by Alicia Rades
I forced down the lump in my throat so I could speak past it. His words didn’t help reassure me. “Then why are you here?”
He held his head high. “I’ve come to convince you to join me.”
Well, damn. That’s definitely not what I expected to hear.
“Join you?” I asked curiously.
“With your magic, the Aedes could grow strong. We could build an army together, one that could win this war and stop the bloodshed.”
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “How does my magic help you?”
“An Aedes child with your kind of power could lead an army. With enough of them, we’d be unstoppable. And with me as their father, I’d become a god to my people.”
My breath froze in my chest. This was way worse than I could have ever imagined. Dorian wasn’t planning to kill me. He was planning to turn me into a baby cannon.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Marek’s arm twitch beneath me. He was starting to wake. I had to keep Dorian talking.
I inched back a step. “What makes you think I’d go along with this?”
“Because one way or another, I will have you.” He sounded so sure of himself. “You don’t have a choice. You can either come with me nicely… or I’ll make you.”
I scoffed. “You think you’ll be a hero to your people, yet you don’t fight like it. Attacking me when no one else is around? Knocking my friend out to make sure he can’t save me this time? You’re not a hero. You’re a coward.”
Dorian laughed again. “We’ll see about that.” He stretched his hand out to conjure another fireball.
“You just made one mistake,” I said with a raise of my eyebrow.
The orb in his hand instantly stopped growing.
“And what’s that?” he growled.
Marek’s voice came as I knew it would. “You kept talking.”
Marek leapt to his feet and shot a white fireball at Dorian. A smile spread across my face before Marek’s magic even made it to Dorian, but that smile quickly faded when Dorian dodged out of the way. Marek was quick and had already sent another ball of magic toward him.
Dorian ducked out of the way again. He launched himself forward and knocked Marek to the ground. His wings disappeared beneath his cloak. He pulled a fist back and smashed it into Marek’s nose. Blood spirted across the grass.
Before I knew what I was doing, my foot connected with Dorian’s ribs. Hard. He grunted and rolled off of Marek.
My nostrils flared, and my breath came in shallow heaves. “Do not touch him!”
Dorian pushed himself up, and his hood fell. Those dark, callous eyes glared at me like he was trying to burn a hole through my soul.
An electric tingle spread through my fingers. I was surprised to see a purple fireball form in my hand. I glanced to Marek uncertainly.
He held a hand over his bleeding nose. His eyes widened in urgency, but I hesitated.
If Marek had my powers, Dorian would be dead already. Despite how much Dorian terrified and angered me, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
“Go!” I shouted at Dorian.
I held a weapon in my hand that could end him in a heartbeat. What was he still doing hanging around?
Dorian smiled sardonically. “You don’t have the guts to kill me.”
“Do you really want to stick around and find out?” I threatened. “Get out of here before I change my mind!”
Dorian sighed in a way that sounded like he was mocking me. “I’d hoped you’d come willingly. It would’ve made this a lot easier.” He rose to his feet. Dark feathery wings grew out of his back again. “Remember, Little Angel, I’m not giving you a choice.”
He launched himself into the air. His wings flapped vigorously, carrying him away from us.
Marek wiped the blood from his face and rose to his feet.
“Don’t say it,” I warned before he had a chance to speak.
I could already tell by the hard expression on his face what he wanted to say.
I shouldn’t have let Dorian go.
But I wasn’t going to make myself—or Marek—into a killer.
Dorian had to realize his plan would never work. My magic was stronger than his. I could only hope that would keep him away.
Marek tore his gaze from the horizon as soon as Dorian disappeared. He took my hand.
“Come on,” he said in a commanding tone. “Let’s go.”
We raced up the stairs and down the trail without saying a word. My legs burned in protest. I sucked in large gulps of air without really feeling like I was breathing. Marek slowed and pulled out his phone near the end of the trail.
“We need to meet up,” he barked into the phone. “Now.” He paused for a moment. “At the school.” He punched the screen so hard I thought he might crack it.
“Who—” I inhaled a deep breath. “Who are we going to meet?”
Marek was already scrolling through his phone for another number. He ignored me and pulled the phone to his ear. “Hey, Allie. Something happened again. We’re meeting up with Fletcher. You and Kyle should come, too.” It didn’t sound like a suggestion.
He hung up and slipped his phone back in his pocket.
“I’m sorry,” he said through labored breaths.
“For what?”
“I promised you nothing would happen. I just didn’t think that… He must’ve been watching us, waiting until we were… vulnerable.” Marek’s eyes fell on the school building in the distance. “Come on. We need to tell the others.”
22
Allie and Kyle hadn’t made it far. They were engaged in what looked like a heated conversation next to her vehicle. Allie stopped mid-sentence when she noticed our approach.
“What the hell?” She rushed to us. “We were just with you guys! What could’ve happened in the last five minutes?”
“Dorian.” The name barely came out past the lump in my throat.
“Dorian?” she asked.
“The demon,” Marek clarified with a scowl.
Kyle’s eyes grew wide. “He attacked again? I thought he was being taken care of.”
I crossed my arms. “I thought so, too.”
