by Carly Marino
“Nora—”
Sparks zapped from her hands, and she faded to her shadow form. “I’ve been fighting these wankers my entire life. Cake, luv.” Her voice shook. Nora had more confidence than any girl I’d ever known. Hearing her weakness pinched my gut.
None of this would’ve happened if my parents hadn’t stuck me in Thea’s body. They tried to play God and my mother died in the process. Aunt Karen died. I refused to let anyone else die for me.
I inhaled a deep breath and channeled the warmth to my hands. I hoped my determination would light my fingertips. Zaffre-blue electricity crackled. Before Nora could speak, I fired in her direction. She flickered, reappearing briefly from her shadow form. I hit her one more time in the chest and her shadow-self, disintegrated.
“What the bloody hell are you doing?” she hissed.
“You’re staying here.” I faced my lit hands toward her.
“You’ll knock me out if you hit me with that. Are you mad?”
“I’ve been asking myself that same thing since I met you guys.” A stream of blue current blasted from my hands, and she dropped to the grass. I kneeled to check her pulse to be certain I hadn’t killed her. Even breathing and a steady heartbeat. Thank God.
Resparés yelled from the house. Shit. They’d seen my light. I hauled Nora into the woods and laid her in the ditch. If I survived this, she’d kill me, but at least she’d be alive to do it.
I booked it in the opposite direction, my breaths whooshing from my mouth. Yellow light surged through the sky like lightening. I hadn’t thought this through. I had no idea how to fight back. I sent zaffre-blue light into the air, sprinting toward the tower.
“You’re so screwed.” I passed the garage, tripped, and skidded across the grass.
The Resparés barreled toward Nora. They must not have seen me run this way. If they found her, I’d knocked her out for nothing.
I raised a hand to propel light at them. The Maserati parked in front of the garage caught my eye. I had one shot at the distraction I needed.
“Sorry, Drake.” I aimed at the gas tank and curled my body. The car exploded. The windows overlooking the drive crashed to the ground. My hair blew back. Debris soared overhead, and a fire raged in front of the house. Smoke billowed into the night sky.
My ears rang, the noise so loud my eyesight vibrated. I rubbed my temples and blinked but the zinging didn’t cease.
Resparés ran toward the blaze, arms waving in a help signal.
I shook my head, again, and the sounds rushed back in.
Bellowing commands, combined with the snap of the fire, echoed.
I ran.
I just needed to get to the door. Once I did, I could find Larc and exchange myself for Cole. He’d go free, and I’d—
Someone grabbed me from behind, and their fingers cupped my mouth. I clawed at their forearms, struggling. My screams were muffled by their hand but I fought harder, kicking with all of my might. But my captor squeezed tighter, dragging me to the side of the tower.
I focused on my light to draw the warmth to my fingertips. Nothing came. Nora was right. Again. As a Roamer, my light was unpredictable, and fear was definitely a hindrance. Plus, I had zero training. I dug inside for my confidence, instinct, anything that might help me. Glow. Glow. Please. Please.
“Calm down, Thea. It’s me.” I froze at the sound of Logan’s voice in my ear. “You might not have training, but, damn girl, you put up a fight.”
His grip loosened, and I removed his fingers from my mouth. “What are you doing here? Nora said you were captured.”
He touched his swollen cheekbone and pointed at the cut on his eye. Blood caked the side of his puffy lips.
“Apparently Nora doesn’t realize how badass I am.”
I withheld a snicker. “We’ll have to add that to the bottle of your many talents.”
Logan smiled, wincing.
I squinted. “You okay?”
“My shoulder is dislocated. I need you put it back.” He removed the beanie from his head, and bit down on the end. “Pull my arm.”
I shook my head. “I can’t.”
He withdrew his hat. “We heal faster than humans but not fast enough. Cole’s beaten up pretty bad. I don’t think we’ve got much time.”
I swallowed.
“Tug as hard as you can.” He returned the beanie to his mouth and nodded.
Cringing, I gripped his wrist and yanked. Logan growled as the bone popped into place and rubbed his shoulder. Then he rolled them both, before cracking his neck. “Where’s Nora?”
