Darkest Dawn (19 page)

“It’s about time we formally met
,
”
said the sweetest voice Bri had ever heard. The voice lifted and hugged each syllable, wrapping Bri in its warm embrace.

Bri relaxed in its grip.
“Who are you?”

The creature gave Bri somewhat of a smile and loosened its grip on her leg.
“That’s not important now. What’s important is what you’re going to do for me.”

“What’s that?”

“I need the Two to give me what I’ve been searching for
.
”

Her words captured Bri’s attention. She had no idea how to give the creature what it wanted. Before she could ask, something sliced the water next to her and into the creature. Black liquid poured from the wound and its mouth opened wide. An awful sound tore at the water around them and shot through Bri’s ears.

The creature let go of Bri and she regained her train of thought. Her lungs screamed for oxygen so she pushed off the bottom and clawed upward.

Something crashed into the water. Kael’s face came into view, his hand reaching out for hers. She took it and he helped her the rest of the way.

When she broke through the surface, she gulped in mouthfuls of air as Kael pulled her to the edge. He hefted her out of the pool and came out after her. “Are you okay?”

She tried to stand but her leg stung so much that she fell back to the tile. A pool of blood swirled around her. She watched with horror before she realized Sloane was still on the ground, unmoving. She crawled to Sloane and felt for her pulse. Streaks of blood stained her hair from a deep gash.

“Don’t touch her!” Abbey called from a few feet away.

Bri turned around, confused. Abbey held a bow in her hand. Had her mom shot the creature with a bow and arrow? In that moment Abbey looked like someone out of
Game of Thrones
, not the scatterbrained librarian she knew and loved.

Kael reached for his headphones and adjusted them on his head before he lunged for Bri. She fell on top of Sloane protectively.

A white-hot sensation burrowed deep into her leg and she fell back from Sloane as Kael lifted her from the ground. She grabbed for her leg, a deep cut running up her entire calf muscle. She wrapped her body around him, unable to focus on anything but the pain. “It burns.”

“I know. I’ll fix it.”

As she started to think clearly, the whole situation seemed like it had been a part of a terrible nightmare that she couldn’t wake herself from.

“Bri?”
Sloane’s voice filled her head.

“I’m here!” Bri called, looking over Kael’s shoulder. He’d put her down on a bench near the locker room.

Sloane still lay on the ground, unmoving. Abbey was at her side, her lips pressed tightly together. She lifted Sloane’s head and Bri caught the blood pouring from her mouth. The injury probably been caused by Jake knocking her out. She’d never forgive him for this.

Kael set her down. “I’m going to check out the wound.” He lifted Bri’s soaked jeans and inspected the large gash that stretched from her ankle to knee.

He cursed. “Where does it hurt?”

Bri looked at him. The giant gash in her leg should have been the obvious clue to where it hurt. Before she could say anything, the pain shot up her leg and into her abdomen. She doubled over, clutching her stomach.

He took her hand and she squeezed. “It’s spreading.”

Her heartbeat pulsed through the wound and she couldn’t form words through the intense pain.

“Where is Bri?”
Sloane’s voice rang out again in her head, just like the creature’s had.

Bri glanced up as Sloane stirred on the ground.

A splash from the other side of the pool caught their attention. The creature’s wailing stung Bri’s ears, sounding unnatural and unlike anything else she’d experienced. It struck her down to her core and made her wound sting more than it had a few seconds ago.

The creature flopped onto the deck; the arrow stuck out of its side. It gasped and a wet cough escaped its lips, making Bri gag.

Its form started to blur and Bri blinked a few times, making sure she wasn’t about to pass out. Its grayish skin started to pale and its features slowly began to resemble a human. Hair sprouted from its head and before Bri could see the rest of the transformation, she was lifted from the seat as Kael carried her toward the locker room.

“Mom? Sloane?”

“They’re right behind us,” Kael said in a soothing voice.

They were just at the locker room when a sharp cackle echoed across the room. “You think I wouldn’t have a backup plan?” the familiar voice said behind her.

