Courage (Mark of Nexus) (30 page)

I stared at the world upside down, blood pounding in my head. "But…there were people in there."

"Yeah," Wallace agreed in a quiet voice.

Probably hundreds.
Did they have time to get out? How long was it between the siren and the tornado? Minutes? More than that? I couldn't think.

"I'm going to go check it out," Wallace said, making his way to the bottom of the slick, grassy hill. "Stay here and wait for me."

"What?"

He slung Aiden’s ragdoll body into the mud, and then helped me down a little farther away. "Sit."

My heels sank into the ground, buckling my knees, and I complied without question. "You shouldn't go in there. It's dangerous. Wait for…"

He gave me a look, his eyes glowing a steady blue in the darkness. "If things need to be moved, it needs to be done before the first responders arrive. I’m gonna text Cole and make sure he sits with you."

"But what about the storm? What if it comes back?"

"It won't. Jackie already did her part by driving everyone into the basement." He pushed my hair back and winced. "Will you be okay?"

I put my hand over his and nodded. "Just a little dizzy."

"Why don't you lie down?"

"I'm fi—"

"Rena." He pulled away and turned his back to me, his shoulders lifting as he gathered his breath. "He was going to hurt you, wasn't he?"

I didn't have to ask what he meant. Aiden lay ten feet away from us.

"Yes."

A sharp intake of breath preceded a murderous spike in our bond.

"I saw. The end of it, I mean." Wallace took a few steps and knelt beside him, looking him over. Something was zipped. "I couldn't get to you in time. I'm…sorry."

Did he just limp?
The scene blurred, so I reclined until my shoulder blades met the wet, scratchy hillside. "It's okay."

"It's
not
okay. When I think about what could’ve happened…
fuck
!” He slammed his fist into the ground so hard the earth trembled and mud splattered all over both of them. “We don’t have time to deal with it now, but when he wak—" His back stiffened.

"What?"

"Nothing." He stood and turned to me, jaw tensed. "Nothing. Listen, I need you to stay over there, okay?"

"Why?" I started to get up, but he held his hands up, panic fraying his nerves.

"Just…stay there. Don't move from that spot until I get back." He backed toward the darkened rubble of what used to be The Rec, his eyes never leaving mine. "Promise me."

"Why can't I—?"

"I'm serious, Rena. We don’t have time for this."

I wiped at my brow, smearing blood across my wrist. "Fine. I get it."

He took off, favoring his left leg, and I let out a deep breath. The sky had been painted black, stars puncturing the clouds like pegs in a LiteBrite, but the sight was neither pleasant nor familiar. It was the veil shrouding my life in darkness.
What now?

If Aiden came to and tried something, I didn't know what I'd do. A small part of me wished he'd gotten hit with debris, too—something strong enough to erase the darkness ERA had let consume him. But the rest of me was too fraught with guilt to allow it. My best friend lay ten feet away from me, and despite what he'd done, I couldn't stomach the thought of turning my back on him. Not now, not with the way things had fallen apart.

"Aiden," I whispered, kicking off my shoes as I inched toward him.

He lay pale in the grass, unresponsive.

I knew I shouldn't let myself get within strike range, but I couldn't help it. Knocked out like this, his features were lax and innocent. Like the old Aiden.
My
Aiden. "Hey…"

Nothing.

Stirrings of friendship fought to survive the ice that covered my heart as I reached out to shake him. "Hey, you probably shouldn't be sleeping. You might have a concussion or…"

His head lolled to the side.

"Aiden?" My fingertips trailed up from his collar and brushed over his pulse point. "Are you—?"

Dead.

The word shot through my mind, unbidden, and I jerked my hand back.
Don’t even think that.

"Aiden," I gritted out, more desperate this time, as I shook him. "Look at me.”

My gaze shifted, focusing on the crimson coating the grass around his head. Behind him. Where he’d hit the wall. After I…I…

"Get up," I demanded this time, shaking his shoulders as hard as my trembling arms would allow me. "This isn't funny, Aiden. Stop screwing around!"

The words echoed in the hollow air around us, and the earth trembled as something heavy hit the ground.

"Please." My voice cracked. Tears teetered behind my unblinking eyes, but refused to fall. "You're not…you can't…"

I jabbered to myself like that for what seemed like forever, unfocused, arms lowering in defeat. Finally, I laid my head down beside him and waited—for what, I didn't know. Death. The apocalypse. Any of it seemed possible at this point.

Sirens and shadows followed. People running with flashlights. Questions echoed across campus, and screams—oh God, the screams. And the crying. But none of it came from me. I ached so deeply, I could barely breathe.

