The Sankari Legends Book One: The Scars We Hide

Some perks of being able to change into any animal I want:

1) I can become any animal I want.

2) I can change into particularly large animals and sit on people’s heads when they annoy me.

3) I can change into very small animals and people won’t even notice I’m there.

4) It really comes in handy when, say, I have to sneak into a konna secret facility in search of the two idiot members of my team who decided to get themselves captured.

In case it wasn’t obvious, I was really glad for number four at the moment.

I’d chosen a route through the air ducts while Tyler, Emmalie, and Megan worked the hallways. Maybe that could be considered taking the easy way out, since it put me less at risk of being found. Especially when I chose an inconspicuous form like a rat.

I didn’t know how long I’d been running around through the ducts—a few minutes probably—when I finally caught on to a familiar smell coming in through the vents. It was faint, and I barely recognized it, but as I focused more in on the scent, I realized what it was. Sunshine and saltwater. A fresh ocean breeze.

Alia.

She was here, and she was down in the room below me.

Without really thinking, I shifted out of my rat form and back into myself. I had the intention of pulling the air vent covering below me, but that wasn’t what happened.

All of a sudden with a resounding crash, I fell into the room where Alia was being held. I managed to twist in mid-air and land on my feet, trying to cover for the collapsing vent blunder. I snapped my head up, scanning the room for threats before making my way quickly over to an unconscious Alia. I sucked in a breath through my teeth. She was barely recognizable. Her body was littered with cuts and bruises; the right side of her face was swollen, colored black and blue. That wasn’t what made my stomach turn though. It was the burns. There were two across her stomach, one across her collarbone, and many more on her legs, each several inches wide. The ones on her wrists and ankles were the worst though. They were an angry red, shiny and oozing, black and charred on the edges. She was wearing only shorts and a sports bra, feet bare and hair loose, looking for all the world like she was dead.

Oh Alia, what’ve they done to you?

What, you found Alia? Tyler’s voice sounded in my head. Great! Grab her and let’s get the hell out of here.

Working on it Tyler, I grumbled before blocking his voice from my mind, a handy trick I’d learned a few years ago.

My focus returned when I heard a crash outside in the hallway. Barely undetectable to human ears, but my shifting abilities also help enhance all of my other senses so I could hear it just fine. A fight was moving towards us. I had to get Alia out of here. I lifted a hand to shake her shoulder and then stopped. There wasn’t a spot on her skin that wasn’t injured, and I didn’t want to touch her and make it worse. I leaned my head close to her ear and said,

“Alia, you need to wake up!” Nothing, just the slight rise and fall of her chest letting me know that she was, thankfully, still alive. I leaned closer, my lips practically touching her ear, and shouted, “Alia! Wake! Up!”

Her head jerked and one of her hands flew up and hit me under the chin. My head jerked backwards but I kept my footing. Her eyes were still closed but her arms were jerking around. I lunged forward and grabbed her forearms and pinned them down to the table, trying to be as gentle as I could without letting her arms loose.

“Open your eyes!” Her head thrashed from side to side. “Please Als! Look at me!” I pushed down harder on her arms, fighting against her was she tried to get up.

Her eyes snapped open and a loud groan escaped her lips. I looked down and saw that my hand was squeezing tightly right on top of the burn on her left wrist.

“Oh hell,” I jerked my hand back. “I’m so sorry Alia, are you...”

“Alec,“ she croaked. “Alec.”

I reached my hand out to her again, this time carefully touching the hand that wasn’t in a cast.

“It’s Sabin, Alia. I’m here to get you out.” Her eyes tried and failed to focus on mine, looking foggy and lost.

“Alia, listen to me, I’m going to get you out of here, but it’s going to hurt a little.”

“Sabin, why…” She gasped as I scooped her up from the table she was lying on. Her body convulsed in my arms.

“Stop…” she gasped again, “Please just…” She shoved her way out of my arms and landed on the floor in a heap, breathing raggedly, but looking more coherent.

I dropped to my knees beside her, but didn’t try to touch her again.

“We have…” she sucked in a breath and winced. “Alec is here… somewhere, we have to find him.” She swayed to the side and her eyes slid shut, then jerked back open as she righted herself. Her eyes were clear, now burning into mine. She started to speak again but I stopped her.

