I sensed her energy a moment before Ilia burst into sight. “Mads,” she gasped, her red corkscrew curls bouncing everywhere. “You’ve gotta get to Asher. Now.”
I took off, not waiting to see who else was with me, and before I could think twice about it, I opened a doorway and stepped right through it. It was supposed to be impossible to do that within the magical barriers of the Academy, but somehow my energy circumvented this rule. I wasn’t sure how, but if it got me to Asher faster, I wasn’t going to argue.
I stepped out in the forest, almost smashing into the back of Jessa and Braxton. “Whoa,” I said, skidding to a halt as Jessa wrapped her arms around me, stopping me from bowling them down. This was a very good thing, because Braxton had two kids in his arms—their twins.
“I’m sorry,” I said in a rush. “My step-through was a little closer than expected.”
Jessa shook her head, and I almost cried at how watery her blue eyes looked. “What’s happening?” I whispered. Everything inside of me wanted to step forward, to go to Asher, but I was also so afraid of what I would see.
“I wish I could tell you it’s going to be okay,” Jessa said softly, very unlike her normally blunt tone. She didn’t really do the softer emotions much. I normally enjoyed that aspect of her personality—we’d actually become friends over the last few weeks while the pair of them gave me private fight lessons.
The change in tone worried me, and it could only mean one thing. I stepped around her, barely even giving their gorgeous twins a second glance. I did notice that the two of them looked a little glum as well, their faces like perfect little dolls with cherry-red lips and mops of golden curls. Eve, their daughter, had the most incredible hair I’d ever seen. Pure gold ringlets fell to the middle of her back. She was not even three yet, but her hair was spectacular.
The four of them were the most beautiful, perfect family. Powerful. Strong. In love.
And I was distracting myself so I didn’t have to see whatever had brought Ilia to me at such a pace. Louis turned his head from where he waited near the barrier, “You’re back,” I whispered.
I stared into his eyes, and the look there…
Tears trailed down my cheeks, hot and slow, dripping my pain to the ground below. I hadn’t seen Asher yet. I couldn’t look at him knowing it might be the last time I looked at him. I wasn’t ready for that.
I would never be ready for that. Ready to let him go.
Louis wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his side, my tears soaking into his shirt. “I’m so sorry, Maddi.”
I shook my head against his chest, still refusing to acknowledge what I already knew to be happening.
“What for?” I asked, my next stupid question.
“I figured out what the power is doing to him,” Louis said softly, his strong arms holding me.
Crashing of trees and undergrowth sounded around us, but I was too gone to look at what it was.
“Give her to us,” Jesse said roughly from nearby, and I choked back my next sobs before I pulled away, slapping at the tears.
“No,” I said shortly. “No. I can stand on my own. I don’t need anyone to hold me up.”
Jesse, Axl, Rone, and Calen were all there, their faces filled with fear and grief and pain.
“Asher’s dying,” Axl said softly, and I was surprised to see tears in his eyes. I’d never seen any of them cry. Not even a single tear. But all four of them looked to be on the edge. Even Rone.
It shouldn’t be a surprise. The Atlantean-five were brothers. Family. Closer than any friends I’d ever known, and now they were facing a huge loss.
It’s your loss too.
I pushed at the incessant voice but it wouldn’t leave me. It continued to poke and prod and scratch at whatever mental barrier I’d erected to protect myself.Look at him!
My head turned toward him, but my eyes squeezed shut. “Not looking won’t change anything,” Rone said, wrapping his arm around me as he pulled me closer. I noticed that Larissa and Ilia were there as well—Rone’s other arm was around Larissa as he held us both up.
“I can’t—”
My voice broke. I cleared my throat and tried again, those incessant tears still falling.
“I can’t do this.”
I can’t let him go.
My eyes found the tank, and my chest tightened to the point where I couldn’t breathe. The last time I’d seen Asher—yesterday—he’d still looked like himself—in his stasis, the tank keeping him alive and floating, power zipping around him. Today though … well, I understood the drawn faces and urgency of Ilia’s tone. Asher looked like he was minutes from death.
