Wings

[meijhana]

Hello Everybody! Meijhana here! This is a short story that I have just submitted for a competition, and if anyone read the version that I had posted previously, you'll note that there are several parts of that story missing in order to bring the word count down to where it was acceptable for the scholarship. I'm considering posting the edited longer version as well, if anyone is interested.
Anyhow, I hope you enjoy!
-meijhana-

I have a decision to make, Leland Hart wrote on the thick paper, ink shining in the fading light. Things are not as we thought. Everything’s changed. Alexander has changed. We always thought that Caleb was the one, but now I am not sure.
You remember the history of this place. Hundreds of years ago, Xavier LeClair founded this place, a haven for all of us who are different. When he realized his time was up, he passed the responsibility of maintaining it onto his only son, and so the tradition continued. It was always the eldest to whom the responsibility fell, but then something changed, just as it has now. I never had the chance to tell you this portion of the history, and now I sorely wish I did, for then perhaps you would have seen the signs. During the reign of Cassius LeClair, his eldest son was gifted with the Wings, the sign of the next leader. However, when his second son developed Wings, Cassius did not know what to do. To complicate matters further, another Winged was found, with no relation to the ruling line. After months of turmoil, Cassius decided who his successor would be. The line suddenly changed. That was because Darius Hart, the Third to develop the Wings, was chosen. It caused an uproar for quite some time, but eventually all came to realize that he was the right choice. It has not happened since. I am a direct descendent of Darius Hart.
Now you understand that I am not the first to experience this predicament. Caleb developed Wings quickly, and as the eldest he was expected to, and thus expected to lead. However, strange things are happening. As of late, Alexander has developed Wings. I do not know what spurred these events into motion, and though there are many similarities between my case and the case described in the Hidden History, there is one difference. There is no Third. I have combed through all of those under my stewardship. None of them are showing any signs of Wings. Perhaps there will only be two this time, and it is time for a new tradition. Maybe it is time for the second born son to take his place as leader, but I fear this abrupt change. I fear for what it means.
I do not want our sons to believe that I favor one of them over the other, so I have come up with a second option. If you were here, you would tell me it is barbaric and foolish, but I see no other way. I have arranged for a tournament to be held. Caleb and Alexander will compete in areas of physical, tactical, and mental prowess. It will be difficult to watch, but perhaps if encouraged to go against one another they will find for themselves who is to be the next leader. I do not want to pit them against each other, but I lack the wisdom of Cassius, and see no other way.
Please forgive me. I am doing my best.
Yours Always,
Leland

With a sigh, Leland got to his feet, his prematurely white hair shining. He picked up the letter off of his writing desk, folded it gently and placed it in a matching envelope. It was his custom to write such a letter on the first day of every new season and place it on the tombstone of his late wife, located in a secluded area on the grounds. He sealed the envelope carefully, and placed it in his pocket.
The stairs leading down from his study were hard on his knees, because for all of the power that his people possessed, their bodies seemed to deteriorate rapidly after a certain age, and Leland was a prime example. People passed him in the hall, nodding respectfully to the old man as he made his slow progress to the large doors that lead to the grounds. Finally, after walking for quite some time, he came to a small clearing in the forest. In the center of the glade was a marble tombstone with the name Penelope Hart engraved into its surface. Underneath were the words,
Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides
-Lao Tzu-
The inscription was followed by the dates indicating the span of her life. With a sad sigh, Leland knelt down, placing the envelope carefully on the top of a stack of similar envelopes that had been put there over the years.
“Penelope, I love you,” Leland whispered, a tear sliding down his face and into his white beard. He placed a hand gently onto the stone, not wanting to leave but knowing that he must. Slowly, he made his way back to the large building which he called home. It was time to do what must be done. He knew that he had little time left before he joined his beloved in death. A successor needed to be chosen. He just hoped that he was right.



Caleb stood outside of his father’s study with his brother, Alexander. Leland had summoned the two of them to a meeting. Though Leland had not told the two brothers why they needed to talk, Caleb had a sneaking suspicion that it had to do with Alex’s development of Wings. He looked over at his younger brother, realizing how difficult his father’s position was.
The differences between the two brothers were striking, though they did have enough resemblance between the two of them that their relationship was undeniable. They had very similar tall, lean builds and their faces were roughly the same shape, but the similarities ended there. While Caleb’s hair was shaggy and blond, Alex had shorn his dark hair off in a military fashion, and Caleb’s blue eyes were in sharp contrast to Alex’s brown. Unlike most who were in the Haven, both of them had also been blessed with Wings. The feathers on the limbs that protruded from Caleb’s back were white as freshly fallen snow, and his Wings were obviously built for power. Alex’s were quite the opposite. His were incredibly streamlined and shone in an unusually silver way, reflecting whatever light was cast upon them. Currently, they were a bright burning gold in the fading sunshine, making him look exactly as their father had.
Caleb’s reverie was broken as he heard the creaking of an opening door. Leland looked out at his sons, before stepping back inside and saying, “Come in, boys.” Caleb and Alex entered the study, one of them standing on either side of the door while Leland took a seat at his desk.
“Boys, we must speak,” Leland said. Caleb looked over at Alex, their eyes meeting, each as confused as the other. Caleb looked back at his father, wondering what could be so serious that it would require a private family. “At the risk of stating the obvious,” Leland continued wheezily. “You have both developed Wings, something which has not occurred in centuries. Unfortunately, this means that I must decide who will lead us once I die. I cannot choose between the two of you, so I have found an alternative. I wish for you two to compete, in a tournament of sorts. I want to see how well the both of you respond to the pressures of organizing a large number of people and then leading them in a mock battle.” Silence fell upon the three men as Leland looked up from his desk. Finally, it was Alex who spoke.
“You mean you want us to fight? Each other?” he said incredulously. “How much? How far do you want us to go? You don’t want us to kill each other, do you?”
“Of course not!” Leland scoffed. “I do not want any harm to come to either of you. I just want to see who does better as a leader. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it is the only way I know to resolve the confusion. Caleb, Alexander, you have two days to organize, strategize and persuade the rest of us to your cause. Afterwards, you may begin your ‘war,’ but I would prefer that as little damage as possible is done to the Haven. Good luck to you both. You are dismissed.”
Alex opened his mouth to protest, but was silenced by a warning look from Celeb. Alex shut his mouth, the two brothers leaving the room. Once they were out of earshot, Caleb turned to Alex.
“Can you believe this?” he said in disbelief. “He wants us to fight against each other to decide who will lead. It’s insane!” He didn’t want to believe that he would have to battle with his brother, his best friend.
Alex shook his head slowly. “I know. It’s hard to believe,” he said, looking at Caleb. Though his words agreed with Caleb’s, the truth of them did not quite meet Alex’s eyes. Alex then held out a hand to Caleb. “We should probably get started. Good luck.”
Caleb grasped his brother’s hand, shaking it firmly. “And to you,” he said hesitantly, still unsure. But when Alex pulled his hand away and turned from Caleb, stalking down the lengthy corridor, Caleb knew he had no choice but to go through with his father’s request. With a sigh, he began his lonely walk to the place where he knew he could find company: the Archives.
The smell of old paper and dust wafted towards him as he opened the door to the Archives. An outsider might think it a library that specialized in ancient texts, but in reality, it was much more specific than that, holding documents only pertaining to their people. The writings here documented each individual that ever walked through the doors of the Haven, their history, and their ability, which set them apart from ordinary people. Each ability was unique to its holder, though with the number of people who came through there were bound to be repeats. For example, Caleb could manipulate pure force. He could press the air forward into a devastating ball of power, and it was well known that Darius Hart, the Third to develop Wings, had the same ability. Caleb wandered the aisles of high precarious shelves, looking for one person in particular.
When Caleb found him, Garrett was poring over a dusty tome with a cracked spine. The large but stocky man’s curly brown hair was standing up in all different directions, as if he’d run his hands through it in frustration several times. Next to his elbow was a piece of metal so bent out of shape that it was unrecognizable. Suddenly, the bent metal contorted once more as Garrett growled angrily. That was Garrett’s ability, he could move metal. Many thought that his ability was trivial, but any brave enough to voice that opinion would find the hinges of their door so damaged that it was impossible to open.
“Stuck studying?” Caleb said, sitting down across from him and folding his Wings to his body.
Garrett looked up, his face breaking into a grin as he saw Caleb. The two of them had been the best of friends since Garrett came to the Haven. “Yeah,” he said, leaning back in his chair and stretching. “Your dad caught me messing with the locks on my window and told me that I should read this book and think about better ways to use my ability. It doesn’t even apply to me though. It’s just a story about the guy who founded this place, Xavier LeClair.”
“He just wants you to become as wise as Xavier,” Caleb said mockingly. “You have much to learn, young grasshopper.” Both Caleb and Garrett began laughing, earning them a venomous look from Rosie, the middle aged curator of the Archives.
Garrett rolled his eyes. “What brings you to the Archives? I thought you said you’d be spending all day teaching Alex the finer points of flying.”
Caleb sighed, knowing he had to tell Garrett Leland’s plan. After taking a deep breath to ready himself, he dove headlong into the explanation of how his father was going to choose a successor, muttering softly so as not to be heard by others. As Caleb spoke, Garrett’s eyes widened. Once Caleb had finished his tale, Garrett thought in silence for several moments.
“What are you going to do?” Garrett asked finally.
“I was going to talk to Alex about it, but he already seems to have made a decision,” Caleb said resignedly. “I don’t have much of a choice, and in two days I’m going to have to fight against my own brother over a stupid title.”
“Cheer up,” Garrett said, attempting joviality. “It won’t be that bad. It shouldn’t take long, and who knows, maybe you won’t have to lead after all. I know you never wanted to.”
“But I’ve always expected it,” Caleb protested. “And now I do want it. I’m not being greedy or ambitious, but I feel like I can lead now. I’m ready. I wasn’t before.”
Garrett sighed, running a hand through his hair, and snapped the paperclip without touching it. “Well, seeing as you have two days to get as many people on your side as possible, we’d better get started.
“Get started on what?” a voice said from behind Caleb. When he turned, he saw his other close friend: Kai. She was tall, with thick light brown hair that was almost always tied in a knot on the top of her head. Her jaw was stubbornly set, giving a hard edge to her appearance, however now she was standing behind him with an inquisitive look on her face. A pile of scrolls was falling out of her arms, some of the yellowing paper falling all the way to the floor.
Garrett frowned as he saw Kai. Though she had been in the Haven for just over six months, the two butted heads quite often. “Basically,” Garrett said, speaking condescendingly, “Caleb and Alex have two days to assemble an army to fight each other to decide who will lead the Haven. No bloodshed, no destruction, just your basic brawl.”
When Garrett finished, Kai opened her mouth to dispute the absurdity of the situation, and shut it again. She put her armful of scrolls onto the table, Garrett protesting slightly as his elbow room was taken up. “And you’re going through with it?” Kai asked, ignoring Garrett.
“I’ll tell you the same thing I told Garrett: I don’t have a choice,” Caleb said, not wanting to keep answering the same question
“Alright then,” Kai said softly, adopting a submissive demeanor immediately. Suddenly, Caleb felt a wave of complacency wash over him, and if he hadn’t known what to look for, he would never have noticed the faint blue dust that had appeared or the almost inaudible airy whisper that sounded like a mother hushing her child.
“Kai, please stop trying to placate me,” Caleb said, physically unable to say it as forcefully as he intended. Kai had a very peculiar ability. She had the power to make anybody feel incredibly peaceful, but there were signs. When she’d first arrived, every time she’d tried to appease anyone it had been accompanied by a thick cloud of blue smoke and a very audible hushing noise. Here, she’d learned to use her power more subtly, though if she wanted to make someone completely serene, the signs were more intense in correlation to how much power she was exerting.
“Sorry about that,” Kai said, blushing crimson. “Just thought I’d try to help.”
“Well unless you can get Alex to stand down, I don’t see much you can do,” Caleb said, agitated once more.
Kai paused, looking thoughtful. “Well,” she said slowly. “I don’t think I could do that. Your brother is pretty strong willed, but I might be able to help you with the whole recruiting thing,” she finished.
Caleb looked at Garrett, who seemed impressed even though the idea had been Kai’s. “You will need all the help you can get,” Garrett mused. “Because if I know anything about Alex he won’t stand down. Your only choice is to go through with this mess. Unfortunately, Kai might be able to help with that, though I hate to admit it.” As Garrett finished, Kai leaned back in her chair, obviously pleased that Garrett was now on her side.
“Alright,” Caleb said, taking a deep breath. “Let’s just hope this goes as well as my dad thinks.”

