Chapter 21

"Get up seriously. I didn't realize we had capture someone who slept so hard you always seemed to have woken from nightmares in a lot." The capture gave away something Clara didn't know before. They really were watching her.

"Whatever," Clara said calmly. She'd have to wait until she started to feel Avery, he'd do it slowly so she'd know it was him.

"What do you know about the sword?"

"What sword?"

"The one you are destined to protect," the capture looked ready to just stop already from Clara questioning him back.

"Huh? I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about like at all. What sword?" Clara was trying so hard not to laugh or anything by how easily frustrated this capture seemed.

"You came back here looking for something, if not the sword then what?" the capture sat down on the floor near Clara.

"An old story. I didn't have a copy of it at my home when I left and no time to go the library at the moment. Brento allowed it since he understood that it would bring me comfort... I couldn't find it though," Clara thought back to the books they found and how they were actually sitting in her study waiting to be looked more into.

"What story?" Clara didn't get why the capture was so interested in this.

"Romeo and Juliet. I love Shakespeare's writings and wonder how much could be true now that I've seen the rest of the world's you know?"

"Not really but whatever. I am guessing you realized what I was doing?"

"Yeah but I didn't block or anything. My mind can't be read by anyone really and I'm okay with that. The council hates me for it well one in particular," Clara was messing with her finger and looked around. "I'd like to sleep more for now."

"Sure," the capture left the room after that and Clara curled back up on the floor.

Honestly they weren't that bad with her but she saw what they did to Maddox and her family... she had to be careful, Clara understood that they were just trying to get her to trust him. It took her awhile to fall asleep though and when she did someone else was waiting there for her.

"So these are just dreams huh?" Clara sat down again and looked over. This time it was just a dark figure. "If you were really here, you wouldn't be a dark figure."

"Well that was on purpose Clara." It was the mystery man! What was he doing here. "Sorry for intruding but I am the reason you could talk to Avery when you slept earlier. I am here to help you," he sat down too this time but a little straighter than normal.

"Why?" Clara curled up and watched him.

"I said I wanted you to lead the group the change. You can't really do that if you are kidnapped and never return now can you?" he was watching Clara as well.

"I guess not but couldn't you just put someone else in power?" Clara was thinking logically. Someone else really could take her place, it's not like she has had the position long.

"No. You understand that a leader must listen to their followers. Avery and I will be there soon to help you. I will pull Avery here and don't worry, I can't hear what you are saying at all. I know you have your secrets and they must be kept." The mystery man disappeared after that and then there was Avery.

"I didn't think I'd be back here. I went to sleep so we could talk, everyone is back home and I managed to sneak away. I don't know how this is happening though," Avery was walking back and forth.

"I know whose doing it," Clara watched as he stared at her waiting for the answer. "It's the mystery man. He will meet up with you to help you get to me soon. Try tracking me so it'll go faster once he finds you," Clara was a little excited to meet who mystery man really was honestly.

"Are you sure he isn't listening in?" Avery had a dead serious face which doesn't happen often.

"I am positive. He respects me as a leader and is only trying to help me. Look the kidnappers are after the sword. I am acting dumb because it's not like they can see what I know. I have no idea if I'm above ground or below though. It feels like I'm below, there's no windows and I have no sense of time." Clara was making circles with her fingers. She was scared and this was a good distraction.

"It's only been a day since you were taken. Underground will be a lot harder to get to you than above but we can work together." Avery was just sitting there watching how Clara was behaving. "They haven't hurt you right? Like you didn't just heal yourself to make sure I couldn't see it?"

"I haven't been hurt but I have no idea how much longer that'll last for me. They want my trust but that'll never happen... anyways time to get this plan going. Listen for me because I'll be screaming as loud as I can for Philip," Clara closed her eyes there and began to wake up.

Once she was up, she began the endless mental screaming for Philip. "Philip! I know you can hear me! Come on and remember! I didn't put a hard lock on you please!" and it was incredibly loud.

"Stop doing that. He can't hear you and like you said he can't even remember you," the capture from before groaned as he leaned back.

"Also like I said it wasn't a hard memory lock. Nothing he can't get out of," which was a total lie. There was no memory lock.

"Yeah whatever just stop doing that. Your abilities are disabled and no longer functional so it's pointless."

"Mine might not work but his does." and she went back to mentally screaming out. Clara felt Avery trying to track her and she sent an apology somewhere only he could hear her. The connection was so thin and weak but that was a good thing, made it much harder to sense.

"Ughhhh" the capture groaned again and laid back. "Giving me a headache."

"Good. That's the only thing I can do I guess. Make all the telepaths hear me."

"Only if they are looking though," the capture added. "You know nothing of our world Clara just remember that."

"Clearly you don't understand my telepaths. My voice draws people's mind to me so he doesn't need to be looking just listening." Clara kept going even as it wore her down more and more.