“I knocked her out with my light.”
He chuckled. “Good. She can hold her own, but she distracts me.”
I fidgeted. Logan spoke of Nora with so much endearment, yet, he’d walked away. I could never imagine walking away from Cole. If something happened to Logan, which I prayed nothing would, I wanted to be able to tell Nora the truth about why he’d hurt her so badly. “Why’d you do it? Leave her? I mean, isn’t that what we search for our whole lives, our better half?”
He glanced behind. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, I need to know. If anything happens…”
Logan exhaled. “Don’t get me wrong, I ache something fierce for that girl, but we were young. Fourteen isn’t old enough for a soulmate. I tried to be, but I just wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment. I figured I’d pop in again someday after we’d both had some life experience.”
“So you let her believe you were dead? That’s messed up, Logan.”
“I dunno. It was easier that way. I know I’m an asshole and deserve every bit of shit she throws at me.” He put his hat on. “It’s just different between Nora and me. I don’t know why, but our pull isn’t as strong as Cole and Lyra’s. Or other Inflexaens’, for that matter. Maybe we got the whole thing wrong. I’d never seen the light bond before ours, and it wasn’t anything spectacular. Just some yellow stars overhead.” His gaze traveled embers dancing in the sky. “We don’t have time to talk about my love life. That fire you set off won’t keep them busy for long. What’s the plan? I’m assuming you have one.”
“I’m going to trade myself for Cole.”
Logan glanced around. “Nope. I can’t let that happen. Even if I could, Cole would kill me. I’d be better off leaving him in there.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. What do you think we should do then?”
“I’ll take out as many Resparés as I can. You get to Cole. We’ll figure out the bracelet deal after we get him out.”
“Where is he?”
Logan held out his hand. “I think it’ll be easier if you see it. The place is crazy down there. I was about to break him out, but Resparés surrounded me. I ran like hell. I’d have stayed, but I knew Nora was in the living room and…” He flipped up his hoodie. “Anyway, when I got out, Nora and you were gone. I thought I was too late. I’ve been hiding in the woods, planning my next move. Then I saw all the commotion you caused. Good Lord. Explosions and light shows. No wonder Cole likes you.”
“Where is Larc?”
He shrugged. “No clue. Take my hand.”
I grabbed his hand and as he let go of his mask, his memory played before my eyes.
I zip at lightning speed through the stone hallways twisting in every direction. Four Resparés attack, capture, and lug me across the concrete, but I don’t fight them. Instead, I wait, listening. Chains jingle. A voice I recognize calls out.
Cole.
I react.
I flip over, freeing myself from the Resparés’ grasp. They retaliate, punching, dodging, and maneuvering around my advances. Bodies fall one after another and in the end, the ones that live, run. I tear into corridor after corridor until I reach Cole.
He hangs limply from chains cuffed to his wrists. His green-tinged skin sinks into his cheeks. Bruises and swelling have already sprouted around his eyes. I aim my light at the lock but more Resparés charge me. I leap and jab. But the more I fight, the more Resparés appear from th
e shadows.
I glance at Cole. “I’ll be back, bro. Hold on.”
I slowed the memory to memorize every step, turn, and corridor Logan had gone. Then I released his hand.
“Got it?” he asked.
“Yep, I can do this.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
After Logan had explained his plan, I hid behind the circular stone tower. My hands trembled, and I bit my fingernails. What if I couldn’t find Cole in time?
“You’re going to have to react fast.” Logan’s face glowed with his light zapping the lock.
The metal snapped, and I nodded, ready to save my soulmate.
Logan cracked the door and fired. The sound of yelling and the ricochet of his light tensed my shoulders. Logan shuffled backward, and his eyes lit up. “Showtime.” He faded into shadow form and disappeared into the darkness.
Holding my breath, I pushed tight against the brick wall as Resparés stampeded past me. When the last one exited, I shoved the door and charged down the steps. The basement was a dark, damp, and mildew-smelling cavern. If I hadn’t seen the upstairs, I would’ve had no clue where I was. Dim track lights lit the hallways, and droplets plunked into water. Their even tempo did little to slow my heartbeat.
