Fated

by T. L. McDonald

  Kat groans as she leans back into the seat, her hand going to a spot on her head.

  "Are you okay?" I reach for her forgetting for a moment that my arm is broken. A hot rush of burning pain shoots up to my shoulder. Gritting my teeth, I lower it back down.

  "I'm okay." She pats at herself as though she's unsure. "I think." She looks around then fixes her gaze on Will.

  “Let’s get you out.” Will pulls on the handle of the door. It makes a grinding screech then falls from the frame. He reaches across her to unfasten the seatbelt. "It's jammed. I'm going to have to cut you out." Pulling out a knife, he slices clean through the belt in one swift motion. Then scooping Kat into his arms, he lifts her out of the wreckage.

  The sound of Adam's palm slamming down on the roof of the car redirects my attention. "I can't get you out." His voice is ruff and heavy with frustration. Digging in his pocket, he pulls out his cell.

  "What are you doing?" I ask.

  "Calling 911. I think we're going to need the Jaws of Life."

  "No, you can't. Get Will."

  "But..."

  "Please Adam, just get Will. Please."

  "Okay, but if he can't get you out either then I'm calling." Slipping his phone back into his pocket, he steps out of view. A moment later Will is at my window.

  "How's Kat?"

  "She's okay. A little stowed up, but okay." I let out a sigh of relief as Will examines the dash molded around my legs. He tries the door, when it doesn't budge he sticks his head in through the window to get a better look. "Can you move your legs at all?"

  I shake my head. "I was hoping maybe if the two of us combined our strength we could push at the dash enough for me to wiggle out."

  "We might be stronger than the average person, but I don't know if we're that strong." Leaning in further, he runs his hands along the dash near my legs. Gripping it, he gives it a few small pushes, testing its resistance. With a shrug of his shoulders he turns, looking at me with a half grin. "What the hell. Let's give it a try.”

  The symbol on my wrist shimmers as I place the hand from my non-broken arm under the dash near Will's.

  "Ready?" He asks.

  I nod and together we push.

  I move one leg half an inch.

  "We need to push harder," I say.

  The muscles in Will's arm strain with effort, his teeth clenched tight. Something under the dash slices into my leg and a scream rips from my lungs.

  Will's hand moves from the dash to my face in record time. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

  "It's okay. I'm okay." I'm totally lying, but we can't stop. I need to get out. "Let's keep going."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Yes. Now help me."

  Together we begin pushing. Whatever sliced my leg the last time digs in once more. Gritting my teeth, I hold back the fresh scream wanting to break loose. "Keep going. Just a little bit more."

  The dash gives way just enough to pull my legs out. Lifting me out through the window, Will lays me down in the grass beside the car. He sits beside me on his knees. "Jesus, Hanna." A long gash deep enough to see the bone runs down the side of my leg from my knee to my ankle. "Hold still." Starting at the bottom, Will rips my jeans along the seam to half way up my thigh. He holds the gash closed, heat radiating from his hands as he goes to work healing what he can. In agonizing pain, skin and muscle begin to mend.

  Beads of sweat break across Will's forehead, his skin paling. Letting go of my leg he falls back onto his butt, his hand sliding through the grass behind him to keep himself from completely falling over. Healing me so soon after Kat has obviously taken its toll.

  The pain in my leg eases to a dull ache as it finishes mending on its own.

  Getting somewhat of a second wind, Will more or less crawls over to my broken arm. "Fair warning, this is going to hurt. A lot." I've barely begun to prepare when he takes my arm in his hands and jerks, manipulating my bone back into place. I scream loudly shoving my fist into my mouth. Tears roll down the sides of my face.

  Will drops down beside me. "I'm sorry. I had to set it so it'll heal right."

  "I know."

  "I'm sorry I can't do more to help you heal. I wish I could."

  I reach for his hand. "You've done plenty." Suddenly exhausted, I'm finding it hard to keep my eyes open. "Why am I so tired?"

  "It's the healing. With the amount of injuries you've sustained externally and most likely internally it's going to use up a lot of energy." Holding my hand up, Will rubs his thumb over the symbol. It shimmers beneath his touch. "If it weren't for this you probably wouldn't have survived the crash."

