by SF Mazhar
“It’s protecting her,” Aaron said.
“It won’t protect her from bullets,” Sam cried.
Not a second later, a deflected bullet from a Hunter’s gun came straight at Rose. It happened so fast, Aaron wasn’t even aware of it until the bullet ricocheted off the wall of fire that leapt up to defend Rose. Both Sam and Aaron stared at the tiny hole in the ground where the bullet hit.
“I guess it will,” Aaron said.
The sound of numerous motorbikes cut through the night and Aaron turned to see headlights come out of the darkness. The Hunters of Salvador had finally arrived. Evidently, Kyran noticed them too. He threw back the Hunter he was fighting with a vicious blow, knocking the boy clean out.
Kyran turned, his fierce eyes searching down the line of cottages, most of which were now ablaze. He found the one with Aric’s mark on the door. His fists clenched and he let out a thunderous cry.
“LAYLA!”
The window to the cottage smashed and Stefan, one of the Hunters left to guard the vampire, landed on the grass in a bloodied mess. Layla stepped out of the window frame with incredible grace. The chains that had bound her were gone, as were the two daggers in her leg. She flicked her hair behind her and smiled, her fangs now glistening, even in the limited light.
“You called?” she smirked.
The Hunters turned their guns on her and fired. Layla dodged the attack, her movements swift and fluid as she ducked and dived from every bullet. Her speed was phenomenal. In the blink of an eye, she was halfway down the street. Vamages distracted the Hunters, giving Layla a moment to come to a standstill. Kyran was already on Lexi, speeding towards her. He stopped only long enough for Layla to climb on behind him. Her long-fingered hands went around his waist before inching back to pull out his twin pistols from their holsters. Kyran didn’t seem to care. He turned Lexi around and rode to the fallen Gate.
Layla shot at the Hunters to keep them from following after them. Even still, the Hunters made a great effort to stop Kyran, but the vamages held them back by their onslaught of bullets, blades and jolts of power. Aaron pushed Sam down onto the ground to save him from the attack. Behind him, Rose’s ring of fire came alive, leaping high to protect her.
The vamages were backing away, keeping up their attack on the Hunters as they followed Kyran. The Hunters blocked the attack while trying with everything they had to stop Kyran from racing to the exit. It was somewhat of a miracle that Aaron and Sam weren’t hit in the crossfire. It was only when Aaron dared to look up from his crouched position that he saw the reason why. Someone had stepped in front of him and Sam, knocking back the torrential rain of bullets and jolts that came towards them. Aaron’s mouth went dry.
“Mum?”
Kate didn’t turn to acknowledge him. She couldn’t. Her attention was focused solely on shielding her son from the attack, deflecting the bullets and jolts by using her power of air. Her concentration and energy were fast depleting, though. Aaron could feel it deep in his bones – an ache that didn’t belong to him.
“Mum!” Aaron was up on his feet, running behind her to catch her, just as she swayed and fell back.
Aaron lowered her to the ground, but the attack was over. Kyran had sped through the fallen Gate, leaving the city after having taken what he came for, once again.
The moment Kyran left and the vamages retreated, stepping out of the city and onto the Gateway, the ring of fire trapping Rose died, freeing her. The Hunters gave chase, darting after the vamages but Aaron stayed where he was, with his mum’s pale, shaking, barely conscious form in his arms.
Sam shot to his feet, reaching out to his sister as she shakily stepped over the black-charred ring on the ground.
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Rose said, pushing Sam’s concerned hands away and hurrying over to Aaron.
Sam followed after her and both crouched next to their friend, not knowing what to say in the aftermath of an attack that left an entire city devastated.
***
Aaron was more than surprised when he learnt the attack on Balt had lasted only fifteen minutes. It had felt endless. But even in fifteen short minutes, Kyran and his vamages had left plenty of lifeless bodies in their wake. More were injured, so many so that there was hardly any room left in the numerous Empath huts.
The Hunters had survived the attack, except two of the three left to guard the vampire, Layla. Ray and Emma were found in the cottage, their heads almost torn off their bodies. Stefan had been bitten and thrown out of the window, since Layla couldn’t use the door that had been marked with Aric’s symbol.
