Ariel
"I welcome the Ford Princess to my lair."
I caught one of the attackers in a headlock and twisted his neck. Two hands each grabbed my arms, and another guy tried to hurl at me, but I propelled myself forward and crushed my high heels into his eyes, blinding him.
"Don't be scared, beautiful. I wouldn't lay a hand on the woman my son likes. But I don't want to get caught, yet."
I shook my hands vigorously to free myself from their grip. My eyes caught hold of the knives on their belts. I managed to grab the hilts, pull them out and injure arms. Their grip loosened, and I jammed my elbow onto the jaw of the one on my right and with a roundabout kick knocked out the other guy on my left.
"As a daughter of the Fords, don't forget that the Crosses are your mortal enemies."
I tore the length of my dress below the knee and then pulled out the gun tucked on my lap.
Aim.
Shoot.
No! Don't kill them!
I pressed on the trigger and shot three men between the eyes.
Ariel, you don't kill people!
I caught sight of a grenade dangling down the belt of one man as he hurled at me. I ducked when he tried to stab me and then punched him in the gut and pulled out the grenade. I drew the pin and threw the bomb at the main door which was blocked by two other armed guards. A loud bang reverberated, followed by flames that engulfed the entry and the hallway.
I picked up the blades and emerged out of the fire, my eyes locked on my opponent.
Kaidon Cross.
No. He is not your enemy.
He stood there with his arm wrapped around his mouth and nose to block the smoke. His gaze dropped on me, and his eyes widened.
"Ariel... Thank God-"
I charged at him with the knife, and he jumped back, the blade barely slashing through his jacket.
"What the-"
I leapt forward, the tip of my blade aimed at his throat, and he ducked and then blocked my other hand that tried to attack. I lunged forth, not breaking my eye contact with him and storming him with a flurry of attacks. He dodged and blocked each one of them, but I made him step back and back until he decided to strike. He caught my right hand, turned me around and twisted it behind my back and then shoved me face forward towards the wall. I groaned in pain and tried to move my other hand, but he locked my wrist in his grip.
"Drop your weapon."
Reluctantly, against my will, I let go of the knives, which was when he turned me around to face him, my hands still in his grip on either side of me. He leaned in to stare into my eyes, his face dangerously close to mine.
"Gilaan..." he mumbled with a frown plastered across his face.
I acted without a thought. I raised my feet and jabbed my knee to his gut, and his grasp loosened. I pushed him backwards, which made him fall on the ground, and then I climbed atop his body with another knife and prepared myself to stab him.
Bang!
The deafening sound of a gunshot echoed through the hallway, and the weapon in my hand flew away. A silhouette appeared through the smokescreen. It was Alex, dragging along the body of another man.
While I was distracted, Kaidon pushed himself up, jerking me back on the floor and then grabbed my wrists and locked my hands above my head.
"What's going on!" Alex yelled as he threw the body against the wall. It was the same guy from the club downstairs, Russo. He was knocked out.
"Gilaan, he did this to her."
Did what to me?
I struggled out of his hold and then decided to use my powers on him. And I chose the worst option. He sat back on the floor, his hand covering his widened eyes, his body shivering.
I made him see his worst fear that he was the one responsible for Alice's death.
I grabbed the second blade to strike him, but Alex caught hold of me and pushed me against the wall.
Something happened. It felt like a current passed out of my body to the ground. I felt like I had let go of a burden, that my willpower and consciousness was back to me. I could think clearer, and that was when realisation hit me, and I slid down on the ground.
I killed people today. I have never done that before.
Sey warned me about this.
Kaidon snapped out of the illusion I created, and his eyes landed on Russo, who slowly started gaining his senses. He leapt towards his limp figure and caught him by his shirt collar and raised him up.
"Your men killed Alice. Tell me where that son of a bastard, Gilaan is."
"I-I don't know."
"Lies." He grabbed him by his throat. I watched in disbelief as he raised his feet above the ground. He started choking and clasped his hands around Kaidon's wrists, trying to break free.
"Give me an answer I'll like if you want to live."
