I continued to pummel him until he was balled up on the floor. I kicked at him one more time and stepped back. Air barely moved in and out of my lungs, and tears stung my eyes. I felt better and worse all at the same time.
After all the energy I just expended, I thought for sure I had caused him some serious damage, but then he began to rise, slowly, deliberately, unfolding himself as if he’d suddenly gained new strength.
“Feel better?” he asked and smiled. Still that stupid dimple.
I didn’t know what to say, but I did know I was terrified. There was a crazy madness in his eyes the way I imagined a serial killer would look just before he murdered his next victim.
“Now it’s my turn,” Christian said. He bolted forward and crashed into me until both of us hit the opposite wall. Holding my throat, he cocked his free hand back and curled it tight.
Just as he struck forward, an unexpected arm came between us and caught his fist. Liam was there, standing next to us. He twisted Christian’s hand back.
“I’ve been waiting for this,” he said and shoved Christian away from me.
“Not as much as I have,” he growled back.
I scooted away and into the corner just as they attacked each other. It wasn’t really a fair fight. Liam had centuries on Christian, and in a matter of seconds he had lifted and smashed Christian into the metal bed, splintering it to the floor. Christian’s eyes rolled into the back of his head from the force.
Real close to his face, Liam said, “You are a child to me, and upon Llona’s word, I swear I will kill you.” Liam looked up at me. “It’s your choice.”
Christian moaned and sobbed, surprising us both. “Just kill me already.”
I stared down at him, this person I no longer knew. Could he really be saved? I groaned in frustration. “I can’t think right now.”
“Then decide later,” Liam said and punched Christian hard in the face, knocking him unconscious. He came over to me. “Are you hurt?”
I shook my head. “You?”
His head was bleeding, but it didn’t look serious.
“I’m good. Anxious to get back to the fight. I can hear it all. The sounds of the battle are like shouts in my ears. I don’t know which part of the chaos to focus on.”
I grimaced, trying to imagine how horrible that must have been. “Let’s chain him up. Then we’ll get out of here.”
Liam slid Christian over to a pair of chains pinned into the wall. They came standard in every cell.
“I think we’re making progress outside,” he said while I secured the chains around Christian’s wrists. I couldn’t look at Christian. He looked almost normal when he was sleeping.
Liam stiffened. “Did you hear that?”
I stood up. “Hear what?”
“A sound that’s not part of the battle.” He held real still.
That’s when I heard it too. A clicking noise, like a combination lock being turned on a safe door. Liam and I looked at each other, and a wave of panic washed over me. The metal door at the end of the hall was opening.
I hurried from the room and looked down the hallway. Abigail was pulling the door open wide.
“No! Stop!” I said and ran toward her. “What are you doing?”
Before she could answer, Sophie stepped through the door, her hands ignited with her grayish Light. “Hello, Llona. I told you I’d be back.”
FORTY-FOUR
Liam pulled me toward him, away from Sophie.
“What have you done, Abigail?” I stared at the school nurse whom I’d come to love. Realization dawned on me. She was Lucent’s mole. It all made sense now. Her strange comments about Auras and Christian, the phone call to get the twins to leave the basement while she let Jackson out, and it must’ve been her who left Christian’s notes on my bed. I couldn’t believe it. One more betrayal.
She looked back at me defiantly. “I’m tired of being second best. Sophie’s right. This place needs to be cleansed.”
“The Shadow,” Liam whispered.
I looked up and around but didn’t see it.
Sophie moved toward me, while Liam pulled me backward.
“I gave you a chance,” she said. “I really thought we could make this work, and you’d become the sister I should’ve had, but what a disappointment that you turned out so much like your mother.”
“Please, Sophie, let’s just end this. No one else has to die.” Liam’s hand was still on my arm.
“You killed Cyrus, the one person who was there for me when no one else was.” She shook Light into her hands. I did the same, but I had to be careful, remembering that if her life were threatened in anyway, the Shadow would appear.
