Awakening Book One of the Trust Series

chapter 24

Caitlyn looked at Declan with desperation. “I’ll be back.”

His student grabbed Garrett’s unconscious form and transported out. It was just himself and Lionel now. Lionel’s usually content face contorted, his lips curving upwards into an evil grin, his face now reflecting the true nature of a sinister man. Declan barely recognized his old mentor.

Lionel’s laughter bubbled up from his chest, his voice cold as he slowly circled around Declan. “So you came to find me. I must say, Declan, it took you long enough to find out, discover who I was. It’s only been twenty years.”

Declan’s mind tried to wrap around what he was saying. Twenty years? Twenty years he had been a traitor to his people, twenty years he had shared the secrets of the Trust. His friendship with his mentor- No, not his mentor, not his friend, he was now his enemy- had been a lie. Declan was sick to his stomach.

Declan could only ask one question. “Why?”

Lionel sneered. “Why? You want to know why? Declan, you of all people should understand. I was a secret founder of the Cine Tofa. It’s in my blood. When I was presented with the opportunity to serve my people by infiltrating the Trust, so deeply, so intimately, how could I say no? My people have benefited from my loyalty, my dedication.”

“You gave up your life for this?”

Lionel looked at him slightly surprised. “Would you not do the same? Did I not teach you loyalty above all else?”

Declan knew that he would have given up his life, taken up another to help the Trust. He would never admit that to the monster in front of him. “But if you were so loyal to the Cine Tofa, why would you train me so hard? Why not make me mediocre?”

Lionel cocked his head. “Declan, you would never have been mediocre. You had too much raw ability for that. So, I did the next best thing. Tested you again and again, learning your strengths and how to play to your weaknesses. Know thy enemy better than you know thyself. Even as a child, I knew your destiny for leadership of this group as a Descendant and would take after your father. I just needed to learn how to take you out when the proper time came.”

“But you forget, old man, that I know your strengths and weaknesses as well. I trained with you.”

Declan did not like the cackle that he produced. “Declan, for one so smart… did you really think I let you see my actual strength? Let you know what my true weaknesses were? Every fight, every training we ever had was calculated, manipulated, and planned. Let’s set the record straight. Every conversation, every handshake, every piece of advice given to you was a lie. A complete and utter lie. I have never liked you. I have always hated you. You and your father.”

Looking in the other man’s eyes, he saw the truth of what he said. There was only one thing to do and it was something Declan had never done before. Kill him.

“Enough talking, Lionel. Let’s end this now.”

Lionel sneered. “There is nothing more I would rather do at the moment.”

Declan quickly evaluated that he could not use the mental attacks that he had learned over the years. Lionel knew all of them and how to defend against them. To that end, Declan was aware now that he did not know exactly what Lionel was capable of. Declan reinforced his blocks that he had in place and added the two blocks that Caitlyn had discovered on her own that he had been able to duplicate. He prayed that would allow him a little breathing room for now. He had now set several more blocks up than was normal, making his mind as impenetrable as he could. He knew that Lionel had done the same. This was going to be a purely physical fight.

He took a steadying breath, levitating the debris that was lying immediately at his feet and throwing it at Lionel with all his strength. Lionel smirked, amused at his students actions, stopping the debris around him dead in its tracks. He set it down, stepping around it moving purposefully towards Declan. He cocked his head at him. “Really, Declan? Is that all you have? You are fighting like a Potential. I taught you better than that. At least fight me with the skill I know you have. We could do this all year if we go at this rate.”

“I would really hate to spend any more time with you than I need to.” Declan respond dryly. It bothered him that he had to acknowledge Lionel was right. He needed to be smarter, faster, quicker. This was not a fight that could be won with brute strength. He was too evenly matched with the older man for that, or at least he hoped he was. He was going to need to outwit Lionel.

Declan levitated a piece of concrete in front of him. He closed his eyes, crushing the concrete into a fine powder, pleased when it created the desired smoke shield. He noticed a piece of rebar by his feet and shredded it into ten pieces, throwing it at Lionel, blindly. With frustration, Declan heard all the metal clang against the wall. He had thought that at least one piece of metal would make its way through.

Lionel’s voice was surprisingly on the far side of the room. “I’ll give you points for creativity. Unfortunately, you missed.”

Before Declan could respond with a quip of his own, he felt the concrete beneath him giving way, finding his himself falling down to the next level below. He stopped the breaking floor underneath him, holding the pieces precariously together just enough to suspend him in mid-air between levels. He concentrated on lifting it up, returning him up to the upper floor that held his enemy. He leaped to a more secure spot, hearing the debris crash down to the level below. “Good try. But not good enough.”

Declan noted that the dust was begging to settle around them, Lionel leaning against a pillar, his face focused on his former student. He needed an advantage. Even though there was not a lot of light to begin with, Declan looked at the line of bare bulbs that hung down throughout the floor, emitting a dull light. One by one they popped, placing the room in virtual darkness, the dirty windows the only source of light.

Before the last bulb broke, he took advantage of the quick burst of flame that emitted from the filament. He pulled the flame from the bulb into his palm, the fire coming to life in his hand, bouncing, waiting in anticipation for his next move. Declan transferred a portion of the growing blaze into his left palm before hurling it forward, his right hand to pushing its own inferno into the air towards Lionel like the rains of Hell itself.

