Redemption (The Chosen #4)

by Swank, Denise Grover

  “Good.” She threw the gun onto the floor.

  Will bent down to pick up the weapon. Alex lay on his back, his eyes wide open, blood swirling in the water around him. “Thank God he’s dead.”

  Emma looked into Will’s face with dead, vacant eyes. “There is no God, Will. Only cold-hearted elemental deities. And now I am one.” Emma spun around and walked down the hall.

  “Emma, where are you going?”

  “To get my son.”

  ***

  Jake sat on his bed, playing with the shadows. Shreveport. He was sure he knew this place. He’d lived here with Mommy.

  The shadows crept onto the bed and tickled Jake’s fingers, but Jake sighed, bored with this game. Tickling shadows didn’t make Aiden pay. And more than anything else in the world, he wanted to make Aiden pay.

  Not more than everything. He wanted one thing more.

  Mommy.

  Pushing himself off the bed, he looked out the window. He watched the cars driving down the street past the hotel. There weren’t many at this time of night. He wondered what he could do to them from up here in his room. Could he blow them off the road? Could he blow them up?

  The door opened and Antonia walked in, startled to find Jake out of bed.

  “Jake. You need your rest, mijo.”

  “I’m not tired.”

  “I will sing you a song.”

  He almost argued with her, but after he’d turned her away earlier in the day and made her forget his mark, he’d felt bad and needed her comfort. He needed her to love him even though he was bad. Because he was bad.

  She helped Jake climb back into bed, tucking the covers around him with loving hands.

  A tear fell out of Jake’s eye, down his cheek, and into his hair. “I’m a bad person, Antonia.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise, but she leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. “No, mijo. You are not bad. Your abuelo makes you do bad things, but you are a good boy. A sweet boy. I know this in my heart.”

  Jake wished he knew it. He wasn’t so sure anymore.

  “No more talk of this. You must sleep. I will stay with you if you want.”

  He wanted her to stay, almost as much as he wanted his mother, but she couldn’t. He had work to do. “Just one song. Please.”

  A soft smile lifted her mouth. “You have always been such a sweet and polite boy.” She brushed his hair as she started the tune that she always sang. He never understood the words, but her soft voice and the fingers in his hair always made him feel safe and loved. He basked in her love and pretended he was safe, even if only for a few minutes.

  When she finished, she kissed his forehead again.

  He wrapped his arms around her neck and whispered into her ear, “I love you, Antonia.”

  She pulled him into a tight hug, rocking him to her body for several seconds. “And I love you. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, mijo.”

  He nodded, tears burning his eyes. There was nothing she could do to keep him safe. But he might be able to save her. He pushed her away. “I’m ready to sleep now.”

  “Si, Jake.” She left the room, closing the door behind her.

  He waited a few minutes before sitting up again and calling to the shadows. “I need to learn more,” he whispered into the darkness. “I need to become stronger.”

  A ray of moonlight shone through the window, onto a spot in the middle of the floor. The shadow figure that had given Jake his mark grew out of the light.

  This was even more than Jake had hoped for.

  “You are about to get your wish,” the shadow cooed.

  The other shadows circled around the figure, dancing in and out.

  “What do you mean?” Jake whispered.

  The figure lifted an arm from its solid form, holding up a finger. “Shhhh, you must wait. It is almost done.”

  “What is—”

  “Shhhhhhh.”

  Jake sat cross-legged on the mattress, growing impatient, until a soft light glowed from the figure.

  “It is happennnninnnngggg…”

  Shadows weren’t supposed to glow. What was happening?

  A bright light, brighter than anything Jake had ever seen before burst from the figure, blinding him. Something sharp stabbed into Jake’s chest and he flew backward onto the bed, his body becoming white-hot with energy.

  Energy that came from the shadow.

  He felt stronger as raw power rushed through his blood. He had to release it or he might combust. “I… I…”

  “You will become accustomed to it.”

  “But… how…” The flow of energy made it difficult for Jake to speak. “How did this happen?”

  The shadow bowed. “It is a gift and has been passed on to you.”

  “A gift? From who?”

  “From your father. But it comes with a steep price. Do you accept?”

  Jake had never felt so alive. He could do anything with this energy. Even destroy Aiden. “What is the price?”

  “You must take the life of the person who took your father’s life.”

  Jake’s heart thudded. “Alex died?”

  “Yes. He gifted his power to you.”

  “He can do that?” Jake wasn’t sure if he should feel sad or not that Alex was dead. He didn’t feel sadness, just a weird emptiness in his chest.

  “Yes, but you must agree to destroy the person who took his life. Do you accept?”

  Jake paused. “Who killed him?”

  “It is a secret until the end.”

  Jake stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth as he thought this through. The end? Was that the final battle Aiden had talked to Raphael about? And who could have killed Alex? It couldn’t be just anyone. The person had to be strong. Alex had power. So much power. That meant that the killer had to be Aiden. Or Raphael. Maybe even Will. Jake had already decided that he’d have to kill all of them.

  “Okay.”

  “You accept? Think long on this. Once it is done it cannot be undone.”

  “Yes. I accept.”

  The shadow nodded, then lowered its head. “Then tomorrow we begin.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Will followed Emma out a back door into the alley behind the hotel.

  Marcus fell into step beside Will. “She’s not handling this well.”

  Will blew out a breath, his anger simmering under the surface. “No shit. She just killed a man. What do you expect?”

  “I told you she’s not a soldier—”

  Will clenched his fists at his sides, trying to keep his frustration and fear in check. “If you don’t mind, spare me the lecture. I don’t want to hear it.” Will’s pace quickened until he was next to her. “Emma, stop.”

  She ignored him, walking toward the street corner. The vacant look in her eyes scared him.

  “Emma.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her to a halt.

  She stopped but didn’t face him. Her clothes were drenched, and water dripped from her hair onto her face. The bruises had already begun to fade, but she held her hand against her side. Her physical wounds were almost healed, but her emotional wounds ran much deeper.

  “Emma, you did the right thing.”

  Her chin trembled and her voice broke. “I can’t talk about this right now.”

  “Okay.” But it wasn’t. Emma was far from okay. Will wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to live with what she’d done. And Alex was just the first.

  She resumed walking, toward their hotel.

  Will lagged back to talk to Marcus. “We’re headed to Shreveport. They’re taking Jake there next.”

  Marcus nodded. “I figured.”

  Will’s anger exploded. He shoved the heels of his palms into Marcus’s chest, slamming him into the wall. “You know? How the hell do you know about Shreveport?”

  Marcus’s face remained stoic. “Aiden’s not the only one who kept an eye on her.”

  The fact that so many people had stalked her for so long made Will s
ick. And even more furious. Will grabbed Marcus’s shirt and shoved him again. “Stay the fuck away from her.”

  Marcus didn’t fight Will’s assault. “I can’t, Will. We need her. Especially now.”

  Will released his hold and spun away. “So why didn’t you tell me what Aiden was doing when I saw you this afternoon? You could have saved us from all the drama.” He rubbed his forehead. “You could have saved her from this.”

  “Because I didn’t know this afternoon when I saw you, but when I heard about Jackson…”

  Will swallowed, overwhelmed with the events of the last half hour. Why was he taking his frustration out on Marcus when it was Aiden and Raphael he needed to worry about? “If Alex had…Thank you for saving her.”

  Marcus grimaced. “I’m not sure I saved her or delivered her to hell.”

  How right was he? If Emma were angry or upset, or exhibiting any kind of emotion, Will would have felt better. “I’m not sure she’ll recover from this.”

  “It’s only going to get worse.”

  That’s exactly what Will was afraid of. He wasn’t sure Emma could handle worse, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Will’s frustration rose once more.

  “There’s something you should know.”

  Will was afraid to ask, but he’d had enough surprises to last a lifetime. “What?”

  “Emma didn’t get Alex’s power.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “At the very end, Alex transferred it to someone else.”

  “Who?”

  “I don’t know.”

  If things weren’t bad enough, they’d just gotten ten times worse. “Could he have sent it to Aiden?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine.” Marcus’s gaze trained on Emma, twenty feet in front of them.

  “Who do you plan on representing Water at the final battle?”

  Marcus grimaced, turning back to Will. “That’s an excellent question. And the answer lies in the fact that I insisted you kill Alex, not Emma. If you had gotten his power, you could have taken his place.”

  “So now Emma will stand in for Air?” That would assure her a position at the end, but what about Jake?

  “I don’t know. The fact he transferred his power might mean the person he sent it to could fill his vacancy.”

  “Are you planning on going to Shreveport with us?”

  Marcus raised his eyebrows. “If you and Emma will have me. Alex was a cakewalk compared to what you’re going to face in Shreveport. You’re going to need all the help you can get.”

  “So you think we should knowingly fall into Aiden’s trap?”

  Marcus’s mouth twisted. “No. It’s definitely a trap, but we need Emma and she’s determined to do this. If we can reunite her with Jake and bring him to our side it’s a double victory. She’ll be more focused and we’ll gain Jake’s power. It’s worth the risk. Let’s get to Shreveport, scope it out and see if we can swing it to our advantage.”

  While Will wasn’t fond of Marcus talking about Emma and Jake so matter-of-factly, he was right. And it only proved how right Marcus had been earlier. And it also proved Marcus’s point about Will needing to think with a clear head and not with his emotions. Damn, he wished he could leave Emma out of all of this, but the reality was that Emma was all of this.

  As Emma neared the hotel, Will hurried in front of her and opened the door. They walked in soaking wet and received odd looks from the people in the lobby. Will wasn’t thrilled that they drew so much attention, especially since the son of the presidential candidate lay dead on the basement floor of the Crescent Hotel. How would Warren’s staff play that one off? They’d probably pin it on some political extremist group.

  Will opened the door to their room and Emma brushed past him, her face still an empty mask. She opened the bag, pulled out some clothes, and headed for the bathroom.

  Marcus stood at the doorway. His gaze shifted to the bathroom door, then to Will. “I have to get my things. Do you want to meet in the hotel parking garage in thirty minutes? I’ll pick you up at the exit.”

  Will ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah…”

  “Will.” Marcus’s voice lowered. “I know you’re in a difficult spot here, but we need to leave St. Louis as soon as possible.”

  Nodding, Will looked at the bathroom door. “I know. We’ll be there.”

  Will bolted the door after Marcus left. He found Emma sitting on the side of the tub in her wet clothes, staring at the blood splatters on her splayed hands.

  “Emma,” he said softly, squatting in front of her. “Let me help you get undressed.” He slipped her shoes off first then reached for her shirt, pulling it up carefully over her bruised arm, thankful she didn’t resist his help.

  Helping her to her feet, he tugged off her skirt and tossed it onto the floor. “Why don’t we take a shower before we go?”

  She looked up, wide-eyed. “I have to go to Shreveport. I have to get Jake.”

  “We will, I promise.” He kept his voice gentle and calm. “We’re just going to wash off first. We have a long drive ahead of us and you’ll feel better if you wash off all the… grime.”

  Her chin trembled. “You mean blood. So I can wash off all of Alex’s blood.” She crossed her arms and rubbed her hands along them.

  Will didn’t answer. Instead, he turned on the water, then stripped off his own clothes before removing Emma’s undergarments. He helped her into the water and she closed her eyes. Will washed her hair and her body, being gentle when he noticed the bruising on her side before washing his own. When he was done, he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her to him in an embrace.

  “I thought you left me,” she mumbled against his chest.

  Will leaned his head back to look down at her, pain crushing his chest. “Emma, how could you think that?”

  She looked up at him with teary eyes. “I didn’t do what you asked. I didn’t touch Alex.”

  “Emma. No. I would never leave you. Ever. I’m sorry. I should have prepared you more or made sure you’d practiced or not had you do it all. You weren’t ready. I should have recognized that.” The truth was that he had, he’d just hoped she’d come through in the end. Now she paid for his mistake. Will knew she had broken her arm and he suspected her ribs from the bruising she still had. What else had she endured? “What did he do to you in the elevator? Why didn’t I feel all of it?”

  “I blocked it from you.”

  “Why?”

  “Did you feel pain in your arm?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Alex wanted to see if he could hurt you by hurting me. If you felt half of what…I needed you to be strong enough to get me out of there so I couldn’t let you feel it.”

  “What did he do, Emma?”

  She closed her eyes and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter now. Once I get some sleep, I’m sure I’ll wake up and be fine.”

  “I should have been there.”

  “You were. You got Alex out and away from me.”

  “No, Emma. Marcus got him out.”

  “Oh.” She pressed her cheek to his chest. “Yeah, I that remember now.”

  “Marcus wants to come with us to Shreveport.”

  Several seconds passed. “Do you want him to?”

  “I think he can help us. I think…” He hated to bring this up now, but she needed to be prepared. “Shreveport is bound to be an ugly mess. I think we need all the help we can get. Marcus helped us today and it’s in his best interest to continue to help us.”

  “But for how long?”

  Will released a long sigh. “I don’t know. But he could make the difference in getting Jake back.” He felt like an ass pulling that card, but there was truth in his words.

  “Okay.”

  They had to go soon, but he knew she wasn’t ready. “Emma. We need to talk about Alex.”

  She tried to pull away, but he held her close.

  He brushed a wet strand of hair plastered to her che
ek. “You saved me. You know that, right?”

  She squeezed her eyes shut.

  “Alex would have killed me. I was about to pass out until you distracted Alex and he released his hold on me.”

  “I killed him.”

  “You may have pulled the trigger of a gun, but he was nearly dead from my stab wound.”

  “He may have begged me to do it, but I killed him out of hate and revenge. I shot him in cold blood. And then I did it again. And again. And again...”

  “Emma, he was already dead.”

  She shook her head, rubbing her cheek on his skin. “No. Not the first time. I murdered him.”

  “If you hadn’t done it, he might have recovered, as difficult as that is to believe. You did the right thing.”

  “I know. That’s just it. I know.” Her face rose as she searched his eyes. “So why does it feel like I didn’t?”

  “He would have killed us both, Emma. Jake too.”

  Pursing her mouth, tears filled her eyes again. “No, he wouldn’t have killed Jake. I’m positive of that. I made him trust me, and I led him to his death.” She shook her head. “I’m as bad as they are. Worse. At least we know what we’re facing when we see them.”

  “Emma, don’t do this to yourself.”

  Her eyes hardened. “I murdered a man. I have to be honest about it.”

  He knew her lack of emotion was from shock, but it worried him. At some point the dam would break. It made her unpredictable. Nevertheless, time was running short. “We need to get dressed. We need to meet Marcus.”

  She dried off and dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, then pulled her hair into a ponytail. Her attire, along with the hard look in her eye, reminded Will of the first time he met her. That might not be a bad thing.

  ***

  Marcus’s sedan idled at the curb by the parking garage exit. It was new and shiny and exactly like something an element would drive. Raphael had once given her a Lexus. Emma scowled in irritation. Did they all drive luxury cars?

  The trunk popped open and Will loaded their bags as Emma reached for the back door. She looked back at him, suddenly unsure that going with Marcus was a good idea. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

  Will closed the trunk and moved next to her. His eyes softened. “Do what?”