Chapter 25
Destruction
Kraigan’s high-pitched cackle jolted Rae out of her stupor and got her moving again. Using Devon’s stronger night vision, she darted for Carter’s office. The sudden full-strength brilliance of the Grand Room’s lights momentarily blinded her. Everything went stark white. She couldn’t find Kraigan. She couldn’t see anything.
Still using Devon’s tatù, she zipped across the room. A muscular arm clothes-lined her across the throat and sent her flying backwards. She landed on her back, fighting for air. The hum of Devon’s tatù abruptly ceased.
Kraigan hovered over her, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.
“You’re an ass,” she hissed, leaning on her elbows, pushing herself up as fast as she could.
“Somebody needs to teach you some manners.” Faster than a fox, Kraigan’s foot kicked out and slammed her back onto the floor.
Rae lay momentarily against the cool marble, stunned. What happened to Dev’s tatù? She couldn’t pick out its hum. She looked around the room for some sort of weapon. Kraigan wanted to fight. I’ll wipe the floor with you.
About ten feet away stood the tall box of sabers Carter used in class. In one motion, Rae lurched up and ran towards them. She grabbed two and twisted around to face Kraigan.
One eyebrow arched, he let out a low laugh. “So, you wanna fight? I’ve been waiting my whole life to battle you.”
Rae flipped her shock switch off, debated for a second, and then threw a saber towards the middle of the room. She grinned but quickly frowned when Kraigan caught it before it even hit the floor. Man, he’s got moves.
He crouched and began switching the saber from hand to hand.
Cocky from her training, Rae had no fear. She settled for the more casual approach. Planning on a surprise attack, the way she had fooled Julian all those months back. She waited for Kraigan to stand up and complain.
He never did. He lunged at her, his rock hard chest connecting with her forearm and sending her saber soaring.
Biting her lip to keep from crying out from the searing pain, Rae levitated and soared after her saber. Just as she grabbed the saber, Kraigan caught her ankle and swung her about.
Doing 360s, Kraigan spun her around and around. She lost count as she tried to kick loose from his vice-like grip. His momentum increased and suddenly Rae found herself airborne, but with no levitation tatù to control it. Her body crashed into the wall and her saber fell in pieces beside her.
Kraigan drifted over to where she lay and hovered above her. “Haven’t figured my tatù out yet, Kerrigan?”
Rae struggled to get back up. Her mind whirled from dizziness, disorientation and confusion. She tried to focus. Camouflage. Or some hiding mechanism. I’ve lost Devon’s fennec fox skills. And now I’ve lost the ability to levitate. She needed something strong to beat Kraigan. Psycho’s somehow absorbing my powers.
Rae’s eyes grew huge at the realization of her last thought. He’s stealing my tatùs! One at a time. The camouflage is a cover. His ability is like Dads, like mine–he can copy, but where I mimic, he steals.
Using the levitation tatù, Kraigan lifted her high above his head without touching her. Stuck in midair, just out of reach, Rae felt like she was dangling with a rope around her waist. She tried kicking Kraigan’s face but only managed to spin herself in circles. His mocking laugh echoed throughout the empty room.
“Put me down!”
“Sure.” He dropped her to the ground like a rag doll, only to immediately haul her back up and swing her around. “Great tatù. I wonder if the original owner even knows half of its potential.”
“Doubt it. He’s dead. I killed him.” Lanford hadn’t exactly died at her own hands, but Kraigan didn’t need to know that.
“Are you sure he’s dead?” He scoffed. “Have you wondered how this evening finally came about?
Kraigan was worse than a nightmare, and he was only trying to scare her, she hoped. Lanford’s dead—Carter said so, right? Rae had to concentrate on breathing and thinking at the same time. What started tonight? She had no idea.
He bounced her up and down in the air, impatiently tapping his sneaker against the marble floor. “The journal, Rae. That’s what this is all about. I used Randy’s tatù and listened to you tell Devon. I went to your room and got it before you sad lovebirds left his room. Everyone wants a piece of you it seems.” He snorted. “When I’m finished with you, there’ll be pieces for everyone.”
