by Alicia Rades
“The boy? He was just here.”
“No, not him.”
“Then who?”
Laughter echoed around me, but I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. As the eerie sound intensified, the fog began to clear. A hill rose in the distance, and I noticed for the first time I was standing at the base of the valley. I could just barely make out a dark figure with massive black wings at the top of the hill.
“Dorian?” I turned back to Marek for confirmation, but he was gone.
Panic entered my chest. How could he just abandon me?
I heard the flapping of wings and turned my full attention back to Dorian. By now, the fog had completely lifted, but the atmosphere remained a grayish tint that sent a chill down my spine.
With every increasingly rapid breath, Dorian got closer to me. I should’ve run, but I stood my ground.
“You can’t win this fight, Dorian!” I shouted.
A dark fireball had already settled in his palm when he landed.
“That’s where you’re wrong.” He didn’t waste another second as he hurled the fireball toward me.
Instinct overcame me, and I jumped to dodge it. I expected my feet to hit the ground a moment later, but I was surprised to find myself airborne. A strong wind passed by my face. I flapped my wings harder, rising above Dorian.
He threw another fireball.
I dodged that one as well as the next.
I landed gracefully beside him. “This is a war you can’t win, Dorian.”
“Of course I can,” he said, that cold laugh returning. “You may be the chosen one, but there’s just one problem.”
I swallowed, not sure if I wanted him to elaborate. My curiosity got the better of me. “What’s that?”
Dorian’s laughter stopped dead. “They chose wrong.”
Then he hurled the essence in his hand at my chest, and everything went dark.
I awoke suddenly. My heart raced, and my body was covered in a sheen of sweat. The side of my face stuck to the arm of a leather couch, and a TV played quietly in the background. It took me a moment to remember where I was.
After Marek and I came inside, Allie had put on a movie in the living room. I’d fallen asleep next to Marek. Now I lay alone on the couch with a blanket draped over me that hadn’t been there earlier.
I tried to hold onto the memory of my dream, but it was slipping away quickly. Who was that boy I’d dreamt about? He reminded me so much of someone… of Marek.
I realized it as soon as I asked myself the question. He’d been a younger version of Marek, the version who’d run away from Eagle Valley. The woman’s voice had been his mother’s.
I continued to play the dream back through my mind until I recalled how it ended. Could Nightmare Dorian have been right? Did Grace choose the wrong person?
I looked to Allie and Kyle in the loveseat beside me. Allie lay against Kyle’s chest with his arm around her shoulder.
I sat up. “How long was I out?”
Allie shrugged. “Half an hour or so.”
“That’s it?” I asked in shock. “Where’s Marek?”
“He went home a few minutes ago,” Allie said.
My heart dropped. It was already dark out, but he could’ve stayed longer.
“Are you hungry?” Allie asked. “My dad left some chili on the stove. We didn’t want to wake you.”
“Thanks.” I stood.
Allie hopped up from the loveseat to join me in the kitchen. “Do you remember where the bowls and spoons are?”
“Yeah.” I helped myself to the silverware.
Allie pulled a bowl down from the cupboard and handed it to me. I ladled chili into my bowl and leaned my hip against the counter to eat.
“So, you and Marek were outside for a while.” Allie wiggled her eyebrows. “Anything fun happen?”
I rolled my eyes at her. “Could you at least give us a month to get to know each other?”
“A whole month?” she teased, sticking her bottom lip out. “You never let me have any fun.”
I swallowed my chili and laughed.
Allie pulled a clean glass from the drying rack and began filling it at the sink. “No, but seriously. I saw you two hugging.”
I rose my eyebrows at her. “And what were you doing spying on us?”
Allie’s eyes widened innocently. “I wasn’t! You can see the swing set from the window.” She gestured to the window above the sink.
I glanced outside. I could just barely make out the silhouette of the swing set through the darkness. Lightning lit up the clouds in the distance.
Allie sipped on her water. “What’d you two talk about?”
I shrugged. I knew I could tell Allie about Clinton because she was a Davina, but telling the story once today was enough.
I stared out the window. “Marek was just telling me I wasn’t doing so bad. He told me he ran away when he came here.”
Allie frowned. “Yeah, he did.”
Another bolt of lightning lit up the sky. The thick cloud cover diffused the light.
“Who did what?” Kyle stepped into the room.
“Marek ran away,” Allie said simply, taking another gulp of water.
Kyle crossed his arms in amusement and leaned against the counter. “Oh, that story.”
I barely processed what they were saying. My attention remained locked on the lightning in the distance. Something was off about it.
And then I saw it.
A light shot up into the sky, illuminating the clouds. As fast as the flash came, it was gone.
“What are you looking at?” Allie followed my gaze toward the horizon.
I set my bowl on the counter, never taking my eyes off the night sky. “Is it just me, or is there something strange about that lightning?”
Kyle joined us at the window to get a good look. The light shot into the sky again and flashed through the clouds. Kyle let out a breath in disbelief. Allie and I looked at him for explanation. He twisted his lips and shook his head.
