Chosen Destiny (Book Seven of the Chosen Universe)

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER TEN
DEXTER
Watching T'Dania torture Sledge for his failure to prove useful was entertaining, but Dexter had more important things to do. He headed to the meeting room and took a quick headcount, trying to figure out if everyone had returned. People from the Coalition died daily, but the few Elite members rarely did.

Anzella and Thyme were their top warriors and were easily the Huntress's favorite recruits. Anzella thrived on bloodshed. She'd slaughter a toddler if they told her to. Thyme wasn't quite so dark. She was fierce but had morals, which was more than Dexter could say for most people in the Coalition.

Cadence sat by herself strumming a guitar. This was usually what she did when left to her own devices. The girl was gifted. She also had an exceptionally rare power. Her music could enchant anyone, which was why the Huntress had recruited her. Cadence was a nice enough girl, but the Huntress had filled her head with lies after her family died. She was misguided, but not especially evil.

Daneena and Lenora were powerful Sorceresses. Daneena enjoyed the chaos and destruction the Coalition caused. Lenora was one of the oldest of the Elites. She'd once been full of light and love, but her children had been killed in a disaster, and left with a choice, the Eltarian Guard had done nothing to save them, saving a few children from the Farmell family instead. Her heart had broken. She wasn't exactly evil, but she was incredibly sad and gave in to her dark side as a result. Focusing on revenge gave her a sense of purpose.

Heather was beautiful and looked almost angelic, but the brilliant bookworm was actually quite a sadistic bitch. Dexter hated her, but he had to tolerate her because T'Dania and the Huntress valued her extremely high intelligence. She was their top researcher.

Ivy wasn't Eltarian, but she'd been abducted by Aphell and Mayor Freyst from a nearby planet to be trafficked as a toddler. She was extremely traumatized. Percival had discovered her when she was fourteen, severely beaten and terrified. He'd decided to rescue her. Dexter knew he'd probably done it to spite his big brother, but he had been the first person to show Ivy kindness. She was loyal to him, and he'd brought her into the Coalition. The Huntress had learned her story and taken an interest in her. She used Ivy as one of the Elites who could infiltrate the university where so many of their enemies were enrolled.

Kleo, Kenzee, and Samanzah were the other college girls. Kleo looked and acted like a perky, ditzy sorority girl. She blended in easily and no one suspected she wasn't human. She had reasons to stand with the Coalition, but only the Huntress and Kleo knew what those reasons were. Kenzee was a rebellious punk girl who liked the idea of standing against those who oppressed others. If the Rebellion had found her, she'd have fit right in. Instead, the Huntress had recruited her and convinced her the Founding Families and their supporters were the enemy. Samanzah was an incredibly lonely girl who'd never really fit in anywhere until the Huntress took her under her wing. She wasn't evil, and Dexter knew she wasn't happy with the violence she was participating in, but the girl was in far too deep. No one quit the Coalition with a pulse.

Grayzee did, Dexter remembered. But he put one of the leaders' heads on a pike, so it seems unlikely anyone would try to stop him.

Malorah was playing with fire as she waited for orders. She was exceptionally skilled with pyrokinesis, but that basically was her only skill. The Huntress had recruited her mainly because she had a temper and was quick to burn everything and everyone who angered her to ash.

Phoenix stood glaring at Malorah as usual. Her powers offended Phoenix, who had literally been burned to death and risen from the ashes. No one knew the details of her death, but any time she was set on fire now, she returned stronger. Although rumor had it she'd once been light, death had turned her magic dark. She was powerful and no one who crossed her ever survived.