Lightning Bringer: (Lighting Seeker Book 2)

Obvious Pain

Several courses went untouched by Vale, who frankly didn't trust the food. She would have to find another way to eat. She refused to eat anything Kebar had hand-picked himself, believing the likely hood that it had been tampered with to be high. The plates were cleared and Kebar invited the girls with the highest vote counts to step forward. Five girls, each with a surprising number of four votes walked to the center of the room.  Their tables were empty. How had they taken out four other people in thirty seconds? 

"As a reward for such high scores..." Kebar announced, standing to his feet. "My grandson here would be honored to dance with each of you to begin the evening's festivities." All eyes went to Sky as he gracefully stood to his feet and moved to stand before the girls.

They stared up at him, giggling at his sudden attention. Sky smiled, his eyes warm as he reached out his hand to the first girl before him. She took his hand shyly and after the others had moved over to the side, music began to play.

Vale forced her face to remain emotionless as her heart began to ache. Sky signed something to the girl, his hands hard to see. The girl blushed and looked over his shoulder, a flustered look on her face. Vale was so startled by the reaction that it took her a moment to push down her jealousy. She understands sign. She knows what he is saying.

Vale felt foolish. I shouldn't feel jealous. It isn't a language meant for just the two of us. He deserved to be understood.

Sky and the girl glided across the dance floor. The girl's red dress matched his tie, foreshadowing a potential pair made in heaven. They moved together in perfect synchronization. The girl smiled up at Sky, her golden hair glistening in a similar fashion to his.

Vale hadn't realized she was holding her breath until Sky let go of the girl and moved to the second one waiting eagerly. I don't want to watch this, her heart whispered. But Vale ignored its plea. She couldn't look away.

She watched as Sky held each girl, his hand on their waists, guiding them across the dance floor, his eyes bright. Vale knew that the images would haunt her far more than any other experience she had endured up until that moment. The sudden heartbreak was far worse than the bruises and beatings she had endured.

Vale had never backed down from a fight, had never run from the things that were painful, but as she watched the boy she cared for, his eyes bright, his touch gentle as he held each girl, she nearly stood and ran from the room. A sudden clearing throat pulled her from her painful thoughts and Vale's eyes moved towards the sound.

Reign was staring at her, eyes hard. Don't, she mouthed. Vale blinked, surprised that her plan was so clear, so obvious to the girl who minutes before had tried to vote her out of the competition. How is my pain so obvious?

Vale smiled, feeling embarrassed. Dash was right, I need to learn to keep my emotions in check. Vale nodded a thanks to Reign, an unspoken truce rising up between them. Vale wasn't sure how long it would last, but she knew one thing. At that moment, Reign had saved Vale from fleeing, losing any chance she had of saving Sky in the process.

...

Golden hair, locks intertwined, a blood-red dress, and tie all ran together with two bodies that were difficult to differentiate. Two people, their limbs tangled into one, making it impossible to decipher where one person began and ended. But Vale didn't need to see their faces to know who they were. Sky and the girl he had danced with were wrapped in each other's arms, and Vale's heart lay shattered before them.

A wild scream ripped through the air and Vale bolted up, relieved that it had been a dream, but terrified by the sound that woke her. Dashing for the door, she shoved her wardrobe aside, irritated that she had been paranoid enough to barricade herself in her room just in case Kabar had changed his mind about her staying.

Turning the knob, she found the door to be locked from the outside. Vale swore loudly when another scream ripped through the air. Pulling her arm back, she punched the knob clear through the door, thankful for her metal arm's brute strength.

Sliding into the hall, she saw several girls' heads peeking out of their rooms. They made no move to find the noise. A crash came from the room to the right of hers. Dashing to it, she only had enough time to jump back again as an AI stumbled out of the room, purple eyes causing the dark hallway to glow in an eerie light.

The AI scrambled back into the room. Vale bolted after it, reaching it just before it could wrap its hands around Reign's throat, who lay on the ground inside, her eyes wide with fear. Vale tackled it to the ground, swung herself on top of it, and, transforming her arm into a knife, slammed it into the AI's forehead and sent a jolt of lighting into its body.

After a long garbled, angry sound, the AI went still below her. Vale stumbled to her feet, taking unsteady breaths. Turning she looked at Reign, who looked up at her in surprise. The knife retracted and the fingers to Vale's metal arms reformed.

Vale dropped onto her knees before Reign. "You okay?"

Reign shook her head in disbelief. "How... how-d you?"

"Can you stand?" Reign blinked up at her, uncomprehending, but didn't protest when Vale pulled her up. "Was your door locked?"

Reign blushed and hung her head in shame. "No."

"Come with me. We are going to grab my things." Vale pulled her out of the room, Reign stumbling, behind her.

Everyone's doors were still open, eyes watching them curiously. Vale bit back several curses. No one thought to get help? Vale ignored their looks and glanced over her shoulder at Reign. "Try to look calm. Don't give the others any satisfaction." Reign nodded and lifted her chin in an attempt to feign ease.

Vale walked into her room letting go of Reign's hand. Walking to the wardrobe, she began to yank down her clothes. Reign hovered at the door, her eyes glued to the hole where the doorknob used to be.

"Yeah. I can't stay in here. I'll be a sitting duck." Vale chucked her clothes at Reign, who squeaked but caught them as best as she could. "We are bunking together. I'll show you how to barricade the door."

They moved back to Reign's room and after locking the door, and making room in her closet for Vale's clothes, they pushed the wardrobe in front of the door followed by a fainting couch, a table, and a chair.

Vale wiped her hands on her nightgown, satisfied. "There. That should hold."

"Why?" Reign asked, staring at Vale with angry tears. "Why are you helping me?"

Vale stared back, bewildered. "Um... because some crazy AI attacked you..."

Reign choked up a laugh. "No. Not that. I mean, yes that but... Why did you help me at the table? Why are you helping me now?" Reign slumped down onto the ground, her fingers running through her hair. "I was awful to you. Out of everyone that could have saved me... I never thought it would be you."

Vale stared down at her, compassion bubbling up inside. "The world tries to break us. To turn us into uncaring, unfeeling things. But I refuse to become one." Vale slumped to the ground next to Reign, suddenly tired. "If we do that, we are no better than that thing that tried to hurt you." Vale stared at the ceiling, the darkness leading to a bit of honesty she would not have otherwise been open to. "I'm not here to hurt people. I'm here because I love Sky."

Vale looked over at Reign. "So let's start over." She reached out her hand. "Hi, I'm Vale."

Reign gave her a tired smile. "It's nice to meet you, Vale. I'm Reign. And I'm here because my father hates the boy I want to marry." Reign tugged on a strand of her hair. "I... just want to go home but... Something tells me that leaving alive isn't an option."

Vale looked towards the window, wishing Mortem and the others were close by. She itched for allies to guard her back. "It isn't."

"Then what do we do?" Reign asked, pain and fear clear on her face.

"We survive. And we find a way to beat this twisted game."