Embrace (22 page)

It was selfish on my part, but I didn’t want to lose either of them. I’d rather die, which didn’t seem too far off. My lungs burned for the oxygen that wasn’t making it past my throat. Isaac covered my mouth with his and blew air and power into me. I savored it. The heat threatening to burn a hole through my lungs softened enough for me to take another breath on my own. As soon as Isaac moved away from me, though, the glory of breathing—something I’d always taken for granted—vanished. The burning returned to my lungs, and I struggled again for air.

Isaac stood in front of me, his powers no longer the scent of spearmint and vanilla that was him. I tried to scream for them to stop, but my throat closed around the words. Paige tugged at Kevin, trying to pull him out of the classroom. With a sweep of his hand, Kevin sent Paige flying across the room. She landed near the chalkboard.

“Do something!” Paige yelled.

Emma sat on the edge of Mrs. Parris’s desk. She had a ringside seat for the fight that seemed inevitable.

“A few more minutes and they’ll have taken care of our little problem for us,” Emma cooed. “Our hands will be clean of her blood.”

Oh hell, that didn’t sound good. I slipped into unconsciousness with those words swirling in my head.

I couldn’t have been out long. I woke with Isaac over me again, his warm lips covering mine, blowing air and power into me. I wanted to say thanks and tell him not to be angry with Kevin. Instead, I sucked in air like a drowning person rising to the surface.

“You’re killing her!” Isaac yelled. He barely raised his hand when he stood, which threw Kevin across the room and crashed him into the window before he came to a stop. The glass groaned as a crack emerged and raced like lightning over the smooth surface of the window to the metal frame that held it in place.

I grabbed the leg of Isaac’s jeans, trying to hold him back. I didn’t want them fighting over me. I didn’t want them
killing
each other over me. I could barely speak; my voice came out in a hoarse whisper. “Isaac, please. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. One of you has to stay in control.”

Isaac shook his leg free and moved out of my reach.

“Isaac!” I screamed, his name coming out in a dull, scratchy hiss instead of with the volume and intensity I’d tried for.

“Do something,” Paige begged Emma, “before they kill each other.”

“No.” Emma’s voice was cool, collected. Uncaring.

With Kevin on the other side of the room, still getting to his feet, I could breathe. Well,
gag
, really. The air reeked of power—strong and pungent. Kevin’s bitter jealousy and Isaac’s rage mixed with Paige’s sudden remorse and Emma’s sweet joy. It tasted oddly delectable as it eased the burning in my lungs and the pain in my throat. I swayed as I pushed myself to my feet. I kept one hand on the wall until the room stopped spinning.

I had to gather my emotions before Isaac and Kevin fought power against power. I didn’t want to be the reason Isaac embraced the dark and tainted his soul. He was good and kind and deserved to stay that way. Spearmint and vanilla. And Kevin only needed training, to learn to use his powers without negative emotions. All he had come here for was friendship and help, and all I had managed to do was push him away and cause him more pain than he deserved.

I staggered forward, grabbing the first desk I stumbled into for support. I glanced at Emma in time to see her lift her hand. My arm raised automatically, my forearm in front of me in a perfect blocking stance. Desks and chairs skidded across the floor as her powers rushed past me. I managed to create an invisible shield that kept anything from hitting me. Isaac and Kevin battled nearby, but I didn’t dare take my eyes off Emma. Paige stood a few feet away, tears streaking her face.
She should be scared
, I thought, trapped in a room with four witches: two pissed-off, one crazy, and one desperate.

I didn’t have time to gather my powers. I simply pushed, sending an uncontrolled amount of magic gushing forward. It hit Emma and Paige with vigor and sent them flying into the blackboard. Emma hit her head, knocking her out. Paige appeared too scared to move.

I inhaled deeply and moved forward one desk at a time. Kevin stood facing Isaac, one hand on the back of his neck, his eyes unfocused. Isaac’s back was to me. He stood with his feet shoulder-width apart and his palms in front of him. With a thrust of his hands, power rippled forward.

Kevin doubled over as Isaac’s spell hit him in his stomach. He stood quickly, sending his own powers out toward Isaac, who in turn was thrown into the teacher’s desk.

