Fumbling over brush and branches, we fought to make our way through the darkness. Using all of our senses and knowledge of the surrounding woods, we moved without slowing, as terror rose with every frantic breath.
With my heart pounding in my ears, my panic soured to the point where my muscles became jelly-like. I willed them to cooperate as I stumbled and tripped over every little obstacle.
"Keep moving," Shane commanded. "Don't hesitate!"
The three of us powered through the darkness, desperate to find any recognizable detail, and shook with paralyzing fear as the villagers gained ground. The space between us and them decreased with every passing second.
Then, with a crash, the wolf landed in front of us, thrashing its head to the side.
"Dom," I whimpered through my constricted throat.
The sight of him renewed my courage, and I shouted to the others. “Follow him!"
We darted in his direction, and Shane pushed Courtney and me ahead as we plowed after Dom. The wolf lept and swerved with ease through the thicket, looking back as we struggled to keep up. He'd led us to a light trail, and we made up lost ground as we flew along it.
Swiping torches spread out behind us in an attempt for the villagers to surround and block our escape route. Breaking through their barrier of fire and guns would be nearly impossible.
As terror welled up inside me, threatening to derail my escape, I pressed on, keeping sharp focus on our goal. And then, just ahead, the glory of the brightness of the clearing filled my vision. The rising moon illuminated the open space, sending hope through my quaking bones.
Dom swung his head in delight as he beckoned us to keep moving.
"We're almost there," I gasped. “Follow the glow of the full moon!”
My voice choked in my throat as it constricted with overwhelming joy.
"Can you see anything?" Shane called to me.
I squinted through the darkness in search of any shapes or structures.
Then a voice poked through my frenzied thoughts, commanding me to keep running.
“Blake?” I screamed in my mind.
“Run!” his voice broke out through my head.
In frantic rejoice, I searched the edge of the clearing for the portal. Whether Blake’s voice was real or not, it didn’t matter, it was enough to launch me through the final steps of our escape.
And then I jolted from the sound of my own voice as it rang out of me.
"I see the top of it. A sharp point." I quaked at the sight of the triangular structure.
The portal was just ahead.
"Keep moving,” I screamed. "Don't stop. No matter what!"
We raced the final distance through the woods as the villagers closed in behind us, their adrenaline and determination, keeping them only steps behind.
And then shots rang out, exploding my eardrums.
Hysterical voices rose all around us as more shots fired in our direction. Flashes of gunpowder all around made me see spots as I struggled to keep focus on our destination.
As the portal came into full view, Shane called out, "Don't stop for anything. Leap in as soon as you reach it!"
The four of us pulled together into a tight group as we raced the final distance toward the glowing opening of the hut.
"Oh my God," I cried out. "We made it!"
And just as the words left my mouth, Courtney slowed and broke away from the group.
"Courtney," I screamed. "Keep going!"
"I can't," she cried. "I can't leave them." She tightened her arms around her waist, doubling over. "I still need to try to save my sisters."
Her paralysis sent terror through me, knowing she’d resist launching through the portal. Shane barreled toward her, arms ready to grab her, and then Dom pounced at her feet and pushed her with his broad shoulder.
She stumbled into Shane's arms, and he dragged her as she fought him with desperate thrashes.
"We don't have time for this," he grunted as she struggled against him.
As the villagers closed in, we turned back toward the waiting portal.
Dom snatched Courtney's hair in his frothing jaws and yanked her toward the glowing opening. As she continued to thrash, another shot rang out from behind us, snapping our attention to the mob’s proximity to us.
Then Dom’s entire body shuddered in convulsive waves of blinding energy. He contorted and twitched as light exploded all around him. And in an instant, he transformed from the wolf into his human self. Without hesitation, lifted Courtney into his arms and jumped through the portal.
Shane grabbed my hand, and we ran toward the swirling glow of the activated portal. Shouts of angry villagers filled our heads as they screamed in disbelieving shock of what they saw.
More shots rang out in their frenzied insanity.
My hand tightened on Shane’s as I prepared to jump.
As we lept for the opening of the mystical hut, diving toward our salvation, Shane shoved me into the churning energy, and his hand broke away from mine.
In mid-flight, I turned back to him in horror as the whirl of the gusting tempest pulled me into the portal.
"Nooooo," I screamed.
My outstretched hands glowed with green balls of energy, attempting to latch onto him again.
"Go, Brynn!" he shouted with a cough, as blood filled the corner of his mouth.
A desperate scream shot out of me.
"I remember this part now." He spat, collapsing onto his knees. "It's meant to be this way."
I stared in horror as he fell toward the opening of the gateway, reaching for one last touch. With two large bullet wounds gaping on his back, his eyes clouded.
Without any sign of movement, he hit the ground with a lifeless thud as I whipped away into oblivion.
Chapter 19
With a heavy thud, my weight returned to me as I hit the dirt. My head was still spinning from the blasting onslaught of the portal as I rubbed my eyes.
Blinking into the dust and debris within the hut, I searched for the reality I wanted, not the one that threatened to be so.
