Darkening Chaos: Book Three of The Destroyer Trilogy Read online

  Daniel nods. The news spread pretty quickly through my small army that some of their friends did not make it at all, and some are still being held prisoner. When there are barely more than two thousand of you in the entire world, and you’ve spent years together, you become closer than most families. The anger behind Daniel’s eye momentarily blacks out his worry for Braden. “You’re not even considering giving yourself up, right?”

  “Actually, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

  His eyes and mouth pop open in disbelief. Before he can start spouting off about what a stupid idea that is, and how Braden would never agree to it, and a dozen other things, I start talking again.

  “I have a plan, and I think I’m going to need your help.”

  “Does this plan involve you coming back out of there alive?” he asks warily.

  “It wouldn’t be much of a plan if it didn’t,” I say with a smile.

  The tension in his aged body slides away visibly. “Alright, then, let’s hear it.”

  “Well, in addition to Mr. Walters telling me that I should not go after Braden or turn myself into the Guardians,” I say with a rueful smile that Daniel returns, “he also told me that there was more to Idris’s prophecy about me and that there is something worse than a Sihir that the Guardians can make out of Ciphers.”

  We both shudder at the mere mention of a Sihir, a spirit loosed from its body by death that returns to the regular world in a maddened search for its body. They are the very real form of childhood nightmares, and our mutual friend, Saia, the woman who used to lead the Ciphers, was turned into one of these and let loose to try and kill me. It isn’t a memory I look back on fondly.

  “Both of those definitely sound like useful bits of information,” Daniel says, “but what do they have to do with getting Braden back?”

  “Nothing, but they do have something in common with rescuing Braden. I need to find and break a Seeker in order to get the information I want about the prophecy and the worse-than-Sihirs thing just like I need to get a hold of a Seeker to find out where all three groups of prisoners …”

  “Wait, three groups?” Daniel interrupts.

  “Oh,” I say, having forgotten that not everything we learned has filtered through the ranks, yet. “Sorry, I meant the Ciphers, Braden, and Mr. Walters’ daughter, Helen, and her family. The Guardians were holding them as collateral against Mr. Walters, making sure he had every reason to follow through on his orders to give me up to them. I seriously doubt Blackwood released them after he murdered Mr. Walters, and I won’t leave them there to suffer.”

  Daniel frowns. “Adding more people to the rescue is going to make it even harder, Libby.”

  My back stiffens and I glare at him. “Are the Ciphers lives worth more than theirs?”

  “No,” he says defensively, “but Walters did betray you. That’s the whole reason we’re talking about rescuing the other Ciphers.”

  “He betrayed us, yes, but he also died to protect them, Daniel. I won’t let his death go to waste. We’re getting them out, too.”

  “I’m not saying we shouldn’t try to rescue them, but I think you need to prioritize. The other Ciphers come before them.”

  I don’t like that idea at all. “And where does Braden fall?” I ask, my voice tight.

  He doesn’t answer. I already know what he wants to say, squarely at the top. It’s the answer I want to give, too. I care more about rescuing Braden than anyone else. For most of the flight up here, it was practically all I could think about. I was consumed with guilt for letting this happen and fear that I would never see him again. So much was left unfinished between us. I can’t bear the thought of never having the chance to sort out how I really feel about him and what to do about it. I want him to hold me again and let me feel that spark of hope only he can give me. Tears waiting for release burn behind my eyes, but I don’t give them purchase. Not yet.

  Sitting on the plane with Lance, I was slowly able to admit that as much as I want to tear every Guardian compound to the ground in order to find Braden, I can’t abandon everything else. Braden gave up everything for me, out of love, and out of belief that I am doing the right thing. Even if he sneaks into my room in the middle of the night and paints the walls with my blood, I refuse to let him down. I refuse to let down any of the people who have risked so much to help me.

  I’m still too consumed with grief and loss to really understand what that means and plan anything concrete, but I do know that I won’t let anyone else suffer under Blackwood’s hands. We’re getting them all out. Daniel’s quiet, if reluctant, agreement lets me go on.

