Apocalypse the Blossoming (The Power of Twelve Book 2)

by Miranda Martin

  "Okay," I say, making a hard decision. "Open the crossing."

  Footsteps echo through the tunnel. Somebody is running. My skin tingles as magic rises, and everyone turns and takes on defensive positions.

  Silas runs around the corner and skids to a stop. Everyone breathes a collective sigh of relief.

  "Did you doubt me?" he asks, smiling.

  "Not for a moment," Rafe says.

  "You should all be gone already. They've already broken into the underground. It won't be long before they find you here," Silas says.

  "It was decided we should wait for you," Efram says, glancing at me.

  Thanks, Efram, appreciate the back up there. I smile and shrug. Silas’s steely eyes stare, and he looks grim.

  "There's no time," he says. "You have to go now. Tor, open the crossing."

  Tor doesn't waste any time, he steps over to the wall and pulls out a piece of chalk. He draws designs in a circle. I haven't seen these before, but they look familiar. They make my blood pulse, and a chill runs down my spine. Once he finishes drawing them, he pulls a key out of his pocket, and presses it against the wall in the center of the sigils that he's drawn. The glyphs flare to life, glowing with a golden light that pulses. They flash brightly, then the wall fades and we’re looking into a brightly lit tunnel that appears to be made of swirling light.

  "Just like everything in this new world, the crossing point isn't peril-free," Tor says turning to face us all. "You must all be careful."

  "We need to go, now" Nathaniel says.

  "I'm going to go delay the Dragons," Silas says.

  "No," I say.

  "Aviella, this is the way it has to be. I'll catch up with you later in your journey."

  My chest constricts. It feels like something is squeezing my heart tight. I don't want him to go. It's dangerous. I'm afraid I'll never see him again.

  “We’re not going either,” Gavin says, with the other three mages flanking him. “Our charge right now is Dorna.”

  Tor’s head jerks around, and his eyes widen.

  “What?” he asks, shock in his voice and eyes.

  “She’s special,” Killian says, “she has to be protected.”

  “No, you can’t take her,” he argues.

  Luca smiles and puts an arm on Tor’s arm. The fight drains out of him.

  “We’ll talk more,” Killian says to him.

  “You can’t all leave!” I exclaim, throwing my hands up in the air.

  “Hey, what are we?” Rafe asks, ribbing me.

  “You know what I mean,” I say, waving a hand through the air. “The damn Dragons are coming, they’re not going to let you guys off easy.”

  “We’ll be gone,” Gavin says, his eyes taking in Tor and Dorna as well.

  “I’ll be fine,” Silas says.

  I hate this. Hate it with a deep burning passion I can’t even begin to put into words, but they’re right. I know they are, and that makes it even more bitter. Swallowing my pride and upset the best I can, I nod.

  “Fine,” I huff, crossing my arms over my chest. “If any of you die, I’ll never forgive you.”

  “I’m fairly sure Silas can’t die,” Rafe jests.

  “My point stands,” I reply.

  "Noted," Silas says, nodding with a half-smile playing across his lips.

  Lips that I'd love to kiss. Screw it, I'm doing what I want. I step up to him, rise on my toes, and plant a kiss before anyone can react. I hear Rafe snort behind me. I throw my arms around Silas’s neck and continue pressing my lips against his, even though they’re stiff and unyielding as he tries to resist. That only lasts for a moment before he gives himself over to my kiss. I don't let it go on for more than a few seconds before I step back and give him one last glare.

  "I mean it, if anything happens to you, I'll never forgive you," I order.

  Turning without another word, I walk past Rafe, Efram, and Nathaniel, then step into the crossing-point tunnel. I go down a few feet before turning back around and looking.

  "Are we doing this or what?" I ask.

  I don't wait for an answer before I start walking again.

  Chapter Eight

  The flickering light of the tunnel swirls around us, creating a kaleidoscope effect that we’re walking through. I feel heavy. Every step is an effort as I leave behind people I care about. Is this what my life is really going to be like? Constantly leaving someone behind? Bringing danger to those foolish enough to invite me into their homes?

