Unfaded (51 page)

“I won’t allow this,” Dialexa finally said. “We have all this power. We might as well use it.”

“How do you mean?”

“We strike a curse.”

Dialexa had been prepared. She’d found a way to cheat death. A curse more powerful than any magic Humans and Unfaded dared to utter. But there were consequences. There would be no salvation for our souls. We’d never have the opportunity for eternal rest.

We also didn’t know if it would work.

But Dialexa was beyond reasoning. She refused to accept that it was over. She was prepared to die and take that chance.

In the end it wasn’t hard.

Down in the dark we’d managed to light a fire with bits of debris we’d collected over several days of wandering. Tree roots, dead grasses, whatever might have been drawn into the caves over the centuries. The darkness continued to press down in spite of our efforts. The fire offered little warmth.

“I will find you again, dear sister. There is no power that can keep us apart. We will finish this game.
I will live again if only to make Aelin regret her decision. Now give me your hand. I want your blood.”

“How do you know this will work?” I didn’t look at her. Instead I watched the fire, my eyes
shimmering with the blaze as it slowly grew weaker. Soon the flames would fade away and the embers would burn out. There was nothing else to feed it.

“We don’t have any other choice. Do you want to stay here?”

“No, but...”

“But what?”

“We deserve this.”

Dialexa dropped the flint she was
polishing in disgust. “You are speaking as if Aelin has all ready defeated you. This is not the end. Only we can say when it’s over. Now give me your hand!”

“No.”

She was on me instantly, grabbing my wrist, forcing my palm open upon the ground. I fought the best I could but she’d always been the strongest. Using the bit of flint, she sliced open my skin, letting my blood drip into a bowl she’d prepared. Adding her own blood next, she began the ritual. Crawling over to the corner, I covered my ears, not wanting to know the words that would bring us back from the dead. That kind of power was too dangerous.

“I’m not letting you do this,” I said after a while.

“You have no choice.”

“
Yes, I do.”

“Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for us.”

“That’s a lie.”

When she came towards me, I used my energy to push her back but it only lasted for a few seconds. No matter how much I feared her, she was still my sister and I couldn’t bring myself to use my powers for harm.

She drew me close until we embraced. Holding me tightly, she ran her fingers through my hair, touching my face gently. I tried pulling away from her but her hold on me was deadly.

“I will see you again,” she said. “This is not the end. Now speak the words.”

My voice was stuck in my throat and I swallowed hard. “No.”

“Each time this
Unfaded falls, I shall be reborn.”

The struggle was quick, my strength was weak and I couldn’t do much except watch helplessly as she pinned my arms behind me. Tears fell down my cheeks but my cries went unanswered.

Dialexa brought the flint up, thrusting it deep into my heart without hesitation. The cold rock invaded my body, taking away the last bit of warmth I possessed. The energy inside me exploded, filling the room with a violent swirl of power. I closed my eyes and allowed my body to fall, down, out of the dark where everything slowly began to fade. Fingers gently touched my cheek, a last caress to show how much she truly loved me.

I honestly didn’t believe I’d ever see her again. She thought I was embracing a curse but in reality I was preparing for death. I didn’t believe she would succeed. It wasn’t the first time I’d been wrong.

Death was easy.

Staying alive was harder.

Off in the distance I could hear a voice but it was far away and I had no light to guide my way. I tried moving towards the sound but it was like surfacing after being under water for a long time. I was so tired. It would be easier to fall back to sleep. In the darkness I didn’t have to fight. All I had to do was sleep.

I was so tired.

No
.

I began to run but there was nothing to run towards. The darkness surrounded me, drawing me away from my path. I couldn’t see anything. No air to cool my face. All my senses were gone, I’d never taste or smell or feel again. There was no path beneath my feet, no walls to keep me in. Not that it mattered. I’d run forever in this space and never move an inch.
My stomach burned with emptiness, even the fear bursting beneath the surface was nothing compared to the loneliness that I knew would last an eternity.

This was my own personal hell and I deserved it.

“Mai.”

Kian?
I could hear him but where was he? Knowing he was just beyond my reach and that I might never see him again was more than I could bear. Dropping to the ground, I curled up, wishing away my existence.

“Come back to me.”

A flicker of light but only for an instant.

“Where are you?” I asked. “I want to find you.”

Off in the distance I saw it again. Purple energy, moving towards me. Using the last of my strength, I picked myself up off the non-existent floor and began to run. The light grew stronger and brighter, when I reached out my hand to catch it, I was engulfed in warmth that instantly melted away all the pain.

Opening my eyes, I tried to focus on something, anything at all but it was all just a blur. I was being carried. Warm hands held me tightly and we were moving.
A jumble of emotions. Concern. Fear. Panic.

Love.

A soft blur of light pushed its way into my vision. The icy waterfall was in front of me, so close I could reach out and touch it.

Kian didn’t even hesit
ate. Pulling my head closer, he held up his hand and a wave of energy burst from his fingertips. A thundering noise filled my ears and the cavern floors vibrated as if an avalanche approached. Sharp and jagged slivers began to rain from above, large chunks smashed against the rock, forcing bits of ice and debris to scatter across the cavern floor.

He
carried me out of the darkness as the morning light caressed our bodies.

It was over.

