The Trials (The Elite Series) (17 page)

Cad
eryn moved his shoulder-length grey hair from his face and winked at his son.

“So then it
’s decided. We spread the word immediately and my father and I will rescue Laren.”

For the first time
, all heads at the table nodded in agreement. “We’ll leave tomorrow, Connor. I know how badly you want to go now, but we need to find out exactly where Vercin is, and getting some rest wouldn’t hurt, either,” Caderyn said.

Connor couldn’t argue with that
. They couldn’t rescue Laren if they didn’t know where she was. “How do we find her?”

“Oh my,
” Katie said, speaking up for the first time with a mock sense of despair. “If only you had two sorceresses that could perform location spells.”

“Perfect
,” Connor said.

“While Morrigan and Katie locate Vercin
, I will send my quickest messengers to the remaining Elites who have not thrown their lot in with Vercin,” Zheng said, turning his amber eyes on Miyanda. “I’m sure your people would much rather hear the news from your lips than ours. Would you go back and tell your mother what has happened?”

“Yes, I will go and my people will return with me. You can count on us.”

“Okay, we all have jobs to do,” Connor said, looking at each individual in turn. “Let’s get this done. The faster we can, the faster we can take the fight to Vercin. Hopefully we’re in time before this war spills over into the human world.”

O
rion and Morrigan spent the next hour sending Miyanda and several of Zheng’s emissaries through the portal to the human world to spread the word of Connor’s survival, his success in the trials, and now his call to stand against Vercin.

Cad
eryn and Zheng sat at the table discussing battle tactics and who they thought might come to their aid and how best to use them in the coming days.

“Care to join me for a walk?” Katie asked Connor.

“A walk?”

“Yeah, you
know, slowly move one foot in front of the other, usually around parks or nice scenery? You remember those, right? I mean, before we found out we were members of an Elite human species and got caught up in a war with dragons and zombies.”

Connor smiled at his oldest friend. He had known Katie since they were kids
, and now, despite everything that was going on around them, she still held her girlish wit intact. Katie brushed a long strand of blonde hair behind her ear and extended a hand. “Come on. Sitting here worrying isn’t going to do anyone any good. You have to wait until Morrigan and Orion are done before she can start the locator spell, anyway.”

Connor took her hand in his and tried not to let his expression
give away how comforting it felt to be close to her again, even if it was just holding her hand. The two walked outside to the palace courtyard and strolled through the large, perfectly cut landscape.

The sun had just set and the air was still warm from its rays as the stars and moon took their places in the sky.
They had the courtyard to themselves.

“The last time I was here, I was getting the living daylights beat
en out of me by Zheng.” Connor laughed, massaging his healed shoulder as a phantom pain reminded him of the fight.

“Already laughing about it?” Katie asked. “Because you looked horrible when you came back fro
m The Island the first time. You looked as bad as I’ve ever seen you.”

“Yeah
, that was rough. I wouldn’t want to have to fight Zheng again. I’m glad he’s on our side during all of this.”

Katie nodded and the two strolled the grounds in silence for what seemed a long while before Katie asked, “What do you think will happen if Vercin makes his move in the human world before
we can stop him? World War III?”

“’In the human world
,’” Connor repeated, “That sounds so weird. But it’s true now. I’m not sure, Kat. I’m not sure how he would start seizing power. One country at a time? With nuclear weapons? We have to make sure we stop him before he does.”

“You will. We will
. Connor, don’t worry. We’ll stop him. I mean if the athlete of the year and the head cheerleader can’t save the world, who can, right?”

Both of them erupted in laughter. “Thanks for making me take a walk
, Kat. It’s helping. I feel better already.”

“No problem
, and if you ever need anything, I’ll always be here.”

The two had reached the end of the path and began their walk back to the palace.
Connor knew Katie wanted to broach the subject of where the two of them stood relationship-wise. Katie was leaving all the right hints and pausing at all the right times. Her blue eyes, if nothing else, gave away her ploy. But Connor wasn’t ready to open that can of worms, not now. Not when they were so close to seeing an end to Vercin.

