by Alicia Rades
Anger and fear rose within me. I could feel the strong emotions sweeping across my body like the tingle I used to get from shifting into raven form. My whole body felt like it was alive with fire, as if for just one moment, my magic had returned. I didn’t know exactly what was happening. All I knew was that I had to run.
Arrest this, you asshole!
Boom!
Everything happened so fast. One moment, I could feel the magic from the bracelet tangling with my emotions and offering to save me. The next, the air in front of me exploded, blasting back all the soldiers. Fire shot out of one of their guns, and the deafening sound filled the kitchen.
A split-second passed in which I had to process everything that had just happened. It all sank in in a flash.
“Let’s go!” I took Genevieve’s arm and dragged her behind me.
She stumbled, like she couldn’t quite find her footing. It felt like she was fighting me, but we were in too much of a hurry. I didn’t slow.
Sondra, Genevieve, and I ran through the door to the garage to find a minivan waiting there for us.
“Get in!” Ryland shouted from the open side door. He gestured frantically for us.
We stumbled inside and fell across each other in the second row of seats.
“Go!” Ryland yelled to Adrien in the driver’s seat. The children sat in the back, huddled up against their mother.
“Everyone hold on,” Adrien warned.
He clicked a button above his head, and the door to the garage slowly opened. I didn’t even catch a glimpse outside before the door to the house burst open and a soldier in the doorway was pointing a gun at the window.
“Drive!” Ryland shouted.
Adrien didn’t wait for the garage door. He slammed his foot against the gas, and we went flying backward. The minivan tore through the door, and Adrien wrenched on the wheel. Six big DMR vans were parked in the driveway, and another line of soldiers were pointing their guns at us.
He shoved the shifter into drive, but hesitated a moment.
“Go!” Carla snapped.
The car jerked as Adrien floored the pedal and swerved around the soldiers. I ducked my head as bullets rained down on us from the back. The children sobbed.
Suddenly, three different vans were following behind us. Adrien shot a glance in the rear-view mirror.
“Faster!” Carla demanded of him. “They must have evidence against us. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be here. They aren’t going to give us a fair trial. This is our only chance!”
Adrien turned the wheel once again, and the van jolted as we sped over the side of the driveaway and into the field behind their house.
“Let’s see how well they keep up with this,” Adrien challenged.
I tried to sit up, but we were bouncing around so much that it was hard to stay upright. Beside me, Genevieve was starting to wheeze. I was concerned she might’ve been allergic to the gas, but when I looked over to her, I saw she was clutching her stomach.
“Oh my God!” I cried.
I didn’t see the blood staining her dark dress right away, but then I noticed the liquid seeping around the wound.
“Genevieve's been shot!” I yelled.
I threw my shirt up over my head so that I was only in my bra. I balled it up and shoved it against her abdomen.
Sondra immediately jumped to Genevieve’s aid as well.
“It’s going to be okay,” she said while she tried to get Genevieve in a comfortable position against the seat. She sounded calm, but she had worry written all over her face.
Tears streaked Genevieve's cheeks, and she stared up at the ceiling, like she couldn’t quite focus on our faces.
“I’m sorry, Genevieve,” I said desperately. “I shouldn’t have used the artifact.”
“No,” she said between labored breaths. “You had to. The DMR would prosecute you, and—”
She gasped in pain as we went over another large bump.
“Stay with us!” Ryland reached over Sondra to help keep Genevieve's head up.
Genevieve groaned.
“No. No!” I screamed. “Genevieve!”
Genevieve kept one hand pressed firmly to her abdomen and lifted the other to take mine. She squeezed it tightly. She looked straight into my eyes and said, “Don't let the DMR get you. You have to defeat Matias.”
My throat closed up, like invisible hands were trying to choke me. “Don't talk like that.”
“You're going to make it,” Sondra assured her. “We have those healing potions back home.”