“He didn’t help you,” I said. “He brainwashed you.” I glanced behind me. We were almost to the bottom of the stairs. Abigail was behind Sophie, looking rather pleased with herself. It made me ill.
Sophie glanced into the room where Christian was chained up. “Before I kill you, Llona,” Sophie said. “You’re going to watch me kill the man that you love.” Light shot from her hand, but it didn’t go the direction I expected.
Liam was blasted in the chest, sending his body crashing into the circular staircase.
“No!” I cried. Light left my hand and went in the direction of Sophie, but she moved out of the way. I shot at her again, this time aiming for the stream of Light piercing Liam. When the two opposing forces met, they exploded outward, knocking us all over.
I scrambled to my feet and helped Liam to stand. “Hurry. We have to go.”
His shirt was mostly burned off. The exposed skin was raw and bleeding. It took him a moment, but he managed to get upright. I pushed him from behind, forcing him up the stairs. Behind me Abigail was encouraging Sophie to get up. I was glad in that moment for my youth.
By the time we reached the second floor, Liam had gained some of his strength back. Neither of us said anything as we raced up the stairs, but my mind was on one thing. The Shadow. It was on campus now and there was only one way it was leaving: if I died destroying it.
There had to be another way.
We reached the top of the fourth floor. Cyrus’s office was empty, but it was covered in ash. I wondered what happened to Arik. Last time I saw him he was on his knees, blood dripping from his gut.
“Llona, wait!” Liam said. He took hold of my arm before I could leave the room.
I turned around, already knowing that he was going to try and stop me from going after the Shadow. “We don’t have time for this discussion. The Shadow is out there, and I have to stop it.”
He searched my eyes, and his mouth opened, but no words came out.
“We knew this was coming,” I said. Down below, behind the wall, I heard Sophie and Abigail climbing the stairs. “Let’s go.” I was about to leave when a look of horror pained Liam’s face.
“Oh no,” he said.
Before I could ask him what was wrong, he twisted into wind and crashed through the window, spraying glass all around. I hurried to it and peered into the darkness. Campus lights gave me a partial view of the scene below me. Auras and the others were scattering everywhere, shouting and screaming various orders, but none of them made sense. Vykens were there too, specifically stopping Auras from running away.
That’s when I saw it. The Shadow. It would rise in the air, circle once as if searching for its next victim, then dive-bomb its target. A girl flew several feet into the air. Liam caught her before she hit the ground.
I glanced down. Being half-Vyken, I was able to jump from my bedroom window on the third floor. What’s one more? I leapt from the window. As soon as I touched bottom, I rolled into a somersault and stood up.
Following the sounds of screaming, I hurried to the front of the building, blasting Light into Vykens as I went. Bodies were on the ground. I didn’t dare look at them for fear of being overwhelmed.
Charlie was in the courtyard with several of his men, trying to usher girls into Chadni Hall while Guardians ran out. The Shadow mus
t have been targeting Auras only, but it was only a matter of time before it would find its way into the school. It had to be stopped now.
I turned the corner just in time to see Liam catching another girl thrown by the Shadow. The fall would surely have killed her. Mrs. Crawford was on the steps of the front entrance trying to trap the Shadow with her Light, but the night sky made it difficult to determine where it would strike next.
I was about to go help her, when a fireball tore through the air. I followed its path. May was at the end of the lane, near the gates, leaning over a body and screaming. Another fireball flew in her direction. She did nothing to stop it, and it barely missed her. She was going to get herself killed if I didn’t do something.
Hidden in the darkness, away from the campus lights, a figure stood tall, his hands ignited with flames. May’s father, Robert. I sprinted across the grass toward him, keeping my eyes to the sky. Liam’s wind passed overhead. Like always, he was watching out for me.
Another fireball appeared in Robert’s hand. Before he could throw it, I shot Light from my hand. He saw it at the last second and blocked it with fire.
