Beyond the Between

by Anna Webb

  “You should kill me now,” she said, her voice like ice. Her grief had coalesced into perfect clarity. “This is your opportunity. If you don’t take it, I will come back and kill every one of you. I will burn this place to the ground.” Her rage-filled gaze shifted to Jason. “I will destroy you.”

  “Kill you?” Marcus said with a laugh. “Why would I kill you when you’ve been my greatest ally and my sharpest weapon? Without you, none of this would be possible.”

  He moved closer to her and leaned down, sliding his fingers below her chin, tilting her face up, and forcing her to look into his eyes. As soon as their eyes met, she slammed her head forward into his and felt his nose give way beneath her forehead.

  “Damn the Source!” Marcus swore, blood dripping from his nose. His fist slammed into the side of her face, so fast and hard that it felt like it might dislodge her eye.

  “Restrain her properly!” he yelled.

  For the first time, Jason moved, gliding into life. With long, graceful strides, he made his way to her. The Cleaners who had been holding her down yielded immediately to him. Jason’s fingers tightened around her wrist, his familiar heat bleeding into her cold skin. Allyra jerked away from him.

  “Don’t you dare touch me!” she hissed.

  His lips curled into an arrogant smile. “But weren’t you begging me to do just that last night?”

  She struggled blindly against him, but his hands were tight around her wrists, and he held firm.

  Marcus had recovered enough of his lost dignity to laugh at Jason’s words. At the sound of it, she felt her strength fade further, as if layers of it were being stripped away by sandpaper, leaving her raw and exposed.

  “You’re angry,” Marcus said. “That’s understandable, but that’s because you don’t truly understand your role in this. You’re special, Allyra, special to me.

  “When the Five created the Veil, they cut the Revenants from this world and all the delicious power held within it. But even the power of the Veil wasn’t strong enough to keep the strongest Revenants from crossing it. The most powerful of us eventually found a way to cross. But the Gifted were always here to stop us, and we were too few to ever truly fight.

  “Now, I could’ve stayed hidden in the shadows. Been content with consuming the energy of a few weak Gifted here and there—but really, what kind of life is that? No, I wanted more.”

  Allyra clenched her jaw but stayed quiet. She glanced at Alex—he was still and completely motionless. Yet, she couldn’t help the ember of hope that continued to burn within her.

  The Ancient that was Marcus was still speaking. “The only way I could access all the power I wanted was to destroy the Veil. But it was a circular problem—the Veil protected the Source while the Source powered the Veil. And the Source was hidden in the Between where Gifts and power held no sway—it seemed impossible.

  “Impossible, until I broke a History Master who had been sent away due to his strange ideas. You see, he believed that the Living Weapons were more than just powerful weapons. He believed them to be keys—keys to open the Veil.”

  Marcus turned to her and gave her a condescending smile. “Yes, I can see you’re starting to realize the truth. After all, you wouldn’t have been able to enter this room without those tigers tattooed on your wrist.

  “The Living Weapons were the keys I needed to strip away the protection of the Veil, but they were things of legend, forgotten except for a few hidden whispers. I searched for them, and years passed, and I almost gave up hope. That is, until the Cairns brothers were born.”

  Marcus glanced at Alex’s body, his lips curved up in a cruel smile. “Alexander Patrick Cairns was first—the Dragons came to him when he was only twelve. And later, the Tigers you now wear, came to Alexander’s older brother Thomas. It was through the Cairns family I received confirmation that the Living Weapons were real. And when not bonded to a Gifted person, they took on the form of actual weapons, passed from generation to generation through the oldest Gifted families.

  “I learnt that if a Living Weapon was bonded with a person, it would be impossible to extract it by force. However, should the person die, the Living Weapon would revert back into its weapon form, ready for the taking.

  “Two of the Living Weapons were now within my grasp, I just had to kill the Cairns brothers. I couldn’t lose the opportunity to take them. So, I orchestrated the events of the Betrayal. It was the perfect plan, not only would I gain possession of two of the five keys, I would also destroy an entire generation of Elementals that stood between me and my kind in this world.”

