by Cece Rose
“No one can leave here, not without their marks. You haven’t earned yours yet, Mackenzie Crowe,” she taunts, laughing once more. Why does she sound so familiar to me?
“How do I earn them?” I ask.
“By killing me,” the voice says right in front of me, and then a figure slowly appears from nothing. Long black hair, wide blue eyes, torn clothes, and every feature I see in the mirror every single day. She’s me. A version of me, anyway.
“How is this possible?” My eyes must be bulging as I look at her, at myself. She stands covered in her marks, more than I’ve ever possessed, and that’s just from the glimpses of her skin that I can see. She’s the me I want to be, so how can I kill her?
“There can only be one,” she says, stepping towards me. Her hands are held out, facing down, and I feel the earth shake beneath our feet. I struggle for balance, as she stands there calmly. She stops using her earth mark and laughs. “This won’t even be difficult, you’re powerless,” she comments snidely.
Powerless? I may have no marks, but I refuse to be called powerless by a freaking mirror image of me. A damn copy. A new feeling strikes me, not one of self-pity, or of fear, but determination. I will pass this test, there’s no other option here. I couldn’t save Ryan, but I will save myself, and everyone else that I care about. I won’t lose anyone else, fate be damned if it has a plan for them. The other me smiles, as if she can hear my thoughts.
“I can. It’s so cute you think you can beat me.” She pulls back her dark hair and turns her head, pointing to a small mark just behind and slightly below her ear. It’s one I’ve never seen before. It’s like a basic eye design, but with elaborate curves coming off at the edges. “A mark that allows its possessor to read the thoughts of others,” she says, running her fingers over it. “You could have had them all, but you were too weak. You lost what you had, and now you’re nothing.”
“You’re wrong,” I snap.
“How so? I mean look at you, unmarked, with no way to defend yourself. I could strike you down with a click of my fingers. Unless you give up now, I will become Mackenzie Crowe, and you will become nothing, just a shell that I walk in. I’ll save your family, your men, and your friends for you, because we both know that you can’t. Not without me.”
“Shut up. You don’t know me! You don’t know what I’d do for them!” I shout, my voice echoing from the walls.
“Listen to me. Whatever it is, it wouldn’t be enough, because you are not enough, Mackenzie Crowe.”
“No, you listen to me, you half-assed imitation. I am the only Mackenzie Crowe. I will get my powers back, and I will get us home. And then, I’m going to make him pay for taking Ryan away, and stop him from hurting anyone else ever again!”
“Such confidence, and so unfounded,” she says, and I feel the tube burning hot in my palm. I know it means something, it’s with me for a reason.
Bring your weapon. The voice said bring your weapon, and I brought this. I run my thumb over the edges of it, feeling for a groove, a button, anything, but there’s nothing.
“If you’re so much stronger than me, then why are you asking me to give in? Why not just take my place?” I muse aloud, feeling the answers fall into place as I do. “You can’t, can you?” I ask, narrowing my eyes on other me.
“I can do anything,” she huffs.
“But you can’t. You can’t take me without my consent. You can’t win. You’re not stronger than me at all,” I splutter, alarmed at my own conclusions. She laughs, moving towards me again, and I back away with each step she takes.
“I can’t take you, but I can kill you. You’re powerless to kill me though, aren’t you?” she questions in a smug tone. Gods, I hope I never sound like that.
She jumps forward, and I dart out of the way, hitting and then rolling across the hard floor, holding in a pained groan from the impact. I reach for my powers by instinct, but none will answer me. The tube I cling to gets hotter. Maybe…
I call to the tube how I’d call to my powers, and almost drop it as it extends out into a spear, the pointed end darting out. So much power seems to flow through the metal, and I feel the waves of it roll up through my fingers, and up my arm, until it fills all of me with its energy. I point the spear at her, and she smiles.
