Arisen Read online

  “He was just curious; you cannot expect to him to have these abilities and not explore things. He is still learning.” She kept glancing at the little girl with the big curls glad the commotion had not woken her up. It made the mum's heart ache, that her son was already showing signs of having special abilities. She worried that the Inperium would find out and want to recruit him early. She did not want her children to have the life she had.

  “I know, but still I do not like him trying to control things with his mind. That glass could have smashed in his face or hurt him really badly. He is too young to be messing around with it.” The man was angry but more so out of concern. The woman undid the bun in her hair, it was pulled back tight. She let the rich brunette locks tumble from the top of her head. Feeling herself relax, she shook of the man and his worries, walking over to the little girl, slipping herself next to her and gently placing a kiss on her forehead. This woke the little girl up and she stared at her mother wide eyed. She was a brunette like her mum, and she had also inherited her gentle features and bright eyes. Her mum held the girl whilst the man softened and lost his anger as he picked up the young boy and threw him above his head, then catching him and flying him around the room like an aeroplane. The little boy chuckled, and they all laughed and smiled. A perfect little family. Everything was well in their household.

  The front door across the room flew inwards and the dad braced suddenly pulling the little boy into him. Five men entered, their faces covered, they wore clothes made of leather with symbols on their shoulders. The dad crumbled to the floor as a bolt of electricity hit him. His eyes open and staring at the ceiling as the light left them.

  “It can’t be you.” The woman whispered through her rising tears. One of the intruders just laughed darkly. She grabbed up the little girl and ran, grabbing the boy from his dead father’s arms. She was struck down by the same electricity and the children fell sobbing as their parents were roughly hauled out the room. The children sat holding each other crying for their parents. All I could do was watch. I could not shout or try to reach out and help the poor helpless infants. In the distance a baby began to cry. The cries grew louder until they completely engulfed me. Lukas.

  3

  Aurora

  9.30am 5th September 2020

  “We are pulling up now, girl, so just stay calm.” Colt said gently waking me.

  “Calm?” I replied my voice was rough. I felt as if I had ten hangovers at once.

  “Please just listen.” Tristan pleaded with me.

  “Okay.” I whispered as Tristan opened the door and hopped out of the van.

  “Drink this.” Colt offered me some water, bringing the bottle to my lips. He had clearly lost a lot of his anger from earlier. I spat it straight out at him. He took a deep angry breath to calm himself again. “Please.” He tried again and this time I gulped some of the water down feeling a little better instantly.

  “I’m going to kill you, you know, that right?” I felt brave and ready. I was serious. I had every intent in fighting my way out of the van. I do not know where the feeling came from, but I knew I had it. “You are going to regret all of this.” I snapped at him, he just raised his eyebrow at me, his mouth shifted into a slight smirk. I was amusing him.

  “Calm down, little lady.” He called me his favourite pet name knowing it wound me up.

  “Calm down? Are you kidding me? You pair of loons just kidnapped me off the street. Injected me with god only knows what and you are now giving me orders. If you want me to calm down, then let me go home.” I ranted.

  “You know it isn’t that simple.” He shook his head.

  “I don’t know anything. Look I won’t tell anybody anything about this please just let me go home!” I tried a different approach.

  “It isn’t safe for you there.” Colt tried to reassure me.

  “Says the kidnapper.” I remarked and neither of us spoke for a few moments.

  “They are ready for her.” Tristan opened the door to the van. “Oh, it is tense in here.” He said after seeing both of our expressions. Colt undid the clips on the straps that held me to the gurney, leaving my hands tied still, he pulled me up and onto my feet roughly. Proving his sheer strength. I still reckoned and I could fight him and win my freedom if I tried.

  “You need to be calm for this next part, Miss Hart.” He said honestly, holding my chin with his hand. I wrenched my head away. Frowning at the fact he knew my name. He tilted his head and gave me a threatening look. I nodded, relenting, and he gently helped me out of the van.

  I looked up past the van at the huge old building in front of me. It looked like a Victorian mansion, incredibly grand and ornate. It was also intimidating. I looked around a few other random buildings dotted around forming a campus of sorts. Surrounding the campus was a dense forest. Some men in an army like uniform came marching down the stairs of the entrance to the main building they were followed by a middle-aged gentleman and a couple of people who looked to be in their early twenties. The middle-aged man intrigued me. He was long and thin and dressed in what seemed to be period garb, Victorian, to match the enormous house behind him. His face was gaunt and drawn out. I imagine he might have been regarded as a handsome man when he was younger back in the 1800s, I frowned to myself stopping my visible smirk from my funny quip, but in the bright light of day he looked like an out of touch man trying too hard. He had fashioned and shaped his thin black moustache into points that curled up at the end and his eyes were beady and hungry as he looked me over. He marched with a strange sense of entitled authority towards me. The couple that were behind him looked equally as strange, both were thin and tall. The woman had long silver blonde hair that hung perfectly straight over her left shoulder. Her make-up was a little over the top and her lipstick was too bold for her colouring, but it matched her scarlet stilettos. The young man stood proud in a navy military like uniform his face gaunt and miserable. His chest was adorned with tiny colourful medals. They must make him feel extra special, I thought to myself, knowing he was a man that had earned none of them.

