by Ciara Graves
The sword at my back was now my only weapon, but it would have to do.
Brogan drew his daggers.
I led the charge out of the barricade.
We slashed our way through more oncoming soldiers.
Some were taking a page from their leaders’ books and running away as fast as they could in the opposite direction.
Up ahead, Tabitha ducked behind a tree, Simon behind her.
No way in hell were they getting away from me now.
Chapter 10
Brogan
All those days of training with my daggers—wondering if I’d ever actually put them to use—rushed back to me now as I chased after Simon and Tabitha. The very same assholes who started all of this. The ones we could not let disappear into the wilderness.
Chas was probably drained of his power by now. Or just about. If we let them go, the oath might end up taking his life before long. That could not happen. Not now when we were so close.
The Bogards made a mistake, thinking they could attack us at our house and win.
We were stronger, so much stronger than they ever anticipated, and that was going to be their downfall. Chas knew the woods around this outpost better than anyone, so he took the lead, easily ducking and dodging around trees and underbrush.
Rocks slipped under my feet, but I stayed upright as we slid down a hill then kept on running. Sprinting as fast as we could to catch up. But then Chas ducked suddenly to the right, and I stayed on his heels, not sure what he had planned, only trusting he knew where he was going. The path we were on turned into an incline, and soon we were looking down through the trees.
And atop our targets. They were moving fast. A few miles ahead was a road, most likely where they had their getaway vehicle. I could take those out if I had to, but even I was weaker after using so much magic to free the Elites from the chips in their necks.
Chas threw a glance at me over his shoulder and winked, then suddenly leapt off the hill and through the air.
I cursed, but didn’t slow down. I pushed off the ledge. Gripping my daggers hard, I braced for impact as Chas collided with Simon, taking him down. I landed behind Tabitha and managed to roll into her legs, so she went down, too.
Leaves and dirt scattered as Chas and Simon scrambled to get control of Simon’s pistol.
I flipped my daggers back around and aimed them at Tabitha, whose pistol still holstered at her side.
“You really thought you were just going to run away, huh?” I muttered. “Get up.”
She snarled at me, spitting at my feet. “You’re all evil! That’s what you are! A plague on our world. If it’s the last thing I do, I will destroy you all!”
“Not if you’re rotting away.” I planned to hold her until Chas could have his chance to end her. I considered finding a way to capture her instead and bring her in, but what was the point? If either of them lived, there was always a chance this would happen again. All it would take was her talking to another crazed fanatic, and we’d be dealing with a new war five years from now.
No, it all had to end. Today. I took a step toward her when bullets struck the ground at my feet. Diving to the side, I yelled a warning to Chas, and he was forced to abandon his hold on Simon. We dove behind trees as bullets cracked all around us, trapping us.
“Any ideas?” I shouted, ducking when a bullet hit too close for comfort, sending bark flying into my face. “Chas?”
“I have no power left,” he growled.
I carefully poked my head around the tree.
Three rifle-carrying soldiers stood on the ridge we’d jumped from.
I was weak, but all I needed was one good blast, and we’d be able to pick up where we left off.
“Whatever you’re going to do, do it fast,” Chas snapped. “They’re running again!”
Every fiber of my being said this was a terrible idea, but I had no other choice. I sheathed my daggers and flexed my hands at my sides. I shot a bolt of lightning over him to the other side, kicking up a pile of leaves.
Gunfire hit it instantly.
I threw myself to the other side, aiming my hands at the men on the ridge. Lightning bolts shot from my palms, shattering the rocks beneath the men. They yelled as the ledge gave way, then collapsed, taking the three of them down.
The ground rushed up to meet me. I landed with a grunt, pain exploding through my right shoulder, but I’d live. Chas was there, hauling me to my feet.
“Crazy bastard, have you lost it completely?”
“What? It worked, didn’t it?” I pointed. “We should get them now.” I reached for my daggers.
He snarled in agreement, and once again we sprinted through the trees. The men I’d taken down were getting back up, but all we needed was time.
Chas drew his sword as Tabitha came into sight again.
There was no sign of Simon.
She stopped short and jumped to the right.
Chas threw out his arm in warning, but too late.
The grenade fell in front of us, and the electric jolt sent us both to our knees, cutting off my connection to my power.
Back arching, the world spun around me as I gritted my teeth, daggers falling from my numb hands.
Chas pushed through it as Simon stepped out from behind a nearby tree. He grabbed hold of my hand and a surge of strength—one that came not from our individual powers, but from a much stronger source, our connection—rushed through me.
Currents continued to wash over us, but we were now able to get to our knees, then back on our feet, cringing and cursing against the onslaught of pain.
Tabitha’s smirk fell away. She reached for her pistol, but I was faster.
I threw a dagger at her.
Eyes wide, she dropped to the side, but it caught her shoulder. She fell backward, reaching up for it as Chas went after Simon. His sword easily swatted away the pistol the man had raised, but the madman was not helpless without it.
I wanted to watch them fight, but Tabitha had yanked my dagger free from her shoulder and tossed it aside. She went for her pistol again.