Caleb awoke the next morning with butterflies in his stomach. Kai and Garret had spent most of the evening talking to others within the Haven, telling them that Caleb had something important to say, and if they would listen they should meet at ten-thirty the next morning in the Archives.
Sitting up in his bed, Caleb looked at the clock on the all, swearing quietly when it read only six-forty. He felt like he’d awoken every hour of the night. When he had slept, it wasn’t restful. He stood, not bothering to change out of his sleeping attire before wandering into the hall. Few people were up at this hour, and for this Caleb was glad. He didn’t want to come across people who would pummel him with questions.
Yawning, Caleb walked into one of the several kitchens in the Haven. Thankfully, only those in Caleb’s family and any close friends they might have were allowed to use this kitchen. Caleb hadn’t expected anyone to be there, and was surprised to find Alex there, and he was not alone. Practically sitting in his lap was Eleanor, a girl who had been here for several years, but Caleb never got to know her. Her red hair looked as if it hadn’t been brushed since the night before, one violet streak near her hairline standing out from the rest. Bright blue eyes looked at Caleb accusingly, Eleanor’s arms wrapped around Alex. Alex looked up for the first time since Caleb entered the kitchen. He stood up immediately, ignoring Eleanor’s soft sound of protest.
“Oh, hey Caleb,” Alex said, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “I wasn’t expecting anyone to be here this early.” Alex’s eyes darted back to where Eleanor sat, arms folded across her body angrily.
“Morning, Al,” Caleb said, ignoring the icy glares he was getting from Eleanor. “I see you have company.”
Alex laughed, but there was little humor in it. Then, turning back to Eleanor, he said, “Can you give us a second, Ellie?”
“Just don’t take too long,” Eleanor said, pecking Alex on the cheek before glaring at Caleb and exiting the kitchen.
Caleb watched her leave, then turned to Alex. “She obviously likes you quite a bit,” Caleb said, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, she does,” Alex said, scratching his head. “She doesn’t like you very much, for some reason. She won’t say why.” Alex’s faint smile vanished, and his face became serious. “I know you don’t want to go through with Dad’s plan,” Alex said, brown eyes smoldering. “But I’ve thought about it, and it really is the best way to decide. You and I both know that Dad doesn’t have much time left. He can’t just wait for it to become clearer. I agree with him. This is the best option.”
Caleb sighed, desperately wishing that he could dissuade Alex from his course of action. “Alright then,” Caleb said submissively. “I just hope that once this is over things go back to normal.”
Something glinted in Alex’s eyes. Though Caleb could not tell what it was, it made him uneasy. “I’m sure everything will work out,” Alex said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some things I have to do.” Caleb stood silently as Alex pushed past him, undoubtedly rejoining Eleanor outside. Knowing there was nothing he could do to prevent the conflict, Caleb sat down hopelessly in a chair, wishing that he could just skip over the next several hours.

Caleb remained in the kitchen until the meeting was to occur. He had just enough time to hurry to his room, change into acceptable clothing, and get up to the archives just before ten-thirty. Unfortunately, travelling the hallways took longer than he expected, and he arrived at the Archives five minutes late. Garrett, who was standing outside the door, looked at Caleb accusingly but said nothing, gesturing for Caleb to get inside.
There were more people than he had expected crammed into the Archives. This is more than half of the people in the Haven, Caleb thought, stunned. Standing near the front of the crowd was Kai, who was already letting her power be felt throughout the crowd, though only lightly. “Stand on this chair,” Kai hissed to him as he approached, thrusting one of the rickety chairs towards him. Caleb glanced over his shoulder, remembering seeing Rosie the curator somewhere in the crowd. “Just do it!” Kai growled. “You need to look like you’re in charge, and if Rosie wants to get mad, tell her it was my idea.” After another stern look from Kai, Caleb climbed up onto the chair. A hush fell over the crowd as Kai exerted more energy towards crowd control. Luckily, all of the eyes in the room were focused on Caleb, so they didn’t notice the light mist swirling around the ceiling.
“Er, hello everyone,” Caleb said, clearing his throat. “I’m sure that Alex has already talked to some of you—“ sure enough, several people with more “powerful” abilities were nodding “—but even if he has please stay and hear me out. My father, Leland Hart, has a difficult decision to make. Since Alex and I have both developed Wings, the tradition of succession has been broken. It was up to him to choose which of us will lead you.
“Instead of choosing between his two sons, my father came up with another solution. Alex and I are to compete in order to discover which of us is worthy to lead. He gave us two days to organize our followers and move them against each other in a mock battle. As it progresses, my father will decide who he believes is better for the job.” Caleb looked out over the group. None of them looked appalled or outraged as he had been, just intent. Kai was doing her job well.
“Many of you knew me as a child,” he said, mainly addressing the older segment of the group. “You remember how I was. I didn’t want to be leader, but it was always expected of me. I felt like it wasn’t fair, but though I rebelled at times, I was obedient in the end. Some of you might be asking why I suddenly want your support after years of rebellion, and I’ll answer your question now. I’ve done a lot of thinking over the last few years, and I’ve decided that leading the Haven is what I was born to do. I may not have liked the lessons my father gave me on ruling, but they came naturally to me. I know how to rule. Alex doesn’t. I know all there is to know about this place. Alex doesn’t. If I win this, I can promise to be a leader worthy of your support. Alex can’t. If you decide to support me, please find myself, Garrett, or Kai and notify one of us of your decision by the end of the day. Thank you all for listening,” Caleb finished lamely, stepping down from the chair. It was another moment before the crowd began to disperse, Kai still calming them until after they left the Archives.
“Well that wasn’t so bad,” Garrett said, walking over to Caleb and slapping him on the shoulder. “I think we got one or two out of that.”
“Great,” Caleb mumbled. “A handful of us versus the rest of the Haven. Those are good odds.”
“Now don’t be so down on yourself, Caleb,” a voice from behind Caleb and Garrett said. They both turned to see Charles, one of the oldest residents of the Haven and the senior Archivist. He was one of the most talented people who lived here. His ability to take complete control of an individual for a few minutes at a time was envied by all. Charles spoke again. “I do remember how you were as a child, and I never thought you would grow out of it. Strangely enough you have, and so Rosie and I have decided that you would do well as leader.”
“Th-thank you!” Caleb stuttered, shocked that Charles had administered so great a compliment.
“Now Kai,” Charles said turning to Kai as she blushed deeply. “If Caleb is supposed to fight this as if it is a real war, he’s going to need to know what resources he has and what resources Alexander has. You work here in the Archives, so you know your way around. As people take sides, find their records so that he can see what abilities he has and what he is up against.”
“Yes sir, right away,” Kai said, tripping over the tiles as she scrambled to do his bidding.
“Now if you’ll excuse me,” Charles said, hobbling away. “I need to study some of those tomes on strategy. I know I put them down around here somewhere...”
“Well that was certainly unexpected” Garrett said, watching as Charles walked away.
“You’re telling me,” Caleb said, still feeling as if he’d imagined the conversation with Charles. “I never would have expected him to be the first one to approach me.”
“Especially after you stood on Rosie’s chair,” Garrett joked. The two were in high spirits as they left the Archives, and for the first time, Caleb felt optimistic about how the ordeal might end.

