chapter Twenty-Seven
WE RAN DOWN THE cobbled roadway, dodging the battle the best we could. I was still trying to comprehend how Jace and Reese had managed to work together to devise a plan to get me off the airship.
But as we approached the chaos of downtown, all thoughts ceased. Shythe and Narcolym battled in the streets. Flame and Charge rocketed through alleys and storefronts. Smoke billowed from rooftops as buildings burned. I stared openmouthed as Jace forced me to keep moving. The screams of Kythan in pain made my legs tremble. I forced my eyes away from the battlegrounds as I tried to keep up with his pace.
I realized we were heading toward Cogs. “Is it safe?” I asked.
“All our weapons are there, and the Council’s trying to figure out how to reverse the barrier spell.” Jace banged on the side door to the club. “We only have until morning. Dawn. That’s the longest Reese said he could hold off the Feyan Army.”
My heart sank as I recalled that if we won, if we actually got the barrier spell reversed, Reese would be gone. But this was my home. I had to defend it. There would be plenty of time to worry and miss him later.
Once inside the club, I looked around, alarmed. There were so many Shythe all armored up and grabbing weapons while others lay wounded and bleeding. Groups flew in and out the front door. I’d never seen a battle before, and my insides screamed. I had more power than anyone here. I should be the one out there fighting.
I turned toward Jace. “I need to be out there.” I tried to sound strong, determined. “I’m strong. I can fend most of the Narco front off while you guys work on the spell.”
Jace mock laughed. “They must have knocked you over the head. There’s no way you’re going out there. You are exactly what they want.” He led me behind the bar, heading for Devon’s secret room. “Once they realize you’re gone, they’ll send the army after you full force, and that rescue mission will have been for nothing.”
He had a point. Even if I disguised myself, once they saw my power, they’d know. Dammit. I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing while everyone I cared about fought. As I stepped inside the small room, Lana and Nick rushed me.
“You have to quit getting yourself into trouble,” Nick said. “I swear, you’re going to give my sister a heart attack.” He hugged me.
Lana clung to me next. “Listen to the man. For once, he makes sense.”
I surveyed the room. They’d moved the proofs of the scroll and documents here. I assumed the Council’s homes weren’t safe anymore. A thought hit me. “My mom?” I asked Lana.
“She’s safe.” She grasped my arm. “We moved her inside the Academy with the others that are too weak to fight. It’s a small group. Mostly women and children.” She eyed me intently. “We put it on lockdown. No one comes in and no one leaves.”
“Thank you,” I told her. After hearing what Drevan had planned for my mom, I couldn’t help them if I was worried about her. I knew he’d go straight for her to get to me, which was why I refused to believe he was my father. There was no way I came from that monster.
I glanced around the small room and was shocked to see Mr. Liam. I walked up to him. “What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I guess word got out about my exceptional skills in the art of weaponry.” He smiled as he continued turning gears on the side of a transfer machine. “I’m working as fast as I can to make Charge Sabers with the power from your crystal.” He nodded toward the project before him.
I quirked an eyebrow. “Want something a little more powerful?”
His head shot up. “That’s right,” he said, realization washing over his face. “You’re Feyan.” He laughed. “That’s a much better solution.”
“All right,” I said, relieved that I could help with something. “Power down that crystal and let me know when you’re ready.”
He turned back toward the table. “We need to get our army all the power we can. Seems we’re having an issue reversing the spell. Which means this battle could last much longer than we actually have.” He grunted as he loosened a stubborn lever. “We’re not sure who raised it, as the Narcolym Council kept that aspect hidden. Well, lied, actually. The Narco who raised it used their power to manipulate the shield. An equal or greater amount has to be used to reverse it.” He placed the crystal on the machine, exasperated. “I just wish we knew who raised it.”
“Drevan,” I announced.
Mr. Liam and the other members sitting at the table turned and stared at me.
“Drevan?” Mr. Tuner asked. “Are you sure?”
I nodded. “Yes. I’m sure.”
I felt a hand on the small of my back. Jace stood beside me. “Stay here, in this room. Try and help them get the barrier spell up.” He turned and walked away.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I asked, grabbing his arm.
“We’re running out of time. And losing too many…” He trailed off, his face pinched. “Nick and I are going out there to try and buy more time.”
“No.” I shook my head. “Wait. We’ll have weapons soon, and we’re a step ahead now on the barrier spell. Don’t go out there yet.”
“I have to, Dez.” He tried to smile. “This is what I have to do.”
God. I was sick of guys telling me what they had to do. I wasn’t going to let Jace and Nick—and knowing Lana and Devon, them too—go out there and get killed.
