Chapter 50 #2
His eyes fly open, and the darkness takes over.
His true form bursts forth, causing Theo to step back instinctively.
Large black wings explode from his back, his dark claws emerge from his fingertips, and his back arches against the pain.
Locke moves closer and places a hand on my shoulder in response.
A deep, demonic groan flows from Crew’s lips, prompting me to step out of Locke’s hold and fall to my knees next to him.
I cup his face and stare into his soulless black eyes. “Crew.”
His eyes dart around frantically, making me feel as though he’s searching for something or someone in the darkness of his own mind.
I run my thumb along his face, urging his eyes to focus on mine.
Muscle spasms begin to take over his body, and I hold onto him to keep him grounded.
He shifts between groans and screams, and it’s gut-wrenching to watch.
My heart races, and I do everything I can to stay steady and send calmness into his throbbing body.
“I’m here. We all are,” I whisper. “Theo is trying to help you. You need to tell us what’s wrong.”
He tilts his head back and screams into the air.
Bronwyn slaps her hands over her ears at the thunderous roar, and I jolt backward, landing on my ass.
Crew jerks and shifts on the couch, as if fighting something we can’t see.
Locke steps forward, resting his hands on Crew’s chest to keep him still.
The muscles in Locke’s arm strain against Crew’s strength, but he holds.
I waste no time getting back to my knees and grabbing his face again. I close my eyes and place my forehead against his. I open the channel between us and gasp as the pain hits me in the chest like a bullet.
I feel a darkness seep into him, pushing his heart against his ribs, and I gather all my strength to sense him more closely than ever before.
Smoke fills his lungs, making each breath feel impossible, while faint, ancient whispers drift around in his mind.
Internally, Crew is experiencing a dark chaos—a battle between this world and another.
Something darker than I’ve ever sensed, and I know it’s coming from miles beneath our world.
I can faintly hear his voice, struggling to shout louder over the others, and I can’t process the emotions as he fights with his internal struggle. It’s grief. It’s desperation. But above all, it’s an uncontrollable force that threatens to burst his veins open.
I glance at Theo. “I’ve never felt this before. It’s dark. I can feel smoke in my lungs and my chest splitting open, and faint whispers threaten him in his own mind.”
Locke and Damien grimace as Bronwyn steps back, overwhelmed to the point that even she can’t handle it.
I try to focus, but I can’t quiet the voices echoing in my mind from Crew.
I can’t understand what they're saying—as if they’re speaking in an ancient tongue—but from the tone, I know it’s nothing friendly.
Stronger gusts of wind ruffle my hair, causing the flames in the fireplace to dance and a shiver to run down my spine.
The room's atmosphere shifts again, and a surge of power fills the air, making my hair stand on end.
The candles flicker in the breeze, casting eerie shadows that dance around us and reach out with arms to grab at Crew.
I glance at Theo and see that he senses the change, too.
“That power isn’t coming from me,” Theo says calmly.
“Then what the fuck is happening?” I respond.
Theo nods and steps forward, allowing the bright light to illuminate him once more.
His hand travels up to rest upon Crew’s forehead, touching him gently.
Theo closes his eyes and acts as if he can hear the same voices that now taint my own mind.
He removes his hand, twisting his expression in curiosity and wonder.
Theo leans in closer, pressing his own forehead against Crew’s, and takes a deep breath.
Crew thrashes from his touch, and I nearly leap off my knees to rip him away.
“Theo,” Locke says. “What is this?”
The Elder steps back, his face painfully calm, and dulls the illuminating light from his palms. He glances at each of us, and the silence nearly makes my legs buckle under my weight. Theo looks back at Crew, and we watch for a moment as he shudders in pain and horror.
“Crew is going through a change,” Theo says, walking to the fireplace. “Not physically, but mentally, internally, and spiritually.”
The blazing flames reflect off his kind eyes, and I watch as he works to find the right words for this situation. I clutch Crew’s hand and keep him steady on the couch as he arches his back.
“It’s painful, as I’ve experienced this before, too. He feels like his body is being torn in two because his soul is evolving—shifting into something new. If he can survive this, many things will change for him.”
I remain next to Crew, glancing at him, and Theo continues, “I’m most confused as to how this is happening, and why.” He touches his chin in thought. “It means two things could be happening right now.”
“What?” I shout.
“Well,” Theo hesitates. “Either Carver Bannermin is dead or… no, it can’t be that.”
Theo turns to us once again, and we freeze.
“Crew is changing… and somehow becoming the new Elder of the Jade Order.”