This was the first time I saw the fierce assassin that everyone feared, The Black Wolf. Sey told me he changed for the worse after his woman died, but I never saw him in action like this. He pulled out the gun from the holster with his other hand and pushed the barrel into his mouth.
He's really going to kill him!
"Ariel...?" Alex gave me a confused look, and I jumped up towards Kaidon and grabbed his arms.
"No! Please!" I begged. I have killed enough people today. I can't bear to see another death. "Please don't kill him."
"Get the fuck off me, woman, or you'll be next!" he glared at me, and I hesitated. He shook off my hands easily, and I stepped back. Tears blinded my vision, but I wanted to save him. So I decided to try again.
"Let go!" he howled and struggled against my hands. Meanwhile, Russo got the chance to land back on his feet. He escaped his hold and ran ahead. Alex followed suit, but just then a bullet pierced through the smoke and hit him at the back of his head. He fell down instantly with blood splattered around on the floor. Alex ran in the direction the hit came from while we watched in awe.
My hands covered my mouth as I gasped, uncontrollable tears flowing down my eyes while Kaidon's gaze burned with rage. He shot me a glare and then backed me against the wall. He grabbed my neck and scowled, "I wanted to be the one to kill him! How are you going to compensate!?"
"Pl-please..."
"You are a disgrace as an assassin! You don't deserve to be one."
I gagged, my windpipe finding it hard to breathe as he tightened his hold.
"I am going to teach you to kill. If you don't learn, I'll kill you myself."
"Kaidon!" A voice shrieked through the hallway. An angry Seydon marched from the other side towards us as Kaidon let go of me. I slid down on the floor, gasping and coughing while Seydon jabbed his fisted hand to Kaidon's jaw. He fell back but recoiled and flinched with pain.
"What the fuck is wrong with you, asshole!" he growled as he grabbed his collar with both his hands, his eyes bloodshot. I crawled forward, barely able to reach his feet. Sey glanced down at me, and his expression changed to one of sorrow and grief.
"Ariel..." kindness and concern dripped down his voice and he let go of his cousin and crouched down before me. He gently placed his hand on my cheek and his lips curved up in a pained smile. "Don't make me worry like that."
I was distraught with guilt and suffering. I did something I had never done before. I took a life. Who was I to decide who lives and who dies? There is nothing like good or evil. It's relative. I might be the villain in someone else's story. I have no right to kill someone in the name of righteousness.
Yet, I did.
I couldn't let any words past my heavy throat, so I just grabbed on to his coat for comfort and cried, shunning all voices out my ears. He gently caressed my hair and picked me up in his arms and walked out of that cursed place.
***
The fire department was called to the hotel. The place was evacuated and locked away. We rented a room in the next-door hotel where we sat right then, strategising.
Seydon wrapped me up in a blanket and gave me a cup of coffee. Kaidon paced about the room while Alex was on the phone with someone in the balcony.
"They didn't find anyone suspicious. Whoever shot Russo disappeared like a ghost." Alex announced as he stepped back inside the room.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Why did you guys not include me!" Sey howled.
"We don't trust you, Seydon," Kaidon answered.
They don't?
"Why?"
"Why are you hiding the records of Mrs Lily's death from Alex?"
"I am NOT hiding anything!"
"Don't play smart, Seydon!" Alex complained.
"Listen to me, pipsqueak! Some things are better left buried. We know for a fact that The Order killed your mother. We don't need to go about reliving old memories. I am just trying to protect you!"
"And what about her?" he asked, pointing at me. "Why did you hide the fact that she had a major surgery on the same day as Alice's death?"
"What?" Kaidon growled, his attention piqued.
"And the fact that she looks exactly like my sister is NOT helping your case!"
All three of us stared at Seydon for answers to which he facepalmed. He pulled out his phone and then threw it on the bed. On the screen was the picture of a little girl, her hair the same colour as mine, her face resembling me. No, it was my childhood picture. One of the many that mom showed to me.
"You can have a look at the conversation," he continued. "Her mother sent her childhood picture to me. Ariel had a car accident on the same day as Alice, which led me to believe that it was a well thought elaborate plan. I didn't want you guys to hope unnecessarily.