  Using what energy I have left I angle my head to get a better look at the car. It's completely totaled. The front end is smashed with most of the damage sustained on my side. A lump forms in my throat. Kat and I could have died the same way my parents did.

  Adam sits down beside me. He looks me over, his eyes lingering on my leg. Moments before it was cut wide open with the inside clearly visible and now it's once again smooth and whole. He touches it tenderly as if to make sure what he's seeing is real. He lets out a long breath then without warning yanks me into his arms. Held against his chest I feel his body tremble with sobs. "When I saw you guys crash…I thought I was going to lose you just like Mom and Dad."

  I wrap my arms around him holding him just as tightly as he's holding me. "But you didn't." Turning my head to get another look at the car I can't help but notice the similarities between Kat's mangled car and the way my parents’ car looked after their accident—an accident that neither one of them walked away from. I hug Adam even tighter.

  Behind me, I hear Will shuffling to his feet. "We should get out of here." On unstable legs he stumbles back to the ground. "Or not. I'm a little more drained than I thought."

  Releasing me, Adam stands up, dusting bits of grass and dirt from the knees of his jeans. "I'll help you back to the truck and then I'll come back for the girls."

  ***

  Once we're close to Eric's house, Kat starts to smooth out her hair and straighten her clothes. When she reaches into her bra to pull out a hidden tube of lipstick, I start to laugh.

  "Kat."

  "Huh?"

  "We were just in a horrific accident. Both of us are covered in blood. At this point I don't think Luca's going to notice if you're wearing lipstick or not."

  "Oh." She looks down at herself, fully taking in her appearance. "Right." She tucks the lipstick back into her bra then pulls the visor down to check out her face in the mirror. Tilting her head side to side, she frowns. "I look terrible. I can't let Luca see me like this."

  "I don't think you're going to have a choice." I nod toward the house as we pull into the drive. Eric and Luca are waiting on the porch.

  As soon as Adam shuts off the engine, Eric and Luca make their way to the truck. Eric heads for the back helping Will down from the bed, and Luca—to Kat's horror—comes to the passenger side door.

  "I'm sure he's seen worse," I whisper. Kat nods her head though I can see her stressing. But as soon as the door opens that famous Kat charm of her takes over. She smiles, batting her lashes seductively, forgetting all about half her face being covered in dried blood. Apparently, flirting with good-looking guys is her default mode and bloody faced or not, no boy can resist. Taking her hand, Luca helps her down from the cab of the truck, a smile tugging at his mouth.

  "Do you need some help getting out?" Adam asks. His eyes roam over me from head to toe looking for any kind of injury that may have been missed.

  The gash on my leg has healed and I can move my arm now with very little pain. So overall, I'd say I'm good. "No, I'm okay. I should be able to get out on my own."

  "You sure?"

  "Yeah."

  I start to slide myself out of the truck only to find Adam waiting to help me down anyway. He grins and I smile. Taking my arm, he leads me to the porch. I'm so glad he's decided not to be terrified of me anymore.

  Eric ushers us all into the
living room directing us to the sofa. Once we're seated (Kat and I in the middle, Will and Adam on the ends) he passes us all a bottle of water, then takes a seat on the coffee table in front of us. He looks back and forth between Kat and I. "So, what happened?"

  "I don't know. Kat and I were talking and the next thing I knew the car was wrapped around a tree."

  "Yeah, because you totally flipped out. You started screaming Jared's name like a banshee and then you grabbed the wheel like a madwoman," Kat clarifies, though it's news to me.

  "I did?"

  The look Kat's giving me softens. "You don't remember doing it do you?"

  "No." Everybody's eyes are on me and I suddenly feel like a bug under a microscope held under the hot rays of the sun. My throat goes dry. I take a small sip of water. "I remember we were talking and then the symbol on my wrist started glowing. I think I might have touched it, but after that I don't remember anything until just after the accident." I meet Kat's gaze. Feelings of guilt summersault through my stomach. I could have killed one of my best friends and I don't even remember doing it. "Kat, I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. I could have killed you."

