He nodded. “It is strange.”
“You say the Shadow wasn’t there?” Rose asked.
“Not that I could see.”
She wrung her hands together. “Then something’s wrong. The Shadow would never have let Cyrus die.”
“Die?” Sophie asked.
I ignored her, too concerned about the Shadow. “But you said Cyrus brought the Shadow back.”
Rose was shaking her head while Sophie turned and walked to the other side of the room. “I assumed it was him because as far as I know he’s the only one to know the words to release the Shadow from the ruby.”
Dr. Han reared back, a movement very unlike him. “Are you saying that Cyrus could’ve given that information and the ruby to someone else? That someone else could be in control of the Shadow?”
“Stop!” Sophie said, startling all of us. She stood away from us, her face red and her chest heaving. When my eyes met hers, she said, “What happened to Cyrus?”
“He’s dead, Aunt Sophie. I killed him. What’s wrong?”
She stepped toward me, her finger pointed at my chest. “You’re a little liar, that’s what you are, Llona Reese.”
“That’s enough, Sophie,” Dr. Han said. “You’ve been through a terrible ordeal and need to rest.”
She came closer still, her rigid body making me nervous. “There’s no way you killed Cyrus. He’s the most powerful man alive!”
I couldn’t tell if she was angry or in shock. “But I did. Liam helped me.”
Sophie turned her back to us, the sway of her skirt twisting around her. Was she crying?
“What’s wrong?” I asked. “I was careful, I swear.”
The shadows in the ceiling shifted. Only for a fraction of a second, but enough that I looked up.
When Sophie turned back around, I almost didn’t recognize her. Her face was pinched, and the side of her mouth was pulled up as if her facial muscles were seizing. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dr. Han step back.
“You were careful?” Sophie asked, her voice rising. “Did killing the most powerful man alive need great care? Try luck, because that’s the only way you were successful.”
I stared at her, my mouth wide. What was she saying?
Sophie slapped her fist into her other hand. Light sparked from her palm. “I tried with you, Llona. I really did. What went wrong?”
“I don’t understand,” I stuttered. Dr. Han was looking up. I didn’t dare.
“You were bitten by a Vyken! His blood courses through your veins, and that dark power is supposed to be irresistible.” She stepped toward me and lowered her voice. “It was that Liam, wasn’t it? Dirty Enlil. First thing on my list is to rip his spine through his chest.”
Of all the things I should’ve said to her, only one came out of my mouth. “But you’re an Aura!”
“A name only,” she spat. “You know this better than anyone. That’s why I thought you’d be perfect.”
I shook my head. This can’t be happening. She’s tired and confused, that’s all. “You don’t know what you’re saying, Aunt Sophie.”
I reached for her, hoping to grab onto the Sophie I knew. For a second I thought she was going to accept. She raised her hand toward mine, but instead of holding it, Light—more gray in color—shot out and sliced the top of my arm. I screamed at the same time she yelled, “You killed the man I loved!”
The shadows shifted above her and began to swirl like a storm brewing, a great tornado none of us saw coming.
“Get back!” Dr. Han said and stepped in front of me and Rose.
I didn’t move. Shock held my body in place.
“How could you do this?” I asked Sophie, cradling my injured arm to my chest.
She lowered her hands, though the dark storm above her continued to brew. “Because of Llona.”
“Me?”
Sophie laughed cruelly. “Hardly. Llona was my sister, your mother’s and mine. And the day she was turned, everyone simply forgot about her as if she were never born.”
I shook my head. “What are you talking about?”
Dr. Han tugged on my arm. I shook it off.
“What’s the matter?” Sophie asked Dr. Han. “You don’t want her to know the truth?”
Fire appeared in his hands. “This isn’t the time!”
“And when is the time?”
Dr. Han didn’t answer, but fire grew within his hands.
“That is the problem with you people,” she said. “You lie and lie. Cyrus was the only one who tried to help. The only one who was honest with me, and as soon as all of you are destroyed, then I will become like him. Evolve into something greater.” She glanced up, and, as if giving a silent command, the swirling blackness, amid a turbulent wind, poured from the ceiling until it formed a faceless man. “I have given you multiple chances, Llona Reese, but you are just like them, and for that, you must finally die.”
