The artifacts are beginning to fight and separate from one another once more. Oh, no. This is how I begin imploding.
"You're freaking amazing." The boy hasn't moved, and his eyes are full of adoration.
Why hasn't he moved back? There's a reason I told him to get away. What is it with men? Just because I don't have balls doesn't mean I shouldn't be listened to.
All of a sudden, it feels as if sandpaper is being rubbed against my skin. I glance at my arms, and there's a coat of thin water appearing all over me, but it's not making my clothes wet. The power of the Water Artifact causes friction as it assaults me.
Of course, the elements inside me respond and begin clawing me from the inside to get out. All four artifacts want to meet and become one. The ground shakes, and lightning strikes right beside me.
"Josh, get away from her." Brad's tone is frantic, and I can hear footsteps as the others rush to gain distance between me and them.
Now, this is what smart people do. But the kid hasn't moved. It's like he's transfixed. Shit, I've got to get a handle on this. Each time I try to rein in my magic, it rebels. I try putting the blanket on it like last time, but I can’t concentrate to hold the blanket in place because of the irritation of the water.
The ground shakes under my feet so hard I feel like I'm on an old rickety rollercoaster. Not even two feet away from me, the ground begins cracking under the boy's feet. He’s frozen to the spot.
I want to tell him to go, but I can't get the words to form in my mouth. Before I can rush to push him out of the way, the ground begins to crumble and breaks out wide.
"What the…" The boy finally begins to move and pivots toward the others, but the ground cracks faster than he can run. It opens up beneath him and swallows him whole. His screams ring in my ears even after he's gone.
My God. I killed someone on my own team. How many others am I going to hurt before I die? The flame inside me flashes like the bulb of an old-fashioned camera. It's so bright and warm. That's when something clicks. Ria knows we're here. Shit, she's using the Water Artifact against me to make me implode.
Dammit, I'm tired of being everyone's toy. She won't get what she's looking for any longer. Forcing myself to concentrate, I grab the blanket once more and cover my disjointed and choatic power. I embrace the pain that's attacking me and use it to fuel me instead of fighting against it like I've always done.
Taking the blanket, I wrap it around the three elemental threads and the natural reaper and healing power that's always been inside me. Tugging it down, I make sure it's firmly captured and nothing is leaking out. The power fights against it, and it's hard to clamp down, but I manage.
"Hey, are you okay?" Dax's voice startles me.
Damn, I hadn't even realized my eyes were closed. The power isn't coursing as hard, and it takes a second for me to realize I'm no longer shaking. "Uh... yeah." Shit, I killed another innocent person. "But I..."
"Don't." He touches my arm and squeezes ever so lightly. "You told him to move. We all knew what was going on. That wasn't your fault."
"No, it's the smart lady who rules this place." Damien's smile stretches almost his entire face, and he winks. "If I didn't want the Water Artifact so damn bad, I'd get to know her a little better."
Gross. Of course someone causing havoc would attract him. He's a freaking demon. "Just stop." But Dax and Damien are right. This wasn't entirely my fault, and blaming myself allows Ria to have control over me. "We need to get moving. She knows we are here."
"How do you know this?" Luke jerks his head back and narrows his eyes.
"Did you feel all of the magic in the air?" Damien turns to face him and swivels his hand. "Someone used the Water Artifact to attack her and throw her off balance."
"If she knows we’re here, we need to get moving." Brad steps up, and his eyes are red as if he'd been crying. "We can't let Josh's life be lost in vain. She expects this to throw us off kilter and maybe even force us to retreat. We have to show her our strength."
The longer we wait, the more likely I'll have another episode and endanger someone else. "This ends tonight."
"Yes, but we need to stay close and coordinate our efforts." Dax stands in between Luke and me. The muscle in his jaw ticks.
The three boys and Brad nod, and Damien grins.
This is all fun and games for him. One day soon, I'm going to wipe that smug look off of his face, but that'll be after I get the Water Artifact. I need all hands on deck right now. "Let's get moving."
We all take off at a slow jogging pace. Dax leads us toward the fortress, and Damien hangs in the very back. I'm not sure why that makes me uneasy, but there is one thing I've learned; never trust a demon.
When we hit the last block of houses before the fortress, Melody and six other people are waiting for us.
Shit, has she decided to turn against me after all? I stop in my tracks, not sure how to proceed. However, I refuse to hide behind anyone, so I step in front of Dax and meet her head on. "What's going on?"
"Well, I told you I had your back." Melody glances behind her and nods. "I've found more people who are willing to fight alongside you."
"Are you serious?" I appreciate her efforts, but I don't
