I smirked. “The Kinetics have done nothing but take from me. It’s my turn to return the favor.”
I summoned my element, seeking out the iron in their blood and drawing it out of the two Kinetics’ bodies squirming on the ground.
“Prince Griffin Silas has quite the reputation to uphold,” I started, still extracting the metal from their blood. “I can’t disappoint.”
Other than Slate, I had nothing holding me back from giving into the darkness that had been bred into me. Each Kinetic death was a message to the king, a reminder I still lived. Each death was onhim. Not that he cared about anyone besides himself, but it hurt his numbers and made him regret ever ordering my conception seventeen years ago.
It was only a matter of time before I had his head.
“He took everything from me,” I taunted him with a lilt in my voice. I didn’t even attempt to hide my debilitating mental state anymore. “It’s only fair that I do the same to him.”
“You…youdied,” the Warrior choked.
“No,” I retorted, a maddening grin inching up the sides of my face. “I was reborn.”
I didn’t give him a chance to respond before I snatched the iron from the two Kinetic’s blood with brutal swiftness. No guilt infected me as Peri’s words rang in my head,“I love you, big brother. Go be free”. The memory of her tears and her sacrifice burrowed claws of rage deeper into my heart.
I had become the monster that they wanted. The only difference was I wasn’ttheirmonster now. Their little pet had turned on its master.
“Chrome.”
As the two Warriors slumped to the rooftop with the final beats of their hearts, I angled my neck. Pops and cracks sounded from the stiff joints. “What can I do for you,Uncle?”
“Let me help you,” Orion said gently.
My nostrils flared. “Help? You want tohelp?” I scoffed before I slowly turned to face him.
Orion stood empty-handed and alone on the New York City skyscraper. Horns blared hundreds of feet below us. “All I’ve ever wanted was to help you.”
I chuckled, aware of how unhinged it was beginning to sound. Honestly, I didn’t give a fuck if I was losing my grip anymore.For once, I could be liberated. No one controlled me except for the beast inside me that wanted Kinetic blood, which worked out, because I wanted the same thing. “A whole lot of help you’ve been, right?” I held my arms out to the side, another cackle escaping my throat to be carried away by the never-ending sounds of traffic in the city that never slept.
“Come home, Chrome,” Orion repeated the same words he’d said to me all those months ago on a separate rooftop. Home. I never truly had one of those, and I didn’t see myself ever being fortunate enough to land in a place where I could be fully accepted as I was.
“Why? So you all can use me for my power, too?” I shook my head. “I’ll pass. Thanks for the offer, though. In the meantime, I’ll do your dirty work on my own accord by wiping out as many Kinetics as possible.”
“You can’t fight this war on your own, Chrome. You’re powerful, but you’re just one person,” Orion nearly pleaded. “Elementals would rally behind you.”
I rolled my eyes. “As wholesome as that sounds, I’m better off on my own.” I confiscated the Kinetic blades from the dead Warriors with my element, pocketing them in my weapons belt. I’d be sure to take their useful gear, too, once I got rid of Orion.
Orion sighed, rubbing his palms over his face in frustration. “We’re at war—”
“Oh, really?” I cut him off. “I didn’t realize,” I retorted dryly.
“We’ll eventually get the princess home, too,” Orion hedged, pausing to test my reaction.
I raised a brow. “Oh, yeah? You’ll harass her like you do me?”
“No. You’ll bring her to us.”
I leaned my head back to face the sky, barely able to see any stars through the city lights, and released a deep belly laugh. Once I started, I couldn’t stop for nearly a minute. “I will? Wherewas I included in this plan? Besides, she doesn’t remember me, so there’s that little issue.”
Orion blanched, his face paling. “What do you mean, she doesn’t remember you?”
“I took her memories of me. Just waiting to have my memories of her wiped, too.” I shrugged, despite the knot twisting in my heart at the thought of her. Valik wouldn’t take my memories involving Gray yet. He said the timing had to be just right.
“Chrome, you’ve been through a lot. More than anyone ever should, but you have people waiting for you to come home…” Orion begged, shoving his hand into his light sandy hair.
“Stop saying that!” I snapped. “I have no home! Don’t you fucking get that? I don’t want to belong to anyone anymore.”
