Talent Storm (51 page)

I felt every cell in my body and the blood coursing through my veins. I sensed my talent hiding in the back of my mind, chased away by Goldwater’s telepathy. I reached out to my talent, feeling its velvety complexity rippling around. Goldwater’s talent was like a weed shading mine from the sun. I ripped the weed from my mind. My talent blossomed, then flourished, my body glowing like a green star. All this time my anger was holding me back after all. I was barely scratching the surface of my potential. My
focus
gave me true power, just like Deo had said so long ago.

Goldwater squinted at my sudden radiance, and his fist froze before my face. He blinked rapidly, shaking his head, mouth gaping. “What? Impossible!”

His talent struck my mind, attempting to dampen my power. I brushed it off, like dust on my shoulder.

A tingling rush pulsed inside my mind. Hmm, what was that? I focused entirely on the sensation, and my talent flashed. Insight rushed into my brain, like a charging river. I had no idea where the information came from, but the possibilities were endless.

I thought back to when Sofia had cut me. She was amazed that it healed overnight. When Sid’s sword struck my shoulder, it didn’t hit me with the flat side. My talent had healed the gash before I looked at it.

It had been healing me all this time. Now, it was my turn. I scanned my brutalized body, taking inventory of every wound. With new understanding and telekinetic energy, I focused on the raw materials inside me, then combined elements into compounds and molecules. If a necessary element was lacking, I tore others apart to build it, drawing from the blood on my face first.

New cells rapidly grew throughout my body and mended torn tissue. My telekinesis positioned my shattered bones before they healed. My crushed face filled out, and then the skin on its surface regenerated. In seconds, I was like new.

Goldwater’s eyes bulged. “No.”

Grasping my talent, I winked at him. He flew backward crashing against the wall, knocking pre-war paintings to the ground. He collapsed as the door burst open. Scores of guards stood in the doorway. I slammed the door in their faces. Their weapons pounded the steel door, but I held it firm. No one else had to die today. Except Sid....

I slowly turned back on the Goldwater. He cowered in the corner, babbling. “It’s not possible. It’s not possible. It’s not possible....”

“You could have done so much good, but instead you desired control,” I said. “To satisfy your desire you destroyed lives and beat down people until they rose no more. People like you don't deserve to live. You’re darkness, you’re evil, and I’m the bane of all you stand for. You infect others with your relentless illusions, drugs, and flagrant propaganda—”

“This isn’t over, and there will be others,” he growled, cutting me off. His deep-set eyes held a hint of his old confidence.

I inhaled, feeling the air caress my throat and lungs. “It is, and I’ll kill them too. Now, you burn.”

I had already built elements. Shaking atoms should be simple. I focused on Goldwater’s body and increased the oscillation of all his particles tenfold.

His face grew bright red, and he groaned. When smoke rolled out of his mouth, and his face blistered, he screamed. Seconds later, flames burst from his eyes, mouth, ears, and nose, silencing him. In the face of the fire, shadows danced on the walls. In only a few seconds, his body burned into a human shaped pile of ash. The gold of his molten rings pooled up next to it.

“I'm not so worthless after all.” I did it; Goldwater was finally dead... but Sofia?

I rushed over to her and laid one hand on her broken body. I would rather have cancer eat me away and be mired in unbearable pain until death, than live without her. I couldn’t lose her like I lost Lilly and everyone else.

Acid burned my throat, and I swallowed to keep it down. She wasn’t breathing. I felt her neck for a pulse. None. I clutched her arm and flooded her with healing talent, pouring everything into her. My fingers pressed into her neck again. No pulse. I compressed her heart with my talent, hoping to restart it. The second I stopped, it did too. I stared at her limp body, gaping, unable to believe it. She was dead. If only I transcended quicker…

I collapsed to ground, devastating emotion smothering me. “Nooo, how is this possible?” I yelled, beating my fists into the ground. “Not you Sofia, not you. You're all that matters to me.” Freeing Liberty from the archduke's tyranny was worthless without her. I failed again. Why have power if you can’t protect the ones you love? I hugged myself, sobbing, never feeling more alone.

After I could cry no more, I lay on the ground, unmoving. Men shouted and pounded on the door, but I didn’t care.

I flinched as a voice spoke in my mind.
Change it.