I paused after every turn to listen for footsteps or voices. Chains jingled somewhere nearby. As the sound amplified, my gut twisted. How would I feel when I saw him? In Logan’s memory, he didn’t look like himself. I never would’ve expected Cole to let someone beat him until his face swelled to that degree.
Footsteps squeaked on the concrete floors. I sucked in and pressed my body tight to the wall, eyes clamped shut like a child praying the action would keep them from finding me. My pulse pounded in my throat, and sweat tickled my brow.
I peeled my eyes open as a silhouette jogged past. His hands crackled and sparked. When I no longer heard his feet hammering on the ground, I snuck around the corner.
The hallway emptied into a triangular room. Cells lined either side of the angular walls, and each one held a prisoner. Without a sensing ability, I had no idea if they were human or Inflexaen. But I did know they were all badly beaten, drained, and sick. I wanted to free them, but doing so would cause commotion and they’d be killed. The moment I had the opportunity, I’d set them free. My chest pinched, and I glimpsed quickly into each cell.
In the last one, I found Cole, chains restraining him to the wall. I gauged the lock. You can break this. I fired my light. The bolt melted much slower than I’d hoped but I pushed harder and the metal hissed. I had to save him. The sweet sound of lock clicking sent waves of relief through me. I yanked the door open.
Cole didn’t raise his head at the sound of me entering. I kneeled before him and brushed his dark hair from his cheekbones. His eyes squinted. “Thea,” he whispered. “I’m so—”
I placed a finger over his puffed and cracked lips to hush him. He adjusted in his cuffs. Bruising and dried blood circled and dripped from his wrists, and blotches covered his neck.
I frowned. “When was the last time you charged?”
He coughed. “Homecoming.”
That was why he wasn’t healing as fast. He hadn’t charged in days. Larc probably tortured him in sunlight since Cole couldn’t use his abilities.
I swallowed. “Charge off me.”
“No.” His voice strained. “I can’t. You need your strength. If anything happens to you. I can’t lose you, again. I’m weaker, and I’m … empty inside without you.”
I cradled his jawline in my hands. “I’m not leaving without you. If you want both of us to get out of here alive then you need enough strength to walk.”
He sighed but nodded.
His eyelashes drifted closed, and a searing pain tugged from my chest to my hands. I gritted my teeth to resist the urge to jerk away. Each draw of my essence left a freezing emptiness behind. Fire pulsed through my veins and ice burned in my muscles. The polar sensations twisted my organs. I wanted to scream but I withheld, biting my cheeks. A metallic taste flooded my tongue.
Please, make it stop. Don’t hurt me.
Cole gasped, the pain ceased, and my exhaustion hushed the screaming in my body. He’d stopped.
He yanked on the chains, and they snapped. The gash over his brow sealed, the bruises faded, and color returned to his cheeks. Zaffre-blue starbursts exploded inside of his eyes, and I widened my own. He peered at me, his gaze feral and hungry. I stood and wobbled backward. My core muscles and biceps ached like I’d strained them for hours. I wavered with dizziness.
Cole’s chest rose with heavy breaths. I was petrified he might throw me across the room. If he did, I couldn’t fight back. I focused on my light, but nothing came.
He’d weakened me too much.
He pulled me to him, and I opened my mouth to yell but he captured my lips. His hands clutched my back, holding me tighter to his firm chest. My skin tingled as a hot flush spread through me and I relaxed into him, tasting the sweetness of his kiss. Our mouths moved, and desire flickered in my body. In his arms, I didn’t have a care in the world. Everything was as it should be.
Cole let me go, hitching my breath. “Now I know I can’t live without you.”
I smiled as warmth circled my cheeks and nipped at my ears. I couldn’t either.
He pressed his forehead to mine and peered into my eyes. We had no idea what would happen next. I could lose him. His fingers knotted in my hair, and his lips lightly brushed mine. My heart skittered, and the threat of death disappeared. Trading myself now seemed absurd. How could I end my life when I had this future in store for me? A life with Cole—my Yuenfan.
