Song of Resurgence (Ballads of Mae Book 2)

by Salem Cross

  The video ended.

  “It wasn’t in the plan to go in and take out the Fitz gang,” Mae said softly next to me.

  I turned to face her, unsure how to deal with the raging emotions I felt. She would not look at me. Instead, she stared at the floor.

  “I told you. We weren’t really vigilantes, and this was way out of our league. But when we heard about the kids in the basement… Well, we had to do something. Cops never patrolled that area of the city. When we got there, we realized we had miscounted how many members were there, and we were wildly outnumbered. A handful of guys were blocking the back door where we needed to enter. If I hadn’t gone in to distract the others, they would have heard the fighting, and they would have come out with guns drawn.

  “It was dumb of me to go in alone, but I didn’t care. That morning I had helped bury my parents after a week of planning their funeral. I was so grief-stricken that I wasn’t thinking right. Since their death, things had started happening. Things would randomly blow up, mirrors would break, rooms would shake… It hadn’t taken me long to realize I was the cause. Unable to control it, I was terrified. I needed to talk to someone. That morning, after the funeral, I told my friend Rebecca. As I was telling her about it, I accidentally blew out the windows of her car. She was so scared of me that she pissed herself before she took off. So when I walked into that bar, I was ready to…”

  Mae’s voice trailed off. She didn’t have to tell me what she felt. I could feel her reliving every emotion through our bond. I reached out to take her hand, but she took a step back.

  “After we left the bar and dropped the kids off at a nearby police station, we went back to our hideout. No one could explain what had happened… so they chalked it up to an earthquake. Oh god,” she whispered and squeezed her eyes shut. “It all just flooded out of me that night. It hurt so bad. I thought I was going to split in half right there in the middle of the bar.”

  “I walked out of our hideout and headed home. On the way, I stopped for gas and a bottle of water. Just as I was about to climb into my car someone tapped me on the shoulder and… Well, you know what happened. I got the hell out of dodge and haven’t been back home since. For a few months I tried living in different places, tried to keep a low profile, but my power got so out of hand I decided that removing myself from civilization was the best bet, so that was when I took to the Appalachian Trail,” Mae scoffed. “You know, it’s been exactly two years since the start of this, and my life has only gotten crazier.”

  When she looked at me, her expression was grim.

  “How mad are you?” she asked softly.

  “Mad?” I tasted the word as it rolled over my tongue.

  Yes, I was angry. Her decision to take on a bar full of dangerous men had been reckless, even downright suicidal. The thought that she had given no thought to her well-being was terrifying. What if she had lost the fight? Would they have killed her outright, or would they have made her suffer? The thought shook me to my core. Through our connection, I could feel the heavy emotional turmoil she was battling. Her misery was so acute that it pulled at my heart. I could not allow her to feel this way. I put my anger at her recklessness to the side as I closed the distance between us.

  “You put yourself in danger, Mae. Yes, it angers me that you would do something so foolish,” I told her. “But I can feel how confused and scared you are as you relive that night. It is almost suffocating how strong your emotions are. This event caught on camera was just a single moment in your life. It is gone. Do not remember it with fear or sadness. When you look back to this night, let it be the moment that marked the beginning of your true destiny.”

  I paused to make sure she was hearing me. When I was sure she was paying attention, I continued.

  “Mae White, I am so proud of you.”

  She blinked in surprise. “You put your life on the line for children who meant nothing to you. You and your friends could have decided it was too hard to get to them and left. Even in your emotional state, you knew it would be unacceptable to leave those children down there. Your heart is too big to allow fear and grief to stop you when other lives are at risk. That large heart and your stubborn refusal to walk away from danger will help us stop whoever is trying to bring back the gods.”

  I wrapped my arms around her body, and she leaned into me. Slowly the strength of her emotions began to recede.

  “I also saw what you can do when you focus, and I am beyond impressed,” I added thoughtfully. “Did you not see how those men flew without you touching them? Did you see the gun explode? That was you. You were so focused that you were able to funnel your power to do exactly what you wanted it to do without any training, and that had been back when your power was at its most volatile. It was just like when you threw the car across the driveway. Just think about what you will be able to accomplish now that your power is not nearly as unpredictable and you have some control.”

  I leaned down and pressed my lips against her forehead. She looked up at me, the haunted gaze in her eyes slowly disappearing.

  “I love you. While all of that sucked, I’m glad that it led me to you,” she told me solemnly.

  “And I love you,” I muttered and took her lips with mine.

  She sighed and opened her mouth, allowing me to deepen the kiss. Memories of our time together this morning floated through my consciousness, and I felt my body begin to respond. With another sigh, Mae pulled away. The anguish in her expression was beginning to fade.

  “I didn’t even notice that my attacks never even landed on some of those guys. I am pretty sure I blacked out for some of that fight,” Mae said, her tone colored in disbelief. “And who was that woman watching me? How did she appear and disappear like that?”

  “It was Autumn,” I answered. Mae’s eyes widened in shock.

  “What was she doing there?” she asked in surprise.

  “Probably making sure your power had surfaced after causing the accident that killed your parents,” I suggested.

