Darkening Chaos: Book Three of The Destroyer Trilogy (3 page)

Daniel
shakes his head. “But we aren’t Ciphers anymore, Libby.” He holds up his wrist
so I can see the raised, scarred flesh of his jet black diktats, as if I had
forgotten raising them only a few hours ago. They are perfect oblong scars, pure
black tick marks that can never be altered or changed. Who he is can never be
doubted. The physical manifestation of his newly unlocked talents, true name,
and class encircle his left wrist, left to show that he belongs to me and not
the rest of the world. They make me smile for their beauty. He has waited for over
forty years in the spirit world to have those. Even he is transfixed by them
for a few seconds. Slowly, he shakes his head and drops his hand.

“Daniel,
you’re still a Cipher. Maybe not in the same way as before, but you are
different still. If the Seekers could see Ciphers even after being unlocked,
they would have found Dean and Milo the moment I unlocked their talents, and
Saia would have seen Milo long before I brought him to the spirit world to meet
her.”

I
pause for a moment to let what I’m saying sink in. I know some of the Ciphers
have been hoping to simply pick up their lives and move on like they were never
abducted, but it won’t be like that. They’re free of the spirit world, but they
will never be free of who they are. They are linked to me in a way they can
never escape.

“I
think it’s just like performing the Inquest to unlock your talents. I was the
only one who could do it. And I think I’m the only one that can use my Vision
to see you. The Seekers are blind to you, just like they were to me,” I say.

I
had doubted this theory almost the second after I came up with it because Mr.
Walters had told me that someone had seen something of my coming when they
offered him the Oath to hunt me down in exchange for his freedom decades before
my birth. But even Mr. Walters, the man dedicated to finding me, never actually
glimpsed my coming. He felt impressions about when I was born and where I might
be, but he had spent years attuning himself to me. The other Seekers, the most
they could have seen was the often disastrous effect I have on the world around
me, not actually me. It would have been enough to alert them to my imminent
birth, but not enough to give them specific information. It seems logical to
me, at least. Anyway, I think it’s worth trying.

Daniel
seems to mull over the whole idea, as well. “I’m willing to try, I guess, but
if it’s going to take going unnoticed by the Seekers, that counts out anyone
who isn’t a Cipher, or you, right?”

That’s
the part of the plan Lance did not like.

“Yeah,
it’s just gonna be me and you, Daniel. Sure you’re up for it?”

“I’d
be more excited if this was forty years ago,” he says with a small sigh, “but
yeah, I’m up for it. Anything that will help us get Braden back.”

My
sigh is much more profound, and filled with relief. I knew Daniel wouldn't fail
me on this. Even if he is almost sixty years old and has only had his talents
for less than twelve hours.

“When
do we leave?” Daniel asks.

“As
soon as you’re ready. I’ve only got thirty-nine hours left.”

Daniel
shakes his head. “Nothing like a deadline to get you hopping. I’ll be ready in
a few minutes.”

He
walks away, but his words linger. I am on a deadline, but not just one. By
Friday morning at ten a.m., I have to figure out a way to get everyone out of
the compound or they’ll all be murdered. By my eighteenth birthday, I have to
overthrow the entire structure of military law in the world, or me and possibly
everyone else in the world, will all be dead.

And
I have an essay due in English next week.

Chapter
3

Captured

The cool Canadian air tugs
a strand of hair from behind my ear as we watch the rotating patrol of
Guardians around their fortress. I push the loose hair back, irritated at the
distraction. Crouched behind a spattering of low bushes, Daniel and I can still
see the nearest Guardian walk across the grounds easily. As he passes us, my
eyes slide behind him to the immaculate landscape before me. I have never seen
such a gorgeous garden. Even in the fading light, the palette of colors is
astounding. Perfectly trimmed bushes, blossoming shrubs and trees, artful
walkways, everything is placed precisely to enhance the overall beauty of the
area. Even Daniel, who grew up in Quebec, is staring at in with mild awe.

