Chapter 71: Chapter 71

The next day, at 8 am, I was ready for this second day of training. I had only felt aches for a few hours during the night. I figured my regenerative ability helped me recover more easily than ordinary mortals. Not to mention Carmichael’s massage, which, although beneficial, soon deviated into something even more delicious, and which left me with a smile on my face until I woke up. But my mood darkened when I crossed the Pomona room where I was going to see my brother, like every morning since his suicide attempt. Inert, an infusion of drugs stuck in a vein in his neck, he lay in his cell. His treatment seemed so inhuman to me that tears overflowed my eyes. But what to do?! I thought again. If I let him wake up, he would start again. And if Blake had told the truth and we didn’t have the same mother, then he could die. Besides, having the same mother didn’t necessarily entail a certificate of immortality. Magnus had attempted to have many immortal descendants but had only had three successes over the centuries. The outcome was too dangerous, so I wasn’t ready to let my brother die. However, that morning, and when it was more bearable for me to see him in such a state, I resolved to wake him up when we returned from our trip. It couldn’t go on any longer, and if I had to stick to his side so that he wouldn’t commit his potentially irreparable act, then I was prepared to do it.

I left the place with a heavy heart. And it was Henry’s laughing face, next to Johnny, that awoke my sleepy dimples. Henry, seized with a fit of laughter, patted Johnny on the back without being able to stop laughing. Johnny laughed out loud and doubled over like he’d pulled off the best joke of the year. Sonia invited herself to the general hilarity, and their joy was contagious. I never knew what had provoked this joy, but from then on, I understood that a complicity had been created between the Englishman and my best friend, which proved to me that a friendship between a caste, pure and hard, and a human was possible. I had noticed how, from now on, Johnny evolved among the castes. It wasn’t unanimous, but his personal promotion campaign had paid off. The ball and the coronation had been carried out in all respects with a masterful hand, and I knew he was negotiating a concert at the home of one of the castle guests as well as a special promotion ball for freshly graduated “young castes of the world”.

“So when is the departure for New York?” asked Johnny as we jogged through the forests of Mortain.

“In three days.”

“Oh…”

“What?”

“Nothing, why?”

“I see there’s something bothering you. Say what’s on your mind, Jo!”

“Bah, you take your court and I’m not in it.”

“My what?”

“Your court!”

“My court?”

“Well, yes, your court! Eric, Thomas, Caleb, Carly, Marion, Henry and Sonia, everyone! But not me.”

“It’s too dangerous,” I said, half-twisting my ankle on a root.

We kept running, following Henry and Sonia. Johnny remarked to me that they made a nice little couple.

“Anyway, you see everyone as a nice little couple!”

“And I haven’t told you everything that is happening at the castle yet.”

“Go ahead and tell,” I said, suddenly very curious.

“I keep my secrets.”

“That would be a first!”

“I’ll only tell you if you take me to New York.”

“No, you can’t come, Johnny! We’re not immune to an attack, and if anything happens to you…”

“But I’ll be with you, Eve!”

“And that’s supposed to convince me, right?!”

“It’s my choice, Eve.”

“I already lost Olivia. If anything happened to you…”

“I’ll take care of myself.”

“You won’t take one step away from me!” I ordered him seriously.

“Promise.”

“Well, this stay in New York may seem longer than expected,” I said, smiling.

“Bitch!”

I burst out laughing. Johnny patted me on the shoulder and stuck his tongue out. We kept on running, seized by this light mood, until Henry put an end to the day’s session.

The days before I left for New York I spent training. Henry was putting his mind to it and Johnny had decided to accompany us to all our sessions, which turned out to be a more dangerous experience than expected when I awkwardly threw an old uprooted tree trunk in his direction, narrowly avoiding him. The following week, he told everyone that he had come close to death.

“Use the elements, Everliegh,” Henry repeated again. “Use your environment, use your head!”

Every hour of training showed fabulous progress. My ability to infuse strength and speed into my muscles became easier and easier. I realised that something had really changed since my death, my energy was almost inexhaustible. I was amazed at the power of my arms when my telekinesis was injected into my biceps. It was exhilarating and scary at the same time, because I now thought I could dismember a person with my bare hands. This horrified me, so the day before we left, I confided in Henry.

“If there’s going to be bloodshed, then do it,” he said. “You mustn’t hesitate. Faced with opponents such as the Six, you’ll certainly have no choice.”

