Duplicitous: The Leordian Chronicles

by JC Dameron

  "Or perhaps, the more likely answer is that Vesta's mother was older than you, and your father's suspicions about her infidelity were correct. Either way, Vesta is definitely from your bloodline," Leaha said, placing her hand on my shoulder to comfort me.

  "I guess all that's left is to tell Vesta the news." I broke free from my surprise, and I stood to my feet, reaching a hand to Leaha.

  "You go. I'll send Grimaldi a message to leave with Seles once you arrive. This is something you need to do alone," she said, taking my hand and squeezing it empathetically.

  I looked at my friend, so wise for her years. She knew that I was going to struggle with the truth until it was uncovered if it were even still possible to uncover and that the best way for me to cope would be caring for Vesta, my niece. While it was all a bit of a shock, it was nice to have a family.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Dogtags

  As I passed the command center, while on my way to the training rooms, I heard the door open, and Ethan walked out.

  "Vel, you're just the person that I was coming to see," he said, stopping in front of me.

  "Hey, Ethan," I said, curious as to why he was looking for me. "How was your meeting with the President?"

  "It was as expected, for the most part," he replied. "He asked a lot of questions concerning the UTF's handle on the caster threat." He turned his head to the side, clearly uncomfortable to refer to my people as a threat.

  "It's okay, Ethan. The casters who have sided with Astiel are a threat, even if only because of his leadership," I stated, attempting to relieve his discomfort.

  "Well, I explained what happened today with The Dragon and the Russian President, and he was concerned, but I assured him that he is safe here, in the States," Ethan said, turning to face me again. "Listen, this is a bit awkward, but Aaron told me what happened before he left. He was totally out of line, so please apologize to Lucas on my behalf when you see him. I would apologize myself, but I will be out of town for the next three weeks," he said, apologetically.

  "Where are you going for so long?" I asked, surprised that Ethan would be called away for so long, since he was the commander of the UTF here in New York.

  "Well that's it, the strange thing is that the President put in a request after speaking to me. I have been assigned to oversee a newly constructed UTF site in India for three weeks while they establish a chain of command," he said, surprised by the request. "India is another highly populated country, much like the United States and Russia," he added to clarify.

  I stopped to think for a moment before speaking, knowing that Leaha couldn't have spoken to Ethan yet.

  "Does Leaha know, and will she be going with you?" I asked, concerned for Leaha.

  "I'm actually on my way to speak with her now. Her phone pinged in the clinic, but since I saw you passing by, I wanted to let you know that I would be gone for awhile and apologize for Aaron's behavior.”.

  "You don't have to apologize, Ethan. But you said that he told you about the fight before he left, has Aaron been assigned somewhere as well?" I asked, confused.

  Ethan reached into his pocket, and he pulled out a chain which had an unusual charm hanging from it.

  "Yes, Vel, I'm so sorry. I have so much going on in my head right now," he said, as he held out the chain to give to me. "Aaron's service was requested by the Russian President shortly before I was assigned to the base in India. I thought it was odd that he asked for Aaron by name, but Aaron spent some time in Russia before joining me here as an agent, and he was happy to accept the assignment. Before he left, however, he did ask me to leave this with you, and he told me that it was a strange enough request that you'd get it," Ethan said, as I took the chain, noticing that Ethan wore one which was very similar in appearance.

  Ethan must have noticed my confusion, so he spoke on his brother's behalf.

  "Listen, Vel, Aaron is a strange guy, and he is a little awkward at times, but he really does like you. That is his dog tag from our time in the Army; he left it for you as a way to that say he was sorry, since he couldn't find the words to say it otherwise," Ethan said, explaining things.

  I smiled as Ethan spoke. Aaron was a great guy, even if a bit strange, and I regretted not being able to see him off.

  "I'll keep it safe," I promised Ethan, as he smiled and waived, walking down the hall to speak with Leaha.

  After Ethan turned the corner, I resumed down the hall to the training rooms. As I moved closer to the training rooms, I could feel Ether begin to flow into me at a steady rate, and I knew that Seles and Grimaldi were showing off for Vesta. I hoped that they were being careful. I found Lucas standing outside the training room, watching through the window.

