Kaden looked at Jace. "What the hell are you doing here?" Kaden asked.
Sometimes I feel like he knows where I'm going even before I do.
Kaden watched him as Jace spoke. "Kaden, you need to get as far away from Barry as you can. You have no idea what he's capable of. The reason he beat me up is because I found out why he's so taken with you. He knows you're the one meant to fulfill the prophecy of Morpheus. You need to watch out for him." Kaden sighed. "Shut up and get out of my way," he told him sternly.
Jace shook his head. "I don't think so," he said, making his fangs visible.
Kaden chuckled. "Cute," he said as he started to walk, but Jace grabbed his hand. Kaden twisted Jace's wrist and flipped him to the ground. Jace kicked Kaden in the stomach, got up, and came at him again, but Kaden kept walking. Kaden turned around, his eyes glowing green. He winked, and a plant behind Jace grew rapidly, wrapping around him and choking him. Kaden smiled as he used the vine to hurl Jace out the window. "Asshole," Kaden muttered, walking into the trophy room. His eyes were immediately drawn to the medallion. "She better be happy we have history, or else I would've killed her already," he said, referring to Victoria. "And who might you be talking about?" a voice from the corner asked.
Kaden slipped the necklace into his pocket. "No one. You must be the ex that broke Barry's heart," he said. The man smirked. "Yeah, because when I tried to say we needed some space, he tried to kill me."
Kaden frowned. "I don't believe you. He protects and cares about me. He wouldn't hurt people unless he had to," Kaden said, walking toward the door. The prince stepped in front of it. "Move, or you will be moved," Kaden warned, his fangs flashing.
Kaden glanced behind him—Jace was already back on his feet. He pressed a button on his bracelet, and a bo staff materialized in his hand. Kaden smirked.
This'll be fun. I'm sure my knight in shining vat of acid will come to my rescue… hopefully.
"This isn't really a fair fight," Kaden said. "For you two, at least." He kicked the prince in the stomach, then spun and slammed Jace with the staff. A shockwave sent Jace flying into the wall, smashing through it.
Kaden charged the prince, stabbed his bo staff into the ground, slid under his legs, and kicked him backward into the staff, knocking him off his feet. Jace came up behind Kaden, grabbing his arm and flinging him through another wall and out onto the street below.
Kaden groaned in pain, slowly getting up. "Crap," he muttered as his wounds healed.
Where's Barry? Jace and the prince jumped down from the hole above. Kaden formed a plan in his head. "Barry," he whispered. No answer. "Of course he makes me do his dirty work," Kaden said bitterly.
He lunged at Jace, punching him into a building, then sped to his side. "You should've never turned me," he hissed, slamming Jace's head into the ground. He didn't kill him, just knocked him out long enough to lock him up for questioning.
Kaden turned to the prince, summoning a vine to ensnare his legs and hold him in place. "I believe what you said about Barry," Kaden said coldly, "but the thing is… I don't care."He punched the prince hard, sending a shockwave through his bones and shattering his legs. "I'm not going to kill you. That's Barry's job." Barry emerged from the castle. "Sorry, babes, I was dealing with something," he said. Kaden's clothes were bloody, and he hadn't noticed the claw marks one of them had left. Of course he comes the second I deal with his crap. He better be happy I love him, or I would've killed him too.
Kaden glanced at Barry. "Clean this up," he said. Barry nodded, dragging the bodies as they walked out. "Where are we taking them?" Kaden asked.
Barry replied, "I was in our little mission meeting room the other day when I realized there's a secret passage to about ten power-proof jail cells." Kaden nodded as they continued, not realizing they were surrounded. "Where were you when I was dealing with your mess?" Kaden asked sharply. Barry avoided his gaze. "I was preoccupied dealing with something."
"Are you kidding me right now?" Kaden snapped. "No, we aren't," a voice growled. Ten werewolves surrounded them.
"We should've brought backup," Kaden muttered.The werewolves closed in. Kaden pressed a button on his bracelet, splitting his bo staff into twin blades."What were you dealing with?" he demanded, watching Barry.Barry avoided the question.
Barry's pocket began to glow.
"What is that?" Kaden asked.
Barry paused. "None of your business. Now can we take care of them so we can go home?" Kaden sighed and hurled his blades, triggering the toxin hidden in their edges. The blades whirled around the crowd, nicking each werewolf and knocking them unconscious. He picked up Jace and the prince and headed toward the portal room.
Kaden gazed around in awe before stepping through the portal back to the human world, slipping past his parents with the prisoners.
"I'll see you soon," he told Barry.
Barry nodded. "Okay. I'll see you tonight?"
"I have family dinner, but I'll see you tomorrow," Kaden replied.
Barry left with the captives, disappearing into the night. Kaden quickly showered and changed, arriving only a few minutes late to family dinner. As he descended the stairs, an uneasy feeling settled in his chest.
Gathered at the table were his parents, Carter, Lola—and to his surprise, Victoria.
