“Not yet,” I spat back, causing Drake to roar with laughter.
“That’s right, I forgot. The mighty Kacey Alexander is going to bring me down. I’m supposed to bow down and kneel before the insolent teenager who keeps inserting herself in my business. It’s over. In minutes, my army will sweep across this city like a plague. They will slaughter anything in their path.”
“Your army will fail. My friends are already moving to stop them.”
Drake waved his hand at me. “Ah, the noble crusaders. The forces of good, desperate to save the world from the clutches of the evil overlord. How romantic.” He spat back the last words as a curse as he walked to the edge of the roof. “The problem is heroes die.”
“Not this time. It’s not too late. Call off your army, stand down, and stop this madness.”
“I forgot that you cared about me,” Drake sneered. “Making one last effort to save my soul, are we?”
“I don’t give a shit about you. I care about my city. If you stop this madness, you’ll save the lives of thousands of innocent people.”
“No such thing. Everyone out there is guilty. Guilty of exploiting Mages. Guilty of living their lives as gluttonous creatures, only fit to consume everything in their path. Guilty of turning down their noses at their superiors. I plan to change that. I will make a new world, a new renaissance, and the mystical will dance on the graves of the talentless.”
“Don’t give me that,” I shouted at him. “We both know this is about you. You’ve been a little mama’s boy all this time, doing everything Morrigan says. Too bad she still treats you like something she stepped in. This is all some piss poor attempt to prove yourself to her! This is about you trying to lord over people because of some chip on your shoulder. You think you’re owed something because she treated you like crap, but we don’t owe you a damn thing. Everyone deserves their chance to live free, to sleep safely in their beds each night, and I will not let you take that away from them.”
In that instant, the streets glowed red and blue. Dozens of police cars and swat trucks lit up the night, driving down the streets toward the Shade. They raced through the night, surrounding and escorting the two vehicles I knew held the rest of my team. Drake’s eyes went wide in astonishment as they went straight into the Shade, surrounding the convoy of blood trucks that kept Drake’s army.
“What…that’s…”
“It seems like the talentless are rising against you,” I spat at Drake. “Did I forget to mention we knew about this days ago? Did I forget to tell you Kat is real good friends with the police in town? We had more than enough time to let the police know what was going to happen. We had everything we needed to get the necessary reinforcements to bring you down. Your security forces may have spread through this city like a tumor but starting today we are taking our city back.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Drake screamed, glaring at me. “You wouldn’t dare reveal your secret to anyone!”
“Our secret isn’t worth the lives of this city. Saving people is worth letting a few cops know that the world’s bigger than it used to be. That’s the difference between us, Drake. You’re willing to kill everyone in the city to satisfy your ambition while we’re willing to give up everything to save it.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Drake sneered. “A few insects won’t be able to stop my monsters, my perfect beings. One by one, you will all fall before me and in the end, you will beg for a quick death.”
“Are you sure about that? Are you one hundred percent confident we don’t have any way of stopping your army? If you are, then let’s end this. But if you’re not, if you think for even one second we’ve found a way to bring you down; then I’d surrender. Because one thing is for certain. You’ve lost. So you can spare yourself from me kicking your ass up and down this roof at least.”
“You can’t touch me. I have more power in my pinkie than you have in your entire body.”
“Keep thinking that. I have taken down every single thug you’ve sent after me, escaped each trap you’ve tried to snare me in. You’re alive because I decided to show mercy to you. Even your mother thinks you’re not good enough to bring me down. You’re nothing.”
Drake howled, and crimson lightning arched from his fingers, hissing as it split the air. The blast struck me in the chest and sent me tumbling away. My skin sizzled and burned as it hit me, leaving red welts on my arms. I concentrated, and the marks faded into nothing.
“You’re going to have to try better than that,” I said, marching toward him.
He sneered, and a crimson fist appeared in the middle of the air. I gasped as it hovered over me. I tumbled away as it crashed into the building. The concrete of the roof splintered beneath it, and shards of rock flew through the air like shrapnel. I raced across the roof, each time a hair’s breadth from the strike. I sprinted toward Drake, tackling him to the ground. He raised an eyebrow at me and yelped as the fist rocketed toward him. He pushed me off and cried in pain as a shard of rock caught him in the side. He reached down, eyes like dinner plates as he saw the dripping blood.
“First blood,” I returned, a smirk on my face. “I wouldn’t try something like that again.”
Drake screamed, and dozens of glimmering red knives appeared with a wave of his hand. Each one streaked my direction, shrieking as they flew through the air. In a flash, my sword was out, batting away each of the projectiles as I retreated. I focused, and time seemed to slow to a crawl. Each weapon moved as if was underwater, and Drake’s attacks were as slow as molasses. I caught the last one, hurling it at Drake as he waved his hand. The weapon vanished, and I was on top of him in a flash. I l shouted as my sword arched through the air. Drake disappeared in a flash of black smoke. With a flick of my wrist, I threw a knife at him. He vanished again, always out of reach of my attacks. He smirked at my frustration as I hurled weapon after weapon toward him.
