Ordinaries: Shifters Book II (Shifters series 2) (26 page)

She laughs, a sputtering, coughing sound that makes me cringe. “Rian . . .” she says, spitting up more blood. I see the shrapnel embedded in her chest, no doubt filling her lungs with dust and blood. “Rian is nothing compared to him and his power.”

“Who?” I ask.

She wheezes. Her cat-like eyes watch me silently for a moment longer, and then slowly, I watch them lose focus. I watch the life leave her, and her body slumps.

Then I feel a fist on the side of my temple, and Lena is forgotten. I turn my anger and fury and confusion onto the Enforcer behind me. He becomes my sole existence, he and the others who will follow.

I am a soldier.

Chapter 48

A Dream Come True

–TANNER
–

I’m running with Devon in my arms when the glass ceiling crashes down on us. The ground shakes, and I drop to my knees, trying to protect her from the debris. I feel my back being pounded as the wind rushes past. When the dust settles, I shield my eyes from the dirt and rain and see Ryland digging through the rubble. Hundreds join her as she screams orders.

I’m amazed to see how many people were able to get away from the falling sky.

Devon! I have her! I protected her!

“Tanner!” she shrieks, as she holds her arms out, palms up.

They’re wet and bloody.
So much for protecting her.

“It’s okay,” I tell her. I look around for something to stanch the bleeding. I can’t find anything, so I tear a piece of my shirt and place it on my knee. Her eyes plead. “I’m going to expose the wound, okay?” I ask. I’m trying my best to sound like Corey, calm, cool, and collected.

I’m not sure how he does it. I’m shaking, and I can’t seem to catch my breath.

Devon presses her lips together and nods. As gently as I can, I lift her left sleeve. I wet the rag in a puddle and wipe at the blood. She flinches and pulls her hand away. I tell her I’m sorry and gently take her hand back.

I wipe the blood away and realize these aren’t jagged cuts from flying debris. They are fresh wounds that had barely healed over before the exertion caused them to reopen and bleed. I think they’re words!

I wash the rag in the puddle and clean more of her skin. I see my name cut into her skin.

Devon rips her arm away and screams, “What did you do to me?” She looks at her forearm and back at me.

I shake my head. “I didn’t . . .”

“Give me the cloth,” she says.

I wet it down again and hold it out. She rips it from me and wipes more blood and dirt away. She furrows her eyebrows and shakes her head. She looks at me and says, “I remember.”

“What,” I ask. “What does it say?”

She wipes the back of her arms and studies them. She has large and small scars covering them—words, as if someone was using her body to take notes. She closes her eyes and tilts her head. “I remember,” she repeats.

“What, Devon?” I ask.

She plunges the rag into the puddle and pulls her other sleeve up and quickly rubs the blood and dirt off, dunking the rag again and again. She looks at me and slowly opens her arms, raising her palms like she’s about to do a yoga meditation. I look down at the fresh wounds and see the words “
TRUST YOUR APT TANNER—”
on one arm. On the other arm, I read
“
YOU CAN
SEE WHAT THEY CAN’T
.”

“What does it mean?” I ask. “Who wrote it?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know.”

“You said you remember. What do you remember?”

“Just that,” she says, blinking and shaking her head. “Some nights I would wake up and someone had scratched something into my skin.” She looks in my eyes and continues, “Like someone was trying to tell me something. I never knew what they meant.” She wraps her arms around me and says, “Oh my God, Tanner. I’ve missed you so much. I didn’t think you would come.” She pulls away and asks, “When did you get here? How did you get off Earth?” She hugs me again and kisses me. She pulls away and says, “I’ve cried every day since they took me.”

She pulls me in again, and I look around at the chaos. What does she mean she didn’t think I would come? Isn’t this the girl that tried to kill me? She knew I came for her. Is this a trick? Is she trying to lure me in so I drop my defenses?

“Tell me what’s really going on, Devon?” I demand harshly.

Her mouth drops open, and she sucks in a breath.

“I need to know what’s happening. Why were you working with Lena?”

