“Olivia?” I heard Elsa’s voice first as she ran towards us, the structure creaking and swaying on an unsteady foundation. She gripped Adelaide’s hand as Cate and Aidan followed right behind her.
“Make a portal.” Joshua didn’t wait for me to answer. “We know there was one in Genesis and another in Haven. If you can make fire and heal me, I’m sure you can make a portal. We need to get out of here, now!” It would only be a matter of moments until the building around us caved in and killed all of us.
“An actual portal! You have more faith in my abilities than I do.” I laughed at the absurdity of the suggestion. “Can’t we search for an exit?”
Aidan grimaced. “It’s blocked. Both exits have too much debris. I couldn’t move it. I tried while Adelaide was climbing through the vent.”
“Do it, Olive.” Josh gritted his teeth through the pain as he held an unconscious Henry in his arms.
Cate frowned, her eyes scouring the room. “You’ll need a mirror, glass, something reflective to use as a portal.”
“You think this can actually work?” I was willing to try anything right now as we scoured the building for the nearest window. Most were covered with debris, making it impossible to reach.
“I think there’s one this way.” Elsa’s voice sounded frantic as we desperately searched for a way out. We followed her towards the only remaining window, a hint of light shining from outside, giving off the slightest glimpse of hope.
“Here goes nothing,” I muttered, touching the window with my palm. I closed my eyes imagining our home, our life together in Shadow. We didn’t have a portal back home, but if it was possible to create one on this end, why wouldn’t it be possible to create one over there as well?
I held onto Joshua’s arm as the window shimmered. “We don’t have much time. I don’t know how long it’ll stay open.” I glanced back at the others as Adelaide gripped Joshua’s elbow, since his hands were full. One by one, holding on to each other, we all stepped through the portal. I hoped I wasn’t sending us to our deaths. It felt as if I were free falling until we reached complete oblivion.
“Josh?” I breathed. My voice seemed to extend onward forever: the strangest echo as if my ears were clogged. I couldn’t see anything but felt his arm beneath my hand in darkness. I hoped the others held on. I couldn’t see anyone. I stepped forward if at all possible, pulling him with me as I saw the slightest ounce of light. A mere reflection as I heard the sound of crunching at my feet. Glancing down I lifted the broken pieces of window into my palm, accidentally slicing my skin. “Ouch.” I grimaced, glancing at Joshua now seeing him from the reflection and light bouncing off the glass. He still held onto Henry. His lips moved but I couldn’t make out what he said. I stared at the tiniest bit of glass, trying again to focus, to reform the window as to what it had once been.
Snow began to fall as it mixed with smoke. It wasn’t snow at all but ash. Forming the window back to its rightful place, my eyes searched through seeing our home, Shadow, destroyed. The town was in ruins. The house we’d come to love and city we had accepted as home was in shambles. I glanced back at Joshua through the glass, seeing his expression beside me. This was the moment to decide. Our moment. What to do. Where to go. I could change the window I’d fixed. Go home or go someplace else.
It wasn’t a decision. Not really. I pulled Joshua and the others through the window with me, the sound of glass shattering as I felt the stinging sensation of shards cutting me. Falling hard and fast, I landed on the ground. Joshua fell through a moment later with Henry falling against us. I pushed Henry off, needing air to breathe. A moment of eerie silence stretched before a screech and clank erupted from twenty feet east. Two loud crashing sounds followed. A haze of smoke blanketed Shadow and burned my eyes. I could see the broken shards of portal had scattered. How? I had no idea. Pushing myself up and seeing Joshua was okay, I dug around searching for the others. Cate and Adian were buried but breathing. They pushed the remains of the building to the side as I helped them stand up.
“Where are Elsa and Adelaide?” My heart lurched.
Cate, covered in cuts and bruises pushed at the nearby debris. “I don’t know.” She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light. “Adelaide! Elsa!” she called.
“They were right behind me,” Joshua frowned. Ash fell from the sky. The air was hot, the smell repugnant. “What happened?” he asked. I flipped my palms over, my hands unscathed, though I was certain I’d been bleeding moments ago.
“Something weird,” I breathed, glancing around Shadow seeing the town burned to the ground.