“That son of a bitch,” he said in amusement.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Kyle laughed lightly. “That’s not lightning.”
Allie drew in a breath of surprise. Clearly she understood something I didn’t.
“If it’s not lightning—” I stopped dead.
We were in Eagle Valley. What else could it be?
“Essence?” I asked.
Kyle nodded.
“I thought that was supposed to be kept secret,” I said.
Allie frowned. “It is.”
“Then why’s someone out there doing that?” I asked.
Kyle scoffed. “Isn’t it obvious?”
No, you dimwit. I’m not exactly familiar with this Davina stuff.
I shook my head.
Kyle smiled in amusement. “I’d bet you anything it’s your boyfriend out there. He’s going after the demon himself.”
26
“He can’t!” I cried. My eyes widened in shock.
Kyle shrugged. “He did.”
“How do you know it’s him?” I demanded.
“Because it’s something he would do,” Allie answered with an eye roll.
Kyle gestured out the window. “And check out where it’s coming from.”
I considered it for a moment. “The valley.”
Kyle nodded.
“We have to go!” I was already on my way to the back door. Marek wasn’t going to get hurt because of me.
“Hold on,” Allie called. “Ryn!”
I raced through Allie’s back yard and across the neighbor’s.
“Marek’s such an idiot,” Allie mumbled from several paces back.
That, or my hero. We have yet to find out.
Kyle and Allie caught up to me when I reached the sidewalk, but I didn’t slow my pace. I sprinted as fast as I could in the direction of Galen High.
My legs burned as we neared the school. It felt like a weight had settled on my chest as I suc
ked in shallow breaths. But it never felt like I was getting enough oxygen.
I definitely needed to pick up running. And maybe cut back on the cookies.
The three of us ran around the side of the school. We increased our speed as soon as we hit the trail. Through the trees, I saw Marek’s essence shoot upward and illuminate the sky again. What was he thinking?
As we raced closer, I heard his voice cut through the sound of the wind.
“Come on!” he shouted. There was a raw passion in his voice I’d never heard before. “I know you’re out there.”
I broke through the trees and came to a sudden halt next to Marek’s bike. Allie stumbled into me but caught herself on my shoulder. Kyle stopped beside her.
Below us, Marek stood in the center of the valley. Another fireball was ready in his hand, illuminating him. He paced back and forth aggressively with his head tilted toward the sky.
“Where are you, you jackass?” he roared. “Come fight me. Let’s see who really deserves her!”
Marek closed his fist, and the fireball inside it disappeared. Darkness enveloped the valley. The next moment, a white fireball erupted from his palm and shot straight into the sky like a firework. It reached the low-hanging clouds. They lit for less than a second before the valley became dark again.
“Marek, stop!” I called from the top of the hill.
I hardly thought about it when I flexed my shoulders and wings grew out of my back. I threw my body forward and spread my wings out.
Marek conjured another fireball to illuminate his face. He looked in my direction as I descended toward him. I could hear Allie’s and Kyle’s wings flapping behind me.
I aimed for landing next to him, but I hadn’t perfected my landing yet. I stumbled into him and caught myself on the sleeve of his jacket.
The fireball in his hand disappeared. He grabbed my arms to steady me, but the valley didn’t go dark. I glanced behind me to see that Allie and Kyle were holding fireballs of their own.
Marek gripped my biceps hard and forced me to look at him. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“You shouldn’t be here,” I accused. “What were you thinking?”
His eyes searched mine, but his voice remained strong. “I was thinking I wanted to protect you.”
“But Fletcher said—” I started.
“Forget what Fletcher said,” Marek growled. “You need to get out of here. All of you.”
“We’re not going anywhere without you,” I stated confidently.
“Please,” Marek pleaded. “You weren’t supposed to follow me. If he got my message, he’s almost here.”
Kyle stepped forward. “Marek, you’re being an idiot.”
Thank God someone agreed with me.
“You’re not going to talk me out of it,” Marek declared.
“I know,” Kyle said. “You’re too stubborn for that. The least you can do is let us fight alongside you.”
Apparently Kyle wasn’t taking my side after all.
Jerk.
“No.” Marek’s voice was strong and commanding. “Not Ryn. I left her with you so you could protect her.”
Kyle frowned. “Then you should’ve told me your plan.”
Allie stepped between them. “You’re both being ridiculous. Fletcher is taking care of this demon. We need to get out of here before—”
An explosion like a firecracker at our feet cut her off. Every muscle in my body contracted.
It took me only a moment of confusion to realize what it’d been.
Essence.
A warning.
I whirled around quickly. What I saw sent my heart tumbling out of my chest.
A dark winged figure I recognized all too well swooped out of the sky and landed just yards away from us.
If at any moment I’d felt hopeless in all my encounters with Dorian, it was nothing compared to how I felt when six other cloaked figures soared out of the shadows behind him.
27
Seven demons surrounded us.
A dark fireball with its red and white outline glowed in Dorian’s palm and illuminated the bottom half of his thin face. Fear instinctively hit, but it was quickly overshadowed by anger when I noticed his smirk.
He’s not going to win.
