Redemption (36 page)

Only two more days.

She swallowed, sick to her stomach, afraid that she was possibly making the worst mistake of her life. “No.”

He titled his head forward in surprise. “
Excuse me
?”

“No. I’ll wait.”

“I offer you your son, and
you refuse
?”

“I want to be with him so badly, but I want him to be free from you more. This is the only way I know to do that.”

“You fool,” he spat, his rage making him glow. The pure power coming off him burned her skin. “I’ve offered you everything you could possibly want, but you throw it away for what? That simpleton of a man?”

“No. Because I love Jake, and I want him to be free. You’re asking me to put my trust in you or Will. I’ll pick Will every time.”

“Are you that naïve? Will is with Marcus now. Marcus will stop at nothing to destroy you and destroy Jake. You will truly pick sides with that man over me?”

“Will loves me, a concept you obviously don’t understand. He will never betray me or Jake. You, on the other hand, do it without a backward glance.”

Aiden growled, then released his power into a row of cars to Emma’s right. They exploded and the shockwave threw her backward, crashing her head and back into the concrete. Her vision faded as the heat of the flames overwhelmed her.

“Can you do that, Emma?’

She climbed to her feet, using the wall to support herself. “Yes.”

“Then do it!”

Her body was a sea of pain and her brain struggled to focus. Where the hell was her anger? Her energy had become a shriveled ball.

Get mad, Emma!
Will shouted in her head.

Where the hell have you been?
She choked on a sob. What had she done? She’d just sentenced her son to eternity with Aiden. She was going to die in vain in this parking garage. It would be a total waste. She’d done nothing to save Jake or Will.

“You’ve made the wrong choice, Emmanuella.” Aiden’s voice boomed in the parking garage. “You’ll never save your son. You can’t even save yourself.”

She was dizzy and the room spun, the quaking ground not helping her disorientation.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself and fight the bastard
!

The front of the parking garage caved in, a cloud of dust rushing toward her.

Coughing, she couldn’t concentrate, her head a fuddled mess. A wave of energy swept through her skull and her senses returned, along with a rush of power to her chest. Will had given her part of his power.

And now her father was going to pay.

Lightning crashed nearby and she pulled energy from it, filling her chest until she was sure she would spontaneously combust.

Trust your power
.

She sent it rushing toward Aiden, who gaped in surprise. The cars on either side of him erupted in flames, engulfing Aiden.

Now get the hell out of there
.

The entrance had caved in and flames blocked her escape to the back exit. The wall behind her was open at the top but it was five feet tall. She grabbed the edge with her fingers and tried to jump up but lost her hold, the concrete scraping her fingertips raw. Her choices were to try it again or find another escape.

If she could get to the next row, the wall was low enough for her to crawl over. But she had to pass through a wall of flames to do it.

I am fire. I can walk through flames
.

The electrical source overhead was gone. The collapse of the garage must have shut off the electricity. If only lightning would strike again, but she had no guarantee that it would.

Fucking Aiden was keeping her from Jake and he had no right. She shouldn’t have to become his prisoner to get her son. Rage burned in her chest, but it wasn’t enough. She needed more.

Let me help you
.

Will’s power flooded her again and the ball of power gave her a surge of confidence. She could do this.

Trust you power. And trust in yourself
.

Cloaking herself with her energy, she walked toward the flames, amazed that when she passed through them she only felt warmth, not burning. When she made it through, she ran to the lower wall, the parking garage swaying with renewed effort. Taking a running jump, she climbed over the ledge, falling on her knees when she landed. She scrambled to her feet and ran into the street, and the pounding rain soaked her within seconds. As she scanned the street to get her bearings, the parking garage collapsed, covering her with dust and debris.

***

Giving Emma his power had weakened Will more than he expected.
Emma?

I’m fine. I’m safe
.

He’d fallen to his knees when he’d sent her enough power to heal her and help her defend herself, but in the process, he’d lost Raphael.

A broken fire hydrant across the street sprayed water into the air and Will absorbed power from the gush. Jumping to his feet, he headed in the direction he’d last seen Marcus run.

Following Raphael’s energy waves, Will found them in an alley. Jake’s face was pale from fear and exhaustion, his chest heaving as he fought to catch his breath. Marcus rounded a corner behind Will, taking in the sight of the three of them as he walked toward them.

“Let him go, Raphael!” Will shouted over the roar of the storm. “Send Jake over to me, and I’ll let you go.”

Raphael clutched Jake in front of his body as his eyes darted from Will to Marcus, backing up to the opposite end. “You’re lying.”

Will hadn’t expected to kill Raphael today, so getting Jake was worth the trade. He took slow steps forward, his hands upraised. “I swear to you. I only want Jake. You’re free to go.”

Jake studied Will with wary eyes.

Raphael stopped, obviously considering Will’s offer. “Okay.” Raphael put his hands on Jake’s shoulders and took a step backward.

Dropping to one knee, Will reached out to Jake. “It’s okay. Your mom is here and she’s desperate to see you.”

Jake took two hesitant steps.

Will watched in horror as Marcus shot rain toward Raphael and Jake, piercing their chests and legs. Blood saturated their shirts before the building collapsed, separating them from Will and Marcus.

***

The building collapsed and Raphael pulled Jake again, but Jake ran willingly this time, his stomach a tight ball of fear. Jake looked down, shocked at the blood soaking the front of his shirt from three holes. What had happened?

He glanced up at Raphael. Raphael’s shirt was splattered with more bloody marks than he could count, and his mouth gaped. Staggering on his feet, Raphael leaned his shoulder into a building to hold himself up as guttural sounds came from his throat.

Jake watched in silence. Was Raphael dying?