As was the custom in the Haven, every evening at six o’clock, all of the residents would gather in the main dining hall. Tonight, however, was different. Tensions seemed much higher than usual. Leland had not come down from his study, and the table at the head of the room was empty of both he and his sons. Allegiances were becoming clear in the way that people regarded one another, and even the usual seating arrangement had changed. People who had been inseparable were now facing disagreements. Fortunately, it would all be over in a few weeks at the most.
Caleb sat in the middle of one of the three longest tables in the hall, sitting across from Garrett. He saw Alex sitting with Eleanor, the two practically intertwined, and surrounded by a gaggle of followers. Caleb noticed that many of the younger people of the Haven had chosen to side with Alex. I wonder what he told them, Caleb thought. He could guess that it had something to do with overthrowing tradition and the “oppressive” hand of authority. Eleanor saw Caleb observing them, meeting his eye with a feral grin that sent shivers down his spine.
“You look like you’ve got a lot on your mind,” Garrett said, his manners lacking as he spoke through a mouthful of food.
“I think I have an excuse,” Caleb said, shoving a biscuit into his mouth. “I do have to fight my brother in less than forty-eight hours, and my dad hasn’t said a word since telling me about the plan. I have a lot to think about.”
As Caleb spoke, Kai approached, tendrils of her hair escaping from the tie that held it back. She looked exhausted, slamming down two long, scroll-like sheets of paper in front of Caleb while she shouldered her way onto the bench next to Garrett. “There’s nothing you can do about it, so stop complaining,” Kai grumbled. “Here’s what Charles wanted me to bring,” she added, pulling apart a piece of bread with ink-smudged fingers. “There’s a list of everyone who has chosen you and their ability, and another sheet for Alex. There are still about forty people who haven’t chosen yet, but I’ll write them in when they do.”
Caleb looked down at the lists, ignoring Kai’s rude comment. As he read through the names on the list, he was rather impressed. He’d arranged quite an arsenal of abilities, but Alex’s list seemed longer. “Why’s my list so short?” Caleb asked.
“Well, there are two-hundred and thirty-eight people living here, including your family,” Kai began. “So far, one-hundred and fourteen have sided with Alex. Eighty-one have sided with you. That leaves, er, forty-three who haven’t chosen a side. But,” she continued. “Most of your pledges have more powerful abilities and a lot more experience using them. Numbers aren’t everything.”
Caleb nodded, recognizing many of the names on the paper as being very powerful. Caleb glanced over the list. Kai was right, many of his troops were considerably more powerful than Alex’s. “This should work then,” Caleb said. “Thanks a million, Kai.” Kai nodded, mouth so full of food that she was unable to speak. Then Garrett interjected.
“I forgot to tell you, but Marshall wants to talk to you,” he said. “He and the two other shifters want to talk strategy. And Christopher, you know, the one who can sense where people are by their heat expenditures, he wants to talk about positioning troops and whatnot.”
“Can’t this wait until morning?” Caleb growled, rubbing his eyes tiredly and Wings stretching out behind him. “Just tell Marshall and Christopher that I’ll get to it tomorrow. I need to rest tonight.” Garrett nodded, muttering something about finding the metals he would need and leaving the table.
Caleb sighed, standing and leaving in the opposite direction of Garrett. As he passed Eleanor, he heard a snide remark tossed his direction, but he ignored it. He didn’t want to be bothered by her dislike of him. He could feel many of the eyes in the hall following him as he retreated. Making his way through the ancient hallways of the Haven, he shut out everything around him as he climbed up to a secluded balcony, one of his favorite haunts. He was about to push off of the balcony, taking flight, but a voice behind him stopped him.
“Don’t even think about jumping off that balcony, Caleb Hart,” Kai said, hands on her hips. She was not very physically imposing, but when she held herself with such defiance, she was a force to be reckoned with. “If you for one minute think that flying away will help anything, you’re wrong. Even if you just want to circle the grounds a few times, people will notice, and they will think it’s a sign of weakness, and then it’ll be like Alex has already won. Do you want that?” Kai looked up at Caleb accusingly, daring him to oppose her. Caleb sighed, stepping off of the balcony’s edge.
“Why are you even up here?” Caleb snapped angrily. “Shouldn’t you have your nose buried in a book somewhere in the Archives?”
Kai’s eyebrows shot up, eyes burning. “No, I should actually be poring over some scroll to help your chances of winning. Or would you rather not have my help? I could help Alex if you would like.”
Caleb was surprised at the hard edge in her voice. Most of the time Kai was non-confrontational, using her ability to appease rather than oppose someone directly.
“Look, I have a good reason to be stressed,” Caleb said, fighting to keep a level head. “My position isn’t ideal.”
“That doesn’t mean you can take a break,” said Kai. “This is what it’s like to be a leader. There’s less time for yourself because you’re giving it to others. In that nice little speech that you gave, you said you were ready to lead. Prove it.”
Once the challenge was issued, Caleb couldn’t resist accepting it, and judging by the sly smile on Kai’s face, she knew that too. “Alright then,” Caleb said, rolling his shoulders slightly. “How do you suggest that I proceed?”
“Come to the Archives,” she answered immediately. “Look at the records of everyone on Alex’s side so far. And I mean their actual records. Not just the list I made. That way you’ll have in-depth information about them. Then you can strategize better. I can help you find everything.”
“Lead the way then,” Caleb grumbled, not wanting to spend time in the Archives, but he knew it was the best option. Kai nodded once before taking off down the corridor with long, quick strides. She didn’t say a word as they walked, and Caleb found the silence quite unnerving. Kai made her way skillfully through the winding walkways of the Archives, barely looking at any of the dusty scrolls before reaching the area where the records were kept. To Caleb, it seemed impossible to navigate, but Kai moved purposefully until she found a large leather-bound book with the words The Reign of Leland Hart embossed on the spine in golden letters.
“Here we go,” Kai said, grunting as she heaved the book onto the table. “Here’s a volume of everyone who’s passed through the Haven since your dad took charge. So that makes forty-two years. It’s all in alphabetical order. Each name has a brief description of the person and their ability, along with the date they arrived. That will lead you to these beauties,” she said, pointing to a tall row of bookshelves laden with thinner books. “These are our detailed profiles, and they are arranged chronologically. Each book is a year, and they’re all divided into twelve months. It’s easy enough.”
Caleb groaned quietly as he looked up at the imposing wall of books. He leaned over the large volume that Kai had provided him with. He sighed as he turned to the first page. And thus the work began. As Kai sat hunched over at her desk, scrawling notes onto paper with her tiny handwriting, Caleb read over each record of all who had registered with Alex. The accounts were very detailed, describing each individual’s ability and how it had progressed while they were residing in the Haven. They told of whether or not the individual had left the Haven, why, and where they’d gone. They were not tracked during that time, but other than that, they was nothing missing. Almost invasive, Caleb thought. I’m scared to know what it says about me.
Hours dragged by as he read over each person’s profile. Caleb’s eyelids drooped with fatigue, but as he looked over at Kai, he saw that she showed no signs of stopping. She glanced over at him, giving him a brief smile before turning back to her work, automatically lost in the pages once again.
“I think I’m going to turn in for the night,” Caleb said, yawning. “I’ve read up on most of the names you’ve given me, especially the more powerful ones. I’ll finish tomorrow.”
Kai looked questioningly at Caleb, as if she thought his need for sleep was out of the question. “Alright then. I’m going to keep working. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Grateful for the chance to get out of the Archives, Caleb headed up the stairs to his room. Upon arriving, he did not lie down immediately, for he was surprised to find Garrett sitting at his desk, miscellaneous metal items strewn around him.
“What are you doing here?” Caleb asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Waiting for you, obviously,” Garrett said, sitting forward in his chair. “You were gone forever. After I found some metal, I figured I would find you up here, but when I didn’t I just waited. I wanted to tell you something. Alex has been going around to all of our people and trying to sway them. I’ve been trying to stop it, but we’ve lost Shane and three others. I tried to talk them back over, but they were sold on their decision. Hopefully some of those who were undecided will pick us.”
“Trust Alex to try something like that,” said Caleb, running a hand through his hair. “Ah well, nothing I can do about it now.”
Garrett raised an eyebrow. “You’re taking the news rather well.”
“You can thank Kai for that,” Caleb said. “She helped me navigate the Archives so I could figure out all of the powers Alex has at his command. Luckily most of them either aren’t very powerful or are very inexperienced. The one we really have to worry about is Alex himself.”
“What can he even do?” Garrett said. “I’ve looked in the Archives, but the profiles of you and your brother are very vague. They both only said ‘manipulation of energy.’ Obviously I know what you do, but I have no clue about Alex.”
Caleb bit his lip, wondering what the best explanation would be. Alex had one of the most powerful abilities that had ever been documented. “It’s complicated,” Caleb said, rubbing the back of his neck to relieve the tension that had been building throughout the day. “He can animate, er, things. However, there has to be a piece of organic matter in the mix. Otherwise, it won’t work. And whatever he brings to life will have the properties of whatever the organic material came from. For example, once when we were kids, Alex really wanted a puppy. So, he built one out of rocks in the yard and covered it with leaves. Since they were living at one point, it should have worked, and the rock-dog was animated, but it didn’t move or play: it just sat there like a tree. Eventually he realized that if he wanted a dog, he would need a part of a dog. And there’s one more thing. The more material he has, the longer the animation will last and the more powerful it is. If he wants, he can mix and match pieces in order to create something that fits his purposes perfectly. It’s pretty complicated. I don’t even know if Alex understands it. I know I don’t.”
Garrett looked shocked by the time Caleb finished. “You mean he can bring things to life?” Garrett said, unable to believe what he was hearing.
“Not exactly,” Caleb amended quickly. “He can make things move and behave as if they were alive, but it wears off. He can’t create real life, just an illusion. If he could create real life, he would be much more difficult to face.”
“Even if it is just an illusion,” Garrett said, a small frown on his face. “It still won’t be easy. That could mean that he has an unlimited number of allies, and he already outnumbers us.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Caleb said, remembering how tired he was and wishing desperately that he could sleep. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now though, all I want is some shut-eye.”
Garrett nodded before turning away and muttering, “’Night. See you in the morning.” As Garrett left, Caleb flopped down onto his bed, not even bothering to change into his nightclothes. He worried that he wouldn’t be able to sleep, but the instant he closed his eyes, he drifted off to sleep.

