Brace ran a hand through his dark hair. It was messy, curling across his forehead. I really liked it with some length.
“I don’t know how long it’s been here, but there’s a barrier across this area. If Colt’s correct then it will form a complete circle right around New York State.” His words were blunt. “I don’t know if it was Que, the Seventine or the lalunas, but someone has put this … barrier in place. It has a very specific purpose: none can enter or leave, and everything within this cage belongs to the weaver of the barrier. They’re literally stealing the energy of every living being within the walls.”
Shit. “So you’re saying that for who-knows-how-long New York City and … some or all of its surrounding areas, including the water, have had a magical barrier around them. How does it stop humans from leaving? Where is the energy it collects?” The words started to rush out of me, rapid and high. “Is that why there’s so much chaos within? Is the rest of Earth going to be the same, or will they have lived normal lives?”
“Abby and I left,” Lucy reminded us.
Colton nodded. “Yes, but from within the walls. You circumvented the barrier through Walker energy. If you’d just tried to walk out of the city, you’d have eventually hit the barrier. It’s designed to repel any who cross it and, if that doesn’t work, you’d just continue walking past the same area until you eventually gave up and turned back.”
Like we’d done with the boat.
Our conversation was low. None of the other females would be able to hear anything. Most weren’t even paying attention to us, but Chrissie and Eva had their gazes locked on to our group. Brace had eased off on the throttle and we were just drifting on the tide.
“How is it that no humans have noticed this? Can you cross into the barrier or is it blocked both ways?” I really wanted to understand how this worked.
I almost felt violated thinking that I’d lived in this barrier for most of my life. Trapped like a weird science experiment. I was feeling all sorts of pissed off about that.
“The barrier block works both ways. The only humans inside it would have been the ones inside when it was erected.” Brace’s gaze was focused into the ocean, his eyes scanning for the barrier.
Colton clenched his fists on the metal bars which surrounded this cockpit-style area. “Over time, this area in here would fade from memory and history. Those outside the barrier wouldn’t even realize this part of the country exists. It would be stricken from maps, and minds.”
Brace curled the corner of his lip, before shaking his head. “Earth is the perfect place for this, because of the energy dead zone. The energy transference – or collection of energy – could occur for years, and there would be no danger that the planet would become unstable. Somewhere there’s going to be an astronomical amount of gathered power, just waiting to be used.”
“That’s part of what Olden was doing in the warehouse, wasn’t it?” Lucy growled. “Adding to the energy collection from this barrier?”
Colton and Brace both nodded, their lips thinning in mutual anger.
Shit balls on fire. This was not good.
Wait a freaking minute. “Do you think that this collection of power is what the Seventine plan on using to free their final brother?” That had to be the reason this energy transference barrier had originally been erected. “Furthermore, it cannot be a coincidence that this barrier was around the city I was stashed in.”
It might be arrogant to think that everything was about me, but so far, when it came to the Seventine, it was turning out to be very much about my presence.
“I’m going with a solid ‘yes’ on both of those points.” Colton’s knuckles were white now. If he didn’t cease his squeeze on the bars, he was going to snap them any minute. “I think maybe they killed two birds with one stone here.”
Brace’s gaze zeroed in on his friend.
“They were trying to keep Red from utilizing her Walker abilities.”
I straightened, my eyes narrowed as I tried to process. “I thought that none of the half-Walkers came into their powers until they were eighteen?”
Of course, now that I thought about it, I couldn’t remember any of the other girls mentioning that. I just assumed, since they were all older than me, that was the case.
Brace pushed a strand of my hair back, before letting his fingers trail along my cheek. “No, as far as we know you’re the only one who enlightened in that way. I believe your aunt Francesca told Josian and Lallielle that this would be the case … she had a vision of this. But I’m thinking now that the reason it took you so long was because of this barrier. It was only after you spent some time on First World that your energy reached its full potential.”