The Network ( Book One of the Grounders Series )

41

JONAH

The only thing Jonah was fairly certain of at this point was that they were going to die.

The minions stood stalk still a few yard away on the cliff, just staring at them.

"On the count of three," Jonah says slowly, "get behind me."

Jonah raises his index finger slowly. One. Then his next finger. Two. Then his last finger. Three.

Jonah closes his eyes as Kalin leaps behind him. The minions react to the sudden movement and charge forward.

A towering line a fire surrounds Kalin and Jonah. The minions are instantly charred my the conjured flames. It's only a matter of times before they are all dead.

Jonah kills the flames and heads into the clan.

Lithana is a clan of industry, once mass producing everything used in the Network from education supplies in Daw is weapons in Verro, has been reduced to rubble.

The factories are dormant, some holes blasted in the walls are doors torn off the hinges.

They make it through the clan with no disturbances. Jonah knows people are hiding in here. He knows that all the clans were fled to during the first battle of this war and have been locked down since.

Jonah says down on the ground next to the door and prepped his back up against the wall. "I need to rest," he says rubbing his temples.

He was exhausted from trekking the pipe from Arocule to here. His was throbbed like hell from all the conjuring he had to ensure both his and Kalin's survival thus far. He was sure if he kept going for a second longer he would crumble to dust.

Kalin sat down next to him. "Can I tell you something?" He asks Jonah.

"Shoot," Jonah replied between short breathes.

"I never found the right time to tell Alaric this before you guys left Arocule. I'm Alaric's uncle."

Jonah looks at his comrade like he's just sliced Jonah's throat. "How is that possible?"

"Years ago, in the Network, it was illegal for couples to have more that one child. This was before we drilled the wall of the canyon and found water. Out supplies was running short. Alaric's father, my brother, was first born to my family, and accepted with grateful arms. I was born less than a year later. My mother, father, and I were banished at the darkest recesses of the Artery where after days of traveling found Arocule."

Jonah's eyes widened. "How could you have not told Alaric?"

"I just couldn't. I spent the entire time you were here rehearsing what I would tell him and then you guys were gone before I could say them."

"I saw how attached he was to you," Jonah says. "He thought of you as a father figure and you left him hanging."

The anger Jonah felt now fueled him go move on. He stone before the doors and closed his eyes, imagining them being blasted open.

He opened his eyes and walked into the Artery. The Hearth was nearly out. For the first time in Jonah's life he hadn't seen its flames when he entered the Artery. The thought shook his core.

Blood and bodies and weapons and rubble littered the floor. He couldn't look anymore. He closed his eyes and imagined the entire Network rid of minions. Then he conjured every clan door being blasted open. Soon the Grounders would file in and listen to what he had to say.

He opened his eyes as people filled the Artery. Every single one of them had been visibly effected by the war, injuries, bruises, tattered or bloodied clothes. They all carried weapons. They looked like a ragtag group who just survived a horde of zombies.

This time he conjured without closing his eyes. He projected his voice across the Artery.

"Listen up! I am Jonah, a kid from Daws. I escaped the battle with my friends Cicada and Alaric on the day of his execution. The three of us and two soldiers named Rox and Joss journeyed across parts of this world that none of us ever knew about to find Arosi and defeat him. Unfortunately we have no way of knowing if my friends have defeated Arosi. They sent me back to prepare you people for anything. I need all of the remaining Councilmen to step forward."

Jonah's mouth drops open when only two men step forward. The Councilmen that once represented Vaun and Shavab. Them and the member from Thlaxia were the only ones he didn't ever care to remember.

"To prepare for a battle that may be coming, we must keep these two men alive. Arosi wants the Network Council dead so we do exactly what he wouldn't want. The next thing we half to do is band together and become the great warriors that Grounders are."

The crowd cheers in approval despite the mood.

Jonah looks up at the dying Hearth. Now the only thing left to do was wait.