by Dannika Dark
“Pull out the arrow,” Adam demanded. “Do it!”
Without hesitation, Logan broke off the sharp point that protruded from the front of his chest and then pulled it out from the back.
Adam straddled him with his hands on his chest. White light emanated from his fingertips and his face strained.
“Goddammit! I don’t know if I can do this,” he gasped.
“Adam! We have to get out,” Sadie cried, reaching for him.
“Woman, get back!” he shouted.
Logan stood up and gripped Sadie’s arm. “Stay close, female.”
With everything going on, Logan didn’t know who to turn his attention to. He couldn’t protect them all.
“Leo! Lucian!” he called out.
Lucian appeared and wrapped his arms around Sadie, tucking her against his side. “I’ve got her. Come with me, sister,” he said, pulling her to the wall and away from the stage, which had become a target. He made her sit in a tight ball and stood before her as a shield.
Logan spun around and reached for Silver. She was facing Nero, who had created another ball of light and cast it into the crowd, killing at least three. By some inexplicable logic, the energy broke their bodies into fleshy pieces.
A Mage flashed at Silver and Logan tackled him to the floor, biting his neck and taking a blast of energy to the chest. Logan moaned, turning to his side, feeling as if a truck had hit him.
Silver lifted her arms into the air and thunder rolled. A loud crack of lightning made someone scream and two windows shattered overhead. Shards of glass clinked to the floor and lightning flashed outside like strobe lights.
Logan stood by her side, fighting off every male who came within proximity. When a Mage had pinned Logan to the floor, Justus appeared and put him in a vise with his muscular bicep. He reached around and drove a stunner into the man’s chest. The Mage crumpled to the side and Justus reached out to offer Logan his hand.
It was unfathomable how men continued pouring in through the back doors. The panel cowered, but a handful had gone into the crowd to fight alongside the prisoners and Regulators.
“Oy! Piss off, you pervy little wanker,” Simon shouted from the floor. An overweight Mage straddled him and Simon stretched out his arm, reaching for a dagger that was just past his fingertips. He gave Logan a frosty gaze as the Mage juiced energy from his other hand. “How’s the weather up there, Stretch? Give us a little help?”
Logan kicked the knife toward him and Simon went into action.
“Stop this senselessness, Nero.” Novis stood on the edge of the stage with his arms by his sides, hands clenched into fists.
The swell of Mage energy in the room was palpable and felt like static against Logan’s skin. It strangled his senses and he briefly became disoriented.
Nero locked eyes on Silver and flashed a heartless smile. “Well, there is the star of the hour. Are you raising your hands to give praise to your new leader?” He lifted his pointy chin and continued to close the distance between them, generating another orb of blue and white flickering light between his hands.
“I’m warning you, Nero. Call off your men,” Novis said in a thundering voice.
Nero rolled a toothpick around in his mouth, glaring at him with insidious eyes. “I’m afraid I can’t do that. We’ve released the prisoners and have managed to undo in minutes what you have spent decades building. I have more money than you, more power than you, more men than you. What makes you think I should bow to you?”
“Because I. Am. The. Law!” Novis leapt off the stage and stalked down the center of the aisle with a fierce stride. His pale eyes sparked with light and his mouth tightened. When he stopped a few feet ahead of Silver, he rooted himself in place.
“You are but a boy,” Nero said dismissively.
“And you are a failed leader who desperately clings to a time when you had all the spoils of war and the luxury of power. These are not those times. Men do not wish to be ruled, they wish to be led by example. Your reign will only bring bloodshed to all.”
“So says the man who was about to sit and remove the head from a Unique.”
Logan stilled, his eyes carefully watching anyone who might have overheard. Fighting ensued from all angles and the only ones listening were Novis and Justus.
“A noble one, at that,” Novis said with a growing smile. “Fear not, Nero. Silver is not the only Unique.”
