The Judge Page 17

  A sick grin spread across his own bloodied face as he squeezed the life from Connor. Connor gasped. He tried to tear Vercin’s fingers from his throat but with one hand it was impossible.

  As hope began to fade, as Connor gave in to defeat, both men heard a wet sliding thunk. Vercin’s grip on Connor’s throat faltered as he looked down at his chest.

  Connor followed his gaze to see a foot of steel sprouting from his torso like a plant budding from the earth’s surface. Wet, red blood oozed out of the huge gaping hole.

  Vercin looked like he would fall. The wound was enough, should have been enough to end him there. But Vercin was the most powerful Elite in history for a reason.

  Sword still sticking through him, Vercin twisted and gripped Laren around the neck with a hand. Now, with Connor in his left and Laren’s throat in his right, Vercin squeezed.

  But his hold had lessened. The tyrant king was weakened by his wounds. Connor’s face was a bloodied mess. His left hand hung useless by his side. He looked through curtains of red to see Laren tearing at Vercin’s grip around her throat.

  Laren’s hair waved back and forth as she gritted her teeth and refused to give in to defeat. She struggled and fought but most of all she inspired Connor to continue to fight.

  Vision blackening from pain and red with blood dripping into his eyes, Connor prepared himself for what he knew he had to do. For what he was born to do. To be the Judge they all needed.

  One more rally. One more go. Get back up. Get back up, Connor! They need you! She needs you!

  Body numb, tears of intensity and rage fell from his eyes, mixing with the crimson blood already pouring down his face. His Elite gene consuming his body, Connor found his footing. Black boots on hard ground, he stood rather than be pinned to the wall by Vercin’s grip.

  Right hand tingling with power, Connor struck at Vercin’s grip. Nothing. He struck again and again like he was beating on a drum. Breathing had been unmanageable at first. When Laren had stabbed Vercin, breathing became hard but not impossible. Vercin’s grip was fading.

  Connor beat on Vercin’s forearm, threatening to shatter bone.

  Vercin’s legs were quivering underneath him as blood flowed out of his near immortal body and onto the dark wooden floors of the palace. But still, head bowed, he held onto both of their throats.

  Again and again and again Connor struck with his only good hand. Looking at Laren for the silent strength her eyes provided, Connor drew back and landed a strike that sent a tremor through Vercin’s body. Vercin’s grip all but failed.

  It was enough. Connor felt the pressure lessen and he made his decision. The decision to take a life.

  Reaching across Vercin, Connor grabbed the hilt of the dagger that still stuck in his shoulder from Caderyn’s previous attack. Gripping the dagger’s hilt, Connor tore it free.

  The simple act of this motion showed how far Vercin was already gone. Vercin’s arms dropped to his side. Laren fell to the ground, gasping. Vercin slumped to his knees, face pale, breathing in like a man drowning.

  Connor moved to stand in front of him, dagger brandished in case it was some kind of trick. But Vercin was past all tricks as he swayed on his knees. Eyes dilated back to their normal brown and blue, fangs receded.

  Blood dripped from his lips as he fought to breathe. A look of wonder was on his face, almost admiration for the man who had killed him.

  “How—how did you defeat me?”

  Connor let his father’s dagger clatter to the ground as the intensity subsided inside of him. Red eyes turned brown as he looked at the dying man.

  “Because there are greater things in this world to fight for than to rule others. Because hope and the people who you love around you are stronger motivators than the lust for power.”

  Vercin considered Connor’s answer as if he had never heard the words before. An expression of understanding passed over his face as realization struck him the same moment as death.

  Vercin slumped over and lay motionless. The once Elite Judge was dead.

  Connor stumbled to Laren’s side where she was beginning to rise. The two more fell into each other’s arms than embraced.

  “We did it,” Laren said.

  “We did it,” Connor repeated. “Laren.”

  Laren pulled herself away just far enough to look into his eyes. “Yes, Connor?”

  “Don’t be scared. I’m not going to die but I think I’m going to pass out now.”

  Chapter 39

  Connor woke up with a start. He was lying in his bed. The blinds were drawn to hide the bright sun and every inch of his body was sore and bruised. His left wrist was wrapped and hung in a sling across his bare chest.

  It was only as he moved to stand that he noticed a chair beside his bed and a small figure staring at him with a smile.

  “Reap.” Connor grinned through a split lip. “How long have I been out?”

  Reap raised a tiny fist and started to count as he raised one finger at a time. He quickly disregarded this idea after running out of fingers on both hands. “I think fourteen or sixteen hours.”

  So much had happened over the course of the last few weeks and still so much more needed to happen before he could rest. Memories of the previous day hit Connor at once; the battle, Julie’s defeat, and Vercin’s death. Vercin’s reign was over but he had left chaos in his wake. There was so much to do. Connor was almost upset with himself for being out for so long.

  Questions flooded Connor’s memory as another wave of pain coursed over his body.

  “Reap, how is everyone? My father, Zheng, Randolph?”

  “They’re okay. Hurt like you. Some worse than you but Morrigan and my mom are fixing them all up.”

  Connor let out a long breathe that he didn’t know he was holding.

