by N. V. Rose
The Unveiling
An Elemental Insurrection Story
By
N. V. Rose
Note from the Publisher: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead or references to locations, persons, events or locations is purely coincidental. The characters, circumstances and events are imaginative and not intended to reflect real events.
The Unveiling: An Elemental Insurrection Story
Copyright 2018 N. V. Rose
All Rights Reserved and Proprietary.
No part of this book may be reproduced, in any form or format without written permission from Publisher. Send all requests via email to [email protected]
Acknowledgments
You’re still here? That is so amazing, and I appreciate you! Being a new author is incredibly frightening and exciting and I am glad you are here to share in this adventure with me. I also must thank everyone who supports the N.V. Rose brand; my editors, graphic designers, alpha and beta readers and of course my ARC team. A special thank you to family and friends and my growing reading family!
Dedication
This book is dedicated to all those who have come to the understanding that sometimes you have no choice. The choice is made for you…
Chapter One
Simeon…
He only had one name. He only needed one.
He stood six feet tall. Simeon’s chiseled jawline, thick nose and narrow lips under deep-set black eyes against dark-brown shoulder-length hair was an intriguing offset to his pale, nearly translucent skin. Simeon was a loner, by choice and by destiny. It’s not that Simeon didn’t have a family, he did. But the drowning death of his younger brother at the hands of Simeon who then didn’t understand the depth and breadth of his powers created a rift between him and his parents that never mended.
Simeon understood his powers now, though, and they brewed angrily beneath the surface. He had a lot to prove. Kaine found him wandering off the coast of Indonesia where the Pacific and the Indian Ocean meet; crashing waves and creating tsunamis in the middle of the ocean, capturing whales and sea urchins in deadly, watery spirals. The feel of sand between his toes, and the surge of energy coursing through his veins was the only time Simeon felt alive; connected to who he was and who he was meant to be.
Standing on the beach at midday, a long, dark shadow blocked out the sun’s rays. With his brow furrowed, Simeon turned around to see who had the audacity to interrupt his play time.
“Your energy, your power, you’re wasting it.”
The voice that spoke to him out of the darkness was deep and throaty. Instinctively, Simeon bristled expecting a challenge. The water Simeon previously commanded, bowed in this man’s presence. With narrowed eyes, Simeon turned around to face the voice. Iridescent light surrounded Simeon’s balled fists. His chest rose and fell at a faster clip. Whoever this was that decided to interrupt him would have hell to pay.
All Simeon saw was darkness; the light of the sun completely blotted out by the presence of this man. There was no sound; the waves no longer crashed, seagulls no longer vocal; even the wind seemed to have halted in the presence of this one. Simeon’s eyes darted into the darkness, trying to decipher a shape or form. There was only darkness. And then there was movement; just the slightest decisive step from the voice. That’s when Simeon saw a low amber glow; two points of light hovering in blackness. He refused to show fear; fighting the natural inclination to move away from the thing. The energy around Simeon’s tightly clenched fists began to radiate brighter. Slowly he moved his hands from his sides and assumed a fighting position. There was an expectation that the waves of the ocean would start to rumble under his power. Yet, even though Simeon commanded the water in his mind to move, nothing happened. It was as if his influence was subverted by that of the other. Simeon’s body began to vibrate; his thick brow furrowed, and his eyes narrowed to mere slits.
Kaine regarded the young man. Simeon didn’t look like much to those who only observed him with natural eyes. But that was not Kaine’s way. He looked through supernatural eyes. He saw promise; untamed power but promise. Every move Kaine made was singularly focused; the undoing of the council. He despised their all-knowing, omniscient oversight into the affairs of everyone. Kaine refused to be relegated to such controlled living. Simeon was not one to be controlled either.
“Who’s there,” Simeon growled.
A smile eased across Kaine’s lips. He liked the boys’ tenacity.
When Simeon heard no immediate reply, he moved one step closer to the darkness; bending his knees and realigning his fists, prepared to unleash a storm on the intruder.
“Speak!” Simeon yelled.
A dark, brooding laugh pulsed from the shadows.
Slowly lifting his hands, Simeon turned his face towards the heavens; summoning dark clouds to form. His body shook as the clairvoyant energy he directed towards the sky offered him nothing in response. This had never happened to Simeon before. All water, whether earthbound or held in the air, moved under his guidance. Whatever this force was that was in his presence, dampened his ability to enact his strength.
“I am Kaine.”
The voice did not come from the shadowy place and Simeon’s eyes widened as he heard the bass-laden voice in his own head. No one had ever been able to penetrate his thoughts before and despite his efforts and denial, the unwanted infiltration unnerved him. Like other near-mortals, Simeon heard whispers of a man who morphed powers and clandestinely cloaked gifts, making them his own, for as long as he could remember. But they were whispers; grand stories of superhero strength and unimaginable power. However, he did not know if Kaine were friend or foe. Shaking his hands as if to realign his thoughts with his powers, Simeon turned his body away from the shadow and toward the ocean. If the sky would not bow to his command, surely, he could compel the sea to answer his call. Extending his hands from his body, the light-filled energy source moved the length of Simeon’s arms down to his fingertips. A formidable burst of energy poured from Simeon’s hands. Kaine watched as the young man willed the water to obey. Simeon’s heart thundered in his narrow chest as Kaine’s imposing presence moved out of the shadow he created.
