by Melissa Frey
Mandy’s mouth was slightly open; Justin’s eyes were wide. Mandy found her voice first. “How is this happening?”
Grady just shrugged. “Probably comes with the powers. Let’s hope it doesn’t get too intrusive.” He glanced at Kayla smugly, allowing just a tiny portion of the passion he felt for her to come to the forefront of his thoughts.
“Hey!” Justin spoke up.
Kayla shot Grady a chastising glance. He just laughed in response.
Mandy smacked him in the arm. “Keep those thoughts to yourself.”
Grady just grinned. Then the Four heard sand start to trickle behind them. Kayla turned around. Despite her efforts to keep it standing, the wall was starting to come apart. They would soon be out of time.
So Kayla didn’t waste time forming her thoughts into speech as she strained to hold up the wall. I’ll hold them off as long as I can. Grady?
I’ll send some water up the tunnel. I should be able to keep it away from us. Can someone push them out toward the tunnel?
Sure, Justin chimed in. My pleasure. Kayla could hear him smiling.
Mandy? Kayla asked.
I’ll hold them off. I should be able to trap them. We’ll see.
Kayla nodded as the sand in front of her started trickling faster. Sand was now pouring out of numerous holes in the wall. Kayla could see some of the men through the holes. They had to hurry. Okay, Mandy, take left, Justin take right. Grady and I will take the middle.
Everyone nodded and moved into position.
Let’s hope this works.
Na-um was starting to get irritated. His men were dying off, sometimes hundreds at a time. It wasn’t right.
Okay, he was more than just a little irritated. He was losing men, and the four humans were so far unscathed.
Human. Ha. He was lying to himself if he thought they were still human. Sure, they were human, technically—they weren’t dead, after all—but they were so far beyond human now that they could hardly pass as such. They had been given the Great Secret, the Powers of the Codex, by some cruel twist of fate.
He had to stop them. Surely Destiny did not believe these foolish Americans deserved the Power. It wasn’t possible. Right?
But what if they did deserve it? What if the Americans were meant to receive these powers all along? Was all his planning, all this fighting for nothing? If he was destined to lose, why even try?
All at once the fight fizzled out of him. Perhaps Destiny had had a different plan all along.
Na-um’s men had knocked down most of the wall. Kayla took down the remainder of the wall in a sandstorm, in the hope that the flurry of sand and dirt would disorient them. It seemed to work, for a moment.
Grady, focusing all his attention back on the waterfall that had reduced to nothing but a trickle without his power, started the water rushing again. Any help he could give would be, well, helpful.
Kayla smiled at the thought as she kept the sand swirling through the air. She would let the others get in place, then she would be able to let the sand go.
Then she had a novel idea. She asked Grady what he thought as she mulled it over herself.
It’s worth a shot.
Kayla nodded. She collected all the swirling sand above her head, gathering it into a loose, oblong ball, then hurled it at the waterfall. As she expected, the sand turned to mud as it hit the water. It slopped to the ground, but only managed to collect around the feet of a few men.
Grady’s thoughts echoed her own. We need more. A lot more.
Kayla collected more and more sand and sent it spinning toward the waterfall. Soon the river below the waterfall was an ever-expanding mud pit. The mud was spreading around the feet and ankles of Na-um’s men. That would slow them down.
Justin could feel the power flowing through him; it was a great feeling. He shook out his arms, his hands, his neck, then starting jumping up and down. He knew he looked for all the world like an athlete about to make a jump shot, but hey, whatever worked.
He stopped abruptly, letting the power collect in his body until he felt like he was ready to explode. He rode it like a wave, enjoying the feeling. He reached out his hands, palms down. Fire exploded from his hands in a rush, the force of it causing his body to jerk. The fire spread along the ground toward Na-um’s men. They started to scream and move away. Justin put more power behind the rush of fire. All at once, the men in front caught on fire. He could hear their screams for only an instant before the fire took them. Luckily, the fire wasn’t cruel.