  Marcus’s face hardened. “It went off perfectly, except I failed to account for Alexander Cairns. I’ll admit that I underestimated his tenacity. He was more powerful than I expected. Not only did he survive, but he got to his brother first and took hold of the Tigers. He proved to be rather a thorn in my side. Worse still, I couldn’t find his body to kill him, and as long as he survived, I couldn’t get to the two Living Weapons in his possession.

  “But the fact remained that he was trapped in the Between, and I concentrated my efforts on finding the other three Living Weapons. The Wolves and Scorpions I found quickly. The families to which they belonged had no idea what treasures they possessed and I took them easily enough. But the Phoenixes were rather a different story. It took me more than a hundred years to find the family that protected it. An old and powerful Gifted family, one that had faithfully protected the Phoenixes through the generations, though they had long forgotten the power of the weapon they protected. Their name was Warden.”

  Allyra stiffened at the sound of her family’s name.

  “Yes, Miss Warden,” Marcus continued. “It was your family. The Phoenixes, not the Tigers, were your birthright. But the Wardens, like all the other old Gifted families, were dying out, and by the time I realized what I was looking for, your father was the last of the family. And Samuel Warden was impossible to break, no matter how I approached him, he remained wary and suspicious, never giving up his family’s secrets even to those closest to him.

  “But then you were born. And suddenly everything changed for your father. It wasn’t just his own life at stake anymore, it was yours as well. He was desperate enough to make a deal with me; he would tell me where the weapon was hidden, and after you reached the age of eighteen, he would break the ward that protected the weapon. He didn’t like it, but he thought it was only a family heirloom he was giving up, not a key to the Veil itself.

  “I agreed to his deal. The Phoenixes were hidden in a cottage deep within the woods. I tried to the break the ward around it, but it was a powerful blood ward, requiring a Gifted carrying the Warden bloodline to break. Well, I had already waited for more than a hundred years, so I reasoned that I could wait a few more until you turned eighteen. Imagine my horror when your father died and left you, a Norm, behind. I thought I’d have to wait until you had a child and hope that it would be Gifted. But then you exceeded all my expectations, not only were you Gifted, but you managed to break the ward for me.”

  Marcus turned toward the wall of Cleaners that stood behind him and reached out his hand. The Cleaners parted, and through them, Laureline appeared and took hold of Marcus’s hand. He dropped a kiss onto the back of her hand.

  Allyra’s stomach dropped—the cottage in the woods, the ward she’d broken, and Laureline stuffing something in a bag as she ran. How could she have been so stupid? Handing over something her father, her ancestors, had protected for so long. She remembered the horrible hangover she’d been nursing that day. Had Jason gotten her drunk so that her mind would be sluggish and slow? Would it have made any difference?

  “I see you realize it,” Marcus said smoothly, shaking his head. “I didn’t even have to ask. Love’s blind trust—you did it without question because Jamie asked you to. And he, in turn, did it because of his desperate love for his sister. It made you all weak and malleable.

  “So, you see, Miss Warden, none of this would be possible with
out you. Thanks to you, I have the Phoenixes. And now you’ve kindly led me to Alexander Cairns. I’ll break the ward around him and kill him to take the Dragons. All that’s left is the Tigers, and well, I’m sure you’ll agree that they’re as good as mine already.”

  Allyra bit into her cheek, hard enough that the bitter metallic tang of blood flooded her mouth. She fought against tears of frustration as she realized that she would be responsible for the destruction of the Veil and with it, the world.

  Marcus glanced at the four Cleaners who had closed the Gate. “Break the ward,” he told them.

  One of them spoke, a woman, her voice low and controlled. “We can’t, it’s a blood ward.”

  Marcus looked over Alex and Mandla’s bodies. “Well,” he said, “it’s got to be one of them. Luckily, I have an Archivist to tell me which one.”

  At his words, Emma stepped forward, running her fingers lightly over the edges of the ward.

  “Two of them,” she said slowly, her head tilted to the side and her eyes narrowed.