“We
ll, we better get back.” Connor said. “Morrigan and Orion are probably done doing their magic gateway thing.”

“Yeah
,” Katie said with a sigh. “I guess you’re right.”

They walked back through the main entrance and into the large hall. As Connor suspected
, Morrigan, Orion, Caderyn, and Zheng all sat at the large table. The food and plates were cleared away and all that was on the table now was a large map of the world.

Morrigan stood over the map, eyes closed
, and her right hand extended. Red and Brown energy rose from her palm like smoke from a small fire. Morrigan’s hand shivered and she opened her eyes.

“It’s not working
, is it?” Zheng asked.

Morrigan shook her head. “It seems as though Julie has placed a spell on wherever they are camped, masking their location.”

Connor felt his heart stumble and fall in his chest. This was their only chance at finding Laren. If this didn’t work, they had no idea where to look.

“Well
, there must be another way. There has to be,” Connor said, trying to sound as optimistic as he could.

“Not through magic, there isn’t,
” Morrigan said

“There
’s still hope, Connor,” Caderyn explained as he rose from his seat. “As Elites gather here to see their Judge, they may know where Vercin is camped and where Laren is being kept. Don’t lose hope yet.”

Connor fought back the anger and frustration. His temper had never been an issue before
, but he could feel the blood rushing to his face. He knew his father was right and that everyone was doing all they could, but it just wasn’t good enough. Now, all he could do was wait.

“Go get some rest
, Connor. We’ll find out more tomorrow when my messengers return,” Zheng said in his soft, passive manner.

“Come on
, I’ll walk with you.” Caderyn motioned as he made his way to leave.

Saying good night to the group
, Connor followed his father down one of the many halls and to his room for the night.

“I know it’s eating you up inside
, but rest now, so when the time for action does come, you will be ready to give it all you have,” his father advised.

Connor nodded. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Anything.”

“How are you handling the transition since Karnag? I mean
, you seem great and not like someone who has been locked up for eighteen years. If it was me, I think I’d go crazy.”

Connor was right
. Caderyn was looking better and better every hour. He was already walking on his own. His once dull brown eyes were transitioning to their normal light brown, and less bone showed through his skin.

Cad
eryn looked over at the son he had dreamed of meeting for so long. “The same way Vercin stayed alive and sane all those years. He held on to hate and revenge to keep him alive. I held on to hope and faith that something would happen and I would be able to see you and your mother again. It was you two that kept me going. I had faith one day that I would get out to see you.”

Connor realized that he not only had truly forgiven his father
, but now he was learning to respect him as well. His father was a Judge like him, and a fierce one at that. But he also held values like hope and faith in high regard, a combination that Connor hadn’t seen very much of growing up.

Thoughts of how his child
hood would have been with a father present began to tickle his mind. Of who he would be now if he had had his father growing up. But things had happened the way they had, and unless Morrigan had a “back in time” spell, there was no going back now.

They walked down the hall and Cad
eryn turned to his son as they reached Connor’s door. “Sleep well, son. Be ready for tomorrow.”

Connor smiled
, and half of him even wanted to give his newly found father a hug, but not yet. It was too soon. He was still getting to know him.

“I will
. Sleep well.”

Connor turned the brass knob and let himself in
side. It was the same simple room he had stayed in when he was a guest the first time he visited The Island. The bed, although small, looked like heaven, but Connor couldn’t go to sleep yet. He knew he had to find Lu and see if he was all right.

Although the two had their differences
, Connor knew how hard of a time Lu was going through, whether he admitted it or not. It almost seemed unfair as Connor exited his room and walked down the dark hall. He had found his father and Lu had lost his on the same day.

Worse
, Lu had lost a father and his sister was missing. Connor massaged his left shoulder as Laren and her situation tensed him once again. Before he could start worrying about Laren for the hundredth time, he heard a child sobbing.

