Run To Earth (Power of Four) (36 page)

“You laid a trap?” asked the one at the front, with cold blue eyes and a twisted snarl. “For us? You worthless mages think you can get the better of
us
?” With a growl, the vamages darted towards them.

Ryan raised both hands and a line of fire erupted in front of them. Ryan clutched at his pendant as he ushered Sam, Rose and Aaron behind him.

“I’m outnumbered!” he said. “Ten vamages outside the wall. I need help!”

The vamages raised their own hands and Ryan’s fire fizzled away. With a sickening smile, the vamages took aim, ready to use their powers. Hunters, a whole crowd of them, jumped out of the shimmering wall and to Ryan’s side. Each and every Hunter used only their powers now, since they no longer had the walls of the Q-Zone to silence their gunshots. Aaron pulled Sam and Rose to the side, out of the way, watching as the Hunters used their powers and blades to fight the vamages, edging them closer and closer to the wall, trying to push them into the Q-Zone.

In the chaos, Rose pulled Sam’s arm, moving back a few steps.

“Come on,” she said. “We have to go home.”

“What?” Sam asked in surprise.

“Mum and dad, they’re in there – their echoes,” Rose tried explaining. “They’re in there, Sam. Come on, we have to go.”

“Rose?” Sam pulled back, staring at her in shock. “What’re you talking about? There’s no one there. You know that.”

“No.” Rose shook her head. “Armana told me. They’re there. They leave behind echoes. Come
on.
”

Sam shook his head, looking at her as if she were mad.

“Rose, no,” Aaron held onto her. “We have to stick together, stay next to–”

“No!” Rose yanked herself out of his grasp. “I have to see them!” She took off, running in the direction of her former house.

“Rose!” Sam darted after her.

“Sam! Rose!”
As Aaron started running after them he saw a vamage break away from his fight with the Hunters and turn to look at Sam.

A heartbeat later, the vamage had torn his way across the road and leapt at Sam, knocking him to the ground. A rumbling started, shaking the ground. The vamage’s sharp, claw-like nails hadn’t yet dug into Sam’s back when he was thrown across the road. Sam looked up, dazed and confused as to what had just happened. He saw the broken ground, a strange line of semicircles leading all the way back to Aaron, whose hands were still held out in front of him, green eyes wide with fear and panic. Sam held his gaze, swallowing heavily.

The vamage that had been thrown across the street by the ripple skidded across the ground before falling still. He got up on all fours, breathing like a wounded animal. His glowing yellow eyes rested on Aaron and he suddenly smiled, baring his fangs.

“Adams,” he breathed.

Aaron held his ground, dilated eyes fixed on the vamage. His power had given away his identity. The vamages could obviously pick up the scent of Elemental power in Aaron’s strike. The other nine vamages stopped and turned, hungry eyes on Aaron too. As one, they darted towards him, pushing past the Hunters.

Aaron’s gun was in his trembling ha
nd. He tried to take aim at the approaching vamages, but before Aaron even slid back the rack, Kyran stepped directly in front of him. With a pistol in each hand, Kyran fired bullet after bullet into the vamages.

Sam clambered back to his feet but before he could run down the darkened street, Ryan had grabbed him.

“No!” Sam struggled. “Let go of me. Rose!” he screamed into the night. “Rose!”

“Sam, no.” Ryan shook him forcefully. “We don’t know if the area’s safe. There could be more vamages hiding. I can’t let you go off on your own.”

“My sister’s there!” Sam cried, fighting to get free. “Rose!” Sam cried desperately as Ryan dragged him back. “Rose! ROSE!”

***

Rose ran, refusing to stop and look back. At this particular moment she didn’t care who was yelling after her or even what was chasing her. She ignored everything and everyone. She had to get back home. She had to see her parents again.

She got to the gate of her home and swung it open, racing down the path. She ducked under the yellow tape covering the doorless entrance to the house. The moment she stepped inside the darkened house, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

“MUM!”

She ran into the middle of the hallway, panting and struggling to keep the hot tears at bay.

“DAD!” she howled.

She ran to the kitchen, swinging the doors open, searching for her parents. “MUM! DAD!” she cried over and over, running from one room to the next. “No, no, no – you have to be here!” she called as tears of pain and anguish tracked down her cheeks. “MUM?” she screamed again, her voice cracking. “No,” she cried, her hands in her hair. “No, please, please be here, please!” Her whole body shook with sobs. “Mum! Dad!”

