Control (Book Seven) (Fated Saga Fantasy Series) (25 page)

Meghan
and Colin raced forward.

“What happ
ened?” she asked in a fury of bewilderment.

“You’re back,” Nona cried out.

“When you went into the spell, Colin,” explained Sebastien, “your protection cloak failed.”

Within a moment, Colin
had the cloak back in place. He‘d had no idea the cloak had dissolved the moment he went under. It angered him. There was so much he didn’t know about his own powers. Things he was messing up. And too many others were paying the price for his mistakes. “I need a minute,” Colin blurted, stalking away. This whole thing had gone all wrong. He felt his emotions getting the better of him and he needed to be alone. “No, what I need is Catrina,” he muttered miserably as he walked away.

Meghan felt tears welling up but fought them back.

“I’m assuming that was Jae that just flew away,” she said, barely audibly.

“Yes,” groaned
Ivan. Still on the ground, with Nona licking his shoulder, he gave in, laying down on the cold, hard ground. “He saved our lives,” he added. This gave him no comfort; Jae Mochrie was heading back into the clutches of Juliska Blackwell.

“How bad
ly are you guys hurt?” Meghan asked.

Sebastien pulled away his pant leg, exposing his wound. “It’s not de
ep. I’ll be fine. Ivan’s is worse.”

She knelt down and took a look. Nona’s face was covered in blood from trying to heal him. The wound was still bleeding and quite deep. She tried to hide her concern but a startled cry slipped out.

“It’s not so bad,” she insisted.

“I can see how bad it is,”
he replied. “I know it’s bad. Where’s Colby?” he asked, his voice weak.

“Um, I don’t know,” she answered honestly.

“Please tell me this was
not
all for nothing,” he asked emptily.

“
No, not for nothing and it’s good, and it’s bad,” she said.

Colin came striding back over. “Sorry. Sometimes I lose it a little and it takes me a minute to get myself back. Here, I can heal that,” he told Nona. She jumped down out of his way.

With the shake of a hand, Ivan’s wound started to heal; his separated skin seaming itself back together.

Colin healed
Sebastien’s leg next.

He then
repaired their torn clothes.

He even cleaned away the blood on Nona’s face.

He then turned and looked at Kanda Macawi’s destroyed home. He flicked his hands into the air and piece by piece, the house put itself back together. When the last piece was in place, he turned and rubbed his hands together. “Sadly, this is not the first time I’ve had to do that. Anything else need fixing?” He spoke as if the things he had just done were no big deal. Easy. Just another little thing he did that day.

Meghan looked away, afraid she’d give away how she felt.

She’s worried. Thinks I’m getting too powerful,
Colin thought to himself.
But I was just as helpless as anyone while in that memory. That won’t happen again...

Sebastien helped Ivan off the ground. For a long moment no one spoke. They had lost Jae. Again. They had almost lost their lives. Again.

After a few minutes of intense silence, Colin whispered, “Meghan,” with a knowing tone.

“Sorry, Colin. Just give me a few more minutes. You’re not the only one that needs to gather themselves. I know though. We need to go.”

Colin nodded and backed down.

“Where are we going?” asked Ivan.

“No
we
this time,” said Meghan.

“Of course, we,” argued Ivan.

“Sorry. This isn’t something any of you can help us with. In the memory, we saw exactly what happened to Aloyna Fazendiin. My father was the one who imprisoned her in the glass.”

The look of shock on their faces said it all.

“Aloyna fought alongside Jasper Thorndike, way back when the Grosvenor were created,” explained Colin. “Fazendiin killed his own father and Jasper and Aloyna were in love. They fought side by side. Aloyna fought against her son.”

“Wow,” said Sebastien. “Betting Colby didn’t take that
news well.”

“He refused to accept it. Stormed out of here the moment we got back,” said Meghan.

“I guess we know why Freyne wanted her freed,” said Ivan. “He knew she would do his dirty work for him. If she can take her son out of the picture...”

“It leaves room for Freyne to move up,” finished Meghan.

Colin’s eyes darkened at the thought of Freyne. “He won’t be moving anywhere if I can help it.”

Meghan did
her best to ignore the villainy she heard in his voice.

“Regardles
s, we did find out how to free her,” she said. “It will be just Colin and myself going. If Colby doesn’t help us, we will need to break into my father’s estate. You guys cannot be there for that. I don’t know what my father would do if he found you there. I don’t think he will hurt me though.”

“
I don’t like it,” said Ivan.

“Me
neither. But we have to do it,” replied Meghan.

“Why you?” asked Sebastien. “Colin
, couldn’t you do this alone?”

“Actually no, I can’t. I’d rather not put my sister’s life in jeopardy...” he was interrupted.

“You know, you guys seem to forget that I can’t be killed!” Meghan reminded them haughtily. “I might not be a Projector like Colin or Colby, but I’m still the child of an Immortal.”

Ivan stepped back, throwing up his hands in surrender. “
I still don’t have to like it. But try as I might, I can’t protect you every single minute of the day.” He let out a frustrated grunt.

Sebastien didn’t want to give in so easily. Meghan held up her hand before he could argue.

“The only way to free Aloyna is for someone from her bloodline to break the glass.”

“Oh,
” he replied, realizing he would have to give in.

“And just the two of u
s breaking in will be a lot less risky than the four of us breaking in.” Meghan heard a throat clear. “Oh, Nona, you’re automatically counted when I count myself.”