“What? Tanner,” she stumbles back. “I would never—”

“Don’t lie to me, Devon! You tried to kill me!” I grab her hand, pull her around a corner, and lift my shirt, exposing the scar on my stomach. She gasps and holds her hand over her mouth. “You remember, don’t you?” I ask. She reaches to touch the scar, and I throw my shirt back down.

She’s not going to trick me again. I know she’s working with Lena or The Council, or whoever. My gut hurts like she just plunged the knife into me again.

“I swear, Tanner.” She stumbles over her words, “I didn’t . . . I couldn’t . . . I
love
you.”

I straighten and say calmly, “And I loved you.”

Her eyes well up, and her lip quivers. “Loved?”

My heart screams in my chest. I’ve got to stay strong. People need me right now. I can’t fall for Devon’s lies. I can’t trust her.

“Come on,” I tell her. “People need us. We have to get them out. We have to move fast. Are you strong enough to shift?”

She straightens, her jaw trembling, and nods. She really looks hurt. It’s a good act.

We both shift and jump into the debris, digging and pulling anyone we can find from the rubble. I see several Enforcers helping in the search while others run from the carnage. It seems like days, but I know it’s been only hours. Each of us is holding our shifts as long as possible to save all we can.

I can’t believe Piper would do this with so many people in the commons. We were supposed to gain support. She may have ruined everything.

–RYLAND–

As the Enforcers pull back, I refocus my attention to the few still buried in the ruins. Most people had cleared far enough away from the center at Lena’s sudden appearance, fearing her wrath. Lucky for them because Piper didn’t seem to care who was in her way.

Those on the edge of the impact zone are injured, but they will live. The various doctors, healers, and the only Corey race around, doing whatever they can to stanch bleeding and save those more critically injured.

I search the pile of debris for any sign of E. She was standing there. She was right in the center. How did no one stop to save her? How was she left behind?

Piper rushes through the throng of people, screaming, “Evelyn!”

I see her leap onto one of the thickest piles of broken glass and stone. The lightning crackling across the green sky illuminates her blond hair, filling me with dread. She digs furiously, the rocks and glass tearing at the flesh of her hands.

I race toward her as she uncovers a broken, twisted hand. A hand so similar to her own that I’m left with little doubt. Even as she continues to scrounge through the rubble, she bursts into tears.

I pull at her, forcing her to stop. The hand is not attached to anything alive, and Piper shouldn’t see what’s left of her sister. Not like this. Not now.

“Evelyn, I’m sorry,” I murmur, as she sobs into my arms. “I swore that I wanted revenge, that I hated you. I’m sorry.”

I look up to see Tanner standing beside me, his eyes downcast and full of pain. “Why?” he asks in a hoarse whisper.

Piper looks up at him through her tears and says, “I had to. It was my only chance.”

Tanner’s pity and sadness turn to fury. “We were here to fight
with
you! We would have helped you! You didn’t have to do this!” he says, gesturing around to the Ordinaries with broken bones or cuts and thankfully only two or three dead bodies that have been pulled from the wreckage.

“But we did it,” she says, her eyes shining through her tears. “We beat them.”

I laugh then, a harsh, bitter sound that escapes the back of my throat. “We beat them?” I say, shaking my head. “They’re rallying their troops right now. All you’ve done is bring a full-scale battle to the center of your city.”

At that moment, as if to prove my cynical and bitter point, Enforcers launch themselves at the edge of the city center, attacking the Ordinaries and Young and whoever else stands between them and our complete annihilation. And looming in the green, gaseous clouds above us, shadows prophesy our impending doom.

They have more forces here than I ever imagined.

I throw myself toward the enemy Enforcers, careening high over the panicked Ordinaries below. Already our Keeper and Shifter allies are rushing into the fight, sailing through the air, fluttering in and out of time to attack the Enforcers headed our way. We are fighting as though this may be our last day because, judging based on their sheer firepower, it very may well be.

I find myself dodging Enforcer clubs and shots of blue energy or whatever the heck those guns shoot. I slam my fists into any Enforcer I can reach, feeling the crunch of a nose under my knuckles and then the caving of a stomach as my fist finds its target. Each enemy I face is easier than the last, since somehow my momentum is carrying me through waves of their ranks as though they aren’t even real, as though I’m fighting a shadow rather than an actual enemy.