  “What is this? I didn’t know the circus was in town?” I questioned. Colt raised an eyebrow at me, warning me, but I could see he wanted to laugh.

  “Welcome Miss Hart. I see you have grown up into a confident young woman.” The older man spoke smirking at me, the spite in his words did not match his face. I did not like it.

  “How do you know my name?” I asked.

  “We’ve been looking for you for a long time.” He replied, short and sweet. I waited for him to say more but he just stared at me in silence for a little too long. I felt very uncomfortable.

  “Looking for me? Why?” I broke the silence.

  “Yes, Miss Hart, did Colt and Tristan not explain?” The man looked towards my kidnappers, his tone said fed up, his face said Botox.

  “Not really sir, Miss Hart hasn’t exactly been the most cooperative.” Tristan said diplomatically and I shot him a look. They were the ones who had kept giving me sedatives. I had been an absolute pleasure.

  “Disappointing.” The man walked around me, looking me up and down. “I thought she would be stronger.” He said to the couple behind him who immediately began to scribble notes on clipboards that they held.

  “Trust me, she’s deceptive.” Colt said looking unamused at the scratches and marks all down his arms from where he had grabbed me outside the burning nightclub.

  “I’m Director William Dubois. I am the current director of the Inperium Organisation and you my dear are currently at our headquarters.” The weird Victorian wannabe explained as if he was talking complete sense and not crazy speak.

  “You could be the mayor of loonyville, and I wouldn’t give a…” I was cut off. A clipboard smacked me across the face, knocking me to the ground. Colt stepped forward and roughly pulled me back to my feet.

  “Show some respect you ungrateful half breed.” The man in the navy uniform barked at me. The hero in the situation, smacking a tied-up woman wit
h clipboard.

  “Respect is earned.” I spat at him. He raised the clipboard to hit me again, but the director stopped him. “When can I go home?” Everyone ignored my question.

  “That is enough. Miss Hart has had a big night and is probably a little tired, we should show her some leniency.” The director spoke slowly and with authority. “Just this once.” He still looked at me the way a crocodile looks at its next meal though.

  “What is this place?” I looked around at the odd collection of buildings.

  “You are not a great listener, are you?” The director looked at me, his eyes narrowing.

  “I heard well enough. The headquarters of some made up organisation just doesn’t mean a lot to me.” I retorted.

  “They will do.” It was ominous.

  The slim blonde woman stepped forward frowning at me. She lifted my chin and pulled out a small torch. It had the same greenish hue as the ones before. She shone it on my face.

  “Interesting.” She said pulling away and turning back to the director. “She is marked as a hybrid sir.”

  “Creepy.” I replied to her and she shot me a look.

  “I marked her myself.” Colt spoke up.

  “You did what?” I turned to him.

  “He marked you, it proves you are a half breed.” The woman snarled at me. “Really Colt, you kissed her?” She was unimpressed. “You have no place questioning us either. Half breeds do as they are told.”

  “Stop calling me that.” I snapped. I did not understand why they would say something like that. Saying insults and phrases like that were incredibly offensive and they said them as if it was normal.

  “The girl is right, you should call her a mult, the proper name for someone of her breeding.” The director informed them all.

  “There are other names I prefer.” The man in the navy uniform sniggered. “Are we even sure she is a Mult? What is she exactly? Immortuui? She looks a bit wild.”

  “It would do us no harm to check I suppose.” The director consulted with him. “But we won’t know her exact lineage until the trial.” They started talking like I was not there.

  “There is no need.” Tristan argued.

  “Take her down to the testing facility.” The director ordered, ignoring Tristan, and some of his soldiers walked forward and pushed me to walk in the middle of them. Two soldiers leading the way and two behind me with their guns concentrated on me. It made me feel very uncomfortable. I was terrified of what was going to come next.

  4

  Colt

  10am 5th September 2020

  Against my better judgement I had marched myself up to Lance’s office to and get him to convince William that Aurora did not need to be tested. I stormed in not even bothering to knock. I hated the fact that he had a cushy office when he did so little at the Inperium.

  “Hey mate, look you need to chat to Director Dubois.” I said shutting the door behind myself. The office was over the top, like an old school oak panelled room that often housed the school Principal. I thought back to the desk I shared with Tristan in the office block. I was glad I had next to no paperwork to do as I really disliked that building.

  “I don’t need to do anything.” Lance began. God, I hate this insufferable tool, I thought.

  “She shouldn’t be tested.” I began to state my case.

  “Why not?” He rolled his eyes.

  “Because the mark confirms she is a half breed or else it wouldn’t even show up.” I continued. “The reason we even marked the Mult was to confirm her identity before we took her.”

  Lance just looked at me before he went and sat behind his desk. He pulled out some files from his drawers and placed them on his desk. He was slow and deliberate, it made me mad.

  “Maybe the test isn’t to make sure she is a filthy mongrel. We know she is one.” Lance said cryptically

  “Then, what is the test for?” I asked. Lance leaned back in his leather chair, smug. It creaked at holding his ego.

