by K. K. Allen
“Well,” a woman’s voice says.
My stomach rolls. Something about this particular voice is far more disturbing than anything I’ve come across so far. I don’t know why, but a chill races up my spine as I wrack my brain to figure it out.
“I love when my plans fall perfectly into place, don’t you?” Her voice, which would mostly likely be a pleasant one under normal circumstances, reeks of pure evil.
I tense, begging my quivering body to relax because I don’t want to show my weakness, and I reach for my emerald. “My friends will be up here any minute. Whatever you need to say to me, say it quickly.”
Amusement pours through the woman’s laugh, and I’m glad I can’t see past the shadows that cloak her because I can’t bear to look into the eyes of another victim.
“I’m here to collect information on the energy source. Or did you forget our deal?”
“I wouldn’t go so far to call it a deal,” I retort.
Erebus shifts, and I’m sure he’s irritated. It doesn’t take much. “Your friends and family die unless you give me what I want.”
It’s always hard to see his victims, but this time, new feelings arise in my chest. Sympathy. Heartache. This woman could have a family somewhere, but because of her bloodline, she is forced to allow Erebus to invade and control her. He owns her, and she is as good as dead.
“I don’t have the answers yet. I need more time.” I want to roll my eyes, but I know this isn’t the time to try him, especially not while I’m standing near Brett, who is practically knocking on death’s door. “Rose isn’t about to divulge a life’s worth of secrets to me. I have to find the answers myself.”
“I don’t think you’re taking this seriously, Katrina.”
The way she says my name is … familiar. I shake it off to concentrate on what he’s saying. “Of course I’m taking this seriously. But you’ve given me no clue as to what I’m searching for, and no one is willing to tell me. It makes my mission a bit complicated, don’t you think?”
Erebus continues. “You’re a smart girl. You’ll figure it out, but I will confess, I wasn’t happy to find out that Poseidon’s spawn was spying on me. He would be dead if I didn’t think he could help you.”
I frown. “How? How can Johnny help me?”
The woman stands and begins to step back onto the roof, the moonlight providing a blue halo of light around her. Her hair and clothes are covered by a long, black, hooded trench coat. “You have two days.”
I want to gasp, scream, and lunge at him—her. Instead, I yell, “I need more time!” then I slap a hand over my mouth, but it’s too late. Someone must have heard that.
The woman stands but makes no move to step toward me. “You’ll find a way because if you don’t…” She points to Brett’s hospital bed, so I turn my head with a jerk. His chest rises and falls, but that’s not all that’s moving. His bed sheets pull at his sides as his body rises higher and higher through the air until he’s hovering six inches above his bed. A swirl of gold light circulates the air surrounding his body. His center thrusts upward as his hands dangle helplessly by his sides.
“No need to repeat myself,” Erebus says in a sinister tone before letting Brett fall back to his bed with a thud.
There’s a loud knock then a rattle of the door. “Kat!” Another rattle. “Open the door.”
Whipping my head to face the woman who stares back at me from the roof, I debate whether to go to Johnny first or slam the window in Erebus’s face, but her voice distracts me again.
“I’ll see you soon, Katrina.” The woman leaps from the windowsill onto the roof, and I race to the window to slam it shut.
“Kat! I’m about to break the damn door down. Say something.”
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” I lock the window shut with one final glare toward Erebus, who has already vanished, then I turn for the door.
When I reach the door handle, I realize there is no lock. I pull it open and fall into Johnny’s arms. He holds me while I tremble, but he doesn’t ask what just happened. I think he has a pretty good idea. After a moment, he steps away to examine the window and expels magic. With a flick of his wrist, he’s opening it.
I lunge forward, grabbing the back of his shirt. “Johnny, stop! He’s gone. Please don’t provoke him any more tonight.” I yank him away from the window and close it again.
“What is going on in here?” A nurse charges at the door, a furious look on her face.