Caleb awoke to a pounding on his door. “Caleb, open up, it’s me,” he heard Alex’s voice shout. He rolled out of bed, stumbling over to the door and finding his brother standing before him.
“You look like you’ve had better nights,” Alex said, glancing up at Caleb’s disheveled hair momentarily. Look I want to make a request.”
Caleb raised an eyebrow, wondering what Alex could possibly want. “Ask away.”
“I was hoping we could agree to an arrangement in which there would be no fighting,” Alex began, his lack of charisma evident in the way his voice was shaking. “I know yesterday I didn’t want to talk about an agreement, but after thinking about it, I feel that fighting isn’t the best idea anymore. The only issue is satisfying both of our desires at the same time. Here’s what I propose: you stand down and allow me to take charge. Yes, you have taken all of the lessons and learned all that books can teach you, but I want this. You say you do, but that has always been my ambition. If you were to abdicate in favor of me, we wouldn’t have to fight.” Alex looked up at Caleb, ambition burning brightly in the depths of his eyes.
Caleb had been listening to Alex’s words without interjecting, and finally took a deep breath when he’d finished. He responded, “I can’t stand down and you know that.” Alex’s eyes hardened at Caleb’s words. “I may be outnumbered, but I have to go through with this. I want this as badly as you do. Just promise me that after all of this things will return to the way they were, no matter who ends up on top.” Caleb held out a hand, offering an invitation for Alex to accept their fate and move ahead as planned.
However, Alex just looked venomously down at Caleb’s outstretched hand. He pushed it aside roughly. “You’ve made your choice,” the younger brother snarled. “I just hope you can live with it when all’s said and done.” Alex stormed away, turning onto the staircase at the end of the hall while Caleb stood in his doorway, flabbergasted. Caleb shook his head slightly before walking out of his room, heading for the main dining hall rather than his family’s kitchen, knowing that the latter would almost certainly be occupied by Alex and Eleanor.
When he reached the hall, he scanned the room, looking for friendly faces. Eventually he saw Garret sitting with Marshall and the other shifters. Caleb made his way to the small group, plopping down on the bench between Garrett and a bird-shifter named Kayla.
“And here’s the man of the hour,” Garrett said exuberantly. “It seems like everyone has been asking after you today, Caleb.”
“What do they want?” Caleb groaned, grabbing a doughnut from a plate in front of him.
“To know the strategy, of course,” said Garrett nonchalantly. “Marshall has already been talking to me about it, and he has some pretty good ideas. Care to share, Marshall?”
Caleb looked over at Marshall, a tall boy of only nineteen years old, but who had discovered his ability early in life. He was one of the most skillful shifters that had ever come through the Haven, and was able to change his form into that of any animal. His cheeks darkened noticeably as he blushed when Garrett put him on the spot. “Well, er,” Marshall began. “I was thinking that a significant part of the battle will probably be taking place outside. All of the Haven’s shifters are on your side, which could give you a huge advantage in infiltrating any outdoor operations. Do you think that would be useful?” Marshall finished worriedly.
Caleb was satisfied with Marshall’s plan. No one would suspect an insignificant animal like a snake or a bird as the spy. “That sounds awesome,” Caleb said, rather put out that he hadn’t come up with it himself. “Are all of you up to it though?” Caleb asked, voice trailing off as he remembered that Kayla was right beside him. The woman was in her early sixties, and it was easy to see how certain movements, especially during shifting, wore her down.
“Yes, we have. I have talked to each shifter individually before coming here,” Marshall said, giving Caleb a look that showed that he knew of Caleb’s concerns. “So where and when do you want us?”
Caleb paused. “Later today I need to talk to Christopher about positioning troops, but before that, I need to get the final lists from Kai. I’ll get the word out to meet in the Archives at eight o’ clock tonight. Then we’ll finalize plans.” Marshall nodded once, signaling for the other shifters to leave as he stood up and walked away.
“Have you seen Kai at all today?” Caleb asked, looking around for any sign of her.
Garrett’s eyes followed the retreating shifters’ figures for a moment before answering Caleb’s question. “I haven’t a clue where that woman is, ever,” he said. “I haven’t seen her since dinner last night.”
“Do you want to help me find her?” Caleb asked, feeling as if he already knew the answer.
“Sure, I haven’t got anything better to do,” Garrett said, standing up and surprising Caleb with his answer. “I’ll bet you anything she’s in the Archives somewhere,” he added with a chuckle. “Let’s head up there first.”
Caleb nodded, shoving the rest of his doughnut into his mouth and following Garrett. “So Alex tried to talk me out of fighting,” Caleb said once he’d swallowed. Garrett shot him a questioning look, and Caleb continued. “He wants me to stand down so that he can take leadership. I told him no, and he didn’t like that too much.”
Garrett pursed his lips. “Well that’s definitely not good,” he said after a moment. “He’ll definitely be giving this his all, and we’d better match it. I don’t want to speak badly about your family, but there’s something about Alex that I just don’t like. He just seems so…intense. I don’t like it.”
“I suppose that might be true,” Caleb said, trying to see things through Garrett’s perspective. “But he is my brother, and he really isn’t all bad. He’s got big dreams, that’s all.” He heard Garrett mumble a sort of apology, but by that point, they had reached the Archives.
Upon walking inside, it was easy to find Kai. She was sitting in the same seat she had been the night before, slumped over her work. She’d obviously fallen asleep in the middle of her writings, for the last name that she’d been writing ended abruptly after three letters. Caleb glanced over at Garrett, wondering if they should wake her, but Garrett already had a mischievous glint in his eyes as he whispered, “Watch this.”
Carefully, Garrett took one of the huge books from beside Kai, raising it above his head. Caleb opened his mouth to stop him, but by that point the book was already on its way down. It slammed down onto the table with a crash, but Kai barely moved. Instead, her eyelids fluttered open gently.
“Was that supposed to scare me?” she said, stretching as she became more alert. “Because you should know that I keep my ability on when I sleep. Granted, it does slow reaction time, but it also keeps me calm.”
“Are you kidding me?” Garrett exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “My one chance ruined!”
Caleb laughed quietly before returning his attention to Kai. “Are the lists complete?” he asked. Kai nodded, handing the papers to him passively. She looked exhausted. She must have been up all night, Caleb realized with a pang of guilt. “You look like you could use some sleep,” he observed.
“Not at all. Sleep is for the weak,” Kai said, stifling a yawn. “We’ve got work to do. Have you decided when you’re going to meet with your troops again?”
“Eight o’clock this evening,” Caleb said. “I’ll need to meet with Christopher first though.”
“You’re in luck: he’s right over there,” said Garrett, pointing to a table in the corner of the room. Caleb thanked Garrett quietly, then headed over to where Christopher sat. His blind, milky eyes stared blankly ahead as his fingers glided over the maps he had spread out in front of him, reading them by the almost imperceptible indentations that the original writer had made on the paper. He must have sensed Caleb coming, for he looked up at Caleb with his clouded eyes.
“Ah, Caleb, I’d been hoping you’d come,” Christopher said gruffly. “I’ve thought about some strategies that I’d like to run by you. Kai’s already told me you’re outnumbered, but I think some of my plans might even the odds.”
“Let’s see them then,” Caleb said, sitting down next to Christopher, groaning inwardly as he saw duplicate maps with notes scrawled in the margins. He heard Garrett sigh audibly as he also took a seat, Kai electing to leave the Archives. Here we go, Caleb thought, already bored as Christopher began to speak.

Several hours later, Caleb and Garrett had listened to all of Christopher’s strategies, deciding which ones would be most beneficial. The two of them left the Archives mentally exhausted and Caleb wanted nothing more than to just sleep until the actual battle. The wait was unbearable. However, he still had one more meeting with his troops before he got to that point. By the time the meeting finally came around, Caleb was on edge. He hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast, even though Kai had been badgering him increasingly about it all day.
As Caleb stood in front of the crowd that had gathered in the Archives, his heart sank. The group was much smaller than the day before, but he knew he shouldn’t complain. Caleb stepped onto the chair Kai had pulled out to the front of the room, heart pounding in his chest as he looked at the sea of people. He saw Charles in the crowd, looking at him expectantly.
“Tomorrow is the beginning of the end of this fiasco,” Caleb said, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt. “Christopher and I have decided what the best strategies are for our current situation, and tonight we begin to implement those strategies.” The room listened intently as Caleb walked them through the plan.
“If we want to make this work, we have to begin preparations now,” Caleb said, wrapping up his brief talk. “So head out there and help me win this battle.”
As Caleb finished, he had hoped to instill hope and a desire to win into those before him, but they just looked up at him. Caleb’s mouth hung open as he froze in fear. He hadn’t thought his speech was that bad, but apparently everyone else had. Just when he was about to step down, Garrett intervened.
“You heard the man,” his deep voice boomed from the back of the crowd. “Let’s get to work.” Almost immediately people started getting to their feet and shuffling off to complete what Caleb had assigned them. Garrett pushed his way through the mass of people until he reached Caleb. “Not bad for your first official tactical speech,” he remarked. “A few more under your belt and you’ll be as good as your dad.”
Caleb half smiled, his stomach twisting in knots as he thought of what the morning might bring. He had no way to predict Alex’s strategy, but knowing him, the first attack would likely come before dawn.
“Go to sleep,” Garrett said sympathetically. “Charles and I will keep an eye on things for you.”
“You sure?” Caleb asked, not wanting to abandon the two of them.
“Of course,” Garrett grunted. “Unless you want to stay up and help us. We’ve got a lot to do before the morning.”

