Run To Earth (Power of Four) (33 page)

“Temptation?” It was Skyler who asked the question. “What are you getting at?”

“The vamages roam the human realm for what?” Sam asked, his voice tight with disgust. “They look for mages to turn or kill.” He looked over at Scott. “Or those who have the Trace.”

Scott’s eyes widened with realisation.

“If vamages pick up the Trace, they come for the kill.” Sam said. He held Scott’s horrified gaze before asking, “So why not use that to your advantage?”

21

Permission for Suicide

Complete silence met Sam’s words. Every eye was on the twins, trying to judge if they were serious or making a horrible joke. Aaron knew, though. He knew Sam meant every word. He could see it on him, thick as a coat, the sheer determination for revenge.

“I’m sorry.” Scott shook his head, blinking as if to clear his vision. “Did you just offer yourself up as
bait
?”

Sam stood tall. “We have the Trace,” he said quietly. “It pretty much ruined our lives, as did the vamages that killed our parents.” His eyes gleamed with rage. “So why not put that Trace to a good use?”

“Sam, Rose.” Aaron moved towards them. “A word?”

Without waiting for a response, he grabbed hold of Sam and Rose’s arms and guided them away from the table, hoping he was far away enough to evade the mages’ superior hearing. He turned to his friends with wide eyes. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“You know it’s a good plan,” Sam said. “Don’t deny it.”

“A good plan?” Aaron asked. “It’s a suicidal plan.”

“Vamages
killed
our parents,” Sam said. “If I can figure out a way to destroy those demons, then I’m doing it – with or without anyone’s help.”

Aaron turned to Rose. “You’re going along with this?” he asked incredulously.

“Actually, it was my idea,” she replied.

Aaron gaped at her in disbelief. “Your idea?” he repeated. “Rose, what’s got into you?”

“Nothing,” Rose replied, “I’ve just decided that we’re not helpless any more. We’re humans, we don’t have power of the elements or anything like that.” She reared her head up. “But we have the Trace and I’m choosing to use that as my power, not have it as a weakness.”

Aaron shook his head. “You’re not going anywhere near the vamages.”

Rose’s brow creased as her eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”

“You’re not going,” Aaron repeated.

“Aaron–” Sam started.

“No,” Aaron cut him off. “It’s too dangerous. I won’t let you.”

“You’re not going to
let
us?” Rose asked. “What you gonna do?”

“This has nothing to do with you, Aaron,” Sam said. “So stay out of it.”

Aaron stared at them, his lips pressed tightly together as his hands curled into fists.

“Nothing to do with me?” he asked. “You’re here in this mess because of me. I’m responsible, no matter what you say.” He held Sam’s gaze. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you – both of you.” He glanced to Rose. “I’m protecting you in any way I can, and if that means you get angry with me for ruining your plans for revenge, then that’s fine. I’d rather have you angry but still alive.”

Sam stepped closer to Aaron and put a hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have to protect us,” he said. “It’s always been the other way around, mate.”

“Help us, Aaron,” Rose said. “We’re doing this, one way or another. We’re not backing down. Don’t fight us; stand by our side.”

“Rose–” Aaron started with a shake of his head, but she stepped away, turning to walk back to the table. Aaron looked to Sam in desperation, “Sam, please.”

But Sam followed his sister back to Scott and the Hunters. Aaron hurried after them.

“So?” Rose asked Scott. “What do you think? Do we have an agreement?”

Scott and the Hunters had clearly been having a discussion of their own while Sam, Rose and Aaron were having theirs.

Scott cleared his throat. “There’s every possibility that your plan could work and taking out even a small fraction of Hadrian’s army is a tempting offer.” He closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. “But I’m sorry. The risks are too high. The Empaths don’t have the ability to heal you and you both could be fatally injured.”

“We understand that,” Sam said. “We understand all the risks and we’re okay with that.”

“You’re okay with putting Rose’s life at risk?” Aaron asked angrily.

“
Rose
can make her own decisions,” Rose said, shooting Aaron an annoyed glare. She turned to Scott. “Well?” she asked, ignoring the others.

“You maybe okay with risking your lives,” Scott said, “but I’m not.”

