Hunter’s palm flattened across the small of her back, holding her close for that kiss. But then his hands shifted, sliding to her waist to press her back to her feet as he breathed her name.
“I have to show you,” he said. “I have to teach you the tethering.”
There was only a sliver of air between them, but it was a thousand needles and she was moving to press against him once more. That was when she saw the regret in his eyes. It was too important to save her. They were running out of time.
“Kenzie,” he said. “If you don’t do this right, you’ll be killed.”
She wet her lips, resisting the desire to pretend the danger wasn’t real. Her hands slid down his arms, her eyes seeing again the traces of light pulsing beneath his skin. “Killed,” she repeated. “Right.”
“You can do it,” he offered. “I know you can.”
Because if she didn’t, she would die. Doing it wrong might rip her to shreds, or she’d be dragged through a gateway where a monster king in another realm would. The tethering had to work; she would have to do this thing because there was no other scenario in which she lived.
No pressure, she wanted to say. But her lungs were leagues beneath the surface. She nodded and Hunter spun her to lean back against the counter, her palms pressing over the chipped laminate edge. He stood in front of her, so close, and traced the line of her Mark.
“Here,” he said, brushing a finger down the bone at its center. “That’s where you’ll feel it.” She shivered—not entirely due to the energy—and he explained the threads of magic running through her. “You cannot let it go,” he said. “You have to use every part of your being.”
She would, she knew that. This was her home, her world. This was everything. There was no other way to be alive, to be what she was. And above all, Mackenzie was human.
Wasn’t she?
Hunter’s fingers trailed her skin, the impression of his energy prickling every fiber within her. She could still feel the gateway, but his touch was overshadowing that insistent pull. His touch said here, now.
The gateway said soon.
She let him explain the process, hanging on his every word. It was no small thing, this tethering, and it certainly was going to hurt.
“They must stay secure,” he said of her bonds. “If one breaks, if something were to slip…”
She’d be crushed. Torn. Severed beyond repair.
Ash.
Her questions were bigger than the tethering, but she left them unasked. Hunter could no more know the future than any of them, and he had his own problems that she—if she were being honest with herself—was keeping him from. As his hands brushed her flesh, tugging those strange sensations of thread, she knew their time was drawing to an end. He would be gone. Just like Riley. All of it was coming to an end.
Mackenzie would be alone to pick up the pieces of her shattered world.
But she would be alive.
Hunter’s touch slid higher, tracing the delicate skin of her neck. His warm palm molded to her skin, his thumb stroking the line of her jaw. “You can do this,” he told her. “I know you can.”
“You said that,” she answered, finding his eyes—so beyond their usual blue.
He wanted to say something more, she could see that. But they only stood there, suspended in a moment that could never come to a happy end.
Mackenzie could feel the gateway shifting, its power a current beneath her skin, and Hunter leaned forward, closing his eyes to press his forehead to hers.
It was time for goodbye.
Her head tilted upward, lips finding his, lingering—until both of them stilled, the sound of diesel engines resonating somewhere far off outside.
Hunter cursed. Or at least she thought he did. She hadn’t exactly gotten the hang of their language. And then the strangeness of it sank in. After all this time, someone was driving across the destroyed land that used to be their town.
“What is it?” she asked, her voice low in the stillness of the kitchen.
He shook his head. “The army must have found the gateway. The energy is spiking, it would have led them here.”
And now they’d all be killed. Wasn’t that what Hunter had said, if they tried to fight it?
Hunter stepped back from her, running a hand over his hair as he scanned the kitchen, eyes landing on that glittering pony backpack and Riley’s tee-shirt.
Mackenzie walked past him, down the hall and to the front entrance to see what waited outside. She could hear the engines, probably a half dozen blocks away. Drawing the front curtain aside, she peered out a slit between fabric and frame to find an irregular column of soldiers jogging across the scarred earth in the distance. It was an endless swath of muddy grass and patches of concrete that had once been her neighborhood. Though far away, the soldiers seemed too small, too thin, young in a way that made her imagine this was their first mission. Because it was a mission, wasn’t it? A war against monsters. A call to find their source.
“Took them long enough,” Mackenzie muttered into the glass.
Hunter didn’t respond. In the kitchen, she thought, making plans as she stared beyond boarded windows, watching time march by.
A particularly short figure caught her eye, helmet sliding forward to reveal a dark braid. The soldier’s delicate hand lifted to push the helmet back in place, and Mackenzie realized it was a girl. Behind her, several paces back, was a larger form with pale freckled skin, his shape appearing more like the others in their group. All of them reminded her of teenage boys: their gangly limbs and the awkward way they wielded rifles, their bulky army-issue boots hitting the grass with eager steps.
She couldn’t help but look for Riley, even though she remembered her mistake with Hunter that day in the park. She’d acted first, thrown herself into a stupid, dangerous situation by giving in to those fears. This wasn’t Riley, not among all these soldiers. Not out of all of the troops in all of their world. Not here, not heading for her own front yard. He was Marked, he’d be in quarantine.
A third figure edged toward the smaller one, scanning the expanse of broken civilization. The movement was so familiar it ached, but it couldn’t be Riley.
