by Owner
His body surged up against mine one last time and I felt him contract, convulsing against my own throbbing insides. The world went blue and electric, and I couldn't breathe. 190
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Chapter 17
Heat rose over me, starting with my toes and moving up, like water filling the bottom of a bathtub. But it was a heat that was charged, raising the hair on my skin and leaving a prickling numbness behind. The warm wave snapped and slid over my chest and up my neck, leaving me straining to lift my head away from something I couldn't even see. But it continued to flow upward, defying the call of gravity, and only seconds before it touched my face did I realize that it, whatever it was, was inside me. I opened my mouth to scream, but my muscles weren't cooperating and the sound of panic never escaped my throat. When the heat covered me completely, it didn't stop but only grew thicker, drowning me in that full tub. And still, I couldn't breathe. My arm jerked out from my side, suddenly back under my control and I clawed at the air around my throat.
But the heat flowed down my arm, and the air around me shimmered. The room trembled, rattling the windows in their frames until the one closest to us shattered, spraying twinkling bits of glass into the air.
Caelan cried out, and his body went limp beneath me. Then, I could breathe again. I took in a shaky, shallow breath, unable to fill my lungs, which were still screaming for more air.
"Caelan, are you all right?" My voice sounded strange to me, like an echo inside my head.
He didn't respond.
"Caelan?" I repeated, beginning to get worried. He lifted his head slowly, like it took a great deal of effort. He looked at me with eyes gone completely silver. His whole face seemed to have changed in some way, like he'd lost years or some unbearable secret he'd been forced to carry around. I am fine, he 191
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said. Are you?
I nodded, reaching up and touching his face, wishing to somehow hold this moment in time.
With a look on his face that might have been regret, he pulled himself from me and I sucked in a breath at the sensation and the loss. I sat up, swallowing hard against the coppery sourness in my mouth. Blood. I must have bitten my tongue.
The others are coming. He gathered my clothes and handed them to me.
What do they want? I wondered. But as I opened my mouth to ask the question of Caelan, an image of Asha and the others climbing the stairs appeared inside my head. They were angry, confused, and a little frightened. They'd somehow felt the wave of power, too, and now they were calling out to Caelan to explain it. I could hear them, just as I saw them.
They are nearly here, Zara.
I blinked, and once again, I was staring at the clothes Caelan had put in my hands, not at the others climbing the stairs. I looked to Caelan, getting dressed several feet away, to ask him if he knew what was happening, but then it occurred to me he hadn't spoken aloud to me, but I'd still heard him. There was no way we were still connected. We were no longer touching, not even close. What's happening, Caelan? I thought in his direction, fear making even my "thinking" voice sound a bit shaky. I pulled the T-shirt over my head and reached for the jeans. That is my question as well, Caelan. Asha's voice sounded in my head. I looked up to find her and the others walking in the door.
I started to let the jeans drop to the floor because the shirt covered me, then decided against it. Being fully dressed was more important right now than worrying about flashing everyone. I pulled the jeans up under the cover of the shirt and managed to stay modest in the process, I think.
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Yes, you do well to fear me at this moment, human, but that still does not answer the question. Asha stalked forward into the room, stopping only a few feet from us. What have you done, Caelan? She can hear me, though I do not touch her, and we felt her search for us with her mind.
Is that what that was with you guys on the stairs? I wondered more to myself than to them, but apparently, there was no such thing as a private thought anymore.
She is now like one of us. How is that possible, Caelan? What did you do? Asha came closer, and I moved toward Caelan. Her rage was building, and I could feel it stinging like a rain of pins on my skin.
I turned my head to stare at Caelan, a chill running along my skin. "You said we would be connected, but I didn't think you meant any different than before. But this is more than the physical act, this is..." I stopped. You knew this would happen. He looked away from me. I wasn't certain. With a cry that echoed inside my head, Asha reached for us, lunging in attack.
Without thinking, I closed my eyes and threw my hands up in defense. There was a moment of pure silence and stillness, a second where everyone and everything stopped. I opened my eyes again to see what had happened.
My hands were still up in defense of Caelan and myself, locked in place it seemed. Asha was frozen in mid-motion, trapped in the bubble of power that had been created. That I had created. Suddenly, I knew that as certainly as if I'd seen it happen. I could feel the link between my hands and the power covering Asha. If I closed my fist, I could seal that bubble around her even tighter. What is this? My arms were beginning to tremble with effort. It was taking something from me, just not physical strength as I knew it.
You have mastered Thane's power, Caelan answered. He 193
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didn't look well again, like someone had drained the color from him.
How is that possible? I connected with you, not him. We all have the same powers, but great strength only in one. You have taken what I have of this ability and made it your own, using your natural talent to amplify what already exists. I frowned at him. But how did I–
Caelan faltered, then fell to his knees beside me. The power from my hands snapped off and lashed back against me, biting with hot, sharp teeth. I cried out. My knees gave, and I landed on the floor next to Caelan, my head throbbing and blood running from my nose.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Asha struggling to get to her feet. The others made no move to help any of us. Do you see what he has done? She gave up on standing and crawled toward us. He has joined you to him, forever. He gave you power that your body cannot survive and his cannot live without, and so it will remain until one of you dies from it. All of this to make the vision become truth.