“Please,” I begged, my voice stronger than before. “Don’t do this.”

Isaac and Kevin both unleashed a spell—their powers collided in an explosion of red.

I moved closer to Isaac. His beautiful brown eyes were black. Kevin faced him, his features twisted in fury.

“Don’t do this!” I screamed. Tears ran freely down my face. I was losing everything. Isaac. Kevin. If they destroyed each other, they’d destroy me.

Their powers crackled around me, stinging my skin with its energy. Neither of them noticed me. I didn’t even know if they remembered I was there. They were beyond reasoning with, but I had to try.

I grabbed Isaac’s raised arm. “Listen to me!”

He shrugged me off easily.

I lunged for Kevin next. He stepped to his side, moving before I could throw my arms around him to keep him from striking Isaac again. My knee hit the heater along the wall of the classroom. Isaac advanced on Kevin.

I had to get their attention. I had to make them hear me.

“Stop it!” I screamed as I ran between them, my arms out to my side, one hand on each of their chests. Power surged into me, and I shook viciously.

Have you ever accidentally stuck a screwdriver into an electrical outlet? The shock caused by the voltage traveling through the screwdriver into your hand causes your fingers to lock in place. Your body trembles, and at first you can’t move. The jolt short-circuits your brain for a brief moment before you are able to react. I can only imagine that standing in water while you did this would make the whole ordeal that much worse. The water would act like a conductor and keep feeding electricity back into you.

Having my hands on Isaac and Kevin while their powers ran through them uncontrolled was sort of like that, only ten times worse.

I could feel their emotions.

Betrayal, confusion, and jealousy emanated from Kevin, but his emotions went deeper than just him and me. They compounded into loneliness, feeling like an outsider in the town he’d grown up in. He hadn’t asked for these powers, and he didn’t want them.

There was a tinge of jealousy in Isaac too, but more than that, he was angry and scared. As scared of losing me as I was of losing him. But wrath and determination fed his powers, and I had no doubt he would be the one who walked away from this fight. His powers exceeded Kevin’s, and he’d yet to unleash the full force of his strength.

I wish I could say, in that moment standing between the people I loved, that I saw hope—a bright light that assured me things would be okay. Sometimes, you just know that isn’t true. Sometimes, you end up hurting the ones you love. You can’t save them or yourself.

Things went crimson—a beautiful shade of red that quickly changed to the color of dried blood, then turned black.

In the blackness, there was nothing.

Not even peace.

Chapter 19

Death

I
N
T
HE
D
ARK
, T
HERE
is only more darkness. It’s like swimming in a pool of oil. Not exactly what I’d thought the journey to heaven would look like. I’d pictured it as more scenic. Those I passed seemed distressed. I would have told them not to worry, that everyone says heaven is a wonderful place, if only I could talk.

“You’re not doing it right!” someone yelled. I couldn’t see where the voice came from.

“It’s not like healing a bone! Just blow!” another person shot back.

Air rushed past me. I could almost taste it: warm and oddly like the rind of an orange. Was heaven one big orchard complete with delicate blossoms, or was that just the part of heaven where I was headed? I wasn’t that big of an orange juice drinker. Maybe I could transfer to somewhere with fields and fields of coffee beans.

That would be truly heavenly.

“Please no. Please no, Please no.” The chant was soft. The voice quiet and familiar. I didn’t know why it was so sad.

I was shoved forward through the blackness. It hit me I might not be in heaven.

It was my fault I’d gone down instead of up. I had copied Kaylee’s homework one too many times to be on the “good” list. That had to be why I wasn’t in the bright lights of paradise. I’d never pass the golden gates. But would cheating on a couple assignments really earn me a one-way ticket to hell? My skin didn’t feel like it was on fire. Maybe I was in purgatory. Maybe there was still hope for me.

Someone else called from the distance. “I’m not sure if I’m doing this right.”

“I’m a little busy,” was the rebuttal. This voice was near to me, strained.

“How is she?” the distant voice asked.

I still couldn’t see anything. Air rushed at me again. My mouth must have been opened. I should close it.

“Damn it, breathe!” demanded the nearby voice.

I knew this voice. It belonged to the person who made me whole. The person who had embraced the dark to defend me. Oh God, he’d died too.