“You’re almost ready,” she says with a smile, and I nod. I know I am. I’m not powerless, and I never will be. With or without my marks, I can still fight. I strike her quickly, watching her fade away around the spear in her chest. “Just one more test,” her voice finishes, leaving me alone in the room.
Chapter 16
Mackenzie
The floor suddenly cracks, and I tumble downward, even deeper into the ground than I thought possible. I brace myself for a hard impact, but I fall into water instead. As soon as I hit the water, I try to swim back up, but something keeps puling me down. I know where I am the second I submerge into the water. I’ve reached the Zarrci Honzel.
I try to hold my breath, as I struggle to break free of whatever grip is holding me down, but there’s no use. My mouth flies open as I gape for air. I wait for the water to rush into my mouth, for myself to suffocate, but it doesn’t happen. I don’t drown as I float under the water. Something is allowing me to breathe. I notice I can hear something from below me, whispered words. I swim down towards them, trying to hear what is being said to me. Finally, I am close enough to make them out, but I wish I wasn’t.
“Mackenzie, you are willing to fight, and you are brave enough to stand even without your marks, but are you brave enough to die?” the voice asks me.
“You want me to die?”
“I want nothing outside of this water, and in here I seek nothing but your truth.” It answers vaguely.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I groan, my head hurting from all the things I’ve had to process in such a short time.
“I will show you what may await you if you leave here with your marks returned, and then you will give me your answer.” Before I can agree or disagree with that statement, I’m drawn into blackness.
I watch as I strike him, just as he strikes me, and then we both go down. All my powers weren’t enough to save me. I can’t control my movements here, only watch on through my eyes as I fall to the floor.
My father stands back up, and I know my strike missed. I failed.
My mum breaks free of her captors’ hold just as my eyes find her. She rushes at him, and the full force of her powers hits him at once. She slams him back into the far wall with her air mark and uses it to then manipulate the air around us to pull the spear to her. She holds it in her hand, and fury shines in her eyes as she deals the final blow, killing Alaric and ending this all.
She runs to me, but it’s too late. She falls to the floor, sobbing at my side uncontrollably as the last of my life fades away.
“That can’t be real. I refuse to believe you!” I snap at the Hoznel as I come back into the water, and away from the vision.
“You can pretend that you refuse to believe, Mackenzie Crowe, but you know you cannot deny you saw a truth. I showed you my truth, now give me yours. Are you willing to die if it means the marked will be at peace? If it means saving everyone else?” it asks me.
Would I be willing to die for marked peace? I don’t know. But I do know, I would die for my family, for my guys, and for my friends. I would die if they would all be able to find peace from it.
“I would die for them, if that’s what it takes, but…”
“You have a condition?”
“No. I would die for them, but I don’t accept that it’s the only way this can go. I can’t accept that. I will go, and I will fight, whether you give me my marks or not. If I must, I will die for them, but I will not give up and go gently,” I answer defiantly.
“You must never simply give up. You must be willing to fight, but also willing to die. If you’re giving up, you’re not willing to fight,” it responds. The grip pulling me down leaves me, and I suddenly feel the urge to swim
for air. I know I can’t open my mouth again to ask it anything more. Does that mean I pass? Or have I failed?
There’s no time to dwell on that, however, as I swim up to escape the water before I drown. I break through the surface, and feel my skin start to burn. My marks flare back into existence all over my body. I float on my back in the water as it happens. I count them as they begin to form. More marks than I ever possessed before pop up. I smile as I feel a mark flare behind my ear. Reading minds could be fun. Once the burning has stopped, I’ve lost count of the marks I now possess. I turn over in the water and swim for the edge of the natural pool, heaving myself out of the water.
I lie on my back as soon as I get onto ground, and take deep, panting breaths. I hear someone cough beside me, as if coughing up water. I quickly turn, ready to face off anyone who could be here to hurt me, but I freeze when I see Enzo lying there, drenched. I rush to him, holding my hands over his chest as I’m ready to heal him, but I freeze, noticing something strange.