“We’re sixteen years old,” Rose argued. “You have Hunters that young, facing all sorts of demons.”

“They’re mages,” Scott pointed out. “They’ve trained to hunt and can handle themselves.”

“Just because we’re human doesn’t mean we’re useless.” Rose shot Skyler a sideways glance, as if challenging him to argue. “We can handle ourselves too.”

Scott shook his head. “I’m not comfortable sending you–”

“I think they should do it.”

Everyone stopped and turned to stare in absolute surprise at Skyler.

“What?” Scott asked, stunned that Skyler had agreed with a human.

“I think they should do it,” Skyler repeated. “They’re right. They have the Trace and we could use it against the vamages.”

“Skyler–” Scott started.

“I know it’s risky,” Skyler cut across him, “but we can take out the vamages, actually
destroy
them. Even if it’s one percent of Hadrian’s army, that’s better than nothing.” He nodded at Sam and Rose. “If they’re willingly offering themselves up, then why not?”

Scott looked back at Sam and Rose before glancing at Skyler. “We’ve never used humans as bait before.”

“Which is why the vamages will never see it coming,” Skyler pointed out.

Scott fell quiet, his eyes troubled. “You do have a point,” he said.

“Oh, come on!” Kyran slammed a hand against the table; the loud thwack caught everyone off guard. Kyran shot to his feet, blazing green eyes fixed on Scott. “You’re not seriously considering this?”

Scott glanced from Skyler to Kyran, looking very much in two minds. “I don’t know,” he said. “I can see the benefit of the plan but it’s too risky–”

“Damn right it’s too risky!” Kyran snapped.

“We’re talking about every vamage in the human realm being wiped out in a Q-Zone kill,” Skyler said.

“They’re
human
!” Kyran seethed. “We don’t use humans for bait. We protect them, we don’t endanger them!”

“You’re right,” Scott said, nodding. “Of course. It would be unethical to use them.”

“You’re not using us,” Sam argued. “We want to do this.”

“Kyran’s right,” Aaron jumped in. “Mages protect humans. If you let them risk themselves, you’re going against your own moral code.”

“Scott, don’t listen to them,” Skyler said.

“I think Kyran and Aaron are right,” Ella joined in. “It’s far too dangerous.”

“We’re doing this, one way or another,” Sam insisted.

“No, you’re not!” Aaron shouted.

“Enough!” Scott’s yell silenced everyone. He took in a breath and turned to look at Sam and Rose. “Give me time to consider your offer,” he said.

“Scott–!” Kyran started.

Scott held out a hand to quieten Kyran, as he continued to speak to the twins. “I will decide if it’s worth the risk or not. If I can come up with a way to have you there and keep you safe at all times, then and only then will you be allowed to do this.”

Sam and Rose didn’t say anything but nodded.

Skyler smirked. “You need permission from an Elemental and the Controller to go on any kind of a hunt,” he said. “Scott will give you his decision, but I’m giving you mine right now.” His eyes sparkled with excitement. “See you at the hunt, Shattereds.”

***

The clang of metal hitting metal was ringing in the air. Aaron’s breathing was laboured, his arms aching with the weight of the heavy steel sword that he had to hold up to block Kyran’s relentless attack.

“Focus, Ace,” Kyran called. “You’re not paying attention.”

The force of Kyran’s strike had Aaron stumble backwards, his hand smarting with pain as the impact reverberated from the sword into his hand and up his arm.

“I beg to differ,” he panted. “If I wasn’t paying attention, I would be cut in two by now.”

Kyran smirked and twirled his sword. “You’re not hit because I’m not aiming to hit you, genius,” he said. “You’re barely defending yourself.”

Another strike, a
nd Aaron’s cramping arms lifted the sword up to block it.

“Yeah...” he puffed, “...right!”

Kyran paused, his eyes narrowed. He twisted his sword once more and slashed at him. Aaron barely managed to block in time, gasping as the blows came harder and faster. He backed away, holding his sword out, doing what he could to protect himself from the furious attack. Kyran got near enough to kick Aaron’s feet from under him. With a thud, Aaron fell to the hard ground, his sword knocked from his hand. The tip of Kyran’s sword rested on Aaron’s chest.

