The Usurper

by Candy Crum

  Oh, no, Kailah thought.

  Chapter Fifteen

  You have to brave it and get her away from there. Remember—don’t fight your emotions. Use them. Your fear will let you touch your abilities, but Amanda will have none. You have to get her out of there. Khia is coming.

  Kailah looked over at Amanda, ready to tell her they needed to run, but Amanda was staring with wide eyes.

  “We need to go. Are you okay?” Kailah asked.

  “Did a woman just tell you that in your head? Because…” She didn’t finish her sentence.

  Kailah sighed. “Her name is Sayen, and she’s our great-great grandmother. Welcome to what I’ve not been telling you.”

  She nodded and smiled. “Well, I’d like to go back to that now, please.”

  With a laugh, Kailah said, “You and me both, sister. This is going to hurt like hell, but no choice. Get your keys ready.”

  Amanda pulled her keys out and clasped them tightly in her hand. Facing forward, they both got in position to run, but both were slammed back with a gust of wind. The girls stumbled but didn’t fall.

  “Oh, I’ve been waiting centuries for this moment.”

  Amanda and Kailah stiffened as Khia’s bone-chilling voice echoed around them. Like at the hospital, it carried effortlessly, even amongst the wind and downpour.

  Khia rounded the corner of the building no more than twenty feet away. That was the closest Kailah had ever been to her, and she wanted to remedy that immediately.

  “So, how about you come with your dear old grandmother? I’ve waited so very long to meet you. We won’t count last time, dear. Fresh starts and all that.” Khia’s gaze traveled from Kailah to Amanda. “Oh! I have both sisters here? How wonderful! I only hoped to catch you alone, Kailah, but this is a wonderful surprise. She’s not active—not even sure if she has any powers. But there’s something hiding in there. I can feel it. I’m not usually wrong about these things!”

  Her smile was terrifying. Her long, white hair hung in a low braid over one shoulder, and her blue eyes were slightly darker. Death could be seen in their depths, and Kailah wanted to run as far away as possible.

  As scared as she felt at that moment, the only thing that frightened her more was the fact that her sister was there. Right then, she realized that it didn’t matter how much shit she had to go through. She couldn’t allow that woman to take control. She couldn’t allow her to kill those who could help stop her.

  She could never rule again—especially over all humanity.

  The rain pummeled everything it touched but rolled off a barrier surrounding Khia. She gave off the impression she was untouchable, but deep down, Kailah found a spark of confidence. Oh, you can be taken down, alright. And I’m going to be the one to do it. Not now, but one day.

  Kailah, leave! Now! Sayen’s voice cut through.

  Khia rolled her eyes and stepped away from the building. “I have really had enough of her meddling. Do you have even an ounce of self-respect? Can you think for yourself at all?”

  “Oh, I’ve weighed my options,” Kailah responded. “I don’t particularly care for any of them. Thanks.”

  Kailah grabbed hold of Amanda and ran forward, once again a powerful wind blew against them. Kailah instinctively held tighter to her sister, guiding her to stand behind her when she almost fell backwards.

  They leaned into the wind, struggling to walk forward, but it was impossible. Khia was too strong, and it was nearly impossible to breath. Kailah could already feel herself starved for oxygen, and she imagined Amanda wasn’t much better, though she hoped her body shielded the worst of it.

  “You are never getting out of here without me, Kailah. You may as well give up and come with me. You’ll get the real story and can have power you never possibly could have dreamed of,” Khia said, amused optimism in her voice.

  “Screw… you,” Kailah choked out.

  Kailah had managed a few hard steps, but it certainly was no getaway. Rain had begun to pelt she and her sister. It was just as painful as she’d imagined, but she wasn’t giving up—she couldn’t.

  Wicked laughter came from behind her, and Kailah fought harder for every step she took. Her energy was depleting fast fighting the wind. She had no plan, no real way to escape. She had no idea what her powers even were, let alone how to use them.

  Though, if Khia was an Immortal, and so was she, it stood to reason she would have the same abilities. Too bad she hadn’t learned a single thing. Maybe if she hadn’t been so eager to fight with Aeric the night she’d finally met Sayen, she could have had a lesson or two.

