There were too many, more and more people, to the point where it almost made her feel claustrophobic. On the ground, in malls, in the sky with lane upon lane of flying cars, humans were everywhere. No one died. People kept reproducing. How long could the earth sustain it? What was the point of immortality if the planet you lived on wasn’t big enough?
Apparently someone else had the same idea, because the rest of the images that flew by her were a horrifying blur: men in hazmat suits exterminating people as if they were cockroaches, serial killers with free reign to kill, executions, staged natural disasters, all in poorer areas, all people who the rich wouldn’t miss or even knew were gone.
Population control.
She felt Cronus’s hands slide away. The vision stopped.
He looked at her with a sad expression on his face. “Your precious Grigori are teaching the man who is responsible for all of that chaos. He will rule the world someday if you don’t stop them.”
Kala couldn’t imagine anyone killing that many people, even if it was for the greater good. Whoever this man was, he needed to be stopped. “Who?”
“Who do you think? General Geoffrey Turner,” Cronus spat.
Turner? How? Why? What could possibly turn the man she admired so much into a mass murderer? It didn’t make sense. It couldn’t be real. She needed to talk to Talan. She needed answers from someone other than Cronus.
The Titan shook his head. “I won’t let you complete your mission,” he added with determination.
“But then the world will end.”
“I’d rather end it all than see the future we saw come to pass,” Cronus said.
“What are you going to do?” she asked, not wanting to hear the answer.
“I’ll stop you by any means necessary.”
Ominous.
Great.
Kala grumbled.
Chapter Twenty-Five
In a blink of an eye, Cronus disappeared and Kala was alone on the manicured lawn. She had no idea where she was. It could have been anywhere really. This whole teleportation power was pretty handy when she could control it.
Kala figured she’d better concentrate on Angel-Boy since she had a flood of questions to ask him, the first of which was how on earth Turner could be responsible for what Cronus had shown her. Knowing the man and working for his elite military team had given her special insight into Turner’s character. She knew him to be fair, and honestly, a very helpful human being. Kala never would have survived her ordeal with Atlas without Turner and Roberta. Even if what she saw was true, maybe it really was to save the planet. Look at what she was being forced to do to stop the world from ending. As terrifying and horrible as the vision was, Kala knew the wisdom of never judging unless you’d walked in the other person’s shoes. And Turner had never judged her. Neither had Roberta. Kala couldn’t imagine that they’d kill so many innocent people. Maybe Cronus was lying, trying to turn her against them so that she would join his side.
She just didn’t know.
Talan.
A second later, Kala was back in Talan’s D.C. apartment.
At this point, it felt like home.
Talan was alone and sitting on his couch. When she popped in, he looked up, his face filled with concern. He stood up and met her from a respectable distance of about a foot. It felt like a mile. That was the problem with chemistry: you didn’t have to be touching to feel it. Sometimes being across the room could be more torturous than holding hands.
Kala shoved her feelings aside. “I was with Cronus.” Then she told him everything, from Zeus recharging his batteries, to the whole Gaia thing, to the future vision, to Cronus’s threat to stop her from completing the mission.
Speaking of her mission made Kala glance at the clock.
0d 10h 33m 15s.
7:27 PM!
PM!
Before Talan could respond to her lowdown, Kala gasped. “I only have ten hours! What happened?!”
Talan gently touched her arm. He tried to hide his shock over everything Kala had told him. “You were probably in the earth for hours. Cronus was right, you needed to recharge after Zeus drained you.”
It blew Kala’s mind that she had rested comfortably in dirt for what must have been at least thirteen hours. Her life now was so foreign to her, Kala was surprised she could function properly. It had to be her training as a soldier. Take one step at a time and only focus on what was in front of you. Without it, she would have been bonkers by now.
“It explains so much.” Talan shook his head. “Gaia.” Apparently, this made him awestruck.
“I’m still not sure what all this means. Talan, the future I saw…” Kala began.
His far-off look turned back into super-focus. “If Fortski does invent a cure to mortality, then over-population is the natural order. But mass murder? I’ve seen Turner make sacrifices most people would never consider just to save one soldier. It would have to be a pretty desperate situation for him to resort to killing innocents.”
“Is there any way we could see? Maybe Cronus altered the vision to make me side with him.” Kala didn’t want to believe Turner was capable of what she saw. “Or maybe it wasn’t Turner at all. I never saw him in the vision.”
“One way to find out.” He held out his hand.
Kala took it gladly. She needed to feel their connection. The energy that always passed between them. It invigorated her as much as it comforted her. She closed her eyes and waited for the vision to start.
Colors swirled and took form. It was the same future that Cronus had shown her: humans multiplying like rabbits. But before seeing the mass murders, though, she saw roads being replaced by grass and trees, water recycling plants, paper and packaging laws – so many things that improved the world it made her dizzy. But the people kept coming. Growing in number, taking over every inch of unpopulated land.
Turner was there. He was a leader, in charge of population control. He appeared to be very powerful. He was being told that the trees and grass weren’t enough: the world was running out of oxygen. He had to think of something. He was in charge of keeping the human race alive. Him. Only him.
She’d seen enough.
