Sick.

That’s one word I would use to describe the scene in front of me. A young girl kneels on the boxed Dias in the center of the courtyard. Walls of surround us, and the more I stare, the space around me seems to get smaller, the crowd larger. Laura Morgan eyes fill with tears, and she struggles to keep her hands up as lash after lash hits her palms. All because of Joseph darlyn, one of the dralyns sons. This is what the Darlyns do to children, to people. They use pain as punishment, no matter the circumstances. I’ve seen children as young as seven, on this same wood block, same place as Laura is. They are cruel people, and this is how they keep their captives in line.

With another slice in the air, the leather of the wip makes its target on the girls palm- earning another a whimper from the terrified girl. My eyes snap from the girl to her lasher, a tall and broad man- with a black trimmed beard. I’ve seen him Before, he work for the Darlyn’s, not in the way we do, he is here on his own will. The large smirk on his face makes me clutch my fingers together at my sides. Hatred and anger consumes me, a continuous fire burning in my chest. I stare at the man, men like him don’t deserve to live. My feet move towards the Dias. But I stop myself, and pull my body back until I’m behind the watching crowd. I burrow myself in the shadows, my back sliding against the side of the stone pillar. Stepping In wouldn’t help this girl, it would probably bring more burden.

Just yesterday, a young boy was sent for lashings, and someone, a new face, tried to step in. He failed to stand up for him, all he gained was 5 more lashes for the child, and a rough beating for themselves. That man was big, and he still failed. I’m too frail, I weigh enough to be counted as a child- I’m far too tiny at 5’4, and I don’t know what I would even do when I arrive on the dais, demanding to stop this madness. I can’t use ether, they will see and want to use me as one of their weapons.

With another slash- I close my wet lids and turn my body. I hadn’t realized I was crying, until I felt something wet run down my cheeks. I can’t bear to see this anymore- my stomach flutters with my breakfast. I might throw up its contents if I don’t get out of this place anytime soon. Quickly, I turn and run into a solid wall- a chest, Ryan’s chest. “..hey- you okay Cher” My eyes fly open at the nickname he’d given me years ago. But I don’t look up at him. Another wet drop falls down my cheek as I stare straight as his chest my eyes blinking rapidly. “Oh, Cher…” he voice softens and he tuggs me against his chest, his arms wrapping around my back.

The only one who understands me, who’s been there for me, is the one who has his arms around me. The one who burries me deeper in his chest as he walks us away from the crowd, practically carrying me with him.

Ever since that day in the medic cavern years ago, he’s always been there for me, for sera.

“I-I don’t know ..” my breaths come out uneven, as I try and fail to get air into my lungs. He pulls back slightly angling my head upwards, his eyes staring into mine. “Breath, baby, breath.” So I do- staring into his calming ocean blue eyes, I’m finally able to pull in air.

I breathe..take another; again and again I take in more until my heart and mind settles, until my breaths are steadier. “she’s so young,” I manage out as he slowly removes one arm from my back and pushes back red hair from my face. “I know..I know darling.” He pulls me back to his chest, kissing my head, once, twice. I breath in his scent, the smell of timber and wildflowers, mixed with earth. He must have just arrived from his shift. I pull back my eyes searching his body, his black trousers and his deep green jacket that’s buttoned to his neck, is stained with large spoches of dirt. He definitely was patrolling in the fields. My eyes finally make it back to his face: his strong jawline and high cheekbones dance in the flame light and I realize where we are. The storage room: a small four by four room lit by a single torch. This room is stocked with, sleeping Mats and wool blankets, scraps of clothing, medical equipment, extra canned foods and bottles of water. “It’s all gonna be okay.” I flick my eyes back to him. It’s not. It won’t be okay, it’s never been okay here. I shake my head. “I can’t do this anymore, Ryan.” I pull back, my body leaving his arms, my hands come

Up and wip my tears from my cheeks. “What if it was sera- what if that was her up there.” Closing my eyes, tears threaten to fall again. images of my younger sister, bent over, the wip making contact with her palms, races in my head.

