Tristan watched the area around them like a hawk. His senses went crazy at the amount of people that were shuffling around them. Drawing his brows together, he huffed and pouted like a young child. Adrian, who stood grinning at his reaction to those around him, put her hands on her hips and sighed.
“You know, I think that I could get used to shopping. There are so many people around, so much to do in one single mall, so many things to see and touch.” She waved her hand at a small child that had ventured closer to them than her parents liked. The father, staring up at the warriors flanking her, stood still. The mother, ever so fearless, darted forward and grabbed the child up into her arms.
“Stay close.” She whispered, they heard using their excellent hearing. Adrian smiled and pressed a little Influence in the woman’s direction Keep close watch to your child, but don’t smother. In the man’s direction, she frowned and pushed a little harder Protect your family, don’t just stand there! The man stepped forward, his lips closed into a tight lipped line.
”Sorry for the intrusion,” he stated. He wrapped a protective arm around the woman and steered the two away.
“You’ll do to remember not to be so obvious in using your gifts in public. We don’t want to be discovered just because a man’s weakness angers you. It seemed the woman could do just fine on her own. Don’t you relate to that?” Mendax’s voice held menace and dripped of shade. Adrian turned to face him but he’d already turned away, toward the store Tristan had found her in just the day before.
“What is with you guys today?” She tried to keep her irritation out of her voice, keep the day calm, but they all seemed so agitated and she wasn’t sure what she’d done wrong.
“We are just prepared for anything.” Tristan touched the tip of his index finger to well hidden sword at his hip. She understood now, they just wanted to keep her safe. Chase wasn’t there and they wanted to protect her. She tried reading them but all of their shields were strongly guarding their minds and emotions. Turning to follow Mendax, Tristan looked back at her and motioned with his hand for her to walk in front of him. Without waiting for her to move, he started forward.
Jogging slightly to catch up with the long legged man, Adrian glanced around the food court and gasped as a stinging touched the back of her neck. It was as if the small hairs there had been scorched by some unseen fire. Closing her lips tightly, Adrian sent out feelers and gasped again as another blast of invisible fire burned up the hairs on her arms. Glancing back, Adrian watched as Tristan surveyed the area. He didn’t seem to be affected by the flame that burned. Julius, who openly watched a group of women that stood just outside of the clothing store they were approaching, suddenly locked eyes with her. Moving quickly in front of Tristan, Julius placed a calming hand on her forehead stopping her in her tracks.
“What’s wrong? Your pulse is spiking.” Julius’ face hardened as he sent a quick glance to Tristan, Vectio and Mendax who stood just to the left inside the store. Sending out a message to Technik that the rest of the warriors could hear, Julius used his gift to slow Adrian’s pulse. Technik, let me get a full scan of the area. We’ve got incoming and Adrian seems to know about it. Her receptors are spiking. She’s getting a message mentally from someone.
I'm not getting anything. If she is receiving or sending out a message to anyone, it's stronger than anything I have here that could detect it. Technik's voice in their minds was sure fire and grim.
“No, no, I’m fine; really.” Adrian stepped back from Julius' intrusive touched and turned to walk into the store. She passed by Mendax, who watched her coolly, and continued on to the clothes on the racks they’d placed on layaway. As a group they fingered through the articles, picking out the things they liked and didn’t like. Whenever Adrian moved to a different part of the store they followed on her heels, their sensors raised. Mendax had slipped back out into the mall and pretended to woo a group of women as he watched the entrance for the Malus.
A crash sounded in the back of the store loud enough that Mendax was called to alert. Tristan immediately sent mental notes to his warriors telling them where he wanted them to be. They moved around the store, wavering their hands above their swords and hidden artillery. Tristan turned as four men entered the store, one hand grasping their long board swords, the other slightly extended in front of them. The swords shimmered and glistened, telling Tristan they was hidden from the human eye. He pushed Adrian behind him and lifted his own transparent sword. Mendax, shield! He yelled through the connection.
Mendax immediately put the store on lock down; controlling the minds of the workers and shoppers directing them to a safe place in their storage room. He put a shield on the front of the store, blocking people from seeing the entrance against human eyes. If they were to battle, they’d battle in private and without the usual casualties of war. Just as he finished the shield four more men stepped through it and held out long red broad swords. Their eyes were black as night and each seemed to hold the same stance; zombie like in their attack. One, not seeing him standing just beside a large fixture, was the first to go down. Mendax grasped the Malus by his mind and held him frozen. Using his surprise advantage, he jumped from the rack and severed the man’s head. His eyes, locked in paralysis, looked up at him, devoid of all life.
Turning away from Mendax’s slaughter, Tristan locked in on the battle before them, briefly noticing the other Malus trickle in from somewhere else in the store. Was there another entrance? Tristan reached out with his mind but couldn't feel Adrian to send her a message. Worried, Tristan glanced around only to find her gone. Following his intuition, Tristan turned back just in time to see her slip from the store, exiting easily through Mendax’s shield. At the last second, Adrian’s head turned back and her eyes pierced his. Wide, white and filled with regret, Adrian’s eyes burned his soul before she abandoned them. Regret? Yeah right, guilt is more like it! He felt her probe against his brain but he refused to let her in. Seconds later she disappeared from the store and from his sight. Bellowing his anger at the betrayal, Tristan loped forward and shoved his small dagger into the Malus that stood before him. The man had come swinging but Tristan hadn’t registered any of the blows as he’d watched Adrian leave.
Julius walked up, the bodies of the two Malus he’d killed laying behind him.
She left, just in the middle of the fight. She really left. The disbelief in Tristan’s mind voice stunned them all.
“You already knew she would betray us. Why act surprised?” The disgust dripping from Mendax’s tongue burned the tips of their ears. Tristan appeared, a split in time, just before him almost knocking Mendax off his feet.
“I knew something was going on but I didn’t know she would actually do it.” He turned from the lesser warrior and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “We’ll get this mess cleaned up and then head back to the safe house.”
“And leave without her? But what will we tell Chase? How…”
“She made her choice!” Tristan bellowed, the vein in the middle of his forehead pounded out as he whirled on Julius. “She betrayed us, she is no longer under our protection. Chase should have known to guard his heart and it is not on me to protect it.” He then sent a mental message to Technik requesting help with transport and clean up. Mendax released the workers and shoppers as the bloodied bodies disappeared and the shoppers continued about their day.
The car ride was silent, Tristan took the second vehicle alone, he’d sit in his thoughts and think of what to do next. He was a leader after all; he needed a plan.
"The only way to be a writer is to write, write and write. The only way...is to write." -Jade Elyzabeth
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