Wild-born (18 page)

It must have shown on my face, because suddenly Ralph was no longer smiling. He pointed his crossbow at me and took a few steps back. The wind started to pick up again.

“Well, well,” Ralph said quietly, “you really are something special, aren’t you, lad? You’ve learned to block it.”

“Yes,” I breathed furiously, glaring back at him, “I’ve learned to block it.”

“Block this, lad,” he sneered.

Cindy had once called Ralph “old and senile,” but I’d add “overconfident” to the list. If Ralph hadn’t taunted me, I wouldn’t have been expecting it, and if I hadn’t been expecting it, I might have died then and there. By the time Ralph pulled the trigger, I had thrust my right arm forward, releasing a telekinetic blast. I had intended to blast the crossbow out of Ralph’s hands, but instead I ended up blasting the arrow itself as it shot toward me. I didn’t quite stop it, but I did slow it enough so that when it hit me, it bounced harmlessly off my thick snow jacket and fell to the floor.

Picking the steel arrow up in my gloved right hand, I ran at Ralph, screaming at the top of my lungs with fear and rage. But before I could stab him, I was hit by a powerful gust of wind that knocked me back. I heard Ralph laugh loudly.

Suddenly I found myself standing in a mini-tornado that had materialized in the living room. It picked me up, and the next thing I knew, my back was pressed hard against the ceiling, the wind pounding my body from below so that I couldn’t move. I could barely keep my eyes open. Squinting, I saw Ralph’s indistinct shape walk closer to me. He was looking up at me and saying something, but I couldn’t hear him because of the howling of the wind around my ears.

I felt my chest contract. The air was being sucked out of my lungs! I closed my lips tightly, but it was no use. The air was leaving my body through my nose. I couldn’t breathe. My vision, already blurry because I was squinting, started to fade.

As suddenly as it started, the wind stopped, and I fell back onto the floor, barely able to move. Something had stopped Ralph. My whole body throbbing from the fall, I weakly turned my head to the side, but my eyes couldn’t focus well. I could vaguely see Ralph facing Cindy, looking into her eyes. Something metallic slipped from Cindy’s hand and fell to the floor.

My eyes were beginning to refocus now, and I could hear Ralph wheezing angrily at Cindy.

“Naughty, that was, Cindy,” he said. “It’s not nice to drain people when they’re having fun.”

“I’m sorry, Ralph,” Cindy said in a hollow voice. “I didn’t mean to.”

I could see straight again. I felt the crossbow bolt still clutched in my right glove. This was where lack of psionic balance was an advantage. My power was taking care of my body, and I no longer felt much pain. Lightly jumping to my feet, I lunged at Ralph. I was closer to him this time, and his back was turned.

This time, I’d kill him.

Ralph turned upon me one moment too late. Our eyes met for a split second, and then I plowed into him, thrusting the arrow toward his neck. Ralph stumbled backwards and hit the wall behind him. I followed through, and a moment later I had him pinned against the wall, the steel arrowhead pressed against his neck.

“Are you going to kill me, lad?!” Ralph laughed manically, his fierce eyes daring me to cut his throat open.

“I should!” I breathed savagely through clenched teeth. I even wondered why I hadn’t already. What had stopped my hand? Ralph smirked, and I knew that in the brief moment that our eyes had met, Ralph had taken control, preventing me from cutting him open. But now Ralph was being drained of his power, and I was in complete control of my actions. I pressed the crossbow bolt harder against his skin.

“Adrian, don’t!” shouted Cindy, but I ignored her. I was sure she hadn’t recovered yet.

“Come on, lad,” Ralph hissed at me. “Let’s see what you got!”

“Please don’t,” said Cindy. “He’s not worth it.”

“He tried to kill me, Cindy!” I shouted, my voice shaking. “He tried to kill us all!”

“Adrian, look at him!” Cindy cried desperately. “He’s bleeding.”

And I instantly knew that this was the real Cindy speaking.

I looked down. Blood was trickling along the edge of the crossbow bolt and onto my glove. More had dripped down Ralph’s shirt. I lessened the pressure on Ralph’s neck, being careful to keep the arrowhead touching the skin. I wasn’t sure if this was enough metal contact to drain Ralph’s power completely, but if he tried anything...

“Get some rope, Cindy,” I said.

Cindy returned from the garage a minute later with a length of rope. We quickly marched Ralph into the dining room where Cindy tied him to one of the chairs, but not before shoving a pot lid up the back of his shirt to keep him drained.

