CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
I had spent the last month not knowing if I was crazy or sane, if Farrell meant something to me or not. Now that I had all the answers, I was still going to die…unless I could kill Tavion.
The Gulf wind slapped my face and flipped my ponytail back and forth. The daggers in my boots pressed up against my ankles. I curled my hands into balls to keep my fingertips warm. I needed them to grasp the hilt of the knives and pull them out of my boot.
Everything was up to me now.
"He’s coming," Farrell said.
My fists tightened. My fingers dug into my skin. The glow from the moonlight revealed a dark and hazy figure out in the ocean. It hovered over the waves and approached slowly. I narrowed my eyes, trying to make out Tavion, when I noticed the landscape behind the figure changing. The dark ocean and white capped waves were transforming into red rock and dirt. With a gasp, I realized he was taking away my ocean and replacing it with his red desert. With each of Tavion’s steps, the desert grew until it overcame every wave and ripple. The saltwater sprays and moisture in the air became oven-like heat as the water and sand turned to red dirt.
My mind replayed everything that had happened to me back at the red desert when Tavion had almost killed me. My palms throbbed where the rocks had gashed my palms. The birthmark at the back of my neck pulsed. My throat closed as if Tavion was strangling me all over again. I forced my breathing to slow down and redirected my mind to the image of the beach, hoping it would calm me and give me strength.
Tavion’s tall and bone-thin frame glided closer until it stopped ten feet in front of Farrell. Tavion’s laser-like gaze glued on me, his brow furrowed, his pale and gaunt face stuck in an angry glare.
"I’m here for the Marked One."
Farrell stepped in front of Tavion, breaking his line of sight. "She’s ready for surrender. But first, you must release Caris and Stone."
Caris and Stone— my parents hadn’t told me they were Transhumans, Pures who fought to defeat the evil Transhumans called the Tainted. They also hadn’t told me that I was the Marked One, the one whose death could bring about a world of death and destruction, but also the one who could defeat the Tainted and restore peace among the Transhumans. That is, they didn’t tell me until after Tavion had almost killed me.
"I will release them as agreed, Walker," Tavion said.
Gray mist trickled out of Tavion’s hand until it formed a thin rectangular mass. It was just like the mass Fleet had made when he had asked for my surrender at Rice.
"Open your eyes," a voice whispered at my ear. I spun around, looking for the source, but didn’t see anyone.
"I’m right here," the voice said again.
Abigail appeared right beside me, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. "Don’t worry about calling out for your Walker. Only you can see me." She looked at Tavion and then back at me. "Now do as I say. Open your eyes. See what’s before you. Feel what is happening."
The gray mist that came from Tavion formed a doorway. My parents stood on the other side in the dark cave. But what exactly did Abigail want me to see? I started to ask her, but she had vanished.
"You are released," Tavion said to my parents.
They stepped out of the cave, through the thin gray mist, and walked to Farrell. Relief should’ve flooded me, but it didn’t. I was missing something, but I couldn’t figure out what.
See what’s before you. Feel what is happening.
I studied the scene before me: The gray mist that came from Tavion, my parents walking out of the cave. But what was wrong? I mean, this was what we wanted, right?
Farrell hid his hands behind his back, his white crackling energy building around his fingers while Mom and Dad got closer. They stood alongside Farrell, their hands behind their backs, too. Energy gathered around their fingers just like Farrell. The three of them were about to attack. Was that it? Was that what Abigail wanted me to see?
See what’s before you. Feel what is happening.
Farrell shifted his stance a little. Mom and Dad’s energy continued to build. Tavion stood still, no doubt waiting for me to step forward, when he ran his bony fingers through his white hair. And that’s when it hit me. Fleet ran his fingers through his hair, just like Farrell, and could change shapes. And his mist—it was gray while Tavion’s was black.
"It’s a trick! That’s not—!"
Before I could finish, Mom, Dad and Farrell blasted their energy at Tavion. Streaks of light filled the air—white from Farrell, gold from my mom, and silver from my dad. Their auras crackled through the air and penetrated straight through Tavion’s body. The odor of sulfur and metal filled my nose and settled in my throat. Tavion’s body shook until an array of gray electricity shot out of his body and flooded the red heat-filled sky. Once the gray blast ceased and all the energy had emptied from his body, Tavion toppled over with a thud.
I caught my breath and held it, waiting to see if the person they had killed was Fleet like I thought, hoping I was wrong and that it was really Tavion. Mom wrapped her arms around me. Farrell and Dad went to the body. As they neared, the white hair faded to black, the hollow cheeks filled out. Tavion disappeared and in his place laid Fleet—dead.
"No!" Farrell yelled. His voice echoed all around me, filling every space of the empty and hot desert air. He fell to his knees at his brother’s side.
"Sorry I’m late," a deep and raspy voice said that sent the mark at the nape of my neck ablaze with pain. My knees buckled. If not for my mom, I would’ve fallen. Tavion stood on the other side of Fleet. His face covered in a sick grin. His body pulsed with gray electrical blasts.
"You did this to him!" Farrell called out.
"No, I didn’t," Tavion said. "You three did. And thanks to you, I have absorbed Fleet’s energy source. Now I’m twice as powerful."
Sweat trickled down my back and chest from the thick sweater I had on, and my fear rose.
"When I let go, run away," Mom whispered in my ear. I gave a slight nod, but had no intention of running. I was going to fight. After all, that was the plan—to slash my palm and attack Tavion after he released my parents. Now that they were free, it was up to me now.
