Second Chance Doom: a paranormal romance adventure (Second Chance Academy Book 5)
Page 18
“Good girl,” he whispered.
And then Winkler turned on the machine.
The disc above our heads powered up, but I felt it rather than heard its hum.
Pins and needles stabbed into my arms and legs, but in particular into the palms of my hands where they touched the metal. I grimaced, lifting my fingers off the armrest as far as the bindings allowed. There was no pain, but it grew increasingly uncomfortable.
The guys wore grim expressions. Lance had his eyes shut and was grinding his teeth.
Julian murmured, “I suppose that’s it then.”
The humming and vibrations grew stronger. It was the same feeling I’d experienced when I’d approached the dying girl the day before.
The sensation was localized, unpleasantly tugging on my skin. It hurt as if somebody was pressing an old bruise.
But as the minutes passed, the humming turned into a drone, and the tugging grew painful.
Sweat pearled above my brow, and I wished I could wipe it off. Out of the blue, a jolt of pain raced through me. I threw my head back and groaned.
Kiernan muttered, “Shit, that hurt.”
And then it went from a pain scale three to seven, and eight, and nine. I’d never felt so much agony.
It was as if my skin was turning itself inside out. As if somebody pulled all my teeth at the same time. I couldn’t get enough breath into my lungs to scream as my eyes bulged from their sockets.
My magic was being torn from me through my pores, my skin, my ears, through every orifice of my body. My muscles cramped in protest until it felt like my bones would snap.
And still, the pain grew higher. Our backs bowed against the chairs, and finally, we found our voices.
My lovers’ screams were desperate and echoed my shrieks as we hung in the seats. As our lives were torn from us, and our bodies were dying. The torment was so extreme that for several long moments, I’d forgotten about my plan.
A sickening sound of a solid object hitting the wall behind us cut through the blackness, clouding my thoughts. I forced myself to look.
Kiernan was throwing his head backwards, again and again. There was blood on the paint where his scalp had split. The bright red smear galvanized me into action. If I didn’t act now, we were all dead.
I ground my teeth against the overwhelming buzz saw that threatened to burn out every conscious thought. Instead of clenching my magic, I pumped it out of me.
My heart was shuddering with each pump, banging against my ribcage in machine gun staccatos. My mouth had dropped wide open, and I fought for each breath. Inhales were gasps of fire, singeing my lungs, and exhales were whistling keens. And still, it wasn’t enough.
I forced the darkness back and tried again. Tearing on the bonds of my mates, I demanded their powerful magic, and they responded. Little by little, I added their power to mine.
The lightning ball in my center grew brighter and bigger. I was burning from the inside, the pain competing with the agony inflicted by the extraction process.
I had seconds before my brain boiled out of my eyes. With a final effort, I flooded their system with our combined magic.
The world dimmed. My eyes tunneled until I was blind. And still, I pushed the power into the machine.
I felt it when Kiernan passed out. Then Julian, and finally Lance. Their magic feed trickled to nothing. There was only the background hum of their life force.
But I didn’t need them anymore. The circuit I’d initiated had become self-sustaining. Instead of draining my mates until they were dead, the machine focused on me.
It pulled on my magic, and pulled, and pulled, and I gave it everything it demanded, and more. By now, I was little more than a living corpse being stripped of its electrical currents.
Tears trickled from my eyes and were boiled away the moment they hit my cheeks. My body twitched helplessly under the onslaught of their technology.
I heard the door bang against the wall, and men running. Somebody shouted, “What are you doing? Stop it!”
My mouth pulled into a rictus grin. I was dying, yes. But I’d take them with me.
Somebody slapped my face. It was like a mosquito bite, compared to the agony I was enduring. I tried to form words. They sounded loud in my brain, but in truth, I don’t think anybody heard me.
Please, kill me. Somebody, kill me.
The pain ratcheted up another step, and every muscle contracted. My lungs collapsed, and my ribs snapped one by one. The metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth. And then there was more of it, and more of it, until I was drowning in it.
And still I pushed the last trickle of magic into the system. I must have exploded like a solar flare. And then, suddenly, the pain dimmed, and I knew it was the end.
With a final effort, I shoved all the love I had for my men through the Soul Weave, hoping they could feel it. Because when they woke up, I’d be gone.
38
KIERNAN
One moment, I was in hell. I was being flayed alive, experiencing the most excruciating pain I ever had in my life. It was so bad, I tried to bash my brains in against the wall behind me, just so the agony would end. Then I passed out.
Somehow, I was dimly aware of the pain receding and being replaced by something soothing, like warm molasses, insulating me from the torture.
And then there was a huge explosion, stopping both the torment and the other feeling. The restraints on my wrists and ankles snapped open. I slumped in my seat, covered in sweat, gasping for breath, desperately missing the warmth of whatever had protected me.
