by Shea Berkley
Jason slashes his sword down and cuts a gash into my arm. I stagger back as he laughs. “You’re making it too easy to kill you.”
I lose my temper. I toss my sword aside and light up—full burning man on display. He’s not laughing now. I get so hot, the hair on Jason’s head singes into nubs. He lashes out, but the tip of his blade melts before it touches me. I haul back and slam my fist into his face, angry at everything he’s done.
He swings wide. I punch him again. Hard. He staggers back. I go in for another hit that rocks him back on his heels. Dipping back, I jump into the last hit, knocking Jason out.
“Dylan!” Kera yells.
I twist around and see Leo’s arms pulled taut, his fingers only inches from the portal. Before I can move, a white cat jumps toward him. Lucinda morphs into human form and cuts the rope. Leo collapses onto his back and scoots away from the portal and the creatures waiting on the other side, mumbling against his gag that he’s okay.
With Leo safe, I stand over Jason and stare at his battered face. My heat instantly cools. I don’t like what I’ve done, and I feel a moment of regret.
“It’s not working,” I hear Baun yell. “We need to combine our power. It’s the only way we can stop the evil in the Unknown from coming through.”
I’m beside Kera in an instant. If Baun thinks either of us is going to give him our power, he’s crazy. I see Kera waffling and I place myself between them, leveling a serious glare at her. “Don’t you do it.”
Her pupils dilate. “But he’s right. It’s not working.”
The machine spins faster as power surges through it. That’s not our only problem. The chamber is weak, and the walls have begun to crumble. Plaster sprinkles down from the ceiling. The portal inches wider, revealing all manner of beasts waiting to emerge from the Unknown.
“If we don’t act now, we will lose our chance to stop what your friend has put into motion. Our power is too entrenched in each of us. It needs to be combined in order to work.”
He’s right. I know it…and I have only one solution. I clamp my hand on to Kera’s arm.
She instinctually tries to pull away. “What are you doing?”
“I’m giving you my power.”
Baun takes an aimless step forward and holds out his hand for me to stop. “No. You don’t underst—”
I don’t wait to hear what he has to say. I send everything I have into her. She gasps against the glow of my hand, and when it’s over, I look back at Baun. His face has visibly paled. I grab his hand and place it on Kera’s arm. “Give her your powers,” I tell him. It’s an order, not a request.
His sightless eyes blink rapidly, the shock of what I’ve done written plainly on his face.
“It’s the only way now,” I yell over the whirl of the machine. “If you really care about Teag, give Kera your power!”
“You don’t know what you’ve just done. What you’re forcing her to do.”
The machine spins faster. The portal grows and shows the Unknown clearly on the other side. It won’t be long before it’s ready. “We’re running out of time.”
His hand glows. Kera’s body arches. Her eyes turn a bright magenta and then fade to a dark violet. He steadies her and pulls her close. “You now have the ability to take Jason’s power,” he says. “Do you understand what I’m saying? You must do it now, Kera, before he gets away.”
Sure enough, Jason has regained consciousness and is creeping toward the door. But there’s only one way a first can take someone else’s power. My stomach drops. I can’t believe what I’ve just done. He’s telling Kera she has to kill Jason. It’s the only way she can collect his power, because even in the sad shape he’s in, he won’t willingly give it up. And if he manages to kill Kera, then he’ll be the sole owner of all our power. There will be no stopping him then.
We stare at each other. Her lips part. My head spins. I grab her like she’s the only thing keeping me from falling over, and I whisper in her ear, “I messed up. I can’t let you—”
“You don’t have a say anymore. Stay here.” She pulls away and takes a step back. Then another and another, her face so beautiful, yet determined. She quickly turns and runs after Jason, who’s on his feet and stumbling toward the door.
The Living Dead
Kera dove through the door. She expected to see Jason, weak and hurting, desperate to get away. Instead, he stood with his back to her. When he turned around, she saw the last of his bruises disappear. He had managed to heal himself. But the effort aged him a little more. Although his body still appeared fit, his hair had thinned and had started to gray at the temples.
