Shattered Souls (15 page)

“Getting close,” Logan
said, hauling me through the long section.

The dogs were
running over the place, spreading out in every direction. It didn’t sound like a pack of them prowling, just individuals now. The thought of only being mauled by one versus many did little to calm my fears. They were still in the main part of the maze, hopefully getting as lost as we did.

“I think we made it,” Logan said.

Instead of staring at the wall of fencing we were passing, I looked up just as Logan slowed down, and that’s when we both realized we had picked wrong.

“I’d set the place on fire, if I thought it would do a bit of good,” I whispered, choking down the wave of desperation.

“I know, babe,” Logan replied, his voice confident.

And then it hit me. The ocean.

“I don’t know if it’s possible, and I’ve never tried to tap into something so far away, but….” I clung to the fence and peered toward the cliff. It just might work.

“I like where you’re going with that idea,”
Logan smiled. “I’ll keep you as protected as I can while you channel the energy, and we’ll try to wash it all away.”

“Let’s just hope we don’t wash away too
,” I whispered.

Logan
began chanting as a slight hum of protection began to bubble around us in our corner. His eyes were closed as he recited the incantation, and I felt a charge of hope.

Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the crashing waves
below us. With each roar of a wave as it collided with the rocks below, I pictured the ocean’s froth and energy rippling back into itself. Harnessing the forces of the ocean, I felt the dampness appear along my flesh. The chill of the wind, as it pricked my moist skin, caused a sense of hope while I tapped into this element of the earth. I pictured a tornado of currents gathering down below. Perched on this high cliff, we would need a massive amount of height for the waves to reach us. I felt my body sway with the movements of the waves below, locking into the forces of the violent ocean. The rumble of the sea changed as I imagined the seawater twisting itself up over the cliff. I could feel the water coming. The ocean was on its way.

“Hold on. Hold onto the fence,” I yelled to Logan as the wind picked up
. “It’s coming.”

I locked my fingers through the fence,
gripping the metal tightly until my fingers ached with pain because my life depended on it. Logan came up behind me and pressed his body against me, looping his fingers with mine.

“This is going to work,” he said, his face pressing against my hair. I felt his body tense as he attempted to lock himself over me like a shield.

I continued focusing on the sea’s power, and the roar of the waves intensified but so did the growls of the predators.

“It’s coming.” I tightened my grip on the fence as I saw
a wall of water barreling toward us. “They won’t know what hit em.”

I heard Logan take a deep breath at the same time as me and w
ithin seconds the water hit us like a freight train. Pain shot through me as the water slammed into us. The waves whipped around me so fiercely I couldn’t tell if Logan was still wrapped around me. I knew I was holding onto the fence, but that’s all I knew. The adrenaline surging through my body made the desire for oxygen non-existent. As the pressure of the water stabilized around me, I felt my body floating. The initial surge had done its job.

“
I’m right here with you
,” Logan channeled.

The water was
n’t separating us any longer as he pulled himself closer into me. My heart started pounding as the need for oxygen overruled the adrenaline rush. I needed air, but I didn’t want to panic.

I focused on the water surrounding us, imagining the beasts captured by the waves and began slowly letting out the air in my lungs.
Calling the water back to the sea, I felt the current change around us. The ocean was claiming its force as the water around us began dissipating. My lungs burned with anticipation as I dreamed of taking that first breath. The last air bubble escaped from my lips, and my head began to spin. I could feel the force in the water change but not fast enough.

“
I need air
,” I channeled and just when I thought it might be too late, Logan ripped me from the fence, lifting me above his head. He was able to stand as the water ran by us. It had receded enough, and since he was only a head or so higher than me, he’d gotten to the glorious night air first.

I gasped for my first breath of air as I blinked my eyes quickly trying to flush the sting of the seawater out.

“You did it,” Logan said as the water spilled back over the cliff.

I quickly lit my wand and saw
a few of the bodies scattered around. The others must have been swept out to sea.

“Let’s get out of her
e,” I said, sliding down his body, hitting the ground. My legs gave out, and I crumpled to the earth. I didn’t expect to be so weak. Waterlogged wasn’t even the word for how I felt, but whatever the feeling was, I seemed to be moving at about half-speed as I tried to stand up again. Logan was attempting to get me on my feet when I heard something coming toward us.

“What’s that noise?”

