The Radiants Chronicons : Vol. I & II Of The Radiants Duology Series

Defiant (Vol. II) - Chapter twenty three

Chapter twenty three

I hissed. "What is this?" Refusing to believe the pictures in my hand. I refused to believe that Kel used us. She wouldn't have. She always had the kindest heart. She even loved Juan. Oh God, Juan. How would he have handled any of this?  I shook my head again. No no. She didn't betray us. That wasn't like her at all. It had to be a mistake.

Levi rubbed my back in slow circles. "Relax, Tamar."

Kiitan raised his eyebrow. "You know her? "

"She is—" I corrected glumly. "Was my best friend."

Levi let out a slow breath. "This is serious. I couldn't imagine Kel, of all people would do that."

I shook my head repeatedly, staring at the picture. "She can't be the traitor. It's impossible."

Kiitan scoffed. "I never give out wrong information. Especially one this huge. Check the other pictures. She isn't trapped in a refinement facility like the others. She's roaming free. She lives with her dad and she—"

I interjected. My nose flared. "What did you just say?"

Kiitan gave me a puzzled look. "The part that she lives with her father or what?"

"That exact part. She told me that her father died, when the enforcement agents tried to take her away."

Looking between all the pictures, I was pissed. She was living a happy life, while the rest of us had our lives in disarray. This was too much for me.

Levi agreed. "Yeah, I remember that. She seemed shaken up by his death, when we first picked her."

Kiitan's lips curled up. "The English professor is very much alive. I know everything you need to know about her. She's a first year psychology student and takes her classes online. Her parents are divorced. I couldn't get anything on her mom. It must have been a very messy divorce. Kel takes up dancing occasionally and works part time at a hardware store. It's time you accept the truth about her. She's the traitor."

My face turned dark. "You know everything about her?"

"Of course I do." Kiitan smirked. Levi sent Kiitan a threatening look, which he ignored. Levi could see the dangerous look I wore. I was out for blood. "What else would you like to know?"

"Her home address."

........

The wind blew across my face,  as I ran faster and faster. My legs ached from my intensity, but I didn't want to stop. I needed to clear my head, especially after what I just found out.

I felt like a complete fool for having her in my life. I felt used. God, I just wanted to hit her so bad for what she did to the others. Oge and Kóre were still in there. Alone and hurt by her betrayal. I felt the fury burn all over. I screamed my loudest, in frustration. I screamed again. This time for myself and how she let me be on the run and become a fugitive.

Levi caught up with me. He whipped me around gently. "This isn't the time to do anything rash."

I croaked. "She was MY best friend. I trusted her and she betrayed us."

"I'm as shocked as you are, but you need to think this through."

"I just want to ask her why. There has to be a reason."

Levi muttered. "Or maybe she just played us. You need to accept that."

I fell to the floor and sobbed. "This isn't fair."

Levi raised my head. "I'm always going to be right here."

He pulled me into a warm hug and I took a whiff of his mint scent. A part of me felt calmer. Another part of me felt rage bubbling in my chest. "I just can't let this go."

He said deeply. "Then we won't. Remember what I said earlier. When you're angry. I'm angry too. I meant what I said. We're going to find that two faced liar and we are going to let her pay. But first, we need a game plan and I'm not letting you do this alone. When I'm done with her, we'll have her do our bidding. We'll use her to get back our friends. We just need to take this one step at a time."

I stared at him, searching his eyes. He looked so serious. I could see the wheels turning in his head. I smiled. "Let's go get that bitch."