45. Zan
Chapter 45
Zan
V iggo plunged his hand into our father’s chest, making Amaros’s eyes bulge. Disbelief flooded his face as his body jerked when Viggo pulled his hand out, holding his heart. Red blood dripped from Viggo’s fingers as he dropped the heart. I watched it land in the mud before Viggo let go of Amaros’s body, letting it slump to the ground.
A whirl of emotions hit me, and I wasn’t sure exactly how to feel. Was I glad he was dead? Yes. Kali would never have to fear him again. I was happy he was gone. Maybe my soul was as dark as the humans believed.
Another blast shook the ground, and Rya screamed in panic. I followed her gaze, looking at the building that Kali was in. The top few floors were now engulfed in flames. Another missile struck right near the cliff, making another part of the building slide into the choppy water.
“No,” I choked out hoarsely.
“The whole thing is going to come down,” Rya screamed at the same time.
We both began sprinting, and I didn’t stop when I heard Viggo bellowing my name. A few moments later he crashed into me, sending us both to the ground. Rya kept running, disappearing through the door.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I snarled, shoving him away.
He grabbed me. “Zan. Look at it. It’s coming down. The whole fucking cliff is going into the ocean. Even Shadows can’t survive getting blown to damn pieces.”
“Get the hell off me,” I growled, my voice uncontrolled.
The structure creaked and splintered as the cliff began giving way. Missiles were still going off, and it was only a matter of time before another one hit the building. I sucked in choppy breaths, the fear swirling through me hitting me like a wall. It wasn’t mine—it was Kali’s. She fucking needed me. With a noise of fury, I knocked Viggo back when he tried grabbing me again.
“You’re not going to survive if you go in there. I can’t help you and get Pax out of here.”
“You think I give a fuck?” I shot back, shaking his hold off me. “If Kali dies, there isn’t any part of me that wants to survive. Let me go, Viggo.”
“You’re my brother?—”
My rage lowered a fraction, hearing the pain in his voice. “And I love you, and Pax. But I can’t live without her. I can’t fucking do it. You two will live. You’ll make this world free again. What Kali wanted.”
“Fuck,” he cursed before giving me a tight grin. “You’re gonna make me deal with this mess? You know I don’t like talking to people. They’ll end up dead if they piss me off.”
I forced out a chuckle. “That’s why you have Pax. Take care of each other.”
After squeezing his arm, I pushed away from him and ran toward the door of the building. Debris was falling down around me, most of it on fire. I flew inside, my heart pounding when I found myself in the middle of a huge fight between PARA and Shadows. Rya was nowhere in sight, and I shoved between bodies, dropping any human who attempted to stop me.
An alarm was still blaring, and smoke was filling the room, making it harder to see. The lights were flickering and dimming. Another explosion rocked the building, the floor seeming to move under my feet. This whole fucking thing was going to fall if anymore missiles hit it. If it didn’t slide off the cliff first.
“Kali,” I roared over the chaos. “Kali. Where are you?”
It was impossible to track her scent when there was so much blood everywhere. The floor was a slick mess of red and black as everyone fought around me. Panic swallowed me whole as my eyes darted around, trying to spot her. It didn’t help that this place was fucking massive. I pushed forward, heading toward the back of the room, halting for a moment when I recognized one of the bodies on the floor.
Rowan. Whatever happened to him, he was dead now.
An agonized scream filled my ears, and my head shot up, my pulse thrashing. It was Kali, and she was hurting.
“Move,” I snarled furiously, knocking people out of the way when she shrieked again.
The Shadows closest to me froze, their eyes cutting to where the screaming was coming from. They all moved as one, practically shoving into me. Rage tore down my spine as I ran, pushing them out of my way. I broke through the crowd, my eyes finally landing on Kali.
She was on her knees, bleeding so badly that I had no idea where her injuries were. A few PARA soldiers were surrounding her, but it was Keeva who had the gun in her hand. The one who shot another bullet into her as I raced closer.
“You deserve this,” Keeva shrieked, both hands gripping the gun as her body shook.
An arm suddenly shot out, grabbing me hard enough that I was forced to stop. I clenched my fists, readying to fight.
“Stop,” Rya murmured. “Look around, Zan.”
“I swear to everything if you don’t fucking let me go, I’ll kill you,” I threatened, deadly promise filling my voice.
“Just wait,” she pleaded. “Look.”
My eyes cut back to Kali and her sister. Only this time, they were surrounded by Shadows. Another massive boom shook the building. The lights cut out, leaving us in the dark. It only took a second for my eyes to adjust just like all the other Shadows in here. PARA members were screaming, trying to find their way out as the entire structure shifted again.
“What are you doing?” Keeva snapped, looking at the Shadows around her. “You listen to me.”
“No,” one of them said calmly. “You’re not one of us. Not the dark or the light. You don’t bleed black anymore.”
I frowned in confusion. What the hell did that mean?
“And you’re hurting her,” another one said, anger in her voice. “Is everything you told us a lie?”
I yanked out of Rya’s grip and slowly crept around the Shadows. Kali was slumped on the ground, not moving at all.