I panic and raise my palm, freezing her in her tracks with a blast of energy, then slam the door in her face, sealing it from intruders. Luckily, using powers on a Normal also strips just enough of their memory, so she’ll never make sense of her confusion when she comes to. We don’t have time to deal with hospital regulations.
When I face Johnny again, his glare could slice through me. “What are you doing with Erebus?” He’s seething. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
I’ve never seen Johnny so panicked. I don’t like it. The adrenaline rush that just whooshed through me is fading quickly, leaving my entire body shaking. “I didn’t know he was in here until he’d already locked us inside. When I saw the woman in the window, it was too late.”
“She?”
I nod. “He took a woman this time.”
Johnny frowns then shakes his head. “What did he want?”
My mind roams back to the energy source. I’m convinced now that the Apollo Beach Energy Plant has something to do with it. But what? Like Johnny mentioned, even if all coastal plants are connected in some way, wouldn’t this be something Erebus already knows? He doesn’t need me to tell him this. It’s possible all Solstice settlements are disguised as coastal plants, and if so, perhaps Erebus is trying to find them all so he can destroy them. Still, I’m not convinced.
Shaking my head, I turn back to Johnny. “He’s growing impatient. He gave me two days to find out where this mysterious energy source is. I’m sure whatever it is can be found at the plant, but I don’t even know what exactly I’m searching for. But he said he would have killed you by now if he didn’t think you could help me.” I can barely hear myself over my pounding heart. “Johnny, I’m scared. If I don’t get him what he wants in two days… everyone I love will die.”
He pulls me against him. “Kat, no one is going to die. Did you tell him why we’re here? Does he know our plan?”
It’s impossible for Johnny to know that no one will die, but his words still calm me. I wipe my eyes and take a deep breath, remembering why we’re here in the first place. “No, he doesn’t know. He must have been following us, though. He was waiting for me. I thought…” My voice shakes, and Johnny brings me into his arms again. “I thought tonight was the night he was going to possess me.”
“He can’t touch you, Kat.”
I lock eyes with him. “My bracelet came off once before.”
Regret morphs Johnny’s expression before he shakes his head. “That will never happen again.”
There’s no way I can tell him that there’s a third way to remove the bracelet. If I were to willingly allow Erebus to take my body, the bracelet would come undone. Johnny wouldn’t be able to handle that truth, though.
“Maybe not, but if Erebus were to threaten anyone I love…”
Johnny’s expression changes again, this time to anger. “Stop it. You’re not going to do anything stupid, no matter whose life gets threatened.”
I look away, too afraid to let Johnny see the deep-seated doubt in my eyes.
“Hey.” His voice is gentle, probing me to look up again, so I do. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. He may be threatening, and he may have a hold on Brett, but Erebus is weak. If he knows you’re afraid of him, then he’s already winning.”
“I’m not afraid of him. I’m afraid of what will happen to everyone I love. He’s killed so many by the hands of his Followers. I’m an Equinox, too, Johnny. As much as I want to forget all about that, there’s no escaping it.”
Johnny looks down at me with so much tenderness, I want to invite him into my heart to live. “Just because you have Equinox blood doesn’t mean you’re anything like him. You’re not his Follower. Don’t let him forget your role in all of this. I can see how that might be tough to remember with all that’s going on, but your purpose is why you’re standing here right now. My purpose is to keep you safe because without you, nothing else matters. Nothing.”
When Johnny presses his lips into mine, I taste my salty tears. I also taste his love.
Seven of us surround Brett’s bedside—Johnny, Alec, Arabella, Kaleb, Kacey, Trisha, and me. I was pleasantly surprised to see Kacey and Kaleb arrive with Arabella and Alec. We may need all of our energy to make this work.
“We shouldn’t use all our energy at once,” I say, remembering how powerful our combined energy can be. Imagining all of that inside Brett is worrisome.
I look around to make sure everyone is paying attention. Everyone’s eyes are glued to me, looking as confident as I should feel. They trust me.
As soon as the others got here, Johnny and I filled them in on my recent encounter with Erebus, then I explained my theory about Brett’s coma and how I think we can help him.
