Chapter 24
Chapter twenty-four
Aiden
It doesn’t take long before I realize the metal I’d gathered won’t be enough to hold back the onslaught of rock and concrete.
The unrelenting, hammering force jolts through the smooth alloy and vibrates down my arms as I brace it, working to strengthen it where it’s weakest. The small amount of metal I’d accumulated and the rebar beneath the arena had been enough to create the shell, but it’s beginning to dent.
I need more.
Pushing deeper into my gift, I give it everything I have. Thicker. Stronger. Fix the dents. Find more. There has to be more.
As if in response to my silent demand, something flickers in my senses. Metal. I don’t know how I know that’s what I’m sensing, but I use a thin strand of steel to seek it out. Touch it. Fortify the shield surrounding us.
I sense more metal.
There.
I do the same as before. Link metal to it and draw it in.
It’s when my senses overwhelm with alerts of metal above us that I realize a building must have been on top of us and joined the destruction.
By the time it all ends, I don’t think anything would be able to penetrate the barrier of metal between us and the rubble.
Every muscle burns and aches. My chest heaves, taking in too much oxygen when we’re limited.
Sweat trickles down my face—from the exertion and being trapped in a metal box with the others.
Individual pebbles and rocks sprinkle over the metal in sharp tinks as everything above us settles. The sound reminds me to stay conscious. We aren’t done yet.
“Give me an opening,” Raegan rasps like she’s on her own last bit of strength.
We’re all dead if she and I don’t finish this before we pass out. I’m sure my barrier will hold, but we’ll die from lack of oxygen.
Dane’s gift is a soft glow where his hand still presses to Kellan, allowing us to see where the opening will be.
It feels like I’m already empty. I scrape the bottom of my gift for this last task, scrounging whatever remnants I can find, and expose a small hole in the metal above us.
It’s just large enough for her hand but too small for the larger concrete to fall through.
Raegan reaches for the rubble and activates her gift. Red cracks appear in the stone before they disappear. She’s finding our exit. Her body trembles as she works, and I fear what might happen if we’re all in this state and Charles surprises us at the surface.
The stone and debris above are a chorus of thunderous cracks, and then it’s gone. I widen the opening and find a five-foot diameter tunnel directly above us to the surface. Raegan slumps into Jackson’s waiting arms. “There,” she gasps, eyes closed.
A soft wind tickles my sweat-soaked skin, and I relish the fresh air Jackson must have drawn in. Metal groans overhead, and I stiffen, flexing my hand even though I don’t think I could curve a spoon, much less fight.
Boots crunch on sand next to me, and Reid is suddenly standing beside Jackson and Raegan. Now that her job’s done, it looks like she’s passed out. “Is she hurt?”
“She’s exhausted,” I reply. “Is Charles up there?”
“He’s gone.” Reid places his hand on Raegan’s shoulder. “Grab on. I’ll take you to the others.”
We claim a spot on his arm, and then the hole of dirt and metal vanish.
Everything spins, and then slams to a halt.
I take a firm step from practice with these jumps, catching and steadying myself before my face meets the glittery black floor.
Jackson has Raegan in his arms, while Kellan and Dane are both on the floor.
Kell grimaces when he heaves to his feet after landing facedown.
Dane’s no longer keeping his gift active, so he’s returned to his usual state.
A quick glance around the room tells me exactly where we are.
Black bench seat tables line the back wall up to a stage. A bar is on the opposite wall, and large glass boxes dangle over our heads for dancers to make some cash in a touch-free setting.
The Hype bar and nightclub.
Dane struggles to his feet with a groan.
“Why are we here?” I demand, mustering the strength from pride alone.
“Where else were you planning to go?” Elias asks, strolling from the hallway behind the bar. “You can’t return to the Tower now that you’ve shown your hand to Gifted Enterprise.”
He’s one of the last people I’d like to see when I’m feeling this rundown, and it spikes a bit of temper that I don’t have the energy to control.
“I’m merely surprised you’d accept us into your home when we all have targets on our backs.
You’d kicked Raegan out for that very reason, after all,” I counter with smooth vehemence.
Elias’s smile doesn’t falter. “Yes, and that was a mistake I’ve since learned from.”
Kellan throws his arm around my neck, leaning on me in what might look playful, but is actually seconds away from flooring me. I don’t have the strength to hold up his full weight on a good day, let alone now. Thankfully, a cushion of air catches me before we both collapse.
“Alright, you two,” Kell drawls. “Let’s get past the posturing bullshit and move to the part where you tell us where the beds are so I can crash. Or else I’ll park it right here on your dance floor, then good luck moving me.”
“The rest of your Guild is already here and settled. I’ve put aside apartments 367 and 368 for you,” Elias says, holding out two cards. “Once you’ve scanned those cards, you can enter a code to use moving forward. Raegan can return to her apartment.”