Kala took her hands away from Talan’s to make the vision stop.
“I know what happens next. I don’t need to see it again.” Kala didn’t want to watch the killings. Cronus had been right, but he’d only shown her the worst parts. Whether his goal was to manipulate her or not, Kala knew that the murders were true. Kill in small amounts to save the many. As a soldier, she knew that mantra well. It was something that Jack believed in more than anyone she knew. It was why he’d begged her to kill him.
To save the world.
“It doesn’t look like he’ll have a choice.” Talan seemed to be processing what he had witnessed as well.
“Is this what we want for human kind? Sacrificing innocent people just so the rest can live forever? Is immortality worth that? This doesn’t seem like balance at all.” Kala’s anger rose steadily. “Curing cancer sounds way better!” She was venting now. “But because of this stupid curse, I don’t even have a choice! If I don’t destroy it, the world will end anyway! It’s like the universe is blackmailing me!”
Talan carefully touched her arm, trying to stay within his bounds. “You can’t control what the world sees as balance, Kala. No one can. We may not like it, but that future is the one destined for mankind. If your curse didn’t exist, the powers-that-be would have destroyed the cure for cancer some other way. It’s destiny.”
Kala shrugged away from his touch. “The Grigori are the ones that brought people into this new age. Maybe Cronus was right to imprison you.”
She regretted saying it as soon as the words left her lips. Talan’s face fell.
“I’m sorry,” she started.
Talan cut her off. “No. You’re right. We helped shape this future to come. But as horrible as some of it is, the marvels you humans have created and are going to create are miraculous. I don’
t regret what we did, I’m proud of it.”
Kala didn’t argue with him. She was simply upset by what she had seen. But she couldn’t completely agree with Talan, either. Maybe Cronus was right; maybe the Grigori were too dangerous.
It didn’t matter.
Kala was loyal to a fault.
Owen and Talan could be the devil themselves and she would still die for them. That was Cronus’s big mistake, because he’d never be able to convince her to betray them. Having a childhood without any strong connections to anyone made Kala overly loyal to those she considered family. What could she expect from a Titan who would turn on his own father and then his own son? He’d rather let the world die than have a future where humans could potentially out-power him.
“You know I’ll never turn against you, right?” Kala needed to say it aloud.
She could see from the expression on his face that Talan didn’t know the extent of her loyalty.
She felt an overwhelming desire to comfort him. It was so strong she found her hand reaching out to touch his face before she could stop herself. “I know I can seem cold at times, and that I don’t appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but I do. I really care about you, Talan.” Expressing emotions was more difficult for Kala than being Atlas, but she wanted Talan to know she didn’t take him for granted.
Talan reached up and held the hand that touched his cheek. Kala felt a thrill at his touch. Normally, she’d jump the guy and take out all her stress and aggression in wild, amazing sex, but she genuinely had feelings for Talan and she didn’t want to ruin what they had. He already thought they were soul mates; having sex with him would just confuse things. Kala’s heart belonged to Jack. She knew he was dead, but the emotional wound was still raw and fresh with pain.
But the longer he held her hand, the more she wanted him. It may have been pure chemistry and hormones, but Kala wasn’t the poster child for restraint. Look at her kiss with Asmodeus.
Before she could think better of it, Kala leaned in and kissed him. Electricity raced through her as his lips answered her back in the most passionate kiss Kala had ever experienced. She could feel her brain turning to mushy-mush-mush as Talan pulled her in tight from the small of her back. Their bodies pressed against each other, Kala felt the heat between them like a living fire.
She didn’t think she could stop.
She didn’t want to.
Kala wanted to hold onto this sensation. It made her forget everything. It made her feel amazing. It made her feel alive.
She had thought Asmodeus was a good kisser, but Talan… It was so intense Kala’s brain turned to jelly. Her mind could think of nothing else but his hands on her body, his lips on her mouth, and the ache in her chest only had her wanting more.
Kala could barely breathe it was so overwhelming. She took control and threw Talan on the couch so that she was on top. This only excited Talan more as he pulled her in close, grabbing on to her thighs as if he would devour her whole. His need for Kala fueled her passion.
As if coming to his senses, Talan pulled away slightly. “Kala, maybe we shouldn’t…”
She shut him up by kissing him hungrily. She didn’t want to hear logic or should we- shouldn’t-we. Kala just wanted to lose herself in the physical pleasure she was experiencing. To forget everything and just be in this moment with someone that cared about her.
Deep inside Kala, she knew what she was doing was wrong. She cared about him, but she didn’t love him. She only loved Jack. And he was gone forever.
To wipe the thought from her mind, Kala peeled off her shirt so she was only in her bra. She started to unzip Talan’s pants.
Talan’s hand gently stopped her. “You’re not ready,” he said breathlessly.
“You don’t know what I’m ready for.” She continued trying to take off his pants, but it was too late.
His words took over and jolted her into reality.
It hurt.
The pain in her chest squeezed and Kala couldn’t stop it.
What was she doing?
So much had happened in the last four days, Kala hadn’t had time to mourn Jack. Instead of dealing with it, she was trying to avoid it by using Talan and his feelings for her.
