I use my gift to flip the vehicle out of the way, and then I drive the missile toward the sky before it explodes against my force.
“You need me right now,” I scream. “We’re not armed for this. Grayson needs to inject himself now and so does Hale.”
My eyes cut toward the rolled car, and the back door flies free as Grayson climbs out and pulls Angelica with him.
“Keep her away,” I scream to him, and his forehead rests on hers before he moves his mask to break his flesh for the medicine.
I turn to Hale, and he does the same thing just before throwing his arms forward to start the chain reaction of explosions, his true strength diluted by the meds. Brazen grabs his rifle and several other weapons before running over to set up his sights.
The rumbling grounds below shriek out their fear, and Hale pulls out another vial to inject himself with as he stares out at the several hundreds of blood runners we weren’t expecting in such horrific quantities.
“This isn’t a fight. This is war. What the hell is going on? There’s at least twenty different blood running gangs down there,” he yells over the sound of gunshots and explosions.
I hear Brazen’s sharp-shooting skills going to work as he takes out the vile men below targeting our smaller army. Each body collapses once his perfectly executed shot strikes them between the eyes.
“They need help. I’m going down there,” I murmur while rushing to the edge.
“No,” Hale objects. “You’ve already used your other gift. You won’t be invincible.”
“I barely used it, and I can already feeling my body stabilizing enough for me to pull up the indestructible shield.”
“It’s too fucking dangerous down there, and you won’t have time to fight them all off. The damn Rising attack wasn’t this damn big. There’s too many to risk it.”
“I can absorb those grenades that are slaughtering our men. I’m not going to sit up here and do nothing. I can’t use my other gift with this many men. I’ll blow everyone up if I do. It’s the only way. If I can weed down their numbers, then I can use my telekinesis against them with better results.”
“You’re not fucking going down there,” Brazen growls from behind me as he joins the argument.
He takes a running jump to throw several grenades into the hoard of blood runners climbing to the surface. The blasts rattle my ears as they rip the skin from the men, and they fall backwards into the massacre below, their blood spraying the masses already colored red.
“I have to. We’re outnumbered, outgunned, and it’s just a matter of time before we’re dying or retreating if I don’t go make a damn dent. I’m the only one who can. If I start using my gift, get everyone out and away. Leave only the blood running scum in my midst.”
“Damn it, Araya. If you’re going to do this, go savage. There’s too many for you to take on by yourself,” Hale barks.
“She can’t control it like that,” Grayson adds, bemusement lingering in his tone.
My eyes lower shamefully, and Brazen’s head tilts to the side.
“You can control it?” he asks with a heartbreaking tone when he feels betrayed.
“No. I can only summon it which is something no one else can do. I’ve only ever done it a couple of times out of dire need. I can’t make it go away, and I can’t stop it from coming forth on its on either,” I clarify, and Brazen pulls me into his arms.
“If it’ll make you stronger, then do it,” he encourages, but he doesn’t realize that means Hale will have to bring me down.
“No. There’s only one way to bring me back when I pull it free of my own free will. Hale will have to…”
I look away, and Brazen’s jaw clenches before he takes a deep breath. His hands run up my arms as the cries of pain below continue to bellow upward to us. The bowl-like valley has offered nowhere for the ones inside to go but up, and they’re being picked off with every attempt they make. Both bad and good are struggling to live, and I’m the only answer.
“Do what you have to. I want you to stay alive,” Brazen strains out.
“I can do this on my own,” I choke out, even though I know I would be so much stronger if I let my savage free.
“No you can’t. There are too many, and you won’t be invincible once you use your other gift. Damn it, Araya. Just stay up here, and let us try to take care of this,” Hale snaps.
Grayson begins using his gift to ash the multitudes, but he has to inject himself quickly. He doesn’t have the control to continue without going savage, and Angelica isn’t versed well enough to bring him down like Hale can me - or like I can him. She isn’t ready for that burden, and she won’t be able to coax him into medicating himself if he loses it too badly. He’s not as strong without his savage either. The lesser incinerating force is only taking out smaller numbers.
“We don’t have the amount of olophine needed for the two of you to take them all out. I can do this, and I’m going to,” I blare, and then the hood of the car rips free as I use my gift to slice it into.
I float it to my hand as I near the edge, and I toss it down before jumping on it to ride it like a surfboard against the sands pretending to be waves. I don’t look back or give them a chance to object further as I near the bottom. I flip forward to land on my feet once I’m in the center, and the bullets rattle and shatter against me as they face my impenetrable skin.
