More Power More Hope- Book Three In The United Series

Chapter 14

Max's POV:

Ivan and I both hear footsteps heading our way.

We both jump up and Ivan steps in front of me again. I really wish he'd stop doing that. The last time he did that, he got shot in the leg.

I look down at Ivan's leg and see a ton of blood staining his jeans, but he doesn't seem to care.

Ivan stares ahead and I hear the footsteps grow louder. I look up and see Eight, Marina, and BK heading our way.

I sigh in relief. Ivan lets his guard down and the three stop in front of us.

"Max!" Marina exclaims. I smile at her and Eight brightens but glances suspiciously at Ivan.

"I thought you were...dead," Eight states cautiously.

Ivan shrugs his shoulders. "Well, I was," he replies. Eight and Marina look at me, their eyebrows furrowed in confusion. I tell them that I'll explain everything to everyone once we've all reunited again.

Eight nods his head and looks me. "We'll go tell the others you guys are okay. You two can...bond," Eight smirks and he, Marina, and BK head back to where they came from. I stare at Eight's back until he disappears.

What the Hades did he mean by that?

I glance at Ivan, who looks just as confused as I feel, and I quickly remember the bullet in his leg.

"Here," I tell Ivan, softly pushing him to the ground. He sits on the ground and I kneel next to him, then gather some water from a plant near me and use it to heal Ivan's shot leg.

"I remember that," Ivan says when I'm finished. I look at him and he takes my blue trident-snake whip necklace Leo gave me into his hand.

"Oh, yeah," I reply, smiling sadly down at it.

My mind wanders to what the Mog dragging me away said to Ivan- that he stole something from the Anubis.

"Ivan, what did you steal? From the Anubis?" I ask Ivan. Ivan flashes me a sheepish smile and reaches into his pocket, but he doesn't take out what's in there yet.

"The Mogadorians were too stupid to remember that I had this with me when I died. I stole it because, well, I thought you might want it back," Ivan tells me and pulls out a silver chain connected to a circular symbol glowing Loralite blue.

I gasp. It's my pendant.

"H-How... How did you....?" I start but can't finish my question as I stare at my pendant in amazement.

"Stole it from Setrákus Ra in his sleep. Even though I was helping the Mogadorians when you killed me, I couldn't forget about you, nor stop loving you," Ivan explains then clips my pendant around my neck. It grows warm the moment Ivan lets go of it as it falls around my neck.

I smile at Ivan. "Thank you. For everything," I tell him then hug him and he hugs back.

"Hey! You guys coming or what?!" I hear Eight call to us from where he started walking to with Marina and BK.

Ivan and I break from our hug and stand up from the ground and head towards Marina, BK, and Eight. With them is now John, Adam, Nine, and Five. I avoid John and Adam's eyes, remembering what they did to Ivan.

"Let's go back, get the chests from the penthouse, and get out of this city," Nine says once Ivan and I arrive. I notice how comfortable he, Five, Eight, and Marina are around Ivan. I guess they got used to him.

I nod my head in agreement and notice John looking at me guiltily. I guess I have to forgive him sooner or later.

"Let's go," Eight says and claps his hands, then turns around and leads us towards the penthouse. We all follow behind, Marina and BK next to Eight in the front and Nine behind them, trying to strike up conversation with Adam. Five and Ivan are behind them, whispering about something I can't hear.

John is right next to me and I try my best not to look at him, instead looking at the ground. I'm doing well until John softly grabs my hand. I look up at him and he looks guilty. He stops and I stop with him.

"You guys coming?" I hear Five ask John and I from ahead of us. John looks at him.

"We'll catch up," John replies. Ivan slightly smiles at me and I smile back, then everyone continues forward without John and I.

After a few moments of awkward silence between John and I, John speaks up, his voice cracking.

"Max...I'm sorry. I-I never should've done that..." John apologizes, skimming my cheek with his thumb. I softly pull him close to me and kiss him. He kisses me back and seems relieved but when we pull away, he still looks guilty.

"You just have to learn to trust him John. Remember that he saved me from the Anubis," I tell John, who shrugs his shoulders.

"I'm not sure I can do that. Not after what he did to you," John replies.

I smile at him. "Try."

Then everything goes downhill.

Ivan's POV:

The moment I feel it, I know Max is in trouble.

The ground is shaking like crazy- an earthquake.

"Adam?" Five calls to Adam since he can create earthquakes. Adam shakes his head.

"That's not me," he replies.

"We have to go!" Nine yells.

"What about Max?!" I yell back. After those few words, the earthquake stops and there's an explosion in the distance, right where we left Max.

"MAX!" I yell then run towards the explosion as fast as I can. I'm not sure if anyone follows me, and I don't care. The only person on my mind is Max. What if she's hurt? What if she didn't survive? What if she was captured?

I continue to sprint towards Max, who's hopefully being protected by John, and I crash right into a Mogadorian soldier.

Scratch that.

I crash right into two Mogadorian soliders.

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Quick Question (I'm replacing Fun Fact with Quick Question in a pattern. Next chapter will be another Fun Fact): Who would you prefer to be with Max- Ivan, Leo, or John?