When a palm cups my cheek I am thrown from my thoughts, my eyes flicker open and find him again. “It won’t- and will never be her, I promise.” I search his face, he looks genuine but he can’t be. “You can’t promise anything Rhy. So don’t.” He shakes his head and presses his thin lips together, his fingers brush more hair from my face. “Please Cherub.” With a soft press of his lips to my forehead, he tugs me back to him his arms form back around me, and I let him, the fight falling out of me. “Don’t do that, You know she will be safe” he rephrases “she is safe.” I nod into his chest, but I don’t believe him. He’s can’t promise anything here. No one is safe here, this place is a prison, a prison filled with false hope. It’s all a flaunt, that we are here willingly. We serve the Darlyns, because we have no choice. We are their soilders, servants, entertainment, anything, because we choose life over death. And we aren’t promised anything in return, no one is safe here.

“Where is sera.” I pull back again and he drops his arms at his sides. “In the kitchen with Amara.” He searches my face, his eyes worried. ignoring him, I nod, feeling a little relieved. “I’ll go see her.” I smile, but it doesn’t reach my eyes. Ryan doesn’t smile back. “She’s fine Cher.” I nod as I slowly turn towards the door- but he grabs my arm to stop me “Cher- I wanted to see you, can we talk?” I turn back to him moving my arm from his grasp. “Later, I promise, okay?” He watches me for a second searching for, I don’t know what, in my expression. He just nods and steps back “okay, just-“ he pauses then picks up his words again “you know I love you right?” I smile turning around, then close the distance between us. My arms wrap around his neck as I stand on my toes and press a kiss to his lips. He’s tall, around 6’2 to be exact, and I Seamlessly lift off the ground as he wraps his arms around me. He returns the kiss, his lips soft and gentle. I pull back little too quickly, my feet returning to the floor and my arms pull from his neck, a real smile forming on my lips. “I know.” I finally awnser. I move away from him and back towards the door. “I’ll See you later.” Giving a small wave I walk out, leaving him alone in the charter room. The door clicks shut behind me, and face immediately falls as I reenter the small housing complex. The crowd is slowly diminishing- the show must be over. I notice the Dias is empty as I peer beyond the pillars. I try not to remember who was chained there moments before I entered the charter room. I move my body in the opposite direction, and I remove the image from my mind. My legs bring me to a door beyond the pillars, on the opposite side of the room. It’s the back-door to the kitchen, it also is where the garbage shoots are settled. I shuffle around the towering trash bags that surround shoots is over filling piles around the door. I turn the knob of the door and it creaks open, stepping inside I look around. It’s empty, except for one the head of brown and gray frizz, Amara. I walk across the tile floor, my work boots clicking on the marble as I make my way to Amara-our main cook who is half bent over, washing pans in the small sink. Her curls, spray around on her head in a rushed bun and she hums to a song, that I can’t quite put the name to. “Amara?” I say and her head snaps in my direction, her browned face settling out as she notices me and a smile plays across her lips. She quickly shuts the water off and dries her hands off with her towel that was lain across her shoulder. “Cherub, it’s good to see you, sweetheart.” I walk little closer to her and focus on the dishes lying in the sink “do you need any help?” I ask my eyes going from the dirty silverware, then back to her. “Oh no, I got it just fine.” Smiling she went over and pulled me into a short hug, the towel now forgotten on the countertop. Her curvy and tall body overtowers me. She steps back “it’s just good to see you.” “You never visit as much- though your sister sure makes up for it.” I bite my lips, looking at her- her “I know, and I’m sorry. I’ve just been really busy lately.” I paused trying to change the subject. “Sera loves it here, I hope she isn’t much of a burden” She shakes her head and smiles as she adjusts her apron. “She never is, she’s a great help.” She continues “I’m guessing your here for her?” She asked a smirk reforming “Yeah.” searching the room, my eyes look for any sign of her dandilion blonde head. Her hair like mine falls to her waist, but hers is a bunched of blonde curles as mine falls in firey waves across my back and shoulders. She shares our mothers eyes, just like me. The bright green flecked with brown pebbles decorated with long lashes. I continue to search but there’s no sight of her in the kitchen- or anyone in the kitchen other than me and Amara. where is she? “She’s not here.” She awnsers my weary thoughts, like she could read them. “Where would she be then?” My voice is chased with worry, terrible thoughts filling my head. Amara quickly intercepts them, and corrects herself. “She’s not here- but she’s out looking for more rashions, with carters son.” She rubs my shoulder “no need to worry cherub.” I nod my smile reappearing as focus my attention back to her but then my mind reshuffles her sentence in my head. Carters son? “carters son?” I repeat the words out loud and my brows crease, my lips forming a tight line. I search my head for his name, and then it clicks. “Maliki?” I shake my head “what is she doing hanging out with him?” She just shrugs and moves back to the sink “I don’t know honestly, I hardly know the boy.” The facet switches on and Amara begins scrubbing the pots again “where did they go?” my voice is weary, I knew who Maliki was and I knew his father even more. His father abused his own wife till she was found dead a year or two ago. People saw it off as suicide, no one knows the truth. But I know, I knew his wife, she and I crossed paths multiple times, she was a sweet but reserved woman. Nothing about her hinted towards those type of thoughts.

