In Embers (The Ember Series Book 3) (23 page)

Lightning flashed from behind me just as a fresh curtain of ice cold rain fell down on me. It felt amazing…life saving. With a second wind, I crawled upward, not even noticing that my hands were no longer cut. Quickly, I found the crumbling edge and Madi was there, waiting with arms opened wide, and a huge smile. Getting to my feet, I ran to her, scooping her into my arms. She felt wonderful. Even in this out-of-control nightmare all around us, she was my heaven, my faith. I squeezed her tighter.

“I love you,” I whispered into her ear. Her hair was filled with blood and soot
, but I buried my face in it anyways. I would never leave her side again.

“I love you too…Daddy.”

She called me Daddy, and the world stopped turning. It was the single greatest sound I have ever heard in my entire life. She whispered it again and I thought I’d start crying uncontrollably. Just then, the protective wall of fire I had created began to fade to nothing as the rain washed it away. The erupting mountain settled slightly, filling me with hope. In the near distance was the broken and destroyed pile of what was left of the helicopter. Letting the sight settle my nerves a bit, I realized that there was still time to get us off this mountain. There was still a chance to get Madi out of here, safe and sound.

I was wrong.

With the sickening pop of a gunshot my world came crashing down. Madi fell lifeless in my arms as I turned to find Avery standing there. His face was covered in blood and charred skin. He fell to his knees laughing, coughing up blood in chunks. The large gun slipped from his fingers, falling to his side. I looked back at Madi in my arms. The gaping hole in her chest was absolute. It was the size of a grapefruit. It was too massive for her to heal herself. Her blood was painted along my clothes and chest, and her skin faded to a ghostly white. Suddenly, she felt as though I was holding the world, and my mind, as well as my legs, finally gave out. Together we tumbled into the war torn ground. The rain faded away and my world crashed. I tried to scream her name, but nothing came out. Tears cut down my cheeks as I gave up. I was done. I was alone. I was cursed.

I whispered into the wind, “Goodbye, Madi Lee.”

~ Love Thy Will Be Done: Martika ~

Madi’s lifeless body became ice cold as the wind wrapped its cold arms around us. I curled up over her like a stone locked in place. I would not move from this spot. I could not move from here. I began to moan uncontrollably and the heart wrenching sound echoed along the night.

“If I can’t have her spark, no one can…” Avery taunted one last time. My fingers fell from Madi’s broken body and filled with white hot fire. It was so intense I couldn’t even feel the heat anymore. Avery stumbled forward and reached for his weapon one last time.

“You’ve ruined everything, Valentine.” He struggled to bring the gun to his side and point it my way, but when he did, I found my footing again. As I stood up my white inferno engulfed me with a soothing hum. Avery stepped forward, and promised, “I’m going to end you.”

With a rage that started from my deepest, darkest place, I whispered, “I know.”

Avery cocked the gun one last time and smiled a black-toothed grin. My silent inferno slithered above me like a single candle flame. I readied my attack and held my breath.

“Prepare to see your daughter!” he warned. Unbelievably, Asia lunged from behind Avery as the thunder called from above. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed.

“Prepare to go to Hell,” she promised. In his weakened state he was no match for her and the gun fell back into the dirt. It’s long barrel stuck into the mud like a javelin.

“Asia…” I drifted off. My fires kept growing with bright intensity and my eyes fell back to my daughter. She looked like she was sleeping. The image broke my heart completely. My face washed over in absolute hate and I started to scream. Asia held Avery even tighter and thin strands of electricity slid through his wounds, causing him to twitch in pain. She nodded my way and closed her eyes.

My body shot forward with my hands directly in front of me. When I collided with him they easily sunk into his flesh and bone. He wailed with his final scream as I willed my fires hotter than they have ever been before. My flames became too powerful even for Asia and she had to let go of Avery’s convulsing torso and step backwards. Quickly, I pulled Avery’s body into my ivory fire and he satisfyingly crumbled to ash. It fell through my fingers and peppered the ground.

“Max, he’s gone. Avery can’t hurt anyone anymore,” Asia said, crying. From the shadows behind her came the four little women who shared my blood, my uniqueness. They were all shaking as if they were in an icebox. All of them except King. She looked around dusting fresh ice particles from her palms.

“You’re okay,” I said, devoid of emotion.

Asia explained, “Yes, King was able to cover us all in a cocoon of ice that withstood the explosion.”

I thought King was unconscious at the time, but it seemed I was wrong. I walked up to her still burning with my white flames.

