Awakening - The Last Science #1

Chapter 22 - The Importance of Flying - III

  "They don't beat you. They can't. That's the whole point."

  Brian was raging at Omega, his voice carrying through the underbrush. Alden was frozen in place. Hailey had landed closer to the light than he'd thought—and it had belonged to his worst nightmare. It was a miracle they hadn't been heard themselves, but it seemed their foes were a bit preoccupied to be listening out for faint voices in the distance.

  "Calm down, man," Omega replied. Even though he wasn't shouting, his own voice still carried far. The deep timbre struck shivers in Alden's spine, just as it had in town. "They just surprised me."

  "You've got a massive bite in your shoulder," Brian growled. "What the hell did those savages do to you? And how?"

  Omega hesitated before answering. "It won't happen again. I'll be ready next time."

  "No, that's not enough. We have to send them a message."

  "What kind of message?"

  Hailey shot a fearful look at Alden. Neither of them dared move, but they seemed to be in complete agreement: we need to get out of here.

  "That the end is nigh. They've chosen destruction."

  "You would destroy the entire town?" Omega asked casually.

  "You said it yourself. Magic is out and the town did nothing. They just accepted it and moved on. How could this town—my own neighbors and friends—let such filth into our lives?" Brian might have sounded hysterical, but his voice was controlled and steady. He continued in that same confident voice, speaking of murder and bloodshed like it were a chore—unpleasant, but ultimately necessary. "Rallsburg is doomed. We have to wipe it from the face of the earth. Natalie and I will find a new home after it's gone. Then we'll be safe."

  Natalie? Alden mouthed at Hailey in confusion. She shrugged, equally bewildered. Brian was apparently totally unaware of his daughter's status.

  "What's your plan?" Omega asked.

  "They'll probably call a meeting, since they think you're on the retreat," Brian continued. "Use the time they have to plan some kind of defense. I can strike there."

  "No."

  "No? It's the perfect opportunity."

  "You alone, against the combined force of the town? They'd hunt you down like a dog."

  "I can beat them."

  Omega sighed. His voice got quieter, too quiet for them to hear. Alden looked at Hailey with dismay. She frowned, then made a few brief motions with her fingers. The air suddenly felt thicker around Alden's ears, as though there were some kind of pressure building up in the area. Brian and Omega were suddenly quite audible again, though they'd dropped to normal speaking volumes. "...stronger than I thought you'd be, even using my magic secondhand like that. But you're going up against forces you've never seen. Spells I've never seen."

  "The entire world is at stake. The clock's ticking. We can't just sit around and wait for their next move. We can use terror, turn fear back on those monsters like they deserve. They can't mount a defense if they're running scared."

  "They aren't going anywhere. We've made sure of that. We can be patient and thorough."

  "I don't have time for that."

  "Why is it so urgent?"

  "Because my little girl is still in there!" Brian roared, causing Hailey and Alden to jump. The volume amplification made it sound like he was shouting right in their faces. "She's not alone, thank God, but she's still in danger. I'm the only one who can protect her. You know that we can't trust anyone else with magic. Those stupid bastards would probably try to hoard it for themselves and we'd get more dead kids in the crossfire. The only way we can be certain is to kill every last one of them. I'm never letting anyone hurt my Natalie again."

  "...Again?" Omega prompted.

  "It was when she was little," Brian answered. The hot fury in his tone slowly subsided into a much colder, but no less intense contempt. "She doesn't remember it at all, but her mother... well, her mom wasn't exactly the brightest bulb on the tree. She neglected our daughter so many times... Then Lori took Natalie out to a playground, and she lost track of her. Natalie wandered out into the street and got hit by a guy on a bike. She was bleeding and crying, and Lori didn't even realize it had happened until the ambulance showed up." Brian's voice had shifted to a growl. "If it had been a car, Natalie might not be alive. Lori was careless, the biker was careless, every single fucking person there was careless. Careless people who don't do anything to prevent disasters like this are dangerous. Now they've got magic at their disposal and you're wondering why I think it's urgent?"

  "You've made your point, man," Omega answered, trying to placate him. There was a pause.

  "What?" Brian asked.

  "Thought I felt something..." Omega murmured.

  Alden shot a panicked look at Hailey. "What if he can feel magic like Will can?" he hissed.

  Fear filled Hailey's face. Twigs and leaves scattered as she lifted into the air. She held steady while Alden grabbed hold. Moments later, they were skybound, moving away from the firelight as fast as they could.