The Stripers could not hide from him. His Scratcher eyes could penetrate their blending ability, finding their silhouettes. He lifted his wolf-like head and let out a battle cry, diving towards a shape below.
The Striper who had taunted Ivan materialized, mid run.
He was fast.
Jae was faster.
His monstrous wings snapped against the cold air, his body lowering as if to land. Jae outstretched his wings, engulfing the Striper. He let out a deep growl, letting go. The Striper slumped to the ground.
Jae didn’t know how much time he had before Juliska would be alerted to his sudden reappearance into the land of the living, and call him home, to her.
He raised his head into the air and let out a shriek that shook the tree limbs.
Stripers materialized out of their hiding places, now in full retreat. This was not something they had expected to fight. To their knowledge, all Scratchers were under the strict control of the Queen.
##
Colby pounded his fists together angrily.
“I want out. Now! I’m done watching this mockery of a memory!”
“Colby, please listen to me. I had no idea what really happened but this memory is real! I brought you along to help me free our grandmother. I had absolutely no idea that our own father had put her there.”
“You’re lying!” He shoved his palm out as if to use magic, once again forgetting that he could not.
“Going to try and kill me again?” she screamed back at him.
“Enough of this!” said Colin. “I need to save Catrina. We are going to free Aloyna. Now.”
“And what if I don’t let you?” returned Colby.
“Then I’ll do it,” said Meghan. “My blood will work just as easily as yours, Colby.”
“My father did not do this,” he argued. “He did not put her into the glass. I refuse to believe it.”
“Wake up,” they all heard. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.
“What was that?” asked Colin.
“It wasn’t part of the memory,” said Meghan.
“I don’t care what it was. I want out. Now. I’m done here.”
“Not until you swear that you’ll help us free Aloyna,” said Meghan. “If the memory is wrong and our father didn’t put her there, he should be nothing but pleased that you freed her.”
“What if breaking the glass kills her?” Colby shouted back. “We don’t know that it will actually work!”
Meghan reached up and felt her head.
“Ow. Feel’s like something just hit me.” She felt dizzy.
“Great!” said Colby. “Seer’s freaking out, we’re all gonna get stuck in here now.”
Colin went to Meghan. “What’s happening?”
“It’s from the outside,” she said. “I think they’re in trouble.”
They had learned everything they could from this memory. It was time to return to the real world.
The next thing she knew, they were back in the real world, awake, and Colin was helping her sit up after removing a piece of wood that was lying on her head.
She heard Colby shouting for Elisha who came dashing through the rubble. Colby spit out a fire, in which he and Elisha instantly disappeared.
“What happened here?” muttered Meghan, feeling lightheaded.
“I don’t know. C’mon.” He wrapped his arm around her and got them out of the demolished house and into the front yard where they froze upon seeing the scene outside.
Sebastien was on the ground next to Ivan, both covered in blood.
A dead body lay on the ground just feet in front of them.
A Scratcher, with wings outstretched, blocked an army of Stripers, who were running away.
Sebastien helped Ivan sit up.
Ivan clutched his arm, trying to keep the blood from gushing out. Nona jumped onto his shoulder and used her paw to push away his hand. She licked at the wound, hoping her healing power was strong enough to work on a wound this size.
“Jae,” pleaded Ivan. “Turn back!”
A growly voice replied. “It’s too late.”
Jae heard the voices of the other Scratchers calling him home.
They were in his head, speaking to him; pulling him towards them. He fought the pull. He didn’t want to go.
Another voice entered his mind. A voice he could not ignore.
“Well well well, see who’s still alive.”
Juliska gave the order he was expecting.
Jae took to the sky, flying towards the one woman he didn’t ever want to see again. The one woman he had to see again, if he was to ever free himself of the monster.
Meghan and Colin raced forward.
“What happened?” she asked in a flurry of bewilderment.
“You’re back,” Nona cried out.