“Megan is already out there finding Alec. She’s going to get him out, like I’m trying to do for you right now.” I said, explaining slowly and trying to keep the desperation out of my voice. We were running out of time.

Alia shook her head and tried to stand, which ended with her almost face planting and me catching her to keep from jacking up her face anymore than it already was.

“I have to find him!” Hysteria had edged into her voice. “He’s all alone, I have to find him Sabin!”

“Alia!” I yelled forcefully, making her stop. “Listen. Megan is finding Alec. You and I are leaving here right now.”

I put my hands under her arms and hoisted her up, setting her on the table, her head lurching forwards to rest against my shoulder. I thought she’d passed out again, but then she pulled back and stared accusingly into my eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she said. “How do I even know you’re the real Sabin? You could just been another one of the konna, trying to screw with my head again. Or maybe Brittany is just showing me one of her fear whatever-things.”

“Alia I promise, I’m not...”

“Prove it,” she challenged. “Tell me something that only the real Sabin would know. And not something Brittany would be able to figure out from my fears.”

I tried not to think about Megan’s sister using her takot powers against Alia and Alec, or the fact that Alia had seen me in her takot visions. I wracked my brain for something that would appease Alia and get us out of here as quickly as possible. Then, despite the situation we were in, a grin broke across my face.

“Do you remember, at yours and Alec’s tenth birthday party,” I felt mischief gleaming in my eyes and the memory came up in full force. “You told me that the party was boring and you also didn’t want to have to clean up afterwards, so we snuck off to the tree house and played truth or dare, and you…”

My grin expanded as I recalled all the details of that day. “You dared me to kiss you. You didn’t think that I’d do it. You just sat there all smug thinking that you’d won, but then, Alia Lakelyn Parker…” I leaned close to her face, inches separating us, “I kissed you. Right on the lips.”

“And right after that, Sabin Nicholas Raider,” she quipped back, “I believe I slapped you across the face.” She smirked up at me and continued, “Which I don’t think I’ll do right now, because I’d probably hurt myself more than I’d hurt you.”

I moved a hand across my heart, trying not to be alarmed at the fact she actually came close she was in pain. “I’m touched Als, I really am but we need to leave, now.”

I moved to pick Alia back up, but she held up a tired hand, “Let me walk, please.”

“No.” I said firmly. “You tried to walk a minute ago and about kissed the floor. I know you hate it but if you walk you’re only going to slow us down.”

Her face pinched together and her lips pressed into a thin line, “I’m perfectly...”

“Fine? Were you going to say fine?” A voice said and Alia and I both jumped, I whirled around, my back to Alia, searching the room for the intruder.

“Uh, over here guys.” I looked towards the wall of what I assumed had been a mirror, only to see Megan standing there, tapping the… glass? Window? I saw her push a button and her voice sounded out again.

“Alec is here, and I see you have Alia. Who looks very not fine, despite what she was trying to say.” I walked to the window and stood in front of it, searching for the button that would allow me to talk back.

“It’s the silver button, bottom row, third from the left.”

I located the button, pressed it, and spoke.

“Can Alec walk?” I cast my gaze to the back of Megan’s room and saw Alec sitting there, upright, looking a hell of a lot better than Alia did, even though that wasn’t saying much in his favor. He still looked like crap.

“Yes,” Megan said curtly, “He can, but he’s not very stable mentally right now. It’s not going to be easy getting him out.”

“Alia’s all here,” I replied. “Mentally, at least. She just can’t walk.”

“Okay, well the intruder alarm has been going off for approximately three and a half minutes,” Megan said, her blue eyes flickering. “At eight minutes the facility goes into lockdown and there will be no getting out of here no matter how hard we try.” She scrunched her face up in a look of what I assumed to be unease. “We’re just going to have to force them out of here.”

“I’m sitting right here you know!” Alia yelled behind me. “And leaving right now sounds like a fantastic idea, oh great wonderful leaders. Now, do you think you can shut up for a minute and do that?!”

“Now she agrees with me,” I muttered under my breath. I looked over at Megan and stated simply, “I’m right behind you.”