“We need to talk to Fletcher,” Marek said.
Just then, Fletcher’s car pulled up and parked unevenly next to the curb.
He jumped out of the vehicle with a worried expression on his face. “What’s wrong? What’s happened?”
Marek glanced around. He seemed to decide it wasn’t safe to talk out in the open. “Let’s get inside.”
Fletcher nodded and hurried toward the school, fumbling with his keys as he went. “Everyone’s okay?”
Marek looked at me. “Ryn?”
My heart began to slow. “I’m fine. For now.”
Fletcher led the way to his classroom. The remaining four of us filed into seats in the front row. He sat behind his desk and crossed his hands.
“Dorian attacked again,” Marek stated flatly.
Fletcher pressed his fingers to his eyes, looking positively distressed. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
Allie and Kyle leaned in closer.
“Ryn and I were down in the valley. She’d just taken her first flight, and everyone else left. We were going to get started on conjuring essence, but then the demon attacked me from behind.”
Fletcher dropped his hands. “Then what happened?”
Marek looked to me for explanation.
“Dorian was standing at the top of the hill,” I said. “He flew down to me, and I conjured essence. I thought I might be able to use it on him. But it was just a little bit. I couldn’t sustain it. I knew I didn’t stand a chance, so I tried to keep him talking to stall. He said…”
Everyone looked at me expectantly.
I took a deep breath. “He said he wants me to join him.”
Fletcher furrowed his brow. “Join him?”
My gut twisted when I thought of Dorian’s plan.
“He wants me to help him build an army of demon
s who have my power,” I admitted.
“What?” Allie asked in shock. “How would that even work?”
“He wants to—” How could I put this into words? “He wants to breed with me. He wants our kids to lead a demon army. He says they’d be unstoppable.”
Fletcher shook his head like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “He clearly doesn’t understand your powers.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“The Power of Grace isn’t genetic,” Fletcher answered.
Relief washed over me. If what Fletcher said was true, Dorian would have to give up on me.
“It takes a physical body to manipulate essence,” Fletcher explained. “That’s why Grace needs someone else to wake her. Originals couldn’t just hand their essence over to a mortal, though. It would destroy the mortal. She, however, can send it through you. You, Ryn, are a conduit.”
My brows shot up. “A con-du-what?”
“A conduit,” Fletcher said. “You’ve been chosen by Grace to reconnect her essence and consciousness with her body and life energy. Once that connection is restored, she’ll be able to access the full potential of her essence once again.”
I thought about it for a moment.
“So, what you’re saying is—” I stared.
“Grace’s power isn’t yours to keep,” Fletcher finished. “Once you restore the connection between Grace’s essence and her body, your powers will return to normal—like the rest of ours.”
I was stunned by Fletcher’s words. I didn’t know what to think.
“How’d you get away from him?” Fletcher asked.
“Away from Dorian? I threatened him,” I said. “Marek woke up, and he was trying to help. Then Dorian hit him, and I conjured a purple fireball—”
“They’re not fireballs,” Marek muttered under his breath.
I shot him the evil eye for interrupting. “I told Dorian to go before I changed my mind.”
“You shouldn’t have let him,” Marek said through gritted teeth.
“You think the alternative is better?” My voice rose. “I’m not going to kill someone!”
Reality slammed into me as soon as I said it. I’ve already killed before.
“Not on purpose, anyway,” I clarified in a small voice.
Marek turned to Fletcher. “If Ryn’s not going to kill him, someone else has to. He’s not going to give up.”
“We could reason with him,” I argued. “We could tell him what Fletcher just said, about how his plan couldn’t ever work.”
“You think he’d give up?” Marek asked harshly. “If he’s not using you to build an army, he’ll use you for something else. The demons would rather kill you than let you wake Grace.”
Allie cut in. “What about the team of people you have looking for him, Fletcher?”
“Yeah,” Marek agreed. “I thought the Davina in Eagle Valley were supposed to have practical experience.”
Fletcher sighed. “Unfortunately, some Davina haven’t been as cooperative as I would like. I’ve essentially been looking for him myself. While I’ve asked the rest of you to keep an eye on Ryn, I’ve been canvassing the outskirts of town hoping to run into him. But he’s on high alert. I haven’t been able to get close enough for combat.”
“What’s everyone else doing?” Marek snarled. “Casey said her dad was out there looking for him.”
“Casey’s father, along with the others, don’t know about Ryn’s… talents,” Fletcher said. “They know the demon won’t come all the way into town, and though they know Ryn is his target, they’re confident she’s safe. They aren’t trying very hard to find him. They don’t see him as a threat.”
“That’s bull!” Kyle yelled.
“Then we have to tell them about her powers,” Marek insisted at the same time.
Fletcher held up a hand to get them both to calm down. “We’re not telling them. The more people we tell, the more danger we put Ryn in. Yes, we can trust the Davina, but it’s not a matter of trust. Rumors will fly. It just takes one person to overhear what Ryn is capable of to put her in more danger.”
“Tell them he attacked me, too,” Marek suggested. “If they know he’s not just out for Ryn, then maybe they’ll think twice about how dangerous he is.”
