“Tame the hormones, guy. I didn’t say it had to be another male. For the love of Etherea…” he grumbled to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose. “The Twin Soul Bond continues to prove to be more of a nuisance than a benefit. I swear I’m gonna take this little flaw up with—”
“Fuck, would you justshut up?” I began pacing, the live rock music loud but muffled. Thankfully—or maybe not—my heightened senses could still make out his words. “Fine.” I conceded, already formulating a plan to protect Gray. “What do I need to do?”
“Better question is: What is it you want most?” he asked, all signs of humor gone.
“What do you mean?”
“What is it you seek to achieve most right now? Kill Forest or protect the princess?”
I pondered over his question for a second because they went hand in hand. “I want the king dead. As well as my mother and stepfather.” That way, I could finally be there for the princess.
“Good. Then that’s your focus. Hear me?” The mysterious man shoved his hands into his pockets again, pulling his shoulders back. “Delegate with the others about the princess. Only you or the princess can kill the king. For the love of the gods, get her trained,” he nearly whined. “Due to her hybrid nature, she’ll learn quickly and become someone to rival. She’s your equal.”
“Can I at least get your name?” I asked, sensing that our chat was coming to an end while trying to process everything he’d said. Was any of it even true?
“Valik. You can call me Valik. And I’ll be seeing you again.” Valik dipped his head and spun on his heels, facing the bathroom stalls. With his palms, he began waving them aroundin fluid patterns that made no sense to me until a blinding white light illuminated the room.
I stepped back, baffled at the type of magic he wielded. This wasn’t the work of a Kinetic who wielded light energy. This was something far different—older and purer. Its essence licked my aura, and I knew it most definitely wasn’t from this world.
Exerting a heavy amount of strength, Valik cemented his feet into the grimy tile floor as he began to pry open the wall of light before him like it was an elevator door. His face contorted, and his muscles rippled beneath the fabric of his shirt.
The power running rampant in the bathroom was oppressive, bearing down on me like a drenched towel, smothering my own.
What in the fuck is he? What is he doing?
At last, a gap formed large enough for him to step through. Holding the door open, he looked at me one final time. Sweat beaded down his brow, his eyes drooping from exhaustion as he dipped his head downward again.
“Until next time, Prince,” he grunted, stepping through the opening that immediately snapped shut behind him, leaving me bewildered and rocked to the core.
Chapter 2
Slate
Late-night traffic in downtown Atlanta blared below us. We had school in the morning, but Chrome and I always met on the rooftop of this particular abandoned building after a mission to decompress before we returned to the King’s Palace. Regardless of the weather, we always ended up here.
My feet dangled on the edge of the concrete ledge fifty feet above the street as I fiddled with the Kinetic knife pinched between my forefinger and thumb. The angular sigils associated with our race were embedded on the blade. Strength. Power. Honor. Courage.
“So, you sure we lost him?” I asked my cousin beside me.
A bitter breeze wafted through us, pushing me to huddle into my jacket more. I wished I had a thicker and warmer jacket, but those weren’t practical for missions.
Chrome nodded, the black hood from his coat pulled low over his brow to hide his chromatic strands from human eyes. “Yeah, but I’m sure he’ll turn back up.”
“But you got the other one, right?”
He breathed in deeply, his breath pluming from his mouth against the icy temperature. “I did.”
I wasn’t surprised. Being only sixteen, he was the most powerful Kinetic in living history and fast working his way to earning the most Kill Marks bore by any single Kinetic Warrior.
“So, another branding ceremony tomorrow?”
“Yeah,” Chrome responded, running his hands through his closely cropped hair. “Always a good time.” Sarcasm dripped from his tongue in bitter distaste.
“Before or after school?” I asked, my eyebrows raised.
“Late afternoon,” he mumbled. “Amethyst informed me on the phone before we left The Phantom.”
I nodded, knowing he always had to fill her in on missions’ outcomes. “I’ll be there.”