“Let me do that,” that first voice said.

“You’ve never healed. Just blow!” snapped the nearby voice.

This time when the air filled my mouth, I coughed it back out. Through my narrowed eyes, I saw Isaac and Kevin leaning over me.

Kaylee came into view, her face stained with tears.

Apparently, seeing Isaac and Kevin alive was enough for my conscience, because I passed out again. I woke sometime later in my bedroom. Kaylee was lying on the bed next to me, asleep, my hand in hers.

I offered a little squeeze, which ended up being a slight wiggle of my fingers. My body felt rubbery. Kaylee opened her eyes and looked at me expectantly.

“Hi.” I tried a smile, not sure if my lips had the strength to pull upward.

“Hi.” Relief consumed the one word. Kaylee brushed hair away from my face. “Thank God, you’re okay.”

“What happened?”

I remembered facing Emma, pushing my powers out and sending her crashing into the chalkboard. I remembered Isaac and Kevin about to duel until only one was left standing. I remembered both of their lovely faces looking down at me afterward, before things had gone black.

“You tried to break up the fight between Isaac and Kevin,” Kaylee replied.

Oh yeah, I had done that. I grimaced at the memory of that much power flowing into me.

“They feel awful,” Kaylee went on. “Both of them were here. Your dad shooed them out last night.”

“My dad?” I tried to sit up. I made it to my elbows before I collapsed back onto the bed. “I’m surprised he didn’t rush me to the hospital.”

Kaylee sat up and faced me. “He would have. One look at you passed out in Isaac’s arms and he ran for his keys. Isaac had to quickly pass you to Kevin, which he didn’t look happy about. He rested a hand on your dad’s shoulder, mumbled something, and then told your dad you were just tired. You needed sleep.”

“I was afraid they were going to fight until someone was dead.” My words came out in a whisper.

Kaylee squeezed my hand. “They would have, if you hadn’t gotten in the way.”

“Then I’m glad I did.”

I had so many questions, but my eyes betrayed me and closed.

It was Kaylee tracing circles on my arm that woke me the next time. Light filtered into my bedroom window.

“What time is it?” I asked.

Kaylee looked toward the dresser where my alarm clock was. “Almost eight. Isaac should be here soon. I thought you might want to freshen up.”

My mouth tasted as if I’d been sucking on steel and cotton at the same time. I pushed myself up, glad my muscles weren’t as lethargic as they’d been in the middle of the night. “Be right back.”

My trip to the bathroom brought a slew of questions to mind. I quickly brushed my teeth, splashed water on my face, and raced a brush through my hair.

Kaylee was sitting cross-legged on the bed when I got back to my room.

I grabbed my pillow and placed it in my lap as I sat down. “Where’d you go yesterday? When you didn’t come back from the bathroom, I looked everywhere for you. What happened?”

“Emma.” Kaylee frowned. “She cornered me when I was leaving the girls’ bathroom. One minute I was telling her to get lost and walking away, and the next I was locked in the janitor’s closet with my arms tied behind my back and tape over my mouth. Josh thinks she tried to bewitch me, but her spell wouldn’t have worked because I’m wearing his necklace.” Kaylee rubbed the back of her head. “I think she clobbered me with the fire extinguisher. It left a lump.”

I was overwhelmed with relief that Emma hadn’t wanted Kaylee dead.

“It was awful,” Kaylee added. “I couldn’t call for help. I just kept repeating Josh’s and your name in my head.”

That explained why Josh hadn’t come to the classroom with Isaac. He would have gone to find Kaylee.

“Emma had a spell on the door,” Kaylee continued. “Josh couldn’t unlock it and was afraid if he blasted it open with his powers he’d hurt me. He ended up finding something he could use to pry it open.”

“That’s going to cause another investigation at school.” Damage to school property wasn’t taken lightly.

Kaylee shook her head. “He fixed it before we went to find you and Isaac.”

I nodded. “I know why Emma hates me. She said she wanted me out of the way—that I interfered with her and Paige’s happiness. Her reasoning was warped and frighteningly unsound, but it was there. Why did she hate you?”

Kaylee’s nose crinkled. She grabbed the metal cross around her neck. “I was getting in her way when it came to getting back at you. She really hates you.”

