Redemption (34 page)

Marcus looked completely out of place on a street corner in Shreveport, Louisiana. But then again, Emma doubted he would fit in anywhere. He was too good-looking. The Elements had a beauty that was almost too perfect. Will, with his rugged handsomeness, was believable as half Element. Even Jake had a beauty unusual for a boy his age.

Although she wasn’t unattractive, she wasn’t beautiful either. Sweat stuck her hair to her face and neck. She’d never felt more unattractive in her life, making her difference so obvious that she wondered why she’d never seen it before. There was a direct correlation between their beauty and their power. The true Elements were the most beautiful and the most powerful. She was the least attractive and least powerful. Where did that leave her?

Her hand brushed the gun tucked into the waistband of her jeans. St. Louis had proven that power wasn’t necessarily what would win her this thing. Perhaps Aiden didn’t intend it to go that way, but she needed whatever weapon would work for her. If it was twenty-first-century technology instead of timeless elemental power, so be it.

Will and Marcus had discussed the best vantage points as well as where to have Emma wait. They considered putting her on top of a building, but Will worried she’d be injured if the structure collapsed. “I don’t think we can stop them from damaging the city,” Will warned her. “It’s a matter of keeping the damage to a minimum. I want you to have a clear escape route if you need it.”

Anxiety prickled the hair on her arms. She’d effectively blocked out the fact that people would most likely die here soon. Innocent people who had no stake in this at all. Will’s words made it all too real. “What about you?”

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of getting killed today. If we get separated, just remember that we’ll meet at the corner of Olive and Cleveland.”

In the end, the best place he could come up with was to put her in the corner of a parking garage. She was in a covered structure, could see the action, and had an escape route.

And it pissed her off.

Jake was her son. She should be fighting for him, not Will and not Marcus. But even in her anger, she knew she would be more of a liability than an asset. She didn’t want to be the one who prevented Jake from being rescued—or worse, the one who got him killed. Her pride would recover.

At twelve-forty-five, they were all in position. Will and Marcus were a half block apart, on separate sides of the street. Emma was a half block down from Will. She had a clear view of him from where she sat.

Will had slipped into full military mode. He was always ready for anything, but whenever she saw him like this she could see that he must have been a great leader in Iraq. She wondered what he was like before he became the man she first met weeks ago. Before he’d come home jaded and broken. Some of the original Will had resurfaced, the Will with integrity who believed in justice. The one who wanted to help the underdog. Will had lived for three years wallowing in his guilt until he met her. Perhaps her own soul could be saved in the end.

The more she thought about her chat with Marcus, the more she believed he was right about Will being the elevated one. All of his life experiences would make him a compassionate and selfless ruler. If only she turned out to be the supplanter instead of Jake.

Her fear over the prophecy and what it meant to Jake consumed her. She knew she had to push it aside if she was going to be effective today. Anger was what she needed, but the more she thought about how the next ten minutes could mean the difference between getting Jake or not, the more fear continued to build until she found it difficult to breathe.

Will sensed her discomfort.
Emma?

I’m fine. Just worried.

Take a deep breath. It’ll be okay
.

She would have preferred to shut down her connection to him, but he insisted it remain open. He wanted to know if she was okay and she had to admit that she liked knowing if he was all right. If he ran into trouble, she might be able to help him.

At twelve-fifty-nine, a car pulled up at the corner across the street from Emma and stopped, the back door swinging open. Waves of overwhelming power came from the car.

They’re here
.

She cloaked her own power, realizing she should have done so half an hour ago to maintain the element of surprise.

Raphael emerged first, dressed in khaki pants and a long-sleeved pale blue shirt rolled up to the elbows. He looked like he was going to a social function. Aiden was next, his arrogance shining from his face as he surveyed the area. For a second, Emma wasn’t sure Jake was with them. Part of her hoped that if he’d caused the incident at the airport, he’d actually gotten away. But he got out of the car, his face an expressionless mask. Her stomach lurched. He looked so lost. So hopeless.

Jake, Mommy’s here
!

But he didn’t hear her, moving like a robot, stiff and unyielding. The car pulled away and Raphael and Aiden stood in the middle of the sidewalk, blocking the pedestrians, forcing people into the street to get around them. Jake stood between the two men, looking in Emma’s direction, but his eyes were lifeless.

Will
!
Jake’s here
!

Don’t. Do. Anything
.

Doing nothing was easier said than done. There was no doubt that if Emma tried to fight Aiden and Raphael, it wouldn’t end well, but there were other means. She pulled out her gun and slid back the rack, placing Aiden in her sights.

Emma, don’t you dare! You know it won’t work on him
.

She felt Will’s aggravation through their connection. He and Marcus had carefully calculated where they’d be positioned, but knowing Aiden, he expected Will and Emma to be here and purposely moved a block to the north.

Emma, I’ve got to move. Stay there and do not engage Aiden.
Will disappeared from his spot, moving to the back alley.

Do not engage
was easier said than done. The man who’d made her life a living hell stood thirty feet in front of her and she wasn’t about to let him get away. Maybe all it would take was a combination of her power and her gun.

No, she needed to wait for Will. And Marcus.

Raphael shook his hands at his sides as though he were preparing for a ping pong tournament. Aiden’s eyes began to glow and Jake stood between them, unmoving.

What had Aiden done to her son?

It was clear that Raphael and Aiden were preparing to inflict their damage, but they seemed to be waiting for something. Or was it someone?

Where the hell are you
? she screamed into Will’s head.

I’m coming.

They’re about to start
. Panic brewed in her stomach. Will had stressed that they needed to catch Aiden and Raphael off guard before they began their carnage. Will and Marcus were losing their element of surprise.

Which way are you coming?
She had to intervene. She didn’t have a choice.