  "Lucas?" I asked, questioning why he was there.

  "Vel, hey," He said, looking to me for a moment before turning back to watch Seles and Grimaldi train.

  "What are you doing here?" I asked, curious as to why he had come to this part of the building.

  "One of the UTF guys told me that Vesta was here with these two, and I decided that I would check up on her," he answered, his eyes glued to the action in the room.

  From my corner of my eyes, I could see Seles flashing here and there, avoiding Grimaldi's attacks.

  "The power that you all possess is crazy," he stated. "I can't even follow Seles's movements most of the time, and by the time I can see where she has moved to, she's gone again. Even crazier is that despite her speed, she hasn't been able to land a single blow on Grimaldi."

  I knew from the amount of Ether that I was absorbing that they were simply showcasing Seles's speed enhancement for Vesta, but I decided to let Lucas enjoy his wonder.

  "About earlier," Lucas said, finally turning his attention to me.

  "It's okay, Lucas," I interrupted.

  "No, Vel, it's not. I taunted Aaron into that fight, and I risked Vesta being hurt by doing so," he admitted.

  "I wouldn't have let that happen; I would have taken you both out had you not moved the fight away from her," I said, using some of the Ether that I had absorbed to invoke a ball of flame in my hand to scare him.

  "I believe it," he said, pointing to his nose, which had swollen even further after Aaron's first punch aggravated it. "You act first, and ask later. But, I really like that about you," he said, walking closer to me.

  "Listen, Lucas," I said, holding out my arm. "Aaron is gone for now on a mission. I wanted to have this conversation with both of you, but I'll start with you," I said, as he stepped back. "There is a lot going on right now, and a lot has already happened since I arrived here. I like you, and I like Aaron too. I would love to get to know you both better and see where things go, but for now, I just found out that I really am Vesta's aunt, and I need to focus on her," I explained.

  Lucas's face, even through the swelling, sunk as I explained my feelings, but he quickly recovered and smiled.

  "I get it, Vel. I want you to know that I do like you, and I would love to spend more time with you one on one, but I respect your need to have time alone with Vesta. I'll see you around, okay?" he said, walking by me.

  I watched as Lucas walked down the hall, and I secretly appreciated his understanding. Before he turned around the corner, and out of sight, he stopped and turned to face me.

  "By the way," Lucas yelled down the hall. "One of the agents showed me to my room. If you ever need to talk, I'll be right down the hall!" He said, disappearing around the corner.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Healed!

  Ether ceased flowing into me as Grimaldi and Seles wrapped up their training exercises, and I could see Vesta clapping excitedly as the two captains bowed to each other before walking out of the room.

  "Sorry, Majesty," Grimaldi said, as he exited the room. "We were so focused that I didn't see Leaha's message until just now," he said, apologetically bowing his head.

  "It's no problem," I replied, absolving him of any guilt that he felt. "Vesta was really enjoying herself, so it's really fine
."

  "So how did everything turn out?" Seles popped out from behind Grimaldi., still catching her breath from her training session.

  "She is my niece, and a blood relative," I said, still in disbelief myself.

  "How?" Seles asked.

  "How isn't what's important, Seles." Grimaldi reached out and touched Seles's arm. "For now, all that matters is that her Majesty isn't alone here anymore; she has family," Grimaldi said, pointing down the hall, indicating to Seles that it was time to go.

  I took Seles and Grimaldi's hands into my own, and I looked at each of them.

  "You're my family too, don't ever forget that," I said, they both gave a slight bow before things could get too awkward and then walked down the hall and out of sight.

  I opened the door to the training room where Vesta waited.

  "Hey Vesta," I said, as I walked in.

  "Hey Aunt Vel," She replied, smiling. "I wish you could have seen Grimaldi and Seles train, they are amazing!" She said, as her eyes told the tale of the battle she had imagined during their training.