I found out a few weeks after I met her, that her husband was a cruel being. She came into the washing corridor with dozens bruises on her skin, she tried to toss it off as a accident, but those were hand prints, nothing but a strong pair of hands could make those forms on her neck and arms. And if his son is anything like his own father, I don’t want that kid anywhere near my 14 year old sister, and he’ll be 17 this year, that’s a no.

Amara finally responds, and she places the pots on the drying rack. “Yeah, they left only-“ she was cut off when the door flew open and a perky blonde girl and a dark haired boy waltzed through the main door chattering and laughing. I quickly turn my whole body facing them, and they abruptly stop. “Hey sera.” I smile as my eyes search her body then glare at Maliki. A small grin plays on the boys face his hair falls over his forehead as he nods at me, his brown eyes dancing with…the same mirth the lasher had in his eyes this morning.

My smile faultered. “Maliki, good to see you.” I say dryly as sera continues towards me. “Sister,” she presses her lips together “what are you doing here?”

“I was checking on you“ I gesture towards her friend “What were you both doing?” “We were just grabbing some mushrooms for the stew tonight.” She moved past me and placed a bundle of brown mushrooms on the counter that I didn’t notice she was even carrying. “Together?” my eyes move back to glare at him “with him?” “Cherub- can you not right now?” She groans, shaking her shoulders “do you know-“ she cuts me off and faces me again “stop, you don’t get to decide everything for me.” Her hair falls back over her shoulder as she turns back to Maliki a smile on her face. “You said you would show me your books?” She asks him completely ignoring me, a small hum comes from Amara who shuts off the water and turns away from the sink, the towel in her hands again. “Sera, are you being serious?” Ignoring me she focuses on him, “yeah, let’s go, I’ll show you.” He smirks at me then he moves to take her hand “sera, you know it’s inappropriate to go into a boys room alone with him.” Making excuses to stop her from going with Maliki. She turns back to me “You and Ryan are always alone” she rolls her eyes “And hes just taking me to see his collection.” Sera is obsessed with reading ever since we gotten a hold of a small copy of a literature book that we found. It was probably used in a classroom. And now shes hooked on them, and she truly is so intrigued by learning, by knowing even small facts about things. In this place, we are not gifted by the option to read, or the option of learning. So it’s very lucky to get your hands on even a copy of anything with writing.

I breathe and let out a humorousless laugh. “These are your own decision sera.” I shake my head, but I make my voice soften “love you, see you later.” I force a smile as I hug Amara goodbye and give a small wave to Sera, completely ignoring the boy standing next to her. I walk out the door I came in, trying to shake off that conversation, as a yelp sounds from ahead of me, and all hell breaks loose.