She didn’t think she could feel any lower.
Kala was grateful that Talan had stopped them. Being with him would have made things so much more complicated. It was going to be bad enough from this make-out session alone. Was he going to turn all stalker-puppy on her?
Looking into Talan’s eyes, she knew he wouldn’t. She saw something in him that she had only seen in Jack.
He loved her.
It struck her like a bullet to the heart and she cracked.
“Don’t look at me like that!” she yelled. But it was too late. She could feel the tears threatening to take over. Kala hardly ever cried. Only when she had killed Jack had she truly lost it. She learned early on that crying only led to more pain and never did her any good. Being a Titan – fighting gods, angels and Demons – those were close enough to being a soldier that Kala could deal. But her feelings? The flood of emotion threatened to drown her.
“I can’t help how I see you.” Talan reached out his hand and touched her cheek. “I know you don’t feel the same, but I love you, even if you never love me back.”
“Please, don’t. I can’t hear that. I…” Kala desperately tried to push down her emotions. “I miss him,” her voice choked.
Talan held her and she fell into his chest. He stroked her hair as she took comfort in his arms. “I’m so sorry, Kala.”
Normally, Kala would fight being held by any man, but she was tired. Tired of fighting, tired of her walls. As much as sex would have given her a momentary ounce of satisfaction, being with Talan and feeling him hold her close ended up being so much more fulfilling.
I’ve been waiting for your go-ahead, but time was running out and I happened to be in Fortski’s lab… Anyway, I couldn’t do it. I tried to smash his computers, but it was as if some kind of force field protected them. I thought they were Fortski’s invention, but he looked just as shocked as I did… Hello?... Kala? Are you there?
It was such a shocking moment, having Roberta jump into her brain just then, that Kala forgot how to respond back. But Roberta’s words started to sink in.
Kala sighed heavily.
Roberta couldn’t do it.
Of course she couldn’t.
Kala knew this from the beginning. She merely enjoyed living in denial for a while.
Where are you now? Kala asked.
Oh, thank God, I thought Clifton had found some way to shut down our communication. Kala, I’m in trouble. You’re going to have to find Geoffrey.
A knot twisted in Kala’s stomach. What happened? She asked with dread.
Fortski flipped out as you can imagine… Kala… Clifton has me in the Compound, and I don’t think he plans on letting me out. Ever.
Kala’s head hurt. This was all her fault.
I’m on my way.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Quickly dressing herself, Kala pulled away from Talan, a spring in her step. Missions. She liked those. At least the kind that meant saving someone and not doing something unconscionable.
Talan was alert. “What is it?”
“Roberta just mind-melded me and she’s in trouble. Clifton has her prisoner for trying to destroy Fortski’s lab.”
“Did it work? Was she able to do it?” Talan seemed genuinely curious.
“No, Mr. Smarty Pants, you were right. She said it was like some sort of force field.”
“Only the Atlas can perform the Atlas duty.” He nodded as if this news confirmed everything he had ever thought.
Kala wasn’t up for a round of I-told-you-so, so she laid out her plan. “Let’s teleport inside the Compound, grab Roberta, then take her to Turner. I can worry about the mission in…” She glanced at the clock. “Nine hours, really?” The countdown began to crush her soul yet again, but focusing on Roberta’s re
scue helped.
“I’m with you.” Talan clasped her hand.
Together they focused on the Compound.
Nothing.
Kala concentrated as hard as she could.
Still nothing.
Talan took his hand away. “Something’s wrong. You don’t think Rotoph is blocking teleportation again?”
A sinking sensation roiled in Kala’s gut.
I’ll stop you by any means necessary. The words repeated over and over in her head.
“Cronus,” she said aloud.
Talan nodded. “He’s blocking us from teleporting in.”
“I’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way, I guess.” Kala shrugged. “Time to talk to Turner and Derek.”
Talan was on board. He gripped her hand.
The next second they were in Turner’s house. His living room, to be precise.
Kala eyes met Derek’s.
A surge of warmth spread through her body and she felt as if her heart would explode where she stood. Seeing his beautiful brown eyes and dazzling smile made her happy beyond measure.
Derek ran over to her and picked her up off her feet in a giant bear hug. Kala enjoyed the moment as long as she could, which lasted until Derek put her down.
“I was worried about you,” he said. His face radiated relief at seeing her alive and well.
“I’m kind of hard to kill nowadays.” Kala bumped up against him playfully.
Turner stepped into view, seemingly amused at finding Kala and Talan in his living room. “What brings you two here?”
Kala didn’t want to be the one to tell him, but she needed his help. “Clifton is holding Roberta in the Compound.”
Turner’s face turned pale. “Why would Harry detain my wife?”
She could see the anger starting to boil inside Turner and she didn’t want to admit the situation was her fault, but she needed him to know everything. “She was doing me a favor…”
Turner cut her off with his hand. “Is this about the cancer thing?”
Kala nodded. “I didn’t know…” What didn’t she know? She knew it was dangerous. She knew Roberta was risking herself. She knew it probably wouldn’t work. But did she stop Roberta? Did she ever consider the consequences? She was ashamed to admit that the answer was no.
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