The pain triggered the familiar rippling sensation. It was so unfair that my gift abandoned me right when I needed it most. I had to act before that happened. With a battle cry, a mixture of my voice and Alec’s, I charged. Ryan froze, his face dumbfounded. The shock lasted only a moment. He slashed the knife in an arc, aiming straight at my head. With a jolt I shifted back to a female body. I didn’t even know if it was Madison’s or mine. The blade missed me by less than an inch. If I hadn’t shifted, Ryan would have scalped me.
He lost his balance, flailed his arms, and stumbled forward, bumping into me with his full force. The impact squeezed the air out of my lungs and made me gasp. We fell backward and my tailbone slammed into the solid floor, sending a jolt of pain up my spine. Ryan’s heavier body landed on top of me, and something hard dug into my stomach.
I grew stiff with fear. Had he stabbed me?
His eyes widened in shock before his mouth went slack. He sagged against me as something warm and wet soaked my clothes. I pushed him off. He rolled over onto his back, the knife handle sticking out of his midsection. Blood trickled out of his mouth and his eyes lost their focus. Gurgling breaths spurted out of his body. Strands of mist curled around his arms and seeped into his skin.
His chest heaved and then stopped. The last thread of fog disappeared.
Ryan was dead.
CHAPTER 23
* * *
I’d wasted too much time.
Every inch of my body ached when I stumbled toward her. My hands shot into the pink water, gripped Kate’s shoulders, and pulled her out. She was unnaturally heavy, as if her body had soaked up loads of water. Her head lolled to the side, her face slack as I lowered her to the ground. The gash on her forehead had stopped bleeding.
I pressed my fingertips harder into her skin, trying to find her pulse. There was none. My hands flew over her throat, prodding and touching. Choking fear gripped my chest. Not again.
I wiped the tears from my eyes. Crying over Kate; I’d never thought that day would come. I pressed my palms against her rib cage and started CPR. Three pushes. One, two, three. I leaned over her and released my air into her lungs. Seconds dragged by, maybe minutes. My arms ached, but I couldn’t stop. If I stopped, I’d admit defeat. I wouldn’t allow it; wouldn’t let him take another life. Not when he’d already taken Devon.
“Let me,” a male voice said.
A cry ripped from my throat, leaving it raw. I whirled around and my heart must have skipped a beat. Leaning against the doorframe, clothes ripped and bloody, his hair still matted with blood, stood Devon. He couldn’t be alive. It was absolutely impossible.
But there he was.
He took a shaky step closer. Struggling with every motion, he dropped to his knees beside me. He was so close that I could see the hole in his head had closed and a thin layer of skin had grown over it.
I blinked. None of this was possible.
He braced himself on his thighs and breathed in as if he had to get used to being alive again. He turned his head to look at me. “You aren’t Madison. I should have realized it sooner, but believing the lie was easier.”
Without waiting for me to say anything, he placed his hands on Kate. One on her rib cage, one on her cheek. The color of his face turned from white to sickly gray and his eyes narrowed in concentration.
“What are you doing?”
Suddenly I heard the faint intake of breath. At first I thought I’d imagined it, but then Kate’s chest heaved under his hand. I cradled her head in my lap.
“How?” I croaked.
Devon sagged against the tub, shuddering. He looked like he was about to pass out. “Healing others and myself . . . that’s my gift—just like yours is apparently deceit.”
“Why—” I stopped myself.
“I can only heal those that haven’t moved on yet. Madison was gone, even though her body was kept alive. I can’t explain it but I think it’s something about the soul clinging to the body or not. I think it broke Maddy that Ryan was the one who tried to kill her, like somehow it broke her will to live.” He trembled, perspiration glistening on his forehead. “That’s . . . that’s why I couldn’t bring her back when I found her at the lake.” A tear slid down his cheek. “But I allowed myself to believe that you were her, that by some miracle my gift had brought her back from a place no one returns from.”
“But why were you at the lake?”
He stared at his hands, still covered in blood. “I knew that she used to meet there with Yates. I wanted—I don’t really know what I wanted to do when I found them. Maybe punch him in the face.” He rubbed his hands over his jeans as if to clean them, but the blood stuck to his skin. “Please, at least stop pretending to be her now.”
My body shook. I barely felt the rippling, but from the look on Devon’s face I knew that I was no longer Madison.
His chest shuddered with a breath. “She still needs medical treatment. I couldn’t heal her completely; I’m still too weak from healing myself.”
Stroking Kate’s hair, I looked over at Ryan’s body. His eyes were wide and directed at me.
Devon followed my gaze and shook his head. “I won’t bring him back, even if he hasn’t moved on yet. I want him gone.” I wouldn’t have asked him to. Though I wasn’t proud of the feeling, I was glad Ryan was dead.
The front door burst open and the sound of thundering footsteps filled the house.
“We’re here!” I called.
Alec and Major stormed in first, a squad of men in black body armor right behind them.
They took in the sight of the dead body on the ground and then of Kate, Devon, and me. I shivered, my arms wrapped around myself. Alec was at our side in a blink. All three of us were covered in blood, but I was mostly uninjured except for what felt like a gaping hole deep within my chest. “I’m okay,” I whispered as Alec touched the gash over my eyebrow.
