The Network ( Book One of the Grounders Series )

20

Shamus leaps over the banister and tackles Cicada to the ground before I can turn around. Cicada screams as they fall the the ground.

"You killed Daloth!" Shamus howls, drawing and knife and posing to plunge it into Cicada's chest.

I notch and arrow and let it fly, landing true between Shamus's ribs. He howls in pain. Cicada takes the moment and pushes hard on his chest. He smacks her across the face with the back of his hand and raises the knife again.

I charge, purposefully rammed my shoulder into his wounded side. We slide across the balcony floor and my back slams into wall.

I fight to fill my lungs with air as Shamus rolls away from me. I brace myself against the wall and pull myself bodily to my feet.

Shamus spins around, swinging his blade with full force towards my throat. I duck and bring my foot up hard into his midsection. He doubles over and I take the chance to stand up and steal his dagger.

I whirl around as he stands up and slice the blade across his cheeks. I'd aimed for the throat my but my skill were still in the works. He howls in agony and punches me in the nose. Pain erupts through my face with an audible crack. The pain is nearly unbearably.

I slash the knife widely in front of me, a vain effort to stop him from making me feel more pain like this. My blade slashes across his knuckles and he seems unfazed.

Shamus is much stronger, more resilient than I am. He is nearly unfazed by the wounds I've inflicted on him and continues to fight with the top-notch skill of a soldier.

He kicks me in the gut, forcefully knocking the air out of my lungs. I choke and hold my chest. I can't breathe, I can't breathe!

He swift kicks and slips my legs out from under me. I fall hard on my shoulder and smack my temple on the wood floor. Black spots drift passively across my vision, as if they care for nothing but to cloud my vision in the middle of a battle.

Rage bubbles within me at my helplessness. I'm my mind I imagine Shamus writhing in pain, unable to fight back as I am now. I imagine myself inhumanly getting to my feet and punching him repeatedly in the face, shattering his nose and jaw. His face is swollen and purple but I can't stop, rage fuels my cruelty. I continue to punch him as he raises his hand helplessly to protect himself. My hand connects with his and his wrist snaps.

He stops screaming. He head falls to the left, his eyes wide but empty.

I open my eyes an see the exact picture I saw. I am standing over the mangled body of Shamus, my fist raised over his chest.

He's dead, I tell myself.

Guilt floods my mind as I recall that time in Verro when I fantasized beating the soldier who'd knocked the helpless cadet unconscious. I am the bigger soldier.

The though leaves a dark, painful feeling in my heart. I clutch my chest, feeling sobs yank at my chest. I can't be that guy. I can't be the one who uses his power to completely annihilate the innocent.

I collapse to the floor next to the body of the former guard, sobbing into the floor.

What is happening to me? I feel as if I'm changing into something I do not want to be. I want to be the hero not the villain, I want to be the good guy not the murderous monster who feels no remorse for the lives he takes.

The sobs rip through my body violently but I welcome them. How could I have taken it this far? How could I continue to murder countless people?

Someone grips my shoulder and yanks me to my feet. "We need to help Kalin!" Cicada yells.

I whirl around and watch as Aroculan holds Kalin to the wall, his hands clasped around the servant's neck.

An arrow is loaded into my bow within seconds. I feel my Impulse Warrior instincts kick in and I hate myself for them.

I fire and the arrow embeds itself into Aroculan's temple. He collapses to the ground.

Kalin only takes a moment to recover from his near-death experience. He grabs the thick draperies and yanks them off the wall. The metal rod collapses to the ground with a thump.

On the other side is a window, revealing vast lands full of patches of wheat and corn fields and orchards, barns, farms, and ranches. Surrounding the property is a vast forest. That's where all his wood came from.

Kalin picks up a chair from the dining table and slams it hard into the thick pane. The wood shatters into splinters. Kalin steals the jewel-studded sword from the body of Aroculan and slams the hilt into the glass. I watch as the fractures expand.

"The Council is coming!" Joss exclaims looking over the banister. I hear feet thumping against the stairs. So much for Aroculan's specific etiquette.

The first Council member appears at the stairs as the window crumples into the farmlands below.

I climb out the window and stand along the ledge overlooking the vast field.

About twenty feet below is a narrow river rushing West.

"Jump!" Kalin says as Joss clashes with the first Council member.

I close my eyes and let my heart slow. I'm going to fall again. My friends are going to fall after me and we'll all be safe. We aren't jumping into a black abyss without knowing what's at the bottom this time.

My hands are clenched tight to the window frame, and against my will I relax them.

Wind rush by me as I fall, hurtling toward the river below.

And then I hit the icy water and I sink deep, hoping Kalin knows what he's doing.