Nero’s eyes widened at Novis, who was a man older than Stonehenge and who stood with absolute confidence and an enigmatic expression.
Thunder crashed outside and Silver’s fingers reached higher.
“Snap out of it, Silver!” Logan hissed. Her eyes remained black and bottomless as threads of blue light leaked from her fingertips. She was primal and running on instinct, but whether that was the instinct of a Chitah or a Mage, Logan couldn’t tell.
“You’re bluffing,” Nero spat.
“Do you think your little ball of light frightens me?” Novis asked coolly. “Go on and give me your best shot.”
Without hesitation, Nero launched his weapon toward Novis, who threw out his hand and blocked it as if he had an invisible shield. The light melted to the floor and dissipated.
Novis raised his voice and it made the room tremble. “I want everyone in the middle and keep the attackers at bay on the outside. Now!”
People heeded his orders as the Regulators pushed Nero’s men toward the walls. The members of the higher authority scrambled off the stage and rushed toward the center of the room. As all this was happening, Silver’s hair began to stand on end. When a dagger sailed toward her, she altered its direction with a flick of her wrist.
“What’s she doing?” Nero wondered aloud, collecting more light within his palms. As he watched her, he struggled to build more energy, and faster.
The ball of light grew larger and more terrifying. Nero looked as if he’d never created one as massive as this—his hands shook as he struggled to contain it.
“What’s your plan?” Logan asked Novis, his eyes scanning the crowd.
Novis glanced at him over his left shoulder. “Trust your woman and stand at her side.”
Logan nodded. As if he could do anything but trust this female.
A quick glance to his left and he saw Lucian had led Sadie closer. He tucked her behind his back and Leo stood guard on the other side. Adam and Finn’s body were no longer in sight and Justus had disappeared.
Logan shuddered as he felt a lick of energy slide across his skin like a sharp tongue. He readied himself for whatever was going to happen, but all three were in some kind of energy standoff.
“I hope you’ve made peace with your maker,” Novis said. “You’ll be meeting him shortly for judgment.”
Nero kept his eyes on Silver as he replied. “I am aware of the genetic tinkerings—do you see the result of what you have allowed to live? Look at her—she’s revolting. A professed Mage with black eyes? If you had any respect for what we are, you would have put her down like a sick dog. The only thing I want from her is that sweet power she knows nothing of how to wield.”
Despite Silver’s impassive expression, something was beginning to happen. Silver light punched through the dark swell of her eyes, growing larger until the color completely took over.
“Ready yourselves!” Novis shouted, crouching down to one knee, arms spread wide.
Screams could be heard, chairs knocked over, and bodies hit the floor as the battle to keep the men on the outside continued.
“Don’t touch her,” Novis said quietly to Logan. “No matter what happens.”
A bolt of lightning blinded Logan as it speared through the windows and connected with her right hand. A window smashed out as another bolt connected with her left. Silver began to shake as if she were trying to hold the reins of a wild horse that was out of control.
Nero increased the size of his light, which had now grown two feet wide. He positioned his body in a way that sent alarm up Logan’s spine. Nero was goin
g to attack his female. Logan moved around Silver and stood between them.
“Sentimental fools only get themselves killed,” Nero said playfully.
“Get down,” Novis said in an authoritative voice.
The snapping of electricity could be heard and a few people had stopped fighting to watch the show, distracted enough that their attackers gained the upper hand.
“Now!” Novis shouted.
Logan dropped to his knees and Nero launched the energy ball at her. Silver threw her hands forward and caught it with the current of lightning, sending it back. Nero held his hands out as if he were pushing against an unstoppable force. His face strained, turning a deep shade of red. But he couldn’t fight the immense power of the lightning she wielded and he began to stumble backward.
The ground began to shake and Novis lifted his hands, his blue eyes snapping with light as he swept his arms around in a circle. Logan covered his ears from the low-decibel hum that became so loud it shattered pieces of glass and cracked the floor.