  “You have to get up and get ready. They’re all meeting right now. I told them you should be there but they said for me not to wake you up but now I don’t have to because you woke up on your own.”

  “They?”

  “Yup. Everybody is getting together to meet, you know, to decide all the stuff that happens now.”

  Connor had to smile again as he caught on to exactly what Reap was saying despite his interesting way of delivering news.

  “They said you had to sleep and should get rest but I thought you should be there. I mean, you are the Judge. Spero did good, right?”

  Connor was struggling out of bed. Every inch he moved sent another wave of pain through his body, especially his wrist and arm.

  “Spero did great, Reap.”

  The small Abelardus grinned, knowing his pet helped.

  Connor very slowly and painfully lowered a shirt over his head. Taking off the sling, he maneuvered his arm though the hole one inch at a time. Reap moved to make himself useful by opening up the blinds and grabbing Connor’s shoes and socks.

  The simple acts of dressing had exhausted Connor. Despite this he knew that if a meeting was taking place he should be in attendance, not lying in bed.

  “How do I look?” Connor asked as he stood up with a grimace.

  Reap tapped a small finger on his chin and shook his head. “Your face looks horrible and your hair is really messy.”

  Connor started to laugh at his friend’s honesty but stopped short as the gyrating motion his chest made sent more stinging sensations of pain through his battered body.

  Connor stumbled to the side bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. Reap was right; he was a mess. His Elite gene had already aided in the healing process but scabs still crossed his face, a thin growth of stubble marked the beginnings of a beard, and his hair shot up in every direction like he had been electrocuted by a sorceress.

  With one hand, Connor patted down his hair, pushing the front to the side and the rest forward or down. He exited the room looking to Reap for approval.

  “Any better?”

  Reap put out a hand showing a tiny space between his thumb and pointer finger.

  “Well, bu
ddy, it’s going to have to do. We have a meeting to get to.”

  Chapter 40

  Connor knew the only room large enough to house all the members of the Elite families that were on The Island at once was the large hall where Vercin had met his final end.

  Connor made his way there now, accompanied by Reap. As they neared the location, Connor could hear voices ahead. One voice in particular made him smile. It was Morrigan.

  “We cannot take leadership of a Council unless it has been properly voted on by all of the families. Our history—”

  “Morrigan,” Lu’s voice cut in. “You know I have nothing but respect for you and our traditions but what better time to set a new Council than now?”

  A rumble of murmurs agreed with Lu.

  Connor passed entries into the large hall on his right and headed towards a door that would lead him into the room in the rear so as not to disturb the meeting taking place.

  Connor stepped through the back entryway to the hall getting an exact look at what was going on.

  The hall was packed shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of Elites from every family. Most of the attendees Connor recognized from the battle. He didn’t see anyone without a cut, sling or bandage of some kind as he entered. Towards the front of the room a raised podium was placed with Morrigan standing behind it.

  Morrigan was about to speak to Lu again when she noticed Connor enter. Now, instead of addressing Lu, a large smile spread across her lips. She extended an open hand towards Connor. “Ladies and gentleman, our Judge has returned.”

  Heads turned and eyes of varying degrees all held one thing in common, admiration. The room erupted in applause as Connor sheepishly nodded and made his way to the front of the room and a beckoning Morrigan.

  Connor tried not to grimace as slaps on the back and hugs were absorbed. Reap did his best to shield his friend as he walked in front of Connor with his hands held up yelling through the applause, “Stop! Stop! Don’t touch him, he’s still hurt! Look at him, he looks horrible!” But the boy’s yells were lost in the applause and cheers from the crowd.

  When Connor and Reap finally did make it to the front of the room, more hugs were waiting for him. Every familiar face, all his family and friends were in attendance.

  His mother was the first to gently embrace him. “Connor, they told me you would be out for hours with your gene healing you. If I had known you could have woken up, I would have stayed.”

  “Mom, it’s okay.”

  “I don’t think anything would have kept him from waking up and being here,” Caderyn said, also air-hugging his son. Caderyn looked in worse shape than Connor with a swollen jaw and bruised face.

  Laren kissed him gently on the cheek and whispered in his ear, “Love? Did you let my little brother fix your hair?”

  They both had to stop from grinning as Miyanda, Lu, a wounded Zheng, Orion, and Randolph all said hello to their hero.

  Katie was last as the applause died down. She hugged him quickly. “I knew you would save us.”

  Everyone now looked at Connor as if he was prepared to give some kind of speech. The hall was silent as Connor looked out into the sea of faces.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb the meeting that was taking place but I overheard the possibility of electing a new Council here and now.” Connor looked at Lu and winked at him, an act he immediately regretted as even that small action made a scab by his eye itch.

  “I think for the first time I’m going to have to agree with Lupus Abelardus. What’s holding us back from electing a Council immediately?”

  A roar of affirmation rose to the ceiling.

  Connor raised his one good arm in the air and motioned for silence. “As a recent member of our race, I would like to put forward my humble motion for Morrigan Hayes to act as head of the Council and representative for my family.”