I sat on one of the dilapidated picnic tables, covered in a warm blanket as the morning sun warmed my face. Kian was beside me, face pale, his emotions in turmoil as we watched two of Rafferty’s bodyguards bring Sobek out from the cave. He was still unconscious. I couldn’t help but feel a little smug.

“I don’t know what you did but I don’t ever want to get on your bad side,” Seito said.

I grinned.

Lina was back at the motel taking care of a wounded Micah. Although his injuries were severe, Seito assured me he’d be fine after a few days rest.
I was relieved to hear that. I knew how important Micah was to Kian. I couldn’t imagine what his death might have done. I caused enough havoc as it was. 

Connor was
waiting over in the car. His eyes stayed on mine the entire time but he didn’t dare come over. I think it made him nervous being surrounded by all those Unfaded. I can’t say I blamed him. Rafferty’s bodyguards were unnerving, especially since they mostly stood around staring and never said a word.

“You did good,” Kian said.

“Thanks to you.”

Kian put his arm around me and drew me close. We watched as they put Sobek into the back of a black SUV. Through the open door I could see Anique
restrained in the backseat. She was alert, a little dazed perhaps, but she was finally captured. There wouldn’t be any more surprise visits from her.

“We’ll take care of them,” Rafferty said. “
No killing, I keep my promises. And we’ll spread the word that you’ve been spotted someplace far away. Maybe Russia or Hong Kong. That ought to keep them busy for a while. I’ve got people on the council. When I’m done they won’t come close. We’ll do our best to keep her location secret.”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Seito asked.

Rafferty gave him a long stare as if he couldn’t believe someone as insignificant as Seito was addressing him. Ignoring him, he turned to me.

“I’ll extend my offer again. I would like you to come with me. I can give you the kind of protection you’ll never receive from this lot.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“
I didn’t think so.” Rafferty turned away from us and watched his bodyguards for a bit before continuing. “I suppose living here isn’t the worst choice,” he finally said. “It’s isolated enough. You have a certain amount of support.” He turned directly to me. “If you can learn to keep that power of yours under control I can’t imagine that any Unfaded would need a reason to come searching for you here. Think you can manage that?”

I nodded.

“You’re not staying.” It wasn’t a question. Kian gave Rafferty a hard look.

“No, I’m not,” Rafferty said. “There are other matters at hand. I’ve got another daughter to search for. But I’m not leaving
Mai alone either. I’ve all ready asked Lina to stay.” He glanced over at Lina’s better half. “Am I to assume you will be here too?”

Seito nodded.

“Then we shall take our leave,” Rafferty said.

There were no parting words o
f wisdom or tearful farewells. As we watched the black SUV drive off I wondered if I’d see him again and decided I didn’t really care to know the answer.

“That was really awkward,” Seito said. “I’m glad they’re gone. It was starting to get a little crowded.”

“Too many Unfaded spoil the soup,” I said with a grin.

“
Speaking of which, I guess I’ll take human boy home,” Seito said. “Since you’ve still got the keys to my bike, you might as well use it to bring Mai.”  He came over to me and I threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly.

“I’m glad you’re sticking around,” I said. “But it doesn’t mean you get to date my friends. Hands off.”

Seito chuckled. “I’m not responsible for my actions if they throw themselves at me. My will power is only so strong.”

“Come on,” I said. Untangling myself from Kian’s grip, I walked with Seito over to the car where Connor waited. I had to tap on the window twice before he finally opened the door and got out. “Seito’s going to take you home. This is important, Connor. What you’ve seen tonight, it can’t get out.”

Connor turned to me, face bright red, arms crossed over his chest. “Is that all you care about? Keeping your secret? Well, don’t worry about it. Who’d believe me anyway?”

“It doesn’t have to be like this.”

“You’ve made it very clear how you want this to end.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not.”

I sighed.

I watched them drive off before returning back to the bench where Kian waited. After a while I touched his hand, determined to know what he was thinking without having to ask. There were a lot of emotions in his touch but the guilt was gone. He seemed lighter; a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. I looked at him quizzically.

“You don’t need to do that,” he said, reading my mind. “I’m fine. In fact, I think my days of being your guardian are coming to an end. I don’t think you’ll need me anymore.”

“I still need you.”

“You’re strong and that makes me happy. It makes me confident. No matter what happens now I know you’ll be able to fight.”

“I still need you to protect me,” I said. “There’s so much I don’t know. Most of what I did was fluke. I’d never have beat Sobek if it hadn’t been for you.”

“I’ll teach you everything I know.”

“You make it sound like you’re planning on leaving me.”

Kian turned to me,
his eyes sparking with intensity. “I’ll never leave you as long as you still want me. But I need to accept that I might not always be there to save you.”

“You saved me today,” I said. “You brought me back. I was back in the cave with Dialexa. You helped me come back from that.” I reached out and touched his face, trying to smooth out the worried lines from his brow. “
What happened in the past is best left in the past. Let’s focus on being here now."

“Can you do that? There are still a lot of memories you haven’t touched.”

“I’ll deal with them. At least I have you here to help me understand them.”

“And when the others come?
Don’t let Rafferty fool you. There will be others. You can’t stay isolated and safe for the rest of your life. Someone will eventually find you and they’ll inform the council.”

“We’ll fight.”

Who knows, you might end up saving me in the end.”

I smiled. “
No endings, no more beginnings. All I want is to have things stay the way they are.”

“I can work with that.”

“It’s a beautiful morning.”