by Allie Burton
Having the power had been cool, but not if I couldn’t control it. Not if I couldn’t touch the people I loved. Xander’s name whispered through my chest.
“I was promised the soul and the power but never told about the burn out until later.” X’s voice rose higher, angrier. “The Society betrayed me, betrayed every Xander throughout the centuries.”
“Then why are you doing this to me?” He acted no better than the Society.
“I deserve the power because I paid the price. Did the research. Discovered the final answer.”
The burning, yellowish globe rose higher as if gathering strength. The sphere spun around and stopped. The object didn’t have eyes, but I felt as if it stared at me, burned for me.
I wiggled beneath the goons’ hands. Perspiration poured down my back. So, this would be my life. Locked away by X, used to destroy parts of the environment, blackmailing world leaders. There had to be a way to stop him, to stop the destruction. I refused to be used.
A door banged open. The goons’ hands tightened around my arms. X jerked his head. His gaze widened to the size of the glass globe.
A figure stood silhouetted in the doorway. The early morning light from the skylight glared behind, while the light from the globe burned in front. I recognized him. His strong stance. His broad shoulders and trim waist. His head held at a proud angle.
“Xander.” My breath tumbled in my lungs. He’d come back. Somehow found me.
“Olivia.” My name left his lips and floated across the room, acting like a balm to my bruised feelings. “Are you all right?”
If this was an old movie, this would be the part where the heroine swooned. I felt swoon-ish. My head dizzy, my palms wet.
Xander—my rescuer, my hero, my soulmate.
He’d come to save me. To take me away from X and his evil intentions. He hadn’t tricked me, played me like a finely tuned giant lyre. Relief, like the Nile washing onshore crashed through me. Xander was here to help.
Only three bad guys and the curse stood in his way.
In our way.
I wasn’t a helpless heroine. I’d take part in my own rescue. Still, that was two against three.
Additional shadows filled in behind Xander. Their silhouettes weren’t defined.
Because they wore robes.
I stumbled back except I couldn’t go anywhere. The goons held me in a vise grip and the exhibit wall blocked behind me. My heart threatened to throb out of my chest.
The Society.
My now-slow mind calculated the odds.
Xander had brought the Society with him. He wasn’t here to help. At least not me.
My heart severed.
Xander was my betrayer.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The little hope I held fled like a sacred ibis. I’d clung to the belief that Xander cared for me. That if I could end this, I’d find him and we’d be together now that Fitch was gone. Even after X said Xander had known all along how to end the curse, I’d believed X was lying.
Believed in Xander. Believed in us.
His deception sliced deeper than any mortal wound X could cut. My heart shredded into pieces like ragged ribbons. The dupe Xander had pulled was worse than any of Fitch’s con games. Because Xander had pulled a con on my heart.
Jeb, who must’ve survived the big wave, pushed Xander deeper into the room toward the pedestal with the chalice. The rest of the robed Society members stepped in behind like his own personal protection squad. Everything X had said about Xander was true.
“The orb. It is real.” Jeb whispered as if at communion.
“I told you.” X’s tone was cocky and defiant. “If you’d believed in me, believed in my research, the Society would now be in control.”
“Tut’s soul belongs to the Society.” Jeb took a step closer to the chalice.
“Not anymore.”
Xander stepped with Jeb like he was in tune with him.
Fury re-ignited the inferno inside me. I was done listening to my heart. My heart yearned and hoped for what couldn’t be. My soul was deceived.
The sphere of glass flared with flames as if it sensed my pain and anger. It spun faster on its invisible axis.
Everyone stared at the flaring globe. Mesmerized by the floating, now-gaseous ball. Could my anger have made the globe change?
I remembered the flames shooting out of my mouth at the park and also on the Golden Gate Bridge. I huffed trying to breathe flames again, but only the ball erupted like flares on the sun. Had the baking soda permanently disrupted that power?
I glared at Xander trying to shoot daggers across the room at him. His deception hurt worse than Fitch’s. “How could you?”
“I had no choice.” His raw voice scratched with authenticity. His green eyes pleaded across the expanse of exhibit space. There weren’t many yards between us, but the chasm was deeper than the Nile or the San Francisco Bay. “When I saw X take you on the bridge—”
“You watched?” Like rubbing Nile sand in my open wounds, the sharp pain increased. He’d seen me kidnapped and done nothing.
Xander took a shaky step forward. “By the time I got back to the bridge they were shoving you in the car and driving away.”
My heart flipped for a second until I realized he was still playing a part, acting like he cared.
“Yeah, help me right into the Society’s hands.” I wouldn’t be fooled by his excuses or his charm. Even though his green gaze seemed to be telling the truth. Even though his pale face showed his worry.
“I told her you knew how to end the burn out.” X signaled to his goons. “You’ve been tricking her all along.”
“No. Olivia you have to believe me.” Xander reached out with his hands. “I knew there was a possible way to end the burn out, but I wasn’t sure. There was a cryptic message on the instruction page I ripped in half. Once we had the oils, I hoped to bargain with the Society to find a way to save you.”