“When you went into the spell, Colin,” explained Sebastien, “your protection cloak failed.”
Within a moment, Colin had the cloak back in place. He’d had no idea the cloak had dissolved the moment he went under. It angered him. There was so much he didn’t know about his own powers. Things he was messing up. And too many others were paying the price for his mistakes.
“I need a minute,” Colin blurted, stalking away. This whole thing had gone all wrong. He felt his emotions getting the better of him and he needed to be alone. “No, what I need is Catrina,” he muttered miserably as he stormed off.
Meghan felt tears welling up but fought them back. “I’m assuming that was Jae that just flew away,” she said, barely audibly.
“Yes,” groaned Ivan. Still on the ground, with Nona licking his shoulder, he gave in, lying down on the cold, hard ground. “He saved our lives,” he explained. This gave him no comfort; Jae Mochrie was heading back into the clutches of Juliska Blackwell.
“How badly are you guys hurt?” Meghan asked.
Sebastien pulled away his pant leg, exposing his wound. “It’s not deep. I’ll be fine. Ivan’s is worse.”
She knelt down and took a look. Nona’s face was covered in blood from trying to heal him. The wound was still bleeding and quite deep. She tried to hide her concern but a startled cry slipped out.
“It’s not so bad,” she insisted.
“I can see how bad it is,” he replied. “Where’s Colby?” he asked, his voice weak.
“Um, I don’t know,” she answered honestly.
“Please tell me this was not all for nothing,” he asked emptily.
“No, not for nothing and it’s good, and it’s bad,” she expressed glumly.
Colin came striding back over. “Sorry. Sometimes I lose it a little and it takes me a minute to get myself back. Here, I can heal that,” he told Nona. She jumped down out of his way.
With the shake of a hand, Ivan’s wound started to heal; his separated skin seaming itself back together.
Colin healed Sebastien’s leg next.
He then repaired their torn clothes.
He even cleaned away the blood on Nona’s face.
He turned and looked at Kanda Macawi’s destroyed home. He flicked his hands into the air and piece by piece, the house put itself back together. When the last piece was in place, he turned and rubbed his hands together. “Sadly, this is not the first time I’ve had to do that. Anything else need fixing?” He spoke as if the things he had just done were no big deal. Easy. Just another little thing he did that day.
Meghan looked away, afraid she’d give away how she felt.
She’s worried. Thinks I’m getting too powerful, Colin thought to himself. But I was just as helpless as anyone while in that memory. That won’t happen again...
Sebastien helped Ivan off the ground. For a long moment, no one spoke.
They had lost Jae. Again.
They had almost lost their lives. Again.
After a few minutes of intense silence, Colin whispered, “Meghan,” with a knowing tone.
“Sorry, Colin. Just give me a few more minutes. You’re not the only one that ne
eds to gather themselves. I know though. We need to go.”
Colin nodded and backed down.
“Where are we going?” asked Ivan.
“No we this time,” informed Meghan.
“Of course, we,” argued Ivan.
“Sorry. This isn’t something any of you can help us with. In the memory, we saw exactly what happened to Aloyna Fazendiin. My father was the one who imprisoned her in the glass.”
The look of shock on their faces said it all.
“Aloyna fought alongside Jasper Thorndike, way back when the Grosvenor were created,” explained Colin. “Fazendiin killed his own father and Jasper and Aloyna were in love. They fought side by side. Aloyna fought against her son.”
“Wow,” said Sebastien. “Betting Colby didn’t take that news well.”
“He refused to accept it. Stormed out of here the moment we got back,” said Meghan.
“I guess we know why Freyne wanted her freed,” said Ivan. “He knew she would do his dirty work for him. If she can take her son out of the picture...”
“It leaves room for Freyne to move up,” finished Meghan.
Colin’s eyes darkened at the thought of Freyne. “He won’t be moving anywhere if I can help it.”
Meghan did her best to ignore the villainy she heard in his voice. It was hard to blame him. Even if it did take him down a dark path.