“Make your energy work for you,” Kaine instructed. Again, Simeon felt Kaine’s presence in his mind; redirecting his thoughts without permission. He refused to show weakness in the presence of such strength. Fruitlessly, Simeon tried to block Kaine from delving into his thoughts. Simeon’s flashed flushed a burning red as energy was redirected to squelching the infiltration in his head. It was a battle of wills and Simeon was losing. Turning to the invader, Simeon saw the myth for the first time; really looking at the man that stood before him. Kaine’s presence was imposing. Simeon’s hands fell to his sides. As hard as it was to admit, he could not out think the legend.
“I can’t make my power work with you in my head,” Simeon fumed.
Kaine regarded the young man again. “Simeon, you will face many a foe who has the power to enter your mind when they choose.”
How does he know my name, was Simeon’s prevailing thought despite the words Kaine spoke. The inquisitive look on Simeon’s face did not surprise Kaine.
You are unfocused. If you are truly going to master the powers you have inside you, your focus must be unwavering.
“Get out of my head!”
Simeon’s anger spilled out and the water rumbled in response. Feeling the connection to the waves, again, Simeon tried to command movement. Kaine relinquished control enough to allow the waves to respond to Simeon’s authority. When he saw the water dance at his behest, a sneer moved across Simeon’s lips. He hadn’t lost his touch and he wanted Kaine to see that he too had supernatural power. Kaine allowed Simeon to relish in his newfound authority f
or a brief moment. And then, with the lift of a singular finger, Kaine stilled the water in midair; freezing the movement but not chilling the temperature. Droplets of translucent liquid hovered in the air; unattached to anything. The white foam of the waves ceased to froth and remained perfectly still under Kaine’s command. There was no crashing of waves that Simeon conjured. Miffed, Simeon turned back to Kaine and saw the extended finger; oozing strength greater than Simeon had ever manifested before.
“What do you want from me,” Simeon acquiesced. He felt deflated, defeated, and questioned everything about himself he thought he knew. But that was not Kaine’s intention. He did not need a broken Simeon, and before he allowed the young man to sink into the depths of despair, Kaine told him what he wanted.
“I want you to work with me; towards a goal higher than yourself, Simeon. It is only when we use our powers for a higher calling do we then manifest our greatest and truest strength. Your power has been limited by the fact that you use it for self, nothing more. I want you to use your power for more.”
“What is this more you speak of,” Simeon asked. He was bewildered by Kaine’s comments. Simeon had lived his life mercilessly alone, unable to connect with others because of the powers he had. Most didn’t understand it, others were fearful of it. Simeon realized that still others were jealous that the gods didn’t bestow upon them the power Simeon was granted through birth. Even his parents treated his gift as a curse because of the personal loss they suffered. But it was not his fault. Simeon lost the only person who truly understood him and accepted him for who he was. His younger brother, Silas, loved Simeon and looked up to him. Silas saw his brother as super, and powerful and special even without Simeon’s innate power. Although Simeon was born with the gift, he did not know it. Therefore, Silas couldn’t know he had it. That was the truest feeling Simeon had ever felt; the unconditional love his brother showed him. So, when Silas died, at Simeon’s hands, the loss he felt was insurmountable. Simeon was convinced no one could ever love him as Silas did.
The water was his only friend. And just as he wielded, the waves and undertow with ease, and commanded the sky to release the water it held tightly in the clouds, Simeon felt most himself. But the water was not just external to who Simeon was. It also walled off his heart; a watery tower of strength that surrounded his heart and steeled it from future hurt. To think he would have to allow someone else in, to aid something else outside of himself was foreign to Simeon. But he was intrigued by Kaine’s words. After all, Kaine Kross was power.
We are with you…
“We must prepare.”
We must prepare really means, I must prepare, Brielle groaned to herself. Twelve hours a day, seven days a week for the past two weeks. Her power had been stretched farther than Brielle could have ever imagined. She was doing things she would never have believed humanly possible. But her actions weren’t human, not anymore. Brielle was operating in the supernatural. And as long as she was training; fighting to hone her skills, testing and proving that she was the chosen one, Brielle didn’t think about it; the supernatural part, that is. And Maude threw everything at her to make sure she was ready for the fight.
“Simeon. His power is water, but he cloaks that with osmosis. He is a changeling and your first level encounter.”
First level encounter…
“Come on Brielle. Focus!”
Maude looked unbothered and even though her voice slightly elevated to get her point across, nothing else moved; not a hair on Maude’s head, not a flinch of her eyebrow. The sleek of Maude’s black pinstriped pantsuit and the starch of her white collared blouse didn’t quiver as she instructed Brielle. Maude never questioned the councils’ instruction and she refused to allow Brielle to question her gift. She would push Brielle to the brink if that’s what it took for her to become everything that was intended.
