Fuck that noise. I was no coward and braced myself to teleport out.
“Katy, wait.” Vanessa stopped me with her hand on my arm. If I teleported out now, she’d come with me. He’d kill her without a second thought, especially knowing she’d been helping Sentry all along. “Why would he stop the battle just to call for you? Something isn’t right.”
I hated to admit that she had a point. “What do you suppose he’s playing at?”
“I don’t know, but if you go out there, he’ll kill you. Right in front of everyone.”
Maybe that was his point. He did love to put on a show.
“Come out now, and this all ends. I will spare the remaining members of your precious Sentry. I’ll even allow your harem to survive. Come out now, and I will call a truce between our worlds. Refuse, and everyone dies.”
I had no choice. I couldn’t let everyone die so I could live. That wasn’t how this worked. I moved to teleport out, but Vanessa refused to release her hold. “Let me go.”
Vanessa tightened her grip. “Everyone, make contact with Katy. She won’t teleport out if you’re touching her.”
The hell I wouldn’t. “You don’t want to test that theory.”
A massive explosion rocked the building. What the hell was that?
Vanessa looked out the window. “Oh my God. He just blew up Terrae.”
Another explosion sent us diving for cover as windows shattered, sending sharp shards flying at us. He was taking out the houses one by one until I came out.
“No? Well, maybe this will convince you.” Alec nodded, and Spencer walked up to an immobile member of Sentry.
“Are you sure they have to be frozen for this? I do love it when they scream.”
“Just do it.”
Spencer called the air from the earth elemental’s lungs, clearly relishing the way she turned red, then purple, then blue. When the life left her eyes, he chuckled. “Watching her die and her not having the power to stop me was more satisfying than I would have thought.”
Alec walked over to Trevor and brushed his hand over the kid’s hair. “I believe the quint cares for this one. Pity for him.” He removed the leather glove from his left hand to reveal what had replaced the hand I’d taken from him when he’d trapped me in the ruins. It was another hand, all right, but unlike anything I’d ever seen. It glowed orange as if on fire just below the surface. He lifted his fingers, and flames shot out each tip.
Then, right before my eyes, he shot a stream of fire so intense, it burned a hole right through the center of little Trevor Carson, killing him instantly.
“No! Trevor!” I teleported out, bringing several MEs with me. With the flick of his wrist, he sent each one flying until it was just him and me. “This ends now.”
“Oh, I agree.” He brought up his hands.
“What happened to you calling a truce?”
“I lied.”
“I figured.” I brought up mine and was about to attack when his smile threw me off. “What’s got you so giddy?”
“I have a little secret. Well, a pretty big one, actually.” He held up his fire hand. “Your mother made me this as a gift after you shattered my real hand. It’s quite beautiful, don’t you think?”
“Oh, for the love of Pete, man. Stop talking me to death. Are we doing this or what?” Why did he always insist on drawing it out by monologuing?
“She also enchanted it using a drop of her own blood. Do you know why?”
“No, nor do I care.”
“It has the power to kill anyone within her lineage.” Stace walked up and stood between Alec and me. Renee must have found a spell that worked to bring her back from the void. “But it won’t kill me.”
“Let’s test that theory, shall we?” Alec shot a stream of orange light at Stace.
“No!” Instinctively, I pushed her out of the way.
But not fast enough.
The stream hit us both, and we collapsed where we stood.
Several things happened at once. Everyone unfroze and stared in my direction instead of continuing the battle. The world around me grew darker, colder, as I struggled to pull in a breath. I vaguely heard my guys scream my name as my lids slid closed.
“Reed! Reed! Oh my God.”
“Montana! No. No!”
“Babe? Babe?”
“Katy!”
My guys held me as I took my last breath.
23
Everything they said about death was true. The bright light. Seeing loved ones that’d passed before you, waiting to help you cross over. And no more pain.
That was the best part.
It was the opposite of the void. No darkness. No zombies shuffling around in a catatonic state. Cressida Clearwater stood in front of the brightest part of the light, her smile warm as she reached for me.
I ran into her arms. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
“I am always with you. Always.” She held me tight.
“Hello, Katy.”
I stiffened and whipped around, shaking my head at the sight of Stacey Layden standing there. “No, you can’t be here. You aren’t supposed to be here.”
She smiled sadly. “There are some things out of our control.”
“No, Stace.” Tears filled my eyes as grief consumed me. “This was never part of the prophecy. You know that. I was the one destined to die. It’s my death that will unite our world, not yours.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you here?” A sob tore through me, shredding my control. I did this. I got her killed. This was my fault.
“Because I love you like a daughter. You’re my family. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. That’s why I’ve been searching so hard for another way for this to end. When Alec described the enchantment your mother cast on his hand, I knew I had to do something. That’s why I