“Footsteps,” Logan whispered.

“Not so fast,” Ethan’s voice commanded.
His steps drew closer as we huddled in the maze.

“You are far too valuable
for me to let you escape,” Ethan said. “I can’t thank you enough for showing me that before I made my final decision.”

“And what decision was that?” I asked, leaning against Logan
.

“To kill you both. Now, I only need to kill one of you,” he
replied.

We
were dealing with a mad man.

Chapter
18

The shot of current left Logan’s hand before it even had a chance to register. I heard the crack as the first current missed Ethan and connected with the fence behind him. Logan threw another shot of electricity, this time nailing Ethan to the fence. Ethan flashed a wicked smile before he vanished right before our eyes.

I stepped away from the fence and watche
d as Logan slowly moved his hands through the air. He was in a trance of sorts, looking beyond the here and now. He darted to the left suddenly, and I watched as his hand wrapped around something. Ethan’s arm began to surface as Logan gripped it firmly, their flesh becoming one.

“Your evasion spells will never work around me,” Logan seethed.

“I only know of one other person who knew them,” Ethan hissed, his lips twisting into a frown. “And he’s dead.”

My blood froze. He was talking about my father.

“Well, I was his best student,” Logan replied. “Apparently your secrets weren’t safe with him.”

Ethan’s body
became visible within seconds. “Let’s see what else his best pupil knows.”

His free arm
waved to the sky creating an invitation. I looked up to see a swarm in the blackened night. It expanded in size with every wave of his hand. I couldn’t see what the creatures were, but something told me that I wouldn’t recognize them even if I saw them.

“
Triss,” Logan directed.

“Will do
,” I responded, watching the swarm begin to cyclone toward Logan.

The
warmth in my palms ignited, and I blasted a line of flames upward. Ethan gasped as the fire ignited in the sky, dropping his creatures to the ground. Logan quickly backed away.

Ethan’s eyes fell on me as he took a step forward.

“Don’t even think about it,” Logan said through gritted teeth.

I felt a shift in my thinkin
g. My thoughts were off-balance. I looked into Ethan’s eyes and realized he was doing exactly what I’d been warned about. He was trying to invade my mind. This was no longer a physical battle. I didn’t know if I was ready for it, but I had no choice. I’d rather let him in on my terms.

I readied my stance and stood facing Ethan square on.

“Triss, what are you doing?” Logan asked.

The air turned warm and I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath in.
The otherworld had been summoned.

I focused on my father, the last images of him before he was swept into the underworld, and I knew he wouldn’t allow a call
to his realm to go through which involved targeting his daughter. That I knew. But Ethan didn’t. Ethan didn’t know the sacrifice my father made. Very few did.

Opening my eyes, I saw Ethan chanting to the realms of darkness. The winds began shifting. Logan stood next to me,
lowering his lips to my ear. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but you need to be careful.”

I tilted my head
in acknowledgement, but turned my attention to Ethan.

Feeling my father’s prese
nce, I smiled and waited for Ethan to look at me. I wanted him to see me, truly see me, before I created his own personal Hell.

“This is getting better with every passing moment,” Ethan said, opening his eyes.

“I thought I’d return the favor from earlier,” I replied, taking a step forward.

Ethan’s
breathing changed slightly as he realized his calls to the underworld went unheard.

“Waiting for someone?” I asked, arching a brow.

He closed his fists and glanced at Logan before taking a step toward me.

“You’re in way over your head,” Ethan said.

“Possibly,” I acknowledged.

Without warning, he shot a current at Logan, dropping him to his knees.

“Enough,” I yelled, stepping in front of the charge. The bolt of electricity hit me hard but gave me exactly what I needed, a way into his mind. The prickling pain radiated through my body, but I latched onto the anger and hatred that was spiraling from his cast. The pain vanished as I rode the currents of electricity back into his body. I felt the transcendence begin as I drifted into the crevices of his mind.

The noise of the natural world drifted away as I melded into his memories.
I picked up on slight panic, followed by recognition. Images were scattered randomly in Ethan’s mind. It was like I was on a scavenger hunt, attempting to pick up whatever piece might help me destabilize him. The anger, betrayal and heartache were driving my curiosity. How could a man kill his best friend?

I forged through the memories, tossing most aside as I attempted to get at what drove him
. If I could manipulate what was at his core then I could return the favor surrounding the evening’s earlier events. I could turn his fears into false realities.