Genevieve shook her head and blinked tears away. The strong, determined expression she usually wore had melted away. She looked so frail. My chest felt heavy as I watched her. It felt as if a cinderblock were sitting on it.
“I'm sorry for everything I did,” Genevieve whispered to Sondra. “I'm ready for a new start.”
“No!” Sondra sobbed. “We need you!”
Genevieve didn't seem to hear her. She turned to me and never took her eyes off mine. She reached into the folds of her dress and placed her phone in my hand. “The passcode is 7427. Matias is coming. Make sure you're ready for him.”
Another breath passed through her lungs, then she went still. Her hand went limp in mine, and her eyes glossed over. My stomach had never felt so heavy as I wrapped my arms around Genevieve's lifeless body. It all happened so fast. I could hardly process it.
Genevieve was dead.
20
Hours must've passed, but it felt like seconds just as equally as it felt like days. I couldn't process the time. All I knew was that it had gotten dark out and I hadn't slept yet.
We'd lost the DMR, thank God. I didn't think I could handle those bastards after what happened today. I vaguely remembered Sondra calling Fiona and explaining what had happened.
“You need to pack everything up and get out of there as fast as you can,” Sondra instructed. “The DMR has Genevieve’s license plate. They could be on their way now.”
“Where are we going to go?” I'd heard Fiona ask. “The lake house?”
“No,” Sondra said. “The house is in her name. The DMR might suspect that.”
“What’s going on?” Teagan yelled in the background. “Is Ryland okay?”
“Yes,” Fiona said. “Just give me a second.”
“Put Sondra on speaker,” Teagan barked.
“I'll call Zoey,” Sondra said. “In the meantime, get everyone to help you pack the cars. We need all the potions, trinkets, everything. I'll keep you updated. Can you put Richard on the phone?”
I basically didn't process anything after that. All I could do was relive the moment over and over again in my mind. I tried to shut it out—to stop feeling anything at all—but I couldn't. The feel of Genevieve's hand in mine, the look in her eyes as her soul left her body… it would all be seared in my memory forever.
An emptiness akin to the days following my parents’ murder tore through me. I’d seen too much death in my lifetime. Now that I'd seen it again, it brought everything else back. It was like a black hole of death had opened up in the pit of my stomach and was trying to swallow me whole.
At some point, we arrived at Zoey’ house in Nocton. It was a small one-story ranch-style house with an attached one-car garage. I barely saw the neighborhood as Ryland wrapped me in his arms and guided me to the front door.
I sat with a blanket around my shoulders in the living room, staring at the carpet but not really seeing anything. I wore Ryland's shirt he offered me and still held Genevieve's bloody phone in my trembling hands.
My hands. I tried to pretend those didn't exist, either. Because if I admitted they did, if I felt their existence in any way, I’d have to acknowledge the blood dried onto them.
I didn't really know what was going on other than Richard was dealing with the police and coroner—making up some elaborate lie that would keep the rest of us out of it, I was sure. Carla and Adrien had taken their family to a hotel, but I didn't know what their plans were after
that. Would they help us fight Matias? Would they go on the run from the DMR?
I didn't know. Honestly, it didn't seem to matter right now.
“Rae.” Zoey stepped into the room with a pile of clothes in her hands.
She gently set the bundle beside me on the couch. I shied away from her, turning to Ryland, who still had his arm around me. It was totally platonic and didn't really help, but I appreciated it nonetheless. Ryland always put up a tough guy front, but I knew he actually cared.
“I brought you a towel and a change of clothes for when you're ready to clean up,” Zoey said.
“I'm good,” I declined, but it was clearly the biggest lie I’d ever told. Genevieve had just died in my arms. I wasn't going to be good for a long time.
“Maybe you should clean up,” Ryland encouraged. “Everyone else will be here soon.”
I sighed. He was right. Nobody else had to witness the blood on my hands. It would just be cruel to shove the aftermath in their faces.
I looked up to Zoey. “Thank you.”
