Chrysalis: The Emergence of Emery (The Gifted Series Book 1) (24 page)

“So you and Elijah, huh?” The question tips off my lips as I take a seat next to Genna, carefully placing my small tray containing a burger and fries down. I throw back some Diet Coke from the can in my other hand and wait for her response.

Her eyes dart around the room, and I wonder if I’ve made her feel uncomfortable.

“Well, not exactly,” she finally mutters and the burger that was moving toward my mouth now hovers in mid-air as I wait for her to clarify. Genna stares down at her hands fiddling with a ring on her thumb. “He’s meant for me, and I for him. He is my Pith. I wasn’t lying, Emery, but—”

“What?” I encourage, finally moving to take a bite.

Damn this burger is good, I can’t remember the last time I ate.

“I saw him, two years ago. I was hiding from dark beings.” She pulls her ring off and slips it onto the thumb on her other hand.

“Were you being hunted?” I ask, feeling a spasm of pain shoot through me from her.

Genna nods. “Yeah, they took my family, everyone but Goran and me. We were out training.” She stops talking and I watch her throat bobbing up and down. I can feel the emotional war inside her, so far she’s managing to keep a lid on it. I don’t speak, I just sit quietly eating my food, letting her speak in her own time. If she’s my brother’s Pith, then I can only hope one day things will work out positively, and she and I will be close. More than that, hopefully, one day we’ll be family.

“If you don’t want to say anymore that’s okay, we can talk about something else,” I offer, popping a handful of fries in my mouth like a ravenous pig. I feel a burn coming from my right and I glance over, catching Kade looking at me, his lips twitch when his eyes drop to the new bunch of fries in between my fingers. I smirk before shoving them into my mouth and turning back to Genna.

“No, I want to talk about it, it’s something I need to do. Goran hates it. He doesn’t like to think of his losses, but I like to remember them. Always.” She smiles sadly at me and I swallow my full mouth of food and wait for Genna to unload.

“Okay,” I tell her gently.

“Goran and I were the strongest, except for our father who was the same, all of us at level eight. It was decided that Goran and I needed to train as much as possible. My father believed a war was coming, and he wanted his family to be able to defend themselves. I don’t think he realized just how soon the war was going to arrive at his door.” Genna shakes her head and touches the ring again with a sigh. “The dark went to my home, I have no idea what was said, what happened… but when I got back they were all dead.”

I gasp at her words, I knew what was coming and I could feel her pain, still, her confirmation and the agony she felt while telling me hurts, a lot.

“My dad was barely alive, he lasted for a few minutes after Goran and I got back. Enough time to tell us the dark had attacked them. My dad was the only one left, the others…” She drops her head, and I see a tear drop onto the table in front of us. I don’t think, I just reach across and grab her hand, knowing she needs this comfort. “My mom, dad, my two younger sisters, twins, they were ten…” I squeeze her hand, “…and my little brother…” her voice is thick, choked up, as she wipes her nose with the back of her other hand, “…he was two years old.”

Her words bring my body so much pain that I almost crumble with it, but I need to shoulder this for her, and I don’t let her see my silent tears that fall on her behalf, for her loss.

“Goran went crazy for about a month, trying to find any dark being he could and then killing them. I think he had a death wish, I truly believe he just wanted to be with them, and I totally understood, so I was there, by his side at every fight. One day we got drawn into a fight, traveling from place to place meant we were always on the lookout, and this day there happened to be a fight already waging on the path our journey had taken. The light were losing, and so we joined to help their cause. But even though we were both level eight, we weren’t fully trained, and we were severely outnumbered anyway. The dark started picking the light off. I remember I was down and next to be killed. It’s all as clear as if I’d just lived through it. The two men walking toward me, black eyes and nasty grins on their faces. They raised their hands and red light sparked, I knew it was the end for me and I welcomed it. Peace existed for a moment when I knew I’d be with my family once again. Then he arrived. Elijah.”

She looks up at me and her tear stained face is now smiling. “He pulled them both away, decimated them and saved me. He didn’t look at me, he didn’t have time to. There was a lot of darkness still to fight, but I saw him, and that moment right when I thought I might die, my hope blossomed again as I realized I had a reason to live because I had a reason to love. My Pith, he existed, and it filled me with a hope I hadn’t felt for a long time. I never had a chance to speak to Elijah though, never had the opportunity for him to see my face, to confirm we’re meant for each other because Goran grabbed me and dragged me away. He told me he had lost everyone, he wasn’t willing to lose me, too. I managed to grab this ring,” she tells me and holds up the thick silver band that she keeps twisting on her thumb. “Elijah was wearing this when he arrived, I watched it drop to the ground just a few feet in front of me when he was fighting. It was probably wrong to steal this, but it has over the years, brought me some comfort.”