  Rafe comes up beside me and takes my hand. It's a warm and friendly gesture for which I'm thankful. The sick pit in my stomach eases, and I'm able to focus more in the moment.

  My thoughts turn to Dorna and what she had said about breaking through time. Did she mean this crossing tunnel? The crossing tunnel, being a magical creation as it is, is kind of like that. It bends time and space to bring to places closer together. I hadn't thought of that aspect of it.

  A low moan pulls me out of my thoughts. Tightening my grip on Rafe's hand I look around. The hair on my arms stands on end. There's a strange energy to the air. Something isn’t right, but I can't put my finger on what. As I cast my gaze around trying to figure out what is bothering me, I notice Nathaniel glaring at Rafe’s and my joined hands. The moment I see it, he looks away, but not before I feel his need to be the one protecting me. It's palpable. I try to catch his eye, but he doesn’t even glance at me again. He pushes past the two of us to take the lead.

  An empty ache forms in my chest. It's so hard trying to balance all these men's attention. I don’t want to hurt any of them. I care deeply about every single one. There must be some kind of an art to this that I don't get yet. I hope I'll figure it out before it's too late.

  The moaning grows louder, and I realize it's echoing through the tunnel. Staring at the walls, I see something is moving behind the swirling colors. No, not something, some things. There are some kind of creatures back there, pressing against the wall, pounding on it and trying to break through. My stomach clenches as cold ice fills my veins. It's so wrong, unnatural, it makes my skin crawl.

  As Nathaniel pushes ahead the creature reaches through the wall. It's a skeletal arm followed by an even uglier face, a horrid, demonic-looking thing. Nathaniel barely spares it a glance and presses his hand against its head. There's an instant of blinding white light, and the creature lets out a harsh, rattling shriek, its death cries echoing around us.

  It strikes me then that we’re surrounded by these things on all sides of the tunnel. A cold chill runs down my spine as I get it. They're after our energy, they feed on magic, and Nathaniel’s display of power drew them to us. I have no doubt if they were to break through, we would be in trouble.

  "This isn’t good," Efram says, pressing in close behind us.

  Another hand reaches through, grabbing at Nathaniel. I yelp involuntarily. Something reaches through from the other side and grabs Rafe. He lets go of my hand and turns to deal with it. As I turn to see what he's fighting, something grabs me, pulling me against the wall. I look over my shoulder, and I'm staring into a symbol.

  I'm falling into it, seeing past it, and it pulls me deeper. Eyes are looking at me. Dark, beautiful eyes, yet malevolent. I lose myself in them completely. They're absorbing, intelligent, and so intriguing.

  I'm jerked around hard and the eyes are gone. Rafe's hands are on either side of my face. He's barely an inch away, his eyes glowing. He's angry, I feel it as much as I see it. He opens his mouth to say something.

  "Look out," Efram yells, interrupting.

  Rafe jerks me towards him, spinning me around. A creature reaches through the wall, grabbing for him. He ducks under its waving arms, and Nathaniel steps in, his hands glowing as he slams them against it. It explodes, turning to dust that fills the tunnel making it harder to breathe.

  "Run!" Rafe says, pointing down the tunnel.

  He doesn't have to tell me twice. More of these things are breaking through. The walls of the tunnel are apparently gett
ing thinner. I run, dodging grasping arms and screaming monsters gnashing teeth as I go. I hear the others behind me but don’t pause to look. There's a bright glow straight ahead.

  "That's the end of the tunnel," Nathaniel says. "Faster!"

  "Yeah," I pant, out of breath.

  Three things, there’s barely enough parts to call them creatures, fall out of the walls and land on the tunnel in front of me. I slide to a stop, my magic rising. It thrums through my soul.

  The things stumble to their feet, shambling at me with reaching arms. They moan, a horrid, empty sound. I bring my arms together and weave them like Nathaniel showed me, to create a blinding light to keep them from reaching me. I hear the boys fighting behind me. I dodge to one side, avoiding a creature. When I clench my fist, my magic pools into them and I feel suddenly powerful. I've done so much shadow sparring, what happens next comes naturally. I punch, but instead of meeting the expected resistance of my fist landing on a thing’s face, it keeps on going. The creature's head explodes.