She turned and knocked into someone. Strong hands grabbed her before the collision threw her to the floor. Deep green eyes, clouded with worry as well as anger, met hers.

“What are you
doing
, Rose?” Kyran demanded, his voice raw with rage. “Didn’t you hear me shouting after you?”

“Kyran,” Rose gasped. “Kyran...My mum and dad...” She pointed to the stairs. “They...They’re here. Their echoes – they’re here!”

Understanding flooded Kyran’s features and the ire in his eyes melted away. He looked up at the stairs and his jaw clenched. He looked at her.

“Rose–”

“No, they’re here!” Rose insisted. “Armana told me. She...she said echoes are left behind. I have to see them. I
have
to see them, Kyran.” Her hands were in the folds of his coat and she clutched at him in desperation, her vision blurred by tears. “I have to see my mum and dad again. I have to talk to them. I have to tell them I’m sorry–!”

“Rose,” Kyran called a little louder. “Rose, listen. Listen.” His hands cupped her face, stilling her. Slowly, he shook his head. “Rose,” he breathed her name in a whisper. “Echoes don’t work like that.”

“No–” Rose made to struggle but Kyran’s warm hold quietened her again.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “but echoes are just glimpses. You can’t talk to them. You can’t even see them for longer than a heartbeat. Echoes don’t interact with you. They
can’t
.” His expression was one of complete sorrow. “I’m sorry, Rose, but there’s a chance you might not even see them.” His thumb caressed her wet cheek. “I’m sorry.”

Rose broke down. Her sorrow, bottled up for so long, came out all at once. She sagged in Kyran’s arms, crying against his chest. Kyran held her close, his presence a strange warmth, melting the icy clutch of her anguish.

***

Using the force of their powers, the Hunters had managed to knock the ten vamages through the wall of the Q-Zone. Sam had his back turned to the wall, his eyes on the street, searching for any sign of Kyran bringing back his sister. Ryan hovered around him, watching him, ready to grab him if he had the slightest notion of heading into the street. Aaron was by Sam’s side, but he was watching the wall as, one by one, the Hunters jumped out of the Q-Zone. They stood lined against the front of the shimmering wall, waiting for their fellow Hunters to come out. Sometimes it was a vamage that managed to escape past the crowd of Hunters still inside. That’s when the mages waiting outside pushed them back in, using everything from fireballs to blasts of air.

“
Five minutes to go,
” Scott’s voice echoed in Aaron’s head. “
Move out! Get out of the zone!
”

Most of the Hunters were out by now, standing around the shimmering veil that was the entrance of the Q-Zone, ensuring no vamage made their escape.

“
Four minutes.
”

“Is Scott going to do the full countdown?” Aaron asked.

“Sometimes,” Zhi-Jiya said, her eyes watching the wall. “But he doesn’t have to. You can hear a small tick when the forty minutes are up. The zone collapses exactly ninety seconds after the tick.”

“Ninety seconds?” Aaron asked. “What’s the point of that?”

Zhi-Jiya grinned. “You’d be surprised with what you can do in ninety seconds.” She winked at him. “As long as you know what you’re doing.”

Ella finally leapt out, shortly followed by Skyler. Every time a dark figure shadowed the veil, Aaron’s heart jumped into his mouth as he wondered if it was a Hunter or a vamage trying to get out.

“
Two minutes left
.” Scott’s worried voice sounded in Aaron’s head. “
Come on, Zulf, get out!
”

Almost instantly, Zulf jumped out, landing gracefully with pistol in one hand and sword in the other.

“That was fun!” He grinned.

Now that there were no Hunters left inside the Q-Zone, there was no one left to stop the vamages from getting out. The Hunters had to keep up the blasts of power, to keep pushing back the dark shadows that were trying to escape past the wall.

“Rose was going on about echoes,” Sam said quietly, making Aaron turn around. “She said Armana told her that our parents would still be there in our house. Why would she say that if it wasn’t true?” A faint hope lit his eyes. “Aaron, you reckon they’re really there?”

“Sam,” Aaron started, but from the corner of his eye, he saw a dark figure jump out of the wall, finding a crack of space between the Hunters’ jolts of power to squeeze through.

In all happened in the blink of an eye. The moment the vamage landed past the wall, he let out a guttural cry and slammed a hand to the ground. The blow cracked the ground, spreading like a ripple and threw the Hunters off their feet.