Aaron could see Stefan’s unconscious form laid out before two Empaths as they worked to heal him. That was until an Empath moved to stand in front of the gap between the curtains. Aaron turned his head, focusing on his mum, who was being checked over by the same Empath that had helped his dad.
At last the Empath pulled away with a tired smile, and let go of Kate’s hand. “You’ll be fine with some rest,” he said. “It was just exhaustion from using your powers for too long.”
“I told you I was fine,” Kate said, quickly getting off the bed. “Your time and touch is needed elsewhere.”
The Empath’s smile slid away. His head tilted towards the commotion of various mages coming in or out of the huts – some injured, others moderately healed. “Unfortunately,” he said, “that is true.” He excused himself politely and left to help the injured Hunters.
Kate turned to Aaron, and for a moment neither spoke. Then Kate walked over to him and wordlessly wrapped her arms around him, holding Aaron close for long, silent minutes. Aaron returned the hug. When Kate pulled away, she cupped his face in her hands.
“Don’t you ever scare me like that again, you hear me?” Kate’s blue eyes were dark with worry. “If there’s any sign of a fight, you find a place to take cover and you stay there.” She shook her head. “When I saw you standing there, right smack in the middle of the battle–” She paused to hold her breath, as if collecting herself before she could go on. “I tried to get to you but...but there was so much going on. I thought I wasn’t going to reach you in time.”
Aaron didn’t say anything. He had no idea his mum was involved in the battle. He had thought she was still in the Empath’s hut, safe from the attack.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Good,” a voice said from behind him. Aaron turned to see a disgruntled, but otherwise perfectly healthy-looking Michael. “You should be sorry.”
Relief swept up in Aaron at the sight of his uncle. He hurried over to him and Michael opened his arms to hug his nephew. “You’re such an idiot,” Michael chastised in a quiet, emotionally exhausted voice. “You know that? You could have really got hurt.”
Aaron pulled away, his gaze going straight to the bloodstained side of his uncle. Sam’s shirt was gone, but then, so was the wound. “You okay?” Aaron still asked, to make sure.
“I’m fine,” Michael said. “I got a little ambushed and stabbed in the process, but I’m not going down that easily.” He gave a small, half-hearted smile.
Kate went to her brother’s side to embrace him gently, and to reassure him that she was perfectly fine, since he’d come looking for her in the Empath hut.
“I tired myself out,” Kate explained as the three of them left the hut. “It’s been a while since I’ve used my powers. It got a little...overwhelming.”
Aaron looked at her but didn’t say anything. His parents had spent fourteen years living in the human realm, suppressing their powers in a bid to live a human life and protect him from this war. Aaron pushed back the familiar wave of guilt as it threatened to engulf him. But when he looked around, at the devastation and the charred remains of the street, his guilt withered away. Everyone deserved to be protected, not just him.
The mages of Balt were slowly picking up the pieces of their city, fixing what could be salvaged and mournfully letting go of what couldn’t. The fires had been put out, though most of the buildings were still left smoking. Br
oken plates and furniture littered the street. But the sight that took hold of Aaron with a gut-wrenching grip was of the bodies lined to one side of the street, covered from head to foot with sheets. How Aaron kept walking he didn’t know, but his eyes stayed on the morbid image of the dead mages. There were twelve of them, lined side by side. Aaron’s stomach rolled and had he eaten anything substantial that day, he would’ve turned and retched in the street.
His gaze moved from the covered bodies to the figure kneeling beside them. He recognised the powerful build of Neriah as he crouched next to his fallen people, his head bowed. Daylight was steadily turning the dark sky to a pale, cloudy blue, so when Neriah lifted his head slightly, Aaron clearly saw the heartbroken expression on his face. Aaron watched as Neriah slowly rose to stand but his violet eyes remained on the bodies. He stood there until Ella came to his side, slipping a hand into his. Gently she pulled her uncle away and they started walking up the street.
Neriah raised his head, and came to a standstill. His expression changed, eyes fixed to something in the distance. Aaron followed his gaze and stopped in his tracks as well.
