Aaryon however, didn’t strike me like the type who’d know what to do when someone was bawling their eyes out in front of him.
When I remained silent, I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder, turning me around. His eyes found mine and a deep, consoling feeling swept me up.
‘Acacia?’ He said softly. ‘What is it that you’re afraid of?’
This time, the tears fell, and I couldn’t care less that he’d see me cry.
‘I’m afraid he’d see the way I crumbled…that I wasn’t strong enough.’
‘Do you think he’d see you for less than you are?’
A pain so deep, suddenly overwhelmed me. Aaryon looked right through me, he saw all the things I couldn’t put into words and all the feelings I’d refused to let myself feel.
Troy, ever the gentleman gave us some space, with a tiny smile, he squeezed my hand and then he was gone.
‘What do you want me to say, Aaryon?’ I turned when we were alone.
He remained quiet, his hands folded neatly behind his back.
‘Say what’s on your mind?’
‘I don’t need a psych session from you.’
‘Why not? You’ve missed all your mandatory ones.’
My eyes widened. ‘I appreciate the offer, but there’s no way you and I are going to talk about any of this.’
‘Your time with me isn’t just about the training, it’s about getting you ready.’
‘I am ready.’ I grit my teeth.
‘Your body yes, your power too, but your mind isn’t settled.’
‘Look, Aaryon—’
He paused and looked at me, waiting for me to continue. I sucked in a breath and slowed my breathing.
‘In my world, when two people talk, especially about shitty things, there’s a social norm for the other person to be comforting, or at least empathetic.’
‘And you don’t believe I can be?’
‘No.’ I said. ‘You don’t follow social norms.’
‘That may be the case.’ He said, nodding. ‘But I am here for you, in whichever way you need.’
‘Again, I appreciate it. But I don’t want some artificial comfort because you need me to be on my A game.’
‘I do need you on your A game, you are right. But that’s not what this is, and it is certainly not artificial.’
‘Thank you, but I’m fine.’
‘Can I ask you something then?’
‘Sure.’
‘Will you please confide in your oldest friend, since you won’t me.’
Before I could answer, he was gone, and I was alone left wondering what the hell that was all about.
***
Illarion
I stopped the car on the side of the road and stretched my neck out, Christ the flight was long, every part of me ached and this drive was no better.
I’d managed to somehow get on the first flight to Cairo and eighteen hours later, I was functioning on less than six hours of sleep more than thirty hours ago.
A truck drove past me followed by a small convoy of men on camels. I rubbed my eyes and focused on the dot on the horizon, the sun was setting, the burnt orange hue made my heart ache.
The first time I’d laid eyes on her in person was in the sandy dunes almost a lifetime ago.
I shifted the rental back into drive and pulled out onto the road, I had one shot at this.
There were a million and one pointers guiding me toward the place I had only read about in ancient texts.
We never really believed in them, not the way some fanatics did and I was never religious, even when my parents were. I guess I was lucky in the sense that they gave me the choice to make up my own mind.
And I did, when they failed us—when my father was captured, and my mother fought to her last, fateful essence. How in the hell could they have expected me to follow their rule blindly after that?
As I neared the location, I slowed and checked the GPS. I left the car and collected the things I’d brought with me, the rest of the way would be on foot.
I locked up and crossed the road making my way into the sandy dunes. The mausoleum, which was hidden beneath a mound of sand, came into view as the GPS beeped, telling me I was right on top of it.
Great. It was completely buried; the years had not been kind.
I pulled out the flashlight and set it on top of my bag hoping it’d cast enough light before nightfall took over completely. I put together the compact shovel and started to move the sand. It took more than an hour to dig through to the main door and with a little force, the ancient wood gave way.
Climbing over the frame, I looked around and switched the flashlight on immediately flooding the concrete room in white light.
It was stone cold and deathly still. I was completely alone, not even the unnerved spirits of the dead came down here. Aside from the occasional sound of a scurrying rat, there was nothing else moving alongside my loud footsteps.
There had been rumors, some say they swore by the books, that the secret to cross planes, if you weren’t a Divine Sensitive lay down here but only if you were worthy, whatever that meant.
At this point, I was willing to believe anything if it brought me closer to being able to hunt them down and inflict as much pain on them as they had to Ace.
A door finally appeared after rounding more than seven winding corridors which led down several flights of winding stairs.
I pressed my hand against the cool, cement door and with a deep breath, I pushed it open.
***
Ace
Aaryon was firm on the stance that I needed to rest, but the more I rested the more unsettled I became. Troy tapped on the door and let himself in before asking.
He had one hand behind his back raising a whole bunch of questions from me.
‘Coming?’ He smirked.
‘What are you up to?’
‘Gonna have to come with, if you want to know.’
‘I’m not in the mood, Troy.’
‘I know, babe, but you’re stuck here for the foreseeable future and since you’re not resting, the least you can do it relax your mind.’
‘Did Aaryon send you?’
‘No,’ he smiled folding his free hand over his heart, ‘All me.’
‘All right, I’ll bite.’ I pulled myself out of the bed and followed him.
