Smoke Rising: Book III

Chapter Fifty-Three

Chapter Fifty-Three

Flames and fire engulf the entire factory, the building crashing down like a child's blocks being knocked over. Eli reaches for me, letting the smoke of his hand graze against mine as the fire climbs closer and closer to us.

I shake my head. "Casters, shield yourselves!" I twist around and throw my arms in the air, pulling at the flames and pushing them around. They sway like the ocean, heaving and hulling and consuming the sky above our heads.

My body acts like an island in the sea of flames, creating a large open space free of the flames.

"Stay low!" Eli shouts, and I watch as one of our own is burned alive a few yards away in the orange and red clouds.

I close my eyes, clenching my teeth, and a scream escapes them as I pour all of my energy into the fire, forcing it away. Soon, everything goes up in smoke, and I fall backwards, out of breath and out of energy.

But the Shadows rain down from the black clouds and drip into me, souls of our lost warriors finding a home inside me. Each one of them fuels me a little longer, giving me just enough strength to keep everyone inside this forcefield from dying.

Something explodes, somewhere, and Eli crouches beside me. "We have to move!" He yells, but I can barely hear him over the sound of burning metal and air.

I nod, climbing slowly to my feet. I glance over my shoulder, seeing the frightened Casters doing their best to add to my shield. One of them trips and falls into the flames, screaming. Eli waves everyone back, and we slowly move as one unit away from the factory. We make it to the field, and I collapse, patches of fire and smoke surrounding us. Everyone turns and runs to the crater a few paces back, and I watch as the factory burns before us.

***

As soon as I get back into my body, I collapse to my knees, out of breath.

"Are you okay?" Eli asks, pulling at my face to make sure I'm not hurt. I push out of his grasp and shake my head.

"No, I'm not. How the hell did we walk right into their trap?"

He shakes his head, mortified. "I had no idea that was even possible. Forcefields don't block shadows, not unless they are laced with light, but those were invisible. It shouldn't have trapped us."

"It did because of this." Bug appears from around the corner and drops a huge metal sphere in front of me. "It's full of potions. It was activated by one of the workers that escaped."

I shoot Eli a glare, and rise to my feet. "It must be laced with another potion to keep anyone and everything inside, including Shadows."

"But the flames wouldn't have killed you," Mateo adds. "Which doesnt make sense."

"He wanted to force us to watch," Eli says from behind me, a dark look in his eyes. "He wanted us to see them die."

"Sick bastard," Blue spits.

"How many did we lose?" Eli says.

"More than half."

Something crashes inside me. I just led hundreds of people to their deaths.

I close my eyes as they continue talking, scheming their next move, planning where to go and how to get there. But everything in me is telling me to run.

"We move into the trees," I say, silencing them all. Split the army up and regroup at Sector Seventeen. The more scattered we are, the less likely they will be to bomb us.

"We can't retreat now--" Blue starts, but I shake my head.

"Not all of us are retreating. Pick a few hundred of the best left and move to the next factory. But stay split up so that they don't see you coming. Only communicate through magic. No more radios."

I grab the radio on Huxley's belt and slam it against the ground, zapping it. It breaks apart with a small explosion and I storm out of the small cave.

I'm done playing army men.

As soon as I get back to our supply trucks, I grab a pack with a tent and a few days worth of rations and start West.

I find Ross and Jahzara, who luckily were  ordered to stay behind with the supplies to keep it safe just in case things went wrong. Things did go wrong, just not in the way we anticipated. Ross leans against the truck, gazing at the flames far off on the horizon.

As soon as he sees me he stands up taller, looking panicked. "Emery, I heard what happened. Are you okay?"

"I'm leaving," Jahzara gets out of the drivers seat and bounces down next to Ross. "I need you to let them know in the morning, and tell them not to follow me."

"What--no--"

"I don't want to argue about it. I have to end this before anyone else dies."

They stare at me for a moment, baffled by my sudden requests. I haven't been able to talk to them much, or see them at all for that matter. I've been to wrapped up in magic and plans and Eli's bed to visit with old friends. But they are friends, they have been from the moment we met when we were in the capital, getting ready to perform for the last Chancellor. What a stupid game that all seems now.

"We can't let you go alone," Jahzara adds. "You may be the most powerful Caster in the world... But he's the most powerful human."

"That's exactly why I have to this. He will keep finding ways to hurt me, to kill the people I care about until I end him." Aaron. My mom. Luke. Tania. My father. Theo. Zara. And thousands of others. He isn't just a murderer, he's pure evil. All he wants is to rid the world of Casters, and he's willing to dip his hands in their magic to do it.

"I'm coming with you," Ross demands. "Jahzara will stay here and let them know. But we aren't letting you go alone."

I stare at him for a moment, and then shake my head. "I can't protect you."

"You won't have to. Let me help you until I can't anymore. Please, Emery."

I think it over and close my eyes. "Fine. But if I tell you turn back, you have to promise me you will."

"I swear," he turns, grabs his pack from the truck and marches towards Jahzara. He gives her a hug, and she squeezes him a little too tight, her strength enough to break his ribs if she wanted to.

When they break apart, she turn to me and throws her arms around me, kissing me on the top of my head. "Go save the world," she says, patting my shoulder. "And remember, we all believe in you."

I nod, sadness creeping in. I don't know if I'll ever see her again. I'm uncertain of this because I will die before I let the man who calls himself a Chancellor  continue breathing.

"Thank you," I say, giving her a sad smile. "For everything."

Ross and I start walking into the darkness, the sky filled with smoke. Once the camp is far behind us, I can't help but look over my shoulder at the camp.

I'm leaving them in a dark moment, but when I see them all again—if I see them again, it will be a new world.