Chapter 16 Chapter 16
Bailey’s POV
I was still a bit shaken from my lake-drowning experience. It took me a minute to notice the noise above me — guards were coming our way. I had to act fast. Spike probably knew the area better than I did, but could I really trust him not to hand me over to his boss later? That was a problem for later. Right now, I needed to survive. If I got caught, Nathaniel’s fury would descend on me — and this time, I wasn’t sure I’d make it out alive.
TIK-TOK! The lunatic in the back of my mind laughed. God! Who was worse — him, or the guy who wanted to rip my chest open?
I stood, gripping the nearby rocks to steady myself. My vision was still blurry. I was cold, dripping wet, and shivering. I brought my palms together, ready to form an energy ball — nothing.
“What’s wrong?” Spike’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
“I don’t know! It worked earlier!” I sounded frustrated.
Spike eyed me up and down, probably thinking about what went wrong.
“I’m new at this crap! I don’t know how it works yet!” Anxiety clawed at me. I tried again and again. The noise above grew louder. Crap! Crap! Craaaap! They were close. If they caught us, we were dead meat.
“Our powers are tied to our emotions. You have to figure out what triggers it. Of course, your situation is unique, but it’s still a heart infused with power — dark power.”
“Yes, yes! I know that much!” I waved my hands. “But it worked a few minutes ago, on the statue, in the room on the window, and… WAIT!”
Lucian’s words hit me like a lightning bolt. The heart was split in two — Nathaniel and I were connected. Did I overdo it? Or… maybe Nathaniel fainted this time? He did say earlier he felt weaker after using a lot of power. Great! Now I was exhausted too.
I needed to pull the last bit of energy I had left and pray I didn’t faint… again.
I was swirling with emotions — fear, anxiety, excitement… and anger. Wait. Anger! That had worked on the window. Anger was the trigger. Focus on him. Channel it into my palms. Red light boiled from my hands.
“Hey! Alright! You’re doing it!” Spike paced excitedly.
“Step away from the bars! The blast will hit you!” I warned. He moved instantly. I directed my hands toward the window and unleashed the energy.
The blast hit the barred window in seconds, collapsing it along with bricks around it. Birds scattered from their nests, shrieking. No doubt everyone else heard it — a crowd was gathering at the main gate of the castle.
Spike emerged from the cell and swam toward me, swift as a shadow. My head spun. I had overdone it. My heart pounded like a drum. Nathaniel was probably feeling the blast too — good. That bastard deserved it.
“Okay, what now? Where do we go?” I panted, clutching my side.
Spike extended his hand. “Here, take my hand. I’ll teleport us out.”
Reluctantly, I took it. Thank God. In mere minutes, I’d be out of this hellhole. Hopefully, there’d be a forest portal waiting to take me home.
Black, smoke-like matter swirled around us. Our bodies merged with it and disappeared. One second we were on the lake rocks, the next we stood in a crowded alley near the town square. Spike grabbed a dark red scarf from a laundry basket and draped it over my head.
We mingled with the crowd. A fair was going on. People hustled and bargained for everything from food to clothes — even what looked like a phoenix for sale. I hoped the old lady had a fire extinguisher.
“No guards in sight,” Spike whispered. Thank God.
“Quick! Almost to the main gate. Keep moving!” Spike took my hand and guided me.
“Hurry! His Highness sensed her at the market!” one guard shouted. Crap! They found us already.
We sprinted. I tripped, and the scarf fell from my head.
“There she is! Get her!”
Oh shit! I scrambled to my feet and ran after Spike. Beams of blue light shot past us, obliterating fruits and vegetables. The crowd panicked. Mothers pulled their children to safety. Spike shielded us with a green barrier.
We reached the main gate — closed.
“Fuck!” Spike cursed.
“What is it?”
“I can’t teleport us past the gate. It’s protected.” Goddamn it.
“It fucking hurts!” I blinked.
“Did you say something?” Spike asked.
“No! Why?”
“I’ll kill that turd!” Wait… turd? My head snapped toward Nathaniel, but he was nowhere to be seen. Then I realized — I had just heard his thoughts. Level up! Another power unlocked.
My excitement vanished when a familiar face appeared across from me. Nathaniel, clutching his chest, panting, murder in his eyes. Pitch black eyes. I was so dead.
“What the fuck are you doing, you stupid bitch?!” He snapped.
That was it. I had had enough of his insults. Focusing the last of my energy, red heat boiled in my palms. The first blast hit him square in the face, sending him flying. His soldiers fired blue blasts — Spike shielded us with green light.
Nathaniel rose and stopped them. “No! Stop! I need her alive!” He punched the nearest soldier. What a dick.
I directed my remaining energy at the gate. My legs were giving out. There was no way we both could get out. If Spike carried me, he’d be slowed and caught — I would survive, he wouldn’t. I had already made my choice.
“Spike! Listen! Once the gate explodes, run! Save yourself!”
“What?! No way! I’m not leaving you!”
“You have no choice! Trust me, I’ll be fine. Go!”
He hesitated, opening his mouth, then closing it. I aimed the energy ball at the gate. Contact made — a giant hole exploded in the middle.
“GO! Hurry!” I yelled.
Spike gave me one final look before sprinting. I let my hands fall, limbs limp. Exhaustion crashed over me like a tidal wave. I started to fall — only to be caught by a pair of strong hands. Nathaniel. My body betrayed me. I couldn’t move. Spike was gone.