Darlings (28 page)

Tok was silent then added, “We will get them
back…she’s already used Tiger’s ability and in the spirit world as
we speak. She should be back to break the barriers at any moment.
Then, we attack. When Andrew sends word we attack and get all of
them out.” 

“I love her Tok. What kind of man sends the
woman he loves to her possible death?”

“A man who loved his daughter as well,” Tok
said softly. 

“Ugh!” Pete hollered as he punched the mirror
shattering it into a million pieces as he stormed out, Tok
following. 

Gwen stood staring at the glimmering glass
lying haphazardly on the beautiful stone floor. It might as well
have been her heart. He sent her. He sent her to her possible
death. She felt the emotions burning in her stomach. The anger
spread to her limbs and she fell to the floor, sobbing into the
glass. 

“I’m sorry Gwen. I don’t know what to say,”
Ry muttered, hands shoved deep into his pockets. Gwen didn’t want
him to say anything. She didn’t want to do anything. She wanted to
be the pieces. She wanted to fall apart and lay like razor blades
on the floor. Gwen stared at those pieces and her tears abruptly
stopped. She grit her teeth and stood. Without a word, she placed
her hand through Rynnal’s and closed her eyes. Imagining the room
where her solid body laid beside the small tan girl who depended on
her. No matter how she got there, Gwen was there. She would
complete her mission. She would save them. The rage built in her
soul like smoke trapped inside a windowless room.

Gwen opened her eyes and saw Lily now praying
beside a coughing Tiger. 

“She’s weak,” Ry said. “We have to hurry.
Come on. Gwen followed Rynnal to another boy who stood alone. He
had dark skin and deep brown eyes. He ran his hands over his fuzzy
hair as he clenched his jaw. He was in no group, standing
completely alone. “He’s Aeton. I think you can break his collar’s
barrier Gwen.” 

“How? I can’t even touch him,” Gwen said,
staring at the boy. 

“I have a theory. If you become one with him,
by walking into his body, you may be able to channel his energy.
Follow the energy line to his mind and break his barrier. You’re a
taker or borrower in whatever form you’re in.” Gwen was confused
but agreed to give it a shot. 

“Okay, but why him?” 

Ry smiled. “You’ll see.” Gwen walked to the
boy and stood face to face with him. Slowly, she closed her eyes
and stepped into his body. She felt his energy instantly and found
the channel. She followed it quickly to his the block in his mind.
With all her might, she focused her energy through it. Nothing.
Gwen thought of Pete. His lies. His deceit. She tried once more and
felt the barrier crumble. It was gone. Quickly she stepped out of
the boy whose face lit up. 

“It worked!” Ry said excitedly. “Hurry now,
come on. We have to get give Tiger’s energy back.” They rushed back
across the barracks. “Alright Gwen. You need to make your body one
again and push her energy back. Slowly and steadily. Remember it
will be difficult like a pin brick in a water balloon.” Gwen
nodded. 

“Good luck, my friend,” Ry smiled. 

“I will be back, Rynnal,” Gwen said sternly.
“I promise,” she wished she could hug her mentor, but waved
instead. 

He nodded and added. “Go now, hurry and when
you’re back, find the Elite. They will help you.” 

Gwen breathed hard as she stepped back into
her own body. The rest was a blur. She found the energy channel
between Tiger and herself. It was much more difficult than she
expected to give the energy back. It was as if she were swimming up
a waterfall, the current of energy pushing back at her. Gwen forced
it slowly and steadily back to the girl until she remembered no
more. 

She awoke to Lily’s cold hands shaking her
shoulders. “Gwen. Gwen wake up you did it!” she said smiling.
“She’s alright. You came back.” Lily hugged Gwen as she opened her
groggy eyes. Aeton. She had to get to Aeton. Gwen forced herself to
sit up and swing her shaking legs over the side of the bed. “Woah,”
Lilly said. “Careful.” 