By the time they made to the area where he would be sleeping, it was half past two in the morning. Garrett was in the bed next to his, his large figure like a mountain in comparison to the other slumbering men. Caleb sat down on his bed with a sigh, scanning the large room that had been turned into military style sleeping quarters, a person situated on either side of the doorway, presumably keeping watch. There was an identical room across the hall where Kai and the other women were housed. It made Caleb uneasy to have their forces divided so, but Christopher had insisted that there were plenty of capable people in each room to handle a surprise attack. Lying down, Caleb ran through his strategies over and over until they almost didn’t make sense anymore. When he was finally able to drift off to sleep, he was plagued by nightmares of the battle to come.

[meijhana]

Waking long before the sun rose, Caleb was surprised to find that many of his allies were also stirring. Alex hadn’t done as Caleb predicted and attacked during the night, and all of his fortifications were still intact. Garrett was rousing the few who were still asleep, ignoring their quiet protests.
“Most everyone is up now,” Garrett said, rejoining Caleb. “No disturbances have been reported along the perimeter so far, and the shifters are patrolling the outside area. So far so good. Are we still planning on sticking to defense unless absolutely necessary?”
Caleb nodded. “Even if nothing’s happened yet, there’s no way I’m attacking with these numbers. We can’t afford to have anyone injured.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Garrett said resignedly, obviously wanting to be in on the action right away. “Food’s in the room next door. We have to keep it pretty simple until we know what resources we have access to.”
Garrett had been right. Upon entering the makeshift dining hall, the only food Caleb saw available was toast and orange juice. Everyone looked up at him as he entered, as if he were an otherworldly being. They seemed unnaturally calm, given the situation, puzzling Caleb until he saw the fine blue haze snaking between the tables, indicating that Kai was at work. Caleb and Garrett made their way to where she sat with Charles and Rosie.
“Good morning, Mr. Hart,” Charles said jovially, sipping from the cup of juice in his hands. “I was wondering when you and Mr. Beals would arrive. We were just talking about the different ways this battle could turn.”
“And what do you think?” Caleb asked, eager to hear Charles’ input.
“Well, judging from the behavior that Alex usually exhibits, his first attack should be coming—“
Charles was interrupted by loud shrieks from the hallway, followed by the group who had been standing guard springing into the room, coughing furiously.
“What’s going on?” Caleb demanded, standing up as one of the guards approached, still clearing his throat.
“I don’t know,” the man, William, said honestly. “One second everything was fine and the next there was smoke everywhere!”
“It’s Dylan and Shannon,” Kai said automatically. “Dylan creates smokescreens and Shannon can become invisible and extend that ability to anything touching her skin.”
“Smart move,” Caleb muttered. The cover the thick smoke provided would be perfect for executing a quick attack in the middle of the meal when everyone was otherwise occupied. “I need the air manipulator, Cheryl, to clear the smoke. Garrett, go find her and Christopher. We could use his talent too. Meet me out there to provide cover for them.”
Garrett set off at once to find them. Not bothering to wait for the three to meet up with him, Caleb went out into the hallway, finding it covered in smoke so thick it was impossible to penetrate. He could hear footsteps of hidden figures in front of him, but he couldn’t pinpoint their exact locations. All of his senses on high alert, he flapped his wings gently, hoping to get rid of some of the smoke. It was not nearly as effective as he had hoped, but by that point Garrett and the others had arrived.
“Cheryl, can you clear this?” Caleb said, trying to keep his voice low as he addressed the ancient woman beside him.
She squinted at the smoke through her large glasses. “Of course I can,” she said as if she were appalled that Caleb would think otherwise. “I’ll just need a few minutes. This is quite a bit of smoke.”
Caleb nodded. “Garrett, you take the right half of the hall and I’ll take the left. Christopher, I’ll need to know where people are hiding. We need to get them out of here.” The two men nodded affirmatively, taking their positions. Almost immediately, Christopher began to notify them of enemies.
“Caleb, there are two at 10 o’clock, and Garrett, you’ve got one at two and another at twelve,” Christopher said calmly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to be fighting against old friends.
Caleb heard the hinges from the doors around them ripped from the walls as Garrett hurled them into the smoke, knowing they’d hit their mark when several people cried out in pain. “Your dad’s gonna kill me,” Garrett said, looking back at the doors. Caleb laughed, and with a grunt, felt power burst out of him. It was not something that could be seen, only felt. He heard his two targets fall to the ground as they were shoved by some unseen force, but Caleb had no time to bask in his small victory, for Christopher was already notifying them of others heading their way.
What is Alex thinking? Caleb thought. If he were launching an attack, he never would have dispatched this many people to scout. But then again, Alex did have the advantage of numbers. An instant later, though, the smoke began to dissipate. Cheryl was smiling as the smoke almost completely disappeared. Four more figures were now visible, but three of them were already beginning to flee. Eleanor, however, just looked at Caleb with wide eyes for a moment. She raised a hand towards Caleb, who knew that there was no evading her attack. A shot of pure electricity sped towards him, but as Caleb closed his eyes to brace himself for the surge of power, it never came. Garrett, as the last possible moment, had thrown another set of door hinges in between Caleb and the lightning. The fragments absorbed the energy and fell to the ground. Eleanor snarled at Garrett before admitting defeat and taking off after her retreating comrades.
“That was a little more aggressive than a scouting mission, don’t you think?” Garrett said, panting as he looked at the electrically charged hinges.
Caleb nodded in agreement. “Alex isn’t being careful. Let’s get back to the others. I need to make a couple of changes to the current plan.” The others wordlessly followed as Caleb walked back to where his troops were dining.
“Excuse me,” he muttered, heading over to the nearest table and pushing the plates and cups out of the way. He was feeling much less inhibited than he had during the previous days. Perhaps it was because now he had to become a leader. If his father was going to choose him to lead the Haven, he had to prove he deserved it. Straightening up, he cleared his throat to get the attention of his troops. “As you are all aware,” he began once all eyes were on him. “Alex has just thrown the first punch, and even though we came out on top, he has numbers to spare. He wasn’t planning on winning, I don’t think. He just wanted information. Now he knows where most of us are, and he knows we weren’t prepared. We need to fan out, secure the perimeter, and make sure this doesn’t happen again. You all know where to go, and you know how to pass messages to myself or those close to me through Gabriel. Get moving.” As he finished, people immediately stood up and start heading to their posts, and both Christopher and Charles were nodding approvingly.
Once he’d stepped off of the table, Caleb was approached by a thin, pale boy with a shock of pitch black hair who could not have been more than nine years old. “Er, Caleb?” the boy said, “How do you want me to bring messages to you?”
“Alright Gabe, here’s what you have to do,” Caleb said, kneeling down so they were at eye level. “I need you to use your ability to teleport from post to post. Whoever is in charge there will tell you if they need you. If they do, then teleport to me, Kai, Garrett, or Charles and give us the message. You can track us, right?” Gabriel nodded. “Good. Your job is the most important, and I know you can do it. You’ll do awesome.”
Gabriel smiled nervously before vanishing. Caleb stood, shaking his head slowly. “Do you think it’s too much to ask of him?” he asked Garrett, who had approached during the conversation. “He’s powerful, that’s for sure, but he’s only nine.”
“You’re doing what you have to do,” Garrett said, and Caleb noted how he didn’t give either a positive or a negative response to the question. “C’mon, we need to head out.” Caleb knew that Garrett was right, but although he had been confident before, dread was creeping into his heart again. He, Garrett, and Kai wordlessly made their way out of their makeshift barracks and into the warzone.

