Emma sagged against a tree with her eyes closed, clutching her stomach. The backpack with the book hung on her back. She’d been practicing making small fires in a straight line using the undergrowth but had stopped several minutes before.
“Emma, are you okay?”
Her eyes opened, but shadows covered the rest of her face. “I’m fine. Just tired.”
“You look like you’re more than tired.”
She pushed away from the tree with a start. “I’m fine. Can we leave it at that?”
But she wasn’t fine. She was exhausted and sick more often than not. She claimed it was nerves, but Will was worried. Her supernatural healing properties should have cured her of any virus or infection, leaving him to wonder what was really wrong.
“Emma, why don’t you go back and lay down for awhile? You’ve done pretty much all you can. I’ll practice a little while longer, then we can go.”
She hesitated. “Are you sure?”
He expected more of a fight from her, so her response made him even more anxious. “Yeah, we need to move somewhere more open for you to practice next. You go back and rest so you’ll be ready to work hard tomorrow.”
She hesitated again, looking toward the cabin then Will. “Okay.”
“Can you get back all right?”
“I’m not six years old. I know where I’m going.”
“I meant finding your way in the dark.”
“I can find it just fine.” She started to stomp off, but Will ran after her, the underbrush crunching beneath his feet.
“Emma, wait.”
She stopped and turned around to face him, a hand on her hip. “What?”
The darkness hid most of her face so he had trouble reading her emotions. “Maybe I should go back with you.”
“Why? So you can baby me some more? I’m fine. Stay and practice. We need you to know what the hell you’re doing.”
“Do you want to leave the book here?”
“So you can get it all wet?” She turned and headed for the cabin. “I’ll see you later.”
He watched her disappear into the darkness, worry needling the base of his skull. She was probably right. He was being overprotective. Returning to the stream, he began to practice again. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
***
Emma shook her head as she trudged back to the cabin. She had no idea why Will put up with her temper. She hadn’t meant to snap at him, but her frustration had gotten the better of her.
Their schedule was wrecking havoc with her hormone-riddled body, exacerbating her already raging nausea. Although his coddling irritated her, Will was probably right. She needed to go back to the cabin and sleep. She didn’t want to be dead weight, but that was what she had quickly become. She might have the power of fire at her disposal, but it did her little good if she was too busy throwing up to use it.
The nausea hadn’t been this bad with her last pregnancy and she knew that it was a good sign for the health of the baby, but she wondered whether it mattered. She was doomed. Her goal was to make it to the end just long enough to help Will and Jake become the two who remained. The way her body had betrayed her the last few days, she now wondered if that was possible.
When she emerged from the edge of the woods, twenty feet from the cabin, she stopped, her senses on alert. An undercurrent of power rippled toward her.
Someone was there.
She let the energy wash over her as she decided on her best course of action.
Alex.
Surprise over the fact that she could recognize him lasted a fleeting moment, before succumbing to a spike of fear. Then the fear faded—not fleeing entirely, but not overwhelming her. Of all the elementals, Alex was the best possible one for her to face. If she got close enough to touch him, she could subdue him since her power overrode his.
“Alex, I know you’re there.”
He stepped away from the shadows of a tree, his hands stuffed into his front pockets. “Long time no see, Emma.”
“Not long enough.” Should she keep him close to her cabin or draw him into the woods?
His eyes fell on her backpack. “You have something I need.”
She put a hand on her hip, hiding her fear. “That again? This is getting old.”
“Didn’t your mother teach you that it’s nice to share, Emma?”
“My mother was a drunken whore whose middle name was selfish-bitch, so guess again. And then you’ve met my father.”
Laughing, Alex slid his hands from his pockets in a slow, smooth movement, taking several steps toward her. “Come on, Emma. You’re wasting your time with Will. If you really want to save Jake, join with me. I’m his father. Who better to have by your side helping you?”
She kept her surprise in check. Alex obviously didn’t know that she and Will had joined. Would it be to her advantage to keep it a secret? Did Alex even know that Will was Marcus’s son? “I take it you had the same dream explaining the new rules for the end. That’s why you’re here for the book.”
“While that was an informative get-together, I’d like to see it for myself, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t have it.”
Alex’s gaze landed on her back. Grinning, his eyes rose to hers. “Where’s Will?”
Emma forced a low chuckle. “With the book, I’m afraid. So you’re out of luck.”
“Hmm….”
She was going to have to fight him, something she didn’t relish, but Alex wasn’t going to leave until he had the book or he was forced to go. Where was the best place for this to happen?
She took a step toward the cabin. “Alex, I’m tired. It’s the middle of the night and I just want to go to back to bed. So maybe we can pick this up tomorrow.”
He blocked her path, standing ten feet in front of her. “Not a chance.”
A sudden wind blew against her, slamming her sideways into a tree. Pain shot through her side. Damn it, why hadn’t she been prepared for that?
