue light closing in on the flames I realized they were dwindling and the temperature was dropping immensely.

  As exhaustion played on the Valens’ features, I punched him again and flipped him under my body, pulling him into a chokehold to use his bodyweight against him. His struggle was weak, surely from disposing all his energy on his fiery gift, and the flames flickered to a halt as his consciousness slipped away within my arms.

  “That guy wouldn’t stop!” Hailey fretted as she dropped her iced-covered hands. “I’ma put this fool in a frozen tomb.” She pursed her lips with focus and thrust a stream of ice from her hands, encasing him in a frozen cage. “Let’s see how quick he can heat up that.” She chuckled dryly when she was finished.

  Miles was by my side in an instant, analyzing every inch of my body. “Are you hurt?” His breath came out in a rush, his emerald eyes blazed with worry.

  Most of my protective gear had melted off and was smoking in heated wisps. The only thing holding strong was the breastplate that wrapped around my entire torso — and my black pants were now shorts. My skin was painted with charred remnants of my clothing, but I was otherwise unharmed. “I’m fine,” I answered with a small victorious grin.

  “That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen,” Olivia said from the side, holding her scorched shield in hand. A dirty Damian ran up behind her and scooped her up into his arms, nuzzling her neck.

  “Where is everyone?” I asked Hailey, my eyes narrowing to focus through the clouded ash up the street.

  A large figure came into view — it was slow-moving and hard to see as the evening turned darker. We silently dropped down and grouped together, anticipating the new arrival.

  Then we saw Bridger, and he was carrying a body.

  “Bridge?” Hailey cried, cupping her mouth.

  As he got closer, I saw the rivers of tears through the ash on his face. “He’s gone. Silas is gone.”

  A sob broke from Hailey as she ran to them. Bridger and Hailey dropped to their knees and laid his body down. Hailey murmured with sorrow against his chest and Bridger looked away, trying to keep his emotions together.

  I made it to them in two bounds and dropped to my knees, stroking his soft hair through my fingertips. I remembered his charming smiles and confident personality — he was my first dance at prom and his wily dance moves put me to shame.

  No… no he’s not gone. “Where’s Ray?” I looked up, frantically glancing at everyone around me. “Someone find him! Go get him now!”

  “Abby,” Miles soothed in hushed tones.

  I checked my watch and found his icon two blocks away. “I can go get him.” I stood, hot tears blurring my vision. “I’ll go.” I focused ahead, calculating which route would be the path of least resistance.

  “Abby,” Miles said, gently squeezing my frame and trying to catch my attention. “Ray can’t help him, sweetie. He’s gone.”

  Brittney appeared and immediately dropped down to cradle Silas in her arms. Nora, Brooks, and Nathan appeared soon after. I watched helplessly as their family mourned for their lost member.

  But when my eyes met Miles’ knowing gaze, I broke. Sobs erupted from my chest, and I fell limp in his arms. Silas’ life was gone – I cannot let this be in vain.

  Miles whispered sweet nothings in my ear to calm my desperation. I started shaking my head to collect myself, but my senses were suddenly taken from me.

  Images of Nicholas and Kayla flashed in front of me — none of them in chronological order.

  I saw an image of Kayla huddled around a Valens couple, focusing intently at their task at hand.

  Then another of Nicholas murmuring something unintelligible to someone with impossible frustration on his features.

  An inaudible scream failed my lips as the next atrocious image flashed before me. Humans, Valens, children — all lay cold and lifeless on the empty streets.

  Image flash by image flash, my concentration started to slip as the real-life nightmares appeared through my gift of precognition.

  But then Nicholas — Nicholas arose with his eyes shifting from dang
erous black to whiter than the noonday sun, bearing the same horrifying expression on his face when he summoned the lightning and struck me.

  He was protecting something. And I was the only one who could stop him.

  The comforting aroma of sea and leaves filled my senses, and Miles’ warm arms were wrapped protectively around me once more. I was back in the present, and Miles had no idea I had just been caught up in a vision.

  Anger ignited within me. When I heard that soft thunderhead rumble above, I knew it was him.

  I pulled away from Miles with a fierce expression on my face. He furrowed his brows at my change in demeanor, but remained silent.

  “I need to find him,” I said so lowly I wasn’t sure he’d heard.

  “Won’t he be with his mother?” he asked, on par with my thoughts.

  I glanced at the love of my life with features so severe they were dancing on the borderline of insanity. Never before had Miles had a reason to be frightened by me.

  Until now.

  28

  Storming away from Miles, I felt for Nicholas’ presence and checked my watch for his icon. Another thunderhead rolled overhead, and I glared angrily at the sky. I loathed the creator of the storm so much I could spit.

  Never have I met more of a hypocrite!

  In the next breath, an unanticipated blow to my chest sent me sailing backwards. “What’re you doing here?” Athena shrieked through tight lips, positioning herself inches from my face. “All of this going down right now is for you!”

  I glowered at her antics. “My sister needed me.” I turned away to continue on until I heard a familiar noise buzzing from behind. Whipping around, my eyes fell on brilliant blue arches of electricity manipulated by the leather-clad Valens who had just visited our bunker.

  Placing himself between me and him, all Miles could do without getting electrocuted was dodge the Valens’ deadly strikes. The Valens laughed at Miles like a demented maniac, like he was playing a game, as each move advancing on Miles became swifter than the last.