Talent Storm (42 page)

Sofia and I met eyes for the first time in days. Why did I have to be teamed with her, especially now? I broke eye contact, looking back to Valleri. It didn’t matter; I’d get the job done.

“Val, do you think that Pavel and Jaden would have a better chance?” Sofia asked.

She didn’t even want to partner with me.

Valleri squinted, turning on Sofia. “No. I need Pavel’s illusions to help with the diversion. You and Jaden are the best pair for the job.”

Sofia looked over at me and shrugged.

“It’s fine Valleri. We’ll get it done,” I said. “Just give us the opportunity.”

“We will. We’ll create a diversion by destroying the watchtower located approximately a quarter mile north of the palace. Barid, you’ll disable the watchtower guards’ vision to let us approach. Then we’ll plant the explosives. Pavel, you’ll keep the guards busy with illusions while you two kill Nieri.”

Her plan sounded simple but reasonable. I couldn’t wait to end Nieri’s life. While he didn’t hurt me personally, I knew how integral he was to Goldwater’s control.

“Jaden, Sofia, approach the palace from the east, where a small number of guards will likely remain. Then blow a hole in the outer wall. Nieri’s throne is on the east side of the third level. The Joy Drug pumps are in the basement. Afterward, get out however you can and meet us back here. We leave tonight as soon as the sun sets. Go rest until then. It's going to be a long night.”

☼☼☼

Standing in the shadows outside the palace, I listened to crickets chirping while enjoying the cool breeze. It felt right to breathe the fresh air. Even though we were about to fight a grand duke, I felt at peace.

Suddenly Sofia whirled around, sword in hand. My eyes darted around, looking for danger.

“I heard something,” she whispered. She pointed to an area twenty feet away, illuminated by streetlights.

I held my breath and scanned the area for movement. Nothing. I glanced at Sofia and then back. Just as I was about to look away, a rat darted across the road with something dangling from its mouth. She lowered her sword, and I exhaled.

“Talent, you’re jumpy,” I whispered. “How did you even hear that?”

She grunted and shrugged. “Rebels need to be alert if they want to live.”

My attention immediately refocused on the future battle when I heard an explosion. Guards yelled in the distance; then one shouted commands. The entire squad ran toward the diversion. Fools.

Sofia and I nodded toward each other as we set off on a steady jog to the palace exterior. In a minute, the pristine white palace walls loomed before us. Gold statues lined the base. Huge pillars marked the entryway. I wondered how the people saw the palace. He wouldn’t be foolish enough to show them the truth, but if he didn’t, what was the point of its grandeur?

I stepped up, parted my glowing hands, and the wall tore open. When the dust settled around the entrance, I motioned Sofia inside. We ran down a palace hall, searching for the basement. Men shouted orders in the distance. We continued to run at a dead sprint.

One of my steps met the floor, but instead of stopping, it sank through. An illusion! Suddenly, I was falling into a pit, my stomach lurching upward. Sofia’s hand shot out and grasped mine. I swung down, and slammed into the sidewall. Below me, the pit was lined with metal spikes. I inhaled and exhaled slowly as Sofia pulled me out.

“Good catch,” I said.

She smiled and nodded. “You should be more careful.”

I shrugged. “I’ve been told that. Now come over here. I’m going to toss you over.”

She angled her head and squinted at me, a wrinkle in her brow.

Maybe she thought I’d drop her in. I motioned toward her. “Come on. You can trust me.”

Her head quickly bobbed, her curls bouncing. “You’re right, I do. Besides we’ve got to get moving.” She stepped up to me and gazed over the twenty-foot wide pit.

I stepped close behind her and placed my hands on either side of her toned waist. Despite the danger we were in and the importance of our mission, I could only focus on her—the warmth her body radiated, the ebb and flow of her breathing, and her musky vanilla scent. I longed to caress her silky skin and kiss her sweet lips. Most of all, I wished she wanted me to. Until then, this was torture.

She glance back, a slight smile on her lips. As she did, her body pressed into mine. “Are you going to hold me all day or throw me?”

Did she intentionally lean against me or was it inadvertent? Hopefully the first, but who knew. Either way, we had move. “Ready? One, two, three.”

I tossed her. She sailed across the span, her body stretched out. When she landed, she rolled three times before popping up.

I leapt over the pit, landed next to her, and nodded. This time, we continued down the hall more cautiously. We turned a corner and Sofia and I flinched back as a woman in torn clothes stumbled forward.

