Drake wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him in a half-hug. “This is Bryan. He’s the new leader for the children’s sector.”
I prayed to God that my magical signature was suppressed enough where he wouldn’t realize it was me and hoped that it had changed greatly in the past four years. As an Ascential child grows up, their magical signature changes bit-by-bit until they are an adult. The difference for me was that because I was the Protektor, my signature changed more drastically than all the others as I grew older. I could only hope at this point that it had changed enough so he wouldn’t recognize me.
That was another issue. Donovan was an adult. Meaning his magical signature should be static. Why would his now be so significantly different after four years?
Donovan chuckled and held out a hand. “Nice to meet you, Bryan.” Cautiously, I shook his hand. He continued, “Good to see that the kids will have a role model now. They’re little hellions sometimes.”
I finally got up the courage to speak. “May I ask why we are going after Kimberly?”
The man replied, “It’s very simple, Bryan. Little Kimberly is a dear friend of the Protektor’s. Therefore, we can use her as leverage.”
So, now it was my fault she was getting sucked into this? My self-esteem started shrinking with every second.
“So, basically she’s blackmail?”
Donovan laughed, “Such sinister terminology for one so young. If you want to get technical, then yes, she’s blackmail. I, however, see it more as an opportunity for advancement. Now…” He aimed his gaze back at the mansion. “Are we ready to do this?”
I’m not, I thought in my head. Kimberly Garibaldi was my girlfriend. We’d known each other for years, and she was one of the only people that knew my secret. While I attended school, my name was Luke Daniels, because the name Lucian Gallager would cause mass chaos. If it was publically known that I was the heir to the Realm Leader, I would be both famous and in danger. Kimberly knew my secret, so I made it my mission to protect her.
Didn’t look like I could keep my promise now.
Swallowing back my fear, I replied, “Yes.”
Drake ruffled my head in the same manner that Donovan had done for him. “If he’s ready, then so am I!”
“Then let’s go.” Donovan waved his hand through the air, a gesture for us to move in. I quickly stood up and headed for the front door. I’d already been given my orders.
“Okay, Bryan,” Drake told him, “You’ve got the big job this time. Since you know the girl better than us, you’ll have an easier time of doing this. First, you’ll unlock the front door, like you did when we took you in.”
I frowned, “You mean when you kidnapped me.”
The educator laughed, “Again with the severe terms! You’re going to have to stop using that accusing language soon, or Ashlynn will lose it! And, trust me, you don’t want to see that.”
“Okay, so after that?” I pressed.
“Oh, right. You’ll need to find her. Get to her room and make sure she stays in there. If anything happens where we need you, I’ll radio you through your earpiece. But, since she knows you, you can’t, under any circumstances, take off your mask.”
“But wouldn’t that make it easier for me to keep her in the room?”
Drake shrugged, “Yeah, it might. But she’ll see you soon enough back at base, and if anyone else in the mansion happens to see you without it, you’ll be branded as a traitor. You don’t want that, do you?”
“No.” I tapped my finger against the black speaker in my ear. “Okay, that sounds easy enough.”
Easy enough, and yet I still couldn’t believe I was doing this. I guess it’s because I was afraid they would kill me if I didn’t comply. Donovan wouldn’t hesitate, anyway.
Placing my hand against the lock, I pulled forward my magic again, just like I had the day they kidnapped me. Within seconds, I heard the sound of the lock click. Twisting the door knob, I pushed open the door and turned to look back at the others.
“See?” Drake beamed, “He’s a bright kid, isn’t he?”
Donovan nodded his head. “Yes, he is. Good job, Drake.” After ruffling Drake’s head again, he dashed into the mansion, the others following after him. Drake was the last one, and as he passed me, he whispered two words to me:
“Good luck.”
With a curt nod in his direction, I hurried off in the opposite direction, heading for where I knew the unguarded stairwell was. It was mainly for servants and family members, but Kimberly had shown it to me about two years ago.