Allie shifted in her chair and raised her hand apprehensively, waiting for her turn to speak.
Fletcher raised his eyebrows in interest. “Yes, Allie?”
She cleared her throat. “Well, it’s just… I agree with you. Maybe we shouldn’t tell the others. But you already have a group of people who do understand the situation and can help out. You have us.”
Fletcher shook his head with conviction. “No. I don’t want to put any of you in more danger. I want all of you to stay in town until I can get this sorted out. No more going to the valley until next week. Without enough people coming and going during school hours, it leaves you too exposed. Ryn, I want you to continue trying to conjure essence but at home instead of the valley. Once we eliminate this threat, we’ll have much more time for lessons.”
I nodded.
“I know a way we could end this sooner,” Kyle said.
We all looked to him in question.
“We use Ryn as bait.”
“What?” I practically choked.
“No,” Marek protested.
“Kyle,” Allie said in disbelief.
“Just hear me out,” Kyle insisted. “This demon’s attacked her twice now at the valley. We go back out there and set up a similar scenario but have people surrounding the valley to attack him as soon as he shows.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You can’t really think he’s that stupid, can you?”
Kyle shrugged. “It’s worth a shot. He either shows up and we get him, or he doesn’t and no one gets hurt.”
“Kyle—” I started, but Fletcher cut me off.
“No. We’re not using Ryn as bait. Ryn, I want you to go home and stay there. I’m getting a better feel for this Aedes’ movements. I should have him taken care of before school starts.”
“Can’t we at least do something to help?” Marek asked.
Fletcher raised his brows. “Yes. You can keep Ryn company.”
“Fine.” Marek sounded slightly irritated, like he’d rather be out there with Fletcher than babysitting me. He stood.
“Wait,” Kyle insisted. “Can’t we talk about this more? The sooner we get rid of this demon, the better.”
Marek turned to Kyle with a hard look on his face. “You think I don’t know that? I want to get rid of him, too, but Fletcher’s right. We have to protect Ryn.” He turned to me and softened his voice. “Let’s get you somewhere safe for the night.”
My heart melted. How’d I manage to find this guy who wanted to protect me at any cost?
Allie, Kyle, and I stood to follow him.
I paused at the door. “Fletcher?”
I could see the apology written all over his face. He obviously felt bad that he hadn’t caught Dorian yet.
“I’m really grateful for all your help,” I told him. “Thanks for watching out for me.”
A smile crept across his face, melting away the disappointment on it. “That’s what I’m here for. Please do me a favor, Ryn.”
“Yeah?”
“Stay safe, okay?”
I nodded. “I will.”
I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep that promise.
23
We stepped outside into heavy air. The clouds had thickened, darkening the sky.
“What are we supposed to do now?” Kyle asked. “Just sit around and do nothing?”
“I don’t know.” Marek ran his fingers through his hair.
“I have an idea,” I offered. “We could go back to Allie’s and you could show me how to conjure fireballs.”
Marek frowned at my use of the term fireballs.
“If I can learn to conjure white fireballs by will, I’ll be able to defend myself without hurting anyon
e.” I stared at Marek pleadingly. He had to know how much I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.
We stopped beside Allie’s vehicle.
“I’d personally love to see Ryn use the Power of Grace,” Kyle said.
“Me, too,” Allie agreed. “And Fletcher said he wanted her to keep trying with it.”
Marek pursed his lips.
“What?” I asked. “You think it’s a bad idea? I won’t hurt anyone in a controlled environment.”
Marek sighed. “It’s not that.”
“Then what?” I demanded.
Marek gritted his teeth like he didn’t want to say. We all stared back at him expectantly.
He finally caved. “Forget what Fletcher said. I want to go after this demon.”
“No!” I objected. The last thing I wanted was for him to get hurt.
“You can’t,” Allie agreed.
“Calm down, Marek,” Kyle said. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Marek glared at Kyle like he couldn’t believe he was giving orders. He ran his fingers through his hair again.
“I know.” Marek crossed his arms. “That’s why I need someone to talk me out of it.”
“Fletcher’s taking care of it,” Allie said.
Somehow, I didn’t think that would convince Marek.
I stepped forward until Marek and I were just inches apart. I stared intensely into his eyes.
“You can’t,” I said in a near whisper. “Who would protect me if you weren’t around?”
Marek’s expression softened. He held my gaze for several seconds but didn’t say anything.
“Um, hello?” Kyle said. “Allie and I aren’t completely useless.”
Thanks, Kyle. You just invalidated my entire argument.
Allie elbowed him softly in the ribs.
“Ow!” Kyle elbowed her back.
Marek laughed lightly and relaxed his shoulders. “Ryn’s right. I can’t leave her alone with you two idiots. Let’s go conjure some essence.”
We spent the next hour in Allie’s basement while I tried to conjure what essence I could. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t manage more than a spark.
Kyle sprawled himself in the bean bag chair in the corner, making comments every now and then about how I was doing it wrong or how I wasn’t trying hard enough. Allie told me at least six times to ignore him.
