Awakened Magic, page 23
“You need to shower,” I said.
He smiled, but it looked forced. “Am I that bad?”
“You look terrible. When’s the last time you slept?”
“I haven’t.”
“Liam, please, you’ve got to give yourself a break.”
He bowed his head and waited a short moment before answering. “I’m angry, Llona. So angry I’m afraid if I leave this room I’m going to do something I can’t come back from.” He paused. “Sometimes I think it would be worth it. To just go to that stupid warehouse and kill anything that moves, and if my actions tip the scales to where I’m a full Vyken, then I’ll have Dr. Han kill me. It would be worth it, right?”
“But then where will that leave me?” I asked, my heart heavy knowing he would leave so easily.
“Avenged.”
“I don’t want to be avenged. I want you.” Saying this out loud felt right.
Liam relaxed his hands and came and knelt by the side of my bed. The knot in his throat bobbed up and down. “After Isabo died, I swore never to love another. I sealed off my heart with layers of regret, bitterness and rage. Only the work I did with the Deific saved me from losing myself altogether. But then I met you.”
He inhaled a hitched breath and cast his eyes downward as if he were embarrassed by his sudden emotions. I entwined my fingers into his and pulled them to my mouth. I kissed them lightly. He tracked the motion of my lips.
“I don’t know how you did it,” he finally said, “but you broke down what I thought was my unbreakable heart. My mind, my heart and soul, are consumed by you.”
I sucked in a sharp breath at his confession, at the vulnerability he was showing me.
“I don’t expect you to feel the same way about me, but I had to tell you.”
Before I could share my own feelings, a knock at the door drew his attention.
He steeled his face and withdrew his hand from mine. If only we had more time …
Tessa walked in, yawning, with dark circles under her eyes. “Liam, can you give me and Llona a minute?”
“Of course.” His eyes met mine, and for just a brief moment, I thought he might kiss me goodbye, but then he left.
Tessa ran her hand along the wall, tapping her fingers as she went. Tippety-tap, tippety-tap. The sound was sharp and pointed. That can’t be good.
“How did it go?” I asked.
She lowered her arm. “Here’s the thing.” She pounded her fists on top of each other, switching them back and forth. “There was a lot of discussion. Half of the Elders couldn’t get over the fact that you already know about our underwater breathing ability—”
“How many of them are there?”
“—and the other half were divided even still. Some say absolutely not, but a few say it’s time to just tell everyone about who we really are. Including our past and where we come from.”
“Where do you come from?”
She wasn’t listening and continued on. “There was a lot of arguing. The Elders don’t like to argue, Llona. The whole thing was a mess.” Finally she stopped moving and looked at me.
“So they said no?”
“Not exactly. At first they didn’t want to give me an answer. They said they needed time, like weeks, to discuss what to do. But I insisted. I told them that if I didn’t have an answer, then I would expose the ruins.”
“Ruins? Who are you people?”
She smiled mischievously. “Another time. Right now we need to save May and the others.”
I rose up on my elbows, feeling somewhat better. At least the room wasn’t spinning anymore. “They’re going to share their secret?”
“They said I can choose four people to tell and only the ones I think will keep our secret.”
I thought about this. “So whoever you tell has to be willing to go underwater, sneak into a Vyken-infested building, and rescue several girls who probably will be so weak they’ll have to be carried out.”
“Exactly. So who do you think?” She dropped into the chair near my bed. “Liam for sure. Arik and Aaron?”
I scrunched my nose and shook my head. “I don’t know. The tunnel wasn’t that big. I’m not sure they’d fit.”
“Aaron will want to be there.”
Tessa was right. There was no stopping him when it came to May. “Maybe he can still help but somewhere else.”
“Kiera should go too.”
“I thought of her, but I worry about leaving Lucent without an Aura who knows how to fight.”
Tessa grinned. “You still don’t get it, do you?”
“Get what?”
She tilted her head, eyeing me mischievously. “Do you feel well enough to go for a ride in a wheelchair?”
“I think so. Why?”
“There’s something you need to see.”
Chapter 31
Twenty minutes later, fighting through several bouts of nausea, I was finally sitting up in a chair.
“This is so dumb,” I groaned and shoved away the knitted lap blanket Abigail was trying to put on me.
“It’s just going to take time,” she said. Abigail had come in at Tessa’s request to help me dress. I could move but wasn’t up to standing on my own just yet.