  Mae frowned, and I felt a flutter of hurt between our bond.

  “She wasn’t really there,” I said. “It looked like she was projecting herself from wherever she has been hiding.”

  Mae frowned. “You think she caused my parent’s death?”

  “Either she did it herself, or she hired someone to cut the brakes on your parent’s car.” I nodded. “She was the only one who knew what you are truly capable of. She probably checked in on you often to see how you were progressing. When she realized you were not showing any signs of the power Zyroe passed to you, I am sure she decided to take matters into her own hands.”

  I felt the sharp pang of sadness between us. I opened my mouth to offer some words of comfort but Mae shook her head.

  “So now what?” she asked.

  I debated letting the conversation of her parents’ murder drop. While Mae needed to come to terms with it, a quick assessment of her fragile emotional state told me that maybe I should let it go for a while. So instead of pressing the issue, I changed direction.

  “Now, we are going to work on your focus. We have time before everyone returns, so let us use it to find some control with your power. With practice comes skill.”

  ***

  Three hours later, Mae and I were both covered in sweat and dirt. It had taken a while for Mae to find her footing. Having her concentrate was the biggest obstacle. I could feel her constantly battling fear. The fear of her power seemed to divide her attention. When I told her this, she huffed in annoyance.

  “Knowing I could hurt someone by accident makes me nervous. I can’t help that,” she argued.

  When the next hour passed with no success, we shifted gears.

  Instead of focusing on an object, I began to spar with her. This was something she knew and was comfortable with. I could feel her enjoyment in hand to hand combat. Once I was sure she was warmed up, I stopped playing fair.

  She noticed when I began to use my enhanced speed to duck her blows or to
land some of my own. She didn’t complain though. In fact, through our bond, I felt the thrill of her excitement as she was forced to think and move faster. After being knocked, pinned, and pushed down several times, Mae’s enjoyment faded. Her frustration with continuously being bested suddenly became our biggest asset. Her attacks became more strategic.

  As she focused on trying to best me, I felt her fears slide away. This was the Mae I had seen in the video. Her sharp gaze watched my every move. She continuously shifted her weight, ready to defend or attack when necessary. While she managed to duck and block a few of my attempts to get her, she was no match against someone with my speed. I continuously landed gentle blows on her body and pinned her down. Whether it was from frustration or an actual attack, the first time she used her power to stop me from sweeping her legs out from underneath her, I was thrown backward twenty yards.

  I landed on my feet, but for the first time, the breath had been knocked out of me. Mae’s expression mirrored my surprise before a large victorious smile swept across her face.

  “Again,” I snapped, not allowing her to get distracted.

  I rushed at her before she had a chance to protest. I snarled and lunged. I was almost on top of her before she threw both hands up. This time when I was hit with her power, I was prepared. I absorbed it instead of letting it throw me. That brief second when I allowed her power to soak into my skin was all that Mae needed. She twisted, and with a high kick, she was able to make contact with my jaw. I could feel her control in the movement. I knew she had purposely held back from hitting me hard, not that a blow from her would ever physically hurt. But then, her power flared outwards from her attack. While her foot had barely touched me, her power behind the kick was another matter. I was hit hard and thrown sideways. My wings opened, and I stopped myself before falling into a nearby shrub.

  “Oh my god! Rylan, are you okay?” Mae shrieked as she hurried over to me.

  The moment my feet touched the ground, Mae grabbed my face and studied it, making sure there was no damage. There was none, of course, but I allowed her to do a thorough inspection so she would feel better.

  “I’m so sorry. I really didn’t mean to hurt you, I just… It just happened.”

  “You did well,” I told her proudly as she dropped her hands away from my face. “We will work again on this tomorrow. How do you feel?”

  Mae rolled her eyes. “How do I feel? I didn’t just get hit in the face with a blast of power.”

  “Do I look injured?” I asked with a raised brow. Mae took a step back and crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes swept over me. When our gazes met, a smile tugged up the corner of her lips.

  “Actually, it’s quite the opposite. No one should look as sexy as you are covered in sweat and dirt like this. As always, you look perfect.”

  Her unbidden compliment threw me off guard. Mae took the opportunity of my speechlessness and threw herself at me. Her arms came around my neck, and her legs wrapped around my waist. I caught her up and twirled her around, laughing at her playfulness. Mae’s answering giggle was music to me. Her lips came crashing down against mine. The world fell away as utter delight and happiness blinded my senses. Her tongue forced itself into my mouth, and I welcomed it. I slid my hands up her thighs and cupped her buttocks.

  Suddenly, Mae’s body tensed. She pulled away from me as her eyes turned violet and the veins that ran up her neck into her face began to glow. Shit, the toxins must have been released into the air. Her whole body jerked, and she groaned. I could feel her body warming as her power flared to react to the toxins. Her body grew so hot I worried there would be internal damage. It grew brighter as she jerked against me and the tree.

  I could feel her pain and fear, but she remained silent as she fought back the explosive response to the toxicity. I tried to breathe for both of us. My grip tightened on her legs to steady her as her body jerked again. Sweat dripped down the side of her face as she squeezed her eyes. Just as abruptly, her body relaxed and the glowing under her skin vanished. She sagged against me, breathing hard.

