The Forbidden Trilogy(173)

She took a step back, and his body moved with hers.

"Good. You okay?" He turned her around and examined her.

"I'm fine. Thank you."

She noticed Luke scowling at them from a few feet away. Whatever. He could be Mr. Mopey if he wanted; she was done with it. Besides, she didn't need his permission to get to know a guy.

They heard the beetles approach. "We have to decide where to go. We can't just keep running."

She eyed a log that created a bridge to the other side of the cliff. Below them, way below them, a furious spray of water assaulted sharp rock. "We could walk across that. They wouldn't be able to follow."

Luke shook his head. "No way. That's crazy. That thing isn't stable."

Down the trail, the largest blue beetle crashed his body through a few trees. He'd be there soon. They had to hurry.

"Give me a better idea." Without waiting for a response, Lucy climbed onto the log and started crossing to the other side. Beneath her, water surged and crashed against rock. But it was a long way to that water. She looked back toward her destination and focused on that.

Just like driving, you had to keep your eyes on where you wanted to go, because your car, or in this case, your body, would naturally travel in the direction you were looking. Much like life, actually. Whatever you focused on the most was what you manifested.

Hunter immediately joined her on the log, followed by a sulking Luke. They were half way across when the beetle approached the log and rested its front legs on it.

The log shook. It couldn't withstand the pressure of the three of them plus the beetle.

"Luke, we're going to have to jump. You need to slow us down, like you did before."

"No, Luce. I can't. Keep going. We can make it to the other side."

Before Lucy could respond, the log tipped to the side and Lucy jumped off.

Hunter and Luke fell off the log as well, and the three of them fell toward the dangerous and rocky water.

Her heart pounded and the world spun. "Luke! You have to slow us down!"

Nothing. They didn't slow, and Lucy braced for the impact that could kill her. Hunter reached out his hand and she grabbed it, squeezing it tight as she closed her eyes.

With mere seconds left before impact, the air around them shifted and thickened.

Luke is doing it! But wait... They were still falling too fast. "Luke!"

Water rushed up to meet Lucy. She stared into Hunter's green eyes, and he didn't let go of her hand as they crashed into the water and everything went black.





Chapter 81 – Sam



Darren drove through the darkness. This far into the countryside, no streetlights showed us the way, and the headlights of our car only illuminated so much.

I punched redial over and over, desperate to reach Mrs. Beaumont, but she didn't pick up. I tried to force my powers to guide me to her and Tommy, or at least tell me what had happened, but they refused to bend to my will. Instead, they mocked me with a sense of looming disaster without giving me any tools to fight it.

Darren frowned. "Maybe ease up on the phone. It doesn't seem to be helping."

I dropped it in my lap and sighed. "Nothing is helping. Nothing is working. Where are they?"

We drove along the route they would have taken to get from the airport to the mansion, so we'd have to find them one way or another—unless they'd gotten lost. Or something worse. My stomach cramped, and I forced away those thoughts.

Darren turned on the radio, presumably to distract me. A country love song filled the car, and though it wasn't the-song-that-could-not-be-named—I so did not need reminding of that drive with Drake, as we fled our fate and headed to California together—it was close enough to bring tears to my eyes.

Drake. Any small thing could tear that wound open again.

Sensing the change in mood, Darren flipped off the radio. "Sorry, just thought some music might help."

I swiped at an errant tear. "No, it's okay. Just emotional. It's the hormones. And worry."

"I understand. I get it, Sam. You've been through hell, and now you're worried about Tommy. None of us will ever understand what it's been like for you. You saved us all from that fate and now you have to live it alone. I'm so sorry." He touched my hand briefly, then pulled back, as if unsure how to offer comfort without stepping into something more than friendship.

"I'm glad no one else has to experience this. And everyone has been very supportive. It's not so bad." Even as I said it, my heart cracked open, and a sob escaped.

All of the fear and anguish and loneliness and misery poured out of me. I hadn't cried since Ana had been born, not wanting to saddle her with that emotional baggage so soon, but this awful fear for Tommy and his mother released all my pent-up grief.