Chapter Nineteen - Kassia
With the demise of the smaller demons, the bigger ones were coming out of the woods now. There were demon bulls and those giant beasts, like the one that had captured me. I rolled my eyes; they couldn’t have waited a few more minutes? I scanned the yard for Auralee; she was my only chance right now.
I spotted her staring at the demon bull with his big red eyes and steam like smoke coming out of his snout. Auralee! Her head shot up and she looked around until her eyes rested on me. Her jaw dropped. I need you to stop Zane. I don’t have time to explain right now. But it’s really me.
She nodded and ran to Zane’s side. As I focused on the bulls that were surrounding us, I could see Auralee struggling with Zane. The bulls were harder and took a few seconds longer, but down they went.
Zane saw the bulls die, and he let Auralee force his arm down to his side. He didn’t look away from me. I spun around where I stood, looking for any more immediate threats. I figured I had a minute, if that, to go to them.
I ran straight for Mira and threw my arms around her. Inhaling her sweet scent, I closed my eyes, and I was home. I pulled away a little bit and looked at her. She was still in some state of shock. “You’re dead…” she whispered.
“I was,” I said with tears streaming down my face.
She looked me right in the eyes like she was searching for something. I smiled, trying to comfort her. “It’s really you,” she breathed.
I nodded. “Yeah.”
Her knees buckled a little, and Zane caught her even though he was still clutching his dagger. She regained her balance and touched my face like she wasn’t sure if I’d disappear now. Tears filled her eyes, and she smiled back finally.
Vala and Ramsey approached quickly. “We don’t have time for explanations right now. We must go.”
“GO? Go where? You can’t leave!” Mira yelled.
“I need you and Auralee to come with me. It’s time to stop Kern,” I said firmly.
Before I turned to go, my eyes rested on Daxton, whose eyes were wide. I went to him quickly and pressed my lips against his. “I still love you,” I told him. Then I grabbed Mira and Auralee and hurried to catch up to Vala and Ramsey.
“Where is he?” I asked.
“Back there.” Vala pointed to an area heavily guarded by demons.
As we rounded the school, I noticed that this side of the school hadn’t fared as well. Demons were still attacking. I took a moment to find a good spot, focus on the demons, and kill them—hundreds at a time.
Once they were dead, I nodded to myself, satisfied. “It’s up to us to kill Kern,” I told Mira and Auralee. “Mira, I need you to compel him to put down whatever he’s holding. Auralee, I need you to read his mind. Signal to me by touching my shoulder when he’s at his weakest emotional and physical point.”
“Okay,” she said.
Coming up on more demons, Mira and Auralee positioned themselves to fight them. “Don’t worry about them.” In seconds, I had the first group dead.
“How did you…?” Mira stumbled on her words.
“Later,” I said, focusing on some more demons.
Ramsey pointed. “He’s up there. Remember what we taught you. We’ll take care of the remaining demons out here.”
The three of us slowly approached the woody area, killing demons as we went. Kern came into view quickly. Seeing him again sent the biggest shiver of all down my spine. I forgot how scary and evil he was. His dark eyes were wide. His mouth parted in surprise as his eyes settled on me. I smiled, knowing I had gotten the best of him even if just for a minute.
He quickly tried to hide his surprise and replace it with smugness. “Kassia…it’s so nice to see you again. I’m thrilled that you are…alive.” His words dripped with sarcasm. Looking behind me, he must have noticed that I had obliterated his army. “I see your powers have grown. It sure would be nice to have you on my side.” He took a step toward us. “Are you sure there is nothing I can do to convince you?” He flashed his gorgeous smile, making my body tremble again.
“No way in hell.”
“Too bad. We would have made a cute couple.”
With a wave of his hand, he sent the three of us flying backwards. He laughed as we stood back up and dusted ourselves off. He made a motion with his hand and giant demons came from behind him. I wasn’t sure if I should take down the demons or go after him. Something in me said to stay focused on him, so I did. He raised his hands, conjuring up a fierce wind.
I saw that he did indeed have something in his hand. Without moving, I began to use my gift. I didn’t want my body to give anything away, so I just started thinking of him hurting. I started off with a lower level of power and very gradually let it grow until he was rubbing his head. I nudged Mira, who thankfully snapped out of her trance-like look and said, “Kern, put down the thing in your hand.”
Kern laughed. “Like that’s going to work. Please.” He knocked us down again and stood over me. “We could have been so good together.”
“Not in a million years.”
“We were made for each other.”
My stomach turned cold. “There’s only one man for me, and it’s not you!”
I tried using my power, but he was pushing back somehow. “That won’t work!” he said as he ran up to me and kicked me in the ribs, causing me to cry out in pain.
Mira started to come to my aid, but I threw her a look and she backed off.
I pushed harder in my mind and Kern stumbled back a few steps, inadvertently giving us room to get up.
Knocking Mira and Auralee down a third time with a wave of his hand, he quickly grabbed me by the throat and shoved me against a tree before I was able to react. He held me firmly as I gasped for air. My lungs felt like they were on fire, but my eyes still functioned. I upped my power a little bit until he swayed and loosened his grip on my throat. He looked at me, bewildered.