"Hey, guys. I didn't know we were expecting guests," Kaden said carefully.
His parents glanced at him, tears welling in their eyes.
He froze. The last time they had seen Victoria was the day before she'd disappeared.
"Victoria," Kaden said slowly. "What are you doing here?"
She approached him with a smile. "I came by for family dinner," she said, pulling him into a hug. Then, in a whisper meant only for him: "And to get what you owe me."
Pulling back, she turned to his parents. "I need to talk to Kaden for a second, if that's okay. I promise it won't take more than five minutes."
His mother nodded. "Dinner needs about ten minutes to cool off, so take your time."
Kaden led Victoria upstairs to his room, closing the door behind them.
"Seriously, what the hell are you doing here? I was going to bring you the necklace after this," Kaden said sharply.
"How would you do that," she countered, "if you don't have it?"
Kaden froze, absently scratching at the wound on his arm where the werewolf had clawed him. He didn't yet realize the infection spreading through him.
"I'd love to stay for dinner," Victoria continued, "but I don't want to distract you from getting my medallion back from your latest boy toy. Do this by sunset tomorrow, and I'll give you the antidote for that infection that's already spreading across your body. Fail, and you'll be dead by midnight—and this time, it'll be permanent."
Kaden forced a smirk. "My, how I've missed our late-night talks," he said, trying to keep his composure. "You'll have it before then."
Victoria nodded, then slipped out the window.
Kaden exhaled shakily, frantically searching his room. He'd had the medallion when he got home. Barry must have taken it—was that what had been glowing in his pocket?
Should I ask him for it… or just take it?
Why would Barry steal it, knowing what I'm risking?
Rage welled up, uncontrollable, overpowering. The entire room trembled.
No amount of breathing exercises helped. He knew, deep down, that control over this kind of power wouldn't come from one simple training session with Carter.
Why does she make me this furious?
The whole house began to shake. Carter burst in, grabbing Kaden's hands.
"Breathe," she urged.
Kaden tried, finally managing to steady himself. The shaking subsided.
"You okay?" she asked softly.
"Let's get back to dinner," Kaden muttered.
Downstairs, his parents nodded when he asked if everyone was all right. He stayed silent for the rest of the meal, forcing himself not to think about Victoria, Barry, or the medallion.
Halfway through, he stood. "I have homework to do with Barry. Group project. I'll be back later," he said flatly, leaving no room for questions.
He put his plate away and left, sprinting to Barry's house at vampire speed.
A couple of houses away, he checked his phone—Barry was in the woods.
Perfect.
Kaden slipped in through the basement, creeping upstairs. Barry's parents were asleep on the couch, watching reruns of How to Get Away with Murder.
If only they knew how much their son had gotten away with.
Kaden entered Barry's room, closing the door quietly. A wave of weakness hit him instantly. Victoria had many faults, but lying wasn't one of them.
He glanced at the infected wound. Black veins had spread around the puncture.
"Great. What's next?" he muttered, heading for Barry's mirror—where the medallion sat in plain sight.
He reached for it.
A cold voice behind him made him freeze.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Kaden turned. Barry stood in the doorway, expression unreadable.
"Taking this," Kaden said, slipping the medallion into his bag. He moved for the door, but Barry blocked him.
"I've always been honest with you," Kaden said quietly. "The least you can do is let me keep this."
"Move," Kaden demanded, fists trembling at his sides.
Barry stepped closer, eyes glinting. "Or what? You won't hurt me."
Kaden jerked back as Barry reached for his bag. "Why did you really come on my mission? It couldn't have been just to hurt the prince."
Barry's lips curved in a cruel smile. "We were both sent with the same orders—just on opposing teams. I needed you to get past the guards and take the medallion. You getting poisoned by a wolf scratch? That was just a bonus."
He kicked Kaden hard in the stomach, sending him crashing into the wall.
Kaden crumpled, struggling to rise. The poison weakened him by the second.
"Do you know how easy you were to manipulate?" Barry taunted, lifting Kaden by his hair and throwing him into the mirror. Glass shards tore into his flesh.
"You're weak, just like Victoria said. She sent us both after the same prize. She knew you wouldn't have the guts to kill me—so she sent you, knowing I'd do her light work."
Barry crouched, grinning, and lifted Kaden's chin with a finger.
"Killing your parents was just a plus."
Kaden's breath caught, fury flooding what little strength he had left.
Barry hoisted him by the neck, pinning him against the wall. Kaden gagged, struggling for air. His arms hung limply at his sides.
Desperately, he grabbed a shard of glass from his leg and drove it into Barry's arm.
Barry roared, dropping him.
Kaden hit the floor hard. "Jace was right—you are a horrible person," he rasped, grabbing his bag.
Summoning his last reserve of power, Kaden repaired the mirror and opened a one-way portal back to his room. Army-crawling toward it, he felt Barry grab his leg—he kicked him in the face, and the portal pulled him through, depositing him back in his room.