The Breaker's Resolution: (YA Paranormal Romance) (Fixed Points Book 4)

by Conner Kressley

  “Cardinal Rivers!” An older man shouted from behind Liv. “The tunnel is prepared.”

  “Cresta,” Liv turned to me. “We need to get the hell out. At our last count, there were five Breakers here. They’re looking for you and, without the tech to shield your aura, they’ll be able to sense you. They’re going to come for you Cresta. We can’t be here when they find you.”

  She pointed out the window. It was true. Several people dressed in black were dispersing. Some were headed passed the diner. Some were headed right for us. And some were headed the other way, back toward the…

  “The hotel,” I muttered, panic rising in my throat. “They’ll go to the hotel! They’ll find the others!”

  “The others can protect themselves, Cresta,” Liv said. “You’re our priority.”

  “They can’t!” I yelled. “I trapped them. Damn it, I trapped them inside!”

  I ran toward the door.

  “Stop her!” Liv yelled. Taggers poured toward me, but I wasn’t having any of it. Throwing my hand, I used shade to knock them out of my way, like bowling pins being manhandled by a rolling ball.

  I pushed through the doors. Cold air hit me and no sooner was I outside that the Breakers heading toward me caught site.

  They darted toward me, but they didn’t fare much better than the Taggers. I picked them up with the shade and slammed them together, knocking them both out cold.

  “Cresta!” I heard Liv’s voice boom behind me as I huffed toward the hotel, “Cresta, stop!”

  But I wasn’t going to stop. The hotel was just in view. All I had to do was get there. Once I was a little closer, I’d be able to take hold of the barrier I created and knock it down. Then we could get the hell out of here. Then we could-

  A bright orange light lit up the sky. I stopped dead in my tracks. The sound was deafening. A whistling that got louder and louder. I watched as the orange light took shape. A thing line that ran toward the hotel.

  “No!” I screamed. “Please God, no!” But no one listen to me. The instants the words left my mouth, I watched in horror as the hotel- the very hotel Casper, Royce, and Dahlia sat in, helpless because of the barrier I put in place- blew up in a horrific sea of fire and rubble.

  It was gone. They were all gone.

  Chapter 15

  Whatever Will Shut You Up

  Owen

  The last thing I wanted to do was bring the Council in on this. The idea of them poking around in Sevie’s head sent shivers of anxiety through me. But the way he had woken up, screaming, crying and claiming not to know who any of us were, was too big to cover up.

  And truth be told, I didn’t know what to do about it.

  “I don’t know how you can’t know,” I said through gritted teeth. The Council of Masons sat before me. Their chambers had transformed into a giant throne room, and they were perched on three matching golden arches. “You’re the freaking Council. Isn’t it your job to know everything?”

  I paced back and forth. Mother and Father were in the Medic Bay, trying to calm Sevie down enough to run more tests. And Merrin stood behind me, wobbly and looking even more tired than she had back at the farmhouse. Something was going on with her. She should have been with a medic too. But she insisted on coming with me, standing by my side in front of the Council so I’d be at my full strength. I hoped she could feel the gratitude that brought about in me.

  “We’re keepers of the records, enforcers of the ancient laws, and servants of Fate herself,” Chant answered, completely skirting the question. “Sometimes, Fate takes us in new and unforeseen directions, and it is our job to guide others through that process. We won’t be apologizing for that, Mr. Lightfoot.”

  “So you’re telling me that no Breaker has ever had amnesia before?” I asked, bolting dangerously close to the steps that led up to their ridiculous perches.

  “We’re telling you that what your brother has is not amnesia. Amnesia presents itself as the result of either physical or emotional trauma.”

  “I took advanced brain chemistry when I was six, just like everyone else, Chant. I know how amnesia presents itself,” I scoffed.

