The Equinox (22 page)
Authors: K.K. Allen
I make it to the back of the Island
Grille van and let go of my necklace. I’ve confirmed it; my calming powers
obviously do not work with him. What is it about Johnny that does this to me? I
am going to explode if he keeps at me. I need to find a way to calm down, but I
don’t have much time to think about it.
I watch as Johnny’s feet come around the
front of the van. I steady myself while taking a few deep breaths.
He stands in front of me, confusion on
his face. “Did you just slap me?”
“Stop following me! I know you’re trying
to get under my skin, but why?” I shake my head. “No—never mind. I don’t
even care.”
His hand reaches for his jaw and he rubs
it. I see a red mark left on his face from the impact of my hand and I realize
I probably hit him a lot harder than he was expecting. I forget my own
strength, and it’s not like I usually hit people. I’m not sure of the strength
that is required for something like that, but he deserved it.
“What the hell was that?” He doesn’t
sound mad now. He sounds—impressed.
I give myself a second to calm down
before responding. “I’m sorry,” I say this as tears threaten to come.
“Don’t,” he tells me, eyes wide. “It’s
good to know your weaknesses.”
My face feels hot. “What do you know
about my weaknesses?”
He shrugs. “Simple. You don’t put up with
people who mess with you. That’s a good thing—but you also have a temper.
You need to learn to control that.”
He is so incredibly confusing. “Look,
Johnny. You’ve been nothing but rude to me since we met. I’ve done nothing to
you! So don’t you dare call me weak, or even allude to it. You’re the weak one for
always treating me so coldly, and for no reason. If you have a problem then talk
to me about it.”
He’s staring down at me, just inches from
my face, expression unreadable. I can’t take him standing so close. I place my
hands on his chest and shove him away, and again, I’ve touched him too hard. He
barrels backwards into the van, creating a loud thud against metal.
His face is surprised but before either
of us can continue arguing the ground beneath our feet begins to tremble. It’s
a small movement at first but grows much too quickly for me to stay on my feet.
I fall hard on my back, just as a large crate near my falling position slides
off the box below it and heads toward my face.
Johnny slides into me, taking the hit of
the crate and I watch it scrape his arm, leaving a line of quickly forming
blood. I’m about to check his arm to see if it needs to be healed when a
terrifying scream sounds from the crowd.
The earth beneath us moves again, but
this time it doesn’t stop. Waves of movements throw us and loud crashes sound
from where the party guests gather under the tent.
More screams put me on high alert.
Johnny’s eyes shoot open and he’s off the ground and running for the crowd. I’m
right after him.
Now that I’m aware of the ground shaking
at high speeds beneath my feet, I’m able to control my movements and run.
As I approach the tent I’m startled by
all that’s happened in just a few seconds. The scene is devastating. Party
decorations have been torn apart by the ground’s movements. Rigid structures
have been displaced and objects have struck and injured the shocked guests. I
catch sight of a light fixture that sails down and slams into the back of
Brent’s head, and then traps his legs.
The destruction continues, but I go to
him first, removing the crushing light fixture. I block him from more
turbulence but it’s almost impossible as it’s coming from all directions.
Just then I look up at the large white
tent splitting apart from the uncontrollable earth. Bodies and party decorations
are falling in every direction.
I close my eyes and cover Brent’s
unconscious body, protecting him of the chaos around us.
Earth
be still.
Although I think the words, I’m not convinced it’s nature
that I need to stop.
Where is Rose? Where is Charlotte? I
don’t find them, but I catch sight of Ava and Alec, hovering together at the
edge of the tent. Ava is holding Alec back as he struggles to move around her.
At least two people have found shelter.
Earth
be still.
I
try the words again with more emotion but nothing is going to stop this ground
from shaking violently beneath my feet.
“Kat!” Charlotte is screaming with relief
as she drops down beside me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I shout. “Where is Rose?” I’m
desperate for a quick answer.
“Rose is with the other Enchanters. They’re
keeping the Elders safe.”
I shake my head. “We need to do something
about this tent. The lighting fixtures and decorations are coming down all
around us.”
Charlotte looks up and I can see fear
enter her eyes as the white fabric is pulled down by the bending metal poles
that threatens to fall on the party guests. Another light on the other side of
the tent swings down and slams into another body, rendering another guest
unconscious.
She kneels down and looks up. “We need to
dismantle the tent. If I pull it out of the ground will you throw it? Do you
think you’re strong enough?”