Sam, Aaron and Ryan were the only ones left standing, being at a distance from the wall of the Q-Zone. The vamage turned, his hunger evident in the dark irises of his eyes. He leapt at Sam with a growl.

“Sam!” Aaron pushed him out of the way.

The vamage growled and threw out his hand, blasting Aaron and Ryan off their feet. They hit the pavement with painful thuds. The vamage turned to Sam, who had no choice but to run. The vamage darted after him, howling with rage. Aaron pushed himself to sit up, just in time to see Sam running, head on towards the wall of the Q-Zone.

“Sam, wall!” Aaron cried.

Sam stopped and ducked, just as the Hunters sent out a simultaneous attack, catching the vamage and propelling him face forward, through the wall and into the Q-Zone.

Panting, Sam stood up, facing the wall he couldn’t see before turning to look at Aaron.

“Man,” he breathed, “that was clos– ”

Two hands pierced out of the wall and grabbed him.

“SAM!” Aaron screamed as his best friend was pulled into the Q-Zone. “NO!”

Aaron scrambled to his feet and ran. Without a moment’s pause, Aaron jumped into the Q-Zone after Sam. Just as he passed through the wall, he heard something beyond the shouts for him to stop – a small ticking sound, signalling the end of the forty minutes and the start of the collapse.

23

Saying Goodbye

The first thing to overwhelm Aaron the moment he landed in the Q-Zone was how badly the ground was shaking. The second was seeing his best friend being dragged by a vamage.

“Sam!” Aaron cried and raced towards him.

Lifting up his gun, Aaron shot three rounds. None of them hit the vamage but they distracted him long enough to stop and look up. He released his hold on Sam and straightened up before aiming a jolt of power at Aaron. At once, Aaron dropped his gun and held up his hands, catching the jolt and sending it right back at the vamage. The jolt hit the demon, throwing him across the ground to crash to the shaking floor.

“
Aaron! What are you doing!
” Scott’s furious voice rang in his head. “
Get out! Now!
”

Ignoring him, Aaron ran to his friend’s side. “Sam!” Aaron gasped in horror at the sight of several cuts leaking blood down his shirt.

“I’m alright,” Sam groaned, looking a little dazed as he sat up. “I’m alright.”

“
AARON! GET OUT!
” Scott cried in his mind.

Aaron pulled the silver chain over his head and threw it aside. He could do without the screaming in his head right now. He helped Sam to his feet.

The zone collapses exactly ninety seconds after the tick.

Zhi-Jiya’s words came back to him. He had only ninety seconds. Ninety seconds to get himself and Sam out, otherwise both of them would die along with the sixty or so vamages trapped inside.

The shaking ground didn’t help matters as Aaron fought to stay upright and run at the same time. His panicked, fleeting glances took in the vamages. They were ignoring them; too busy trying to claw their way past one another to get to the glowing wall. But every time they got near enough to pass through, a jolt of power caught them, throwing them back.

Aaron was almost at the exit with Sam when the ground cracked under his feet and fell away. Aaron just about managed to stagger back. The ground broke and fell into a frighteningly dark abyss. Large chunks of the street began to crumble and fall away, taking the vamages with it. The zone had started its collapse.

“Sam!” Aaron yelled, so he could be heard over the howls and cries of the vamages. “We’re gonna have to jump!”

Sam nodded, looking rather pale. The ground on either side crumbled and fell away, narrowing the space so Aaron was forced to step behind Sam. Moments later, the ground before Sam fell away, pushing both boys further back. Aaron judged the distance between them and the wall. It was too far away.

“I’m sorry, Sam,” he said.

Before the other boy could say a word, Aaron pushed both hands out. The ground, already greatly weakened, cracked as the ripple shot across it. The powerful jolt caught Sam and pushed him, propelling him through the air until he disappeared through the glowing wall.

Aaron breathed out in relief. He had done it. He had saved Sam. He, on the other hand, had to take a chance. Aaron knew he had no other choice: he had to jump. He took a few steps back and dropped his shoulders, ready to run and leap at the glowing wall. He gathered his power, forcing himself to concentrate. He took off, running faster than he ever had before, knowing he had perhaps fifty seconds at the most.

The ground trembled violently under him, and gave way.

