“What are you mumbling about?” Zoe asks.
Blinking the rain from my eyes I look at her with contempt. Digging my fingers into the mud I release all the energy that had been building inside of me. The ground lurches and rumbles. She looks at me with understanding before a shockwave erupts from me sweeping both her and Jared away. Energy continues to pour from my fingers splitting the earth apart into a massive chasm separating Jared and I from Zoe. Trees caught in the wake rip free to topple and crash leaving this once beautiful place obliterated by my hands.
I pull my fingers from the Earth ceasing the shaking everywhere except inside of me. With unsteady hands, I yank the branch from my neck that Jared had stabbed me with. Blood gushes saturating my shirt. Covering the wound with my hand I do my best to slow it down as it heals.
I get to my feet staggering toward Jared’s crumpled form hoping against hope that he’s okay and that Zoe doesn’t wake up.
“Jared.” I nudge him. He doesn’t respond and for one terrifying second I fear the worst. I drop to my knees to roll him over, his chest rises and falls. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I shake his shoulders. “Jared, please wake up.”
And please be you.
A branch snaps somewhere behind me, my heart stops. Another snap and I petrify, afraid to move, afraid to breathe.
“Hanna?”
I crumble at the sound of his voice and turn to find him stumbling out of the trees. “Will?”
I run to him throwing myself into his arms, knocking him back a few steps. I hug him tightly. Pulling away, I notice all the dried blood caked to the side of his face. “Are you okay?”
Will’s lips curve in a barely there smile. “Define okay?” His eyes roam over me stopping on my neck. He turns my head side to side. “This is a lot of blood Hanna. What happened? Where’s Jared?”
“Jared’s okay. He’s unconscious, but he’s okay. Zoe,” Will stiffens at the sound of her name, “attacked us. She can control people. Make them do whatever she wants.” I take a shaky breath. “She made Jared attack me.” My hand trembles as I tenderly touch the wound at my neck. I gaze out at all the destruction I caused, the fallen trees, the jagged gash tearing the world apart, Jared and Zoe out cold in the mud. I turn to Will hoping that he won’t be mad at me for blasting his sister like I did. “I didn’t want to do it,” I say indicating the wreckage at our feet. “But I had to. She was making him...” Kill me. My hand goes back to my throat.
“It’s okay.” He takes my hand away from my now healed wound. “You don’t have to justify. You did what you had to do and no one can fault you for that. I don’t.” Will looks around, the light of his flashlight his only illumination. “Where is she?”
“She’s right over there,” I say, pointing to the other side of the chasm.
“Hanna, there’s nobody there.”
“But…”
Sharp pain hits me in the shoulder. In agony, I twist and fall. The flashlight falls from Will’s hand as he drops down beside me.
“Hanna, don’t move.” he instructs. I don’t listen. I lift my head up just long enough to not only wish I’d listened, but to also see what’s causing me so much pain. Sticking out just below my left shoulder is the hilt of a knife.
“Help her and the next one I throw will be at your back,” Zoe challenges.
Will hesitates for half a second then pulls the blade from my shoulder, tossing it to the side. True to her word, Zoe throws another knife. So fast, Will turns catching the blade between his hands. If I weren’t currently in so much pain, I’d be pretty impressed by that.
“I’m much better at knives than you, Zoe. Are you sure you want to play this game with me?”
“I don’t want to fight you Will. I want you to join me. Don’t you see, we’ve been living our lives on the wrong side of the fight and Jasper has opened my eyes to that? There’s so much more the world has to offer us. So much more we can take. Why should we have to live in the background always hiding whom we truly are when we could rule if we wanted to? We’re better than mere humans. We’re superior, so why should we hold them above ourselves?”
“Are you insane? Do you even hear what you’re saying?”
Zoe looks momentarily hurt by his words then brushes it off with a shrug of her shoulders. “Suit yourself. But don’t say I didn’t warn you when everything goes to hell and you’re on the losing side.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
“If you say so.”
