Redemption (40 page)

Her heart was breaking, and she couldn’t afford to be broken right now. Could she kill him, even if she promised?

Emma, please
.

She loved him with every part of her, and she’d give him anything he wanted. Even this.

Okay.
What had she done?

“Thank you.” He kissed her again. “Now let’s go.”

She took small consolation that she wouldn’t have to kill him, certain she’d be killed first.

She wasn’t sure which one to hope for.

***

Aiden’s car drove next to a big body of water.

“Is that the ocean?” Jake asked. After seeing Mommy visit an ocean in a vision years ago, he’d always wanted to see it.

Aiden stared out the window, and looked startled by Jake’s question. “What? No. That’s Lake Michigan.”

That was the most he’d heard Aiden say since yesterday. He’d been distracted and looked worried after he’d found out Raphael was dead.

Aiden rubbed his chin. “Did you see Will after he killed Raphael? Did he emit a glow or look different afterward?”

“No.”

“Well, what did he look like?”

Jake looked at him, wide-eyed and amazed. Aiden was afraid. “I didn’t see him. After Will shot us, Raphael made the building fall down.

“Why didn’t Raphael heal himself? Was he hurt that badly?”

Aiden had already asked this yesterday. And today. “He had holes all over his chest. There was lots of blood.”

Shaking his head, Aiden turned back to the window. “It doesn’t make sense.”

Jake didn’t answer. Part of him was surprised Aiden didn’t suspect him, but then again, why would he? Jake hadn’t fought back to save Antonia. Aiden probably thought Jake was too scared to kill Raphael.

The shadow figure told Jake that he could kill Aiden tonight at the battle. He’d spent all afternoon daydreaming about what he was going to do. He decided Aiden had to die the way Antonia did. Burning and screaming.

Aiden sat up and cleared his throat as though he’d just woken up after accidently falling asleep. “We need to talk about what’s going to happen tonight.”

I know what’s going to happen. You’re going to die
.

Aiden’s eyes flickered as though he read Jake’s thoughts, but was unsure.

Jake tried to keep from smiling. He’d only partially hidden that thought.

“Marcus and Will are going to try to do away with you right away. They might not wait until the battle begins, so be prepared.”

The shadow figure had told him that he had to kill the person who killed Alex. Jake was prepared. “Won’t they try to kill you?”

“They can try.” Aiden flashed a grin but it looked fake. “Since Alex and Raphael are gone, the final four determination is easy. You and your mother against Will and Marcus.”

“And what about you?”

He smiled again, but it looked uneasy. “I watch.”

“But the shadows in my dream said everyone had to fight.”

Aiden’s eyes widened and he didn’t hide his fear. “What dream?”

“The dream in the desert. With the circles.”

Aiden’s hand shook as he rubbed his chin. “Dreams are meaningless.”

“It said only two can live. Only two.”

Aiden shook his head and forced a smile. “Nonsense. Besides, it doesn’t matter. We’ll kill Marcus. And it will still be us in the final four. Trust me.”

Jake didn’t trust Aiden, but he was sure of one thing.

Aiden would be dead before it was over.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Marcus was waiting by the south end of the fountain when Will and Emma walked up. Will’s muscles tensed into knots, and he made her walk behind him. He was thankful that she didn’t argue. He’d considered leaving her by the nearby trees for more cover, but Aiden and Raphael were nowhere to be seen. Will didn’t want to leave her unprotected, so he’d keep her with him.

He could feel her anxiety peak, then she shut their connection down.

Don’t do that, Emma. You have to let me in
.

Her anxiety returned but in a lesser degree.

Will’s pulse sped up at the sight of Marcus, who leaned against the railing, watching them approach.

“Will. Emma. You made it.” His arms were crossed and he tilted his head, trying to get a better glimpse of Emma.

“Where’s Aiden?”

Marcus smirked. “With any luck at all he got held up in traffic and will miss the big show. Then we’ll just have to figure out which two of us are the winners.”

Marcus had already chosen his final two, and Will didn’t agree.

Will shifted his feet, assuming a casual stance as he surveyed the area. It was almost ten o’clock, but there were still too many damn people here. “So how does this work?”

“I have no idea.”

“You’re the one who said opting out wasn’t an option. How did you know if you don’t know how this works?”

“The end had to come for Aiden’s game. Once I joined in this version, all of us became involved.”

Will glanced around. “Even though Aiden made the rules?”

“Aiden has deluded himself. It’s out of his control now.”

“Whose control is it in?”

“There are forces larger than all of us, Will. Laws of nature.”

“You mean like laws of physics?”

“Yes. But Aiden has decreed something unnatural. There are meant to be four elements. He’s announced that only two will remain.”

“How can there only be two elements?”

“That’s just it. There must be four. It’s unnatural to have otherwise. The world will be thrown into chaos at the unbalance. Have you noticed the unusual amount of earthquakes today?”

“No, I’ve been a bit preoccupied to watch the news.”

“It makes me think that Raphael is dead.”

Will’s eyes widened. “What? How?”

“When I attacked him yesterday, I might have killed him.”

“Did you gain his power?”

“No.”

Will snorted. “Well. There goes your theory.”

Marcus watched Emma, a slow smile forming on his lips.

Rage exploded in Will’s head. “I’m warning you now, Marcus. If you kill her, I will kill you even if you and I are the last two survivors. Then there will only be one element and the world will be fucked.”

“Will…”

A voice called behind them. “No killing each other yet.”

Emma gasped.

Aiden approached with Jake by his side, sauntering toward them as if he were out for a stroll. He stopped about twenty feet away and gave Jake a slight push. “Go ahead. Go tell your mother hello.”