  Another loud applause and it was all but set in stone. Morrigan gave Connor a smile that spread from her eyes down to her lips. “Thank you, Connor, but if we are going to elect a new Council here and now, we should keep to our customs and do this properly.”

  “Is there anyone else who would like to nominate a candidate for either head of the Council or representative for my family?”

  Not a sound.

  The rest of the nominations and elections went forth as quick as the first. By lunch a new Council had been elected by the Elite race. The members were Morrigan, Miyanda, Lupus, Zheng, and Randolph.

  Connor couldn’t think of five better suited people to lead. Dozens of matters still needed to be addressed but the first step had been taken. Plans to reconvene were announced. There would be a break for the Council to discuss the fate of the captured inmates and what to do about those still loose on The Island.

  Connor found himself sitting at a table eating a mid-day meal between Zheng and Orion. Both men were in as bad if not worse shape than Connor. They grunted and winced as they struggled to eat.

  “We sound like old men.” Connor laughed as he accepted the pain of chewing if it meant more delicious food in his stomach.

  “I am an old man,” Orion said through his thick beard.

  “He is an old man,” Zheng agreed.

  The three men laughed and moaned again. It was while Connor was getting over this last joke that he realized with Zheng on the Council, The Island would be in need of a king.

  “Zheng,” Connor said, “can you be king while on the Council at the same time?”

  Zheng used a napkin to wipe his mouth and long goatee. “That is a great question. I have decided to hand over rule and protection of The Island to someone who I believe is worthy of the calling.”

  Connor waited in silence for him to continue, a pineapple slice halfway to his mouth.

  “I asked Caderyn first but he has other plans. So I have decided to ask Orion.”

  “You told me I would be a great ruler to lead The Island and you couldn’t imagine anyone else for the job,” Orion said.

  “And that is all true, after Caderyn turned the position down.”

  Orion glared at his friend for a brief second but then shrugged his shoulders, turning his attention back to the food.

  “But then what about the ferryman? Who is going to be the intermediary between the world and The Island?” Connor asked.

  “Oh, I have someone in mind. He’s a little young for the position, but heck, I figure if he can hang out with a dragon, then that’s enough job experience for me.”

  Connor turned with a grin to the end of the table, where Reap sat between his mother and brother eating vegetables with a grimace.

  Still smiling at the future ferryman, Connor was reminded that his father had turned down the role as king of The Island. “Zheng, did my father tell you why?”

  “He did but I think that you should hear it from him rather than myself.”

  The way Zheng chose his words and the manner he tiptoed around the subject piqued Connor’s interest. His father and mother were sitting near Morrigan and Miyanda laughing at some joke. It was good. It was great to see people laughing again, especially those who Connor cared about so much.

  Chapter 41

  Afternoon approached quickly. The new Council had spent the better part of lunch and the last few hours deciding behind closed doors how to move forward. Decisions had to be made for the future of the Elite race. The gathered Elites would soon be heading home to mourn their losses and honor their loved ones’ memories.

  Connor was walking down a long hall with his mother and father when the conversation at lunch with Zheng reminded him his father had passed up a very prestigious position.

  “Dad?” Connor said, stopping short and realizing that this was the first time he had chosen that title to address the man who walked hand in hand with his mother.

  Caderyn must have noticed as well because he hid a smile. “Yes?”

  “Ummm… so I heard that you were asked to be the new king of The Island but you turned it down?”

  Ca
deryn nodded as they continued to walk forward. “That’s right. I was going to wait to tell you after the Council meeting but I guess this is as good a time as any.”

  Caderyn slowed his pace, still holding Rebecca’s hand, and motioned Connor to follow. The trio stopped in a small alcove down the hall. It wasn’t the most private of places as people made their way to the large meeting hall, but it would do.

  “Our world is changing, Connor. A new era has begun with the forming of a new Council, enemies that still need to be tracked down and… a way for an Elite to chose to dormant his or her gene and live life as a human.” Caderyn said this last part as he looked at Rebecca and smiled.

  His father didn’t have to say another word. The hesitation before he spoke about the cure, the way he looked at his mother with nothing but the deepest love for her in his eyes.

  “I want to spend my remaining years with your mother. I want to grow old with her. I want to live a normal life and never have to worry about being separated from her or you again. I know it might sound selfish but I’ve made my decision. It’s a decision that we will all have to make sooner or later.”

  Connor felt a smile spread across his lips all on its own. He saw how genuinely happy his mother was again. Through the years, his mother had been content and a very happy person. The expression that seemed to emanate from her was something else. It was a happiness that only being with one’s soul mate could bring. It was a feeling Connor knew well as he thought of Laren.

  “I don’t think it’s selfish at all. I think you two deserve to be together after everything you’ve been through. I’m so happy for you both.”

  Tears were running down his mother’s face as she sniffled and embraced him in a gentle hug. “Connor, I’m so proud of the man you have become and the person you will be.”

  Caderyn placed a hand on Connor’s shoulder. “We both are, son.”

  “Cough, cough.”

  The Moore family separated as Connor turned to look at Lu. “When you want someone’s attention, you’re actually supposed to cough, not just say the word ‘cough.’”