Zoe looks at me making eye contact. She whispers something only she can hear, but I somehow respond to. I get to my feet and lunge at Will. Jumping onto his back I wrap my hands around his neck squeezing as hard as I can. He stumbles off balance and tries to pry my hands away, but I can’t let go. I can’t ever let go because Zoe won’t let me. I want to cry. I want to fight against her commands, but I’m no longer in control and all I can do is watch myself kill my friend.
Will manages to get his hands underneath my arms. He leans forward throwing me over. My fingers loosen as I slam against the ground. He coughs and gasps backing away. I don’t move because Zoe doesn’t want me to.
“What is wrong with you?” Will’s voice is rough and strained as he stares at Zoe in disbelief.
Zoe laughs and inside I cringe. If I had control of myself I’d strangle her next.
“It’s not like I was going to kill you,” She tells him. “I was just having some fun showing you what I can do. You’d be so much better off on my side, you know. Think of all the things we could do together. And the Fallen, they’re not at all what we were led to believe. They are so much more and if we join with them, we’d be unstoppable.”
“You want to side with the Fallen? Are you delusional? Did Sam mean nothing to you?” Will paces, his eyes locked onto his sister, his hands clenched at his sides. So many emotions play over his face like he’s having a hard time deciding exactly how he should feel.
“Of course, Sam meant something to me. But his death was an accident. If she,” Zoe points a finger at me, “hadn’t gotten in the way Sam would still be here. Jasper never intended to kill him.”
“Don’t you blame her. If you’re going to blame anyone you should try looking into the mirror. You betrayed him Zoe. You betrayed us all. You are the reason he died.” Will pulls a knife out from behind his back. It shakes in his hand.
“And what are you going to do? Avenge him by killing me? Your own sister? Your twin? Your blood?” She looks from Will to me, a smile playing upon her face.
I get to my feet. With one traitorous foot in front of the other I walk to the edge of the chasm I created. My toes hang over the edge. Looking down I see no bottom in the darkness.
“What are you doing?” Will asks, panic rising in his voice.
“Giving you a choice. Avenge Sam by punishing me, even though I’m innocent, or save her, even though she’s guilty.”
I turn my head looking at Will over my shoulder, my feet dangerously close to going over the edge. I spread my arms out to the sides; the rain on my face taking the place of the tears I can’t shed. He drops his knife and runs for me just as I lean forward and begin to fall.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
A hand grabs my arm and I come to a jerking halt.
“Don’t let go,” Will tells me. But I can’t even hold on to begin with because Zoe doesn’t want me to. She wants me to fall, and I have no choice but to obey, so I start to pry his fingers from my arm.
His eyes widen, terrified that I might actually fall. His grip tightens. “Fight her,” he tells me.
I wish so much that I could.
Zoe starts to laugh and a change comes over Will. His deep blue eyes harden with determination. He’s not going to let me go and he’s not going to let her win. His jaw clenches, muscles flexing as I’m pulled back up. Lying me down on my back he straddles me sitting on my upper legs while pinning my arms to my sides with his knees to keep me from jumping over the edge, because I will, because Zoe wants me
to.
Will pulls out a small knife then runs the sharp edge down the palm of his hand. Blood rises to the surface dripping onto the front of my hoodie. He tosses the knife to the side then clasps his hands together. Closing his eyes he whispers, a soft purplish light starts to glow from between his hands.
“What are you doing?” Zoe asks, a note of worry in her voice.
Will’s eyes open just as he thrusts his hands outward. The ball of light hits her in the chest and she slumps to the ground.
He looks down at me as he brushes wet strands of hair out of my face. “Are you okay? Can you move?” He half laughs when he realizes a second later that he’s still sitting on me. “Right.” He moves over to the side. “How ‘bout now?”
After having Zoe in my head controlling my every move and not being able to do anything about it, I’m almost afraid to try. But he’s watching me with such concern that I don’t want to disappoint him. I start small, wiggling my fingers.
A smile spreads across my face.
I’m me.
I spring up wrapping my arms around Will’s neck catching him off guard. His arms surround me, holding me close. “Thank you for…” Not letting me go, for hitting Zoe with that weird ball of purple light that incapacitated her. “You saved my life.”
