Fractured Truth (12 page)

I continued, “Yes, Lycans have taken pity on us, and if it came down to it, they would protect you, but you can’t rely on them. The only person you should rely on is yourself.” I exhaled. “Starting now.” I nodded my head at Petros, who was standing in the doorway.

Ms. Hady stood up. “What’s the meaning of this, Llona?”

“Turn around and see for yourself.”

Ms. Hady slowly did as I asked. She gasped when she saw what was running through the door directly at her. A Vyken in its purest form—pieces of torn flesh barely clinging to the bones on his face—sucked saliva back into his mouth as he scrambled into the room, spurred on by the smell of Auran blood. There was so much of it that he seemed to be disoriented, his eyes darting back and forth, like he didn’t know whom to attack first. I forgot how scary they looked when they haven’t fed on Auran blood.

“Kiera!” I yelled.

Kiera was already in motion. She created a tight ball of Light and shot it toward the Vyken, knocking him off course. This distraction gave the teachers time to scramble away.

“Fight, Auras!” I said.

On the other side of the dining room, another Vyken with longer hair burst through the doors. The sight of two Vykens sent all the Auras into chaos. They pushed and shoved at each other as they attempted to get to the doors, but their fears were
realized when all exits were blocked by equally scary-looking Lycans.

It was Ashlyn who reacted first. She rushed the incoming Vyken and kicked him in the chest. It barely fazed him, but she followed it up with three balls of Light to his chest.

I glanced at the Vyken near the teachers. Mrs. Crawford was barely holding him at bay by sending spurts of Light from her palms. It wouldn’t be enough. Kiera was rushing over to help.

A hand grabbed me roughly from behind and spun me around. “What are you doing?” Dr. Han said. “This isn’t the way!”

I stepped back. “It’s the only way.”

Over his shoulder I saw the long-haired Vyken knock Ashlyn to the ground. I jumped up onto the nearest table, sending plates and glasses in all directions, and shot a blast of Light through the air. It hit him directly in the back, and he cried out with his arms outstretched. Ashlyn rolled away and scrambled to her feet.

Instead of trying to get away, the Vyken glanced around in frustration at all the girls. He looked as if he were being driven mad with starvation. Strings of saliva dripped from his shapeless mouth.

Before Ashlyn or I could react, he lunged for the nearest Aura. The young girl brought up her arms as if to block the Vyken, but instead her hands shined with Light. The Vyken reared back, frightened, and switched directions.

Across the room, Alex, who must’ve been sitting in the audience, and Kiera had cornered the Vyken. “Let it loose!” I called, supremely frustrated.

Both of them stepped back. The Vyken rushed past them toward a group of girls huddled together. When they saw him coming, they attempted to flee, but a couple of them tripped over their chairs and fell to the ground. One of them scrambled under the table beneath a tablecloth and was trying to pull the other one in when the Vyken grabbed her leg. She began to scream.

I ignited my hands with Light, ready to use it if I had to, but I noticed one of the girls who had been part of their group had stopped running. She turned around as if to face the Vyken. “Come on,” I whispered.

I glanced to the opposite side of the room. Ashlyn and a couple of teachers were circling the long-haired Vyken. I looked back at the girl on the floor. She was screaming and crying, but her friend, who had stopped running, was now walking toward the Vyken, looking completely calm. As if by natural instinct, she clapped her hands together, creating Light, and pressed it onto the arm of the Vyken. He cried out as his flesh began to burn and lashed out at her, but she stepped back just in time.

This show of a single Aura’s strength, and a young one too—she looked maybe thirteen—ignited an ancient power long ago forgotten. One by one Auras stood up and clapped their hands together, creating glowing balls of Light.

“It’s working,” Dr. Han whispered behind me.

My eyes met Liam’s. He was leaning against a far wall, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, and shaking his head. I couldn’t be happier.

The room shined like it never had before, and the girls no longer looked afraid but empowered. They surrounded the two Vykens, who seemed to realize their predicament just then. Fear replaced their hunger, and they both tried to run away, but shots of Light prevented them from going anywhere.

