p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d5332d8f920dc80656983838ae507dc1""What do you mean she's dead, North?" Luke was the first to speak, after what felt like the longest minute of my life. North hadn't moved a muscle, as if he were somehow frozen in place, unable to free himself. He was in shock, I realised, recognising the familiar symptoms. I'd seen them in the mirror enough times, after all./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7db4ed1af4926051d2163054f4e4350d""What's wrong?" I tore my eyes from North's face to see Dr Green appear from within a dimly-lit alcove at the far end of the hallway, followed closely by Diana and the others. "Why did you...?" He broke off as he noticed the rest of our group, gathered around the immobile North. "What's wrong with him? North, what's wrong?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="472c091a722d1415a1a081bc8437025b""I don't know," Luke, again, was the only one that seemed to be able to speak. I could feel Silas and Nathan filling the remaining, scant space behind me in the doorway, but they exuded nothing but stunned silence. "He said something about Jade. He..."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9e7b6cc9ab8ff076aa5172adaf57001f""I killed her," North spat out harshly, his voice oddly void of emotion. It was chilling to witness. His head snapped up to meet Sean's gaze so fast that it had to have hurt him. "She's fucking dead!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="97130267d457e9037a4054cefb0f6234""Okay." As I watched, Sean's facial expression became almost scarily calm, between one heartbeat and the next. This wasn't the happy-go-lucky, jovial Sean anymore. This was a highly-trained medical professional, doing his job. "Where is she, North?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f27f5a02205743caf0b0971936c1160b"North's aggressive façade crumpled like a house of cards, leaving a broken shell in its wake. I would have reached out for him but Luke's arm was still looped around my waist, firmly holding me in place./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4d84605a9bb81920345caa647f8fd84c""In here." North pointed back into the room he had just burst from with a shaky hand. His voice was steadier now that the doctor was here, but I could still hear the taut, panicked undertones that he didn't make any effort to try to hide. Sean swept down the corridor towards him, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and up to his ear with crisp, unaffected efficiency. He barked out a few undecipherable instructions to someone on the other end, then rounded on the rest of us./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="792fc438a27dcc17ff47606120928455""Victor. Gabriel." The two boys stepped up behind him and stood to attention, like they had been trained for this moment their entire lives. It was quite possible that they had been. "Go and retrieve the emergency med kit from the nearest storage unit, then one of you go and inform Dr Roberts that we have a Code 15 on site." The two of them nodded and were turning to leave, when Diana spoke up quickly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2512e3aa4ff46444c9ba751ec2293bbe""I will go with them Dr Green," she offered, and Sean nodded sharply in agreement. "Somebody will need to inform the President if we have a potential fatality." She, unlike Victor and Gabriel, didn't need wait for instructions and hurried off towards the exit with two subdued manifests in tow./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b55d561c6c0745658e32cf273a36e765""The rest of you, stay where you are until I can assess the situation. North, with me!" This was a side to Dr Green that I had yet to see and, if I was honest, it scared me a bit. The detached, clinical way with which he approached the unimaginable horror of what had just happened left me in awe of his skill as a healer but, at the same time, made me wonder how two such distinct personalities could exist inside a single person./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f8edec625cd761cc627cc1478e6a31a9"The instant that the two of them disappeared through the open doorway, the rest of the boys moved as one to approach the scene, despite the instruction to stay clear. No one actually entered the room, instead choosing to crowd around the entryway, but they all still felt the need to find out what was going on. I didn't blame them./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e72a4250c1d4926b537c2ee7dd8f5f11"I didn't know what the right thing to do was. I felt an overwhelming urge to join them, to peer inside and reassure myself that everything was going to be alright, but what if it wasn't? I didn't know if I would be able to cope with witnessing another person's death, even someone I was emotionally removed from like I was with Jade./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b4a64b4266ef6a822178251121a1170f"Oh God! North! How would I feel if she had been as close to me as she was to North? He would be devastated if she was really gone. What if it was him or one of the others that had been hurt, because of me?!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e18b6b1c9a2ec198795e64096fa67da4"I made my decision in an instant, urging my body forward until I was face-to-face with Silas' towering, shirtless back. I would probably have been embarrassed under normal circumstances, to be so close to a sweaty, shirtless guy, but right then it didn't even occur to me. The only thought in my head was that I needed to be strong. I needed to ignore my own feelings and do what I could to help North; to help all of them. I had to see what was happening!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4b253e7aae0940e2aba99c87c08c0fc4"Silas shifted without a word from either of us, like he knew exactly what I needed from him. I slid through the small gap between him and Nathan, making sure not to accidentally brush up against either of them as I did so. My sleeved were rolled down to cover my gloved wrists but the last thing we needed right now was another outburst, or for me to pass out again. Nathan was still a completely unknown entity, after all, and I didn't want to risk anyone else getting hurt for a better view./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e2caafe373cae532c01fa0aab2e9746b"I slipped into a small empty space beside Kota, right in the centre beneath the doorframe. Immediately, I caught sight of North, his back pressed firmly against the back wall, staring blankly over at Dr Green, who was huddled over.