I kicked it out of her hand before she could raise it, then another kick to her chest sent her into a tree.
She screamed from the impact, but I wasn’t even close to being finished with her. My fist met her face. Blood spurted from her nose. I grinned, thinking of all the pain she’d put Rori through and knowing I was going to at least be able to cause some in return.
Then a sharp jolt hit my side, and I went rigid from the taser she’d plunged into my ribcage. The other dagger fell from my hand, and she decked me harder than I expected. The taser disappeared from my side. Then she pressed it into my neck, with the voltage amped up.
“Fascinating how you are brought down by something as simple as electricity,” she snapped, jabbing me again in the collarbone. “So simple, so pure.”
I reached up, attempting to grab the taser, but she kicked me in the knee, and I sank to the ground.
Somewhere behind me, Chas was yelling, and then there was the sickening sound of someone gasping for air.
Tabitha’s head jerked up, and it was my chance to push away from her. Limbs weak and limp from the taser, I scrambled away the best I could, just to get out of range of that damned thing.
“Simon!” she yelled, but there was no answer, just another pained groan, then the sound of a body collapsing. “Simon, answer me!”
“Yeah, don’t think he can do that,” Chas replied.
I sighed, as Chas came into view, holding his bloody sword. Someone was dead, then. One down. One to go.
“You bastard!” she shrieked at Chas. “You killed him!”
“I did. Now it’s your turn.” He stalked toward her.
I pushed to my feet.
Leaves and sticks rustled all around us, but if it was friend or foe coming, there was no way to tell.
Until I saw the soldier raising his gun.
Yelling a warning to Chas, I rushed the man, grabbed hold of the gun, and ai
med it upward as he pulled the trigger.
Shots rang out, deafening me as we fought to control the weapon.
Everything happened in slow motion.
I decked the soldier, knocking him down, then tossed the gun away.
Chas grunted in pain.
Tabitha screamed and gasped.
I turned around, expecting to see her run through and on the ground dead.
Chas shouted.
Tabitha smirked.
It was like something slammed into my chest.
I stumbled backward, unsure of what just happened when a weird cold bloomed on the left side of my body. I blinked, wondering why all sound was muffled and my vision was blurry. I shook my head, wanting to clear away the fog, but that only seemed to make it worse.
“Brogan!”
I opened my mouth to reply, but no sound came out and then I was falling backward.
I raised my head a little, as much as I could.
Chas was sprinting toward me.
Tabitha lay on the ground.
Chas had a gun. A smaller one. Where had that come from?
“Shit! Hold on,” he barked, pressing his hands to my chest, his face pale.
I wanted to ask him what was wrong when agony flooded me. I cringed. “What…
“She shot you,” he muttered, pressing even harder.
His hands were glowing a calming green color. Moss spread out over my chest, covering the wound and helping to stop the blood flow.
I raised my hand, attempting to call up a totem, but all the strength had fled my body.
“You… you did it,” I whispered to him with a smile. “You got… your power… they’re dead.”
“Yeah. And you’re going to make it, you bastard. You hear me? You don’t get to die right now.”
My amusement turned into a grimace and the cold spread. “Damn, never… thought I’d… go out from a gunshot… wound. Huh?”
“Brogan? Open your eyes, you moron!” Chas snapped. “You’re not dying on me!”
“Chas! Brogan!” Rori screamed. “Where are you!”
“Here! We’re here. Brogan’s hurt!” Chas bellowed.
I blinked, and suddenly Rori and Brunie were there.
Rori was holding my hand, and Brunie was leaning over me, saying something. Her lips moved, pretty lips, full. Bet they were soft, too.
I grinned sadly, wishing I had more time. But the cold grew stronger, and the urge to fall asleep had me closing my eyes again, even as Brunie’s hands glowed golden with her healing power.
“No! Brogan, look at me,” Brunie ordered. “Don’t you dare close your eyes.”
“It’s… it’s fine,” I mumbled, barely able to speak anymore.
My hand somehow managed to reach up and cup Brunie’s cheek. Tears shimmered in her eyes, and she pressed her hands to my wound even harder, but the damage had been done.
“No, you have to stay here. You can’t leave, not now,” she snapped as my hand slipped from her cheek. “Brogan?”
My eyes closed, and I drifted, not sure what was going to happen next, but whatever it was, I’d face it with a smile. As my body grew lighter, the sounds of the others fell away. I no longer heard Rori crying and cursing. Or Chas growling my name. There was only peaceful bliss. And a glowing light. I frowned, wondering if this was the light everyone always talked about. A figure appeared out of the light, and I found myself staring into the golden eyes of Brunie.
“You’re not finished just yet,” she said. “Come back, Brogan.”
Part of me wanted to argue, but another part was tempted, and my eyes fluttered open as the world slammed into sharp reality around me.
I blinked once, twice, wondering why I was so warm, when I realized Brunie’s lips were pressed to mine. Her tears fell over my face as she whispered against my mouth, begging me to let myself be healed.
My hand jerked and then the pain rushed back all at once.
I gasped, and she flinched. Her healing glow coming to life all over again as Chas and Rori assisted her.
