Chapter 13

Gray

Silence greeted me when I exited the elevator to the lobby.

I searched for energies that lay in wait. Only one was nearby, and I knew his aura well.

He hid behind a corner a few paces away. I strode with relaxed indifference toward the exit.

I felt the energy of a weapon slice through the air, aimed at my back. Stepping aside, it whizzed past while I summoned blue electrical magic to my palms. I spun around to find Golden Figgaro’s arrogant sneer. His hair gleamed like a polished nugget from the California gold mines.

Cowardly piece of shit.

The reigning Kinetic Tournament champion glared at me with empty eyes. I gazed into the dark depths of a cloudy sea, wondering what Scarlett found attractive about him. Not a kind line marked his face.

“The king sent you as his last hope to stop me.” It wasn’t a question.

Golden’s grin taunted me while orange currents traced his arms and neck, indicating his infrared abilities. “You’ll never compare to the likes of Chrome. You didn’t even enter the Kinetic Tournament,” he said, reminding me of when my father denied me the opportunity this past year. “I’ll surpass Chrome’s legacy one day, but killing you will be a great start in earning King Forest’s confidence. He’ll wonder why he ever wasted his time on you.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “I wonder the same thing about Scarlett. Surely there are bigger dicks in the bag.”

Golden’s lip pulled back from his teeth, hurling a red, energetic spear at my chest. I sidestepped again, but this time, into the brawny arms of a warrior. Thick biceps curled around my throat in a tightening chokehold.

It caught me by surprise. However, I remained focused on Golden, launching a compact ball of my magic at him.

Judging by his inferior training, I assumed it was a guard that held me.

I kicked behind me with the heel of my boot, slamming into his shin. He cried out and loosened his grip. I ducked under his arm and spun, grabbing my blue-lit dagger from my weapons belt designed to kill Elementals, not Kinetics. The blade arced across his throat, and his eyes widened in shock. Sheets of blood cascaded down his throat and soaked into his black guardsman uniform.

His body dropped to the floor in a heap of pain. It wouldn’t kill him, but he was out of the way, at least.

My victory was short-lived, sensing an incoming attack from behind. I snatched a second dagger from my weapons belt and twisted to block the blow my magic felt coming. Blue blades clashed, clanging out in the palatial lobby. My right dagger collided with Golden’s broadsword. He had me at a disadvantage with his strength, so I turned to my agility. I sidestepped and slashed upward diagonally from his stomach to his chest. He retreated two steps, but it was enough for me to take the offensive.

With a flick of my wrist, I shifted the grip I had on my left dagger, angling the tip downward. I stalked toward him, finding his weaknesses.

Golden’s nostrils flared with a clenched jaw. Rage seethed within his barren eyes while he took a defensive stance with his broadsword.

I kicked at his kneecap, but he leaped out of the way before my boot heel connected. Golden recovered smoothly and returned to the offensive, swinging his broadsword at my neck. I ducked in time, but he used my unsteadiness to strike my ankles with a swift kick, knocking me off my feet.

My tailbone broke my fall on the marble floor. I cursed at the sharp pain. My magic alerted me to Golden’s sword, carving the air aimed at my head. I rolled out of the way as the sword struck the floor.

I needed to regain the upper hand.

Golden swung again, and I rolled once more.

He grunted in pain from the gash on his chest. The dull ache in my tailbone stole my breath, but I ignored it as his sword met the marble for a third time. I dropped a dagger and snagged a throwing knife instead. Driving the heel of my boot into his shin, I threw the knife with precision at his torso. It rotated perfectly through the air before sinking into his gut.

The broadsword clattered to the ground, Golden following close behind. I pulled myself to my feet.

I towered over Golden while he choked on his blood as he squeezed the hilt of my protruding dagger.

Golden looked at me with wide eyes, pleading for his life. Blood dribbled down the corners of his chin, igniting the viciousness within me that clawed to be let loose. I pressed the edge of my dagger against his Adam’s apple.

“Put the dagger down, Princess.” The firm, gentle tone of Supreme Trainer Smokey Valor echoed in the lobby.

I spun to face him, keeping the dagger in place against Golden’s throat. “Come to take me back to my father, Smokey?”

Hair, the color of burnt ash, stood out against skin that resembled the shade of terra-cotta as he stepped into view.