“The instructions I found in Jeb’s computer.” I struggled against the goons still holding me in place, not sure why they bothered when X had the Sol Control. “You said you didn’t believe X knew how to save me.”
“I didn’t know who X was at the time and I didn’t want to get your hopes up.” Xander’s arms dropped to his sides. “That’s the reason I tore off the bottom of the page. I figured we’d find the oils first.”
With a bent arm, I pointed at the men behind Xander. Either way, Xander had gone back to the Society and brought them here. “Then, why tell the Society?”
“The Society isn’t as bad as X.” Xander’s eyes narrowed across the distance as if trying to kill X with his gaze. “X will treat you like a prisoner.”
Xander had made a deal with the Society about me. Without my consent.
“And the Society won’t?” Panic clogged my throat blocking any rational thought. I didn’t want to think about my future. Now that I knew I had one, I knew it would be bleak.
Unless, I used the Society’s interference as a distraction.
Right now X and the Society members stood at a standstill. Like they were watching a soap opera unfold. When physical attacks began and chaos reined I could get away.
“I only went back to them because I didn’t know where else to go.” Xander dropped his hands. “I care what happens to you.”
My knees weakened at his words. But just for a second. “Sure you do.”
“It took me a few minutes to realize what really happened on the Golden Gate Bridge.” He stumbled to a stop because he must’ve seen my fury exploding on my face. “Olivia,” he stuttered, “I love you.”
Those three simple words deflated my anger, healed my internal wounds, lessened my fear. Every girl wanted to hear words of love from the boy she cared about.
But was he speaking the truth? Did he truly love me or was it another trick to sway my point of view? Others had professed their love and their words meant nothing.
None of it mattered now. I was about to become a prisoner o
f my own power. Did love matter?
Love matters, Tut pleaded. Believe in your heart.
How could I believe in my heart when I didn’t know what it was telling me?
“Now, that your love life is straightened out it’s time for lover boy and his Society friends to die.” X waved his hands around the sphere like a magician doing a sleight of hand trick. “Olivia, destroy them.”
The amulet flashed against my skin. Electrical volts charged my body. Power surged inside me. I felt like I’d lost control. It wasn’t like when Tut took charge of my feet forcing me to run through the park. That didn’t hurt.
The goons dropped my arms like I’d zapped them through the gold mesh gloves. X’s eyes glowed with fanaticism and power. The entire Society seemed to brace themselves for pain. Even Xander’s face flinched as if expecting discomfort.
My body twisted and turned. This force inside me slashed and burned. It melted my insides like I was just a big, liquid slush. Such excruciating pain made my skin feel like it was blistering in the sun.
“I. Don’t. Know. How.” Each word rasped out of my mouth. I didn’t want to know how. My throat went dry. I fought the urge to lash out. I fought X’s control over me. I couldn’t hurt the one person I loved, whether he truly returned that love or not.
I waged an internal war against the electric current. I had never killed anyone before and didn’t want to start now. I didn’t want to kill these people. I didn’t want to kill Xander.
Breathe calm and deep, Tut instructed.
Calm? Tut wanted calm when all I could think of was causing death? When my skin flamed like I was on fire. When my insides burned like acid drizzled down my throat.
Pounding came from the small annex behind me. Stone on stone scraped against the concrete floor. The temporary wall crashed down.
X’s face paled. The sphere dropped into the chalice. My pain subsided and I felt like I controlled my own body. I twisted my head, trying to figure out why the wall had fallen.
Chaos filled the exhibit space. Dust choked the air. Most of the Society members fled the room. X appeared petrified, as if what ever made the wall crash was to be his personal destruction.
Xander ran forward. Terror flashed across his face, but he rushed into the storm, rushed toward me.
I held my hands out, palms up. The sphere rose but no pain accompanied its reawakening. The golden globe floated toward me and landed in my hands. A sense of power and confidence strengthened my resolve. The amulet heated but didn’t burn. The warmth felt comforting.
If X could control me through the Sol Control, why couldn’t I control the orb?
I held the globe in my hands. And now I could control everything.
“Olivia, look out!” Xander shouted.
Unsure if it was another of Xander’s tricks, I took a quick look back and stopped. My earlier elation shrank.
The stone shabti army of seven advanced. In formation, they’d broken through the annex wall and marched toward me, their concrete bodies only yards away. At only a few feet high, they probably didn’t weigh a ton, but they moved at an even measure with pounding steps. Their pace seemed steady but I knew seconds played out like minutes. Time slowed.
“Olivia, move.” Xander yelled.
But I couldn’t. My limbs shook so hard I couldn’t move. My nerves misfired at a world gone mad. Stone men advancing. Strong enough to knock a wall down. Fierce enough to kill.
A memory of the first night in the museum flashed. Had the shabtis really shifted positions when Xander had cornered me in the annex?
Tonight, would I be crushed by the mini army?
The shabtis continued their steady march, their ancient weapons drawn. My gaze darted around the exhibit space. X retreated behind the sarcophagus with his goons. All the Society members had left, except Jeb their leader and one other…
Xander moved forward.
