41. Willa / Greer
CHAPTER 41
WILLA / GREER
L ily screams and screams. Her hands begin to glow with a blue light, and with a single flick, she sends the soldiers behind her to the other end of the long field. Pushing to her feet, she raises her arms and whirls them around. Men and dirt go flying, caught up in the tornado of her power.
Weeds erupt from the ground, latching onto ankles and dragging soldiers down, smothering them with the dirt.
Hightower laughs and signals to a man on his right. Wrists in chains, but no collar, he stares at Lily. Her power cuts off. Then he does the same to River.
“River, I don’t think you’ve met Henry,” Hightower says with a smirk. When River doesn’t answer, he shrugs. “Henry has absolutely no offense abilities, which is why he doesn’t have to wear a collar. He’s fantastic as a defensive weapon, though. Nulls everyone’s powers very effectively.”
Lily howls with anger, but River goes silent.
Hightower turns to me. “Tell me, Greer. What are your abilities?”
For some reason, I laugh. “Water. That’s it. Nothing special.”
“Ah, but that’s not true, is it?” He says with a pensive look. “You’re marked, which means you have a second power, correct?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” I reply with a chuckle. This man is going to kill me for my ability to make a stream of water rise or burst out of a pipe. Big whoop. “I’m kind of a dud. Didn’t River tell you?”
River turns sad eyes in my direction. “She hasn’t found a second power. However, she’s beautiful and kind with a big heart. A great kisser, too. I fell for her the moment I looked between the leaves of that bush at the university and haven’t been the same since. That’s her greatest power.”
He looks at his sister. “Lily. I’m sorry I didn’t save you and Mom. All these years. I should have been a better brother. Gotten you two out of here.”
Lily’s bright blue eyes spark with anger. “You’re the best brother. Nobody would have sacrificed so much to save us. I love you, River. Are you ready?”
He smiles at Hightower. “I’m ready, are you?”
Henry’s head explodes, and he drops to the ground. Puzzled, I look from him to the hills beyond the facility and see men and women with guns heading toward us. Quaid’s storming across the field, bullets blazing, while fire flicks out like a whip, burning everything before him. Beside him strides Oliver with his perfect posture, wearing fatigues instead of his usual suit, also firing a gun, but his real power lies with his mind. One look and soldier after soldier surrenders to his will.
I exhale in relief.
Henry’s death releases Lily and River’s power. Both of them erupt into a whirlwind, taking out soldiers right and left.
Hightower taps something on his phone, and an alarm goes off in the building behind us. Blaring loudly, soldiers begin running out of the building to join the fight.
Hightower strides forward and grabs my arm. I look around, but there’s no water anywhere. Panic tries to take hold, but I squash it by pretending I’m in Quaid’s class. His arm is on fire, and I need to put it out. I close my eyes and open my senses to the world around me.
There is a small amount of water under my feet, possibly the facilities pipeline, but it’s not enough to save me. I keep searching. Bingo. A large body of water lies to the east. Concentrating hard, I try to move it closer, but the thread connecting us keeps slipping from my grasp. Damn it. It’s too far away. Why the hell did they have to build this facility in the freaking desert?
The soldier next to Hightower drops and another one yells, “Sniper!”
I smile, knowing it’s Jax. His power is faint, but I can feel it.
Hightower ducks down and shoves me forward.
Taking advantage of the distraction, I drop to the ground and roll into the legs of the soldier next to me, knocking him down, then try to stand and run. He grabs my leg. I kick back.
“Greer!” River shouts, turning in a circle. He spots me on the ground and dirt flies up and into the face of the man behind me, blinding him.
I jump up and run toward River.
Helicopters arrive. For a second, I hope it’s reinforcements, but soldiers in Raven blue file out. My heart sinks. I look around the field. We’re clearly outnumbered.
Hightower runs to the nearest helicopter, points to me, then gets on board. It takes off. Men rush over and start dragging me toward the other aircraft.
Lily screams and goes down. River races to help her.
A blazing line of fire appears, splitting the soldiers into two groups. Quaid emerges from the dust, firing shot after shot into one group, while his mind wields fire against the second.
Oliver protects Quaid’s back, shooting any who get close, but when soldiers raise their guns to shoot him, they find themselves shooting each other. Scared, they try to resist, but their minds aren’t strong enough. I shiver when I see the fight in their eyes turn to resignation. Oliver’s power is terrifying.
Electricity arcs high in the sky, then lands on the shoulders of a soldier. Like hopscotch, it jumps to the next and next, electrocuting every single one of them. David emerges from the crowd, arms energized with power.