“Princess,” he said, coming to stand a few paces away. “You need to let Golden go.”

Withdrawing my dagger from Golden’s throat, I turned to face the lead trainer. “Why should I?” I asked. “He wouldn’t hesitate to kill me.”

Smokey gave me a solemn dip of his head and glanced at Golden. “Because,” he started. “Killing him when he’s already defeated is not something you can easily come back from. He’s no longer a threat to you if you go now.” He sighed and then straightened his back. “You are every bit as strong as Chrome Freyr was…and it’s been an honor to train you, Princess.”

I shook my head. “That’s bullshit. No one compares to what he was. And even he was defeated in the end.” I shrugged.

“True.” Smokey cocked his head to the side. His thick, ashy brows leveled me with sadness. “I was there when you were born and have seen you grow into something your father fears. Now, go fly, Princess. Be free from his restraints and see it for yourself.”

“Wait,” I said, shifting my stance. “How were you there when I was born?”

“You need to leave,” he said, glancing at Golden. He would be a problem for Smokey after this.

I narrowed my eyes at him, waiting for the inevitable trap. This was too easy. Of all the outcomes I envisioned playing out, this was not one of them. I couldn’t figure out Smokey’s motive.

He sighed at my blatant skepticism. “The king ordered an entire garrison stationed out the side and back doors. You’re going to need to take an…unorthodox exit,” Smokey advised with a challenging look.

I knew what he meant by that. “Would this unorthodox exit require your auditory abilities?” I asked with a squinted eye.

The Supreme Trainer offered a knowing smirk. “Be ready to run through the front doors when I give you the signal,” he ordered.

Despite his instruction, I remained to observe his magic at work. Golden and the guard groaned and rasped with each breath. The reigning champion of the Kinetic Tournament knelt in a pool of his own blood that soiled his pride. His hatred was palpable.

Trainer Valor opened his mouth to speak, but rather than hearing his voice, my feminine tone left his lips instead. Smokey’s energetic magic derived from sound waves, so he could alter them to sound however he desired. I imagined it was a useful skill in battle.

Smokey projected my voice to come from the back hallway leading to the rear emergency exit.

“I have to get out of here,” my fake voice said, breathless as if I were muttering to myself. “Fuck this hellhole.” Smokey cocked a grin at me, amused at his impersonation. It was an accurate depiction.

I remembered the duffel bag I’d dropped by the elevator and backed away to retrieve it, keeping my eyes on him.

“And fuck you, Father!” Trainer Valor made me yell, which I found to be overkill. I cringed before shooting him a deadpanned expression, to which he winked at me in return.

The Supreme Trainer fell silent, waiting for the garrison outside to follow the false trail. The emergency door screeched open and then banged shut. He opened his eyes—so much sadness and loss stuffed within—and gave me a curt nod.

I mouthed a silent thanks to the man who stood to gain nothing by helping me. He bowed at the waist in response. Lowering my head in acknowledgment, I bent to collect my duffle. Freedom couldn’t come fast enough.

I sprinted through the double glass doors of the Royal Domain’s high-rise. The mid-morning sun beamed down upon me while the briskness of the late October air revived my lungs. Red, orange, and gold painted the abandoned cityscape with displaced beauty in a bleak world.

I was finally free. Free from my father’s control. Free from the suffocating propriety.

Fifteen minutes into my escape, my legs weakened, and my lungs felt like they’d collapse from the constant sprinting. My chest burned from the exertion, so I stopped to recover. I dropped my bag to the ground, resting my linked hands atop my head while I focused on slowing my breaths. Two abandoned high-end stores stood on either side of me. Moldy moss grew on the light, gray stucco from the humid climate, bringing nature to a once bustling city.

I needed to keep moving.

Trains were off-limits as the Royal Domain ran and monitored them with magic.

Unless…

An idea formed in my mind as I caught my breath and stretched my cramped muscles.

My hand absentmindedly caressed the black crystal that swung from my neck on its leather string. I conjured the image of what I imagined my birth mother and father looked like in my mind. There’d been no photos of either of them, but it never stopped me from envisioning them as a child.

With a jolt, I remembered the magnetic bracelets Scarlett and Cotton had packed for me. The King’s Palace was equipped with Kinetics who could trace my magic. I needed to suppress it until I was a safer distance away. And as I clicked the metal band into place, a large part of me wondered…

Would I ever be a safe distance away from King Forest?