Stone collapses around me and screams fill my ears, but I don’t see anyone, all I see is a huge hole in the towering wall where it once sealed us from the outside world. But now sunlight fills the complex and everything seems to still. Untill someone bumps into me and I fall to the ground, I pull my hands out to catch me, and my palms scrape against the concrete, beginning to burn. My body trembles as gunfire shoots through the air. Crawling to a still standing pillar, I huddle into my body. I finally see the chaos in front of me, soilders in our dark green attire open fire at men and woman in dark suits that jump from the broken gap in the wall. Pushing to stand, I force my body upwards. What is happening? Letting out a shallow breath, I steady myself, then turn back around to the kitchen. I have to get to sera, she could- something explodes from above me, and I have only a few moments before something solid hits my shoulders. I crumble to the ground, my body folds in on itself, and every noise disappears, all that is left is a ringing of agony. I feel almost numb for a moment, but then a throbbing pain shoots up my spine and shoulders. I try to move my body, but I gasp as more debris falls across my back, burying me deeper in concrete. I can’t breath. Air leaves my lungs and my body fails to move anymore. I feel my lungs collapsing inside me, I try to take in air but none is entering them. Stilling my body, I blink back tears and try to focus, closing my thoughts of pain. I haven’t reached for the elements in a long while, it hurts, but it’s the only way to survive and get to sera. I reach out for that energy, its so faint but I find it and force a barrier around me pushing the powering blocks off me. My head hurts, but I continue untill I am no longer burried. My Tired lungs finally expand with air, and my ears are continue to ring. Shaking, I relax against the ground, letting the elements go bark into my body. Everything do use to reach for them I did it with ease, but since I hid them for years, unused, it hurt like hell. The now constant banging was proof lf that. I look upwards at the now collapsed pillar, inoring the pain radiating throughout my body. A wet liquid pools around me, blood, my blood. I don’t know how much I lost, but I don’t care, I have to get back to sera. I try to move my body and a sound like the cracking of bones fills my just now stilling ears. I grunt in pain and my breaths come out uneven. I have to get up, I have to move, I have to get to Sera, to Ryan. Pushing myself up and I bit my lip to hold in my groans of pain. My mouth floods with a metallic taste. I push myself from my knees to my feet, and sway. But I stay standing. And I stop, body’s lay around me, people all in green attire, as men and women in those black suits surround the concrete circle I seemed to have created. Fuck. “Cherub Blackwood?” Someone says, a deep voice says, and my eyes focus on a large figure. God my head hurts and everything is so blurry, he, if it is even a he, looks like a blob, My body begins to sway again. I can’t make out any words, I just stare at the figure as people start to move around me. He repeats himself, but I don’t awsner, instead my body drops to the ground, tired and dead, it can’t hold me any longer. And I rather rest now, my eyes close and everything disappears.

____________________________________________

September 3067 (5 years ago)

I’ve never been more scared in my life.

Strangers move around me, seemingly to ignore us. I hold my 9 year old sister tighter in my arms.

She’s still unconscious.

I don’t know when they druged us, or what they gave us, I don’t even remember when I awoke.

All I know is now I’m huddled in a small room while people argue around us their accents so strong I can’t make out any words. My body trembles with tears that stream down my cheeks, making contact with my sisters blue blouse as I hug her tighter. she hasn’t awoken up yet. And I’m afraid for her, for our parents that were left behind in that burning house, and for myself. A door opens and light shines into the dark room from the hallway. The room goes silent,the crowd parts, and we are shoved in the center of the room, I collapse on the floor as someone from

Behind me pushes me harder, but I cradle sera in my arms, and turn so my back backs contact on the tile floor. The world starts spinning, everything hurts. I breath, but that doesn’t help. My sisters body slips off mine as my hands fall from her and pile at my sides. I’m sore, so sore, everythidng pains me. I blink up at the chaindiler, the light seems to brighten, and I make out 2 figures hovering over me. “This is her?” A man starts, his accent is lighter than the others. But his voice is so stern, and so is his broad face. His dark eyes look almost black, his jaw sharp as bone. He seems so tall from this angle on the floor, he looks so wicked. “And who’s the other?” He sneers at my unconscious sister on the ground. I try to move, I have to protect her, but my body won’t cooperate. “That’s- well she was with her sir.” A man coughed out somewhere around me, but my eyes stayed trained on the tall man. “She only had one child, get rid of this one!” He yells at the man his head snapping up at him. I finally moved, my body ached, but I moved. I wrapped my body around my sister, power moving around us forming a barrier. “Oh shit-“ someone yelled and people moved around us, trying to get past the shield. but as soon as they got close enough they flew back against the wall. Everyone seemed to scramble away from

Us except for the man, he didn’t move. “Don’t, touch her.” I tried to keep my voice calm, but I knew I failed.

I watched the tall Man smile down at us huddled on the floor, amusement in his eyes. He was smiling down at me like I was entertaining. I focused my energy on him, focused my anger, but everything felt so draining, my eyelids started to droop. No..no, I tried to keep them open, but my body collapses again on the tiles, and everything blacks out except for his words. “Your going to be very useful miss blackwood, very.”

