Has this man deceived us? He’d arrived under the impression that he was going to fight Foxx with us. But the closer he gets to the edge of the trees, the less certain I am that I believe him. Has this guy really come for Evan? Foxx has already proven he’s willing to hurt the ones I care about to get to me. If Kaine is one of his, he could be using Evan to get me to follow. Lead me into a trap.
I can’t let that happen.
Without thinking, I cast a wall of fire behind Kaine. He turns and sends a wave of water at it, instantly dousing it.
“Let him go!” I roar.
Kaine simply shakes his head. “I’m afraid I can’t do that yet.”
Rage blinding me, I leap through the air, my hands ablaze and aimed at the vampire’s head. Kaine veers to the right just as I am about to make impact, sending me crashing into a tree. Several branches erupt into flames under my touch. Kaine extinguishes them with a quick splash of water.
He disappears again, reappearing fifteen feet away. Evan grunts, still kicking. As Kaine tightens his hold, Evan suddenly bends forward, forcing them into a somersault. For one brief moment, Kaine lets go. It gives me just enough time to cast another fireball at him, singeing his hair before igniting a bush.
Kaine roars, creating a cyclone of water and dirt. The trees stir, and we all duck to avoid getting wet as an arm of the hurricane sweeps across the clearing. Evan tries to make a run for it, but Kaine twists his fingers in his direction, creating a cage around himself and Evan.
I leap again, landing directly in front of them. Kaine takes two steps back but doesn’t try to run. His sad blue eyes never leave me. The ribbons of water still swirl around them like a protective shield, rendering my gift useless. Anything I throw at him will be put out in seconds.
Maybe I can hurt him without fire? I try to reach for Kaine, but the water responds immediately, becoming a thick, impenetrable wall that doesn’t budge under my touch.
Evan shouts something I can’t hear through the water before he shoves Kaine, landing a solid punch on the vampire’s cheek. It makes my blood run cold when Kaine turns to Evan, and for a terrible second,I think he’s going to hurt him. Instead, he binds his hands and legs with ropes of water.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he says, loud enough that I can hear.
“You call this not hurting someone?” I shout.
Slowly, the wall morphs back into thin strands again, swirling at an angle around them. Frustrated, I aim another fireball at Kaine’s feet, but it’s useless. He pulls more water up from the ground to block me. Instead of falling back down, the water lifts skyward, thinning out to form another set of rope. It’s unnerving to watch, the way they twist and move, some even weaving themselves into braids.
I try to grab one of the ropes, but this time, instead of hitting a solid surface, my hand slips right through it, as though the liquid was falling from a faucet. Encouraged, I reach further, attempting to grab Evan, but the water tightens around my wrist like a knot.
I try to pull my hand away.
“Jericho!” Evan shouts.
After a moment, Kaine releases me. I step back, glaring at the vampire.
“Release my mate,” I demand.
“Not until you say I’m in this,” Kaine replies.
“We already have,” Evan says through his teeth.
“No,” Kaine replies, shoving a finger toward Evan. “Yourmatehere hasn’t agreed to anything.”
Kaine turns back to me with a weird smile on his face.I didn’t even realize I’d called Evan that, yet it’s how I see him. How I’ve always seen him. My soul mate. Evan is the only one I’ve ever loved. He’s who I want to spend my life with.
And now Kaine knows what he means to me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Evelyn enter the clearing and reach for the gun. Hope rises. I pray those years hanging around supes taught her some aim.
“Let. Evan. Go.”
Kaine meets my wrath. “Not until you give me what I want.” He yanks Evan to his chest again. With horror, I realize the cage is becoming tighter, the cold water splashing against Evan’s arms and face. He tries to turn away, but there’s nowhere to go.
Fury explodes like a bomb within me. Channeling my power, I let the heat sear the entire length of my arm before shoving it through the tendrils of water to get to Evan. The moment the heat makes contact, steam erupts like a geyser, popping and sizzling in every direction. Evan curses, moving away even more frantically, the hot liquid scalding his skin.
Kaine doesn’t let go.
The chords of water twist around my arm like a vice, snaking up to my throat. Realizing his intent, I try to pull away, but too late. The water follows me, clinging to me. As it reaches my throat, it tightens its hold, forcing me to my knees as I gasp for air.
