The Trials (The Elite Series) (11 page)

Connor woke to darkness. He was on a rough half-dirt, half-rock surface and the temperature around him was almost unbearable. Sweat formed on his brow and the back of his neck as he got to his feet. He knew it had to be a dream, his left arm was working fine and none of the pain he remembered from the fight was present. He started to walk through the darkness, hand out in front of him to keep from running into anything.

There was a screech and flap of wings as he ducked and felt air whip past his head and lift
his hair. Panic seized his heart.
They’re just bats, calm down. They’re probably more afraid of you than you are of them.
More of the creatures babbled to one another as they flew through the air. Crouching, Connor continued forward, his left hand quickly making contact with a hard rock surface he assumed was a cave wall.

Soon Connor could make out a faint glow
. As he approached the light, the heat grew.

Sweat running freely down
his face, he made it to an area where the cave opened into a large room occupied by a tall figure in a black robe. The figure stood a few yards away on a precipice, with its back towards Connor. It was looking down.

Connor hesitated
, fearing who the cloaked person could be.

“It’s okay
, Connor.” Connor recognized the voice. “I’m not here to kill you.”

Hands clenched
, Connor searched the chamber for some kind of trap.

“Come look,” the man said, “i
t’s beautiful, really.”

Connor slowly made his way to the man’s side. The man he knew to be Vercin was wearing a long cloak with a deep hood
. Even when Connor stood next to him, he couldn’t make out his features. Instead, Connor looked down the cliff at a gigantic ocean of molten rock and lava. The cavern they were in was huge; besides the cliff, there was no other land mass. A hundred or more feet below them, the lava boiled and rolled like the foam on a rough ocean. Connor had to look away after a few seconds, the heat stinging his eyes.

“Why did you bring me here? What do you want?”

Vercin turned to him and lifted the hood. Whatever Connor expected to see, whatever he remembered from the man before; burned flesh, one black eye, one red, and a set of sharp teeth, was gone. Instead he saw a rather handsome older man. His short black hair worked well with his clean-shaven face and a smile, Connor almost took as friendly, played across his lips. Vercin’s eyes, however, still held a shocking look. One was brown like Connor’s, the other a bright blue like Katie.

“I wanted to show you my prison.” Vercin open
ed his arms in the large cavern. “I wanted you to see the lake of lava that I contemplated throwing myself into every day for the past century. I wanted you to feel the heat as I did, see the bats I ate to stay alive, and truly understand the side you are choosing in the coming war.”

Connor crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow in defian
ce. “I’m not joining you, Vercin. I already told you.”

Vercin smiled and chuckled
. “Connor, I don’t know how much of a choice you have in the matter.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You and I are much more alike than you would like to think. Two Judges from the same bloodline should stand together, not fight one another. The power you felt when you fought Zheng—”

“How did you know about that? That just happened!”

“Connor, did you think you were the only one with sorceress friends? How did you think I escaped the spell that held me here in the first place? But that is another conversation. That power that drove you to win, the anger inside that manifested itself when you fought Zheng, will consume you. You cannot control the rage, few Judges ever could. I can teach you how to embrace the power.”

Connor shook his head
. “No, I know what power you offer. I know where that leads.”

“Where it lead
s? It leads to greatness, Connor. It leads to invincibility. No one will be able to stand against you, no man or Elite can equal the power of a Judge when we let our beast consume us. Hindering this would only be a waste.

“Connor
, the day we meet in person is quickly approaching, and I would much rather welcome you as a friend, as a brother, than an enemy.”

“I’ll learn to control it
myself. I’ll be ready to meet you when the time comes.”

“So you cho
ose this? You choose imprisonment and death by the very race you seek to protect? They have a use for you now, but they will throw you away when they’re done with you, as they did to me. Not to mention your father, but we’ve already had that conversation.”

Connor fought back the urge to ask him about his father. There was a devil on his shoulder telling him how wonderful it would be to let go, to give in
to the call of his inner beast and let the rage consume him.

Vercin picked up on his hesitancy
. “Conflicted, I see? Well that’s a start. I only hope you have changed your mind by the time we meet. But now our time is over. Think about what I have said.”