“Regardless, we did find out how to free her,” she told them. “It will be just Colin and I going. If Colby doesn’t help us, we will need to break into my father’s estate. You guys cannot be there for that. I don’t know what my father would do if he found you there. I don’t think he will hurt me though.”
“I don’t like it,” said Ivan.
“Me neither. But we have to do it,” replied Meghan.
“Why you?” asked Sebastien. “Colin, couldn’t you do this alone?”
“Actually no, I can’t. I’d rather not put my sister’s life in jeopardy,” he was interrupted.
“You know, you guys seem to forget that I can’t be killed!” Meghan reminded them haughtily. “I might not be a Projector like Colin or Colby, but I’m still the child of an Immortal.”
Ivan stepped back, throwing up his hands in surrender. “I still don’t have to like it. But try as I might, I can’t protect you every single minute of the day.” He let out a frustrated grunt.
Sebastien didn’t want to give in so easily. Meghan held up her hand before he could argue.
“The only way to free Aloyna is for someone from her bloodline to break the glass.”
“Oh,” he replied, realizing he would have to give in.
“And just the two of us breaking in will be a lot less risky than the four of us breaking in.” Meghan heard a throat clear. “Oh, Nona, you’re automatically counted when I count myself.”
Nona purred her agreement.
“Actually,” started Colin. “I was hoping to ask another enormous favor of you, Nona.”
“You would like me to return to Catrina,” she replied.
“I know this is a lot to ask, especially seeing as to what we’re about to do. I’m...” he couldn’t find the right words. “I’m starting to break down a little. Catrina keeps me calm. If I just knew that she wasn’t alone...”
“Say no more, Colin,” said Nona. “I can already sense that Meghan agrees to this. I will stay with Catrina.”
“Thank you, Nona. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this. I know how hard it must be for you to leave Meghan.”
“It’s of no consequence.”
Meghan felt tears welling up again. There was the brother she knew. But man! Why does everything make me want to cry! It’s so stupid!
Nona heard her thoughts and replied, “I think that is called turning sixteen.”
“Perfect. Really perfect,” Meghan sent back.
“Nona,” said Ivan, “before you leave, could we ask one more favor of you?”
She nodded yes.
“Would you mind taking Sebastien and myself back to the banished camp? If we’re not going to do any good here, we might as well join the fight there.”
“Of course. It will take but a moment.”
Sebastien threw a disgruntled look at Ivan, letting him know he was giving in too fast.
Meghan saw it, and though it gave her comfort knowing he wanted to stay with her, she ignored it. This was something she and Colin had to do together.
Meghan threw a fire out of her palm and onto the ground.
Ivan reached out and grabbed Meghan’s shoulders, firmly.
“Please be careful. I... I don’t want you to get hurt. Letting you out of my sight doesn’t feel right.”
“I will be careful,” she promised. A smile cracked.
“What’s funny?”
“You. Being all concerned and stuff. You could make a sister think you care.”
He shook his head. “You don’t make it easy.”
“I will be careful,” she promised. “And I’ll find you just as soon as this is over.”
“Okay,” he sighed, joining Nona.
Sebastien turned to follow Ivan.
“What? Not going to say goodbye?” Meghan asked him.
He spun around, came back, leaned in and planted his cool lips straight on to hers.
The rest of the world vanished, seemingly screeching to a halt.
Her heart stuttered, skipping in stunned rhythm.
He let go, and leaned into her ear. “Just so there’s no confusion about how I feel.”
He rejoined Ivan and Nona.
Meghan was blind to their responses as they vanished into the flame. She couldn’t find her voice. It had gone. Possibly never to return.
“You know you’re going to have to forgive him,” said Colin, grinning smugly.
She shrugged, still unable to find her voice.
“Sebastien is obviously crazy about you. I know you used to have a wicked crush on him.”