Bolting up the stairs, I quickly ran to Kimberly’s room, my long, blonde hair coming out from where I’d tucked it away. It was still in its ponytail, but I knew Kimberly would probably recognize it. As much as I wanted to tell her that it was me, I didn’t want her to distrust me. That would crush my heart.
Suddenly, the earpiece in my ear started blasting the sounds of a fierce battle. “Bryan, get down here!” Drake yelled, “We need you!” Scowling, I turned down the volume on the earpiece and continued down the halls.
Finally, I reached Kimberly’s bedroom. The door was open a crack, with a small light shining from inside the room. Silently pushing open the door, I saw Kimberly fast asleep on her bed, with a book under her arm and her bedside light still on. I smiled slightly. She was too adorable, especially asleep. When she was awake, she was quite the little spitfire. Good thing she wasn’t awake, or else I’d have been in for quite the fight.
Walking over to the bed, I placed a white piece of cloth on her bedside table. On one side was the MonReneix symbol. On the other was a quick note to my father. If anyone could get it to him, it would be someone in the Garibaldi family.
Hopefully, Kimberly would be the one to give it to my dad.
“Bryan!” I spun around to find Drake running into the room, out of breath.
I took a few steps in his direction. “Yes?”
The teacher growled, “I thought something had happened to you! Next time, reply if you’re going to ditch us.”
“Sorry, Drake.”
“We really need you down there, sport.”
I heard rustling coming from back at the bed and turned back around to find Kimberly awake, standing, and brandishing her sword, Alegria.
She growled, “If you don’t get out of here, I’ll scream, and my guards will be here in an instant.”
Drake grabbed my arm and pushed me out of the room. “Go help Donovan!”
With another curt nod, I bolted back to the public stairwell. Once there, I looked over the railing to find a huge battle going on between the MonReneix members and the Garibaldi guards. I hesitated. If I started fighting, it would be very difficult to suppress my magic. If any of the guards or members of the Garibaldi family sensed me, it wouldn’t mean just trouble for me and my father, but also for the children being held captive by MonReneix.
I sensed him before he spoke:
“Take me.”
I turned around to find Dominik Garibaldi, Kimberly’s older brother, standing behind me, clad in all black clothes just like all of us related to MonReneix.
“Excuse me?” I asked for clarification.
He smirked, “You’re here for Kimmy, right?” Pulling an identical mask over his head, he continued his proposal, “Take me instead. I’m older, stronger, and have better control of my magic than her. I’ll be more valuable.”
My solution was staring right at me, waiting for my move. If I did this, Kimberly would be safe. And, since it seemed that it was the man’s decision…
I grabbed his wrist and started yanking him down the stairs. I shouted a fake warning to the rest of the MonReneix members as I ran through their battle, “The Protektor’s Alliance is coming!”
The man I recognized immediately as Donovan lifted his head. He whistled sharply and started running back to the front doors, everyone else following suit. With me, Dominik, and Donovan in the lead, we bolted back out of the house and through the
forest. Once we were a good distance from the mansion, everyone came to a halt to catch their breath. Because I had experience and good stamina, I wasn’t winded in the slightest, but I breathed heavily as a cover of my true identity. After a few moments, Donovan turned to me.
“Where’s Drake?” he asked, still sucking in air.
I replied between fake breaths, “I… don’t know. Last I saw… he was with Kimberly.”
“Hey guys, wait up!” We looked back in the direction we’d come from to find Drake running for us. I smiled. At least he was okay. He was really my only friend here, and I’d have hated for something to happen to him.
Donovan eyed Dominik and asked curiously, “And who is this?”
Before I could open my mouth, the boy put himself between me and Donovan and removed his mask. “My name’s Dominik Garibaldi, heir to my father’s name, and I wish to be taken instead of my sister.”
“Fine with me.” Chuckling, Donovan started pulling his mask off his head. Once it was off, Donovan’s eyes snapped open, and I felt fear run through my veins at the fierce, frosty blue irises. Icy blue eyes that made even the inner Protektor in me shiver… That could only mean one thing.
