War Storm FanFic

Chapter 14 -You Made A Mistake Buddy

*Althea's POV*

I may only be 6 years old, but growing up in this environment has made me smart at the useful things. Like hearing and noticing things, how to fight and of course, how to analyse people. In a world where no-one but the small child named Althea can be trusted, there are noticeable signs when people are hiding something. Everyone is, especially round some people. I don't know how to read or write, but my reflexes are just as good as any operative's here. Auntie Farley has been training me but sshhhh don't tell Mummy. 

I'm currently sat in the air vent above the gym room. It widens here so I can sit comfortably. It's normally nice and comfortable but today it's hard and cold. I pulled my blanket and pillow out of my bag and sat on them whilst warming myself up with one of my fires. I overheard Mummy and Sarah talking the other week, apparently I'm the first of my kind and my fires can't be controlled by any other member of the Calore family. That confused me for a few hours because I was a Barrow, and the Barrow's are Reds. I thought I'd inherited Mummy's newblood powers. But I kept playing over a phrase in my head until it clicked, "any other member... other member of the Calore family."

I'd never thought about my Dad. It'd always just been me and Mummy. As I grew up I realised that with how dangerous this life is, I thought he'd died, just like Uncle Shade. Apparently my honey-gold eyes came from my great grandmother and that he'd had them too. Me and Cousin Clara had the same eyes. 

Clara was one year older than me. She's 8 and as I'm turning 7 next month, she's only a year older than me. She likes the fighting just like me but she can get annoying sometimes. It's thanks to her I found the vent and air duct system.

I know lots of secrets.

The vents connect to every room and they echo. Words being spoken in the Control Centre four doors down could be heard when I was above the air hanger. Nobody else knew because nobody else spent so much time in the vents. It's only me and I'm going to keep it that way.

Anyway, back to Dad. I knew he was a Calore prince. And that my real name was Althea Coraine Calore or Althea Coraine Barrow-Calore. I was the heir to the throne. And I was female. Haha. Someday I'm gonna kick booty as queen. I didn't know whether having Calore blood in my veins was good or bad. It's bad because the two brothers currently breathing until I get my hands on one of them are both traitors. And it means I share blood with that monster named Maven. I know it's unlikely I'd be the one to kill him but it doesn't stop me wishing I could meet him once.

My skills in analysing people would mean I should be able analyse Maven and discover his secrets.

But first, I had to find the spy.

I made a list and crossed off the names I knew it wasn't 

I scribbled out Max's name because he was trustworthy. Unusual of me I know but I can trust him.

A voice echoed down the vents. Auntie Gisa was singing again as she worked. Her voice was beautiful and calming. 

I jolted awake a few hours later. I'd fallen asleep to her singing. 

There was a voice echoing from the gym room. It was supposed to be empty now. I could see a figure round the bench press. Their voice was unfamiliar and I couldn't see them properly.

"Request Imminent Extraction. They're onto me.

Request Denied. They won't find out your identity unless you screw up."

I leant forwards inhaling sharply. It was too easy. Drat. The person had moved out of my sight range. The only way I'd catch them would be to come out of the vent. But they could be too much for me to handle. I know my boundaries and my powers still aren't fully under my control. The vent made a small noise as a screw fell out. It clattered on the floor. The figure looked up sharply and narrowed their eyes at the vent. I slowly moved back holding my breath. I still couldn't tell who it was. 

They spun on their heel and walked out. I dropped out of the vent onto the bench press. It wasn't that far, only 13 feet. 

I didn't have any evidence nor did I know who the spy was. So I didn't go find Auntie Cam or Mummy. 

I had to find the spy first.

(Later that evening)

"What would you imagine a spy to look like? I want to become one when I'm older" I was talking to Max whilst throwing in 'spy.'

"I'd imagine them to be very powerful and seem trustworthy. They'd be very good and hiding and adept at disguising themselves." He rattled off a reply. "But it's very late Althea, so I'm going to put you in bed."

He picked me up in his arms. I started fiddling with his hair. There was one chunk that was a lot darker than the rest of his hair. I pulled on it and he didn't react. Strange, people normally whine when I do that. I pulled on more hair and he remained oblivious. I pulled a particularly big clump of hair...and it fell off.

He was wearing a wig.

His real hair got exposed and he cursed several times. "Althea you silly girl." He dropped me and yanked up his hood to hid his face. 

His voice had gone really deep when he spoke to me. 

Max was the spy. My face changed. "Max, I herby arrest you on the grounds that you are a dirty, low-life scumbag spy." 

He started to run only confirming the truth. Only the guilty run. I called up my strongest fire and wrapped it round him. He started screaming and trying to turn it to ice. It turned blue and grew stronger instead. I brought him down to the ground and sent a fire link to Mummy. 

She replied with lightning and quickly appeared by my side with Auntie Cam.

They already knew. His protests fell on deaf ears. I'd been wearing an earpiece ever since I started trying to root out the spy. It recorded the real him in the gym. And just now. They had arrived before he could put his wig on so saw him not as Max, but as a Lakelander shiver.

"What did you tell them?" Mummy's voice turned feral as Auntie Cam led me away.

"You did extremely well Althea, Mare will be much more open to fighting lessons after this." She winked at me.

Even though she was talking and we were getting futher away, I still heard his screams as Mummy electrocuted him and he died.

In this world, no secrets stay safe.