Immortal Grave (27 page)

The flash of Shannon’s dark hair was the only warning Ree had before her short sword embedded in the girl’s chest, knocking her back into Tristan. For a long second, it was as if the entire world had gone silent. Every hair on Ree’s body stood up and her heartbeat echoed in her ears.

“Why?” Tristan clutched Shannon to him, shaking his head, a dark bloody tear falling from one eye.

“Love you.” Shannon’s words were so soft, Ree could barely make them out, even with her enhanced hearing. Her heart stopped the moment the last word left her lips and Tristan’s roar of rage matched the outburst of cold energy that washed out of his body. It was similar to what Ree held, but cold and dead. The most shocking feeling was the complete and utter grief that came from her brother’s hunched form, and the realization that if he could grieve it meant he could feel love.

Paden slid back along the stage and grabbed Ree’s hand. His fingers squeezed hers as they scrambled to not fall off the edge. Paden’s wide green eyes met hers, and she knew exactly what he was thinking. She didn’t know where that burst of energy had come from either.

Tristan was brushing the hair away from Shannon’s face, his bloody tears falling on her pale skin. Michael moved into view, his expression one of disgust as he looked at Tristan. Tristan seemed to feel his old friend’s eyes on him, because he looked up at Michael and growled. Laying Shannon down, he stood and was on Michael faster than Ree could follow. With a savage yank, he pulled Michael’s head from his shoulders and threw it across the room, where it trailed ashes in its wake.

“Tristan!” Della’s voice cut through the room. Roland was kneeling next to her, a sharp piece of wood lodged in his side. Ree’s heart hammered in her chest as she felt for her friends. They were all alive, but hurting. She couldn’t help them because Tristan’s rage had shifted back to Ree. His dark eyes bored into hers, and she knew that there was no stopping the fight now.

“Loki!” Della’s voice cut through Ree’s bones. Melanie jumped onto the stage and made her way to Roland. He pulled the wood from his side with a gasp and sat back on his heels, shaking his head a little.

“Oh, this has been much better than I thought it would be!” Loki’s laugh made Ree want to crawl away, and the hairs on her body vibrated with disgust.

“You’re supposed to be on our side now, god!” Green splattered out of Della’s mouth as she snarled.

“I’m a god of chaos. That doesn’t change no matter who I’ve aligned myself with.” Loki’s voice was chiding. Melanie looked at Roland before yanking the sword out of Della’s chest. Quick as lightning, she loped the original Dark One’s head from her shoulders and quickly turned to drive the sword back through the very center of her heart. Della’s body didn’t disintegrate like the others. Instead of a fine ash, or even the gooey ash of a freshly fed Dark One, her body seemed to age. All of her long years ran over her body, turning her alien beauty into something from a crypt. Her screeching howl was an eerie accompaniment to her painful demise.

Tristan picked up his sword as he advanced and Ree stood, bringing her own to the front. Paden rose next to her, pulling the knife out of his leg and tossing it to the side. She could feel him vibrating with tension. Ree listened to the instincts she had inherited from Sophie and ran at her brother. This was no time to be on the defense. His blows jarred Ree’s arms and her muscles strained to not let him get the upper hand.

“This will be decided by the two of them.” The flash of Loki’s power surrounded Ree and Tristan, his voice laughing as he kept everyone else from interfering. Paden’s angry voice beat at the shield, but Loki only laughed.

Tristan never acknowledged the shield; his sole intent was killing Ree. She fought with everything she had, never stopping, even when she thought her arms would fail. With each blow she received, she was reminded that Sophie had barely survived an attack from Tristan. Blow after blow weakened her arms until she was certain they would fall off of her body. Her legs shook with the effort to keep up. The pain and hate coming from her brother was almost enough to choke her, despite the effort she put into blocking. It was almost as if there was some connection linking them; some kind of blood or magical tie.

Ree stepped back, her foot slipping in some of Shannon’s blood. It was the smallest moment, the tiniest loss of concentration, and Tristan’s sword slashed across her hip as she scrambled to get her footing. Paden’s howl of rage and fear made Ree’s soul shake as she looked up into Tristan’s eyes. His backhanded strike lifted her from her feet and sent her careening into the shield. Her sword flew from her hand and landed feet away. The flash of Loki’s energy seemed like fireworks to Ree as she tried to shake her brother’s strike off.