“Help me,” Gwen said and Lily tugged as Gwen
stood. “I need to get to Aeton,” she muttered pointed across the
large room. Gwen looked to Tiger and saw her rolling around on the
bed her dark hair a mess. A faint smile spread across Gwen’s
flushed face. Tiger was ok. Gwen and Lily staggered through the
crowd to the dark skinned boy still standing alone. Everyone was
silent as the pair stumbled across the barracks to him. Without a
word, Gwen placed her hand on the boy’s shoulder and stopped with
just the right amount of energy. Aeton fell to his knees as Gwen
instinctively held out her hand to touch a nearby shoe. The shoe
turned to ash before her eyes. Gwen knew what Rynnal wanted her to
do. One by one, she carefully touched each of the immortals
collars, turning them to dust. They laughed and squealed at the
relief of the restraints. Many were left with open bloody sores and
gouges where the needles had ripped their skin. Gwen felt stronger
as the last of the immortals collars dissipated. She placed her
hand once more on Aeton and struggled but indeed returned his
ability. 

Gwen hollered as she addressed the crowd.
“Everyone! Even though your collars are gone your work is not done.
The hard part is yet to come. You have to break the barrier of your
mantican. Take your energy fuel it with anger towards this place,
fuel it with resentment, with hatred if you must. You must break
your mantican’s barrier for us to stand a chance.” 

“How will we know when it’s broken?” a girl
shouted over the crowd. 

“You’ll feel it snap...and hear their voice.
Now hurry. Concentrate. Be strong we don’t have much time.” Gwen
watched as they closed their eyes in concentration.

 “It’s gone!” someone yelled. 

“I did it!” another shouted. Soon the room
was full of fully bonded immortals, ready for revenge. 

“You really did it Gwen,” Lily
smiled. 

Gwen nodded solemnly. Her expressionless face
was stained with tears as she quickly ran back to the cover of the
tent like bunk. She sat on the edge holding back sobs as Lilly
approached. 

“What happened?” 

Gwen stared straight ahead as she answered
Lily. “He sent me here.” 

“Who sent you here?” Lily asked her black
eyebrows furrowed. 

“Pete did,” Gwen answered, her gaze still
unchanging. 

“Why?” Lily managed to get out. 

Finally Gwen looked into Lily’s confused
eyes, “To save Tiger.” 

Lily stared at Gwen in disbelief. “Did you
know?” Gwen asked softly. 

“Gwen. I had absolutely had no idea, I
swear.” 

In that moment Gwen knew she was telling the
truth. “They’re coming. I got to Andrew he warned them. I went to
them. They’re preparing.” 

“Gwen I am so sorry,” Lily bit her luscious
bottom lip. “Did he say anything about…me?” Gwen could tell she was
embarrassed even asking. 

“No. Nothing,” she replied a little sharper
than she knew she should have. 

The hard expression returned to the tanned
beauty’s face. “Alright then. We should get going.” 

Gwen somewhat regretted her cutting comment
seeing the hurt in Lily’s face but there was no time for apologies.
Gwen had to prepare herself for war. She wiped her face and made
her way back into the middle of the room. 

“I hope everyone has practiced,” Gwen
announced, making her even more aware of her inexperience. She
figured this was not the first battle some of the immortals before
her had fought in. 

“What’s he plan?” a short blond boy
asked.

Gwen wasn’t sure. “I…I…we fight our way to
our manticans. I hope you all have been in contact. Once we reach
them, we fight. We take out as many pirates as we can and we
escape. Pete will be leading his army to attack from outside the
fences, while we’ll be fighting from the inside out. We can do
this,” she reminded herself. “How many telekinetics do we have?”
Gwen

searched the crowd for raised hands. She
counted seven. “Alright. We need to bust out of here. Can you
unlock the doors?” 

A girl with braided hair shouted, “Yes. I’ve
unlocked many, larger than these.”  

“Alright then. As soon as I give the go, you
unlock the door and we fight…good luck,” Gwen said, though sure she
was the one that would require luck. 

She took position near the back of the group
and addressed Lily.  “We have to stay together.” Lily nodded
holding her sleepy daughter in her arms. Gwen caught a glance at
Tiger’s petite face. So peaceful and innocent. Why hadn’t he asked
her to save his daughter? Did he think she would refuse? Would she
have? 

“Ready?” Lily asked. 

She touched her mark.
Ready to
turn?
 

Waiting
she heard back in his sultry
revenge filled voice. 

“Everyone ready! Get set! We fight!” Gwen
commanded. The doors unlocked and Gwen heard the blood curdling
shrieks as pirates and immortals alike began to fight. They poured
out of the barracks like a real army. An army full of personal
revenge. The worst kind. Worse than highly skilled and methodically
trained killers. They had a powerful axe to grind. 

