by Jenn Vakey
A commotion came from somewhere behind us. One that told me our people had finally breached the doors. That it was time for us to take this last one.
“Knock it down,” I stated. I didn’t face anyone directly, although it wasn’t needed. We still had one final guard with Tainted strength with us. A man I had heard my brother refer to as Sentry Mackie.
He moved toward the center of the door. Gryffin and I stood to one side while Leeya positioned herself at the other. I let out a breath and held my staff at the ready. Voices drew closer. Our backup. Everything we would need to put an end to all of this once and for all.
It only took one solid kick to bust the doors open. Surprised gasps came from inside. I pushed forward and stood in the doorway without crossing through. I wanted him to see me and know who was responsible for ending everything he had murdered and betrayed to get.
And when I saw that there were only two Sentry standing in the room with the six of our targets, I knew it was over.
As Dex met my eye, though, he smiled.
Why was he smiling? It wasn’t a look of condescension. No, it was… triumph.
“Wait,” I said, but it was already too late.
Leeya took a single step into the room before stopping with a jerk when a hand grasped her by the back of the neck. The breath she pulled in sounded pained, like she was both moaning in discomfort and struggling to breathe. It wasn’t just a hand that had grabbed her. The Sentry that had been hiding inside the doorway was wearing a metal glove. It was doing something to her.
I lunged toward them to knock her out of his hold. I didn’t reach her before slamming into what felt like a wall. I bounced back, confusion mingling with the terror I felt. But when I moved forward a second time, I was again stopped before I could cross through the doorway.
My hands pressed against a solid, invisible barrier. One that shouldn’t have been there. Shouldn’t have even been possible. We didn’t have the technology for such things. Not unless they had placed wards up. But they couldn’t single out specific people. Not that I knew of. And Leeya had just walked right through.
That was when I saw it. The gun that Dex was aiming toward me. One that was so similar to the banshee gun he had used before that I knew what it was without asking. There was only one ability I could think of that could stop something like this.
He was blocking me with my own ability.
“Let her go,” I hissed, looking back toward Leeya. Her legs were shaking so badly that they finally gave in and she dropped to her hands and knees. The Sentry moved with her, not loosening his grip on her. She was gasping for air, tremors wracking her body.
A glove that imitated the succubus draining ability.
“Dex, let her go now!”
He chuckled, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of my girl. I couldn’t look away as her body was being stripped of its energy. Its life force.
“Admit defeat,” he said, so casually that you wouldn’t think it was even possible that a life could be hanging in the balance. “Admit to the citizens of Eden that I am the true king.”
Leeya’s head shook side to side as it hung low enough that her hair brushed against the floor. “Don’t” she croaked. “Don’t you dare.”
Dex gave an exasperated sigh. “Maybe this will be enough to convince you.”
I threw myself into the barrier. I couldn’t let them do anything else to her. Others pushed up from behind me, but no matter what we did, it still wouldn’t budge. I even tried using my own telekinesis against it. I tried to throw the gun from his grip. I tried to push back against the wall. Nothing worked. It was as if the device was also working to counteract my ability.
“Hold on, Leeya,” I said softly, facing her again. “Don’t you stop fighting.”
She grunted and tried to reach back to grab the person holding her. If she could touch him, she could pull energy back from him. Make him stop and replenish herself. But she couldn’t. She was too weak, and the move only made her drop down even further onto the ground.
No, no this couldn’t be happening. I couldn’t lose her again. I wouldn’t survive it. My mind raced. I wanted to give him whatever he wanted just to make him stop. I wanted to take her place. Give him this damn city.
I turned to tell him… I don’t know what. But then the door beside him opened and another Sentry stepped out. He was dragging a struggling figure behind him. In my panic, it took me a moment to even register what I was seeing.
Maizie.
What the hell was she doing here?
Her terrified gaze passed through the room, her eyes widening when they landed on me. “Rhydian, help me,” she begged. She fought to get away from the Sentry, but his grip was too firm. “Please.”
“You’re supposed to be in Alkwin,” I said, then looked back to Leeya. I couldn’t think about Maizie right now. I needed to get in there. I had to get that damn glove off of her.
“I was out for a walk,” Maizie said. “I must have crossed the border without realizing it. They grabbed me.”
Leeya picked her hand up and slapped it down on the ground. I pushed against the invisible wall again. I could see her lips moving like she was saying something, but no words came out. She was fading. God, I was losing her.
Maizie’s screech made me shift my gaze just long enough to see Dex holding her by the back of the neck too with the hand not holding the gun. Her struggle was distracting him. I hoped that it would be enough to loosen his hold. To weaken the wall.
This damn wall!
“Leeya!” I yelled.