  Her normally calm and kind behavior had disappeared that night, and she’d become a monster. Someone she didn’t recognize.

  Where the hell was that person now when she needed her?

  Her eyes closed from the pain of the water stinging them, but then, somewhere in the horrible pain of the wind and rain, Kailah felt warmth wash over her.

  When her eyes opened, she saw someone she’d never been so happy to see. Taima. “Help me,” she choked out. She was crying, but it was impossible to see. “Help me—get her—out of here.”

  He nodded once, placing his hand over his heart and disappearing. A warm rush ripped its way through her body, and she suddenly felt the will to move. She pulled Amanda tighter against her, wrapping her sister’s arms around her waist for a better grip so her hands could be free.

  Relax and let him guide you. Every spirit has an elemental power—use him, Sayen said.

  “Damn you! She’s mine!” Khia called out, no doubt responding to Sayen.

  Then town sirens began to scream as the storm above spread out and the wind picked up. The rain was now swirling, and Kailah could hear what sounded like a train in the distance.

  Is she going to bring a whole fucking tornado down on us? Kailah wondered.

  Taima pushed, and Kailah let him take control. She moved along with him as she felt a surge of strength. Her arms thrust out in front of her as a hellacious blast of wind even greater than that of Khia exploded outward. The torrential rain and wind almost immediately dispersed, and Kailah stood there, stunned.

  As her mind wrapped around what had just happened, the aiding wind came back to her, swirling around the sisters, barricading them from the elements.

  Run! Now! Sayen screamed in her head, cutting through the wonder.

  Amanda shoved from behind, and Kailah immediately took off. She checked to make sure her sister was close, and she was. Kailah could feel Taima’s presence the whole way to Amanda’s car, which was only a quarter of the way down the aisle—much closer than her own.

  As they reached the toaster, the barrier split in two as the sisters divided until they were safely inside. Kailah almost immediately felt the loss of warmth as Amanda fumbled with the keys in shaking hands.

  The ground began to shake, and chills coursed through Kailah’s veins. “She’s moving the earth! Hurry!”

  Memories of Sayen making the ground tremble beneath Kailah and Aeric during their wrestling match came back. If Sayen had been able to do that much while just moderately amused, what could she do when pissed off? What could Khia do when pissed off?

  She didn’t want to stick around to find out.

  Amanda finally got the keys in the ignition, but it was too late. The ground violently shook, breaking free on either side of them as it launched cars rear over nose to land on the cars in front of them. Slowly, the earth settled back into place, and Kailah looked out her window to see that Khia now had a clear view of them, no cars in her way now.

  “Uh… We should probably get out of here.” Kailah said.

  “Gee! I hadn’t fucking thought of that!” Amanda shouted back. “The toaster won’t move.”

  “Telekenesis?” Kailah asked.

  Something moved out the driver’s side window now, and Kailah looked out to see another woman with long, curly, white-golden-blonde hair walking toward them with the same presence Khia had. She was more than a hundred feet a
way, but she had the same pocket of air surrounding her and protecting her from the elements.

  “There’s another one!” Amanda yelled.

  Buckle up and put the car in neutral, Sayen said. Help has arrived.

  She’d been helping so far, and Kailah wasn’t about to question her right then. “Shove in the clutch and buckle up!”

  Amanda shoved in the clutch as she and Kailah quickly put their seatbelts on. Khia was approaching from the right, and the unknown Immortal from the left.

  Kailah looked out the driver’s side when she saw movement again. The woman with the golden hair lifted her arms in front of her. With precise, casual movements, she stepped her right leg out to the side and swept her arms in the same direction.

  The toaster was roughly jerked out of its resting place and into the middle of the aisle. The woman stood upright as she once again began walking toward us. The terrifying look on her face, her icy blue eyes, and the slow and incredibly confident pace told Kailah she wasn’t someone to be fucked with.

  “What the hell is this?” Amanda asked. “I can’t drive in this! Minus her pulling us out, the car still won’t move! What do we do?”

