Chosen Book 2 Twisted Fate by Kathryn Tracy - HTML preview

 Chapter 9

 “She doesn’t want to see you,” Dane  guarded the door. He was massive, a giant  compared to me but if I really wanted to I  could get passed him. “What do you mean  she doesn’t want to see me?” I folded my  arms across my chest; too stubborn to leave  without an explanation. “She’s ordered me not  to let you in,” he told me. “Oh…well…fine,  whatever,” I left. I was trying not to show it but  my feelings were really hurt. Why didn’t she  want to see me? Did she hate me for leaving  her? Of course she hates me. I’m so stupid.  Did I really believe rescuing her would make  everything better? I cursed myself for a good  while until retreating to the sky where the  adrenaline rush would wipe my worries away.  I threw my armor to the wind and spread my  arms out wide. I closed my eyes and just flew.  The altitude made the air harshly cold but I  didn’t mind. Before I could fly I used to  skateboard to clear my thoughts. This was  much better. I loved the way the wind pressed  against my cheeks and how I knew I was in  total control of my life. I could free fall to my  heart’s content or glide along lazily. Flying  brought me solitude, freedom, control; it  wafted away my worries and cooled my  temper but today was different…today it  wasn’t working. I let Fugin’s words seep  through me, “Being bad feels so good…you  hate people…you can be yourself around me.”  Be myself? I didn’t know who that was, “You  are the most beautiful person I have ever  met,” echoed the memory of Ulrica’s seductive  voice. I shook my head, what does she know?  She’s a murderer what could her standards of  a good person be? Then I remembered Adam  defending me. Telling Fugin I was nothing like  him. Instantly the thought of Adam flashed me  back to him cradling Ulrica with such tender  care. He came all the way to Fugin’s palace  just to rescue her, and he was so angry when  we all got our memory back and realized she  had been left. “Do you think Ulrica would go  out with me?” he once asked me. He must  really like her. Why did I even care? I sighed  heavily then threw myself to the sky till I could  no longer breathe, then fell back to Earth. 

The hallway was dark and Adam  blended into the shadows easily, but he wasn’t  surprised when Dane called out to him. “Can’t  hide from me ninja boy,” he told him. “I wasn’t  trying to,” said Adam. Dane moved away from  the door so Adam could go in to see Ulrica.

 The door creaked open and Ulrica  peered up lazily. When she saw that it was  Adam a pearly white grin with wolfish fangs  encompassed her face, “Hey there sexy,” she  greeted. Adam’s face flushed in  embarrassment, “Cut the crap,” said Adam,  pulling up a chair. She merely laughed at him,  “Alright,” she said cocking her head to the side  in fake confusion. “I know you only flirt with  me to make Emma jealous,” said Adam. “Isn’t  that why you do it?” her smile conniving.  Adam pulled up a seat beside Ulrica’s bed  and took in the sight of her. Most of her torture  wounds had healed. Adam sat there in deep  thought. How someone could endure so much  pain unnerved him. Tears began to trickle  down his cheeks, “I’m glad you’re safe,” he  blubbered. “I heard you had gone soft. I didn’t think it was to this extent,” replied Ulrica. “It’s just a few scratches don’t worry about it.”  Adam had gone over and over in his head  about what he would say to her but nothing  seemed to be coming out. “What is it?” Ulrica  broke the silence and she was all serious now.  “I hate to ask this of you, especially after what  you’ve been through…” Ulrica cut him off,”  Don’t pity me boy I am perfectly fine so wipe  that look off your face and out with it. I can  handle anything you throw at me,” her eyes  were fierce. Adam took a deep breath, “I have  to go away for awhile, but while I’m gone can  you look after Emma for me?” he pleaded. “If  you leave you’ll break her heart…she loves  you,” said Ulrica, there was a touch of  bitterness in her voice that Ulrica was unable  to hide. “Yes, but the question is…is she in  love with me?” replied Adam. Ulrica’s face  turned to anger, “Does it matter? She needs  you,” she told him. Adam shook his head,  “She needs someone who doesn’t exist  anymore. I have to go find that person,” said  Adam, chin in his hands in deep thought.  “Why can’t you learn to control your emotions  here?” asked Ulrica. Adam stood in frustration  his anger already getting the better of him,  “Don’t you understand! Emma is my emotions.  She’s…she’s everything and if I can’t control  myself then how is she supposed to rely on  me?” His voice broke, Adam clenched his fists  and Ulrica watched as the scales along his  skin slowly disappeared. Ulrica stood ignoring  the pain in her leg as she walked over to  Adam and hugged him harder than she had  ever hugged a human before. “I understand,”  she whispered in his ear. “Ulrica I need you to  take care of her while I’m gone. She acts  tough but…she needs you,” said Adam. Ulrica  shook her head and laughed at Adam, “After  seeing me like this,” she indicated her scars,  “That is all she is going to remember now.”  Adam looked at her like she was an idiot. “Do  you even realize what you did?” asked Adam.  Ulrica stayed silent. “You went through the  most severe torture Emma has ever seen and  didn’t break. That is what she sees,” Adam  told her. Ulrica just sat there surprised by his  outburst. “I’ll keep her safe,” she told him.  Adam nodded then left as silently as he had  appeared.

