Destined (The ARC Book 4) Read online

  ‘What do you mean change it? What am I going to do? Who’s going to die?’ My last question is whispered.

  ‘I can’t say.’

  ‘Well, how do you know this? Why should I trust you?’

  His eyes sadden for a moment, but then he smiles at me brightly again and winks. ‘Because you’ve always trusted me.’

  ‘Who are you?’ I whisper, cautiously. Before I can hope to get an answer, shouting in the street behind me causes me to look over my shoulder. The crowd from the market is coming this way, and probably recruiters with them. I turn back to look at the old man, but he’s nowhere to be seen. Stunned, I run to the entrance he’d appeared from, but the small lane between the buildings is empty. He’s disappeared without warning.

  I stand there shocked, my mouth parted in surprise. ‘Who the hell was that?’ I murmur, under my breath.

  ‘Elle?’ Sebastian’s voice sounds from right behind me and I jump, turning to look at him.

  Before I can respond he grabs me up in a hug, his strong arms wrapping around me tightly. ‘Are you okay?’

  I don’t answer straight away. My mind is still trying to understand my encounter with the strange, elderly man. Was he telling me the future? It’s not unheard of for people to have visions, but they rarely show anything other than snippets of a larger picture. He seemed to know things—to know me. Why would he say I’ve always trusted him when I’ve never met him before?

  ‘Elle?’ Sebastian asks.

  I shake my head, tossing thoughts of the strange man from my mind. ‘I’m fine. How did you find me?’

  ‘I told you—I can totally sense where you are,’ he jokes, reluctantly dropping his arms and taking a step away. I’m almost beginning to wonder how much of a joke that is.

  ‘Did everyone else get out okay?’

  ‘Yes. April’s on her way back with Dalton and the others now. I’m sure she’s going to chew both our ears off for being there today.’

  I smile, glad for something as normal as being in trouble with April.

  ‘We should go. It’s probably not a good idea to stay too close to the market right now,’ he suggests.

  ‘No,’ I agree.

  He glances up at the dark clouds that fill the sky. They look ready to shower us with rain and are already stained with the deep blue colour of nightfall.

  ‘Looks like we’re in for a stormy night,’ he says, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jeans, as he heads towards the road beyond the alley.

  I move to follow him but, as I do, I hazard another look down the alley and push down a shudder. I pull my jacket in closer, adjusting the hood to cover my features again. That man had been warning me, but I have no idea what he could possibly mean? How could I ever choose between my own death and that of someone I love? I would never hurt anyone. I swallow tightly though as I remember how I used my talent to encase Joseph in ice. Maybe that’s not completely true.

  The disturbance in the marketplace and the strange man’s words cause a bundle of mixed emotions to war within me and I walk along in silence. Even now, I can still feel Joseph’s stare on my skin. It’s like his eyes have tattooed their mark on me, and I feel as though it won’t easily be washed away. In the square he had watched me with the focus of a hunter and his eyes had held a promise I can’t easily forget. He’s coming for me. Only this time I’ll be ready.

  CHAPTER TWO

  It is night by the time we reach the first lookout. The deep black clouds overhead blot out any light from the moon and the buildings that surround us rear up like menacing shadows in the dark. The lookout watches the street from behind the broken window of a dilapidated townhouse. The place has bricks crumbling from its façade and its roof has almost completely caved in. With moss and lichen coating the exterior, it’s like every other place in this forsaken area of South Hope—a decaying and forgotten ruin.

  In the darkness it’s difficult to see who’s manning the watch point. If you didn’t know where to look, you would walk past the house without a second glance. Sebastian and I pause as we wait for the lookout to wave us on. Only when a hand appears through the shattered hole in the window do we continue forwards.

  We’re silent as we walk. Even though we have people watching the area from different points, it’s difficult to feel safe. Especially not when a patrol of recruiters was seen only blocks from here last week.

  It has just started to rain when I see the subway entrance up ahead. An old sign hangs by one wire over the wide opening, and though the letters have faded with time, you can just make out one word: Subway.