“Let’s finish them!” Kiera yelled. The room exploded into cheers.

I didn’t stay to see what happened to the Vykens, although I did hear the familiar sound of bones turning to ash. Petros had gone into the hall, and I followed after him.

“Hey!” I called, stopping him before he was at the door leading outside. He turned around. “Thank you.”

“It was our pleasure. Auras used to be a powerful species, and we hope they can be again.”

“You’re still going to stick around, right?”

He paused, tilting his head as if he were listening to something far away. “As long as we are needed.” He ducked beneath the door and jogged into the night.

“That was amazing,” a voice said from behind me.

I turned around, coming face-to-face with Liam.

“You are amazing,” he said.

I grinned, wanting so badly to throw my arms around him, but something stopped me. The thought of Christian. If only he could’ve been here. He should’ve been here.

“What’s wrong?” Liam asked.

I rubbed my forehead. “Nothing. Have you seen May?” She should’ve been there too.

“I haven’t, but—”

“I believe she’s with her father,” Dr. Han said, coming into the hall to join us.

Air left my chest, and I found myself suddenly weak. Liam took hold of my elbow to steady me. “Did she tell you this?” I asked.

“Not exactly, but I know she hasn’t been able to stop thinking about him ever since she saw him the other night. A daughter’s love for her father, even one she hasn’t met yet, can be powerful. I hoped she’d forget about him, but I knew that hope was in vain when she asked me not to train her anymore.”

“She did what?”

“It’s okay, Llona. It was only a matter of time before she discovered her father, and I knew that when she did, her training would end.”

“So you knew about her dad?”

“I’ve known Robert for many years, but I didn’t know he was her father until recently.”

“So he’s Team Bad Guys?”

Dr. Han was silent for a minute. The sounds of cheering Auras pushed their way into the hall. I wished I felt like celebrating.

“He chose his side a long time ago, and it wasn’t ours.”

I leaned my head against Liam’s shoulder. “What is May doing with him?”

Liam looked down at me and said, “Everyone wants to know where they come from. Don’t worry. She’ll come around.”

“Let’s hope so,” Dr. Han said. He glanced back at the open dining room doors, listening to the cheers. “What you did just now, Llona . . . how did you know it would work?”

“I didn’t, but I hoped that since they were no longer being drugged that maybe I could awaken something inside them.”

“You know it could’ve gone horribly wrong, right?” He didn’t give me the chance to answer. “I should be furious. You took a huge risk.”

“But that was exactly what the girls needed.” Liam turned to me. “I think you’re going to have a full class tomorrow. Want to go back in and celebrate?”

I sighed, the air in my lungs forced out by what felt like heavy weights on my shoulders. “Actually I think I’m going to go to my room for a while, in case May comes back.”

“Want some company?” Liam asked.

I searched his eyes, the vibrant color of new spring leaves. As much as I would’ve loved to have him with me, Christian was back now, and I needed to focus on how to get him back at Lucent. “That’s okay. Thanks, though. See you in the morning?”

“I’ll be here.”

I said good night to Dr. Han and headed to the elevator doors, all the while listening to the sounds of liberated Auras. This should’ve been a joyous moment, but I was missing two of the most important people in my life.

Instead of going to my room, I went to May’s and slipped inside. Her room was messy, nothing like the May I knew. To pass the time, I straightened her room. When I was finished, I turned on the television, turned the sound down, and collapsed on top of her bed. It was almost midnight when I heard the doorknob turn. I sat up.

May quietly opened the door and snuck inside.

“Hello, May,” I said, startling her.

She whirled around, her eyes adjusting to the dim light in the room. “What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you. Are you okay?”

She stood still, her arms at her side, her expression tight. At first I thought she was going to yell at me, but then her expression softened, and her shoulders sagged.

“Oh, Llona,” she said, tears filling her eyes.

I rushed to her and threw my arms around her. She clung to me as if to hold herself up and cried into my shoulder, great, terrible sobs.

“It’s okay. Everything’s okay,” I said over and over. Never had I seen her in so much pain, and it was all I could do not to break down myself. But this wasn’t my time. I needed to be strong for her like she’d been for me so many times.