"Run!" Mom called out.
She released me, but instead of running away, I charged straight for Tavion. Before I made it to him, Mom, Dad, and Farrell blasted their energy at him. The heat and power from their attack knocked me down, and I fell on my back. The pointy daggers poked through my socks and dug into my skin, right above my ankles. Blood poured out and oozed under my foot.
I shifted the daggers so I could get up. Then I noticed that Mom, Dad and Farrell’s blasts had stopped right in front of Tavion and trickled into his hands, like a funnel. He was storing up their energy to toss it back at them.
I forced myself on my feet and hobbled as fast as I could for Tavion. Just before I reached him, he hurled the mass of energy back at Farrell and my parents. An explosion of light blinded me as I crashed into Tavion’s sinewy body. He barely budged while I bounced off him and crashed to the ground. Blood filled my mouth. Not far from me lay Farrell and my parents—motionless. A black mist hovered over them and pressed them to the ground. Tavion had encased them in his blast. But were they alive?
Tavion came to my feet. He towered over me. "I really like you, more than any other you before."
Anger filled me. "Well, I hate you."
My ankles throbbed. Blood continued to pool at the bottom of my feet. I wasn’t sure if I could stand, but I didn’t have to worry about that. Misty black and gray vapor extended from Tavion’s arms, wrapped around my torso like a slithering snake, gripped my body, and lifted me. My feet dangled while I hovered face to face with him.
"What to do now?" Tavion asked.
The back of my neck burned as if someone had lodged a hot spear through it. Between clenched teeth, I managed to speak. "Now I kill you."
Tavion let out a growling laugh. It started out low and grew until my ear drums vibrated. I e
xtended my fingers, but couldn’t reach my boots. I needed him to drop me.
"Put me down, you coward!" I kicked him with my legs, not caring anymore about my blood-soaked feet. "Or are you that afraid of me?"
Tavion’s eyes narrowed. He brought my face close to his. Heat escaped his thin lips and brushed against my skin while the metallic odor of blood assaulted me. My stomach heaved.
"I’m going to enjoy this," Tavion said.
He dropped me. I went for the dagger in my right boot, brought it out quick, ready to slice my palm, but my arm stopped mid-motion. Heat wrapped around my skin and penetrated straight to my bone. The dagger turned bright red and burned my flesh. It fell from my hand.
"Oh, my," Tavion said between curled lips. "I’ve gone and spoiled your heroic attack, haven’t I?"
What? How did he know about the daggers? Was that what my parents were trying to warn me about when they had appeared in my dream? That somehow Tavion had discovered our plan?
"Now it’s my turn to kill you," Tavion said. "Once and for all."
I stared him down, raised my chin, and readied for his attack, but it didn’t come. Instead, he cast out a stream of black and gray vapor. It formed into a rectangular shape just like earlier. My stomach tightened, my heart galloped while a figure formed.
"But first, I want you to hurt like never before, Marked One. Before I kill you, I will slaughter every person you love, beginning with this one."
The mist faded. My mouth fell open. It was Trent. He ran straight for me.
"Dominique!"
"No! Trent! Go back!"
"It’s too late for that," Tavion said with a smile.
Before Trent made it to me, Tavion lifted him in the air with a blast of energy and held him there. I went for my other dagger and ran for Tavion, but he stopped me and lifted me just like Trent. The dagger burned inside my hand and fell from my clutches.
"What the hell!" Trent kicked and punched in mid-air, trying to break loose from Tavion’s hold, but there was no way. If only he knew we were going to die.
I grabbed my cross and held it tight. Trent’s grandmother and Abigail had said to have faith and be strong. But right now, I had neither. Pain attacked every molecule of my body. Dark splotches littered my sight. The red desert moved up and down.
Don’t pass out, not now.
"Dominique, hold on!" Farrell called out. He and my parents were on their feet but still held captive in a dome-like mist of gray vapor. They blasted their energy, trying to get out of Tavion’s trap, but they couldn’t break through.
"Trent, I’m so sorry," I called out.
Trent’s body stilled, his blue eyes landed on me. "Dominique, whatever is happening is not your fault."
I wanted to believe him, wanted to rid myself of guilt for causing the deaths of so many people, but I couldn’t…unless I could somehow save him, Farrell, and my parents. I had no idea if it was possible, but I had to try.
"You are so pathetic, Tavion," I spat out. "You tricked Fleet into joining you, used him to do your dirty work, and then killed him for his powers. Only a total loser would do that."
A growl escaped Tavion’s lips.
"And now you want to kill everyone before you kill me because you’re desperate for what, vengeance? Vengeance against a seventeen-year-old girl that you’ve already killed eight times? I mean, who cares!"
Mist and heat wrapped tight around my chest.
"You probably don’t even want to kill me, and you’re just putting on this big show for everyone. I mean, what would you do without me? What purpose would you even serve if I weren’t alive?"
Pain shot through my birthmark and exploded through my body. I gritted my teeth. "Let’s face it, Tavion. You. Need. Me."
In a flash, but almost in slow motion, Trent plummeted to the ground. The misty vapor surrounding Farrell and my parents collapsed. And then, like a freight train crashing into me, Tavion blasted his energy at me. It filled me until my limbs went stiff, my body almost torn apart. My head flung back. The red sky burst with white light before going black.
I was dead.