Change what?

See and change it.

See what... then awareness brightened my mind and I knew. I had to peer deeper into reality. My vision soared far into the room around me. The marble floor became porous, the cells of the oak desk large empty husks. The fabric of Sofia’s clothes stretched until I saw every string separated by huge gaps. Her skin became cells, then the building blocks of cells. Beyond that were trillions of atoms with points of energy orbiting around them. Deeper still, the atoms split into several smaller particles. Finally, the world melted into a stream of glowing strings. I watched as the strings rotated, spinning time along.

I focused deeper and deeper on the spiraling strings until nothing else existed. The outer fringes of my being began to disperse, interacting with the fabric of the world. Focusing all of my will and talent, I concentrated on a single need. The strings slowed, then stopped. My body dissolved as time and space blurred.

☼☼☼

I was nowhere and everywhere when my awareness returned. I was the highest happiness. Nothing was around me, no ground, no water, no wind, no motion, and no dimension. I was infinity; I was bliss. Everything was as it should be. I existed free of pain, suffering, or guilt. I was aware of everything and desired nothing. Time no longer existed or never existed.

A single word knocked at my consciousness. I let it blow away like the wind. Nothing could affect me now. The word knocked again more insistently, creating the briefest disharmony. Again, the word washed away, leaving me liberated in the void.

The word slammed into me.
Sofia!

How could I have forgotten? What was pure happiness without her? I focused my entire existence on her name. The glowing strings reversed direction. Ripped from bliss, my mind lurched in unthinkable pain and suffering. My body materialized on solid ground. Goldwater stood before me, his eyes shooting open. His morning star tore through the air, then slammed into my chest, caving it inward. I took solace in the feel of Sofia’s arms on my back and Goldwater’s dropped jaw as I died.

☼☼☼

Just before Goldwater's attack crushed the life out of Sofia, someone appeared in the weapons path. It was... me? I gasped as my talent control returned, flooding me with power. In an instant, I wielded it. Every ancient weapon ripped from the walls in an emerald explosion aimed at Goldwater. The countless blades cut through the air and punched, ripped, and sliced into him. He groaned and fell on his hands and knees, his blood pooling on the marble floor.

He craned his neck before glaring at me, his thick eyebrows lowered. I stepped back. He jerked a dagger free from his arm and pushed himself to his knees.

“It’s not over,” he said, blood dripping from his mouth.

My stomach lurched, and I lifted my halberd. He stepped toward me... once, then again. The blades slid out of him, pulled by glowing black tendrils. His talent swam around his body, sealing his wounds. I stepped back, glancing around nervously.

He took too more steps. I nearly ran before he stumbled, coughing up blood. His arm dropped to his side, his dagger falling to the ground. I lowered my halberd, exhaling slowly. Despite his weakness, his eyes still raked mine.

“It’s not over,” he said just before his eyes rolled back, and he fell forward.

Cautiously, I approached his prone body, thinking he might leap up at any second. He didn’t and when I reached him, my blade sliced down, severing his head. Better safe than sorry. I threw my halberd to the ground, then spit on it.

Sofia and I met eyes, smiles growing on our faces. We ran to each other and hugged tightly. I lifted her before spinning. She laughed, her eyes crinkling and her legs streaming out in circles.

I lowered her to the ground but kept my arm around her. “We did it!”

“Finally,” she said with a sigh.

Her eyes flicked to my right, and she frowned. I followed her gaze. She looked at the dead me, or whoever he was.

“What happened? Who is that?” she asked.

“Me, I guess, but I don’t know how.”

“Could it be an illusion?”

I pressed my knuckles to my lips and thought about it. “No. I would have sensed that.”

She titled her head and played with one of her curls before her eyes lit up. “Wait. Could a future you have traveled back in time?”

I flinched back at the thought. The idea was mind-blowing and seemed impossible. What else could it have been though? “Maybe.”

“Could you learn to do that?”

Possibilities whirled in my mind. If I did, I could save Ben and Lilly. An excited shiver ran through my body at the implications and my heart was suddenly pounding. Almost immediately after, anxiety pushed my excitement away.

If I changed time, would Goldwater still dominate the people of Liberty? Would I ever meet Sofia? Worse, would she still live? I didn’t know. As much as I hated abandoning the possibility of saving Ben and Lilly, I couldn’t risk it.