She stops talking and offers me a small smile, I lean into her and wrap my arms around her shoulders, bringing her body into mine and closing my eyes, hoping to lend her some of my strength, although I’m not sure she needs any. She’s a fighter, a survivor, all on her own. That much is clear to see.

“I’m sorry you lost them all,” I whisper into her ear, and I feel her nod as she holds me tight.

I pull back and tip my head slightly, a question sits on my lips. “If that happened two years ago, why haven’t you found Elijah again?”

She pulls off the ring and holds it in her palm. “I have, I mean when I saw him for the first time I didn’t know him. I didn’t even know his name. Now, I know everything, including you being his sister. You could say I’m his professional stalker,” she tells me with a grimace. I don’t say anything, I can feel a burn blossoming in my tummy, so I know the same is happening to Genna.

“My brother recognized Kade. Goran and I disappeared when Kade and Elijah arrived, but once we stopped running he explained that a bunch of light beings turned up and dispatched the dark. When I asked why we didn’t stay and help he told me I was near death, he needed to get me away as he couldn’t lose anyone else. I explained about Elijah that I had seen him, that he was my Pith. He said that Elijah was his name and that he was with the strongest… Kade. Once he told me who they were, I kind of turned into a crazy person. He was my Pith, so the need inside to connect with him, to see him, to touch him… it was almost overwhelming. My every waking second was consumed with thoughts of him. Honestly, I don’t know how people manage to stay away from their Piths once they know they exist,” she says with a shake of her head.

I think of Kade and how he managed for years to not reveal himself to me, and I know he was horrible to me when I first arrived with Elijah because he was trying to protect us both. Even so, I’m glad he gave in, I’m not sure I could have lasted around him while never being allowed to touch him, and the thought of seeing him with someone else makes me want to sink to my knees and howl.

“I found him, eventually.” Genna bites her lip and stares out of the window, looking at the view which stretches as far as the eye can see with nothing but fields and mountains.

“What happened?” I question, wondering why Elijah never mentioned her.

“Nothing,” she answers.

“Nothing?” I repeat her word back confused.

“I never showed myself to him, I never have. He was with a girl, he seemed happy with her.”

“Sicily?” I interrupt her with my question.

Genna nods. “Yeah, I found out that was her name. He seemed happy. Who am I to take away his happiness? Honestly, if he saw me, then immediately he would recognize me as his Pith, and whether he wanted to or not, his body and mind would tell him he belonged to me. I couldn’t do that to him, to them. They looked so happy, I didn’t want to take his choice away from him.”

I close my eyes and let my head drop back. I can feel her pain, and I understand her choice, there was a time when I thought that Kade’s love was a fabrication, some kind of spell put on him and outside of his control, not being his own choice. I’ve since realized that’s not quite how it works.

“You know, the choice thing, Piths have them. How do you think so many decide not to stay together? If it were that hard then they wouldn’t be able to make that choice,” I tell her.

Genna shakes her head. “I can’t believe that, I mean, I know how I feel and it kills me seeing him with her, but I love him enough to want him happy.”

“Yeah, I get that, but you’ve made a choice not to show yourself to him. You’re making a choice not to be with him, so the point is… you
can
make that choice. The other thing you have to consider is if you can make that choice then so can he, and right now you’re taking his choice away.”

Her eyes widen in surprise.

“Secondly, being someone’s Pith isn’t something that’s thrust upon us. We still decide. It’s just that our Pith is our exact match in every way. It’s like saying, don’t worry about trying with different people anymore, this person is it for you, they will be able to give you what you want, what you need to make you happy for the rest of your life. There’s nobody out there who you’ll love more than this person. When you think of it like that it’s kind of a no-brainer that you’d want to be with your Pith. The fact is, by thinking the way you have, you’ve kept both him and you from having that happiness. And if Sicily were free, maybe she would find her Pith, too.”

Genna drops her forehead on the table. “I never thought about it like that. All this time I could have been with him, I might have been able to keep him from going over to the dark,” she whispers to herself.

