Siphon (Siphon Chronicles, Book One) (17 page)

The walls were lined with cushiony mats like the floor and ceiling.  We were in a room perfectly similar to the training room but with mirrors up high near the ceiling presumably with an audience behind them.  These guys took their training seriously.  I never really got a straight answer out of anyone as to why everyone was so beefed up and ready for battle.  Or why all the training in the first place.  I did get a little hint of Daniel’s father and his monstrous philosophy on where the council was headed.  He wanted to take over the world, so to speak.  He wanted to take out members of each nation and replace them with our own from who he’d “home grown” from the council.  I couldn’t help but think of end time kinds of consequences.  I’d heard that some believe in a one-world leader and that when he comes, the world is near an end.  I would have to be careful that I didn’t call Mr. Phoenix Crawford by the nickname I’d coined for him...Adolf.

I was in this to prove vindictive and having no ability to sing. It hadn't been a problem yet. Everyone I went up against was young and not trying to get me to give them something.  The closest I came was Jock when he got too friendly with his hands and it spiked what I thought was desire in him.  His eyes glazed over like Foster, but snapped back as fast like he knew what was happening.  Luckily, my kisses with Daniel made me incoherent to experience, but keenly coherent to defend myself.  Holding my breath seemed to release them.  Sadly, I was concluding that it was
that
emotion that jump-started the singing confirming the sylph explanation.  It happened with Foster.  I shuddered picturing how it only happened on the men. No women.  It also made sense that Jason had learned some of this and said once he had heard me sing with our kiss he knew he was under some spell and didn't
really
like me.  I might not ever know.

I just needed to make sure all guys didn't like me.  No self-depreciating thoughts in that now, is there?

Cheers went up for others not including myself.  Standing in sin tight brown, not black, tactical like gear, I watched the door with my back to the opposing wall.  When Jock walked in being announced as my opponent, I let my jaw hit the floor. He’d spent the last two days showing me exactly how to beat him.  Did he know all along?

Three, no four, more bodies walked in the door behind me.  I wasn’t told anything about what would go down except that I had to win to prove my innocence. 
Without singing.

Two girls walked in.  One was the skulky mean girl from the first day and the other was one I’d exchanged smiles with in passing. 

There was one other guy behind Jock.  I knew who it was before he stepped aside.  His taste carried on the air and even several feet away.

“Why?” I mouthed to Daniel who tried to avoid my eyes, but flinched at my crestfallen face.  The unseen cheers gained volume as we all stood in our defensive positions across the small room.  Was I expected to fight him?

He didn’t answer me.  Instead, he knocked fists with Jock and moved to stand beside Skulky.  I was beyond angry now.

With no time wasted, Skulky began. 
              I wasn’t sure who was on what team or if there were even teams.  Daniel didn’t go into that part.  He’d said that I would have to fight off several in one ring, but if I won, it would all be worth it.  We practiced fighting several at a time, but a friend, an enemy, and the guy I like?

The second Skulky put her hand out across my shoulder missing her punch to my face because I notoriously managed to block it, I took it upon myself to show out.  I was full of energy due to Daniel’s insistence to do whatever I needed to win right before we walked out of the "Crawford" room.

I refused to call her by her name.  Krsity.  She didn’t deserve that respect.  Skulky doubled over as I crossed her arms behind her.  I didn't have strength and I only shocked myself at the move.  Her lithe moves didn’t confound me enough to miss her reaction to my out of character action, but I'd only seen her once before in the practice rounds and it wasn't against me.  Between the short-term karate classes of the past or Daniel’s repeated practice, I surprised myself more with being able to hold her down past the initial twist.  But it wouldn’t last long.  She would rethink her strategy for the next time and I knew I couldn’t win against her steamrolling determination. 

We danced back and forth long enough for me to catch her patterns.  Unlike Jock or Daniel, she was monotonous with her moves.  Over, under, kick, check.  She blinked her eyes shut with every kick.  That would be my chance. 