I shrugged and gazed into Sofia’s eyes. “It doesn’t matter. Only you do,” I said, then flashed her my most charming smile.

She winked at me, a big grin on her face. “You’re pretty important too. Now let’s get out of here.”

I nodded and clasped her hand. We walked toward the door, leaving the dead me behind.

After we left the room, we tore the palace apart, looking for Sid. I found Peacemaker, but Sid and everyone else were gone. Maybe I’d seen the last of him. Somehow, I doubted it. At least Goldwater was finally dead, finally out of my life.

After walking down the wide marble steps of Goldwater’s palace, we passed through his gardens and out the main gate. A gnawing thought popped into my head. I stopped, turning back.

“What is it?” Sofia asked, her hand on my back.

I glared at Goldwater’s Palace. I shook my head at its grandeur and gaudy display of wealth. Amazingly, even though Goldwater despised women’s rights, a statue of a woman stood before his palace. Underneath the statue read,
Esther Hobart Morris: Proponent of the Legislative act which in 1869 gave distinction to the territory of Wyoming.
A plaque was posted next to Esther. It read,
Wyoming State Capitol Building
. I wondered why Goldwater didn’t tear the old sign down. Maybe he was a fan of history; he was historical after all. Next to the plaque stood an enormous bronze statue of Goldwater that easily reached thirty feet tall and shadowed Esther. The palace’s elegance was like a man gorging himself in view of his starving neighbor.

“This palace is tainted. Give me a second.”

I looked at both my arms as they glowed a bright green, loving the sensation of my talent as always. With a wave of my hand, the head of Goldwater’s statue sheared off and bounced in the distance.

I lowered my hands while dropping to one knee. I unleashed massive amounts of talent in a flowing river of power. A green inferno burst around the palace. I lifted my hands, struggling to stand, my muscles bulging. The palace groaned, then cracked. After a loud rumble, the ground began to shake. My back bent under its weight as sweat streamed down my face. Sofia jumped back, gasping as the entire palace ripped from the ground.

I lifted my arms high above my head, and the palace lurched upward. Feeling my talent begin to drain, I focused for one last burst. The massive structure suddenly rocketed toward the ground. When it collided, it exploded, shooting out concrete and steel within a few feet of us. I turned to Sofia, whose jaw hung open.

I shrugged. “Maybe Sid was hiding somewhere inside. If not, we spared Liberty from a symbol of corruption.”

She nodded. “Good.”

Where Goldwater’s palace once sat was nothing but rubble. People should be governed by equals, not by an elite class of slave masters.

CHAPTER 23

Sofia and I held hands near the entrance of Liberty Town Hall. Soon, the leaders of Locke's Coalition would arrive for the celebration. Liberty citizens and community leaders were already present. They set up chairs in front of a stage, prepared the feast, and chatted with wide smiles. The tall main-entrance doors swung open. Victor Deo, Shantice James, and a gray haired, broad shouldered man in a Coalition uniform all walked inside.

I smiled as Victor Deo walked up to us. He matched my smile and offered his wrinkled hand. I shook it.

“Jaden, it’s good to see you.”

Although I was angry with him before leaving for Liberty, I wasn’t anymore. I knew that he was just doing his job. Besides, I would never have achieved what I did without him.

“And who’s this?” he asked, pointing toward Sofia, who was squinting at him.

I turned toward her. “Sofia, meet Victor Deo.”

She shook his offered hand. “Oh! That’s who you are. It’s an honor to meet you sir. You’re a legend. I’ve heard a lot of impressive stories about you.”

The old man’s smile stretched wide. “They’re all true,” he said with a wink. He moved in closer to me, put his hand on my shoulder, and said in a low voice, “Jaden, I’m so sorry about Lilly. She was a great person. And I’m sorry we abandoned you in Liberty. I tried to convince the high general to put together a rescue team, but he wouldn’t have it.”

“Thanks, Sir. I really appreciate everything you’ve done.” He was the closest thing to a father that I had.

Commissioner Shantice James walked up next. With a smile, she shook Sofia’s hand and then mine. Her telepathy swept through me, and her eyes widened. She stood as if rooted to the ground, her mouth agape.