“Don’t just stand there, you stupid boy. Do something!” Raphael spat. He wrapped an arm around his stomach. “Goddamnit!” His head leaned back and rain splashed off his face.

The amount of blood on Raphael’s shirt scared Jake, although as he watched the dark spots grow he wondered why he was shocked. How many people had he seen covered in blood?

“Come here.” Raphael’s words were muffled by his clenched jaw.

Jake stayed where he was, afraid to move. He looked down at his own chest. The blood had stopped seeping into his shirt.

“Get over here now or I’ll do to your mother what Aiden did to your nanny.”

Anger burned icy cold in Jake’s mark. “You won’t hurt my mother.”

A grin formed on Raphael’s mouth and his eyes filled with evil. “I’ll take great delight making her scream with pain while you and Will watch.”

A magical current filled the air around them.

“I said get over here! I need your power.”

Jake crossed his arms. “No. I hope you die.”

Raphael laughed, but it sounded like a grunt. “If I die, then you’re at Will’s mercy. Who do you think just hurt us? It was Will.”

Jake’s mouth dropped open.

Raphael’s body shivered and his head rolled to the side, his eyebrows raising. “You didn’t realize that did you? Who did you think did it?”

Shaking his head, Jake’s rage grew. “No. Will would never hurt me. He wants to help me.”

“You are so stupid. You stupid, stupid boy. Of course he wants to hurt you. If he kills you, then he has your mommy all to himself.”

“No.” Jake whispered. The possibility that Raphael’s words were right made him lightheaded.

Raphael winked. “Oh, yes.”

“But… He…”

“He stabbed us with water, you fool. He took the very rain your storm produced and used it as a weapon against you. Grow up and face the facts. Will would rather see you dead then take you to your mother.”

“No!” Jake shouted. Thunder rumbled overhead and multiple streaks of lightning struck the ground around them.

“I can help you, Jake.” Raphael reached out his hand. “Just take my hand and help heal me. Then we’ll defeat Will together.”

Jake’s rage billowed out of control. Curtains in the windows of the building next to him burst into flames.

Shadows danced on the wall behind Raphael’s body.

“Let me help you, Jake.” Raphael’s hand began to shake. His face was pale.

With a smile, Jake took a step toward him. “We can help you.”

Confusion clouded Raphael’s eyes. “We?”

“The shadows will help.”

Raphael’s eyes widened in terror and he stumbled backward, falling onto his bottom. “The shadows?”

“You let Aiden kill Antonia.”

The shadows covered Raphael’s body and he screamed.

“You hurt my mommy.”

Raphael’s clothes caught fire and he rolled to his stomach, his screams growing in volume.

The ground gave a violent shake, then shuddered with gentle ripples. Jake stood with his feet apart waiting for the shaking to settle down.

“You’re screaming now, Raphael. Not Mommy. You’ll never hurt her again.”

“I won’t hurt her! I swear!” His body was covered in a haze of dark gray. “Jake! Stop!”

He wouldn’t stop. Not until Raphael was dead. Jake focused on his hatred, pulling energy from his mark, then pushing it toward Raphael. Raphael’s entire body erupted into flames, while the shadows clung to him. Finally, he stopped moving but Jake’s body still burned with energy, the heat scorching the walls around them, turning them pitch black, but Jake felt nothing but triumph.

The shadows slid off Raphael and made a circle on the now-blackened concrete next to him. The shadow figure rose up to face Jake.

“You have done well. You are now the keeper of Raphael’s power. Do you accept?”

Jake scowled. He might only be five but he wasn’t stupid, despite what Raphael said. “What’s the catch? I had to agree to destroy the person who killed Alex. I’m not going to kill myself.”

The shadow’s cloaked head shook. “That was a gift. This is freely earned. There is no condition.”

Then what was the problem? The more power he had, the easier it would be to save Mommy. “Yes.”

A bright white light flashed from the figure and into Jake’s chest. He felt alive, more alive than he’d ever felt before. His entire body tingled. He fell to his knees, expecting pain from his scrapes, but the wounds on his body were healed.

“I can kill Aiden.”

The shadow figure reached a finger toward Jake.

Jake froze, holding his breath in anticipation.

The gray haze touched his chest. “It is not time for his end.”

Jake’s jaw clenched. “I want to kill him.”

“In due time, but for now you must go with him.”

“When? When can I kill him?”

“Tomorrow night. Aiden has decreed the end.”

“And then I can kill him?”

“You must fulfill your promise first.”

Jake shrugged. He could accept that.

“Now go. Aiden is coming, and he must not know that you killed Raphael.”

The shadow disappeared, and Jake ran to the street, unsure which way to go. The building behind him emitted a long groan, then collapsed, obliterating the alley and covering Raphael and Jake’s evidence. Aiden rounded the corner, confusion on his face. His eyes widened when he saw the blood on Jake’s shirt.

“Are you injured?”

Jake lifted his chin. “Not anymore.”

“Why are you alone? Where’s Raphael?”

“He’s dead. Will stabbed us with water and Raphael didn’t have enough power to fix himself.” A smug satisfaction filled him. It was all true. He didn’t lie to cover his tracks.

“Where is his body?”

Jake pointed to the debris-filled alley.

Aiden looked worried. “Do you know if Will was the one to kill him?”

“He was the one to stab him.”

Jake stared in fascination. Aiden, the man that was always so sure, was definitely worried.

“Come, Jake. We must prepare.”

Jake hesitated. “Did you see my mommy?”

Aiden’s mouth twisted, as though he was unsure what to say. “No. I couldn’t find her. She wasn’t here. It was only Will.”

Will left Mommy behind instead of bringing her to find Jake. Mommy would never have stayed away from him. Will must have made her. And Will tried to kill him.

Will was going to pay.

Chapter Twenty-Six