Redemption (35 page)

***

Will grunted in frustration. Aiden was with Emma while Raphael and Jake destroyed the city over a block away, with Will and Marcus chasing after them. Should he go back to Emma? Rain poured from the sky as the ground rolled. People on the sidewalk screamed and ran, stumbling in every direction as they shoved and pushed one another in their flight.

Raphael came into view on the street corner, emitting a glow. Next to his waist was a little blond head.

Jake.

Will felt Emma’s power build and his fear froze him in place, torn between his job and what he wanted to do. Aiden wouldn’t hurt Emma. He might scare her, but he wouldn’t hurt her. Will had to trust that. Emma would be furious if Will got this close to Jake and turned back for her. He could easily take Raphael, get Jake, then go back for Emma.

Marcus stood in the middle of the street, surrounded in a glow. A pillar of water appeared from the ground, and shot toward Raphael.

The water hit a wall of nothing, dispersing into the air in tiny droplets.

Jake.

A thin crack appeared in the street, moving toward Will, then spreading wide. Will jumped out of the way.

The rain fell in sheets, stinging Will’s face as the wind whipped it around. Jake’s storm produced the rain, but Will could control it. He sent it darting toward Raphael, hoping it missed Jake. Raphael kept the boy close to his side, most likely as a defensive strategy. Fucking coward.

Will, where’s Jake
?

He remained silent, not wanting to tell her that Jake was caught in a skirmish.

Emma’s power grew again and he wondered what mess she was in. If she needed help, she would ask. But then again, she knew he was after Jake. She might not.

He tried to move closer to Raphael but a large group of people poured from a building, blocking his path. Squeezing through the crowd, Will gasped for breath as Emma gathered more power. He had to get Jake and get back to her.

Emma’s power exploded, and a few seconds later reverberated through his head as though he had been slammed into a wall. Worry caught his breath, but he felt her through their connection, reassured that she wasn’t in any pain.

The ground shook violently, knocking Will to his knees. When he looked up, the crowd had thinned and Raphael and Jake were gone. Son of a bitch.

***

Her fear siphoned off her power.
Will? Where’s Jake?

“Did you know that they are hunting him down like he’s a rabbit, and they are hounds hot on his scent? Very animalistic, don’t you think?”

“Will would never hurt Jake.” Why wasn’t he answering?

“Perhaps not.” Aiden raised an eyebrow. “But what about Marcus?”

He sensed her uncertainty and grinned. “You need to be very careful who you choose for your friends, Emmanuella.”

Her anger climbed again. He was so close to her…

Aiden winked. “Well, you have things to do and so do I.”

She needed to stall him. “That’s it?”

“You want more?” He grinned. “Perhaps a demonstration of our power. That seems to be what you are building up to, isn’t it?”

She stepped sideways, away from the pillar. “Wouldn’t you like that? A little demonstration on my part? A chance to show off yours?”

He laughed, more genuine this time. Amusement filled his voice. “You never cease to amaze me.”

“Let’s hope I don’t disappoint.” She knew he’d wait for her to make the first move, then knock her down. What if she could trick him first?

Trust your power
, Will had said.

Was it that easy?

Her finger curled around the trigger of her gun. It was an option too.

“Change your mind?” Aiden laughed.

She focused on the mass in her chest, calling to the electricity around her.
I need to distract Aiden
, she thought before releasing it.

A glowing ball shot to his side, blowing up a car behind him.

He released his power toward her, but her energy became a barricade, blocking him.

“Very good, Emma.” He sounded genuinely impressed as he advanced toward the low concrete wall.

Getting trapped in the parking garage was insanity—both of their powers contained in an enclosed space would be devastating. Not to mention all the cars that could be used as weapons.

Plus, he would see her gun.

Backing up, she moved her hand behind her back, tucking the weapon into her jeans.

She needed more power.

The storm outside raged at full force, the wind blowing trash down the street. Emma was thankful she saw very few people.

The ground beneath her feet began to shake, the cars around her jiggling. Pieces of concrete rained down on top of her head.

Oh shit.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Will took off running again as pieces of the buildings broke off, falling into the street. Marcus was nowhere to be seen. Will only hoped that Marcus had Raphael in sight. Dodging several stopped cars, Will was sure he spotted Jake’s blond head a half a block away, although the rain poured so heavily that he could hardly see.

Emma was uneasy and worried.

Raphael was close. Will was sure of it from the feelings that rolled toward him. But fear came at him in slick waves.

Will
!

He was about to answer her when a violent quake rippled the asphalt under his feet, throwing him to the ground. Lifting his face from the pavement, he saw Marcus bolt across the mangled street. He climbed to his feet, jumping over a gaping hole in the street. Marcus had disappeared down an alley and Will followed.

***

Jake had been terrified when he realized they were under attack. He’d seen the wall of water coming toward them on the street corner, and he knew who made it. Where was Mommy? Aiden said she’d come. His head swiveled searching frantically for her when Raphael grabbed his hand and started to run.

Raphael was faster, and Jake struggled to keep up. Raphael’s quakes had broken the road into pieces and Jake’s shoe caught on a raised part. His hand slipped from Raphael’s hold, and he fell face first on the pavement, the asphalt stinging his hands and knees. Tears stung his eyes, but he shoved the hurt into the mark on his chest. He struggled to catch his breath. His heart still ached from what had happened to Antonia.

Pulling him to his feet, Raphael hissed, “You think Will likes you? Well, think again. He just tried to kill you.”

Raphael yanked him around a corner and Jake stumbled as he sorted through the thoughts in his head. Still angry and grieving over Antonia, he was eager to take his frustration out on someone.