Connor woke in the small bedroom he had been
quartered in for his stay at the palace, and the pain consumed him in waves. He moaned as the throbbing in his left arm struck him first and then the aching all over his body followed.

“Shhhhhh… a soft voice beside his bed comf
orted.” I know it’s painful now but your healing factor will mend you soon. You took quit a beating, didn’t you?”

Connor slowly moved his head to the right, fighting the urge to scream out in pain. Kora sat in a chair close to his bed. “I know you were expecting Laren
, but she’s with Reap now. I insisted on some time with you before you leave.”

“How’s
Zheng?”

Kora
tilted her head to the side “He’ll live. Without a crown and his body in just as bad shape as yours, but he’ll live. That’s not what I want to talk to you about, though. I want to talk to you about the way you lost control during the fight.”

Connor’s face must have betrayed his emotions because
Kora quickly picked up on his look of surprise. With a smile that looked like Laren, she explained, “Oh, you didn’t think I wasn’t watching, did you? We Abelardus women aren’t squeamish of blood or a fight. I saw you lose control. Orion won’t talk to you about it. He loves you like a nephew. Your father and him were the very best of friends. And Laren’s opinion of you is already clouded with—with more than feelings of just friendship.”

Despite the pain
, Connor’s face reddened with the accusation Kora was making, “I—”

“It’s quite al
l right, Connor. I’m not here to talk about your relationship with my daughter, whatever it may be. Laren is old enough and I trust her to make the right decisions. Right now you need someone to speak honestly with you. You need someone to give you unbiased advice. You’re not ready to be claimed as the Judge or to face Vercin.”

Connor felt an emotional blow hit his body as he was
faced with yet another Elite who didn’t understand his claim or why it was so important for him to be the Judge. “But I am the Judge.”

“Oh
, you misunderstand me, Connor. I said ‘you are not ready to be CLAIMED as the Judge.’ I believe you are the Judge that will save us, but if you enter a fight against Vercin now, it will end much worse than tonight. The reason Vercin is such a powerful warrior is because he has been able to do what few Elites and Judges have ever done. He is able to not only tap into his Elite gene but, he has learned to let his inner power become one and the same with himself.”

“During training
, Morrigan told me never to let the power consume me, to always control the power.”

“True, we as E
lites have learned to harness the power and use it in small doses. Controlling the rage and never letting it run wild. Vercin has learned to completely open the gates of his Elite gene and feel the complete strength of the beast while still being able to control the strength.”

“But how? How is that possible?”

Kora leaned back and folded her arms across her chest with her eyes widening. “That is the question, isn’t it? How has he learned to let the power completely run free without becoming a slave to it? I wish I could give you an answer, a secret recipe for success, but I can’t. It’s something you’re going to have to learn.”

Connor lay silent
, deep in his own thoughts.
How am I supposed to control the power and let it consume me at the same time? How am I going to use the full potential of my beast within, my Elite gene, and still stay in control?
It seemed like a question without an answer.

“Rest now
, Connor, the most important thing is that you recover. Tomorrow we can worry about how you plan to save our race.”

“Thank you for your help.”

“Of course. Sleep now.”

And sleep he did.
Connor wasn’t sure how long he was out, but when he awoke he could see the sun setting through the small window in his room. Someone had come while he was sleeping and tended to his arm. A white sling hung from his neck and supported his dislocated limb. His body still felt incredibly weak and sore but most of the pain was gone now.

Slowly he sat up and made his way to the
bathroom. Looking into the mirror, he almost scared himself. His torso was black and blue with a combination of long cuts and deep gashes that were already covered with scabs. His face wasn’t any prettier; lip split open and a large gash above his right eyebrow were the main things that stood out, along with a swollen left eye.

“You look better,
the fight made some improvements. Gave you some battle scars. Too bad your eye looks like it will heal. We could have been twins,” Orion said, pointing to his black eye patch.

Connor turned to see Orion holding a plate of food. “Thanks, I think?”

“Thought you might be hungry after sleeping for almost a full day.”