Emma?
Alex is here. But it pissed her off that she needed his help while if he were in this situation, Will could most likely handle it on his own.
She held onto the tree for several seconds before pushing away. “I don’t want to fight you, Alex. Please, just go away and we’ll meet at the final battle.”
“You seriously don’t think that’s going to happen, do you?”
Emma sighed her disappointment. “No, but you can’t blame me for hoping.”
Alex took several steps toward her.
Emma’s power burned in her chest. She was ready to defend herself this time.
“This doesn’t have to be difficult, Emma.”
“I don’t have the book, Alex.”
“Don’t lie to me, Emma.” He shifted his weight, his eyes searching the trees before he looked at her again. “You know, I’d love nothing more than to work something out with you. But it has to be a compromise. We can work together.”
“I never said I wanted to work with you. I said I didn’t want to fight you.”
Alex’s face softened. “It’s not like you have a choice. You’ll have to fight me in the end.”
Damn, he was good. The compassion on his face was believable. Too believable. He might be an element, but he also took after his human father, a politician used to duping people. “What kind of compromise are you talking about?”
He grinned. “It depends on what you’re considering. Sharing the book or sharing power?”
“Let’s start with the book.”
“You’ve already read it, I presume.”
She nodded.
“Then you don’t need it anymore. Just hand it over.”
“And if I want to keep it?”
“Then consider option two. Come with me and we’ll join. We can share the book.”
“You know I won’t do that.”
“I was afraid you’d say that.”
She was prepared for the wind this time, countering it with a
burst of energy.
The gust stopped and Alex reached a hand toward her. “Emma, I’m just asking you to be reasonable.”
“None of this is reasonable.” She waited for his next attack, knowing she should attack him first. But when she reached for the energy to do it, images of Alex saving her from Raphael and taking her to Will flashed through her mind. It didn’t matter that he’d had selfish motives. He’d helped her all the same.
Will was trained to be a soldier. Battle was second nature to him. Over the past three years her instinct had been to run, and although she was done running, part of her wasn’t ready to become a cold-blooded murderer either.
Albuquerque had left a festering wound on her soul. Now she stood at the edge of an abyss that she wasn’t ready to jump into. While she would do anything to ensure Jake’s survival, she was also conscious that her actions from this point on would outlast Jake’s memories of her. The moment was coming when she’d drench herself in filth, but that that moment wasn’t today.
Alex’s hand stretched toward her a little more. “Just come with me, Emma. We’ll save Jake together.”
Will stepped to the edge of the trees, to Emma’s left. “She’s not going anywhere with you, Alex.”
There was no way Will could have reached her this quickly unless he’d gotten a head start. Emma wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or annoyed.
Alex’s arm dropped and he spread his feet apart. “Ahh…Will. I knew you couldn’t be very far away.”
“And here I am. Nice catching up. We’ll see you at the big showdown.”
Alex turned to Emma. “I’m surprised to see you’re still keeping him around, Emma. Especially this close to the competition. Everyone’s going to need a buddy to have a shot at winning this thing and Will’s no help to you there.”
A slow grin covered Will’s face. “You still don’t know, do you?”
The confidence left Alex’s eyes. “Know what?”
“Why do you think I was in the dream, Alex? Did you think I just happened to be Emma’s plus-one?”
Alex’s eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you save us all the tedious guessing game and tell me what you’re talking about.”
“I have two surprises for you Alex. First of all, I’m Marcus’s son.” Will paused to let the full effect settle over Alex.
“You’re the son of Water?” Alex cleared his throat. “How? That’s never happened before.”
“There’s a first time for everything.”
“Why?”
Will shrugged with a lazy smile. “You’ll have to ask Marcus. Your guess is as good as mine.”
“So let me guess the second surprise.” Alex turned to Emma, despair in his eyes. “I take it congratulations are in order?”
Why did she feel sorry for him?
A strong wind blew Will back into the woods, and the cracking and splitting of the tree trunks sounded in the night air. Logs piled up to block his return. Emma felt a swift breeze and raised a hand to defend herself, but Alex was next to her, his hand lifted in surrender.
“I need that book, Emma. Please.” Alex’s voice was low, but not threatening. Fearful. “You have Will. Jake has Aiden. Raphael won’t side with me and I know Marcus won’t. I’ll never survive this on my own. I need the book.”
She looked up into his anxious face. There could be only two winners and she couldn’t afford for Alex to be one of them. Could she look this man in the eye and condemn him to death? But giving him the book might harm Jake and Will’s chances.
“Alex, I can’t.” Her voice broke.
“Emma, I helped you. I’m begging you. Just give me this.”
Emma? Are you okay?
Yes.
I’m trying to get to you. Alex blocked my path.
I’m okay.
If she touched him, Alex would be under her control. His power would flow to her. But if she did that, she was no better than Raphael, and she hated Raphael for what he had done to her. Could she live with herself if she manipulated Alex? Could she live with herself if she didn’t?