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0fd7542013b50918d88db70f1b758066"I gasped as my mind struggled to process what I was seeing. Dr Green was knelt on the dusty, wooden floor, next to what looked to be a low, raised platform or stage area. His back was to us and his body was curled in on itself, blocking most of the figure on the ground beside him, but I could see enough to know that it was far too late./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cfd1f30a621cc431bccb27516a45e41c"She almost looked peaceful. Her silky black hair arced around her head like an inky halo, her eyes were closed and her features slack. I could see one of her arms too, from this angle, stretched out towards North as if reaching for him, even in death. Only, her shoulder was twisted in an angle that would never be achieved naturally and her body was bent in a way that that made it abundantly clear that her neck was broken./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="70e494814a8f4ac19d0b37829608b12c""I need you, Nathan," Dr Green said after a few seconds of silence, during which he passed his outstretched palms over her prone form. He didn't try to move her or examine her further but, remembering what he'd said about his abilities, I figured he probably didn't need to. He would know what was wrong without needing to touch her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="42649b44cea2d0a34268497548a532aa""What can I do, doc?" Nathan asked cautiously, as Kota and I shifted aside to let him through. As if the doctor's word contained some sort of hidden permission, Kota didn't return to his position beside me but, instead, shuffled into the room. At his movement, I felt myself being shepherded inside by Silas, until all of us stood six paces closer to North./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ed6c19f9d202315f2d7f663aad772b77""I need you to be ready to deliver a static charge for me, on my mark." Sean didn't look up from his patient until he sensed that Nathan was right beside him. They locked eyes and Sean pierced him with an intense gaze. "Can you do that?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="872c2badb0d1b90184e72034580f543e""I don't know!" Nathan's voice was hesitant and uneasy and he glanced quickly from Dr Green to Jade, then over at us, before continuing. "You know I can't always control it. I could fry the whole room if I get it wrong."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c7445561a36830af4bca56b6965edd9a""I trust you to make the right call, brother," Sean told him, his tone understanding and completely devoid of judgement, before twisting around to look back at North. "Now, North. Can you tell me exactly what happened?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3c1b5721713992a241058e2b1609f9f6""It all happened so fast," North said slowly, his eyes fixed on Jade's face. Above her, Nathan was clenching and unclenching his fists as he wrestled with whatever decision he needed to make, while Sean was busying himself by examining Jade further. I wondered why he was being so thorough, when it was clear to everyone present she was no longer with us./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="68a2a2f3641ad1942a58e8d87daf2dee""We were shifting step ladders around in the storage cage under the stage," North explained. As he spoke, his whole body seemed to shake. I thought I noticed a tiny wisp of smoke escape the collar of his jacket, spiralling leisurely up towards the broken smoke detector affixed to the ceiling, but no one else seemed to have noticed anything and it was gone when I looked closer. I didn't want to interrupt North, not for something that I may or may not have seen, but I watched carefully in case it happened again./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b1a3e3bbc593c77595e9232db96695c3""She was coming on strong, like she usually does, but today it was different. She was being really pushy, trying to get me to..." He broke off, shaking his head in obvious discomfort, and I glanced up at Kota beside me. He frowned down at me, seeming to ask me a silent question that I wasn't able to interpret. I wondered how long it would take before I'd be able to do that, to actually understand with just a look./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6e2ffee3b2a3d6669810dcdbc3ddeacc""I thought they were together," I whispered, lifting myself up onto my tiptoes to get as close to his ear as possible. I thought I was quiet but I should have known it wouldn't be enough. North's gaze flicked to mine and he stared at me like I was a life raft that was just a bit too far away and, if he didn't reach me, he would drown./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6789c68d52add99af39b6f15ed87ff3f""No, Sang baby!" he said flatly. "I would never..." He glanced back over at her and let out a long, harsh sigh. "She knows that I will never be interested in her. Not when I'm interested in... Never mind! She came after me when I was about to climb down from there." He pointed over at the ledge, just above the place where Sean was still hunched over the girl. "I told her to stop but she just kept pushing herself at me. I didn't see how close we were to the edge and she just fell!" His voice rose to a panicky roar as he finished his story./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="afeb5a8578a0a9f099e5830b0d52a888""She's going to be okay though, right Doc?" he asked quickly, pleading with Sean to say that everything would be fine. "It's not even a big drop. She's an Amazon, for fuck's sake. She's going to be okay!" He seemed to visibly relax as he spoke the words, swinging his arms back and forth like a pendulum keeping time./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8c301871a7b7ed33c912db8e17190a9a"He didn't know! The realisation hit me like a bullet to the chest and I sagged in defeat. I finally understood why Sean was still examining Jade but, immediately, I wished I didn't. He was trying to spare North the pain of knowing that, intentionally or otherwise, she was really dead. For all the training in the world, North's fear was warping his perception of reality in the worst way./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="eedace51ba33629b8840d0221cf331df"Glancing up at the grim looks on the faces of the other three boys around me, I knew I wasn't the only one who had put the pieces together. I didn't know who would have to tell North the truth, but I prayed that it wouldn't have to be me. I didn't think I could survive the pain I knew would crush him at the revelation./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1d038bfff51929b7c70939b82080297e""Tell me she's going to be okay!" North roared, when nobody said anything. "Doc, tell me!