Searching through the endless data, consisting of emotions, senses, and images
, I came across something of interest. Pictures of Ethan and Lara back in high school. They were a couple that long ago? I sifted through the onslaught of memories. They seemed like any normal high school couple who was in love, hanging out at football games, bonfires, and camping trips. Anger began to swell inside Ethan’s visions. All of the happiness I watched quickly dissipated as the images of my father came into focus. He was threatening Ethan and didn’t want him dating Lara. Things were slowly starting to fall into place. By all appearances, it looked like Ethan and Lara broke up but the feelings of loss remained. And then I saw it, the memory that probably changed everything. Ethan walking in on Logan’s father kissing Lara.

That was when the seeds of hate were planted.
The overwhelming sadness crept through my own psyche as I felt Ethan’s pain. I no longer wanted to shatter his world. I wanted to repair it, and I didn’t think I could. If I stayed connected through his mind, he would remain incapacitated. If I wasn’t going to blow his world then I needed to figure out how to escape from it safely. But I also needed the map of the maze that I wanted to grab. It had to be in here somewhere.

Everyone
had things that shaped them, myself included. Ethan’s actions may not be excusable or understandable, but at least I saw the reasons that led him to make certain choices. I couldn’t blithely discount the experiences he’d had. I also couldn’t expect to change him, and I had come to the realization that I couldn’t change myself. I didn’t want to be this person invading others’ minds, not like this.

But I had come this far
, and if I didn’t do a little tweak, there would be no getting away. I was sure of that. I only needed to place a few rogue memories that would act as hallucinations like he did to me; only mine would be different, pleasant. That would be my twist.

Ethan seemed the happiest when he was around Lara. I began quickly building a simulated world that he would be lost in once I
parted from him. It would only give us a few minutes at best, but it would have to do. Stealing bits and pieces of memories and moments of pure bliss, I cobbled together a scene that would make even the most bitter of hearts melt. I only hoped it would work.

Reimagining Lara was difficult, especially in this context, but I was well on my way. After selecting one of the more recent versions of her to play the part, I knew it was time to disconnect from him.

I began shutting my mind off from his as I allowed his memories to be his own again.
Withdrawing from his world created a deep sense of isolation as I became focused in reality once more.

Quickly opening my eyes, I saw Ethan standing in a daze, staring, reaching for someone who wasn’t there. I turned to face Logan as he watched in aw
e as Ethan’s mannerisms softened, slowed. Ethan no longer looked like the man who had lost everything. He continued to play out the scenes I had lodged in his mind.

I grabbed Logan’s
hand and began hauling him in the direction of the exit. This momentarily lapse would only last so long with Ethan, and I didn’t want to be stuck in the maze when he came to. That would be deadly.

“How do you know where to go,” Logan asked, running by my side.

“I borrowed the overhead snapshot of the maze. There are only so many tracks. One more turn and we’ll be out,” I yelled.

“Borrowed it, huh,”
he replied, squeezing my hand.

I rounded the corner and saw the opening. Both of our speeds increased tremendously once we finally saw the real exit. Logan let go of my hand
, and I ran through with him right behind me. We were close to the cliff and as the clouds covered the stars the darkness of the night became more pronounced.

“
Just. Keep. Running,” I said, in pieces, already breathless.

We continued down the
road. Our car was only another block away, but it was around the corner. The best thing to do would be to cut through the woods to shave off time. I took a left into the trees and Logan was right behind me.

I slowed my pace as I stepped over rocks and ducked under branches. Every so often I’d get stuck on a blackberry bush and Logan would unhook
me, but it happened so fast that when we reached the edge of the woods, I couldn’t believe we had actually made it to our car.

I dove in the passenger seat and Logan flew into the driver’s seat, shutting the doors and locking them. He turned on the engine
and gunned the accelerator. It was silent between us for a few minutes as everything just settled over us. I had learned a lot. More about myself than I probably wanted to know.

“I hate to
bring this up, but I didn’t see you place the listening device when we were in his office…”

“
I did,” I said, laughing. “I stuck it under his desk when I stood up right before he hit me with that crystal.”

“Thank God
, because I didn’t want to go through that again,” he laughed.

“Neither do I,”
I said, reaching over to grab his hand.