Markus, a bender of fire much like Brielle, was her final foe of the day. Brielle understood that he wasn’t a real foe. He was part of her test to strengthen her gift. Still, fighting Markus like the others was mentally and physically draining. Brielle’s powers were still nascent; new to her, unknown in her mind. The seeds of doubt that brewed just below the surface of her thoughts was not completely bolstered by the confidence the council demonstrated. Being the savior of the world? That was a lot to consider. Yet, Markus gave Brielle no time to ponder.
He swirled his hands, one over the other. Hot flames seeped from his fingertips. They were within the white realm which offered a layer of protection where the manifestation of the supernatural was safe. Still, the power of her foe’s energy could not be underestimated by Brielle. She could still be hurt. Their power could still conjure real pain in her life. That’s why Maude needed Brielle to focus. The physical hurt that could be inflicted was the least of Maude’s concerns. She knew that mentally, Brielle was still fragile. That is what Maude was determined to protect.
How do you fight fire with fire, Brielle thought as she watched Markus conjure orange and red flames between his fingers. They stood opposite each other, in a space reminiscent of the city that lay just outside the white realm walls. The two circled each other. Brielle looked for an in but not before the fireball Markus conjured sailed in her direction. Her natural predilection was to duck. Maude’s voice moved inside her head.
Stand still.
Her eyebrow lifted. Stand still and get hit? The fireball closed the distance and expanded as it neared her. Brielle threw up her hand to block what assailed her. When she did, the fireball dispersed just inches before reaching her. But Markus was not done. He repositioned himself, crouching down. Summoning even more of his strength, Markus made fire appear in both palms. And then when Brielle looked down, she saw that heated flames emanated from under Markus’ feet. He looked down; his eyes flaming as red as the flames themselves. And when he lifted his head, Markus’ fiery feet elevated from the pavement. Brielle watched as the fire from his feet lifted Markus high overhead. He had the advantaged position and wasted no time hurling a mirage of fireballs in her direction. With her arms up, Brielle blocked them one after the other. But they were coming too fast. From where he was, Markus could peg her like a bug in a jar. She had to get to a better vantage point.
Her eyes began to glow, even before Brielle completed the thought in her head. Maude looked on, watching her students gift morphing into unconscious yet guided action. With a wave of her hand, Brielle extended a fiery streak. The ambient glow from her eyes began to form around her body as the streak of flames morphed into a staircase that Brielle ascended. The steps fell away as her feet left them as though they were never there. Markus was briefly riled by her display. Lifting his arms high above his head, Markus summoned a bolt of lightning that penetrated the ceiling of the white realm and landed blazing in his hand.
Brielle saw the bolt. She’d never used her power in that way and didn’t know it was possible for someone like her. The enchantment of seeing the white-hot light in Markus’s hand made her stop mid-step. When Markus hurled it in her direction, Brielle’s locks lifted from her shoulders. She turned to face the sky-born dagger instead of retreating from it. The orb of green light faded, and Brielle stood firm on the radiant beam of glistening light.
Just as the fireballs were hurled in her direction, the bolt of lightning traveled at the speed greater than sound. The sound the bolt generated was as loud as a thunderclap. Brielle didn’t know where the lack of fear came from, but she was grateful for it. Her thoughts needed to guide her actions and Brielle concentrated on what she desired to happen. Brielle concentrated harder than she had ever concentrated before. The speed of light. The distance between the target and the lightning bolt practically disappeared. For the first time, Maude’s eyebrow lifted behind her horn-rimmed glasses.
Brielle steeled herself. Her thoughts were clear, and she knew exactly what she desired. As the lightning bolt neared, Brielle’s mind was focused, or so she thought. Trace evidence that this was still not her plight pricked her uncon
scious and the lightning bolt pricked her shoulder before her mind was able to quiet the hesitancy. The feeling of pain forced Brielle to respond. It was as if time stood still, sufficient enough for Brielle to regain her composure. Supernaturally the lightning bolt stopped its forward movement. Brielle’s penetrating eyes forced the bolt backward. Brielle understood that she had to keep her train of thought unencumbered in order for this to work. Through narrowed eyes, Brielle saw the tip of the bolt twitch. Extending her hand over the glow of the bolt, Brielle turned her hand and altered the direction of the lightning. 360 degrees later, Brielle shot the bolt back towards Markus who was unprepared for it.
The bolt struck Markus center mass, sending him sailing through the air; the flames from his feet extinguished, leaving trails of blackened smoke behind him. Brielle’s eyes rose as she saw Markus falling from his elevated position. She didn’t want what she did to harm him and without thought Brielle extended her hand. Just as Markus was about to hit the ground, he was suspended in the air on a cool wave of heat that didn’t scorch his skin. Surprised by her own actions, Brielle looked for Markus to her hand and then back in Markus’ direction. How could she create a flame that didn’t burn?
Assured Markus was safe, Maude stepped out from the sideline.
“That’s enough for today.”
Chapter Two
Bailyn paced back and forth in a tight circle even though his feet never touched the ground.
“I don’t know if it’s the right decision, “Bailyn began. “I know I voted with the council, but now, I am not so sure.”
Reign regarded Bailyn as he moved with concise steps, measured, and precise.
“Your questions, at this moment, have little to do with the appointed savior,” Reign began.