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c88ccd8c0369f636c62f5ca1d86eafb8""I'll do everything I can," the older man said calmly, turning to look him in the eye. "You have my word. Nathan?" It was a question, but Sean didn't look too surprised when Nathan shook his head apologetically./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a044aba8a0a8cb9276e221257fe64e51""You'll have to do it, Kota," he muttered. Kota stepped up to Nathan's side without a word, slapping him on the back in a gesture that looked to be reassuring. Then Nathan stepped aside and Kota knelt beside Sean, concealing the rest of Jades's upper body from view. I looked back to North./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="eb6697d11dacfd185e3c6faec1dfcfbd""Silas." I nudged the bare arm to my left and Silas bent over to make sure he could hear me. I pointed over toward North and muttered under my breath, not wanting to upset him any further. "Is that normal?" Several slim, snaking wisps of smoke were rising from North now. His shoulders were high and tense and the skin on the back of his neck was starting to stand on end. His whole body was vibrating, shaking so violently that I thought he might pull a muscle or two./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9cb722121247440df76bc4bd8101ba6c""Not good," Silas said quickly, snaking a hand around behind me to punch Luke hard in the arm. He grunted in pain before realising what Silas was trying to attract his attention to, then the two of them were moving across the room towards North faster than I could have though possible./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2897475ef365e3cc717a944667bc999c""North!" Luke exclaimed, pressing both palms flat against his brother's chest and pushing hard. North didn't react or look away from the crowd gathering across the room, even when Luke began to forcibly heave him back towards the wall he had stepped away from./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e0c8665b009973a38e25170362f3627d""Brother?" Silas tried to divert his attention, but North was either unable or unwilling to cooperate. Silas spoke again, waving a hand in front of North's eyes. "Talk to me, man." No response./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0aceb11f6d1d5c4b2e11820131cdee4a""Are you ready, Kota?" Dr Green asked abruptly, distracting me from the dangerous stalemate occurring against the opposite wall. Neither he nor Kota seemed aware of what was happening, but Nathan seemed to be torn between staying with them and rushing in to help with North./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a438fe8e5f1f35b3d5aece14c2ecc7e3""Ready," Kota agreed. He raised his hands out in front of him, palms facing each other. I watched as the air between his hands began to spark and shimmer, then felt the soft brush of power as it radiated outward from him. In seconds, Kota had a tangible, crackling ball of electrical charge suspended between his fingers. In spite of the situation, I couldn't help but be impressed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="bcbd913496836b1812a89cc09a86c935""On my mark, then," Sean confirmed, shifting up onto his knees and spreading his arms over the body. He glanced over at the struggle happening at the back of the room for a moment, smiling sadly when he noticed North's eyes were fixed on him, then drew in a deep breath./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a761dd39e5221dbec2243e9576a3c8f3"The breath was ripped from my lungs as the most powerful ripple I'd felt yet tore through me and thundered towards the doctor. My eyes widened as I realised just how much power this kind, gentle man was capable of wielding and watched in stunned silence as his body began to shake – not unlike North. He pressed one hand firmly down on Jade's chest, just below the collarbone, and the other on her exposed abdomen. I didn't know what he was doing, but I did know that he was prepared to give every ounce of strength for his brother. He knew, just like I did, that this girl was gone, but he would do anything to save North from the pain that her death would bring, if only for a few moments longer./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ccc1860fc2708cdbc1b80c01f524ff84""She can't die!" I jumped as North's voice broke the silence like a whip crack./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="bc98093ed60663871e4e4e44c9ad125b""She tried to rape you last year," Luke said matter-of-factly. I flinched at the coldness of the words, remembering to late the warning Karen had given me about a Jade, but North shook his head vehemently and struggled against the arms of both his brothers. "Don't you remember?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f4e95eee52f817c2fcd68b7b8d4e3762""I don't care," North insisted, his voice cracking as he strained to break free. His right hand, which was spread wide towards me, started to glow red, sparks flying from the open palm./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c7db5c487b98daa8eb35fdc41cae0a30""Watch out," I called to Luke, who glanced down just in time to move out of the way before North's entire right arm became engulfed in flame./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7fa476e45e101ae3660d9c97b8d6ab5f""Holy shit balls!" Luke yelped, grabbing hold of North's waist and holding on with all his might as North sought to capitalise on the gap that the white-hot flames had left in his humanoid restraints./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0906d2969e63d3d393ec9357003e6151""Why do you care so much about her?" Nathan shot at North, as he finally made his decision and joined Silas and Luke's efforts./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6823eb3a8e43e4399214ced9d49fc1b7""I don't!" North screamed. He sounded like he was in pain now. I hesitated, wondering if there was anything I could do to help. I had been able to stop him last time but who was to say it would work the same way this time. I could make things worse, but I had to do something. I couldn't stand to see him like this!