The People with Useless Power

Chapter Twenty-six

"Vincent screamed when one attacked him, sinking its teeth into his foot."

Emma screamed, a shriek of pure terror, and her eyes widened unnaturally. She fought Mara, tried to choke her, and then fell, twitching on the ground.

Emily watched helplessly as Mara threw her into the cage and locked the door, again with her telekinesis. "Are you heartless?!" Emily yelled. "She's obviously terrified!"

"She'll get over it," Mara hissed, and Emily bit the inside of her cheeks to keep from lashing out and folded her arms across her chest. The cage started to lower, Emma slowly standing up and raising her hands. Fire surrounded her like a tornado, her eyes blazing with rage, and the water evaporated immediately as she fell to the bottom of the tank. Emily watched, horrified, as her body twisted unnaturally and landed with a bone-chilling crack.

"Knew I should've done her last," Mara grumbled, and within seconds Emma was wrapped in a towel and sitting next to her, leaning against her weakly and shivering, and the tank was nearly full again.

There was a whimper, and for a second Emily thought it was Gray's turn, but Mara dragged Vincent in instead. He let out another low, puppy-like grumble, but Mara nonetheless tossed him in the cage.

"How's this supposed to work?" Emma muttered under her breath, and Emily just half-shrugged lazily.

The cage was lowered into the water before Vincent had the idea to stand up, but when he did, Mara collapsed to the floor and screamed horrifically. Emily cried out in surprise. Vincent hadn't even raised his hands. She looked over to see Emma curled up in a ball and hyperventilating harshly.

Vincent looked enraged, boarding on madness, and Mara kept screaming and twitching until she cried, "FINE! FINE, YOU WIN, OKAY?!"

She stopped twitching and snapped her fingers once, and Vincent appeared in the seat next to Emma, dry and annoyed.

"This is stupid," he growled as Mara stood up and walked out again.

"You think so?" Emma mocked, and Vincent's scowl darkened.

"Hey, you know, everyone's having just as bad of a time as you are. No need for the sarcasm." He sounded like he was about to go off his rocker.

"Well, I-I'm sorry, Vincent, but my girlfriend's torturing me-"

"And my boyfriend's the one being tortured."

There was an awkward silence, and Emily wished she could melt away or die. Or both.

She heard the soft sound of someone sobbing, and Mara dragged Grayson in, who was lying face-down on the floor.

"Leave me alone," he whined and weeps that chilled Emily to the bone followed.

"Stop acting so innocent, it's annoying," Mara hissed, and Vincent's breathing grew to be low and shallow.

Emily put a hand on his forearm, and he snapped his head to her. She withered away at the sight of his dilated, angry eyes.

Mara used her telekinesis to lift Gray into the tank and slam the door shut. She sighed as it lowered.

"He has healing powers," Emily muttered to herself, "what can Mara do?"

"Release the sharks," Mara hissed into her hand, and Emily clamped her mouth shut.