  “We need information about where they’re all being held in the Guardian compound. Since all compounds are the same, I thought I might as well make use of this trip and try to grab a Seeker here in Canada rather than back in Albuquerque where they’re waiting for me to show up.”

  Daniel just stares at me. “You want to kidnap a Seeker? I really don’t think I’m the right person to help you. I’m not as young or strong as someone like Hammond.”

  The fact that Daniel is almost sixty years old didn’t escape me when I considered who I would ask to help me. “All I need from you is to create a distraction. I could choose anyone for that, but I’m asking you because I don’t want to waste time arguing with anyone else about whether or not this is a good idea. This will help me get Braden back, so I know you won’t try to stop me.”

  Daniel nods his head reluctantly. He doesn’t voice it, but I know he would do anything I asked him to do if it meant rescuing Braden. “But Seekers have Vision. They can see the future. You can’t capture one of them, it’s impossible.”

  “They caught Mr. Walters,” I remind him. Well, they didn’t actually catch Mr. Walters, he turned himself in, but only after he failed to see them coming after his wife in time. She was murdered, and to protect his daughter, the one the Guardians now hold prisoner, he gave himself up. It was his choice, yes, but it shows that Seekers aren’t infallible.

  “Plus,” I say, “Saia gave me an idea about how to catch a Seeker before she died. She said none of you could see Ciphers when you were in the spirit world because Ciphers have no talents to track. I don’t think Seekers can, either. That’s why they have such a hard time finding renegade Ciphers.”

  Daniel shakes his head. “But we aren’t Ciphers anymore, Libby.” He holds up his wrist so I can see the raised, scarred flesh of his jet black diktats, as if I had forgotten raising them only a few hours ago. They are perfect oblong scars, pure black tick marks that can never be altered or changed. Who he is can never be doubted. The physical manifestation of his newly unlocked talents, true name, and class encircle his left wrist, left to show that he belongs to me and not the rest of the world. They make me smile for their beauty. He has waited for over forty years in the spirit world to have those. Even he is transfixed by them for a few seconds. Slowly, he shakes his head and drops his hand.

  “Daniel, you’re still a Cipher. Maybe not in the same way as before, but you are different still. If the Seekers could see Ciphers even after being unlocked, they would have found Dean and Milo the moment I unlocked their talents, and Saia would have seen Milo long before I brought him to the spirit world to meet her.”

  I pause for a moment to let what I’m saying sink in. I know some of the Ciphers have been hoping to simply pick up their lives and move on like they were never abducted, but it won’t be like that. They’re free of the spirit world, but they will never be free of who they are. They are linked to me in a way they can never escape.

  “I think it’s just like performing the Inquest to unlock your talents. I was the only one who could do it. And I think I’m the only one that can use my Vision to see you. The Seekers are blind to you, just like they were to me,” I say.

  I had doubted this theory almost the second after I came up with it because Mr. Walters had told me that someone had seen something of my coming when they offered him the Oath to hunt me down in exchange for
his freedom decades before my birth. But even Mr. Walters, the man dedicated to finding me, never actually glimpsed my coming. He felt impressions about when I was born and where I might be, but he had spent years attuning himself to me. The other Seekers, the most they could have seen was the often disastrous effect I have on the world around me, not actually me. It would have been enough to alert them to my imminent birth, but not enough to give them specific information. It seems logical to me, at least. Anyway, I think it’s worth trying.

  Daniel seems to mull over the whole idea, as well. “I’m willing to try, I guess, but if it’s going to take going unnoticed by the Seekers, that counts out anyone who isn’t a Cipher, or you, right?”

  That’s the part of the plan Lance did not like.

  “Yeah, it’s just gonna be me and you, Daniel. Sure you’re up for it?”

  “I’d be more excited if this was forty years ago,” he says with a small sigh, “but yeah, I’m up for it. Anything that will help us get Braden back.”

  My sigh is much more profound, and filled with relief. I knew Daniel wouldn't fail me on this. Even if he is almost sixty years old and has only had his talents for less than twelve hours.

