The Raver (The Raver #1)

Chapter 25

I knew it. A sudden realization came to me. He may not even be a mortal. That odd neck twist I saw earlier today, that was the sign. He could be an Acolyte posing as a norm. He could be working for Raudan. Glancing back around me, my friends are still knocked out.

Then I hear Pratt—could be the same name of the Acolyte masquerading.

"Come on Naven, or should I say Harbinger." Pratt smirks as two figures emerge out of the air. I look stunned seeing the figures are actually those two troll-like creatures—the same two I last saw in my apartment that night Anita was kidnapped.

The trollish goons are standing by Pratt's side. I'm a bit surprised these malefics are even here. Knowing there's tight patrol down on the streets. Either those creatures killed the guards to get up here, or they found another way to get through the intense security.

I look back at the faux Pratt. "I know you're not human. You can stop playing mind games, Acolyte."

Pratt starts smiling. "Nice observation." As he smiles, he widens out his arms and then a transformation begins to take place. Like ripples vibrating his body, the imposter is finally revealed. Suddenly Pratt's fare skin turns dark, and then I see those golden tattoos...the daemonics.

Raudan!

Raudan then starts clapping as he snaps his neck back and forth. That eerie cracking noise almost sounds so violently. Hearing those pooping sounds, I want to cover my ears. But Raudan then stops applauding.

"Well done. You see I wanted to know the Harbinger." He says. That freak was messing with me. Trying to fool me. He then continues, "I needed to get close to you. So I disguised as a..." He sneers with his eyes close, "as a norm."

I lay my hand close to my waist inches from the back, wanting to use the blade on this freak. I want to kill him. Yet listening to him, he mentions he became Pratt to befriend me. All this time, I didn't know my so-called Glider pal would be Raudan.

I hadn't seen faux Pratt twitching his neck all these past years. It would've been obvious if I did. I couldn't believe then Pratt was a fake. And to be the freak who killed Anita and had other creatures killing Rufus and The Orre. And the bomb that exploded months ago.

The worst part of all of this, I allowed him to kill them. I was foolish and gullible. The freak may have tricked me, but my mind was already messed up with the event ten years ago. I failed to take notice the enemy was close to me.

"You know I was ecstatic that you found the Veritas stone." He says, "Too bad, you wasted all that time in that other dimension."

Suddenly I feel something. My hand creeps closer to the blade's handle. And as I hold onto it, ready to pull it from my back plate. I can feel the bold surge. With the bond, there's a force of unbelievable power. The feeling is getting stronger every single second. Then I pause shocked, my head leans down.

The Triadic is already here.

I slowly glance back at Raudan. "How you got possession of it."

Raudan snickers. "So you know."

"Answer me!" I scream. "How?!"

"You see while you and your magihunter pals were busy with the tablet. I had help. I didn't need the Veritas stone, just my insider."

"What insider?"

"Lygerfish."

My eyes widen and my mouth dropped open. That word...and then I hear a door opening. I look a few yards behind him. It's the roof access door. As it opens, someone begins to walk out. As this person is holding firm of a slender box, I look at the person's face. There my eyes cast down in sadness. I'm horrified to who I see.