Isaura (Aberrant) Page 4

  “My head,” he whispered. “It's throbbing.”

  “I need to finish.” I didn't care if it exhausted me. Right now Joshua needed to get better and to do that meant healing him. His hand gently pushed me further away.

  “I'm okay.” He urged me to move away. “Try and find a way out of here. Save your strength for that.”

  I sighed, deciding not to fight him on it. We would need a way out and soon. I didn't know when Craynor would return. I walked along the length of the room, trying the sealed door but it didn't budge. I pushed my ear against it, listening for sounds. I could hear footsteps outside and opted not to use our abilities to unlock it. Not yet. We would escape, but we needed to be ready. Coming back towards Joshua, I knelt down glancing him over. “Let me help you feel better.”

  “Olivia,” he sighed heavily. “Turn around.”

  “I know. I'll be fine,” I assured him. I hadn't forgotten about the knife in my back. Clearly someone had pulled it out and I felt an odd homemade bandage applied against my skin. Craynor hadn't wanted me dead. At least not yet. Maybe that was good news? I wasn't sure what he wanted with Joshua or with me.

  I paused hearing a faint rattling. “What's that?” Josh mumbled and I rose walking towards the vent hearing it again.

  “Hello?” I saw a small vent at the ceiling. I doubted Rane could fit and she was the smallest.

  “Olivia?” I heard the faintest voice before the vent pushed open and a tiny body plopped down onto the floor in a heap.

  “Adelaide!” I rushed over, making sure she was okay as she'd fallen onto the cold cement.

  “I'm fine,” she whispered, careful to keep from being heard. “We have to get you out of here.”

  “We? What are you doing here?” I stared at her shocked.

  Adelaide smiled before throwing her arms around me. I tried to hide the grimace as my back throbbed. I wasn't entirely thrilled she was here, but was glad to hug her. “Where's Madeline?”

  “She doesn't know I left.” Adelaide let go of me and walked over to Joshua. “What happened to him?”

  “I'm fine.” Joshua gave the best smile he muster, hugging Adelaide. “How'd you get here?”

  Adelaide sighed glancing around the room, taking in her surroundings. “Aidan said I was a stowaway.” She smiled up at me brightly. “I snuck into the back with the supplies. I wanted to help.”

  I nodded. “And that you did. Who else is with you?”

  Adelaide grinned. “Aidan, Cate and Elsa. They're just outside, trying to find a way in. Craynor is standing guard with a gun. He threatened to kill you both if they came any closer. So I snuck in through the vent.” She beamed proudly.

  “What about Henry, Gavin and Rane?” I hoped they were still alive and well.

  Adelaide shrugged. “I don't know who they are. Oh! Aidan said he found a girl alive, but hurt. He was trying to make her feel better. Maybe it's your friend?” She tried to make sense of the information even though they'd kept a lot from her.

  “You've done well,” I assured her. “Do they know where you went?” I felt my heart constrict. Adelaide should not have been here. Craynor would kill her if he found her.

  “Cate helped me into the vent,” Adelaide answered. “Can't we climb out the same way?”

  I bent down, wrapping my arms around her. “I wish we could but we're too big.” Hope disappeared as quickly as it came.

  “That's not what Cate told me,” Adelaide smirked. “She said to tell you what's big can be little and what's little can be big.”

  “What does that mean?” I shot a glance at Joshua.

  He paused momentarily, thinking the puzzle over. “The vent. I think we can make it bigger or somehow make ourselves smaller to fit through it.”

  “You want me to shrink us?” I laughed. “You're crazy!”

  “Just consider it for a second, Olive,” he reasoned. “Children grow into adults. Why can't we make ourselves a few years younger, smaller,” he emphasized.

  “I'm not turning us into five-year-olds.” I reiterated, “It's not going to happen. Besides who's to say I can even do that!” This was more than a long shot. It was impossible.

  “You have to try.” Adelaide's voice perked up. “Please, Olivia.”

  I sighed. I couldn't say no to her. Besides, we needed a way out. “You go first,” I insisted. In case I ended up destroying the vent or Joshua and myself, I didn't want her to witness it.