He brought her slowly towards the hundred-foot ceiling and then let her plummet towards the floor, stopping her only a foot before she crashed onto the marble.
Rae cringed, and thrashing wildly, fought to break free from his hold. Her body reacted before her mind could process the thought. She threw her hand toward him, whipping his raised arms with a strong gust of wind.
Kraigan jolted and stepped back, losing the concentration keeping her airborne. She landed on the marble floor near the wall and took on Julian’s tatù. It’d give her the advantage of knowing Kraigan’s moves slightly before he made them. She caught sight of her shattered saber nearby. She grabbed the handle and realized the shortened end might act as a crude sword. Not a very good one, but a weapon nonetheless.
Kraigan slid towards her like a cat stalking its prey. Lips in a thin line and brows furrowed together, the hatred shone clear in his eyes. With a swing of one wrist, he brought the rest of the sabers out of the box and lofted them towards Rae like javelins. Rae read the direction of each throw and avoided making contact with everyone. They came harder and faster, a few actually sticking into the wall behind her. When he ran out, he flung one back to his hand and came at Rae, saber held high. He growled as he raced towards her.
Rae crouched and read the direction of his thoughts, jumping out of the way. As she passed, she jabbed and pierced his hand. He dropped his saber and roared in pain. Or anger. Rae couldn’t tell and had no time to wonder. She tried to send a short message to Carter. I’m in the Oratory. Kraigan’s attacking me. I need help. Hurry.
She switched back to Julian’s tatù just as Kraigan grabbed her ponytail and roughly jerked her head back.
“Ow!” Tears sprang to her eyes as hairs ripped from their follicles. Her head wrenched forward when he let go. Rae turned to stare at him. Kraigan squinted as he absorbed Julian’s power and a wicked grin slowly spread across his face when he realized his new ability.
“Art-boy’s skills have progressed. Last time I stole it, all he could basically do was paint bits of the future. Now he’s able to predict it. Nice.” He rubbed his hands together. “This should be fun.”
When had he stolen Julian’s tatù? Julian still had his ability. Dodging a saber stuck in the wall, Rae tried to push the thoughts aside. She needed to concentrate on the now.
She remembered Devon and Julian’s conversation, the night they sparred, about sending mixed messages. She made herself think about running for the door and noticed Kraigan step to the right as he walked towards her. Within reach, she copied a karate kick she saw another student do and connected with his mid-section. It would have been an awesome hit, had he been a bit closer. She only managed to connect with the tip of her shoe.
Kraigan dropped his hands to his knees and sucked in air. In the same moment, he snatched her arm and pinned it behind her. His hot, uneven breath wafted against her neck. With one hand, he pulled her arm and held it tight.
Excruciating pain and a strange hum shot through her shoulder into the pit of her stomach, making her gag.
Kraigan squeezed tighter, forcing her to drop the broken saber and then wrenched her free arm against her back. Her arms were bent at awkward angles and throbbed, begging to be released.. Even though she pressed her lips tight together, a groan escaped. She screamed when one of her shoulder blades pulled out from its socket. Kraigan released her and laughed when she stumbled forward, gasping.
Closing her eyes, she focused on the hum of her healing tatù. Tucking her chin, she pulled her shoulders forward and set the dislocation back into its correct place. The wave of nausea passed.
“You do realize I’m going to kill you.” Kraigan slapped her cheek hard, making it feel like her head would swing off her neck.
Rae shuddered. Not because of his words, but because her healing tatù disappeared when he connected with her cheek. It throbbed and burned.
He stepped back and stretched his arms, suddenly looking refreshed. “Another fantastic tatù. Where did you manage to find all this great talent, dear sister? Everyone at Guilder I’ve come across is lame.” He rubbed his chin. “Except for Desiree. Now that one I had fun with.”