  Kailah shook her head and reached over to place her hand over her sister’s that rested on the gearshift. “We wait.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Khia moved with purpose now, her attention solely on the other Immortal. Khia lifted a hand toward the sky, and it began to flicker with electricity. As if it had been searching for her, a lightning bolt crashed from the sky to touch her hand.

  A grim smile spread across the Immortal queen’s lips as her eyes set on the sisters. Kailah was almost certain she saw the woman wink just before hurling what was now a ball of raw electrical energy directly at them.

  Kailah and Amanda both screamed and ducked as the lightning made a narrow pass over the toaster and headed straight for the blonde Immortal coming to our aid.

  The blonde showed absolutely no fear as she widened her stance, extending her hands in front of her to catch the attack. She was graceful as she moved, pulling her hands back toward her chest as she absorbed the energy into her body.

  Though Kailah had thought otherwise at the time, whoever that woman was, the attack had been aimed for her and not the sisters.

  The wind picked up around the newcomer, and her blonde hair whipped around as her light eyes lightened even more to a fierce, glowing blue. Even from that distance, Kailah could see the faint light they gave off.

  The woman’s hands illuminated with a faint blue hue just before she pulled the electrical ball of energy back out of her chest to hover just above the palm of her hand. Somehow, I was able to sense the power she was using.

  When Khia had originally thrown it, the power had been unreal. But now, it wasn’t even a fraction of the strength. It was like her body had filtered out the worst of it. What is she going to do with that? Kailah wondered.

  Kailah and Amanda once again stiffened. The Immortal had turned her attention on them. As if she were throwing a baseball, the woman pulled back and hurled the energy directly at the sisters. The car—which had previously refused to start—suddenly roared to life.

  “How the hell did that even happen?” Amanda asked. “It doesn’t make sense!”

  “The key was turned over. The mechanics don’t make sense. None of this does! Who cares? Drive!” Kailah responded loudly.

  Amanda shoved the manual transmission into gear, but once again wasn’t fast enough. Looking out the passenger side window, Kailah saw that Khia had stopped advancing.

  Moving quickly and fluidly, she knelt to the ground and placed her hands flat in the standing rain water. As she rose, thousands of ice shards lifted and surrounded her in a jagged, deadly shield. “You want to have fun, Wendy? Let’s have some fun.”

  The ground quaked and shook violently as the sisters were lifted in the air on a platform of concrete, dirt, and rock. The world around them turned as the platform was carefully spun ninety degrees so they were facing the blonde Khia had called Wendy.

  A sharp whine pierced the air as Khia’s ice shards whistled through the air, targeting the sisters’ savior. Wendy’s hands had been extended to her sides, palms up, as she controlled the platform, but she quickly moved them in front of herself as a thin, blue barrier appeared to deflect the ice.

  “Holy shit,” Amanda said. “If she hadn’t moved us, those would have killed us for sure. This is unbelieva—aaah!”

  Wendy being forced to protect herself meant losing control of the platform. It rapidly plummeted toward the earth, taking Amanda and Kailah right along with it.

  The aiding Immortal whirled as a dancer might, graceful and elegant, the barrier pulling tighter to her body as she did. When she stopped, the energy exploded from her body, deflecting the rest of the shards and sending more vehicles rear over nose. Her hands immediately went to her sides again as she stopped the platform from making a dangerous impact.

  “Ugh!” Kailah and Amanda both grunted out simultaneously as the platform came to a hard stop just a couple of yards above the ground.

  Wendy safely lowered them the rest of the way to the ground, and Amanda already had her hand on the gearshift, ready to go. As soon as the earth settled, Amanda took off as fast as the little toaster-shaped Scion XB would take them.

  Wendy gave a quick bow before stepping out of the way of the car.

  “What do we do?” Amanda asked. “Do we pick her up?”

  Drive, Sayen said plainly.

  “Okay then,” Amanda said, obviously having heard the same order. “That answers that. Seriously, Kailah. What the fuck is this?”