Henry took my hand, and I found myself thinking that it was the first time he’d touched me, if I discounted the blows he had given during our practice sessions. Strangely, this intimate attention from my teacher troubled me. His other hand went to rest under my chin, he raised my face in front of him, and his gaze, clear and paternal at this moment, fixed on my eyes.

“You are a queen, and your duty is to protect your loved ones, and when necessary, you must be relentless. Fear should be seen in the eyes of your enemies as well as in those of your allies. Never forget to be ruthless when your survival is at stake. Never!”

“Noted, Henry,” I said, determined.

“Perfect! We’re leaving tomorrow for New York, so it’s time to test your ability to fight several opponents at the same time. Follow me.”

I followed him into the woods of Mortain, and quickly realised that he was taking me to a remote part of the estate, at the other end of the lake. This part was little used by the castes, and therefore little maintained. The trees had grown in a mesmerising mess, and the sunlight was warming my rosy cheeks from the cold winter morning. Beneath my feet, the sound of frost-dried leaves, crumbling with each step, seemed deafening as the place was steeped in silence. A few soft birdsongs broke this impression, while as we advanced, a hubbub coming from the lake made me prick up my ears. Voices. Many voices were raised near the lake.

Arriving at the destination, Henry turned to me and presented with his hand all the castes who had come for the occasion. There were Carmichael, Caleb, Marion, Eric, Thomas, Sonia as well as all the powerful and telekinetic recruits during the tournament the day after my wedding. I could count no less than fifty opponents ready to do battle. I pale.

“It’s time to show them what you’re capable of, Everliegh,” Henry said, coming closer to them.

Carmichael sent me a wink and a kiss. He burst out laughing when he noticed that my round eyes of surprise still didn’t blink, not having yet recovered from the discovery of all my adversaries. Eric nodded to greet me, while Thomas clenched his fists, laughing and curious to test me as a fighter. I finally moved and called out to Henry, who was standing to the right of my traitor husband.

“Are you serious, Henry?”

“I have never been more so.”

“Do you think you’re too weak to measure yourself against all of us?” Carmichael challenged me.

I squinted at him, then a smile formed on my lips.

“I’m going to make you all eat dirt,” I said, now eager for the challenge.

And this sentence had a remarkable effect, because several of the fighters gave each other worried looks. Henry spoke immediately.

“I have explained to you all how to go about it. Today, Everliegh is not your Queen, but your enemy, so let’s see what she has in her guts!”

With that, Henry slammed into me like a cannonball, while a tree trunk did the same from the left, along with two other powerful castes, fists outstretched, speeding in my direction. My first instinct was to jump and levitate to avoid them, but telekinetics appeared on the horizon and came at surprising speed. I had to dodge and erect a protective shield in front of me, but Henry grabbed my ankle and sent me flying across a weedy and particularly muddy field.

Knees in the mud and shaggy hair, I decided not to worry about my appearance, got up and closed my eyes for a moment to concentrate. When I opened them, almost all of them were coming at me. I stretched my arms out in front of me, palms open, and focused my energy with determination. The first opponents were thrown backwards, the second squad was propelled so far that they plunged into the lake. Stunned with cold and furious at having let themselves be manhandled, they ran at an incredible speed towards the telekinetics, who projected everything they found in front of them, in my direction. My unstoppable shield protected me, but I knew that close combat had to be tested, so it was up to me to use my speed to orient myself towards my fellows, while rotting tree trunks, branches and dead leaves came to test my defences. I let a breach in my shield open and moved swiftly towards Sonia. Startled, she tried to erect her own protective shield, but it wasn’t strong enough to stop me, so I grabbed her by the throat. My other hand reached for other nearby telekinetics which I knocked to the ground, trapping them in their position. Sonia gave a startled look when my head turned back to her. I propelled her so far into the sky that she soon looked like a tiny black speck. Henry took advantage of a lack of concentration to free himself and attack me. I was surprised by a dozen assailants who immediately threw themselves at me. He took the opportunity to sneak in from behind and sent me a punch in the ribs that I wasn’t about to forget. Shocked by the impact, the grounded telekinetics moved again, and the powerful ones circled me with fabulous speed. Panting, I watched Carmichael, who hadn’t yet moved, welcoming the spectacle with an amused look. Eric and Thomas must have been in the fray, because I couldn’t see them anymore. I glimpsed Marion next to Sonia, back among us, who both levitated, then rushed in my direction. My ribs were hurting like hell and my breath was too rapid. Surrounded on all sides, I couldn’t believe I was going to be beaten so easily. It was hard for me to focus on the fight, my shield and my attackers. I decided to erect a protective dome around me and took the time to study the situation. Faced with this barrier, no one managed to approach. I watched my opponents, they were all watching for the slightest sign of weakness, and then I understood something, I wasn’t feared. Then I thought back to Henry’s words.