As the sea of tattered soldiers brought Gwen
and Lily out the doors, Gwen stopped briefly to survey her
surroundings. Pirates on fire were screaming and running for their
lives. Some were being turned to ash by Aeton. Objects whizzed by
at the command of the telekinetics. Water rushed like snakes up
around the faces of drowning pirates at the hand of immortals
possessing the water ability. Huge bouts of wind crushed enemies
against objects resulting in their gruesome death. Suddenly Gwen
heard buzzing from above. She looked up to see a black swarm of
dark wings. 

“Fairies!” she screamed as she ran for cover
behind a large wooden cart full of rocks. Lily and Tiger slid under
as well and tucked themselves near the back. Loud booms echoed as
Gwen saw bombs of fire exploding before her. The fairies were
throwing some sort of energy fireballs.

Gwen could barely hear Lily shouting over the
explosives, “Over there,” she pointed. Gwen followed her finger to
a crying girl sitting under what looked like a blue-bubbled dome.
She was around twenty feet away tucked behind a large pile of dirty
laundry. Her face was covered in dirt as tears streamed down her
face. Timing the bombs perfectly, Gwen made a mad dash to the
girl. 

The blue bubble disappeared as Gwen slid in
beside her. 

“What’s your ability?” Gwen shouted. Instead
of answering, the girl returned the bubble, this time over herself
and Gwen. It was quieter inside as if they were two fish watching
the outside world from inside the safety of their fish
bowl.  

“What is this?” Gwen asked.

“A shield,” the girl sobbed. “I’ve never used
it before and I can’t keep it up long. I ran away from my mantican
and I can’t find-” She broke down bawling again.

Gwen’s heart skipped a beat. She figured the
girl never had a chance to use it before she was captured.
Inexperience could have proved fatal to the girl, but to Gwen it
may have been just what she needed to save her life. Gwen placed a
hand up to the girl who shuttered at the sight of it. 

“Trust me,” Gwen said softly and the girl
nodded apprehensively.  The moment Gwen touched the frightened
girl she could feel the energy enter her open mind. When she had
filled the hole, she stopped and removed her hand. She was made for
the shield. The energy flowed so smoothly. Gwen held out her palm
commanding the shield to form above her. It started as a small
bubble but as Gwen felt surer of herself, it expanded. She stood as
the dome rose. With her free hand, she motioned to Lilly and Tiger
to join her. Lily pressed her daughter into her body as she darted
for the laundry pile. A small hole appeared in the bottom of the
shield as Lily and Tiger slid through. 

“We’ve got to…run,” Gwen said through
clenched teeth. Gwen began moving the shield as they ran. Lily
pushed the distraught girl ahead as fireballs bounced off the
shield like a trampoline. 

“Just up ahead is the door. That one to the
left,” Lily shouted. Gwen saw it about thirty feet away. A large
steel door. 

“Mama, I’m scared,” Tiger squeaked as Lily
hushed her. Gwen could relate. Fear rushed through her veins like
ice chunks in a fast flowing river, despite the shield. Suddenly, a
pirate appeared in front of them. He was large and bloody. Refusing
to stop Gwen kept running, leading the shield right into him.
Electricity flew as the pirate convulsed and slumped to the ground.
The shield was electrified from the outside. Amazing, though Gwen
could feel herself weakening from the bout of energy she expended.
The door. They had reached it. Gwen reluctantly lowered the shield
and held her hand out to open the steel barrier but stopped. She
heard ferocious growls and roars from inside the fence.
Andrew. 

Andrew, what’s going on in there? Is
everything ok? We’re at the door.  

Gwen waited impatiently. 

“Gwen behind us. Look they’re coming!” Lily
pointed to a group of six pirates running full speed at them. Put
up the shield!” 

Gwen wanted to obey, but knew she wouldn’t be
able to open the door if need be. Finally. I’m here. Back up he
said. 

Gwen braced herself as iron claws dug through
the metal yanking the door off its hinges. It was a blood bath.
Pirates’ entrails were strewn everywhere. Manticans had completely
obliterated the immediate guard pirates and left them in messy
piles. Andrew was intimidating in his mantican form, his thick
chest swollen with pure muscle. With a single swipe of his massive
paw, her protector swiftly moved the girls out of the way and
gorily ripped the approaching pirates to shreds.  His blood
stained brown fur glistened now soaked with blood.