Occasionally, I catch a glimpse of Kae’s crazy blond hair as she knocks an Enforcer to the ground or Kai as he slides his blade through the armor of another.

That’s when I see Devon. She’s racing through the Enforcers, headed toward a small ship that must have landed after the dome collapsed. I certainly would have seen it beforehand. The look on her face is pure hatred.

I take off after her, suddenly forgetting the battle, terrified of what she is doing. I saw her here, scared and pitiful, but I still remember the girl who stabbed my brother, who betrayed us all. I don’t trust her.

Even beaten and bruised and frightened as she is, I see her fight through a line of Enforcers as though they are nothing. She races toward a ship with a snarl on her face.

“What are you doing?” I scream as I reach her.

She turns to me, eyes full of confusion. “This . . .” she breaks off. She points at the ship. “We need to destroy this ship.”

I nod slowly; it isn’t one of ours, so whatever she is up to, she’s fighting against the Enforcers now.

Before I can make a move to help her, I hear an explosion behind me. The ship has launched an incendiary weapon on the center of the commons where none of their Enforcers will be killed by friendly fire. Ordinaries scream in pain as their clothes are lit on fire, and the heat sears their flesh, tearing at them like rabid dogs.

I search through the crowd to find Tanner’s face, begging him with my frantic eyes to stop the ships, to do whatever it takes. We have no way to fight these weapons from down here. They will slaughter us all.

I find his brown camouflage pants and his torn gray t-shirt. He has a gun strapped to his back like he’s in some sort of low-budget action movie. I know he must have taken it from one of the fallen Enforcers, and I feel a swelling of pride at his forethought.

He’s moving, disappearing, shifting. He is fighting with more skill than anyone I have ever seen. He dives and shoots and wrestles with perfect ease. I desperately will him to stop, to see me. He needs to understand my message.

Then, he turns back to me and shouts something I can’t hear. I try to decipher the words, but with the lack of sound, I can’t. I pray with every fiber of my being he’s asking me to cover him while he takes control of the ship.

Something flies toward me and lands at my feet. I stare down at the black circle in confusion and shock. Then I remember my dream.

I glance desperately at Devon to see she, too, has a black circle at her feet. She won’t be able to save me from this fate. She will join me.

Tanner is screaming my name. I hear it as a whisper. He is screaming for Devon, but it makes no sound.

“Stop the ships!” I shout, knowing what will happen to me. “Save them!” I scream.

Suddenly the thing at my feet explodes. My legs are trapped by a thousand metal vines. Thorns dig into my legs as I scream and try to wriggle free. The more I move, the more they entwine my body. Eventually, I can’t move or breathe. I am encased in metal.

Chapter 49

A Macram
é
of Silver Vines

–TANNER–

“It’s him!” Devon shouts, pointing toward a ship that’s landed on the outskirts of the commons.

“Who?” I ask. She turns and says something, but I can’t make it out. I watch as she focuses her attention. I knew it! I knew I shouldn’t trust her. She’s running toward a Shifter ship . . . to safety . . . from me.

Ryland sees Devon and takes off toward her, leaping as she runs. Devon breaks through a line of Shifter Enforcers, fighting wildly. I’m not sure what to think. Maybe I’m wrong. It looks like she’s fighting her would-be rescuers. Ryland reaches her, and I see them shouting as Devon points toward a ship.

The ship launches a missile toward the crowd. It bursts into flames, lighting skin and clothes on fire. I’m not sure what to do. I swing my head back toward my sister and Devon.

I see an Enforcer in a crouched run behind them. He pulls two cylinders from his belt. Ryland is too focused on Devon, who looks like she’s arguing.

“Ry!” I shout. She turns to me. “Ry! Behind you! Devon!” I yell, my arms flailing, like I’m not in control of my own body. They need to turn. They need to run. My sister yells something incoherent and points toward the ship. She whips around and points to the burning Ordinaries.