Aaron fell, his cry echoing in the air. Jagged rock cut into his back as he slid down. Somehow, his flailing hands caught a rock that jutted out, just a little way under the edge. Aaron held fast, stopping his descent down into the abyss. Using the last of his strength, Aaron tried to pull himself up, struggling to climb with nothing for his feet to catch onto. The muscles in his arms screamed in protest but Aaron refused to let go. He managed to haul himself up and back over the edge. There was no time to waste. Aaron rolled back as the ground shook and crumbled away. Pushing himself onto his feet, Aaron backed away as thin cracks spread towards him, weakening the ground.

Aaron was stuck on a meagre slab of ground, barely big enough for him to take three steps. The dark abyss was slowly swallowing everything up. Blinking the sweat out of his eyes, Aaron desperately looked around him. The zone was about to collapse. There couldn’t be more than twenty seconds left, if even that. The glowing wall was now even further away. He could never jump that far. The realisation hit him then like a hammer, stealing his breath. He was going to die.

A thunderous roar cut through the air. Aaron watched in disbelief as a familiar red and black bike came piercing through the glowing wall, flying through the air to land on a stretch of ground parallel to the one Aaron was trapped on. Lexi growled under Kyran as he swerved her around to face the wall again. Without a moment’s pause Kyran set off, racing towards the wall – the one and only exit of the Q-Zone. Lexi lifted into the air, a heartbeat before the ground under her gave way. While airborne, Kyran reached out to Aaron, who had his hand outstretched towards him. Their hands locked and Aaron was pulled up and away from the crumbling ground.

Kyran’s momentum carried them towards their exit. They had just touched the wall when the ninety seconds ended and the entire zone collapsed. The tremendous blast pushed Kyran and Aaron out with enough force to send them flying across the street, smashing painfully onto the hard tarmac. Lexi fell from under Kyran as both boys hit the road. Kyran and Aaron skidded across the ground, before finally coming to a stop.

Aaron didn’t have the breath to cry out. It felt like his bones had jostled out of place before snapping back. Pain danced in every nerve of his body. When he opened his eyes, the entire street tilted. Before he could suck in a shaky breath, two hands grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up, lifting his head and shoulders clear off the ground.

“What the
hell
were you thinking?” Kyran yelled.

Aaron blinked at him, willing his vision to clear, only to see a furious Kyran.

“You almost got yourself killed!” Kyran cried. “What’s
wrong
with you?”

Aaron couldn’t answer. He didn’t have the breath to talk. Just breathing was proving to be a difficult feat. The Hunters ran to Kyran and Aaron’s side, pale-faced and wide-eyed.

“Kyran,” Ella called, sounding unnerved. “Let go of him. Kyran, let go!”

Kyran’s hold loosened and with a last glower, he shoved Aaron back. He moved away, anger radiating off him in thick waves. Even though Ella was kneeling beside him, asking him if he was okay, with Zhi-Jiya and Ryan at his other side, Aaron could only watch Kyran as he painfully made his way over to the broken bike lying in pieces on the road.

***

“I can’t believe you!” A livid Scott paced in front of the wicker chair, hands clasped tightly behind him. He was frowning so hard, Aaron was sure the lines would never fade from his forehead. “Did you not hear me when I said, ‘If anyone is left behind in the Q-Zone, no one goes back for them?’ Didn’t you hear me say that?”

Aaron nodded tiredly, his hand clasped in Amber’s – one of the other Empaths. Armana and the rest of the Empaths were all busy dealing with the injured Hunters.

“Then explain why the
hell
you jumped into the Q-Zone
ninety seconds before it collapsed
!” Scott raged.

Aaron looked up at him. “Sam was in there,” he answered simply.

“Sam was in there?” Scott repeated incredulously. “
Sam
was in there? That’s your excuse, is it?”

“He’s my best friend,” Aaron replied.

“I don’t care if he’s your
brother
!” Scott snapped. “You don’t risk your life for anyone.”

“I’m sorry–”

“Sorry doesn’t cut it!”

“Let me finish,” Aaron said. “I’m sorry you think like that. I’m sorry if you don’t have anyone in your life that you would jump into a collapsing Q-Zone for.” He held Scott’s gaze. “But I do. I have Sam and Rose. And I’ll jump into the mouth of hell itself if it means I can save my friends.”

He pulled his hand out of Amber’s and walked away. His treatment was already finished, Amber was only giving him a last check. He headed to the plain white door of one of the rooms before sliding it open. He paused at the door.

“It’s okay.” Sam grimaced, waving a hand at him. “Come in.”