“But why? It’s not like I haven’t been hurt before.”
“But you’ve never been so physically beaten and so exhausted of Light before,” she explained as she adjusted my legs on the foot pedals. This whole thing felt silly.
Liam was across the room staring out the window from the side to avoid the sunlight shining through the glass.
“You ready?” Tessa said from behind me.
“I guess.”
She pushed me forward into the hallway outside my room. The place was quiet with no signs of life. Even my sensitive hearing couldn’t detect anyone.
“Where is everyone?” I asked. It was lunchtime. There should be students everywhere.
Tessa didn’t answer as she wheeled me into the elevator. Abigail came in with us.
“You coming?” I asked Liam.
He avoided my gaze. “I’ll meet up with you in a few minutes.”
I wished there was time to ask him what was wrong, but the door closed.
“You two seem closer than ever,” Tessa said. “I never thought you’d get over Christian.”
“The part of Christian I loved died a long time ago.”
Abigail touched me lightly on the back. “You don’t mean that, do you?”
I looked up at her, surprised. “Christian’s a Vyken now. There’s nothing left in him to love.”
“But how do you know? Liam’s half Vyken and you clearly accept him just fine. Christian was a great kid, a dedicated Guardian. I don’t think you’re giving him a chance. Think of all you two have been through together.”
“You can’t be serious?” Tessa said, voicing my thoughts.
“I’m just saying that maybe there’s still good in him. It seems hypocritical to rebound with a guy who’s in the same boat as your one true love.”
“That’s not what I’m doing!” I growled, anger swelling within me.
She tsk-tsked me. “Now you’re getting defensive because you know I’m right. You haven’t given Christian a fair chance.”
“You weren’t there, Abigail. Christian could’ve let me go, but he didn’t. Instead he kept me tied up, even after I was beaten within an inch of my life. Even knowing that my Light would accelerate the healing process. He didn’t care!” My voice lowered. “Not about me anyway.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you. I just want you to consider the fact that maybe he did what he did for a reason, for a greater purpose. Isn’t that the sort of thing Christian would do?”
I wasn’t sure what to say. Her words had me all sorts of confused.
“But Christian, the old Christian, would never have hurt Llona, ever,” Tessa insisted.
The doors opened, and she wheeled me into the hall.
Abigail knelt next to me. “I’ll be in my office if you need anything, all right? And think about what I said. Don’t give up on him just yet.” She straightened and walked away.
“Don’t listen to her,” Tessa said and began pushing the chair.
“Why would she say all that stuff though? It’s almost like she knows something I don’t.”
Tessa opened the door leading outside and awkwardly maneuvered my chair down two steps. I tried to help but was still too weak.
“Don’t let her get to you,” Tessa said again. “Trust your gut.”
I flinched at bright sunlight. “Where are we going?”
I shaded my eyes just in time to see a few girls hurrying over to Risen Auditorium.
“Risen.”
“Where the Furies train?”
“Not anymore.” It sounded like Tessa was smiling, but I couldn’t turn around to confirm my suspicions.
We were almost to the auditorium when I heard a series of pops, followed by what sounded like a small explosion. My heart beat faster. “What’s going on in there?”
She didn’t say anything but continued forward. Two younger looking girls, one in a bright pink shirt and the other in a green dress, opened the door for us.
“Hi, Llona. I’m glad you’re awake,” the girl in pink said and smiled sweetly. “We’ve all been so worried.”
“You have?” I felt bad I didn’t even know her name.
“You’re an inspiration,” the other said, “and I hope I become just like you.”
My mouth fell open as Tessa continued past them.
“What world am I in?” I asked.
“Everyone knows what you did: willingly gave yourself up to save the others.”
“Who told them?” I glanced into each of the music rooms as we passed, but they were empty. These rooms were usually full.
“Dr. Han. He felt it was important.”
Up ahead, a series of lights burned brightly from behind glass windows. Tessa wheeled me to the large one at the end of the hall, the same one I saw May training in when we first came to Lucent.
She stopped, and I looked inside. The room was packed with Auras, including many of the teachers. Mrs. Crawford was one of them. All of them had been divided into three lines. Every few seconds or so, the first in line would shoot a steady stream of Light into various targets that Guardians put out for them. Some of their Light shot out so fast it looked like lightning.
“How is this possible?” I gasped. In my wildest imagination, I couldn’t have imagined such progress.