Will was the final straw.

Jake sent a wave of power into the storm. The rain shot like arrows from the sky, stabbing his skin, but he welcomed the pain. It only added to his anger. The mark on his chest was so cold his wet shirt froze to it.

“Is that the best you can do, Jake?” Raphael curled his upper lip in disgust, but then worry wiped his smugness away, and he ran again.

***

Aiden had Emma backed up inside an enclosed structure with three floors of concrete and cars over her head. He hopped the wall, walking toward her. She backed down the aisle, toward the wall behind her.

“Now would be a good time for your next move, Emmanuella. Have you really been so poorly trained?”

“Who the fuck was going to train me, Aiden?” She ground the words through her clenched teeth. “Will didn’t know shit. Raphael was intent on stealing my power. Alex was intent on—”

“Yes, what was Alex intent on?”

“Gaining control and power. Just like the rest of you.
No one
trained me.” She held her hands at the sides. “What you see is what you get.”

Aiden looked pensive, then spoke. “I’m about to make a one-time proposal. No second chances.”

“I can’t wait to hear this.” His amusement scared her, sapping her power. Aiden’s entertainment always came at the expense of others. And if his proposal involved her, she was sure there was nothing good about it.

He continued to advance, determination now on his face. “You’re right. No one has trained you. Marcus made sure of that. He’s the one who took away your natural instincts. He’s the one who made sure that Will was The Chosen One and knew nothing of his role. You’ve been a mewling babe thrown out among the wolves, that are even now ready to rip you apart and eat the flesh from your bones.”

“I’m not sure I have enough meat on my bones to be passed around.”

He tilted his head and smiled. “Even now, you fight with sarcasm.”

She was backed up against the five-foot wall cutting her off from the street outside. The parking garage continued to shake, small chunks of concrete falling around them.

“Here is my proposal: I will give you Jake. We will go find him and I will immediately give him to you.”

Her breath stuck in her chest. “Why?” she choked out.

“Emma, must you ask? I’m your father.”

“Ha. Like that means anything. There’s a catch. You told me it was a proposal. I don’t believe you’ll just let me have Jake.”

“You’re correct. There is a stipulation, but not as bad as you might think. I realize what a disservice I’ve done to you. You needed proper training and I failed to make sure that you received it.”

“What does that have to do with Jake?”

“I will provide your training in the day and a half we have left. I will prepare you as best I can to make you strong enough to defeat Marcus.”

Her eyes widened.

“Make no mistake, Emma, he is your enemy. He may pretend to have your best interests at heart, but he is thousands of years old and he wants what he lost millenniums ago. He’s no different than Raphael. Or Alex. Or me.” He took a step closer, bending his knees so that his face was level with hers. “Or even you.”

Her mouth dropped open, but Aiden placed a finger on her lips. Power rippled through her body in electrical currents.

“Shhh... Do you feel it, Emmanuella? Do you feel the raw current of energy? You can have this too.” He pulled his finger away.

She shook her head. “No, I’m different than you.”

“Not as much as you think. You have power, Emmanuella. You just need to find it.”

This was all too perfect. Much too easy. “And you’re going to help me do that?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re going to give me Jake?” She didn’t hide her skepticism.

“Yes. There’s only one stipulation.”

“Well, of course. I would have been disappointed if there wasn’t.”

“I will teach you all that I can in one and a half days, and I will give you Jake, but you must leave with me now and stay with me until the final battle.”

“Why?”

He looked annoyed. “You’re not stupid. I’ve presented it all to you in perfect English.”

Why would he do this? A month ago she might have taken him up on his offer, so why not present it then? And then she knew. Will. He was threatened by her bond to Will.

Will!
Why hadn’t he answered her?

She took a deep breath to clear her head. “And if I refuse?”

Disappointment clouded his eyes. “I expected you to be smarter than that.”

“What’s in it for you?”

“The satisfaction of helping my daughter.”

Her pulse pounded in her head.
“
You’re a liar, Aiden, and we both know it, so cut the cheesy, protective daddy shit.”

Aiden’s mouth hardened, and a muscle in his cheek twitched. “Does it really matter what my motives are? I’m offering two very precious gifts. Are you telling me you refuse?”

Jake. He was offering her Jake. Not on her terms, but still, it was a chance to be with him. To hold him and let him know he wasn’t alone.

The opportunity to learn more about her power was a bonus. But if she had Jake, would she still need her power? Whether she had him until tomorrow night or not, there was still the final battle. What was Aiden really after? She was sure this proposal was an afterthought. His main purpose in luring her here was to tell her when the final battle would happen and where.

It all boiled down to Will. Aiden had done his damnedest to keep them apart since this all began and this was just another attempt. But did it matter? Aiden was giving her Jake. Wasn’t that the sole purpose of this fight for her? To get her son? Could she afford to turn his offer down?

Impatience twisted his mouth into a frown.

The parking garage began to sway.

“I need your decision, Emmanuella.”

No, she wanted more. If she went with Aiden, she had no guarantee he’d really let her be with Jake. Besides, he wasn’t letting her have Jake. He was letting her be imprisoned with him. They wouldn’t be free to leave. She would be at Aiden’s mercy.

Part of her screamed that it didn’t matter. Jake was her son. Who cared about the terms? She’d get to be with him and comfort him. The rest of today and tomorrow.

Two days.

Two days to comfort him.

Two days to prepare to save his life.

She’d told Will that she’d never betray him. To go with Aiden would be the highest betrayal. Will loved her more than she deserved, and he’d do everything in his power to save her and Jake.