LAILAH
TWENTY-SIX
Just like how things were at the base, it was pure chaos as everyone ran around the facility, trying to get prepared for battle.
While all Elementi members were trained in self-defense, there were not many who were actual fighters.
All of them knew how to handle a gun but that didn’t mean they could hit the broad side of a barn.
Each of us were given tactical gear to change into—thick black cargo pants with black t-shirts and bulletproof vests.
It made me feel like I was supposed to be SWAT instead of an Elemental Warrior, but I was thankful for the added protection.
I knew Makoto had normal humans working and fighting alongside him, as well as the demon possessed.
This could mean guns along with traditional weapons, making this getup a safe bet.
Blessing was in full control even if the rest ran around in a panic.
She directed everyone into the areas they needed to be, including making sure the women and children got the hell out of here.
The guys and I did a sweep of the third level, making sure it was clear before we locked it up, ensuring no one got crushed if something happened to the facility.
Jay, as always, fell into being the leader of our group when it came to battle and we listened to whatever he told us.
Blessing also was wise enough to listen to his advice as he suggested the better fighters be out front and the rest remain as backup while the six of us went right up to meet the jaws of evil.
I couldn’t imagine what it must be like to know your father was leading the enemy army and the chances of having to face off with him were high.
Although, if he was the conduit for the Dark Lord, then I had a feeling the real fight would be between the two of us.
Somehow, I’d found a moment to pull Jay and Parker aside to tell them what we discovered as we were sparring.
Of course the others followed, refusing to let me out of their sight with the impending attack.
“Wait, you mean I get the double-ended staff back? That’s awesome. It was so much easier to fight off the swarm,” Parker said, clapping his hands together and rubbing them in excitement.
Jay didn’t really comment, just nodded his head. “Thank you for the warning, now I’ll be prepared for any changes that might happen.”
“Another thing we found, is that I can work with all of your energies together seamlessly. There is no more struggle or fear of passing out, trying to force them together. I don’t know what all I can do though. Most of it feels like instinct,” I shared.
Jay reached out and cupped my face in his hands, pinning me with his gaze. “Trust yourself. If you feel the need to make a move, don’t second-guess it. We’ll follow your lead without question. You are Synergy and this fight will be won or lost by your choices or actions.”
“Fuck, man,” Parker snapped. “Way to freak her the fuck out.”
Jay glanced at Parker for a moment then returned to me.
“I will never lie to you or put you in danger. You understanding the truth of this battle is the best thing I can give you. Lailah, you were born for this and so were we. Together, we will get through this or die with the knowledge we did all we could.”
Fear sat in the pit of my stomach like a stone at his words but I also understood where he was coming from.
There was no sense in pretending like this wasn’t a fight for our lives and the rest of the world as we knew it.
Giving false hope or platitudes wouldn’t do us any good.
Honesty and trust would be far more powerful.
“Anything else I should know before we go face the devil himself?”
“Only that I love you with all my heart, mind, body, and soul. I am and will forever be thankful that you showed up in my life and changed everything,” Jay murmured before capturing my mouth in a searing kiss that set my body on fire.
I could feel through our connection how his words didn’t even begin to describe how much he loved me.
He pulled back first and stepped to the side as Micah moved to stand in front of me. “No matter what, there’s nothing left unsaid between us, right?”
“Nothing. We’ve never been good at holding back from each other,” I answered, giving him a smile. “Only know that if we live through this, you and Parker have to figure your shit out because I won’t have you guys hating each other for the rest of our lives together.”
“I can deal with that,” Micah agreed, tipping my head back and biting my lower lip before he soothed it with a flick of his tongue. It made me gasp, and he used that opportunity to deepen our kiss, leaving me breathless. He handed me over to Brayden.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and nuzzled into his neck, letting him ground me the way only he could. “Thank you for always being here right beside me since the very beginning.”
“There isn’t any other place I’d want to be, Angel. You have been such a gift to me and my family, it will take a lifetime to repay you,” he whispered into my ear.