My body was shaking from the effort I was putting into trying to get to her. The weaker she grew, the more it felt like I was dying on the inside. Hadn’t he taken enough? He had already stolen our child. He couldn’t have her too.
My eyes burned as I forced myself to look at my cousin. I didn’t care anymore about what was right here. How things would look, or what people would say.
“I’m going to kill you,” I grated out. And I meant it. Dex would die by my hand, even if it was the last thing I ever did. And if I lost Leeya, I would be okay with that.
“Admit that I’m the true king of Eden,” he said, completely unconcerned.
“He won’t let her go, even if you do,” Gryffin whispered from my side, though I could tell it pained him.
“I know.” But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t try. Eden was just a place. The people could leave. Start over somewhere else.
And Dex had me. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to stop this. To save Leeya. Even give him everything he wanted.
Before the words could leave my lips, the air shifted and moved past me like a gust of wind. A blur swept straight into the room and slammed into Dex. He went flying back, and in his place, stood one of the last people I had expected to ever see again.
Paxton Meltzer.
There wasn’t time for the shock at his sudden appearance or the fact that he had moved so fast that he had somehow made it into the room to settle in. The moment Dex was knocked back, the wall holding me vanished.
With a lunge, I tackled the Sentry who was still holding Leeya and pulled him from her. Twisting, I turned and reached for her. That was when I felt something metal touch my arm and darkness started to fill my vision.
Fucking Sentry.
I gasped similar to the way Leeya had, scolding myself for not incapacitating him before giving him my back. It was a stupid mistake.
Thankfully, I had backup where Leeya hadn’t. Someone moved in the corner of my vision and the Sentry was knocked off of me. I didn’t even look to see who it was. The only thing I cared about right now was my girl. Hoping against all hope that I wasn’t too late.
“Leeya,” I gasped, still trying to catch my breath myself. I slid toward her and rolled her onto her back. Her head lolled to the side. She was completely unresponsive. “Please no.”
My fingers shook as I reached down and pressed them to the side of her neck.
Thump… thump… thump…
>
It was there, but the feel of her pulse gave me no relief. It was so weak, fading with every passing beat. He had taken too much. He had drained her nearly completely of energy.
She was dying.
Lowering down until my face was hovering just over hers, I took her hand with mine and held it against the exposed skin on my neck. “Do it, baby,” I whispered. “Use your ability. Take it.”
I held my breath as nothing happened. My eyes watered, my throat closed up. I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.
“Now, Leeya,” I said, squeezing her hand. Begging her to take what she needed from me.
I closed my eyes, forcing myself not to make a sound when it started. I almost couldn’t believe it. I was afraid to open my eyes and find that it wasn’t her, but that damn Sentry again.
Then she gasped.
My eyes shot open and looked into the face of the woman I loved. Her breathing was coming more steady, but I kept her hand firmly in place. She needed more.
“Rhydian,” Gryffin called.
It took a lot of effort to look up and meet my brother’s eyes. He was holding Dex down as our people moved around disarming and restraining the others. His eyes shifted from Leeya to me, questioning. When my head bobbed just slightly, the recognition of the situation hit him. He knew what I was doing.
“Let it go,” he ordered. “It’s enough. She’ll be okay.”
My thoughts started to cloud, but there was one thing I was sure of. It wasn’t enough. It wouldn’t be enough until I was certain she would be fine.
Black spots filled my vision, and I vaguely heard the sound of someone scream. Maizie, I think. Then someone was running toward us. Trying to stop me. I held on even tighter.
I couldn’t let go, no matter what any of them wanted me to do. Orson had been right. There was nothing I wouldn’t give to save her. Even my life.
CHAPTER THIRTY
LEEYA
There was a throbbing in the back of my head that made me stir. When had I gone to sleep?
My eyes were slow to open. I wanted to stay here for a little longer, just enjoying the weight of Rhydian against my back. But, no. That wasn’t right. The gentle pressure was too still, lacking the subtle movements that came with him breathing or his heartbeat.
It was the voices that pulled me from the last of my dazed state. Male and female. Ones that made me feel safe.
I opened my eyes and looked around. The room was both familiar and not. As the fog cleared further, I realized where I was. We had passed through this room before as we made our way through the palace.
The palace. We had come to the palace to overthrow Dex. We’d found him in the meeting room. That’s when someone grabbed me. When I felt my life being drained from me.
I sat up slowly. I was on a small sofa, the back of it what I had thought at first to be Rhydian. The movement caught the attention of Gryffin from where he stood across the room. The woman with him I recognized as Natali’s mother. The woman I had met in the broadcast station.
Gryffin gave me a sad smile before continuing his conversation with the woman. When she nodded, he stepped back behind the desk next to him and sat.
My head still felt a little funny, so I didn’t try to move as I watched the woman walk to the gear she had set up. Then she gave Gryffin a nod.
