SECRETS

Chapter 17

It seems that my whisper went unheard because the next thing I know, Ryu is freeing me from my chains and helping up to my aching feet.

I slap his hand away, getting up on my own. His eyes flash with anger, glaring at me with a stare that I'm sure would make anyone squirm.

Not me though.

I meet his stare with one of my own, smirking when he flinches back and I know the exact reason why.

"Interesting," exclaims Kali in the background, regarding us with a hawk's eye.

"What do you want from me?" I ask calmly while my eyes roam the dark room we're in, widening when I note that there are no windows or doors.

"Don't bother trying to escape, there's no way out except by a special vortex that only the 3 of us know," she replies, walking towards the table and taking a seat across from Aaron.

She looks at me expectantly. I hesitate before slowly making my way towards the table and sitting as far from them as possible.

Aaron doesn't raise his head once, his eyes still focused on the papers In front of him.

"I'm a not a fan of sugar coating things so I'm going to jump to the main reason you're here," she says, her hands smoothing the gentle material of her black blouse.

"I don't have a choice but to sit and listen," I reply, faking boredom.

"Do not humor me," she screams, pounding her fist on the table and causing us all to look up in shock.

I watch as she closes her black-lined eyes, taking a minute to compose herself before sitting back down.

"Right. So, I know about your rare power to control the five elements and I just want to say right there that I respect you for it. It's a lot of responsibility," she says in a calm voice, her eyes almost piercing through me.

"Cut to the chase," I say, sighing impatiently. I know I'm walking on a thin line here but I will not be scared of this woman, no matter how much I want to be.

She cocks her head to the side, observing me with such intensity that makes me want to look away. But I don't.

I won't give her the satisfaction.

"I'm going to make this nice and simple: I want to break up the council. They are a bunch of oblivious idiots who will lead the Vampyres to their absolute doom and I want your help to do it."

I sit in silence at this revelation, at loss for words.

"My power is most definitely enough to do the job but...two is always better than one, right?" She continues, looking at me expectantly. "Your powers, combined with mine...We will be unstoppable," she exclaims, smiling wickedly.

"What makes you think I would ever consider your offer?" I snap at her, standing up.

"Because if you don't," she says, pausing and letting her eyes trail over me, "I will destroy you and everything you love." Her voice is so soft while she says it that I wonder if it was all in my head.

"Well you certainly do love destruction now don't you?" I fire back, backing up.

I glimpse Aaron looking up at us and persuade myself that I imagined the flash of concern and fear in his eyes.

Kali gets up, her eyes focused on me.

"I most certainly do," she replies, smirking. "Do you really think you can handle me all on your own? You're just a child, my dear. Attacking me would be suicide."

"And you're a low-life bitch," I yell, already feeling the  power rushing through me.

But before I have a chance to utter a spell or even think of one, I find myself on my feet, pain ringing throughout my body with the goddess of darkness hovering over me.

"Get up," she whispers, smirking. "It's time to see how far you think you can go."

I quickly scramble to my feet, ignoring the protests from my aching body.

The spells quickly form in my mind as I feel heat spreading throughout me. I don't even have time to process my actions before my hands are throwing fireballs Kali's way.

She avoids each one of them, her body jumping back and forth with impossible speed and grace.

"Give it another try," she says, pouting.

I narrow my eyes at her before calling on Air.

A tornado forms around the entire room, making objects whip and fly before it narrows down on my opponent, making her gasp In surprise.

I hear her utter a couple of words and just like that, my spell bounces off her and towards me. I stare in horror as my hair whips around my face and my legs are lifted from the ground. My breaths are fast and shallow, my sight now dotted with black spots.

"Enough!" I hear someone scream as my body tumbles to the ground and I try to regain my breath, coughing repeatedly.

"I wasn't done yet," Kali says, glowering in anger.

"You're going to kill her." I look up to see Aaron standing in front of me, his face set in a worried expression.

"And you care why?" She shoots back, slithering closer to him.

"I...I don't," he hesitates before finally saying the words that brutally take another piece of my already broken heart.

"Then move out of my way," Kali says slowly and Aaron obliges, returning to his seat.

Anger rushes through me and adrenaline pumps through my veins as I quickly get to my feet, preparing another attack.

"Don't you dare," she yells at me, her eyes narrowing into slits.

"I'm not scared of you." My voice is hoarse and weak, betraying me.

"Oh really?" She asks, almost amused and I watch in confusion, surprise and horror as her eyes change from their bottom-less black to a vibrant and dark purple.

My eyes meet hers as the now familiar rush of the elements courses through me and I know by her slight gasp of surprise that my eyes have changed as well.