“I’m proud of you, King,” I said, and gave her a small nod. Her eyes soaked in my newest form and she smiled. I turned to walk back to Madi but hesitated and found her round face again. “I think, you’re my favorite.”

She smiled wider and ran up to Asia, scooping up her hand. Asia kissed her quickly and ran up to me. “Max, now what?”

From down the hill, Kris and Sam had made their way past the wreckage of the van and the devastated mountainside. Sam was in a complete panic, running as fast as she could. She would be here in a matter of minutes. She would see our dead daughter and give up. I didn’t think she was strong enough to deal with Madi’s death. After all, I wasn’t strong enough. I turned to Asia and began to cry tears that were as bright as my white fire.

“I don’t know,” I whispered, as the pain in my heart became unbearable again. Just then, from over Asia’s shoulder appeared two distant shadows. With an arm around each other’s shoulder, Uncle Frank and my father waved to me. They had big smiles and understanding stares. Inside my head three words became clear.

Trust the pain.

Terrified, I looked back at my daughter and then Sam as she closed the gap between us. Asia reached for me
, but she couldn’t penetrate my burning shell. The sky rumbled and she started to panic.

“Max?” she asked. More tears carved along the shape of her cheeks and lips. She looked like a tragic poem. From behind her, Uncle Frank nodded my way and I understood what I needed to do. Something changed inside of me and a sliver of green fire came alive. Asia knew what I was about to attempt. As I smiled to my guardian angels, they waved back and faded away into the dark once more. My flames grew tighter around my body and I walked back toward Madi on the ground. Sam was almost here. Asia called out in a gut wrenching warning.

“No, Max! Don’t!”

I fell to my knees and placed my hands along the giant hole in Madi’s chest. My white fire slid down my body and into hers. The green ribbon of flame inside of it whipped around my shoulders and head. I closed my eyes as tight as possible and begged for my body to find the strength. The more fire that poured into Madi, the more physical pain it brought me. I began to shake and sweat but I pushed my powers harder. The wind whipped my impossible flames back and forth.

“Madison!” Sam cried out as she finally reached us. She fell into the mud with a rip of her dress and a splattered stain. Kris stood silent behind her. Both of them wore the ugliness of the muddy barricade they had to overcome to get here. She watched as Sam tried to touch Madi but my fire was too extreme.

Sam begged, “Max, what are you doing?”

“Sam, don’t let her forget me,” I said.

“What? Max, no!” she whimpered, and tried to touch me. Her fingertips singed from the power I was generating and she screamed in pain. “Don’t do this!”

“Don’t let her be afraid, Sam. Not ever.”

Asia fell to my other side and pleaded, “Wait, there’s got to be another way…please…”

With a crooked smile, my body began to numb and I said, “You are my light, Asia…always.” She held herself tightly and rain began to fall everywhere. Knowing I didn’t have much time left, I turned back to Sam.

I looked deep into her eyes, and whispered, “And you are my song, Samantha.” Sam broke down in front of me.

Gently, I leaned over and placed a burning kiss along Madi’s mouth. My last inferno slid down her throat and into her chest. The wound began to heal over with twisting embers of orange and yellow. Her fingers began to move and the oxygen returned to her lungs. My blinding white fires fell away, leaving me pale and dehydrated. It hurt to move and my sight began to surround me in darkness.

With a final breath, I swore, “Madison Lee…I…burn for…you…”

My empty body fell backwards into the wet ground just as Madi sat up in a snap. She instantly grabbed Sam and started crying in shock. Her hands searched her chest for the gunshot wound, but found only the glowing embers in the shape of my hand.

“Mommy?” she asked, upset.

“I’m here, Madison, I’m here,” Sam said, holding back her tears for just a few moments. Asia sat in the mud with her arms at her sides staring down at me. I watched the pain cripple her completely before the last thing I would ever see came into my dying view. Madi, my amazing and perfect daughter. Her emerald eyes were bleeding fiery tears that fell from her chin and into the puddles of mud below her. Her hands trembled uncontrollably as she reached down for me with both of them.

“Daddy?” she called to me. “Daddy! Wake up, Daddy!”

My eyes rolled back and I embraced the truth. Madison’s cries would show me the way home.

“Mommy, I can’t wake him up!”

“I know, sweetheart…” Sam wilted. Madi slammed her hands into me and pushed with all her healing powers, but now, like me, they were gone. It was too late. The overwhelming truth was too much for my daughter.