  “Yes, that’s hardly a surprise—there are two of them inside the ward,” Marcus said sardonically.

  Emma shook her head. “Cairns—yes. But no on the other.” She traced her fingers over the ward again, her brows furrowed in confusion. “No, that can’t be right.”

  “What is it?” Marcus asked impatiently.

  Emma’s yellow eyes snapped to Allyra. “Two blood wards, and one of them is hers.”

  “Impossible,” Marcus said sharply. “Check again.”

  “I did,” Emma replied coldly. “The ward is hers, there’s no mistaking the pattern of her blood.”

  “She must’ve layered her ward over his. It’s an annoyance, nothing more. We’ll break hers first and then his.”

  “No,” Emma said slowly. “This is a single ward, created together, intricately intertwined. And it’s old—very old.”

  Marcus studied Allyra, his eyes searching.

  Allyra started to laugh.

  Faster than a whip, Marcus slapped her across her face, the force of it bringing unbidden tears to her eyes. Jason’s fingers tightened imperceptibly around her wrists. She shook her head to clear her ringing ears and spat out the blood pooling in her mouth, licking the remnants of it from her lips, relishing in the sour, metallic taste of it—a perfect reflection of the anger burning like acid through her veins.

  “It’s like you said,” she said, laughing again. “I’m the last of the Wardens, and that blood ward can only be broken by a Warden, and I’ll never break it.”

  “Maybe not now, but once I break you, you’ll do whatever I tell you to do.”

  Icy terror ran down her spine, but she refused to show it, continuing to laugh. “Don’t you see you’ve lost? Even if you break me, you know Alexander Cairns will never yield. You might as well give up now.”

  “I don’t need him to yield. I just need one of the Cairns bloodline to yield.”

  “The Cairns are dead. Alex and his brothers were the last of them.”

  “Really?” Marcus said with a cruel smile. “Are you so sure of that?”

  Marcus ran a finger down the side of her neck, down her chest, and over her breasts. “I am going to so enjoy the experience of breaking you,” he said softly.

  She was so broken that she didn’t try to flinch away, but behind her, Jason’s fingers tightened almost involuntarily over her wrists. Over the back of her hand she felt Jason run three fingers down from her knuckles to a single point.

  Wait.

  Her eyes widened.

  “Now that you understand your role,” Marcus said, “I can offer you the opportunity to stand at my side. Think carefully, Miss Warden. While I might enjoy breaking you, I rather think you won’t relish the experience.”

  She spat at Marcus’s face. “I’d rather die.”

  Behind her, Jason’s deft fingers were working the iron cuffs around her wrists. Slowly, they loosened and then fell away altogether. Power flooded back through her veins, but she held still. Wait.

  “I think that can be arranged—after I get what I need from you,” Marcus said and turned to his army of Cleaners. “Take her. Make her ready for me.”

  “Now!” Jason screamed.

  He burst into action, twin swords in his hands. He tossed one to her. She caught it midair, only half a step behind him. Cleaners fell before them, but as one dropped, two more seemed to take its place. By sheer number, they were going to be overwhelmed. Worse still was the fact that Marcus had turned back around, his eyes turning to the crimson red of an Ancient’s.

  If she died, Marcus would take hold of the Tigers, but as long as the ward remained around Alex, the Dragons would forever be safe, protected by the blood of the Wardens. Allyra steeled herself, her mind calm. Better to die fighting than to have her mind broken by the Ancient.

  But then everything stilled. In reality, the moment couldn’t have lasted more than a fraction of a second. But it seemed to last forever, stretching indefinitely like a strand of cooling syrup. The Cleaners froze, their eyes fixed on a single point behind her.

  Allyra couldn’t help it. She glanced over her shoulder.

  Alex.

  It was a sight to behold. A true Elemental High Master in full command of his Gift. Alex stood on the platform, his arms stretched apart, gathering the Elemental threads to his hands. The expression on his face was hard and unforgiving. He was an arrow flying straight and true. A warrior come to life, bent only on justice.