It was incredible how quickly chaos had erupted. The perimeter Caleb had instructed be set up the night before had already been breached. Within three steps the small group fell under heavy fire. Miscellaneous objects were flying at them at alarming speeds from the telekinetic, Shane. Instinctively, Caleb shot towards the high ceiling, evading harm but leaving his friends below. Looking down, Caleb saw Kai scuttling behind a door frame. Garrett was ducking behind an overturned table, but hadn’t completely escaped harm; Caleb heard him swear loudly as a small lamp crashed into his elbow.
“Alright Shane,” Caleb muttered. “Let’s see how well you do with a little competition.” Palms forward, Caleb shot a burst of force towards where Shane sat safely behind a wall of dining chairs. With a yelp, Shane shot backwards, entangled in the legs of the dining chairs. It was not enough to injure him, but it certainly was enough to force him completely out of the room. Caleb swooped forward, pushing once more, but harder this time, sending Shane skidding along the long hallway. Wings pumping furiously, Caleb soared to the door at the end of the corridor, slamming it shut when he landed.
“Garrett,” he shouted. “Help me block off this door!”
Within seconds, he saw Garrett come into the hallway, dragging the same table that had protected him, but favoring his injured elbow. Kai followed, running back and forth in a zigzag pattern along the hallway and shutting the doors on either side. When Garrett reached him, the two men wedged the table underneath the doorknob.
“At least this section is secure,” Caleb said, rather perturbed that Alex’s forces had been able to make it this far into their defenses.
“We’ve got bigger problems,” Garrett interjected. When Caleb and Kai looked at him questioningly, he expounded. “If this part of the perimeter is already thrown off, it’s going to affect the rest of the perimeter as well. Our best bet would be for the three of us to split up, check it out, and meet back here when we finish.”
“Do you always have to be such a killjoy?” Kai groaned, but that was as far as her protests went.
“Garrett, you take the right side, and Kai, you go left,” Caleb ordered, glad Garrett had been thoughtful enough to consider the whole operation instead of just the details. “I’ll head straight through this door. Be careful out there.”
“Consider it done,” Garrett said, heading to the first door on the right while Kai disappeared through the corresponding door on the left. After the sound of their footsteps had all but faded, Caleb heaved the table away from the door, thinking of what a waste of time it had been to put it there in the first place. He knew that the route he had chosen would probably have the most obstacles, knowing that Shane waited on the other side.
He took a deep breath and then flung the door open, running inside haphazardly. Automatically, Shane, who had escaped from his prison of chairs, started flinging everything in sight at Caleb. Covering his face with one arm and curling his Wings over his shoulders and neck as a kind of shield, Caleb pushed at everything around him, barely managing to deflect the projectiles that were coming from all directions. Realizing that this strategy was getting him nowhere, he uncovered his face and snapped his Wings open, pushing outward with his entire body. Shane was slammed against the wall, Caleb holding him there, completely immobilized. Caleb held one arm out to hold Shane captive as he approached.
“What are you doing so far past our perimeter?” Caleb demanded.
“Following orders, what else?” Shane spat.
Caleb was surprised by the hostility in Shane’s voice, responding by pushing Shane against the wall even harder. He smiled as he heard Shane’s grunt of discomfort. “You know what I mean. Why would Alex send you when he has so many others at his disposal?”
Shane tried to laugh, but it came out as a pitiful cough. “Are you really so stupid that you couldn’t figure it out by yourself? It’s no wonder Alex knows he’s going to win: you’re making this too easy!” Shane coughed again as Caleb increased the pressure. “Fine! It’s a simple plan; an ape could come up with it. Send a few into shake things up on the inside, and send in the big guns later.”
“So he is planning a larger attack,” Caleb mused. “Well you can tell Alex we’ll be ready for him.” Then, something else struck him. “Why’d you defect, anyway? The only reason I could see is numbers, and you know that’s not everything.”
“You’re right, numbers aren’t everything,” Shane said, his mouth twisting into a wicked grin. “Alex has bigger plans than just one little siege. It’s gonna blow you out of the water, I’ll tell you that much.”
“What’s he planning, Shane?” Caleb asked forcefully. Shane did not answer, but his grin widened, eyes darting to the side before looking back to Caleb.
Caleb barely had time to turn his head and see Eleanor standing to his side before she shot a burst of lightning towards him. He felt a wave of heat rush past his ear as the bolt singed some of his hair and then crashed to the wall. Immediately, Caleb released Shane, who fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, and turned to face Eleanor. Hoping to catch her off guard, he pushed towards her, but she moved fluidly out of the way.
“You’ll have to try harder than that to beat me, sweetheart,” she said with a coy smile. Caleb could practically hear the sound of electricity crackling off of her.
With a feral snarl, she shot another jet of lightning straight at Caleb’s heart. Acting on instinct alone, he shot up into the air. Once airborne, he pushed at Eleanor with all of his might. She shrieked loudly as she was blasted backwards, spinning through the air. Caleb continued to push against her, watching as she helplessly flailed at his whim. When he finally stopped to catch his breath, Eleanor sprinted away, calling several others who had been hiding to follow her.
Caleb landed, dashing after her, knowing there were only a few more rooms he needed to clear before his perimeter was secure. He charged through the chambers, footsteps resonating off of the tile floors. No matter how fast he ran, Eleanor was always just a few steps ahead of him. Suddenly, she turned around, and Caleb knew then that he’d reached the end of his perimeter.
“What’s the matter, Caleb?” she said contemptuously. “Oh that’s right: you don’t have the manpower to come any further. You know you can’t take us all on by yourself, and you let your little friends go and do their own thing.”
“Shut up, you heifer,” growled a voice from behind Caleb. Caleb turned to see that Garrett had arrived, holding, of all things, a large water gun that he had aimed at Eleanor. A jet of water spurted out of the barrel of the gun, drenching the entire front of Eleanor’s body. Mouth open in surprise, Eleanor glared at Garrett, eyes full of hatred.
“I’d think twice before trying to shock me,” Garrett said, grinning from ear to ear. “You’re covered in water. You’ll fry yourself before you get a chance to get at me.”
Eleanor’s gaze became more intense. “You stupid little—“
She didn’t get a chance to finish the sentence. Caleb slammed the door shut in her face, though she continued to shout. When Caleb turned around to face Garrett again, several other people had trickled in through the adjoining doors. Garrett was still looking incredibly pleased with himself.
“A water gun, really?” Caleb said, raising an eyebrow as he eyed the toy.
“Yes sir!” Garrett said proudly. “Gabe caught up with me earlier. He said he wanted to help secure the perimeter and handed me this. I couldn’t say no; that would break the kid’s heart. So I took it. I had no idea it would be useful,” he finished, shrugging.
“Quick thinking on your part,” Caleb noted. “Have you seen Kai yet?”
“Come to think of it, I haven’t,” Garrett said. “We were supposed to meet back in the first room we cleared. Maybe she headed there. It’s as good a place to start as any.”
Nodding in agreement, Caleb began to walk back the way he had come, almost forgetting that there were others in the room. “Er, right,” he said, turning around to address his troops. “You guys know your jobs. Make sure no one gets through this door. I’ll be back later. Try setting up some barricades as well. Make it hard for them to get past.” The three men nodded once, immediately moving to make the place more workable. This time, Caleb actually did leave, Garrett following close behind.
When they reached the designated meeting place, Kai was already there, just as Garrett had predicted. She was sitting on the floor, leaning back against the wall and looking slightly frazzled. Her clothes were visibly dirty, and she looked like she had just run a marathon.
“What happened to you?” Garrett said, raising his eyebrows.
“I cleared my area,” she said, getting to her feet with a grunt. “My area had doors leading outside, and fighting against our kind is a lot harder when you don’t have an offensive ability. But it’s done. That part of the perimeter is secure. I ran into Marshall while I was out there. Everything is going well on his part.”
“Good to know,” Caleb said. “Let’s get back to our base and see what’s going on there.”

The next several days passed in a blur. Caleb was surprised at Alex’s aggression, but he was able to match him blow for blow, even though the odds were against him. Every morning, Caleb awoke with the same thought in his mind: Maybe today Dad will call this off. But every night when he retired, he realized that, just like the day before, he had seen no sign of his father. It enraged Caleb that the old man had sequestered himself away in his study while Caleb and Alex fought tooth and nail to gain control. Every time one of the brothers thought they had the upper-hand, the other would quickly retaliate and shatter any complacency. And so it continued day in and day out.

-----

Alex paced outside of his father’s study. It had been two weeks since the fighting began, and Alex hadn’t seen Leland at all. Usually, Leland was very involved in both of his sons’ lives, but now, he had withdrawn from them completely. It made no sense to Alex. His father was supposed to be picking out the next leader, but he hadn’t even witnessed any of the fighting. Alex had been fighting with this decision for days, but once he finally put his foot down, it was as if a huge weight had been lifted from him. He was impressed with himself, satisfied with the plan he had created. It had not been easy, but he knew it was all he could do. Taking a deep breath to ready himself, he raised a hand and knocked on the door. Seconds later, Leland opened the door, eyes widening with surprise.
“Alexander,” he said, a hint of reproach in his voice, but still stepping aside and allowing Alex to enter the study. “What are you doing here? You should be out with your troops. If you’re not out there how can I decide who will win?”
“Father, you’re not even watching,” Alex retorted. Leland seemed to shrink slightly, and that’s how Alex knew his words had stung. “Caleb and I are throwing everything we’ve got at each other, but you don’t see any of it! How are you going to pick if you don’t even know what’s going on?”
Leland sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration. “I will decide, Alexander,” he said strongly. “I have been thinking more and more lately, and now I realize this battle was not the right path. I am nearing a decision. I will notify you within a few days. Tell Caleb the battle is over.”
Alex looked at his father calculatingly. The man looked exhausted. There were more lines on his face than Alex ever remembered seeing, and the hunch of his shoulders was that of a man who had almost stopped caring. For a moment, Alex felt pity for his aging father, but quickly shook it off. I know what I have to do, he thought, reassuring himself. I know this is what must be done. “I’m not stopping the battle,” he said at long last.
“Excuse me?” Leland said, a spark of his old flame returning to his eyes.
“I’m not calling it off,” Alex repeated, staring his father straight in the face. “You’re getting old, Father. You don’t have much time left. If you haven’t picked yet, you don’t deserve to. You know I should be leader, but you’ve always favored Caleb. That’s the only reason you’re taking so long. I don’t care who you pick. It doesn’t matter. I’ll be leader no matter what.” Alex took a step back as he finished, revealing an ominous shape slinking through the open door.
The creature was hideous. Somewhere between a snake and a thing of nightmares, with each breath a hollow, rattling hiss emanated from its core. Its broad, ugly head was larger than a man’s fist, and along the back of its skull was a fan of ratty black feathers that were reminiscent of a vulture. One bright yellow eye stared out at Leland, the other being a pinkish white. The skin along the snake’s thick body was patchy, as if it were the victim of some sort of disease. It moved with rapid, but jerky movements, and this, in combination with the long, snaggled yellow fangs, made it all the more menacing.
“Alex, did you—“ Leland began, but Alex silenced him with a sad look.
“I’m sorry, Father,” he whispered. The snake struck, teeth sinking into Leland’s shoulder. The old man hadn’t even had a chance to scream before his body started to crumple to the ground. Light brown eyes gazed into Alex’s face questioningly before beginning to glaze over. The venom acted quickly. Alex had specifically designed the snake to be venomous to all, but even more so to those who had Wings. His efforts had not been in vain. Within minutes, Leland’s heart had stopped.
Alex sighed, turning away from his father’s body and leaving the study, snake close behind. As promised, Eleanor was waiting outside.
“Are you alright?” she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder and looking at him concernedly.
Alex nodded jerkily, clearing his throat. “It needed to be done,” he said, more to himself than Eleanor. With that he stalked down the long corridor, his macabre creation slithering behind him.

----

Caleb woke to Garrett shouting and shaking his shoulder. “What's going on?” he demanded, sitting bolt upright in his bed. Everyone else in the room was looking at Caleb and Garrett in confusion, apparently trying to figure out what was going on just as much as Caleb was.
“It's Alex,” Garrett said, lowering his voice so that the others could not hear. “He wants to talk.”
“He what?” Caleb said, jumping to his feet. “What brought this on?”
Garrett took a deep breath, looking apprehensive. “I think Alex should tell you.”

