Talent Storm (48 page)

“All my friends are dead. It’s just us now.” She shook her head. “I don’t trust her. I say we leave and work alone.”

“I will if you want. She’s practically no better than Goldwater. It just seems like she’s our only chance to win. After everyone we’ve lost, we can’t fail.”

“I guess. Okay let’s stay... for now.” She tilted her head up to meet my eyes. “We’re a team, Jaden. We can accomplish anything together. My sword and talent will always back you up.”

I nodded, then smiled. “What about outside of battle?”

Her smooth hand slid under my shirt, caressing my side. “There, you’ll have my love and my touch.”

I smiled, burning with desire and suddenly there was nothing else but her. Holding her hip and back, I pulled her into me, our bodies melting together. I reveled in the feeling of her warm legs and soft breasts pressed against me. Fluidly, my hand glided under her shirt, tempted by her satin skin. When it brushed by her bra, I smoothly undid the clasp. It fell to the ground. I stroked her side, and my hand brushed the silky swell of her breast. She purred as she scratched my back. Her moist lips pressed against my neck, then jaw line.

Breathing softly, she nibbled my ear lobe. “Do you want me?”

I was feverish with excitement. “Where can we go?”

From behind us, Mary said, “You can use my room.”

I flinched, then craned my neck. She stood in the doorway, a big grin plastered on her face.

“Hey, get out of here,” I said.

Sofia’s eyes burned into Mary. “We’ll pass.” She bent down and collected her bra, then pulled me toward the living room. “Come on, let’s go to sleep.”

Damn. Mary just completely blocked me. Sofia lay down on the couch and closed her eyes. I sat at the base of it, then pulled up my sleeve to inspect my shoulder wound, relaxing my talent from the area. My skin was smooth and uninjured. Huh. I fingered the ripped sleeve and frowned. The blade must have just cut my shirt and then smacked into me sideways. I’d surely have a deep bruise tomorrow.

☼☼☼

That night, I drifted in and out of sleep, worrying about Sofia while awake. We were a team, but what if she died? An image of Lilly’s slowly closing eyes taunted me. I wouldn’t lose Sofia; I was stronger than I used to be.

At some point, I heard footsteps. My eyes shot open, and my heart began to pound. I cautiously lifted myself up to investigate. Peeking around the doorway into the kitchen, I saw Mary slide a painting aside to reveal a safe. She held a ledger in one hand. After opening the lock, she placed the ledger inside before returning to her room. What was that about? I decided to investigate further. I snuck over to the painting, then slid it over. The safe clicked as I telekinetically tripped the lock. I removed the ledger and flipped through pages as I read.

CHAPTER 21

The next day, Mary, Sofia, and I set off in the morning sun. We planned to further scout for attack scenarios on Goldwater’s palace. It felt odd to not have Barid around. For a short period of time, I felt like I was a part of something. Now they were all dead but Sofia.

I turned to Mary. “Why are we scouting during the day this time? Are you sure that’s safe?”

She grunted. “We’ll be fine. My illusions are plenty powerful to hide us. Today you’ll stay at my side. No gallivanting around or you're going to threaten the mission,” said Mary.

I halted, scowling and faced the old woman. “If I see people in trouble, I'm going to help. This is not a debate.”

Sofia grabbed my hand. “I’m with him,” she said to Mary, then winked at me.

Mary massaged her temples, sneering. “Are you girls done bonding? If we’re going to succeed, everything has to go perfectly. Let’s get moving again.” She stormed off, mumbling to herself. “What a couple of weaklings... amazing they made it this far... pathetic... no better than Wilders...”

After making a few turns, we entered an alleyway. Down a short distance, it opened into a large courtyard. We jogged into it.

A quarter of the way across, Sofia spoke to Mary. “I hope your illusions hold up. I feel so exposed out here.”

Mary snorted. “I have complete control over my illusions.” She slowed when we neared the center of the courtyard.

“Why are we stopping here?” I asked.

“Don’t worry about it. I just need a rest.” Said Mary, then faced away with a smile.

Sofia squinted at the woman and reached for her sword hilt. “Shouldn’t we rest near a wall or some other shelter?”

“No,” said Mary. “This is right where I want you to be.”

“What does that—” Sofia began, then jerked her head up.