I turned and pressed my hands firmly on the table. “Okay, so you need someone with as much power or more to match Drevan, right?” Heads nodded around the table. “Fine. That’s me. What do I have to do to reverse the spell?”
“I’m not leaving your side,” Jace said, walking ahead of me as we moved through the back alleys. “So stop trying to make me. I can’t believe they agreed to let you do this, anyway.”
“They, and you, know I’m the only one who can.”
Jace climbed a fence and reached down for my hand. Then he pulled me to the top with him. “Besides,” I said as we both jumped, hitting the ground at the same time. “I had to find a way to leave with you. Someone has to watch your back.”
He shook his head and laughed. “Glad to have you back, uh, watching my back.” He tilted his head. “Just scratch that.” Then he stopped me mid-stride and faced me, looking deeply into my eyes. “I told you once that I’d always be there for you. No matter what. And I meant it. I’ll never stop caring about you, Dez.”
My breath hitched, and I swallowed down the ache at the back of my throat. “I care about you, too, Jace.” I smiled, taking his hand in mine. “You’re still my best friend. Nothing you can do will ever change that.”
He dropped his head to the side and peeked up at me. “Damn, really?”
“Jace…” I slapped his arms. “I thought you were being sincere.”
He brought his hand to my face, rubbing the backs of his fingers over my cheek. “I am.” He gave me his Jace squinty-eyed smile, and my heart soared. He was back. He spun around, and began walking in front of me, but hollered over his shoulder, “I still think Reese is a dick, though.”
I shook my head and followed after him. Would I ever have both of them in my life at the same time?
After maneuvering through Haven Falls using back alleys—attempting not to be seen—we finally reached our destination. The precise spot where I had to try to reverse the barrier spell couldn’t have been in a worse location. I stood silently, looking out over the bay, its inky water splashing below me as the black sky connected seamlessly in the distance. The Narcolym airships hung against the dark backdrop.
I gripped the wooden post and scuffed Haven’s crest on the plaque beneath my boot. I glanced around as I heard a scream from the battle raging only a couple streets behind us.
“I hope Dr. Thailow was right about this,” I said, kneeling down and running my fingers over the crest.
Jace leaned down beside me. “It makes sense.” He pulled me back to my feet. “And don’t lose focus, no matter what you hear. I’m here to fight so you can do your thing.” He eyed me closely.
I nodded shakily. “Okay, hand me the text.”
Jace dug out the small book from his leather satchel. It was old, ancient, used back in the times of our guardian ancestors and written in Egyptian. Dr. Thailow had gone over the incantation with me about a hundred times before Jace and I had set off. He’d been the one to originally place the barrier spell around Haven Falls. But after he’d taken it down, and a new, more powerful one had been raised, there was no one else who could reverse it. No one else except me. Maybe. I still wasn’t completely confident that I was more powerful than the man who claimed to be my father.
I was Feyan. But what did that mean? Reese was Feyan along with the rest of the Feyan Army, but Drevan still ruled over them with enough power to force them into submission. And if I was being honest with myself, I had to admit he intimidated me, also.
I shook out my hands and cracked my knuckles. Then accepted the text from Jace. Placing my feet directly over the crest, I stared out over the ocean. “How long before dawn?” I asked.
“An hour,” Jace said. “Don’t think about that, or me, or the battle. Just focus.” He laid his hand on my shoulder. “Reese may be a dick, but I trust he’ll hold the Feyan Army back. You can do this before the last flank is called in.” He tightened his grip, assuring me. “And after the barrier goes up, whatever Narcos are still inside, we’ll take care of them.”
“I’d feel better if I knew the spell Drevan used to make the humans leave.” If I failed to raise the barrier, having a backup plan, like using Drevan’s spell against the Narcos, would be comforting. I lowered my head. I hated all the death this battle brought, but it was either them or us. And the spells were another reason I felt Drevan was more powerful than ordinary Narcolym. He knew things other Kythan didn’t. According to Dr. Thailow, those kinds of magics were thought to be long dead to the Kythan centuries ago.
“Dez,” Jace said, a warning in his voice. “It’s time.”
I blew out a long breath and cracked the book open to the marked page. I slid the satin marker over and began reciting the spell I’d memorized. I couldn’t read ancient Egyptian, but I felt more confident looking at the markings and pictures as I thought of my lines. And the book itself was magic. I felt it could help me, even if it really couldn’t.