“Sol Control. Arise and return.” X’s voice commanded.
Intense pain cut through me. My fingers cramped and my hand loosened around the globe. I grabbed my head with my other hand. I had no time to analyze my thoughts on Xander.
“Are you okay?” He must’ve seen the agony of my expression.
The orb jerked out of my weakened hand and floated above me. The Sol Control started spinning around and around and heading toward where X hid. Dizziness spun in my head like I spun with the orb.
I needed to control the sphere. I needed to grab it before X. Struggling through the pain I held my palms out and concentrated.
The ball spun again and came back toward me. My pain diminished.
The shabtis shifted.
X raised his arms and waved in a fancy maneuver like he knew a secret code to control the orb. It floated toward him again and a sharp slash of pure agony spiked my brain.
“Pickle.” Xander held up his arms. He motioned like he was throwing a baseball. “Pickle.”
Understanding dawned. I held my hands higher. The Sol Control careened toward me. My pain disappeared when I controlled the sphere.
The orb landed in my palm. X made a move toward me and tried to use his tricks to control the globe. I lofted it toward Xander, just like a baseball continuing baseball’s pickle play. He caught the sphere with both hands.
If X couldn’t concentrate on the orb, he couldn’t control it.
X’s face reddened with anger. He pointed at Goon One. “Get Xander.”
Goon One peeked from behind the sarcophagus. He got to his feet and made a move toward Xander. So did Jeb.
Xander threw the Sol Control back to me. Then, he tackled Goon One to the ground.
I held the orb aloft in my hand. It was like playing Monkey in the Middle, except X was no monkey. And this was no game.
The shabtis started their march again.
X raised his arms, waving them around in intricate moves. The ball snuck out of my hands and headed toward him. Pain sliced my brain. My head spun. I reached up and yanked on my hair to try to stop the internal torture.
The shabtis marched closer. Their feet pounded on the concrete, shaking the ground. They might be small, but they were mighty.
I couldn’t move out of the army’s way. I needed to focus on retrieving the sphere through the thundering misery in my head. Holding my arms up, I squished my face in concentration.
The Sol Control stopped moving toward X and reversed course. Toward me. I reached up and grabbed it just as the shabtis reached me.
Xander ran over and reached to take hold of me. His pale face held a panicked but fearless expression. His sharp emerald eyes cut with concern and caring. His lips flattened with determination.
Realization struck. He was my hero. He was trying to save me. He’d do anything to protect me. Even die.
“You can’t—” Touch me.
My last words were lost when he tackled me to the ground and out of the way of the shabtis. The warning was too late.
As we fell, he twisted around. His back hit the hard concrete floor, protecting me and the globe in my hand. I slumped against his body, clinging to him and his strength.
The shabti’s feet ground to a halt.
“You can’t touch me.” I didn’t want to hurt Xander.
Except he didn’t act stunned or zapped. Obviously, my touch didn’t hurt him. Why?
“You could’ve been killed.”
“I had to save you. That army—” He didn’t slur his words or shake.
I cared so much about him. And I wanted him to know, before it was too late. Before the army attacked or X pulled himself together. The words burst out of my mouth. “I love you.”
My face flushed. Blurting it out like that wasn’t the way I wanted to tell someone I loved them. But we were in a desperate situation. Seconds counted. And I wanted Xander to know how I really felt before it was too late.
A loopy grin appeared on his face. “You love me?”
“Yes, I lied on the bridge. To save you from—”
He gripped my chin and le
aned into me. His lips brushed softly against mine. “I love you, too.”
My lips tingled. Everything inside heated. Not like the heat of power, but from the heat of love. Xander loved me. He’d come back to save me. He’d only gone to the Society because he knew no other way to help.
My hand trailed across his cheek enjoying the rough feel of his stubble. I examined him. “Why didn’t I hurt you when we touched? We aren’t in water.”
Souls united. Tut’s words came back to me.
The Sol Control flew out of my hands. It drifted in mid-air, floating like a party balloon.
In a sudden burst, the glass orb shattered.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Tiny slivers of glass exploded. Sparks shot from the ground where the Sol Control pieces fell like fireworks on the floor. Glass shards splayed like shrapnel. A golden-yellowish aura rose from the remains and floated across the air like pixie dust. Sparkles rained down in a golden wash of light.
On me.
On Xander.
On all the concrete shabtis.
The sparkles melted into my skin, but they didn’t burn. Each spot glowed for a second and then disappeared. No mark remained where they’d touched.
A jolt rocked my body. A swooshing sensation swam up my spine. Getting to my feet on shaky legs, a soothing coolness invaded my veins. The entire room spun around, like it was on a carousel and I stood in the center.
The power of your love shattered the orb and the curse. I’m free.
A powerful sucking started in my toes and traveled up my legs to the core of my body. My chest rose and I was lifted off my feet a few inches into the air. Like I was being sucked by an object more powerful than an industrial-strength vacuum. The whooshing continued up my arms and into my shoulders and head.
My head felt like it popped. My feet touched the floor. The room stopped spinning.