  "They definitely are special, Vesta," I replied, walking closer to her, trying to figure out what to say in this moment. "You are special too, Vesta," I started, taking her hand and kneeling down so as to be at eye level with her. "I got the results of my test back, and you were right. I don't know how it's possible, or any of the details, but your mother was my sister by the blood of my mother. So it seems we are family.” I tried not to get too teared up.

  "I know, Aunt Vel," She said, squeezing my hand. "Mom never lied to me. She always told me when we'd see you charging through the city gates to go to battle, or to lead The Hunt, that you were her sister. She was very proud to be your sister, you know," Vesta said with a smile, becoming slightly teary eyed as well.

  "If she knew, why didn't she ever come forward?" I asked, hoping her mother may have told her.

  "She always said that you were supposed to be who you are, and she was supposed to be who she was, one a queen, and the other my mom, and that was good enough," Vesta said, breaking down and placing her forehead on my hand.

  I wrapped my arms around the child. She was far too young to have been exposed to the things that she had faced. Though we were a warrior race, and death was a very real part of our lives, most common children would never be allowed to see such things until they were old enough to join the Royal Leordian Army. Vesta had felt her mother's burden, she had lived in her mother's poverty, and she had seen her mother die. She had never been just a normal girl. She was a princess by right, a commoner by birth, and an avenger by necessity. Vesta, my niece, was truly one of a kind.

  "From now on, you will be with me," I said, feeling the tears begin to flow. "I will be for you everything that your grandmother was not able to be for your mom and I. I will be your family and a mentor, your protector, and your friend," I vowed, lifting her head and placing my forehead to hers, as we both cried tears of sadness, loss, and joy.

  After being with Vesta for a while, silently giving my heart to her, we both wiped our eyes.

  "Aunt Vel," Vesta said.

  "Yes, Vesta," I replied, looking to her.

  "There's something that I need to tell you, but I was scared that you wouldn't want me around if I did," she said.

  "Vesta, you can tell me anything, there is nothing in this world that could make me not want you around," I said, touching her cheek.

  Vesta fidgeted for a moment, removing Leaha's bandages, and then she stood to her feet, lifting her dress to reveal that her leg had been completely healed.

  "How?" I asked aloud, in disbelief. "How has your leg healed, Vesta?" I asked again, regaining my composure.

  "It happened earlier, while Aaron and Uncle Lucas were fighting. A woman has been speaking to me inside of my head. She was the one who used my body to kill all of those people, and she spoke to me again, today," Vesta said, beginning to shake. "I told her that I didn't need her help anymore, that I was okay with you, but she said that she would heal me if I allowed her in again," Vesta said, covering her face. "I wanted to stand up and stop them from fighting, so I agreed, and I felt a burning in my leg before I fell asleep. When I awoke, I felt you smack me. I didn't want you to be angry, so I told you that my mom had spoken to me, and I realized that my leg had been healed.”

  I was troubled, more than I had been before. Not because Vesta was healed, but because the voice that I had heard twice was not only real, but was an unknown entity manipulating her. I had never heard of a invocation that could heal, and I knew in my soul that it had to be a Forbidden spell. There was only one person that I knew of with the knowledge of those spells which were Forbidden, and I decided definitively that the next time I met The Dragon, I would get an answer.

  "It's okay, Vesta," I said, trying to calm her. "I'm very glad that your leg has healed, and you don't have to worry about the voice anymore, we'll figure it out together," I promised. "Ethan, and possibly Leaha, are going to be leaving for a few weeks on an assignment. While they're gone, we'll have some time to get you a training schedule in place before they return. Hopefully, we can help you learn to control the power which you possess, and once we do, you'll never feel like you need to ask for help again," I said, hugging Vesta. "Let's go to our room and get some sleep, tomorrow's another day."

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  The End

  That night, I woke up quite suddenly, with a great thirst. I glanced beside me, and I saw that Vesta was fast asleep. Rather than wake her, I gently slid out of the bed and put a robe over my nightgown to go get some water. I exited my room and walked toward the Lounge. I was surprised how dark the halls were at night, only a dim light shining. As I passed by the lab, I saw that Lucas, also in sleep wear, was walking out of the lab.

  "Lucas," I said, causing him to jump.