They were winning, no competition; nothing could stop them now.
The minute he thought it, he regretted it. He had just jinxed them all.
Something was about to change; it pretty much had to. Murphy’s Law.
Na-um had only about three hundred men left of the five hundred he had brought with him. What would he tell their families? Would their sacrifices all be for nothing?
What had he become? He had been willing to kill the Americans to prevent them from getting the Powers, but they had gotten them anyway. Now they were killing his men. His men. This shouldn’t be happening.
Then Na-um felt it, a rush of wind pouring into the room from behind him. Despite the cacophony in the cavern, he could clearly hear the sound of someone rushing in, coming up the tunnel, speeding faster than any human could. But all his men were here, the ones that were left, anyway. Was Holun trying to leave? No, it was coming up the tunnel, toward them. If it wasn’t Holun, was it someone—or something—else?
His eyes caught a glimpse of the rush of wind as it entered the illuminated cavern. He saw long, black hair trailing out behind whatever it was. But they were moving too fast for even him to see. And he could see more clearly than most.
The figure stopped, only feet from where the girl called Kayla was standing. A gun was now pointed at her chest.
Na-um smiled wickedly. The tables were turning.
He could now clearly see that the rush of wind was a person, standing so their long hair blocked their face. Who was this intruder? Someone clearly on their side.
Then the person turned, revealing their face.
Na-um’s heart stopped.
CHAPTER 46
Intruder
Where did they come from? Grady gawked at the person holding the woman he loved at gunpoint. He still couldn’t see the intruder’s face, only the back of their head.
Grady raised his hand, ready to attack if needed. The person simply shook their head, their long black hair swaying gently down their back. It was as if the intruder knew he was about to attack. What did he know? They probably did.
Don’t. Kayla’s voice echoed in his head, but it was the look in her eyes that stopped him, and the thought that followed. She recognized their intruder.
Jackie.
Kayla was staring into the eyes of perhaps the most dangerous person in the room. More dangerous than even Na-um, Jackie’s eyes showed no ounce of humanity. A cruel, harsh detachment cooled her otherwise warm countenance. She didn’t know how she knew it, but Kayla was looking into the eyes of a heartless and remorseless killer.
One side of her mouth curled up. “Kayla.” Her American accent was gone, replaced by the thick accent of the mercenaries. She was one of them? Was that possible?
Kayla’s mind ran through the first time she’d met Jackie. She’d been a grad student, just like any other grad student in the Mayan Studies program. She’d received her bachelor’s degree at the University of Central Florida before continuing on to her master’s degree. Kayla had known her for years. Or she thought she had.
Apparently Jackie—or whatever her real name was—had been planning this for years. She had somehow known that this would happen. But how could she?
“How . . . why . . .” Kayla couldn’t seem to form a coherent sentence.
Jackie threw her head back and laughed, a hyenic but oddly feminine laugh that echoed off the cavern walls. The gun didn’t waver. “You don’t deserve those powers. I’m here to take the
m back. I’m here to give them back to those who deserve them.”
Kayla was over the shock. She found her voice. “We were supposed to be given these powers. Surely you knew that, or you wouldn’t have followed us all these years.” Kayla’s smile was smug. She’d hoped to make Jackie angry, cause her to act rashly and maybe make a mistake, give the others time to attack.
Unfortunately for Kayla, Jackie was as calm as ever. She smiled sweetly. “Perhaps. But I have come to correct Destiny’s mistake.”
Kayla heard someone coming up on her right. She snuck a peek out of the corner of her eye and saw Na-um approaching. He looked like he’d seen a ghost.
Kayla’s eyes flashed back to Jackie’s face. She’d seen Na-um approach as well. Her smile wavered.
Na-um stopped a few feet away from them. Kayla risked a glance his way. He was still staring at Jackie. What was wrong with him?
Then Kayla saw it in his eyes. Recognition.
The thought formed in Kayla’s mind the second before Na-um spoke.
