Henry’s death releases Lily and River’s power. Both of them erupt into a whirlwind, taking out soldiers right and left.
Hightower taps something on his phone, and an alarm goes off in the building behind us. Blaring loudly, soldiers begin running out of the building to join the fight.
Hightower strides forward and grabs my arm. I look around, but there’s no water anywhere. Panic tries to take hold, but I squash it by pretending I’m in Quaid’s class. His arm is on fire, and I need to put it out. I close my eyes and open my senses to the world around me.
There is a small amount of water under my feet, possibly the facilities pipeline, but it’s not enough to save me. I keep searching. Bingo. A large body of water lies to the east. Concentrating hard, I try to move it closer, but the thread connecting us keeps slipping from my grasp. Damn it. It’s too far away. Why the hell did they have to build this facility in the freaking desert?
The soldier next to Hightower drops and another one yells, “Sniper!”
I smile, knowing it’s Jax. His power is faint, but I can feel it.
Hightower ducks down and shoves me forward.
Taking advantage of the distraction, I drop to the ground and roll into the legs of the soldier next to me, knocking him down, then try to stand and run. He grabs my leg. I kick back.
“Greer!” River shouts, turning in a circle. He spots me on the ground and dirt flies up and into the face of the man behind me, blinding him.
I jump up and run toward River.
Helicopters arrive. For a second, I hope it’s reinforcements, but soldiers in Raven blue file out. My heart sinks. I look around the field. We’re clearly outnumbered.
Hightower runs to the nearest helicopter, points to me, then gets on board. It takes off. Men rush over and start dragging me toward the other aircraft.
Lily screams and goes down. River races to help her.
A blazing line of fire appears, splitting the soldiers into two groups. Quaid emerges from the dust, firing shot after shot into one group, while his mind wields fire against the second.
Oliver protects Quaid’s back, shooting any who get close, but when soldiers raise their guns to shoot him, they find themselves shooting each other. Scared, they try to resist, but their minds aren’t strong enough. I shiver when I see the fight in their eyes turn to resignation. Oliver’s power is terrifying.
Electricity arcs high in the sky, then lands on the shoulders of a soldier. Like hopscotch, it jumps to the next and next, electrocuting every single one of them. David emerges from the crowd, arms energized with power.
Shots continue to ring out. Everywhere. Pain hits me, and I look down, expecting to see a bullet wound, but instead, I see a taser. The damn soldiers hit me again, and my body violently convulses. I scream for help.
Soldiers rush Oliver and take him to the ground. Quaid stalks over to help him, fire preceding every step, gun easily eliminating those who manage to avoid the flames.
Someone picks me up and begins carrying me to the helicopter. Panicking, I focus on the water in the distance. The ground shakes, but nothing appears.
An anguished shout from River has me whipping around to find him. Lily’s on the ground. Not moving. He shakes her, but her head lolls from one side to the other. He bends down and picks her up. Tears falling, he carries her over to his mother and lays her down. He arranges their bodies carefully. Hands clasped together. Flower crowns in their hair. Petals of all different colors covering their bodies.
He staggers to his feet, power bursting out of him in green waves. It quickly begins eating up the ground around him, creating a forest full of spiky flowers, carnivorous plants, and sinister trees. Soldiers in the path of destruction are quickly assimilated into the forest he’s creating, some turning to dust, others absorbed into the very fabric of nature.
“No, River, don’t!” I yell, but he doesn’t hear me.
His eyes search the crowd around him. Shots hit his body, but the bullets are quickly spit out again. Wounds healing in an instant. Nothing can stop him. His power continues to grow, spreading across the ground like a wave of locusts, covering the bodies of his enemies.
“River!” I scream, biting the hand holding me. When the soldier curses and lets go, I shove him away and run toward River. “Stop. Please stop.”
His green eyes find mine, and he falters for a brief second, but when another bullet slams into his shoulder, his hatred and grief returns.
I reach for him, taking his hand in mine. Time slows, then ceases to exist. The two of us in a bubble of our own making. “Don’t leave me.” I plead with him.
“I love you, Willa. Greer. Whatever name you want to call yourself. The moment I saw you, my life changed forever. The last few weeks with you have been heaven. Because of you, I lived. Now, I’m free.” A vine crawls up from the ground and caresses my cheek. “I’ve done so many bad things. Unforgiveable acts. This is my chance to redeem myself and save at least one of the people I love. You.” His eyes slide to Susan and Lily. “Don’t cry for me. The three musketeers will be together again.”
“I won’t ever forget you, River,” I tell him, reminding him of my promise. “Because of you, I live.” The ground trembles, and I release his hand, then step back.
His power erupts like Old Faithful, spewing across the soldiers, wiping half of them out. Vines and flowers and plants rise from the ground, covering his body, and for a minute, I think they’re healing him, but instead, his power consumes his body, and he becomes one with the very nature he loved so much. Lilies, in a rich pink color, cover the ground where his sister used to be, and black-eyed Susans, with their bright yellow petals, blanket the spot next to her.
Guards scramble around me. Grabbing my arms, they try to drag me toward the helicopter, but my eyes are glued to the beauty unleashed by River. My heart breaks into a million pieces for their loss. Sorrow like nothing I’ve ever felt before wells up and overflows my heart. Not for one person, but for everyone whose lost loved ones to the fear and vengeance hatefully wielded by Hightower and his flock of Ravens. To all the fallen. And for what? For the power that resides in our veins. Our blood. Our heritage.