The locker room door opened and Tucker stepped out. His gaze was narrowed and he appeared to be looking through Bri instead of at her. His gaze fell on Kael and he lifted his hand. The metal on the end of his hand didn’t make sense. A shot rang in her ears and she and Kael dropped to the ground.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Sloane

The sound of the gunshot burst through my ears, jolting me awake. A sticky liquid clung to my mouth as I pulled myself up from the ground. My clothes suctioned against my body. Why was I soaked? The last thing I remembered was Abbey locked in the closet. I shivered and pulled my shirt away from my body. My head ached. I touched the tender area and gasped. My fingers were hot and sticky with blood.

Abbey was on her knees next to me and she flew from the ground. “Stay here.”

I turned to the direction she headed. A guy fell several feet away and I caught Bri’s expression of terror as she fell with him. Tucker stood in front of her. He had a gun and it was pointed at Abbey.

“Don’t shoot my mom!”
The way Bri’s lips had moved, they weren’t the ones that formed the words in my head. Though the voice was distinctly Bri’s.

Bri’s head snapped in my direction and her expression was mixed with relief and anxiety.
“She’s okay.”

That time I knew Bri hadn’t said anything. I tested my theory.
“Can you hear me?”

Bri’s eyes met mine and they widened.
“Are you reading my mind?”

“You two are coming with me or your protector dies,” the woman across the pool said.

I turned to her and averted my eyes. She was butt-ass-naked. What the hell nightmare had I woken up to?

“Coach Kendra?” Bri asked.

The woman I’d met that morning? She had the same strange stare as she did when I’d met her.

The woman’s mouth curled into a smile. “I thought the Two would have joined by now.”

Abbey raised a bow and arrow, pointing it at the coach. “Don’t listen to her.”

I could hear the arguments in Bri’s head going back and forth while watching her coach pull on a shirt and shorts that were hidden next to the bleachers. I’d already come this far to find out more information about my mom, and I couldn’t lose that, not when Abbey was right here.

“Let’s see what she wants and get that lunatic away from Abbey. We can figure this out.”

“Okay,” Bri said aloud and turned her attention to Coach. “Don’t hurt anyone.”

Coach tilted her head to the side, scrutinizing Bri. “As long as you do what I ask.”

I stood from the ground, my head light and fuzzy. I held on to consciousness in a vise grip.

“Don’t,” Abbey warned and Tucker pressed the gun into Abbey’s chest. Had he been the person who sent for me? He had been there since the beginning, almost as if he knew I was going to be there?

“No, Tucker!” Bri cried. “I’ll do whatever you want. Don’t hurt her!”

Bri’s terror was my terror and I wanted to cry over Abbey’s impending death along with Bri.

“Come here.” Coach beckoned me over to Bri’s side.

I walked slowly around Abbey, avoiding the fact that the room was spinning. Jake must have really clocked me.

“Whatever you do, don’t—”

Tucker smacked Abbey across the face with the butt of the gun. I winced and witnessed the opening of a cut on her face. Blood pooled from it. She narrowed her gaze at Coach.

Something caught my eye in the corner of the room. Chloe. She pressed a finger to her lips and I obeyed, trusting her. We had a common enemy for now.

An idea came to me. Coach wanted the both of us and a way to delay her would be to … I jumped into the pool without a second thought. Before I broke the surface, Chloe sprinted from her hiding place in the direction of Coach.

I swam to the side of the pool and came up near Bri. Chaos erupted around me. Chloe stood between Coach and Bri. In her hands was that same glow I’d seen earlier. It wasn’t a knife as Jake had suggested. I wasn’t sure what it was. Probably my mind shutting down. I narrowly avoided Tucker’s foot as it landed next to my hand. Abbey had his arms above his head and they struggled against each other.

I sprinted for Bri, on the ground next to Kael. He wasn’t moving.

“Kael?” She pushed at his shoulder.

I came to the other side of him. “We need to get away from Tucker and your coach.”

Her eyes brimmed with tears. “Mom said Tucker and Jake are under a spell or something.” She shook Kael’s shoulder again. “He helped me. We can’t leave him.”

I looked around for anything to protect us. My phone was now at the bottom of the pool so I couldn’t call for help. And there was too much going on to try and stop someone to find another one.

The closet door slammed and Abbey pressed her body against it, locking the door from the outside. Tucker shouted from behind the metal. She dropped to her knees and picked up a bow and arrow. Bri’s mom looked like a warrior.

“Kendra.” Abbey let go of the arrow.

