Chapter 9

Tia POV

"So...what are the weaker elites like...," I piped in, if I was a weak elite no matter what Jayden's job was for me, I was screwed. He raised his eyebrow, clearly not anticipating the question. But I had to know what was the least I had to work with, if he forced me to fight and I had to defend.

"I've seen elites who can only send exchanges—and not even to a high degree of power," he was obviously calculating, "Quite a few or like that...some have mediocre powers, like the ability to change the colours of things or communicate with objects." My eyes widened again, I was seriously not expecting those types of powers. A genuine smile crossed his face briefly, "I've met a lady who only uses her abilities to sense the world around her," I looked at him curiously, for an explanation, "She's blind, she uses her strength to see," he explained. "Still others can control elements, these are usually the strongest," he continued, his eyes shifted to Steph who was still sitting quietly, listening, "Steph can control water, which endows her with more healing abilities than fighting—I control fire. Fire is red, hence the eyes."

"And what...water's blue?" I contorted my face slightly at the implication.

"Water is...magical...hence her eyes are blue."

"Meanwhile your eyes are green and purple now what's up with that?"

"Natural eye colour. They only change when we use our elite powers." He was basically not indulging in any conversation but I still needed to know more, and his short winded answers were not helping.

"So then my colour would be yellow—since the light thing came...?" He paused.

"Most elite powers don't repeat, but the colours do...," he explained," Different shades however, so you could have light red eyes and control the movement of fire, but are unable to create it unlike me. However similar colours, mean similar powers," He paused and released a long winded breath..., "I have however—never seen silver eyes."

"My eyes turned silver!?" He continued ignoring me.

"Hence you further intrigue me." I bit my lip, this was all too much—first off I'm an 'elite' now I'm supposed to be a weird one. Leave it to me, my life was undoubtedly messed up, although I couldn't explain anything else that happened today without this; so truly what else could I do but listen to the murderer with open ears. Then it hit me, he said,'Intrigued'? That would leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth.

"What do you mean I intrigue you? What are the prizes that come with that title?" I added the last question sarcastically, as I felt myself go back into the defensive, 'I could die any time now' mode. Jayden sensed it too in my voice and the twinkle in his eyes vanished, I was going to slightly miss that twinkle, I deemed before he opened his mouth to speak.

"And that's the main reason you're here."

"Because I intrigue you—what? You want me to stand around and do a dance?" His eyes twinkled again, at my abrupt, confused response.

"You could if you want to...but I did say you would help me." Our previous conversation flashed in my mind, before the whole elite talk started, and recognition dawned on my face again—how do you truly forget the reason you're kidnapped? I sighed...I suppose I must be tired, I defended myself sheepishly as Jayden walked out of the bar-like kitchen and over to a bookcase with a huge set of books. Although it was interesting how he phrase that as a statement of fact, rather than a question which it should have been.

Steph hopped down from the stool, and tugged my hand to follow her into the huge living room to sit, as was becoming the pattern, without saying a word.

"Here," he mumbled more to himself than us, with the grace of a prince he turned from the bookcase, my breath caught in my chest as he walked over to the living room suite where he sat opposite Steph and I, more so I , so I had a full view of his face as he studiously looked into his book.

"Now I've told you what elites are, and their general attributes. So since its best if you understand the whole situation, it's time for a bit of history," I tweaked my lip to a side in annoyance; I didn't like history too much, always boring. I could see a faint look of amusement from Jayden in the midst of the shadow of the book, before he laid it on the coffee table between us and started reading.

"Elites have been around for centuries. They are unlike most supernatural being because like humans they are very much mortal," he read on without pausing, "As every great civilization they are ruled by the royal heads, known as the 'E-Elites'." I cocked my eyebrow slightly at the name, but didn't bother to interrupt. "But the elites were not accepted by the humans. However most of the early elites loved humans despite their ignorance and decided to live among them camouflaged as humans and take care of them whenever needed, this love towards humans was hoped to grow, and someday develop into relationship were both human and elite can live together in peace." After reading Jayden shut the book, and a cruel expression spread across his face, and I briefly wondered what hopeful fool wrote that book.

"Unfortunately... that's not what happened, after a few generations that notion gets old and presently, there is a hidden war against the humans controlled by the new heads of the Elites." I bit my lip.

"So basically you have grown weary of the humans and are involved in the war," I offered, my eyes shifted slightly to Steph, was she in on this too? Given she wasn't actively fighting but she wasn't really helping the humans out either. No offense.

"I'm not involved in the battle!" Steph interjected, probably noticing my slightly disappointed gaze. Her exasperated expression begged me to believe her, like she couldn't bare the idea of being grouped with the fighters.

"But I am," Jayden interrupted coldly, an answer not directed to me but Steph in a strange way. My eyes moved from him to her, and finally rested firmly on him, as he turned to hold my gaze, I could feel utter hate envelope me.

"So you want me to get involved, and kill innocent human beings, because some were mean to you a while ago?" I said it in such a disgusted revolted way; I would have been amazed if he thought it was a question.

"No, the war is a waste...all of the elites aren't even backing it...not even all of the head elites." I cringed. "It's just a useless puff of power on both sides."

"Then why are you fighting, if you don't dislike humans."

"I never said I didn't dislike them, they—in my eyes are morally hopeless."

"Brother!" Stephanie exclaimed once again, her cool, mannerly demeanour apparently broken by the present talk of war.

"However—I fight for my own purposes, not for the sake of this stupid squabble," his eyes were cold, dark heartless pits. If it was possible one could be lost in the emptiness that engulfed his eyes, and my senses told me there was a lot more at stake here than a childish banter of who liked who, for Jayden at least, and he was resolved to continue fighting.

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