Emma, don’t do anything stupid.

You’ll intercept Jake when you round the corner. I can create a distraction and you get Jake while Marcus and I keep them busy. Where the hell is Marcus
?

He’s coming, but let the two of us handle this, Emma.

You said yourself we need to test our abilities. No better time
.

The ground vibrated gently. Raphael had begun.

Focusing on the pain Jake had endured, and the horror Aiden had put him through, Emma let her anger build until her body burned.

Emma, please.
Will begged, his desperation bleeding through their connection.
This isn’t what we planned.

When the fuck has anything ever gone as planned?

Throwing off her inner cloak was like sending a draft to kindled fire. Her anger and power mushroomed until she could hardly contain it.

Aiden sensed the change, lifting his chin as if testing the air. A grin spread across his face.

Emma realized what he’d been waiting for. He’d been waiting for her.

Trust your instincts
. Will’s voice had calmed and become soothing.
You fight it too much. Trust your power to know what to do
.

Closing her eyes, she focused on the burning mass in her chest. She needed more. Her body called out, searching for energy sources. Electricity ran over her head and in the ground. Drawing from those sources, her power increased, nearly doubling, until her body begged for release.

The ground had begun to shake and people in the street screamed.

I see Jake. Don’t tell your power what to do, tell it what you need. When I say go, release it.

Tell her power what she needed? She needed Jake. Was it really that easy? No. She could tell it to eliminate Aiden, but that’s not what she needed.

Release it now
!

She thought of Jake, releasing her energy and a fireball blossomed in the street. The rumble of water followed on its heels. The screams grew louder and higher-pitched as the sky overhead darkened with storm clouds.

Will
?
Did you get Jake
?

The smoke cleared and Aiden stood in his position, a grin on his face. Raphael and Jake were nowhere to be seen.

***

A massive ball of flames raged in the street with a flash so bright, Will was forced to close his eyes. When the smoke cleared and he regained his sight, Raphael and Jake were gone.

Will
!
Did you get Jake
?

Son of a bitch.
I’ve lost him. He’s with Raphael. I’m tracking them now
.

Aiden was moving across the street toward Emma as rain began to pour from the sky, but if Will went to help her instead of finding Jake, she’d never forgive him. Aiden needed Emma—he wouldn’t kill her. That was the only reason Will left her and took off running down the street. He hoped he didn’t regret it later.

Marcus ran across the street half a block from Will but with all the confusion of the people on the street, it was hard to tell if Raphael and Jake were there as well. Marcus seemed intent on something ahead of him. Will hoped he had Raphael and Jake in his sight.

The ground began to shake again and the sky darkened overhead. Raphael must have found a place to resume their destruction. Which, ironically, was the spot where they were originally supposed to be.

Fuck. It was a setup.

***

Will lost Jake? She couldn’t focus on that now. Aiden knew where she was and he was crossing the street toward her, a grin spread across his face.

“Emmanuella, you came.”

Rain began to pound the pavement, drenching Aiden, though he didn’t seem to notice.

She stayed in the garage, partially hidden behind a pillar.
You’re a coward
, she told herself. She’d spent the last three years of her life hiding and she was sick of it. Taking a deep breath, she moved away from the concrete support to stand directly in front of her father.

Aiden stood on the sidewalk, ten feet in front of her, his feet spread apart.

“How could I miss your invitation?” She kept her tone light. The gun was still in her hand at her side, but the wall around the garage hid it from Aiden’s view.

His smile was friendly, as though he’d happened to bump into her on the street instead of orchestrating their meeting. “Before we get to the important part, I’m curious. Who killed Alex? Was it Marcus or Will?”

She snorted. She wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or insulted that he didn’t suspect her. “How would I know? The media says it was the Cavallo.”

He laughed, but it wasn’t a pleasant sound. “Please, Emmanuella. I used to help spin those stories. Which one killed him?”

He seriously thought her incapable of killing Alex? “What difference does it make? He’s dead. There’s one less contestant for your little game.”

“It makes all the difference in the world. The one who killed him inherited his power.”

Alex has said the words, but she didn’t feel any stronger. Had Will inherited the power instead? At the moment, it didn’t matter. “I want Jake.”

“And you shall get him. Tomorrow night.”

“Don’t screw with me, Aiden. What the fuck is tomorrow night?”

“The final battle.”

“
What
?” Will and Marcus thought they had more time. “When were you going to tell us this piece of information?”

He spread his hands wide and smiled. “Emmanuella, what do you think this elaborate scheme is? It’s your engraved invitation to the final battle. Tomorrow night, at ten p.m., show up at Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park in Chicago.”

Outrage washed over her. “You played mind games with me, destroying cities just to tell me when and where the final battle is? Using my son? What kind of fucked-up bastard are you?” Her voice was a screech, but she was past the point of caring. “And then what happens at the big showdown? A cage match?”

“While your show of hysterics is entertaining, let’s get down to business.” Aiden’s smile fell away. “Four shall fight, two shall remain. Obviously you’ll be siding with Will, but then what will happen to Jake?”

Fear of that very unknown variable sapped her power. “Why don’t you just kill me now and be done with it? You and I both know I’m no match for you.”

“Oh, Emmanuella. The drama again. You’re my daughter. I have no intention of killing you.”

She shook her head. “I find that difficult to believe.”

“Why? Because I haven’t made things easy for you? You’ll thank me later when you gain control and even greater power.”

“I don’t want it. I never did. I just want Jake and Will and to be left alone.”

“Fortunately for you, we don’t always get what we want.”

She scanned the street, which had erupted into chaos. “Where’s Jake?”

“I believe he’s running for his life right now.”

“What have you done to him?”

“Nothing, my darling daughter. It’s what Will and Marcus are attempting to do that you need to be worried about.”