Tessa laughed and wheeled me to the door. A girl opened it for us, and I was ushered in. The room quieted down as, one by one, they turned and looked at me. Then the room exploded into applause and cheers. My face reddened.
Tessa laughed and moved me further into the room. Many of the girls came up to me and patted me on the back, asked how I was doing, and engaged in small talk. Warmth spread over me, strengthening me both mentally and physically. Whether it was being in a room filled with powerful Auras or just the fact that I was so proud and happy, I didn’t care. I felt better.
In the corner, I spotted Rose, who watched it all. I nodded at her in acknowledgement. Her voice appeared in my head, making me jump: It’s good to see you.
“All right now, that’s enough!” a familiar voice said. Kiera, who was sporting a new and shorter haircut, pushed her way through the crowd. Ashlyn was right behind her.
“My turn,” Kiera said. She grinned and gave me a big hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Over her shoulder, Ashlyn asked, “Did you see Valerie?”
My lips tightened, and my mood darkened a bit. “I did. She’s alive.”
“And are we going to go get her?”
“I promise.”
“Good.” She bent over and hugged me too just as soon as Kiera let go.
When she released me, I breathed, “I can’t believe what you guys have done here. It’s incredible.”
“It wasn’t us,” Kiera said.
Ashlyn pointed at my face. “One look at your messed up face, and they were ready to do anything to avoid looking like you.”
“And Dr. Han’s very motivational speech helped too,” Kiera added.
I shook my head, still in disbelief. “I’m so impressed.”
Tessa leaned down and whispered in my ear. “Who would you take on the rescue mission?”
I scanned around the room, surveying each girl. They’d grown so much, but could I really ask one of them to possibly go to their death? It wouldn’t be fair. “Before I do that, I need to be stronger myself.”
I moved aside the foot rests and placed my hands along the metal arms of the wheelchair. After inhaling deeply, I pushed up. There was no pain, but I was extremely weak.
The room grew quiet as they watched me try to stand. I made it upright, but my legs couldn’t support my weight, and I almost collapsed. Kiera and Ashlyn caught me and held me up.
“I guess it’s too soon.” I laughed through a sudden hitched breath. The sound turned into muffled gasps, followed by several tears. I was crying. I wasn’t even sure why.
Part of me was happy beyond belief. I loved these girls. These Auran women who were so strong. The other part of me was so disappointed in myself. I should’ve already rescued the others. I’d failed them.
Ashlyn and Kiera hung onto me, whispering words of encouragement while I tried to pull it together.
Then the most remarkable thing happened. A young girl—she barely looked twelve—stepped forward and placed her hand on my arm. Light warmed her palm. My skin responded in kind.
Mrs. Crawford came next and did the same thing. Tessa moved the chair away and soon I was surrounded by Auras. Those who could touch me transferred their Light. The warming energy rushed through my body, healing all my injuries and igniting me with such power and strength that it was almost difficult to breathe.
But their Light gave me so much more. In it, I felt love and a strong sisterhood that was as old as the stars and as strong as the tides of the sea.
One by one, they eventually let go.
“Thank you,” I said, trying to look each one of them in the eyes as I said it. Some of them wiped tears away. Over the head of one of the girls, I saw Liam, Dr. Han, and the twins watching from the window. Arik was crying too. I laughed. Liam laughed with me.
“So what’s next?” Ashlyn asked.
My smile disappeared, and I glanced back at her. “Tonight, I’m going to get our friends back.”
The room exploded in cheers.
Chapter 32
It took longer than I expected to leave the auditorium as everyone kept asking questions about how many Vykens there were, what the Vykens were planning to do, and how their captive friends were doing. I answered what I could, but eventually Tessa snuck us out, leaving the wheelchair behind.
I felt bad leaving the girls. They were so hungry for knowledge, anything to make them feel more in control of an uncontrollable situation.
“Where to?” Tessa asked.
“Dr. Han’s office. Liam texted me and said they’re waiting for us.”
We were the last ones to the meeting. Dr. Han was sitting in his usual spot behind his desk. Mrs. Crawford was with Abigail in the corner. Kiera and Ashlyn were there too, talking to Arik and Aaron. The one person I was surprised to see was Charlie. His back was to me as he spoke to Dr. Han.
Liam stood alone by the window. As if he sensed my presence, he turned around and came over to me. “Feeling better?”
“Much.”