 “What is it, visitor day?” asked Ulrica as  Carmen entered the room shortly after Adam  left. “I just have a few questions Wolvina,” said  Carmen. “Shoot,” said Ulrica lying comfortably  on the bed as relaxed as a puppy ready to  nap. “First of all how are you feeling?” asked  Carmen. Ulrica groaned, “I feel annoyed that  people keep asking me that,” she pouted.  Carmen laughed, “Alright now I need to know  what you told Fugin,” she said bluntly. Ulrica  narrowed her eyes, “I didn’t say a word.”  “Nothing about Emma?” probed Carmen.  Ulrica merely stared. “Alright,” nodded  Carmen, “You know I had to ask,” she started  to turn and leave but stopped. “I may not trust  you…but I know you care for Emma and that’s  enough for me to know your telling the truth,”  Carmen left her with those short words.

 I had been flying for what felt like hours  but honestly I had no idea how long I had  been up there only that I really had to pee. I  was hunting down a bathroom when I saw a  troop of Reciliux soldiers heading towards the  medical wing.

 “Ulrica,” I whispered and before  I knew it I was racing towards her room.

 When  I got there Dane stood in my way, “Let me  pass,” I told him. He gave me a dirty look but  moved aside slamming the door shut behind  me. “Emma,” Ulrica sat up surprised to see  me and a little nervous. “The Reciliux are  coming to arrest you we have to get you out of  here,” I told her. She sat back down and  shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere,”  she told me. “What? Why?” I shook my head  in disbelief, “It doesn’t matter. I won’t let them  take you!” I declared. Ulrica just sat there  looking at me. I wondered what she was  thinking. “Did you really kill all those people?” I  asked hesitantly. She merely nodded. “I know  you’re a good person, Ulrica. I don’t care  about any of that,” I told her and I realized it  was true. It didn’t matter what she had done in  the past Ulrica was my friend. She merely  shook her head again and took my hand. “A  bad person who does good things doesn’t  make a good person,” said Ulrica. I want you  to be proud of me Emma I’m doing this for  you, Ulrica thought to herself but wouldn’t  dare let her true feelings be known. The  Reciliux entered the room and Ulrica put her  hands out ready for the hand cuffs. 

It was like a dream. I saw the soldiers  march in. I saw them clamp handcuffs onto  Ulrica’s small wrists. I saw her walk out  without a fight, and I saw myself just standing  there letting them take her away from me. I  leaned against the wall trying to process  everything that had happened over these past  few days and found myself amazed at what  just a few days could bring. “Hey,” said Adam,  coming up beside me. “Hey,” I said back. It  took me a minute to realize Adam was just standing there staring at me. “What are you  looking at?” I retorted. “I just wanted to let you  know that I’m leaving,” he told me. “Ok, see  you later,” I replied. I heard Adam sigh in  frustration, “I’m leaving, and I don’t know  when I will be back,” he said again. “Will you  bring me back a mountain dew? I’m kind of  thirsty,” I asked him. Adam grabbed my  shoulders, “Emma look at me,” he demanded.  “I’m not coming back,” he said flatly. I stared  at him dumbly. “Wha? Why? Huh?” I couldn’t  make out an actual word only incoherent  sentences escaped my lips. “Please don’t look  at me like that,” Adam turned away.  “You…you’re leaving me?” There was hurt in  my voice as I held back tears. “Yes,” he told me. “Why?” I asked but before he could  answer I said, “No, you can’t.” Adam turned  his face away from me, “I’m going to train, try  and get my emotions back under control, but I  will be back in time for the tournament ok,” he  started to walk away but I grabbed him.  “Adam,” I said. “Emma do you like me better  like this or the way I was before? I feel  so… free, but if that means I’m a loose cannon  then I can’t stay this way.” It was true Adam’s  emotions were so raw nowadays I wasn’t sure  how to react to him anymore. “I don’t know  Adam. I feel like I can’t read you anymore,” I  told him honestly. Adam looked at me as if I  had just kicked him, “You don’t have to read  me anymore Emma. I’m an open book now!

 He smiled, “It’s weird because I feel   great…but awful at the same time. I know I   can’t stay this way. I’ve lost all control over   myself, I can feel it…like something is broken   inside me or an internal lock has been   released.” “So stay here and train with us,” I   urged. I saw no reason why he had to go   gallivanting off without supervision. What if he   turned all scaly again? He was just a Hulk   bomb waiting to happen. “Do you love me?”   Adam asked me. The question was so out of   the blue I couldn’t respond. 

 “I tend to think a lot about the kind of   man I am…and the kind of man I want to be,”   Adam was facing the exit I could see his dark   silhouette in the hallway light perfectly. I   wanted to reassure him. Tell him everything   would be ok but I didn’t. Instead I watched him walk away.