“Dad?”
Kate and Michael turned at Aaron’s voice. They all saw Chris, slowly and very painfully, making his way forward. He had his bloodstained shirt on but left it unbuttoned, so the bandages wrapped around his torso were visible. Chris didn’t look concerned for himself, though. He was distracted by the ruined city around him. He stared at the street with wide, rueful eyes until he met Neriah’s gaze and Chris too came to a standstill.
For a moment, no one moved. Not a word was said. The essence of sorrow hung like a thick curtain between the Elementals – so much so that Aaron was sure both men were about to step forward and hug like mourning brothers would after a death in the family. But Chris and Neriah didn’t hug. They didn’t grieve together. They stood and stared at the other.
Chris was the first to look away. He shook his head and held out his hands, gesturing to the charred street on either side of him. “Do you need any more evidence, Neriah?” he asked. “Or will you believe me now?”
“They weren’t here for him, Chris,” Neriah said tiredly. “They came to take the vampire Balt was holding.”
Chris didn’t believe him. It was clear to see in his expression. “My son steps out of Marwa and is attacked by Lycans. Then the city he takes refuge in is attacked in a matter of hours–”
“By vamages,” Neriah cut across him. “Not Lycans, Chris. Vamages. This was at the hands of vamages and their Scorcher.”
Chris looked taken aback. His pale face seemed to lose more colour. “He was here?” he asked, and Aaron knew he meant Kyran.
Neriah didn’t answer, but stepped forward, walking over to him. “Open your eyes, Chris,” he said. “Look around you. This isn’t for Aaron. The vamages didn’t come for your son, and neither did Raoul and his Lycans.”
Chris’s expression hardened, his eyes a cold piercing green. “You still won’t believe me.”
“Believe what?” Neriah snapped and his voice boomed across the street. “Your ludicrous story about Raoul having a personal vendetta against your family? That he was hunting the Adams? Wake up, Chris. Raoul is after all of us, all of the Elementals.”
“I never said he wasn’t,” Chris retorted, “but he’s actively searching for Aaron, and your stubbornness to have him fighting in this war is going to put my son on the front line.”
“We’re all on the front line,” Neriah said. “We always have been. You think I want to endanger Aaron? He’s a legacy holder. I want to keep him safe as much as you.” His violet eyes gleamed with anger. “But the way to protect him isn’t to hide him. It’s to teach him to fight, teach him to defend himself.”
“You don’t want to defend him, Neriah!” Chris yelled. “Admit it. You just want to use him. You want Aaron to pick up the Blade and fight, so you have a chance to fix the mess that you made!”
With a snarl, Neriah grabbed Chris by the collar of his shirt. Aaron’s breath caught in his chest. He darted forward, but Ella held on to his arm.
“Don’t,” she whispered. “This is long overdue. Let them fight.”
But the two Elementals didn’t throw jolts of power at each other. They didn’t even exchange punches. They stood where they were, Chris with his arms by his side, angry tears in his eyes, staring at Neriah, who gripped Chris by his shirt but didn’t strike him.
“I made a mistake,” Neriah said in a voice not much louder than a whisper. “I admit it. I should have killed him.” He shook Chris. “You think I don’t regret it? That I don’t know we’re in this mess because I hoped to fix him? To make him Hadrian again?”
“He could never be fixed,” Chris said quietly but no less furiously. “Hadrian was gone. All that was left was a monster, one that you should have put down the day he turned on James.” Chris held Neriah’s eyes. “You didn’t listen to me. You ignored everyone and did what you deemed right in the hopes of saving someone you loved.” He held Neriah’s eyes. “So why do you judge me for doing the same?”
Neriah let go of Chris and stepped back, shaking his head. “It’s not the same, Chris. It’s not the same and you know it,” he said. “You don’t want to fight? Then go. Leave. No one will stop you.” His expression shifted and for a moment, his hurt was visible. “You turned your back on me once, left me alone to fight this war. Go ahead and do it again.”