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="94f1e26fd30a8820354e0f34dfdf6579""Then why?" Luke roared back, matching North's volume and pushing harder at his abdomen. I could see that Luke's fingers were starting to slip against the material of North's shirt and knew that it was only a matter of time before things went badly wrong./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f4782fbc2276de7379ca9dd7433b3999""Because I don't want to be cursed!" North bit out. "If she dies, I fail. If I can't protect her, how can I ever hope to protect anyone? How can I protect Sang?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="5170a31c1d9f4f26cea3d6fe512058af"I gasped as his words registered in my distracted mind. He was doing this for me! More importantly, though, he was doing this for himself and I desperately wanted to help him. To save him from himself. He needed this, needed to feel like he was in control of his powers – his curse, as he saw it. Jade's death would destroy his faith in himself and there was nothing any of us could do about it./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9a14fbbcbaa344c6a982dc1c52887883""I see it!" Sean exclaimed. He was still in the same position, Kota knelt beside him waiting to assist him, but the back of his shirt was drenched in sweat and his head hung low. "Her aura is so faint, but I can still see it."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b0ffa0617d6a3bc8a61c470e07e44266""Can you bring it back?" North pleaded, the flames licking at his arm and shoulder dying down a bit as he seized any scrap of hope./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6e892e07196eddd74d41784658c271a4""I can't reach..." Sean broke off whatever he'd been trying to say and doubled over, breathing heavily. He slumped sideways without warning and Kota dived to the side to catch him as he fell. The ball of electricity was flung at the nearest wall, charring a deep groove into an empty bookshelf and blackening the wall behind it, but Kota managed to stop Sean from slipping enough that his hands stayed on Jade's body./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0686fb0caed90c89e7bbadd3870fe579""Use my strength," Kota grunted, heaving the doctor back upright. He hooked a hand around Sean's wrist, then tensed like he was being electrocuted as the other man seemed to rally before my eyes. "Take whatever you need," he grunted through gritted teeth. Sean didn't waste energy responding, but renewed his efforts as another, almighty gust of power threatened to knock me off balance./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c967dcc3a1870252790a7ee093a7e549"Then the world seemed to stand still, waiting for whatever would happen next. The flames that had been forcing Luke back died away to nothing as North watched, unable to look away from the girl so close to being lost. I wanted to scream, to stamp my foot like a child and yell at the sky. I was completely helpless. I hated the fact that I was just a bystander, so weak and useless. I could do nothing to stop what was about to happen./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="716fc1f4eb2336bbd9670767173e5e69""I can't do it," Sean said finally, lifting one hand off Jade's stomach and wiping the thick sheen of sweat off his brow. "I'm sorry, North. There's nothing else I can do."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d526cb40d4553f18b39eb44cc186f988""No!" The broken sound was so utterly heart breaking as I felt the mood in the room hit rock bottom. I also felt, at the same time that everyone else did, the subtle ripple of power that started to ebb into the space between us, up through the floorboards. It was tiny to start with, barely noticeable, but within seconds the ground beneath us started to shake violently./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="df01050da102e51e21da597f987162aa""Please, not now?!" Silas spoke the words like a prayer, raising his face to the ceiling as if someone was going to swoop down and save us all. That didn't happen, but I hadn't expected it to. The gods were right here in this room, after all, and one of them was about to explode. "North, snap out of it!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1887f5116116c302609e2945f53b2725""Do something," Nathan called out, releasing his grip on his brother and stepping back to catch his balance, as the wooden board beneath his feet pitched and cracked under the movement of the earth. I staggered sideways as the patch of floor beneath my feet shifted sickeningly, then I staggered towards the small group centred on the distraught god currently summoning an earthquake. I could no longer stay out of it. I didn't know what I could do, but I had to try./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6ddbc6359485f0da1d996e6bf7cf6300""Stay back." Luke flung his arm out to me as he noticed me trying furiously to reach them. "Silas!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c0983f90fdc9b446f798bf0c4021d897"Silas seemed to know exactly what was required because in seconds the two of them were forcing North back towards the doorway and out of the room./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d389f4f0f1d81b0093a6a79ddece2558""Where are you taking him?" I asked, not understanding why they needed to take the clearly upset North away from me./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="63bceca094cdaca1b4bbd72bc4be3550""We need to get him out of the most populated areas, before it's too late," Luke told me, forcing North back another step. I heard Nathan yelp behind me as I traced their movement, then I felt the ground quake violently again./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="99c159b029ea82d483661acb65070b7e""It's already too late," Silas shouted. The sounds of creaking wood and metal, combined with North's bellowing howls of pain and frustration, were making it difficult to hear them. "We need to get him as far away as possible."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4b384a0da75aa3034994b1e0ddda685e"It couldn't end this way, I thought, as I watched them drive him across the threshold. He was still fighting them at every turn but they were making easier progress now, like he was slowly giving up. Like he was giving in to his curse!