“They sent you?” His eyebrows shot up. “Why would they do that?”
The ground rumbled beneath them. Time was running out. “You need to give me your power, Jason.”
“You’re kidding, right? This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I finally have the ability to do whatever I want, and no one can stop me. You’ve seen a few movies. They’re made about this kind of thing.”
“Except in a movie, you would be the villain.”
He looked truly surprised. “Because I killed someone? I’m like the Punisher. Everyone who died got what they deserved.”
“But you’re trying to kill Dylan. He’s your friend.”
He stepped forward, a predatory look in his eye, and she backed away. “He left me.”
The accusation in his voice sent shivers down Kera’s spine.
“I died,” he snarled, “and then by some weird fluke that even he doesn’t understand, he brought me back to life. But he still left me, buried underneath that tree. He didn’t mean to bring me back. It just happened, like a hiccup. I’m a living mistake.”
He didn’t know how right his statement was. His hand snaked out and he grasped her by the throat and slammed her against the wall. He leaned close and snarled in her face. “So, no, Kera. I’m not going to give you my powers. They’re mine. I deserve this. Every day I get a little bit stronger, and soon, I’m going to be as powerful as Dylan. When that happens, I will kill him.”
He pushed her up until her toes left the floor. She clawed at his fingers. “We don’t have to do this,” she strangled out. “If you give me your powers, we can all live.”
“Wow, and they say I’m dumb.” He squeezed harder. “I’m not okay with that.”
She suddenly stilled. “Neither am I.”
Her body lit up as power poured into her. She wrapped her legs around his waist at the same time she yanked his shirt up and over his head, breaking his hold as she drove his arms apart. Nimble as an acrobat, she circled his body, twisting his shirt around his neck, and pulled.
He tried to break free. She pulled harder. He dropped to his knees, gurgling for air. Tears rolled down her face as she pulled harder. This wasn’t Jason. Not really. When Dylan had brought him back, it hadn’t been complete. She’d felt the anger inside him, had wanted to see something good, but it was all gone. He’d become a zombie, a living body without a soul.
It wasn’t Jason she destroyed, but her heart still burned with sadness as his body jerked against her hold for the last time. When he finally grew still, she slowly lowered him to the ground.
This wasn’t Jason. Still…
Dropping to her knees, she bent over his body and cried.
Live or Let Die
It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, letting Kera go like that. The ceiling cracks. The floor rumbles. Sections of the ceiling fall, and I cover my head to protect myself. Dust coats everything¸ even my lungs. They spasm, bending me over in an effort to breathe. When I straighten, I see Lucinda untying Leo. The floor suddenly buckles, wave after wave flowing from where Baun stands to where Leo lies. It’s only a matter of seconds before the floor caves in.
Leo or Baun. Her indecision is clear.
Baun calls to her. Her expression saddens. She can’t save them both. She touches Leo’s arm and the next instant they’re gone. There’s no one left but me. I race
over to Baun, drop to my knees, and slide toward the rift that suddenly appears and starts to grow. I miraculously catch his hand as the floor collapses under him. It feels like I’m hanging on to a ton of rock. My shoulder aches. Baun grunts as he tries to climb.
I suck in a deep breath and call with every bit that I have left. “Kera!”
I have no idea where she went or how far away she is. The hall is disintegrating around us and we don’t have much time. I look down at Baun. His eyes are mine. Ever since I was old enough to wonder who my father was, I always wondered what traits I got from him. My eyes. My jaw. My hair color.
I feel his hand slip. “Hold on,” I beg.
I swing my other arm over and latch on to his wrist. It feels like I’m going to fall over with him.
Out of the corner of my eye I see movement. It’s Kera. She steps inside the dome and pulls the power back to her, reversing the spin of the energy. The power she’s absorbing lights up the dome so brightly, I can’t look anymore. Then it all turns dark and the humming stops. The portal grows large for a split second and then rapidly shrinks to nothing, cutting off the howls of anger coming from the Unknown.