Leaving Ralph there, I went back to the living room. I didn’t want to be in the same room as Ralph at the moment. Cindy followed me and I turned to her.

“Why did you ask me to spare him, Cindy?” I demanded.

“I didn’t want you to become a killer,” Cindy answered softly. “Not for him.”

I wasn’t sure that was all. Cindy knew Ralph from her Guardian days, and she knew him a lot better than I had originally thought. I regretted not pressing her sooner for her story. But once again, this was not the time for it. I steadied my breathing and looked around the living room. When my eyes met Cindy’s again, we asked each other at the same time, “Where’s Alia?”

At some point during the confrontation, Alia had fled to her room. We found her sitting on her bed with her arms wrapped around her knees. Her eyes were closed as she gently rocked herself back and forth.

“Hey, Ali,” whispered Cindy.

Alia slowly opened her eyes, but they were dazed and out of focus.

“It’s okay, Ralph is gone,” Cindy said soothingly. “But we have to leave soon too, honey.”

Alia just stared blankly at her. I don’t think she said anything.

Cindy turned to me, saying, “Adrian, I’m going to go finish packing. Stay here with Alia.”

Cindy left us there. I had never felt so awkward in my life. Gingerly sitting down on the corner of Alia’s bed, I just watched her for a moment. I could hear Cindy rushing about downstairs, but that just made the silence in Alia’s room all the more unbearable. I looked around at the toys and dolls.

“Addy,”
said Alia’s faint voice in my head.

“Ali,” I whispered back, giving her a smile.

“Addy, Ralph is a bad man. He does tricks.”

“I know,” I said as calmingly as I could. “The bad man is gone.”

I held my hand out to her, but she kept her arms tightly around her legs. I gently touched her knees, and was relieved that she didn’t pull away.

“You saved me, Ali,” I said quietly. “Did you know that? You helped me beat him.”

“I’m scared, Addy.”

“I know,” I said, but stopped myself before I blurted out the truth: that I was scared too. Instead I said, “Don’t be scared, Alia. I’ll take care of you.”

Alia finally looked up at me.
“Promise?”

“I promise,” I whispered. “I’ll protect you. No matter what.”

Alia slowly lifted her hand to mine, and I squeezed it gently. She squeezed back, and then wiped some of her tears with her other hand.

Cindy came back in. “How are we doing?”

“We’re okay,” I answered.

“Finish your packing, Adrian. I’ll help Alia.”

Back in my room, I quickly changed out of my snowsuit and into some regular clothes. I even put on the teddy-bear sweatshirt, hoping it might make Alia feel calmer. I stuffed the rest of my wardrobe into a duffle bag, placing the birthday card Alia had given me on top. I zipped the bag shut and heaved it onto my shoulder. I didn’t have any other important possessions except for the pendant around my neck, which I stroked again for good luck. I had a feeling that luck would be in short supply in the near future.

After tossing my duffle onto the back seat of Cindy’s SUV in the garage, I went back into the house through the kitchen and saw Cindy and Alia coming toward me. Cindy was carrying both of their clothing bags, and I felt a twinge of sorrow when I saw Alia dragging her giant stuffed unicorn behind her. She was leaving her nursery, probably forever.

“Where are you going?” Cindy asked me as I passed her.

“I’m going to say goodbye to our friend,” I said quietly.

Cindy looked at me uncomfortably, so I added, “Don’t worry, Cindy. I won’t kill him.”

“We’ll wait in the car,” said Cindy, holding Alia’s hand. “Be quick, okay?”

I stepped into the dining room, where Ralph was still sitting, tied to the chair. He hadn’t tried to escape. He hadn’t even moved.

“Hey, Ralph,” I said quietly.

“Adrian,” wheezed Ralph. “I always hoped we’d meet again.”

“Why’s that?”

“You’ve got the gift, lad. You’re as powerful as they come, and you still have no idea how very special you are.”

“Save your compliments,” I replied coldly. “They don’t work without your powers.”

Ralph snickered once, and we stared at each other. Cindy had said that she didn’t want me to become a killer. I wondered how many people Ralph had killed.

Remembering that Cindy and Alia were waiting in the garage, I broke the silence, saying as calmly as I could, “I have a question.”

Ralph shrugged. “I’m not going anywhere, lad.”

“How did you know my name?”

“I know a good many things about you, little destroyer. Like I said, you’re something special.”