All while we walked, he kept a watchful eye on me, somewhere between smiling and chuckling. He was loving this and for once, I couldn’t get a read on his mind.
‘We’re here.’ He smiled, handing me a U.S Airforce hat. ‘Ta-da.’
I took the hat from him and laughed.
‘Really?’
‘I really wanted to go to that war museum, and you took it from me, so…yep, really.’
He placed the cap on my head.
‘Perfect.’ He chuckled.
‘You’re a huge dork.’
‘I know,’ he twisted his fingers through mine and led me to the front door; it wasn’t real, I knew that, but it was nice.
We waked through the glass doors and greeted the others in the tour group. Maybe this is exactly what I needed.
***
Aaryon moved toward me, arms held out beside him, a blinding light was building under his translucent skin, pulsing steadily as he readied himself for another onslaught.
As I anticipated the blow, I was silently thanking Troy for his earlier treat. I was refreshed and ready for this and more than that, I had a new lease on life, a better outlook.
I stepped toward him, bringing my hands out to the side, it was getting easier to control the two powers building inside me now. Aaryon was impressed, he’d stopped holding back and was now coming at me full force, each blast to my chest was designed to kill anyone who wasn’t able to absorb it and when I retaliated, I threw everything I had right back.
I was no longer afraid of it, I embraced it. And Aaryon had shown me how to tap into the depths of it, without compromising my emotional state—not that it couldn’t still. I had to
be so careful, especially considering how emotionally charged I was every time I used the power. Pain and fear fueled it.
‘Now control that feeling.’ Aaryon said.
As another blast hit my chest, forcing me down to my knees, I grit my teeth and fought back. I held onto the feeling and controlled it just as Aaryon said.
With each pull of power, I screamed, thinking of all the times Dalca had made me cower, all the times he’d made me cry and beg, all the times I couldn’t fight back, all the times he made me fall to my knees.
I pushed myself to my feet, letting the heat course through my veins, the static around me grew, intensifying with each passing second and as my hair raised around me, I released it. Throwing the full force of Light and Dark at him.
The sonic blast slammed right into him and threw him backwards. The first time I’d hit him a few days ago, he’d stammered a few inches, this time, he was raised off the ground and flung a few feet into the air before crashing into the ground with a grunt.
As the power dissipated from my veins, I pressed my palms to my thighs and doubled over expelling a shaky tired breath.
When I opened my eyes, I looked down and winced at the tiny crimson droplets on the pavement between my feet.
I wiped my nose with the back of my hand and looked up at Aaryon.
He stood a few feet away with a proud smile on his face.
‘None before you have ever been able to do that.’
A relieved smile broke free.
‘You know how strong you are. But your fear is still holding you back. Once you’ve made peace with it. You’ll see how much change will come over you.’
With little more than a flash of light, Aaryon was gone, leaving me alone in my concrete jungle.
I straightened up and focused. With a moment of concentration, I pushed myself and crossed, following Aaryon.
***
Aurel
Anna came and stood behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist resting her head against my back.
‘I’m going in to speak to them, you should come with me.’
‘I can’t.’ I shook my head.
God, I felt like such a coward. I’d been staring at myself in the bathroom mirror for the past fifteen minutes.
‘It’ll be okay.’ She said softly.
She’d been staying strong for me and for Lucy. But it was tough on her, I saw the tears when she tried to hide them. And the hardest thing was seeing the disappointment in her eyes.
It didn’t take a sight Sensitive to see that she was withdrawing from me. Not only was Ace gone, our relationship with Illarion was over, the Agency had shut me out and a few of the men who’d been on the taskforce I headed, left without a word. Not that we could trust them either.
‘Come with me.’ She said quietly. ‘You’ll regret it if you don’t.’
Nodding, I swept her hair behind her ears and pulled her against me.
***
The car came to a stop and Anna reached over and squeezed my hand. I’d never felt so damn afraid of facing a group of people like I was right now.
Word travelled fast. Elena had advised in a private brief to the Agency what had happened, she’d explained that we had been wrong, and that Agent Hart was dead.
I’d read the brief that was posted on the Agencies internal website. Elena had revealed that Ace had lost her battle with Dalca and that we were responsible.
That brief was followed by a plan of attack. Simon Dalca would be coming for them now that the only person standing in his way, was dead.
It also mentioned the need to get all parties who could help, on our side. At this stage, we were sitting ducks. We didn’t know who to trust which despite the circumstances, made me laugh out loud. How fucking ironic.
‘Come on.’ Anna urged me forward.
I forced the bile down and followed Anna outside and toward the doors.
As they slid open, I was hit with familiarity. I’d walked these halls thousands of times, I’d walked these corridors with Ace and Illarion, I’d walked them with my friends.
Memories assaulted me from every angle and Anna gripped my hand tighter with each step. It was the first time coming back after that day.
As we neared Elena’s office, I stopped Anna and squeezed her hand. ‘Give me a minute.’
She nodded and hung back.
I knocked on the door and waited. Moments later, the frost on the doors dissipated and the glass panes slid open.