She nodded and turned towards Alec as I walked back to Alia.

“Als I’m going to have to pick you up. I’m sorry, but you’re just going to have to get over it and let me help you.”

She glared at me and said, “Fine, but just this once, and if you ever tell anyone else about this I will personally see to your death.”

I heard someone snicker in my head.

Way to go, man. It was Tyler. I realized that I’d been so preoccupied with Alia, I hadn’t been focusing on keeping Tyler out of my mind. Great. Oh, and that part about you kissing her at the birthday party, gold…pure gold.

Tyler if you ever say a word about it I, along with Alia, will personally see that you die in a very painful way. I mean it.

Whatever man, he was still laughing. Just try to make it out alive, yeah? I need to tease you about this when you get out.

Can do, I thought back, refocusing on the situation at hand.

Alia was still sitting in front of me, face angry and set with a determined grimace.

“Ready?” I asked.

She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut.

“Get it over with,” she said lowly.

I moved one arm behind her upper back and one behind her knees, trying to be as gentle as possible, and to not touch any of the cut or burns as I lifted her high against my chest, her bare skin prickling where it touched mine.

She let out a tight breath, and a quiet whimper with it. I felt like a terrible person. Alia had the highest pain tolerance I’d ever seen anyone display, so seeing her in this state bothered me a lot more that I let on. I turned towards the door and she sagged in my arms, head rolling to rest against my shoulder. I could feel her quick choppy breath on my neck. She was burning up - I could feel the heat radiating off her skin through my shirt. The door opened and I saw Megan standing there with keys in one hand, and Alec’s arm slung across the other shoulder. I followed her out into the hallway, trying not to jostle Alia too much. As we passed the door I assumed lead to Alec’s room, I noticed a guard lying unconscious on the floor. Megan’s handiwork, no doubt. I didn’t dwell on that too long as Megan led us to the end of the hall.

“Where is everyone?” I panted slightly as we paused at the corner. Alia wasn’t as light as one would think.

“Tyler and Emmalie must have done something to help draw their attention away from us.” Megan said as we took off again. She pulled Alec’s arm slightly and pulled him closer against her side as his steps started to drag. “Emmalie told me that we had two minutes tops before we have company.” She looked behind us, then back ahead. “And that was forty five seconds ago.”

“Then lets move,” I said quickly.

I jogged ahead and rounded a corner, looking around for any konna, my guard up. I stopped and turned back to Megan,

“It’s clear, come on!”

I heard Megan talking quietly to Alec, urging him to go faster. We had one more hallway to go down and then we could go out the door at the end. At least in theory that’s what we were going to do, according to the plan Tyler had placed in my head, but that all fell through when about halfway down the hall at least half a dozen konna burst in, looking directly at us, ready to attack. Megan quickly dropped Alec’s arm and yelled,

“Stay back!”

She pulled two of her handguns out of her holsters and started firing at them. She hit one in the leg and grazed another’s arms before they dove to stand in the doorways, taking cover from her bullets. She moved up and continued to fire, shouting back at me,

“Anytime you’d like to help feel free!”

I rolled my eyes and did something that made Alia swear and me wince. I flipped her upright in my arms and flung her over my shoulder, wrapping her arms around my neck.

“Don’t let go!” Her legs curled around my waist and her arms had a death grip on the front of my shirt.

I ran forward, grabbing the hunting knife from my belt and charging towards the konna.

I ducked into the first doorway and swooped down, almost falling on my face with the added weight of Alia on my back, but I quickly adjusted and righted myself. I grabbed the konna by the front of the shirt and flung him out into the hall and heard a shot go off as he crumpled to the ground. I sprinted down the hall to where the other konna were hiding. One jumped out, with a knife of his own, and started slashing at my chest. I dodged, slower than normal, but still able to miss his blow. I ducked low under his arm, and twisted around as he whirled back with a jab aimed at Alia’s back. I raised my knife as I turned around and the blade sunk into his back. He fell to the floor. Two down four to go. I heard two more shots from Megan’s direction and another body hitting the ground. Three down.