  "We have to get out of here," Efram says.

  I don't need to be told twice. Having created an opening, I run and leap for the end of the tunnel. As I pass into the opening, everything slows, like I’ve leaped into a wall of molasses. It clings to me, not wanting to let me go. Finally breaking free, I stumble forward, pinwheeling my arms to catch my balance. Whirling around, I look for my friends. Efram comes through first, moving backwards. He stumbles also as he comes out, followed by Rafe. The tunnel flickers and fades. It's about to close.

  "Nathaniel!" I scream.

  I see him on the other side, the creatures closing with him. He's about to be surrounded. Determination fills me as I step forward. I'm going in after him. Efram and Rafe grab me from either side.

  "Aviella, you can't," Rafe says.

  "We're not leaving anybody behind," I shout.

  I struggle against them, but when it comes to brute strength, I'm outgunned. They hold me back.

  Nathaniel's wings appear spreading wide, he glows with a bright white light. It flashes blindingly bright leaving aftershock effects on my retina. I'm blind and dependent on sound.

  "Nathaniel!" I scream.

  He has to be okay. I'm not going to lose any of them. My heart pounds and it’s hard to breathe. Something pops, a loud sound, and in my heart, I know it's the tunnel closing, but I don't know if Nathaniel made it out though. Darkness encloses us, so pitch black I can’t see my hand in front of my face even after the flash-effect fades.

  "Nathaniel?" I ask, hearing the tremble in my own voice.

  "I'm here," Nathaniel answers, after a tense moment.

  I breathe a sigh of relief.

  "You had us for a second there," Efram says.

  "I had to make sure she made it out," Nathaniel says, voice subdued.

  My heart skips a beat as my chest constricts. He’d die for me if it was needed. There’s no doubt or question of it. It’s romantic and frightening both. Who am I to deserve such dedication? Rafe grabs me by my shoulders and pulls me around to face him.

  “What the—”

  His eyes glow golden, illuminating the fury on his face.

  “Never!” he says, gripping my shoulders tighter.

  “Never what?” I shout, anger flashing at the way he’s handling me.

  “Never look into the symbol. Never!” he says.

  “Why?” I ask. There’s something in his energy, the way he feels.

  “You must not, ever—it’s evil. When you look into it, it reads you… and worse.”

  “What is it?” I ask.

  Suddenly it hits me. Fear. He’s afraid. His fear flutters against me like wings dancing along my awareness, but I feel it sliding into me too. My stomach drops and cold sweat drenches my back. Rafe, afraid. I’ve never felt anything like it. He’s hiding it behind the anger, but I’ve no doubt I’m right. Rafe shakes his head and looks away.

  “Rafe?” Efram asks.

  “What do you know about it?” I ask, probing.

  “It’s of the hell realms,” he says. “None of us need to go poking around it, not right now. Not ever. Those forces have grown hungry for power, hungrier. It’s a less-happy place than before, if that is even possible.”

  Something in his words makes the cold chill deeper.

  “Why would the realms…” Efram trails off.

  “We should move,” Nathaniel interjects.

  “What aren’t you all saying?” I ask, looking at Rafe and Nathaniel.

  The two of them look at each other and shake their heads. Efram watches obviously in as much confusion as I am.

  “Nothing,” Rafe says. “That’s the entirety of the problem, Aviella, we don’t know.”

  I didn’t think I could get any colder than I am, but I shiver at his words. The emptiness of not knowing is all consuming. A yawning blackness I could lose myself in.

  “Okay,” I say, shaking myself. “All right then. Well, I guess we worry about that later for later.”

  “Good idea,” Rafe says.

  Nathaniel gestures and the sigils decorating his arms take on a familiar silvery glow, illuminating the area immediately around us. We’re standing in what looks like an abandoned tunnel. The walls are rough cut and barely finished. Even the floor is rough, unusual for tunnels in my experience with Bunker life. Efram goes to the wall and places a hand over an area covered with pockmarks. He jerks his hand back as soon as he touches it.

  “We should move,” Efram says, backing away from the wall.

  Nathaniel doesn’t need more encouragement and leads the way.

  “What was it?” I ask Efram, moving up next to him as we walk.

