Dateless and Deadly

Chapter 23

“Calypso,” I said, kneeling in front of her and searching for injuries. When I dropped my shields, I could tell that she didn’t have much longer. Her injuries were severe and she had already been down there without help for a while. Her heartbeat wasn’t strong and her skin was pale and cold. “We have to get you out of here. Jack called for help. They’re on their way so just hold on, okay?”

Her eyes opened and I was struck by how defeated and sad the once piercing gray seemed to be. “Cassandra,” she murmured and I had to lean in closer just to hear her. “You must stop him, Cassandra.”

“I know. I will,” I hushed her and grabbed her hand trying to comfort her in some small way. “I need as much help as I can get, Calypso so don’t leave me with that ragtag bunch at the base. You’re the only sane one I’ve met so far and you live in a purple house so that’s not saying much. I need you.”

The corners of her lips kicked up a bit as she closed her eyes. Can you hear me? She projected the thought.

“Yes,” I said out loud, not sure if she could hear my thoughts as easily.

There are some things you need to know. She continued. Caine has your brother.

Shock and pain ripped through my body. Caine had Harper? But I’d only just found him. How could he be gone already? Why in the hell would Caine take him?

He intends to lure you to him using your brother. He knows you have a soft heart, Cassandra. She took a shuddering breath and looked me in the eye. If you go after him, you will die.

I winced as I caught an image of myself from Calypso, the light in my eyes fading as I lay in a pool of my own blood.

“Okay, no rushing over there without thinking first. Got it,” I said quietly trying to keep the panic out of my voice.

No Cassandra. It has nothing to do with your plan of attack. If you go, you will die. I’ve seen it in hundreds of different ways based on the tiny decisions you have made in the past few days and they all end badly. Her eyes were closed again but I felt her sympathy.

I took a deep breath and asked the one thing that came to my mind. “Will everyone else live? Will the world be safe?”

Yes.

That one word washed over me and suddenly the decision was clear. I would sacrifice myself for the world. If one person had to die in order for the world to go on then it wouldn’t be so bad if that one person was me. In that past, I had wondered if it came down to a truly selfless decision, if it was me or someone else on the chopping block, would I have the courage to sacrifice myself in order to save others? I guess I had my answer now.

“Cass? What’s going on? Is she okay?”

Jack’s voice sounded way too loud to my ears as I tried to wipe the image of my lifeless body from my mind.

“She’s here, Jack but she’s weak! We need to get her out of here, now!” I yelled back, looking at Calypso as her breathing came in more shallow pants.

“Okay, I think the others just got here. Just hold on, Calypso!” Jack said before his footsteps retreated, leaving to meet the others.

It is not my destiny to live, Cassandra.

Same here.

One more thing, Harper is good. He has gone through a lot and is very confused but inside he is a good person, he just needs someone to see it. Show him, Cassandra. Show him that he can make the choice himself.

I nodded, knowing she couldn’t see it as I felt the last of her life force slip away. Tears ran down my cheeks, my head bent forwards over her cold hand still held firmly in my own.

I felt my useless power coursing through me, the fire in my chest burning strong and I wanted with all my might to place just a tiny piece of it inside of her, to have her hand squeeze mine one more time. Damn it, I wanted some more of her cookies.

I let out a strangled sob as in the back of my mind, I registered the sound of a group of people approaching the opening to the basement. They were talking, shouting something but it didn’t really register. I kept trying to grab at my flame to get her to wake up but even with all this power, even though I found something new I could do all the time, bringing back the dead was not a part of that. Destiny had spoken and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.

I straightened and looked at Calypso’s gaunt and colorless face. Suddenly she looked beautiful to me, peaceful. Letting go of her hand, I stood up and felt a piece of me die with her. The part of me that thought about graduation and boyfriends and children and old age. The part of me that had a future.

As I looked down at her, I said goodbye to the woman who had introduced me to my brother and as I stood up, I also said goodbye to the woman I would never have the chance to become.