“Great job,” Alia hissed in my ear. I could hear her still trying to hide how much pain she was in. “At this rate, we may get out of here in body bags. Remember what Megan said? Eight minutes? We may have three minutes left now.”

I cursed under my breath. Tyler was rattling options off in my head, which didn’t help. Megan was shouting some of her favorite choice words while firing shot after shot at the konna in our path. Alec was trailing behind her cautiously. I could tell he still was struggling to grasp what was real and what wasn’t at the moment. Brittany must have done a number in his head.

“Sabin, can’t you freaking shift into something big and scary to get these jerks out of our way?” Megan yelled at me.

Not with Alia on my back I couldn’t. I ran through what I could do in my mind, desperate for a solution. Alia was right; we had to get out of here. But what could we do? Megan and I were doing our best to get us out, but with Alia and Alec in the shape they were in, it just wasn’t enough.

“Sabin, let me help,” Alia said quietly. She’d lost the sarcastic bite and for once actually sounded sincere. “I can help.”

“Alia, you’re in no shape to fight,” I answered, taking down another konna as I did. More just kept pouring into the hallway. “Besides… I know what they do when they capture and torture people. You’re powers are probably sedated, which means you can’t help that way. And since you can’t walk, hand-to-hand is a no-go either.”

“Then get me a damn gun,” Alia demanded.

Megan dodged a shot from one of the konna guards by ducking into a doorway next to us. She quickly loaded a new clip into one of her guns and handed it to Alia.

“Here!” she said. “We’ve got maybe a minute to get out of here, or else we’re all screwed.”

We took off with an almost renewed sense of purpose. Megan kept a firm hold on one of Alec’s hands, making sure he kept up with us. Alia shot down konna after konna, and even though she was a crappy shot, her efforts definitely helped. Soon, we’d made it to the exit.

Only to find it blocked by a tall, muscular, dark-skinned guy with a look of murder on his face.

“Tyrone,” Alec said. It was the first time I’d heard him speak since Megan had shown up with him, and I was shocked to hear how broken his voice sounded.

I noticed Megan squeeze Alec’s hand—whether to comfort him or to restrain him, I didn’t know, but I didn’t care because at that moment Alia decided to push herself off of my back.

She stumbled when she landed on her own feet, but managed not to fall this time. Instead, she righted herself and stepped in front of me.

“Alia,” I said. “What are you…”

“Tyrone, get the hell out of our way,” Alia said firmly.

“Aw, how cute,” Tyrone said. “You actually think you have the strength to go against me?”

“I know I do,” Alia said.

“Oh, really?” Tyrone smirked, raising an eyebrow at her. I could hear Megan readying her gun to fire. Even Alec shifted into a fighting stance. I braced myself for the fight that was coming.

I remembered what Alec had said about Tyrone… about the weird anti-energy stuff that had knocked him out earlier. I couldn’t be sure, but I had my growing suspicions about his ability—most of which were based on dreams Nicki had told me about. Either way, I wasn’t eager to see this guy in action.

As it turned out, I didn’t need to. After a few heavy seconds of fixing him with her most intense glare, Alia threw her arms in the air with an ear-piercing scream. Despite the fact that her powers were under sedation and she shouldn’t haven’t been able to use them, Tyrone was lifted off of his feet and thrown through the wall behind him and into the outside air. He was covered with a pile of rubble from the wall and didn’t seem to be getting out of that anytime soon.

We all stood staring at Alia in shock for a few seconds, until I realized that she was swaying on her feet. I barely managed to catch her before she fell to the ground.

“Hey, easy,” I said, pulling her back up into my arms. “You really over did it there.”

“Sorry,” she murmured, her eyes closing. “I just really… hate that guy.”

“How the hell did she do that?” Megan asked, her eyes wide with surprise. “Shouldn’t she still be under the power sedation?”

I shook my head and looked down at Alia in my arms, who was now unconscious, but breathing steadily. She had a small look of triumph on her face.

“I don’t understand it anymore than you,” I told Megan. “But now isn’t the time to worry about it. We need to get out of here.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

I turned around to see Emmalie and KC standing to our side. Emmalie was grinning broadly, while KC just gave us a slight nod.

“Come on,” she said. “Let’s get you guys back.”