  “Then you’ll know why that isn’t what’s effecting your Sebastian.” Chant waved his hand and an image of a brain appeared in the air between us. “Your brother’s mind has been wiped clean somehow.” The brain began to spark with lights. “It’s actually producing completely new neurological pathways, as though he were a fetus in the womb. As far as brain activity is concerned, your brother is quite literally becoming another person.”

  “That’s impossible,” I muttered quickly. “Even a mortal’s mind couldn’t be subjected to that. A Breaker’s brain has failsafes and barrier to block those sorts of intrusions.”

  “What could or could not happen to a Neanderthal is beside the point, as is the nature of natural protections present in your brother’s mind,” Chant answered. “The fact remains, this is happening. And we have no idea why.”

  Merrin’s heart fluttered a little and I felt it in my chest. I didn’t have to wonder. I knew what she was thinking. She loved Sevie nearly as much as I did. She had grown up with him, with both of us. If this was happening to him, then it meant my brother was about to be gone forever. Unless, of course, we could find a way around it.

  The Council might not know what was going on with Sevie. But one person did. Royce.

  “Sometimes, it’s important for us to accept Fate’s will and try to absorb the lesson she gives us with it.” Chant leveled a gaze at me. “There are other more pressing issues to consider, Dragon.”

  I batted back a flourish of anger. What on earth could be more important than Sevie? Let the whole damn world crumble around us. I didn’t care anymore. But fighting them wouldn’t do any good. Their beliefs were as old as the hills this place was built on. I wasn’t going to change them with some impassioned speech. And I had other things to do.

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” I choked out. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to check on my brother.”

  “Your brother is dead,” Chant answered, stopping me in my tracks. “The mind he had is gone. As such, you’ll receive the customary three day bereavement period. But at the end of that, you’ll be expected to do your duty, Dragon.”

  I glared at him siliently as I took Merrin’s hand and turned to march out of that godforsaken place.

  “Though, if you don’t use your time wisely, it looks like it might be six,” Chant said, baiting me into stopping.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” I asked, spinning around.

  “Your wife, Dragon,” he answered, a thin smile spreading across his face. “Haven’t you been looking at her? The poor thing is barely hanging on. Wouldn’t you like to know what’s going on? Wouldn’t you like to know how to save her?”

  “Save me?” Merrin balked. “I’m fine, sir. I’m just under the weather.” She was quiet and demure. She was respectful to the Council in a way that I had abandoned long ago, in a way they didn’t really deserve given that they had turned her into a walking tape recorder and-when that failed- tortured her for my crimes. Still, it took strength to push that aside and play along for the greater good, strength that I now felt flowing from her into me.

  “You know that isn’t the case,” Chant answered. “And you’ve known that for quite some time, isn’t that right?”

  Merrin didn’t have to answer, and I didn’t even need to feel the response in our shared mindset. I could see it in her face. Perhaps it was a truth she wasn’t ready to face quite yet, or maybe it was something she wanted to deal with on her own. But Merrin knew what was happening to her was serious.

  “Cut the bull, Chant. Tell me what’s going on,” I demanded.

  “And what do I get?” Chant asked, using his cane to shakily get to his feet. “What’s my payment for this very valuable information?”

  “She doesn’t die,” I answered, motioning to Merrin.

  “She’s your wife, Dragon. I’d assume
her wellbeing is your responsibility, especially given the very unique bond you two share.” His decrepit finger waggled from one of us to the other. “What happens to one happens to the other. That’s the way of the symbioses.”

  “And that’s all the reason you need. You can’t let me die,” I said, biting my lip. “Not with Cresta still out in the world.” I blinked hard. “You gave Merrin to me to chain me down, to keep me from running away with the Bloodmoon.” Of course, what the Council hadn’t known at the time was the fact that the crone’s words had made me ever being with Cresta again impossible. But hey, no need in giving these idiots even more ammunition. “So why would you want to back away from that now?”

  “We don’t,” Chant answered simply, looking back at the red woman and toddler tyrant who made up his cohorts. “Which is why my condition is a simple one. If I tell you what is necessary to save the life of your wife, I expect you to commit to doing it. And I expect that commitment to be enforced with a Breaker’s promise.”

