The Locket

Kace stumbled backward as if he was intoxicated. My body moved back and forth with his movements causing my own wave of motion sickness. He released me and was briefly confused and disoriented. I glanced over at Brody because I knew he was causing it and saw him smiling proudly. Kace gained his bearings, looking angrily toward the group.

“Well, an Inducer. That’s a start, but I hope that’s not all you’ve got,” he snarled.

Kace wiped saliva running down his chin before aiming a hand at Brody, sending a ball of electricity towards him. The ball thundered into Brody’s chest before any of us could react. Brody flew through the air, crashing into the wall with a hefty thud, causing the thin drywall to collapse around him.

“That got rid of his self-righteous smile,” Kace mused.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Riley go to Brody. I grinned knowing what Kace didn’t. I watched as Brody’s chest pumped up and down more rapidly as Riley healed him.

Layken’s song began to play, filling the room smoothly as she made her way to Kace.

“Perhaps you should just listen to what Claire has to say, Kace,” Layken suggested, with precision in her tune.

Kace seized a lock of Layken’s golden hair and began twirling it in his fingers. The merciless look on his face was worrisome.

“The Siren’s song is indeed beautiful, but I am completely immune to its trance, foolish girl. You’re far too weak to seduce me, darling,” he said, jerking Layken’s hair more aggressively, crashing her body into his. Her back was to him and she eyed us, pleading for help. Kace positioned his fingers in front of Layken’s neck, applying pressure with the energy from his hand. He didn’t actually need to touch her to. The energy he used would force asphyxiation. Layken’s sun-kissed cheeks briefly lost all color. Soon the pasty white was replaced with deep purple. I heard a sudden gasp for air but it didn’t come from Layken.

Kace released Layken and clutched his own throat. He was coughing, sucking in huge gulps of air. He stood, looking at us to see who was doing it. I observed his agitation grow when he couldn’t figure it out.

I knew it was Brent without him saying anything. Brent had the ability to trap Kace’s power and use it. Now Brent used it against Kace.

I watched Kace’s eyes narrow as he stared at Brody who stood with us, completely unharmed by Kace’s attack.

“Obviously, one of you is a Healer. Very interesting.” Kace drew out the last word as though he found it trivial. “Which one of you is the Trapper?” he asked more demandingly. None of us replied and I was keenly aware of the fact his question brought with it a hint of fear.

“Who is it?” he commanded louder this time, his glare quickly turning to a glower. We remained silent. “Enough of this game,” he hissed, turning his stare on me.

Kace pounded toward me just as I heard a roar so loud the walls vibrated. Kace’s eyes pulled sideways as he came to a stop. I saw fur from an animal in my peripheral vision. Slowly, I turned my head to see a massive male lion standing next to me. The lion was at least three times the size of a one that was full grown. Brent was still on my other side, not looking surprised in the least by the animal. Quickly, I scanned the room.

“Reese?” I asked looking into the eyes of the beast. The lion brought his head to my shoulder, nuzzling my neck and purred. I saw in the soft grey eyes that it was Reese. I knew he could change his semblance but always assumed it was only to people. I never considered an animal a possibility. I assumed Brooke was enhancing the ability creating a larger version.

No more than a second later, the lion lunged at Kace, slamming him to the floor. The lion began to claw and bite at Kace’s skin. I watched Kace’s skin rip from the force of the lion’s claws and teeth as they tore into him. Bright yellow light shot out from each tear. The two separated, engaged in a stare down, waiting to see what the other would do. Not surprisingly, the wounds fresh in Kace’s skin sealed almost instantly.

The lion crouched, and then leapt through the air headed for Kace. Kace moved lightning fast, sending the lion crashing into the wall. The lion hit the floor hard, landing on all fours completely unaffected, growling deep in his throat. Kace smirked as the lion bounded towards him.

“Reese, no!” I shouted, realizing that Kace could not be harmed. He was no more than light under the shell of skin and could heal himself. There was nothing we could do to hurt him physically.

It was too late, the lion pounced again. Kace threw his hands out, sending a wave of energy toward the lion, sending the animal through the air into the staircase. Splinted wood sailed out around us and I ducked to avoid a piece. Brooke’s scream alerted me that the lion’s semblance returned to Reese. I whipped my head around to see if he was okay. Reese whimpered before tumbling down the remaining stairs, landing solidly at the bottom. Brooke and Riley ran to him. Their proximity to Kace made me nervous but Riley needed to heal him.

I was frozen. Shock had a firm grip on my feet, though my brain told me to go to him. I heard Brent’s voice in my mind.

Reese is okay, Claire. Riley will heal him. Don’t let your guard down.

He squeezed my hand reassuringly.

“One more time,” Kace commanded. “Who is the trapper?”

All of us remained silent, refusing to answer. Kace reached down and snatched Brooke by the back of the hair, tugging her into his chest. Kace withdrew a knife from his boot and held it to Brooke’s throat.

Kace figured out one of us was a Trapper and could trap his abilities if he used them. So Kace chose not to use his abilities on Brooke – opting for a human method – this way Brent could not borrow his power and turn it on him.

Kace kept the blade just above the skin on Brooke’s neck. Reese whimpered, not yet healed, but jumped to his feet and stepped in Kace’s direction with a murderous look.

“One more step and I will kill her,” Kace declared. Reese stepped back with his hands up in abeyance.

“Tell

me who the Trapper is or she dies,” Kace demanded, his expression serious.