  “When do we leave?” Daniel asks.

  “As soon as you’re ready. I’ve only got thirty-nine hours left.”

  Daniel shakes his head. “Nothing like a deadline to get you hopping. I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

  He walks away, but his words linger. I am on a deadline, but not just one. By Friday morning at ten a.m., I have to figure out a way to get everyone out of the compound or they’ll all be murdered. By my eighteenth birthday, I have to overthrow the entire structure of military law in the world, or me and possibly everyone else in the world, will all be dead.

  And I have an essay due in English next week.

  Chapter 3

  Captured

  The cool Canadian air tugs a strand of hair from behind my ear as we watch the rotating patrol of Guardians around their fortress. I push the loose hair back, irritated at the distraction. Crouched behind a spattering of low bushes, Daniel and I can still see the nearest Guardian walk across the grounds easily. As he passes us, my eyes slide behind him to the immaculate landscape before me. I have never seen such a gorgeous garden. Even in the fading light, the palette of colors is astounding. Perfectly trimmed bushes, blossoming shrubs and trees, artful walkways, everything is placed precisely to enhance the overall beauty of the area. Even Daniel, who grew up in Quebec, is staring at in with mild awe.

  “This isn’t really what I expected,” he says. “I’ve never been to a Guardian compound aside from when I was taken, and I was blindfolded then. I was expecting fences and barbed wire, alarms, more security than a few patrols.”

  Suddenly, the allure of the tranquil garden loses its appeal. “Nobody knows it’s really a prison, Daniel. We’re all supposed to believe these are the people protecting us. Nobody knows what they really are.”

  “They will,” Daniel promises.

  My agreement has to be silent as the next Guardian approaches. Daniel looks over at me expectantly, but I shake my head. Not this one. We wait in silence until he passes out of hearing range. When he does, Daniel turns to face me. His anxiety is building slowly the longer we stay here. Despite his age, for a moment I see him as a young man, eager to use his new talents, and terrified of them at the same time. It’s what he should have experienced four decades ago. Now, his emotions show in the way the wrinkles on his forehead deepen as his worry increases.

  “How do you know which one is a Seeker, Libby?” he asks.

  “Perception. It’s similar to performing an Inquest, just much simpler. I’m not trying to unlock anything, just recognize the energies in the mind and body. Most Guardians only have Speed and Strength, two of the easiest to recognize. The guy who just passed had traces of Concealment, too. Not strong, but he used it to make his passing less noticeable. Did you hear how quiet he was?”

  “So, you’re waiting for one to come along with Vision?” he asks. “But why would a Seeker be out patrolling the grounds? Aren’t they supposed to be this elite force?”

  “Yeah, but they’re also a big secret, remember? Not even the regular Guardians are supposed to know about them. The Seekers have to blend in, act like all the others, but Mr. Walters taught me how to recognize them quickly, because they are almost always tapping their Vision. It creates a kind of shadow, or afterimage when I look at them with my Perception. I can spot them pretty easily.”

  Daniel nods appreciatively. The more I talk about all the things Mr. Walters has taught me over the last year, the more Daniel seems to understand why I can’t leave his family behind. Yes, he betrayed me in the end, but, hey, nobody’s perfect. Lance almost slit my throat out of reflex the night he found out I was the Destroyer. My dad almost killed me and him both trying to steal my talents in an attempt to hide who I was. Braden tried to arrest Milo and imprison him in the spirit world. And let’s not even start in on my mistakes. It would be dawn before I finished.

  We wait through two more silent Guardians stalking past us. My eyes, trained on the direction they keep coming from, spots the Seeker’s creepy Vision halo from half a dozen yards away even in the failing light. It looks like he and his pet ghost are out for an evening stroll. I shudder at the strange effect.

  “That’s the one,” I whisper to Daniel as I start moving into position.

