“Let’s go,” Rico ordered, and with that they entered the tunnel.
21
The smell was the first thing that hit Renee the moment she entered the tunnel. It was so foul that it made her queasy, and she had to force herself to keep walking. It kind of reminded her of the smells of spoiled, raw fish and skunks, two things that she usually made sure to avoid. The sounds of the creatures were also loud and frightening; she couldn’t tell if they were eating or scratching the walls, and it almost made her miss the creepy men in robes who had tied them up to the tree. Anything would be better than this—she hated not being able to see the creatures that might attack them at any moment, not to mention the weird, squishy feeling under her feet. Was she stepping on the rotten corpses of the creatures’ latest victims? The very idea sent chills through her entire body and made her wish she hadn’t thought of it.
The group was almost through the tunnel when the whole place lit up and they came face to face with the beasts. They were as big as bears, with faces like rats and bodies like gorillas. Their nails and teeth were razor sharp and their heads moved like snakes, extending and collapsing as they shot across the room, attempting to bite off as many heads as they could. The group stood frozen for only a second, caught between the beasts and Martha, with her fifty-some odd soldiers, coming their way.
“Run,” Rico ordered, and with that one word the group ran as fast as they could through the tunnel, trying to avoid the huge, man-eating animals. In the midst of the confusion, Kaylin was grabbed by one of the creatures.
“Mommy!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.
Renee and their mother turned around. “Kaylin!” their mother screamed.
The creature had Kaylin gripped tightly in what looked like paws. Renee knew it was only a matter of time before it killed her baby sister, and she couldn’t allow that to happen. However, before she could act, their mother had already begun attacking the creature with her arrows, determined to get her youngest back. Meanwhile, the rest of the group ran as fast as they could towards the exit. It was a sight that Renee had only seen once before, when she and her friends had been captured by soldiers and almost sent to the castle.
Renee’s mother was thrown back by one of the beast’s tails, while her sister was flung back and forward in the beast’s hand, as it fought off their mother’s attacks. The beast was going to win, and Renee knew it. Her sister was going to be eaten and her mother was going to be crushed, and there wasn’t a thing Renee could do about. Their main group was almost at the exit, each man who was able striking at their foes. This even included some the soldiers, who had somehow run past Renee and her mother in order to follow the others.
Renee’s mother managed to get to her feet and pull out another arrow, aiming at the beast that held her daughter. She was breathing heavily, and her body was badly bruised. It was clear that she only had one more chance to attack left before she lost consciousness, but she didn’t care and Renee knew it. This was her baby and she would do anything to protect her, even if it meant sacrificing her own life. “Renee, catch up with rest,” her mother said as she searched for the beast’s weakness.
Renee shook her head. “I can’t leave you,” she cried. But what can I do?
The beast let out a loud, banshee-like scream, paralyzing Renee with fear. She was helpless and her mother and sister were going to die.
“Get out of here,” her mother demanded. Renee could tell her mother was just as afraid as she was, yet was refusing to give up.
Renee shook her head no and swallowed hard.
“Sister, help me!” Kaylin managed to say as the beast began to crush her tiny body.
“Kaylin!” Renee screamed as tears rolled down her cheeks.
At that moment their mother fired her arrow, but instead of hitting its target, the arrow suddenly stopped in middle air. The beast let out a scream, causing the arrow to fly back and strike Renee’s mother in the shoulder, knocking her out. Renee stood frozen, unable to move as the beast picked up her mother. The beast then turned its attention toward Renee, who was staring back at it with both fear and anger in her eyes. I have to do something, she thought to herself as the creature lifted Kaylin towards its mouth, revealing its razor sharp teeth.
“Renee!” Kaylin screamed.
All of a sudden, something in Renee snapped and a purple glow surrounded her. It was warm and felt like a suit of armor of some sort, but she didn’t have time to wonder about what was going on—her family was in danger and she was their only hope.
Raising two fists towards the beast, she slowly pried her fingers open, one at a time. The beast’s paws struggled to do the same. A few moments later, Kaylin and their mother fell to the ground, hurt and unconscious. The beast looked at Renee with confusion and hostility. It tried to attack her, only to find that it was impossible to move. Not only that, it was choking. Renee had kept one of her hands up, and she began to slowly ball it back up into a fist. Her eyes were like arrows, locked on their target and unwilling to release it.
The other beasts tried to attack her but were thrown back by an invisible force field that was protecting her. The beasts continued to struggle and choke, looking amongst one another for help and finding none. One by one, they ran into a hole in the tunnel that Renee had only noticed when the lights had come on, fleeing deep into the cave.
A few seconds later, the beast that had attacked Kaylin, neck exploded and its head popped off. Exhausted, Renee made her way back towards her family and dropped to her knees. Without even thinking about it, she placed her hands over her mother and sister, completely engulfing them in that piercing purple light. Once the light had cleared, both her mother and sister had regained consciousness.
“Renee,” her mother said, reaching for Renee’s hand. That’s when she noticed that the arrow was gone. “What happened?” she asked, rising to her feet.
