Fractured Soul (19 page)

“I can trust him,” I said. Of course I had left out the part about him having Vyken blood inside him just like me. I wasn’t ready to explain how a half-Vyken could be trusted; in reality, being part Vyken myself, I wasn’t sure anyone should trust us.

“Sounds like operation ‘Save Lucent Academy’ is in full force,” May said.

Kiera opened the door. “Can we have spy names?”

I smiled. “Totally.”

“Cool. I’m going to rock my name.”

“Me too,” Tessa said and followed Kiera out while they exchanged ideas.

I walked May to the door. “There’s something else you didn’t tell us,” May said. She turned around.

“What’s that?”

May stared at me for several seconds. “Secrets are like weights, Llona. Let someone help carry the burden.”

I knew exactly what she was talking about. “I’m not ready,” is all I could say.

She nodded and squeezed my hand. “I’m here for you.”

I gave her a hug. “I can’t imagine going through all this without you.”

She squeezed me back. “We’ve been through worse, right?”

I nodded and pulled back.

“I’ll see you later.” Before she left, she added, “Christian loves you, Llona. I don’t think he’d care about some silly dream. You need to talk to him.” I nodded and closed the door, wishing it was just the dreams keeping us apart.

I sat near the window and waited for nightfall. With every passing second I grew more excited. I told myself it was because of my lessons with Liam, but that was a lie. I couldn’t wait to get into the forest, to run through the darkness and feel its coolness against my skin.

A thought crept in before I could stop it: maybe there’d be a Vyken out there. And maybe I’d kill it.

As soon as the sun set, I escaped through my window. Liam had told me to meet him again in the same clearing where I showed him the lights. I just hoped he was there this early so I wouldn’t have to wait in a forest lurking with Vykens. One Vyken might be okay . . . 

“You’re early,” Liam said as soon as I entered the clearing.

I turned around. Liam was leaning against a tree in a black leather jacket.

“You don’t waste any time, do you? What, do you bury yourself in leaves, and when the sun sets you rise?”

Liam stepped away from the tree. “What did you find out today?”

“Tessa and I found our way into the blood room. They keep six months of our blood in stock. I think they throw it away after that.”

“How is that helpful?”

“Be patient. Some of the blood has been replaced with Vyken blood.”

His stone expression cracked. “How do you know it was Vyken blood?”

“I could sense it, just like I knew you were a Vyken, or half-Vyken, I should say.” I paused. “But honestly I really only sensed it when I first met you. Since then, I think my senses have been shut off, except for today of course. I don’t get it.”

Liam began to pace. “This is bad. Real bad.”

“What are you thinking?”

“The Vykens must be planning an attack on Lucent. And when Auras are hurt, their blood will be replaced with the poisonous stuff.” He removed a cell phone from his pocket. “I have to alert the Deific.”

“Wait a second,” I said. “That’s not all. There’s a Vyken in the school.”

He froze and looked at me. “Tell me.”

“My aunt took me to meet the president.”

“Cyrus?”

I nodded. “A Vyken was in the room with us.”

“Who was it?”

I tugged at my hair. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean ‘you don’t know’?”

I threw up my arms. “It’s like I was saying. My senses are all screwed up. For some reason I couldn’t pinpoint who it was. I just had this general overwhelming feeling that a Vyken was in that room.”

“Who else was in the room with you?”

I looked at him. “You believe me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“It’s just that,” I shook my head, “the president. The other people in the room. Everyone thinks it’s impossible that one of the higher-ups could be a Vyken.”

Liam met my gaze. “I’m not everyone, and if you say there was a Vyken, then I believe you. So who else was there?”

I told him.

“Interesting. And you couldn’t tell who it was?”

“I’m sorry.”

“What about me? We’re standing ten feet apart. Do you sense my Vyken blood?”

I focused hard. “I don’t. Nothing.”

He took a big step toward me. “Now?”

I shook my head.

Another step.

“Nope.”

Closer. “And now?”

This time I did sense something. I was starting to feel light-headed, like I stood up too quickly.

He took one final step so he was standing only an inch from me. He looked down at me. “How do you feel now?”