Connor smiled and
wobbled over, gratefully accepting the fruit bowl with his right hand. “We need to get going soon. I had a dream about Vercin, and whatever he’s planning, I think he plans to do it soon. I have to finish the last trial before he makes his move.”

“That must be rough, get the snot beat out of you by
Zheng, only to fall asleep and have Vercin harass your sleep. Can’t catch a break, can you, kid?”

Connor nodded
, unable to speak around a mouthful of food. “It sucks.”

“Well
, if you think you’re well enough to travel, I can have the boat ready within the hour.”

“That would be great. The stone, do you think
Zheng and the monks will—”

“I
’ve known Zheng a long time, he’ll stand by his word.”

“Well
, okay, then,” Connor said, without a hint of joy. “Let’s take away the most important thing in the world to these people.”

Orion helped Connor into a
loose-fitting blue shirt, dark pants, and boots. The two exited the room to find Reap and Laren playing in the hall. “Connor!” Reap yelled, rushing to his hero and wrapping him in a large hug around the legs. “You did it! You won!”

“I did, it was because of you
, Reap. I could hear you shouting and cheering me on. It gave me strength to win the fight.”

“Really?” Reap
asked with huge eyes.

“Really
.” Connor winked.

“And how is our reigning champion faring?” Laren asked
, giving Connor a gentle hug.

Laren was also wearing her traveling clothes, a
short-sleeved white shirt and a pair of worn jeans, that fit her a bit too well. Connor had forgotten her question even as she asked.

“Connor
, I think this is the part where you answer my question.” Laren laughed.

“Oh, uh, better and better every hour, thanks.”

“Well, let’s get going, you two. We have good-byes to say and a stone to collect,” Orion said.

Three adults and a child entered the large hall. Every monk was in attendance and bowed as soon as Connor entered. If Connor had expected hostility or anger directed at him for beating their king and planning to take their stone, Connor was wrong. Smiles and respectful nods met him as he passed the bowing monk and made his way to Zheng, who stood next to Kora.

Zheng
was an exact replica of Connor, minus the sling. He wore his traditional orange robe, but a crowd of bruises and cuts crisscrossed his exposed skin. Zheng made a move to kneel, but Connor rushed to his side as fast as his sore body would let him and took Zheng gently by the arm. “You have no reason to bow to me.”

Zheng
raised his amber eyes. “You have rightful claim to the crown and to become our leader. The Island demands respect be shown.”

“Then let respect be shown to T
he Island’s king as I give you back your position and it is I who bow to you.”

Zheng
shook his head, black ponytail bouncing back and forth. “I must bow,” he said, bending to his knees.

Con
nor also knelt with the warrior. “If I am King, then am I commanded to keep the crown until I die or am I able to grant the leadership role to another warrior who I feel is better fit to the lead in The Island’s favor?”

Zheng
looked at Connor as they both knelt on the wooden floor. A multitude of eyes looked on, the fate of who The Island’s leader would be, in the balance.

“No
,” Zheng spoke slowly, “No there is no such rule. The king is required to act in the best interest of The Island at all times.”

Connor lifted his right arm and placed it on
Zheng’s shoulder. “Then as King, with The Island’s best interest in mind, I give you your place of authority back, and know that although I take The Island’s crown now, it will only be gone for a matter of days. Just long enough for me to present it to the Council and bring it back. I swear.”

Zheng
smiled. “Thank you, Connor Moore. You are indeed a Judge to be followed. Now, as King, I command you to help me to my feet. I don’t know if I’m going to make it on my own.”

King and Judge smiled and both shared a laugh as they slowly helped each other to their wobbling feet. A cheer erupted from the monks and all who were in attendance.

“Bring the stone forward,” Zheng commanded to a group of monks standing by his side.

The monks parted ranks to allow a path for two of their brothers to bring forward a
n intricately carved box, lid open. The large bluish rock sat inside, still softly glowing.

“I’ll take it,” Orion offered
, gently accepting the prized treasure.

“I’ll send it b
ack with Orion as soon as I can,” Connor said, firmly gripping Zheng’s hand.

“I know you will.”

As the travelers exchanged good-byes with the monks and Laren’s family, a very sad Reap gave Connor another hug. “Will you come visit me? Soon, I mean?”

