A Hero in the Dark: 2nd Edition

Chapter 42: Oh Child Oh Prisoner

I follow behind the Mog by a comfortable distance, but that proves to be difficult because my chest still won't settle. My head won't stop swimming. I use the wall to limp after him so my leg doesn't drag me down. I don't want to be dragged down. I need to be strong, alert, confident. Ready. But my need to be that doesn't stop how scared I am...

Setrákus Ra has my friend... Which friend? Why does he have them? Why would he bother to take or use any of my school friends from Kingston? They have nothing to do with any of this. But more importantly, what has he done to them? If he hurt them in any way like he's hurt me...

It's like I'm walking in a palace; the halls are long, bright, and pristine, and the walls are lined with photographs, most of the tyrant, some of others; I don't know who they are. I've never seen any except the disgusted vatborn and their merciless killer.

I try to focus on where we're going, where this Mog is leading me: to his leader.

He said his Beloved Leader wants to see me; well, I really don't want to see him. That nightmare keeps playing over and over in my head—the city, the stage, the crowd, the Mogs, the sword, the blood... I dread it to happen for real. I can't get my hands to stop shaking.

The Mog stops at an iron door. "Beloved Leader is waiting," he says. "After you." I don't want to go in, not to see him, not if there's a chance this Mog will try something behind my back. I'm not risking that. "Your friend is in there too," he adds.

It's as bright as the hall inside; it's blinding. There's a grand table; it must hold at least thirty seats, and a floor-to-ceiling window looks out to a million twinkling lights at the far end. It almost looks pretty, until I realize what they are: stars. I'm stuck in space with a monster, and Earth, my planet, my home... it's so far...

He's looking out at the same thing I am, dressed in a similar black and white tux like I saw in the nightmare, standing with his golden cane, the cane capable of so much numbness yet so much pain. He must be at least ten feet. Number Five stands next to him.

Arms embrace me before I can say a thing. "Emily! You're here! You're ok!"

Ella is a surprise to see. "Ella? What're you doing here?!"

She blinks up at me, looking like an eleven-year-old that's seen too much horror, and suddenly, I wonder if Ella had the exact same dream as me, but no; what are the odds of that? "We found him, Emily," she says. "We were fighting him. Everything was working just like we practiced, but then our Legacies disappeared! He—He hurt Marina, and John, and he was going to hurt me... then—then everything went dark." But at the thought of John, my heart skips a beat.

"I asked my people in MogPro to take care of them," Setrákus Ra claims, and my eyes shoot right back to him. Everything in my body tenses like a brick. "They should have been detained, waiting for me as we speak. But first, I needed the two of you alone."

"A—Alone? But Five—"

"He is at my right hand. You and Ella will be at my left."

"What? What the hell are you talking about? What did you do?!"

"I did what I had to," he states. "I understand you are confused, but all will be explained in—"

"No!" I'm upset now, upset for letting him kidnap us, for hurting John, capturing the Garde, whatever else he's done! I don't even realize the shimmer of blue in my palms until Ella's hand shifts in mine. "You attacked us! You hurt me! You hurt so many people, destroyed so many lives! Now you brought Ella into this too?!"

"She's my ward," he says, undeterred by my outburst. "She's my granddaughter—"

"I'm not your granddaughter!" She looks up at me, clutches my hand, and murmurs, "He's crazy, Emily. He's making stuff up. It's not true."

"No. It's not," I agree, although I don't have the courage to tell her the truth. If Crayton hasn't told her—which he mustn't have if Ella believes that—I can't. It's not my truth to tell. "Just tell us why we're here."

His staff blinks with my blink. It's then I realize how focused it is on me. "As you wish," he says and leaves his fancy golden cane out for Five to take. "You are on board the Anubis. Here, the four of us will watch this war be won. I have great plans to complete the nature of my work, and I need all of you to accomplish it." What?! "As I said, Number Five is at my right hand. You and Ella will be at my left. In exchange for your loyalty, I will teach you how to master the depths of your Legacies." He pauses, watching us like a hawk. "Granddaughter, the power you will soon be capable of is mine also. It's incredibly rare and massively functional. But Emily... the power you possess is beyond anything I have encountered in hundreds of years. I have not witnessed such rare and divine strength since my brawl with Pittacus, in fact. I can help you both control your abilities, and then some."

I'm taken aback, unsure what to think. I don't trust him. I don't need, nor do I want his help. I can't. I can't do it. "Y—You want to train me?" I stammer, biting my lip. "Forget it! This weird Legacy only came to me because of you! I never asked for it! You did something to me... in that lab... in that cave. You broke me until I wanted to give up!"

"Yet, you never did," he states, obviously amazed. "You are stubborn like that. You keep to your own morals. In that way, you and I are much alike."

"No." I'm surprised I'm not the least bit scared to speak up like this, but judging based on what he said, I don't think he'll react the same as he would have. I hope not. Something's changed. "I was only trying to protect the Garde. That's all I've ever been trying to do. You're trying to kill them! We're nothing alike!"

"Aren't we?" he asks. "Do you not want to attack me for what I've done to you? Just as I had attacked the Loric for interfering with my work?" I grit my teeth. I hate when people pull the evidence right over my eyes. "While I will admit, my methods of extracting information out of you were a bit extreme, I was a different man then. My intentions have changed, as if you could not tell. I deeply apologize for the experiences you had to undergo in my previous care. I assure you; it will not happen again once our alliance is agreed upon."

"Alliance? You've got to be kidding me!"

"I am not." He takes a breath. "I implore you to think about it. You don't have to agree at this moment. Take your time, but believe me when I say: It really is your best option."

I'm silent, frozen, and unblinking, in thinking of this retching and awful plan. He's using us; that's all he's trying to do, and I have but no other options but one. "Every time," I spit, seething, voice low. "Every time I try to use this Legacy, I see you." My hands are warm and fuzzy, and I flex the joints until I know the glow is there. It hurts but it's there. "I see you like I did in your twisted cave, burning that sticky, disgusting ooze into me... I hear everything you said; it's like every word echoes in the back of my mind. I can't get you out of my head." I take a shaky breath to keep from shivering, but I shiver, nonetheless, then show him my glowing palm. "You ruined me. You did this. Somehow, you turned me into this—a human, but something else—and I hate you for that! I'll never stop hating you for that! I don't care what you do to me! Keep us up here for a week, a month, or forever; see if I give a shit! I'll never join you or your stupid alliance—and Ella wouldn't either!" I take a breath to calm myself, but it seems impossible. I'm so close to melting point and it's just impossible. "You know, Pittacus Lore might've failed to kill you; that doesn't mean I will. Because I'm not using this goddamn Legacy. I'm not letting you haunt me, so just—just leave us alone." I take a slow step back and turn around, Ella's hand still held tight in mine. I haven't realized how tight she was squeezing it until now, but now, I know she's onboard. She's with me. She'll follow me, and he doesn't even stop us from running out of the room.