Dusk fell while I sat in tall grass, waiting for the next train to pass through. I scratched unreachable places as tiny insects skittered inside my garments. I wasn’t ashamed to admit I’d slapped my face in an effort to murder mosquitoes. And ants? Ants were the devil’s spawn.

I’d been waiting two hours for the next train’s arrival. Impatience ate at me like the insects that gnawed on my skin. Paranoia had me checking the trees at every sound for scouts, anticipating an ambush at any given moment.

Wildlife crunched through the forest behind me while I stared at the bare train tracks. Their sounds served as fuel for my magic reserves. Sitting in nature’s purity seemed to cleanse the lingering darkness within me. It was the first chance I’d had to process everything that had unfolded in the past forty-eight hours. Almost dying by Griffin’s hands was something I could stomach, but nearly dying by my father’s—adopted or not—was something I struggled to cope with. I replayed Hazel’s words regarding my father’s plans—and Slate’s knowledge of it.

A pang of longing mixed with betrayal hit me every time I thought about it.

I wondered what the king’s public story would’ve been had he succeeded in killing me. My chest tightened at the thought.

My introverted nature, combined with Forest’s passive-aggressive attitude toward me, did me no favors with the Kinetics who disapproved of me. Now, I no longer needed to worry about the delicate dance of propriety to avoid the smallest of scandals. Despite the shitty situation I was in, I embraced the fact I could breathe for the first time.

I was free.

In the distance, steel chugged along the tracks. A horn blasted through the pink and orange sky, startling the wildlife. I jolted upright, snapping me from my hazy exhaustion. I looked around, seeking a spot to obscure myself in the shadows.

The next stop wasn’t for another thirty miles south to the next city. The Kinetic conductor couldn’t know I would be onboard, leaving me with one option. I would need to jump onto a moving train.

I didn't know where to go. I knew I needed to head south to the more rural areas because north wasn’t an option. The Kennesaw Domain had close connections with the Royal Domain, and past Kennesaw, there was Chattanooga. All the smaller domains throughout the continent answered to the Royal. Domains were broken up to reside in larger cities where we had more external energy sources to replenish our magic. Before Devolution Day, highly populated cities made more sense for us due to the booming technology that incessantly fed our magic. For now, rural areas were where I needed to hide until I could figure out my next plan to reduce the risk of getting caught.

I rose to my feet and threw my duffel across my shoulder. The thunderous roar of the train pumped streams of adrenaline through my veins as I waited, revitalizing my lethargic mind.

I fell into a casual jog, warming up my stiff muscles and joints. The deafening cry of the train trudged closer, so I increased my speed. The weight of the duffel wanted to slow me down, but I pushed my legs harder, the cold air burning my throat with each step.

The locomotive pressed on my back as it loomed closer. Its light shined into nature, giving the forest an eerie glow. Tall grass slapped against the leather of my pants as I pushed myself harder.

I glanced over my shoulder and spotted an open car clad in graffiti. I sprinted closer to the tracks, gravel rolling under my feet.

I poured every ounce of strength in my body into making a blind leap. Grasping onto the makeshift handle in the opening, I used my arms to swing myself into the train, then allowed gravity to drop me to the aluminum floor.

My body felt submerged in tar with all my energy spent. I needed sleep, and not the type of sleep redfern poisoning had forced me to endure.

I adjusted my duffel to act as a back cushion against the ridges in the aluminum walls. The repetitive motion of moving down the tracks almost lulled me to sleep, so I tried to spot trees in the darkness through the opening to stay awake despite the burning in my eyes.

To keep my brain ticking, I prepared for unexpected developments that would arise. Pretending to be human would be key. I could join a human militia and hope I wouldn’t get recognized. Having an armed group surrounding me would serve as protection. It was the last place the king would think to look, too.

Or I could lay low and remain solitary instead. But then, I’d run the risk of encountering Elementals. And I couldn’t forget that there were Endarkened thirsting for an opportunity to deplete a Kinetic like myself.

With a potent sense of resolve fueled by wrath, I promised the gods that if I went down, I’d take the whole fucking lot of Kinetics with me.

Damn the consequences that may follow in its wake.