Tristan advanced, his eyes set on Ree. As she tried to skirt along the edge of the shield, she slipped on the blood from her hip and thigh and had to catch herself with her hands. Her fingers touched something hard and she grasped it between her blood-soaked fingers like it was the key to a very important lock.  Standing up, Ree looked at Tristan and a feeling of calm settled in the pit of her stomach.

Chapter Thirty

“I love you, Tristan.” She threw Michael’s knife as hard as she could, but before it had even hit her brother, she pulled as much power as she could and let it follow the blade. The knife stuck between his ribs, but it wasn’t a killing blow. However, the impact had been enough to surprise him so he didn’t sense Ree gathering the power. His head flew backward and she pushed with all of her might. There in the center of his chest was a shining sliver of soul, wrapped tightly in dark bands of hate. Whether all of the magical blood had breathed life back into his soul, or if it had never been wholly snuffed out, Ree didn’t care.

The realization that her brother was not completely lost almost destroyed Ree’s concentration. She grabbed at that tiny little piece of soul and fed all of the power she could into it, it was like trying to feed a dying child. That tiny little piece of soul twisted and turned, fighting for itself, trying to be free. She dropped to her knees with the effort, so tired she could barely see straight, but Paden’s voice reached her ears.

“Me, Ree. Take from me.” Her friends’ voices joined Paden’s and she did as they said. She reached out toward them and Loki’s shield shattered around Ree. It didn’t stand a chance when she made up her mind. All of their energies called to her, but her eyes stayed on her brother’s glowing form. Paden’s fingers closed on her shoulders and she felt his energy pour into her body. Through him, Ree grabbed at her other friends’ energies, but it still wasn’t enough.

Tristan writhed where he was held; his eyes glued to Ree’s face. Ree did the only thing she could think to do and pulled from the strongest sources in the room. Ares and Loki were like never-ending pools of energy and Ree’s body convulsed with the power she channeled from the gods into her brother.

Ares’s roar barely registered with Ree, but she felt his hate and anger as he tried to attack her friends. She felt the moment he called his remaining energy, no longer caring if the other gods found him. Ares threw a bolt of power at Ree and her friends, his attack meant to distract. Closing her eyes, Ree simply pulled that energy into herself as well. Fire ran over her body and she felt when Paden was pushed away. Her body lifted from the floor, her feet dangled above the ground. Loki’s amused laughter had changed into something inhuman as he howled in shock and rage. In his need to cause chaos, he had missed just how at risk he truly was. She pulled and pulled from the gods, taking everything from them, even the energy that animated their cells. She drew until there was no more, directing every little bit of energy she could at the growing piece of Tristan’s soul.

The blue glow spread out over his body, wrapping him in an embrace of light. Something shifted in his face, the cruel mask disappearing, replaced by the face of an exhausted teenager. He opened his eyes, all traces of black gone. Real tears ran down his face and blood poured from where the knife was lodged in his chest. He fell to his knees the moment Ree released her power and let him.

“TRISTAN!” Ree’s feet were moving by the time they hit the floor. She fell to her brother’s side and cradled his head in her lap.

“Ree.” He coughed, blood coming from his mouth which she quickly brushed away.

“Paden!” Ree didn’t look away from Tristan. For the first time in years, she was looking at her brother and she didn’t want to lose one second. “Please, Trist. Hang on. Hang on.”

Paden’s hands moved toward his friend’s chest, but Tristan batted him away with one hand. “No.”

“Tristan. You’re hurt. Paden can help you.” Ree’s tears ran down her face and she grabbed Tristan’s hand but he tried to pull away. “Stop it! I can’t lose you again. Not again, Tristan. I’ve missed you. Mom has missed you so much.”

“No.” Tristan stopped fighting Ree and squeezed her fingers instead. “I’m sorry. Tell mom and dad.”

“Please, Tristan.” Ree’s body shook with sobs, her words barely coming out.

“No crying, sis.” Tristan coughed, but smiled a little. “My choice.”

“Ree.” Paden touched her shoulder, but she shook him off.

“No! Heal him! He doesn’t understand!” Ree shook Tristan as his eyes drifted closed. “Wake up, Tristan.”

“It’s over, Ree.” Tristan’s words were a whisper. “Thank you.”

