Ordained (14 page)

Abby’s advisor, Nathaniel Watts, entered and scanned the room until he spotted her. He reached out his hand for hers.

Rather heartless, he said, “Come, Abigail. Leave the hunters alone with their parents.”

She was reluctant to take his hand, but she never once looked back to see what wasn’t hers.

The little redhead was sound asleep in her bed again. Abby had stroked her head until she was sure she had entered a deeper sleep.

Colorfully painted wooden letters above her bed read Annabella. The room was cheerful and filled with toys to keep her busy, many of which the little girl insisted Abby play with before finally falling asleep.

Abby sighed heavily. Sharp pains were firing in her head again. She took one last look at the little girl and slipped back into the darkness.

Chapter Sixteen

Rain was pounding hard on the skylights above. Lightning and thunderclaps continuously went off. Abby’s doing, no doubt, since the sky was perfectly clear ten minutes ago. Noel was resting on the banister overlooking the arena floor. It was night so the arena had long been abandoned. Most were back in their bedrooms or common rooms.

The skylights above were adorned with artistic metal overlays. The lightning shining through created a picturesque display of shadows that appeared to dance throughout the arena. Noel, however, was not able to observe the demonstration, for his eyes were fixed on the gym on the far side. The double doors had been thrown open, one actually off the hinges, the other smashed and stuck in the drywall behind it.

Abby had found her way there, attacking the punching bag with great fury and consistency. He had an inkling of what had happened to lead to this display. He knew coming here would unleash suppressed memories that would inevitably lead to this moment. Perhaps sending Abby out to get a feel for Valerie’s motives wasn’t such a good idea after all.

“What the hell is she doing?” cried Emily. Her eyes were wide, her mouth dropped in shock. Abby had always kept this side of her in check when Emily was around.

Noel knew what she was doing, why she was doing it. He expected no less of a reaction than the one they were witnessing. She had, after all, confided in him about everything that had happen to her during her school years. She had long forgotten these chilling memories, but he hadn’t.

Without even looking Emily’s way, he coolly responded, “She’s just working out her issues.”

Eight year old Abby was fighting Nathaniel for the four-foot pole that he twirled in his hands. Her body had been badly beaten. Blood oozed from her head and face. She felt dizzy and nauseous. Previous bruises already black and blue on her arms and legs stung as her advisor continued to inflict more damage.

An additional swing of the wood bashed hard against her head. Knocked off balance, blood splattered as she fell to the cold, hard floor. Her head kissed the concrete. She felt severe pain, then numbness. Though they ached for oxygen, her heart and lungs stood still. It seemed an eternity before she felt the surge that filled her lungs with air again.

“Get up,” Nathaniel grunted forcefully. “Get up!”

Gasping and shaking vigorously, Abby stood on her feet again. She knew if she didn’t, his rage would be merciless. So long as she continued to fight, the day would end with far less damage to her body.

Nathaniel repositioned his attack stance, the pole guarding his body. “Now come on. Take it away from me,” he instructed.

Despite her aches, Abby lunged for the pole. She grasped on but the little girl’s strength was no match for the elder. He twisted the pole over his body, sending her flying over with it. Abby once again smacked the floor, back first, followed by her crimson-soaked hair.

Apathetic, Nathaniel pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away the smeared blood on the pole and the splatters on his glasses.

“Get up,” he commanded.

Abby’s eyes were closed. A pool of blood formed on the floor, her body lifeless.

Annoyed, Nathaniel called for his assistant Stefan. He placed a smelling salt under her nose and within seconds her body jolted to life. What blood left within her seemed to come up with heaving gags.

“Now, get up,” Nathaniel demanded again.

Abby threw up blood uncontrollably. Pressure increased down her spine, so much she wanted nothing more than for it to snap already and relieve the pressure.

Stefan reached down to assist her but was stopped abruptly by Nathaniel. “No, Stefan. She can do it herself.”

Abby rolled over to her side. She fell every time she tried to rise. One time, two times, three.

“Abigail, I’m not going to say it again!”

Abby failed to rise once more. Down on all fours, she heaved up more blood. The floor swirled shades of red, smeared where Abby had continually slipped. The twirling pattern made the dizziness that much worse.

Nathaniel swiftly kicked her in the side and she collapsed completely to the floor.

“What are you going to do when this situation becomes your reality?” he bellowed. “Do you think a vampire will care that you need to take a time-out?”

He kicked her side again. Abby curled up in the fetal position to protect herself, her arms wrapped around her legs. Nathaniel smashed Abby’s left hand. She screamed in agony as several bones cracked enough to poke indentations through her skin.

“You either get up and fight, or you die!” he yelled.