“Of course I will, and in the meantime
, you just focus on getting better. I’m rooting for you.”

“Okay.”

“Remember our conversation, Connor,” Kora said as she came up behind Reap and placed her hands on his small shoulders.

“I will, and thank you.”

Kora smiled and nodded to him. “You’ll be fine.”

The trio left the palace just as the sun dropped behind the horizon. Like he was taking them on a tour of his home, Orion guided Laren and Connor back to
The Lady’s Shadow
and they headed for the open sea.

Connor sat in the seat beside Laren as she buckled him in
. This time he didn’t second-guess the need for straps.

“Will we be able to find the mist at night? I though
t it only formed at a certain time during the day?”

“Don’t worry
, Orion knows the way even in the dark. It’s a kind of gift The Island has given him with being the ferryman.” Laren paused as she strapped herself in. “Connor, what did my mother say to you?”

“Nothing
. She just told me some embarrassing stories of you and warned me against breaking your heart.”

“Please,” Laren said
with her trademark eye roll. “I’ll believe that the day the sun doesn’t rise.”

“She was warning me about letting the rage inside control me. She told me the only way to beat Vercin would be to release the rage and control it at the same time. To be honest
, I’m still kind of confused what she meant.”

“She’s a wise woman
. I’m sure her meaning will be clear in time.”

“I hope so.”

“Okay, you two!” Orion said from the wheel. “I’m going to open her up. Hold on to your slings!”

A few minutes of speeding over the dark water brought them in contact with a huge wall of mist. Connor was amazed how Orion handled the boat so gracefully and how he knew where the mist would be in the darkness. Exiting the mist brought a whole new landscape in view.

The boat was in sight of land and the sun was high overhead. They drifted into the harbor and docked at the wooden pier. Orion carried the box with the stone as they made for the limo Laren had driven Connor in a few days previous.

“I’ll drive if you two want to hop in back,” Orion offered with a wink in their direction.

“No, I can it’s okay, I don’t mind,” Laren offered.

“Please, I got it
. I’m a wheel man, after all.”

The drive back was the most fun Connor had had in what seemed like weeks. He missed his alone time with Laren as the two laughed at the silliest little things. At one point
, Connor made fun of Laren until she playfully began poking at his sling and he was forced to submit and plead for a truce.

The two ended with Laren leaning her slim frame against Connor’s right side, his arm around her in a comfortable hug.

“Connor, you know I like you, right?”

He was stunned for a minute before he gathered himself and replied, “I know
, Laren, and you know I like you, too, right?”

Laren shifted her sitting position to look at him
. “I mean I like you like a boyfriend. And I know it’s not fair to put this on you now, with everything going on, but I would hate myself if something happened and I didn’t tell you. I want to be in a relationship with you.”

Connor was torn in three different ways; first with his feelings toward Laren, then with his duty as a Judge
, and next with his long history with Katie. “I wish we had time to figure all of this out. And I know it’s not fair to you, either, to put things on hold. I guess I can’t give you an answer now, but I want you to know that I can see myself with you, too.”

“It’s okay if you don’t,” Laren said
, trying to hide her girlish smile. “You realize I’m an adult in Elite years, and that’s over a hundred years in human time. I can take it if you don’t feel the same way, I’m a big girl. I just need you to be honest.”

“I am
, Laren,” Connor said, brushing a brown lock of hair from her perfectly shaped face and draping it behind her ear. “The truth is that I try not to think about you because, it’s too hard not putting a name to how I feel about you. I try to push you out of my head and focus on what I have to do.”

Laren took his right hand in
both of hers and held it high on her chest. “You don’t have to stop thinking of me, because I am always thinking about you.”

The two E
lites gravitated toward one another. They leaned forward slowly, enjoying the moment and the anticipation of each other’s lips.

“Al
l right, guys, we’re here!” Orion said as the dark window that separated the driver’s cab from the rest of the limo rolled down and the car came to a stop.

Laren and Connor quickly leaned back from one another, but Orion had already seen what he had interrupted
. “Or I can keep driving if you want—I mean, false alarm?”