“I’ve been wanting to meet you, Llona Reese,” he said. “May’s told me all about you.”
I was close enough now that I could see his features through the dark. His skin was pulled tight across his facial bones as if he’d had plastic surgery, and his dark eyes were made darker by thick eyebrows that made a sharp line across his lower forehead. He might’ve been handsome, but the cruel look in his eyes made him appear more monster-like than human.
I shook my hands, igniting them with Light. “You’re my best friend’s father. I don’t want to hurt you.” I risked a quick look at May. I could just barely see her through the darkness, still hunched over someone’s body, crying.
“Don’t worry. You won’t,” he said. “You know, I’m glad we met. I was hoping you could help me with my wayward daughter. She thinks she has all the answers, but she’s so young. All I want is to have a relationship with her.”
“I think you’ve ruined any chance of that happening.”
“Not just yet. I have to only remove hope from her heart, and then we can have a normal father-daughter relationship.” Fire left his hand and headed toward me, but it was slow enough that I dodged it. “Once I remove everyone who matters in her life, hope will leave May, and then she will give up on this ridiculous notion of right and wrong.”
While he was speaking, I formed several tight balls of Light behind my back. “This is what feels right: destroying what is wrong.”
As hard as I could, I threw the balls toward him. They zipped through the air. Robert blocked the first several, but the last one imbedded itself into his arm. He growled and shot fire back at me. It was much faster, and I barely managed to get out of the way. As soon as I straightened, more fire came. I sprayed Light, meeting the flames half way. The two forces collided with each other and sent sparks of orange, red, and white into the air. I held my position, determined not to let him gain any ground.
Chaos raged behind me. Charlie was still shouting for people to get inside. People were screaming. Liam was probably exhausted. I had to stop the Shadow, but I couldn’t let this monster get at May. I promised her.
I quickly let go of my Light and rolled to the ground just as the devil’s breath blew over me. I straightened and looked up, ready to zap him with Light, but he was gone. I glanced all around. Where did he go?
“Looking for me?” Robert said, appearing behind me. His hands gripped my arms; they were burning hot. I cried out as I felt my flesh bubbling beneath his palms.
Liam appeared just then, standing in front of us, panting for air. Sweat dripped from his head. “Let her go.”
“One move and I ignite her like a firecracker,” Robert said. “I’ve always loved the Fourth of July.”
I curled my lips inward, trying hard not to move or scream. The skin on my arms felt like it was melting from my bones.
“You hurt her, and I will kill you.” Liam looked as if he’d stopped breathing.
Robert laughed. “I’m not going to hurt her.” He looked up, searching the night sky. “Shadow!” he called. “I have a fresh one!”
I saw movement to my right. But it wasn’t the Shadow. May, her face stained with tears, walked toward us. More like stormed. There was an energy building up around her, an electrical force everyone felt.
“I’m sorry I ever let you into my life,” she said.
“Found some courage, did you?” Robert said. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”
Liam was slowly moving toward me, his eyes darting back and forth between May and me.
“Let her go, Father. Llona has nothing to do with this.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” He looked up again. “She has everything to do with this. If I can get rid of her, then you’ll have nothing left. The Fury darkness inside you will consume you.”
“You’re the one who’s mistaken.” She opened her fists. They were burning with fire. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned since living with Auras, it’s that light always destroys the dark.” Her eyes flashed to Liam.
In a move I didn’t see coming, May shot a bolt of fire directly toward us. I thought it was going to kill us both, but Liam grabbed me at the last second and tore me from Robert’s grip. We fell onto the ground, tumbling together, while Robert exploded into flames.
He screamed and his whole body started shaking. I thought he was having some sort of a seizure, but then the flames began to die down. He was somehow dousing the fire with his own energy.