The boy’s head turned toward her, his gaze trained right on the house, and Hunter jerked Mackenzie back from the window by her arm. “You can’t get caught if you’re to be tethered.”
His warning was right, and she felt foolish for risking them both. If the Marked were being quarantined, she could be taken, unable to tie herself in this realm.
She swallowed hard. Nodded. “This is the only house left standing. I don’t know what they’re looking for on the ground, but I’m sure they’ll come here.”
Hunter’s grip slid to her hand. “I’ll keep you hidden.” His words were low, careful. It was a promise. “You will be safe.”
They were near the kitchen, moving through the threshold of her basement door when she heard the voice. A thrill of terror shot through her, unable to let her hope. Hunter kept moving, his grip firm on her hand. But it had been too familiar.
No warning from Hunter could unfreeze her step.
“Riley,” she whispered.
Hunter’s eyes narrowed. Boots scuffled on the drive. “Mackenzie,” he hissed. “You need to get inside.”
His meaning was clear. Riley was gone. He might have been dead, or quarantined, or anything that was not just outside her door.
He was right. Of course he was right. Heart pounding, she nodded, finding his gaze for the long instant it took to restart her feet into action.
And then the scrape of rock sliding across rock, those ancient concrete edgers, so quiet through the layers of wall she shouldn’t have even heard it. But she had and her breath hitched, turning instantly to that wheezing catch that heralded an unrestrained sob.
Key hit metal, tumbler releasing lock, and Mackenzie was moving for the door.
Only one person knew where that hidden key was. Only one person could be coming inside.
&nb
sp; Chapter 25
The plank floor of the hall fell into the living room rug and Mackenzie waited frozen as the newcomer opened the door.
It was no surprise that she hadn’t entirely recognized him in the distance among a troop of boys. His skin was flushed with color, his hair a razored buzz. But it was him. Covered from wrist to ankle in beige camouflage, rifle at his side.
Riley.
She ran to him, his arms going wide as she slammed into him, wrapping herself around her brother in a death-grip of a hug. She laughed. Or sobbed. Or made some ridiculous, hiccupping sound that was a mixture of the two. And then she choked it off, remembering that she could not be found. Still wrapped around him, she kicked the door closed with her foot.
Riley. God, it was really him. She pushed back to look at his face, pressing a palm to each cheek and whimpering just the slightest bit. And then she squeezed, hissing, “Don’t you ever do that again.”
His face, blank at the shock, curled into its customary grin.
“Kenz,” he said, finally taking her in. His smile fell, gaze finding the smears of blood and dirt across her forehead and chin. She could see the change in his expression, when his thoughts went from what happened? to I never should have left.
She shook her head, pulling free of him to rub the back of her hand over the blood on her skin. “It’s not mine.”
He blinked, and she realized that was possibly not a better explanation.
“It’s fine,” she said. “We’re okay. You’re okay.”
A stab of anguish nearly caused her to weep, but she bit down hard, glancing away and running a hand over her mess of hair. The hallway was empty, their house, their home a scattered mess. She drew a breath that felt like fire, but made her gaze go back to Riley. “Your hair,” she said.
He chuckled self-consciously, rubbing a hand across the top. “They never gave me a mirror, so…”
“It looks good.”
Her smile gave away the lie and he laughed. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” he said. His voice broke and he cleared his throat, but kept on. “I’m sorry I left you, Kenzie. I’m so sorry that you were alone—”
She grabbed his covered arm, the one with the Mark beneath. She could feel the thickness there, the layers of duct tape over his wound. “What happened? How is this okay with them?” She saw it in his expression, the smallest shake of his head. They didn’t know.
She glanced at the shuttered window, the closed front door. Something about his response made her feel particularly unsafe. “Riley, what are you doing here?”
“They think they’ve found ground zero. They’ve got scientists, equipment coming in. We’re supposed to clear the area, make way for trucks and supplies.”
Mackenzie pressed down the panic at imagined missiles and rockets and more and more soldiers outside. “They can’t be here,” she warned him. “Riley, you’ve all got to leave. Now.”
He opened his mouth, but her brother’s voice didn’t come as his focus fell over her shoulder. It was Hunter, she could feel it. Riley’s fingers tightened on his rifle and Mackenzie’s hand shot out, stopping him. “No,” she whispered. “He’s one of us.”
She didn’t know why she said it, but another stab ran through her, because it was so much truer than she’d realized.
She turned to find Hunter, prince of the monsters, glorious and deadly… and wearing Riley’s shirt. She shook her head. “Ry, this is Hunter. He’s going to keep us safe.” She had on her “mom” voice and she knew it, but this was about as serious as things could ever get. “You have to listen to him. Do what he says. No. Matter. What.”
Riley stared at Hunter. Mackenzie let her hand slip into her brother’s, her fingers lacing with his. She even managed to look him in the eye. But she couldn’t seem to tell him what was coming. Couldn’t get out the words.
Riley’s gaze shifted, and she turned.
Just in time to see the girl with the rifle aimed at Hunter’s back.