“Dizzy.”

“Close your eyes.”

I did as he asked.

“Can you still sense me?”

I nodded.

“Where am I?”

“In front of me.”

“No, I’m not.”

I opened my eyes. Liam wasn’t there.

“Turn around.”

I whirled around, coming face to face with Liam again, except I stumbled on account of being so dizzy.

He caught me. “Your senses are definitely off. How come you weren’t this dizzy the other night?”

I thought back. We had stood close when he was showing me the butterfly. Briefly, but still. I didn’t remember feeling all crazy-headed. “I don’t know.”

“What did you do today that you didn’t do yesterday, or vice versa?”

“Get the president knifed?”

He chuckled. “So this Guardian—”

“Christian.”

“Christian. He must really like you if he cut the most important person at Lucent in order to protect you.”

“Yeah, well, because of me, they’ll probably strip him of his title.”

“Is that a big deal?”

“It’s what he’s worked for his whole life.”

Liam looked right at me. “Some things are more important than a title.”

I glanced away. “What kind of training do you have in store for me tonight?”

“Can you give us some light?”

“No problem.” A ball of Light burst from my palm. I mentally stretched it until it was two feet in diameter. I raised it above us.

“It’s like the moon,” Liam said, staring up at it.

I rolled my shoulders back. “You ready or what?” I needed some real action, something to burn off my energy.

He dropped his gaze. “Tonight I just want you to create, like this moon.”

“Psh . . . serious? Can’t you give me something more challenging? Like a giant spear or something?”

“I want you to create something beautiful, not a weapon, Llona.”

I exhaled. “Right. Stand back then. I’m going to need some room,” I said, already picturing what I wanted.

I closed my eyes and focused. When I felt like I knew what direction to take to complete the masterpiece in my mind, I swung my arms over my head, sending Light to different parts of the clearing. Still with eyes closed, I spun and twisted, feeling Light flow from me in all directions. A burning, warm and intense, filled my entirety until I could no longer feel evil pressing against my insides.

I continued my ethereal dance through the forest, feeling as if I was in a different realm. I’d never felt so pure, like I was five again, picnicking with my parents without a care in the world. How had everything gone so terribly wrong? I thought of my parents. Their lives and their deaths. I thought of the Vyken who’d tricked us all. Darkness, full of anger and revenge, returned. I fell to the ground gasping for air.

Liam was at my side. “What’s wrong?”

I opened my eyes. Tiny twinkling lights filled the air like drops of rain. I extinguished them. “I can’t do this,” I said. “Too much has happened.”

“But you did do it,” he said, placing his hand on my back. “And I could tell that for just a moment you felt it. You were at peace with yourself, with your life.”

I looked up at him. “How do you know?”

“Because I felt it too, and I haven’t felt at peace for decades.” He straightened. “You just have to keep practicing. It will come.” He reached to help me up. I took hold of his hand.

“Get back!” a voice shouted.

Liam and I looked over. Christian was running toward us at full speed. Liam’s eyes widened just as Christian tackled him to the ground.

“Christian!” I said.

“You stay away from her,” Christian said. He managed to smash his fist into Liam’s face two times before Liam caught it and twisted Christian’s arm, forcing Christian from him.

“Hit me one more time and you’ll regret it,” Liam said.

Christian lunged for him again, but this time I was ready. I stepped in between them and took Christian by the shoulders. “Stop it, Christian,” I said. He looked at me for the first time. I saw the confusion in his eyes. “Stop,” I said, a little quieter. “He won’t hurt me.”

Christian shoved my arms away and stepped back. “What is going on? First you freak out because of a Vyken and now you’re hanging out with one?”

“I’m not a Vyken,” Liam said.

I shushed Liam with my hand while I kept my focus on Christian.

“You lie,” Christian said. “Jackson told me all about you.”

Liam snorted. “I don’t think you should be trusting anything a Guardian says.”

“Watch your mouth, Vyken,” Christian said. Every part of him was tensed, and it took all my strength just to hold him back.

