A Tale of Thieves (Part Three)

In case you missed Part One and Part Two. For Part Three continue reading.

“Run for it,” Jed mutters, as the smoke begins to dissipate and he stands up with a groan.

I am momentarily thrown off by the effort it took Jed to lift The Source, I’d never seen him have to put effort into lifting anything before. His powers should have prevented that.

But I have no time to ponder that thought as Jed grabs my hand and pulls me toward the exit alongside him.

Only for us to be cut off by the two guards from earlier, Jed and I find ourselves suddenly entangled in a scuffle with them.

One of them gets a grip onto my wrist and I feel a surge of electrified fear run through my body. Causing the guard to pull his hand away as though having been electrified.

But before I can process what a weird reaction that was, I am pulled into reality by a few shouts from Jed.

“Run!” Jed shouts, seeing that I have freed myself.

Out of nowhere, Corbin appears Brandishing his open hands in preparation to send lightning at our attackers but nothing happens. Looking at his hands, turning them over a few times he tries again but nothing happens.

Suddenly he changes tactics, grabs my arm and starts pulling me from the entryway. Dragging me out until I can’t see Jed struggling against the guards anymore.

“What about Jed?” I cry as we approach the iron-barred fence.

“It’s too late for him,” He mutters, flush in the face as a bead of sweat runs down his cheek. He then grabs me and starts pushing me over the fence, like Jed had earlier.

Instinctively I scramble over the fence and wait for Corbin to follow. After a beat, “What about you?” I ask, like a child lost in the street. Peering through the iron bars, barely able to get a good glimpse of him.

“I’ll find my way. You know where to go and now go!” He commands, running back into the grounds and disappearing into the night.

Following instructions, I ran back into the shadows.

The commotion that is still underway in the palace entrance is audible from the streets of Lacigam, just outside the grounds. Pushing my want to go back and help Jed out of my mind I put my mind on autopilot and find myself back at headquarters in mere minutes. With no knowledge of how I got here, never mind how I have done it so fast. 

What bothers me most about this though is that Gregory and Carla should have beaten me here, yet I am the only one standing in our kitchen. Stunned as I waited, listening for even a hint that my friends would return.

As I wait my feet carry me around the small room, at a steady pace but my mind begins to race. Panic sets in and I suddenly feel that the absence of my friends is an indicator of their possible capture. If they are in custody, it will only take Corbin a matter of minutes before he gives me up and the Justice Squad will be on their way here now.

Before I even know what I’m doing I find myself in my room, throwing all my clothes, some food and cash into my bag. I throw the bag over my shoulder and march toward the back door when I am caught off guard by someone emerging through the curtain at the backdoor. Panicking, I let out a scream and an unexpected belch of fire streams from my mouth, like I imagine a dragon would.

“What the hell?” Yells a familiar voice from the floor of the kitchen.

Closing my mouth and cutting off the stream of fire, my lips sizzle for a moment as I swallow a heat that sits on my palette. I stand in shock for a moment as I realize that the intruders are Carla and Gregory.

“I’m so sorry,” I mutter, still reeling from what feels like a horrible hallucination.

“How did you do that?” Gregory inquires, giving me a look of bewilderment as he helps Carla up from the floor.

“I have no idea. I meant to scream.” I answer in a hollow, fearful voice.

The pair of them look at me with a mixture of fear and confusion, observing me from a distance.

“You can’t tell Corbin,” I demand, starting to come back to my senses.

Looking at the pair of them in desperation, my chest heaving as my heart races and breathing is laboured.

“Of course.” Carla agrees, smacking Gregory to agree too.

Who responds with a silent nod in agreement.

Then clearing his throat, “How did you beat us here?” He asks with a furrowed brow as he watches me with analytical eyes.

Suddenly Corbin appears through the curtain door.

“Whoa, how’d you beat all of us? You’re usually last.” He comments, looking from myself to the other two.

“I’m not sure, adrenaline I guess.” I fumble through my answer, not knowing what to tell them. “After what happened in the entrance hall, I was shaken up and getting back is kind of a blur,” I add, wishing I’d stop talking so much.

“What happened?” Asks Carla, looking between Corbin and myself.

“You didn’t see?” Inquires Corbin, looking to Gregory.

“No, after Keren grabbed The Source, I couldn’t see through the walls anymore.” He replies, his eyes holding a far-off look.

“I couldn’t contact you through my telepathy either,” Carla adds, biting her lower lip nervously.

“All of us are struggling with our powers,” Corbin mutters. “Since Keren touched The Source.” He continues, his eyes looking to the other two and then landing on me. “Are you feeling different at all?” He inquires, watching me meticulously.

“I- uh.” I struggle to find words. My heart rate starts to race again and my brain becomes fuzzy as I start to panic again.

“Where’s Jed?” Carla interrupts, coming to my rescue.

I sent her a thankful look as Corbin went into his version of events on how chaos broke out in the entrance hall. How Jed and I ran into the guards after being blinded by the smoke and I somehow got out of their grasp. How he ‘rescued’ me and helped me escape then went his own way because he couldn’t climb the fence on his own.

“Then we need to get going,” Gregory comments, speed-walking toward his room.

“You’re right. They will start torturing him and he’ll break any minute.” Corbin agrees with the realization, rushing to his room.

Carla follows suit, giving me a lingering look of hesitation before disappearing into her room.

I distract myself by standing at the window, watching the street for any sign that the Justice Squad might be on their way.

My blood pressure lowers as I watch the sleepy street in its slumber-filled emptiness, soundless even as I post-guard and anxiously wait for the chaos to erupt again.

I imagined there would be guards running through the streets, maybe even banging on every door.

But none of that is happening, which only raises my suspicion that something is wrong here.

“You said, you’re feeling alright?” Corbin’s voice interrupts my train of thought.

“Uh, yeah.” I agree, swallowing hard as I turn to face him.

He appraises me with a look that holds a mixture of skeptical and analytical suspicion. His eyes burrow into me like he’s trying to read my mind.

“She’s lying, something is wrong with her. But how do I get her to tell me?” I suddenly hear the voice of Corbin, but his lips aren’t moving.

Leaving me to assume I’m reading his mind, which at this point I just have to chalk up to one more weird anomaly of tonight. But before I can absorb this information, the other two enter the kitchen and we finish preparing to leave.

Part Four: