The people still in the park began to scream and run in all directions.
Emma grabbed Will’s arm. What just happened?
I think it’s begun.
***
Emma’s heart slammed against her ribcage. They were trapped in an enclosed area with two powerful, insane men. And countless innocent people.
Emma, run!
Not without you.
Goddammit, Emma. Will you do what I ask for once? GO!
With Jake’s hand still in hers, she ran toward the opposite end of the fountain, away from the three men. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was abandoning Will.
People rushed toward the exit from the fountain area, ignoring the white, semi-transparent dome that encased them. A man and a woman ran into it and burst into flames.
Oh, God.
Jake watched the panicked crowd, then looked up at her in amazement but no fear. What had he seen that this didn’t scare him?
A grove of trees lay up ahead. They offered little coverage, but they were better than nothing. It was night, but streetlamps lined sidewalk, shining pools of light into the trees. Focusing on her anger, Emma felt her power grow and she aimed it for the streetlights. Glass shattered as the lamps burst, plunging the area into darkness. The screams around them intensified.
She ran toward the cover of the trees and turned to see if Marcus or Aiden had followed them. Instead she saw bright flashes of light on the other side of the fountain. Aiden. If Will and Marcus were using water, she couldn’t tell. The sound of the fountain drowned out everything else. She concentrated on her connection to Will and felt a hum of power, but no surge. That had to be a good thing.
Jake looked up at her with expectant eyes. “We need to fight.”
Her anger simmered in her chest. “No, we do not. You are five years old. You will not fight for your life.”
“I promised.”
Her eyes widened. “Who? Aiden? You don’t have to keep any promises to the megalomaniac.”
“No, not Aiden.”
Dread crept up her spine. Please let it be Raphael. “Then who?”
“The shadows.”
She sank to her knees as the blood rushed from her head. Marcus was right.
***
Aiden took a step closer to Will as they watched Emma run away with Jake. “You do realize they’ve only gained a temporary reprieve?”
Will didn’t answer, trying to determine his best source of attack. He wished to God that Aiden had done this two hours later after the park had closed, but he supposed Aiden got off on the panic.
Don’t analyze your move. Marcus spoke into his head. Just trust your power.
Will didn’t trust Marcus, but it was the same advice he gave to Emma.
Aiden had created the dome. If he destroyed Aiden, did it destroy the enclosure?
Trust his power. It lived in his chest, always present since he’d first become aware of it, but when he needed it, it coursed through his veins like ice water, pulsing with unimaginable energy. It was so different than what Emma experienced that he was sure his was wrong. But it turned out he was stronger. Her source was anger. His just existed. How had he lived with it for thirty-four years and never noticed?
Aiden stood across from him with a smug expression. A ball of energy shot toward Will and a wall of water shot from the fountain to block it, leaving sparkling water droplets suspended in the sky like stars. Will cast a glace to Marcus, who wore a look of concentration.
Aiden smirked. “Aren’t you supposed to be attacking Emmanuella, Marcus? Now that you can?”
“I’ve decided to concentrate my efforts somewhere else.”
“I never planned to be part of the final four.”
Marcus laughed. “You pompous ass. I’ll never know how you figured that. You’re trapped in here like the rest of us. That dome’s not going anywhere until there’s only two of us left.”
Emma. Where are you and Jake?
Hiding in some trees at the opposite end of the dome. This is wrong, Will. I need to help you.
You’ll help me more if you stay out of the way. Maybe the three men could kill each other and Jake and Emma would be saved by default.
A stream of water flew from the fountain into Marcus’s hand, forming a spear, and Marcus advanced toward Aiden. He pulled back his hand and threw the spear. It headed for Aiden’s chest until a wall of red energy formed, shooting sparks when the spear collided with it. The water lost its form and fell to the ground with a splash.
Another water spear quickly followed, hitting with the same accuracy but crashing into Aiden’s wall of energy.
A bolt of lightning shot toward Will and he ducked to avoid contact.
“Did you know that Aristotle named the elements?” Aiden asked with a grin. “Then Plato took the concept further. Do you know which element he decreed the most powerful?”
Another lightning bolt shot toward Will, and he dodged it again. “Let me guess. Fire?”
Aiden laughed. “Yes, fire. Believe it or not, the game was in progress then. I gave Plato a little help. I showed him that elements have power over one another, but that one was the ruler of them all.”
Two lightning bolts shot from the sky, converging together to strike.
“I’ve ruled for thousands and thousands of years. I’m not about to let some newborn take that from me.”
Water droplets filled the air in the fountain behind him, and he shot them toward Aiden, like tiny knives. Aiden blocked most, but a few penetrated his shield, striking him in the shoulder and the cheek.
Aiden growled, emitting a reddish glow. “Enough playing.”
Fire erupted in the sky, raining down in tiny flames. Marcus created a blanket of water over their heads. The flames hit the cover, hissing as they died out. An arrow of fire pierced Marcus’s side, sinking in until it was completely absorbed. Marcus fell to his knees, but the cover continued to hold over their heads.
But the fire rained over the entire area, landing on the innocent pedestrians. Their screams of fright and pain bounced off the dome walls, echoing in Will’s head. Emma and Jake were in here somewhere.
Emma, get into the fountain.
He returned his attention to Aiden, who had focused his energy on a weakened Marcus.
I’m not throwing my life away so you can waste it, Marcus said. You have to survive.
What did Marcus mean?
Regroup and attack Aiden with Jake. Jake has more power than you can even imagine. I taught him where to find it. He gave Will a cockeyed smile that looked achingly familiar.
Will’s breath stuck in his chest. You planned it this way all along. You planned to die. He sent a barrage of water pellets toward Aiden, but his wall of energy held.
Agony contorted Marcus’s face and the water cover over their heads shimmered as it weakened. Emma needs it to fulfill her role. She knows what she needs to do.
What?
Go! Marcus got to his feet, clutching his side, Aiden’s arrow of fire still buried deep within him. “What do you say, Aiden? Just us two old-timers fighting it out. This is the way it’s supposed to be anyway. It’s time for us to turn it over to a new generation, hopefully one that will show more respect for their positions.”
“You’ve suddenly become all high and mighty.” Aiden laughed. “You hardly seem to be in a position to negotiate. Are you trying to save yourself? ”
“No, I’m trying to save the world.” Go! I’m sorry I can’t help you save them both.
Will took off running as Marcus was engulfed in flames.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Emma and Jake ran to the fountain, dodging fireballs falling from the sky. Jake blew them away with gusts of wind as they hopped the short railing and trudged through the shallow water. They stood under a stream of rushing water in the middle of the pool, huddled together.
Jake’s eyes glowed. “I need to be out there.”
“No, you need to stay with me.”
&nb
sp; Emma! Where are you?
Will was close, closer than where she’s left him.
In the fountain.
Others in the crowd had seen what she and Jake had done and followed suit, shouting and screaming as they piled into the fountain. They shoved one another, trying to get under the sprays of water, some climbing the concrete structure. Others lay down in the shallow pool but the panicked crowd trampled them. Emma and Jake were caught in the chaos as people fought to get to relative safety.
Will came into view, running next to the circular edge of the fountain. He jumped over the railing and ran toward them. Panic filled his eyes as the sky brightened over their heads.
“What happened?” Her breath caught in her throat.
“Marcus is dead.”
“We’re the final four.”
His jaw clenched and he looked down at Jake. “Yes.”
Emma grabbed Jake’s arm, pulling him closer. “Why are you looking at him like that?”
Will ignored her, keeping his attention on Jake. “Marcus said you had more power than any of us. Is this true?”
Jake glared. “Yes.”
Emma gasped. “No! No, he doesn’t! He’s just a little boy!”
