Salient Secret

Chapter 56

Authors note: 

This is the first chapter where we get to see from Palmer's  point of view. 

 :)

Enjoy!

Palmer's pov

It feels like I have been walking for days... believe it or not 7 year olds are not built with hiking legs. Of course I got unlucky and chose the farm on the right, that went from flat fields to hills really fast. Nevertheless,  Avery has been like a sister to me, I'd do a lot worse for her. 

When I get to the top of yet another hill, I notice a barn in the distance. When I get to it, I cautiously open the doors.

"Hello!" I shout. No reply. I look everywhere... no Avery. 

However, a rather beautiful, black horse catches my attention. There are saddles here too... I think you know what I'm thinking. Yes, I'm only 7 but I can tame the horse by manipulating her mind. It's totally a her. The only female horse in here, that's why she caught my attention. 

I've never ridden a horse before, nonetheless, I know how  to and I can figure it out. I open the gate, and place my hand on her snout to let her know she can trust me. She walks out and stands besides me. I'm no Sofia The First but I can communicate with animals through their minds. I use my powers to put a saddle on her now for the hardest part...climbing on. I stretch my short legs to step and then throw myself over. All I need to do now is hold on tight, I'll control her telepathically. 

We go from hill to hill. There is no sign of a farm house. I really wish there was a map of this place. Wait, there might be. I tell Shadow to stop, (That's right, I named her)  and I try lifting myself off of the ground. I'm successful in doing so, therefore I go higher until I reach the clouds. There's a farmhouse far in the distance. 

Don't ask me why I don't just fly there, it does not work like that, controlling myself is a lot more draining than controlling anything else. I'd pass out before getting half way to that farmhouse if I tried to fly there. That being said, I lower myself down onto Shadow, and ride until we get to the house.  

It takes a good 20 minutes to get there, my coccyx is so damn sore, and my butt feels like its completely flattened out now. I really hope Avery is in this house so she can fix this pain... oh and of course, to rescue her, I can be her knight in shining armor. I walk up to the door and ring the doorbell, no answer, so I just let myself in.

"Hello?" I say...no reply. I search the house anyways because she could be knocked unconscious somewhere. My phone starts to ring just as I'm about to walk up the stairs in this creepy house. 

"Tell me you found her Kai," I say wanting to get out of here asap.

"No, I was calling to tell you the left farm just joins with the right one. I'm with Lorenzo, where are you?" 

"In a very creepy farmhouse." 

"And you didn't think to message us?" 

"Relax, there's no sign of Avery... yet. I'm still looking. Just teleport here." 

"I can't, we're going to have to get there on two legs. Just send your location." 

"Okay fine," after hanging up and sending the location, I decide to check the kitchen first. Don't judge me, I am hungry. I walk down a passage that leads to the living room. It's actually a nice house, spacious, open plan, it just needs some modernization. 

"Yasss," I say when I open the cupboard and see Doritos. I open the fridge and look for something to drink. There's orange juice in a jug. I notice fresh avocado dip in a bowl, everyone knows avocado dip doesn't last longer than a couple of days, it would go brown...

"What the-" 

"It's pretty rude to trespass don't you think?" a girl with a southern accent says from behind me, wait,are we in Texas? No way. 

"I just wanted some chips and dip," I say in my little girl voice.

"You leave my avocado dip alone," I slowly turn around and see a blond haired cowgirl pointing a shot gun at me. 

"You'd shoot a 6 year old?" 

"Honey I'd shoot a puppy if it was eating my dip," now it's personal, who shoots a puppy? I slam her against the wall and fly her gun across the room. I place my hands on her head and read her mind.

 Avery is upstairs. 

"Thank you," I say and then steal her memory of me and make her take a nice long walk to the barn. 

I walk up the stairs cautiously in case Ms Texas has company, I swing open the first door on my left... just an empty bathroom. I swing open the next door... empty bedroom. I swing open the third door and I here a gun being cocked behind me. 

"What is up with you people having the willingness to shoot little girls?" 

"Oh princess, master Dane told us to expect you, you're no ordinary little girl," without even turning around I fly his gun out of his hands and make him sleep. Dane is more than delusional if he thinks I'll play mortal combat with his cult. 

I'm getting tired of knocking down these doors one by one, so I just rip all of them off their hinges at once. I hear someone struggling coming from the last room down the hall. Just as I'm about to step in Avery makes the loudest sound she can with duct tape around her mouth. She is clearly trying to tell me something. I use my powers to rip the tape off to let her talk. She is strapped down to a chair with something behind her. 

"Avery, what is it?" 

"Whatever you do, do not step into this room."

"Why not?" 

"Dane set up some kind of trap. There's landmines everywhere. If you try move me, or I try to move in any way, this bomb strapped to my chair will go off."

"Okay? You're indestructible."

"Not when it comes to this bomb. Dane made it with the serum that can oppose my powers, it will kill me. Dane said only he could dismantle it. He called it 'insurance' so that my friends don't kill him." 

"Palmer!" I hear Enzo calling me from downstairs. 

"Up here!"

"Where's Avery?" Kai asks, I look into the room.

"Avery," as he tries to rush in I stop him. 

"What?" he asks clearly confused. 

"We need Dane to get her out. If she moves, or if we move her, the only bomb in the world that can kill her, which, I might add, is strapped to her chair...will indeed go off. There's  also landmines all around the room, set off one, it will cause a chain reaction. So teleport and get Dane." 

Kai's reaction tells me I'm missing something, after swallowing he finally says, "Dane is dead."

"How do you know?"

"He got shot in the chest for starters and I can't shift into him anymore..." I never thought I'd say this but I wish Dane was alive and here. 

"There has to be a way to do this without killing her," Enzo says.

"Kai," Avery calls, "There is no way to do this without Dane. This was his insurance policy," she says with tears now running down her face.  

"No don't you dare give up on me Avery Shaw. We will find a way." 

"I love you Kai Grayson. To the very end."

"I know, and you're going to see the end one day. But today is not that day," Kai's voice starts cracking, he is about to cry but then...