____________________________________________

My body shifts under me, but I am not moving it. Voices come from around me, but I don’t hear them. I can’t feel anything anymore and I’m okay with that. I’m no longer in pain, and I feel relived. I probably took Amara’s pain medicine she’s been pressuring me to take it for awhile now. But now that I’m thinking about it, I don’t know how she even convinced me. I don’t even remember anything, except- everything comes back to me in a flash, and my eyes fly open, my bodying snapping up in a -bed? Where am I?. A steadying hand is placed on my shoulder and I shift away quickly and stare up at a pair of brown soft eyes. “Sorry to startle you- I was just adjusting your pillow.” She smiles down at me and turns to grab something from a side table. I watch her movements, but I say nothing, who is she? “Are you thirsty?” She asked turning back to me, a jar of water in her outstretched hand. I stare at the glass, my dry lips part, and I finally realize how dehydrated I am. I quickly grab the glass, I don’t care if it’s drugged at this point, I just need something to relive the burning in my throat. The woman smiles as she adjusts her blonde bun. “I’ll go send for him now, and tell him you finally awoken.” I set the now half filed glass in my lap my hands wrapped around it. “Who?” I finally say, it comes out scratchy, but I don’t care, I finally look around and I take in the room. It’s a bedroom, a pretty large one, but simple. A large dresser is aligned against a dark blue wall, a small vanity on the opposite side, it was a pretty yellow color and piles of papers laid on top of its surface. I switch my attention to the rest of the room. Two side tables are settled on each side of the bed I am in. A lamp on each. The bed consists of a simple comforter and pillows that pile up behind me. I adjust against them against a thin nightgown I am wearing- a nightgown? she finally awnsers me, intercepting my thoughts, and walking away from me, towards a wooden door on the opposite side of the room. “Hell be here soon.” She smiles at me one last time before she opens the door open slightly, and slips out the door clicking close behind her. I stare at the door, waiting for it to open, for anyone to enter, but for what it feels like many minutes pass and I give up and fall back against the soft pillows. I stare at the ceiling, at the canopy I didn’t notice before. It’s a silky white color, I reach out and touch it, the material moves between my finger tips. I’ve never felt something so smooth, I tug against the material, and it rips, almost pulling the wooden berms holding it together with it. I breathe out a harsh breath watching the fabric in my hands, and I shove it under a pillow. I must still be using the elements- but I thought I turned it off? I close my eyes and focus on that energy again, until it disappears behind a shadowed barrier. The door flys open and I sit up sharply the elements I just concealed springing to life. “no need to get all defensive, darling.” A man enters, the same figure I saw briefly before, except I can see him fully now. He is tall, and is packed with mussels that shows beneath his tight black long sleeve. His dark blue eyes seem to study me as I take In the rest of his features and he steps closer into the room, the door still open behind him. I stare at the door, how will I escape? Can I over power him? I realize he’s talking to me and I snap my eyes back to his face. “What?” I say, it comes out as a whisper, and I stare back down at my hands piled on top on the blanket. “Are you feeling okay?” He stares at me- I realize I still have the elements up, but I don’t care, I don’t trust this random man. I don’t amwser him, “Where am I?” My eye turn back to him, he’s not staring at me anymore, he’s watching the small window on the opposite wall. I didn’t notice that either I must still be delirious. “Your safe, that’s all that matters.” I watch his movements as he runs his fingers through his short brown hair, safe? I’m safe? Why does that- sera. I shoot up from the bed standing only a few feet from him now on the wooden tile. “Where’s my sister? What happened to the complex?” I breath watching him, he steps back- I formed a barrier of energy around me, he watches it closely then shoots his attention back to me. “Sister?” He looks confused

