The Breakers Ultimatum (YA Urban Fantasy) (Fixed Points Book 3) (26 page)

Owen

I moved through the front door and into my old home breathlessly. My mind was racing. My heart pumped twice as hard as it ever had. My mind was so full of dread and panic, that this was the first moment since my wedding when I wasn’t acutely aware of the way Merrin was feeling.

“What happened?” I asked, staring my mother up and down. Her hand, curled into tight balls of nervousness told me that Chant hadn’t overstated the seriousness of this issue. Whatever was going on with my brother, it was bad.

“What did you do to him?” I turned to Chant, grinding my teeth like some feral dog. “I swear, if you hurt him-”

“Ha!” Chant’s scoff echoed throughout the house. “That’s an ironic accusation, given that you’re as responsible for Sebastian’s current situation as your wildcard of a mother is.”

My eyes flickered back over to Mother, who was staring at me like my judgment had the power to eviscerate her where she stood. “What is he talking about? And where is Father? If Father had something to do with this, then-”

“Your father is right there,” Chant waved the cane in his hand. The world shimmered for an instant, and my father appeared in our living room, sitting on his favorite chair and reading through ancient scrolls; a typical evening. He didn’t know any of this was going on. He likely had no idea the Blood Moon was even in the sky. “Your mother’s sins have tainted your father’s name enough. She swears he had no part in what went on here, and I see no point in involving him now. As such, I’ve given him peace and quiet, as well as a very interesting set of historical anomalies to chew on. You’re welcome.” He glared at me.

The truth was, I was a little relieved to have Father off the board for this one. He wouldn’t help the situation, whatever it was, and is presence would only add a pressure that I didn’t want or need at the moment.

“I want to see my brother,” I growled. “I want to know what’s happened.”

“Now Mrs. Lightfoot,” Chant said, motioning to my mother and taking a still zombified Flora’s hand in order to steady himself. “The time has come to avail yourself of your sins. All of them.”

Mother moved toward me. A guilty expression colored her face and scared me to death. “You know what I did to save you, how I made you the Dragon so you wouldn’t die?”

“I do,” I nodded.

“Well, there’s something else.” She swallowed hard. “My second pregnancy, when Sevie was born, was a hard one. And, when I gave birth, things did not go smoothly. I lost much blood, and so did your brother. I knew something was wrong the moment he entered the world. His eyes were blood red and his skin was sickly and yellow. He didn’t even cry, Owen.”

“Mother, what did you do?” I asked.

“Blamed myself; lost my mind.” Tears began to well anew within her eyes. “Your father was in the field, in Prague if I’m not mistaken. So I was all alone where the medics and the mystics told me there was no hope; that my baby would die.” She ran a hand through her hair and, in the red moonlight that streamed through the window; she looked very old all of the sudden. “We had already been told of your fate, of how it could not be changed. And after what happened with-” Her mouth closed tight and she looked to the floor. “I could not lose all my children. I would not.”

“Mother. I’ll ask you again. What did you do?”

“Something I had not done in a very long time, Owen,” she answered. “I prayed. I prayed to Fate, and to God, and to whatever else I could think of. I begged for a being, whatever being that might have the power, to show mercy on me, to let me keep my son.” She slumped against the wall. “I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, I was on the floor. A woman stood over me. I remember her as vividly now, as though she was still here. She was tall and vibrant, with flowing and curly blond hair. She instructed me not to speak, and then she told me that she had the power to save my son. I threw myself at her feet, but she backed away, asking only that I nod my agreement. I did so. The woman laid hands on Sevie, and suddenly he was fine. His skin was clear. His eyes were bright. He was brand new; my brand new baby. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, told him she would see him again ‘in the strangest of places’ and then she disappeared.”

The dream I had while captive flashed through my mind, of Sevie saying the words that Mother just told me some woman had said to save his life.

“The medics thought it was a miracle. The mystics thought it was fate in action. I said nothing of what happened. I took my son home, and kept my secret for all these years.”

Father didn’t know. No one knew. “So why are you telling me now?” I asked.

Mother turned and walked down the hallway. I followed her all the way to the room at the end, Sevie’s room. She opened the door and moved over to the bed. Walking in, what I saw shattered me.

Sevie lay in bed, gasping for breath. His eyes were red. His skin was yellow. He was dying.

“Fate’s hand!” Merrin said, and rushed to Sevie’s side.

“It’s happening again,” Mother said, tears spilling hard and fast down her cheeks.

“How?” I asked, collapsing beside the bed and grabbing my brother’s hand. “Why?”

“Isn’t is obvious?” Chant said, snickering. “While I have no idea who it was that saved your brother as a baby, I have little doubt as to what it was; shade. This mystery blond somehow used shade to reignite the spark of life within Sebastian. And now that your girlfriend has messed with the natural order of things and disabled the sanctity of that shade, your brother is once again falling prey to the condition which would have stolen his life.”

“You’re lying!” I screamed. “You did this to him somehow!”

“I assure you, Dragon. I did not. I have neither the inclination nor, at this particular moment, the power to do something like that to Sebastian. The only reason my pet’s ability was effective was because it’s an inactive one.” He patted Flora’s head, like a dog. “The amount of energy needed to do something like this would be impossible to garner while the Blood Moon rises. Besides, it is an assault on my oath as a Breaker, let alone a Council member, to do harm to any Breaker without provocation. Unlike you, Dragon, I take my oaths seriously.”

“He didn’t know, Owen,” Mother said, settling beside me. “He didn’t know about Sevie’s symptoms. No one did. He couldn’t have recreated this. This is real.”