“Christian,” I said. “He’s an Enlil, and only has the Vyken’s poison inside him, but he hasn’t let it change him. He’s good.”

Christian looked unconvinced. “Not possible.”

“It is. He fought back the darkness and won.”

Christian looked at me, and his expression softened like he was feeling sorry for me. “What’s happened to you?”

I couldn’t stand the look in his eyes. “What are you doing here?” I asked.

“May said I could find you out here, but she didn’t tell me you were on a date,” Christian said, glaring at Liam.

I shoved him. “Are you going to let me explain or do you want to keep acting like you know everything?”

“Fine. Explain.”

I took a deep breath. “Christian, have I ever lied to you?”

He didn’t answer, but his jaw tightened.

“Have I?”

“No, but you
are
keeping things from me.”

I nodded. “You’re right. I have, but for good reason. I’m trying to protect you.”

“Protect me?” He laughed. “From what?”

I realized the conversation was not taking the direction I wanted it to just yet, so I said, “Just listen to me when I say there’s something big going on at Lucent, and I’m trying to get to the bottom of it before a lot of Auras are killed. And Liam, although obnoxious at times—”

“Hey,” Liam said.

“—is on our side. He can help.”

Christian searched my eyes. Finally his posture relaxed, and he stepped back. “I’ll trust you, but never him.” He nodded his head toward Liam.

“Fine. For now,” I said. “But will you at least listen to him?”

Liam shook his head. “This isn’t going to work. He’s part of them, brainwashed. He’ll never believe.”

I turned to him. “He might surprise you.”

Liam looked from me to Christian. “How do I know he won’t run to his friends and tell them everything?”

I sighed really loud. “Will you trust me, please?”

Liam stepped back. “Whatever, but I don’t want to be around for this reunion. Why don’t you catch him up? I’ve got some things to do.” He was staring off into the distance.

“Um, okay,” I said, confused. Liam didn’t look back at me when he disappeared into the forest. I shrugged and turned around to face Christian. He was staring at me intently with his lips pressed tight. What I wouldn’t give for mind-reading powers. “What?” I finally said.

“Before you tell me what’s going on, I have to tell you something.” He swallowed. “This time we’ve been apart, only seeing each other for brief moments, has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” I opened my mouth to speak, but he stopped me. “Please don’t say anything. Just give me a second.” He stepped toward me. “My father encouraged me to go into Guardian training at an early age. It was hard and fun at the same time, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to devote my whole life to it. But then I became your Guardian, and it was like I finally believed in myself. I was excited for the future and for the chance to be the best Guardian I could be.” He smiled. “I know that sounds cheesy, but I felt whole. And then we were separated. And,” he shook his head, “I don’t know, everything just fell apart. I lost those feelings, and at first I thought it was because I was faced with no longer being a Guardian. I was a mess. But then I realized something. When I’m around you, Miss Llona Reese, I’m not a mess. You make my world right, not being a Guardian. It’s you I want in my life, and I’d give up everything to make that happen.”

I lowered my head to Christian’s chest. His arms came around me. “Please tell me what’s going on,” he said.

I looked up at him. “You being with me is dangerous. You saw what almost happened at the tower. What everyone says, about Guardians and Auras being together, I get it now. And I don’t want anything to ever happen to you because of our relationship. You mean too much to me.”

Christian chuckled and tucked my hair behind my ear. “Is that all that’s bugging you?”

I almost said more, the real truth, but he continued speaking.

“You need to know something, Llona. If I were to die tomorrow, or in ten days, or in ten years, all of this, you and me, would have been worth it. I would rather live a short life with you in it than a long one where you and I are not together.”

It was then that I understood how my father convinced my mom to marry him. But before I could hear any more declarations of love, Christian had to know the truth. “You can’t make that decision yet,” I said and swallowed hard.

“And why’s that?”

“Because you don’t know the whole truth.”

It took me almost an hour to tell Christian everything about what we had discovered to be going on at Lucent because he kept asking questions. When I finally finished, he was sitting on the ground looking pale.

“Are you going to throw up?” I asked.

He gave me a weak smile. “This is so much bigger than I thought.”