A Hidden Element (14 page)

Laura and Ben hiked fast up the rough trail that grew unrecognizable and disappeared altogether. The state forest markers had ended a while ago. They moved deep into the wilderness with no one around for miles. Ben stopped but Laura hiked on.

She sensed where to head, but exhaustion overcame her. She stumbled. Pain ripped through her abdomen as the weight of her child yanked down on her with each step. Ben put a hand under her elbow to steady her. His other hand held a Glock aimed and ready to fire.

She felt his fear for her, for their baby. But her fear right now was for Ben. Deep inside she knew she needed to go this alone, but Ben would never let her. She had left him and gone it alone years ago when her brother hunted them. And Ben had nearly died that fateful night. Was he meant to die then and would fate realign itself now to fulfill his destiny?

Suddenly, there in the forest floor, tracks appeared.

"Look," Laura pointed. "A vehicle's tracks." She knelt and placed her hand in the dirt and closed her eyes sensing the memories of the earth.

"What is it?"

"They have their own ATVs. It's how Adrian transported Charlie to their compound." She reached her hands out in the air. "All the way from the woods behind our house. Drugged."

"Bastard!" Ben lifted her up. "But you've got to rest."

She pulled away and took off, following the faint tracks. "No. There is no rest until we get Charlie back."

"What happens if you push yourself too hard and go into labor?"

She slowed down a bit then stopped. Ben helped her sit on a fallen log. Crows cawed overhead, stark and full of despair. Like she felt. The woods grew lighter as the sun crept overhead. A deer burst through the trees. It looked at them with panicked eyes and darted off.

Ben knelt before her and took her hands. "We'll find Charlie. We'll get him back."

"I wish I was a Seeker and could see into the future and know that for sure. I wish Felix was here to help."

"You're a Healer for a reason, Laura. And Felix would have wanted you to take care of yourself first. You carry two people I love. You need to be okay to help us find the third." He sat on the log next to her and put a hand on her belly. She covered his hand with hers. Their child pulsed inside her. A cool breeze swirled around them drying the sweat on her brow. Sunlight sparkled on Ben's face. For a moment he looked like the young man she first met, although his face was deeply etched with lines now and his hair nearly all gray.

She pulled out the flogging whip. "I wonder whose blood this is." She touched the tips. Adrian flashed before her. He had a name now. The face which haunted her dreams. There was no redemption to be found within him. There he stood naked before a mirror flinging the whip. Blood streaked across his burly chest and thighs. His tendons bulged out with each strike but he did not flinch. He smiled at himself and flung the whip harder. With each grunt he moaned and stared into her eyes from the mirror.
Laura, you are mine.
She dropped the whip, shaking.

"What is it, Laura?"

"It's his blood. Adrian's. My uncle. He flogs himself. He enjoys it."

"Sick bastard. What has he done to Charlie?" Ben got up and slammed his hand on a tree.

"Nothing. Yet. He wants him for his own."

Ben turned to her, his face tight. "What does that mean?"

"He wants him for his son. To turn him to evil."

Ben nodded. "He'll never turn him."

"Light and dark reside side by side."

"Our son is not evil." He held out his hand. "We need to go. Are you feeling well enough to go on? I can do this alone, Laura. I can save our son.
Our
son."

"No, you can't. Not from this. You don't have powers to fight with." She picked up the whip. "And he knows we're coming. He wants us to come."

"Why?"

"He's been here for years. Secretly guiding Charlie in his powers and waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"He wants to breed his Destroyer kind and take over Earth."

"But why does he need Charlie?"

Laura looked at him. "Because Charlie has a Destroyer hidden inside him."

"A hidden element."

"Yes." It came out a whisper. She dared not tell him about the dreams. Especially the one where Adrian made love to her.

Ben stared at her. She sensed his feelings of fury and sadness.

She took his hand. "Let's go."

The air grew warmer. Fall was being forced out with the brief return of summer heat. Sweat rolled down her back. She didn't know if they would reach Adrian's world by nightfall. They still had miles to go and she was so tired.

They marched on toward a hidden enemy who watched—and waited.

Adrian watched Leah and Charlie from the sanctuary's balcony. She led him in the initiation song. Their voices rose together in a sweet clamoring. He looked uncomfortable singing and kept glancing over his shoulder, but Leah touched his cheek and he faced her to sing louder.

Adrian was pleased. The boy would be ready for Leah's intimate instruction on the final day. He would continue to brush off Charlie's inquiries of his parents and mind bend him to think what he wanted. By the time they arrived the boy would no longer be under their influence but under Adrian's full control as his rightful son.

