Page 34 of Crossing Between

"So what exactly is this brilliant plan of yours, Zoey?" Kenji looked down at me briefly as we raced down a hallway lined with bullet holes and splashed with blood.

I swallowed hard, watching the carnage blur past us. "Something stupid."

To my surprise, Kenji barked out a laugh, the sound out of place against the backdrop of destruction. "Those are my favorite kind of plans." His arms tightened around me and I felt one hand deliberately squeeze my ass as he adjusted his grip.

"Seriously?" I gasped, heat rushing to my face despite the dire circumstances.

"Just making sure you know I'm with you," he winked, his blue eyes flashing with that familiar mischief. "Besides, after this is over, you owe me a date. No getting out of it now."

Before I could respond, we reached Varon's office. Kenji kicked the door open and set me down gently inside. The room was untouched by the chaos outside with the neat stacks of paperwork on the desk, a half-empty coffee mug, and photos I'd never had a chance to look at before.

And a large window that faced directly onto the street where the infected fought with the remaining police officers.

My breath hitched as I watched the scene below. The infected moved with eerie synchronicity now, no longer random in their attacks. They were forming a perimeter, clearing a path for something. The air around them seemed to shimmer and distort, as if reality itself was being warped.

"It's coming," I whispered, the dread inside me building to a crescendo.

Kenji moved to stand beside me, his body tense and ready. "Whatever you're planning to do, now would be a good time."

I nodded, stepping closer to the window.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, reaching inside for that well of power I knew existed within me.

The magic that had remained dormant for what it was meant to do for so long now stirred, responding to my call.

It rose like a tide, warm and electric, filling me from my toes to the top of my head.

Unlike before, when it had burst forth uncontrolled, I tried to direct it, to shape it with my will.

The power felt different now, less like trying to hold back a storm, and more like guiding a river down a particular path.

I pictured the souls of the infected, seeing them as bright lights trapped in cages of shadow and corruption.

Each one pulsed with a unique signature, distorted but not destroyed by the Essencefeaster's influence.

I could feel their pain, their confusion, and beneath it all, their desperate desire to be whole again.

I pushed my magic forward with a single thought: Free them .

Free them.

Free them.

The power rushed through me like a tidal wave, magnificent and terrifying all at once.

My skin tingled as if thousands of electric currents were dancing across it, and my hair floated around my face, suspended in an invisible energy field.

The sensation was unlike anything I'd ever experienced.

It was raw, primal magic coursing through every cell, making me feel both invincible and frighteningly vulnerable.

Colors intensified around me; the mundane office transformed into a kaleidoscope of vivid hues I'd never noticed before.

Even the air tasted different, as if it was metallic and charged, like the atmosphere before a lightning strike.

I could feel each soul below us pulsing like distant stars, each one unique and precious despite the corruption that gripped them.

Time seemed to slow as the magic expanded within me, filling spaces I hadn't known existed in my being.

It was exhilarating and utterly terrifying to hold such power in my trembling hands.

This was the magic that Quilith said I could reach once I just let go and embraced it.

The space between my fingers glowed with a soft blue light that grew brighter with each passing second. I felt it pour out of me in a torrent, directed at the masses of infected below, stretching from my core outward like tendrils of light seeking out darkness.

Tendrils of golden light extended from my fingertips, reaching through the glass as if it weren't there, snaking down toward the street below. My heart pounded in my chest, and sweat beaded on my forehead as I focused every ounce of my concentration on what I was trying to accomplish.

I could feel them now. Dozens of souls, trapped and suffering, being used like batteries to power the Essencefeaster's puppets.

The sensation was overwhelming, like suddenly hearing a hundred voices screaming all at once.

My knees buckled, but Kenji's strong arm wrapped around my waist, holding me up.

"I've got you," his voice grounding me in the moment. "You've got this, Zoey."

With his support, I pushed harder, reaching for those trapped souls with everything I had. I had to hurry before the Essencefeaster sensed me.

Too late.

I was too late. He sensed me almost immediately but this time I was ready.

I wasn't ready for the assault that crashed into my mind. It felt like a battering ram made of ice and razor blades, slicing through my consciousness with surgical precision. The Essencefeaster's presence was unmistakable. It was ancient, hungry, and utterly malevolent.

Little Soulbinder, finally, we meet properly. I've been so looking forward to this. Your dragon friend isn't here to protect you this time.

His voice slithered through my mind like oil on water, coating every thought with darkness. I gritted my teeth and focused, constructing mental walls brick by imaginary brick. It was instinctual.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Head." I snarled through clenched teeth, forcing each word out as I strengthened my defenses.