The anger melted from Chris. His shoulders dropped and tired green eyes filled with pain. “Neriah,” he breathed, stepping forward. “I’m not saying I don’t want to fight. I’m with you, all the way. I’ll fight this war. I’ll do whatever you ask of me.” He paused and Aaron could see the desperate plea in his expression alone. “But let my son go. I can’t risk him. He’s all the family I have left.”
Neriah was silent for a moment before he smiled sadly and shook his head. “Family?” he asked. “We were a family too, Chris. You, me, James and Hadrian. We were a family, or don’t you remember?”
Chris didn’t speak.
“We lived in the one place,” Neriah continued. “We ate from the one table. We fought together, we won together.” His eyes searched Chris for a silent moment before quietly adding, “You’re not the only one to lose them that day. Alex was just as much my brother as he was yours.”
Chris flinched at Alex’s name but still remained silent.
“You and Alex were my brothers, not by blood but in spirit.” Neriah said. “You lost one brother, but I lost all of them. Some to death, one to banishment,” his eyes glinted, “and one to abandonment.”
“I didn’t abandon you,” Chris said. “I left to protect my wife and unborn child–”
“Yes, you did,” Neriah cut him off. “You left to save them, to protect them. I understand that. Everyone understands that. I would do the same.” His eyes darkened. “But I wouldn’t have waited fourteen years to come back.”
“I had to stay away. Raoul was targeting my family–”
“Raoul’s been targeting every family!” Neriah spat. “He’s the leader of the Lycans. This is all they’ve known for centuries!”
“This is different,” Chris insisted. “It’s personal.”
“No, Chris, it isn’t,” Neriah said. “It isn’t.” The anger was gone, leaving only bitterness. “They mess with one of us, they mess with all of us.”
Chris reacted like Neriah had punched him. His breath left in a choked gasp and his eyes widened as he staggered back a step.
“That’s what we used to say. That’s what we believed.” The rest of Neriah’s words were left unspoken but they hung in the air just the same.
This is our fight, not just yours.
You should have stayed by my side.
***
Aaron found Rose sitting by herself on the kerb outside the ruined cottages.
“Hey,” Aaron said, coming to sit next to her. “Where’s Sam?”
Rose nodded towards the broken table in the middle of the stree
t and Aaron turned to see Sam helping the mages clear away the debris.
“He said he was tired of sitting around,” Rose explained. “He wanted to help.” She looked at Aaron. “Did you get to speak to your dad?”
Aaron shook his head with a sigh. “When I first got there, the Empaths said my dad was having the poison drained out some more, so I couldn’t go in to see him. I waited outside for an hour. When I finally got in, Dad had fallen asleep. I waited with him, hoping he would wake up so I could talk to him, but he was pretty out of it.”
“He shouldn’t have left his bed,” Rose said. “He’s still recovering. Think it took a lot out of him.”
Aaron didn’t say anything, but he knew it was the argument with Neriah that had worn out his dad. He turned to look at Rose. His soft green eyes studied her intently, looking past her exhaustion to see how badly she was hurting, but not in the physical sense.
He gently touched her arm. “You okay?”
Rose avoided meeting his eyes. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “I’m fine.”
Aaron nodded. “I deserved that,” he said. “I asked a stupid question. Of course you’re not okay.”
Rose shook her head. “Really, Aaron. I’m fine.”
“Rose,” Aaron breathed. “Don’t do that. Please don’t tell me you’re fine when I can see you’re not.”
Rose met his eyes then. She gave a small shrug but it did nothing to displace the pain of heartbreak in her eyes. “What do you want me to say?” she asked. “He lied.” Her voice broke a little, but she pushed past it. “He lied about everything. About who he was, about his past, about everything. Then why is finding out he’s with someone else surprising?” She shook her head, looking away. “He never cared, Aaron. He was only amusing himself. I was nothing more than a joke to him, someone whose feelings he could play with until his time in Salvador came to an end.”
Aaron didn’t know how to say what he wanted to. He focused on the charred ground at his feet.
“He protected you.” He could feel Rose tense next to him. “That ring of fire kept you safe. He didn’t have to do that if he didn’t care–”