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="08fa752b732ed0b2a1dfb04ffb865728""Help me!" I didn't know where the words came from as they burst forth from my mouth, tumbling out into the air with a power of their own which shocked me. I felt a new rush of strength flood out into me from somewhere deep within, then I heard a new voice speak to me. The noise surrounding me was deafening, ensuring I had no chance of hearing anything from the others in the room, but this voice was a gentle whisper. I could hear it perfectly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f8a2126132af828302aff45e64088abe"I've been waiting for you to ask./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8bb233a1b4bf2dc5265c343797c95556""Stop!" I could hear myself speak the command, but I was no longer in control of my actions. I was an observer, inside my own head, but I knew that this was how it needed to be. I could see now, watching from the distance, exactly what I needed to do to save him. To save everyone./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6a8124be0c617bf72e1dac41f7d1c463""Sang?" Luke's voice was hesitant as he turned to look at me, then his grip on North slipped as his jaw dropped in shock. "God, Sang, your eyes!" I didn't know what he saw when he looked at me, but I knew that I finally had his attention. I needed to stop them from taking North. I needed him!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0c6a67ae8d123ab8283684c320c2f1cc""Release him." My voice echoed effortlessly through the deafening cacophony of the ongoing earthquake. Something unseen was filling my words with power, forcing me to be heard. "North, I need you to listen to me." The ground beneath me wasn't shaking anymore, I thought absently. Or maybe it was, but I couldn't feel it. I couldn't really feel anything outside of myself anymore./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="45667f7b40c384af77a80e9c051966f4""I can't." That was North. I couldn't see him, because my body had turned to face Jade and the two men still slumped over her lifeless body. The path before me was so clear now. I didn't know how I could have missed it before./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ce2be77c1c77446f7c3b1de089cb79a0""Yes, you can. I need you, North," my words repeated. I wanted to call out, to tell North what I needed him to do, to get him to do it faster, but I wasn't in control. All I had now was patience. "Now!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cc1f89b1ea377c0a4e8ecb9eac60112d"The force of my words was so potent that I felt all four of the boys behind me step toward me involuntarily. I was so proud of them all, so happy to have finally found my family that I smiled. I felt my lips form the familiar shape as my body and my consciousness were in sync for a fraction of a second, then the other force took back control./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="53f901c4e876da37a515c1ede024e7d3"North stepped to my side and my head twisted to look at him. There was a tiny flicker of shock in his eyes as he saw my face – and whatever it was that had so shocked Luke – but it wasn't important right now. The only important thing right now was saving my North./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="217fa1a22dfb000e41498dc3b15cd07d""Take my hand," I told him, pulling off my glove and lifting my palm up, presenting it to him. He stared at my face once more, then down at my hand./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0c6ce18b6728a0c5af8d461e29e13d49""I'll hurt you," he breathed. His body shook violently as he spoke, but there was no escalation to the quaking around us. I couldn't help but think that this was a step in the right direction./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="42483d54c79361089d055eb41ea8a296""We don't have a choice," my voice said honestly. There was no lie in the words. It would cause my physical form significant pain but it was necessary. I wasn't convinced that, in this moment, I would feel it anyway. "It's the only way to save her."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="47e2508ad27971a14ad5651ab5369c05"North froze, his eyes fixed on my face. He seemed to be warring within himself for several long moments, but then his jaw flexed as his teeth clenched and he nodded his agreement. He gripped my hand tightly in his larger one and I waited for the onslaught of pain that would surely follow./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a8dc318d57bfea90a16292dfbd18cc37"There was nothing. I mean, I could vaguely feel my body start to spasm as my pain receptors fired and my muscles tensed in response, but I was cocooned inside my own head. I suspected that it would hurt later but, for now, it wasn't important./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2364255a88c072bed738346d4e591539""Sang, baby!" North tried to pull away from me as he witnessed my pain, but I held tight to him with a strength I hadn't known I possessed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="caf3ae54538edb45ad32b6a67527f071""No!" I felt myself force out the words. "Help me to get to her." North hesitated again but, in the absence of any reasonable way to detach me from him, he clearly decided to do the smart thing and do as I asked. He bent at the waist and hooked his free arm around my waist, taking the majority of my weight against him. He nearly fell when the floor shook with the biggest quake yet, but managed to stumble forward just in time to avoid wiping out./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c840d2526c1138b6f5bbcbd1a49eec5f""Help me save her," I whispered, releasing my grip on his hand and lifting my arm up to press my palm gently against his face. "We can save her."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="255c690686dcef80efd8cce14a55a28e"Without another word, North started to make his way across the room to where Sean and Kota appeared to be relatively unscathed. I didn't know whether it was a conscious decision on North's part or not, but the patch of floor boards surrounding Jade's body was almost completely untouched. The ends of her long hair had started to slip through the gaps between a couple of dislodged boards but, otherwise, she looked like she could be sleeping. If one could sleep with a broken neck./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4bb9d373bb242ddb9ba21678b7ac3756""Put me down, North," I told him firmly, once we reached Sean's side. My voice was harsher than it would have been, had I been in control, but I liked the authority behind the proclamation none the less. It made me wish that I had the strength, the inner confidence to conduct myself like that, but it wasn't something I thought I'd ever achieve. I just wasn't strong