My gut twisted. I looked over at Caelan, trying not to hunch my shoulders against the fresh throbbing that resulted as of the movement.
Is that true? I asked. What she said about you dying. He sat back on his heels. It does not matter. The prophecy–
Screw the prophecy. And it does matter. I got to my feet, wiping my bloody nose on my sleeve. Not everything is consequence-free, Caelan. Some things are more important than the stupid prophecy. Like surviving long enough to see it come true. I wanted to curl in a ball on the floor. This time, he hadn't lied to me exactly, but once more he'd put my role, as he perceived it, ahead of me, or even himself, as a person. Get out, I said. All of you.
No one moved.
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Now!
Slowly, Thane and Namere backed out, eyes watching me as though they expected one final lash-out. Asha pushed to her feet. You're doing a fine job as leader, human. Shut up.
Let me know when you're ready to give in. She turned and walked out.
Caelan, the color returning to his face slowly, stopped just inside the door. "I don't understand why you are angry." He switched to speaking aloud, perhaps in an effort to placate me. I ran my hands through my hair. "If you don't understand that, then you don't know me nearly well enough for us to have done...that." I nodded at the spot on the floor where we'd come together and everything had fallen apart.
"My feelings for you are genuine."
I sighed. "I know, but it's your motive that I'm questioning." He frowned.
"I feel like you're willing to do anything, including sacrifice yourself, to make this prophecy come true."
"I am," he said.
"Well, I'm not." I looked up at him, pleading with my eyes for him to understand. "Not when it comes to you losing your life, or any of the others. It's not worth it. Not anymore. I believe what you've told me. All that we've found. Isn't that enough?"
"No," he said quietly. Then, he turned and walked out, closing the door behind him.
I let out a barely muffled shriek of frustration, then stalked over to the bed. We were connected now. Forever. He could hear probably what I was thinking even now. I couldn't hear any of them, probably because they were blocking. But I knew I could if I wanted to, if I pushed. My chest tightened with that claustrophobic feeling. If we didn't find some way to end this, I would never be alone again.
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I reached for my inhaler on the bedside table and sucked in a breath. But it didn't help. I grabbed the cell phone and dialed Scott's number again. Even if he wasn't my blood brother, we'd been raised as family and I needed to make sure he was okay. The phone rang on the other end, and someone picked up but didn't say anything. "Hello?" I said. No response.
I pulled the phone away from my ear just long enough to check the signal indicator on the little screen. "Hello? Scott, is that you?"
"Zara..." Scott's voice sounded funny, a higher pitch than usual and breathless.
"Scott, what's wrong?" I sat up on the bed, clutching the phone tighter in my hand, like if I held it close enough, I would be protecting Scott too.
He didn't answer.
"Scott, Scottie, tell me what's wrong." I got to my feet, adrenaline flooding through me.
"Hello, Ms. Mitchell." The smooth, cultured voice was impossible not to recognize.
"Oh, my God." Nevan. My hand flew up to cover my mouth.
"Not as far as the rest of the world is concerned, unfortunately, but for your sibling, yes. For he lives and dies by my hand, is that not your definition of a god?"
"What have you done with him? What about the FBI?" I was pacing now.
"Yes, your government. There were so many of them eager to protect, so many milling about looking for you, one more was not noticed." He laughed, a dry practiced sound. "Or one less."
"They will notice he's gone, and they will come after you, you son of a bitch." I swiped my hand at the tears on my cheeks, as if he would see the sign of weakness.
"Now, there is no need for violence. At least, not yet," he 196
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said.
"What do you want?" I wrapped my arm across my stomach, trying to steady myself. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught motion in the room and looked up to find Caelan standing in the doorway. Relief washed over me, then evaporated just as swiftly. He couldn't do anything to help, not from here.
"I resent your implication that I am to blame for all of this, Ms. Mitchell," Nevan said. "You and I are but victims of her whimsy, and it is left to us to restore order."
"Who is she?" I demanded. "What does she have to do with any of this?"
"It is of no consequence. She is no longer of any consequence." He sounded amused. "But you still have choices to make."
"What do you want?" Only a thin thread of control kept me from screaming the words.
"Such temper is not necessary. I will tell you what you need to know," Nevan said.
"Then do it."
"As of this moment, 8:23 p.m., you have twenty-four hours to meet me where this began. Bring Caelan and the others with you. You will need them to enter, and you will need them to save this one."
"How do I know you haven't already done something to him?" I almost choked on tears and the words.
"Why, Ms. Mitchell," he sounded surprised, "you heard him speak only moments ago, and beyond that, you have my word."
"Your word?" A hysterical bark of laughter escaped from me.
"You're a complete nut job–your word doesn't mean anything."