“We’re going to get him back,” I tell her with a fierce determination. “He’ll be coming home... and soon. After tonight’s strategy meeting, we’ll have a plan. Then it will be all systems go.” My voice doesn’t falter, even though I’m battling with my own feelings now, rage and a thick sadness wash over me in waves and I clench both my teeth and my fists.

Warmth runs up my spine, and unexpectedly I feel two big hands on my shoulders.
Kade
. Immediately, as if knowing everything will be okay, my body relaxes into his. Goran, Lucian, and Leon all sit opposite Genna and me.

“Tristan, Tess, and Katarina will be arriving within the hour. We can all sit and have a meal, then we strategize. Soon the first battle will begin, kick-starting the war,” Kade tells us all.

After which no one speaks, all normal thoughts have now disappeared, leaving only the world that faces us.

“That isn’t how we do things around here!” Lucian’s fist slams onto the table, and my body automatically jolts.

The thumb that Kade was leisurely stroking along the back of my hand stills. “I’m only going to tell you once. Calm down,” he grinds out through clenched teeth.

We all hold our breath, until Lucian nods and returns to his seat. The room fills up with air all at once, when everyone exhales simultaneously.

“My apologies,” Lucian tells Kade. I try to probe his outer shell, but I only manage to scratch the surface. Lately, I’ve been trying to control my emotions, caging myself off from feelings, or specifically other people’s emotions, trying to stop them from affecting me. Now I’m scared of opening that channel again. I do it with people I know, but I avoid it with people I don’t. The problem is that I
need
to do it with people I don’t know, so I can gauge their honesty, know that they aren’t leading us into a trap, but a while ago I put up a barrier and ever since I seem to be blocked, the worse thing is I’ve done it to myself. Now I can only sense emotions that are simmering under the surface, clear and easy for even normal people to read. It’s frustrating, to say the least.

“This is what I do,” Tristan chimes in, anger displayed on his face. “I scope things out, collect intel from different sources and then decipher which stuff is worthy information and what to disregard. You don’t know me, but if you want to work together the
n
y
you’ll have to trust me.” I watch as he finishes his words and then twists his neck from right to left, a click on both movements echo
es
around the now silent room.

“I don’t remember saying
you
were needed.” This voice comes from our left, and I look up as a new man approaches.

“Saracen, please, join us, but we don’t need negative input,” Goran snaps at the newcomer.

I look between the two, trying to gauge their reactions. I lamely attempt to sense anything from Saracen, but he’s locked up tight. His blue eyes find mine, and he runs his hand through his wavy brown hair, which stops just above his shoulders, and smirks at me.

“Don’t try and pretend Goran, you don’t want
him
,” he says, obviously meaning Tristan, but not moving his eyes from mine. I feel Kade tensing next to me. “It’s
her
everyone wants.
Everyone,
” he replies sneering, but he’s trying to make sure I know it’s me he means.

I feel Kade’s heart rate pick up, and I know he’s about to explode, so I do what I can. I go first. Launching myself upward into a stiff standing position, I know I’ve even shocked Kade when he questions me.

Emery, are you okay?

I ignore Kade as my eyes stay fixed on Saracen’s. “Listen, you may be something special with these people…” I state gesturing around, “…but to me you’re unimportant, no more than a blip on my radar.” I watch as his eyes harden, the smirk slipping, and it gives me a small thrill. “These people….” I tell him pointing to Tess, Tristan, and Katarina, “…they are more than friends. These people are my
family
. You may or may not know my history. But I’ll make it easy, I’ve never had family, so to have that now means
everything
. Every damn thing. I’ll walk out of here in the blink of an eye if they do… where they go, I’ll follow. If the world falls apart around me then so be it. As long as I have my family, then I have everything I need. Are we clear?” I huff out a breath as my chest heaves with anger.

Kade grabs my arm and eases me onto his lap. “Shh… princess,” he whispers in my ear, while rubbing my back.

Still my eyes don’t leave Saracen’s as I glare at him, making sure he understands that I’m serious as a heart attack. His eyes narrow and I see a twitch in his jaw before he spins around and storms away.

“My apologies,” Goran tells me.

“Did you ask him to behave that way?” My voice is harsh and I know it’s not his fault, but I also feel the need to be clear. These people are all I have left. Everyone accepts Kade easily, not only can he be scary and he’s the strongest light being that we know of, but he’s also my Pith. So if they want me, they know he comes as part of that package. What they now need to understand is that I have family, and I will stand by them all. Always.