  I kissed her cheek as she walked over towards Joshua. “We'll see you soon.” He offered a smile though he struggled with the pain he felt. “Help her back in the vent,” Josh insisted. I hugged her one last time and dropped another kiss to her dirty cheek.

  “Be careful,” I told Adelaide as I eased her back into the vent. I spent a few minutes trying to catch my breath, listening for the door, nervous as hell. Walking back towards Joshua I examined his wounds and rested a hand on his, depleting some of my energy, giving it to him.

  “What are you doing?” He tried to pull his hand back, but I gripped it tighter.

  “You need enough energy to climb through the vent with me. I'm not leaving you behind.”

  “Just a little.” The color slowly returned to his cheeks and he took his other hand, prying my death grip from him. “That's enough.” He knew we both needed enough strength to escape.

  “Okay.” My voice betrayed me as I offered a weak smile. I was beyond nervous. I felt my body jolt awake at the sound of the latch on the basement door. We were out of time. The grate lay at my feet as I gripped his hand and focused on making us younger. It wasn't working.

  Smaller! Joshua silently insisted. Do it now!

  “I'm trying!” I screamed watching with wide terror-filled eyes as Craynor descended the stairs with a tray of food.

  “You two shouldn't be up and around.” Craynor's voice echoed as he dropped the tray of food, prepared for a fight. Clearly he hadn't anticipated us on our feet.

  Joshua was the first to act, jumping at Craynor, wrestling him down onto the ground. Craynor was fast and strong, flipping them over, pinning Josh down and pulling a switchblade from his pocket.

  I had to do something. I rushed towards Craynor, knocking the knife from his hand as I kicked him hard. He fell back, off Joshua as he rolled away. I darted for the knife along with Craynor, feeling the cold cement against me as Craynor climbed above me, reaching just slightly farther grazing the metal blade. “Get off!” I bellowed throwing him from my back hard against the wall. His body collapsed down the wall but his eyes remained open and he was breathing. I grabbed Joshua's hand, helping him to his feet as we rushed up the stairs. I pushed Joshua past me, letting him out first as I turned around to see Craynor come up the stairs chasing after us.

  I had no other choice. I needed to put an end to Craynor and his reigning madness. My hands glowed briefly and expelled a flame onto him, sending him stumbling backwards screaming. Joshua grabbed my hand, not bothered by the searing heat as he dragged me up the stairs. Together we ran through the building, trying to find our way out. In the darkness we stumbled, unable to find a door as the building shifted with our footsteps. It wasn't steady or safe. I didn't know how much longer it would last and I glanced back seeing smoke coming from the basement where we'd been held. The structure had already grown weak after Haven's raid. It was only a matter of time until it collapsed.

  Stumbling through the darkness my legs tripped over something warm and I fell onto the form, realizing it was a body. I reached down, searching out a pulse. It was faint.

  “Henry,” I gasped.

  Joshua kept a hold, helping me to my feet. “Who's that?” He hadn't recognized the name. I didn't expect him to.

  “He helped me find my way to Haven,” I admitted. “He's still alive. I need your help, Joshua.” I couldn't leave him to die. It wasn't right. Not if we could get back to Shadow and use the technology to save him. “We need to find our way out.” My heart pounded as I gripped Joshua's hand tighter and he lifted Henry into hi
s arms. “Adelaide! Cate!” I screamed knowing someone had to be nearby.

  “Olivia?” I heard Elsa's voice first as she ran towards us, the structure creaking and swaying on an unsteady foundation. She gripped Adelaide's hand as Cate and Aidan followed right behind her.

  “Make a portal.” Joshua didn't wait for me to answer. “We know there was one in Genesis and another in Haven. If you can make fire and heal me, I'm sure you can make a portal. We need to get out of here, now!” It would only be a matter of moments until the building around us caved in and killed all of us.

  “An actual portal! You have more faith in my abilities than I do.” I laughed at the absurdity of the suggestion. “Can't we search for an exit?”

  Aidan grimaced. “It's blocked. Both exits have too much debris. I couldn't move it. I tried while Adelaide was climbing through the vent.”

  “Do it, Olive.” Josh gritted his teeth through the pain as he held an unconscious Henry in his arms.