  His fingers flex nervously. Daniel’s part in this felony is simple. Distraction. I watch nervously as his Strength-enhanced muscles bunch. New as he is to his talents, it’s no surprise that his attempt to dart out and surprise the Seeker turns into him overbalancing. Not used to the speed at which his feet are moving, he crashes out of the bushes. He rights himself before actually falling over, and freezes in the middle of the walking path. The Seeker stares back with wide eyes. I can see the confusion in his eyes as he wonders how this person was able to sneak up on him.

  A second later, he is lying on the ground gasping for the breath I just knocked out of him. The foot that kicked him in the chest lands lightly on the ground next to his limp body. I know Strength will bring him out of his shock much faster than a normal person, but I can’t help leaning down and making sure he can see my face clearly. My satisfied smile makes his eyes go wide. He knows who I am. Everyone knows who I am. It’s hard to forget the face of the person you believe will destroy everything you hold dear. As his mouth starts to form into coherent words, I pull my fist back and slam it into his temple just hard enough to make him nice and easy to transport.

  He weighs twice what I do, but I sling him over my shoulder easily. Daniel follows without a word. I would have liked to have taken him to a secure building where I could tie him up in some truly uncomfortable fashion and take my time drawing out the information I need. The whole drive over to the compound I kept imagining some scene out of a Bond movie, but in reality, the most creative I can get in the short window of time we have before he’s discovered missing is strapping him to the passenger’s seat of the car we borrowed from one of the Canadian handlers with a dozen ratcheting tie-downs.

  Then I slap his cheeks that still carry a hint of baby fat until he perks back up. His eyes pop open, and as soon as they do, he starts flailing. Well, the parts that aren’t fastened to the seat start flailing, which are pretty much just his lower legs. There’s a wild, terrified quality to his movements. Young enough to be stuck guarding a perimeter no one in their right mind would try to penetrate, he still must be so dependent on his Vision guiding him that he can’t seem to handle not knowing what he’s about to endure. It’s a strangely disturbing display.

  “We should have left him unconscious,” Daniel mutters from behind me.

  The Seeker freezes instantly and stares at me with panicked eyes.

  “I can’t access his mind if he’s unconscious. A person has to be awake for me to invade them with Perception.” That seems like a serious flaw in this talent if you ask me. Although
, having this newbie enemy knowing that I am tearing into his thoughts and memories like tissue paper is a nice bonus. I very much doubt it will be a pleasant experience for him. He must realize that.

  “What do you want with me, Cassia,” he asks, using my true name.

  “My name’s Libby,” I say calmly, “and I just want to ask you some questions, Seeker.”

  His Adam’s apple bobs up and down as he gulps. “How … how do you know I’m a Seeker?”

  “I know lots of things.” My twisted smile makes him gulp again. His eyes flutter, and I begin to worry about him fainting on me. I force myself to lean back a little, look less threatening. “But regardless of the secrets I already know, there are always a few more, aren’t they? Those are what I want from you. I want the secrets you protect more carefully than anything else in your life.”

  “What? I, uh … I don’t have … know … anything,” he babbles.

  I lean forward again. He presses himself against the seat but doesn’t get any further away. I meet his eyes squarely and say, “I will give you one chance to answer me honestly. If you don’t, or can’t, I will get the information another way. Do you understand me?”

  He nods slowly.

  “Good,” I say. “Now, where are prisoners kept inside a Guardian compound?”

  I don’t know what he was expecting me to ask him, but as soon as the words leave my mouth, he must understand that if I’m asking about prisoner lodgings it has to be because I’m planning on breaking one out. His jaw clamps down with an air of finality. Poor thing still believes in what he’s a part of. He must be really new. I sigh for effect, but am secretly pleased. I’m itching to get back at the Guardians in any way possible.

  “Fine, I guess it has to be the hard way, Seeker.”

  My fingers glide across his cheeks, almost a caress. The soft touch brings more terror than an outright slap ever could have, and only doubles when both my hands constrict again his head, holding it in place. Physical contact isn’t a must, but in difficult situations like this is about to become, it helps quite a lot. I can see Daniel leaning in more closely. His own Perception is nearly useless without any practical experience to use it, but he’s eager to learn.