The connection from Avery went away which she assumed meant he'd located her or that the mystery man was with him. She laid down and went to sleep again. It seemed like a valid excuse and she needed all the rest she could before the rescue. The box she was in didn't allow her to use her powers at all, just hers specifically but she could try when getting rescued.

Clara woke up to someone carrying her. "Let go of me!" she started to struggle against them but they just gently set her down.

"Clara you are safe. It's just me," mystery man began.

"Where's Avery?"

"He's badly hurt and I could only move one at a time. You weren't waking up and he made me move you first," the man ran his fingers through his hair.

"You can go get him now and bring him to me. I will heal him," and the mysterious man set her down.

"You will not heal him Clara. It's a life threatening wound meaning it will cause pain to you or you'll take it over. He wanted to save you so let him," the mystery man said before he went off again.

Clara waited and waited just sitting on the end of a random street. It took forever for the mystery man to return with Avery. "Sorry he's a little heavier to move around."

"Just get in the alley over there," Clara pointed and she watched as they went over there. She checked to see if anyone was coming but it seemed they were safe.

"He is in bad shape Clara. We need to get home so you gotta use your telepath ability now. I'll do my best to help," He stood and touched her forehead. "Now."

"Brento!!" she yelled but it didn't come out strong at all. "Something is wrong. Can you see my thoughts?"

"No not at all. Your mind is safe," he took his head away and looked at her. "Transmit to okay? Start small."

"Yeah..." she tried but he could barely hear her. "Not good. He won't make it if I keep wasting time with telepaths. I need to heal him and you won't stop me," so he stepped back.

"Fine but don't do too much or we'll be stuck here for a lot longer then we want to be," he couldn't watch Clara heal Avery so he turned away.

"Avery, it'll be okay." Clara laid her hand on the stab wound, near his heart. The poison had made his veins black so she'd have to tackle that. Her healing was flickering though and not holding. "Come on!" she finally got it to stay steady but it wasn't strong so it'd take a little longer.

After ten minutes the poison was set back enough for Clara to feel comfortable with stopping. She'd also taken the pain but that meant she had it. "Clara you were supposed to heal him not take his pain!"

"Look I can get him to transmit far enough if we work together so I need him not focused on the bleeding or the fact that now we are both basically poisoned." Clara shot back as she gently woke up Avery. "I need you to transmit as hard as you can. Something is wrong with my abilities but maybe I can amplify yours. Come on Avery."

"I got it," he choked out and Clara grabbed his hand. She felt him transmitting so she pushed whatever of her ability that was okay and it got louder and louder. "I got to Brento.. he should be here any second Clara."

"I'll get my abilities back to help but I can't anymore right now," she sat next to him and tried not to break from the pain she was taking from him.

"You know it's all numb right now," Avery smiled and squeezed her hand. "I'll be alright for you."

"I know you'll be okay," Clara gave a small smile to hide her pain. The mystery man didn't say a thing as they waited, never revealing her little secret. Avery will be so mad when he figures out she was taking his pain.

"Yeah," he stayed awake the entire time which was good.

Brento got there and was freaking out a little from the blood. Clara healed Avery some more for movement but it was taking a physical toll on her. A wound like where Avery's one began to appear and the black veins too as she took on the poison. That really freaked out Brento but he didn't say anything. "Let's get you guys back," was all as they walked through the portal back home.

"Avery sleep okay?" Clara whispered as she walked beside the mystery man who was carrying him.

"No. Elijah is checking you first okay?" he said between breathing, it was shallow but somewhat strong.

"I am fine. Elijah will deal with me as soon as you are okay," Clara didn't even realize they were at the school until they got to the glass doors. "Go ahead okay?" she told the mystery man and he did leaving her with Brento.

"You need to get in there too Clara. You are bleeding!" Brento started to move her to go in and Clara shook her head.

"He will force Elijah to help me first. He's probably figured out by now I am the reason he has no pain," she held her hand against the wound and sat down.

"You shouldn't take on all the pain Clara. You may be a healer and can heal yourself but doing so with a life threatening wound could kill you. You can't heal yourself now," Brento scooped her up without asking.

"I know Brento. Trust me I know. I took half the poison and some of the wound. Neither of us can die from it anymore but he doesn't feel the pain," she gasped for a second. "What is Elijah doing to him ugh!"

"We are heading in and you need to let him feel the pain now Clara, you've blocked it long enough. You have your own pain now," Brento started walking inside and to the medical wing. "I got the second one Elijah. Stubborn girl healed him and has half the poison in her system as well as some of the wound."

"Clara!" Avery shouted out of frustration. "You weren't supposed to let her do that!" He then yelled at the mysterious man.

"She needed you. Plus you try stopping her even with her abilities hardly being there. She doesn't stop for anyone and you know that Avery." he said back as he turned to Clara. "I am glad to have helped you today but be more cautious in the future. You are a leader and it would be another corrupt disaster without you there," it took Clara a second to realize he transmitted.

"Yeah I will be more careful," she replied and he walked out.