Extraordinary (21 page)

“What will happen to you if the power you take on is evil?” I asked.

“Probably nothing,” he said.

“What are you not telling us? Just come out with it, Tristan.”

Blaze's attention spun towards me. He gaped, confused by my outburst. Sadie and Tristan knew my reasoning but Blaze had been taken aback by my unashamed irritation. I had no desire to stop and explain it to him.

“I honestly don’t know what could happen,” he responded.

“I don’t believe you. I think you know exactly what will happen but you are afraid to tell us.”

"Lay off him, Alex," Blaze said.

Sadie placed a hand on Blaze's arm. His head whipped around, desperate for clarification. Sadie leaned over and whispered in his ear. Blaze's eyebrows creased and his mouth dropped open yet again. With a simple nod he had accepted the secret and was ready to move on.

Maybe that’s what big brothers do.

“Like I said, Katerina’s power was derived from pure evil," Tristan said. "And to absorb that bad energy will have an effect, I am just not sure what that will be.”

“Katerina’s not the only magic person around here,” Sadie added. “Why can’t we get someone else to open the portal?”

“I’m the only one I know of with the ability to do this. You need to reverse her spell, which means using her powers to do it. I can get them and use them.”

“She wasn’t always evil,” I said. “Just take her good magic.”

“There is no good left in Katerina. Even if there was I can’t pick and choose. This won’t involve me sharing her powers like I did you all; I have to take her powers. I’m just trying to tell you that I don’t know what that will mean.”

Uneasiness pulsed through him like a flashing neon sign. I was sure that Tristan knew more about the consequences of this plan than he was admitting but his resolve to not divulge any further was steady.

No part of the plan was reassuring to any of us but our options were limited. Tristan’s mind was made up. While his determination was honorable, having him risk his life for us was not an arrangement I could easily get on board with.

“Side effects aside,” Blaze said. “Somehow I doubt it will be as simple as finding Katerina and taking her power. I tend to believe she will not be very cooperative.”

“Not to mention them,” Sadie said, pointing at the gang of angry henchmen across the lawn. “Are we sure that barrier will hold?”

“I promise you are safe,” Tristan answered. “Our biggest obstacle is that Katerina knows your abilities and can now anticipate and manipulate them.”

“She had been spying on us,” Sadie said. “We never had a chance to hide them from her. She either overheard us talking about them or saw them for herself. We just never had a chance.”

“She must have moved fast,” Tristan said. “But that's good because now we know that there is an excellent possibility that she will block your powers and you will be forced to rely on strength alone.”

“How is that good?” Sadie asked.

“Because now you can prepare,” Tristan answered.

I was too baffled by the conversation and everyone’s avoidance of the major issue to contribute. Tristan was planning to risk his life to get us home, yet no one wanted to address it. The longer the topic sat on the backburner, the more exasperated I became.

“Hello?” I yelled. “One thing at a time! This plan does not work for me and I’m surprised you all don’t feel the same.”

Tristan hunched over in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees and looking down at his shoes. I stared, willing him to look up and answer me. Frustration turned to anger that made my hands tremble.

“We know, Alex,” Blaze whispered. “We aren’t ignoring the consequences; we are trying to prepare. Regardless of the plan, it will be dangerous. There will be risks to all of our lives.”

I collapsed back into my chair and covered my face with my hands.

“But why risk your life for us?” I asked, unable to let it go. “You don’t know us. You don’t owe us anything.”

“This isn’t about risking my life,” Tristan responded. “It’s about saving yours. I will be fine but you will die if we do nothing.”

“So why not let us go it alone?” Sadie asked. “I figure we don’t have much lose. You have everything to lose.”

“You never asked to be here and the least I can do is help you get home.”

“But it’s not your fault,” I said. “You didn’t bring us here. Don’t feel required to help us especially if it means jeopardizing your life.”

“Everyone has a role in Haliwick,” Tristan said. “Some teach, some guard, some protect. I protect. My ability gives me an edge. Granted, nothing like this has ever happened and probably never will again but it’s my duty.”

“So you are like a soldier!” Sadie screeched.

“I’m just doing my part. I didn’t say I would die, I just said I wasn’t sure. It’s not like this situation presents itself daily!”

“Alex, just because you don’t know the outcome doesn’t mean you don’t try,” Blaze said. “No war has ever been won without taking risks.”

The strict determination in Blaze’s voice rocked me. I knew he was right, again, but it did not make it easier to accept. We found ourselves at a disadvantage from the start. Returning home would require an intense battle, not a simple conversation. The battle would include magic and maneuvers that we could not predict, and an enemy whose powers far surpassed our own.

The only way to leave this world was with Katerina’s capabilities. Killing her was not an option. We needed her abilities so we needed her alive. The only solution was to accept Tristan’s offer. He was the key to the best and lone strategy on the table. Our lives were at risk whether we were sleeping, eating breakfast, or fighting back. At least one of those involved us standing up for ourselves.

“If this is what you want to do, I won’t bother you about it,” I mumbled in Tristan’s direction.

“Thank you,” Tristan said.

Ultimately, it was not about me. Sadie and Blaze should not have to die because I was in love with our way out. Nothing about Haliwick was simple. Life was hard enough without the drama of magic and impossible love.

“Alex, this isn’t easy for any of us,” Blaze said. “But this is what we have to do.”

Tristan playfully poked his index finger into my stomach and arm. Blaze followed his lead by ruffling the already knotted-up hair on my head. Sadie’s giggles echoed throughout the backyard as I was tickled and tousled. I appreciated the diversion from the fear of death and of my psyche that was demanding me to stop ignoring my feelings.