  Kailah shook her head, her entire body trembling. “Just drive for now. That’s all we can do. Just focus on getting away. We’ll talk later. After Rachel’s party.”

  Amanda looked at her incredulously. “Party? Do you honestly think I give a fuck about a party? I mean, I know Rachel went through some shit lately and got hurt… Wait… Is she part of this, too?”

  Kailah sighed. “Yes. Not purposely. A couple weeks ago, Khia attacked me at work. Sayen contacted Rachel and told her I was about to be attacked and to get there fast. Had it not been for her, I wouldn’t have gotten out. I didn’t plan it, but yes. She’s part of this. Her ex-boyfriend, Jeff, is a Vampire now. You and I are descended from Immortals.”

  “What the hell are they?” she asked.

  “What you just saw back there. Khia is the queen. We aren’t directly descended from her, so I don’t know why she calls herself our grandmother, unless it’s because she had a hand in creating the Mothers.”

  “The what?” Amanda asked, obviously exasperated. “Oh, my God, Kailah!”

  “I know. I’m so sorry.” She felt terrible. The last thing in the world she ever wanted was for Amanda to be involved.

  “No. I’m not talking about all this. I’m talking about the fact that you hid it from me. You always try to protect me from things, and it pisses me off. I’m more than capable of handling anything you can. Okay? You act like I’m going to get mad at you or hate you if you tell me stuff, and that’s not it. I get mad when you don’t tell me,” Amanda said.

  “This is different, though. I don’t want this. I haven’t since I first found out. But it’s becoming blatantly clear that I have no choice. That doesn’t mean I want you involved. This is dangerous.”

  Amanda laughed, but it was clearly sarcastic. “Ya don’t fucking say!” She shook her head. “Look… Right now, I’m going to get us the hell out of here. When we get to where we’re going, you’re going to explain everything. Got it?”

  Kailah nodded. “But first, before we get to Rachel’s, we’re gonna have to stop and get the stuff on the list. Otherwise we’ll have a whole different battle to fight.”

  “That’s no joke.” Amanda took a deep breath and blew it out hard as the clouds became thinner and then disappeared altogether. “Before we get to the party, is there anything else I should know?”

  K
ailah thought for a moment. “I think I covered the basics. Sayen is our ancestor. Jeff is a Vampire. I’m supposed to save the world. Khia wants me dead or alive. Uh…” She scratched her chin for amusement. “Oh! All that shit you saw back there, I’m supposed to be able to do eventually.”

  Amanda nodded. “Good to know. I figured that might be the case when you conjured a blast of wind and a barrier that got us to the car.”

  “That was mostly Taima, Sayen’s dead husband and our great-great grandfather. I don’t know how to control anything yet, but he kind of possessed me. It was weird.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yeah… That’s weird. That’s the most casual and normal thing I’ve heard so far: possession. That actually makes sense. I’m guessing that was the Native American guy with the braids? I’ve seen him before but didn’t know who it was.”

  Kailah nodded. “Yep. That’s him. You know, Sayen said you weren’t active, that you don’t have any powers. Khia even said as much, but she also said she sensed something in you. With your ability to see spirits like me, I’m wondering just what you’re hiding.”

  “At this point? I wouldn’t be surprised if someone told me I was the Hulk,” she said.

  Kailah laughed. “With your anger issues? I’d totally believe that, too.”

  Amanda shot her a warning look, and Kailah quickly wiped the smile off her face. Point made, she thought to herself with a bit of amusement.

  Chapter Seventeen

  After driving from Seymour to North Vernon, they stopped at a small store and picked up the items they needed. They moved quickly, not wanting to linger too long. Though they knew Mary’s house was no safer than anywhere else, they still felt better about being with others.

  Sayen had been quiet, and nothing else had been said between the sisters either. Each one had stayed stuck in their heads about the events, but Kailah know they would have a conversation about it all later. She was just glad it didn’t have to happen right then.

  When they pulled into the driveway, Kailah’s expression turned angry. “Who’s that?” Amanda asked, pointing to the black Dodge Charger in the drive.