Minutes, maybe hours, passed by before a gust of spicy, smoke-tinged wind blew hair in my face.
Cole.
“He’s gone,” I whispered, unable to move or explain.

"Ree…"

My chin jerked up.

Gabby stood there, huddled under a foil emergency blanket, a few feet in front of Cole. “What do you mean
he’s gone
?”

I licked my dry lips and swallowed. “S-Something happened.”

I killed him. It was an accident. I never meant for him to get hurt, but he…

Tears welled in her eyes and caught the flashing red and blue lights. “No…no…”

Her knees gave out, and she clutched at her stomach with a bandaged hand.

“Gabby!”

“I’m okay.” The hissed response came way too quickly. “I am. Just…”

She trailed off and tilted her head to the side.

I pushed myself up. “What’s wrong? Is it the baby?”

“No, it’s just…” She reached out with trembling features and grazed the side of Aiden’s neck. “He’s breathing.”

My heart stopped for the second, maybe the third, time that night. “What?”

“It’s shallow. Too shallow. Oh, God. We need a doctor over here!”

Cole chose that moment to intervene, kneeling on the other side of Aiden’s body. “Hey, you sure about this?”

“I know a pulse when I feel one,” she said, eyes scanning the darkness. “Believe me.”

“But if he’s all experimental and shit, we can’t draw attention to him. What if their medication mixes with whatever ERA pumped into him?”

Gabby turned on him. “You’d rather he die?”

The girl was hysterical—she had to be. I knew this was her field and all, but there was no way Wallace and I could’ve both missed this. “Gabby, I shook him. Hard. He didn’t wake up. I know how difficult it is to see him like this, but—”

“He could be comatose and unresponsive.” Her brows knit. “Did he get hit in the head?”

“Yeah, kind of. During the storm…”

“We gotta get him to a hospital.”

“What about Faye’s creepy smoke shit?” Cole cut in. “Maybe she can reverse it.”

My world spun at an angle.
Dead. Not dead. On the brink of death.
Somehow, the clock had been started again, but I didn’t know how I felt about it. “Where is she?”

“I ran into Corynn, and she blabbed the whole thing. Said Faye threatened her little brother to force her compliance. They’re supposed to rendezvous at the parking garage beside the library, and I think she’s countin’ on us to pull her out.”

I pushed a strand of blood-matted hair away from my face. “What about Wallace?”

“He’s still unearthing stuff, isn’t he?”

Something heavy shook the ground again, and we had our answer.

“I’ll get her,” Cole told me, and then he was gone.

“Wow…” Gabby whispered.

I turned to face her. “The speed?”

“No, I just never thought…” She sighed and smoothed her hand over Aiden’s forehead. “I never thought the three of us would end up like this.”

Yeah? Me neither.

“Isn’t it risky, waiting around like this?” I asked, leaning against Faye’s car. My dress was torn and covered in dirt, but the sequins had stayed on. I hoped they scratched the hell out of her paintjob.

Maverick sneered over his shoulder. “We’re waiting on Gail.”

“Ah.”

Well, at least they didn’t
act
suspicious. When Cole came around the second time, I blabbed everything—how ERA had used Teddy to force me into releasing the virus, where the rendezvous point was, what time we were supposed to meet. I just prayed the cavalry would still show up, despite what I’d done.

“Should we try calling her again?” Maverick asked, directing his attention to Faye. “The Rec was supposed to be the easy release point. She should’ve been back by now.”

Maybe the bitch got herself stuck in the vent.

Faye lifted her gaze from the first responders darting through the alley below, still eerily calm. “After Jackie gets here, we’ll drive around to the west side of campus and look for her.”

Footsteps pounded the cement behind us, and I turned around. “Speak of the devil…”

“S-So sorry…” Jackie bent at the waist, gasping for breath. Her hair lay matted against her face in a helmet of frizz. “He…he tackled me off the roof…w-wind caught me…but he latched on…”

Faye held up her hand. “Slow down. Who tackled you?”

“The other brother—the fast one.” She coughed and tried to straighten. “I broke the fall with an air current, but he wouldn’t let up. I…I lost control of the storm.”

“You
what
?” Faye’s tone was sharp now.

No wonder the place looked so hit-or-miss. If Jackie lost focus in the middle, the tornado would’ve veered off of her pre-determined course. It was supposed to do a quick trip over the campus green, and that was it. But I’d seen debris everywhere on my way here…

“I’m so sorry.” Tears slid down Jackie’s cheeks, and she grimaced. She probably got strong-armed into this situation the same way I had. “I didn’t have enough practice. When he attacked me, I couldn’t concentrate.”

“Where did the tornado go?”

“W-West, I think. Northwest.”