Lionel was caught off guard by the attack, but it did not prevent him from stopping all of it, save one piece. He took a direct hit to his waist, sending him stumbling before he was bombarded by another firestorm that Declan threw towards him. Lionel stopped the next blast mere milliseconds before he was engulfed in flames.

Taking distinct advantage of the moment, Declan began throwing more debris from the floor at him, unable to see the man through the heavy curtain of smoke. His eyes widened when the only response to the attack was the distinct sound of Lionel’s laughter ringing in his ear. It was his only warning before Declan hit the ground with a heavy thud.

He coughed as he picked himself up from the concrete dust floor, in time to find that Lionel had transported easily over to him. If Declan had been standing, he would have staggered backwards.

In all their years together, Lionel had always indicated that he was never able to grasp fully the abstract thought and concentration that transporting took. Declan had always taken him at his word, knowing now that it was a lethal mistake.

Lionel used Declan’s momentary distraction to breach his student’s blocks.

Declan knew instantly what Lionel had done. He tried in desperation to set his barricade up again, only finding that the harder he tried, the more he felt it breaking apart. His mind was defenseless, opening up and making itself readily available to his enemy, who was ready to pluck any information he so desired from him.

Lionel’s thoughts echoed inside his head, filled disdain and revulsion. “You thought you were so smart, Declan. So brilliant. There are people far more talented than you and your friends out there who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the Cine Tofa. The time of the Trust has come to an end. I am so tired of the golden child getting exactly what he wants, when he wants. You have never known the pain and suffering I had to endure in my youth. I always had hoped that I would be able to give you one final lesson. This is a lesson you should have learned long ago, a much needed lesson in humility.”

Declan screamed in agony as Lionel hit every sensory system within his brain. He was completely at Lionel’s whim and there was nothing he could do about it. Without a doubt, Declan’s last moments would be one of utter suffering before he unwillingly gave every secret held about the Trust into Lionel’s deceptive hands. Once he was done extracting the information he desired, he would either kill him, or leave him a vegetable with no remnants of who he was remaining anymore.

He willed himself to not scream, despite how excruciating the pain was. He would not give Lionel the satisfaction that he craved.

“Open your eyes, Declan.” He barely felt the swift harsh kick in his stomach. “I said, OPEN YOUR EYES!”

His lungs screamed as he took a shallow breath. “No.”

“It is so going to be a pleasure killing you.”

“Please. Like I would ever let that happen.” His body went into a blissful numbness as Lionel turned around wildly at the feminine voice that was coming from across the room. Caitlyn. “Maybe you should learn how to shield your thoughts.”

“Declan, your little girlfriend has come to save you. How sweet.”

“Shut it, Lionel.” Caitlyn’s eyes flashed with fury. It was a sight to behold and should have been terrifying to the person who was on the receiving end of that anger. Unfortunately for Lionel, Declan knew that he did not know the wrath her anger would bring to him. Declan thanked God that the past few months his contact with his mentor had been minimal, giving Caitlyn an edge as Lionel was only vaguely aware of her true potential.

Lionel brushed off his pants. “While this is cute that you came to save him, I don’t have time for you.”

Without a second thought, Lionel levitated a large old piece of machinery forgotten about in the corner, hurling it at the blonde with as much force as he could muster. Caitlyn raised her hand, stopping the ancient technology dead in its tracks. Declan was not sure that even he himself would be able to stop that with the force Lionel was able to put behind it.

Lionel clapped his hands slowly, making his way over to the woman. “Impressive. Declan told me you were talented.”

“Oh, trust me when I say I am more than talented.” She responded, walking towards him confidently.

“He trained you well. You could be of service to us, you know.”

She scoffed. “And tell me, of what benefit would that be to me exactly?”

Declan understood what she was doing and used this opportunity to begin building up some of the defensive blocks he had back up. It was considerably harder than normal, his attack weakening him significantly.

“We are greater than the Trust will ever be. We will save this world. Humans are destroying themselves and the Trust is just sitting idly by, letting the humans fight their wars, letting each other starve to death, and polluting the entire planet. We have the ability to do something about it, something good. We can restore order once again.”

“By taking it all over.”

He finally was able to put an initial barricade in place, and he knew that Lionel felt the connection between himself and Declan lost. Lionel glared between to the two of them.

“I can see I am wasting my time with you. The both of you are disposable enough.”

“Disposable? Afraid not, Lionel. I am your worst nightmare.”

With a flick, Caitlyn threw objects at Lionel from every conceivable direction, Lionel able to quickly prevent the attack. She glanced over briefly at Declan. He realized that she was still distracting Lionel in order for him to get his defenses fully up.

Caitlyn pounded him time and again, with Lionel slowly backing in retreat. Both their faces were covered in sweat, her attacks keeping him on the defensive. Finally, Lionel yelled, “Enough!”

He turned to where Declan was standing. “I want you dead, not her.”

He sent a blast Declan’s way. Declan braced to take the impact, knowing he would never have enough time to block. And that was when he felt Caitlyn jump in front of him, ready to take the killing blow.