Kendra moved in time though the arrow sliced her shoulder. She shoved Chloe away from her and darted out of the room.

Chloe took off after her.

“Chloe, wait,” Abbey called and Chloe stopped. “Let her go. We need to regroup first.”

Chloe grimaced. “Jake is tied up in the locker room and I told Max to hide. I’ll get them. He should be out of it as she distances herself. ”

Abbey nodded and came to Kael’s side. She checked his pulse. “Do either of you have a phone?” The last word was muffled by Bri reaching over Kael’s body and squeezing Abbey tightly. Abbey’s eyes closed as she embraced her daughter.

Tears sprung to my eyes.

Abbey turned her head in my direction and offered a small smile. She wasn’t as surprised as everyone else. I’d found the person I’d come for.

Loud banging on the closet door ruined the moment. Tucker was yelling from the inside.

Abbey sniffed and let go of Bri. “Sloane, let Tucker out of there.” She put a hand up when I opened my mouth. “He should be himself again.”

I went to the closet, keeping my eyes on Bri. She limped to her jacket on the ground and grabbed her phone.

Abbey took a towel from the folded stack by the locker room door and pressed it against Kael’s wound. He sat up, gasping for air. Abbey said something to him but I couldn’t hear. Bri held his hand and he locked eyes on her.

Tucker’s shouting brought me back to my task. The key was in the knob. My hand trembled. If he attacked me, I hoped that Abbey could get to me quick enough. She’d spent the time since we arrived in the natatorium trying to protect us; I couldn’t imagine she’d send me into more danger. I turned the knob and Tucker tumbled out of the space.

I held my breath until he looked at me and blinked a few times. “Which one are you?”

I let out a snort. “Sloane.”

He rubbed the top of his head. “Did I black out?”

“Something like that,” Abbey called from her position on the floor. She and Bri were helping Kael to his feet.

I went to them. “Is he going to be okay?”

Tucker came to my side. “What happened? Were you shot?”

Bri’s jaw clenched at the sight of her friend. “Like you don’t know.”

Tucker’s eyebrows furrowed.

Abbey looked at Bri. “He doesn’t know what happened.” She turned to me and Tucker. “Let’s get home first.”

“Great, so now all of princess’s friends can know everything?” Chloe entered the room, followed by a visibly shaken Max and Jake.

Bri inspected Kael’s side. “Kael needs a hospital.”

“No hospital,” Abbey and Kael said together.

Kael grunted, holding the towel against his side. “My house. My supplies are there.”

Bri and I shared a look.

Jake stood by Bri. “What happened?”

Tucker shook his head. “I’ve been asking the same thing.”

A pool of blood surrounded Bri’s leg. I put my arm around her waist, taking most of the pressure from the leg. “If he doesn’t want to go to a hospital that’s fine. But I’m taking Bri to one.”

Kael whirled around. “No you’re not.”

“You’re not in a position to stop anyone,” I spat.

Chloe stepped forward. “I am.”

Abbey held a hand out. “Enough. Jake and Tucker, help Bri to the car. We’ll be right behind you.”

Max followed her friends out of the natatorium. I wasn’t sure if Abbey wanted me to go with the others so I stayed put. I didn’t want her out of my sight.

I offered to help with Kael but Chloe and Abbey already flanked him.

“Sloane.” Abbey acknowledged me for the first time. “Grab my bow and quiver and follow me.”

“We couldn’t figure out how she got past the town line,” Chloe said as I walked away.

My blood boiled. “I’m right here you know.” I picked up Abbey’s weapon and stalked toward the three of them. “Someone sent for me and I have a suspicion it was one of you.”

Chloe narrowed her gaze. “Someone sent for you?”

Abbey’s gaze fell on me. “It certainly wasn’t any of us.”

“And what do you mean about me passing the town line?”

Kael groaned. “She wasn’t talking about you.”

Abbey adjusted her grip on Kael. “Not here.” She indicated her head in the direction of the door and I followed them out to the car.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Bri

Abbey entered Kael’s living room holding a tray of steaming mugs. She handed one to Bri.

She brought the mug to her lips, inhaled, and immediately coughed. The pungent smell burned her nose, sending another wave of electricity down her leg.

Kael chuckled from the other couch where Chloe finished patching his wound. “I know it smells awful. It will destroy all the poison in your body.”