“That’s funny, because I don’t ever remember there being a debt between us that needs to be repaid. We are family, Brayden, and I know you would do the same thing for me in a heartbeat, so I call us even,” I countered.
Brayden chuckled as he pulled back enough to see my face, running his fingers down my cheek. “You drive a hard bargain but I’ll allow it.” The kiss between us was tender and full of love, making me feel like the most treasured woman in the world.
Someone coughed and nudged Brayden, making him laugh as he pulled away from me. “I’m sorry, was I taking too long for your liking to express my undying love to our girl?”
Parker scowled at him. “You’ve been able to express your feelings far longer than any of us and I want to get my moment in before something crazy happens. I refuse to go last anymore. It got me killed the last time.”
His logic was hard to argue with and Hudson didn’t seem bothered about having to wait, so I stepped up to Parker taking his hand and drawing his attention. “Alright, I won’t make you go last.”
“Don’t get me wrong, Trouble. You are absolutely worth waiting for, but I’ve got shit to make up for still,” he explained.
“So dying wasn’t enough?” I asked, tilting my head, slightly frowning. “I’m not sure I want to know what else you have in mind.”
“What I did wasn’t nearly enough to make up for things.
Trouble, any one of us would give up our life for you, if it meant you would be safe and alive.
No, I plan to spend the rest of my life for however long that may be, making sure you never doubt me or my love for you again,” Parker shared, kissing me on the forehead.
“Besides, I haven’t gotten a chance to spoil you rotten or make some grand gesture like the old eighties’ movies.
What do you think about me hiring a full-time baker so you can have sugar cookies on demand at any moment? ”
I snorted at that idea. “Parker, I can make my own cookies.”
“So I shouldn’t tell you that I might be the owner of Ann’s bakery...”
“You did not!” I gasped.
“Look, you love her cookies and she loves you. Besides, she didn’t have anyone to take over once she decided to retire,” Parker defended.
“How about we save this argument for later and you can scold me all you want while I try to convince you how this is a brilliant idea.” I pouted at him but he just grinned, scooped me up into a bear hug and peppered my face with kisses before landing on my lips, sending shivers of delight down my spine.
All too soon, he set me down and nudged me over to Hudson, who reached out a hand to me.
“Sunshine.” Hudson sighed as he pulled me to his chest, resting his head on top of mine.
“No matter how this battle goes, I will forever be thankful for the time I was given with you. Should the heavens bless us with more time, then I don’t ever want us to miss a moment of life together.
We will leave the Elementi and start our own adventure.
The six of us, just like you wanted. Like you said at the start, we are no longer fighting for anyone but us and the future we want to have. ”
“How do you always know what I need to hear?” I asked, sinking into his hold.
“Because you are the other half of my soul, the sunshine that lights up my world,” he answered.
“Now it’s time to shine that light over the world and banish the darkness that is trying to take it from us.
” Hudson pressed a firm kiss to my lips but didn’t linger like the others had.
This was more of a normal everyday kiss for us, and when he saw my expression, he smiled.
“I’m not going to say goodbye. I have faith in us that we will all make it out of this. ”
My heart melted at his words. Knowing that he had that much trust in us as a team gave me the fortitude I needed to turn and face the others. “Alright, let’s go say hello to the Dark Lord and his army.”
Jay led the way, while Brayden took one of my hands and Hudson took the other, with Parker and Micah flanking us in the rear.
We headed to the main room where all the cubicles were and found this is where everyone had gathered to listen to Blessing address the whole group.
It seemed that we missed most of it but then again, it wasn’t really for us.
“Know that no matter what happens at the end of this, I am proud to have served with all of you. No matter what, we all persevered and did everything we could to keep the world we live in safe. The heavens have shined down upon us in the gift of having the six Elemental Warriors here with us in our hour of need. Listen to what they tell you. This isn’t their first battle with the Dark Lord, therefore making them experts on the matter.
” Turning her gaze to us, she asked, “Do you have anything you wish to share before we all head above ground?”
