The Real Ram

Chapter 65

I jump to tackle him but he disappears. I feel his presence with this raging emotion within me, and I whip around throwing a punch straight to his gut. "Very good, I didn't expect you to sense me so quickly."

    "I have my mother's eyes, and you didn't expect me to see you?"

    He shrugs and lunges at me with a few punches. I block them and lift my leg to kick him. He grabs it, and the instant contact of my ankle and his hand causes my leg to start to freeze. I cry out, using my other leg in a jump to kick him away from me. I land on the floor and feel the sharp numb from my ankle. I look down as see isn't nearly frozen all the way through. I lift it in the air and wince from the pain.

    "That's all you can do? Throw a temper tantrum and then act out mindlessly? I thought you were better than that."

    "Shut up!" I shout, my voice cracking. I ignite my hands in red color, and he smiles.

    "So I finally get to see the magnificent colors be displayed in front of me. Oh I can't wait." I swing my arms around and throw a wave at him. He easily dodges it, and makes a quick run towards me. I back up only to put pressure on my leg and cry out. Kian's suddenly right behind me, and he wraps his arm around my neck. I try to pull away, desperate to make the pain stop. "Pathetic. Look, you're already giving up."

    "Let go of her!" My mom shouts. I hear the authority in her voice, but Kian doesn't listen to her.

    He looks over, "Since when have you cared about her well being?"

    "I've always cared."

    "You cared more about me than her, let's be truthful here."

    My mom scoffs, "What makes you think I would ever care about you?"

    "The fact you dropped off the face of the world to join with that idiot," —Kian points to Aspen's body— "all in hopes that you'll find me and my location." I look at my mom and I see slight surprise on her face. "You didn't think I knew that? I always know when someone is spying on me." He turns back to me and says, "Zoey, you've calmed down. Now I can't have that, why don't I fire you up again?" He tosses me from him and I watch his eyes flood black and before he can even move in my mother's direction I shout at him to stop.

    But he doesn't. He makes his way to her and lifts a hand, gently placing it on her cheek. My mother takes in a breath and closes her eyes. Her body stills, and all she says is, "It's okay Zoey."

    Something in me stills. My breathing slows yet my heart rate quickens. It's like the familiar shift I feel when my inherited father's ability would kick in. Only, this is stronger. I don't feel driven by an emotion, I feel numb to feelings. It's like everything I've ever felt has just...turned off. I stand up and gather the strength from the depths of my ability. I feel it surround me, and the pain in my ankle diminishes until I can't feel anything. I've healed myself yet again.

    "Kian," I say, feeling the energy start to swirl around me.

    I look over at my father and see someone that has always cared about me even if he wasn't there to show it. I see someone that's given me a gift like no other and in his dying breath asked for only forgiveness. I sense movement outside and see Flame standing. I look to him and see someone that's betrayed me. Someone I thought was like my older brother, someone I thought looked out for me. Now all I see is someone that's given me the worst pain and betrayal. Someone that took any chance of connection away from me. He took any chance of understanding my ability and just ripped it away from me like it was all nothing to him. All because of a lie they told him. All because he couldn't let go of someone that's been dead to him for a long time.