“I love you,” I said as I pressed Rose hard against my chest, kissing her forehead.
We’d managed to stay together all morning, but she was needed somewhere else now. She was going to help Asher calm the city, although I feared it was impossible now. Dorian had created seeds of panic in people with his TV stunt. Now with the bridge out, and the electricity gone, people were in a state of feral terror.
She tilted her head and gave me a smile before leaning up to kiss me sweetly.
My hands gripped her soft green sweater, keeping her in my arms, where I could keep her safe. But she gave me a look.
“We need to help them. It’s why we have these gifts—you showed us our true purpose, and we can’t let them down. We can’t letyoudown.”
She always knew what to say. I hated her leaving me right now, but she was right.
“I’ll see you soon,” she said as she untangled herself from my arms and jogged off in Asher’s direction.
Leon and Lilith were trying to find a way to get people off the island on some big hotshot’s yacht. The day was only going to get worse, and the more casualties we could stop, the better.
Charles had once again been working with the police force in hopes that they could find the source of trouble and how to handle the riots in between.
AJ and Mina were battling the work of whoever Dorian had on his team, and last I heard they were getting ahead. The electrical grid of the city would be back up in half an hour.
Phillip had been helping the politicians, before they left via helicopter. Only the governor stayed behind to help evacuate people if we could secure the boats. He was an honorable man.
“It’s all going to work.” Phillip was pacing and then took off without another word to us.
“Come on. I’ve spotted Dorian at the top of Phillip’s building.” Echo had just changed from a hawk to human again, wrapping herself in a towel since there was no point in putting on real clothes when she’d turn right back into another animal soon.
“Phillip said we have to let him start whatever game he’s playing with the sun, and allow him to bring about night. Then we attack. It’s the only chance for righting this,” I said, and while I could tell she was struggling with accepting my absolute trust in Phillip, she nodded then asked what we should do next.
“Let’s get as many people as we can away from Griffin tower. I’m not sure talking will work, so scare tactics might be best. Got anything scary?” I asked, and she rolled her eyes.
“I’ll do my best once we are there.” She shifted shortly thereafter, morphing into a bear, and together we ran toward the largest tower in the city.
Leon showed up as soon as we got there and told us that they secured some boats to get off the island. Lilith was doing her best to keep everyone calm while loading them up.
“Everyone get to the harbor! You’ll find a boat to get off the island!” I started yelling at every scared group of people I could. A police officer nearby noticed my words and started repeating them as well. Despite everything that had happened before, we were still heroes in the eyes of some people. We’d stood our ground and were here to help when shit hit the fan.
“Leon, go pull all the fire alarms, get people away from this tower and out of it,” I directed, and he was off in a blur to do as told. The bells started ringing and shortly thereafter people came pouring out. I was glad to see that a lot of people had already left the island before today, fleeing inland after Dorian’s warning on TV. The people who’d been rioting and looting had also disappeared from this area. I hoped that they’d heard about getting to the water, where they’d at least make it to physical safety. Their actions would probably cause mental anguish, but that was treatable if they lived.
I looked at the bear to my right that was doing a great job at scaring people to the harbor. She saw my look and changed into a large python. Several people saw the snake and began screaming hysterically and running for the water.
Well, it was cruel, but it would get the job done.
Echo slithered around, and everyone ran for their lives. Gone was the threat of the world ending—all they cared about was escaping the giant snake.
I don’t really know how we did it, to be honest, but an hour later a majority of the people had been evacuated off the island successfully. Anyone who had stayed behind was accepting the fate that came to them or wanted to fight beside us.
There were only a few of those: one with powers that controlled water, although he wasn’t trained to use it since he’d hidden his secret for years, and four regular humans with no extra gifts.
I admired their spirit, and while normally I would deny their help, I couldn’t get the words out that they were in over their heads. They deserved to fight for their lives as much as we did.
“Oh, hell,” someone cursed, and I looked over to see the water controller looking up.
“Don’t look at it, you’ll go blind!” I yelled and headed for the doors to the tower.
“Whatever you do, keep this tower secure. Dorian’s crew is around, and I have a feeling they’ll come to him once darkness takes over,” I said, looking each person in the face.
I could have stopped this, many years ago, but I’d been blind.
Dorian had been there all along, I should have seen it. I should have looked for him. I shouldn’t have stopped trying to make things right.
I’d damned them all.
One step in front of the other, I walked into the glass building, and made my way up the twenty flights of stairs toward my brother, and my enemy.