Choked by my overwhelming emotions, I reached along the floor of the portal, feeling around for any sign of him.
And then, as the dust settled, I saw him.
On his knees, Shane struggled to push himself up to look at me.
"Oh my God," I gasped, reaching for him. "Thank God."
I pulled Shane into my desperate arms as tears streamed down my cheeks. Looking into his weary face, I searched his eyes for his familiar longing.
But there was nothing there—only clouded haze.
I shook him as my voice caught in my throat. "Shane! Wake up," I cried.
And as I pushed on his shoulders, he faded from my vision and, in a blur of gray smoke, disappeared.
I reached all around me in panic, searching for him.
"Shane," I called out. "Shane!"
I checked every inch of the portal for any sign of him as terror squeezed at my throat. While struggling to get a breath of air, my vision darkened as shock took me over.
Then, strong arms reached around me and pulled me out of the portal.
My airway opened, and I took a huge gulp of air, returning clarity to my head.
"Shane?" I gasped, turning toward the strong embrace.
My mind scrambled into a mess as I stared into Dom's concerned face. His worry lines and eyes filled with sorrow sent panic through me.
"Where's Shane?" I screamed, staring past Dom in every direction.
Ms. Kelly stepped closer, as Courtney and the others watched with ashen faces.
"Brynn, reach into the depths of your mind for the truth." Ms. Kelly's voice echoed through my skull. "Search for it."
I closed my eyes and pulled away.
I didn’t want any more of our gifts. I didn’t want anything to do with any of it.
"Where's Shane?" I demanded, refusing to face anything other than him being with me.
Ms. Kelly moved closer. "It's always been thi
s way, Brynn. Look for it."
I hated her voice.
It scratched at me, forcing me to see something I didn't want to see.
I swallowed hard and opened my eyes within my mind. Searching for Shane, I found only a faint impression of him.
"I don't understand," I cried out, refusing to see what was in front of me.
"But you do, Brynn," she said. "You've always known, on some level."
I dropped my face into my hands.
Shane was different. That was why I loved him. He longed to be whole, to be full. And with me, he found the closest thing to being complete.
But never quite fully.
Because he was a soulless man.
I gasped as the revelation washed over me.
"A soulless man?" I whimpered.
Ms. Kelly wrapped her arms around me. "Yes, Brynn."
My air fell out of me as our time together flashed through my mind like a movie. Every part of knowing him was wonderful and so real.
"I don't understand," I whispered.
Ms. Kelly held me in her comforting arms. "Shane died a long time ago, Brynn. His soulless form has been wandering ever since, searching for what was missing."
My mind struggled to make sense of what she was saying. "So, it wasn't really Shane all this time?"
"No, it was Shane," she assured me. "Even he didn't know what he was or what he was searching for."
Dom stepped closer. "He was a ghost? All this time? Is that what you’re saying?"
Ms. Kelly shot daggers at him with her eyes but said nothing.
My shoulders sank as the reality of the situation came crashing down on me.
All this time, I'd been with Shane's ghost, while part of him was lost in the abyss, searching to be whole again.
"Shane died?" I muttered, trying to get my head around the facts.
While saving Courtney and Dom?
While saving me.
I shook my head at his ultimate sacrifice. Courtney and Dom had already made it through the portal, so it wasn’t even necessary. And I could take care of myself.
I cringed at the thought of him lying there, bleeding.
"He died for the mission," Ms. Kelly stated. "Sacrificed himself to ensure the project would be completed.” She hesitated, looking deeply into my eyes. “He always knew you were the key, Brynn, with the power of the ancient one. He'd do anything to protect you, to ensure your ability to finish the quest.”
"What are you saying?" My eyes narrowed on her.
"Getting you back safely through the portal was his only goal. Without you, Brynn, the project would be lost." She paused, watching her words tear at my soul. "You're the one who can make all of this right. And he always had faith in that fact." She took a step away, studying me. "You hold the power within you."
I took a deep breath. No matter how far I searched, I couldn't find the power she was speaking of.
All I could feel was loss. Pain. Grief.
I dropped to my knees and covered my face with my hands. Rocking, I allowed my sorrow to take me over.
Nothing else mattered in that moment but Shane.
He'd been torn from me, and I bled through the gaping wounds into the earth beneath me.
Moaning in pain, I curled into a fetal position in the dirt, wishing for death to come for me. Living without Shane was a terrifying thought that cut into my soul like a sharpened dagger. My grief overtook me as I surrendered and gave into it fully.
Ripped apart from the deepest part of my being, I lost touch with who I was. I allowed the violent separation to happen, no longer wanting or caring to be me. Allowing myself to drift into the darkness of the abyss was better than feeling the pain of living without Shane.
Having willfully lost all concept of time and place, I felt the sense of weightlessness take me into lulling movement. A gentle breeze crossed my face as voices echoed from a faraway place in the recesses of my shattered mind.
My eyes flickered opened slightly, and I gazed up into Dom's serene face. He carried me in his strong arms as the tops of high pines wavered far above.
I closed my eyes, allowing my sorrow to drown me in its darkness once again.