Startling me, Liam burst into wind and circled around him several times. The dying flames reignited and spread into what looked like a fire tornado reaching for the sky. There was nothing Robert could do to stop it. In seconds his entire body was consumed, barely leaving any ash behind.
May stood there, stunned. I stumbled toward her, but all of a sudden my body was being lifted from the ground faster than I could scream. The Shadow had taken me. Its dark energy pressed against me, squeezing me tight. I couldn’t have screamed if I wanted to.
But I could use Light.
I focused hard, imagining my whole body lighting up. My insides warmed, much like they did right before I turned invisible, but instead of keeping the light internal, I forced it out.
The Shadow made a horrible shrieking sound and let me go. The ground raced up at me, but before I hit bottom, Liam caught me. I fell onto my back and sprayed Light upward. The Shadow was gone.
“Get inside!” Charlie yelled. He jogged over to us.
I looked around for May. She had returned to the body on the ground. Who was it? “We need May,” I said.
Charlie ran in her direction and called over his shoulder. “I’ll get her. The Shadow should leave us alone.”
Liam helped me to my feet and ran with me over to the entrance of Chadni Hall. A lot of the chaos had died down from what it was minutes ago. It looked like most of the Auras had gone inside. Only older ones remained, gathered on the front steps with Mrs. Crawford, using their Light whenever they could to help those still fighting Vykens.
“Stay safe,” Liam said and squeezed my hand. He turned back around to continue fighting with the others.
“Has anyone seen Sophie or Abigail?” I asked the group of Auras. I was surprised to see Ms. Hady. In the back of the group, but here, a part of us.
“I heard they were spotted near the clock tower,” Ashlyn said, after Light left her hand and knocked a Vyken away from a Lizen man not far away. She looked at me. “What was Abigail doing with her?”
“She’s Lucent’s mole.” I ignored her angry cursings and went to Mrs. Crawford. She was still watching the skies anxiously.
“I can’t seem to get a fix on it,” she said. “It’s too dark.”
I thought out loud. “We need more light.”
“You need bait.”
I turned around. Kiera was searching the skies with us. Her gaze lowered t
o mine. “Light up the skies,” she said. “I’ll be your bait.”
“That’s crazy. No way.”
“Do it. I’m going out.” Before I could stop her, she descended the steps.
“You heard her,” I said to those around me. “Give us some light.”
At least ten pairs of hands rose to the sky and shot a steady stream directly above Kiera, who was walking toward the center of the lawn. Lycans, with the help of Liam, cleared a large section, keeping the fighting to the edges. I moved to the bottom of the steps where I could keep a better eye on her.
Kiera stopped, raised her hands, and shouted into the night. “Here I am! Come get me!”
FORTY-FIVE
I squinted, thinking I saw movement to the east. I focused on the area. There it was again. The Shadow was coming.
This was it. The Shadow was circling Kiera as if looking for a way to get around the light shining above her. I carefully and slowly moved to the side where I’d have a better angle at hitting it. If the Shadow circled around one more time, it would cross just above me.
It was coming closer. I took a deep breath, held it, then released it at the same time I shot Light above me. At first I didn’t think I had it, but then I felt it’s energy buck against mine. I concentrated harder to make sure I had a tight grip.
Kiera ran over to me. “You got it!”
“Now just make sure no one attacks me,” I said, already gasping for air. The Shadow felt stronger somehow. Or maybe I was weaker. “And Kiera?”
She looked at me. “Yes?”
“If you see Sophie”—I stopped to take a breath—“don’t let anyone harm her.” I inhaled again. On my exhale, I said real quick, “The Shadow is bound to protect her. I’ll lose my grip.”
“Got it.” She turned back around to watch for anyone attempting to interrupt me.
Several minutes passed. My arm grew so tired I had to use my other one to hold my right hand up. Ashlyn and Mrs. Crawford had come down by Kiera to help her whenever a Vyken broke through Liam and the other men. Not many did.
Fractured Truth Page 30