Over, under, kick—

I smashed her face to smithereens.  She fell flat on her back out cold.  I wasn’t even that powerful. I was amazed at my own prowess for having very little training.  Maybe I was just born to fight.  Maybe I was just that hyperaware of others.  Either way, I was voting for thankfulness that I had it in me.  And that I like patterns.

That is, until the other girl stepped forward.

Julia.  I heard Jock call her that.  Her face still held a friendly smile as she approached me, but didn’t say anything.

Her hands flexed and gripped her combat style pants as if drying the sweat from her palms.  Her eyes narrowed to slits.  I feared I misjudged her.

Smack!  Her foot connected to my jaw.  I never saw it coming.

In the back of my mind I heard a voice call my name and hers alike.  When my eyes opened, leaving only a second in passing, Jock was circling me from the left and telling me to stand up.  Daniel was telling Julia to fight fair.  What registered in my head was the way he said her name.  It was as if they knew each other.  Maybe it was just jealousy with all the analyzing of his tone used to speak to the girls, but it disturbed me more than I liked.  And maybe they all knew each other well.  I would hope for that and leave well enough alone.

I hated the idea of Daniel knowing every one of these girls…well.

Upright, I faced her again.  The role of ally was no longer in her features.  Her alter ego showing out, the same leg that injured my right eye shot out again.  I was prepared for it this time even with the little warning or recuperation.  Daniel spent an entire hour on blocks each morning as part of my first “need to know” basics.  I threw my arm up feeling the sting of her shoe on my skin, but never let it show that it hurt like heck.  I could already feel the bruise forming on my eye.

She twirled around for a round kick from the other side and missed just as I ducked.  I was feeling better with my reflexes back.  Getting clocked dulls the senses.

We tangled once, but just as she snatched at my hands to hold me down, I wiggled out of her hold.  Flipping up and around, I sat on her chest straddling her and holding her arms above her head.  A voice outside the room yelled out, “DOWN.” 

Startled by the sound of someone else watching, I jumped off her.  Julia growled like a bear and leaned into my face.  She was shorter than most and last week her tendon ruptured, but she appeared fine now.   

“You’ll never live up to any of us you worthless bitch.”

I couldn’t help myself.  “Maybe.  But you’ll never be able to say you beat me.”

Grabbing for my braided hair hanging down and owning the look of evil in her eyes, I felt my body pull back and fall against someone, but not my hair with it.  Jock had my arms and Daniel pulled her to the door.  She was gone just like Skulky was.  I never even saw Skulky walk out—assuming she did in fact walk and not get carried out.

With just Jock and Daniel left, I came to a sad conclusion.  I could never beat them. 

Jock circled me like he had many times in the last few days with that same look of pain like he wanted to hug me and hit me at the same time.  I assumed now it was a sylph thing.  Yesterday, he did this same move and let me sweep under his legs and kick my stronger foot into the arch of his back.  I was so scared I’d hurt him, that I missed his intentions.  He laughed a second before the mark was hit knowing I could
never
hurt him.  He was a brick wall.

I threw a punch just for laughs.  Jock grimaced and looked back at Daniel who ignored us both standing in wait by the corner of the room.  I glanced upward looking for the supposed cameras that had to be watching us.  The fight didn’t give me unease as much as knowing who might be watching. 

Jock threw me a look and spread his feet apart.  I read into it knowing he meant for me to do the same as the day before, but for the life of me I didn’t know why.  I followed through and ducked under him and came up his backside.  I kicked with a stronger force than before knowing I didn’t come close to even a spike of pain previously.  He tottered his slow bulk heavy frame forward like he might fall.  Whether he was doing it on purpose or not, he was giving me an out.  I took it.

Jamming my foot once more into the curve right above his rear, I measured how far his face was from the wall hoping the distance would cause his face to slam the padded target and not hurt him too bad.  He jerked left, rocked back, and them bit the wall with his teeth. 