  We approach the building slowly, giving the lookout waiting there time to identify us. She’s standing in the mouth of the entrance, the shadow of the opening mostly cloaking her from sight.

  ‘Where have you been?’ Jess asks, stepping from the entrance as we approach. Even in the darkness I can see the worry in her eyes.

  We both go to answer, but she proceeds to shake her head. ‘Never mind, you both better get out of the rain.’ She steps back, ushering us through the entrance and down the stairs that lead to our current home.

  The steps widen as they reach the open concourse. Shiny white tiles cover the small hall and thick pillars reach up for the roof. There are several sets of steps that lead even further down towards the train platforms that lie underground.

  I reach down to take a torch but pause. I can’t stop thinking about the man in the alleyway; about the potential future he painted for me. He said I needed to take a different path than the one I’m already on. Was he saying my future is already written? Like I don’t have a choice?

  ‘Sebastian?’ I ask, looking up to him. ‘Have you heard of talented people who can really predict the future?’

  He frowns. ‘Why are you asking?’

  ‘I’m just curious,’ I say, looking down at my feet.

  When I look up he’s watching me closely. ‘Some people at the Academy were said to have visions,’ he says. ‘I don’t know if what they saw ever actually happened though.’

  ‘If they saw something bad, do you think it’s possible to change that?’

  ‘Where’s this coming from, Elle?’ He looks at me with concerned eyes. I can understand why he might be worried, after everything that’s happened to me.

  ‘I was just wondering,’ I insist.

  He’s silent for a moment, deep in thought, before he responds. ‘I don’t know. I guess it’s possible. Some people think the future is set in stone, but I believe I’m in control of my own destiny.’

  He leans over and grabs a torch from by the stairs. ‘Got any more questions tonight?’ he jokes, winking at me as he flicks the light on. I shake my head.

  ‘You go on without me,’ he says, nodding towards the stairs the lead down to the platform. ‘I want to check in with April. She’s going to be busy dealing with the fallout from the square today.’

  ‘Oh, okay. Come get me if she needs any help,’ I say.

  I watch him as he walks over to a door marked, ‘staff only.’ There’s a security office down the end of the hallway that lies beyond. I have no doubt that’s where April will be. Only when Sebastian disappears behind the door do I start to make my way across the concourse towards a staircase leading downwards with, ‘Platform 2,’ displayed on a sign overhead.

  I carefully take the stairs down to the platform, shining my torch in front of me to avoid the wooden steps that are cracked and damaged. I try to push any thoughts about the old man in the alley out of my head. I don’t have time to worry about my future. There’s too much going on in the present.

  When I reach the bottom of the steps I shine the torch around the platform to see if anyone’s here. The light skims across the faded red letters imprinted into the green tiles on the wall that read, ‘Alta Park.’ There’s no sign of anyone here. I walk to the edge of the platform and swing myself down onto the train tracks. The gravel crunches beneath my feet as I land.

  I follow the tracks until the dark mass of the de
adened train I’ve been sleeping in looms up ahead of me. I pass three carriages until I reach the one I share with Kelsey. There’s a soft light glowing in the windows, and when I climb into the carriage I find her already asleep on the makeshift bed we share.

  I flick my torch off and leave it by the door, before I make my way past the worn red seats that line the walls and head straight for the bed. I intend to crash for the remainder of the night. But, like every other night, sleep doesn’t come easily and I am consumed by the grief I fight so hard to ignore during the day.

  For hours I stare at the faded route map on the wall, listening to the high-pitched whistle of the wind. It howls as it whips its way over the rubble and through the narrow tunnels of the subway. The sorrowful wails of the wind seem to be mourning with me and I long to cry out with it. Instead, I keep my grief silent, holding it tightly within my heart.

  The candle by my bedside sputters as a draft comes in under the door. It is all that lights the dilapidated cavity of a train carriage and is dangerously close to dying. I cup my hands around the flame until it ceases flickering and returns to a straight, unwavering flame. Dark shadows already haunt the edges of the room and creep up the walls. I need this small spark of brightness. I can’t stand to be in the dark. Not when it’s already a struggle to keep control of myself during the daylight.