“You’re welcome, but you don’t have to thank me.” Disengaging from our hug, he cups my face in his hands, his thumb caressing my cheek. His eyes once so dark and clouded with anger and betrayal gaze upon me now raw and clear. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep you safe.” Tiny raindrops glistening on his eyelashes fall as he lowers his eyes to my mouth.
He’s going to kiss me.
My breath catches.
Do I want him to?
He leans in.
I hesitate before coming to my senses. “Jared,” I breathe out in a low whisper. Will stops, his lips a heartbeat away from mine. He sucks in his bottom lip as he pulls back. Guilt punches me in the gut. Guilt because on some level I think I sort of wanted him to kiss me, guilt because I shouldn't have wanted it at all, and guilt because I almost let him. I look over at Jared, my best friend, the boy I said I love you to earlier today, innocent and oblivious to what I almost let happen between Will and I. Guilt punches me again. “We should go check on him.”
Will nods just once then climbs to his feet. He holds out his hand to help me up without looking at me. “I should call Eric anyway about Zoe.” He stares at our hands held together then lets them fall apart. With a pained sort of smile that threatens to break my heart, he turns away.
I wish he didn’t feel about me the way he does because I don’t want to hurt him and I know that I’m only going to because my heart belongs to Jared. No good can come from Will trying to steal it away.
Jared is still unconscious when I reach him. Sitting down beside him I nudge his shoulder. “Jared, I need you to wake up.” I don’t know how long Zoe will be out and I don’t want to take the risk of having her control one of us again. “Please, wake up.”
“Eric’s on his way to pick up Zoe,” Will says, as he slips his phone into his back pocket. “We should get Jared back to the Jeep.”
I nod. Lifting Jared up Will and I both hook one of his arms around our necks. Jared’s head hangs forward, his feet useless. It’s going to be a long trek back, but at least the rain has stopped and the moon is out.
“Leaving so soon? And here I thought we could have some fun.”
Will and I turn to find Blondie standing on the other side of the chasm near Zoe’s slumped form. Moonlight shines on his face showing his eyes to be an icy blue. Meeting my gaze he smiles his usual evil grin.
Will lets go of Jared, and I widen my stance to support his weight. From the inside of his boot Will pulls out another blade. He’s like a walking arsenal. I wonder just how many knives he keeps on him at all times.
Blondie shifts his gaze to me, his cold blue eyes digging in until I’m freezing. “What do you say we play a game Hanna? You can start by telling me whom little Sam’s big brother is, or I can start by killing one of your friends there. Your choice.”
“Leave her alone.” Will moves in front of me protectively while pointing his blade at Blondie.
Jared’s fingers twitch, his lashes fluttering against the skin of his cheekbones. I lower him back to the ground as Will and Blondie continue their stare off.
“You won’t stop me you know.” Blondie pulls a knife out from behind his back, the air around the opaque blade blurs as it pulls at the colors around it.
Will tightens his grip. “Maybe it’s you who won’t stop me.”
Blondie laughs like the idea of Will defeating him is hilarious and I start to wonder if there are any more Fallen hiding amongst the trees just waiting to attack like last time. Blondie doesn’t strike me as the type who plays fair.
“What did you do to my sister?” Will asks through clenched teeth.
“Maybe I should ask you that?” Blondie kicks at her leg. “It was thoroughly entertaining watching her torment you, but then you had to go and take all the fun away.” He smiles. “To answer your question, I didn’t do anything to her other than listen. She’s very talented you know, has an amazing ability. Instead of limiting her like your people would have—or did, I should say, I nurtured her. I showed her all the things she could do. I opened her eyes to all the possibilities.” His grin is cocky, self-assured. “I set her free. Everyone wants freedom. Don’t you? Your sister did.”
“What you offered wasn’t freedom, it was chaos.”
“Maybe so, but there’s freedom in chaos. Freedom to take what you want and freedom to live by no rules. It’s the kind of freedom everybody wants. Even you.”