I tried to understand, make sense of what we’d witnessed and experienced, but I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. My stomach was in knots as I moved through the rubble, pushing aside anything I could to find out what happened. My feet burned from the ash. I coughed as the smoke filled my lungs but the outside air was a welcome solution as I continued to search.
“You try and save Henry.” I glanced at his near lifeless body on the ground. He was covered in soot and ash from the building. Henry moaned though, just enough to tell me he was still alive. “Hang in there.” I gripped Henry’s arm, bending down to his level. “I still owe you for helping me. You won’t collect if you die on me,” I remarked, letting go before eyeing Joshua. “I need to find Adelaide and Elsa.”
I didn’t wait for an answer as I took off as best I could. The streets were rummage and rubble from the recent explosions. Who could have done this? The government of Cabal had fallen. Craynor was dead. What purpose had there been for destroying our town, our home?
I pushed aside buildings and debris, not caring that the ash was still warm and the fire could spark again at any second. “Adelaide!” I screamed trying to find her. I started from where Cate and Aidan had been found and stretched further into the small town. Stepping over debris I listened with the wind for any hint of survivors, including the two I desperately searched for: Adelaide and Elsa. Beneath the rubble I heard the slightest hint of a groan. “Hang in there! I’m coming!” I screamed, prying my hands between shingles and siding, a mix of what had once been a home I found Collins gasping for air. “Chancellor!” I tried to unbury him as best I could. His body was trapped, his chest crushed as I moved aside the bricks near his head.
“Olivia,” he gasped staring up at me, fully conscious though struggling to breathe.
“What are you doing back here? You should be in Torv!” I was astounded that he was back.
He coughed and his voice rasped and waivered as he tried to answer me. “The girl. She’s the key.” He coughed again, his lungs dying on him, crushed in the ambush.
“Who did this?” My hands rested on his face, wanting to heal him, but knowing it would only delay his death, cause him more agony and pain. I couldn’t save him from an entire house falling upon him.
His lips moved but I could barely hear him. Bending down closer, I could make out his words. “By my hand, take it.”
“What?” I shook my head in confusion. I didn’t know what that meant! “I don’t understand.” I breathed watching as his eyes moved away from mine towards where his arms should be. I grimaced as I pushed away more bricks and a shutter. I wasn’t able to move the heaviest items but I found a small metal box and flipped it open. Inside held four syringes. “What are these?” I asked staring hard, my hand coming to his face. “Collins, wake up!” He wasn’t falling asleep, he was dying.
“Give it to the girl,” he whispered. “It’s all you can do to save her.” His last breath came out as a gasp as his life left his body. I reached forward, closing his eyes and carefully stood up.
“Adelaide!” I called again, searching for her. She had to be here somewhere. I pushed aside more rubble, digging my way through what had once been the house. I felt like I’d spent hours at it, but only minutes passed by. Digging deeper I found her lifeless form, cold and pale in the hot ashes. “No.” I shook my head, the air rushing out of my lungs. I choked back a sob and pulled the syringe from the tin box. I didn’t know if it would help or be too late. She was young, I’d have thought too young for the drug, but doing the unthinkable seemed the only option. Pulling her body from the rubble, I laid her cold skin against my own as I maneuvered her into my lap. “Wake up, baby girl,” I breathed removing the cover of the syringe. I pushed her hair aside and brought the needle to the base of her neck, pushing it in and administering the only bit of hope left to save her. Done with the needle I tossed it aside, cradling Adelaide as the first few tears came. “You have to wake up.” I didn’t think it had the power to bring her back from the dead. My fingers reached her pulse point, searching for any indication she might be alive. I could feel the faintest beat, but she hadn’t died, not entirely. She was so close to death. So cold and motionless. “Adelaide, wake up,” I whispered kissing her cheeks, rocking her in my arms. “Please, wake up,” I cried, breathing my energy and life force into her body. I was tired. So tired from all we’d done. My eyes closed and dropped the softest kiss to her cheek. “I love you,” I whispered, unwilling to let her go, it seemed too late to help her. “Joshua!” I finally called aloud, wiping my tears with the back of my hand.