His arms came around me and pulled me to him. This reaction surprised me, especially in front of everybody else. His body, tense before, seemed to relax under my embrace.
“I had to see it for myself,” Charlie said from behind Liam. I let go of Liam and shook Charlie’s outstretched hand. “I’m so glad you’re feeling better. What you did was very brave.”
“You came just to see me?” I asked.
He glanced back at Dr. Han and then at me, as if going over in his mind a conversation he’d already had. “I came for a number of reasons. Liam told me you have a plan, and I wanted to make sure you were doing better. But, I mostly wanted to see if I could help. Something tells me you’re going to need it.”
“Sort of. Only a handful of us are going to be able to sneak back the way I came into the tunnel.”
“Underwater?”
I nodded.
“But it almost killed you,” Mrs. Crawford said.
“It won’t be like that this time, I promise. But what I really need is a distraction in the front. I need the Vykens inside preoccupied as much as possible.”
“We can give you that,” Charlie said.
Arik punched his hand. “Yeah, we’ll give them a fight they’ll never expect.”
“No!” I blurted. “I want to avoid that if at all possible. There are too many of them. I just need a distraction.”
Charlie smiled. “Then we’ll give you some explosions, something to really confuse them.”
“Won’t that draw the attention of the police?” Ashlyn asked as she shifted her weight to her other hip. “That’s just what we need.”
“Let me worry about them,” Charlie said. He met my gaze. “What else do you need?”
I looked around the room at each one of them. My mind was made up now. I knew exactly who should go into the warehouse. “I can take a total of six people into the tunnel. Tessa and I are going. And Liam.”
“I’m going too,” Aaron said.
Tessa was about to protest, but I held up my hand. “It’s going to be a tight fit as the tunnel’s about four feet in diameter, but I think we can make it work. Besides, we may need your strength to help get the girls back.”
“I’ll pound through a wall if I need to,” he growled.
“I believe you would.”
“I want to go too,” Kiera said.
“It’s going to be dangerous.”
“I’m ready.”
“If she’s going then I’m going too,” Ashlyn said.
“I’m sorry, Ashlyn, but I can take only one more, and I need someone who can heal.”
“I’ll go,” Mrs. Crawford said.
Abigail looked at her and then at me. “I’m the nurse. I should go.”
He smiled, but it looked forced. “Am I that bad?”
“You look terrible. When’s the last time you slept?”
“I haven’t.”
“Liam, please, you’ve got to give yourself a break.”
He bowed his head and waited a short moment before answering. “I’m angry, Llona. So angry I’m afraid if I leave this room I’m going to do something I can’t come back from.” He paused. “Sometimes I think it would be worth it. To just go to that stupid warehouse and kill anything that moves, and if my actions tip the scales to where I’m a full Vyken, then I’ll have Dr. Han kill me. It would be worth it, right?”
“But then where will that leave me?” I asked, my heart heavy knowing he would leave so easily.
“Avenged.”
“I don’t want to be avenged. I want you.” Saying this out loud felt right.
Liam relaxed his hands and came and knelt by the side of my bed. The knot in his throat bobbed up and down. “After Isabo died, I swore never to love another. I sealed off my heart with layers of regret, bitterness and rage. Only the work I did with the Deific saved me from losing myself altogether. But then I met you.”
He inhaled a hitched breath and cast his eyes downward as if he were embarrassed by his sudden emotions. I entwined my fingers into his and pulled them to my mouth. I kissed them lightly. He tracked the motion of my lips.
“I don’t know how you did it,” he finally said, “but you broke down what I thought was my unbreakable heart. My mind, my heart and soul, are consumed by you.”
I sucked in a sharp breath at his confession, at the vulnerability he was showing me.
“I don’t expect you to feel the same way about me, but I had to tell you.”
Before I could share my own feelings, a knock at the door drew his attention.
He steeled his face and withdrew his hand from mine. If only we had more time …
Tessa walked in, yawning, with dark circles under her eyes. “Liam, can you give me and Llona a minute?”
“Of course.” His eyes met mine, and for just a brief moment, I thought he might kiss me goodbye, but then he left.
Tessa ran her hand along the wall, tapping her fingers as she went. Tippety-tap, tippety-tap. The sound was sharp and pointed. That can’t be good.
“How did it go?” I asked.
She lowered her arm. “Here’s the thing.” She pounded her fists on top of each other, switching them back and forth. “There was a lot of discussion. Half of the Elders couldn’t get over the fact that you already know about our underwater breathing ability—”
“How many of them are there?”