  "Thankfully you didn't. Though the same thing can't be said for Benzie." Her bottom lip juts out in a small pout. I nearly kill her and she's pouting over her car?

  "Who's Benzie?" Eric asks.

  "Kat's car," Adam and I say in unison.

  "It was getting to be about time for an upgrade anyway," Kat adds, a note of sadness in her voice. She shifts, suddenly knocking her knee against mine. "Your wrist was glowing this morning too when you were having that nightmare, remember? Do you think there could be something wrong with it?"

  I hold it up in front of my face looking at it from every angle. It looks okay, but then again it looked okay after Blondie messed with it that one time when he hijacked it to get Sam's memories. What if he did something to it again while we were at The Iron Knife?

  "What are you thinking?" Will asks, leaning forward so he can see around Kat.

  "You don't think Blondie could have done something to it again do you?"

  "I doubt it." He doesn't sound as confident as I'd like.

  "I don't think it was Blondie." Eric looks at me strangely. He tilts his head to the side narrowing his eyes. "Your aura is all over the place." Aura? Eric can see auras? "The colors keep shifting in and out almost as if you have two instead of one. At first I thought it was because of the accident you were just in, but now I'm not so sure. Can I see the symbol?"

  I hand him my wrist. His fingers are cold from the bottle of ice water he'd just been holding. Goose bumps spread up my arm and I involuntarily shiver. He mumbles under his breath, his eyes becoming unfocused for several seconds before suddenly sharpening. "Blondie didn't do this. You did."

  "I did?"

  "Yes. Somehow you've shared it by linking yourself with another person. I'm assuming Jared since it was his name you were shouting prior to the wreck. It also explains the two auras. I'm seeing both yours and his."

  I mull this over. When did I link myself to Jared? How did I link myself to Jared? And then it dawns on me. At The Iron Knife right before Jared joined Blondie a mirror image of the symbol appeared on Jared's arm where our skin was touching. I must have somehow done it then, though I still have no idea how.

  "My theory is that during your dream this morning and your blackout before the crash you were astral projecting to wherever Jared is via the symbol."

  "Astral projecting?"

  "Yes. It's where your physical body stay's where it’s at, but your spiritual body travels elsewhere."

  "Well, if I'm astral projecting to Jared, why can't I remember any of it?"

  Realizing that he's still holding onto my wrist, Eric lets go. "I don't know, but the sooner we figure it out the better because we can use your connection to Jared to help locate him."

  "I think I can help with that," Luca chimes in. "Astral projection can be tricky and it's not always easy to remember where you've gone if you're not skilled at it. Lucky for you I am and I should be able to link with you so we can travel together that way I can help you remember where you’ve gone.”

  Everyone looks to me. "Okay. Why not.” If linking myself with Luca helps me find Jared, then I'm all for it. I'll do whatever it takes to find him. “So how do we get started?”

  "Well, first I'll have to gather some ingredients for a tea we’ll both need to drink, most of which aren't here, so if it's cool Eric I'll need to borrow your SUV for a bit." Luca grabs his jacket off the back of the recliner he was just sitting in. Hooking a finger in the collar, he tosses it over his shoulder.

  "No problem." Eric retrieves a set of keys from the kitchen. He tosses them to Luca. "Don't forget to put gas in it when you’re done."

  "Have I ever?"

  "Yes."

  "It was meant to be rhetorical." With a grin, Luca twirls the keys around his index finger.

  "Can I come?" Kat blurts a little too excitedly. She winks at me on the sly.

  "Sure. You can help me get all the stuff I'll need for the tea," Luca says with a shrug.

  "Do you mind if we stop by my house first so I can clean up?' She tugs at the hem of her bloody shirt. "I'll bring you back some clothes too Han. I'm pretty sure there's an outfit or two of yours at my house."

  "Thanks." A change of clothes sounds wonderful, as does a nice hot shower considering my current outfit and appearance resembles that of a victim in a slasher movie who's just been viciously murdered.