  “You did it, Mae,” I whispered in her ear as she dragged in a deep breath.

  “It gets a little easier each time,” she admitted breathlessly against my neck. Nothing about what I had just seen looked easy. I held back a grimace. “Let’s get back to the house and clean up. The others should be home soon.”

  With a sigh, I let her slide down my body and placed her on her feet. She turned to leave, but I grabbed her hand and pulled her back to face me. I planted a kiss on her lips and whispered, “We will continue this later.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Mae

  It turned out that almost everyone else had already arrived home. When we walked inside the house Arthur, Nikolas, Camille, Jasmine, Ashe, Gabriel, Jasmine and Devon were all gathered around the counter sipping on glasses full of blood. My stomach rolled at the sight and I couldn’t help but make a face. Jasmine and Arthur chuckled as they looked up in time to catch my expression. The others didn’t bother to waste their time looking in our direction.

  I skipped up the stairs to take a shower while Rylan walked over to the other Guardians. Under the warm water I allowed myself to relax. I thought of the four park rangers that I had fought off today. They had been so corrupted with dark magic they would have killed each other. Would they remember? Would they have felt guilt? Who had done that to them? Then I thought of the pictures on the computer. All of those people… murdered. How did they cover up all of those murders? Wouldn’t families be concerned about missing relatives? I tried pushing away the awful images.

  I braced my hands against the shower wall and allowed the water to run down my back. My mind turned to the video I had watched with Rylan. My blood turned to ice. The absolute terror of that night still haunted me. There had been so much pain. And Autumn had been there to witness the entire event. My hands turned into fists that pushed into the wall. Instead of helping me, she had just watched the scene unfold. She was pleased that I was there struggling to contain the chaos that was leaking out of me. I shook my head, disgusted. I hated her. I hated that she had created me. I hated that she had killed my parents and I hated that she had some sick plan for me. How she thought I could stop the end of the world from happening was beyond me.

  Angrily, I straightened up and turned off the water. I stepped from the shower, dried myself off and got dressed. I took a moment to calm myself before I left the bedroom to find the others.

  Voices carried throughout the house, and I followed the sound to find everyone had convened in the second story loft. As I entered the space, the conversation died down and heads swiveled in my direction. It was clear that I was certainly not welcome. I could almost feel the temperature in the room drop.

  My pride was the only thing that kept me from turning tail and running. Mentally I braced myself as I crossed the space of the loft and headed towards Rylan. I held my head up high and even forced myself to smile despite the dark glares following me. Just to rub a little salt in the wound, I made it a point to meet Nikolas’s steely gaze, knowing that he hated me the most. Rylan held out his hand as I approached, and I took it, grateful for the connection. I turned and looked around at the Guardians in the room. The only three missing were Diane, Samson, and Zara.

  “Is it wise to discuss strategy and findings with a god in the room?” Camille jeered as the corner of her upper lip pulled up in disgust.

  “Rylan, have you confirmed that Mae has had absolutely no contact with her father or any other gods after their initial meeting? She could be a mole,” Devon asked.

  He clasped his hands behind his back and pulled his cool gaze from me to look at Rylan.

  “She is not a mole,” Rylan asserted while ignoring Camille’s comment.

  “Mae can be trusted,” Jasmine confirmed with a nod.

  “Would someone please explain why Zyroe would want to help us stop his brethren from returning to the world? Why would he produce an heir with some rogue wit
ch? It is not his style,” Gabriel asked.

  When he crossed his arms over his chest, his whole body seemed to flex in response, giving him an even larger, more intimidating appearance.

  “Zyroe is the god of justice,” Rylan said thoughtfully. “There are stories that say he helped the Guardians and the others on Earth to push his brethren into the next realm. Maybe he sees the others’ return like a jailbreak? He is one of the few gods who would see a return to Earth as a way to escape punishment and not approve.”

  “What do you know of Zyroe?” Nikolas asked him with derision. “You were not there, nor have you ever known the true intentions of a god’s motives. It is wise not to speculate.”

  “You would know best, Nikolas,” Jasmine pointed out. “What do you know of him?”

  “Nothing,” Nikolas stated coldly. “Which makes him… and his daughter, a true threat.”

  “Why would we even bother to call any of you to ask for your help if I was planning something with Zyroe?” I tried to keep my voice calm, despite my rising annoyance. I was tired of all the finger-pointing. It was getting us nowhere. “It would be counterproductive to call you all here if I was trying to open the gates discreetly.”

  “We would not know what would be counterproductive to any plotting you have with your father,” Camille interjected, glaring at me from her seat on the other side of the room. I rolled my eyes. For the love of…

  “In any case, I think the more important issue at hand is that whoever is trying to open the gates has some history with the gods,” Ashe said.

  “Wizards are notorious for coveting more power. Perhaps a god reached out and seduced a wayward wizard with the idea of power if he freed them?” Gabriel offered. Ashe nodded thoughtfully.

  “Do we know of any missing wizards or witches that have toed the line with their magic recently?” Arthur questioned.