I closed my eyes again, knowing now what to do. I raced towards the lake and dove into the waters. My concentration helped me transform my shield into a bubble of oxygen, which saved me from getting totally soaked, and helped me to breathe. Underwater, I swam to the depths of the lake, then, as soon as I reached the bottom, I stood watching the fish flee from my presence and disappear into the dark waters. I spread my arms out and channelled my energy to my fingertips. I felt the water wrap around me, gaining more and more speed. I then took support on my feet and propelled myself towards the surface. The water from the lake followed me through the air. My adversaries, who must have been alarmed by my long absence submerged in the waves, were now watching me with an air of unfeigned surprise, and I decided to prove to them that they hadn’t seen anything. Arms still outstretched, I focused on the ever-swirling waves as a vortex-like spiral formed on the surface of the lake. I then began to project my energy towards the rest of my environment. Every dead leaf, every branch and every natural element that wasn’t deeply rooted in the ground, began to move in the direction of the whirlpool, which surrounded me at an hallucinating speed with a radius of several metres. My strength and determination were such that telekinetics and powerful ones, whose gifts had some weaknesses, were blown away. Surprised by their condition, they didn’t see me arrive as I came to strike them one after the other, then throw them to the ground, motionless and hampered by my superpowered telekinesis at that moment, their skin covered with scratches. Every part of my body felt the power and fed on it. The excitement and the adrenaline pumped through my veins galvanised me. I then began to attack the remains of my opponents. I rushed at Eric and Thomas, side by side, in a defensive position. They moved out of the way and tried to surround me on either side, but could only clash with my shield. I expelled them one after the other, and pinned them to the ground. It was Caleb’s turn. I let him break through my defences. I dodged a fist and spun around him with a speed equal to his own. He tried many attacks, but couldn’t hit me. I took advantage of a weakness on his part to give him an armbar while my other hand approached his skull. “Sleep,” I thought, and he collapsed to the ground. I was still surprised at what I had managed to do to poor Caleb, when I felt Henry rush in my direction. I turned around, more determined than ever, but such was my surprise when I discovered Carmichael at his side! His insolent smirk clearly meant: “The serious things start now, sweetie.” I decided not to be intimidated, to show what I was capable of and beat them all, so that everyone knew how dangerous I was, and that there was hope of beating the Six. Intoxicated by this conviction, I closed my eyes again, raised my arms and felt the substance of the elements through every part of my body. Then my gaze froze in the direction of my last two assailants, my arms rushed in their direction; the torrent I was controlling then rushed towards them, at mind-blowing power. The water, the earth, the leaves, the branches, the uprooted trunks, the wind, all enveloped me and shot straight towards Henry and Carmichael. Henry smiled and waited for the surge to come. He blocked the first attack, as well as Carmichael. So I called the elements back to me and threw them again, this time with even more force. Henry, whose shield was beginning to show some signs of weakness, backed off. My husband was advancing inexorably. I repeated my attack again, and this time Henry was thrown off balance, and had to fly away to avoid it. Carmichael was still advancing. I rushed at him, surrounded by the whirlwind of the elements. I was stopped by his shield, then he launched himself into the air. I followed him faster than lightning and met his surprised face, when he saw me already a few feet away from him, thinking he was safer. I sent all my forces into the attack that followed. My whirlwind of dust, mixed with the water of the lake, went in his direction. I took advantage that he blocked this aggression to go back into the water and came out immersed in a wave that followed me to him, making me invisible to him. I pushed my concentration in his direction and threw my shield at his, as if I wanted to smash him into a thousand pieces. He was taken aback by the multiplication of attacks and the telekinetic energy deployed to undo him, a breach then opened and I finally managed to break through his defences. My hand shot forward and went to meet his neck, which I surrounded with my fingers, all my power now contained in my knuckles. Carmichael stared blankly at me, while, panting, I watched him too. He smiled, I did the same and drew his face to mine. I kissed him with all the passion that inhabited me.