Trembling, Abby forced herself up with her good hand, constantly swaying back and forth without balance. Her right arm caressed the left, doing what it could to protect it. Irritated, Nathaniel struck her repeatedly.

“Take it! Take the pole from me!”

Defenseless and emotionally defeated, Abby accepted each blow. The fifth went straight to the occipital. She fell lifelessly back to the floor.

Stunned, Emily asked, “Why would they do that? They never did that to anyone from my generation.”

“She was an experiment. They wanted to know if a more torturous training system would produce a more aggressive hunter.” Noel lowered his head in disapproval. “They damaged her. And I don’t mean just physically.”

The year was 1810 and Abby was now sixteen. Lean, athletic, strong - still covered head to toe with bruises and cuts. Nathaniel once again baited her with the pole. To his surprise, she easily avoided his every advance and grasped a firm hold on the pole.

“Abby was traumatized early in life. Seeing her mother murdered, she had something the other hunters didn’t: anger, hatred and no family stopping by to refute the treatment. The Order saw an opportunity and took advantage of it.”

She ripped the pole from Nathaniel’s hands. Fear overcame his face as he looked deep into her eyes. They changed from green to black with a single blink. They were cold, almost evil, and her face was irate.

Nathaniel stepped backwards, stumbling. Abby stalked him step for step, glaring.

“They isolated her, denied her any human affection. All she ever felt was anger and pain. They wanted a hunter that was passionate about the kill. One who would never question the target.”

Backed against the corner, Nathaniel could no longer retreat.

“Abigail?” he asked, unsure, for the black eyes truly frightened him. There was no mistaking what was about to come.

She snapped the pole in two with her knee and aggressively swung at him over and over again. She bashed in every part of his body. As he fell to his knees, blood sprayed profusely around him. Stefan came running to help but she knocked him down with one swift blow to the head.

Disgusted, Noel added, “I guess they got what they asked for. Abby had become nothing more than a non-feeling killing machine.”

Two more advisors rushed to her side, armed with weapons. She knocked them down with the slightest of effort. Both received the splintered wood through their chests.

“The only problem was they could no longer control her.”

Four bodies lay amongst her. She crouched over them, her breath intense and quick. Up in the balcony, out of arms reach, a fifth man shot her in the neck with a tranquilizer dart. She removed it instantly but knew it was too late. The poison had already entered her bloodstream.

Abby looked the man’s way, stared cold-heartedly and took a few steps toward him. Her hand turned fire-red. Instinctively and with the thrust of her arm, a wave of fire rushed towards him. He screamed and flailed about as the fire overwhelmed and consumed him.

Before he could burn to death before her eyes, Abby wobbled and softly dropped to the slick red floor.

“They then feared what they tried so hard to create.” Noel huffed and cocked a half-smile. “Do you want to know what the only amusing part of this story is?”

Emily looked like she was going to be sick, taking on a putrid shade of green. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“Of all the hunters to brutally traumatize and turn against them, they picked their precious ordained one.” He chortled softly.

“What?” Emily burst disbelievingly.

“She didn’t tell you?”

Dumbfounded, Emily replied, “She seemed to have left that part out.”

They fell into silence, watching helplessly as Abby’s aggression finally caused the bag to fall out of the ceiling. Still red and furious, she picked up a chair and began smashing the mirrors throughout the room.

“How long did that go on for? What they did to her?”

“Thirteen years. Every day she was beaten, starved, belittled.”

The unexpected noise late at night echoed down the halls and aroused the attention of many hunters and advisors. All were appalled as they stepped up to watch Abby destroy the room from the safety of the balcony or across the arena floor. He looked to the rain above, still going loud and strong. It was surprising they could even hear her inside destruction over the one she was causing outside.

The Chancellor leaned into Noel and said quietly, “I would like to speak to you privately in my office.” The Chancellor walked away and left the others behind to watch.

Under his breath, Noel replied, “Yeah, I bet you would.”

Chapter Seventeen

Moore was situated in the recliner in his private suite, quietly reading a novel when he thought he heard a faint crash. Concerned, he wrapped his heavy cotton robe around his silk pajamas and quickly followed the sound of what he thought to be breaking glass. As he neared the end of the hall, several of his fellow advisors and charges had already gathered in an attempt to learn the source of the commotion.

The sight before his eyes was shocking, and intolerable. Abigail had destroyed the workout room beyond recognition. It was surprising, considering the injuries she had a few days earlier. Yet, here she was, suffering no physical ailments of any kind.

He leaned in behind Noel and quietly told him, “I would like to speak to you privately in my office.” Without waiting for a reply, Moore turned and left.