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Chapter Eighteen – The Test
Bo's voice shook with emotion, mostly raging anger, she turned on her ex-lover, ready to tear him to shreds, both verbally and physically if it came to it. "You KNOW how I feel about her, you KNOW that I love her… that I've ALWAYS loved her more than you," Her voice was trembling so bad now, it was hard to get the words out, she'd never said it out loud before or even admitted it to herself. She'd once acted like there was some sort of battle inside her over Lauren and Dyson but deep down she knew, deep down she'd always known, that there was only one person who took her breath away, only one person she could've given her heart to. Maybe that was why it was hard for her to admit it out loud, hard for her to end the competition between the two of the, because it made her feel too vulnerable to admit to herself that she really only wanted one person. It was hard to be that vulnerable with someone – and it suddenly dawned on her that maybe Lauren was really just scared because as much as Bo had shown her she loved her with her actions, she'd never really done enough to show her that she was truly the only one. If anything, her actions had shown Lauren that she wasn't the only one at times. In her heart she knew she hadn't done enough, she'd been uncharacteristically selfish about protecting that last little bit of her heart from Lauren and if she truly wanted Lauren to trust her, she should've given her a hundred percent of it, all or nothing. It wasn't fair and for the first time since they'd talked in the basement, Bo admitted that she had a part in their breakup.
Sure she'd had passion with Dyson once upon a time but that's all it had ever been for her, physical passion. She had loved him, loved him like a friend… but she sensed that all that was about to change. She knew that Dyson had always known deep down that in the 'contest' between him and Lauren, he'd always been the loser. He'd seen the way it had broken Bo when her and Lauren had split, he'd seen how it had ruined her, made her a shell of herself and he knew he'd never have that kind of Earth shattering love with her. "Was this your way of trying to 'win'? Was this your sick way of trying to beat Lauren!?" She shoved her finger into his chest accusatorily, her eyes glowing blue.
He feigned confusion. "I don't know what you mean."
"Don't fuck, with me right now wolf boy," She spat the curse word at him. "You knew that Lauren was Fae – and you kept that from me. How could you Dyson?" Her eyes welled with burning, angry tears. She was so furious but it was more than that, she'd felt rage before but this was different because along with that rage, she felt betrayed, by someone she'd love. She laughed to herself, Hella's prediction, that there were dark forces at work, even with people she loved and trusted. She shook her head.
The wolf considered denying it further but he knew he was caught. So he tried to lie his way out, appease Bo. "Look, I just thought it was Lauren's place to tell you."
"Oh BULLSHIT!" The rage was back. "You thought that if you told me she was Fae, all of Lauren's and I's problems would be solved and you'd never have a chance with me again. Your true colors came out wolf man and let me tell you personally, they're not pretty."
Dyson cast his eyes to the floor.
"Let me get one thing very clear right now, you and me, we're done. You betrayed me, you messed with my heart like it was a game and I'm done pretending that I ever loved you like I love Lauren. So get that through your thick skull because it's never going to change and not just because of your actions concerning this but because that's just the way it is."
Bo tried to calm herself, she took a deep breath and her eyes changed back to brown. "As for where we go from here, you really need to change, you need to move on and you need to earn back my trust if you ever want a friendship with me. Honestly, how I feel right now is that if I had it my way, I'd never have to see you again – but we both know there're more things at play, our group, the 'rat pack' as Kenzi says, they're my family, all of us and that means you too. I'm not about to make a decision I'llregret just because you made a similar one. But you really need to cut the shit, I know I'm partly to blame for leading you on and using you to feed when Lauren and I were broken up but let's be adults here, you know it's always been her."
Dyson moved almost imperceptibly but he nodded, never taking his eyes off the floor.
"Good, now I'm done with this. I'll see you around wolf man," She patted his chest as she walked past him, honestly feeling half enraged and half sorry for the pathetic warrior. She knew there'd be a day when all of this would be behind them, but today was not that day.
Kenzi gave a pouty face and threw a piece of popcorn petulantly at Bo as they sat on the couch together. "It's not fair! All she does is a favor for some Fae and she gets a stupid magic rock and now she's Fae? What about Kenzi?! Now I'm the only stupid human in our renegade rat pack."
Bo laughed and took a sip of her wine, trying to dispel the tension of such an earth shattering day. She didn't know how long it would take to wrap her mind around the fact that Lauren was Fae… that she was Elf… that she immortal. Bo petted Kenzi's hair lovingly, "Don't worry Kenz, for now, you're the strongest member of our rat pack because you're human and that makes you ballsier than any of us… and when you start to look old and gross, we'll look into getting you a stupid magic rock of your own somehow, to keep you looking forever young," She caressed her best friends face and mirrored her pouty face mockingly.