Mackenzie tried to leap forward, but Riley’s grip held her firm. Her mouth opened in a wordless scream, sensation swarming through her, a shifting of air and energy and—
The report came after the blast, after Hunter’s hand waved through the air, and Mackenzie wondered if their eyes were fast enough to see it. Could Riley and this girl know that Hunter had just bent the atmosphere? Changed the trajectory of that bullet?
Mackenzie jerked her hand from Riley’s, chest heaving at she stared at Hunter.
The room went silent for a long moment. His gaze on Riley, Hunter said, “You need to make the soldiers go. Any who stay will be killed.”
There was no question in his warning. Mackenzie could feel it on her skin.
She peered around Hunter at the armed soldier, a petite girl with dark hair and wide, round eyes. She didn’t look scared, exactly, but disbelief was definitely in her current top five. She’d just shot someone. And the bullet hadn’t hit. The gun remained tight in her grip. “Put that down,” Mackenzie said. She turned back to Riley. His expression was so… lost. But he wasn’t that little boy. And no matter what Mackenzie did, he would never be again.
She had to say goodbye. She had to let him go. And yet, still, she couldn’t get the words to come.
She couldn’t make herself tell him the truth.
“I love you, Riley,” she said. “I will love you until the day I die. But you have to go now. You have to get these people as far away as you can.”
The petite girl behind Hunter cleared her throat. Everyone turned.
“He’s one of them,” she said, gesturing toward Hunter with the end of her rifle.
“People are going to die,” Mackenzie said again. “All of them. Every single person within a hundred miles.” She was making that last bit up, but she didn’t think it hurt to try to get them to grasp the scope of the problem. “Go. Now.”
The girl looked at Riley, indecision warring with contempt for the top spot in her expression playlist. These monsters must have hurt her to make her reaction so severe. The girl was standing mere feet from Hunter, not a speck of fear in her eyes. Mackenzie realized it hadn’t been surprise that her bullet hadn’t touched him. It was only disbelief that he was speaking her language.
Or possibly that Mackenzie was siding with him.
The gate was pulling her, even now, and Mackenzie knew the others could see the glow on Hunter’s skin. Despite the fact that he’d covered the pattern of light with her brother’s tee-shirt, right now Hunter looked every bit a magical being.
“I am one of them,” Hunter said. “And I can tell you without the shadow of a doubt anyone remaining in that field when the gateway is opened will be destroyed.”
Mackenzie’s chest tightened, but she was grateful he’d not mentioned those who were Marked and would be pulled through. He’d promised her none of the taken would feel it, and Mackenzie didn’t want Riley’s last moments on this earth to be filled with that kind of fear.
Riley looked at Mackenzie, really looked at her. She could see that he believed her. His trust in her was solid. “How am I supposed to convince an army to leave? If I’m lucky, all they’ll do is lock me up.”
Hunter stepped forward. “I’ll give them reason.”
Mackenzie swallowed the urge to ask exactly what that entailed. “You have to do this, Riley. Before it’s too late.”
He nodded, gaze meeting the girl’s—the soldier’s—across the room, an unspoken message passing between them before Riley turned to open the door.
He was halfway down the path when he looked back for her, Hunter and the girl following in a broken line. “Mackenzie,” he said, “aren’t you coming?”
She shook her head, unable to choke out a no, and Riley’s step faltered. “I’m safe, Riley. Take care of them.” She gestured to the other soldiers in the distance, but her brother was moving toward her. Not to make her go, she realized, but to wrap her in his arms one last time. Just in case, she reminded herself. Because he thinks it will all be fine.
“I’ll see you soon,” he whispered, and Mackenzie’s eyes stung with the ache of unshed tears.
Her gaze met Hunter’s over her brother’s shoulder, and she saw that promise again. He would take care of Riley for as long as he could.
The girl gave their exchange a raised brow, somehow reminding Mackenzie of her brother when he was a kid. Particularly when he’d taken to inspecting bugs.
“Be good, Ry,” she said, letting him go for what would unconditionally be the last time.
“Count on it.” He smiled at her, turning and skipping to the bottom step in one stride.
She couldn’t have done it without Hunter, without having seen the other side. But it still might have been the most difficult thing she’d ever done. She couldn’t imagine how she would possibly make it through anything harder, and the tethering was sharp in her mind.
So as she watched them cross the broken driveway, she envisioned little Riley with wings. She imagined him not as a monster, but as a being, alive and content, and buzzing with the energy she felt inside. Even if it wasn’t entirely accurate, she pictured Riley and Hunter, and flying beasts centuries old, in some other realm until the end of time.
She watched them, wiping at the dampness on her cheek—the weight of her lashes, the pressure of her breaths a tangible thing—and then they were gone.
And nothing was left but the unbearable pull of the gateway.
Chapter 26
Mackenzie sat in the center of her basement floor, legs crossed and eyes closed as she concentrated on tying herself to her place here on earth. It was hurting already, but she pushed through the pain. She felt everything more since she’d crossed over, all of her senses spread out, their edges lingering against one another and nearly coalescing. She could follow the sensations back to where they tightened down, uniting in the density of her chest. That was where she drew out the threads, fastened the energy to this place she would always call home.
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