  “I won’t kill Cresta. I don’t care about what Luca showed me,” I answered flatly.

  “You’ll do what Fate deems necessary. I don’t need a promise to know that. No, what I want you to do has nothing to do with your little girlfriend,” Chant said.

  “Then fine. Of course I’ll do what I need to in order to save Merrin. I-” The word caught in my throat for some reason, but it was true. So I said it anyway. “I love her.”

  “Good,” Chant grinned. “That will make this easier for you.” His cane hit hard against a stone floor as he slowly made his way toward us.

  “You don’t live with your wife, do you Dragon?”

  “I don’t think that’s any of your business,” I answered, folding my arms over my chest.

  “And I agree. Unfortunately, your inactivity has made it my business.” He settled in front of us, his eyes sliding over to Merrin as a mix of disgust and pity filled them. “Do you not undertand the gift you’ve been given? The symbioses joins you in ways that other people can only imagine. You’re stronger together than you could ever dare to be apart.”

  “We don’t need you to read us the brochure. Just get to the point,” I answered.

  “That is the point, Dragon. This is a gift but, like all gifts, it must be appreciated lest it turn its back on you.” He shook his head. “You have to be together, Dragon. If not, you’re disrespecting what the gift is in the first place. You have live with her, Dragon. You have to-”

  “Fine!” I yelled. “Whatever will shut you up. I’ll move back in tonight.” Looking over at Merrin, suddenly my defenses dropped. She had meant so much to me. For so long, she had been the face of my future. And that didn’t just go away. I did love her. It was true. And I always would, even if it wasn’t in the way the Council (and maybe even Merrin herself) would have liked. “I’ll move back in tomorrow.” I squeezed her hand. “Tonight, if that’s what it takes.”

  “Ha!” Chant’s chuckle, loud and coarse, startled me. “Don’t be a fool, Dragon. This isn’t about living spaces. The proximity required to stop what’s happening to her is much more intimate than that. Haven’t you ever wondered why only married people are eligible to receive the symbioses?” he slammed his cane against the floor. “The life force is draining from her, whiddling away with each passing night. It’ll happen to you too soon, Dragon. It will be slower, because you’re physically stronger than her. But it will happen to you.”

  “What are you saying?” Merrin asked weakly from beside me.

  “You have to be with him, Mrs. Lightfoot. You both have to be with each other.” Chant turned back to me. “She’ll die, Dragon. If you don’t consummate your marriage, your wife will die.”

  Chapter 16

  Come Home

  Her footsteps fell like boulders as Merrin and I walked through the Medic Bay. We hadn’t so much as spoken since leaving the Council chambers, slack jawed and flustered. She was weak though, almost too weak to stand-let alone walk. And we finally knew why.

  “Do you want to take a break?” I asked, glancing over at her.

  “I’m fine,” she answered.

  “You know, I can take you home. If you’re not feeling up to it, I’m sure Sevie would understand.”

  “I said I’m fine!” She cut me off. “And I’d be surprised if Sevie even knew my name at this point, let alone get upset that I wasn’t there to see him.”

  “You don’t look fine,” I said, stopping and turning to her.

  “Don’t do this now,” she sighed, stopping beside me and slouching against the wall.

  “If not now, then when?” I asked, looking away from her. “I’m not sure how much more time we’ll have.”

  “He was lying to you,” Merrin said weakly, shaking her head. “He had to be. I studied the symbioses thoroughly after our wedding and I never came across any evidence to support his claim.” She coughed again. “Not a single piece.”

  “Except for this,” I answered, motioning to her. “You’re sick, Merrin. You might even be dying. And if I can save you-”

  “No,” she answered flatly.

  “Merrin, it’s okay,” I said. “It’ll save your life. I want to.”