“Hanna?” Jared’s voice comes out raspy and strained. He attempts to sit up with a groan gaining the attention of both Will and Blondie.
“Look who’s finally waking up to join the fun,” Blondie singsongs.
I help Jared up, positioning myself in front of him. The ground beneath my feet begins to shake with tiny tremors.
“Protective are we Hanna? How sweet,” Blondie says as he steps to the edge of the chasm—the only thing separating us. His frosty blue eyes lock onto mine freezing all the blood in my veins. “I can feel you Hanna, and you’re weak.” He smiles so sweetly, so menacingly. “But I’m not.”
The ground beneath me shakes violently then starts to move, the chasm coming together until there’s no longer anything separating us from Blondie. The rims of his icy blue eyes hint at the darkness within. I stumble backwards into Jared.
“I can move things too.”
Will moves into a defensive stance, raising his blade. Blondie does nothing but grin, his arms relaxed at his sides.
“Nice little trick, but I’m not impressed and now you’re going to pay for brainwashing my sister and killing my best friend.” Will circles around Blondie waiting for him to make a move.
“Poor little dead Sam.” Blondie watches his own blade as he turns it side to side. “This is what I used that night. Broke the very edge of the tip right off. Just enough so he couldn’t heal.” He watches Will, a smile twitching at his lips. “He didn’t even beg for his life. It was a little disappointing. It’s so much more fun when they beg.”
Will slashes his blade through the air. Blondie sidesteps easily with a laugh.
“Is that all you got?” Blondie taunts.
Will lunges; Blondie spins and with a strike of his hand slices his blade across the upper part of Will’s arm.
“Not good enough. Try harder.” With an amused smile Blondie wipes Will’s blood off the edge of his knife with the tip of his finger.
Will is starting to lose control and the more anger he shows the calmer Blondie appears to be. They circle each other. Will seething, barely able to keep it together and Blondie smiling and anticipating. Will’s eyes narrow, he strikes out swinging his blade upward. Laughing like he’s having the best time ever, Blondie swivels, jerks his arm back, lands an elbow to the back o
f Will’s head. Before Will can react, Blondie kicks him behind the knees knocking him face first to the ground. Stunned, Will drops his knife and Blondie kicks it away.
Without wasting a second, Blondie grabs a handful of Will’s hair jerking him up to his knees. Grinning from ear to ear he pulls Will’s head back exposing the smooth skin of his neck. With his mouth to Will’s ear he says, not so quietly, “Beg for me.” He places his dark blade against Will’s throat, and presses.
Blondie looks up at me, his icy blue eyes darkening until they’re black holes. “What do you think, Hanna? Should he beg for his life?” Will says nothing and Blondie drags the knife across his neck. Blood seeps from under the sharp edge running downward to disappear into the collar of his shirt.
“Stop!” I yell until my throat is raw. Blondie laughs, his knife half way across Will’s throat.
Energy surges through me until I’m completely electrified with it. With a wave of my hand I fling the knife out of Blondie’s grasp. Will falls to the ground clutching at his throat.
Blondie throws his head back laughing harder.
Jared barrels past me diving for him.
Time slows.
Everything becomes silent.
A slow smile spreads across Blondie’s face as he holds his arm outstretched to catch the blade he’s calling back. With an upward thrust, he plunges the blade now in his hand into Jared’s chest, burying it to the hilt.
Time speeds up as I fall to my knees. Energy bursts out of me hitting Blondie full force. He rips away from the Earth disappearing somewhere into the trees.
The rest of the world falls away with three little words repeating in my head. Please not Jared. Please not Jared. Please not Jared. I half walk, half crawl to him in a daze. So much blood covers his chest. So much more pours when I pull the knife out. I press my hands down over the wound trying to stop the bleeding. It only seeps through my fingers.
Greener than I’ve ever seen them, Jared’s eyes convey everything he’s feeling. His lips part, wheezing breaths escaping. He tries to talk. The only thing that comes out is blood. His chest rises, falls, and then slows until it’s motionless. His eyes pale, losing their focus.
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