All around them, a shield of energy formed. The dome surrounded all the innocents within, and only Nero and his men remained on the outside. It was impenetrable as the attackers kicked at it and stabbed at it with their knives, only to be knocked away as if receiving a powerful electric shock.
The only thing it hadn’t managed to do was break the connection between Nero and Silver. Some of Nero’s men had run toward the back doors to escape when Silver moved her right hand and the doors suddenly slammed and locked.
“Can she hear us?” Logan yelled out to Novis over the hum of turbulent energy.
Novis remained focused with his arms stretched wide and his fingers splayed on the ground. “I can’t hold the shield for long. Silver, you need to end this!”
A tear slid down her cheek and her raven-black hair settled on her broad shoulders. Silver’s eyes bored into Nero as he weakened, even as he was still struggling to push his energy ball past her lightning. Only energy could penetrate through the protective shield Novis had created. Logan readied himself for the possibility that once Novis lost control and the shield went down, a full attack would be imminent.
The energy increased and the flash of light became blinding. Logan threw his arm over his eyes and shouted, as did everyone else. A final clap of thunder sounded within the room, so shockingly loud it knocked Logan to his side.
Movement ceased and a blanket of silence fell over the room.
Novis was hunched over, beads of sweat across his brow.
Logan surged to his feet and caught Silver before she collapsed. He wrapped his arms around her body and she blinked, revealing green eyes. Logan knelt down with her in his arms and felt the raw power of silence within the room.
The shield had collapsed and Nero was sprawled on his back—charred. Smoke rose from the remains of his lifeless corpse and those of his followers. The Regulators began to move all the cuffed prisoners who were still alive against the side wall. A gruesome display of bodies littered various places in the room, pools of blood surrounding some.
“Silver,” Logan whispered hoarsely, brushing tangled hair away from her face. “You did it, my brave female. Open your eyes,” he begged, feeling the lack of movement in her weakened body. He brushed his lips across hers. “Come back to me, Little Raven. I’m here, and I’m not letting you go. Do you understand?” He ran his fingers down her cheek and felt her chilled skin.
“Let me have her,” Justus demanded, sliding in and pulling her away. Logan resisted at first but let go of any selfish need if it meant saving her life.
Justus laid her on the ground and opened her hands, lacing their fingers together. Her Ghuardian gave her his healing light.
Silver gasped, drawing in air, but still did not open her eyes. Justus began to breathe more heavily and his body grew lax as his energy drained.
“It’s not enough, Justus.” Novis reached out and took her right hand, clasping his other on top. “She needs the healing light of a Unique when it’s gone this far.”
He closed his eyes and looked down, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. The color in Silver’s cheeks became rosy and she moaned.
“She’ll be fine,” Novis said, letting go of her hand. “Have Simon give her more light when you get home since Justus will not have enough. She needs rest. She’ll be weak for a day or two as her core light readjusts.”
Justus sat up and rubbed his face, then dropped his hands to his lap.
“You’re a Unique, like Silver?” Logan whispered.
Novis crouched as they spoke privately, but oddly, he didn’t seem concerned if anyone heard them. “Speak of this to no one,” he said, turning his attention toward Justus. “I recognized her as a Unique a long time ago, although I’ve never seen one quite like her. I’ve always sensed there was something else unique about Silver. I couldn’t have imagined she’d had Breed DNA in her since birth, and that must have been the dark shadow surrounding her light. Under extreme conditions, you see what she is capable of doing with her power. But she won’t understand how to channel that herself for a long time. The Mageri wanted Adam as my apprentice, but truth be told, I’m the one who insisted it be Silver when Adam declined. I wanted an opportunity to help her understand her gifts so she will continue on the right path. She needs to feel purpose. We cannot afford to lose someone so powerful early on because we chose to blanket her from the dangers of our world. I must call the Mageri and find out how extensive the attack was and if the prisoners within the jail were set free. With hope, Nero didn’t get that far.”