  “Well, I don’t,” she responded. As soon as the words left her mouth, she relapsed into another coughing fit. We were beginning to garner the attention of medics as they passed by.

  “It’s okay,” I said, motioning them forward, before turning back to Merrin. “Are you serious right now? What do you mean you don’t? You’re going to die, Merrin. And I’ll die after you. We have to do this.” I shook my head. “I thought- I just didn’t think you’d be…” My words failed me, trailing off into an awkward nothingness.

  “You thought I’d be easy,” she answered.

  “Nothing about this is easy,” I spit back disgustedly. “And don’t do that. Don’t act like I’m some pervert who’s trying to weasel his way into your pants. Or worse, like I’m some stranger.”

  “It would be easier with a stranger,” she answered without looking at me. She slouched further, crumpling to her knees, sitting on the floor.

  “I don’t know what that means,” I admitted. And truth be told, I wanted to cry. “How did we get here, Merrin? How did any of us get here?” I sat beside her and she rested her head against my shoulder. “I know a lot of it was my fault, but I couldn’t have done all of this. Could I? I couldn’t be responsible for all this.”

  “No,” she answered, her hand finding mine and her fingers intertwining with my own. “This isn’t your fault, but it’s not mine either. And I’m tired of paying for it. Do you have any idea how much I’ve been through since the night you left? This isn’t what my life is supposed to look like.” She leaned forward, lifting her head and looking at me. “I mean, come on. Have you seen me? I’m gorgeous. I’m gorgeous, and smart, and funny, and kind.” She swallowed hard. “And I’ve never so much as kissed someone who’s ever really cared for me.”

  “I do care for you,” I answered, my brows furrowing. “I love you, Merrin. It’s not the way it should be, I know that. But I do. And I always will.”

  “I know you do,” she said, blinking back tears. “But don’t you think I deserve more than that? I felt what you and Cresta feel for each other. Shouldn’t I have that too? Shouldn’t my first time be with someone who feels for me the way you feel for her?” She put her head back on my shoulder. “I’m just tired of giving things up.”

  “I know,” I answered. “I am too.”

  She lifted my hand, still in hers, to her lips and kissed it. “Come home tonight, okay?”

  “Okay,” I answered.

  **********************

  After sending Merrin home, along with a Medic and bodyguard to ensure her safety (being the Dragon had its benefits), I turned my attention to my bother. If I was going to save him while there was something left to be saved, I was going to have to act quickly.

  Whatever was happening to him was either so strange or so new that the Council itse
lf had no idea how to define it. Which more than likely meant it had something to do with Cresta. She was a sea of things they couldn’t explain. What was one more?

  Either that, or it was a byproduct of whatever Royce did to him while he was unconscious. Either way, the answer I needed was with them. And to get to them, I was going to have to convince Sevie to use an ability that, even with his memories intact, he had very sparse control over.

  I moved through the Medic Bay for the second time in an hour. The looks I got, half contempt and half awe, came as no surprise to me. When I was a child, people never noticed me. I was fated to die and, as such, obsolete. I was the Hourglass’ vestigial tail. But ever since returning, since I was forcibly ‘outed’ as the Dragon, I couldn’t go anywhere without people’s opinions of me plastered all over their faces. Some of them thought I was the second coming, the destined hero who’d take down the Bloodmoon, regardless of the way I felt about her. Others thought I was a coward, a traitor, and an idiot. And that being the Dragon didn’t absolve me of any of it. Truth be told, I hardly registered any of them anymore, regardless of their opinion.

  “I’m here to see my brother,” I said, settling in front of a medic. He was young, perhaps younger than me. But he wore the long red coat that signified that he had come out the other side of training.

  “Name?” He asked, without looking up from his clipboard.

  “Seriously?” I countered.

  “When he glanced upward, he sighed. “Oh,” he muttered. “You can’t see him now.”

  Must be one of the ‘coward’ people.

  “Why not,” I asked.

  “Your brother’s preparing for testing.”

  “What sort of testing?” I asked.