Two (Countdown Book 5)

Chapter 20

As we pulled up outside the apartment block, we both started getting out. I told Wyatt not to. I told him to stay in the car, because I knew how dangerous Makinshien was, and how easy it would be for him to kill Wyatt, and I couldn't handle that.

I put the vial of Cure in pocket and zipped it up. Then, I drew my sword and headed into the apartment block.

It still hadn't opened. With all that was going on lately, it couldn't open. It was too dangerous.

I knew the building was probably beautiful, but I didn't have time to stand around marvelling at it. I headed down the first corridor, because I knew just where Makinshien would be. I somehow knew with a nasty realisation what apartment he would be in.

I stopped outside number two.

I had an hour left. An hour to save Mackenzie. I could do this.

As I barged through the door, it splintered into lots of tiny pieces. I quickly took in the room around me. It was a plain, empty living room. I recognised Makinshien's shape in front of the window, creating a horrible shadow that reached across the room to the door, where I was stood. He didn't even turn to look at me.

Then I spotted Mackenzie.

She was sat in one corner, her hands tied in front of her with a thick rope. She looked unharmed, except for the bruises and cuts that had already been on her face. Her hair was a messy tangle of brown, and her face was shrouded with fear. A piece of cloth was stuffed in her mouth as a gag.

"You got my message?" Makinshien said. His voice was cold and gravelly, washing over me, and I felt for a moment as though I were drowning. I shook my head, clearing it. I was here for Mackenzie, and I was damn well going to save her.

"Yes," I said. "But I'm not going to give you what you want."

In the beautiful summer's night outside the window, it began to rain. Fat raindrops fell from the sky and dropped onto the window, arcing down like a tear tracing a line down someone's face. There was a soft clap of thunder.

"Not voluntarily." he said eventually. He still hadn't moved since I arrived. "I have the other two pieces. There are just three. So give me the last one, and I shall rule as I did before. And I will kill you quickly, painlessly."

I suddenly felt something grow warm in my pocket. Something I hadn't thought about in so long. Something that I'd given myself with the promise to keep it from Makinshien.

"Not a chance." I said. He finally turned to me. His face looked tired, but he still radiated that cold power that made my animal instincts take over, that made me want to run and hide.

"I am not in the mood for games, Eli Moore." he said, his cold eyes boring into me. "I will kill you and take what is mine, then kill her, too." he gestured to Mackenzie with one hand, and drew his sword with the other.

"You're welcome to try." I raised my own weapon, waiting for him to attack. A second later, our weapons clanged together, erupting in a shower of sparks. He pushed his weight against me, and I pushed back against him, eventually throwing him away.

He swiped at me, and a deflected the blow easily with my own weapon, and slashed at him. He moved too quickly, though, and I merely swiped at the air. He feigned right, but I saw the trick coming and blocked his strike left.

The shadows in the room seemed to grow longer and deeper, caressing my back with cold fingers. I suppressed a shiver and carried on fighting.

I didn't realise at first, but I was glowing. As the fight went on, and we slashed, ducked and dived, I was glowing brighter and brighter. My glow started chasing the shadows away from the room, and I became so bright that Makinshien struggled to look at me. Mackenzie was looking away, her eyes tightly closed.