“You’re no family of mine.” Rae searched through her tatùs, trying to buy some time. “We may have the same sperm donor, but that’s as far as it goes.” She plucked a fight or flight tatù, something with speed and glanced cautiously towards the front door. She hoped Carter would come barging in with the cavalry behind him. “You’ve got a stealing tatù.”
Kraigan mimicked her American accent. “‘You’ve got a stealin’ tatù.’” He laughed and scratched his head. “Yeah, something like that. Seems to me my tatù works different when matched to yours. Maybe a mixing of the bloodlines? Shame we can’t mix our talents together. Imagine our offspring’s ability.” He cocked his head and pointed to the carvings on the walls. “Wouldn’t King Henry have loved to know this? He’d have mixed everyone and worked closer with the Xavier Knights instead of his damn Privy Council.”
Who the heck are the Xavier Knights? Rae shook her head. Kraigan was speaking gibberish.
He nodded at her, but seemed to be talking to himself. “It seems when I take other tatùs, they’re returned when I move to my next power. But you—you’re screwy. I absorb your power and you lose the ability completely. So I’m basically sucking you dry.” He touched her red cheek before punching her in the gut. “Healing not working for you at the moment?” He laughed.
Rae wrapped her arms around her stomach and gasped for air. Bent down, she grabbed the dropped saber and stabbed it into his thigh. She stumbled backwards, away from him.
He swore and pulled the saber out. “Bitch, I’m going to nail you to the wall and then use you for dart practice.” He grabbed his bleeding leg and healed it.
Running for the door, Rae let out a yelp when Kraigan knocked her legs out from under her as he dove after her. She fell to the ground and was instantly catapulted through the air and collided with the wall. She barely had time to get her hands out in front of her to protect her head. Fierce pain shot through her left wrist and as she slid to the ground, her face scraped against a woodcarving. She crumbled to the floor, her wrist throbbing and tight, wetness oozing down her cheek.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Rae bit back the tears that threatened to fall and focused on another tatù. She thought of Riley, the boy who had tricked her the previous year. He had a cheetah tatù. It would work. She stayed crumpled on the floor, waiting for Kraigan to step near her.
She didn’t need to wait long. She heard his impatient breath and feet stomping across the marble floor.
“This is way too easy.” He wrenched her into a sitting position. “Give me something of a challenge.”
His touch took Riley’s speed tatù away. Rae grabbed the first tatù she could think of, her wind power. Throwing her arm towards him, she sent a strong gust in his direction. He laughed and ran against it, like sprinting on a treadmill. She upped the wind and he easily kept pace, actually moving closer to her. He leaned like a sprinter and slapped her hand. The wind stopped immediately.
Rae pulled at any skill or strength tatù she could. Frustrated and becoming drained, she hated how Kraigan managed to manipulate and steal each one away. They danced around the Oratory, Rae gaining more bumps, bruises and cuts while Kraigan appeared barely out of breath.
They moved fast and her tears begin to fall as she struggled to maintain the little resistance she had left. She needed help. She was becoming powerless. Where the heck’s Carter? And the bloomin’ cavalry?
“Crying?” Kraigan mocked. “I can’t believe our father raised such a wimp. Your tatù and Guilder couldn’t toughen you up, either?” He shook his head. “Disgusting.”
His loathing irritated her. Swallowing against the pain as he punched her again, she muttered, “Screw you.”
“What?” His arms pressed up tight against her, forcing the air out of her lungs and new streams of pain shot through her body. “Did you say something?”
Why had he faked friendship? He had obviously been after something, but what? Rae grimaced and shut her eyes. She felt lightheaded and nauseous. Passing out sounded like an excellent idea, she doubted he could suck anything else from her while she was unconscious and not using any tatùs. A sudden thought jolted her eyes open. She needed to find a useless tatù, pass it to Kraigan and then grab something better for herself to fight him. She slumped forward, barely having enough energy to focus on breathing.
Kraigan reached behind and pulled something out of his back pocket. He waved Uncle Argyle’s journal in front of her. “Have you read all of this?” He bent down and looked into her face. “No? Shame.”