“What happened?” Major asked, his voice controlled.
“It was Ryan. He’s a Variant. He could create and control fog.”
Major’s lips tightened with disappointment, as though he was sad that one precious Variant had slipped through his fingers. Major glanced at Devon, his eyes resting on the dent in his head and the holes in his shirt. But it wasn’t my place to decide if Devon wanted his gift to be known.
“Ryan said something about joining Abel’s Army.”
The room fell silent. Dread flitted across Major’s face before he put on his neutral mask. Alec exchanged a look with Major. He knew. They all knew, except for me.
Alec ran his hands over Kate’s hair. “Why is she here? She wasn’t supposed to be.”
“I don’t know. But she stopped breathing for a while because she was held under water. She needs to be taken to a hospital.”
“What about you?” Alec asked as he lifted Kate into his arms. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” How easily the lie slipped from my lips.
He hesitated, his eyes conflicted.
“Alec, I think you should hurry,” Major said.
Alec gave a terse nod, his eyes darting to me once more before he turned. I watched as he walked out. For one last moment, my eyes dropped to Ryan. The other FEA agents were checking him. All except for Major, who only had eyes for Devon and me. He probably knew about Devon already. Major always seemed to know things.
“You should let a doctor check you,” he said, looking at my chest.
“I’m fine.” I crossed my arms over my body. “What is Abel’s Army? And why would Ryan kill to join them?”
Major’s dark eyes bored into me, as if he was trying to extract something from my mind. He hesitated. Major never hesitated.
“Abel’s Army is a group of Variants.”
“Why aren’t they part of the FEA?”
“They don’t like to play by the rules and they don’t want to be under the control of the government. Their leader has his own agenda.”
“Abel?” I guessed.
“The
re’s one thing you should never forget: Abel’s Army is dangerous. Very dangerous. They’re a bunch of criminals, and nothing more. We don’t associate with them, under any circumstances.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll let Stevens take you to headquarters. A helicopter is waiting.” Hawk-Face stepped forward when he heard his name.
“Headquarters? But what about Linda and Ronald? They’ll be worried.”
Devon pushed himself upright, one of his arms wrapped around his chest. “I think it’s better if they never see you again,” he said softly.
Major gave a nod. “This mission is over, Tessa.”
CHAPTER 24
* * *
I spent the next two days in bed, recovering; on the third day I couldn’t hide anymore.
Holly sank down on the edge of my bed and put a hand on my shoulder. Her hair was fury-red, just the way she’d promised in her e-mail. “Major wants to see you in his office.”
I lifted my head from the pillow. “He’s back?”
“Alec and Major returned this morning. The entire agency is talking about Abel’s Army.”
I sat up. “You didn’t say anything, did you?” I whispered. I’d told Holly everything last night: in the safety of darkness the words had plummeted from my mouth, and afterward I’d felt as though a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. But Major would be furious if he determined that I was the source of the gossip.
Hurt flickered in her eyes. “Of course not.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just I don’t know what to think anymore. I guess it’ll take a while before I’ll be back to my old self.”
I untangled myself from the blankets and began changing into jeans and a clean T-shirt.
“You didn’t tell me,” Holly whispered.
I slipped into my jeans before glancing up at her. “Tell you what?”
“That he cut you too.”
My hand flew to the A over my rib cage. I’d managed to hide it from her until now. “He didn’t—he cut me when I was in Madison’s body. I thought it would disappear once I changed back. But—” Ryan had left his mark on me. A constant reminder—something, some little part of Madison I’d carry with me until the bitter end. There was only one person who could have removed the mark from my body and he was the one person I couldn’t ask. Not after what had happened.
Holly nodded but the sadness in her face was too much.
Outside the room, whispered voices carried through the corridor. The common room was crowded with people, laughing and talking. I walked past them. I’d never felt farther away from life at the FEA. I’d changed during my time as Madison and I didn’t think it was something that could be undone.
Tanner fell into step beside me. “Hey Tess, I heard you kicked some serious ass in Livingston. Well done.”
I stopped, frozen by his words, and stared at him, unsure if he was pulling my leg. Slowly his grin faded. “That wasn’t the right thing to say, huh?” He rubbed his mohawk.
“Sorry, I’m just not in the mood for congratulations. I don’t really feel like a winner.”
He nodded. “Alec asked for you. It was the first thing he said when he got back.”
I forced a smile. “Thanks for telling me. I need to go. Major’s waiting.”
Major’s door was open. Hesitantly I stepped inside. Alec and Major both stood in front of the picture window, looking outward. It seemed like they were arguing about something. Alec shook his head, his expression angrier than I’d ever seen it. I took a step closer, hoping to catch a snippet of their conversation. Suddenly they fell silent and turned to look at me. Without another word from Major, Alec turned and left the room, his hand brushing mine as he passed. The door fell shut and a crushing silence engulfed me.
Major sank down in his chair, and after a moment, I crossed the room and sat across from him. He pointed toward a cup. “I asked Martha to make you tea. She said you like chai.”