“I love you, Tristan!” Ree shook, her head bowed over her brother.

“Love you.” He never opened his eyes and his heart stuttered on the last word. The grief hit Ree so hard she lost control of the power and everyone was pushed away from where she sat, holding her brother. No one said a word while she sobbed, her body shaking as she unleashed every bit of pain she had locked up.

Finally, someone pulled Tristan’s body out of Ree’s hands. She fought them, pushing at his shoulders and smacking at his hands. Roland touched her face to get her attention. She looked up at him through blurry eyelashes, not sure what he wanted.

“Let go of the power, Ree.” Roland brushed the hair back from her face. “There are a lot of people here that want to hold you.”

Ree looked around her, surprised to see the rippling energy that had kept everyone else at bay. Taking a deep breath that ended on one of those awful hiccups, she let go of the power. Paden was beside her instantly. Sliding an arm under her legs and the other around her shoulders, he pulled her against his chest. Melanie slammed into them both, her arms wrapping around Ree as best she could.

“You did it, Ree.” Melanie’s strained voice reached Ree’s ears, but she didn’t really understand. Tristan had died. “You did it, Ree. I’m so sorry about Tristan, but you did it.”

Ree struggled in Paden’s arms so he would set her down. He put her on her feet but kept an arm wrapped around her waist. Ree hugged Melanie and absorbed what her friend was telling her. The war was over. Her eyes darted over her friends and knew tears were welling in her eyes. They had all made it. There was blood, and wounds that would heal with time, but they were all alive. They were the last ones standing.

The thunder claps announcing the arrival of gods made Ree jerk against Paden’s chest. Every nerve ending in her body felt raw, her heart and brain weak from overload. She looked over to where Athena stood with several gods Ree didn’t recognize, and then over to where Brigid stood next to Hecate.

“I told you they had been dealt with.” Athena kicked at the pile of ashes at her feet with disgust. “The evidence.”

“This was your doing?” Zeus’s voice made Ree’s heart rate accelerate. He was a tall man, wearing a business suit that hugged his muscular body.

“By my command.” Athena didn’t look remotely bothered. “I told you I would not suffer a traitor, Father.” She sniffed as she looked over to the other pile of ashes. “Much less two.”

“This is finally over then?” A man with bright yellow hair asked from where he stood next to Zeus.

“Yes, Apollo. The children have saved our planet.” Hecate’s voice rang through the auditorium.

Zeus looked over at them as if just realizing they were there. “Good job, then.”

Just as quickly as they came, they disappeared. Brigid and Hecate lingered just a moment longer. Hecate winked at them and Brigid offered a small smile, but they, too, left quickly and without any more words. Roland ripped off part of the curtain hanging from the rafters and placed it over Tristan’s body. He scooped up Ree’s brother’s body and nodded at her.

“I really want out of here.” Ree looked at Paden.

“I second that.” Weylin limped toward the stairs for the stage.

“What about the Dark Ones? Where did they all go?” Ree looked about the room, not sure if there was enough dust and ash to make up all of the monsters that had been trying to kill them.

“They ran the moment you broke through the shield.” Bryce squeezed Ree’s shoulder as they made their way down the hall. “We couldn’t leave you there to follow.”

“Don’t worry, we picked off some for you.” Niall was standing just outside of the broken doors to the school.

There, in the pink hues of the coming morning sky, the remaining Guardians who had come to Savannah with her friends waited on the stairs. They all looked tired, a little battle worn, but in far better shape than anyone who had been in the school.

“Thank you.” Ree shot Niall a half smile.

“I think we should be thinking you, Alastriana.” Met nodded her head at the school. “You sure did put on a hell of a light show.”

“What do you mean?” Ree looked at the Guardian in confusion.

“The night sky lit up like the aurora borealis when you did whatever you did in there.”

“Oh.” Ree blinked. The sound of sirens in the distance, made Ree sigh.

“I guess we’re still on the wanted list.” Weylin shook his head.

“Probably.” Bryce smiled.

“We kept them busy for as long as we could.” Magda said. She was sitting on the low wall next to the steps.

Some of the Guardians had commandeered vehicles and there was plenty of room for the ride back to the boats. Ree leaned against Paden, still too conflicted to feel relief at having finished the biggest task she had ever been given. Deep in her soul was an ache that nothing but time would heal.