Fate's Demand (Twisted Fate, Book 3)

Chapter Fifty-Four

My eyes found Scottie and my mind thought of Mike.

The calm of his presence prepared me, but I still had to think of him as my David before the lock on my light was sprung open. Unfortunately, the light in my body was unavailable or the entire situation could have been dealt with in a single shine.

I put everything I could into what I had.

It was instantaneous and even though I couldn't see the light stemming from my body, I felt everything it induced: love, happiness—which wasn't easy to conjure given the situation—and the overwhelming desire to succeed. To learn who had pretended to be David and not get the chance to confront them was unjust. Even my karma couldn't have that sick a sense of humor.

I stepped forward.

The group shielded their eyes, wincing as they brought their hands to their faces for protection.

"Are you okay?" I looked back and asked Marcus, and Deryk indirectly, but neither seemed to be affected.

Were they too pure, or did it only work on the Dark Souls infected by Darkness?

Inner demons were a whole different story, unchanged by outside stimuli. Whatever the reason, right now it was helping us gain an advantage we were very much in need of. It was better than a stun gun. I took another step forward, pushing my emotions to focus on what my mind could trick me into believing was good. It was harder without closing my eyes for fear of catching a poke from someone's knife or seeing someone I cared about so they could act like a tether, but it was working.

Not concentrated, it was temporary.

Marcus noticed the group beginning to recover at the same time I did, and Deryk reacted to our offensive attack.

The two of us attacked from the front and Deryk, much to the group's surprise, from behind. I went straight to Scottie and punched him in the nose. Blood, thick and dark like mud, poured out in a steady flow. The adrenaline kept me dancing, feeling no pain, and I twisted, bending at my waist as my head lowered to the ground and whipped back up as I twirled to follow with a kick on the other side of his face.

"You bitch!" Scottie screeched and cupped his nose in his hands. His eyes narrowed over his fingers and he started stalking forward, the promise of pain in his glare.

Before he could attack, which I was doubtful I could defend, I kicked him against the side of his knee and sent an uppercut into his jaw, grazing his trachea. A garble escaped his mouth, sounding wet like blowing bubbles in a drink through a straw, but he couldn't speak. Grunts surrounded us. Scottie fell to his knees and I took the opening, thinking of David while reaching for his arm.

Smoke filled my nostrils, burning down my throat, but I didn't let go.

It was harder than it had been with Tyler.

To constantly think about holding him against his struggles while maintaining my glow, especially when I could hear but not see the fighting around me, was hard. Thinking of him as Suzie made it possible. Sizzling like bacon in a frying pan, the Darkness fled from his soul, dissipating to gray, and then reforming back to its natural state as his shadow as he slumped.

Once that happened, which I had been watching for after learning from the experience with Tyler, Scottie slumped to the floor. I let go, bending to check he was indeed unconscious by opening his eyes.

Not even a flicker.

Good.

Putting my hands on my knees, I pushed myself up and swayed, my vision blurring.

I raised my hand in front of me, trying to keep from falling.

As soon as I regained my balance, I rushed into the fray, realizing that it was almost over. Marcus and Deryk were unstoppable, the intruders weak. Together, Marcus and Deryk dispatched each member of the group while I held their unconscious hand and brought light to their soul.

Restoration—casting Darkness out—was exhausting, but successful.

For all but one.

As the last, I was too weak to try harder. Any notion I'd entertained of dispatching Darkness shadow-by-shadow until I found its core evaporated with the energy that I'd begun this fight with. I crumpled to the floor beside Deke's lifeless body.

"Aly?"

I looked up to find Deryk standing above me with his hand outstretched to help me to my feet. I blinked, trying to dispatch the fog that had settled over my vision. After trying so hard with Deke, putting the last of my energy into the effort and failing anyway, the ability to stand was lost.

Even with Deryk's help, I was emotionally and physically drained.

Marcus checked on his exorcized friends and then walked over to stand beside Deryk. Both looked at me with sympathy and wonder, and I wanted to slap the obviousness from their expressions. It would have to wait until I was stronger.

My breathing slowed.

I lay my cheek against the cool floor and blinked slowly, fighting to stay conscious.

"You okay?" Marcus asked Deryk. "Any troubles in the Void?"

Deryk shrugged and rolled his eyes. "It was the Void, Marcus. It is by nature the embodiment of what trouble stands for."

"And with Renalda?"

"Uh..." Deryk looked down to me. "No. there was no problems with Renalda. Though her price was high, I got what I went for."

"I can go back?" I asked with the last of my energy, looking up at them both.

Deryk nodded, but Marcus cut my happiness at its stem, and said, "We need you to help us first."

I blinked, feeling like everything had been paused and whatever Marcus wanted was key to what happened next. I couldn't move, every limb weighted down, pulled against its will by a magnet from below.

I cleared my throat and forced out the one question I was scared to ask, but even more afraid of not knowing the answer to. "With what?"

"What you did here, Aly, was magnificent," Marcus said. "What if some of the Dark Souls are willing to let you help them? Can you wait? Lend a hand to those who want to be helped and then go back to Glory Academy—back to your body. Please? You could make a difference."

My mouth dropped and my gaze shifted to Deryk, who looked as surprised as I felt.

I could barely keep my eyes open and he was choosing now to ask for my help?

The thought of doing anything when just forming thoughts was exhausting was impossible. Lethargy swelled my tongue, rendering me mute. I tried to shake my head, and Deryk and Marcus swam in front of me. What was it that people said to intrusive photographers?

No comment.

Not that I had a chance to say that before everything turned black.