  “That’s need to know.” He smirked. Clearly, he was on the need to know list and I was not.

  “You had better start telling me then, because I just kidnapped the mult, so I think that puts me on the need to know list, don’t you?” I was forceful. Lance was small and weak; I knew how to use my size to look intimidating. I could kill him in a single move and the only thing that stopped me was that I would not live past the house, thanks to his authority and the guards.

  “Director Dubois wouldn’t like you knowing.” He said explaining but it felt like an excuse I was getting sick of not being told everything but being expected to follow ridiculous orders.

  “Do I look like I care about what he would like right now?” I snapped.

  “No.” He opened the manila folder and skim read down the page to the important part. Teasing me. It was like some strange foreplay for him. I wanted to smack him so badly.

  “So, what is going on?” I was impatient.

  “She is being tested to not only check she is a half breed but also to see how viable she is for joining the newest pass out recruits.” He informed me. I could not even comprehend what he had said for a minute. The pass out recruits had been training with us for months and they were only just about ready for their trials. Even then they all could have trained for much longer. The trials were scheduled for Wednesday and there was no way she would be ready by then.

  “Are you messing with me?” I was in shock.

  “No, Colt this was a board decision, apparently.” He read from the file. Of course, it was, I thought.

  “Have you seen her? She has never thrown a punch in her life. She is nowhere near strong enough.” Even though she had managed to scratch me she was not strong enough to deal with the trial or even training.

  “It doesn’t matter, it is what the board wants.” Lance dismissed me but I remained where I stood.

  “Those oxygen thieves don’t have a clue. We are the ones that have to train her and have to deal with her being a weak inferior recruit.” I was getting angry. I was not about to take somebody into the field that could not protect themselves. I was not a babysitter, I thought to myself.

  “I’m sure we can find some uses for her.” Lance sneered and I shot him a look. He was a piece of work. So many rumours circulated about Lance and his behaviour. In fact, it was ridiculous to call them rumours, when they were the actual truth.

  “You are a vile creature.” I spat, disgusted at his comments. I knew exactly what he was implying.

  “You are right, I wouldn’t want to mess with her and her tainted blood.” He smiled.

  “Just talk to the Director okay?” I asked.

  “No can-do Colt.” He replied.

  “Well I’m not training her! She would be a massive waste of time. I bet she dies in her trial.” The comment was a little harsh, but I had seen half breeds that had been trained and excelled in training, fail and die in their trial.

  “If she does so be it.” He was cold.

  “Lance, I need the files you have on the Hart girl now.” William barked as he opened the door and strode in. “Oh, hello Colt. I did not expect you to be here.” He was genuinely surprised to see me.

  “Director Dubois.” I nodded.

  “He’s asking about the tests.” Lance snitched immediately, being the pathetic little weasel, he was.

  “This isn’t right, the girl shouldn’t be joining the others.” I began to plead my case.

  “Let him test her.” Lance said.

  “There is nothing you can say that will change my mind, Colt.” William threatened and I knew this was about more than just Aurora.

  5

  Colt

  11am 5th September 2020

  She sat in that room, looking terrified. All the bravado she had before was beginning to fade. Mults never looked scared, I thought, maybe they were right to test her after all. They were often hard faced. At least that was what we had always been told at the Inperium. I thought about the recruits I had been training.
It all seemed like a lie.

  The room she was placed it was a little bit like a police interrogation room with a two-way mirror. The walls were lined with a grey pitted tile. Cold and Callous. There was not a metal table bolted to the floor like all the procedural police TV shows had, it was empty. There were however a few iron loops bolted into the floor to hold any captives down with chains. I guessed she knew she was being watched through as she refused to look at the mirror. Maybe I was misjudging her. I was still surprised she did not know who she really was. It was so unusual for a mult to have no knowledge of any of the kingdoms or the Inperium, it was something that they were born with.

  The director walked in with Tristan and Lance behind him. Tristan looked guilty and Lance looked menacing. At least he tried to. He walked with a purpose that met the director’s, but he did not have the stature to carry it off.

  “I just want to go home.” She said defeated, tucking her hair behind her left ear. There was a slight weariness in her voice. She had a rough night, I supposed remembering the nightclub.

  “And I would love to get rid of you, but here we are.” William looked agitated. She looked puzzled at his statement and I was a little puzzled too. Clearly the board’s wishes did not reflect what William wanted. I suppose I could not blame him; we all knew about the old family ties and feud behind the Dubois family and the Lane family. Lane was Aurora’s real and proper surname before the adoption. Their feud went back centuries, since the Inperium was founded. It was so well known, Inperium families taught their children the history as if it was part of normal schooling.

  “What are you going to do to me?” She asked.

  “Just some routine tests. We need to check you are who we think you are.” William smirked at her. He was enjoying playing with her. We could all see it.

  “You kidnapped me, and you aren’t sure I am even the right person? That is insane!” She snapped and she was right. We knew who she was. We had even confirmed it in the night club just to be sure and even that was overkill. William just liked to torture hybrids; it was as simple as that. This was the only way he could torture Aurora and get away with it when he had to explain himself to the board.