“Mira,” Auralee uttered.
“Put the object in your hand down, Kern,” Mira ordered, and the cell phone dropped to the ground. He looked surprised that he had responded to her. Turning toward Mira, he waved his hand, throwing her back, her head hitting a rock as she fell.
Fury rose in me, and I stepped it up a notch, making him groan a little. “I don’t understand…” he muttered under his breath.
Auralee touched my shoulder, and I grabbed the dagger off my leg and jammed it into his chest. He yelled out in pain. I yanked it out and shoved it back in him. He screamed out again. One more time, in the heart, I reminded myself. I pulled the dagger out, and I looked him right in the eyes. “Go to hell,” I told him, and thrust the dagger into his heart as hard as I could.
He staggered backwards, gasping for air. He tried to take the dagger out, but I kicked him and he fell to the ground. I stood over him, his face a twisted mess of confusion. “How can you do this?”
I giggled a little. “Didn’t you know? I’m part angel!” Then I stomped on the dagger, driving it completely through his heart. I watched as he took his last breath and the life drained from his eyes.
Within seconds, Vala and Ramsey were next to me. “Well done.” Ramsey patted me on the back. I looked around for the other demons, but they were gone.
I rushed to Mira’s side. “Are you okay?” She had a cut near her temple and blood was dripping down from it.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
I sat down on the ground and looked around. All my hard training had paid off. Relief filled my body along with anxiousness. What was I supposed to do now? Was that it?
The way Vala looked at me sent another shiver down my back. “Kassia,” she said, “only this part is over. If you think Kern was the only evil creature in this world, wait until you see what’s coming. It’s a battle that’s gone on as long as life itself. Good versus evil. Kern was just a pawn in this battle. Don’t let your guard down, any of you. Keep training. Keep practicing.” She put her hand on my shoulder. “Remember I told you that you were special, that your time was coming?”
“Yes.” I nodded.
“This wasn’t it.”
“Oh.” Her words left an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“We will take care of Kern’s body. You can go enjoy your friends now.”
“What will you do with him?” I asked curiously.
“Burn him.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know what I had expected, but that wasn’t it.
I stood up and helped Mira to her feet. We took a step toward the school, and then I remembered something. “Wait. What about my parents?” I turned back, but Vala and Ramsey were gone. “Hmmm.”
The three of us walked back to the clearing. Daxton, Zane, and Noe were waiting for us. I looked beyond them and saw some people getting their injuries taken care of. Some were walking around looking dazed and confused. Unfortunately, others lay on the ground, unmoving. I estimated about twenty. My lip quivered. I hadn’t been able to save them all.
I ran to Daxton and gave him a proper reunion hug. His warm arms wrapped around my body, and I began to sob. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I’m just happy,” I muttered, looking up at him. “I’ve missed you, and I was scared you might have replaced me.”
He smiled. “I think it’s a little too early for that.”
“So you’re not with anyone else?”
“No.” He brushed my bangs away from my eyes with his fingers.
My heart leapt and I grinned. I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him fiercely. His hands held my face, and his soft lips played with mine. I pulled him against me, pressing our bodies together. My fingers dug into his shoulders, but nothing in me wanted to stop.
“Tell me,” I said, in between kisses, “that you still love me.”
He pulled away long enough to meet my eyes with his perfect brown and gold eyes. “I love you, Kassia. Now and forever.”
I smiled through my tears and began kissing him frantically again. The power in me rose, like it had done that night under the stars. We were whisked away to different dreamlands, each for only a second. When we were done, reality returned, and I buried my face in his chest. I could feel his heart racing, matching mine.
I turned to the rest of my friends. Mira was leaning against Zane. Looking at Zane, I said, “Thank you. I see you would have kept both of your promises.”
He blushed. “I wasn’t sure—”
“I know you weren’t. I appreciate it. You would have saved the day if it wasn’t me.”
“You’re the one that saved the day,” he said. “If it wasn’t for you, I don’t think we would have made it.”
“Thanks. You guys were doing pretty well without me.”
I hugged Noe. “You didn’t see anything?” I asked her.
“Of you? No. Not until I saw the battle. What I saw didn’t make sense, so I thought some of my own emotions were seeping in somehow.”
“I missed you, Noe.”
She smiled. “I missed you too.”
“And Auralee, thank you for being able to read minds. Not sure what I would have done with Zane if you couldn’t. “
She laughed. “Um…sure.” She hugged me. “I’m so glad you’re alive. Mira and Daxton were like little lost puppies.”
I looked over at Mira. “I missed you so much.” I swallowed hard.
She put her arms around me. “I missed you too.” We both had tears streaming down our faces. “Living without you was miserable.”
“I know. It was the same for me. I never want to go through that again.” Our eyes met. “You’re my best friend, Mira.”
“And you’re mine.” We hugged again. “Now, I want to hear what happened, including how you got so awesomely terrifying, but start with this whole being part angel thing.”
I laughed and started the long story of what had happened as the six of us walked back to the school arm in arm.
* * *
None of them noticed as a pair of red eyes watched from the forest.
* * *
Out now: Roots and Wings - Book Two of The Gifted Teens Series