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One slammed into the Arum’s shoulder, spinning him around. He ducked the other, and it hit the tree behind him, burning a hole deep into the truck. Over the chaos, I heard Dee begging, “Katy, talk to me. Please talk to me!” Then she screamed my name. “Daemon!”
My heart stopped.
I turned just as Baruck did. Dee had Kat in her arms. The Arum released his own essence. A dark bolt slammed into Dee, knocking her back from Kat, who slumped to the ground. I shouted as Dee sprang to her feet. Her eyes burned an intense white and then she flew forward, aiming straight for Baruck.
Spinning back, I released another blast and then another, but Baruck dodged my attack and went straight for Dee. I raced forward, but it was too late. He caught Dee, and for a heart-stopping moment, darkness swallowed her. She hit the ground, her body twitching.
I charged Baruck, tackling him. Branches shook, scattering leaves to the grass. I rolled atop Baruck, summoning the Source as I lifted my hand just as I saw Dee push to her feet. The moment of distraction was all it took.
Everything happened so fast.
Dee flickered in and out, blood trickling from her nose as she squared her shoulders and started toward us. Under me, Baruck lifted his arm and released another blast, shooting it straight at Dee.
Kat crashed into her at the second the blast hit them, knocking her aside a second before darkness surrounded them, and there was a scream. I couldn’t tell if it belonged to my sister or Kat.
Everything was falling apart.
Both of them crashed to the ground. Kat was on her back and the front of her shirt was washed with a dark substance. A metallic scent filled the air. Blood. Dee was beside her, on her side, her limp arm fallen across Kat’s. Dee slipped into her true form.
Never take your eye off your enemy.
The blast caught me in the back, sending me through the air, ass over teacup. Pain made it difficult to hold form, and I felt myself slipping back and forth. My thoughts were consumed with my sister…and Kat.
Kat stood no chance against Baruck.
I smacked into the ground, stunned as I heard the Arum’s voice in my head. Three for one ssspecial.
Trying to maintain one form, I twisted and my gaze cleared. Kat—I was next to Kat, so close I could touch her. She was alive. Her chest rose and fell in shallow breaths. She was staring at me, her lips moving, but there were no words. I tried to sit up, but aftershocks forced me down. My muscles spasmed. It was like being hit by a supercharged Taser.
It’sss over. All of you will die . Baruck advanced.
I turned toward Kat, saw the tears blurring her eyes. This wasn’t right. She didn’t deserve any of this, and I’d brought it all to her—everything.
Our eyes locked. I wanted to tell her I was sorry. I was sorry she moved here and met us. Not in the way she’d think—that it was her fault, but that she had no idea what she was stepping into. I wanted to turn back time, stop her from going to the library and erase the spaghetti incident, because without that, we would’ve never talked in the woods that night and she would’ve never walked out in front of that truck. So many mistakes.
Kat would be safe right now, watching stupid Halloween movies, maybe even in the arms of some guy who would never hurt her or put her in harm’s way. She would be safe . Out of my reach, but safe nonetheless.
Most of all, I wanted to go back and change the way I’d acted toward her. Because now, as she shuddered on the damp ground, as death loomed over us all, I was willing to acknowledge the one thing I’d been hiding from. The one thing that had truly terrified me.
I never wanted to push her away.
As selfish as it was, I was glad she had moved here. It was too late for us, but I cared for her…more than I should, but I did. It was too late.
Too late to tell her how I felt, to touch her, to just hold her, to make up for every terrible thing I’d done and said. It was too late for me.
But she was going to walk out of here. She was going to live if it was the last thing I did.
Letting my human form go, I was at my most vulnerable, but I was going to need everything. I extended an arm toward her and she reached out, her fingers disappearing in my light.
I focused everything into that touch, sending a jolt of energy into her body, knowing that whatever was in us would do its thing, healing her from the inside out. It would give her a chance to get away. Hopefully Baruck would be more focused on me.
A sob rocked her body, and I squeezed her hand. Then I saw her eyes flare with realization. She knew what I was doing, what it meant.
“No.” Her voice was a hoarse, tired whisper.
She tried to pull away, but I held on, ignoring the desperate panic in her eyes. I squeezed her hand. I wasn’t letting go. Not now.
Not ever.
Suddenly she sat up and grabbed my sister’s arm while she still held my hand. A pulse of light went through me, shining so bright that Baruck seemed to disappear. It arced high in the air, crackling and spitting. It went down into Dee. Her light connected with mine.
Baruck’s shadow halted.
The arc of light streamed above and shot down , right into the center of Kat’s chest. A second later she was above us, slipping free from my grasp, and she was above me, hovering, her hair flying out around her. Power built among the three of us, kicking the regenerative abilities into high gear. As it sparked, Dee and I slipped back into our human forms.
Dazed, I pushed to my knees, reaching for Kat. What was she doing…?
I could feel her pulling the particles out of the air, holding them close to her. It wasn’t possible, but power coiled inside her, a tremor of the very same power shuddering deep inside me. This…this wasn’t possible.