by Jamie Gray
Lexi wanted to reach out with her other hand in case she fell, but she didn’t want to break Lanies concentration, and in full honesty, she didn’t believe she still had the strength to ever catch her if she did fall. Everything came rushing back together as Lanie burst her eyes open, gasping for breath as she fell back back. She threw her arms to catch her, but she could not hold her, instead merely slowing her descend to the pavement, as she fell down beside her.
Lanie laid with her arms and legs flopped down at her sides, as her chest raised up and down dramatically.
Lexi kneeled down beside her, breathing heavily. She was certainly tired, and each of her muscles felt sore and weak, but she paid little attention to it. All she wanted to know was, "What happened? Did it work?"
"What? Yeah… kinda," Lanie replied between breaths, squinting up at the sky as she lay with her head resting against the concrete. She looked exhausted. Sweat drenched her body as she laid with her limbs out spread, her fingertips and feet still twitching and shaking.
"What do you mean?" she quickly asked, breathing heavier as she refrained from hyperventilating. If this didn’t work, there was nothing they could do. They couldn’t go to the police, and no one would believe them should they began asking around. This was their only chance.
"I don't have a specific location, but I know that the area must be more or less deserted. Mara has these big heavy footsteps I could feel and hear, and it’s hard to hear those kinds of things with buildings and loud cars in the way." Lanie hadn't moved from her position. She looked as though she never wanted to move again, as she laid there with her body collapsed on the pavement, completely debilitated.
Lexi wasn’t sure what to make of Lanies explanation. "Deserted?" That could have meant so many things, so many places. She thought for a moment, trying to make note of every deserted place she had explored or heard of around town. There was a fair amount that she could recall, diminishing her hope with every new place she thought of. With every place, it only dampened their chances of finding them.
Lanie let out a long exhale, closing her eyes as she spoke through a yawn. "Yeah. She would have to be somewhere in a lot of open fields for it to have echoed so clearly," she explained, looking about ready to fall asleep.
Lexi re-evaluated her thoughts with the knowledge of new information. Half of the places she had listed in her head had an open field of some kind, but only one had sentimental value. "No," she told herself, barely believing that could be the case. "No… it couldn't be." She fell deep in though again, darting her gaze across the concrete. She figured that Mara liked to play mind games, meaning that she would most likely take Kadence and Adrian to the place that Lexi had most viewed to be a symbol of their freedom. She groaned, as it all became frustratingly clear. "Ug!” she cried, throwing her head back in aggravation. “You've got to be kidding me!" she shouted to the sky. She was happy she finally had an answer, but the answer she had come to, only made her more frustrated. It should have been obvious from the moment they disappeared. All this time wasted, only to come to the conclusion that they were at the same place she was exploring a couple days ago. If only she had figured it out sooner, her and Lanie would have already been there.
"What?" Lanie asked, blinking her eyes open again. She still didn’t look at Lexi, only up at the sky as she still appeared too tired to hold her head up.
Lexi let out a long sigh as she felt completely drained of energy. "I know where they are," she mumbled in a dragging tone, slowly stepping to her feet as soreness spread through her body. As she began to walk back over to her car, pain traveled up her legs and clenched around her core, causing her to press her teeth together to restrain from wincing or groaning. "Come on, Lanie!" she called back, opening the car door to step inside, but looked back to see Lanie still not having moved.
She groaned and rolled onto her side, holding her blood stained as she curled up on the concrete and clinged to it like a warm bed. Lexi slowly walked back over and helped her to her feet, carrying her to the passenger seat like a child in her arms.
Chapter 15
Daymian stood behind a silent shadow, watching Lexi’s best friends Kadence and Adrian sit back to back in rusted metal arm chairs with metal bars bolted across their bodies to keep them from moving. Mara was sure to be thorough when restraining them both. Kadence refrained from enduring any serious wounds other than a slight gash to her head, most likely from a fall as it didn’t look like a strike from her weapon. Although, Adrian looked to be in bad shape. His shirt was off, exposing the bloody injuries he had. He had lashes all over her body, more prominently around his wrists and chest, which Mara had disinfected and wrapped in gause before locking him in the chair. A dead prisoner was a wasted prisoner, as she always said.