  Cate frowned, her eyes scouring the room. “You'll need a mirror, glass, something reflective to use as a portal.”

  “You think this can actually work?” I was willing to try anything right now as we scoured the building for the nearest window. Most were covered with debris, making it impossible to reach.

  “I think there's one this way.” Elsa's voice sounded frantic as we desperately searched for a way out. We followed her towards the only remaining window, a hint of light shining from outside, giving off the slightest glimpse of hope.

  “Here goes nothing,” I muttered, touching the window with my palm. I closed my eyes imagining our home, our life together in Shadow. We didn’t have a portal back home, but if it was possible to create one on this end, why wouldn't it be possible to create one over there as well?

  I held onto Joshua's arm as the window shimmered. “We don't have much time. I don't know how long it'll stay open.” I glanced back at the others as Adelaide gripped Joshua's elbow, since his hands were full. One by one, holding on to each other, we all stepped through the portal. I hoped I wasn't sending us to our deaths. It felt as if I were free falling until we reached complete oblivion.

  “Josh?” I breathed. My voice seemed to extend onward forever: the strangest echo as if my ears were clogged. I couldn't see anything but felt his arm beneath my hand in darkness. I hoped the others held on. I couldn't see anyone. I stepped forward if at all possible, pulling him with me as I saw the slightest ounce of light. A mere reflection as I heard the sound of crunching at my feet. Glancing down I lifted the broken pieces of window into my palm, accidentally slicing my skin. “Ouch.” I grimaced, glancing at Joshua now seeing him from the reflection and light bouncing off the glass. He still held onto Henry. His lips moved but I couldn't make out what he said. I stared at the tiniest bit of glass, trying again to focus, to reform the window as to what it had once been.

  Snow began to fall as it mixed with smoke. It wasn't snow at all but ash. Forming the window back to its rightful place, my eyes searched through seeing our home, Shadow, destroyed. The town was in ruins. The house we'd come to love and city we had accepted as home was in shambles. I glanced back at Joshua through the glass, seeing his expression beside me. This was the moment to decide. Our moment. What to do. Where to go. I could change the window I'd fixed. Go home or go someplace else.

  It wasn't a decision. Not really. I pulled Joshua and the others through the window with me, the sound of glass shattering as I felt the stinging sensation of shards cutting me. Falling hard and fast, I landed on the ground. Joshua fell through a moment later with Henry falling against us. I pushed Henry off, needing air to breathe. A moment of eerie silence stretched before a screech and clank erupted from twenty feet east. Two loud crashing sounds followed. A haze of smoke blanketed Shadow and burned my eyes. I could see the broken shards of portal had scattered. How? I had no idea. Pushing myself up and seeing Joshua was okay, I dug around searching for the others. Cate and Adian were buried but breathing. They pushed the remains of the building to the side as I helped them stand up.

  “Where are Elsa and Adelaide?” My heart lurched.

  Cate, covered in cuts and bruises pushed at the nearby debris. “I don't know.” She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light. “Adelaide! Elsa!” she called.

  “They were right behind me,” Joshua frowned. Ash fell from the sky. The air was hot, the smell repugnant. “What happened?” he asked. I flipped my palms over, my hands unscathed, though I was certain I'd been bleeding moments ago.

  “Something weird,” I breathed, glancing around Shadow seeing the town burned to the ground.

  I tried to understand, make sense of what we'd witnessed and experienced, but I couldn't wrap my mind around it. My stomach was in knots as I moved through the rubble, pushing aside anything I could to find out what happened. My feet burned from the ash. I coughed as the smoke filled my lungs but the outside air was a welcome solution as I continued to search.

  “You try and save Henry.” I glanced at his near lifeless body on the ground. He was covered in soot and ash from the building. Henry moaned though, just enough to tell me he was still alive. “Hang in there.” I gripped Henry's arm, bending down to his level. “I still owe you for helping me. You won't collect if you die on me,” I remarked, letting go before eyeing Joshua. “I need to find Adelaide and Elsa.”

  I didn't wait for an answer as I took off as best I could. The streets were rummage and rubble from the recent explosions. Who could have done this? The government of Cabal had fallen. Craynor was dead. What purpose had there been for destroying our town, our home?