Renee said nothing, turning her attention towards her little sister, who was hugging her as if she were afraid of what would happen if she were to let go.
Renee’s mother looked around the tunnel and saw that everyone else in sight was either dead or unconscious, including some of the beasts that had been too slow to retreat. The party had already cleared the tunnel; however, she could still hear what sounded like TaKayla’s screams coming from the direction in which they had gone. She knew what had happened but was unsure of how to explain it to Renee, who was looking back at her as if she were possessed. It was the same look she had worn after killing the soldiers.
“We have to go,” Renee’s mother informed them as she stood to her feet, feeling better than she had felt in years.
Renee stood like a puppet and, without saying another word, ran as fast as she could with her mother and Kaylin, out of the tunnel and towards the rest of their group.
“Momma,” Takayla cried, running into her mother’s arms.
“I’m okay,” her mother replied.
Renee’s father threw his arms around Renee and Kaylin, overjoyed that they were okay.
“We should go; we still have a few hours before we make it to the camp,” Sam informed them.
“Renee, are you okay?” Elizabeth asked, looking at Renee as if she were a stranger.
Renee tried to speak but no words came out. She wanted to tell Elizabeth and Jasmine everything that had happened, but her telepathy wasn’t working. Her head felt as light as air and her vision had become blurry. Everything that was happening felt as if it were a dream of some sort, and the next thing she knew, she was in someone’s arms, being carried at a fast pace while the setting sun shone down on her.
“We’re almost there,” Renee heard Will yell to the group. He sounded just as breathless as the person who was carrying her. After a few more moments she managed to open her eyes, only to see that she was in her father’s arms.
“Dad,” she said, startling him and nearly causing him to drop her. He seemed both emotionally and physically drained. She could tell by looking at him that whateve
r had happened while she’d been asleep had taken its toll on him.
“Thank God you’re awake; we are almost there,” he said, relieved. “The men said the camp is right through that gate.”
Renee slowly turned her head in the direction her father was looking. A few feet away from them stood a huge gate guarded by two figures who looked like little children in the distance. However, the closer they got, the taller the figures became and more of their features began to show. They were grown men, both tall and very muscular. The one on the right had long, blonde hair and the one on the left had long, brown hair. Both had fair skin, and Renee thought they were both rather nice-looking.
When they reached the gate, everyone stopped and Renee’s father put her down.
“You’re okay?” her mother asked, hugging her.
Renee nodded her head, but she didn’t feel alright. If anything, she was confused. Her memories of what had happened back in the tunnel felt like a dream; however, she knew they were real. She had killed that creature—but how? As far as she knew, the only powers she had were telepathy and a great hearing ability, so what had happened in the tunnel couldn’t have been her doing. Could it have?
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jasmine asked, sounding concerned.
“I’m sure; it’s nothing,” Renee quickly replied, hoping not to raise suspicion amongst her friends and family. She didn’t know if she was successful, but no one in the group pried any further. Seeming to let it slide, everyone turned their attention towards the rebels in front of them.
“Welcome back, Rico, Sam and Will. He is expecting you,” the one with the brown hair said.
“Of course he is,” Rico responded.
22
The camp was unlike anything Jasmine had expected, and judging by her friends’ reactions, they were thinking the same thing. The camp was huge, looking more like a mini kingdom with big, stone houses everywhere. In the center of the camp was a building the size of a castle. How none of them had seen it from the road was beyond her.
“Um, I thought you said we were going to a camp,” Elizabeth said, amazed.
Rico smiled. “That’s what this is.”
“No, this is a town,” Jasmine said, noticing all the people walking around like they didn’t have a care in the world—a feeling Jasmine would give anything to have back.
“True, but what do you expect when you have a king like ours?” Sam replied.
“What do you mean?” Renee asked as they made their way through the camp.
“Many of these people were forced out of their homes by the king and his men. They had nowhere to go, so our leader and a group of other people built this place and made it a safe haven for them,” Will explained.
“That explains a lot. I know the king has been searching recklessly for the Ultimate Power; these people must be the result of his quest,” Renee’s father added as they made their way through the crowded town.
On their way to the castle, they were spoken to by various people passing by.
“Welcome back Rico.”
“Rico’s back.”
“Another successful mission, I see.”
“Your father will be proud.”
“Will’s back; he’s so awesome.”
“Sam, can you teach me some of your moves? I want to be a rebel, too!”
“Wow, somebody’s famous,” Jasmine said, rolling her eyes.
“Hey, this is to be expected when you’re as good as we are,” Will boasted.
“Right,” TaKayla replied sarcastically.
When they reached the castle, the gate was open as if to invite them in. “So is this where we go to get our housing assignments?” Ethan asked curiously.
“Something like that,” Rico responded.
The moment they walked inside the building, they felt as if they had entered a whole new world. There were at least six doors on each side of the hall, and a stairway led up to the second floor of the building. On each wall were torches that lit the space completely. Rico and the other two rebels led them to the room at the end of the hall.
“This is it,” Will said, standing in front of the door with his hand on the knob. “All of your questions will be answered behind this door. Are you sure you’re ready?”