Eventually May’s sobs turned to the occasional sniff. She let go of me and stepped back. “Sorry. I’m fine now.” She took a Kleenex from off her dresser and blew her nose.

“What’s going on, May?”

She let out a great big sigh, but halfway through it turned into a tired laugh. She sat on her bed and buried her head into her hands.

“May?”

She looked up at me. The flickering light from the television cast moving shadows across her face.

“I’m just tired is all,” she finally said.

I pulled up a chair and sat across from her, blocking the television. “No way. You’re going to talk to me.”

“It’s nothing, really.”

“Tell me about your father. That’s where you were, right?”

She nodded. “We’ve been hanging out, just trying to get to know each other.”

“And?”

“And nothing. He seems like a good guy.” She giggled, but there was a crazy edge to her laugh that frightened me.

“May, I don’t like what’s happening to you, and I’m pretty
sure Aaron doesn’t either. You need to stop or at least take a step back.”

May’s jaw snapped shut, and she glared at me. “You can’t stop me, and you can’t tell me what to do. I’m not your sidekick.” That word again. It was like someone had planted it in her head.

“No, you’re not,” I said, my voice gentle. “You’re my best friend.”

She turned away, but not before I saw tears return to her eyes. “Please leave.”

I thought fast, not wanting it to end like this. “What if we talk about something else?”

“Like what?”

“Something amazing happened at dinner.”

She looked back at me, waiting for me to explain. For the next hour I talked about the girls, even telling her about the Deific. She barely seemed interested.

“And one more thing,” I said, squirming in my seat. “It’s about Christian.”

At this, she looked up.

“I saw him this morning.”

Her eyes lowered again. “That’s what you were trying to tell me earlier, wasn’t it?”

I nodded. May’s image reflected back in the darkened window. Her shoulders were slumped forward, and her hair lowered on each side of her face. She looked so worn out.

“What did he say?” she asked.

I told her all about our strange conversation, his odd behavior, and how he said he’d find me tomorrow. I also confessed how worried I was about him trying to play both sides.

“This is Christian we’re talking about,” she said. “Mr. Boy Scout of America. Trust him.”

“I want to, believe me, I do, but this darkness”—I patted my chest—“is so hard to fight. I don’t know how he can do it on his own.”

She didn’t say anything, just sat still and expressionless. It
was as if she was holding onto a terrible burden, and it hung heavy in the room.

“Why don’t you get some sleep?” I suggested. “It will be like old times.”

She lowered herself onto the bed, her shoes still on. Not more than ten minutes passed before she was asleep. Finally she seemed at peace.

I covered her up, turned off the television, and left the room more determined than ever not to let May fall victim to the famous Fury darkness.

I stayed awake in my
room all night until my heightened hearing heard May open her door the next morning. I didn’t want her sneaking out alone. Whatever was going on had to do with her father, and if I could, I wanted to prevent her from seeing him again at least until she gained some perspective. Maybe given some space and time, she would see how his influence was affecting her.

I opened my bedroom door and hurried after her. The halls were empty because the breakfast chimes had sounded thirty minutes ago.

May turned around when she heard me approach. “You were listening for me, weren’t you?”

“What? Me? No way.”

She gave me a knowing look. “Uh-huh, sure.”

We spoke casually the whole way to the dining room. It was like last night never happened. I didn’t know whether to be more concerned or relieved.

May stopped abruptly at the dining room doors, and I had to quickly move to the side to keep from running into the back of her.

“Where is everyone?” she asked

I looked inside. Only a third of the girls were there. “I don’t know.”

From across the room, Ms. Hady, her face red and her normally perfect hair tousled, stood up from a table and stormed in our direction. I could practically see smoke trailing behind her.

Following after her, more like trying to keep up, was Dr. Han.

“Wow,” May said. “She looks pissed.”

“This ought to be fun,” I whispered and met her halfway.

She raised a finger at me. “This is your fault,” she said, stopping only when her painted red nail pressed into my sternum.

I gently moved her arm away. “What are you talking about?”