I squeezed both Brayden and Hudson’s hands before I released them and stepped forward.
“Hello, all of you, my name is Lailah and I’m the element known as Synergy.
” I paused, letting everyone get out their reactions to that statement.
“You are all well aware of the serum and what it does, along with how the demons are using it. I want to put your minds at ease about something though. Even if we could find a way to banish the demon possessing them, they will forever be vulnerable to another taking its place. There are people working tirelessly to find a solution but right now, their best fate is to be put out of their misery. They are aware of what is happening even when controlled by a demon so all the atrocious acts that the demon has done, they have witnessed. All that to say, death isn’t the worst thing that can happen to them. It will set them free.”
The room filled with murmurs as they decided how they felt about what I’d said.
Jay came to stand beside me, placing a hand on my lower back for support as he addressed them.
“You all have weapons that have been blessed and ammo that has been christened with holy water, allowing you to fight both human and demon possessed. This battle isn’t just about our survival or stopping evil for now, this is the final battle to determine who will rule mankind.
Fight for yourself, your family, friends, and other loved ones, because we’re all that stands in Hell’s way. ”
Alarms began to blare and lights flashed all around us, causing people to scream.
A few bolted from the room toward the exit, knowing this meant that Makoto had finally broken the wards around the school.
They were here and there was no more time to prepare.
Jay clasped my hand tightly as we headed to the surface, knowing we needed to be the first ones to greet the army. They were here for us after all.
Back in the warehouse, Jay dropped my hand and yelled for Micah. “Help me get these doors open so that people can get out easier.”
Soon, the large rolling doors were open, illuminating what was in the space and revealing an ATV we could all fit in, with the open space in the back for hauling things. The keys were in it and Parker started it up with ease. “Everyone, get in!”
I spotted Cami standing alongside Blessing and motioned for her to join us. “No, Lala, my place is here. Go be the badass I know you are and save the world, alright? I’ll find you after all this is over.”
Seeing that she wasn’t going to budge, I let Micah pull me up into the ATV and hung on as Parker slammed on the gas, sending us rocketing out of the building.
Clearly, he’d gotten his driving skills from the same person who taught Cami.
I thought we were going to die before we even made it to the front of the campus.
“Lailah, can you send your power out and tell us if they’re just coming in through the front or if they’re attacking on all sides?” Hudson yelled over his shoulder.
Upon his request, I took my power and tossed it out around me, sending it far and wide, coating the whole campus as I looked for demon signatures.
The hard part would be if they had two groups since I wouldn’t be able to track the humans this way, but it was better to try than not try at all.
My power shone brightly as it hit the army that was in front of us, but I could also feel smaller groups coming from the left and the right sides of campus as well.
“Looks like they have teams on either side but they aren’t moving. They must be waiting for a signal.”
Parker slammed on the brakes almost tossing me from the vehicle if Micah hadn’t caught me. “What the fuck, man?” Micah yelled.
“Look, I know you might cut off my balls for this idea, but I think we should split up and hit the groups that are waiting. If three of you go and distract the main group while Micah and I lead teams to the right and left, they won’t expect it,” Parker pointed out.
“Jay, you know I’m right. They don’t know that she can find them, and if we keep them from flanking us, it could make all the difference. ”
Jay sat there silently for a moment processing before he spoke.
“Lailah and I will meet the front lines while Parker and Hudson go to the left and Brayden and Micah go to the right. I know how to stall my father and if he is the conduit for the Dark Lord, then his real target will be Lailah. The faster you can defeat the smaller groups, the better. Go back and get Blessing and Cami to help you with their people. Play their game against them.”
I hopped out of the ATV and Jay followed. “Be safe and come back to me or I’ll bring you back and kill you myself. I’m pretty sure I can do it, too.”
They all nodded and Parker whipped the ATV around, heading back to the warehouse. I looked up at Jay, squared my shoulders, and pulled my new crossbows into existence. “Let’s go play chicken with the Dark Lord and see who blinks first.”