“You were the one who killed Raphael. You got his power.”
“Yes.” Jake grinned. “I got Alex’s power too. The shadows came to me and said Alex gave it to me as a gift. There was one rule, but I accepted.” Hatred darkened his eyes.
This was all a bad dream, a horrific nightmare. It couldn’t be true. “The shadows?”
Jake looked up at her with a grin, but his eyes were cold. “Marcus told me to talk to them. They’re my friends. They gave me their mark.” He pulled down his t-shirt and two black outlined joined circles were embedded on his chest over his heart.
“Oh, God.” She looked at Will. “What does it mean?” But she knew. Marcus told her. She just refused to believe it.
“I don’t know.”
“Why would Marcus encourage this? How did he plan to use this?”
“He planned for a fresh start. He planned to die for me, Emma. His last words were to save Jake. He was sorry he couldn’t figure out how to save you both.”
“But why? Why lie and tell you he meant to kill us?”
“I don’t know. So I wouldn’t feel loyalty to him? He planned to die all along.”
This was all too much. She shook her head. “So now what? The dome is still overhead.”
“We have to kill Aiden.”
“And then it will go away?”
He didn’t answer.
“Will!”
“I don’t know.” He swallowed. “I don’t think so.”
“When will it go away?” She knew the answer but hoped he proved her wrong.
“When there are two of us left.”
***
Jake watched Will in fascination, ready to strike at any moment. Will didn’t act like he was going to kill him, but Jake still didn’t trust him.
Will turned his gaze back to Jake. “Marcus says Jake is the strongest, and Jake just said he killed Raphael and that Alex gave Jake his power. And then there’s his mark.” He pointed to Jake’s chest. “Emma, I need him.”
“No! He’s five years old.”
“And I suspect he’s stronger than you’ll ever be. This is the only way.”
“No! He didn’t know what he was doing. He killed Raphael to defend himself.”
Will’s gaze narrowed. “Why did you kill Raphael?”
Jake squared his shoulders, his anger simmering. “I needed his power.”
“Why?”
“So I could kill you.”
“No!” Mommy screamed, jerking Jake to face her. “No. Jake! Stop this nonsense right now!”
Will pulled Mommy up and gave her a tiny smile. “Emma, stop. This is our answer. This is a good thing.”
She wrenched her arm from his hold. “In what twisted reality can this be a good thing?”
“It’s time.” Aiden’s voice boomed all around them. “The sooner we begin the sooner it all ends.”
Mommy’s breath came in short bursts, and her eyes looked wild. Will touched her cheek, giving her an intense look, and she calmed down.
But the people all around them were far from calm, still screaming and splashing water. Irritation crawled across Jake’s skin.
Aiden’s voice cut across the air again. “The three of you have two minutes to start this thing or I’m going to start killing everyone in here.”
Will leaned into Mommy’s face. “We will concentrate on taking out Aiden, then we let Jake do his thing.”
Biting her lip, her chin shook, but she nodded.
Will grabbed her and kissed her. “I’ll always love you, Emma. It doesn’t matter where I am.”
“I can’t do this, Will.”
“Yes. You can.” Will looked down at Jake. “You’ll do it for him.”
Jake was confused. What was Will talking about? But he didn’t like that Mommy was hugging and kissing Will and not him. “Get away from my mommy!”
Emma’s eyes flashed in anger. “Jacob!”
“No. This is good. This will make it easier for him.” Will released his hold on her. “Are you ready?”
“No.”
“We have to do it anyway. You know this is the best plan. But I suspect Jake won’t listen to me. You’ll have to coach him.”
“To kill you?”
“No, to kill Aiden first. That has to happen first.”
Jake didn’t like that Will was trying to tell him what to do, even if it was going to come through his mother. “The shadows already told me I could kill Aiden, but I have to do something else first.”
“What?” Mommy’s voice squeaked.
“It’s a surprise.”