Josh and I came face to face. His bright blue eyes darkened, and his lips set in a straight, taut line when he spotted me. Behind him, Elena shifted. The board room was empty save for the other two occupants seated silently at the end of the room. Neither Alex nor Matt looked up when I walked in.
Elena’s eyes found mine and nothing but disappointment laced her tired eyes.
‘You shouldn’t be here.’ Josh spoke quietly. His eyes were surrounded by red circles too.
‘I wanted to come.’ I said. ‘I needed to apologize.’
Josh shook his head. ‘Your apology is too late.’
‘I know.’ My breath faltered. ‘I know that.’
‘There’s nothing you can say now.’ He said.
‘I get that.’ I swallowed hard. ‘Please let me try and make things right.’
Josh was about to protest, but for the first time since she’d seen me, Elena spoke up.
‘Let him in.’ She said softly setting down a photograph.
As I neared the table, I saw that they were looking at photos from Ace and Illarion’s engagement, photos of ace as a teenager which I imagined Elena had provided. My chest tightened and stepped forward.
Josh moved aside.
I turned and motioned for Anna to come in. Her eyes scanned the room and she stopped momentarily seeing that we weren’t alone. She hadn’t been acquainted with them yet, and I guessed that right now wasn’t the time for introductions. She came in and sat.
‘Please.’ Elena gestured to me, pouring two glasses of water, handing one to each of us.
Reluctantly, I sat.
Anna looked down at her hands while I tried to keep my eyes on Elena’s. She was barely containing her emotions. Her light aura pulsed erratically. She gripped her water in trembling hands and averted her gaze.
‘What are you really doing here, Aurel?’ She asked suddenly.
The question caught me off guard and Anna shifted beside me, all while Alex and Matt remained unnervingly silent.
‘Are you here to try and rid yourself of the guilt?’ She asked.
‘The guilt will always be there, Acting Director. Nothing will erase that. I’m here to make peace and say goodbye.’ I said with confidence, and when I faltered under her scrutinizing gaze, Anna threaded her fingers through mine under the table.
‘Making peace will not bring my niece back, nor will it save Illarion from the destructive path he’s on.’
I opened my mouth to speak and then I closed it. Everything that took place was so wrong. Ace had been through worse; she’d sustained more serious injuries. It didn’t make sense.
Elena thought the same and the one thing that kept playing on repeat was the way I behaved. I didn’t mean to shoot her, I didn’t mean to target her the way I did, and I didn’t mean to attack Illarion.
That wasn’t me, none of it was. But how else could I explain that away? I was the one who headed the team, I was the one who pulled the trigger, I was the one who went in with live rounds.
Maybe we’d all been played and seeing how we were seated here, away from prying ears and eyes I the most secure room in the Agency, I knew she’d thought the same.
None of this sat well with me. None of it felt right. It was like a constant fog in my head, every time I grasped at something, it was chased away. I took a deep breath and looked up.
Elena focused her red eyes on me, searching my face, probably searching my mind for some way to make sense of this shit show.
‘The wound she sustained when you shot her,
Aurel, is what killed her in the end.’ She said.
Anna tensed beside me.
‘I’m sorry?’ I shifted in my spot.
‘Does she need to spell it out for you?’ Alex shot, breaking my train of thought. ‘Because I thought being the hotshot you are, you wouldn’t be so fucking stupid.’
I couldn’t even respond to that. My brain was shutting down.
Elena closed her eyes and took a long, shaky breath and when she opened her eyes again, they were filled with tears. She slid over the file I’d seen her holding before. With trembling hands, I opened it.
‘The autopsy revealed a complication with the healing abilities we have. The ballistics of the bullet showed Celestial markings which we use for the Collectors, not our own. A small, almost undetectable dose of purely concentrated Serum was released in addition to the rounds you loaded.’
My breath got stuck in my lungs.
‘Those symbols interrupt the healing gene; they scramble the genome code which means—’
‘It means I killed her.’
‘And he’s got it.’ Alex laughed, his voice, like my head was full of venom. I couldn’t process it, but I knew what he was saying was true.
Anna pressed her hand to her mouth and Elena’s eyes focused on mine.
‘It means that she stood no chance after that. She was walking around with half her healing abilities.’
‘We all guilty here.’ Anna said sternly.
She was sympathetic to Elena, but she was far from letting her talk like we had no role to play in all of this. I respected the woman even more than before, and I’d held her in the highest regard.
Elena’s eyes shot up to her.
‘Aurel’s gun sped up the process,’ Anna began, and when she gained some traction, she was unstoppable, ‘But as I recall, we all helped load that gun and we were all standing there when she was pleading for our help.’
Elena looked like she was seconds from losing it. I didn’t know if wanted to stop Anna, or let her continue, whatever was happening in this room full of Sensitives and one bad ass non, I was starting to feel like Anna was defending my actions, but I didn’t do this, not intentionally.
‘I did not load the gun with those bullets. I used a small caliber, just to slow down, not to kill.’ My mind raced with a million possibilities. ‘Yes, it was loaded with Serum, but not what you’re talking about.’
Jack of Hart- Wild Card Page 48