While floating in the rhythm of his walking, the pain ebbed and flowed through my body like ocean waves. It washed through me without relent, breaking me down with its natural flow.
And I allowed it.
I didn't fight.
I just let it consume me from the inside out.
After an immeasurable amount of time, brightness from the rising sun poked at my eyelids, and I fought against its nagging insistence.
Keeping my eyes shut tight against it, I forced myself to remain in my tortured state.
It was only when the voices around me rose to a level of shouting that my eyes betrayed me and popped open.
I glanced down at my toes, noticing my body lying across a bench. My head was propped comfortably in someone’s lap, and I gazed up at Dom's reddening face.
"He had no right!" Courtney's voice shattered my skull.
Ms. Kelly's calming tone attempted to settle her.
"Courtney, you must understand, Dom did what he had to do," she said. "He saved you from certain death."
"That was my choice," Courtney blasted. "I'd sworn never to leave my sisters again." She tore her fingers through her hair as she turned away in disgust.
Dom's breath grew more rapid as his chest heaved. He strained with the effort of not attacking her back while trying to keep steady for my sake.
I lifted my head from his lap and sat up.
At that same moment, he jumped to his feet. "They would have killed you right there on the spot," he blasted. "And then what good would you be to them? Huh?"
She paced with a rage-clenched jaw, shaking her energy out through her hands. A nervous shudder ran through her limbs, causing her to jump. She swallowed hard, likely remembering the burning sensation that used to plague her every waking moment.
Then she dropped her gaze, probably knowing Dom was right to have saved her, but she was still unable to accept it.
"Well, you still shouldn't have done it," she blabbered. "My will is my own."
Ms. Kelly stepped forward. "Our wills must remain focused upon the good of the coven. I know you believe this Courtney. You've never wavered from it in the past." Her voice soothed the tension around us. "And I believe you still hold it sacred."
Courtney nodded. "I do, Ms. Kelly," she exhaled. "I just want to make everything right. It’s all gone so wrong."
Her words hit me between the eyes. It had all gone so wrong.
"And that is our focus," Ms. Kelly agreed. "It is a difficult road, full of danger and heartbreak. But I believe we will get there and bring balance back to our delicate existence."
Ms. Kelly turned her attention to the others. Ms. Harrison and Ms. Reed. Tommy. Poorva and Blake. They watched in silence as our broken pieces fell around us, settling into a new configuration.
“We are all connected in this journey. Our coven is sacred,” she said. “Each one playing a vital role in our existence.”
My attention moved to Blake. He fidgeted in his stance while his eyes darted back and forth. It was as if he were watching a movie scene unfold in his mind.
“Blake?” I whispered. “You were there. I heard you in my thoughts.”
All attention turned to him, and his eyes widened in surprise. “I wasn’t sure if you would hear me,” he whispered. “But I could hear you. I knew you needed the portal open sooner than expected, and wanted you to know we’d have it ready for you.”
I nodded. His voice had been a beacon for us as we ran from the mob, and I was grateful for him.
Ms. Kelly’s posture shot straight up as she pulled Tommy closer to her. “You were able to reach across time?” Her shaking voice pressed at Blake.
“Yes, Ms. Kelly,” he answered quietly. “Just barely.”
Her face fell ashen.
“What’s wrong?” I begged.
She shook her head. “I wasn’t sure if it was possible for us.” She rubbed her neck. “It opens many possibilities.” Her eyes studied Blake again. “You had made your communication with them seem more like a premonition than actual contact. Why?”
Blake dropped his eyes in shame as if he’d done something wrong, and my gut twisted.
Then he spoke up. “I shouldn’t have done it,” he murmured.
We all stepped closer to hear him, and he continued.
“There were more voices on the other side. They gained entry into our consciousness.” He kept his eyes fixed on the ground. “One in particular.”
We leaned in, holding our breaths.
I wondered if he had heard the woman known as Mistress Harrison. It would open a whole new level of concern within the coven, particularly for Ms. Harrison.
He cleared his throat with a fist at his mouth.
“Laney,” he murmured. “She was there.”
A gasp flew out of my mouth. I hadn’t felt her presence there, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized she had been all around us, in every gust, in every fiber.
It was as if she had set the whole thing up.
“She was the one who opened the portal before it was time,” I blasted with new clarity.
The portal had been opened days too early, forcing us to travel through it before we were ready. And the result had been detrimental, costing Shane’s life.
But why? Why would she go to such lengths? A life for a life? Did she actually think that sacrificing Shane would help to save her ancestors from their grisly fates?
My stomach sickened at the thought of her interference and my inability to stop her.
Laney held direct responsibility in the horrific outcome and I’d have to live with that knowledge.
My mind spiraled out of control as grief caved in on me again. As I buckled over, my eyes met Courtney’s, catching the same look of despair in her soul. The sorrow that welled up in her compounded my pain to a level that threatened to smother me.
Courtney wrapped her arms across her waist, attempting to hold herself together.
Then her eyes popped wide with a jolt, latching on to mine with a desperate hold.
Urban Mystic Academy: Third Project (A Supernatural Academy Series Book 3) Page 16