Faye’s good eye narrowed. “Toward the recreation center?”

Maverick stiffened.

“Yes, ma’am. But there’s a good chance it dissipated after I lost consciou—”

“You fool!” Faye backhanded her with a swift pivot. “I said spare the release points. We could afford to lose
anything
but the release points.”

“I know, but he hit me and—”

“Oh, he hit you,” she cooed. “You couldn’t do your job because he hit you. This is war, Jackie. War on the state of the world. You’ve jeopardized this entire mission.”

“I’m sorry,” Jackie whimpered, clutching her face. “I won’t let it happen again.”

Faye bristled. “Finish the story. Cole just…what? Walked away and let you live?”

Maverick leaned over the open side, still watching for any sign of Gail.

“I guess so. He knocked me out, and when I woke up, he was gone.”

The old bat drew a deep breath and shook her head. “Sloppy…”

“What?”

“I have dedicated my life to ushering in an era of peace and prosperity,” Faye began, lifting the scarred flap of skin over her eyelid. “But now, because of your negligence, I have to fear for my second release point, and possibly, my granddaughter. Suffice it to say, I don’t feel we’ll be needing your services anymore.”

Jackie took a step back, her eyes widening in the dim light. “N-Now hold on a second. I did as you asked. The rest I…I couldn’t help. Come on.” A nervous laugh escaped her lips. “Aren’t we family?”

“My family consists of those who’ve pledged their allegiance to the cause. You are merely a blood tie.” Faye paused for a moment, darkness disappearing into the void where her eye should’ve been. “Corynn.”

I flinched. “Yes?”

“You need to step out for a moment.”

I opened and shut my mouth, unsure of how to respond. Surely, she wouldn’t kill the woman for one indiscretion.
Is she sparing me the scene, or does she not want any witnesses? Maybe my pow—

“Corynn,” Faye repeated, losing her patience. “I warn you, this situation has darkened my mood. If you do not immediately vacate the premises, so that I may conjure my ability, your brother will be the one to pay the price. Am I clear? All it would take is one phone call.”

Shock tore through my stomach, and I clutched at the phantom pain. After everything I’d done for her tonight, she had the nerve to play that card again? I thought this was it. I thought this stunt would pay the debt I’d acquired by foolishly accepting her internship.

She had no intentions of letting me go home next week. Like Jackie, when it came to the point that I’d outstayed my usefulness, she’d probably dispose of me, too. And then what? She’d need another Nullari to enslave. Would she make good on her threats to take my brother? One of my parents? Going along with her demands wasn’t saving anyone; it was perpetuating the nightmare.

“How dare you,” I spit out, clenching my fists at my sides.

“Excuse me?”

I stalked forward. This bitch didn’t have her powers around me, and I’d be damned if I let her make that phone call. “I am not going to step aside so you can
kill someone
, Faye. That would make me as bad as you.”

Her hands slipped from her face, and she cocked her hip to the side. “Oh,
I’m
bad? I hate to tell you, sweetheart, but you just willingly infected hundreds of people with a virus. Your hands are far from clean.”

“You blackmailed me!”

“And you made your choice.” She sneered. “Now, I suggest you walk away. Because if you come against me again, your whole damn house will burn down, little girl. Nullari or not.”

I struggled to stay upright, even though it felt as if the floor had dropped out from under me. There was no way out of this situation. No way to save my family. As long as Faye was around, everyone would dance on puppet strings. I turned away from her.

So, what if Faye wasn’t around?

The screwdriver stashed in the front of my dress chilled my skin, as if to remind me of its presence. My hand moved of its own accord. Suddenly, it was grasping the handle, and I was pivoting back to face her.

No thoughts occurred to me at that moment—only instinct. My arm tore back, and I plunged the damn thing into her chest.

She sucked in a gurgled gasp, her good eye widening as she grasped my closed fist. “Y-You…”

Jackie used the opportunity to run; Maverick didn’t move.

“I’m going to walk away now, Faye,” I whispered in a flattened hiss, my gaze never leaving hers. “And you’re going to heal yourself, so I trust this will sever our contract—peacefully. We’re done. No more coming after my family, got it?”

Because I won’t be there to protect them.

She nodded, grimacing as blood trailed from the corner of her lips. Footsteps pounded the stairs behind me, but I didn’t risk a glance. I needed to finish and get out.

“This is mercy,” I told her, ripping the screwdriver out with a surge of crimson. “If you want to rule the world, I suggest you become acquainted with it.”

Thud.

Soles scraped the pavement, as if someone had just rounded the corner. “Holy shit.”

I looked over my shoulder to find Cole gaping at me. “I, uh…need to get out of here.”