“Alex, will you come help me with something?” Sadie asked, whisking me into the kitchen.

She rushed me past the dining room table causing me to stumble into one of the chairs. I jerked my hand out of hers and followed her the rest of the way at my own speed. As soon as we arrived at the sofa, Sadie shoved me onto it.

“What is wrong with you?” I asked.

“Just loosen up,” she responded.

I couldn’t argue with her strange request. I was certain my body had been oxygen deprived for the last twenty minutes or so. Silently, we sat next to each other. I breathed in. I breathed out. I couldn’t be sure if she was in charge of my emotions or if I had actually managed to calm myself down. Either way, I was grateful.

“I am not as strong as I try to be,” I said finally. “I foolishly believed that I could control my emotions and even my life. Now I have you and Blaze to consider and protect, and it is overwhelming.”

I had worn my independence like a fashionable hat. Now I was wearing several hats—sister, friend, guardian…girlfriend. I could hardly withstand the heaviness.

“The task is not meant for you alone,” Sadie said. “You are not required to fight this by yourself. Stop thinking everything is your responsibility.”

The idea was so simple and obvious, yet I could never have said it to myself. It was only legitimate coming from Sadie.

I was not certain when I became such a martyr. Probably around the time I learned that I was difficult to kill. I had felt protective of Sadie and Blaze from the moment I met them. Facing a battle against an evil witch did not faze me nearly as much as the worry of how I could save my family.

“He loves you too, you know,” she whispered.

Sadie hugged me and then gracefully disappeared from the room, leaving me alone on the couch struggling for words.

****

Chapter Seventeen

I had a great respect, or possibly fear, for Blaze’s strength. The man was a rock and knew much about the art of combat even before you factored in his power.

The sun had barely taken possession of the morning sky when Blaze dragged us from our beds. I didn’t feel the need to change out of the dark gray sweatpants that Tristan had loaned me. Sadie, naturally, appeared inexplicably put together in slim-fitting yoga pants and tunic tank top.

Seriously, is Tristan hiding a boutique in his backyard?

“Well girls,” Blaze said excitedly. “It looks like we have some practicing to do.”

“Practicing of what?” I asked.

“Battle!”

“Why does that scare me?” Sadie asked.

“Probably because of that disturbing look on his face,” I said.

“Yeah, Blaze,” Sadie said. “You are too excited. It’s making you have the crazy eyes.”

Blaze erupted in laughter, hunching over like he was just punched in the stomach. The rest of us joined him in a round of hysterical chuckles. Though, I could not tell if it was genuine or nervous laughter.

“I don’t know about you two but my energy and strength are crashing,” I said. “We don’t have much time to use for practicing.”

“We don’t need much time,” Blaze said. “I’m a good teacher.”

“Why does that scare me too?” Sadie giggled.

“Nothing about this is fair to any of us,” Blaze said. “But sitting here worrying is a waste of time that we don’t have. We know what we have to do so let’s just try to be as prepared as we can.”

“Agreed,” Sadie said.

“Fine,” I responded.

Yawning and half asleep, we all had gathered in the yard for “battle scenarios” as Blaze called it. We, of course, were not happy about it considering he had kept us up late discussing “battle strategy.” Conversation about the art of combat was considered acceptable to Blaze, but conversations about life, love, or the lack-thereof were of no interest to him.

If someone says “battle” one more time…

Our enraged visitors had given up and abandoned their posts around midnight. I promptly discovered that not having them staring back at me frightened me even more. All I could do was wonder when they would return and what weapon they would bring. And why Katerina hadn’t shown her face.

“You girls don’t need much training,” Blaze said. “I saw firsthand what you can do, I’d just like for you to log some more hours and get comfortable with it.”

“Well, we have one day,” I said. “Get us ready.”

We spent the morning being instructed on the ins and outs of combat. Blaze illustrated fighting techniques and stealth maneuvers but I only half-listened. Blaze’s masculine arms and chest tried desperately to escape his navy blue tank top. I wanted to giggle; he really was enormous. But then, Tristan removed his shirt and my concentration might as well have been trapped outside the bubble with our enemies. 

“Are we going to actually fight anytime soon?” Sadie asked. “I’ve sat here so long my butt is asleep.”

Blaze stopped talking and, at Sadie’s request, the real fun began. We all were instructed to demonstrate Blaze’s lessons on him. My attention snapped back to reality in a hurry. Scraping with Blaze sounded much more interesting than tactical maneuver speeches—but still eons less interesting than shirtless Tristan.

Blaze held back at first, letting Sadie and I get a feel for the fight. We each threw punches in the air, alternating right and left hooks with jabs and upper cuts. We ducked and covered ourselves like trained fighters, never allowing our opponent to touch us.

Sadie was particularly skilled at avoiding hits. Her petite frame allowed her moves to be swift and cunning. The height of her jumps and her previous gymnastic training made Sadie a fierce competitor. Her leaps were effortless as she avoided Blaze's charges. Her limber body twisted and bent, her feet always landed firmly on the ground. Sadie made combat look like a ballet performance.

I, though not as agile and nowhere near as elegant, discovered that I could produce a series of kicks comparable to those in every karate movie I had seen. My legs had carried me through more track meets than I could count and now they were my not-so-secret weapons of destruction. The even weirder part was that neither I, nor Sadie, were out of breath. Despite the deadly atmosphere and the extreme workout we were being put through, the two of us looked as if we had been lounging on the couch instead of kickboxing.

“I think I can get used to this supernatural thing,” I said.

“Is it supernatural or just being in good shape?” Blaze asked.