It pleased him that he had chosen Leah for the boy and angered Caleb in doing so. It would teach Caleb not to become attached to any one female. Their community would not grow and thrive as one body with individual families. He began to suspect his allowance of one night of free love between his people was a mistake. He had looked into the future and no longer saw himself in the White House. Laura remained a blur on the edges, as if she was being erased.
It can still be changed. I will make it so.

He had already admonished three couples he had caught kissing and holding hands in the shadows of the compound wings. Public affection was not allowed and neither was a single partner. He had separated them, ordered them to work the latrines and garbage route for a month, and sent them to the assignment clerk to be reassigned new partners to breed with.

The one female had cried. He had fought the urge to slap the wench. Her desires did not matter. The whole of the community mattered, and he was in charge. He told the female such and she had sulked off with the others. As she did he had caught Tollen watching him from across the courtyard as if he were keeping a list of his failures to use against him.

You can't touch me
,
Brother.

Tollen raised one eyebrow with a half-smile.
We'll see.

The community chooses me. Just like Manta chose me.

Only for a short while. Just like Manta did for only a time.

Adrian took a step forward, but Tollen did not retreat.
What do you mean? She left you for me.

Tollen's half smile became a full grin.
She never left me. I was with her the day before she died. Deep within her. So, so deep inside. She couldn't stand your rough ways. I was the one who brought her to the heights of ecstasy. She had grown tired of your ways.

You're just jealous because she chose me.

The community flowed around them, sneaking looks at their private battle. Adrian gripped his thighs and a hot pulsing in his temple pained him.

She didn't even want your child, Adrian. She was going to get rid of it.

Liar!

Confusion filled him. Tollen thought Manta carried Adrian's child, not Brahm's? Before he could spout out the true father of Manta's child, Tollen turned and strode away. Adrian's anger cooled. Another time then.

He brought himself back to the bonding business at hand and watched Leah and Charlie a little while longer before heading to his room. He knelt on the floor and let his mind soar into the woods. There he watched Ben and Laura on their trek. She was enormously pregnant and this pleased him. He waited for her child's birth with immense delight.

To have Laura and her son would be his last act of vengeance. She represented all that his brothers, Feo and Brahm, had taken from him. They had betrayed him. Both having been selected for Earth's mission decades apart. They had both lost. He had won. He took Feo's daughter, Laura, now for his mate and she would replace his true love, Brahm's wife. The taste of double revenge was sweet.

He soared in closer. She looked so lovely with her auburn curls gleaming in the sun as she moved toward him. He envisioned her naked as he had seen her so many times—and taken her, been deep inside her. Even in pregnancy, her swelling breasts and belly called to him.
Come, Laura. You are mine. We will be together. You shall be my goddess and I will be your god. And our sons shall rule our new world.

He relished taking care of Ben. Perhaps Laura could help. When nightfall came he would have his fun with them.

Charlie and Leah walked hand in hand toward Caleb. He had been waiting for them at the combat arena. Adrian ordered him to work with Charlie on his powers as part of his Destroyer training. Jealousy streaked through Caleb as they drew closer. He had to let it go. It was not the boy's fault. Once again, his father drove his anger.

Leah saw him and looked away. She let go of Charlie's hand and walked quickly back to the compound. Charlie stood before him, massive already at fourteen. He looked like a man. He could be a formidable foe, or ally.

"Adrian said I'm to come here and work with you," Charlie said. His voice went up a notch and Caleb couldn't help but smile. The boy was not a man yet. They faced each other under the open sky in the outdoor arena. The blustery wind had died down and the September sun warmed them with its final heat.

"Yes," Caleb finally said. "I know my father has been working with you for years on how to move objects with your mind powers, but now we need to work on other powers as well."

"Like seeing into the future?"

"Not yet. But yes, Seekers can seek out people and the future. However, we can't seek out an Elyon who doesn't wish to be found."

"What about healing?"

"Yes, you'll learn that along with mind bending."

"Mind bending?"

"It's what we Destroyers do, with training."

"I want to see the future."

"Someday."

"And how can I do that?"

"You give in to hate."

Charlie nodded, accepting this premise. Caleb would not. If he gave into hate and learned how to be a Seeker he could seek out the Elyons he'd saved to ensure they were all right…and he could watch over Rachel. But he could not give in to hate just to gratify himself.

"But first," Caleb continued. "You'll learn to control the minds of others, bend them to our will. This power we wield will enable humans to help us as needed. It's how we've made it here on Earth so far. We've convinced humans to give us money, sell us land, and let us live here alone in our community, until the day we grow throughout the world. According to my father that day is coming soon."

"What happens then?"

"This world becomes a new Elyon."

"So you steal to get what you want."