Before she could react, Alex grabbed the backpack strap on her shoulder and jerked it down. Emma reached for his arm, but he pulled back, tangling the pack in her arms. Twisting behind her, Alex wrapped the straps around her wrists and yanked up. She gasped in pain. The backpack zipper opened and the weight of the pack lightened.
She pushed power through her hands, hoping to hit Alex, but he ducked. The trees overhead burst into flames, raining burning embers over them.
Alex twisted her palms so that they touched her back. If she tried to use her power now, she’d catch herself on fire.
“I know you don’t believe me, Emma, but I don’t want to hurt you. If I did, I’d kill you now. If you change your mind about Will, let me know.” He pushed her to her knees and a wind threw her forward, her face hitting the dirt.
She heard the trees cracking again as she strained to move her palms away from her back and shot energy behind her. More trees burst into flames as she shook her arms, freeing them from the straps.
“Emma!” Will shouted.
The wind eased and, spitting dirt out of her mouth, Emma climbed to her feet. She ran toward the parking lot, but it was empty. No sign of Alex and no sign of a getaway car.
Will reached her, scrapes covering his face and arms. “Where is he?”
“I don’t know,” she mumbled trying to catch her breath and looking around. “It’s like he disappeared.” Pausing, she sought out the energy from Alex’s power. “I can’t even feel anything from him. He’s hidden his power.”
“He could be anywhere.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you okay?” Will asked without looking at her.
Was he mad? Did he realize she’d hesitated when Alex asked for her help? “I’m fine.”
“I take it he got the book.” He still didn’t look at her, his eyes focused on the gravel road leading away from the cabins.
“I’m sorry.”
Will didn’t respond for several seconds. “It’s not your fault.”
But it was. She should have attacked Alex instead of waiting for him to retaliate. Yet given the chance to do it over, she wasn’t sure she would have done it differently.
Chapter Nine
Will was furious. Alex had found them and taken the book, and it was Will’s fault. He’d sent Emma back to the cabin alone and left her to face Alex. Then when Will showed up, instead of just killing the fool, he’d talked to him and given Alex the advantage. For all Will knew, Alex was still out there waiting to attack. And even if he wasn’t, if Alex had found them, that meant the others probably weren’t far behind. “We have to pack up and go. Now.”
“I’m sorry.”
Will leaned his head back, staring into the star-filled sky. “This isn’t your fault, Emma.”
“It is. I didn’t stop him.”
He released a heavy breath and leveled his gaze on the destruction Alex had left behind. “We can stand here all morning and argue over who’s to blame, but it’s pointless. It’s done. Go inside and pack up and I’ll make sure Alex doesn’t come back to finish the job.”
She hesitated, then walked toward the cabin without answering.
How the hell had Alex found them? Will had been so careful, leaving within an hour of practicing, making sure they drove somewhere at least four hours away. It was possible that Alex had realized where they were the night before, then tracked them and waited to sense their power today. What range did Alex’s sensing ability have? Will had been practicing for over an hour and they’d been making a steady path from Oregon into Northern California. All the more reason to head to Nevada.
Fires still smoldered in the trees. Why were the branches over his head burning? Why had Emma been aiming that high? And why hadn’t Alex tried to kill her?
He swiped a trickle of blood that slid down his cheek. While Alex had incapacitated Will to get to Emma, trapping him under a pile of trees, Alex hadn’t staged a full-fle
dged attack and he hadn’t tried to kill Will. Once Alex realized Will’s true potential, he must have decided his best course of action was to get the book and run.
Will was now sorry he’d told Alex that Marcus was his father. Since Alex hadn’t known that Will was a water element or that he and Emma had joined, Will could have used it to their advantage later. Raphael and Marcus had been there to witness the event, but what about Aiden? Will found it hard to believe that something so important would have slipped Aiden’s notice. In the end, it probably didn’t matter if Alex knew or not. Will suspected Alex was the weakest of them all. Except for Emma. The thought popped into his head before he quickly banished it. She was capable of great destruction. When she could make her power work.
“You were lucky.”
Will’s head jerked up to see Marcus at the edge of the woods. Will’s temper flared. “Goddammit. We’re not hosting a fucking party here.”
Marcus shrugged and took several steps closer. “Maybe not, but you and Emma should expect to see more visitors.”
Will tilted his head with a glare. “We don’t have the book, if that’s what you’re looking for. Alex took it.”
“No, I’m looking for you.”
While Will wasn’t surprised, he wasn’t happy about it either. He spread his arms at his sides. “And here I am. What do you want?”
“We need to talk.”
“So start talking. You have less than five minutes.”
Marcus’s eyes widened in surprise. “Don’t you have questions about me? You just found out I’m your father.”
Redemption (The Chosen #4) Page 9