As if in slow motion, the Enforcer swings both his arms like he’s pitching twin underhanded softballs. Ryland’s eyes turn toward the cylinder at her feet, then the matching one at Devon’s feet. The Shifter stands and meets my eyes with a dark smile, his overly white teeth glowing and reflecting the light of the burning bodies.

The cylinders quickly expand in a rising mesh of shining metal vines, encasing Devon and Ryland’s feet in matching torture devices. The screams from the tortured bodies don’t come close to the desperation that surrounds me. I want to stop it. I want to stop my sister and Devon from becoming completely engulfed in what’s growing around them, but there are so many other suffering around me. I have to help them. I want to scream.

I look up to see the video screen panning and displaying a morbid scene of our final defeat, as if this was their plan all along, a message to any would-be traitors. This is what happens when you defy The Council.

I focus on the screen. I need to find a way into their system. I need to find a way to put out the fire and stop the circling ships from releasing more pain and death. My side erupts in agony as I turn to see an Enforcer wind up for another blow. Somehow, I whip my weapon around and pull the trigger. His body erupts in a blue light, and he falls to my feet.

I turn and then duck behind some debris and focus on the screen again. I find my way in and quickly scan through the systems like I’m studying a blueprint of the entire network. I see a safety protocol diagram and realize they have fire contingencies. I activate everything I can find. From in and around the commons, a mist erupts, covering the burning area in powder and ice. Those that were burning are extinguished. Others rush in to aid the wounded.

I turn back to my sister and Devon to see twin boxes like a macram
é
of silver vines. “Ry! Devon!” I shout, not believing I abandoned them. I run toward them, firing wildly as the Enforcers begin to walk toward the newly frozen city center. I trip and roll on the ground, catching my shoulder on a shard of glass. My arm grows warm, but I ignore the pain and jump to my feet.

I spin my head around and see the Tyros and Shifter Young surround the Enforcers and engage in combat. The Young blink in and out of time, surpassing the skill of the Shifter Enforcers. The Shifters here have never had much of a fight. They’ve only battled with disorganized Ordinary terrorists. They have never come up against a trained army with these abilities.

I turn to see Kae aim a weapon and kill an Enforcer. Kai comes up behind her and directs her toward the Ordinaries who have joined the fight.

“Kai!” I yell. He looks up and then appears directly in front of me.

“Where’s Ry?” he shouts.

I point to the metallic prisons, and he drops to his knees. “Kai!” I say, grabbing his arm and forcing him to his feet. I motion to the Ordinaries and shout, “Get them out of the city!” He turns from me and takes a step toward the box Ryland is in. I pull him back and grab his face, making him look at me. His eyes plead for me to let go. “Kai!” I shout. “She’s gone! You have to get them out of the city! Now!”

“What are you going to do?” he asks.

I look toward the circling ships and say, “I’m going to end this.”

“You can’t leave Ry!” he screams.

“Devon’s in the other one,” I tell him. “I’ll try to get them, Kai. But we have to worry about
them
right now.” I point to the battle. “Retreat, Kai. Get out of here. Now!”

He looks back toward the metal cages, then toward the battle. He straightens, nods, and vanishes. I see him shifting again and again, shouting orders to the Young and Tyros all around the commons.

I focus my attention on one of the ships. I hear the retreat order through the sounds of fighting, but I stay focused on the ship. I know what I have to do.

It’s like I thought. The ships are connected in a network, taking their orders from a central hub. I locate the weapons control and access the video systems. The scanners survey the scene, flashing between their feeds and the footage broadcast on the huge monitor in the commons. Everyone is seeing this. Everyone, everywhere is witnessing our defeat.

That is about to change.

I hear a collective scream and focus the camera on the crowd. The Ordinaries and our forces flee the battlefield. From above, it looks like a swarm of locusts escaping a burning forest. The Shifters stand in the middle of the commons, raising their weapons and shouting, proclaiming their victory.

The ship Ryland and Devon were running toward before the Enforcer encased them in the metal tombs lifts off the ground and rises above the fallen dome. The remaining ships begin to form a line, directing the fronts toward the retreating Ordinaries. They are not going to let them go. As the universe watches, they are going to execute them.