I didn’t care about being special. “You lied to me when you said the Angels wanted me dead, didn’t you? That berserker wanted to recruit me into the Angels just like you wanted me in the Guardians.”

“Smart lad, you are,” said Ralph, smirking.

“Cindy told me,” I said dryly. “But when you took me, you were in a hurry.”

“That I was.”

“Why?”

“But you already know why, don’t you, lad?” Ralph said in a mocking tone.

I did know. The berserker was sent to capture me, but when the Angels found out that Ralph was hunting the berserker...

“There was another Angel,” I said quietly.

“That’s right.”

“Where is my sister?”

Ralph started laughing. “Give it up, lad. You’re not going to find her.”

“Where is she?!” I bellowed. The flower vase on the dining table shattered.

Ralph didn’t even flinch. “She’s just another Angel now, and you’re not going to find her.”

I glared at him, my whole body shaking in fury.

Ralph stared calmly back. “So, lad, aren’t you going to kill me now?”

I took a deep meditative breath. “Cindy told me not to.”

“Ah, but Cindy isn’t a destroyer, is she?”

“That’s true,” I replied evenly. “A moment ago, you tried to kill me. You knew my sister had been taken by an Angel last year, and you let it happen. You stopped me from going after her so you could save yourself and sell me to your Guardians.”

Ralph remained silent, gazing back at me.

I continued quietly, “You’re right, Ralph. I am a destroyer. If I let you live, you’ll come after us again. You’ll tell the Guardians about Alia. You’ll tell them that she’s a healer.”

“That I would. So what are you waiting for?” said Ralph, raising his voice. “Get it over with, lad! Go on, little destroyer!”

I stretched my right arm toward him, taking a step forward and pointing my index finger at his heart. One focused shot, and I could prevent any of that from happening. I looked at the old man’s face. I saw the dried blood on his neck and shirt, and I thought again of how Cindy had asked me to spare his life. I could still feel Alia’s little hand squeezing mine. I had a feeling now that whatever I did, I would end up regretting it.

“I am a destroyer,” I repeated slowly, “and I may only be thirteen...” I lowered my arm and looked deep into his eyes. “But I know better than to fall for your stupid tricks again, Ralph. And I will never, ever, be a killer like you.”

I turned on my heel and started to walk back toward the door when I heard Ralph say nastily, “Enjoy your denial while it lasts, little wild-born. You can’t run from your destiny forever.”

I know I shouldn’t have risen to him, but I don’t particularly regret it either. I spun on the spot and blasted him hard, knocking him backwards, chair and all. Still tied to the chair, Ralph lay on his back, moaning feebly.

“That’s for Cat!” I spat vehemently. “And for Alia, in advance.”

I walked to the garage and got into the front of the SUV, slamming the door. Cindy didn’t say anything as she started the engine. She pushed the remote control to open the garage shutter, and out we sped, leaving her house, leaving Ralph’s rusty blue convertible parked on the curb, and off into the unknown.

C
hapter 9: Cindy and the Guardians

Actually, just unknown to me. Cindy seemed to know where we were headed. I sat next to her, silently looking out of the window. Packed between bags of clothes, Alia sat in the back, hugging her unicorn and staring emptily off into space. Cindy kept her eyes on the road. Nobody spoke. I let the silence build until I couldn’t stand it any longer.

“I didn’t kill him, Cindy,” I said stiffly.

Cindy just nodded slightly.

“I did blast him, but I didn’t kill him.”

Cindy finally looked at me and smiled kindly, saying, “I was hoping that’s what happened.”

“Did you hear what we talked about?” I asked.

“I heard you talking, but I couldn’t make it out,” replied Cindy. “I just heard the chair fall over.”

I looked at her. “You honestly thought I killed him.”

“I hoped you didn’t.”

“But Cindy, you realize that as soon as Ralph is found, he’s going to tell the Guardians about Alia?”

“I know that, Adrian,” Cindy answered calmly.

I shook my head in frustration. “She’ll be hunted forever. You said so yourself!”

“And I’m sorry that’s what’s going to happen.”

“But Cindy—”

Cindy looked at me sharply. “Adrian?!”

“For the last time, I didn’t kill him!” I shouted. A long crack appeared on the dashboard.

“Okay, okay, I believe you,” Cindy said hastily. “Lower your voice. You’re scaring Alia.”

“Are we hidden?” I asked in an annoyed tone, trying to calm myself.