His skin is covered in new marks too. I know immediately, the Honzel didn’t just test me, it split us all up for a reason. It wanted to test all of us, separately. I run my fingers over a new mark he has on his neck, and his dark eyes fly open.
“Crowe,” he mutters.
“I’m here. What did it show you?” I ask nervously, wondering if our tests had been the same.
“My father at first. And then it showed my sister dying. We need to get back to the academy before it’s too late. She’s going to die if we don’t,” he says urgently, sitting up.
“We have to wait for the others first. But I promise, we will go to try and save her,” I say, slipping my hands into his and squeezing them tightly.
“What do you mean we have to wait for the others?” he asks, and I point at the water.
“I think they’re all under, being tested to see if they’re worthy of their marks,” I explain, biting my lip nervously as I glance the water. I wonder what’s taking them all so long.
“But I thought this was just for you? We already have our marks, why would we be tested?” Enzo asks. I lift his hand up, having spotted a new mark on his hand too.
“Look,” I say gently, holding his hand at an angle so he can see the lightning-shaped mark on his hand.
“I have new marks.” He looks at them in shock, before pulling his hands away and taking off his shirt. I can’t help but run my eyes all over him heatedly, remembering the last time we were underground in a cave like this one.
“There are so many,” I whisper, running my fingers over each of the marks that grace his skin.
“If you move your hand any lower, Crowe,” he all but growls at me, and I laugh.
“We shouldn’t. We need to be here for the others when they get out. Who knows what any of them had to see,” I say, trying to reason.
“Fine, you’re right,” he says, but he pulls me down to him, and hungrily crashes his lips against mine anyway. His hands clench at my body roughly, pulling me against him. I return the kiss, sense leaving me quickly, but then he pulls away. “I had to do that at the very least,” he explains when he sees my expression. I’m about to reply, when I see East emerge from the water. His eyes seem to find us instantly, but he’s unable to swim to us just yet. We watch on quietly as he’s blessed with new marks.
I’m almost relieved at seeing him, but I already knew East would be worthy. All my guys are. It’s just a waiting game for them to finish their tests and join us, so we can return to Earth and face my father, finishing our biggest test together.
Chapter 17
Mackenzie
“It’s been too long,” I say, pacing up and down the rocky ground outside the pool. Logan, Locke and East all came out of the water with new marks ages ago, but Mr Daniels is nowhere to be seen. I glance over at Locke who is still shaking the water out of his hair.
“He might have just fallen in later than we did,” East says, standing close to me and watching me pace. I know he is worried too.
“It doesn’t make sense,” I shake my head, and continue stomping back and forth. I’m a few steps away from jumping in the water and asking it where the hell he is.
“Or he failed his test because of his past. He has more demons than most,” East points out quietly.
“He will pass,” I snap at East as I stop to glare at him. When he holds his hands up in surrender, I realise how harsh that sounded. I know it’s not East’s fault. East watches me, waiting for me to calm down before he comes over to me. I sigh, rubbing my face, “I’m sorry I snapped. I know what you’re saying. I just can’t allow myself to think like that or I’m going to lose it.”
“I shouldn’t have even said it. The test messed me with me, and I’m just feeling a little off,” East admits, and I wrap my arms around his waist, watching the water.
“The test messed with me too. It messed with us all,” I say, glancing quickly at Enzo and the twins. They’re resting their backs against a wall and watching the water with dazed expressions. They all look lost in their own thoughts. What ever happened to them in the water, it has shaken them much like it has me.
“What did you see?” he asks me.
“Ry,” I say quietly, leaving out the part about myself. “His soul, spirit, or whatever you believe it is.”
“His soul. I knew he would stick around to say goodbye,” East says gently.
“It broke my heart, both what he said and seeing him leave once again,” I admit, not fully over it.
