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Authors: Christine Hughes

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BOOK: Darkness Betrayed (Torn)
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Chapter 21

 

The morning was colder than any October
morning I remembered. Then again, I wasn’t in Florida anymore. That life was long gone, barely a memory.

All of us had gathered in a circle in the back yard. It was time to break me down, force me to control myself. Damien had mentioned before that it would be painful – physically, mentally, and emotionally. But that didn’t matter.  I was used to pain. It was a part of who I was. It was time to get
my head straight. It was time to confront Sebastian.

Noah had been following Sebastian’s movements in the news. He was trying to be visible. Visits with celebrities and politicians, museum galas, dinners with CEOs of Fortune 500 companies kept him in the spotlight. He knew we were watching him and didn’t seem to care.
He was mocking us, daring us to go after him. As much as I wanted to do just that, I had a nagging feeling that the next confrontation would be deadly, not only for him, but also for someone else I cared for. I was tired of losing people to him. I was tired of always being one step behind, of being unsure of myself.

Last night proved that I could get to him. Though
the image I destroyed was just that, an image. Despite my anger, I was able to defeat him. I was able to rid my head of his taunts. I knew it was only the beginning, but at least it was a start.

“We will begin individually.” Damien’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “What you all need to remember is you will need to do everything you can to break Samantha down. Physically, none of you seem to be much of a match against her but emotionally—

emotionally, she is weak. The chinks in her armor will be found in her emotions. That is where she needs the most control. That is where you will defeat her.”

I looked around at my
friends, at least I thought maybe they were my friends. Then again, maybe Damien was right. None of them trusted me and that meant anyone of them could turn on me at any moment.

“How do we do this, exactly?” Branna spoke up and my attention turned to her.

“The very worst things you think of her, the very disappointment, distrust and hatred you feel for her deep down in places you don’t want to admit to having – bring those to the forefront. Barrage her with your fears. Verbally, telepathically, whatever suits you best. Break her down.”

“I’m not comfortable with this.” Mara’s eyes were downcast.

“Your comfort is of no consequence. It doesn’t matter, especially if it means Sebastian wins. If we are to defeat Sebastian, if we are to retrieve the box, you need to do this. She needs you to do this. It will make her stronger.”

“But what if I don’t hate her?” Ethan’s voice was small and quiet.

Damien laughed. “You, of all people, can break her down with a look. You’re telling me there is nothing you want to say to her? There is nothing you want her to know? She has not put enough cracks in your heart to do this? You, Ethan, will bring her to her knees. Which is why you’ll go last.”

I started to shake at Damien’s words because I knew they were true. Of everyone there, Ethan was hurt the most. And what he thought of me, even though I tried and tried to convince myself it didn’t matter and was for the best, could either heal me or destroy me. At that moment, I was betting on destruction.

No swords, no weapons would be part of the exercise. I tried to retreat into myself to prepare for the mental onslaught. I wasn’t sure any amount of preparation would ready me for what was about to happen. I reminded myself that, in one way or another, I loved each and every one of them. I tried to convince myself that what was about to happen was in the name of training, of developing control. I was scared out of my mind.

“I’ll go first. Get it over with.” Lucas stepped forward, hands in his pockets, head down.

“Come to the middle and stand in front of her. The rest of you, complete the circle. Whatever happens, don’t let her out of it. Lucas, be prepared for anything. We’ve all seen how she’s reacted in the past, even just last night.”

I’d bitten my fingernails low enough to draw blood. They stung and throbbed but I’d figured physical pain would keep me grounded.

Damien looked around the circle. “Ethan, when you see her filling with Darkness, do what you can from there to fill her with Light and I’ll pull the pain from her. In the beginning, we’ll need to help her balance. By the end, the goal is to have her balance it all on her own.”

They all nodded in tentative agreement before Damien stepped in front of me, grasping my hands in his.

“Are you ready for this?” His eyes searched my face but I’d wiped it blank, refusing to show any emotion. A curt nod from me satisfied his question.

Leaning down, his lips placed a soft kiss near my ear. “You can do this.”

His belief in me did nothing to quell the anxiety that had built up. In an instant he was gone and all that was left in the middle of this circle of hell were Lucas and I. Strange that I took the time to notice he was unshaven and thinner than usual. His hair obscured eyes that no longer shined with friendship and love.

“Lucas, are you ready?”

“Sure. Whatever. Let’s just do this.”

Lucas’ eyes never left the ground. He shuffled his feet, crunching the morning frost that covered the grass.

Lost in my head, I was unprepared when he hit me with telepathic words.

I loved you once, you know.

Confused, I allowed him to come into focus. I didn’t want to fight back. I wanted to hear him out. Finally. The one thing he’d been asking me to do, I was finally willing when it was backed by the intent to hurt me.

I never understood why you didn’t love me back. It was always Ethan. I was good enough to be your buddy but never good enough for you to allow us to cross that line.

His hands moved from his pockets and fisted at his side.

I did love you. You were my best friend. No matter what happened, you were my always.

His face screwed up for a moment.
Not good enough.

I don’t understand what I ever did to you. What my father did to you. What anyone did to make you side with Sebastian.

My silent questions hit him and I realized he didn’t have any concrete answers.

Sebastian showed me how things really were. You never would have loved me the same way. Your father would never have seen to reason. Both of you, hardheaded a
nd stupid, following a set of rules someone else made up. With Sebastian, the only rules involved self-preservation and survival.
He continued to squeeze his fists together like he was trying to crush something within them.

I cocked my head to the side. Heat rose from the ground and flowed into my body.
So you do remember.