  "Vel, what are you doing up?" He asked, as he locked the lab's door.

  "I'm on my way to the lounge to get a drink," I replied. "You?"

  "I forgot that Felix asked me to lock up when he left," Lucas said, placing Felix's keys into his pocket. "Bring Vesta by the lab tomorrow, I want to show her something," Lucas said, walking by me.

  "I will, Felix was working on something for me anyway, so we'll see you tomorrow. Good night," I said, as Lucas disappeared around the corner without saying a word.

  I turned to continue to the lounge, and I nearly had a heart attack as I saw Grimaldi standing behind me.

  "Grimaldi!" I screamed. "You scared the hell out of me!" It took me a moment to catch my breath.

  "Sorry, majesty. I didn't mean to frighten you. I was just getting a drink of water," he said, holding up a glass of water in his hand.

  "It's okay Grimaldi, I'm actually going to do the same," I said, smiling at him.

  "Very well," he said, as he began to walk by me.

  I noticed something flow slowly by my feet, and I looked down to find a small stream of liquid moving slowly across the slightly uneven floor, heading toward the wall across from the lab. Grimaldi noticed my eyes shift downward, and he glanced down as well.

  "Majesty, I believe that's blood," he said, as I reached down to touch the substance.

  I couldn't see it clearly, but as I touched it with my finger, I realized that Grimaldi was correct. My eyes followed the trail, and I saw that the blood was coming from inside the Lab.

  "Majesty, we need to alert Ethan right away. I will go," he said, handing me his glass and rushing through the hall to alert Ethan and the UTF security team.

  The first thing that crossed my mind was that Lucas had exited the room just moments before. I wondered how he could have missed what must have been a large pool of blood or a corpse, even if it was dimly lit. I remembered that he had acted strangely before he rushed off quickly. I also remembered that he had asked me about bringing Vesta to see him tomorrow, and I realized that she was all alone in our room. I felt a flash of panic, thinking that should may be in danger. So I laid the glass of water on the floor, and dashed
to my room to check on her.

  Once I entered the room, I saw Vesta resting peacefully on the bed. I was relieved that she was okay, and I decided it may be wise to check in on Lucas as well.I walked out and across the hall to Lucas's room, knocking on the door. As I knocked, Lucas's door slowly creaked open. I walked into the room and I noticed that Lucas was asleep, laying on his side upon the bed. I walked over to Lucas, shook him gently, and caused him to roll forward onto his stomach, unresponsive. I grabbed his shoulder more forcefully, and I rolled him onto his back. I was horrified to see that he had been gutted, his abdomen drench in blood and others things that should never protrude from one’s skin. Once my initial shock had passed, I ran to the door and turned on the lights only to find that the bed was completely covered in blood. I screamed out loud, and I rushed out of the room to try and find some help. Remembering that my Niece was vulnerable, I ran back into my room, and grabbed Vesta to ensure that she was safe.

  "Aunt Vel?" Vesta said, rubbing her eyes as she sat up.

  "Thank the gods!" I proclaimed, embracing the girl and trying to control my trembling.

  "What's wrong, Aunt Vel?" Vesta asked as I held her, bawling.

  "I don't know what's happening, Vesta. I need to check in with Ethan, but I want you to stay here and keep the door locked. If anyone comes to the door, do not open it. Do you hear me, not for anyone at all" I said, frantically dressing in proper clothes.

  "Aunt Vel, you're scaring me, what's going on?" Vesta asked again.

  "Someone was killed, Vesta, you need to stay here, please," I commanded.

  "Okay, I will Aunt Vel, promise," she agreed, covering herself to her neck.

  I walked out the room, and I locked the door behind me. I turned to go to the command center, hoping to find Ethan or Leaha, and I screamed out loud as I found myself face-to-face with Grimaldi again.

  "Grimaldi!" I exclaimed with tears rushing down my face.

  "I apologize, Majesty," Grimaldi said. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I just came from Ethan and Leaha's room, and I am not sure how to say this…" Grimaldi paused and took in a deep breath, I noticed that tears were flowing down his cheeks. “They are gone Majesty. They were both dead when I arrived.”