The warehouse was dark, pitch black to the regular eye, even with the windows covering two of the walls. The sun had completely set, and the light from the stars and moon barely illuminated the second floor, but Daymian could see perfectly. Dark Elements had no problem seeing in the dark. In fact, they thrived in it. With their opponents left blind, it was ridiculously easy for them to strike a fatal blow. He never saw such an advantage to be fair, or noble to use. It was a cheat, attacking an opponent who is unable to fight back was nothing more than cruel, to him. Though, he was sure his sister wouldn’t hesitate to use such an advantage when the instance presented itself. He could feel his heart racing, punching ruthlessly against his chest. As his stomach turned, he felt as though he was going to throw up. He couldn’t hold still, fidgeting with his fingers at his sides. He couldn’t move much without her taking notice.
She stood next to him, watching Kadence and Adrian with as much intensity as he was. She intimidated him, yes, but she was his sister and he loved her no matter what. He didn’t have to agree with her to do that.
Kadence’s eyes slowly began to flicker open. She looked exhausted. She let out a loud groan as she tried to lean forward, but found herself restrained by the metal bars that wrapped across her body. She couldn’t move a single one of her limbs as if she was stapled to the chair. The only part of her unbound was her head, but it made no difference. She let her chin fall to her chest as she appeared to be very tired and experiencing a lot of pain. A long moment passed and she whipped her head back up, whirling her gaze around as she called, “Adrian!” She tugged at her restraints. “Adrian!” she cried out again, scanning through the darkness. She’d appeared to have seen nothing as she looked right past Mara and Daymian, and with his mind enclosed due to him still being unconscious, she hadn’t realized that Adrian was sitting behind her. Kadences face turned pale as she continuously whipped her head from side to side, appearing to search in every direction she could. Her emotions were clear, she feared the worst had happened to Adrian, and feared what might happen to her. Feared torchure and death, feared to be restrained, feared the future, and as much as neither of them wanted to admit it, she probably feared Daymian too. He wasn’t always the best at reading people, like Mara was, but he could understand what Kadence was feeling, and felt as his guilt began to build. Despite their differences, he didn’t want Kadence or Adrian to die. They were Lexi’s friends,she cared about them, and that was enough. Though, if they did anything to hurt Lexi, or his sister, he knew he wouldn’t be so open minded anymore. He didn’t know what kind of angle they were trying to play with Lexi; true friendship, or some play for political gain. He couldn’t be sure if she was little more than a weapon to them, or not.
A loud groan came from behind Kadence, causing her expression to lift with hope again as she tried to look to the seat behind her. Thanks to the metal restrictions holding her in place on the chair, she couldn't look back enough to make sure it was really Adrian. However, from the many years of sharing the same room as him, she'd know his morning groans anywhere. “Adrian, can you hear me?” she called, staring at the floor while she waited for a response.
Adrian groaned again, breathing heavily as his chin stayed pressed to his chest. He
must have been in an excruciating amount of pain, wincing wildly as he pulled at his restraints. “Never better,” he breathed out. He sounded like he was just above unconsciousness, balancing along the fine line as he could slip back under at any moment.
Kadence let out a relieved exhale. “Please don’t ever do that again. Less than eleven percent of people who experience concussions actually lose consciousness,” she told him harshly. “You could have been dead for all I knew. You need to be more careful.”
“Yes, ma’m,” Adrian replied, rolling his eyes beneath his eyelids. He peeked down at the red stained gauze wrapped around his wrists and chest. He appeared to take into note that his shirt was gone as he lifted his head to search for it.
“Excuse me.”
“What are you, my mother?”
“Adrian, you just got yourself slashed across the chest with a sword. Forgive me if I’d prefer not to experience that fear of never seeing you again.”