“No,” Keeva sputtered. “She’s the one who will take you down the dark path. She ruined it all. She’s the reason this is all happening.”
“Lies,” a Shadow spat out. “You’re trying to kill her.”
My heart hammered in my chest as I sank to the floor next to Kali, pulling her carefully into my lap. She jerked weakly, her eyes slowly blinking as she focused on me.
“Zan?” she cried in almost a whisper. “You’re alive.”
I chuckled roughly, refusing to show her how fucking worried I was for her. “I told you, Kali. You’re it for me. You’ll never run far enough away that I won’t follow.”
Her small laugh had her body writhing in pain, and my eyes trailed down her. Which nearly had my vision turning red. She was bleeding everywhere. From stakes or bullets, I wasn’t sure. But there was no way she could even walk right now. She laid her head on my chest, her breaths coming out ragged and slow.
“Get away from me,” Keeva screeched as the circle of Shadows closed around her.
She fired her gun until it clicked when she ran out of bullets. Her gaze snapped to Kali, only to widen slightly when she noticed me. Why wasn’t she fighting back? She had more strength than those surrounding her.
“You,” she accused me, hatred thick in her voice. “You’re the reason for all of this. Her fucking bond with you.”
Kali was so out of it, she didn’t even react to her twin’s words. My arms tightened around her when Keeva took a step closer.
“Try to touch her, and see what happens,” I growled.
“You are a threat to her,” a Shadow said, staring at Keeva. “A threat to all of us.”
Keeva spun around. “What? No. I want us to rule the world?—”
“We saw what you did to her,” Rya spat out, her eyes blazing with anger. “You are as bad as the human soldiers.”
A murmur of agreement passed over all of them. Kali shifted, letting out a gasp in pain, the movement waking her slightly and she stiffened.
“What are they doing?” she breathed out.
“I think they’re protecting you,” I muttered, still not understanding. Everything we read stated that Kali and Keeva were connected—they could not live without one another. So why were the Shadows glaring at Keeva with the promise of death in their eyes?
“I took it,” Kali choked out, guilt swarming her voice.
“Took what?”
“Her blood. Her power.” Her voice cracked. “I drank Keeva’s blood. She wasn’t going to stop, Zan. I had to do it. She’s human. She bleeds red.”
My lips parted in shock, and I looked at Keeva again, now realizing why there was blatant fear on her face. The Shadows weren’t looking at her like a leader anymore. She was a threat—one who had to be taken care of. Kali must have sensed the same because she tried moving away. I didn’t let her get far, pulling her against my chest.
“You can’t even walk,” I said softly. “Calm down.”
“They don’t have to kill her.” She squirmed in my arms. “Zan, please. She’s harmless now.”
Before I could say a word, the Shadows attacked. Kali’s protest was swallowed by Keeva’s scream. They tore into her, not seeming to care where they bit her. She fell to the floor, disappearing from view as the Shadows closed in around her.
Even if she was hidden from sight, I could still hear everything. Her screams of terror. Cries of agony. Fangs ripping into her skin. The hungry swallowing as Shadows drank her blood.
“No,” Kali choked out. “Please?—”
“It’s needed,” Rya said, stepping beside us. “She’s an enemy, Kali.”
“She’s my blood.” Guilt seeped into her voice. “She’s like this because of how she was raised. That would be me if PARA had taken me as a baby.”
“But it’s not you,” I said gruffly. “And she will never trust us.”
Keeva’s screams grew weaker, and Kali sniffled before burying her face into my chest. I bit my tongue, hating to see her upset. I knew she wanted nothing more than to have a relationship with Keeva like I do with my brothers. But it never would have happened. Just like with Amaros, we never would have had peace with her alive.
I raised my eyes upward when another explosion hit the building. The ceiling was beginning to crack.
“We have to go,” I muttered, standing up and sweeping her up into my arms. “One more missile and this whole place is going to blow.”
I caught sight of Keeva’s bloodied and limp body as the Shadows backed away. Rya remained, staring at Keeva before she raised her gaze to look at Kali. A quick shake of her head proved what I already knew—that Keeva was dead. Kali wrapped her arms around my neck, her small cry muffled in my shirt. Even after everything, she hadn’t wanted her twin dead. But as much as I didn’t want to see Kali in pain, there was no other way to end this.
“Everybody out,” Rya shouted. “Now.”
Another explosion rocked the building, and I began running for the door, only to skid to a halt when part of the ceiling gave out, and falling debris blocked our exit route.
“This way,” a Shadow yelled, pointing in the opposite direction. “Another way out.”
Another explosion wracked the building, and black smoke grew thick as fire engulfed the room. More of the ceiling gave out, forcing us to go a different way.
“I love you, Zan,” Kali whispered as she kissed my neck.
“I’m getting you out,” I growled. “No saying goodbyes.”
She squeezed her arms tighter around me. “In this life or the next, you’re mine.”
When another missile hit, it was close enough that I was nearly knocked off my feet. Rya was helping the Shadows who had fallen as we raced to find another way out. The heat was scorching, and it was slowly beginning to burn my skin. A loud crash was the only warning before I saw the rest of the ceiling crash down.
“I love you too. Always,” I murmured in her ear before everything went black.