“Cresta did this?” I asked as moisture tickled behind my eyeballs. “She didn’t mean to. She didn’t know.”

“That hardly matters now, does it?” Chant said. “Sebastian’s condition has weakened him drastically in a very short period of time. If the Blood Moon is allowed to stay in the sky for much longer, we both know he won’t make it.”

“What do you want me to do?” I asked, still kneeling at my brother’s bedside.

“I want you to finally do what’s right,” Chant answered. “I want you to save your brother, save your people, save your world. We know where the Blood Moon and her brood are, but she’s protected by the same sort of shield as last time. I want you to convince her to lower it and the Blood Moon with it.”

“I can’t get to her!” I said through gritted teeth. “I won’t go to her!”

“You don’t have to,” Chant answered. “Your brother’s abilities still work while he lives, and dreamwalking is about as inactive as they come.”

“If she brings down the Blood Moon, she’ll be trapped here,” I said.

“True,” Chant answered. “But if she doesn’t, your brother dies.” He grinned at me. “Looks like you have something of a choice to make.”

“Leave!” I yelled, biting my lips so hard that I drew blood. “All of you get out! I want to be alone with my brother!”

“It’s alright,” Chant nodded at my mother. “Leave the boy alone. I’m sure he’ll come to the right decision.”

They all left. Merrin was the last to go. Turning to me from the doorway, she said,” Owen, he’s your brother.”

“I know that Merrin,” I answered, not looking up at her. “Just give me a minute. Okay?”

“Okay,” she answered, and I heard the door shut behind her.

I sank into myself, clutching my brother’s arm and breaking down. Tears poured hot and plentiful down my face, my entire body shook, and I felt like I was about to vomit. This couldn’t be happening, not to Sevie. He was the best of us. He didn’t deserve this. And what was more, he wasn’t supposed to; not after all I had done to ensure it would never happen.

“You swore!” I wept into the bed. “I left her behind. I let her leave me and vowed to never see her again. And you told me he would be okay! You promised me!”

I gasped and began to weep again.

“You speak to the crone? The crone is dead.” An unexpected, but familiar voice sounded beside me. My head jutted up, and I looked to my right. As if the world had cracked open and the craziest things I could ever imagine had seeped out, Wendy stood in the corner. Her dark hair sat in neat bangs and her white pupil-less eyes seemed to smile at me. “Has no one told you that you cannot speak to the dead?”

“You can’t be here,” I said weakly.

“And yet here is exactly where I am. What strange times we live in.” She moved toward me fluidly, like a vision or a ghost. “They are incorrect, Owen Lightfoot. Sebastian cannot die, not again.”

“He sure looks like he can to me,” I said, wondering whether or not I had lost my mind and if what I was seeing was a hallucination.

“Sebastian Lightfoot died at birth,” Wendy told me.

‘I know that. He’s back now,” I said, wiping my cheek.

“Sebastian isn’t who he says he is.”

“Will everyone stop saying that?!” I yelled. “I don’t care who he is! I just want him here!”

“And that, Owen Lightfoot, is what will either save or destroy you.”

“Owen…” Sevie’s voice was weak and hoarse.  Springing to my feet, leaning over him.

“Don’t try to talk,” I said.

“I have to,” he answered, blinking red eyes. “I know what they want you to do. I have-” He coughed, shaking everywhere. “I have a sacred duty to her, Owen. I have to keep her safe. Promise me. Promise me you’ll help me keep her safe; no matter what.”

“Sevie, you need to rest.”

His body went ridged and he howled in pain.

“Sevie! Sevie!” I screamed, taking his hand.

As quick as it came, the pain passed, and he went limp again. This time though, his eyes were wide and unblinking. “Fate above,” he muttered, and his voice took on a strange English tilt. “I remember. I remember everything.” He squeezed my hand and looked at me. “Why did she take it from me?”

“You’re not making any sense, Sevie,” I stammered.

“Yes, I am. Finally, I am.” He leaned up in bed. “When it’s all over, when you know the truth, can I still be your brother?”

Before I could answer, his body went ridged again and he fell back to the bed, still and quiet.

This was it. He was going to die like this unless I helped him.

“Okay!” I screamed through the door, panicking. “Okay! I’ll do it!”

Chapter 29

Never Be Happy Again

(Aka The Source of All Things Part 2)

Cresta

The next thing I knew, we were falling. The dome turned right side up and then continued to turn, spinning like a coin that had just been flipped. We spun like shoes in a dryer, slamming against side and curling up into ourselves.

“Nights!” I heard someone say, and I looked up.

Blades, the blades that Echo had armed himself with earlier, came flying at me; spinning the way all of us were.

‘Oh, knives,” I muttered. “He said knives.”

The blades swooped around, and I heard a sharp yell. Someone had been hit.

“Damnit!” I yelled. I had to stop this. If I couldn’t steady this stupid dome then we’d all end up sliced and beaten up masses before we even considered hitting the ground.

A blade whizzed past my head and I slammed against the dome. 

Think Cresta! Concentrate!

I held my hands out again, thinking about all that had happened, all that was happening, and all that might happen if we actually survived this. Casper had a kid to get to, a little girl. I had a life to live, a mother to meet, and who knew what else to experience.

“Enough!” I screamed. The dome screeched to a halt in midair. We all slammed hard to the floor, as did all the knives… all but one.

As the dome steadied, I noticed with horror that blood covered much of the area, sprinkled and spread across the circle.

“Cress…” Casper gasped. “Oh God, Cress.”

Following his pointed finger, I saw Royce crouched on the floor of the dome, blood pooling around him.