My stomach soured as I gazed into the distance. Black-clad men poured out of every alleyway. Sofia ripped her sword out with a hiss. I wheeled to face the alley we came from, drawing Peacemaker. Men ran down it with swords drawn. There must have been hundreds, no thousands of them coming from all directions. There was no escape.

Behind me, Mary chuckled. “I’ve got you now. Finally, I completed my revenge. I’ve won.”

“What?” I asked, flinching back. “For what?” I never did anything to this woman.

She threw back her head and laughed in a deep, booming voice. Her face transformed, her features becoming larger. She grew taller and broader of shoulder, her jaw filling out.

Sofia gasped. “Damn you Pavel. Why are you doing this? You killed Val.”

“You heard Valleri tell us to find Mary Wollstone,” I said. “You were the one running away.”

He shrugged his shoulders before throwing his head back, laughing. “One of you is correct.”

My eyes narrowed as he began to change again. He shrank, his bulk transforming from muscle to fat and his face filling out. The greasy hair that lay over his thick-rimmed glasses was unmistakable.

I spat. “Sid.”

The blood stained bandages covering his cheek didn’t dim the fury in his eyes.

“All this time it was you. You replaced Pavel, back when we killed Grand Duke Nieri. I should have known. I saw Pavel and Mary rubbing their temples like you do when you’re upset. I thought it was strange but didn’t know why.”

“You’ve never been very bright,” said Sid.

“I should have seen through your illusions.”

He laughed. “My power is far superior to yours. You’re just a telekinetic.”

My grip tightened on Peacemaker. “I don’t need another talent. I’m the most powerful telekinetic ever.

He grunted. “You’re nothing compared to Goldwater.”

“You killed my friends, and caused Lilly’s death. Now you die.”

My hands burst into green flames as my mace rocketed at his head. He vanished. His laughter seemed to come from everywhere, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“Damn.” I’d have to find the invisible man after I dealt with the countless soldiers. Raising my weapon, I gazed out at the charging assault squads, their steel weapons shining in the sun.

Sofia turned to me with grim determination on her face. “Thank talent, you saw this coming.”

Mary, or Sid rather, was stupid to write down his plans. “No, thank you for the counter plan.”

Suddenly, explosions rang out all around me as the devices we planted last night detonated. We were fortunate to find explosives at Mary’s place. My hair and clothes blew in the wind of the shockwave. I turned, closing my eyes against the dust and smoke. You guys didn’t see that coming, did you? The explosions were followed by wild screams, groans of pain, and frantic shouts.

Sofia’s talent burst from her body, striking several disoriented and injured squads. Men screamed, throwing their weapons down.

“Run,” one shouted. “They’re too powerful.” Two squads immediately routed, scrambling to get away from us.

“Hold your ground men,” their commander yelled, trying to rally them.

I was prepared to strike when something rumbled in the smoke, drawing my eyes. I couldn’t make it out but it was large. The rumbling grew louder; it was approaching. I readied my talent, prepared for anything. A tank burst from the smoke, charging toward me. My jaw dropped. I’d never seen a moving vehicle, especially not one like this. Ten-foot long blades were welded onto the front, and broad blades, as long as arms, jutted out on either side.

“Talent, no,” Sofia said.

In a burst of flames and smoke, the main turret fired. The huge projectile cut through the air toward us. Sofia leapt away; I stood still. My glowing hand swatted the projectile an instant before it tore through my chest. It bored into the ground twenty feet away, ripping through pavement.

“Amazing,” said Sofia.

I focused the entirety of my skill around the frame of the vehicle. The tank swam in a green aura. Lifting my arms, the tank skipped off the ground before floating entirely into the air. The squeaking tracks still turned, but the tank remained still. I bared my teeth while squeezing my hands shut. The front and side blades crunched inward. With a groan, the steel armor of the tank buckled, then the entire vehicle compressed to half its size. Two screams rang out from inside before falling silent. I held the massive object in the air while I waited until one of the assault squads reformed. Flipping my wrist, I hurled the sixty-ton mass of steel at the squad like a giant’s cannonball. The men’s eyes shot open as they attempted to flee the impossible. The steel death hit the squad tearing off limbs and ripping through bodies. The bulk of the squad was obliterated in one strike. A few members lay on the ground alive and screaming.