I was still in disbelief. This couldn’t be happening. My aunt was not going to kill me. The Shadow glided slowly across the floor, a dark mist trailing behind it. Dr. Han jumped in front of me and shot fire from his hands. The Shadow briefly lit up, but after only a few seconds, the edges sizzled like the dying embers of a fire.
“Get out of here, Llona!” Dr. Han ordered.
Rose grabbed my arm. Her touch was ice cold, waking me from my stupor. I glanced at her, but her stare was focused only on the Shadow, and under her breath she muttered words I didn’t understand.
“Llona!” Liam rushed into the room, probably having heard the commotion from across campus. When he saw the Shadow, he burst into wind and exploded into the dark mass. It dissipated momentarily before forming again. Liam attempted to rush it again, but the Shadow raised itself up and in one downward motion blasted a section of itself directly into Liam. His body lifted and then was tossed to the other side of the room, crashing into the stack of boxes.
“No!” I cried. I would’ve run to him, but Rose’s tight grip on my arm kept from me moving anywhere.
Sophie laughed.
“Stop this!” I yelled. “This isn’t you!” The Shadow was moving toward me again.
Sophie frowned, and she looked genuinely sad. “I’m sorry I failed you. I thought turning Christian would sway you, but I guess you didn’t truly love him.”
Light ignited in my hands. I tossed them into the Shadow, stopping its progression. On the other side of the room, Liam lay unmoving on the floor. My only comfort was watching his chest slowly rise and fall. He was alive.
Dr. Han created more fire, but instead of aiming for the Shadow, he directed it toward Sophie. Before the stream of fire had a chance to reach her, the Shadow parted in half and snuffed the fire out, but Dr. Han didn’t give up. He continued to throw fireballs, momentarily distracting the Shadow. “Get out of here, Llona!”
Rose was still clinging to me, chanting under her breath.
“He’ll only follow me,” I said back. Leaving wasn’t an option. I had to fight, to destroy him with the only thing that could. I glanced one last time at Liam. He was still unconscious. I smiled, just barely. Good-bye, I thought to him, before I shot a steady stream of Light directly into Death.
THIRTY-SIX
Light sprayed from my hands, a continuous stream of pure white, punching through the darkness. The Shadow tried to separate, stretching in all directions, but it was as if my Light kept it to one central location.
“What are you doing?” Sophie cried. She tossed her own dirty Light toward me, but Dr. Han managed to block it with fire.
“Are you sure about this, Llona?” Dr. Han called.
I didn’t answer him, but I didn’t stop spraying the Shadow either. Behind me Rose continued to chant while the air surrounding us became electrically charged.
It seemed like a long time had passed. Maybe it had. All I knew was Light was leaving my body faster than it ever had before, and I was beginning to feel the effects. My vision blurred, and a pain, much like I imagined how a pickax to the he
ad would feel, stabbed at my mind.
Sophie was still trying to get at me with her Light, but Dr. Han blocked her attempts. Trying a new tactic, he turned abruptly and shot fire directly at Sophie, probably hoping the Shadow had weakened enough that it would no longer be able to protect her. She stumbled back in surprise, but just before the fire hit her, the Shadow broke away from me and protected Sophie. She laughed and rose up. “There’s nothing you can do! I’m invincible!”
The Shadow darted for Dr. Han, but before it could reach him, I sprayed Light again, trapping it. Sophie attempted to stop me, but this time Dr. Han rushed her instead of using his fire.
Just like before, the Shadow escaped my grip and moved to protect Sophie, knocking Dr. Han across the room. As powerful as my Light was against it, the magic that bound Sophie to the Shadow was stronger. The Shadow slid across the floor toward Dr. Han, who was struggling to stand up.
