Part 3 - unknown past

Looking up at the figure above me, I saw a hand reach out to help me up. Cautiously I took it. When |I was on my feet again I looked closer at the person.

“You.. you’re the nurse we saw earlier!” I stuttered. “How.. I mean.. Really?”

She laughed. Holding out her hand she said smoothly,

“NJ maverick. And you are?”

Taking her hand I replied,

“Skye Rancour.”

“Ah. You aren’t knew to this then? How’d you decide it?”

“Pretty simple really.” I shrugged. “Skye ‘cause it’s a nice name, and also my eyes are blue. Then rancour ‘cause I’m known to be bitter and hateful at times.”

I burst out laughing. NJ looked at me oddly but couldn’t help but laugh too.

“Sooo.. Who’s that? Not bad looking if I say so myself. You two an item then?” NJ teased.

“NO! How can you even say that? We.. we’re just friends”

I glanced over to where Jesse lay. Walking over I knelt down beside him and looked closely at his wounds. Hearing a laugh behind me I turned round sharply.

“What’s funny?” I asked bewildered.

“ “We’re just friends” Oh Please! Anyone could see that you like each other. Like look at you!”

Looking down I saw that I had Jesse’s head held in my arms. Letting his head down gently and standing up again I retorted,

“Shut up” in a mock angry tone.

NJ laughed.

“Come on then. We better go. Take him with you. We can get to know each other better when we get out of here. This place creeps me out.”

Looking round carefully. NJ started to make her way through the rubble. Lifting Jesse up I made my way after her.

“So how are we getting there anyway? I’ve got my car outside.”

“What is it?”

“A personally modified Jaguar XF”

“HA! You call that a car?” NJ smirked.

“What’s wrong with it? Why, what have you got then? Miss car disser” I joked.

“An aston martin vanquish with added necessities”. She looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

“Lucky bitch!” I laughed.

“I know”. She laughed.

Stepping out onto the pavement we made our way to our cars.

“So where are we going then?”

“The sancturary. I presume you’ve heard of it?”

“well duh. Just messing. Aye, its in Roarhaven isn’t it?”

“Yea. Look leave your car, I’m sure we’ll find someone to get it for you.”

“kay”

NJ got into her car and opened the door for me and Jesse to get in. Placing Jesse carefully  on my lap I turned to NJ.

“So... let’s get this straight. What were you doing in the hospital?”

She sighed. “Guess you’ll find out sooner than later anyway. Right.. here’s the thing. Jesse killed his dad and now there are men after Jesse cause his father had something that they wanted.”

She looked at Jesse, “And now that his dads dead, he’s the 1 they’re after.”

“Well what are they after?”

“knowledge, facts, power. The usual. Jesse is a mediator. Whether he knows it or not is another matter. His father was too. They need his skill for something, we don’t know what yet. But whatever they’re planning... It’s big.”

We looked at each other. I gulped. Looking at Jesse I whispered

“I won’t let them get you. I promise.”

NJ looked at Skye. She felt bad for her, but didn’t say so. Accelerating, they sped off to Roarhaven.

*

As they walked through the corridors NJ pulled out her phone and rang someone. Looking at her questioningly when she hung up, she replied

“I was letting Skulduggery know. He’s a friend and colleague of mine. He’ll let the rest know.”

All of a sudden I heard a groan coming from Jesse. Gasping, I set him down on the floor gently.

He opened his eyes and looked up at us in a daze.

“Whe... where am I?”

“The santurary. I’, NJ by the way.” She held out her hand for Jesse to shake.

He looked at her.

“Buh... Buh.. But you were the nurse?”

We laughed.

“We’ll explain to you later, but we need to be moving now so hurry up”.

Rolling his eyes, he stood up and we followed NJ through the sanctuary. All of a sudden 3 people appeared in front of us. 1 of them being a skeleton.  Surprisingly NJ seemed to be expecting them, whilst Jesse and I were shocked.

“Took your time”.

“Well we got a little held up believe it or not” The new girl said, giving the boy beside her a playful glare.

“What?”

“Never mind” She laughed. “So? Aren’t you gonna introduce us NJ?”

“Oh, aye. Meet Skye and Jesse. Skye and Jesse, meet Valkyrie, Fletcher and Skulduggery.”

Jesse walked over to Skulduggery.

“Buh... You’re a skeleton?”

“Well naww. My skin and organs have merely been removed. ” Skulduggery said sarcastically.

“Are you being sarcastic?” Jesse asked, bewildered.

“And you figured that all out by yourself too. You really are smarter than you look” Skulduggery said brightly, and he walked on up the corridor leaving a confused Jesse behind.

“Hey! Wait up!” Jesse yelled, running to catch up to us. Nobody listened.

“Right, so what’s happened?” Skulduggery asked me and NJ.

“Well” we began together, looking at each other quickly. Nodding at NJ she smiled and continued.