Shots continue to ring out. Everywhere. Pain hits me, and I look down, expecting to see a bullet wound, but instead, I see a taser. The damn soldiers hit me again, and my body violently convulses. I scream for help.
Soldiers rush Oliver and take him to the ground. Quaid stalks over to help him, fire preceding every step, gun easily eliminating those who manage to avoid the flames.
Someone picks me up and begins carrying me to the helicopter. Panicking, I focus on the water in the distance. The ground shakes, but nothing appears.
An anguished shout from River has me whipping around to find him. Lily’s on the ground. Not moving. He shakes her, but her head lolls from one side to the other. He bends down and picks her up. Tears falling, he carries her over to his mother and lays her down. He arranges their bodies carefully. Hands clasped together. Flower crowns in their hair. Petals of all different colors covering their bodies.
He staggers to his feet, power bursting out of him in green waves. It quickly begins eating up the ground around him, creating a forest full of spiky flowers, carnivorous plants, and sinister trees. Soldiers in the path of destruction are quickly assimilated into the forest he’s creating, some turning to dust, others absorbed into the very fabric of nature.
“No, River, don’t!” I yell, but he doesn’t hear me.
His eyes search the crowd around him. Shots hit his body, but the bullets are quickly spit out again. Wounds healing in an instant. Nothing can stop him. His power continues to grow, spreading across the ground like a wave of locusts, covering the bodies of his enemies.
“River!” I scream, biting the hand holding me. When the soldier curses and lets go, I shove him away and run toward River. “Stop. Please stop.”
His green eyes find mine, and he falters for a brief second, but when another bullet slams into his shoulder, his hatred and grief returns.
I reach for him, taking his hand in mine. Time slows, then ceases to exist. The two of us in a bubble of our own making. “Don’t leave me.” I plead with him.
“I love you, Willa. Greer. Whatever name you want to call yourself. The moment I saw you, my life changed forever. The last few weeks with you have been heaven. Because of you, I lived. Now, I’m free.” A vine crawls up from the ground and caresses my cheek. “I’ve done so many bad things. Unforgiveable acts. This is my chance to redeem myself and save at least one of the people I love. You.” His eyes slide to Susan and Lily. “Don’t cry for me. The three musketeers will be together again.”
“I won’t ever forget you, River,” I tell him, reminding him of my promise. “Because of you, I live.” The ground trembles, and I release his hand, then step back.
His power erupts like Old Faithful, spewing across the soldiers, wiping half of them out. Vines and flowers and plants rise from the ground, covering his body, and for a minute, I think they’re healing him, but instead, his power consumes his body, and he becomes one with the very nature he loved so much. Lilies, in a rich pink color, cover the ground where his sister used to be, and black-eyed Susans, with their bright yellow petals, blanket the spot next to her.
Guards scramble around me. Grabbing my arms, they try to drag me toward the helicopter, but my eyes are glued to the beauty unleashed by River. My heart breaks into a million pieces for their loss. Sorrow like nothing I’ve ever felt before wells up and overflows my heart. Not for one person, but for everyone whose lost loved ones to the fear and vengeance hatefully wielded by Hightower and his flock of Ravens. To all the fallen. And for what? For the power that resides in our veins. Our blood. Our heritage.
The ground shifts, and the water answers, but I release my grip on it. I don’t want the water to come and wash away this tribute to River and his family. In a daze, I stare sightlessly at the chaos around me, and that’s when I feel it. Water. In their bodies.
Power rises and joins with mine, more than I’ve ever wielded. It’s almost nuclear, but unlike River’s unleashed fury, I have complete control of it, and I know what to do.
I touch the nearest soldier, and he falls to the ground, his shriveled body a husk. I touch another, then another. I hear someone order me to stop, but I can’t. I won’t. I want our loved ones back. I want the people they stole from us. My head swims, and the faces around me blur. The world dims. My knees give out.
Strong arms catch me. “I’ve got you.” Oliver cradles me to his chest. “Quaid. We need to get out of here before reinforcements arrive. Rescue the captives in the building. Eliminate the evidence. We don’t need this getting out.”
I shove against Oliver. “Not River and his family. Don’t burn them.”
A warm finger trails across my cheek. “I won’t.” Quaid’s rough voice promises me.
Heat burns the very air around us, and a bright light sears my eyes. I turn my head into Oliver’s chest. “You came.”
“I had to… you left,” Oliver replies in a low tone.