  Kelsey sleeps soundly tonight, her face is relaxed while her fingers pull the threadbare blanket I scavenged for her close to her chest. We’ve only been hiding here for a couple of weeks, but it feels like an eternity has passed since the night our camp was torched.

  I try my best not to think of that night, but it still haunts me and I know I’m not the only one affected. We all seem to be handling that night differently. Most are shaken at best; angry and out for vengeance at worst.

  There seems to be an overarching question that hovers unspoken over the group. How can we hope for a better future when M, the man with the vision of how to make it happen, has been kidnapped? April is trying her best to continue his mission, but I think we all worry that it may be doomed without him. Even the comms she arranged to be sent to everyone in the square today were just a small bump in the road for Joseph. We’ll need to do a lot more than that to remove him from power.

  I curl my legs to my chest as I look up at the tall dark windows that line the carriage. The wind continues to wail through the tunnel, but in here it is deadly silent. My chest tightens as I think of Will. He never should have died, and I’ve felt his absence keenly in the weeks since.

  The hairs on my arms stand on end and my skin buzzes as I picture his cold, dead body in my arms again. I quickly push the thought of him from my mind, feeling my talents awaken in response to the raw emotion that stirs inside me whenever I think of him. I chew on my lower lip and close my eyes as I take a calming breath.

  No one knows that I left my inhibitor band behind. Even today, Sebastian was completely oblivious to the fact that I managed to escape the market square by teleporting. I know I’m still struggling to control my talents, but I made the right decision the day I stopped wearing the inhibitor.

  Joseph needs to be stopped, and I can’t do that if I spend my life fearing the talents within me. I worry that my need for revenge is putting the people I care about at risk. But, if I can help stop Joseph from hurting anyone else the way he hurt Will, a little danger is a small price to pay.

  The door to the carriage creaks as it is pushed slightly ajar.

  ‘Elle?’

  I look over to see Sebastian peering at me through the crack. By the soft glow of the candlelight I can see he’s drenched from head to toe and dark wet strands of hair hang over his blue eyes.

  ‘You’re soaking!’ I say, jumping up and walking to over to him, pushing the door wide. ‘Are you okay?’

  I pull him in through the doorway and he towers over me. A shiver runs through me as I take him in and I glance over at Kelsey who is still in a deep sleep on the floor.

  ‘I’m fine,’ he replies, pushing one hand through his wet hair. ‘I’ve been on lookout since I left you. It’s a nightmare out there. I’ve never seen a storm like this before.’

  ‘You should change into something dry. You’ll get sick if you keep those wet clothes on.’

  ‘I’ll be fine,’ he replies. ‘Why are you still up?’

  I give a mere shrug in response. My lack of sleep is nothing new. I’ve barely slept in weeks. I sit down on one of the seats that line the wall and hug my knees to my chest.

  ‘Have you been having nightmares again?’ he asks, softly.

  I slowly nod and he kneels down next to the chair, taking care not to let his wet clothes touch it. ‘You’ve got to stop blaming yourself. It’s not your fault what happened.’

  ‘Isn’t it? If I hadn’t destroyed Joseph’s office and nearly killed him, he never would have retaliated. M wouldn’t have been captured, the camp wouldn’t have been torched and Will…’ My voice breaks and I fail to finish the sentence.

  He lightly touches my cheek. ‘Joseph did those things, not you. He started all of this and he will pay for it.’

  I look down at my hands as I pick at my nails. I take a deep breath in and slowly blow it out, trying to calm the tingles that have begun vibrating down my arms. I’m getting too emotional and my talent is quickly responding.

  I’ve become much better at keeping myself calm over the past few weeks, but after losing control today I feel less certain of myself. It’s only a matter of time before people figure out I ditched my inhibitor. I’m a ticking time bomb and conversations about Joseph don’t help.