He grinned playfully. “Aw, you do care.”
“This is no time for jokes,” she snapped. “Mara must have brought us here for something.” She thought for a moment, scanning along the cement floor. “To kill us, torture us.”
“Kadence,” he groaned, sounding tired and aggravated.
“Maybe she’ll rip us apart limb by limb, tear off our skin and use it as a disguise to further fool Lexi. She’ll torture us until we tell her what we know about her. And she’ll do it all without any remorse or care.”
“Kadence!”
“This is it. We’re going to die a cold death, surrounded by nothing but darkness in a pool of our own blood-And we both know Lexi would be next.”
“Kadence, would you be quiet for a second,” he yelled. “We’re going to be fine. Just let me think of a way out.”
Daymian could see Adrians head moving. His vision must have adjusted by now and he knew they were scanning the area for weak points to exploit for an escape. He hadn’t realized how much they bickered with each other. It certainly made his sympathy for them diminish.
Kadence scoffed again. “Oh, yes, because you’re going to get us out of this.”
“What, you don’t think I can?” Adrian barked back.
She didn’t answer.
His expression read all kinds of offense and embarrassment. “Why not?”
“You’re not some action star, Adrian. You’re not a hero.”
“What? Who says I can’t be?”
“Me! I know you, you’ll only get us both killed.”
Adrian laughed as he shook his head. “Oh, because your plan of sitting here worrying about how we’re going to die is so much better.”
Kadence sighed, pulling at her restraints again. Still nothing. “This is ridiculous. We shouldn’t be fighting.”
Adrian slumped back into his chair as he looked towards one of the windows, as if picturing another life somewhere else. “Yeah, there’s so much more that I’d rather be talking about right now.” He spoke so softly, it was as if he was speaking more to himself than anyone else.
“Like what?” Kadence asked, speaking at the same volume as him as she turned her head to listen.
“I don’t know…” he sighed, speaking with caution. “Like how I kinda miss home.”
“Home, as in Stephanie and Joseph?”
He shuttered, obviously debating over his answer. “Yes-no-I mean-I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, ‘I don’t know’?”
“Well, ‘home’ can mean a lot of different things. It’s a broad statement. Why does it even matter?”
"It matters because of all the things you’re thinking about at this moment, it’s this 'broad statement'," she barked sharply. "I just want to know if when you say ‘home’, you're picturing our living room or Letaava back in Arespea."
"Would it be so wrong if I said yes?" Adrian’s voice thick with emotion as his throat appeared clogged with saliva, greatly affecting his speech. He sniffed up his dripping snot. "It doesn't matter anyway. Mara will be in any second to slice both our heads off.”
"I don't think she brought us here so that she could kill us in the comfort of her own preferred space," Kadence hissed. "She probably wants to interrogate us, learn everything she can about Lexi."
"You're not too far off, darling." Mara's deep English sounding voice echoed like the sound of a slithering snake from the depths of the dark shadows that shielded a part of the room from view. As her and Daymian emerged from the black curtain, and into Kadence and Adrian's view, he kept behind her. He didn’t want to venture much further than the shadows border. Kadence and Adrian had to turn their heads to the side to see their adversaries in full. They both scowled daggers at him, although he refused to falter, as he stared straight back. His gaze was nowhere near as antagonistic, but he couldn’t shudder at something as simple as a stare. It would only be more demeaning.
Her strides were long and heavy. Her boots looked as though they could crush you even without her added weight. Her face was neutral as she halted her steps no more than five feet away from the two, towering over them with dark looming eyes.
"Whatever it is you expect to achieve from this, you can think again. We aren't going to tell you anything," Kadence growled furiously.
"Kadence, stop," Adrian whispered, obviously fearing the consequences of her talking back.
Mara shook her head, extending her hand dismissively to Adrian, as her attention remained on Kadence. "No, no. You are free to speak your mind here,” she replied calmly, insisting that she continue. "You should listen to your friend here. What makes you think I want something from you? You know who I am. Why should I ever want something from a Seny who presents nothing to me, but ignorance?"