“—and the other half were divided even still. Some say absolutely not, but a few say it’s time to just tell everyone about who we really are. Including our past and where we come from.”
“Where do you come from?”
She wasn’t listening and continued on. “There was a lot of arguing. The Elders don’t like to argue, Llona. The whole thing was a mess.” Finally she stopped moving and looked at me.
“So they said no?”
“Not exactly. At first they didn’t want to give me an answer. They said they needed time, like weeks, to discuss what to do. But I insisted. I told them that if I didn’t have an answer, then I would expose the ruins.”
“Ruins? Who are you people?”
She smiled mischievously. “Another time. Right now we need to save May and the others.”
I rose up on my elbows, feeling somewhat better. At least the room wasn’t spinning anymore. “They’re going to share their secret?”
“They said I can choose four people to tell and only the ones I think will keep our secret.”
I thought about this. “So whoever you tell has to be willing to go underwater, sneak into a Vyken-infested building, and rescue several girls who probably will be so weak they’ll have to be carried out.”
“Exactly. So who do you think?” She dropped into the chair near my bed. “Liam for sure. Arik and Aaron?”
I scrunched my nose and shook my head. “I don’t know. The tunnel wasn’t that big. I’m not sure they’d fit.”
“Aaron will want to be there.”
Tessa was right. There was no stopping him when it came to May. “Maybe he can still help but somewhere else.”
“Kiera should go too.”
“I thought of her, but I worry about leaving Lucent without an Aura who knows how to fight.”
Tessa grinned. “You still don’t get it, do you?”
“Get what?”
She tilted her head, eyeing me mischievously. “Do you feel well enough to go for a ride in a wheelchair?”
“I think so. Why?”
“There’s something you need to see.”
Chapter 31
Twenty minutes later, fighting through several bouts of nausea, I was finally sitting up in a chair.
“This is so dumb,” I groaned and shoved away the knitted lap blanket Abigail was trying to put on me.
“It’s just going to take time,” she said. Abigail had come in at Tessa’s request to help me dress. I could move but wasn’t up to standing on my own just yet.
“But why? It’s not like I haven’t been hurt before.”
“But you’ve never been so physically beaten and so exhausted of Light before,” she explained as she adjusted my legs on the foot pedals. This whole thing felt silly.
Liam was across the room staring out the window from the side to avoid the sunlight shining through the glass.
“You ready?” Tessa said from behind me.
“I guess.”
She pushed me forward into the hallway outside my room. The place was quiet with no signs of life. Even my sensitive hearing couldn’t detect anyone.
“Where is everyone?” I asked. It was lunchtime. There should be students everywhere.
Tessa didn’t answer as she wheeled me into the elevator. Abigail came in with us.
“You coming?” I asked Liam.
He avoided my gaze. “I’ll meet up with you in a few minutes.”
I wished there was time to ask him what was wrong, but the door closed.
“You two seem closer than ever,” Tessa said. “I never thought you’d get over Christian.”
“The part of Christian I loved died a long time ago.”
Abigail touched me lightly on the back. “You don’t mean that, do you?”
I looked up at her, surprised. “Christian’s a Vyken now. There’s nothing left in him to love.”
“But how do you know? Liam’s half Vyken and you clearly accept him just fine. Christian was a great kid, a dedicated Guardian. I don’t think you’re giving him a chance. Think of all you two have been through together.”
“You can’t be serious?” Tessa said, voicing my thoughts.
“I’m just saying that maybe there’s still good in him. It seems hypocritical to rebound with a guy who’s in the same boat as your one true love.”
“That’s not what I’m doing!” I growled, anger swelling within me.
She tsk-tsked me. “Now you’re getting defensive because you know I’m right. You haven’t given Christian a fair chance.”
“You weren’t there, Abigail. Christian could’ve let me go, but he didn’t. Instead he kept me tied up, even after I was beaten within an inch of my life. Even knowing that my Light would accelerate the healing process. He didn’t care!” My voice lowered. “Not about me anyway.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you. I just want you to consider the fact that maybe he did what he did for a reason, for a greater purpose. Isn’t that the sort of thing Christian would do?”
I wasn’t sure what to say. Her words had me all sorts of confused.
“But Christian, the old Christian, would never have hurt Llona, ever,” Tessa insisted.