“We have to go.” Will took her hand. “Are you ready?”
Mommy nodded and reached for Jake with her other hand. The water had soaked through Jake’s jeans, making his legs so heavy that he struggled to keep up with her. They climbed over the railing, Mommy helping him over as Will watched him with a strange look on his face. Holding hands, the three of them walked toward Aiden, who stood at the opposite end of the dome, glowing.
Aiden thought he was so strong and powerful, but Jake was going to show him how wrong he was. After he killed Will to pay for the gift from the shadows.
Will confused him. Will wasn’t acting like he wanted to kill Jake. He acted like he wanted to help Jake, but it had to be a trick. Mommy had chosen Will over Jake before because Will made her. He didn’t care about Jake. Will would try to make her choose the same way now.
Jake wondered why he wasn’t nervous. There were four of them and two would die. Maybe it was because he was sure which two would die and which two would live. He squeezed Mommy’s hand. She was with him again. That was what mattered.
“What a sweet little family.” Aiden laughed as they neared.
Family? Is that what they were? He and Mommy had always been a family, but Will?
“Let’s get this over with, Aiden.” Will let go of Mommy’s hand, but he stepped in front of her, blocking her from Aiden. “What are we supposed to do?”
“The only rule is that this goes on until two of us remain. Only then are we allowed to leave.”
“How can you be sure of that? You thought you didn’t have to participate and look at you now.”
“For all I know I didn’t. But when I killed Marcus, that left only four. I’m participating by default.”
The shadows began to move. They had hung at the edges of the sidewalk, and the fountain, and the trees, waiting for their chance. But now they crept closer, giving Jake confidence. They were going to keep their word. But he had to fulfill his promise first.
The shadows danced around his feet and Jake was amazed that no one had noticed them yet. They tickled his ear. “Are you ready?”
Jake glared at Will with all the hate he could muster. Will might be nice now, but he’d tried to kill Jake
in Shreveport. Will had to pay.
In Mommy’s hand, Jake’s twitched, and then began to burn. Snatching his hand from her, he looked down at the scorch marks, then up at her in surprise. Why would Mommy burn him?
She looked at him with equal confusion. “What did you do, Jake?”
“Nothing.”
He took a step back as the shadows swirled, forming a thick black cloud that made a big circle around the four of them.
Will and Aiden glanced around in confusion.
“What’s going on, Aiden?” Will growled.
“I don’t know.” Aiden sounded worried.
Jake smiled. He knew.
Emma’s face paled. “You know don’t you, Jake? This is your surprise. What’s happening?”
“The shadows are here to help me.”
“The shadows?” Aiden tried to look irritated, but his eyes told Jake he was afraid. “They’re a fairy tale, Jacob.”
“Tell that to the swirling black cloud.” Will grunted, then turned to Jake. “What do the shadows do?”
“They do nothing.” Aiden spat. “They were cast into their realm and have lived there for millenniums.”
Jake took a step toward Aiden. “They are here to help me kill you. But I must do something for them first.”
“What do you have to do first, Jake?” Mommy’s voice shook.
Jake stood straight, squaring his shoulders as he stared at Will. “I have to kill the person who killed Alex. It was his rule for me to get the gift.”
Mommy stumbled backward as Will ran toward her.
Jake created a wind to blow Will away from her. “I’m going to kill you, Will. You stole my mommy and you tried to kill me.”
“No, Jake! Stop this!” Mommy screamed. “Will has spent all this time trying to find you and save you! Aiden is lying!”
Jake’s anger billowed like storm clouds inside him, filling him with hate. “No! Will killed Alex! I only got Alex’s power if I agreed to destroy the person who killed him.”
Mommy’s eyes were wide, and her hands trembled. “How could you, Jake? How could you agree to such an evil thing?”
She sounded so angry. And hurt. Some of his confidence faltered. “I did it to save you. I needed more power to save you.”
Redemption (The Chosen #4) Page 31