“It seems you aren’t as good as you thought,” he sneered. “Whereas I am a god. I am magic made flesh. I am the most powerful being on this planet! I…” he screamed as the knife tore into his shoulder.
“You need to shut up,” I replied. Drake sneered and held his arms at his side. The roof shook and groaned, the ground beneath us shuddering and cracking. A boom echoed through the air as the roof of Olympus tower floated through the air, separating from the rest of the building. Drake sneered as the ground spun beneath us. I rolled my eyes.
“I’m curious, what was that supposed to accomplish?”
“It is a small demonstration of my power. I can do anything I wish. I can remake this tower how I see fit, pluck it from its earthly restraints and…”
“Yak, yak, yak. Are we going to talk or are we going to fight? I’m not missing that show with the hot guy who shoots people with his bow for this. What’s that called again?” I leaned back as another blast of lightning blazed past me.
“Damn,” I continued, spinning between his attacks. “This is going to bug me. What the hell is the name of that show?”
“Shut up and die!” Drake shouted. Lightning blasted down from the sky, each time hitting less than an inch from where I was standing.
“Wow, and you were the one who wanted to talk. That is so rude.” I glanced around, seeing a long, metal chain lying on the ground near me. I grabbed the end of it, hurling the other toward Drake. The weapon wrapped around him, and I grinned as I jerked him off his feet. Drake grabbed the chain, and it glowed bright red. Electricity arched through the chain sending thousands of sparks flying into the air. I cried out as the shock sent me flying. I crashed into a steel door hard enough to dent it. The metal groaned beneath me, and I rolled onto the ground. I moaned as I struggled to stand. Drake grinned as he stalked over to me.
“I’m going to enjoy this,” he
hissed, his fist crashing into my nose. Bone shattered and a thin ribbon of blood trailed down my face. “You have been a thorn in my side for so long. You have thwarted me multiple times. You spat in my face when I offered you reasonable deals.” He drove his fist into me again and again, leering as his fist came back bloody. He wrapped his hands around my neck, squeezing as I struggled to draw in air.
“I thought of you as a pest at first. You were mother’s favorite, but you could have been a useful tool. I had no idea why she favored such an insignificant thing. You weren’t even raised among mages. You didn't know about your abilities; you were afraid of what made you more than human, better than them. Despite that, mother sang your praises each time you slipped from my grasp. You don’t even have the good sense to know when to die!” he raged, pressing down harder.
My vision began to fade as I clawed at his hands. I stared off in the direction of the battle. It was too far away, and I couldn’t see anything. For all I knew, my friends and loved ones were dying. The sound of gunshots echoed, each one sounding like the crack of a firecracker from so far away. I struggled for each breath as I waited.
A massive fireball lit up the night sky. I kicked Drake off me, causing him to stumble away. As he recovered, I raced to the edge of the roof, focusing on and zooming in on the battle. The police huddled behind their vehicles, safe from the blast and shrapnel. The flames consumed the creatures that raced after them. Their skin blackened and peeled from the majority of them as they slumped to the ground in a pool of their blood. Others fell, their bodies pierced and bludgeoned by the shrapnel that hurled through the air. I grinned as Drake strode up to me.
The glowing light of Drake’s eyes began to fade, and he grabbed his arm like a man having a heart attack. He stumbled backward as the bloodstone popped out of his forehead, rolling across the ground to my waiting feet. The blue, glowing goo that covered his face fell out, turning a puddle before hissing out of existence. I slashed at Drake’s chest, cutting the leather straps that attached my sword to his back.
“What…” he groaned as I picked up the sword Aidan gave me. The weapon seemed to chime l as I unsheathed it. The hilt molded to my hand, and I beamed as I twirled it.
“What’s happening?”
“You don’t remember your ritual? The souls of dozens of creatures bonded with your own. I figured that if they died, those souls wouldn’t power you anymore. In fact, they’d rip off a piece of your own as they went on their way. I didn’t need to beat you; I needed to stall for time while my friends slaughtered your army. So,” I said, tossing the short sword I was using at his feet “It’s time for a fair fight. Let’s see if I can kill a god.”
Chapter 31
Drake picked up the sword and lunged at me. I batted the sword aside and danced out of reach. Our swords clashed together in an endless spree of lunges, feints and parries as we moved around the floating roof. I was faster and stronger, but Drake strode with a confidence born of training. Every time I came closer, his blade would sing as it arched toward me, drawing a thin line in my chest. The wounds healed, but each time it sapped more of my strength. The earlier battle wore me out. Drake lunged in with lightning fast attacks, causing my power to bleed from me to keep up.
“You took everything from me,” he hissed as his blade bore down. “I was going to be perfect! I was going to transform this world into something to be proud of! You stole that away from me.”
“What can I say, I’m a pest,” I spat back as I pushed him away. Drake and I circled each other, his blade twirling in his hand as he studied me. “One way or another, it’s over. If I don’t take you down, my friends will.”
“I don’t think so. I’m going to escape this roof, find another city, and do this all over again. You haven’t won. You’ve delayed the inevitable. This world is going to burn by my hand. I will take the dregs of humanity and feed them to those who are worthy. I will cast aside those too weak, stupid or lazy to pull themselves up and raise up those I choose.”