The camera pans across the celebrating Shifters and displays the ships that have formed a firing squad, just waiting for the orders to shoot.

Rian appears on the screen and coldly states, “Enemies of the colonies, by the decision of The Council, you have been found guilty of treason. Your penalty is death.”

I see the targeting systems activate. This is too easy. They have no idea what’s going to happen when they fire. I reconfigure the system to deactivate the forward barrels and shift the focus to the sides. The ships are directly above the enemy ground forces.

The screaming Ordinaries, rebel Enforcers, Shifter Young, and Tyros should be at a safe distance when this happens. The only ones left behind are Ryland and Devon, locked in their matching coffins. They are already dead. Casualties of a war we never knew we were a part of. I know Ryland will forgive me for leaving her body behind, but I can’t think about that. I have to protect those that have survived. We will have to come back to recover them.

The last thing I said to Devon before watching her die was I didn’t love her anymore. That wasn’t true. How could I have been so cold? She was so upset and confused, and I didn’t comfort her. I didn’t hold her. I didn’t tell her she was all I could think about since watching her ascend into the sky above Washington DC.

Something grabs my attention. It’s vital signs. Two heartbeats . . . two bodies breathing…

It’s them. They’re not dead!

The order to fire pulses through the system, and the world shakes.

They aren’t in tombs. They’re on life support. They are being sustained. The boxes are some type of tech, and I can control tech!

The first ship explodes, tilts to one side, and begins to fall.

It’s too late! The ships will crush them. I have to try!

I shift and run below the ships, looking from one box to the other. The ground shakes as the first ship crashes into a city building. A second ship rocks with an explosion.

I try to ignore it and focus on Devon’s box. I locate the controls, and I can hear her panicked cries from inside. She’s in total darkness, but awake. My sister must be screaming in the other one.

The second ship rocks again and falls to the ground. I grip the metal vines of Devon’s box and command the controls to withdraw. From the top down, the vines begin to unravel from their complicated web. I see her head released, and her eyes close at the brightness of outside. Her arms are free soon, so she blocks the light of the sun, the flames from the ships, and the horrible lightning whipping across the green sky in a rage which parallels my own.

Another ship begins to fall on the other side. The vines release her legs, and we both fall to the ground as the world quakes. The ship directly above us bursts into flames and begins to fall. We will be crushed. I scramble to Devon and wrap my arms around her.

“Ryland!” Devon screams. “I’m okay!” she yells. “You have to get her!”

Kae and Kai grab my arms. We all look up to see the ship grow large as it careens toward us.

“We have to go! Now!” Kae yells.

“You go! Take Devon. She’s weak!” I yell back. “I’ll get Ry!”

Kai’s face is in pain. “No, Tanner! We’re too late!”

Kae wraps her arms around Devon and vanishes. Kai screams, “I’m sorry!” I feel a strong jerk and then I’m five hundred feet away, watching the ship fall to the ground. I cry out as my sister is lost under the metal and flames of the last ship.

The crowd screams in triumph as my world is destroyed. Ryland is gone.

–RYLAND–

I pound my fists into the solid wall of the metal coffin until they are drenched with blood. I scream until my throat is raw. I throw myself at the metal tomb with every ounce of strength I have.

Tanner is out there somewhere. Devon might still be trapped here with me. Who knows how many people are injured or dead or need my help? I have to get out of here!

I hurl myself at the metal over and over, shouting as my throat aches with the pain of it. I attack it more viciously and with more energy than my broken body has left within it. After hours or maybe days, I finally collapse, sinking into a huddled ball of unconscious, bloody, bruised mess.

I’m awakened by a blinding light in the darkness. I blink to clear my eyes, trying to get my bearings. Whoever has freed me can’t be friendly. I feel it; I
sense
it.

When the stars finally clear from my eyes, an awkwardly tall man with sandy hair and eyes the color of dried blood stares back at me. His face has a crooked, amused smirk that makes my stomach turn.

“Ryland, dear,” he says in a sickly sweet tone. “We are going to have some fun.”