“Shani?”
Jackie—rather, Shani—turned slowly to face Na-um. Her smile had recovered. “Hello, Brother.”
“Brother?” Justin choked out. At the sound of his voice, Kayla realized they might have a serious problem. She mentally took stock of the Four; they were dumbfounded at this new development. Na-um seemed to be sharing the sentiment. For now. But if he recovered more quickly than they could . . .
Pay attention, guys. Be ready for an attack. Just in case. Kayla could still hear the confusion in their thoughts, but they were quickly coming out of it. They could fight if they were attacked. Kayla breathed just a little easier. But only a little. There was still a gun pointed at her chest, after all.
Na-um was still standing frozen a few feet away, eyes wide, staring at Shani. He wasn’t getting over the shock as quickly as the rest of them. Understandable. “Shani . . . you . . . the Elders.”
Shani smirked. It seemed as though she knew what Na-um was trying to say. “Yes, I’ve been working with the Elders. They came to me many years ago, before I moved to the States. It seems that you can’t run away from our Clan.” Her smile turned almost mournful. “I received my powers less than a year after I left. I knew then I couldn’t turn away from my people. So when they contacted me, I of course agreed to help them.
“They had learned of a prophesy, one hidden in our religious texts, that explained how the Secret of the Codex would be revealed for the second time, in our time, and the bloodlines of those who would reveal it. So they enlisted my help to stop it. They knew that if they had a person inside, close to the people who would find the Codex”—Shani shot a disdainful look at Kayla—“that we would have a better chance of stopping it. Or so we thought.” Kayla was still receiving that disgusted look from Shani. She stood her ground, despite the look, or the gun. If she was going down, she would go down fighting.
“Why did you keep this from me?” Na-um seemed to have found his voice. Kayla couldn’t help but notice the hurt in his voice. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
Shani looked toward Na-um at the sound of his voice, but kept the gun trained on Kayla. Wow, she was good. Where did she learn to handle a gun like that? “The Elders thought it best you didn’t know. You were already squeamish. No need to make the problem worse.”
Now Na-um looked angry. Must’ve been the “squeamish” comment. “I was handling it. I am not squeamish.” Yeah, it was definitely the “squeamish” comment.
Shani’s gaze turned pitilessly mocking. Kayla was again tempted to feel sorry for Na-um. “You were not handling it. That’s why I was forced to start helping you.”
“You were our contact at Lamanai?” Na-um couldn’t mask the disbelief in his voice.
“Of course.” Shani shrugged nonchalantly. “But I would not have had to take such an active role had you stopped them back at Lamanai. I had to clean up your mess.” She spat the words at him.
Na-um should’ve been seething, but instead he just looked sad. “You still should have told me. I’ve . . . wondered about you.” Kayla knew he’d been about to say he missed her. It was a good idea to keep that to himself, in her opinion. Shani seemed cruel. Well, not just seemed—she was cruel. That wasn’t really much of a mystery anymore.
“Well, wonder no longer.” Shani smiled wide, a smile too nefarious to be called a grin. “Now, please step aside. I must finish what you’ve started.” Each word dripped with contempt.
The hurt in Na-um’s eyes tugged at Kayla’s heartstrings. He turned and slinked away, head hanging nearly to his chest.
Even monsters have feelings.
Mandy was feeling sorry for Na-um, too. Her heart ached for him, wishing his sister hadn’t been so malicious. He didn’t deserve much, but surely he deserved a small semblance of compassion from the only family he had.
Wait . . . how did she know that? In an instant, she knew the whole story, how Shani had left the Clan when she was very young with the man she’d loved, how she’d made Na-um lie for her. How Na-um had been carrying around the guilt of the whole situation for years. But how did she know all this?
I loved her. I love her still.
What—where on earth did that come from? Mandy scanned the room, searching for the source of the voice. It didn’t seem like the others could hear it; they weren’t reacting to it, anyway.
She was working against me, with the Elders. I shouldn’t forgive her for that.