“We don’t know if this will even work, so let’s go slow.” I gaze down at Brett’s bare stomach. The Equinox symbol is still glowing. “I’ll start. Johnny, you follow. Then Alec and Arabella. If it’s not enough we’ll call on Trisha, Kaleb, and Kacey. Okay?”
Everyone nods, and I take a deep breath, readying my energy. I place my right hand over the Equinox symbol on Brett’s stomach. Johnny is squeezing my left hand. I apply pressure back. On the other side of the bed, Trisha grips Brett’s hand and closes her eyes, as if praying. My heart aches for her. This has to work.
When my eyelids fall shut, I bring forth energy in a way I’ve never tried before. I start from my toes, which tingle at the power coursing through my body. I pull the energy upward through my legs, stomach, and chest, then through my arm and into my palm. At the same time, I’m pulling energy from my mind down into my hand. Once energy from all corners of my body connect at my palm, I release it into Brett.
Feeling the circulation of energy meet Brett’s skin, I open my eyes and watch the translucent green glow fill his body. He’s illuminated by my light. I nod at Johnny, who rests his hand on Brett’s stomach. The transfer of energy from skin to skin zings through my body like a pinball machine before finally hitting its target and sticking there. Brett’s glow, now a combination of blue and green, intensifies, and I nod for Alec to join us.
Alec’s hand moves to the other side of mine. He’s careful not to touch Johnny. He meets my gaze, and I feel his energy punch through me. I’m not just feeling the release of energy transferring into Brett, I’m feeling the release of energy racing through me. The two guys I’ve given my heart to in different ways are now tied to me, to each other, to create something more powerful than we’ve ever experienced. It’s too much emotion for me to handle, so I focus on our hands.
I almost forget about Arabella, but she covers our hands before I need to say a word. As soon as her light joins ours, Brett’s glow becomes almost blinding. Our energy combined pours into Brett’s body, creating an electrocution straight into his darkness. It pours out of him in clouds of smoke. The black vapor is swirling so chaotically, it’s like it doesn’t know where to go. I realize it has to go somewhere because as much as I want this dark energy to die, I know it can’t.
My shock turns to relief, and relief turns to happiness.
“It’s working!” Trisha screams, echoing my thoughts, her eyes raining tears of relief and happiness.
I motion with my left hand for her to open the window. “Let it out. We need to get it out of here.”
“I’ll help!” Kacey follows Trisha to the window. They open it and begin using their energy to guide the darkness into the night. Kaleb follows their lead eagerly, and I can’t help the smile that’s spreading across my face.
Through my tears, I see my friends, descendants of gods and goddesses from ancient history, come together for something so good, not even the God of Darkness can stop it.
When what seems to be the last cloud of darkness floats from Brett’s body, the four of us release our hands one by one and wait.
And wait.
And wait.
And wait.
Nothing changes. Brett’s heart monitor registers the same jagged heart rate as before, and my hope is fading.
Johnny wraps me in a hold at the same time I slide my arms around his waist. I’m not sure who’s supporting who, but moments later, a breath of life swishes through the room. My eyes shoot to Brett, who appears to be gulping in air as if he’s been starved of it for weeks.
It isn’t until his eyes open that the group of us begin to breathe. Really breathe.
Brett is alive. Now it’s time to welcome him back to life.
Erebus is a dark cloud over all our minds now that it’s New Year’s Eve and there’s another event taking place on Summer Island. The only reassurance we have is that Erebus can’t come near us, now that the island is protected. Rose and the Elders assured everyone that the island was the safest place to be.
Still, the two-day countdown Erebus gave me last night doesn’t allow me to feel nearly as celebratory as everyone else. But with Brett out of the hospital and Johnny’s promise to meet up with us later, there’s no way I’m going to miss tonight’s festivities.
After Trisha told Dr. Floros what happened, he was pretty quick to give the all-clear, but not before slipping her a folded piece of paper, which she delivered to me the next morning.