We inspected closely. It was mom and me in a theme park, with bright smiles plastered across our faces. Nobody could question that picture. Even though the memory of this trip was wiped off my mind after that accident, the girl in the photograph no doubt resembled me.
I watched as Kaidon's fingers curled into fists and his jaw clenched in disappointment. Perhaps for a moment there, he really hoped that I was his dead lover. Was this why Sey never told him about me? Because he didn't want him to suffer?
"But what happened out there? How did she... " He trailed off as our eyes met. I didn't want to relive the memory.
"Gilaan..." Kaidon mumbled. "They say that he has this unnatural talent to make people believe in him and follow him. I think he has some sort of powers as well."
"As a daughter of the Fords, don't forget that the Crosses are your mortal enemies."
I recalled his words and recited the same to everyone.
"He said that to me before escaping. And after that all I saw was blood. I really did want to kill you, Kaidon."
He did say something else, but I decided to keep it to myself for now.
Silence settled over everyone in the room. If this was true, he was somehow related to our families and had an incredible power. It could prove to be fatal someday.
"How did you manage to snap back to your senses?" Seydon asked to which both Kaidon and I shot a curious glance at Alex. He was the one who grabbed me back then.
How did he?
"I-I wasn't sure if it would work... " He trailed off as he looked away. "I used my powers."
What? But-
"I know what you guys are thinking. First off, I have recently discovered an aspect of my powers. I am not exactly sure what it is, but I can sort of deflect other forces. Channel them elsewhere."
Right! That would explain that current like thing I felt leaving my body. But...
"And for some reason, it works on everything and everyone, " He continued. "The other day, I channelled Dad's power towards our housekeeper. We suspected that she was stealing stuff and she indeed was."
"That's- that's unbelievable, Alex!" I exclaimed. "That would mean there are other aspects to these powers that we have."
"I am not sure, but I have a theory, " Kaidon mumbled. "Your power is unique. It merely channels energy from one object to another. You are not exactly using your power on anyone but instead just redirecting someone else's ability. This allows you a backdoor against the restriction and helps you accomplish what others can't."
Our powers are unique to our families. We originated as a small tribe on an island, far towards the east coast. Our roots lie there. If we need more answers, we will someday need to visit that place.
"If Gilaan really is gifted like all of us, then he must belong to one of our families, and I doubt it's the Crosses." I murmured.
"Who in the world is this person?" Kaidon growled.
Everyone went mum. Nobody had an answer to this.
"He was defeated by the older generation. So only the older generation can give us an answer." Sey decided to break the silence with those words.
"What does that mean?" Alex implored.
"Your fathers, " Sey responded. "The White Dragon and the Red Phoenix."
***
Seydon's POV
As soon as one of my men told me about Alex's investigation and their current location, I rushed to her rescue. I skipped steps as I climbed the stairs of the hotel. I heard the sound of an explosion, and my heart stopped.
"Seydon Cross, the Silver Hawk." I heard a familiar voice. The last I interacted with it was five years ago. I stopped on the second step and waited for the person to show himself.
A figure emerged out of the floor above. He stood atop the final step of the stairs, looking down at me with a smirk. I clenched my jaw and jumped above with my blade hidden in my arm. I slashed forward, and he tilted back, his smile unwavering. I pulled back and attempted to stab again, only to get tossed against the wall.
"My, my, what an unfilial son." He mumbled and then chuckled, and my eyes widened in disbelief.
What the hell?
"I can't believe you took your mother's code name. Did you love her more than your Dad? This makes me so sad."
He knew her?
"What-" I tried to invade his mind to read his thoughts, but it was blank as a slate, just like all those years back.
"Shhhh..." He pressed his index finger to my lips. My eyes studied his features, and I could notice the resemblance.
"Our conversation is due, son." He grinned as he let me go, "But for now, go save your woman."
He took off, and my legs gave away. Trembling, I sat down on the floor, my thoughts in a whirlwind.
Killian Gilaan is my father?
A/Ns: Phewww! Finally wrote it! So, do you think Gilaan is lying or telling the truth? What do you think will happen next? Let me know your thoughts and drop me a vote, pwease? Thank you!