“Help me, please,” she cried.

Damn Nieri. He probably abused the poor woman. I strode up to her, both hands out, ready to help. Sofia followed close behind me.

“Are you hurt?” I asked.

“Yes. Come here.”

I stepped closer until an instant of realization snapped into my mind. I froze and pushed Sofia down behind me. The woman’s body grew and morphed into that of man holding a flamethrower. I’d only seen one once, but I knew the damage they could do. A flood of white-hot flames roared out toward us, six feet high and wide.

A moment of panic threatened to overwhelm me. Could my telekinesis even stop heat? My mind sparked, pushing away my panic, and a bubble of telekinetic energy fanned out like an umbrella in front of me. The fire engulfed it, wrapping around us. I choked on the heat, struggling to breathe. My skin heated, then stung. A section of my hair lit up in flames. Sofia gasped behind me, and I swatted my head to quench the fire.

Just when I thought my skin was about to melt, the inferno subsided. I leapt forward and crossed the remaining ten feet in two steps. My glowing hand smacked his weapon into the wall, flattening it. Luckily, the gas tank didn’t explode. My arm flared bright green, and I struck at his chest while holding him still with my mind. My palm slammed into his sternum, sending a shockwave through his body. His rib cage shattered audibly, followed by his arms, legs, and then skull. He crumbled down like jelly, nothing supporting his body.

“Wow,” said Sofia. “I didn’t know that was possible.”

I gaped at the dead man. “Me either.

She leaned in and touched my arm. “You were in front. Are you burned?”

Reflexively, I touched her hand. Our eyes met and lingered. I had missed her attention and the feel of her warm skin. She looked down and let her hand drop. I frowned, then pulled my eyes away to scan my body. I seemed to be fine besides my scorched hair.

“I’m okay. Let’s go.”

She breathed out, met my eyes again, and nodded. We ran on until we finally found the basement stairs. At the bottom, a thick smell of chemicals hung in the air. I wrinkled my nose, wondering what they used to make the drug. We turned a corner and entered a large humid room. Tendrils of mist threaded around countless steel pipes. Three huge, steaming vats dominated the center of the room.

Sofia tapped my back. “Do you know which pipe to destroy?”

I shook my head. “No, wait outside. I’ve got another idea.”

She looked at me a moment before jogging up the stairs a bit. I took a deep breath, then sealed my mouth and nose with talent. With a swipe of my arm, pipes and vats exploded, impaling the back wall with metal shards and dumping thousands of gallons of chemicals. That should do it. I ran before my feet got wet.

After passing Sofia on the stairwell, I sucked in clean air, and we sprinted up the stairs. Amazingly, we encountered no one as we ascended to the third floor. It wasn't until we were at the throne room itself that we knew why. Ten brutish men, with long-swords, barred the entryway.

Upon seeing us, they jumped to attention, raising their weapons. Taking a deep breath, I prepared to strike. I was too late. Sofia dashed toward the group, her serrated sword ready.

A second before impact, she yelled, “Flee!” as she unleashed a powerful wave of terror.

The effect was stunning. Ten highly trained men suddenly cowered back, crying and screaming. Without pause, Sofia ripped her sword through the three men’s unprotected backs tearing through flesh and bone. A second strike shredded a man’s leather armor and chest before impaling his friend. The third strike sheared off a man’s face as he turned. The last four men stopped screaming and whirled around. Before they could raise their swords, Sofia’s tore through each man’s neck in a single slash. Blood sprayed from their necks onto her black leather armor.

Despite the horror of it, her skill attracted me. What wasn’t she good at? I stood with my eyebrows raised as she rotated back to me. My eyes fixed on a gash in her forearm. A trail of blood dripped onto the ground. She followed my gaze to the wound. Her expression didn’t change at seeing the blood.

She tore two strips off her shirt, tied one above the wound and one over it. “All better.”

“Doesn’t it hurt? It looks painful.”

She shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”

I nodded, impressed by her toughness.

“Let’s finish this,” she said.

I obeyed and shot a bolt of talent at the stout iron door. It buckled inward, with a loud thump. A second blast sent it flying off its hinges into the windows of the far wall, shattering them. Three shirtless serving-men ran into a back room, yelling and dropping trays of fruit. It splattered on the ground, and a red grape rolled up to my feet. Grand Duke Nieri sat on a gem-encrusted gold throne with a slight smile. Two stationary guards, wearing steel and holding spears, stood behind him.