Kat, there’s a woman at the energy plant who will want to meet you. A chemist. Go see her as soon as possible and tell her what you did for Brett. You may have heard of her. Johnny can get you in to see her, but tell no one else.
The note is burning a hole in my jeans pocket. I’m just not sure what to do about it. I need time to think about attempting a visit with the crazy chemist—besides, Johnny will never let me into the energy plant because that would mean defying my father and Rose’s mission to keep me away from the facility.
Rose, Paul, Charlotte, and I spend almost the entire afternoon walking around Summer Island, tasting food from various vendors, enjoying handcrafted items from the local shops, and listening to music from a lineup of semi-popular acoustic bands gracing the main stage. Under any other circumstances, this would be a joyful event. Today, I just want to escape the thumping crowd.
At some point during the afternoon, I wander away from my family to find my friends, who are banded together like an unstoppable clique. Brett is with them. It’s almost as if nothing happened at all. He’s got mounds of energy, and he’s cracking jokes, as always. Trisha hangs onto his side, and I know she has no plans to let go. Arabella and Kaleb cling to each other as always. While they pause to take a group photo on one of the green patches of grass, I watch from a distance, smiling at their happy faces.
It doesn’t take me long to remember why I miss them so much. With them, I can almost imagine that I’m just a normal college kid. Alec tosses a football to Kaleb, who practically flies through the air to catch it. Brett runs out and tackles Kaleb to the ground, sending them both rolling.
“Whoa there, buddy,” Kaleb says with a laugh. “Didn’t you just get out of the hospital?” He pushes Brett off him and stands.
Brett hops to his feet. “I feel better than ever, man. Let’s do this.” He shoves into Kaleb’s side and grabs the ball from him before chucking it to Alec, who makes the catch.
The girls are laying out a blanket in the grass as I approach with a smile. “It’s so good to see Brett out of that hospital.”
Surprisingly, Kacey is the first to respond. A genuine smile radiates from her face, reminding me just how beautiful she is. The tension between us has clearly faded. “Thanks to you.”
I’m caught off guard by the compliment, but I smile back, not wanting to waste this
opportunity to befriend Kacey. Trisha and Arabella like her, so she can’t be all bad.
“It was all of us.”
Trisha raises her arms, gesturing for me to sit next to her so she can hug me. “Thank you so much for what you did for Brett,” she whispers. “I still don’t know how you knew what to do, but I don’t care.”
I quickly fill her in on the epic battle that went down between Alec and Johnny at the marina. Her eyes are wide throughout the entire story.
“Where is Johnny?” she asks once my story is finished.
“Working. He’s coming later. I thought I’d hang with you guys first, if that’s okay. I know I’m the fifth wheel,” I joke.
Trisha rolls her eyes, and Arabella flips onto her stomach so she’s facing us. “You will never be the fifth wheel,” Arabella says. “Besides, you’d be more like the seventh.” She winks, and I nudge her playfully.
“Well, that happened fast, didn’t it?” I say in reference to Alec and Kacey. I’m not all that surprised. I’m sure they would have been together much sooner if I hadn’t interfered in the first place.
“Yeah, but they’re good for each other. I don’t know if they’re Fated or anything like you and Johnny, but I think they can both use the distraction.”
Just then, I look up to find Kacey heading toward us. “Bathroom break. You two want to come?”
“Yup. Count me in.” Trisha hops to her feet, and Arabella follows.
“You coming?” Trisha calls to me.
I shake my head. “No, I’m good here.”
I’m enjoying people-watching and witnessing joy on faces of those I care about. I haven’t seen that in a long time. Even if I only have today to feel carefree, I’ll soak it in.
The guys spread farther apart and chuck the ball to each other, always aiming perfectly and never missing a catch. My eyes linger on Alec, as I think about the last time we talked. The exchange at the boathouse doesn’t count. He was obviously hurting, and seeing Johnny and me together didn’t help the situation. Before that, our last conversation was on Christmas Eve. I groan internally. I wouldn’t be sad to erase that conversation completely from my memory.