  “I’m not sure,” he says.

  “Great, well focus on what we do know, right?” I say.

  “Yeah,” he says, forcing a smile.

  The darkness around us is oppressive. The air itself seems heavy, like a massive tragedy happened here. The hair on my arms stands on end and won’t lie down. That creepy sense of being watched that makes the skin on back of your neck crawl doesn’t quit. I keep looking around to see if we’re being followed, but there’s nothing but shadows, dancing around the silvery light of Nathaniel’s sigils.

  The air smells of sickness and decay. An oppressive odor that clings to the insides of my nostrils. It’s disgusting, and my stomach is sour because of it. Everything feels wrong. It’s all strange, but nothing I can put a finger on. It’s a feeling. A sick, nasty feeling. The steady silver light doesn’t illuminate much beyond our small group as we make our way through the tunnel. None of us are talking as we walk. Eventually, I have no clue how long, there’s a light up ahead. It’s not bright, but it’s the only change in quite a while. As it grows brighter, the shapes come clear as we approach a door. The door is a metal thing with one of those wheel locks like you’d find on a submarine. A small window made of thick glass lets the light on the other side into the dark tunnel.

  Rafe walks up to it and takes the wheel. It doesn’t move when he tries to turn it. He plants his feet and strains, and it screeches, barely moving. Nathaniel steps up with him, and together they’re able to turn it. It’s loud as it turns and ends with a loud metallic clang. It scrapes open taking both of them to force it. A burning odor wafts out and assaults my nose. I sneeze in response—it’s awful—but I can’t decide if it’s worse than the odor in the tunnel or not. Rafe and Nathaniel lead the way through the door, and I follow with Efram. On the other side, a single light bulb with bare wires running to it hangs from the ceiling casting a flickering, yellow light.

  We’re in what looks like a waiting room or an entry way. It’s a box of sorts. The walls are painted a pale green but it’s flaking off leaving bare rust spots all around. There’s a door on the far side, similar to the one we just came through. To our left is a doorway covered with a blanket. On the right is a row of rusty lockers.

  Sitting next to the lockers is a man who rises to his feet from a rickety stool as we walk in. He looks… off. Someth
ing about him isn’t right, but I don’t know what it is. Like he’s not all there, something in his eyes, or the creepy, somehow vacantly fixed smile showing rotting teeth that he gives us. His skin is sallow, his eyes sunken, and his face looks like a skull barely covered with skin. His head is mottled with patches of hair interspersed with liver-brown bald spots. He weaves as he stands, staring.

  “Howdy,” he says, a southern drawl to his words. “Didn’t reckon I’d be seeing anyone today.”

  I can’t tell if his eyes are glowing on their own or reflecting the flickering light. Even his energy feels off, almost wrong, but again it’s nothing I can pinpoint. Rafe and Nathaniel stand between him and me, tactically keeping him at bay.

  “And you are?” Rafe asks.

  “Hunter,” he says, holding a thin hand out. “Pleased ta meet ya.”

  Rafe doesn’t take the offered hand.

  “Right, well, we need to travel through,” Rafe says, looking at the door on the far side of the room.

  “Oh, well, you’ll need protection in there,” he says. “Decontamination first, then you’ll need rad suits.”

  “Rad suits?” Nathaniel asks.

  “Oh yeah, if you’re going above ground you’ll need them,” he says, shaking his head. He turns to one side, spits, turns back and grins broadly. “Sum parts tha facility need ‘em too.”

  My stomach turns watching him. He’s gross and creepy. What a combination.

  “I don’t need such protection,” Nathaniel says. “And we’re only passing through. Rafe and I will be scouting a path ahead then we’ll be out of here.”

  “Huh,” Hunter says. “Well that may be, but you’ll still have to decontaminate. It’s for the residents you see. Have to take care of them.”

  The way he says residents makes my skin crawl. He shrugs and stares with his fixed smile.

  “Fine,” I say, grabbing the bull by the horns. “What do we have to do to decontaminate?”

  “Showers are through there,” he says. “Scrub real good.”

  It takes all my will to not roll my eyes at the way he emphasizes real. It’s lewd giving him a whole new level of gross.