Caleb walked towards the outdoor courtyard, the place where Alex had designated they meet. Charles had suggested he bring a small contingent of soldiers with him, but Caleb declined. Behind him walked Garrett, Kai, and Marshal the shifter, who was wearing the form of a bear, but no one else. He did not want to be seen as the aggressor in the situation; he would leave that to Alex. Sure enough, Alex had ten people at his back, and all of them had formidable abilities. Alex stood in front of them, staring flatly into Caleb's eyes.
“Why did you want to meet?” Caleb said, stopping several paces away. As soon as the words left his mouth, he heard a faint hushing noise, and suddenly it seemed like a light, periwinkle fog appeared. Caleb glanced over his shoulder at Kai, who was smiling slightly. He turned his attention back to Alex just in time to see his brother shooting a venomous glance at Kai before her ability stopped him from becoming angry.
“This fight is more serious now,” Alex said, looking back at Caleb. “The only way a leader will be chosen is if one of us surrenders, or if one of us is no longer able to fight.”
“Did Dad tell you this?” Caleb demanded. “When did he speak with you? I haven't seen him since all of this started.”
Alex sighed, as if hesitant to continue. “I did speak to him. He didn't approve of this plan, but he's not making the decisions anymore.”
“What do you mean?” Caleb asked, more forcefully this time. “Alex, what's going on? Why isn't he choosing anymore?”
“He's dead, Caleb,” Alex said, speaking with a tone of finality. “I killed him.”
For a moment, it seemed like the world was absent of air. Caleb's breath caught in his throat as he stared at Alex with wide eyes. He can't be, Caleb thought, though his mind seemed sluggish. This isn't possible. It's not happening. Alex couldn't have. He wouldn't do that. He can't be dead! When Caleb was finally able to breathe again, Alex was looking at him emotionlessly.
“What have you done?” Caleb shouted, eyes stinging as he tried to keep his emotions in check. “How could you?”
“I did what I had to do,” Alex spat. “You know as well as I that he never would have made a decision.”
“You don't know that!” Caleb said, stepping towards Alex. He'd completely forgotten that others were present; this moment was only between him and Alex. “He would have chosen! I know it!”
“He never would have made the right choice!” Alex was becoming very defensive, matching Caleb's step. “He never even considered me as an option. The only reason he wanted to stage this battle was so he could pick you as the 'victor' and no one would be the wiser. He always wanted you to take his place!”
Caleb was unable to hold back any longer. His fury overtook him as he let out a burst of energy towards Alex and his followers. They cried out in shock as the force swept them back and all but Alex were thrown to the ground. Alex shot skyward, evading most of the blast. Seconds later, Alex's troops were regaining their footing, and Caleb knew they would attack as soon as possible.
“Get back to the others. Let them know this is real now,” Caleb snarled at his friends before pushing off of the ground to meet Alex in the air, not bothering to see if anyone had listened.
He rose quickly so that he was face to face with Alex, though they were twenty yards apart. Here, Caleb knew that he had the advantage. Alex's ability wasn't as useful in real time as Caleb's was, and by the troubled look on his face, Alex knew that. Caleb pushed outward at Alex. Alex dodged the attack, for the most part. One of his tin, silvery wings took the impact, knocking Alex off balance and sending him spinning through the air. Alex flailed a moment to regain his focus, but not before Caleb sent a stronger burst of energy crashing into the middle of his chest. Alex began to plummet to the ground, unable to remain airborne on his inexperienced wings.
Caleb pressed his wings to his body, his anger powering his steep dive. He was inches away from Alex, about to attack again when a bolt of electricity shot towards him. He tried to pull out of the dive to evade the missile, but he was going too fast. The lightning struck the top of one of his outstretched wings, the smell of singed feathers filling the air. He soared away from the group, flapping his injured wing stiffly.
Tears streamed down his face as he flew towards his side of the Haven, but they were not tears of pain or sadness. They were tears of rage. Everything he'd been telling himself throughout his entire life was shattering. How could he have let this happen? He should have seen the signs. He could have stopped this from happening. He could have saved his father. He could have saved Alex.
Caleb had reached the outside wall of his base. Lifting his arms to shield his face and folding his wings in, he crashed through one of the high windows, shards of glass biting into his skin. He heard several cries of shock as he tumbled to the ground. He stood up, pulling a piece of glass from his arm and brushing himself off. There were only a few people in the room, most having gone to their posts, but those that remained looked at Caleb sympathetically, obviously aware of the situation. The doors to the room swung open suddenly, Garrett and Kai rushing inside and both looking frustrated.
“What happened back there?” Garrett asked, looking Caleb up and down.
“We fought,” Caleb began. “I knew I would—“
“Caleb, what happened to your wing?” Kai interjected. Caleb had almost forgotten his injury. The adrenaline coursing through him during the fight had numbed his pain, but now that Kai had brought it to the front of his mind he could feel a heavy throbbing emanating through the wound.
“Eleanor got me,” Caleb Explained. He tried to stretch his wing a bit, but the blast of pain shooting towards his back stopped him, forcing it to hang awkwardly to his side. “Alex was going down and I was going after him and Eleanor shot at me. I was going too fast to get out of the way. It wouldn't be so bad, but she got me right on one of the joints. How are things out there?” he asked, nodding in the general direction of the door.
Garrett shook his head. “As horrible as it sounds, Alex must have been planning for a while. As soon as you sent us back here it was like all hell had broken loose. We’re holding our own, but Alex is hitting us way harder than he was before.”
“Has anyone been hurt?” Caleb asked immediately. If Alex hurts anyone else... he thought.
“No one but you,” Kai said, “and we should probably get something on that. We need you to be as good as new as soon as possible.”
Caleb nodded, but had no intention of immediately seeking help. “Who needs help out there?” Caleb said, turning back to Garrett.
“Last I saw Isaac’s group was looking pretty rough,” Garrett said, looking worriedly at Caleb. “Alex seems to be concentrating must of his efforts on that side. Everyone else is doing fine I think.”
“Then let's head that direction,” Caleb said, pushing past his two friends and striding through the open doors.
“Caleb, wait,” Garrett said, he and Kai jogging to catch up with him. “Think about this for a second: you aren't thinking this through. You're acting on instinct, not reason. It's not safe to fight like that. I know you're upset, but—“
“Upset?” Caleb snarled, turning on Garrett. “Upset doesn't even begin to cover it. I just found out that my father was murdered by my own brother! You think that qualifies as upset?”
“Caleb, he didn't—“ Kai began softly.
“Shut up, Kai!” Caleb snapped. Kai looked affronted, but shut her mouth regardless. “I don't care what either of you have to say. I'm doing this my way, regardless of whatever you choose, to come or not.” Caleb stormed away, hearing the footsteps of Kai and Garrett behind him several seconds later.