“Colin, I don’t know if it’s that easy,” she said, finally able to feel her vocal chords working again. “It’s just... it’s just as much as I like him, when I start to think about Sebastien, right after the gee, he makes my knees buckle all there is... is disappointment. I’m angry. I know he was under orders from a crazy woman, but he hurt you. He knew Uncle Arnon was alive and he didn’t even try to let us know. I’m having a hard time getting past that.”
“Not to bring up other terrible subjects, but someone I know fairly recently did a few things I didn’t think I’d be able to get beyond either. But I have. And here I am, talking to her again.”
Meghan’s face fell.
“Let me put it this way, if Sebastien were the one being held captive right now, and not Catrina, would you fight this hard to free him?”
“Of course I would. It’s Sebastien,” she replied without hesitation.
“Then there’s your answer, Sis. We’ve all made mistakes.”
Meghan had to fight off the water works again. “You know, Colin, you are way too grown up for my liking right now.”
“Being on the run will do that to you, I guess.”
“I miss this,” Meghan said. “I miss us. Like this. Just talking.”
“I know. I do too.”
“Just... just make me one promise, okay,” she pleaded.
“I’ll try.”
“Just promise me that no matter what, and screw whatever the prophecy says, let’s never, ever, battle each other.”
“I have no intention to battle you. I don’t want to battle anyone. I don’t always like this power I’ve got,” he said. “Sometimes it makes me do things I might not normally do. But it will never make me hurt you.”
“Okay, so no killing each other,” she agreed, sniffling. “What do you say, shall we go free my grandmother?”
“Yeah,” breathed out Colin. “Let’s go.”
She grasped his hand and Colin magicked them just outside the gate to the Fazendiin estate.
CHAPTER 18
Ivan and Sebastien returned to the banished encampment only to find themselves in the middle of a hectic scene. Dawn was coming, sun just starting to peek over the tree line.
“What’s going on?” Ivan asked a young man, securing a belt filled with potions across his shoulder.
“Preparing to confront Fazendiin. Take back the Stone.”
Ivan turned wearily to Sebastien. “I guess we got back just in time.”
“Yeah. Looks that way. I’m gonna go find my parents.”
“Yeah, um, before you go. One thing...”
Sebastien cut him off. “Don’t bother lecturing me, Ivan. I know one kiss isn’t going to change anything. I didn’t know how to express what it felt like to leave her. I needed her to know, though, just in case.”
“In case of what?”
“Look around, Ivan. What are the chances that we’re all getting through this alive? Maybe Meghan and Colin will, but the rest of us are mere mortals. Now’s the time to tell people what they mean to you, even if you do make a total fool of yourself.” Sebastien pointed at himself, and headed home.
Ivan scowled. Sebastien’s words cut into him. He had never feared death before.
He had to shake it off before it dragged him into a dark place. Instead, he sought out a familiar face, to tell him exactly what was happening.
The first familiar face he found was Billie’s.
“Ivan,” she called out upon seeing him. “You look tired, boy.”
“I’m fine,” he insisted. “So what’s going on? I’ve been gone.”
“The banished and the Tunkapog have joined forces to take back the Stone from Fazendiin. You missed the part where he invited us to do so.”
“Huh?”
“Yup. Sent a message inviting us to meet him and claims he’ll just hand it over.”
“I don’t believe for a moment he would just hand it over.”
Billie chuckled, slinging a belt across her shoulder. “Neither do we.”
“Hence the battle preparations,” Ivan noted.
Billie fastened the belt, tightening it securely. “You’ll be joining us then?” she asked him. “Just me, Noah, and Maura joining from my crew. The rest will stay behind to assist here. Maria and Noah’s wife will watch over them.”
“Maria’s okay then?”
“Sure sure. Just fine. She comes from hearty stock, that one. She’ll go far in this nightmare we’ve created for ourselves.”
Control (The Blood Vision, The Immortality Stone, and The Woman in Glass) (A Fated Fantasy Quest Adventure Book 7) Page 18