Jake bolted toward her and Emma fell to her knees, opening her arms to him.

“Jake.” Her words were muffled as she buried her face into his hair and held him tight.

“Mommy!” He sobbed into her shoulder.

Will surveyed the area. “Where’s Raphael?”

Aiden shifted his weight, as though he were annoyed. “Raphael is no longer with us, which I’m sure you’re quite aware of, Will.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

With a smirk, Aiden studied Emma and Jake’s reunion. “Don’t play innocent with me. Jake told me that you’re the one who killed him.”

Will glanced down at Jake, confused. “What are you—”

Marcus pushed away from the railing. “What’s wrong, Aiden? Lose your lackey?”

“What about Alex?” Aiden asked, his voice hard. “Did you kill Alex too, Will?”

“Yes.” Marcus took another step forward. “He killed them both.”

Marcus’s lie took Will by surprise. He must want Aiden to think Will had killed both of them so he’d think Will was stronger. His plan worked. Aiden looked frightened now.

Aiden shifted his focus from Will, apparently taking a different tack. “Get a good look at your son, Emmanuella. Get a good look at what you gave up. What you’re forfeiting by choosing Will.”

Jake broke away from his mother’s embrace and glared at Will.

Emma grabbed Jake’s arms. “It’s not true, Jake. I didn’t give you up. I’m not choosing Will over you. Aiden stole you from me and forced this whole thing on us.”

Jake wore a pout. “You joined with him. Now I can’t talk to you in my head anymore.”

“I didn’t know that would happen when I joined with Will. I swear.”

“You picked Will.”

“No, Jake. I picked you both.”

“Enough nonsense,” Aiden called, but he still remained a good distance away. That fact made Will nervous.

“Emma,” Will said in a low voice.

She looked up at him with worried eyes.

His gaze shifted to Aiden and she stood, taking Jake’s hand in hers. Will reached for her and she moved toward him, Jake in tow.

“It’s time to begin,” Aiden said.

Will pushed Emma and Jake behind him. Marcus said there was no opting out, but he didn’t trust the man. “Now that we have Jake, I think we’ll be going.” Will backed up, Emma following his lead.

Aiden laughed. “That won’t work.” He closed his eyes and raised his hands. A glow surrounded him.

A bright light blazed the sky, and spread out and then down around the fountain and surrounding gardens.

The people still in the park began to scream and run in all directions.

Emma grabbed Will’s arm.
What just happened?

I think it’s begun
.

***

Emma’s heart slammed against her ribcage. They were trapped in an enclosed area with two powerful, insane men. And countless innocent people.

Emma, run
!

Not without you.

Goddammit, Emma. Will you do what I ask for once
?
GO
!

With Jake’s hand still in hers, she ran toward the opposite end of the fountain, away from the three men. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was abandoning Will.

People rushed toward the exit from the fountain area, ignoring the white, semi-transparent dome that encased them. A man and a woman ran into it and burst into flames.

Oh, God.

Jake watched the panicked crowd, then looked up at her in amazement but no fear. What had he seen that this didn’t scare him?

A grove of trees lay up ahead. They offered little coverage, but they were better than nothing. It was night, but streetlamps lined sidewalk, shining pools of light into the trees. Focusing on her anger, Emma felt her power grow and she aimed it for the streetlights. Glass shattered as the lamps burst, plunging the area into darkness. The screams around them intensified.

She ran toward the cover of the trees and turned to see if Marcus or Aiden had followed them. Instead she saw bright flashes of light on the other side of the fountain. Aiden. If Will and Marcus were using water, she couldn’t tell. The sound of the fountain drowned out everything else. She concentrated on her connection to Will and felt a hum of power, but no surge. That had to be a good thing.

Jake looked up at her with expectant eyes. “We need to fight.”

Her anger simmered in her chest. “No, we do not. You are five years old. You will not fight for your life.”

“I promised.”

Her eyes widened. “Who? Aiden? You don’t have to keep any promises to the megalomaniac.”

“No, not Aiden.”

Dread crept up her spine. Please let it be Raphael. “Then who?”

“The shadows.”

She sank to her knees as the blood rushed from her head. Marcus was right.

***

Aiden took a step closer to Will as they watched Emma run away with Jake. “You do realize they’ve only gained a temporary reprieve?”

Will didn’t answer, trying to determine his best source of attack. He wished to God that Aiden had done this two hours later after the park had closed, but he supposed Aiden got off on the panic.

Don’t analyze your move
. Marcus spoke into his head.
Just trust your power
.

Will didn’t trust Marcus, but it was the same advice he gave to Emma.

Aiden had created the dome. If he destroyed Aiden, did it destroy the enclosure?

Trust his power. It lived in his chest, always present since he’d first become aware of it, but when he needed it, it coursed through his veins like ice water, pulsing with unimaginable energy. It was so different than what Emma experienced that he was sure his was wrong. But it turned out he was stronger. Her source was anger. His just existed. How had he lived with it for thirty-four years and never noticed?

Aiden stood across from him with a smug expression. A ball of energy shot toward Will and a wall of water shot from the fountain to block it, leaving sparkling water droplets suspended in the sky like stars. Will cast a glace to Marcus, who wore a look of concentration.

Aiden smirked. “Aren’t you supposed to be attacking Emmanuella, Marcus? Now that you can?”

“I’ve decided to concentrate my efforts somewhere else.”

“I never planned to be part of the final four.”

Marcus laughed. “You pompous ass. I’ll never know how you figured that. You’re trapped in here like the rest of us. That dome’s not going anywhere until there’s only two of us left.”

Emma. Where are you and Jake
?

Hiding in some trees at the opposite end of the dome. This is wrong, Will. I need to help you
.