Justus rose to his feet and bowed to Novis. “You have my gratitude.”
Novis bowed back and a broad smile stretched across his face. “As you do mine, Justus De Gradi. You have been an enormous influence in this Learner’s life, and I am quite impressed you chose this path. It is rare for one who is not a Creator to take in another Mage.” Novis then turned his attention to Logan. “I think it’s safe to say you will both be granted a pardon. Perhaps a legal mating ceremony may also be in your future.” He patted Logan once on the shoulder and made his way toward the exit doors at the front of the room.
Logan cradled Silver’s head in his lap, stroking her cheeks with gentle compassion. “Time to wake up, my female. Time to open your eyes.”
Chapter 28
Voices murmured and an intense heat scorched my hands, yet my body felt chilled all the way to the marrow. I could smell Logan and feel his words whispered against my mouth, but didn’t understand why I was lying down.
My eyes slowly opened and I found myself cradled in his arms. His amber eyes looked weary and confusion swept through me. What happened? The last thing I remembered was kneeling before the higher authority.
No wait, it was Nero coming in.
A flutter of memories skidded back into my mind and I remembered Simon’s speech and then…
Oh God.
“Finn!” I cried.
And cried. Tears trailed down my cheeks uncontrollably and Logan pulled me to a sitting position.
“Nero is dead,” Logan whispered. “You’re free. We’re free. There’s nothing you could have done to save Finn. We’ll go home so you can rest. Put all this out of your mind and focus on healing.”
“No, Logan.” I choked and covered my face with my hand as I sobbed. “You don’t understand. Finn was my brother… my brother. All this time I didn’t know and he held my hand…”
“Do you remember what happened? The lightning and shield?”
I shook my head, having no recollection of anything he mentioned. Nor did I understand why everyone around us moved leisurely, as if we were in no danger. I only remembered Finn bleeding on the floor with an arrow in his chest. A young man who’d once kept me company during a dark time, who’d made me laugh, who’d comforted and protected me. A kid who carved magnificent pieces of art, whose laugh could always make me smile.
My brother.
All this time we shared the same father. Rupert’s greed for
money had led him down a dark path in selling his sperm for illegal experiments, but I could have never imagined my roots would lead to Finn. A sharp pain speared my heart so intensely that I began to lash out and push Logan away.
He turned his head and held me tightly.
“Please, let me go,” I said in a cracked voice.
He firmly cupped my cheeks and leaned in close. “I promised I would never let you go.” Logan softly rubbed his nose against mine. “But I will let you up.”
I took his hand and he pulled me to my feet. My fingers felt like they were on fire while the rest of my body was cool to the touch. Justus approached from my left and cradled my head in his hands, pressing his forehead against mine. No words were spoken, but I could feel his love.
My mind kept replaying that shining moment when Finn had spoken before the panel and looked at me not as a friend, but as family. I’d never known the joy of having a sibling, and now he was gone. And the horror of how he’d been murdered! Nero had robbed Knox of fatherhood and marriage, and who knows what great things that man could have accomplished with HALO. Now I’d never know if Finn would pursue a career in law. I had promised to take him to an amusement park in the summer, something he’d never experienced.
I covered my anguished face as Logan led me forward.
“Is she okay?”
I lowered my hand and glanced up. Standing before me was a man in a pair of khakis. His white shirt had a large stain of blood on the front around a tear in the fabric. His ears poked out from beneath tangled waves of hair.
I threw myself at him and clutched him as tightly as I could. “Finn, Finn.” I wept against his shoulder. “Oh God, how is this possible? Are we dead?”
He snorted. “I sure as hell hope I’m not dead. I don’t want to wear dress shoes in the afterlife. They’re killing my feet.”
I squeezed him even harder and felt his hands wrap around my back. I held on to him as if he might disappear. Finn’s grip tightened and the sorrow left my heart—I could breathe again.