“Good morning,” he stated, looking into the camera. I glanced through the open door and caught sight of the edge of a window in an adjacent room. It was still dark out, so it must have been early. How long had I been out? “It has been a long night for all of us, and I first would like to offer my deepest thanks for all of the assistance so many of you willingly gave.
“Dex Behrer and all seven of the council members have been placed under arrest. The Sentry who were supporting them have also been taken into custody. All of those who had been arrested for acting against Dex have been released and cleared of all charges.
“From this point forward, Eden is no longer a place where Tainted are unwelcome. Any citizen who doesn’t wish to live in a society where the Tainted are accepted will be allowed to leave. We will assist you in establishing a new camp outside of the wall, and the city will always be open should you choose to return.
“As many of you may have heard, there is a way for those wishing to to activate your dormant Tainted genes. For those choosing this option, make an appointment with the Healer offices. If you qualify, you’ll be given the serum to take. You’ll also be enrolled in mandatory classes to help you understand and control your new abilities.”
I didn’t hear his parting words to the city. There was just too much information. It didn’t feel real. Was it really finally over? Was Eden now a free city? Everything would change now. No more smuggling people out to Alkwin. No more living in fear of attacks.
Gryffin finished and stood. He bowed to the woman, then turned as she started to collect everything. I looked around, wanting to share the surge of enjoyment I now felt. The victory.
But something was missing. Something big.
“Where’s Rhydian?” I asked, turning back to Gryffin as he approached me.
His eyes softened. Gone was that twinkle of humor I had so often seen. All that was there now was sadness.
No. I had to be seeing it wrong. Rhydian was just doing something. Cleaning up some mess. But even as I tried to convince myself of that, I knew it wasn’t the truth. He never would have left my side while I was out.
“Where is he?”
Gryffin sighed and sat down on the sofa next to me. He clasped his hands together on his lap, his eyes locked on them instead of looking at me. The way people did when they were getting ready to deliver some very bad news.
No. No, no, no.
“You were attacked with a piece of tech that replicated your ability,” he said softly. “You weren’t going to survive it. Rhydian...” He swallowed, then blew out a low breath before meeting my eye. “Rhydian made you take the energy from him.”
“What?” I asked. My eyes filled with tears. He couldn’t be saying what I thought he was. That I had… I shook my head. No, I couldn’t believe that. I couldn’t have done that to him. It wasn’t possible. “Where is he? I need to see him.” I needed to see it for myself, otherwise I would never believe it.
Gryffin nodded and reached out to squeeze my hand. Then he stood and walked to the door, muttering to someone standing out there. When he stepped back, Lamont walked in. Like Gryffin, his expression was filled with sorrow.
“I’ll take you to him,” he said.
My limbs felt like they were filled with stones as I stood and walked numbly toward him. I must have looked like I was going to crumple at any moment, because Lamont reached out and took my arm. He didn’t release his gentle hold on me the entire time as we crossed through to the stairs, then went up and down a hall until we reached a closed door.
I sucked in a breath, holding it. Lamont watched me for a moment, then opened the door without saying anything and let me in.
The room he had brought me to was a large bedroom. It must have been the size of six of mine. It was decorated in blue with touches of gold. I knew the moment I stepped in that it had been his bedroom. Though it had been four years, it was like I could smell him in it.
Rhydian was in the middle of the large bed, the covers pulled up to his chest with his arms straight at his sides. His golden hair was brushed neatly back behind his ears. If his skin hadn’t been so very pale, I would have thought he was just sleeping.
“Is he…?” My voice cracked, and I wasn’t able to say that last word.
Dead. Was the man I loved dead because of me? Had I unknowingly done exactly what Adler had wanted all those weeks ago when he first sent me to him?
“He’s still alive, Leeya,” Lamont said gently. “But barely. The Healers have been in, but no one knows how to fix this.”
Alive. The word released the chains that had been holding me in place, and I ran toward him. Scrambling to get on top of the bed, I crawled over until I w
as right beside him.
“Rhydian,” I whispered. I reached out and slid my hand over his cheek. His skin was so cold, but I could see now that he was, in fact, breathing. Slow, steady breaths.
He might have been alive, but it looked like he was only holding on by a thread. Like at any moment, he could just simply stop breathing and fade away.
“There has to be a way,” I said, not taking my eyes off of Rhydian. “We have to make him better. I can’t lose him, Lamont. I can’t.”
“We’ve been going through all of the records the council had on Tainted,” he answered. “They had been doing extensive research for centuries. They knew how to replicate extracting the energy, but they had never studied ways of replacing it. That’s what the Makers are trying to do now. The important thing is that he’s holding on. He hasn’t gotten any worse.”
