Chapter 13

As Niall approached Tierney with a triumphant smile, Kristen felt a tingling sensation as she carefully selected a dagger and a sword from the well-stocked weapons rack. "That was cool; it was like static ran through me," Kristen exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Tierney, observing with a pleased smile, remarked, "So it looks like Kristen found her weapon, and Niall passed his test."

Intrigued, Niall inquired, "So what do I do?" He shifted his gaze between Kristen and Tierney. Tierney explained, "You see if you can connect to a weapon, that's all," presenting him with an array of weapons. "Okay, that should be easy," Niall confidently declared with a grin.

Meanwhile, Courtney persistently tried to block and hit Thomas with her staff, determined to master the art. "Come on, Courtney, just think of me as a person trying to kill your family or your puppy," Thomas encouraged, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Okay," Courtney replied, taking a deep breath. As she swung her staff, Thomas skillfully ducked, but Courtney persisted, landing a hit in a vulnerable spot. "Oh, I am so sorry, Thomas," Courtney apologized as he gracefully fell to the ground. "You passed, Courtney," Thomas acknowledged with a triumphant cry, "good job, you finally did it."

As Tierney attended to Thomas, Niall discovered a bow adorned with elegant swirls and a sword with similar patterns. "That was weird but cool," Niall remarked with a delighted smile. "It was like I had lots of energy all of a sudden." Katherine praised, "Good job, Niall," while she, too, lifted a sword without any visible connection.

While Tierney assisted Thomas, she opened the freezer, grabbed an ice pack, and handed it to him. Courtney, thrilled about finding her weapon, lifted a moon-shaped blade and a sun-shaped blade, feeling a tingling sensation. "Wow, that is awesome," Courtney exclaimed. "It was like electricity went through me."

Tierney, pleased with their progress, commented, "You guys are finding your weapons," as she walked over to them. However, Katherine seemed puzzled, lifting various weapons without any connection. Thomas explained, "That's because you have already connected with a weapon." He revealed a sword he had found during his search for Tierney's mom. Tierney, examining the sword closely, noticed symbols on it and expressed alarm.

"Thomas, where did you find that?" Tierney inquired urgently. Thomas admitted, "I found it in a glass case in the suits' compound when I was looking for you. I took it for protection because I had no weapon to defend myself." Tierney explained that the sword was made by an angel named Gabriel and was taken from him, placed in a glass case because no one could connect with it. Thomas revealed that Katherine had connected with it unknowingly.

As Katherine grabbed the sword, it glowed, confirming her connection. "Wow, so Katherine did connect to a weapon," Courtney observed with a smile. Tierney, though pleased, expressed concern, "That means the suits are going to do whatever it takes to get Katherine."

As Katherine gently placed the sword down, she walked over to grab her water. Once done, she sat down and asked, "So now that we have our weapons, what's next?" Thomas checked the clock, saying, "It's almost six o'clock. We'll go back upstairs, change, and then have dinner," Tierney concluded with a reassuring smile.

"Sounds good to me," Niall and Kristen chimed in simultaneously. Courtney, tired from the rigorous staff swinging, slumped down to the floor, saying, "Yeah, I'm tired from that entire staff swinging." Katherine agreed, "Okay, so let's go back upstairs." As everyone left the basement, Tierney turned off the lights and shut the door behind her, sealing the newfound sanctuary.