Caleb smiled. "It's how we must survive. We left our dying planet for a new life. You have a saying here. What is it? Survival of the fittest."

"It's a saying meant for the wild."

Caleb threw his arms out. "Take a look around, Charlie. We're in the wild. And creating a new world is hard if we want to thrive. And we must be hard on ourselves and sacrifice. If we don't we will not succeed. We will hang our heads in shame at our failure. We are only dust between the womb and grave. But we must not blow idly in the wind. We must shape our time here to leave a legacy before we leave our bodies for total darkness." His voice grew harsher than he intended, burning with anger as he repeated his father's words.

"The wise are promoted to honor, but fools are promoted to shame," Charlie recited. "It's on the wall of my room."

"Yes. Fools here are not merely shamed."

Charlie moved closer to Caleb. "What do you mean?"

"They are punished." He stared at Charlie and let that sink in. Charlie frowned and chewed on his lip, shifting his eyes about. The boy's physical likeness to Adrian was striking. Would his mental likeness be as well? The boy seemed innocent in his youth, but he sensed deep anger in him also. Anger his own father wanted to tap into.

"Caleb, can you see into the future? Can you see my future?"

"No," Caleb said, softening his voice. "I am not a Seeker yet. My father will teach you that power."

"What about you?"

"Someday. I'm not ready yet. But we don't need to worry about that now, for today we practice healing." Caleb strode toward Charlie and pushed up the sleeve of his robe. Charlie stepped back but Caleb held his arm tight.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to heal you."

"But I'm not—"

In a flash Caleb withdrew a knife hidden in his hand and slashed Charlie's forearm. The boy cried out, but Caleb held him tight. Blood dripped on the arena's dirt floor. Charlie struggled against him.

"Be still."

Caleb closed his eyes and pushed his fingers into Charlie's flesh. He felt his life force pumping strong. He willed the skin to stitch together. Charlie gasped and his arm went limp. Caleb opened his eyes and wiped the blood away. The cut disappeared. The only evidence that remained was the spatter at their feet.

Charlie shoved Caleb away. "Why did you do that?"

"I needed to show you what we can do. Now it's your turn."

Charlie shook his head. "I'm not cutting you."

"This is just part of what you will learn Charlie. There is more power you will learn to use as well."

"I don't want to know."

"You must. Adrian has decreed we fulfill
all
of our powers. It's how we will survive on Earth. It's how we will stop any humans that turn against us."

Caleb felt sick inside repeating what his father had instructed and instilled in him for years. But his father was watching, listening. He would teach Charlie and appeal to him when the time came to help him. He hoped his father's new heir would also be his great downfall.

Charlie took a step back toward him, massaging his arm. He twisted his arm looking for a scar. None could be seen. "I can't believe it. I can really do this, too? I mean, I sort of did it with my mom after my dad attacked her."

"Yes. You can do this and other things." Caleb paused. "Killing."

Charlie's eyes widened. "Killing?"

"With our minds. We must be ready to destroy when necessary."

"Who?"

"People who get in our way."

"Like bullies?"

"People who could stop our cause. But while we have these powers we are not allowed to use them amongst ourselves. We cannot take matters into our own hands. If a member of the community has reasons to do so—whether it's mind bending or healing or killing—they must get permission from the elders first. We are only allowed to practice our powers here within the arena. An elder can override that law in emergency circumstances but must answer later for his actions."

"What happens if you use your powers on each other anyways?"

"You are punished."

Charlie was silent. He didn't seem eager to know what the punishment was. He took another step closer to Caleb. "I've never fit in anywhere before, you know?"

"I know. You belong here, with us, Charlie. We're cousins. We carry the Madroc blood. We're family. And everyone here is your family. And you are destined to help lead it."

"And my mom and dad?"

Caleb wasn't sure how to respond to that. He could not sense his father's plans yet for Charlie's mother, but he could guess what Charlie's father's fate would be. "I'm sure they're part of the plan."

It seemed a safe answer. For now.

He motioned Charlie closer and held out the dagger. "Show me your power."

In his mind's eye Adrian watched his sons work together. Caleb did his job well and Charlie responded with enthusiasm, after his initial shock. He healed Caleb's slashed arm then enjoyed making a young boy do his bidding with his mind bending. By the time Caleb brought out the rabbit in the cage, Charlie was ready for the killing. Power radiated from the boy.

After the rabbit stopped its struggle the boy grinned, relishing his kill. He held up the animal by the legs and waved it at Caleb who stood with arms crossed, a tight smile on his face. The death wouldn't be wasted. Rabbit stew highlighted the dinner menu tonight.

Killing was useful in so many ways.