Awakening Book One of the Trust Series(82)

“You gave up your life for this?”

Lionel looked at him slightly surprised. “Would you not do the same? Did I not teach you loyalty above all else?”

Declan knew that he would have given up his life, taken up another to help the Trust. He would never admit that to the monster in front of him. “But if you were so loyal to the Cine Tofa, why would you train me so hard? Why not make me mediocre?”

Lionel cocked his head. “Declan, you would never have been mediocre. You had too much raw ability for that. So, I did the next best thing. Tested you again and again, learning your strengths and how to play to your weaknesses. Know thy enemy better than you know thyself. Even as a child, I knew your destiny for leadership of this group as a Descendant and would take after your father. I just needed to learn how to take you out when the proper time came.”

“But you forget, old man, that I know your strengths and weaknesses as well. I trained with you.”

Declan did not like the cackle that he produced. “Declan, for one so smart… did you really think I let you see my actual strength? Let you know what my true weaknesses were? Every fight, every training we ever had was calculated, manipulated, and planned. Let’s set the record straight. Every conversation, every handshake, every piece of advice given to you was a lie. A complete and utter lie. I have never liked you. I have always hated you. You and your father.”

Looking in the other man’s eyes, he saw the truth of what he said. There was only one thing to do and it was something Declan had never done before. Kill him.

“Enough talking, Lionel. Let’s end this now.”

Lionel sneered. “There is nothing more I would rather do at the moment.”

Declan quickly evaluated that he could not use the mental attacks that he had learned over the years. Lionel knew all of them and how to defend against them. To that end, Declan was aware now that he did not know exactly what Lionel was capable of. Declan reinforced his blocks that he had in place and added the two blocks that Caitlyn had discovered on her own that he had been able to duplicate. He prayed that would allow him a little breathing room for now. He had now set several more blocks up than was normal, making his mind as impenetrable as he could. He knew that Lionel had done the same. This was going to be a purely physical fight.

He took a steadying breath, levitating the debris that was lying immediately at his feet and throwing it at Lionel with all his strength. Lionel smirked, amused at his students actions, stopping the debris around him dead in its tracks. He set it down, stepping around it moving purposefully towards Declan. He cocked his head at him. “Really, Declan? Is that all you have? You are fighting like a Potential. I taught you better than that. At least fight me with the skill I know you have. We could do this all year if we go at this rate.”

“I would really hate to spend any more time with you than I need to.” Declan respond dryly. It bothered him that he had to acknowledge Lionel was right. He needed to be smarter, faster, quicker. This was not a fight that could be won with brute strength. He was too evenly matched with the older man for that, or at least he hoped he was. He was going to need to outwit Lionel.

Declan levitated a piece of concrete in front of him. He closed his eyes, crushing the concrete into a fine powder, pleased when it created the desired smoke shield. He noticed a piece of rebar by his feet and shredded it into ten pieces, throwing it at Lionel, blindly. With frustration, Declan heard all the metal clang against the wall. He had thought that at least one piece of metal would make its way through.

Lionel’s voice was surprisingly on the far side of the room. “I’ll give you points for creativity. Unfortunately, you missed.”

Before Declan could respond with a quip of his own, he felt the concrete beneath him giving way, finding his himself falling down to the next level below. He stopped the breaking floor underneath him, holding the pieces precariously together just enough to suspend him in mid-air between levels. He concentrated on lifting it up, returning him up to the upper floor that held his enemy. He leaped to a more secure spot, hearing the debris crash down to the level below. “Good try. But not good enough.”

Declan noted that the dust was begging to settle around them, Lionel leaning against a pillar, his face focused on his former student. He needed an advantage. Even though there was not a lot of light to begin with, Declan looked at the line of bare bulbs that hung down throughout the floor, emitting a dull light. One by one they popped, placing the room in virtual darkness, the dirty windows the only source of light.