I took the pile of clothes in my hands and stood on shaky feet. The blanket around my shoulders fell away, and cool air rushed across my skin. A chill ran down my spine.
“It's okay,” Zoey assured me. “You'll all be safe here. You don't have to worry.”
I shot a nod her way, but I couldn't find my tongue to speak. I never stopped worrying.
I carried myself to the bathroom and shut the door behind myself. I set the clothes and towel on the counter, along with Genevieve's phone beside mine. I slipped Ryland's massive t-shirt over my head, then stripped down the rest of the way and climbed in the shower.
Warm water rushed over me, but I sank down to the bottom of the tub and curled my knees to my chest. Genevieve's blood dripped off my body and swirled down the drain. I couldn't bear to look at it, so I didn't. I closed my eyes and forced myself to breathe, but it was like I kept forgetting how.
I didn't know how long I sat there, but I finally gave up on trying to breathe when the water started to get cold. I rose to my feet and scrubbed off with the shampoo and soap I found on the lip of the tub.
When I stepped out of the shower, I heard Jenna's voice from the living room, though I couldn't make out what she was saying. Some of the weight in my stomach seemed to ease. I dried off and dressed quickly, shoved Genevieve's phone in my pocket, and then hurried out into the living room.
Teagan sat on the couch next to Ryland, and Fiona sat on her other side. Jenna and Ronark stood and both fidgeted, like they couldn’t sit at a time like this. Venn paced around the room, listening to Ryland’s long-winded explanation of what had happened. Zoey stood watch next to the small dining room. I didn’t know where everyone else was.
Venn's eyes immediately connected with mine. He rushed forward and scooped me up in his arms. I buried my face in his shoulder, as if our fight from earlier had never happened. He set my feet back on the ground and took my face in his hands. A split second later, his lips were on mine. I melted into him.
He drew away to look me in the eyes. “I was so worried after I heard…”
“I’m fine.” It was mostly true. I hadn't been hurt. I just felt… sick.
Venn pulled me to his chest again. “I’m sorry about earlier.”
Ugh. I didn't even want to think about that.
“Yeah, yeah, lover boy.” Jenna shoved Venn out of the way and threw her arms around my neck. “You're officially no longer allowed out of my sight.”
“Stop, Jenna,” I said. “I'm fine. Genevieve…”
I choked on her name.
“I miss her already, too,” Fiona said softly. She stood and came to my other side to offer a hug of her own.
I nodded and wiped at my eyes. If I spoke, I knew I'd start crying again.
“Why don’t I show you where you’ll be sleeping?” Zoey offered.
I lifted my head and nodded.
Zoey led us to the basement. It was wide open and completely finished. A couch and fifty-inch TV with endless gaming consoles sat against one wall, while a large computer desk took up another corner. In the middle of it all was a pool table. There were two other doors, one that I could see led to a bathroom and the other I assumed was a storage room.
Zoey walked over to the couch, which was piled with stacks of pillows and blankets. “I’m sorry I don’t have extra beds, but there should be enough blankets for everyone.”
Teagan stepped forward and took a dark navy blanket off the top. “This is more than we could ask for. Thank you for letting us stay.”
“We’re in this together, aren’t we?” Zoey asked. “You guys take your time. We can unload everything in the morning. Feel free to raid the kitchen if you get hungry.”
The thought of food made me want to hurl.
Zoey went back upstairs, and the basement fell silent. I liked the silence… but I couldn’t stand it at the same time.
I took a blanket and pillow off the top of the pile. I spoke just to break the silence. “What took you guys so long to get here?”
“Ugh, don’t ask,” Fiona said as she grabbed her own pile of bedding. “Jenna, Ronark, and Venn were out, and we had a helluva time getting ahold of them. Basically Amalia, Clarita, and I had to load everything up ourselves.”
That weight in my stomach returned. I avoided anyone else’s gaze as I started to make up my sleeping spot near the computer desk. Venn was setting his up beside me.
“Where were you guys?” I prodded, though worst-case scenarios were already racing through my head. I felt betrayed.