enough./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ba085bf0ff622daa429e2b7e22ac6996"North's fingers clenched against the exposed skin of my thighs, sending tiny stabs of pain that I could almost feel from inside my cocoon. I thought for a second that he wasn't going to let me go, but then he sighed and lowered me carefully until my feet met wood. I almost collapsed, my body weaker than I had expected, but he caught me and held on until I was mostly upright./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d3ddb2d01e1db12dae954fddf3d6f90e""Are you sure about this, baby?" he mumbled into my ear. I wanted to reassure him that this was the only way and that I would be fine, but my body simply reached out and took his hand again, gripping it tight so he couldn't pull free. I needed him to channel everything he was giving to the earthquake into me. I needed him to stay awake long enough to help me save her. To save him, my North./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2c8fefce5535e9e1e21e409b75eb7132"I turned, interrupting my view of the fear and doubt etched across North's face, and addressed Kota next./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2050017ade2fbc12ef171e3ea0c1952b""Move aside!" I commanded him. I wanted to tell myself off; I couldn't talk to him like that, but I was still just a bystander, watching from the wings. I watched as Kota's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he did as I asked. 'I'm sorry', I wanted to say, but I deduced that, based on the curious, calculating expression on his face as he backed up, he might not be far away from figuring out the truth. This wasn't like me at all. This was the me that I could only be once I forgot how to be myself./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ab034f14e452781cf5cc3c000d28f381""Are you ready?" I asked Sean. He looked up at me, a strange understanding in his eyes as he locked his gaze with mine./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="90bddfcd29fa4deb3b6db467efe5af85""On your mark." He positioned his hands back over the body, awaiting my instructions. I didn't know how, but he knew exactly what was happening. I would be sure to ask about that later, if I made it through this. My body took a deep, calming breath and I took one mentally too, for good measure. It seemed like the right thing to do./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="49f7912030102f5ab969a088fd5bab44""Now!" I watched in rapt attention as I gripped North's hand tightly to my side and reached out to grip the base of Sean's neck with my thumb and forefinger – hard! It had to hurt and I could see blood where my nails dug in, but he didn't flinch. He just pressed down with his hands and allowed my power to wash through him in a torrent. I drew from North too, like I'd known I'd have to, but not too much. He was just there to ground me – the pain from his touch keeping me conscious – but it was enough to bring the raging earthquake to an abrupt end./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cd92a526f2b411421e56e576ea558076""Bring her back," I whispered to Sean, my face just inches from his ear as North struggled to keep me standing. I was fading fast, I could feel it, but it would be enough. It had to be enough! I could do nothing now except wait, watching from a distance through my own eyes as Sean searched the deepest recesses of her body for Jade's life force – her aura. Her soul./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="672de2bd16c3276a1f9148803d8bed82""Got her!" Sean shouted, just as I felt my consciousness fading. I couldn't hold on much longer. I yanked at North's hand, feeling him stagger as I pulled from him both physically and metaphysically. I just needed to hang on for a few more seconds./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="641375a334ca625af4116b6b31aee559"My power snapped back into me with an audible crack, at least inside my head, and I released Sean, stumbling back into North's chest. I hadn't noticed while I'd been occupied with Jade but the others must have surrounded us because, as I started to collapse, I felt someone strong and warm catch me by the shoulders. My hand was wrenched from North's just in time as my body and my consciousness snapped back together and I groaned in agony. The pain I had been detached from for so long hit me all at once and threatened to take me under, but for once my eyes remained open./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2332632babc729d0a06f699526064da4""What the hell is going on?" An exhausted laugh escaped my lungs as I heard the most beautiful sound in the world, the dulcet, nasal strains of Jade's voice echoing through the room. She sounded beyond annoyed and, for some reason, that made me incredibly happy in that moment. If she was talking, she was alive. That was all that mattered. North would be free of the burden of his curse and she would be free to leave him the hell alone!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6b210e647ce6b2231e8cdb7e24d4a58d"My eyes widened at my thoughts and I pressed my lips tightly together to stop me from expressing the sentiment out loud. Where on earth had that thought come from? Wait, what was going on?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="45f1aa4d2e6e2765f4c4207dd9ef9371""What just happened?" I asked, pushing myself off the person holding me. I turned to see Luke staring at me, abject confusion warring with fear for the dominant expression on his face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="22c64fba2be6eb4abb2b532ced4bb734""What are you talking about, baby?" North growled, pulling me out of Luke's arms and looking me up and down like he expected me to fall apart before his eyes. "You know what just happened!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="955a8b402233d59b8dfc92dd944124aa""Um, no. Actually, I don't," I told him earnestly. The last thing I remembered was watching North trying to escape from Luke to get to... Wait. Jade!