Yes.

My hair whipped in front of my face and my wings opened with a deafening crack. My fists opened and closed at my side as I fought to control the urge to hurt him. Finally make him feel everything I’d felt since his betrayal. I barraged him with thoughts and images of our past. Toddlers playing hide and seek, children walking to school together, teenagers holed up in a room listening to music – I hit him with every happy memory he and I ever shared.

For a time he held up and I thought I’d be able to break through and defeat him with the hope that we’d return to the way we once were. Then his wings, the iridescent color of oil on asphalt, opened fully and I saw for the first time he was finally healed and they were just as majes
tic as I remembered. Eyes open, he took a step toward me, lifted his hands and began to show me just how deep his hatred had become.

His memories pushed into my head. His parents teaching Ethan. Ethan scoring the winning touchdown. Images of Ethan and me laughing, talking. Stolen glances I’d never thought were obvious shoved into my mind. An image of Ethan carrying me upstairs and placing me on a
bed, kissing.

Stop.
I wanted him to stop, but the images came faster, stronger and finally slowed only when he allowed the picture of him first meeting with Sebastian.

He had been jogging through the dark woods when he came face to face with the one who would eventually kill my father. At first, it looked like Lucas wanted to fight, to run away but he resigned to his fate. I saw him yank the ear buds from his ears.

“You’re a hard man to get a hold of.”
Sebastian spoke to him in a familiar tone I didn’t understand.

“I’ve been busy.”

“Have you thought about my offer?”

“Yeah.”

“And?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”
Sebastian’s eyes lit up.
“You know this is where you belong. Your parents never gave you the tools to properly fight me. Your brother is the golden child. Even now, that they’re both dead, Ethan is the favorite. And he’s not even their son.”

“That doesn’t matter.”
Hearing how dejected he sounded made my skin tingle.

“I can help you get her.”

At those words, Lucas finally stood at attention, finally looked as though he was paying attention.
“How?”

“Get me her father and I’ll do the rest. You two belong together. At the rate this is all going, she’ll be with Ethan before you can blink. I can stop that from happening.”

He seemed to contemplate Sebastian’s offer.

“She’s never done anything wrong.”

“Other than not love you back.”

Lucas didn’t answer. He just stood there, his gaze focused on the ground.

“You have two days to make a decision. I will kill her father with or without your help. And if you make the right decision, maybe I’ll let her live.”

In an instant, Sebastian was gone, leaving Lucas in the woods alone.

My heart stopped as Lucas’ pain filled my heart. He’d done it for me. He’d sacrificed himself to Sebastian to save me. The revelation hurt. I was unsure of how to go on from there. And before I could react, he threw more at me.

Lucas finally relenting.

Lucas telling Sebastian about the box.

Lucas telling Sebastian where my father was.

The last memory floated in my mind and any hope or sorrow for the pain I’d inadvertently caused him disappeared. Throwing my hands up, he flew through the air, his wings only finding purchase right before he hit the ground.

That’s it, Sam. Fight me.

Over and over again, I attacked and he did nothing to stop me. Anger drove me and I could feel Ethan trying to fill me with Light. I knew Damien was trying to siphon the pain from me but I’d closed them both off. Lucas was getting weaker and weaker with each attack. Over and over I hit him with memories. Again and again I hit him with anger. With every step I took, I broke him until he was all but finished. And when I was finally standing in front of him, inches from him, he took me down.

Tired and barely able to stand, Lucas filled me with images of his torture. I watched as Sebastian welcomed him with open arms before slowly and methodically breaking him down. Over time, he had sufficiently filled Lucas’ head with lies, brainwashed him into believing
everything he said. And when I’d defeated them, Sebastian’s physical torture of Lucas was almost too much to bear.

I turned my head to shake it all away when Lucas grabbed my f
ace and forced it all inside me: every beating, every cut of the sword, every burn of fire, every evil word and drop of blood. I watched Sebastian take his anger at me out on my oldest friend. And I saw the one thing that kept Lucas alive – me.

He pushed one last thought into my head,
I loved you.

Shadows began to dissipate and I fell to my knees, tears flowing fresh cleansing my heart of hate and despair. Without a word, Lucas turned and took his place in the circle.

One by one, each of them came at me with their disappointments and hopes. And one by one, I filled with anger and attacked the only way I knew how. I’d hurt all of them in one way or another and fighting back, I used their pain against them until each and every one of them defeated me with hope.

When Branna came to face me, I did what I knew would tear her down. I nailed her with images of
Malena sacrificing herself. I filled her head with guilt for allowing one of us to take the target from her chest. By the time I was finished with her, Branna was a sobbing mess of guilt and sadness. Unfortunately, alone in my self-involved pain, I didn’t feel sorry for her. That thought alone should have broken me.

Just when I thought I couldn’t take anymore, when I thought I would crumble from disappointment after disappointment
and my own self- hatred, I had one final face-off to endure. Damien asked Ethan to step forward and I caught the eyes of everyone there. Mara and Branna looked away from me as if they knew that this final confrontation might shatter me. Cal, Noah and Christian looked on with interest. Cal and Noah had their doubts about me and I was about to show them whether I was worth the trouble or if I should just be abandoned as an Exiled. Christian’s face showed hope, like he was silently rooting for me to work out my issues. Only Lucas kept my gaze steady. Eyes boring into my head, the look of determination etched into his features flooded me with the love for my best friend that I’d all but let go. Somehow, though it was physically impossible, he was holding my hand. I squeezed my fist to let him know I wasn’t giving up.

BOOK: Darkness Betrayed (Torn)
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