My dad’s hand slips a little more. I grit my teeth. After weeks of having the most intense power flow through me, I’m all human. It’s humbling. Frustrating. Scary. Giving Kera all my power condemned my father to die. I can see that in his eyes. He knows. He’s just waiting for me to accept it.
Then, from behind me, someone touches my back. A hot flood of magic spirals into me. I pull my dad up and turn. Kera hugs me. I push her at arm’s length. I can’t see any change in her for what she’s done, though from my own experience, I know it must be there. She ducks away, uncomfortable with me staring, and tucks herself under my dad’s shoulder.
Holding him between us, we sprint out of the white room. Kera leads us through a jumble of different rooms, all falling apart around us. One of the teams Wyatt sent ahead of us lies dead in one room. I can only guess the other team met a similar fate. We bust through the front foyer and race out of the Hall of Whispers a few steps ahead of its collapse. When we glance back, all that’s left is a hole in the ground and a massive jumble of stone.
The Undoing
I stand before the council in a chamber made of carved stone. How ironic is it that my father has chosen the Ruined City, the very place he nearly died, as his seat of power? Ironic and sickening.
Hadrain, the head councilman, bangs his gavel and calls for quiet. I’ve stirred their emotions with my demands. No one is on my side. “You managed to divert the invasion of the Unknown, and for that we are grateful, but the dark souls are still loose. Our king is the only one who can control them.”
“Why can’t Kera do it now?” I ask.
The place erupts in disbelief. It’s a logical question. I don’t know why they’re getting so uptight about it.
One of the councilmen stands and leans over the table as if the proximity of his answer will help me understand the error of my ways. “She doesn’t have the experience or the authority to do so.”
“Then teach her.” Duh.
Hadrain shakes his head. “It is not a teachable skill.”
I point in the direction of the stairs. “Right now, she is giving him the power he obtained by killing hundreds of your own people.”
“He is changed,” another councilman says.
A chorus of agreement sweeps the room and I have to shout to be heard. “So he says.”
Hadrain pounds his gavel and the room quiets. His kind, scholarly eyes hold mine. “He cannot lie.”
“That you know of.”
“Do you have evidence to contradict me?”
A wild laugh escapes me, and I have to take a deep breath to control my emotions. “No. The funny thing is, I don’t think he can lie, either. Power corrupts. He’s already shown you his weakness. You have to stop this. If you give it all back, he runs a real risk of falling back into his old habits. Do you want that?”
“No, but denying a man—and not just any man, our king—his power is not done.”
“Then I beg the council to think long and hard before you again give your unlimited allegiance to my father.”
The room quiets, and I turn around and see Baun standing in the doorway with Kera by his side. Everyone stands and bows, and Hadrain sweeps his hand toward a chair.
The way they all grovel in front of him makes my jaw ache. Baun lets go of Kera and takes his seat. He flexes his hands on the armrests. “Thank you all. I feel much better.”
I bet he does. I stare at Kera, who joins me near her father. I can’t even guess at her reasoning for doing what she did. She had the ability to stop all this, but she didn’t.
“Why?” I whisper to her.
“It is his birthright, as it is yours. One day, you will own his portion. Would you want someone to take it from you and not give it back?”
“I didn’t want you to keep it all, just not give it all back to him in one big dump.”
“I heard you the first time.”
“…and let it be known that until the day I have wholly obtained the confidence of my people, only then will I be given the full extent of my powers.” My father’s declaration captures my attention. Our eyes meet and I can’t hide my surprise.
His gaze slips to Kera and his lips tip in the smallest of smiles. “Let it be so.”
“Let it be so,” the council repeats.
A smile lights Kera’s face. “And you say I never listen to you.”
I uncross my arms and within the creases of her skirt, I hold her hand.