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a28b1e946c2ee68a676e08fca8ab56ca""Jade. Are you okay? I thought you were..." Mercifully, she cut me off before I could finish my thought. She had been dead, hadn't she? Was I mistaken? I didn't understand what was going on./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c5ca0c6041be6208e2fd9f4ab22f9ec0""I'm fine," she snapped, pushing herself off the ground and elbowing Kota aside so she was standing nose to nose with me. "No thanks to you and your band of freaks." North moved to step forward, presumably to confront her, but I held out an arm to stop him. I noticed that I was no longer wearing my glove on that hand. I didn't remember taking it off./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="497d6f3630884be7f2229c75a8397432""I'm sorry you feel that way, Jade. I didn't mean to upset you." I tried to be diplomatic with her but it was exceedingly hard. I was strangely exhausted all of a sudden and I didn't really fancy dealing with her right now if she was going to pick a fight./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="dbb27dfc2d47e29a037cba84ce4a6753""Whatever," she said dismissively. I was surprised that she let it go, but wasn't about to complain. She pushed past me rudely and immediately tripped over a floorboard that had come loose from its housing. Silas moved to steady her but she waved him away with a flick of her fingers. "What the fuck happened in here?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="93d5f17abf985677a26a0b1d389bc3f3"That was a good question. The room looked like it had been attacked with a chainsaw or a tornado, and there was a mark on the wall that looked distinctly like a lightening strike. The floor was completely destroyed and there was no glass left in the windows. Jade paused, then turned back to look at me – and North, who was so close to me that he seemed to be trying to perform some kind of fusion on the molecular level. She narrowed her eyes at us, then flicked her hair over her shoulder./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2893780e0a8bb93919b96000281336c6""Never mind. I don't even care. I'm done with this shit!" With that, she started to scramble over the smaller piles of rubble to reach the exit. It wasn't quite the dramatic exit she'd been hoping for, I'm sure, but we all watched her leave, so I guess it had the desired effect./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="21525a6d64bec1e06198914c80be258b""Can someone tell me what the ever living hell just happened," North said, once she was out of earshot./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="247ae3ed71ab632f79255922322bb3ea""I'd quite like to know that too," I agreed, looking over to Kota and Sean. For whatever reason – perhaps because they had been treating Jade – it seemed like those two might know something about how she had cheated death, but Kota just shrugged. In lieu of responding, Sean pulled out his newly vibrating phone and glanced at the screen./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f8714e373b9f8b8b84c162389b9c6e7e""It might just be time for those answers," he said cryptically, before holding out the phone to show me the contact information displayed on screen./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e0bc0ac309762b140f2bb7c134c29c82"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Master Owen Blackbourne./span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7db4ed1af4926051d2163054f4e4350d""What's wrong?" I tore my eyes from North's face to see Dr Green appear from within a dimly-lit alcove at the far end of the hallway, followed closely by Diana and the others. "Why did you...?" He broke off as he noticed the rest of our group, gathered around the immobile North. "What's wrong with him? North, what's wrong?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="472c091a722d1415a1a081bc8437025b""I don't know," Luke, again, was the only one that seemed to be able to speak. I could feel Silas and Nathan filling the remaining, scant space behind me in the doorway, but they exuded nothing but stunned silence. "He said something about Jade. He..."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9e7b6cc9ab8ff076aa5172adaf57001f""I killed her," North spat out harshly, his voice oddly void of emotion. It was chilling to witness. His head snapped up to meet Sean's gaze so fast that it had to have hurt him. "She's fucking dead!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="97130267d457e9037a4054cefb0f6234""Okay." As I watched, Sean's facial expression became almost scarily calm, between one heartbeat and the next. This wasn't the happy-go-lucky, jovial Sean anymore. This was a highly-trained medical professional, doing his job. "Where is she, North?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f27f5a02205743caf0b0971936c1160b"North's aggressive façade crumpled like a house of cards, leaving a broken shell in its wake. I would have reached out for him but Luke's arm was still looped around my waist, firmly holding me in place./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4d84605a9bb81920345caa647f8fd84c""In here." North pointed back into the room he had just burst from with a shaky hand. His voice was steadier now that the doctor was here, but I could still hear the taut, panicked undertones that he didn't make any effort to try to hide. Sean swept down the corridor towards him, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and up to his ear with crisp, unaffected efficiency. He barked out a few undecipherable instructions to someone on the other end, then rounded on the rest of us./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="792fc438a27dcc17ff47606120928455""Victor. Gabriel." The two boys stepped up behind him and stood to attention, like they had been trained for this moment their entire lives. It was quite possible that they had been. "Go and retrieve the emergency med kit from the nearest storage unit, then one of you go and inform Dr Roberts that we have a Code 15 on site." The two of them nodded and were turning to leave, when Diana spoke up quickly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2512e3aa4ff46444c9ba751ec2293bbe""I will go with them Dr Green," she offered, and Sean nodded sharply in agreement. "Somebody will need to inform the President if we have a potential fatality." She, unlike Victor and Gabriel, didn't need wait for instructions and hurried off towards the exit with two subdued manifests in tow./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b55d561c6c0745658e32cf273a36e765""The rest of you, stay where you are until I can assess the situation. North, with me!" This was a side to Dr Green that I had yet to see and, if I was honest, it scared me a bit. The detached, clinical way with which he approached the unimaginable horror of what had just happened left me in awe of his skill as a healer but, at the same time, made me wonder how two such distinct personalities could exist inside a