  "In lieu of scaring the hell out of the town folk, I say stopping by your house first is a good idea." Luca hands her his jacket. "In fact, maybe you should put this on until we get there. And maybe wipe the blood from your face."

  Kat brushes her fingers over the dried blood on her cheek. "Right." She looks to Eric. "Where's the bathroom?"

  ***

  I close the bathroom door behind me then place my stack of fresh clothes onto the edge of the sink counter. Now that I'm alone I stare at my bloody reflection in the mirror really seeing myself for the first time since the accident. My hair is matted in the places where I'd been injured, the blood on my face long dried and starting to crack. My clothes are torn and stained crimson in so many places it's sickening.

  The idea that I could have died the same way as my parents—twisted and broken in a heap of metal—leaves a hollow hole in the center of my chest and dredges up the worst moments of my life. After their accident it took me months to be able to get into a car without having a panic attack. And now I cause an accident eerily similar to the one that took my parents away. What are the odds of that?

  What if I'd died today? What if I'd taken Kat with me? What if I'd left Adam alone with no one to call family? Getting mixed up in the world of Guardians and Fallen I knew my life would be held in the balance, but I never considered it could end in something as simple as a freak car accident. I kind of imagined that if I were going to go out it would be in a blaze of glory while I was protecting Jared.

  Which I failed to do, I think bitterly.

  My sole purpose in all of this was to keep Jared safe from The Fallen and I totally and utterly failed. Jared is gone and the only link I have to him is the symbol on my wrist connecting us together, providing Eric's right about that, and I really, really hope he is because it's the only thing I have left to hang on to. It’s the only lead I have in getting him back, even if I can't remember where it is I’m astral projecting to. But hopefully that'll all change tonight with the aid of whatever tea concoction Luca plans on brewing up.

  Feeling slightly positive I strip off my ruined clothes, throwing them in the trash without a second glance. I didn't die today, and if all goes well, I’ll get Jared back tonight.

  Once the water's hot enough for steam to curl up from the top of the shower stall I step in. The spray of the water beating against my skin feels wonderful until I turn and it hits my lower ribs on the right side. I wince, stepping back. Huge purple bruises cover a section where
the bones beneath don't look quite right.

  The accident Kat and I were in was pretty bad, maybe I've just not totally healed yet, I rationalize, but deep down I know I should have completely healed by now. I run my hand over the surface of the bruise. The bones beneath don't feel like they should and my hand starts to tremble.

  What if I've lost my ability to heal? What if I lose the rest of my abilities? What if Heaven's decided to revoke its blessing because they've realized they've put their faith in the wrong person since I couldn't keep Jared safe?

  I shake the thoughts away. I'm being paranoid. The symbol is still on my wrist, my abilities are still there, and the bruises and bones will heal. I just need to give it a little more time. Like Luca said before—the healing of bones can be a little tricky.

  Finishing my shower quickly I shut off the water and wrap up in a towel. Before checking out the clothes Kat brought back for me, I wring the water out of my hair over the sink so it doesn't drip all over the floor. Flinging my hair over my shoulder I pick up the shirt first and smile at the faded Dr. Pepper logo on the front. Bittersweet memories of my dad getting me this shirt for my fifteenth birthday, so I would stop borrowing his all the time, enters my mind.

  A knock at the door pulls my thoughts back to the present.

  "Almost done in there?" Will asks.

  "Yep, getting dressed now. Be out in a minute."

  When I open the door, Will's waiting for me on the other side with a crooked smile plastered on his face.

  "What?"

  "Nothing, it's just you’ve been in there so long I was beginning to wonder if Eric and I should start having your mail forwarded to the bathroom."

  "Oh, ha ha." I narrow my eyes giving him my best snarky face. "I wasn't in there that long."

  "I know. I just like teasing you. Nice shirt by the way." Squeezing between the doorframe and me he runs a finger across my stomach. When the tip of his finger brushes the edge of my ribs I slightly wince. He immediately notices. "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing,” I say too quickly. He's not buying it. "I’m just a little sore from the accident. It’s no big deal. I’ll be fine.”