Chapter 184
- Evan -
The water surged more violently around them than before.
My stomach dropped.
"Kaysi..."
Josh turned to me.
I was already tensing every muscle, and sparks were jumping over my feet.
Duke's arm shot out and grabbed my shoulder.
"No. Don't."
I jerked against him.
"Let me go!''
"The gate is closing."
"They're still out there!" I argued with Duke, feeling my blood rise in my face. And my fists tighten.
Lightning sparked violently across my arms and shoulders, even reaching Duke as he withstood my storm raging.
The water around my legs is cracking.
"I'm not leaving them, Duke!"
The gate in front of us continued sliding downward, wasting more time. The opening is shrinking more with every second.
Josh grabbed my arm.
"Evan—"
"I can get them!" I shot a look in his eyes as the flood roared closer.
My chest is tightening more and more.
Micah.
Baby.
Kaysi.
Duke stepped in front of me.
His wings were wide spread across, blocking my path.
"Stand down, Evan, we can't lose you."
My lightning flared brighter.
"I'm not abandoning them!"
Duke's voice thundered.
"TRUST YOUR COMRADES!"
I shook my head.
Josh looked back and forth between us nervously.
Becky stepped forward. "Guys—we are running out of time!"
I clenched my fists.
My mind screamed to run back.
To help them.
To fight.
Duke's voice cut through the chaos again, but this time gentler.
"Evan."
I looked at him.
For a moment, the noise of the flood faded.
"Do you believe in them?"
The question hit me again.
Of course I did.
I always had.
Duke saw the shift in my eyes, even though I didn't answer him.
"Then trust them!"
The gate is barely open. Maybe 12 feet left before it closes forever.
Josh shook my arm.
"EVAN! LOOK!"
A streak of light tore across the artificial sky.
A powerful gust of wind slammed down the incline.
Everyone turned.
A blazing figure burst through the mist above the raging water, the flood like a shooting star.
Baby.
Her wings carved through the air like two blades, creating the sound of thunder as the winds bent around her.
In her arms hung two bodies.
Micah and Kaysi
Josh's eyes widened.
"No way..."
The gate was almost closed.
The opening now is barely enough for a person to crouch through.
Baby angled downward, wings beating as hard as she could, and dove towards us.
"She's not going to make it there, still too far away," Becky whispered in horror.
The flood was behind her, surging higher now. The demon croc burst with a deafening roar from the collapsed barrier in an explosion of water and debris behind them.
Baby saw it.
She stopped, quickly pulling back her wings, flaring wide.
Then—
She threw them.
Micah, first, then Kaysi after, shot forward through the air like missiles.
The sudden loss of weight allowed Baby to shoot forward faster.
Josh didn't hesitate.
He stepped forward, arms up and stretched wide.
"You got her! Stay with it!" Becky shouted back at him as if he were a receiver for a Football game.
Micah slammed into him with full force.
"I got you!" He shouted, absorbing the impact easily, sliding one step back before steadying himself.
He lowered her carefully to the ground.
"She's breathing," Becky checked and confirmed.
But I didn't hear anything else because Kaysi was still flying towards us.
And she was coming in fast, right behind Micah.
My body reacted on impulse again.
I jumped sideways, catching her, and immediately got body-slammed like my brother.
But less gracefully, the impact knocked the air from my lungs as we crashed into the ground. A noted Micah was the tallest and largest of the females in our group, but so was Josh.
Water splashed around us.
Kaysi landed square on my chest with my arms wrapped around her.
Her wet hair fell across my face.
Her body was completely limp, unconscious, and exhausted.
She shivered in my arms. That told me she was alive.
"Kaysi—"
My hand pulled the hair away from our faces and tucked it behind her ear. And pulled her closer into my chest without thinking.
Wrapping her in a tight hug.
For a moment, I didn't care who was watching.
Didn't care about anything but the fact she was safe.
And being alive—that's all that matters.
I sighed in relief.
Behind me, I could hear Josh and Becky helping Micah to her sit up.
Duke landed beside them.
And Baby finally landed between us as the gate shut with a clang behind her.
The sound echoes across the district as the flood smashes against the other side of the wall.
But inside...
Silence.
We saved almost everyone," Duke muttered in surprise. " Once panic-struck, the others surged through. I didn't sense anyone left behind except our croc friend," he joked.
My arms were still around Kaysi, lying on top of my chest as we lay on the ground motionless.
I finally looked up.
Josh was watching me.
So were Becky and the others.
Even Micah—barely conscious—seemed to be glancing in our direction.
They all know...?
Of course, they know.
Josh suddenly cleared his throat loudly.
"Ahem."
He turned away immediately, pretending to focus on Micah again.
Becky hid a small, sly smile as she knelt beside them. She has known from the beginning how I felt about Kaysi. And now I'm here, caught in high definition.
Baby looked like she wanted to say something, but smiled and looked at something else.
Duke simply looked over for a second, then walked over to the others to form a new plan and check on Micah.
It was like a moment he had long seen coming before I did.
I looked back down at Kaysi and loosened my arms a little as I sat up.
Trying to act normal.
Like nothing had happened.
As if I hadn't held her like the world almost ended.
My heart is still pounding in my chest.
And judging by some of the looks, they were not speaking their minds out loudly by—
Everyone already knew.
They just let me believe they didn't.
"Kaysi," I said quietly, brushing the small drops from her face.
"You'd better wake up soon," I whispered in her ear.
She didn't respond.
Her breathing was slow but steady against my chest.
For a moment, the entire place felt frozen in time. Timeless.
Behind the sealed gate, the flood slammed against the wall with a deep, echoing thunder.
But inside the district...
Silence. Even if only for a moment.
I shifted Kaysi slowly, her head still resting against me. His head rolled slightly against my shoulder as I adjusted my grip to keep her steady.
This wasn't the first time. I remember once when she was sick in elementary school, after our field trip, she rested on me and fell asleep in my lap.
Across from me, Josh helped Micah to her feet, finally. But she swayed a bit.
"You still with use?" He joked.
"Yeah, I think so... she said, rubbing the side of her head.
Her voice was a bit rough but steady.
Josh grinned.
"Good. Because you came in like a missile when Baby threw you."
"Well, you caught me. So..."
Becky checked her pulse again.
"You hit pretty hard," Becky said.
Micah gave a tired smirk.
"That's Josh's fault.'
Josh struggled.
"I can't help, I am built like a brick house."
"Yeah, and my head feels like it hit a wall." She teased.
"Technicalities...!"
Baby and Duke stepped by me and looked at Kaysi.
"She used nearly everything she had holding that barrier with Micah," Baby said quietly.
I nodded.
"I figured, I wouldn't expect less."
Duke stood a few steps back, looking at the sealed gate.
The sharks and demons will be angry, hungry, and on the other side for now.
Duke turned back to me.
"We bought the city time again," He said calmly.
Josh sighed, stepping beside him.
"I'm starting to hate the phrase 'Bought time...' We only postpone what is next. That said, what is our next move and how may we better prepare this time?"
"If we get much time at all." Micah added as she and Becky walked up.