“Ry is at peace,” East tells me gently and I nod, resting my head against his chest and continue to watch the still water. I don’t know how long I stare until I see a bubble pop against the surface, and then another, just seconds before Mr Daniels bursts out the water. Mr Daniels eyes lock with mine as I break away from East and watch him receive his marks. I see two marks appear on his cheeks, looking like hands, and a mark on his forehead which is shaped like angel wings. What the hell are those?
“Finally,” Enzo comments, stepping up to my other side as Mr Daniels finally gets all his marks and starts swimming over to us. Enzo and East grab his arms, pulling him onto the ground as he coughs up water and lies on his back as I kneel next to him. I spot marks on his hands, and the one behind his ear like we all have.
“You okay?” I ask when he stops coughing water and sits up. He immediately pulls me to his chest and kisses the top of my head.
“Yes, but we need to get home right now. They are going to kill your dads, Enzo’s sister, and anyone that doesn’t side with your father. I saw it,” Mr Daniels tells me, his worried tone tells me all I need to know.
“What about my mother?” I ask as I stand up, and Enzo offers a hand to help Mr Daniels up.
“I didn’t see her,” he says.
“He will keep her alive. She isn’t dead yet,” I say firmly. If the vision I was shown is true, then she will be the one that kills him. I’m almost happy it’s her. It’s the perfect revenge for Ryan, well, only if I don’t die next.
“We need to leave,” Locke says, and we all don’t say a word as we agree. My twelfth mark starts warming up on my neck, just like the tube heated up to tell me to use it before. I have new gifts, and I’m stronger now…so maybe I can control a portal?
“I have an idea,” I say, stepping away from them all.
“What?” Logan asks.
“Just stay back, in case this goes wrong,” I warn them, but I hear them all take a step forward to stand right behind me. Typical, stubborn ass men. I mentally pray this works. Closing my eyes, I picture Kelly as I hold both my hands out in front of me and call my twelfth mark. Nothing happens for a while, and I frown, opening my eyes again as I lower my arms.
“I thought I could open a portal to Kelly, but nothing happened,” I turn and explain to my guys.
“Alaric said the twelfth mark was connected to emotions. Even though he used great emotional pain to activate it, love could work just as well now that you’re stronger. Try thinking about how much you
love Kelly,” Mr Daniels suggests, and I nod, facing forward once again and lifting my arms. I picture when I first met Kelly, a day that seems like almost yesterday, even though we were only eight. Kelly and her parents had just moved into the empty house on our street, and I was dragged by my mum to say hello. Kelly ran out the door once we knocked, holding a giant cookie in her hand, and I could hear her mum shouting at her to come back. She asked me if I wanted to share the cookie, but we had to hide. Since then I loved that girl like a sister. I open my eyes as my twelfth mark burns the back of my neck, and a blue shining portal has opened in front of me. The inside is mainly blue glowing swirls, and what looks like a plain stone room is on the other side.
“It worked,” I say, breathlessly, tilting my head to the others as they step closer.
“Let’s see where it goes then,” Locke grins, before walking straight into the portal. Logan goes in next, with a wink in my direction. East follows, and then Enzo, and I look over at Mr Daniels who watches the water. Mr Daniels kneels down, placing his hand on the ground.
“Thank you for the treasured moments with my sister, and for my new gifts. We will destroy the evil that is coming to your world. I promise you that,” he says firmly, making me wonder what happened when he was under the water. He eventually straightens up and nods once at me before walking into the portal. I walk through last, feeling the cold wash of the portal surround my body. It makes me feel like I can’t breathe until I get through the other side, and I walk into the small room behind my silent guys. They move out the way, so I can see Kelly, fast asleep on a small bed. There isn’t much in the room, just the bed, a small dresser and a rug on the floor.
“Can you all wait outside? I need to talk to Kelly alone about something,” I whisper. Enzo kisses my forehead before walking to the door, and the others all follow him out, shutting the door behind them.