“Angela didn’t have two children.”I didn’t know how he knew my mother name, but I didn’t care, fire burning in my eyes “Where is she. ” I say more sternly but he just shakes his head “You need to calm down.” I stare at him and then the door- I have to get out of here, I have to find her. My body starts moving but his voice stops me, “you can’t leave.” “Yes I can.” I turn back to him “I have to get back to her.” He smirks “she’s not your sister cherub.” I breath, how does he know my name, who is he? I stare at him, I know fire burns in my gaze, but he doesn’t faulter. “If there is someone you need us to find, we will find them.” What about Ryan? My gaze goes to the room again, last time I saw The complex it was collapsing, what if he? I breath and shake my head. “I have to go now.” “No your going to sit down, and listen.” Something pushes me back to a sitting position on the bed, and struggle against it but it’s like a burning chain. I hiss at the burn up my arms and legs as I struggle. “I wouldn’t do that, it stings.” “What is this?” I growl at him, and don’t listen as I continue to move embracing the pain. “Your not the only one with magic tricks, darling.” I stop moving and stare up at him, I realize this shield collapsed my elemental barrier and left me defenseless against another weilder? “What?” I breath out “not impressed?” He grinned down at me, I ignore his batter and just examine him “who are you?” He smiles at me and then looks lower, I look down at his direction, the sheer nightgown fell inches off my shoulder revealing my cleavage, crossing my arms I wince at the heat that burns along my arm from the shield. He looks back at me “Carson ledger” he says simply “I’ll send for Lara to set a bath and some clothes for you.” He steps back and the chains disappear, I gasp as I fall forward and onto the ground, my arms barley shielding my fall. “I’ll be back for you later.” He walks out the door and doesn’t look back.

I felt like I stared at that door for hours until Lara finally entered. She started a bath with something she called seat salts set aside for me to add as needed. We never had the luxury of taking baths regularly, maybe once or twice a week almost, and those are usually timed.

I was just getting out of the tub when Lara returned with clothes for me. “I’ll set this down on the bed for you miss.” She moved some of her black hair out of her face that fell out of her bun. “Alright,” I felt puzzled, I didn’t know what I was expected to do or say, I was practically kidnapped and taken here. It's much better than the Compounds I was in, but still, I don’t even know where I am. “Do you need anything else to miss?” I adjusted the towel I put on and walked out of the bathroom, eyeing the clothes that she just laid on the bed. “No. Thank you for this.” I wanted to say ‘Where am I? Who are you? Where’s my sister?’ But I’m sure she wouldn’t answer me. When she told me Mr. Leger would be here shortly and left me alone, I gathered the clothes from the bed and changed quickly into too-loose black pants and a fitted blue top. My eyes searched the room again, I should have checked for cameras or bugs of some sort, who knows who these people are- a knock sounds at the door followed by the door swinging open and Carson entering. “I see you're finally ready.” He says motioning for me to follow him, but I don’t stay put. “Where am I?” I ask ignoring his glare “your safe, that’s what matters.” “That’s not an answer” He starts to move towards me but I quickly back up into one of the canopy’s pillars. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair, I stare at it for a moment, it looks so soft, I’m so tempted to reach and and touch it, but I quickly push that down and refocus my mind as he finally responds. “You at Oralans compound.” I stared at him, I knew that word. Oralans, it sounded so- “This is a justice group?” I breathe out watching his body movements as he stops in front of me. I don’t know much about the outside world, but I do know about the justice groups. Since the private complex I was put in is quite popular with these groups, we are hit rapidly by them, I took it upon myself to learn more about these groups over the years. They are built to resist against the new society trying to be established by the government. They usually attempt to invade complexes to show they are a threat, not to take people.

He doesn’t respond he just stares at me. “Why am I here, and how do you know who I am?” A corner of his mouth tugs up as he continues to not respond. I lock my jaw and grit out, “Are you going to respond or not?” Crossing my arms, I stare at his handsome face. God, how can a man be so intimidating but look so good at the same time? I could stare into his gorgeous blue eyes forever, I would drown in them if he would let me- Oh. My. Gosh. Snap out of it. You can’t be ogoling this man, he freaking kidnapped you!