No one steps forward to take the cards.
I answer instead, “You can give those to someone else. We’ll stay with Raegan in her apartment.”
Elias doesn’t look surprised by that admission. He tucks the cards into his inner jacket pocket and nods. “There’s a spare futon in the closet. We’ll talk after you’ve had time to rest.”
Dane slips under my other arm, and with Jackson’s gift also helping with some of Kell’s weight, we somehow manage to trek upstairs. After getting Raegan and Kellan in bed, I call Cassandra to stop by for a quick healing, and then finally allow myself to sleep.
Habit dictates that I wake up after only four hours of rest, despite my body needing far more. My head throbs mercilessly while simultaneously feeling stuffed with cotton. And I’m parched.
Forcing myself upright, I hold my head as if that might help stabilize it. Sunlight peeks through the drapes in a thin sliver, and even that small burst of light makes me cringe and turn away from it.
Something nags in my periphery. Drawn behind me, I stare at Jackson’s hoodie.
Metal.
It’s not much. Maybe a throwing knife or two.
I tell myself it wouldn’t have made a difference in protection even though a small part of me is annoyed he’d withheld any metal when I needed it.
But one small blade he’d given Raegan saved her life from Creighton, so I should be grateful he always keeps a stash for emergencies.
Another flicker.
I’m drawn to Kellan’s belt on the floor.
More flickers.
There’s metal in the walls. Pipes. Wires.
It’s every-fucking-where.
All of it calls to me, softly begging to be touched. To bend to my will. To turn into something more.
Goddamn it.
I pushed my gift too far, and now I have to figure out how to ignore or quiet these signals so I’m not driven mad by them. It was useful when I needed to find more metal in a time of need.
I don’t need it just to get up for a glass of water.
I skip the bathroom and water, heading for the living room instead. Coffee it is.
“You should still be sleeping.” Jackson’s voice stops me at the doorway.
“I’ll sleep when I'm dead,” I counter grumpily.
“Says the man I saved from death.”
I pause, then admit slowly, “I don’t think I could fall asleep right now if I tried.”
Jack studies me with a cocked head and observant eyes. “You strengthened your gift.”
I nod. “Aside from the new sixth sense of metal I’ve acquired, I need to see how the Guild members have settled in and prepare for their stay here.”
He smirks, then lies back down.
I don’t know why he backed off, but I don’t wait to find out.
Cibrina answers on the second ring. “Aiden? I thought you’d still be sleeping.”
“How many injured members are there and what’re their statuses?”
“Most of the strike teams were restrained and only had blood drawn. They’ll be better with food, water, and rest. The ones in the arena who were injured have all been through their first round of healing between Cassandra and Holly.
There were broken bones, internal bleeding, stab wounds, abrasions, and electrical burns.
It’ll take another session or two for a few of them as well as time to rest, the healers included.
Evie is in that group, and we’re waiting for her to wake up. ”
She takes an audible breath. “Greg and Skylar—both Pits fighters—Parker and Lyla didn’t make it. Reid brought them back.”
I close my eyes and scrub a hand over my face. Four dead.
It’s unrealistic to think we could take down Gifted Enterprise without losses, but that doesn’t make it easier. Not when I’m supposed to protect them.
Skipping the cream and sugar, I let the scalding coffee burn my mouth and throat to see if I can cut through the headache and loss with a hit of caffeine. “What do we still need for the Guild? Has a hold been put on any job requests?”
“Yes, Quinn updated our website and the automated phone message if anyone tries to call. The official word is that the company is temporarily closed while the unofficial word Penn has spread online is that the company took its employees on a long vacation.”
“Great. Are there adequate kitchens downstairs for Miranda and her staff to work in?”
Cibrina hesitates.
“What is it?”
“There is no kitchen downstairs. Just a break room.”
I close my eyes, breathing through the pounding headache and incessant flickers telling me about all the metal nearby.
“Aiden. You should really get more rest. We can discuss this tomorrow or the next day,” Cibrina coaxes.
“What are we going to do about food? Income? Bills? Security? I’ll sleep when I know the Guild is taken care of.”
“Should we meet with Elias? He might have more insight on what’s available here for security.” And the financial concerns, but thankfully she doesn’t voice that admission.
I can’t stand how much we’ve had to lean on him for that aspect, but defeating Gifted Enterprise is more important than my pride.
Making sure the Guild members are taken care of is more important.
Without any income, they won’t be able to afford food.
We also can’t have them walking around the city and being grabbed by GE agents.
We have to hunker down until Charles is dead.
The clock on the cable box shows it’s mid-afternoon.
It feels like four in the morning.
“Yes. Let’s meet downstairs and we can go to his office to discuss the plan for the Guild while we’re here.”
“I’ll see you shortly.”