I had very little strength left, but used what I could to once again trap the Shadow in my Light. This time when Sophie tried to stop me, Dr. Han didn’t harm her; he merely used his fire to block her streams of Light. They were saying things to each other, but I couldn’t hear on account of a loud ringing in my ears.
Across the room, Liam was moving, trying to drag himself upright.
At the same time I fell to my knees, and my Light flickered, but only for a fraction of a second. I had to stay focused. A sensation, like air being sucked from me, began to collapse my chest.
There were voices behind me. Lots of them. They were yelling, but I couldn’t decipher what they were saying. I wasn’t sure why they weren’t coming into the room to help. Maybe Rose was blocking them, or even Sophie. Clearly there was a lot I didn’t know about my aunt.
A crashing sound, like glass breaking, slipped past the ringing in my ears. I risked a quick glance over at Sophie and Dr. Han. A tall window had broken, probably from a stray fireball. Sophie was no longer aiming for me, but was in a battle with Dr. Han, who was pretty much defenseless, as he couldn’t hurt her.
I refocused my attention on the Shadow, which was making a sort of high-pitched screeching sound. Its shapeless form stretched in all directions as if trying to get away. The yelling was louder than ever behind me, and there were smashing sounds like someone was trying to break down a wall.
The pain in my head grew until I thought it might explode. A warm liquid fell from my nose. When it reached my lips and dripped over my mouth, I tasted blood.
I almost quit then. The realization of what was happening, what had to happen, was too much. Was I ready to say good-bye to all that I knew? And did I even have a choice? I guess I could run for my life, but where would that leave everyone else? No. I wasn’t going anywhere.
The Shadow was weakening and diminishing in size. I felt its force waning at the same rate as mine. I wasn’t even sure I was still breathing, but as long as Light continued to flow from me to the Shadow, I didn’t care.
“Llona!”
Liam’s voice cut through the buzzing in my ears, but I didn’t waver. I was so close. The Shadow was turning gray. And I was probably turning blue.
Rose’s hand clutched my shoulder suddenly, her nails digging into my skin. At the top of her lungs, she yelled, “Aveho!”
My connection to the Shadow dropped, and I collapsed to the ground, air rushing into my lungs. Liam was by my side, asking me all sorts of questions. I looked up. The Shadow was expanding, black upon black, until it returned to its former size.
I glanced back at Rose. “What have you done?” Her arm was stretched out, her hand in a tight fist.
Sophie and Dr. Han both stopped moving. Dr. Han was protecting his left arm, while Sophie came toward the Shadow.
“I hate witches!” she said. “It’s time I finished what I came for.”
Just then Rose opened her fist, extending all five fingers toward the broken window. A great wind ripped through the room, swirling up papers and debris. Liam held me tightly to the floor, but I kept my head up, watching as the Shadow was sucked from the room and out the open window. It let out a terrible shrill cry the whole way. It was a sound I’ll never forget.
Sophie watched it all, horror etched in her face. She opened her mouth to speak, more like yell, but all of a sudden she doubled over as if punched in the gut. She glanced up at Rose. “What—?” Her feet slid backward toward the window. Whether she liked it or not, she too was being sucked out the window.
She looked around frantically as if to grab onto something. “I’m coming back for you! You’re all going to die!” she screamed, her face so distorted she looked nothing like the Sophie I knew. Her eyes settled on Rose. Before Sophie was pulled from the room, she raised her arm and shot a stream of Light, more like darkness by its color, from her palm. I turned just in time to see it hit Rose in the stomach. The force shoved her into the wall behind her, piercing her as if it were a dagger.
“No!” I cried and wiggled out from Liam. I took Rose by the shoulders and pulled her away from the wall. She collapsed into my arms. “Rose?”
I slowly lowered her to the floor, cradling her head in my lap.
“Rebecca, Abigail! Help her,” Dr. Han commanded. He was looking out the window as if to be sure Sophie was really gone.
The room filled with people then, like an imaginary door had finally opened. May and Tessa came to my side while Kiera stood behind me with Liam. Mrs. Crawford and Abigail kneeled on the other side of Rose.
“Can you help her?” I asked the two women.