I quickly avert my eyes looking down at the plush carpet. “I’ll give you the answers, Mrs. Blackwood, soon enough.” He smirked then walked back to the door, motioning for me to follow him. I obeyed and we walked out into a vast hallway, lined with gold trim and white walls covered in empty frames. I frowned why have frames but no photos? We didn’t have frames other than photos to put in them, but It’s obvious that frames are paired with a sort of photo or painting. I stepped completely out of the room and he let go of the door he held for me as it shut behind me with a click. “Where are we going?” My eyes still roamed around the hallway, and my legs moved to catch up with his long strides. He approached a set of stairs at the end of the hallway when he finally answered “I want you to meet someone.” He didn’t look at me as he ascended the stairs, taking two at a time. I hurried after him, and by the time we reached the designated floor, I was out of breath. “Who?” I gasped out, trying to control my breathing. “Do you always ask so many questions?” He raised an eyebrow turning around to face me. I knew I looked like a mess, I could feel a layer of sweat on my forehead as my hair stuck to it. “I’m sorry, I'll try my best to not annoy you with my questions about where I am and why you kidnapped me.” He smirked and turned around walking again, “Good, thanks, red.” I gritted my teeth and moved my legs to follow him. We finally reached a set of wooden doors at the end of the hall, it was double the height of him, and could probably fit a few horses through it. Opening the door, he gestured for me to go in, and reluctantly I did. Voices were coming from inside and my eyes searched the room as I stepped in, looking for the owners. Stopping, I spotted two men seated on a red sofa in the middle of the room, one with a can of beer in their hand, the other gesturing to a paper in his. A woman is positioned on the other side of them on a worn armchair, sipping a glass of wine, as she nods at something the second man says. The door shut behind me in a loud thump making me jump and all three eyes landed on me. There was a long silence until Carter stepped out from behind me and broke it, “This is Cherub, the girl I was talking about.” He says blandly as all three of them stand up in unison, and walk towards us, they are all dressed nicely, both men in suits but no tie, and the woman in a dark blue dress. I felt out of place, but honestly, I had no choice in my clothing. “Brad Floris.” The first man greets me, holding out a hand for me, I stare at it, then look back at his face, suspiciously. He’s almost as tall as Carter so I have to rein my neck back to look at him, but he is the complete opposite looks-wise. He has dark brown hair that curls around his face and a light stubble around his sharp jawline. He looks young, maybe 17? His boyish smile gives that away, and he waits for me to take his hand, but I don’t. “You're gonna scare her away with that hideous face of yours, Brad.” The second man says shoving him, then stepping in front of him to greet me. “ I’m Lance, it’s good to meet you cherub.” He smiles at me, his green eyes dancing over my body. I take him In also, but not in the way he’s taking me in, he’s looking at me like I’m a meal prepared, I’m watching him like a cat does to a mouse. He has the same features as the first man, Brad, but he looks much older. “uh-“ I look between the two men as the woman pushes past them “stop hogging her!” She wines as she finally faces me, moving her bouncy blonde hair over her shoulder “Oh my goodness aren’t you a sight! When he said you were pretty I thought he meant Martha pretty, not this.” She hugged me, “It’s so good to finally meet you Cherub, I’m Andera.” I stood stiffly my hands at my sides as she gave me one last squeeze before she let me go and stepped back. Who is this woman? How much does she know about me? She must have seen the questions in my eyes as she answered “I was a friend of your mother's. I’m so sorry about what happened by the way, it must have been terrible.” I flinch at her words, and she looks like she’s about to say more when Carson cuts her off. “I would love to continue this, but we have work to do.” They all seem to nod, and then Carter motions towards the seating area in the center of the room they just occupied. Taking a seat on the red sofa, I shift my boy into the corner as Andera sits next to me, with Brad on her other side. Lance places papers I haven’t noticed he was carrying on the table, then disappears with the glass of wine and bottles of beer into a small alcove of the room. Carter stands in front of us, and I feel uneasy as he lifts a paper from the pile. I finally speak up, “Am I going to be told why I’m here?” I say shifting my position on the sofa. Lance renters the room with a laptop in his arms, then sits in the empty armchair across from us. “I think you know.” That is all Carter says, not looking up from the paper. I look at him confused, is it because of the elements? I could barely control them, and nobody but my parents knew they existed, not even my sister, how did they know?