I reached for the cup and blew on the steaming liquid, breathing in the scent of cinnamon and something spicier. A bit like Alec. I took a sip, knowing that Major was watching me. I cradled the cup against my chest. “Did you talk to Devon?”
Major nodded.
“And?”
“I told him the truth. He’s one of us. He’d figured most of it out by himself anyway.” He paused for a long moment. “And I invited him to join us.”
I jerked. Hot liquid sloshed over the edge of the cup and soaked my shirt, burning the skin beneath. I put the cup down. “What did he say?”
“He said yes.”
How would I ever face him again?
“Devon knows that what we did was necessary to catch the killer. He accepts it.” Major straightened the cuffs of his shirt. “And there’s someone else who’ll join ranks with us soon.”
“Another Variant?” For a crazy moment I was sure that Major had convinced Devon to bring Ryan back from the dead.
“Phil Faulkner; I know you mentioned him to Alec once.”
I gave a nod. So I had been right. Phil was a Variant. “What’s his Variation?”
“Venom. His tear ducts and the glands on his palms produce a toxin, a strong sedative.”
I thought back to my few encounters with Phil. I’d never paid much attention to him, but something I’d noticed came back to me.
“That’s why he sometimes wore those fingerless gloves?”
“Correct. When emotionally challenged, he has some trouble controlling his glands, but we’ll be able to help him with that.” Excitement lined Major’s face. A new Variant was a big deal and now he had two.
“We found letters and documents in the house where Ryan attacked you. Apparently three Variant families moved to Livingston during World War II, worried the government would use them as weapons. They decided to hide and live lives free of their Variations.” His lips tightened in obvious disapproval. “Linda Chambers’s parents, Ryan’s grandparents, and Phil’s grandmother.”
“And nobody knew?”
“Since Variations often jump a generation, neither Ryan’s nor Phil’s parents were Variants, and they had no idea. Phil’s grandmother told him the truth. Alec and I talked to her and convinced her it was best if Phil joined the FEA. Unfortunately, Linda Chambers’s parents died without telling anyone, and so Devon never understood what was happening to him.”
“How about Madison; did she have a Variation?”
“Not that we are aware of. Devon claims he’s the only Variant in his family and I don’t have any reason to doubt him.” He paused before adding, “We decided not to burden Mr. and Mrs. Chambers with the knowledge of Variants just yet. Regarding the rest of town, the FEA let Summers and a few others run their magic. According to the local police and the media, Ryan was merely a teen sociopath with a drug problem.”
Major drummed his fingers against his desk. He seemed to ponder how much more he should tell me. “Long before you joined us, way before you were even born, Abel’s Army was a part of the FEA. But almost two decades ago, they broke things off and now they’re recruiting members for their own cause. While we are more than happy to help the government with their larger counter-terrorism efforts, Abel’s Army is only too keen to offer their talents to the highest bidder.”
“So the agents weren’t kidnapped? They joined Abel’s Army of their own accord?” It seemed impossible that someone would choose Abel’s Army, a group that encouraged killing, over the FEA.
“That’s not what I said. We don’t know what happened to the agents. What we do know is that Abel’s Army is growing. They aren’t content with remaining in the background anymore and they are ruthless.”
I opened my mouth but Major raised his hands. “That’s all I can say.”
“So you don’t think Abel’s Army forced Ryan to kill? Do you think that maybe they brainwashed him?”
“It’s a sad fact that some Variants don’t need much incentive to go astray. The same Variation that gifts us with extraordinary talents unfortunately sometimes brings with it a predisposition f
or mental instability. Ryan was one of those volatile Variants. Abel’s Army is particularly interested in them.”
“But why?”
Major stared down at his hands—breaking eye contact. “Abel has always been of the opinion that the FEA’s practice to confine volatile Variants if they’re a danger to the public is wrong. He thinks there are other ways to keep them under control, or that their instability can be useful. And it must be said that many Volatiles are gifted with extraordinary Variations and that whoever manages to use them will have a great advantage.”
“So what does the FEA do with volatile Variants? Are they always sent to prison?”
“No. There’s no certain way to ascertain if someone’s volatile, but if there’s a history of mental illness in the person’s background, that’s a red flag. With the right guidance, though, we could have kept Ryan under control. That’s why we try to find Variants as young as possible.”
“I think Ryan actually loved Madison,” I said quietly.
“He might’ve loved her, and maybe things would have been different if they hadn’t broken up. Maybe it was his tipping point and everything spiraled out of control from there. But we will never find out. The fact is, he got drunk on the power his Variation gave him and that was his greatest downfall.”
I nodded.
Major gave me a pointed look. “Emotions are a dangerous thing, Tessa. It’s best to keep them under your control at all times.”
He made a dismissive gesture and I heaved myself out of the chair. I turned before I reached the door. “Sir, as I’m sure you know, Madison’s funeral is in a few days. I’d like to go to say good-bye. I think it would help me get over everything that’s happened.”
“I’m sorry, but I cannot allow that.”
“But sir, I wouldn’t give myself away. I would be careful not to be seen.”
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