“This
isn’t really what I expected,” he says. “I’ve never been to a Guardian compound
aside from when I was taken, and I was blindfolded then. I was expecting fences
and barbed wire, alarms, more security than a few patrols.”

Suddenly,
the allure of the tranquil garden loses its appeal. “Nobody knows it’s really a
prison, Daniel. We’re all supposed to believe these are the people protecting
us. Nobody knows what they really are.”

“They
will,” Daniel promises.

My
agreement has to be silent as the next Guardian approaches. Daniel looks over
at me expectantly, but I shake my head. Not this one. We wait in silence until
he passes out of hearing range. When he does, Daniel turns to face me. His
anxiety is building slowly the longer we stay here. Despite his age, for a
moment I see him as a young man, eager to use his new talents, and terrified of
them at the same time. It’s what he should have experienced four decades ago.
Now, his emotions show in the way the wrinkles on his forehead deepen as his
worry increases.

“How
do you know which one is a Seeker, Libby?” he asks.

“Perception.
It’s similar to performing an Inquest, just much simpler. I’m not trying to
unlock anything, just recognize the energies in the mind and body. Most
Guardians only have Speed and Strength, two of the easiest to recognize. The
guy who just passed had traces of Concealment, too. Not strong, but he used it
to make his passing less noticeable. Did you hear how quiet he was?”

“So,
you’re waiting for one to come along with Vision?” he asks. “But why would a
Seeker be out patrolling the grounds? Aren’t they supposed to be this elite
force?”

“Yeah,
but they’re also a big secret, remember? Not even the regular Guardians are
supposed to know about them. The Seekers have to blend in, act like all the
others, but Mr. Walters taught me how to recognize them quickly, because they
are almost always tapping their Vision. It creates a kind of shadow, or
afterimage when I look at them with my Perception. I can spot them pretty
easily.”

Daniel
nods appreciatively. The more I talk about all the things Mr. Walters has
taught me over the last year, the more Daniel seems to understand why I can’t
leave his family behind. Yes, he betrayed me in the end, but, hey, nobody’s
perfect. Lance almost slit my throat out of reflex the night he found out I was
the Destroyer. My dad almost killed me and him both trying to steal my talents
in an attempt to hide who I was. Braden tried to arrest Milo and imprison him
in the spirit world. And let’s not even start in on my mistakes. It would be
dawn before I finished.

We
wait through two more silent Guardians stalking past us. My eyes, trained on
the direction they keep coming from, spots the Seeker’s creepy Vision halo from
half a dozen yards away even in the failing light. It looks like he and his pet
ghost are out for an evening stroll. I shudder at the strange effect.

“That’s
the one,” I whisper to Daniel as I start moving into position.

His
fingers flex nervously. Daniel’s part in this felony is simple. Distraction. I watch
nervously as his Strength-enhanced muscles bunch. New as he is to his talents,
it’s no surprise that his attempt to dart out and surprise the Seeker turns
into him overbalancing. Not used to the speed at which his feet are moving, he
crashes out of the bushes. He rights himself before actually falling over, and
freezes in the middle of the walking path. The Seeker stares back with wide
eyes. I can see the confusion in his eyes as he wonders how this person was
able to sneak up on him.

A
second later, he is lying on the ground gasping for the breath I just knocked
out of him. The foot that kicked him in the chest lands lightly on the ground
next to his limp body. I know Strength will bring him out of his shock much
faster than a normal person, but I can’t help leaning down and making sure he
can see my face clearly. My satisfied smile makes his eyes go wide. He knows
who I am. Everyone knows who I am. It’s hard to forget the face of the person
you believe will destroy everything you hold dear. As his mouth starts to form
into coherent words, I pull my fist back and slam it into his temple just hard
enough to make him nice and easy to transport.

He
weighs twice what I do, but I sling him over my shoulder easily. Daniel follows
without a word. I would have liked to have taken him to a secure building where
I could tie him up in some truly uncomfortable fashion and take my time drawing
out the information I need. The whole drive over to the compound I kept
imagining some scene out of a Bond movie, but in reality, the most creative I
can get in the short window of time we have before he’s discovered missing is
strapping him to the passenger’s seat of the car we borrowed from one of the
Canadian handlers with a dozen ratcheting tie-downs.