The girls looked at each other. Did they really want to know?
What do you guys think? Renee asked, looking back and forth between her friends.
Yes, Elizabeth replied without hesitation.
After everything we have been through, we deserve to know why, Jasmine proclaimed.
But what if the truth is not something we want to hear? Renee asked, conflicted.
Jasmine and Elizabeth grabbed her hand and smiled. Then we’ll face it together, Elizabeth assured her.
The girls felt relieved to have come to a decision, but before they could say anything a deep male voice called out to Will, ordering him to open the door.
Will bowed his head, seemingly defeated, and opened the door to the room.
The room was huge, full of bookshelves and paintings on the walls. In the middle of the floor, an older man sat at a table with two women, one on either side of him. Another man stood behind them. The man at the table had smooth, brown skin, a mustache, and short, brown-and-gray hair. He looked like an older version of Rico, except he was sharper and more muscular. He wore a gray, linen tunic with black, linen trousers. The man standing behind him was tall, with dark skin and long, black-and-gray hair that stopped at his shoulders. He was thinner than the man at the table, but seemed like more of a fighter. He wore a black, linen tunic with black, linen trousers, and in his hand he held a small, brown box.
“You guys got here a lot earlier than expected,” the man at the table said with a proud smile. “Then again, this is my son we’re talking about; carrying out missions as quickly as possible is what he has always been good at,” he boasted.
Rico bowed a little. “Thank you father, and the reason for the early arrival is because we ran into a bit of trouble.
The other man raised his hand up towards Rico. “That is perfectly fine; as long as you are all safe, all is fine. By the way, where is James?” he asked, looking around the room for a prince the girls had heard about but never thought they had met.
Did he say father? Jasmine asked Elizabeth and Renee telepathically.
That’s what it sounded like to us. Renee and Elizabeth replied back.
Rico bowed his head. “We don’t know,” he said softly. “The last time I saw him, he told me to protect Elizabeth with my life; after that, we got separated.”
Elizabeth sat back, frozen, “Why would this prince ask you to protect me? My dad told you that,” she reminded him.
“Right. Anyways,” Rico’s father said, changing the subject, “Mark, Justin, Cara and Caroline, thank you so much for your efforts throughout the years. They wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for you.”
Erin looked at them, just as confused as the children, “What?” she asked, lost.
“Oh, Father, this is Erin; she was the only survivor from their village,” Rico explained.
“Oh. Welcome to our camp. I know this place is not your home, but I hope that you can find a new home here, at least for the time being. Will, could you get this woman situated for me please? And make sure the house is to her liking.”
“Thank you, sir,” Erin said, completely lost, but going with it.
“Not a problem, Will.”
“Right this way, Erin,” Will said, leading her out of the building.
“Anyways, like I was saying, thank you guys so much for raising and protecting them. Their mothers have been in my office every day, worried sick,” he said as he looked at the women in front of him.
“Huh?” Elizabeth asked, completely lost.
“It wasn’t that bad; they were good girls, and we did our best. We hope that you will be proud of the young women they’ve become,” Cara said, trying to fight back tears.
“Wait, what?” TaKayla ask
ed, just as confused as the rest of the kids.
“Elizabeth, Jasmine and Renee, could you sit down, please?” Rico’s father asked.
“No, I think I’ll stand,” Elizabeth replied, shaking her head.
“You’re not our real parents?” Jasmine asked, looking back and forth between her adoptive parents, who were both looking at her with eyes full of tears. She could tell from their faces that it was true. Jasmine took a step backwards and her brother just hugged her while tears fell from her eyes.
“Hey, no matter what happens you will always be my annoying little sister. Okay?” he said, trying to comfort her. “And they will always be your parents; genetics means nothing,” he said. He was trying to make her laugh, and it worked.
She nodded, “Okay,” then hugged her adoptive parents.
“You’re not my sister?” Kaylin asked, disappointed. Her little lips were poking out and she was looking up at Renee with sad, puppy-dog eyes, as if begging Renee to say that it was all a lie.
Renee kneeled down in front of her two little sisters, took both of their hands into hers and smiled. She knew that no matter what she said, it wouldn’t change what her adoptive parents were telling them. However, it did change the way she felt. “Hey, it doesn’t matter if we don’t have the same parents; you two will always be my little sisters,” she said, looking back and forth between TaKayla and Kaylin.
The two girls hugged her for a long time and cried on her shoulders.
“So I’m just going to go out on a limb and say that my dad isn’t my real dad either,” Elizabeth asked. Everyone looked at her and shook their heads.
Cara walked over towards Elizabeth and hugged her. “But he loves you as if you were his real daughter, so you can still consider him your father; okay?”
Elizabeth nodded. “So who are our real parents and why were we with you?”
Cara sighed. It was clear that it pained her to tell them they were not really related, but she had no choice. She smiled, then pointed at the two women seated at the table with Rico’s father. These women had yet to turn around to face them. The girls looked at the women before them, completely shocked.
The Journey: The Ultimate Power Book 1 Page 19