Mandy froze. Was she hearing Na-um’s thoughts?
Mandy, what’s happening? The question came from Kayla.
Mandy hesitated, still not sure she believed it herself. I can hear Na-um.
After a few seconds of silence, Grady chimed in. Incredible.
Kayla didn’t respond; she simply kept staring at Shani.
Grady continued. Can we use this?
Kayla spoke up. Mandy, try to find something we can use in his thoughts. Relay it to us when you find something.
Mandy nodded, knowing the group would understand. She listened more closely to Na-um.
I shouldn’t forgive her for lying to me, keeping her plans with the Elders a secret. But I love her. And I hate that I love her. Na-um looked up as he approached his men. Mandy wondered how he would recover his image after the embarrassing display with Shani. I could just let her handle the Americans, and I could take my men and leave. It would certainly stop any more of my men from dying. Mandy couldn’t let herself hope he’d just give up. It was tempting, though. Or I can help her. She is my sister, one of us.
Mandy updated the rest of the group. He’s deciding whether or not to help her. We need to be ready in case he does decide to attack. I’ll try to get word to you when he decides. Hopefully it will be in time.
The rest of the group acknowledged her comment. Justin and Grady were keeping a close watch on Shani, trying to anticipate what she would do. They hadn’t had time to test their powers against speeding bullets. Looks like they might get that chance tonight.
Kayla was still staring at Shani, noting her every movement. The moment Shani flinched, she would react. Her mind was already running through the possibilities. Grady could put up a wall of water, or Justin could set Shani on fire; maybe Mandy could read when she was about to pull the trigger . . .
That seemed like the safest option. Mandy, read Shani. See if she’s going to pull the trigger. A heads-up would really help.
She heard Mandy turn her focus away from Na-um and onto Shani. Maybe she would get a warning after all.
But after several seconds of trying, she heard Mandy sigh. I can’t hear anything. Maybe she’s blocking me somehow. Sorry, Kayla.
Kayla frowned. She would have already had Grady or Justin attack, but she couldn’t be sure Shani couldn’t move faster than they could. So far, their powers only worked by drawing the power to them and pushing it outward. And that gathering of power took time. Shani would certainly notice.
So they were at an impasse. She couldn’t be sure if—or, m
ore likely, when—Shani would pull the trigger. And they couldn’t use their powers on her without her knowing about it.
Kayla slowly began to see a solution come into focus. The only solution she could see that would get them out of this mess.
Kayla, no. Grady’s pleading voice came through her thoughts. You can’t.
Kayla fought to ignore him.
Kayla, please. I need you. I love you.
She refused to answer.
Kayla, no!
But her mind was made up. It was the only way.
That didn’t mean she had to like it.
You want me to what?!? Justin couldn’t have heard Kayla correctly.
Attack Jackie.
No, Kayla, I can’t! Justin didn’t like where this conversation was heading. He could hear Grady protesting loudly in the back of his mind. What had he missed?
Justin, just do it. Please.
No, Kayla. She’ll shoot you!
Justin heard Kayla pause. That’s the plan.
His stomach dropped.
Kayla, I don’t like this. Kayla heard Justin still protesting in her mind, but it was the only chance she had to make it out of this stalemate alive, the only way to take Shani down. She was too fast for a direct attack. They had to catch her off guard.
Justin, please. It’s the only way.
Justin hesitated. She knew it would be a hard decision for him, probably one of the hardest decisions he’d ever have to make. That’s why she didn’t ask Grady.
She knew the instant Justin gave in. He worked to gather his power without making any movement; no need to alert Shani to the plan until absolutely necessary. Kayla steeled herself as Justin raised his hands toward Shani.
Grady screamed an ear-shattering “NO!!!!!” as Kayla felt Justin’s power release from behind her. She tensed, anticipating the bullet. She knew that although the Power seemed to allow them to move much more quickly than she thought possible, there was no way she could move fast enough to get out of Shani’s way in time.