Marek grabbed my wrist and pulled me behind him.
Allie and Kyle stood facing the circle of demons with their backs toward me. I was enclosed in a protective triangle between the three of them. Allie’s and Kyle’s wings helped hide me.
I stared past Marek to Dorian. “I thought you wanted all the glory for yourself.”
Marek pushed me further behind him.
Dorian grinned. “I told you I wasn’t going to give you a choice.”
“Didn’t think you could take me on alone, did you?” I taunted.
“Don’t worry,” Dorian said with a laugh. “You’re still mine. I only recruited a few people to take care of your friends.”
Dorian reached up with one hand to lower his hood. He looked mostly human, but there was something evil about him that made my stomach twist. His eyes held that same darkness in them I’d noticed before. This time, it was even more apparent and terrifying.
“Sorry to disappoint,” I said, “but you’ve recruited for nothing. There’s nothing you can do to make me go with you.”
“Quiet,” Marek hissed. He scanned the circle of demons like he was calculating how to take them all out.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Dorian mocked. “I’m giving you one last chance to join me. If you refuse, you can say goodbye to your friends.”
Someone might as well have dropped a cinderblock on my stomach. We were outnumbered. If I didn’t go with him, my friends were going to die.
There has to be a way out of this.
“Your plan will never work,” Marek snarled. “The demons will never have the Power of Grace.”
“Shut up, Lover Boy,” Dorian barked.
“It’s true!” Allie cried. She never took her eyes off the other demons. “Her power isn’t genetic.”
“You’re lying!” Dorian accused.
“She’s not,” Kyle defended.
Marek stepped further in front of me for protection. I couldn’t see Dorian’s reaction.
After a few moments, Dorian spoke again. “Doesn’t matter either way. Her power is too unique.”
And he wants every bit of it for himself.
My chest tightened. Marek’s words echoed in my head.
If he’s not using you to build an army, he’ll use you for something else.
Marek squeezed my hand. “If you want her, you’ll have to come through us to get her.”
Dorian scoffed. “If that’s how you want to do this…”
Everyone moved in a blur. The six other demons closed in on us, and my friends immediately sprang into action. Marek’s hold on me vanished as he aimed a punch at the closest demon.
Before I could make a move, Dorian had closed the distance between us and had me in his grasp. He spun me around and held me to his chest, pinning my wings at an awkward angle between us.
I watched in horror as a demon sank a foot into Marek’s abdomen. Marek conjured a fireball. Nearby, Allie threw a kick into a demon’s gut and elbowed another in the face. Kyle tackled one to the ground and smashed his fist into its face over and over again.
Dorian’s cold breath across my cheek sent a chill down my spine. “Are you ready to come with me now?”
I squirmed. “I’ll never go with you.”
Dorian clicked his tongue. “Not the answer I wanted to hear, Little Angel. Though, your resistance is a bit of a turn-on.” Dorian pressed his hips into my backside and trailed a hand down my stomach to my waistline.
I gritted my teeth.
“Stop!” I demanded.
“Stop what?” he taunted. “Stop my friends from killing yours? Or stop this?” His fingers slid across my hip.
“Please,” I cried.
How had this happened? How
had I let him get me in this position again?
Dorian squeezed me tighter. “That’s it, my Little Angel. Beg for it.”
My breath grew hot on my upper lip. “I. Am. Not. Your. Little. Angel.”
A strength I didn’t know I had overcame me. I lifted my foot and slammed it down hard on his toes. His grip on me loosened, and I took the opportunity to swing my elbow up into his nose. He stumbled back and released me.
I raced away from him as fast as my legs could carry me and launched myself into the air. A ball of black magic flew by my head, narrowly missing my shoulder. I didn’t look back, but I knew Dorian was flying close behind me.
I’m going to die. Just like in my dream.
I somehow missed another one of Dorian’s attacks. I was quickly reaching the end of the valley and didn’t know how much longer I could hold him off. Any moment, he could knock me out of the air.
Don’t let him get to you, I told myself.
Instantly, I knew the only thing I could do was hide. I didn’t worry about landing gracefully. My only mission was to get into the trees—and fast. At least in there, I had some cover.
I landed hard at the top of the valley opposite the trail we normally came in on. I stumbled to my knees but quickly got to my feet and took off running. I pulled my wings into me so they wouldn’t slow me down.
Rather than dodging Dorian’s attacks, I found myself dodging around trees and jumping over thick roots. There was no path here, and the forest was denser than I thought it would be.
My hand scraped along the bark of the trees as I passed each one. I used their sturdy trunks to help me stay upright. Just as my hand found another tree, a dark fireball passed through it and fizzled out just feet ahead of me. I didn’t let my shock slow me down. I was immediately on to the next tree, still jumping over roots and fallen sticks as fast as I could.
As another fireball rushed by my head, I knew Dorian couldn’t be far behind. I gave up using the trees as support and let my legs carry me through the thick forest. I concentrated as much as I could to get that white fireball to appear in my fist.
Nothing came, not even a tingle.
How had this worked every other time fear overcame me, but it wasn’t working now when I needed it the most?