Next to me, Julian and Lance were hanging in their chairs. Our harsh breaths were the only sounds in the room. I stared at the ceiling, trying to make sense of why we were alive.
But there was something not right. Amber. All my instincts screamed at me to make sure she was okay. I turned toward her, dreading what I already knew.
Her head lolled to the side. Her long hair hid her face. She was too still. Her chest wasn’t rising.
Lance was the first to move. He jumped out of his chair, wobbling only slightly. He rushed to Amber and placed his fingers against her neck. Then he lifted her and lowered her gently on the ground. His hands were trembling, but his expression was determined.
He tilted her head back, opened her mouth, inhaled deeply, and pushed his breath into her lungs. Then he pumped her ribs. After a few whacks, he went back to breathing for her.
I finally pulled myself together and joined him. I felt so sick. My inner monologue was completely out of control.
She can’t be dead. Please, don’t be dead. Amber. Acushla. Don’t leave us. Don’t leave me.
Only a foot away lay a corpse, charred beyond recognition. It was barely recognizable as a man. His clothes and skin had been burned off.
Two feet further on were a pair of partially melted, horn-rimmed glasses. Through the open door, I saw more bodies. As gruesome as the scene was, I couldn’t give a shit.
None of them mattered. The only thing that mattered was our beautiful girl, our warrior queen, who had somehow freed us by giving up her own life instead.
She was so pale. Her lips blue, and her eyes glittered through partially closed lids. I couldn’t look at her any longer. My stomach, my bowels, my heart—they had all congealed into a concrete block.
“Please, Lance,” I whispered.
He stopped the chest compressions. His eyes were flat, and the corners of his mouth trembled as he fought back tears. “She’s gone.”
I gritted my teeth and balled my fists as if I wanted to fight Death himself.
Death.
I looked up. Lance must have had the same thought as me. Our gazes met Julian’s, and the Goth nodded.
He came closer and fell to his knees, pushing Lance aside. “I don’t know if I can bring her back.”
“Try. For God’s sake, Julian. Try.”
“I love her, too, you know.” Then he placed his hands on her chest, closed his eyes, and we waited.
&
nbsp; Nothing happened.
“More, Julian. Push harder,” I murmured with an urgency borne of despair. If Amber was gone, what was there left for me? For us? We would have been better off dead like her.
Julian’s jaw tightened, and his hands trembled with effort.
Something happened. Julian’s aura changed. I could taste it in the air, an oily, dirty, powerful miasma. Images of chittering black beetles flashed through my mind.
But Julian’s essence was still woven through the Soul Weave, dominating the connection. Whatever was trying to come through, he kept it in check and used it to make him stronger.
He opened his eyes and looked directly at me. I recoiled. “Julian. Your eyes.”
His black pupil had extended until his entire eyeball was shiny and black. He blinked, and his eyes looked normal again.
And then Amber made a noise. Just a tiny cough. But it was enough. Her blue lips turned pink, although her face was still unnaturally pale.
Lance cupped her cheek. “Come on, sweetheart. It’s time to wake up.”
She didn’t move. Lance slapped her lightly, then shook her shoulder. “Come on. Wake up. You’re scaring us.”
And still, there was no response. “Can you make her wake up?”
Julian sat up and braced his hands on his knees. His entire body shuddered with minute tremors. “This is all I can do. I’ve stabilized her. But it’s not enough. I think they took too much power from her. She’s in an in-between state.”
“What does that mean?” The concrete block encasing my inside was getting heavier. I remembered the feeling of warmth, of love, just before the pain stopped. Had Amber done this? Had she known she wouldn’t make it?
Lance stood up, walked to the door, and looked outside. When he came back, his face was haunted. “I don’t know what Amber did. But everybody is dead out there.”
He reached out a hand and pulled me to my feet. Julian’s head sank to his chest. His shoulders rounded forward as he cowered. “I can’t save her. It’s my fault. I’m useless.”
I punched him hard. “Goddammit, don’t crack up on us now. We’ve been through this. This is not your fault.”
He cringed, and I softened my voice. “You’ve done enough. Without you, we would have lost her.”
The weight of my own words landed on my shoulders like a grand piano from the third floor. My knees buckled, and the floor swayed under me.
Lance grabbed my arm to steady me. “Whoa, Kiernan. Easy.”
“We could have lost her,” I repeated, my voice broken.
Lance bent down and picked her up. Her head against his chest, he carried her out of the room. He pushed the door open with his foot, but he had to turn sideways to squeeze through.
I tried not to look too closely as we crossed the main room. People were burned so badly, I couldn’t tell Fae and human apart.
Julian muttered, “They all look the same when they’re dead.”
We followed Lance down the long hallway until we left the Fae mound.
Then we walked into the forest, following a worn path until Lance gestured with his head, and we veered off, away from the beaten track.
Lance’s arms trembled, but he plowed on until he reached a clearing. There, he placed Amber on a mossy pillow. Exhausted, he dropped down next to her, shaking out his muscles.