The Seeker’s spirit was possessing Donovan.
***
The tape recorder and cloth sat on his desk in front of Morgan. He had yet to touch either. However, a very familiar magical signature was on the cloth.
Lucian’s.
Kimberly was in front of him in tears. The poor girl was confused and upset. And, after all that had happened the night before, who could blame her?
“So, tell me again, Kimmy,” Morgan asked gently, “How do you know it was him?”
The girl sniffled and replied, “I saw his hair. It was the same length Luke liked it and in his signature ponytail. And he didn’t flinch when I pulled out my sword.”
“Well, I don’t think anyone in MonReneix would be scared of a child with a sword.”
Kimberly scooted to the edge of her seat. “But that’s just it, Lord Morgan! My sword has demonic energy in it, and Ascentials that see its blade immediately get frightened. And, if they don’t, they at least flinch at the magic in it.”
Morgan rested his elbows on the table and leaned toward her. “You have a Dimoni sword?”
The girl nodded eagerly and told him, “And there’s four specific people that don’t even flinch at one.”
“The members of the Profecia,” Morgan finished, “Then it really was…” He felt tears welling up in his eyes. My son’s still alive…
“There was another man with him though. He didn’t flinch either. Don’t tell me Alegria doesn’t work either, because I went and tested it on a person that was in the hallway. Is there anyone who could also have learned to harness life energy? Because sometimes that delays the effects of my sword.”
Morgan ignored her question and asked instead, “And this other man gave you this recorder?”
Kimberly nodded. “Yes, he did. And, on a side note, he was quite nice. Not at all what I thought a kidnapper would act like.”
With a slow nod, he told her, “You can go, Kimberly. I’ll make sure to keep you updated.”
The girl nodded and slowly made her way for the door. Before she left, she turned back to him. “There is something I forgot to tell you, Sir. When the other man pushed Lucian out of my room, he said, ‘Go help Donovan.’ Do you think he meant Donovan Accardi?”
While he didn’t want to scare the child, she needed to know the truth of her boyfriend’s disappearance. “Yes, I’m positive that it was the very same.”
As tears welled up in her eyes again, she whimpered, “You’ll let me know if you hear anything about him, right?”
Morgan smiled gently at her. “Promise, Kimmy.”
Kimberly smiled and left his office, shutting the door behind her.
Once her signature had gradually left his range, he lifted the cloth up. When Kimberly had brought it to him, there was only the MonReneix symbol and nothing more. However, Lucian was quite adept at concealing magic. The second Morgan picked up the cloth, words started appearing.
Dad, don’t worry about me.
I’m fighting for my values.
No matter how much of my blood is spilled,
I will fight until I’m in the ground.
-L
A small smile crossed his face as he glanced down at his hands. The Rosara sat glowing on the front and back of both. This symbol, the spoked star, was the Gallager family crest, only given to their family to show their place in society. That smart boy made it so the message would only show to someone with a Rosara. Clever little trick.
His son was fighting. If anything at all, that gave Morgan some closure. He wasn’t dead and had a plan. That made his father very proud of him. That didn’t mean that he wouldn’t stop looking for him. As much as he was proud of his son for caring about his views, Lucian’s life was more valuable than a few destroyed morals.
Then, The Realm Leader’s eyes darted to the recorder. Gently placing the cloth down on the desk, he picked it up. Clicking the play button, a strained voice came over the speaker:
“Lord Morgan, I hope you find this. Heck, I hope anyone finds this. If this did make it to you, there’s a few things you need to know.”
The Realm Leader leaned back in his chair, trying to relax himself before he heard anything else. He lifted his glass of water to his lips.
“My name’s Drake Jaegar.”
Morgan spit out the water in his mouth. “Drake?” he exclaimed.
As confirmation, the man’s signature soft laugh breathed through the speaker. “I bet you’ll be surprised hearing from me, seeing as everyone thinks I’m dead. In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m alive and well.”