And didn’t move.

I know I wasn’t
that
strong.  He needed to convince them better if he intended to help me out.  I held my breath waiting for him to show movement.  After a few seconds, his heels rocked backward and his head wrung fast like the little birdies flying around causing dizziness.  Grabbing his forehead, he looked sideways and back at me.  Just as I assumed he was heading for round two, I backed up pushing my palms to the walls.

His hands went midair aiming straight for my neck.  I felt Daniel close the distance and took a varied second to see his location to where I stood.  The second Jock pressed his mouth to mine, I freaked.  This wasn’t part of my assumption I'd just made about his moves.

I couldn’t stop it.  Jock held my face refusing to let go.  His hands heated like his eyes.  The music started in my head as the taste of pain slammed my chest.  Flailing my arms around, I pushed at the brick wall, but Jock wouldn’t budge.  My mind screamed with pain.  Agony always dulled my sensitivity to the song in my head if the young were my prey.   I don’t know why and I never cared. Maybe it even helps. I didn't like to take years from the young. That was part of the agony itself.  So I just stayed away.  It was for that reason, I was glad Jason never liked me back.  Kissing was a sure fire way of siphoning.  That was confirmed now.

Sure of the rainbow of years floating above us, I gave one more solid push and bent my knees into his spread eagle groin.  He grunted and fell back holding his jewels.  Fierce eyes found mine across the room full of something dangerous.  Daniel crossed them over my body and above my head, then down to Jock who held a goofy smile, crossed eyes, and cradled man parts.  He took turns holding his front and pressing his temple, but his eyes stayed hidden from all except me.  No one knew.  Then the curses flew. His trance lasted seconds.  Hopefully only I knew the effects.  Siphons didn't take from other siphons without pain.

I started to run for Daniel wanting to be in his arms, but his hand stopped me midair.  As if an invisible wall separated us, I flattened out my body and stood there.

He barely moved his lips.  “This is a test.”

Ahhh!  If the same happened to the two of us and I sang for either of them, they’d have backup for what they know me to be.  But if Jock kissed me and nothing happened, we were safe.  If I survived past Daniel, we were home free.

There was never to be an all out brawl.  They wanted to see me fail.

I didn’t see that happening.  Now.

If he kissed me, they would know.  Unless he acted like it pained him too.  His father knew he preferred to siphon the old in the past but when forced, he found no pain with the young.  He turned eighteen, it reversed in a way.  But I think he did as I did.  Told himself that and made it so inside his head.  He gained abilities. He never told his father all of them though.

I can smell and taste his essence like no other.  Was that my new ability or just an awareness to him personally?

Daniel didn’t offer an alternative before or in our current state of distress.  Whereas I thought we were going to fight this out, other plans were made.  I wondered then if the two of them planned it knowing I couldn’t attack their strength and win, but could prove the lie of “Lark’s inability to sing” to the masses in a different way.  I had to win this fight to gain freedom, but lose in the idea of not relying on what I held for defensive action.

Straight up in the middle of the freaking room, Daniel pushed himself against me.  I didn’t act like I hated it, but treated it like it was unwanted.  The same effect as always, I felt my energy burst. The song burst inside me begging to be freed, but I held on to it.  It helped that Jock warmed my senses on the act, as gross as that sounds.  Like a toad trying to force it’s enemy from swallowing it whole, Daniel began to convulse.  My initial reaction was to pat him down and check for injuries I might be causing.  We’d never caused pain, and I did think it was fabricated, but he made it very believable. 

Breaking away from me, he grabbed his spinning head just like Jock and knocked himself against the wall.  I went with it and yelled to both of them, “I told you both I only take from the old.  You both had to test the waters.  And freaking kiss a girl only if she wishes for it.”  I slammed my foot into Jock’s ribcage whom was still doubled over somewhat.