The words tumbled out, and after a moment, a glimmer appeared before me. My eyes widened as the spark grew, becoming a glowing, translucent-blue, wavering circle. It stretched and wobbled, slowly expanding. I could see the shield. I knew the barrier wrapped all the way around our city, but Dr. Thailow didn’t tell me I’d actually see it. I wondered if the blue light had to visibly encase all of Haven before the spell was complete.
I paused my chant and looked over to Jace. “Do you see this?”
He ran up beside me. “What? Is there an attack near?” He looked around, and then back over the bay.
“No,” I said, pointing in front of me. “That. The light.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Nope. There’s no light out there from what I can see.”
I stared at the halted light. It was waiting for me to continue. I had to hurry. Brushing my bangs from my eyes, I began chanting from the book again. The light grew, quickly becoming as long as my body. Amazing.
Watching the light spread along the border of Haven in a sheer blue glow, I knew I was getting close. It was moving quickly now. I looked down the pier as the light expanded, hoping it was strong enough to cancel out Drevan’s spell.
Dr. Thailow had said when the spell was completed, when Haven was safely guarded, I’d feel the magics surge through me. I kept chanting, waiting to feel something…anything. We were running out of time.
As I ran my finger over the text, a loud crack sounded from behind. I dropped the text and spun around. Two Narcos fired round after round of Flame at Jace. And, crap. More were coming toward us.
I took a step off the crest, and the blue shield dimmed. No. I slammed my hands against my thighs and turned toward Jace.
Jace blocked a blast from one of the Narcos and turned toward me. “Dez! Finish it!”
God. How could he ask me to do this while he died? I glanced down the road. At least five more were moving in, getting closer. I panicked. If I didn’t help him they’d kill him and come for me next. Even if I finished the spell, we’d still have to fight them. I made my decision.
I summoned my Charge and ran toward Jace. At least I could hide who I was…for a while. I sent a blot of Charge at the Narco blasting Jace. He fell, but recovered quickly.
“What are you doing?” Jace yelled. “I told you before, you have to work the—”
“To hell with it! What good is it if we’re dead?”
Jace shrugged. “Good point.” Then he blocked a Flame coming at us.
I moved behind him and dropped into a crouch, sending another bolt at the firing Narco. “You block. I’ll shoot.”
Jace didn’t argue. He knew my reach was farther than his. I sent bolts at the closest Narco until he ran. My spirits picked up until I saw that he was only running toward the approaching guards—regrouping. Damn.
“I can’t block all of them,” Jace admitted. “We’re going to have to retreat.”
I glanced at the barrier. The blue light grew smaller, and the sky was beginning to lighten just over the ocean’s horizon. We were almost out of time, and soon the Feyan Army would march in. Retreat wasn’t an option. There wouldn’t be another chance to raise the barrier after they slaughtered us. And if this many Narcos were coming after only the two of us, that meant the main battle in the center of Haven wasn’t going well for the Shythe.
“No,” I told him. “We have to make a stand now and raise the barrier.” I stood in front of Jace, calling my Feyan power forth. My arms illuminated.
“What are you doing, Dez?” Jace asked, attempting to pull me with him.
“Taking them out.” I willed my White Flame forth. “I’m not going down without a fight.”
A faint smile crept over his face. “Can you do that crazy thing you did in second block?”
“I’m going to try.”
“Count me in,” he said, taking his stand right beside me. “Let’s give these a*sholes hell.”
Bringing my hands out before me, white flames burst from my palms as I shifted into my Kythan form. I sent a beam at the first Narco coming toward us. He tried to block, but was blasted back on his butt. He didn’t get up. Jace sent out bolts, but too many flames came at him to block. I stepped in front of him and urged my power up full force. The white haze surrounded us, and I rocketed out my shield. Seven Narcos all flew into the air, landing on their backs, stunned. I smiled, about to turn back toward the barrier, when I froze, staring down the street.
“That power is so bad,” Jace said and laughed. Then his expression waxed, his face paling when he saw what I was staring at—the battle was moving our way. A group of Shythe retreated as the Narco Army pushed them back.
“Here it comes,” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest, waiting for the impact.
“I thought you guys were given a direct order?” someone said from behind me.
I spun around to see Nick, Lana, and Devon all fired up and glowing. “What are you guys doing here?” I asked.
“Saving you guys, I guess,” Nick said.
I laughed. I was so happy to see them. But then my mood dimmed. We were all about to be hit with the full front of the battle.
We formed a line, with me in the center. “This is it. When the Shythe move behind us, we let loose.” I swallowed hard. I wasn’t ready for this to be it.
A warm hand engulfed mine. I looked to my left as Jace laced his fingers through mine. “Always,” he said. Then the attack hit.