“Basically, they found him and were close to getting him. If I hadn’t been there he would have been taken.”

“Hey! I was there!”

“Yea, and you were almost killed. What’s your power then? What are you?”

Straightening up I replied,

“an adept who can read and manipulate minds”

She laughed.

“What?”

“You could never have beat them with your power, whereas I’m an elemental.”

“Well it can come in handy, I know what move they’re gonna make before they do. I know when people are lying and I can do a lot of other things too. But I’m hardly weak. I can use a bow and arrow and I have a gun too.”

“Fair enough”

Smiling smugly at NJ’s words, we continued up the corridor.

“Now if you 2 have finally stopped bickering maybe you’d notice that someone is failing terribly at following us.”

“Now failing terribly is such a strong  word detective. I merely like to think of it as not carig if you are caught out.”

Turning around quickly at the familiar voice, I felt my heart drop.

“Seems to me we’re seeing an awful lot of each other these days aren’t we sissy?”

“Aww come on! Give it a break you ain’t getting him. So do yourself a favour...”

“Ah but we also have some unfinished business I believe. If I remember rightly you were getting your ass kicked before a miss know it all decided to intervene. I’ve still got the burn mark you know?”

“Well good for you. We all care soo deeply that little poor Shane is hurt.” NJ said in a sarcastic mocking tone.

Glaring at her he continued,

“well as I was saying, lets finish this now. If I win I get him  and if you win I’ll leave. But I think we all know who us going to win.”

“Ah, oh contraire, little bro. I was caught off guard. I could beat you with my eyes closed.”

“Well what are we still standing like a couple of blind mice for? Bring it on!”

Everyone stared at us as we prepared to fight. Cracking our knuckles at the same time, I growled and Shane sneered. Then we lunged. Crashing into each other we landed on our feet again.

Shane was an adept as well, except he was extremely fast and can’t get killed by a sword or gun. Shane feinted right but went left, I was ready and blocked his punch with ease.

“Forgot you little powers so I did. But don’t play your little mind games on me I’m used to it.” He thought. But he might as well have said it. Thinking back, putting my words into his head

“But you don’t know all my tricks. Do you? I’ve got a few new ones since we parted ways, 8 years ago.”

At this knowledge Shane temporarily looked shocked and terrified, but his expression was quickly replaced with its usual sneer.

“Oh yeah? Show me.”

“You asked for it.”

Grinning to myself I concentrated. All of his thoughts, his plans, everything. His feelings and emotions and his goals. All came flooding my mind. Opening my eyes I smirked. My eyes glowed a bright blue for only a millisecond. Then I attacked. Filled with every emotion, feeling. Every piece of knowledge and experience filled me. Taken off guard by my sudden attack he stumbled. Taking hold of his jacket I swung him against the wall. Taking a running start I kicked him in the face causing him to groan in agony. Never giving him the opportunity to get up, I slowly drew out an arrow and placed it in my bow. Looking down at him, merciless to his crumpled body. His face filled with true fear and submission.

“Please! Don’t. I’m begging you. I’m only 15. I’m your brother.. I’m your family. You can’t hurt Caoimhe like this. Who will she have? Mum and Dad are dead. I’m all she has.”

“Who’s Caoimhe? Why should I care about her? I don’t know her.”

“She’s our little sister.”

Lowering my weapon I stared at him.

“We don’t have a sister.”

“Shortly after you left, mum became pregnant. She’s 8 now. I’ve had to look after her.... She looks like you, you know? But she has both of our personality. But mostly mine. She’s training as an elemental. Like mum.”

He looked at me, and I saw an emotion I had never seen him have before. Dazed I nodded and turned to the group behind me who were just as confused as I was.

“I won’t kill you. But you’re under arrest. I don’t have the power to do that but they do.”

I looked at Val, Skulduggery and NJ. Finally Val said,

“Yeah. I’ll get the cleavers to take you down.”

Heading down the corridor quickly she left me looking at my brother.

“Where?”

“Where what?”

“Where’s Caoimhe you idiot!”

“Oh. Ummm.... Our old house. You remember where that is don’t you?”

“Unfortunately.”

No sooner had I spoken the words, when Val emerged at the end of he corridor with 2 cleavers.

“I guess this is goodbye.”

“guess so”

“Never thought it’d be like this did you?”

“Nope”

“I will get out again you know?”

“We’ll see”

“I’ll find you”

“Sure you will”

“And I’ll get him.”

“Ha! Now I know you’re insane.”

Shrugging his shoulders he let the leavers take hold of his arms, and walk him away. Glancing over his shoulder he said

“I really hate you!”

“Aww hate you more”

Laughing insanely he disappeared round the corner. Turning round to everyone else I said

“Well that’s sorted then. What do we do now?”

Grinning at their stunned expressions, well Skulduggery’s.... Skulduggery’s.. Let’s just say his head.

I walked on past them and headed on up the corridor.