“No. In fact, he was told to behave,” Goran replies glancing over at Lucian, who in turn nods and rises from the table.

“Sorry, I have things to attend too. I’ll be as swift as possible,” Lucian calmly tells us moving his eyes around the table.

“Tristan,” Kade rumbles, looking toward him, while rubbing his hand along my spine.

Tristan nods then looks back at the plans. “I have intelligence that tells us their lab is for testing. The vials we have seen possibly contain a serum—”

“Possibly?” Leon questions.

Tristan’s eyes find Leon’s and he nods. “Yes, we have information, but we have yet to check it out. There’s a chance that we do have someone on the inside.” Tristan cautiously glances at Kade before moving back to Leon, and it’s enough to spark my interest. “But we’re not sure yet. There’s a lead Kade is working, but until the lead is one hundred percent fact, then we can’t use it as it would be too dangerous. Until that is clear, all we have to go on are rumors, but still, it’s better than knowing absolutely nothing.”

“What is the serum?” I ask, and everyone looks at me.

Tristan does too, but his eyes smile at me while he replies, “We believe they’re trying to create something to turn normal humans into dark beings.”

My whole body spasms and I throw my hand over my mouth as my eyes widen. “What?” I whisper through my fingers as my heart picks up speed.

Calm Princess
. Kade orders gently in my head.

I take a deep breath as Tristan continues, “We’re not sure, but so far all the information coming in indicates that they are trying to create a serum that will turn humans into gifted beings. I’m not sure whether they have managed to perfect the concoction. I’m going to go out on a limb a
nd
s
say no, because if they had, then I’m pretty sure we’d be fighting hundreds by now. I don’t know much more than that. The questions I have been asking myself are things like… Can they create a serum in the first place? If they can, would it just give humans gifts or can they manipulate them so they are dark or light? Those are only the first things that spring to mind. If we can get information back from our possible insider, then we might know more.” Tristan gets up and starts pacing back and forth. “The main thing we have to decide, is do we have time to wait for our potential insider or do we start the war without knowing all the details?”

“The sensible thing would be to wait,” Katarina adds from the corner she’s been quietly sitting in for the last two hours.

Leon swings his head to her and looks her up and down appreciatively. “Every second we wait, they have the potential to grow, to get stronger,” he tells her with a smirk.

“I’m very aware of that. However, playing the smart game is what will win the war. Running into something we know hardly anything about, like a bunch of school children, is the sure fire way to get everyone killed,” Katarina deadpans.

They continue to bicker, and Kade and Goran discuss the way forward in a more sensible manner. I pull myself from Kade’s lap and walk to the big window overlooking what can only be described as a makeshift town. Wrapping my arms around myself, I watch the people go about their business, smiling at each other and chatting when passing. There are a few stalls selling goods which are obviously in place of the shops we would find in towns normally. They barter for cloth and basic cooking ingredients—someone sells wool, and another trader sells slabs of meat. It makes me think back to my history lessons, it’s like looking at a painting of the Middle Ages. I huff out a laugh, with the battles that await us, it will be like I’m living in the Middle Ages.

Suddenly a scorching pain shoots up my neck and causes me to throw my head back, the burn that accompanies the pain continues behind my eyes and I have to shut them. My throat is closed as I drag my hand up and around it, holding on like I can somehow change the pain that is assaulting me.

Em… I’m here, can you hear me?
The words are almost screamed at me and my eyes spring open again as I realize it’s Elijah.

Elijah?
I choke out his name, even though I’m saying it in my head.

You can hear me. Fantastic. There are some things I need to tell you
. He replies.

Elijah, you’re hurting me.

I know. I’m sorry. I haven’t really left you, baby sister. I just saw an opportunity and I took it. Don’t hate me, please.

Elijah…

Em, sorry to interrupt but you need to listen. I haven’t got much time. I managed to project myself, but it’s hard to do. Tell Kade, yes. A million times. Tell him I’m glad to know my brother knew me well enough. Emery, I love you, baby sister. Elodie is nothing like you - you’re irreplaceable.

Elijah… I can’t—

Em, I’ll be back, as soon as I can, I’ll be back—

“Ahhhh!” I scream as the pain explodes in my whole body, every inch of me feels like I’m being burned alive.

“Emery!” Kade roars and I can hear movement, but all the noise drifts away as the blackout takes me, saving me from the pain.

Peace.