Four days after Leland's death, the strain of the prolonged battle was beginning to show. There had been several deaths on both sides, and everyone was beginning to break. Both Kai and their healer were working around the clock, the healer to heal the many injured and Kai to provide peace to those who were afraid. Garrett was now walking with a heavy limp after being struck with a wooden beam to his left knee, and both of Caleb’s Wings had sustained further injury. They were not alone in their infirmities though. In fact, almost a third of Caleb's troops were nearly unable to fight. Alex had been pounding at Caleb's defenses relentlessly, but had luckily been unable to make any headway.
“We can't continue like this,” Charles said to Caleb on the morning of the fifth day. “Your people are barely holding up as it is, but if we continue to fight for much longer it could completely crush them.”
“I know, Charles,” Caleb grumbled, running a hand through his shaggy blonde hair. “We can't keep defending. We need to attack.”
Charles' eyes widened. “Are you sure that's wise? Alex still has more people than you do.”
“I know he does, but I can't just wait for him to come to me, and I can't submit either. Our only chance of winning this thing is if we throw everything we've got at him.”
“When are you planning on executing that attack?” Charles asked, worry coloring his voice.
“Tomorrow. I'll let everyone know what's going on tonight, and in the morning we will head out.” Just then, Marshall ran through the double doors, clutching a heavily bleeding shoulder.
“Caleb!” he gasped. “Alex is launching an attack against the main hall. All of his forces are trying to fight their way in from the outside. We won't be able to hold them off for much longer.”
Caleb nodded, knowing that this would be his moment to shine. “Marshall, you and the other shifters take whoever you think will be useful and attack from the outside. I'll take everyone else to the main hall and help you from there.” Marshall nodded before leaving to recruit troops.
“Everyone who Marshall doesn't need, come with me,” Caleb said, raising his voice so that all could hear. “Gabe, go find any others and tell them what’s happening.” He looked out at the group of people who had come closer to hear him. They looked exhausted and frightened. Caleb hadn't taken the time to think about what they had been through over the course of the last few weeks. They had been required to fight against their friends and family for a person who was only working for his own personal gain. His stomach knotted as he realized what they'd had to endure just because he and Alex couldn't agree. But that ended now.
Caleb cleared his throat and stepped up onto a nearby table. “I know you're all scared of what might come next,” he said, looking at the weary faces of his friends. “But this ends today. Throughout this whole ordeal, you have stood by my side, even when Alex killed my father. It would have been easy for you to say it was too much to take and stand down, but you didn't, and I cannot thank you enough for that . I wish I didn't need to ask more of you, but I do. Stand with me against Alex today, and we can end this. We can win this if we stand together. Stand with me.”
As soon as he finished speaking, someone began to cheer, and before long everyone had joined in. Caleb's heart caught in his throat as he saw the heart his troops were showing him. He heard Garrett begin to bark out orders from the back of the room, and in an instant people started stampeding towards the main hall. Caleb jumped down from the table, jogging to where Kai and Garrett were waiting for him.
“Let's finish this,” Caleb muttered, taking off in the direction of the main hall.
Caleb stepped into the doorway, shocked to see how quickly things were deteriorating. Garrett and Kai did not stop, hurling themselves into the chaos with reckless abandon. Caleb's troops were running towards the exits, trying to secure them against Alex's onslaught. As the largest room in the Haven, the main hall provided ample room for fighting with its ceilings that extended up for several stories and the huge empty space in the center that had at one time been used for celebrations and balls. The stairways that circled the edges of the round room were becoming congested quickly as people rushed to defend the doorways, but Alex's forces were already breaking through.
Garrett was hurling small metal shards at practically anyone within reach, and whenever anyone got too close to him Kai would strike out, concentrating her power so much that her opponent would be left dazed and confused just long enough to take care of them. Others were beginning to throw themselves into the fray as well. Marshall, now wearing the skin of an enormous lion, was bowling enemies over with a swipe of a massive paw while Kayla swooped down upon others and tore at them with her eagle's talons.
Caleb dashed over to the side of a banister, leaping over it as if to fall and snapping his wings open to strike from above. He pushed out from his body forcefully at large groups of enemies, sending several people blasting backwards at a time. He hadn’t seen Alex yet, but he knew that he would not remain unseen for long. As he circled the room, he saw Kai dashing up one of the side staircases to aid a struggling group. Caleb dove towards them, landing just as Kai reached the door that had almost been broken through.
“Well this is fun,” Kai growled, bracing her shoulder to the door along with Caleb and the others. She grunted as a heavy blow struck the other side of the door, scrambling to force it closed again. Alex’s forces were not holding back with their attack.
Suddenly, Caleb felt an intense warmth spreading into his shoulder from where it rested against the door. “Get back!” he shouted, shoving the others out of the way as he heard an explosion from behind him. Most of the door was obliterated with one single explosion. Turning around, he saw a horde of people surging towards them, eyes blazing. Caleb held out a hand, ready to push them all back, but before he could act, Kai stepped forward. With a wicked grin on her face, a thick cloud of deep blue smoke almost completely obscured those who were trying to force their way through, and the sound accompanying the smoke was louder than a thundering waterfall. Those affected stopped in their tracks, and when the smoke had cleared they were all simply gazing ahead with relaxed smiles on their faces. Kai slammed what little door there was left shut before her influence wore off.
“Whose ability is useless now, losers?” Kai said, grinning with satisfaction. “Sean, Dallin, move that big piece of rock in front of that gap near the bottom, and Dallin, you’ll need to keep an eye on them while Sean seals the other gaps.” The two men nodded once, immediately getting to the tasks Kai had assigned them. Their victory was short lived though. A loud crash sounded from the lower level of the hall. Their main fortification had broken, and enemies were already flooding inside.
“We need to get down there!” Caleb said to Kai. “You others stay here.” Without another word, he leapt over the banister once more, throwing himself downward into the midst of the fighting. It was absolute madness. People were striking seemingly at random, not caring whether they were hitting friend or foe. Bolts of electricity shot through the chaos, taking Caleb’s forces down one by one. The sickly metallic scent of blood filled Caleb’s nostrils. Shouts were resonating through the halls, some of triumph and others of defeat. However, one cry cut through all of the tumult and stood out sharply to his ears.
“Garrett!” Kai shrieked. Caleb’s heart stopped. He abandoned the fight and turned slowly to where Kai was directing her scream. Between the rapidly moving figures surrounding him, he saw Garrett’s familiar shape lying on the ground, his chest rising and falling with difficulty. Caleb pushed his way through the crowd, shoving whoever got in his way until he reached Garrett’s side, Kai falling into step beside him.
A huge wooden stave was lying inches away, covered in blood. Garrett’s light shirt was stained with the sticky red liquid, torn just enough to reveal a huge gaping wound where the stave had been driven into his left side. His breaths were becoming more and more labored and his face was losing color rapidly. One hand rested lightly over the wound as if he was trying to apply pressure, but he was too weak. One of his eyes cracked open at the sound of Caleb’s footsteps, a shadow of his smile returning to his lips.”
“Janelle got me pretty good, don’t you think?” Garrett joked feebly. Kai tore off her jacket, pressing the fabric against the wound. Garrett grunted in discomfort, but could not protest. “Y’know, Caleb,” he said, his voice becoming faint. “I figured I’d probably be getting hurt in this whole mess, but I never thought it’d kill me.”
“I’ll get Joshua,” Caleb said, ignoring Garrett’s remarks. “You’ll be back in the fight in no time.”
Garrett tried to laugh, but it came out as a sputtering gasp. “Caleb, look around. People are dying. You can’t save everyone. What’s important is that you win. I don’t have to be there to see it.”
“Yes, you do!” Caleb protested forcefully. Garrett opened both of his eyes this time, his brown gaze boring in to Caleb’s face, eyes filled with sadness and regret.
“I’m sorry Caleb,” he whispered almost inaudibly. Then, with one last, slow, rattling breath, Garrett became still.
“No,” Kai whispered from beside Caleb, but Caleb barely heard her. The same stunned numbness that had accompanied the news of Leland’s death crashed over him once more, but tenfold. Within the last five days, he had lost everything. He had lost his entire family to both death and madness, and now his closest friend had been taken from him as well. He was still holding one of Garrett’s hands tightly in one of his own, as if he wouldn’t be gone if Caleb didn’t let go, but the hand was already growing cold. Finally, clenching his jaw in determination, he let go of his friend’s hand, standing up slowly with a new fire in his heart.
“Where’s Alex?” He snarled, searching for his brother through all of the pandemonium. He found him standing off to the side and away from danger, commanding his troops to leap into battle. Caleb took off in flight, his anger giving him a burst of energy. He shot towards Alex, pushing outward towards him just as Alex realized he was under attack.
Alex was blasted off of his feet with a force that sent him crashing to the wall behind him and sliding to the floor. Caleb dove towards him, ignoring the rest of the battle. As he landed, he pushed at Alex with a crushing force, pinning him in place. Caleb walked towards Alex slowly with a fire in his eyes. Alex was barely able to lift his head high enough to meet Caleb’s eyes. When he did look him in the face however, a cocky smile appeared on his mouth.
“Oh, so you’re going to kill me?” Alex said, raising his eyebrows. “Is that what you’re planning? Because frankly I don’t think you have the guts to do it.”
“Shut up,” Caleb hissed, hearing Alex groan weakly as he applied more pressure. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn’t bring himself to crush him to the point of death. Not before he asked some questions first.
“Why did you do it?” he asked, his voice falling down to a whisper.
“Are you seriously asking me questions right now?” Alex asked, his smirk becoming a wide, crazed smile. “You know, Caleb, it may not look this way, but the ball is still in my court. Turn around and you’ll see.” Caleb turned, and his blood turned to ice in his veins. A hideous snake-like creature was coiled a few feet away from him, watching Caleb with mismatched eyes.
“I’d back off if I were you,” Alex said conversationally. “This little guy packs quite a punch to people with Wings. I mean, Dad was dead within a few minutes. I wonder how long it’ll take on you.”
Caleb whipped around, staring at Alex with utter shock before fully understanding the danger he was in. Releasing Alex from his invisible prison, Caleb spread his wings, pushing off of the marble tiles and into the air. He heard a rattling hiss behind him as the beast struck, he was going to make it out.
But he didn’t.
As he lifted into the air, the snake’s needle-sharp teeth buried themselves in Caleb’s forearm. Caleb cried out in pain, shaking his arm so violently that the snake was forced to release him. It fell to the ground below, its body breaking with the impact. Not that it mattered. Caleb knew that it had served its purpose, and he already felt the poison beginning to spread through his body. He was losing control, and unable to remain airborne, he crashed to the ground.
He heard a voice, Kai’s voice, calling out to him. The fighting around him stopped as people turned to look at him, but he didn’t see their faces. He couldn’t move. The venom was taking more and more from him every second. Visions were dancing in front of his eyes, and he was certain that the ground beneath him was crumbling. He felt an intense grip on his arm, but it took him a moment to register that it was actually real. It took all of his willpower to heave his head to the side and look at the face of the person beside him.
“Caleb, don’t leave me,” Kai pleaded, her blue eyes looking at him earnestly. “You can’t die now. The battle is almost over; we can still win!”
As much as Caleb wanted to, he could not speak. The poison had left him with no control over his body, and he could feel that even his heart was beginning to slow. His breaths were becoming shallow and labored each one more difficult than the one before. The faces around him were blurring to the point where they were no longer recognizable. Except for Kai. Her face was the only one that remained even remotely clear. But she was disappearing too. Caleb held onto the image for as long as he could, eventually only being able to remember her eyes. He clung to it even as he slipped away, and before his heart stopped beating, he felt content.

----

Kai let out a strangled sob as Caleb’s eyes slid closed. “No,” she muttered, shaking his shoulder roughly. “This can’t be happening. You can’t leave me!” Frantically, she reached a hand up to Caleb’s neck, feeling for a pulse, but she felt nothing. Another sob escaped her throat, her grief ripping out of her so forcefully she could barely hold it back. Kneeling by Caleb’s side, a tear rolled down her cheek, falling from her face and darkening the fabric of Caleb’s shirt. The fighting had completely stopped, both sides looking around at the carnage in shock. Kai did not look away from her friend until the sound of footsteps coming towards her jerked her out of her reverie. She looked up to see Alex standing on Caleb’s other side, looking down at her with no expression in his eyes.
“How could you?” Kai snarled through clenched teeth.
“I did what had to be done,” Alex growled. “You will all follow me now. Anyone who thinks otherwise will be dealt with just like Caleb. I recommend you don’t get on my bad side.” He glared at the surrounding crowd threateningly before turning around and walking away.
Kai hung her head, her shoulders quivering as she cried. It was all over. They had lost. They had tried so hard, done so much for their cause, and it had come crashing down. Both Garrett and Caleb were dead, and Alex had won the Battle of the Haven, taking his prize of leadership. Staying at the Haven now would be a huge mistake.
But she wouldn’t leave. There were things about her that neither she nor Alex had noticed, things that might end Alex’s reign more quickly than he expected. For next to each of Kai’s shoulder blades was a long, faint, rosy scar. To most, they would mean nothing. Leland would have recognized them as the first telltale sign of Wings.

THE END

[meijhana]

-I know this needs a lot of editing, so if anyone has anything they could suggest I would really appreciate it.-

[meijhana]

-Gonna Bump this up.-