"It means your brother's life for now," he said. "I trust I do not need to remind you that I have no compunction against killing him."
"No." Tears rolled down my cheeks.
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"If I sense hesitation in your compliance, I have no qualms with injuring him, perhaps permanently," he said. "Your society looks down so on physical disfigurement. I'm sure the transition to that kind of half-life would be difficult for someone, particularly if he knows it might have been prevented."
"I'll do what you want, but please just leave him alone until I get there."
"Very good, Ms. Mitchell," he said. "Please understand this is not my preferred way of handling such matters, but I have been left little choice. This method of manipulation is trite and rarely done well, but it seems to work, and that has to be my primary concern at the moment. All must be returned to order before these circumstances give rise to too much scrutiny, you understand, don't you?"
"No."
In the background, Scott screamed.
"Yes, yes, I understand," I shouted. "Leave him alone."
"Very good. We shall you see in a matter of hours." The phone beeped in my ear, then he was gone.
Still clutching the phone, I looked to Caelan. "We're out of time. Nevan has Scott. I have to go now."
"You can't go," he said. "It's a trap."
"Thank you for the newsflash," I shouted. "But he has Scott and he'll kill him if I'm not there in time." I thought of those screams. "He may already be dead." I couldn't think about that now, I needed to go. I started for the door.
Caelan didn't move from the doorway. "Nevan will not kill him before you arrive. There is no advantage to his death, only the threat of it. Once he is dead or once you suspect he is, Nevan no longer holds any power over you."
"Get out of my way," I said.
"He seeks to control you–and consequently, us–by this action."
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I stared up at him, a horrible trembling beginning somewhere deep inside of me. "You're going to try to keep me here."
"It is dangerous to risk a confrontation when Asha will not accompany us."
"And that hasn't changed," Asha spoke up from behind him. Caelan shifted to let her, followed closely by Namere and Thane, into the room.
"Fine." I grabbed my coat off the wingback chair. "I'll go alone."
"You will not survive." Asha strolled into the room, her arms folded across her chest.
"Well, that ought to make your day then, huh?" I pushed past her.
"If you die, Caelan will most likely die as well, due to the bond between you." Asha's sharp voice stopped me a few feet from the door. She wanted something.
My skin crawling in forewarning, I turned slowly to face her. What do you suggest then?
She strode up to me, her face inches from mine. Even knowing the power I had access to, it took a lot of effort not to flinch. Give me back what it is rightfully mine. Leader.
You do not want it anyway, do you, human? She backed off a bit, giving me a knowing smile.
I looked over my shoulder at all the faces, worried faces, watching me. I couldn't lie. I'm not sure I'm qualified. I haven't been doing such a great job.
I am qualified. Relinquish control to me, and I will go with you and the others to confront Nevan. She was back in my face again, her intensity raising the warning hairs on the back of my neck.
"Zara, no," Caelan said.
I looked over at him. I knew what he was thinking...the 199
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prophecy. I was supposed to lead them against Nevan, not Asha.
"Well, her presence is part of it too. I told you, there are things I'm not willing to sacrifice."
I turned back to face Asha. "Fine. The position is yours after you accompany us to confront Nevan and if you promise to protect them with your life as you have done in the past, without," I stepped up closer, so I was now in her face, "retribution for past loyalties."
"You demand many things," sh
e said, her mouth tight with displeasure.
"If you want it, these are the rules." I shrugged. "Otherwise, I'll challenge you, hope I don't kill you or Caelan in the process, and drag your limp body with me."
"You wouldn't risk it," she snarled. I smiled at her, letting the hardness show in my eyes. "Try me."
She stood there a moment, her chest heaving and her fists clenched. Finally, she said, "Very well." Then she turned abruptly and left.
I waited a second until I heard her footsteps on the stairs. "If she messes with you, any of you, over this, that power transfer is invalid. I'll take leadership back from her, whether she lives to regret her actions or not. Understand?"
Namere, her mouth pulling down into a frown, nodded. Thane, his expression grumpy as usual, did the same. I turned to Caelan.
"You do not know what you have done," he said quietly.
"I got her to come with us, and I made sure she would keep you protected. That's what I did."
He shook his head. "You've disrupted the balance, tried to manipulate destiny for your own needs."
And what the hell did he think he'd been doing this whole time? Besides, nothing said that this couldn't be the confrontation 200
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that he'd witnessed in his vision. I fought the urge to scream at him and shrugged. "I think destiny's a big girl. If she wants something to go another way, she'll work it out. It's not worth getting her metaphysical panties in a bunch, not yet, at least. Besides," I pushed through them into the hallway, "you said I was meant to be in charge. So, if I just screwed it up, isn't that part fated too?" No one had an answer for that question, including me. 201
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Chapter 18
The plan was simple. Nevan believed I was in control of this group and could bring them to him. So, we would go, and once inside, I would use my new highly-charged powers to free Scott, get whatever questions we wanted answered and get us all out.
