After the Smoke_Cole's Story by Cecelia Earl

Author:Cecelia Earl [Earl, Cecelia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-12-27T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

It’s not long before the cell door is yanked open and Legion and Lux are there for us. I stand, helping Kari up. She clings to me, and I hold her tightly before Legion marches in and grips her arm. Lux yanks me away from her and pulls me out of the cell. Legion follows with Kari, but they stand outside the cell and don’t follow us. Sam is unlocking Raif’s cell door with a claw and demon light. He grins at me. “Ready for your final task?”

I look away. Raif is standing at the door. I try to meet his eyes, but he’s oblivious to my will. Lux jerks me forward and we move toward the hall, Raif shuffling behind with Sam. I look over my shoulder. Kari’s standing forlorn at Legion’s side. He’s sneering at me. Her eyes have that cloudy, mixed up look and I don’t know if she’s really there to see me leaving her or not. I’ll be back for you, or Raif will, I want to tell her. Hold on.

I falter as I’m kicked in the knees from behind. Sam laughs. “For old time’s sake. Move it, Guardian.”

We’re taken to the same cavernous room for siphoning. My hands begin their usual tremble and my stomach endures a pang of guilt. I have the urge to double over and dry heave—such a human reaction. But no. I take a breath and steel myself for making my plan work. It has to. I promised Kari, and giving Julia her father back is the only thing I can do to protect her the way I was always meant to. It’ll be my final act as her Guardian.

Lux shoves me inside, and Sam laughs as he does the same with Raif, who stumbles into me. His right pant leg is shredded, and I can see now he’s injured and limping. I right him and keep an arm around him to steady him.

“We’ll be right out here watching, so no funny business,” Lux says.

As soon as they’re gone, I take my place at the siphoning table and chair. Raif stands before me, head uncovered. Before, they'd instructed me to sit and make them kneel before me to be siphoned, but I can't—won't—do that now. I move to play along, to look the part so I can tell him my plan for him and Kari. To send a final goodbye for Julia and Nicholas. But as I pick up the black-and-silver speckled siphoning tool, Raif grabs my wrist. Before I can object, he jabs the tool into himself while placing his free hand over my mouth, stifling my protest.

“You will listen and act quickly,” he whispers. Then he removes the tool from his skin and jabs it into me. My eyes grow wide and warmth spreads through me as I’m filled with his Heavenly Glory and Grace. I shake my head, but he ignores it. “Take these.” He reaches into his boot and pulls out a dagger. It shimmers green and white with Glory.

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