Kenzi pretended to sniffle and sighed, "I know you're kidding, but that really makes me feel better."
Bo shook her head and laughed, throwing a piece of her own popcorn at Kenzi and sticking her tongue out. The girls had a zombie movie marathon and passed out on the couch, just like old times. Bo couldn't bear to sleep alone tonight – not tonight.
Lauren capped her whiteboard marker and sighed. All the facts left only one outcome, only one possibility. Her gut wrenched at the thought. She tucked the whiteboard away and poured herself another big glass of wine, curling up on the couch to listen to her Norah Jones CD, at least she had tonight. She knew that the elders wouldn't come for her until the morning – the thought comforted her.
She must've passed out on the couch because she was woken by pounding fists on the door, they sounded frantic. Bo, she thought, panic taking over her senses. She jumped to her feet and stumbled to the door, clearly still a little inebriated.
She opened the door to five mean in black suits. "Shit," She whispered to herself. They didn't speak, they didn't let her collect her things, they just grabbed her by the elbows and dragged her to the street, her front door still wide open. "Wait!" She screamed, they didn't listen, they didn't stop. She struggled but they were too strong for her, even with her new Fae strength. She continued to put up a fight until they put a sack over her head and shoved her into the back of a vehicle.
Bo woke early, almost at dawn. Kenzi was still sleeping, the urge to see Lauren was too great and she snuck to her room and dressed, leaving the Clubhouse. She drove fast to Laurens, pushing her poor little Camaro faster than it wanted to go, but she didn't care.
She ran into Lauren's building and up to her apartment, Bo instantly knew something was wrong. The door to Lauren's apartment was wide open. She unsheathed her knife and crept up to the door, prepared for a fight.
"Kenzi?"
Kenzi groaned into the phone. "What?"
"It's Lauren," Trick said.
Kenzi was suddenly wide awake. "What's wrong Trick?"
"It's time, where's Bo?"
Kenzi looked around and didn't see her best friend. "Bo?!" She yelled, when Bo didn't answer she searched the house. "She's gone Trick, I don't know where."
"Damn it, I tried calling her first but she won't answer her phone. We have to go now Kenzi. Do you understand?"
"I understand." Kenzi hung up the phone and hurriedly dressed. She prayed to the Goddess that Bo would answer her phone, Kenzi must've dialed it 10 times without an answer before she even left the house.
Bo had searched the entire house and there was no sign of Lauren or a struggle, she was starting to get very nervous, she wouldn't just go out and leave her door open. Bo noticed Lauren's cellphone on the table, another bad sign.
Bo started to search her desk and drawers for clues. She noticed her whiteboard pushed against the wall and grabbed it, turning it around. She read the writing on the board and it all made sense. Oh Lauren, no, what have you done. But why had they come for her so quickly? It couldn't be time yet, there had to be more time…
Kenzi met Trick and Hale outside the Glass Factory, they all entered together.
"You can't bring a human in here," one of the guards said.
"She's with me," Hale said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders protectively. The guards bowed to the Light Fae Ash and he nodded, walking past.
"Smooth one, Siren."
"You know it lil' mama."
Lauren paced around the small holding room angrily. She needed more time, she wasn't prepared. She was suddenly not only worried about choosing a side, she was worried about The Test itself. She was no fighter, her abilities weren't offense, they were defense. She didn't have a clue how she would survive this test. She suddenly wanted more than anything to see Bo one last time before she met her fate.
She prayed to the Goddess that all the times she'd watched Bo fight would pay off, but she wasn't hopeful. She wished she'd gone to see Tue to have him train her more, they'd met once to talk but he'd just told her about the history of her ancestors, more than she could've learned in any text in the archives. They hadn't even begun training yet – she had thought she would have more time.
How ironic that she could control time but she couldn't reverse it when she needed to.
Bo raced to the glass factory, when she pulled up she finally looked at her phone. Over twenty missed calls from Kenzi and five from her grandfather. She jumped out of her Camaro hoping she wasn't too late. She raced into the factory and down the damp corridor to the arena where the test would take place. She spotted Kenzi and Trick in the crowd against the balcony railing and raced to their sides.
"Bo, you made it!"
"Yeah I'm here, where is she?" Bo asked, Kenzi looked somber and gestured with her eyes.
Bo felt her heart sink as she looked down into the arena. Lauren was choosing her weapons for the test.
"Fuck," Bo spat, her heart was racing in her chest and she was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to take a breath until this was all over. She wished she could've gotten here sooner.