“What do you have to say now, Ace?” Kyran smirked.

Aaron pushed the sword away with his hand and got up. “I need a break,” he said, stumbling over to the low wall to rest against it.

“This is your problem,” Kyran said. “You have no stamina.”

“We’ve been training for three hours non-stop,” Aaron said, exhaustively plopping to the ground. “Give me five minutes to catch my breath.”

Kyran shook his head at him, but didn’t say anything. He sheathed his sword and came to sit on top of the wall.

“Kyran?” Aaron started after a few silent minutes. “Do you think Scott will give Sam and Rose permission?”

Kyran didn’t answer right away. “I don’t know,” he replied, a tinge of annoyance lacing his voice. “Under normal circumstances it would be a definite no. But the way things are going, Scott might just be desperate enough to say yes.”

Aaron twisted around to look up at Kyran, squinting against the bright sun. “He would risk their lives?”

“To take out vamages?” Kyran asked. “Yeah, I think he would.”

Aaron looked to the ground, and his frantically racing heart skipped a beat. “If they go to a Q-Zone hunt, then I’m going with them,” he said.

Kyran snorted. “Yeah, right.” He smirked. “You don’t know the first thing about hunting and you want to go to a Q-Zone hunt?”

Aaron glared up at him. “If Sam and Rose go then I’m going with them,” he stated. “Skill or no skill, I’m not sitting back while my friends set off on a suicide mission.”

“So you reckon it’s better to assist them?” Kyran asked.

“If I can’t stop them, I’ll go with them and do what I can to protect them.”

Kyran shook his head at him. “You can barely protect yourself.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Aaron said.

Kyran fell quiet. His green eyes studied Aaron from top to bottom, almost as if he was considering Aaron for something. He stood up.

“Come on,” he said. “I’m going to show you something.”

Holding back a groan, Aaron pulled himself onto his feet. “What is it?”

“A classic move.” Kyran said. “Very useful.”

He held out his hands, shoulders dropped and feet planted. Taking in a deep breath, Kyran pulled back, bringing his elbows closer to his sides before extending both hands out, as if pushing an imaginary foe.

A ripple went through the ground, cracking it and marking it in a strange pattern of semicircles arranged in a straight line. The ripple reached a lone tree and blasted it out from the ground. The tree spun in the air before crashing back down.

Kyran turned to look at Aaron with a smile. “You learn this and you can make sure no one gets near you, Sam,” his eyes gleamed in the sunlight, “or Rose.”

***

Aaron practised all day. He worked well into the night but he couldn’t get the ripple to extend out like Kyran’s had. The most he could do was shake the ground under him slightly.

“I don’t get it.” He complained as he and Kyran made their way to the table for dinner. “I managed to crack open the ground to stop that car. Why can’t I do this?”

“That was different,” Kyran said. “That was an instinctual reflux action. It just happened. This is a conscious act.” He smirked. “So since you actually have to
think
about it, it’s no surprise you can’t–”

“Alright, alright,” Aaron grumbled. “Give the insults a rest.”

Kyran obediently fell quiet.

Aaron walked a few steps before he suddenly froze. Turning around with wide eyes, he asked, “How do you know about my reflux? I never told anyone that.”

“Your dad told Drake.” Kyran shrugged. “Word gets around.”

“Drake told you?” Aaron asked with disbelief. Drake hardly spoke to anyone. He didn’t even seem that friendly with Kyran. The entire time Aaron had been here, he’d seen them speak once.

“Drake mentioned it to Mary,” Kyran explained. “Like I said, word gets around.”

They started walking again. Aaron shot Kyran a curious look. “How is it you know how to do that ground ripple thing?” he asked. “I thought your power was Air.”

“It is Air,” Kyran confirmed. “Just because I can use the power of Air doesn’t mean I can’t use the other elements to a basic extent.” He elaborated for Aaron. “A mage usually has one particular power that comes easily to them. Their skill is nowhere near the complete power of an Elemental, but it’s their strong point.” He held a hand to his chest. “I have an affinity with Air, it’s the power I’m naturally good at, but I’ve trained to use other elements too.”