Kenji's strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind, holding me steady. His chest pressed against my back, warm and solid.

"I've got you," his breath hot against my ear. "Do what you need to do."

Such a precious pet you have, the Essencefeaster taunted. I wonder what his soul would taste like. Oni souls are quite the delicacy.

I ignored the taunt, focusing instead on the infected people below. From our vantage point, they looked like mindless puppets, their movements jerky and uncoordinated. The sickly green threads of the Essencefeaster's magic wrapped around their souls like parasitic vines, choking out their humanity.

They're mine now, little girl. Just as you will be.

"Shut up," I hissed, extending my awareness outward.

I could see them. Hundreds of glowing threads connecting the possessed civilians to their master. The Essencefeaster's magic was like a web, with him at the center, pulling strings and feeding off their essence. This was what we'd been hunting for weeks.

I focused my power, visualizing a pair of golden scissors in my mind's eye. One by one, I began to snip the threads.

NO! The demon's voice rose to a shriek in my head. STOP THAT!

His rage slammed into me like a physical blow. My knees buckled, but Kenji held me upright, his grip tightening.

"Zoey? What's happening?" Kenji's voice seemed distant, underwater.

"He's fighting back," I managed to gasp. "But I can do this."

I pushed harder, channeling more of my power into the task. Each severed connection felt like cutting through a steel cable with paper scissors, requiring immense concentration and strength. Sweat poured down my face as I worked, my entire body trembled with effort.

You think you're powerful, Soulbinder? You are NOTHING. A flickering candle compared to my inferno.

The Essencefeaster's attack intensified, clawing at my mental walls. Pain exploded behind my eyes, but I refused to stop. Below us, people began to collapse onto the street as I freed them from the demon's control.

"It's working," Kenji whispered, his voice filled with awe. "Zoey, it's working!"

I couldn't respond. Every ounce of my concentration was focused on the task. Cut, release, move on. Cut, release, move on. The pattern became my mantra.

These humans mean nothing to me, the Essencefeaster hissed. They are disposable. But you…I want you intact. Your power will sustain me for centuries.

His words slithered through my defenses, leaving trails of icy fear. I shook it off and continued my work.

"Fuck off," I severed another dozen connections with a burst of golden light.

More people dropped to the ground, free from his influence.

Police officers in riot gear cautiously approached the unconscious forms, securing them.

Others targeted those still infected, the ones too far gone for me to help.

The crack of gunfire echoed through the night as they neutralized the threats.

The sight of them falling made my stomach turn, but I couldn't save everyone. Some souls had been too thoroughly corrupted or absorbed and no longer there, the Essencefeaster's poison too deeply embedded. Those were beyond my reach.

My magic was depleting rapidly. What had started as a raging river was now a trickle, barely enough to maintain my connection to the remaining victims. My vision began to blur, darkness creeping in at the edges. Still, I persisted, freeing as many as I could.

With a final push, I released a massive surge of power, cutting dozens of connections simultaneously. The effort nearly ripped me apart from the inside. A scream tore from my throat as golden light exploded outward from my body.

Impressive, the Essencefeaster sounded almost amused now, which terrified me more than his rage. But ultimately futile. You've merely delayed the inevitable.

I felt him withdrawing, his presence receding like a tide.

I'll be back for you, little Soulbinder. And next time, you won't escape me. Your soul will be mine to feast upon.

With those final words, he was gone, leaving behind a void that felt almost as disorienting as his presence.

I sagged in Kenji's arms, completely drained. The world tilted and spun around me, buildings outside and lights blurring together in a nauseating swirl. My legs gave out entirely, and even Kenji's strength couldn't keep me upright. He lowered me gently to the ground, cradling me against his chest.

"Zoey? Zoey, look at me," his voice was urgent, frantic. His hands cupped my face, turning it toward him.

I tried to focus on his features, but they kept swimming in and out of clarity. Something wet and warm trickled down my face. I reached up weakly, my fingertips coming away red.

"You're bleeding," Kenji's voice cracked with fear. "Fuck, you're bleeding from your eyes and nose."

I wanted to tell him I was fine, but my tongue felt swollen and useless in my mouth. The coppery taste of blood filled my throat.

"ELIAS!" Kenji's bellow echoed across the building, the raw panic in his voice unlike anything I'd heard from him before. "ELIAS, GET UP HERE NOW!"

The world faded to gray around the edges and Kenji's desperate face was the last thing I saw before darkness claimed me completely.