“We were just out,” Jenna said with a shrug. “It’s not a big deal.”
“If it’s not a big deal, then you can tell me,” I snapped.
“Chill, Rae,” Ronark said. “It’s not what you think.”
I turned toward all of them, my face flaming. “How can I even trust you three after you lied to me?”
All three started talking at once.
“Stop it, you guys,” I growled. “I don’t want to hear it.”
Venn reached for my arms to help calm me, but all it did was piss me off. I swatted him away and shot to my feet. He stared up at me with sad eyes before standing beside me.
“All we did was go get a cup of coffee,” he assured me.
I tilted my head at him. “Is that code?”
“No! You’re overreacting,” he insisted.
“I’m not!” I cried. “You’re acting like it’s not a big deal, but it is, Venn. We aren’t supposed to keep things from each other!” I lowered my voice and grumbled. “You should probably sleep on the other side of the room tonight.”
“Everybody timeout!” Teagan threw herself between us. “Can’t we talk this out without tearing each other’s faces off?”
I crossed my arms and stared at Jenna, Ronark, and Venn.
“It’s not a big deal,” Jenna insisted.
“It is!” I shouted. “Because we’re family, and we care about each other. We can help you.”
“No, you can’t,” Ronark shot back. “There’s nothing that can fix this but time.”
“Then stop doing drugs!” I screamed.
Jenna’s eyebrows knitted together, and her lips tensed. She looked about ready to slap me, but there were too many people between us. Venn’s hands clenched into fists, and Ronark looked like he was about to explode.
Ryland shook his head, like he still couldn’t believe it. “Venn, you said you’d never…”
Teagan pressed her fingers to her eyes. When she lifted her head, she was fuming, nostrils flared and everything. “Are we seriously going to go through this again?”
“Again!?” I exploded as pieces began to fall into place. “That’s how you got over the addiction last time, isn’t it?”
Venn gaped at me, like he didn’t know what to say. What a jackass.
“Tell me the truth!” I demanded.
Venn raked his fingers through his hair, looking more distressed than I’d ever seen him.
&nbs
p; I sucked in a sharp breath. “It is true. Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“Because it wasn’t important,” he insisted. “It’s not who I am anymore.”
“Clearly, it is!” I shot back. “Because you’re doing the exact same thing.”
“Well, it worked last time, didn’t it?” he snapped.
Oh, hell no. Was he seriously trying to justify this? It was dangerous! I wasn’t going to let him do this to himself.
“And what if it doesn’t work this time?” I challenged. “We’ve already lost Genevieve. We don’t need to lose you, too!”
The room went dead silent as everyone absorbed my words. Slowly, Venn’s shoulders fell, and he took a step forward. His tone softened as he looked me in the eyes. “I never meant to keep anything from you, Rae. I just wanted to get through this on my own. I didn’t want to burden you.”
Was he serious right now?
“I don’t believe you,” I stated. “I think you’re just trying to salvage your story.”
Venn tried to take my hand in his, but I pulled away. “Rae, I mean it when I say that I love you with every fiber of my being. Some things are just too difficult to face—too hard to talk about. That has nothing to do with you. I told you there were things you didn’t know, and I wanted to open up. But I just… I didn’t mean to hurt you. I never want to hurt you, so from here on out, I’ll tell you everything.”
A warm, soft feeling settled in my gut. I knew he was telling the truth, but it was difficult to accept. He’d acted like he didn’t trust me.
“I’m sorry,” Venn whispered. “If this ruins your trust in me, I understand. But you should know that I’d give up anything to be with you.”
I sniffled as I took in his words, but I didn’t know how to respond. I was still mad, and I wanted to yell at him, but I also wanted to kiss him and tell him everything was forgiven. I didn’t want to keep dragging this out. I just wanted to make up already.
“I’ll prove it,” Venn said, mistaking my silence. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small baggie with pink powder inside. “I’m giving it up. Now.”