It was faint
, and coming from a room somewhere to the left. Connor opened a large door that led to an even larger room. The room had to be a library, there were cases and cases of books lining every wall from floor to ceiling. Torches lit the area in eerie shadows as Connor entered the circular room.

In the center of the
library, curled up in a ball on a red couch, was Reap. Reap sniffled as Connor walked in, his tear-streaked dull green eyes telling the entire story on their own. “He’s gone, Connor. My dad is gone.” This tiny outburst brought on another deluge of tears as the small boy sniffled. He tried to hide his face in his small hands, embarrassed to be seen crying by the Judge he looked up to so much.

“Hey.” Connor took a seat next to Reap on the couch and put a
hand on the boy’s small back. “Hey, buddy.”

Connor wasn’t sure how to
console a child. Growing up as a single child, he had had plenty of friends, but now as a teenager, his child exposure was limited, at best. Lucky for him, Reap knew exactly what to do. Without hesitation, Reap reached up and grabbed Connor around the neck in a tight hug, still sobbing.

At first
, Connor was surprised and unsure how to respond. So he did the only thing he could do, he hugged him back. The two sat there for a minute, Reap’s little frame heaving up and down, his only answer to his father’s death.

“It’s ok
ay to cry. Let it out,” Connor whispered to his tiny bald head.

Reap’s only answer was more sobs and a quivering, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? You have nothing to be sorry about. We all cry, even me.”

Reap pulled back
, sniffling. “You cry?”

“Sure
. It’s okay to cry when there’s something worth crying about. Don’t try and keep it inside.”

Reap sniffled and ran his hand across his pale face. His eyes were bloodsh
ot and his face stained from the many tears already shed. “Why did my dad have to die? Why did it have to be him? I didn’t even get to say good-bye.”

Connor was far beyond his comfort zone.
Killing zombies and chasing dragons, sure, but trying to explain to a child why their father died was a whole different conversation. Connor took a moment to think about Reap’s question.

Connor was reminded
of Lu, Zuna, and even Morrigan’s dependency on fate and that everything happened for a reason. That there was a divine plan in motion and they had faith it would work out in the end, for the best. “Everything happens for a reason, Reap. We may not be able to see or understand why at the moment, but we have to stand firm and have faith that there is a plan in place for each one of us. Things aren’t in our control, but one day we will look back and understand why things had to happen the way they did.”

Reap’s young mind tried to wrap itself around what Connor was saying and he must
have understood, because he gave Connor a weak smile as he asked, “Will I ever be able to see my dad again? And what about Laren? You have to get her back.”

“You will see your dad again one day. And I promise
I will bring back your sister.”

“
Good thing you’re a Judge, because if you weren’t, I’m not sure you could do that.”

Connor smiled at his logic
. “I’m glad I’m a Judge, too. I’m going to bring Laren back to you as soon as I can.”

Reap sniffled again and was about to ask another question when the two heard the door to the library open again
. Kora and Lu walked inside. Kora was the picture of feminine strength as she gave Connor a brief smile. Her hair was pulled back and her eyes were bloodshot, but her voice didn’t quake as she addressed her son. “There you are, Reap. Your brother and I were looking all over for you. It looks like you’re in good hands. Hello, Connor.”

“Hello
, Mrs. Abelardus.”

Lu walked over to his little brother and embraced him in a hug. Lu’s
normally perfect hair was a mess. “You okay, little guy?”

“Yeah, Connor said everything happens for a reason and I’ll know it one day
. And he’s going to bring back Laren. He promised.”

Connor bit his tongue
, unsure if Kora and Lu would agree with his stance on death and fate, but neither of them raised an objection. Instead, Lu actually smiled as he looked at Connor. “He did, did he?”

Connor held his breath.

“Well, that’s great, because I’m going with him. I’m going to make him pay, Reap— the man who ki—”

“That
’s great, Lupus,” Kora said, cutting off her older son. “How are you feeling, Reap? You must be exhausted.”

“No
, I want to stay up with Connor.”