Then
I slap his cheeks that still carry a hint of baby fat until he perks back up.
His eyes pop open, and as soon as they do, he starts flailing. Well, the parts
that aren’t fastened to the seat start flailing, which are pretty much just his
lower legs. There’s a wild, terrified quality to his movements. Young enough to
be stuck guarding a perimeter no one in their right mind would try to
penetrate, he still must be so dependent on his Vision guiding him that he
can’t seem to handle not knowing what he’s about to endure. It’s a strangely
disturbing display.

“We
should have left him unconscious,” Daniel mutters from behind me.

The
Seeker freezes instantly and stares at me with panicked eyes.

“I
can’t access his mind if he’s unconscious. A person has to be awake for me to
invade them with Perception.” That seems like a serious flaw in this talent if
you ask me. Although, having this newbie enemy knowing that I am tearing into
his thoughts and memories like tissue paper is a nice bonus. I very much doubt
it will be a pleasant experience for him. He must realize that.

“What
do you want with me, Cassia,” he asks, using my true name.

“My
name’s Libby,” I say calmly, “and I just want to ask you some questions,
Seeker.”

His
Adam’s apple bobs up and down as he gulps. “How … how do you know I’m a
Seeker?”

“I
know lots of things.” My twisted smile makes him gulp again. His eyes flutter,
and I begin to worry about him fainting on me. I force myself to lean back a
little, look less threatening. “But regardless of the secrets I already know,
there are always a few more, aren’t they? Those are what I want from you. I
want the secrets you protect more carefully than anything else in your life.”

“What?
I, uh … I don’t have … know … anything,” he babbles.

I
lean forward again. He presses himself against the seat but doesn’t get any
further away. I meet his eyes squarely and say, “I will give you one chance to
answer me honestly. If you don’t, or can’t, I will get the information another
way. Do you understand me?”

He
nods slowly.

“Good,”
I say. “Now, where are prisoners kept inside a Guardian compound?”

I
don’t know what he was expecting me to ask him, but as soon as the words leave
my mouth, he must understand that if I’m asking about prisoner lodgings it has
to be because I’m planning on breaking one out. His jaw clamps down with an air
of finality. Poor thing still believes in what he’s a part of. He must be
really
new. I sigh for effect, but am secretly pleased. I’m itching to get back at the
Guardians in any way possible.

“Fine,
I guess it has to be the hard way, Seeker.”

My
fingers glide across his cheeks, almost a caress. The soft touch brings more
terror than an outright slap ever could have, and only doubles when both my
hands constrict again his head, holding it in place. Physical contact isn’t a
must, but in difficult situations like this is about to become, it helps quite
a lot. I can see Daniel leaning in more closely. His own Perception is nearly
useless without any practical experience to use it, but he’s eager to learn.

I
close my eyes and will my Perception into his mind. The blocks I usually keep up
to filter out the constant buzz of emotional noise I get from others falls away
as I focus on my task. Perception lets me open myself up to others’ emotions so
I can know their true intentions, but it also gives me the ability to seek out
truth and lies straight from the source. That is the limit of what an average
Perceptive can do. I’m not an average Perceptive. Thanks to Braden, I
discovered something else I can do with my talent.

Once
I have pushed my Perception into the Seekers’ mind, I spread it out, thin like
a blanket, and drape it over his thoughts. Right away, I can feel the swirling
vortex of his emotional center. His suffocating fear is satisfying, but not
what I’m looking for. I leave the hurricane of terror behind and wander back to
the memory centers. Short term doesn’t concern me, either. His career as a
Seeker can’t have been too extensive, but it has definitely lasted more than a
few hours. My focus narrows on the long term memories, and I’m immediately
greeted by a half a dozen bubbles of protective warding. These are what I want.
Guardian promises.