She made a meager swipe at it which he easily side stepped. “One, your uncle’s a moron. Two, our father was brilliant, even at the age of sixteen. When he wrote this, he was only just tatùed, and yet he already understood his potential.” Kraigan glanced at the journal with respect. “My tatù is so similar to his.”
He dragged her towards a wall, seemingly distracted by his own thoughts. “But you—you seemed to have limitless power. You’re like the queen among the freaks.” He laughed and with superhuman strength, shoved her into the wall. “However, it seems your power’s not so infinite. Unlike mine.”
Rae said nothing. She searched for a tatù. Everything felt dead, like someone had pulled the plug. Desperately, she dug deeper. There had to be something.
A hum, ever so slight, ran alongside her veins. Blinking, she concentrated harder. A tatù she had never used and had almost missed. She needed its power but she needed to sacrifice something insignificant to Kraigan first for her plan to work.
Her head slammed against the wall and brought her back to the present. Her cheek burned and a searing pain throbbed beside her eye. Warm blood ran down her face. Kraigan had slapped her, hard.
“Pay attention, idiot. I’m talking to you,” Kraigan’s spit hit her in the face. “This journal’s got the entire brainwashing experiment researched and explained to a tee. Your little Privy Council has no idea what’s involved. They never will. When I bring this to The HOC’s followers, it’ll blow their minds. Except I’ll show them through me, not Dad’s teaching. I’ll claim the glory and power. Finally, I’ll get what I deserve.” He pounded a fist against her chest to emphasize.
Pulling the telepathy tatù, she sent another message to Carter and let courage fill every corner of her being. She pulled herself up to her full height. “No one’s gonna believe you’ve figured it out.” Her body contorted from pain but she forced herself to ignore it. “They’ll give me all the credit. I’m the freakin’ powerhouse tatù girl. I’ve got Carter, Guilder, the Privy Council and my enemies assured of that knowledge. You actually think anyone’s going to give you any credit?” She poked him with a finger. “As soon as they learn you absorbed my tatù, they’ll see it completely differently.” She tried to fake a laugh, but it sounded more like a bad smoker’s cough.
Kraigan scowled, then grabbed her finger and twisted it. The pain shot all the way to her elbow but she grinned when she felt the telepathy power disappear.
“When you’re dead, your babble won’t mean squat. When --” he paused, his brows crushing together. “What this --?”
“When I’m dead?” She pulled at the one unused hum -- his tatù -- hoping to leave him powerless for a moment.
Kraigan slammed his palm against the wall close to her face and grabbed her neck. She flinched but waited. He wouldn’t stop until one of them no longer needed air. Even dead, he would probably keep going.
He let go of her throat when Rae stole his tatù. “You bitch! Freakin’ Carter’s? That’s all you got?” He was so angry that he didn’t seem to notice what she was doing.
She may have tricked him into stealing a worthless tatù, but it didn’t mean he was powerless. He still had his physical strength. Before Rae had a chance to move, Kraigan wound his arm back and punched her in the face. It didn’t stop there. After the first horrific blows, which she felt to her core, she lost focus. On the verge of giving in to the inviting darkness of unconsciousness, a hum of strange activity inside her cut through the fog, bringing her back to her plan at hand. It was his tatù.. Concentrating on absorbing it, she felt the change inside her just before sliding down the wall.
Her head hit something sharp as she dropped the last few inches to the ground. Warm liquid trickled down her neck and became cool, like a breeze blowing on it. Rae fought to remain conscious and do something with Kraigan’s tatù. Right now, both of them only had human strength. She had his ink, but it was obviously useless until she touched someone or something else happened. She didn’t have the energy to concentrate.
Kraigan grabbed her shoulder and pulled her forward. Her head rolled. Pain punched into her core. Her body slammed back against the wood. She was going under. Passing out seems the only option left.
Her last thought before slipping into oblivion was rather weird. Instead of collapsing into the wall, it felt like she was falling farther down, past a sitting position, past horizontal and doing backflips and somersaults. Strange, she had never passed out like this before.