“You’ve been around Payne too long,” Maureen told me, taking the chance to run back to check on Barron.
August and Payne both smirked at me, which had Payne reaching for his shotgun. “Looks like we’re taking it up a notch,”August yelled, right before he stepped into his own skeletal form—the color of his essence was golden. He also mimicked my weapon and started throwing more power balls at Harvest.
“First one to hit him three times wins.” I looked to where Prudence was standing to see that she had also made her scythe into a magic launcher as I had dubbed it. I had to do a double-take because she normally didn’t get in on our games, but there she was starting one right during this fucking mess.
“If Mom asked, I had no part in the destruction of her home.” Joy faded right in front of Harvest and blasted him with her launcher. Where the hell did she come from? And where had she been? I watched her grin as she landed on her feet. “I believe I’m the first one to get a shot at him, so yay me!” she chirped.
Harvest’s shirt was torn to pieces from the blow he had taken. He chucked it on the ground as he rose, and his flesh mended back together rapidly, the same as ours did. “Foolish.” He smiled right before Isabella popped up and latched onto Joy.
We all faded, but none of us were quick enough. She had the bracelet snapped on Joy’s wrist and was gone before I got to her. Prudence grabbed Joy and held her as the trembles wracked her body.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Harvest coming at me, but August collided with him. “You worry about Isabella, she’s dropping us like flies!”
Harvest tried slinging August off. Payne followed their movement with a manic glare before finally yelling. “Move, August!” August did, and Payne shot several rounds into Harvest’s chest.
“Oh, shit,” Maureen gasped. “Prudence!”
Too late. Isabella had got ahold of another one of my siblings.
My essence came to life around me as I caught sight of her. The storm was no longer around her, but the energy her body carried right now had her hair whipping around her face.
No more fucking around.
Izzie’s mine.From the moment I woke up in the hospital and laid eyes on her, I knew it. Just like she must have felt it.
It was time she woke up from the darkness and remembered that.
Twenty-Eight
Isabella
One bad. One missing. Three down.
“Two to go,”I chanted as I let go of the female’s arm. Her power surged through me like lightning. I had only a taste of each, yet my body was brimming with unrestrained power.
Touch and take. Touch, take.
That was all the darkness wanted. And that was what it was getting. I knew nothing. I was nothing. Nothing but the gloom within me. It sought power, a stealer of life. My body moved to its will, but the beating organ in my chest felt heavier and heavier as it did, and my mind tugged at something—something forgotten, maybe? But the darkness wouldn’t hand it over.
The bad one chased me while I chased the others. He was oddly warm, even when his eyes were angry as he stalked me, over and over. I ran—I was a good runner. I didn’t think the bad one liked that though. I thought he must hate it because the blond-haired bad one transformed into something else entirely. A skeleton. A monster. Like me, but unlike me.
Because dark was good while the bad one had to be bad.
Something was wrong. The darkness was confused. Inside, something cried while another fought harder to run. Therewere two other skeletons as well, but unlike the turquoise-colored one, I was free to chase and move after them. They weren’t scary. I needed their power still.
But the bad one chased after me, and my chest spasmed with the worst kind of pain. Only when I tried to recall what that pain was, I couldn’t. The dark shadow rolled around inside me restless—afraid. Of the bad apple. The one that wasn’t supposed to touch me. Yet, he continued coming.
So unrelenting. He wasn’t going to give up—just like the blackness inside me.
I tossed a ball of magic, but the skeleton bobbed and weaved my attempts. He got too close, leaving me no choice but to use the portal chip again. I landed in another part of the room. Looking up, I saw him coming down on me. I jumped back. He came forth.
The darkness sang an angry tune. He kept wasting my time, and yet, I felt another part of the shadow, something that I didn’t even think it noticed within itself: encouragement. I didn’t understand it. Did a small part of it want to be caught?
When my body continued its flight, I knew the answer had to be no.
The skeleton spoke to me, but all I heard was static. The more he tried talking to me, the worse it got. Who didn’t want me to hear his words—the darkness or Julius? And why?
“Izzie…” I paused, stopped to blink. That word was familiar. I heard the skeleton. It had been his word. Why had he given it to me? The sound of his voice was… I stepped forward. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to hear that voice once more. “To me.” I got more words from him before the static grew worse again.