He looked at her longingly and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. Then he turned to us, his expression grim. “We’re fucked, gentlemen.”
I flopped down next to him. “Yeah, we are. How long do you think until they come looking for us?”
“Minutes. Hours. I haven’t got a clue.”
In reality, it took less than thirty minutes before the underwood rustled and somebody stepped out, blocking off our escape route.
39
JULIAN
I looked up, too exhausted to care if they killed us on the spot. The small movement was enough for my head to swim, and black spots to gobble up my vision like demented Pac-Man zombies. I held still until I could see again.
Before us stood ten tall Fae worriers, clad in leather armor. They carried curved swords that shone in the sun like molten gold. Bronze, my tired brain supplied. Any other time, I’d have marveled at the unusual polish, but today, I couldn’t even muster the energy to talk to them.
Lance stayed next to Amber, holding her hand as I fought to keep her suspended between life and death. If I as much as flinched, she’d be gone.
Kiernan pushed himself to his feet like a newborn colt, his legs shaking with the effort. He held out his hand in a defensive gesture, but if he was as depleted as I was, he’d be no threat to them.
The Fae watched us as carefully as we did them. Their skin tones ranged from chalk-white to dark, but they all had the inhuman, silver eyes in common. They were broad-shouldered and carried themselves like fighters. Yet there was a hesitancy about them, as if they didn’t know what to think of us.
Then they stepped aside, and a woman strode forward. I blinked once, twice, not sure if I was having more hallucinations.
Kiernan brightened. He closed the distance between them and pulled her into an embrace.
“Beth,” he said, exhaling with relief and wonder.
Amber’s former roommate clung to him, a huge smile splitting her face. Lance’s dark expression had lightened as well.
I was the only one who’d noticed the two closest Fae drawing their swords, and the small gesture Beth made. She’d told them to stand down with the wiggle of an index finger, and they’d obeyed, sheathing their deadly weapons.
“Beth,” Kiernan repeated, his voice breaking over the one syllable.
Beth grabbed his neck, pulling him against her. “I know. I’m sorry we were too late to spare you the torture. But you’re safe now.”
Kiernan stepped aside, and Beth knelt down next to her friend. She stretched out her hand as if to cup her face, but pulled it back as her eyes went large. “What’s wrong with her? Is she…”
“No. She’s still alive. Barely. But only because of Julian’s magic.”
All eyes landed on me. I shrunk under their scrutiny. The black beasties laughed in the back of my mind.
Too cowardly. Corrupted. You’ll never save her.
I pushed them down and stood up until I towered over Beth. “My power keeps her from dying, but I can’t make her come back to life, either. She’s stuck halfway.”
The diminutive half-Fae didn’t give me an inch. “Then we’ll have to unstick her.”
When I’d met her first, she’d been a shy freshman with short, brown hair. I barely recognized her. Her pixie-cut had grown out. Without the glamor that had been placed on her at the Academy, she was clearly Fae, with silver eyes and pointy ears.
But the biggest change was the confidence in her posture and how the warriors waited for her command. This was not the same Beth we’d thought lost in Faerie.
“Let’s get them somewhere safe,” she said.
Before we could protest, the Fae picked up Amber’s body and marched off into the forest. I scrambled after them, not sure at what distance my magic would still sustain Amber.
“Maelon. Rhydian. Slow down.”
Beth issued the command as if she ruled over these men. And maybe she did, because the two Fae obeyed immediately.
Lance had finally found his tongue. “Beth. Not that we’re not grateful, but where are we going?”
She grinned. “To free my mates, to save Macha, and apparently, to bring Amber back to life.”
Did you like it? Will Amber come back to life? … I mean, obviously. Duh. But how? And what about the kidnapped kids? And the Big Bad who’s behind it all?
Find out here: https://books2read.com/secondchancelife
Go and preorder for the Grand Finale!
Note from the Author
Thanks so much for reading Second Chance Doom.
I kid you not: this book nearly killed me. …. Well, not really. But for some reason, it was harder to write than th
e others.
Plus—no spoilers—there’s a scene where I burst into tears, scaring the crap out of my husband.
Let’s just say, I’m not a super-emotional type. This is very out of character for me.
But this one scene… It just got to me. Let’s see if you can spot it. And let me know if it affected you as well!
In other news: remember how I said THIS book would be the last? Yeah, no. There will be another one after this, but THAT ONE WILL BE THE LAST FOR SURE!!!
It’ll be called Second Chance Life, because why not end on a positive note? I’ve put up a pre-order for September 2022, but I’m determined I’ll have it done by Dec 2021 / Jan 2022.
Want to be notified when my next book releases? New books are always priced at 60 to 80% cheaper during the first two days. Plus you’ll be the first to find out about giveaways and competitions.
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xo, Ella J. Smyth
Also by Ella J. Smyth
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