I watch Lance as he types something into his computer, then move them to Carter watching his brow scrunch as he reads something on the paper. I stared at him for a second longer until I turned them on Brad and Andrea, they watched me with curious eyes, and I quickly looked away. “How did you all know Angela,” I spoke again, breaking the unsettling silence. “We didn’t.” Brad spoke, “Only Andera did, and when she says she was friends with her, it doesn't mean she was that close to her.” Lance added and went back to his computer “Okay..” I look down into my lap and pull at an invisible thread on my shirt. “So I’m here because?” I restate my first question, hoping for an answer and Carter signs putting down the paper. “Do you ever shut up?” “Carter! That’s rude- and it’s right for her to have questions, we are strangers.” Andera faces me “You’re here because we need you.” Is all she says as she settles back into the couch. Brad snorts “yeah, we need her.” I didn’t get it I stared at him, why did they need me? “Listen guys, just tell her already, I’m getting bored,” Lance says from across the room and he shuts his laptop, his elbows resting on top of it as he leans in. Carter shakes his head annoyed, and looks back up at me, I raise my eyebrows, waiting for him to explain. “I guess you know of nothing that is happening right now?” “You mean you giving me half-assed answers?” I stare at Andera and Brad confused, as they laugh, but Carter silences them with a stare, and Lance just looks bored. “You already know we are part of a justice group” It wasn’t a question but I nodded anyway. “We as many others are, have been trying to take down these complexes, like the one you were situated in.” I look down at my hands that are folded on my lap. “But it’s been difficult to, the Darlyns is one of the smaller ones, but it’s significantly guarded, and It’s obvious why.” I look up at him, creasing my brow. “They didn’t know about my elements.” I shook my head “No one did, I don’t know how you even knew.” He stared at me for a second, then smiled “Are you sure?” I stared at him then Brad spoke up “Everyone in the government knew about Angela, what she did, and who she was”. He paused and Lance chimed in “And they knew about you.” He was staring at me like he was earlier, and I looked away quickly. “While we broke into these facilities, we have also been looking for more of us.” “And when we heard that Angela’s child didn’t die in that fire, we had to get our hands on you,” Lance smirked, I glared at him, and he froze, seeing the same thing everyone sees in my eyes, death. He quickly adverted his eyes and I did too focusing back on Carter when Andera spoke up. “Not like that- we just, well.” She lights softly “A friend of ours, was captured months ago, and you're the only one who can help us retrieve her.” Turning towards her, I watched her expression soften. “Retrieve her? Why do You think I can help you?” “Because you can do more than all of us combined.” I shift and look around the room at the new faces “You all are…?” I get nods from all of them, and I breathe in a harsh breath, and shake my head. “I didn’t know there was more,” I say, my voice low. “There are plenty more than just us too just wait until you meet the rest of them.” Andera winked and Brad smiled. Shaking my head I took this all in, for starters I’m not the only one with these burden elements, and second they want me to use them to save their friend? “You all understand I can barely control them? And I’ve had them locked away for the past ten years until you all walked into my life?” Carter shook his head “You just had them dormant, you can use them we just-“ I shook my head “Cherub, please just think about it.” “I’ll think about it when you tell me where my sister is.” Andera looks confused and so does Brad and Lance. “You don’t have a sister,” “Yes I do, she wants to put it in the records, for a reason.” I glared at him, “does she possess the elements too?” Andera piped up, I shook my head, still

Keeping my eyes trained on Carson as I waited for him to answer my question, he looked, and he shook her head frustrated. “We left the complex as soon as we had you, we couldn’t take anyone else, more troops were on their way, and it would have been worse for them if we tried to save anymore.” My eyes wandered back to my hands, I knew what that meant, but I had to be sure before I started to break down. “D-did they order the kill strike?” I breathe out, my gut twisting “Cherub no- they didn’t.” Brad spoke I let out a harsh breath, Ryan and Sera were okay, they will be okay. “I must find them, I can’t, be here, I have to find them, I just- I have to.” I was rambling I knew it, but I didn’t care, I was worried. Even if they didn’t call the kill strike, they could still use methods of harm to figure out information. A soft hand was placed on my shoulder “Don't worry, if it’s someone you need to find I’m sure we can do it together.” She smiled and looked at Carter for reassurance, he shook her head but then looked back up at me “We will help you if you help us. Your ‘sister’ will be found, if you agree to help us find Tina.” I bite my lip looking away, then back to him. Of course, it’s a negotiation. “What do you need me to do?” He smiles “First we need you to train with your elements, we are going to need them.” I watched him closely as he stood “Andera will walk you back to your room, I’ll send Lara to grab you something to eat.” Andera stood, and Lance and Brad walked off approaching another door on the opposite wall I hadn’t seen when I walked in. They both smiled, except Brad was more welcoming than Lance's long stare.

I finally stood and followed Andera to the door. She just opened the door when Carter spoke again, “I am looking forward to our training sessions, red.” The door snapped shut behind me.