Morgan chuckled silently to himself. The kid had quite the wit sometimes, just as he remembered.
“I’ve been trying to get information to you guys for a while, but for some reason, all my messages seem to disappear. I’m hoping that this one will reach you, seeing as the girl we’re after is close to little Lucian.”
Wait… they’d been after Kimberly? Not Dominik? He slowly straightened his chair to an erect position.
“You need to know that I’m positive that we will not take Kimberly tonight. I’ve planned with a few others to make sure she stays safe, for Lucian’s sake. I know how much she means to the young Protektor, and I don’t want to risk that relationship.
“I also have a request. There’s a kid here named Briareus Falcone.”
Briareus? The Falcones didn’t have anyone with that name, especially any children…
“He’s about fifteen years old with long blonde hair and dark blue eyes. We recruited him over a week ago, which is just a fancy way of saying we kidnapped him. He may not act like it, but I think he misses home. Can you let his folks know that he’s safe, and that he’s got a friend where he’s at? I just want to make sure that they know he’s alright. I worry, you know? It’s a habit I picked up as a teacher, and it’s a very hard habit to break.”
Now Morgan understood. Briareus Falcone must have been an alias for Lucian. Understandable, because if he used his real name, he would have been dead as a doornail by then.
“And, please let them know how impressed I am with him. He’s very bright and really proven himself as a strong, capable individual. And, I should know. I was a prodigy after all. Isn’t that what you used to call me, Morgan?”
Morgan smiled. Yep, there was no doubt about it. The man on the recording was indeed Drake Jaegar. But, what happened to him?
Drake softly laughed again and continued, “I’m sure there’s a lot you want to know, but I have a limited amount of time right now. When I see you again, I’ll be sure to tell you everything. And that’s a promise, Pro.”
The tape kept running, but it seemed that was all. With a sigh, he clicked the play button off, silencing the soft hissing of the recorder.
Staring into space, Morgan murmured, “You better
keep that promise, Ace.”
***
“Leave me alone, Dominik!” I growled, storming back through into the barracks. A lot of the children were still asleep, but after the training they had gone through that day, it would take a gunshot to wake them up.
It was two days since the kidnapping mission, and I still couldn’t get Kimberly’s brother to shut up. He’d found out the truth the next morning when I came out of my room without my mask. And he wouldn’t leave me alone. Every chance he got between training, eating, and sleeping, he was talking to me, trying to grasp a concept that he couldn’t seem to understand.
Dominik hurried to catch up to me. “But, Lucian-”
I spun around and stuck my finger in his face. “Look, Dominik, I’ve said this already, and I’ll say it again. Call me Lucian, and I will have you sent straight to Tortura Mortalle!”
The boy held his hands up. “Alright, alright. Sheesh, calm down. I just don’t get this. What are you doing here? You’re a Gallager. And not just that either; you’re also the Protektor! This isn’t a safe place for you.”
“It isn’t safe for the kids either.”
Dominik glanced around, apparently noticing the children curled up in beds all around him. With a groan, I turned back around and started heading for my room.
“Wait, Lu… Bryan!”
My hand on the door knob, I rolled my eyes and looked back at my girlfriend’s brother. “Yes, Dominik?”
He came to a stop a few feet from me. Then, he stated heatedly, “You can’t honestly tell me that you didn’t feel something off about that guy. You know, the tall, skinny one with the deadly blue eyes? He’s the leader, Bryan. If he finds out, he’ll kill you!”
“I know that!” I snapped, “But I can’t abandon these kids. They need me right now, and as future Realm Leader, I can’t turn my back on them.” I ripped open the door and slammed it shut in Dominik’s face.
With a sigh, I yanked my shirt over my head, letting the cool air from my room hit my burning hot chest. It soothed me greatly. The training today had been rougher than usual, mainly because I pushed myself too hard. A yawn escaped my lips, making me realize how tired I was. Kicking off my boots and socks, I slowly lowered myself to the mattress. Soon, haziness filled my head, and I felt my body slowly relaxing…