I gave her a look that said,
You think?

She continued. “She might have done worse to me if she knew to take the necklace off.”

There was a knock on the door. I told whomever it was to come in.

“Hi.” Kevin’s blue eyes met mine. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked from me to Kaylee.

“Well.” Kaylee stood. “I need a toothbrush and a shower.” She leaned down to kiss the top of my head. “Call me later.”

Kaylee rubbed Kevin’s arm on the way out of my bedroom. Kevin took a few steps closer.

“I’m really sorry about yesterday.” He groaned as he rolled his eyes. “That’s so lame. Sorry I nearly
choked
you to death. I don’t know what happened. I saw Isaac helping you to your feet. A few months ago that would have been me. Then you were so relieved to see him. I could feel it.”

I cringed, knowing how much that must have stung him.

“I couldn’t think straight after that.” Kevin forced a smile. “Funny part is, I’m such a hypocrite.”

“What?”

Kevin moved closer, taking a seat on the end of my bed. “I’ve been seeing someone too.” Kevin diverted his eyes, suddenly finding the lint on my comforter fascinating. “I feel like an ass, having such a strong reaction to you dating. I wasn’t going to tell you about Megan either. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship.”

I was actually happy for him, knowing he had someone at home, and relieved to hear our friendship meant as much to him as it did to me.

“It’s just that I came back to Gloucester because I wanted to tell you about my powers. You should have seen the begging I had to do to get my parents to let me miss school, but I was going to burst if I didn’t tell someone. I wanted to see your expression and to know if you’ve heard of anything like this. When I saw you with Isaac, though, something inside of me snapped.” Kevin looked back up at me. “I was mad at myself, not you. Then I spoke to Josh. Not only did he know about the powers, he had them. And the things he knew…” Kevin let out a low whistle. “We spent most of the night talking about them. That and what had happened to Kaylee. As he told the story, I could
feel
his grief and worry, then his relief and anger.”

I nodded. The image of Kaylee strapped to the hospital bed, afraid of demons, is something I would never forget. “You should have seen her, scared to move. We got to her just in time.”

A comfortable silence followed as Kevin and I got lost in our thoughts.

After a moment, Kevin offered a half smile. “Do you think we’re all drawn to each other?”

That was a very big possibility. Josh and I had always been friends; even before he’d started dating Kaylee, we used to hang out. I’d looked up to him as a sister would a brother for as long as I could remember. Then there was how Kevin and I had clicked, knew exactly what the other was feeling without words. And obviously Isaac had pulled me to him. He’d had my attention the first time I’d seen him.

“I do,” Kevin said before I could reply. “I think that’s why Josh and I are the best of friends. Why you and I fit so well together. After what I did at school, I’ll understand if you want me to leave and never call you again.”

“Don’t be stupid.” The words were out of my mouth before I had time to arrange my thoughts into something nice. I hit him playfully with the pillow I’d been squeezing. “Of course I want to be friends. Best friends.”

He snatched my weapon from me. “Kaylee’s your best friend.”

“I can have two,” I said defiantly. It occurred to me that Kevin wouldn’t have support back in Minneapolis. Not the kind he needed. “Can you stay another week? Josh and I can help you learn to use your powers.”

“I don’t want them,” he said, his voice flat and final.

“But you’ve already embraced them.” Isaac had been clear about that point. He hadn’t told me about my powers because once I knew, I’d have little choice but to embrace them. “You can’t go back.” Another point Isaac had made very clear. Time travels in one direction; you can’t go back in time and erase the things you don’t want to happen.

Kevin’s expression was solemn and pained. “Madison, you don’t understand, I can’t control them.”

“You could if you had some training.” I refrained from telling him Isaac had taught me to control mine and planned on providing additional training once things with Mark—well, Emma—settled down.

Kevin shook his head. “You have no idea how unbelievably incredible it feels to have that much power coursing through you. To know with a little more anger, a little more jealousy, it could get that much better. I’ve never been seduced by something so strong. Once that feeling starts, I don’t want it to stop. I couldn’t stop myself even when I saw what I was doing to you. I would have killed you if Isaac wasn’t there.” He gave a fleeting smile. “I guess I owe him.”