His arms squeezed around me. “I’m sorry I left. The moment I did, I was sick. Physically, mentally, emotionally. The past is the past. You’re all I want.” He kissed me gently and I opened my mouth, inviting his tongue to play with mine. He nibbled gently on my bottom lip. “Thea, you are all I need. I’m crazy about you.”
He needed to know the truth about Lyra. It wasn’t fair to him. But fear sewed my lips and swelled my throat. Why can’t I tell him?
“We have to get out of here.” He kissed my forehead. “Stay tight to me. I took your abilities when I charged off of you.”
I nodded, and we darted from his cell. “What about the other prisoners?”
“We can come back for them.”
“But—”
“We don’t have time. Releasing them will bring to much attention to us. I’m guessing Logan and Nora are outside. We gotta grab them and move.” He held my hand, and we sidled in the corridor, pausing every few feet to dodge a passing Resparé. Not many patrolled the prison. Maybe they evacuated after the fire I’d started or Logan was keeping them busy. Either way, I was relieved.
We reached the cavern exit, and Cole ran up the stairs and opened the door. I exhaled, lingering behind.
Golden light illuminated the sky. Muffled commands hollered after the blasts. Logan had done his part. He’d detained the Resparés long enough for me to rescue Cole. Now we had to do ours. But before we risked our lives, I had to tell Cole the truth about Lyra. No more delaying the inevitable. I paused, apprehension planting my feet to the concrete bottom step.
Cole slid outside of the door and yellow fireworks exploded over his head, haloing his body. He glanced over his shoulder at me, eyes filled with worry. “Are you hurt?”
I fidgeted with my sleeves. Do I really want to do this? Telling him might change things. I’d never be Lyra. I had her soul, but not her memories. What if he wanted me to go back into her body? If her body still existed, was that even a possibility? Even if it did, I didn’t know if I wanted to be Lyra. I liked who I was.
I took a deep breath. “I have to tell you something.”
“Whatever it is you can tell me later. Logan and Nora need us.”
Logan had said Cole acted irrationally when it came to Lyra—to me. I needed him level headed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” I climbed the stairs.
A shadowy hand yanked
me by the wrist, and I tumbled into my captor’s arms. Light fired beside me, the beam illuminating another shadow’s silhouette. The door at the top of the stairs slammed, shutting Cole outside and trapping me in. Red and orange fire melded the metal to the stone.
“Cole,” I screamed.
Cole banged on the other side. “Thea!”
Blue lit the cracks above and below the door. It shook but didn’t budge.
“Cole.” I writhed.
The Resparé tightened his grip around my neck, and I scratched at the shadow’s arm. The room blurred, my eyes drifted upward, and everything darkened.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I opened my eyes to find my arms tied to a hospital bed. The leather straps rubbed on my wrists as I yanked on the chains.
A faint smell of mildew escaped through the pungent scents of bleach and disinfectant. Glass surrounded the room, but shades concealed the outside. Bright fluorescent lights hummed overhead, just loud enough to drive a person mad.
An off-white curtain separated me from whatever, or whoever, lay next door. Beeping echoed from a machine by my bed and circular discs stuck to my chest. How long have I been out?
The door whooshed open, rattling the paneled blinds. I tugged on the restraints, my eyes frantically searching the room for an escape, but the curtain beside me blocked my view. The glass door slid closed behind Drake. Dark bags hung beneath his eyes, and a reddish hue circled his gunmetal-blue irises.
I bowed my head. Heaviness slackened my arms. Deep down, I hoped Drake wasn’t a part of this. A faint smile twitched on his face. Not enough to hypnotize me but enough to put me at ease.
“Hey.” He sat on the edge of my bed. “You’re a fast learner. Your emotions aren’t nearly as strong now that you can mask.” He inhaled. “But you’re weak … having a hard time holding on to it, yeah? Did the Resparés drain you? They weren’t supposed to take from you.”
My knee jerked to kick him, but cuffs also restrained my ankles. “Where’s Wynter? Did you kidnap her?” I pressed my lips together, fearful of the answer to my next question. “Did—did you drain her?”