The doors opened, and she wheeled me into the hall.
Abigail knelt next to me. “I’ll be in my office if you need anything, all right? And think about what I said. Don’t give up on him just yet.” She straightened and walked away.
“Don’t listen to her,” Tessa said and began pushing the chair.
“Why would she say all that stuff though? It’s almost like she knows something I don’t.”
Tessa opened the door leading outside and awkwardly maneuvered my chair down two steps. I tried to help but was still too weak.
“Don’t let her get to you,” Tessa said again. “Trust your gut.”
I flinched at bright sunlight. “Where are we going?”
I shaded my eyes just in time to see a few girls hurrying over to Risen Auditorium.
“Risen.”
“Where the Furies train?”
“Not anymore.” It sounded like Tessa was smiling, but I couldn’t turn around to confirm my suspicions.
We were almost to the auditorium when I heard a series of pops, followed by what sounded like a small explosion. My heart beat faster. “What’s going on in there?”
She didn’t say anything but continued forward. Two younger looking girls, one in a bright pink shirt and the other in a green dress, opened the door for us.
“Hi, Llona. I’m glad you’re awake,” the girl in pink said and smiled sweetly. “We’ve all been so worried.”
“You have?” I felt bad I didn’t even know her name.
“You’re an inspiration,” the other said, “and I hope I become just like you.”
My mouth fell open as Tessa continued past them.
“What world am I in?” I asked.
“Everyone knows what you did: willingly gave yourself up to save the others.”
“Who told them?” I glanced into each of the music rooms as we passed, but they were empty. These rooms were usually full.
“Dr. Han. He felt it was important.”
Up ahead, a series of lights burned brightly from behind glass windows. Tessa wheeled me to the large one at the end of the hall, the same one I saw May training in when we first came to Lucent.
She stopped, and I looked inside. The room was packed with Auras, including many of the teachers. Mrs. Crawford was one of them. All of them had been divided into three lines. Every few seconds or so, the first in line would shoot a steady stream of Light into various targets that Guardians put out for them. Some of their Light shot out so fast it looked like lightning.
“How is this possible?” I gasped. In my wildest imagination, I couldn’t have imagined such progress.
Tessa laughed and wheeled me to the door. A girl opened it for us, and I was ushered in. The room quieted down as, one by one, they turned and looked at me. Then the room exploded into applause and cheers. My face reddened.
Tessa laughed and moved me further into the room. Many of the girls came up to me and patted me on the back, asked how I was doing, and engaged in small talk. Warmth spread over me, strengthening me both mentally and physically. Whether it was being in a room filled with powerful Auras or just the fact that I was so proud and happy, I didn’t care. I felt better.
In the corner, I spotted Rose, who watched it all. I nodded at her in acknowledgement. Her voice appeared in my head, making me jump: It’s good to see you.
“All right now, that’s enough!” a familiar voice said. Kiera, who was sporting a new and shorter haircut, pushed her way through the crowd. Ashlyn was right behind her.
“My turn,” Kiera said. She grinned and gave me a big hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Over her shoulder, Ashlyn asked, “Did you see Valerie?”
My lips tightened, and my mood darkened a bit. “I did. She’s alive.”
“And are we going to go get her?”
“I promise.”
“Good.” She bent over and hugged me too just as soon as Kiera let go.
When she released me, I breathed, “I can’t believe what you guys have done here. It’s incredible.”
“It wasn’t us,” Kiera said.
Ashlyn pointed at my face. “One look at your messed up face, and they were ready to do anything to avoid looking like you.”
“And Dr. Han’s very motivational speech helped too,” Kiera added.
I shook my head, still in disbelief. “I’m so impressed.”
Tessa leaned down and whispered in my ear. “Who would you take on the rescue mission?”
I scanned around the room, surveying each girl. They’d grown so much, but could I really ask one of them to possibly go to their death? It wouldn’t be fair. “Before I do that, I need to be stronger myself.”
I moved aside the foot rests and placed my hands along the metal arms of the wheelchair. After inhaling deeply, I pushed up. There was no pain, but I was extremely weak.
The room grew quiet as they watched me try to stand. I made it upright, but my legs couldn’t support my weight, and I almost collapsed. Kiera and Ashlyn caught me and held me up.
“I guess it’s too soon.” I laughed through a sudden hitched breath. The sound turned into muffled gasps, followed by several tears. I was crying. I wasn’t even sure why.