The pain grew unbearable, and I sensed I was about to pass out, but Brunie ran her hand through my hair, smiling.
“He’ll live,” she told Rori and Chas. “We need to get him back…
And nothing after that mattered.
Darkness closed in again, and I slept.
I gasped, sitting upright, finding myself in my room. Bandaging covered my chest, and a blanket was draped over the rest of me. Sitting up was too painful, so I lay there, replaying what all I remembered. I’d been in the woods with Chas, chasing after Tabitha and Simon. There’d been a fight—
“Good, you’re awake,” Rori said.
I glanced up. She and Chas entered. She hugged me carefully.
Chas patted me on the shoulder.
“Look like shit.”
I stared at her long and hard, then laughed, but that hurt too much, so I settled for a smile. “What the hell happened out there? And why do you two look like you’ve been rolling around in the mud?” The ground had been frozen when the fight started at the outpost, but they were definitely covered in mud from their boots to their hair. “Guys? Did I miss something?”
“You were shot and nearly killed. You’re allowed,” Chas’s voice was rough.
Shot? I picked at the bandages carefully, straining to recall—and finally, an image of Tabitha holding a gun came back to me. “That witch!”
“Don’t worry, she’s dead,” Chas assured me. “They both are.”
“What about the rest of their men? The army, the other prisoners?”
“All taken care of. While you were playing sleeping beauty, we went to the main headquarters and cleared it out,” Rori explained. “Hence the mud. Not all of them wanted to go willingly, at first, but we’re making headway. We won the war. Lost a lot of lives. Too many. But it’s over. Officially over.”
Falling back into the pillows, I felt relief wash over me. I closed my eyes. The hatred that lived in Tabitha and Simon had killed so many. Now they were dead, and the hard part would begin. Picking up the pieces of the mess they left behind.
“Knock, knock.”
Brunie.
Another memory tugged at me, and then I remembered. I’d been near death when she kissed me. She brought me back.
I smiled at her, wishing she would come in closer, but she stayed in the doorway, looking uncertain.
“He’s going to live?” she asked with a teasing smile, but the raw emotion in her eyes said she was more worried than she was letting on.
“He will, sadly,” Chas said with a wink. “Be back up and causing mischief in no time.”
“Good. That’s good. Rori? Your dad was looking for you.”
“Right. See you later.” Rori kissed my forehead then bounded out of my room.
I frowned when Brunie left with her.
“Damn.”
“You want me to call her back?” Chas asked.
I shook my head.
“You sure? We all saw it.”
“No. It’s fine,” I muttered. “How about you fill me on everything else I missed.”
His annoyed grunt said that was not what he wanted to hear, but he pulled a chair closer and told me they’d officially turned over the Bogards’ bodies. And all the prisoners. And the members of the Cleansers.
The government was content for the moment, but neither one of us wanted to talk about the war.
So he told me about the families they’d managed to reunite already and how relieved everyone was the fighting would be over for a while.
Every now and then I looked at the door, waiting for Brunie to come back.
She never did.
At some point, I figured I’d have to bring up the kiss we shared.
Maybe.
In the near future.
For now, I would hold onto that moment to get me through.
Chapter 11
Chas
Snow fell over what remained of the outpost, making what had been ugly
and torn, beautiful again.
I tugged my long sleeves down as I took a break from moving debris to the side to make way for more trucks. After killing Tabitha and Simon in the woods and the fighting had ended here, we loaded up and headed to their main headquarters. Well, all of us except Brogan, who was passed out still from being shot.
That moment replayed over and over again in my head, watching my blade pierce Tabitha.
Feeling my powers coming back to me as my oath was fulfilled. Then seeing a gun appear in her hand. She’d aimed it at Brogan.
The blood spilling over his chest… I hung my head, never wanting to witness that again. Thankfully, at the main headquarters, we met very little resistance from the guards, and after they were cleared out, we set about rounding up all our people.
Rori found Jake and told him how we had found a way to remove the chip in their necks, freeing them of the torturous lives they’d been living. Every single person was loaded and brought back here, until the other locations could be tracked down. There were families that needed to be reunited, a lot of families.
Blade was leading one team, Agnes another.
Moran told the four of us to stay here and rest. He hadn’t wanted us to even go to headquarters, not with Brogan out of commission and the rest of us nursing wounds, but we had to see it through all the way to the bitter end.
And that’s where we were.
Macy was inside somewhere, anxiously waiting with so many others, to see if their families were alive. If they would be with each other again. So many had already found one another, but there were still so many more out there, waiting to be freed from their cages. It was going to be a long road to recovery, but we’d make it through.
There was one family, in particular, I needed to help put back together because the two members here were dragging their feet. Every time I mentioned to Rori it’d be a good time to go home and see her mom, and have Trevor see Jodie again, both of them continued to find an excuse to stay behind. Help with the refuges or help with the clean-up.
I was going to put my foot down today. Hell, I was tempted to have Moran order them both off the base, so they would finally get it over with. Rori was nervous for both her parents, but Trevor looked downright scared the last time I caught him and Rori talking about what Jodie might do to him when he returned home.