  ‘Anything strange happen while you were on watch tonight?’ I ask, trying to avoid thinking of the man who had me tested on like a lab rat for months and turned me into the monster I am today.

  ‘No,’ he says, yawning. ‘There have been more recruiters in the area after what happened in the square today, but even they were sane enough to give up the search once it started raining. April certainly wished she was inside rather than keeping watch.’

  I frown as I picture April keeping lookout on a night like tonight. She must have hated it, but since M disappeared she’s become the person everyone turns to and she wouldn’t have felt comfortable making anyone else do it—anyone besides her brother Sebastian that is.

  ‘You should have got me to come help,’ I say.

  ‘Then you would be as wet as I am,’ he replies, waving his hand at his damp clothes.

  I pat the chair next to me, signalling for Sebastian to come and take a seat. He must be exhausted after being up all night, and it doesn’t matter if he gets the seat a little wet. It would just be nice to be close to him right now.

  He shakes his head and moves away from me. ‘I should go…’

  I glance down at my CommuCuff to see it’s 4:00 A.M. A sense of dread pulses through me as I picture him leaving. I don’t want to be alone, but I can’t ask him to stay.

  I nod slowly. ‘Yeah, go dry off. You must be miserable in those drenched clothes.’

  ‘It’s not so bad.’ He moves to the door, but as he grasps the handle he hesitates. ‘I’m just in the next carriage if you need anything…’ he says.

  ‘Thanks.’ I smile. ‘But, I’ll be fine. I wouldn’t want to disturb April.’

  ‘Screw April,’ he mutters, shooting me a grin. ‘Seriously though, come get me if you’re worried about anything.’

  As he leaves, the door clicks quietly shut behind him. It almost seems colder in here without his presence. I glance over at Kelsey who has one eye open, peeking up at me from under her covers.

  ‘I think he likes you,’ she says.

  ‘And I think you should be asleep,’ I respond.

  She giggles and rolls over to face away from me. I return to bed and close my eyes, but nervous energy runs through my body and sleep feels unattainable. I can’t seem to switch my mind off. Every time I shut my eyes I feel a sense of dread in my gut and I see Will’s face. I failed him. I couldn’t control t
he wild talents inside of me and because of my actions Joseph saw our group, The Movement, as a danger and retaliated.

  A noise in the tunnel outside the train reaches my ears and I jerk up in bed to stare at the window looming over me. I slowly ease my way off of the mattress and creep over to the door at the end of the carriage. I open it and look into the tunnel.

  The small glow from my carriage is all that lights the dark tunnel, and looking up and down it I see nothing out of place. Everyone must be asleep. I go to return to the safety of the carriage but hear the noise again. It’s the sound of voices talking, but it’s coming from down the tunnel, somewhere only my talented hearing can reach. As I try to listen closer, the howling wind and rain from the raging storm outside makes it difficult to tell how many voices there are. It could be two, maybe three, maybe more. Who could be out there at this time of night?

  I glance back at Kelsey, who hasn’t moved. Her chest rises and falls in a slow rhythm and she appears to have fallen back to sleep. I don’t want to leave her in here alone, but Sebastian is next door and she should be fine for a minute while I investigate the source of the voices.

  I take my torch from just inside the door and flick it on as I slip into the tunnel. There’s a chill in the empty tunnel and the ground is cold and damp beneath my bare feet.

  The network of tunnels is a bit of a labyrinth, but I’ve come to know the ones near the train we’ve been sleeping in quite well. I look back down the tunnel towards the platform and focus on my hearing. There are two entrances down that way. One of them is through the main subway entrance accessed by the endless flights of stairs that lead up from the platform. Beyond the platform, further down the tunnel, is another exit. A manhole cover that can be reached by narrow ladders cut into the walls of the tunnel. All I can hear that way is silence.

  The third and final exit is in the other direction, past all the carriages and down into the tunnel, where the train tracks gradually veer up to the surface and continue on through South Hope above ground. I can easily hear the rain pouring down outside the opening through the darkness. The voices must have come from up there.