More Power More Hope- Book Three In The United Series

Chapter 7

Max's POV:

The anger I felt before has risen dramatically. Words can't describe how much fury is rising in my chest and into my throat.

I clench my jaw as Setrákus Ra lets go of his telekinesis. I keep looking him straight in the eye and he smirks.

"Do you know why we've kept you alive, Number Two?" Setrákus Ra asks me. I don't answer him, but I'm curious. He's had many times to kill me and he hasn't.

But those times with Ivan. Setrákus Ra ordered Ivan to kill me. More than once.

"What about with Ivan? You ordered him to kill me, didn't you?" I ask Setrákus Ra. Let me tell you, it's not fun to have an interview with the Mogadorian leader who's threatening to take over the world.

"I was testing him, Number Two. Testing his loyalty. He failed his test," Setrákus Ra answers and I'm about ready to pounce on him.

"Now, speaking of 'testing', that's where you come in. We need to test you," Setrákus Ra tells me.

"What does that mean?" I ask, a hint of disgust in my voice. Setrákus Ra smiles and I want to slap it right off his face.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out," Setrákus Ra replies.

"Answer me!" I yell at him, getting to my feet. The Mogadorian grabs my shoulders and shoves me back onto my knees. He grabs my left arm and twists it against my back. With his free hand, he holds me down but I continue to glare at Setrákus Ra.

"Leave her. She can yell all she wants. It won't help her now," Setrákus Ra tells the Mog behind me. He lets go of me and I automatically jump to my feet, whip around, and punch him in the face. I unsheathe his sword and drive it right into his stomach. He turns to a pile of ash on the ground. I turn back around to face Setrákus Ra again and he has an amused look on his face.

I glare at him and charge. He lifts his hand to face me, picks me up with his telekinesis, and throws me hard against the nearest tree.

The wind is knocked out of me and I fall on my stomach as the Mogadorian sword I was holding flies away from me.

"Don't try to fight me, Two. I want to make a deal with you," Setrákus Ra tells me and I spit at his feet.

"Whatever you have in that filthy, small mind of yours you can wave good-bye to," I snap and Setrákus Ra just smiles again.

"Let's make a deal. I get to test you, and I'll leave the rest of the Garde alone," Setrákus Ra says.

"That's a lie!" I yell at him, more anger rising in my chest. "And you won't even tell me what testing is!" I add.

Setrákus Ra chuckles then looks back down at me. "I want to experiment on you," he finally says. I'm frozen in shock at his words. Experiment. A waterfall of memories from the West Virginia base flood into me. I'm drowning in them despite being a daughter of Poseidon.

"Experiment?!" I yell at him.

"Exactly. You were resurrected, and we want to know why," Setrákus Ra tells me. I don't even know how, or why, I was resurrected, but I'm glad I was.

"Why? So you can resurrect all your dead buddies?" I ask him, disgust, anger, and shock mixed inside of me.

"Exactly," Setrákus Ra repeats, "and also, if you help us find out how to resurrect people, I promise that I will resurrect Ivanick for you as well."

Only two word cross my mind: Filthy liar.

"If you think I'll ever help you, you must be crazy!" I yell at Setrákus Ra and anger flashes in his eyes venomously before he calms down again.

"So you won't help us?" Setrákus Ra asks me politely, which gets me even angrier.

"Never!" I yell back at him and he grits his teeth together. His hands coil into fists and he glares at me.

Without warning, he throws a punch at my stomach and I'm unable to dodge it. It feels like a hundred bricks have collided right into me. I fall on my back, the blow audibly knocking the wind out of me.

I breathe heavily and look back up at Setrákus Ra, black spots dancing in my vision. Setrákus Ra scowls.

"I guess we'll have to test you through force. You, get over here!" He yells at someone from behind him. A tall Mogadorian solider comes racing in from behind Setrákus Ra.

"Bring this Garde to the Anubis. Bring her in for testing," Setrákus Ra orders the Mog solider. He nods his head and rushes towards me. I grit my teeth in frustration as the Mog gently but easily picks me up off the floor.

"No need to be gentle with her! Just because she's our newest lab rat doesn't mean she's fragile," Setrákus Ra tells the Mog solider. With that, the Mog forgets about all gentleness and throws me over his shoulder. I punch the Mog's side multiple times and he just laughs at me. He marches to where he came from, where I'll meet my certain doom.

After a few minutes of the Mog carrying me to the Anubis, out of sight of Setrákus Ra, I once again give up on trying to fight him. There's no way I'm getting out of this one alone.

As if being able to read my mind, the Mog states, "No way you're getting out of this one, huh, Garde?" He says the last word mockingly.

"You know, I wish you hadn't jumped in front of Ivan when I tried to shoot him. Would've done me some good for once. You have no idea how many times I was yelled at when I shot you in the chest," the Mog tells me and I automatically remember who he is.

He's the one who tried to shoot Ivan in the Anubis. When I pushed him out of the way and the bullet hit me instead.

I scream a bunch of colorful words at him and punch him wildly. He laughs and continues to taunt me about Ivan. I struggle, trying to get a go at the Mog. He tried to hurt Ivan. He's going to pay.

Finally, I manage to give him a big blow to the stomach, which makes him let go of me. I jump off of his shoulder and land on my stomach on the ground.

I try to roll away from him but this Mog is fast. He grabs my arm and pulls me closer to him. He holds both of my arms down with one arm and with his free hand, he unsheathes his long glowing sword and holds it against my neck.

"Nice try, Garde," the Mog whispers to me in my ear, then takes his sword off of my neck. He hauls me to my feet, turns me around to face him, and grabs my throat. Choking me, he slams my back into the nearest tree. I struggle to get air but the more I struggle the tighter his grip on my throat gets. As I feel about ready pass out, the world spinning around me, I finally come to my senses. I kick my right leg up and wrap it around his arm holding my throat, twisting it. He shouts in pain and lets go of me, stumbling back a few steps. I drop to the floor, gasping for breath, when the Mog charges at me again with a war cry. I wait for him to get close enough to trip him when suddenly there's a large flash of white tinted blue followed by a sizzling sound. Lightning. When the light disappears, the Mog's ashes float around for a bit before landing on the floor. I try to take control of my breathing again but I'm about to pass out from exhaustion.

I look up but I don't see anyone. Where'd the lightning strike come from?

Maybe it was just dumb luck.

I look up- my muscles screaming in protest- but the sky is completely clear of clouds. There's no way there's lightning now. Besides, luck? The day I get lucky is the day I'm a daughter of Hephaestus.

"Max. Are you okay?" A deep, male voice asks me. A tall guy with short blond hair and electric blue eyes steps out of the shadows and I recognize him immediately.

Jason.

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