Nona purred her agreement.

“Actually,” started Colin. “I was hoping to ask another enormous favor of you, Nona.”

“You would like me to return to Catrina,
” she replied.

“I know this is a lot to ask, especially seeing as to what we’re about to do. I’m...” he couldn’t find the right words.
“I’m starting to break down a little. Catrina keeps me calm. And I’m basically feeling like I’m about to completely freak out! If I just knew that she wasn’t alone...”

“Say no more, Colin,” said Nona. “I can already sense that Meghan agrees to this. I will stay with her.”

“Thank you, Nona. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this. I know how hard it must be for you to leave Meghan.”

“It’s of no consequence.”

Meghan felt tears welling up again. There was the brother she knew.
But man! Why does everything make me want to cry!
It’s so stupid!

Nona heard her thoug
hts and replied, “I think that is called turning sixteen.”

“Perfect. Really perfect,” Meghan
sent back.

“
Nona,” said Ivan, “Before you leave, could we ask one more favor of you?”

She nodded yes.

“Would you mind taking Sebastien and myself back to the banished camp? If we’re not going to do any good here, we might as well join the fight there.”

“Of course. It will take but a moment.”

Sebastien threw a disgruntled look at Ivan, letting him know he was giving in too fast.

Meghan saw it, and though it gave her comfort knowing he wanted to stay with her, she ignored it. This was something she and Colin had to do together.

Meghan threw a fire out of her palm and onto the ground.

Ivan reached out and grabbed Meghan
’s shoulders, firmly.

“
Please be careful. I... I don’t want you to get hurt. Letting you out of my sight doesn’t feel right.”

“I will
be careful,” she promised. A smile cracked.

“What’s funny?” he asked.

“You. Being all concerned and stuff. You could make a sister think you care.”

He shook his head. “You don’t make it easy.”

“I will be careful,” she promised. “And I’ll find you just as soon as this is over.”

“Okay,” he sighed, joining Nona.

Sebastien turned to follow Ivan.

“
What? Not going to say goodbye?” Meghan asked him.

He spun around,
came back, leaned in and planted his cool lips straight on to hers.

The rest of the world vanished.

Seemingly screeching to a halt.

Her heart stuttered, skipping in stunned rhythm.

He let go and leaned into her ear. “Just so there’s no confusion about how I feel.”

He
rejoined Ivan and Nona.

Meghan was blind to their responses as they
vanished into the flame. She couldn’t find her voice. It had gone. Possibly never to return.

“You know you’re going to have to forgive him,” said Colin, grinning smugly.

She shrugged, still unable to find her voice.

“
Sebastien is obviously crazy about you. I know you used to have a wicked crush on him.”

“Colin, I don’t kno
w if it’s that easy,” she said, finally able to feel her vocal chords working again. “It’s just... it’s just as much as I like him, when I start to think about Sebastien, right after the
gee, he makes my knees buckle
is... disappointment. I’m angry. I know he was under orders from a crazy woman, but he hurt you. He knew Uncle Arnon was alive and he didn’t even try to let us know. I’m having a hard time getting past that.”

“Not to br
ing up other terrible subjects, but someone I know fairly recently did a few things I didn’t think I’d be able to get beyond either. But I have. And here I am, talking to her again.”

Meghan’s face fell.

“Let me put it this way, if Sebastien were the one being held captive right now, and not Catrina, would you fight this hard to free him?”

“Of course I would.
It’s Sebastien,” she replied without hesitation.

“Then there’s your answ
er, Sis. We’ve all made mistakes.”

Meghan had to fight off the water works again.
“You know, Colin, you are way too grown up for my liking right now.”

“Being on the run
will do that to you, I guess.”

“I miss this,” Meghan said
. “I miss us. Like this. Just talking.”

“I know. I do t
oo.”

“Just... just make me one promise, okay,” she pleaded.

“I’ll try.”

“Just promise me that no matter what,
and screw whatever the prophecy says, let’s never, ever battle each other.”

“I have no intention to battle you
. I don’t
want
to battle anyone. I don’t always like this power I’ve got,” he said. “Sometimes it makes me do things I might not normally do. But it will never make me hurt you.”

“Okay, so no k
illing each other,” she agreed, sniffling. “What do you say, shall we go free my grandmother?”

“Yeah,
” breathed out Colin. “Let’s go.”

She grasped his hand and
Colin magicked them just outside the gate to the Fazendiin estate.

Chapter 7

Ivan and Sebastien returned to the banished encampment only to find themselves in the middle of a hectic scene.
Dawn was coming, sun just starting to peek over the tree line.

“What’s going on?” asked Ivan
a young man, securing a belt filled with potions across his shoulder.

“
Preparing to confront Fazendiin. Take back the Stone.”

Ivan turned
wearily to Sebastien. “I guess we got back just in time.”

“Yeah. Looks that way. I’
m gonna go find my parents.”

“Yeah, um, before you go. One thing...” Sebastien cut him off.

“Don’t bother lecturing me, Ivan. I know one kiss isn’t going to change anything. I didn’t know how to express what it felt like to leave her. I needed her to know, though, just in case.”

“In case of what?”

“Look around, Ivan. What are the chances that we’re all getting through this alive? Maybe Meghan and Colin will, but the rest of us are mere mortals. Now’s the time to tell people what they mean to you, even if you do make a total fool of yourself.” Sebastien pointed at himself and then headed home.