  Alex got to his feet and pressed his hand against the ward. She realized his intent and lunged toward him, pressing her hand against his. The ward shattered, and the power held within it exploded outward, the force of it slamming Marcus and his Cleaners to the ground.

  Alex sagged, as if exhausted by the single, massive outburst of power. He reached out a hand to steady himself, breaths tearing harshly from his lungs.

  Jason turned to Alex, and their eyes met in a moment loaded with silent communication she couldn’t decipher.

  “Take her!” Jason shouted at Alex. “Go!”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Allyra saw Marcus and his army getting back to their feet. Winded but not dead. Jason glanced at her, and his expression softened, the frenzied madness in his eyes melting away. “Forgive me,” he whispered, a whimsical smile playing on the corners of his lips.

  Jason turned and launched himself at Marcus, swords ablaze with Fire.

  Instinctively, she tried to follow him. But Alex took hold of her wrist and pulled her back. She felt as if her body was coming apart, collapsing into a million molecules.

  Alex was Evanescing her away.

  Chapter 42 – Allyra

  The temptation was overwhelming to just let go. The knowledge that she’d played a pivotal role in the corruption of the Source was pain that Allyra didn’t want to acknowledge.

  The world was so big, made up of an infinite, unfathomable number of molecules, moving in an unknowable pattern. A pattern she could join, if only she let go.

  But underneath the siren call was Alex’s voice, calling her back to herself.

  Allyra slammed back into her body, built by Alex from wind and air. A quick glance at her surroundings suggested that they were standing in what appeared to be a shopping mall parking lot. Beside her, Alex wavered and then collapsed to the ground. Somehow, Alex had Evanesced them into the middle of Sunday morning grocery shopping. The place was teeming with people, excited by the prospect of a weekend shopping trip. Witnesses, every one of them.

  She reached for Alex’s hand, and without giving herself time to think, she called on her Gift, collapsing their bodies into Air itself. In her mind, she built a picture of where she wanted to go and then concentrated on trying to put their bodies back together.

  Her first attempt at Evanescence of herself, and it coincided with having to Evanesce another person. It was a poor combination—like jumping into the deep end of the pool before learning to swim. Crossing the Veil felt effortless in comparison. Ev
anescence was different. It required careful thought and planning. Building bodies back from nothing but mist and air. She concentrated, putting herself together first. Then Alex, remembering every moment they’d spent together, every word and touch they’d shared.

  Even as Allyra poured everything she knew of Alex into the Evanescence, he seemed to slip through her fingers like cloudy wisps of mist. She shouted out desperately for him, calling his name, but he was lost in the infinite vastness of the Elements, and there was no reply.

  Ignoring the sudden fear curling like icy fingers around her heart, Allyra pressed on. She fought for every detail she knew of him.

  His eyes—swirls of blue, from the bright turquoise waters of the Mediterranean to the dark stormy skies before a summer storm. From delicate cornflower blue to the endless depths of a midnight hour. There was a whole world contained within his eyes, lit up by the golden flecks risking to the surface like bursts of starlight.

  She remembered the feel of his skin beneath her fingers. The fierce heat that burned though him, enough to warm her even as an icy abyss threatened to reach up and consume her.

  She knew the way his lips had tasted—Moonlight and forgotten dreams. The first kiss—angry and forceful—that sparked an ember of fire deep within the darkness of her panic. The second, gentle and as sweet as honey on a sundrenched morning. And finally, the last kiss, filled with goodbyes and regret.

  She wasn’t ready to say goodbye. She wasn’t ready to let him go.

  Alex, she whispered, please come back to me.

  And he did.

  She spared a cursory glance for their surroundings to reassure herself that they were safe, at least for the moment. She let out a shaky breath of relief—she’d done it, she’d successfully Evanesced them both away. Even as relief swelled within her chest, she began to sense the absence of life. Her attention snapped to Alex. He was lying on the ground, his normally pale skin taking on a gray pallor and his hands icy cold beneath her own. Her fingers trembled uncontrollably as they curled around his wrist searching for a pulse. There was no comforting heartbeat, and a half-stifled gasp escaped her as panic threatened to overwhelm her.