“Now to the repeal of certain laws and ordinances.”
The rest of the afternoon, Baun, the king of Teag, reverses all mandates that made human blood a crime. The dungeons were to be cleaned of all innocents and the people would accept any soul, first or otherwise, who abided by the laws and dictates of the land without causing harm, distress, or public embarrassment to said souls.
When I get Kera outside and away from the Ruined City, I roll out a blanket in a field of wildflowers, and I hold her close. “You’re tricky. I didn’t know you had it in you.” I smile. “It’s totally hot.”
“Doing what you want makes me tricky?”
“And hot. A guy needs to know his woman isn’t a complete idiot.”
She sits up, her face full of horror. “You thought I was an idiot?’
“No, I thought you were like everyone else—totally captivated by his charm.”
“He does have a lot of charm,” she says with a straight face.
“You’d make a great poker player. I thought I was talking to a stubborn but very beautiful girl who only wants me for my body.”
She stares into my eyes and takes my hands in hers. “So it’s that obvious?” She kisses each palm. Then she moves to my cheeks. Then my lips.
I roll her onto her back and hold her arms above her head. “I like obvious.” I nuzzle her neck. “It takes the guesswork out of it.” I kiss her very kissable lips, and when I pull away I hear a sigh that doesn’t come from her.
We both tilt our heads to see Bodog sitting on the edge of our blanket staring at us.
“Can I help you?” I really have no desire to help him do anything but leave, but he’s been very sensitive lately.
“The mean old woman wants you home.”
After the portal was closed and the Unknown secured, I went straight to my grandparents’ house. I wanted to make sure they, and everyone else, was safe. Safe is a relative term. The wall is still deteriorating, but now I have others who can help us secure the barrier and keep what needs to stay in Teag, in Teag.
“She also says the kitty has to go.”
Leo took Lucinda home and introduced her to his dad, who introduced her to Grandma. Grandma wasn’t impressed. “Tell her we’ll be there for dinner and that the kitty isn’t my problem. She’s Leo’s problem.”
I turn and kiss Kera again, but I feel Bodog’s eyes on us. Stopping, I ask again, “An
ything else?”
Bodog looks at Kera. “Signe needs love advice.”
“Tell her I’ll stop by after dinner.”
He nods, and I again kiss Kera. Another sigh sounds, and it still isn’t coming from her. I rip my mouth from Kera’s and snap. “What? Why are you still here, Bodog?”
“Reece is leaving.”
“Yeah? And?”
“Halim will follow.”
“Not surprised. The kid worships him. Anything else?”
“Wyatt is in danger, and Bodog is bored.” He rocks back and forth, his floppy ears jiggling against his head.
We both stare at him openmouthed. Kera pushes to her elbows and looks hard at Bodog. “Did you say Wyatt is in danger?”
“He is with the seven sisters.”
Kera pushes me off and I let her. Our fun time is at an end. She sits up, shoving her hair out of her eyes. “He’s what?”
I snort. “Why is that bad? He seemed thrilled about his harem last time I talked to him.”
“The seven sisters are bad. They only want Wyatt for one thing.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty obvious what that is.”
She smacks me on my chest. “No. It’s not. They will kill him. They’re sirens. It’s what they do.”
I bolt upright and point to Bodog. “I knew it. I knew there had to be something creepy going on with them.”
“We have to tell him.” Kera starts to get up.
Bodog shoots to his feet. “Bodog did.”
That stops Kera. “What did he say?”
“He can take care of himself.”
That has me lying back down. “Nothing we can do about it, then.”
She straightens, confusion on her face. “Isn’t he concerned?”
I twirl a long strand of her hair. “It doesn’t sound like it.”
She turns to me. “But this is serious.”
“Kera, he’s been warned. He’s a grown man. He’ll do what he wants.”
I pull her down beside me and wrap her long hair around my fist. I love the feel of her hair—like silk—and I rub it against my cheek. “Kiss me.”