Nieri smirked, his thin face twisting. “Jaden and Sofia. You made short work of my guards. It was worth it to have you deliver yourself to me. It’s much easier than having to hunt you down again. Even the destruction Joy Drug pumps will be a small price to pay for your deaths.”

Sofia spat on the ground. “I’m going to make you change your mind about that.”

She charged him. In response, Nieri calmly raised his hand and motioned toward his men. Instantly, the two guards unsheathed twin long swords and intercepted Sofia with a clang of steal.

Just as I was about to break their necks, I paused and realized with ecstasy that we had done it. We made it to the grand duke. We were about to destroy his control over the people. No longer would they fall for the government's lies. Feeling great, all I could do was smile at the dawning future. Suddenly, I realized that I was unreasonably happy at achieving nothing. What was I doing? I felt Nieri’s emotional talent influencing my mind. Of course. I pushed back hard, breaking his control.

Shaking my head clear, I looked up to find Sofia hard pressed by the two guards. The bandage on her arm was soaked and dripping blood. The muscles in my legs bunched as I prepared to launch myself at the men. Before I attacked, her sword ripped through both men’s necks in a single slash, spraying blood in an arc before her. That was quick, now we could both focus on Nieri.

Nieri growled at the loss of his men, then disappeared. From nowhere he said, “I’m going to kill you Jaden and give your head to Goldwater as a trophy. After you’re dead, I’ll hand him Sofia as a play thing. You think you felt pain? She’ll beg to die.”

He appeared across the room, a smile on his face. I roared, flaring my talent and charged him, Peacemaker whirling around like ancient helicopter blades. Ten feet from him, I launched my mace like a missile, aimed at his chest. It sliced through the air, and an ear-thumping boom rang out. The mass of steel and iron slipped right through him. An illusion. The surprise and sheer momentum of my body made me stumble, my foot twisting to the side. When my other foot landed, it buckled and popped me up into the air, my arms and legs flailing.

Peacemaker smashed into the wall with a deafening bang. A five foot circular section exploded out with the mace. Large square rocks tumbled down as the entire outside wall collapsed. I rolled several times in a world-spinning tumble, my stomach lurching and threatening to empty itself. After I stopped spinning, I slid toward the edge of the third story drop, my skin ripping on the stone floor. I reached back and whipped down my glowing green hand. The tips of my fingers bit into the stone surface, carving four, three-foot groves into it before I stopped.

My feet dangled off the edge, and peacemaker descended toward the ground a hundred feet away. Below me, chunks of rock littered the courtyard, and men shouted under the star filled night. My free hand shot out toward my mace. It lit up and zipped back to my hand as if pulled by a rope. I tugged on my other arm, flinging myself back inside and on my feet.

Sofia spun in circles, struggling to defend against five copies of Nieri. My mind fought back, destroying his illusion. The copies faded, leaving just Nieri whose flail sped toward Sofia’s unguarded back. I crossed the distance in a green blur and swung Peacemaker up horizontally. His flail crashed into it with a clang. His eyelids flicked up, and a slight gasp escaped his lips. Three more quick strikes sailed toward my body. The fist end of Peacemaker blocked two attacks, and I dodged the third, the flail sailing by my arm.

Sofia yelled behind me, “Die, Nieri!”

I heard her sword hiss through the air, and it ripped through my shirt, cutting a long slice through my armor and into my back. I winced, but it felt relatively minor.

I wheeled around to face her. A second strike bit into my upper forearm before I could raise my weapon. I grunted at the pain. “Sofia! It’s me.”

She slashed again, just missing my neck. I stumbled backward, ready for another attack but none came.

She fell to the ground weeping. “No, Jaden no,” she yelled, looking at the ground in front of her, grasping at nothingness. “I can’t believe you’re dead. I wanted to be with you and now it’s too late.”

She wanted to be with me? Damn, she could have fooled me.

I whirled around and started to focus my telekinesis in a killing blow before freezing. Now that he was focused on me, I didn’t think I could hold off his emotional control without the entirety of my talent. At first, his sheer level of power caught me off guard. He wouldn’t fool me again. I lifted Peacemaker and charged. He’d see what I could do with a mace, even with one working arm. I swung the massive piece of iron at his head. It slammed into him... or would have, but he disappeared again.