I nod, knowing that I am.
“Okay,” she says confidently. “Make sure
to throw it as far as you can.”
I squeeze my eyes shut then open them
again to focus on the top of the tent. The white fabric moves in giant waves as
Charlotte uses her powers to release the four poles from the sand, and with a
rip in the earth, the tent poles are removed.
This is my cue. I boost the white tent up
at high speed and let my powers fling it out as far as I can manage. Adrenaline
fuels the effort as the tent is carried above the beach and soars far into the
raging waves of the bay.
To the others, it looks like a gust of
wind saves us all.
The earthquake comes to an end moments
later; the scene around us sickens me to the core. The only sounds that can be
heard are the chirping of birds, the crashing of the waves, sobs from injured
guests, and footsteps in the sand as we all begin to peel away the destruction.
Charlotte finds me again and wraps her
arms around my shoulders. She squeezes and I begin to feel again, even if it is
just the pressure of her hold, it’s enough to lift me from my fog. Sirens sound in the distance and I know
that this time the situation is very real and there will likely be many
injuries to care for.
Rose appears moments later and I run to
her, throwing my arms around her in relief. “Where were you?”
“The others took me somewhere I could be
safe. We wouldn’t have survived that,” she says shaking her head. “Where were
you
?” She looks angry now. “We looked
everywhere for you.”
I can’t answer her question right now.
Where was I? I was with Johnny. Fighting with Johnny. Again, my rage got the
better of me, but I didn’t do
this
.
No. This was caused by something
evil
.
“It was the Equinox, I know it was,” I
whisper to her. “I tried to stop it.”
She sighs. “You did the right thing. You
and Charlotte. Thank you.”
Something in Rose’s expressions speaks
sadness and guilt. I wonder if she feels like she could or should have done
something, but she said it herself, she wouldn’t have survived it, so her
leaving was the best thing for her to do.
For what seems like a century before the
ambulance arrives, I help the other Enchanters by checking on everyone and tending
to those who need help for cuts, broken bones, possible concussions, and worse.
There are a few unconscious ones; Brent being one of them. Alec is the first
one to offer to carry Brent to one of the ambulances as soon as it arrives and
I follow him, wanting to make sure that Brent is going to be okay, but there’s
no telling if anyone is going to be okay. There’s too much chaos, and too many injuries.
Once the ambulance doors shut Alec turns
to me. It’s the first time in a month that I’ve been this close to him. It
feels strange with him looking down at me, as if maybe, just maybe, there’s a flicker
of the boy who liked me when I first moved here.
He stares at me, appearing to be deep in
thought, wanting to tell me something—or maybe that’s just my wishful
thinking, but Ava’s by his side quickly wrapping her arms around his waist.
“Let’s get out of here, Alec.”
Alec begins to steer her away but I stand
in front of them. “Aren’t you going to help us clean up?” My question surprises
even me. “Everyone is helping, and you two are going to
leave
?”
Ava’s eyes shoot lasers at me. “Oh get
off your high horse, Kat. We’re getting out of here before there’s an
aftershock.” She walks past me, dragging Alec behind her. Something tells me
she knows there will be no aftershock. Alec follows her without argument.
I’m left dumbfounded. Ava never surprises
me anymore, but this is not like Alec at all. Something in the back of my mind
nags at me. I’ve always thought the relationship between Alec and Ava was a
strange one but it’s like he’s a completely different person now.
“Kat, we’re going to the hospital. Come
with us?” Charlotte jerks me from my thoughts.
I shake my head. “There’s a lot to do
here. I’ll see you at the house. Please let me know how Brent is. When he wakes
up, tell him I’ll visit him soon.”
Rose and Charlotte leave me with the
party guests who are all stumbling around a bit unsure of what just happened.
Too many people are taken to the hospital; I count five.
As I pile chairs and help pick up the buffet
residue I spot a group of Enchanters huddled together on the beach, most likely
composing themselves before they start their search for the Equinox symbol. I’m
about to join them when I see Johnny sitting on the edge of the van, wrapping a
blood-soaked towel around his arm. A first aid kit sits beside him.
I approach cautiously. He looks up and
greets my eyes with a seemingly relieved glare. The look reaches something deep
inside me and suddenly I’m not so worried if Johnny hates me or not. I know he
doesn’t, but he sure does fester under my skin.