Part of me was happy beyond belief. I loved these girls. These Auran women who were so strong. The other part of me was so disappointed in myself. I should’ve already rescued the others. I’d failed them.
Ashlyn and Kiera hung onto me, whispering words of encouragement while I tried to pull it together.
Then the most remarkable thing happened. A young girl—she barely looked twelve—stepped forward and placed her hand on my arm. Light warmed her palm. My skin responded in kind.
Mrs. Crawford came next and did the same thing. Tessa moved the chair away and soon I was surrounded by Auras. Those who could touch me transferred their Light. The warming energy rushed through my body, healing all my injuries and igniting me with such power and strength that it was almost difficult to breathe.
But their Light gave me so much more. In it, I felt love and a strong sisterhood that was as old as the stars and as strong as the tides of the sea.
One by one, they eventually let go.
“Thank you,” I said, trying to look each one of them in the eyes as I said it. Some of them wiped tears away. Over the head of one of the girls, I saw Liam, Dr. Han, and the twins watching from the window. Arik was crying too. I laughed. Liam laughed with me.
“So what’s next?” Ashlyn asked.
My smile disappeared, and I glanced back at her. “Tonight, I’m going to get our friends back.”
The room exploded in cheers.
Chapter 32
It took longer than I expected to leave the auditorium as everyone kept asking questions about how many Vykens there were, what the Vykens were planning to do, and how their captive friends were doing. I answered what I could, but eventually Tessa snuck us out, leaving the wheelchair behind.
I felt bad leaving the girls. They were so hungry for knowledge, anything to make them feel more in control of an uncontrollable situation.
“Where to?” Tessa asked.
“Dr. Han’s office. Liam texted me and said they’re waiting for us.”
We were the last ones to the meeting. Dr. Han was sitting in his usual spot behind his desk. Mrs. Crawford was with Abigail in the corner. Kiera and Ashlyn were there too, talking to Arik and Aaron. The one person I was surprised to see was Charlie. His back was to me as he spoke to Dr. Han.
Liam stood alone by the window. As if he sensed my presence, he turned around and came over to me. “Feeling better?”
“Much.”
His arms came around me and pulled me to him. This reaction surprised me, especially in front of everybody else. His body, tense before, seemed to relax under my embrace.
“I had to see it for myself,” Charlie said from behind Liam. I let go of Liam and shook Charlie’s outstretched hand. “I’m so glad you’re feeling better. What you did was very brave.”
“You came just to see me?” I asked.
He glanced back at Dr. Han and then at me, as if going over in his mind a conversation he’d already had. “I came for a number of reasons. Liam told me you have a plan, and I wanted to make sure you were doing better. But, I mostly wanted to see if I could help. Something tells me you’re going to need it.”
“Sort of. Only a handful of us are going to be able to sneak back the way I came into the tunnel.”
“Underwater?”
I nodded.
“But it almost killed you,” Mrs. Crawford said.
“It won’t be like that this time, I promise. But what I really need is a distraction in the front. I need the Vykens inside preoccupied as much as possible.”
“We can give you that,” Charlie said.
Arik punched his hand. “Yeah, we’ll give them a fight they’ll never expect.”
“No!” I blurted. “I want to avoid that if at all possible. There are too many of them. I just need a distraction.”
Charlie smiled. “Then we’ll give you some explosions, something to really confuse them.”
“Won’t that draw the attention of the police?” Ashlyn asked as she shifted her weight to her other hip. “That’s just what we need.”
“Let me worry about them,” Charlie said. He met my gaze. “What else do you need?”
I looked around the room at each one of them. My mind was made up now. I knew exactly who should go into the warehouse. “I can take a total of six people into the tunnel. Tessa and I are going. And Liam.”
“I’m going too,” Aaron said.
Tessa was about to protest, but I held up my hand. “It’s going to be a tight fit as the tunnel’s about four feet in diameter, but I think we can make it work. Besides, we may need your strength to help get the girls back.”
“I’ll pound through a wall if I need to,” he growled.
“I believe you would.”
“I want to go too,” Kiera said.
“It’s going to be dangerous.”
“I’m ready.”
“If she’s going then I’m going too,” Ashlyn said.
“I’m sorry, Ashlyn, but I can take only one more, and I need someone who can heal.”
“I’ll go,” Mrs. Crawford said.
Abigail looked at her and then at me. “I’m the nurse. I should go.”