I growled as I felt the familiar telepathic influence dampen my talent. Sofia gasped, and I knew it hit her too. Although there had to be scores of attacking telepaths, only a few could hope to diminish my talent. Their power was enough to cripple my distance telekinesis but not my touch telekinesis. We had a chance. Our explosives must have killed most of the troops. Now it was time to finish the rest. After the smoke cleared, men rallied and reassembled into squads, Sofia’s talent no longer terrifying them. The mass of soldiers charged us.

My aura grew and brightened, casing out luminescence. Writhing snakes of light danced and slithered around me. I wound up my mace before slamming it down like a glowing comet colliding with the earth. Tremors rumbled through ground, and a deep crack split forty feet wide in front of me. Squads of men were thrown from their feet and dozens fell screaming into the hole.

Still, there were countless soldiers remaining, many more than I imagined. This wouldn’t be easy. They closed on us.

I spun, ducked, leaned, and leapt to avoid strikes, all while raining death on anyone who came within range. Again and again, I swung my mace. Left to right, I smashed through rows of swords, armor, and men. Each line that reached me held men with eyebrows lowered and jaws clenched. Each time I swung, their jaws dropped and their eyes bulged. None could hope to block Peacemaker’s might.

I glanced back at Sofia. Men cowered, hesitated, screamed, and ran from her as her blade sliced, bit, and thrust through them, tearing their flesh and severing their limbs. The telepaths couldn’t numb all of her talent.

Although my talent was dampened, I was still able to block most nearby strikes. The ones I missed, my armor took care of. One sword slid by my defenses, aimed at my head. I raised my hand and smacked it behind me, sending the man sprawling into me. I grabbed his arm and tossed him away with a grunt. He sprawled into a squad, tripping men. I spun around, swinging Peacemaker in a hissing arc. It ripped through the first two rows of men, tearing through armor, crushing bones, and shredding flesh. Before it hit Sofia, I flipped it over her head, then slammed it into a bearded man’s chest.

I gasped as I suddenly felt my breath restricted. Looking out into the waves of men, I saw one standing unmoving, focused entirely on me. In a break from the attacks, I picked up a rock and launched it at the man. The object sped through the air before striking him in the chest and ripping through him. I thought of the tree by the river and Ben’s wide eyes as my breath returned.

Even as I killed a man on my right, another attacked from the left. I blocked the man’s first strike. He swung again. I raised my mace in its path but gasped as the blade sailed by, slicing shallowly into my leg. An illusionist. Another man’s sword sliced toward me, but when I blocked, he disappeared. Huffing in frustration, I punched the illusionist in the chest, my hand ripping through his unarmored body. He collapsed, a broken heap, and I turned on my next foe.

As time passed, bodies piled into hills, and blood pooled into lakes but still men attacked. I glanced into the distance, my stomach souring as I saw rows upon rows of assault squads remaining. I never thought there’d be this many soldiers.

Sofia screamed behind me. I spun around to face her. A gruff man held a knife at her throat. A faint red glow surrounded the blade. Did I have enough talent left to beat him? Unsure, my stomach sank. I wasn’t willing to risk it. I knelt
, then dropped my mace, weary and beaten. Men cautiously approached, but when I didn’t resist, they took Peacemaker and removed my breastplate. It was dented and gashed in a hundred places and coated in blood. They seized Sofia’s sword, then secured thick chains around our arms and legs. A man walked over with a needle doubtlessly containing talent inhibitor. He injected it into Sofia and me.

From behind me, I heard Sid’s voice. “I win. Goldwater has his prize.”

CHAPTER 22

Two guards threw us to the ground in Goldwater’s throne room. We were defeated, unarmed, and bloodied. Lying on moss colored marble, I gazed around the richly adorned chamber. Ancient paintings, exotic weapons, and gold threaded tapestries decorated crimson walls. A polished oak desk sat in a corner with perfectly lined up papers on it. Scantily clad serving women sat on a plush rug in the corner sewing clothes, chatting, and laughing. Sid stood next to them, smiling with his head held high and his eyes locked on me. Hate brewing inside me, I scowled at the pudgy bastard.

A huge, claw—footed gold throne dominated the room. In that throne sat the tyrant himself... Archduke Goldwater. A cold shiver coursed through my body, panic threatening to overwhelm me. Closing my eyes, I was back in my jail cell, lying on the ground under Goldwater’s boot. Instinctively, I reached for my ribs. My hand lurched to a halt as steel cuffs cut into my wrists. I growled in frustration.