“I don’t know if there’s anything I can do,” Abigail said. Mrs. Crawford looked at her sharply. Abigail shrugged. “I’ve been healing the others! I’m weak.”
Mrs. Crawford raised her hands over the gaping hole in Rose’s stomach. The skin around it was black as if burned and the smell made my stomach churn. I smoothed the hair away from her face. “Hold on, Rose.”
She looked up at me. “Llona,” she gasped.
“Don’t talk. Just rest,” I said. Mrs. Crawford’s hands were lit up. I felt the warmth from them on my legs.
“No time,” Rose whispered. “Listen.”
“Shh—”
She gripped my arm, silencing me. “There’s a cure. To remove a Vyken’s poison.”
My heart skipped a beat. “What? Where?”
“The Sentinelese. A tribe in the Andaman Islands.” She coughed suddenly, spraying the air with blood.
“Help her!” I said.
Mrs. Crawford shook her hands and created more Light. This time pressing it directly to Rose’s stomach. “I’m trying, but it’s not healing.”
Rose gasped and clutched my arm. With her last breath, she said, “Find happiness.”
THIRTY-SEVEN
I’ve seen Death so many times that you’d think I’d be used to him by now. But I wasn’t. One minute the person you loved was there, the next they were gone, leaving only memories. I’d trade the greatest memories for the real thing, even at its worst, any day.
I didn’t cry this time even though the pain was just as severe. Another hole to add to my already cratered heart. I smoothed Rose’s silver hair back, wondering why she hadn’t saved herself. She obviously had the power to do so but had chosen to save me instead.
“I’m sorry,” May said. She was kneeling next to me, staring down at Rose.
I looked at her. Poor May. A dark bruise, barely yellowing, covered the left half of her face; the rest of it disappeared into her hairline. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her despondent expression made another crater in my heart.
I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her close. “I can’t imagine what you went through. I wish I could take away all of your pain.”
She inhaled deeply. On her exhale, she said, “It seems it’s our lot in life to suffer.”
It took me a minute to answer. There was chaos all around us as Dr. Han tried to explain what had happened. I blocked out as much of it as I could. “Time will fix this, May, if we let it. We just have to keep fighting
.”
“I don’t know if I can.” Her voice was small.
“We’ll do it together. Like we always do.”
Her head nodded slightly.
“Llona?”
It was Dr. Han. “Let us take her,” he said, looking down at Rose’s body. “We’ll bury her in the Auran graveyard.”
“I think she’d like that.”
Arik came and picked her up. I appreciated how gentle he was with her.
When he left the room, Tessa came to kneel in front of May and me. “How can I help?”
“I need to get back to Aaron,” May said.
“Why don’t you go with her, Tessa?” I asked.
Tessa nodded and helped May up. May glanced back at me. “What about you?”
I looked across the room. Liam was sitting down, talking to Dr. Han, but every few seconds his eyes met mine. He was exhausted. I saw it in the way his shoulders were slumped over his ribs and by the large amount of sweat dotting his forehead. He never perspired. “I’ll come up in a while.”
“There’s going to be a war, isn’t there?” Tessa asked.
No one said anything. Silence was answer enough.
“Let’s go,” Tessa said and turned toward the door. May paused for a moment, our eyes meeting in a painful stare. Finally she nodded and followed after Tessa.
When the room was almost empty, I attempted to stand. Having used up much of my Light, I was extremely weak. My legs buckled a couple of times, and I almost fell, but Mrs. Crawford came to steady me.
“I’ve got you,” she said.
“Thank you.” I leaned into her as she guided me toward Liam and Dr. Han.
“I’m sorry about Sophie,” she said. “I’m still in shock.”
“Me too.” Truth was I had deliberately blocked out Sophie’s betrayal until just now. The pain was sudden and severe, and I stopped moving to keep from throwing up. How could she do it? And why? These were the first of many questions that raced through my mind, but the most important one was, who was this Llona-person that Sophie spoke about? My mom’s and her sister? I’d never heard of her. I looked up at Dr. Han.
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