"Excuse me? I have plenty to offer," Kadence scowled.
"Like what?" she asked in a monotone voice, waiting patiently for a response.
Kadence fell silent, obviously struggling with thinking of a response. "I'm not going to fall for your little childish game."
Mara bent down above her head, forcing her to look her in the eye as her expression darkened. "What game? I play no games."
Kadence shook her head, remaining deviant. "I know how your kind works. You dominate and destroy those who oppose you and tear down and discriminate against those who differ from you!"
"Kadence!" Adrian screamed.
"Are you really so sure?" Mara asked calmly. "You've spent so many years here, on this rock, that you've nearly forgotten your home altogether." Kadence opened her mouth to speak, but Mara continued on as if she hadn't. "Now, I don't mean the notion that you had once lived in a physical structure in Arespea. No. I mean that you have forgotten the smell of morning. The echoing sounds of the vast wilderness. You have forgotten the meaning of home; a place where you can feel comfortable and at peace. Is Earth really your home? Does it truly present you with the freedom to live the way you wish?"
"We had no freedom. Not with the war you and your people brought to our doors." Kadence barked.
"And are you free here?" Mara collectively asked. There was silence as it was like her voice had echoed through the room. Kadence, and Adrian said nothing.
He felt his sister's words resonate with him, bouncing off the sides of his skull, vibrating his bones together as an icy chill rushed down his spine.
After a moment, Mara continued. "That is why you came here, to Earth. To achieve freedom?" Her voice was deep and dark but remained nerve-racking monotone. No spikes or lowerings of her voice. How she did this while still coming off as confrontational and fear inducing intimidating, he would never know. "However, that's not how it went,” she went on, her gaze burning holes into Kadences skull. “The orphanage was cruel to you both when you first came here, and you quickly learned that any kind of exposure of your otherworldly abilities would be met with trepidation, prejudice and eventually isolation." A hint of pity seeped into her stare as she looked at Kadence as though she was little more than a pathetic bug.
“How did you-”
Daymian knew that it would’ve taken minimal effort for her to get what she needed from the files documenting most of Kadences history on Earth. And with most of the information at her disposal, it was easy for her to fill in the missing pieces.
Adrian appeared to dart his attention to the window and to the fence. He looked to have remembered the officers he had tricked the other day as he went slack-jawed at the realization.
Kadence strained to stare back up at her, her face scrunched together.
"I find it humorous that you are still willing to attempt to use your abilities against me. Your endurance is notable, but not unexpected,” Mara replied with a nod. “Though I would advise both of you to refrain from using your abilities. You will only make things worse for yourselves. Lighting will only backfire, with you attached to those metal chairs, and my brother and I have both been trained to resist your spirit abilities.”
Adrian snickered.
Daymian cringed and turned away, praying that his sister wouldn’t turn around with more questions. His face had turned bright red. A part of him hoped she hadn’t noticed Adrian's response, but he knew she did. She always noticed.
The room fell silent. Mara stood as though she was a statue, staring at the back of Adrians head. After a long moment of waiting, she turned her attention back onto Kadence, and continued on as if nothing had happened. "I'm sure the time you spent in the Asylum, all alone, couldn't have been easy," she continued collectively. “Although, I'm sure that's not what you had expected upon coming to Earth as a young, ignorant child." She paused, taking a moment to look Kadence up and down as she read her like a book. “Please, correct me if I’m wrong,” she nodded invitingly “But you spent your entire life in Arespea being supported, whether it was from family or friends, I don’t know, nor do I care. However, upon arriving on Earth you were suddenly on your own. No one wanted you, and you were sent away once anyone realized that you were different. Adrian hid his abilities fine, but you just couldn’t help yourself.” She paused as Kadences hid her face, obviously trying to hide her tears and red face. “When infiltrating your law enforcement, I came upon your file. It was quite large, to say the least, and it contained all kinds of information.”