Sam was sitting on a bed, topless, with Ella by his side. She was applying a yellow paste to the individual cuts on Sam’s torso. She looked rather drained herself, shoulders dropped and head bowed. Her fatigue was visible in her eyes but she stood by Sam’s side, attending to his injuries. Rose was sitting on the chair perched next to the bed.

Aaron stared at the tiny holes in Sam’s flesh. His stomach rolled at the thought that a vamage had plunged its claw-like nails into Sam. He could feel bile rising up his throat. Stubbornly, Aaron walked in, forcing back his urge to be sick. He came to Sam’s side. A strange, pungent odour that made Aaron’s nose burn and eyes water was coming from the paste.

“How are you?” he asked.

“Fine.” Sam hissed a little as Ella’s fingers dabbed the paste onto his wounds. “Could smell better.”

Ella paused, narrowing her eyes at him. “This is the only thing that can heal you,” she said tightly. “The Empaths can’t help. You’re lucky they have knowledge of healing salves.”

“Could they not have knowledge of perfumed healing salves?” Sam asked. At Ella’s annoyed look, he held up a hand. “Joking, I’m joking. I’m very grateful.” He held back a groan as another wound was covered.

“How are you, Aaron?” Ella asked without looking at him.

“Fine,” Aaron replied. “All healed.”

Sam looked over to meet Aaron’s gaze. He shook his head at him. “I can’t believe you did that,” he said. “Really, Aaron? You used your...your power on me?”

“Had to be done,” Aaron said, by way of apology. “You could never have jumped that distance, not while injured.”

Sam cried out as Ella jabbed her fingers a little too harshly into a cut. “Easy there,” he groaned.

“Sorry,” Ella murmured.

Aaron turned to look at Rose, who was sitting silently, her head dropped and eyes shadowed. Slowly, Aaron bent down, squatting before her.

“Rose?” he called quietly.

Rose tilted her head to the side, looking away from him.

“Rose?” Aaron reached out and held on to her hand. “Talk to me, please.”

Reluctantly and with great effort, Rose turned to meet Aaron’s eyes with her own red-rimmed, bloodshot ones. Aaron’s heart clenched. Wordlessly he moved in and wrapped both arms around her. Rose hugged him back as silent tears fell from her eyes. Aaron held Rose in his arms for a few minutes while Sam watched them silently. Finally Rose pulled away, wiping her eyes with her sleeves, sniffing.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Aaron asked. “About...about what Armana told you?”

Rose shook her head, fighting to still her quivering lips.

“You didn’t even tell me,” Sam said. “Why?”

Rose gave a weak, one-shouldered shrug.

Sam shook his head at her. “So was this why you planned the whole bait idea? Why you chose our street as the location?”

Rose nodded. “I just...I wanted to see–” She paused, squeezing her eyes shut, shaking her head. “I just wanted to...check, you know? See if...if Armana was right.”

“You believed she was,” Sam corrected. “You told me mum and dad...that they were...there,” Sam said with great discomfort.

“I’m sorry,” Rose said. “I wanted to tell you, Sammy. I tried so many times this past week, but every time I opened my mouth, I couldn’t find the words. I knew you wouldn’t believe me.”

“I don’t believe in ghosts,” Sam said. “But two months back, I didn’t believe in magic either.”

“Powers,” Aaron corrected.

“Fine, magical powers,” Sam said. “Point is,” he turned back to Rose, “you should have told me beforehand instead of springing it on me in the middle of a battle.”

“I know,” Rose said. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“That’s pretty standard.” Sam smiled.

Rose looked up at him, wet eyes narrowed slightly. “Shut up,” she sniffed half-heartedly.

“You shut up,” Sam said, still with a smile.

“Sod off, Sam,” Rose said as a half-laugh, half-sob escaped her.

Ella stepped away, her fingers heavily coated in the thick paste. A heartbeat later they were clean, albeit dripping water. “There,” she said. “You’ll have to reapply it at least four times a day.”

Sam nodded and Rose quickly stood up, wiping her cheeks dry, and took a small bag of yellow granules and the glass jar containing a white cream from Ella.

“Only mix as much as you need,” Ella instructed. “Apply it liberally on the cuts and they should heal in a few days. Until then,” she turned to Sam, “try to keep yourself together.”

“Oh, okay,” Sam said, face screwed up to show his sarcasm. “I’ll try not to trip up and injure my poor self.”

“It would be appreciated,” Ella returned.

“Other than Sam getting injured,” Aaron said, “and me almost getting lost in an oblivion, was the hunt a success?”