  I pushed aside buildings and debris, not caring that the ash was still warm and the fire could spark again at any second. “Adelaide!” I screamed trying to find her. I started from where Cate and Aidan had been found and stretched further into the small town. Stepping over debris I listened with the wind for any hint of survivors, including the two I desperately searched for: Adelaide and Elsa. Beneath the rubble I heard the slightest hint of a groan. “Hang in there! I'm coming!” I screamed, prying my hands between shingles and siding, a mix of what had once been a home I found Collins gasping for air. “Chancellor!” I tried to unbury him as best I could. His body was trapped, his chest crushed as I moved aside the bricks near his head.

  “Olivia,” he gasped staring up at me, fully conscious though struggling to breathe.

  “What are you doing back here? You should be in Torv!” I was astounded that he was back.

  He coughed and his voice rasped and waivered as he tried to answer me. “The girl. She's the key.” He coughed again, his lungs dying on him, crushed in the ambush.

  “Who did this?” My hands rested on his face, wanting to heal him, but knowing it would only delay his death, cause him more agony and pain. I couldn't save him from an entire house falling upon him.

  His lips moved but I could barely hear him. Bending down closer, I could make out his words. “By my hand, take it.”

  “What?” I shook my head in confusion. I didn't know what that meant! “I don't understand.” I breathed watching as his eyes moved away from mine towards where his arms should be. I grimaced as I pushed away more bricks and a shutter. I wasn't able to move the heaviest items but I found a small metal box and flipped it open. Inside held four syringes. “What are these?” I asked staring hard, my hand coming to his face. “Collins, wake up!” He wasn't falling asleep, he was dying.

  “Give it to the girl,” he whispered. “It's all you can do to save her.” His last breath came out as a gasp as his life left his body. I reached forward, closing his eyes and carefully stood up.

  “Adelaide!” I called again, searching for her. She had to be here somewhere. I pushed aside more rubble, digging my way through what had once been the house. I felt like I'd spent hours at it, but only minutes passed by. Digging deeper I found her lifeless form, cold and pale in the hot ashes. “No.” I shook my head, the air rushing out of my lungs. I choked back a sob and pulled the syringe from the
tin box. I didn't know if it would help or be too late. She was young, I'd have thought too young for the drug, but doing the unthinkable seemed the only option. Pulling her body from the rubble, I laid her cold skin against my own as I maneuvered her into my lap. “Wake up, baby girl,” I breathed removing the cover of the syringe. I pushed her hair aside and brought the needle to the base of her neck, pushing it in and administering the only bit of hope left to save her. Done with the needle I tossed it aside, cradling Adelaide as the first few tears came. “You have to wake up.” I didn't think it had the power to bring her back from the dead. My fingers reached her pulse point, searching for any indication she might be alive. I could feel the faintest beat, but she hadn't died, not entirely. She was so close to death. So cold and motionless. “Adelaide, wake up,” I whispered kissing her cheeks, rocking her in my arms. “Please, wake up,” I cried, breathing my energy and life force into her body. I was tired. So tired from all we'd done. My eyes closed and dropped the softest kiss to her cheek. “I love you,” I whispered, unwilling to let her go, it seemed too late to help her. “Joshua!” I finally called aloud, wiping my tears with the back of my hand.

  “What is it?” he asked finding his way slowly across the homes and destruction towards me. I handed him the tin container with three syringes remaining.

  “Henry.” I pushed it towards him. “If he's still got a pulse, you have to try and save him.”

  Joshua took the box and disappeared with it, back over the rubble to where he'd left a dying Henry.

  “We found Elsa!” Cate called from thirty feet away. “She'll be okay!”

  How had they gotten separated? Had Adelaide needed Mindonsiphan to travel through the portal? Obviously it was unstable, tossing us in different directions, but I was the one to blame. I should have protected her. I should have done more, been there for her. I wiped the last tear as I held Adelaide in my arms. I didn't know if there were any other survivors buried alive or dying. I didn't have the energy to sift through and search for loved ones. I should have, but I was unable to move from the very spot with Adelaide in my arms.