Within These Walls

Life After Dark: 18 (WTW Sequel)

Silence. Then Jones mumbles something.

"What?" Marcus snaps, his chest rising and falling even more rapidly.

"It wasn't chemistry. It was physics."

Marcus's features contort with rage. I watch, mesmerized, as he spins toward the van and thrusts out the palm of his right hand. A rush of violent energy slams into the side of the van, rocking it and then upturning it. The open hood goes flying off as the vehicle skids off the road and lands in a ditch.

Marcus turns to Jones and holds out his hand again.

"Whoa, dude," Jones says, stumbling back. His legs are quaking and he huddles into himself like he's trying to brace himself against Marcus's power.

"Marcus!" Willow shouts.

His eyes are dark and full of volatile emotions that, with one miscalculated step, will be completely unleashed. In what seems like a herculean effort to prevent that from happening, he veers away from us and stumbles into the smattering of hedges, descending a slope that leads to a barren field with clumps of grass.

"Asshole," Jones mutters, straightening his jacket as he stares after him. "I hope when I get my power, it makes me stronger than him. Then we'll see how he likes being pushed around."

"Jones, it doesn't matter if you get your hands on a nuclear warhead," Pablo responds jovially as he strolls over to the overturned van, like what just happened is barely shocking enough to warrant a reaction. "You're going to be a little bitch no matter what."

Marcus is a human-shaped speck in the distance before he disappears into a cluster of trees. I watch the spot as the others wriggle their belongings out of the van, waiting for him to reappear. There's a tremendous weight sitting on my chest. I should be getting more confidence with each memory, but instead I feel more ineffectual than I did the moment I opened my eyes.

Now I know I didn't push Marcus away for his own good. Not even my own.

I don't notice I've started moving until Janie calls to me.

"April, don't."

Her words draw the others to us. They circle us as Janie intercepts my path and lays a gentle hand on my shoulder to stop me. I can't help but notice how quick they were to block me from getting to Marcus, even Jones. They're protecting Marcus from me.

"Grab your pack," Janie adds, dropping her restraining hand. "There's a town up ahead. We'll have an early breakfast, get a motel room for the day while we figure out a new ride. Marcus will join up with us once he cools off. He just needs some time to himself."

Marcus threatens to erupt and we avoid him until he's back to normal? I push him away and hurt him viciously in the process and no one bats an eyelash? Is this so normal for us that there's a plan in place for it?

"I need to go to him."

The surprise on her face tells me she didn't expect me to say that. Her expression quickly hardens into resolve. "No. Not like this."

"You don't have the power to tell me no," I lash out, starting to breath way harder than I should. I close my eyes for a moment and try to clear my lightheadedness away without them sensing that I'm still unstable and completely unfit to face Marcus head-on in this condition.

I have to try. I may have acted like I didn't care before, hence Janie's surprise over my insistence now, but I'm not that person anymore. Marcus deserves better than this.

She quirks an eyebrow, a glint in her amber eyes. "You sure about that?"

"Get out of my way, Janie."