Connor let out a heavy sigh
. “No, it’s okay. We have to present the stone to the Council and get it back to The Island.”

Laren reluctantly agreed
, lifting her head and taking a few deep breaths of her own.

As they exited the limo
, Connor and Laren immediately knew something was wrong. There was no Elite crowd, no one came to greet them, and they were at the front of the castle’s outer wall. The large gate that was always open was closed tightly.

“State your business!”
a voice shouted from the battlements.

“Laren Abelardus
. Now open the gates, Lu!”

Lu stuck his muscular neck out over the top of the wall and gav
e them a friendly wave and grin. “Okay, just checking.”

There was a rumble a few moments later as the gates swung open and Lu and the dragon welcomed the group. Orion gave a shout that sounded like a young girl as the dragon galloped to Connor and nuzzled him, almost knocking him to the ground. The dragon
’s tail wagged at a violent speed, threatening to take down half the gate.

“Wow
—wow, easy—easy, boy,” Connor said, laughing at Orion’s squeal and the dragon’s happiness to see him.

“Take it easy
, Little Connor,” Lu said, speaking to the dragon.

“Little Connor?” Laren asked
, her eyes wide and a smile already spreading across her lips.

“Yeah, what else are we going to call it? He kind
of looks like Connor, anyway.”

“We are not calling the dragon ‘Little Connor,’ Connor said with mock anger.

“Well, he needs a name, and until you come up with something better, I’m calling him Little Connor.”

Big Connor shook his head as he walked with the rest of t
he group through the main gates. “Why is the gate secured with you two on guard?”

“Vercin has been sighted, gathering his army. The C
ouncil has ordered a full lockdown until they meet and plans are in place to deal with the threat. You’re just in time—they’re meeting now.”

The group headed though
the castle’s outer walls and towards the main castle entrance. It looked so different now. Before the castle was open and inviting. Servants would run through open doors with laughs and grins, guests could come and go as they pleased, and windows throughout the building were open. Now a shadow hung over the Abeladrus home. The only Elites in sight were the castle guards. The Abelardus standing security force that wore dark suits and sunglasses seemed to have multiplied and dozens now patrolled the area.

Pairs
of these soldiers roamed the castle grounds, stood at attention at the main gate, and walked the towers, eyes vigilantly searching for danger. “All right, Little Connor, you know the drill, you have to wait out here,” Lu said.

The dragon made a soft grumbling noise and his large
green-scaled head nudged Connor’s arm. “I know you want to come in, buddy, but I’ll be out soon, I promise.”

The dragon seemed content as it settled down in front of the main gate with a huge sigh. Inside the castle
, the halls were deserted. Once again the only Elites visible were the castle guards. “The Council advised any Elite who had loved ones outside the castle to bring them here. They’re afraid Vercin will make his move quickly. The meeting now is taking place with the Council and those Elites who have stayed.”

Reaching the larg
e wooden doors that led to the Council room, the guards on either side gave short bows to the group and gently opened the doors. Not wanting to disturb the ongoing conversation, the group quietly entered the room and remained behind the crowd, picking up on the intense debate inside. “We must do something now, Adolpho!” Randolph shouted. “I’ve told you what they plan to do, I know that I entered this scenario as an enemy, but hear me now and believe that I am telling you the truth. Vercin calls any Elite to his banner that will come and his numbers swell by the day. If we do not act soon, it may be too late.”

A
dolpho sat in the middle of the Council as usual, his strong features refusing to show fear or doubt. “Thank you, Randolph, and know that we appreciate the information. We do believe you, however the time for an attack may not be right.”

“What do you mean
, ‘not right’? You would have us wait till he has an army at his command? Or worse that our war spills into the human world?”

Adolph
o remained quiet.

“Perhaps this is a decision that requires the opinion from the t
wo women here that were responsible for defeating Vercin the first time,” Thema said. “Zuna, Morrigan, what advice would you give?”

“Zun
a’s here? From the Amazon?” Connor whispered to Lu, straining his neck trying to see her through the crowd.

Morrigan
said, “I was still a young girl, a simple apprentice, under Zuna’s direction when the spell was cast and Vercin was imprisoned. She is much more suited to answer the question than I.”