Lauren picked the same long daggers that Bo had chosen during her test. The Succubus couldn't help but smile a little. She clenched her hands to the railing until her knuckles turned white and prayed to any and all deities to keep her love safe.
Lauren stepped up onto the mat and looked up, she saw Kenzi, she saw Trick, she even saw Tue in the crowd, her heart filled with warmth and she blew him a kiss. Then she found the face she was searching for… Bo. Her heart fluttered and she grounded herself, feeling strength course through her veins she readied herself for battle.
"We welcome the Elf, Lauren Lewis, to her test! You understand the rules, two rounds, to the death, other than that – there are no rules. So without further ado, let's commence!"
Her first attacker was a Troll, she smirked. She knew one thing that could bring down a Troll, or at least she hoped. She closed her eyes and pulled strength from the forest, the power of an oak tree could stop a Troll, at least it was her best chance. She knew he was strong but he was big and slow and she hoped she was agile enough to defeat him.
He lunged at her, swinging his spiked club at her head. She breathed deep, time seemed to slow down as it had in the park. She was confused at first because she thought that her ability could only affect humans but she had no time to think of such things. She ducked and the club swung over her head, she swept his legs with her feet, rationally, her small toned legs shouldn't have been able to take out a Troll's legs – but an Oak tree could take out a Troll's legs. He crashed to the mat on his back. She lunged for him and he swung his club at her midsection, time slowed further and she leaned back, the club narrowly missing her stomach. As the Troll struggled to slow the momentum from his swing, she stood on the arm that held his club. He acted like his arm was being pinned down by a granite slab and he dropped the club, it clattered to the ground and she knew it was all over. She leaned over her prey and looked into his eyes, reveling as she slit his throat. That is for Kenzi you son of a bitch, she thought as she saw the light dim from his heinous eyes.
The next opponent appeared as the Troll instantly vanished. It was a Siren, which she knew from his conch shell necklace. She knew she didn't have time to think, only to act, as soon as he started his call, she'd be dead. But she was too slow, he started the call and she crumpled, she couldn't even think straight but as she felt the light dimming inside her, she was somehow reminded of a beautiful memory, the angel song of the forest leaves. She pictured the sound, pulled it towards her, into her body, until it was all she could hear. Her vision cleared, her brain no longer felt like it was going to explode. She threw the knives in her hands to the mat and got to her feet, the Siren seemed stunned. She rubbed her hands together and instantly shot pure death into him in the form of a brain aneurism that would kill him instantly. Her hands exploded into a blinding flash of ultraviolet, the force of the attack blew him backwards.
She looked at her hands in amazement as he too vanished.
"Well-" The announcer seemed at a loss for words, the crowd had gone eerily quiet, "We have a victor, the Elf has passed her test in what might be the quickest two rounds we've ever had."
Lauren ducked her head, suddenly shy at all the eyes on her.
"Well Elf, what do you choose? Light or Dark?"
"I choose neither," She said with confidence, raising her chin in defiance and setting her shoulders back.
A murmur spread over the crowd like wildfire. "I- that is unacceptable Elf, you must choose."
"It's Lauren, not Elf. And actually, I don't have to choose, I choose me. I've been a prisoner to you Fae for so long it's hard to remember anything else. So I choose to finally be free. I refuse to become a member of your depraved society with your archaic, tyrannical rules and traditions, like 'The Test' for example. And if you refuse, then come down and kill me, right here, right now!" Lauren demanded, her palms fell to her sides and opened, glowing ultraviolet.
A hush fell over the crowd again.
"And if you kill her, you'll have to kill me too!" Bo announced from the balcony. The crowd started up again. Lauren's eyes locked with Bo's, her heart wrenching a little. She'd always been so selfless when it came to the people she cared about, it was one of the things that Lauren loved about her.
The announcer conferred with a few of the elders for a minute and then spoke. "You are dismissed Elf."
Lauren hesitated, thinking it had been too easy, not that she wanted to push her luck but she had to be certain she was safe, "And just so we're clear, I'm not going to go home and find myself attacked in the middle of the night by one of the Light or Dark? I want to be left alone, I want to be free and if I can't have that, you should kill me now – show your true colors counsel!" She egged them on, needing them to agree to her safety publically before she could rest easy.
An elder whispered to the announcer and he nodded, "You are released from Light or Dark affairs, cast out of the circle, you will not be harmed Elf. As long as you harm none, no harm will be done to you."
She nodded and returned her discarded knives to the wall of weapons. The crowd dispersed slowly, uneasily. She let out a sigh of relief but she had to admit, she still felt uneasy herself. She hoped it hadn't all been too easy but she knew she'd done the best she could.