Page 30 of Dark Rebel's Mystery

"I'm so sorry," he gasped. "I'll clean that up." He wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

"Leave it," Kian said firmly. "The Guardians will handle it. You need some air." He steered Ell-rom toward the exit, his grip supportive but urgent.

As they waited for the elevator, Anandur walked over to a vending machine that was tucked into a corner and returned with a cold can.

"Drink this." He popped the lid. "It will help settle your stomach and wash away the bad taste."

"Thank you." Ell-rom gulped the sweet drink, the carbonation helping eliminate the acid taste in his mouth.

"You looked awesome when you killed that first bastard. Almost demonic. I never imagined that you could look so scary." He affected a shiver.

Kian shot the Guardian a warning glare, but Ell-rom shook his head. "It's alright. Jasmine told me how I looked when I killed that vagabond in the alley."

After they emerged from the keep's underground parking, Anandur drove Kian's vehicle aimlessly through the city streets, taking random turns while Ell-rom watched the normal world pass by outside and wondered who among the people shopping, walking dogs, living their lives, were evil like those in the keep's dungeons.

He had a feeling that he would never be able to look at humans again without thinking that some of them were monsters or all of them.

Gradually, though, his breathing steadied, and his heart rate normalized. The horrors he'd witnessed began to fade, though he knew he would never be rid of them no matter how long he lived.

After what felt like at least an hour, Kian shifted in his seat. "Try again," he said. "Think about the prisoner whose memories you saw. Think about justice and deliver it."

Ell-rom closed his eyes, picturing the man's face, remembering the atrocities he'd seen in his memories. This time, when he sent out his death wish, something felt different. A connection, almost like a thread stretching across the distance.

Kian pressed his earpiece. "Onegus?"

"Dead," came the reply. "Instantaneous."

Relief and something like pride crossed Kian's face. "Good. That will be all for today. I'm taking Ell-rom back to the village and we will continue testing on Monday." He turned to Ell-rom. "After you and Jasmine return from the cabin."

Ell-rom nodded, still processing what he had done.

His ability worked at a distance. He could deliver death from miles away. It should have terrified him, but instead, he felt a sense of peace. He was delivering justice to those who had forfeited their right to life through their own evil actions.

"You did well," Kian said softly. "I know it wasn't easy."

"It was much easier than I thought it would be."

The city continued to drift past their windows. Somewhere out there, children were safer because two monsters would never hurt anyone again. It wasn't what he'd planned for his life to be about, but perhaps it was what he'd been created for all along.

Not a weapon of mass destruction but a precise instrument of justice. A blade, yes, but one that was wielded with purpose and control.

19

KYRA

Kyra sat at her desk and scanned the latest intelligence reports while trying to ignore the way Zara kept glancing at her when she thought Kyra wasn't looking. The whispers about her strange abilities had grown louder lately, especially after her performance during the last raid.

She shouldn't have been as obvious, but lives had been at stake, and that was more important than hiding her oddities.

"A few of the new guards at the compound aren't normal," Zara said. "I don't know how they do the things they do, but I must assume drugs. People can do extraordinary things when they are high."

"Like what?" Kyra asked.

"One of our watchers saw a guard lift a truck to get a bottle of coke that had rolled under it. He held it up with one hand and reached for the bottle with the other, and he didn't even seem to strain too hard to do that."

That would have been an impressive feat even for her, so she doubted that the report had been factual. "Maybe you should check the watcher for drugs. He must have been hallucinating."

Zara put her hands on her hips and struck a pose. "And what about the guard who jumped from the roof and kept running to catch a kid who'd been throwing rocks at their windows?"

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