“Mommy, I can’t heal Daddy! It’s not working! I can’t save Daddy!” she screamed. “I can’t save my daddy!”

Sam pulled her into her arms and they wept with horrible sobs. Asia joined them as Star, Lennon, King and Pepper held her. A chorus of pain echoed all around.

Softly, Asia then Sam, placed one hand on my motionless body and with a rush of heat I covered over in vibrant orange and yellow embers. They traced my every line, leaving only shimmering piles of silver and black ash. The wind spun what was left of me in dizzying circles that finally disappeared along the sorrowful breeze. I watched from above as they all held their breath. Madi cried until the heartbreak tucked her back to sleep in her mother’s arms.

The sun had set on me.

Kris looked up into the sky and crumbled, “Be good, Max.”

~ If I Die Young: The Band Perry ~

Mount Hope Cemetery - San Diego, California

Sunday morning - 10:01 a.m. - June 30
th

Detective Kris Steele:

Saying goodbye is the worst. Well, every now and then it’s a good thing, but not today. Not here. It was my first time on the mainland. Though I found the city of San Diego beautiful with perfect weather, it wasn’t paradise. It wasn’t Maui. Even though there was only a handful of Max’s remains left, Asia insisted that he would be buried next to his father and little sister, no exceptions. She had a simple but elegant headstone made that interlocked with his father’s and sister’s like a peaceful puzzle piece. It joined them together as a family one last time. The Valentine Memorial Wall, as she called it.

Asia even paid for everyone
’s travel expenses. Vivian, Samantha, Madison, Kai, and all four amazing X-Women. She made sure Lewis brought Oz too. Although, part of me almost couldn’t take the sound of the furry little guy’s constant mourning. It was a low purr of sadness that broke your heart with every painful howl. I had a feeling that Max’s father and Uncle Frank were close by too. I kept expecting to see them waving from the shadows, maybe with Max and Mia by their sides.

We all made the trip, and we all stood here waiting on someone to say something, but no one dared to. Murky California clouds filled in above us and Asia’s essence quickly filled them with her magic. Thunder softly serenaded us like a soothing song. Finally, I inhaled a deep sip of rainy oxygen and stepped forward. Everyone’s eyes fell on me. All except Madison’s. She held the gaze of her father’s name carved in stone.

“I’m no good with these kind of speeches. Max is probably rolling his big brown eyes right now.” I let a small laugh escape. It was a much needed relief. Lewis and Kai nodded my way in understanding. It gave me the strength to continue. “I know something needs to be said about how amazing Max’s life was, or how much he had to overcome, but I can’t do that. I don’t need to. If anyone needs a diary of the great life Max Valentine lived, no matter how short it was, I would direct their eyes right here…right now. I’d show them each one of you.”

Asia and Sam began to console Vivian as she broke down, probably for the millionth time in the last week. Her worn and raw eyes told the tale of a grieving mother.

“Every one of you make up Max’s symphony, his masterpiece.” Tears choked to get out and I took a moment to compose myself. An exhausted and frail Madi slowly walked up to me and tugged at my skirt. I wiped at the fresh tears along my cheeks and found her broken green eyes. She said nothing and held up a single Kleenex for me to use. Politely I took it from her and slowly knelt down to her eye level. She managed a halfhearted smile and I caressed her face with my hand.

With a shaking voice, I said, “And you, my beautiful little spark, you are your daddy’s greatest instrument.” She tilted her head to the side trying to make sense of my words. “One day, Madison Lee, your song will change the world.”

Asia looked over at Sam and they shared a moment of peace. A glance that said, I understand what you’re going through. Suddenly, Madi started to sing. First, to herself, but then, when everyone fell silent, she sang loud enough for us all to hear clearly. Painful and poetic, her words cut through us like a knife. She had written new lyrics to one of the songs Max used to play all the time. Her heartfelt voice said everything we wanted to say, and maybe even more. When she was finished all of us were in tears.

And with one last heart wrenching gesture, Madison summed up the end of our heartbreaking adventure.

Slowly, she turned toward the face of the headstone and pressed one small hand against it, directly over Max’s engraved name. She closed her eyes and flames popped around the outline of her palm and fingers. Sparks bounced to the grass below and tiny threads of smoke danced upward into the air. When she removed her hand there was a charred handprint still smoldering in the breeze. Quickly, she leaned down and kissed the top of the headstone.

“Goodbye…Daddy…”

THE END