“Yeah, yeah. Hulk smash,” I returned, rolling my eyes. I struck at him, but he batted aside each blow. He danced away, his blade in front of him like a fencer. Cut after cut dug into my skin as I tumbled to the ground. Bright, crimson blood covered the ground, spreading out like a macabre pool. I pressed my free hand against the wound, struggling to stand as I kept my weapon leveled at Drake. I panted, struggling to draw in enough breath to keep fighting. My heart pounded like a drum, and adrenaline surged through my veins. My powers surged through my body, numbing the pain in a desperate desire to keep fighting.
“What’s the matter? Too tired to keep up?” Drake mocked as he stormed over to me.
“Shut up,” I hissed. I struggled to stand as Drake’s fist slammed into me. I tumbled to the floor as Drake marched over to me.
“The problem with a fair fight,” he sneered, leveling his blade at my chest. “Is that the better fighter wins, and you, my dear, are not good enough.” He thrust toward me, and I howled as the blade dragged against my sternum. The blade drove toward my heart, driving closer with each passing second. I slammed my palms against the sword as Drake drove into my chest.
I let out a soft breath as I stood. Drake struggled to overpower me, but I was in control. I had everything I needed. I glared into his eyes, seeing the fire and hate burning back at me.
“It’s over!” He pressed his blade forward as he struggled to run me through. “You’ve lost! You can’t beat me.”
“You burned everyone in that gas station alive,” I hissed, holding his weapon at bay. “You killed dozens of people because they went to school with me. You tortured my best friend. You deserve to die.” I spoke each word without rage, without anger. I’d won. I had everything I needed to take Drake down. Drake had nothing left, just blind rage and madness as he struggled to kill me. I tightened my grip on the blade, and the steel shattered. I pulled the weapon out of my chest and flipped it around as Drake dove toward me. The broken sword impaled him, driving deep into his heart.
Seconds seemed to last forever as the last signs of life faded from his eyes. Each breath was a mad gasp as his life’s blood spilled onto the floor. He glanced up at me, and for a second, the madness left him, and he stared at me with remorse in his eyes. He struggled one last time before falling to the ground, dead. I tossed the slashed and tattered remnants of my jacket to the ground. I frowned as I gazed down at it. I had no idea how long it took Aidan and Laurie to save up for it. For a while, it was the most precious thing in my world, and now it was nothing but a few discarded scraps of leather.
The ground beneath me shuddered, and I stared down as the ground wobbled beneath my feet. I pulled out my phone in a mad dash as I ran toward the end of the floating platform. A familiar voice answered, confusion lacing her greeting.
“Olympus tower, how can I help you today?” the receptionist who hassled me as I entered asked.
“Run!” I shouted as the roof began to careen toward the building. I hurled myself from the building, landing with a grunt on the ceiling of the nearby skyscraper. The sound of smashing concrete filled the air as the roof slammed into Olympus tower. One by one the impact flattened the floor beneath it. I watched as the tower surrendered, collapsing in on itself. Soon, a cloud of brown dust was all that remained of Olympus tower. I opened the door of the building I was on, riding the elevator down and smiling at a handful of confused and terrified office workers. I walked out to the front of the Olympus…crater, I guess, where the terrified secretary stood. Her eyes went wide as she held her purse in front of her like a ward.
“We’re even,” I said as she glanced at me.
“I…you…what?” she stammered, glancing between me and the destroyed building. “You did this?”
“Your boss did.” She stared at me, and I shook my head. “
Never mind. Go home and thank whatever you believe in this wasn’t worse.”
She was shaking as she walked over to the parking garage. I tossed my sword in the back of the car and walked off. I didn’t want to leave the precious gift out of my sight, but I couldn’t afford for someone to see me walking down the street with it. I let out a small groan as I stumbled over to the nearest gas station. I threw back five energy drinks, grinning at the surge of caffeine. The energy sparked my powers, and my wounds sewed themselves shut. Soon the area was crawling with police, firefighters, and ambulances. I watched as they scurried like ants over the destroyed building. I’d won. The city was safe although I had no idea how anybody would cover this up. I reached into my pocket as I felt the eager buzzing of my phone.
“Yeah?” I answered, wiping the dust and grime from my screen.
“Kid, you okay?” Ripper’s voice asked.
“Well yeah, I'm okay. Did you expect me to answer my phone if I was dying?”
“Don’t get cute.”
“That’s hard as I’m damn adorable. I’ll try, though.”
“Drake?”
“Dead. Whoever does your cover stories better get to work, though. Olympus tower is a crater.”
“How did you…?”
“I’ll explain everything later. I need a good night’s sleep and a burrito the size of my head. I’ll meet you back at the mansion. Is everyone okay?”
“Your dad took a nasty hit to his leg, and Frank broke a rib or two. Other than that, we're alright.”
“I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
“No, you won’t. We need you off the streets. Cops will be asking questions, and the last thing we need is to explain what happened. Meet us at The Mansion.”
Dauntless Page 28