single person./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f8edec625cd761cc627cc1478e6a31a9"The instant that the two of them disappeared through the open doorway, the rest of the boys moved as one to approach the scene, despite the instruction to stay clear. No one actually entered the room, instead choosing to crowd around the entryway, but they all still felt the need to find out what was going on. I didn't blame them./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e72a4250c1d4926b537c2ee7dd8f5f11"I didn't know what the right thing to do was. I felt an overwhelming urge to join them, to peer inside and reassure myself that everything was going to be alright, but what if it wasn't? I didn't know if I would be able to cope with witnessing another person's death, even someone I was emotionally removed from like I was with Jade./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b4a64b4266ef6a822178251121a1170f"Oh God! North! How would I feel if she had been as close to me as she was to North? He would be devastated if she was really gone. What if it was him or one of the others that had been hurt, because of me?!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e18b6b1c9a2ec198795e64096fa67da4"I made my decision in an instant, urging my body forward until I was face-to-face with Silas' towering, shirtless back. I would probably have been embarrassed under normal circumstances, to be so close to a sweaty, shirtless guy, but right then it didn't even occur to me. The only thought in my head was that I needed to be strong. I needed to ignore my own feelings and do what I could to help North; to help all of them. I had to see what was happening!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4b253e7aae0940e2aba99c87c08c0fc4"Silas shifted without a word from either of us, like he knew exactly what I needed from him. I slid through the small gap between him and Nathan, making sure not to accidentally brush up against either of them as I did so. My sleeved were rolled down to cover my gloved wrists but the last thing we needed right now was another outburst, or for me to pass out again. Nathan was still a completely unknown entity, after all, and I didn't want to risk anyone else getting hurt for a better view./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e2caafe373cae532c01fa0aab2e9746b"I slipped into a small empty space beside Kota, right in the centre beneath the doorframe. Immediately, I caught sight of North, his back pressed firmly against the back wall, staring blankly over at Dr Green, who was huddled over.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0fd7542013b50918d88db70f1b758066"I gasped as my mind struggled to process what I was seeing. Dr Green was knelt on the dusty, wooden floor, next to what looked to be a low, raised platform or stage area. His back was to us and his body was curled in on itself, blocking most of the figure on the ground beside him, but I could see enough to know that it was far too late./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cfd1f30a621cc431bccb27516a45e41c"She almost looked peaceful. Her silky black hair arced around her head like an inky halo, her eyes were closed and her features slack. I could see one of her arms too, from this angle, stretched out towards North as if reaching for him, even in death. Only, her shoulder was twisted in an angle that would never be achieved naturally and her body was bent in a way that that made it abundantly clear that her neck was broken./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="70e494814a8f4ac19d0b37829608b12c""I need you, Nathan," Dr Green said after a few seconds of silence, during which he passed his outstretched palms over her prone form. He didn't try to move her or examine her further but, remembering what he'd said about his abilities, I figured he probably didn't need to. He would know what was wrong without needing to touch her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="42649b44cea2d0a34268497548a532aa""What can I do, doc?" Nathan asked cautiously, as Kota and I shifted aside to let him through. As if the doctor's word contained some sort of hidden permission, Kota didn't return to his position beside me but, instead, shuffled into the room. At his movement, I felt myself being shepherded inside by Silas, until all of us stood six paces closer to North./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ed6c19f9d202315f2d7f663aad772b77""I need you to be ready to deliver a static charge for me, on my mark." Sean didn't look up from his patient until he sensed that Nathan was right beside him. They locked eyes and Sean pierced him with an intense gaze. "Can you do that?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="872c2badb0d1b90184e72034580f543e""I don't know!" Nathan's voice was hesitant and uneasy and he glanced quickly from Dr Green to Jade, then over at us, before continuing. "You know I can't always control it. I could fry the whole room if I get it wrong."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c7445561a36830af4bca56b6965edd9a""I trust you to make the right call, brother," Sean told him, his tone understanding and completely devoid of judgement, before twisting around to look back at North. "Now, North. Can you tell me exactly what happened?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3c1b5721713992a241058e2b1609f9f6""It all happened so fast," North said slowly, his eyes fixed on Jade's face. Above her, Nathan was clenching and unclenching his fists as he wrestled with whatever decision he needed to make, while Sean was busying himself by examining Jade further. I wondered why he was being so thorough, when it was clear to everyone present she was no longer with us./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="68a2a2f3641ad1942a58e8d87daf2dee""We were shifting step ladders around in the storage cage under the stage," North explained. As he spoke, his whole body seemed to shake. I thought I noticed a tiny wisp of smoke escape the collar of his jacket, spiralling leisurely up towards the broken smoke detector affixed to the ceiling, but no one else seemed to have noticed anything and it was gone when I looked closer. I didn't want to interrupt North, not for something that I may or may not have seen, but I watched carefully in case it happened again./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b1a3e3bbc593c77595e9232db96695c3""She was coming on strong, like she usually does, but today it was different. She was being really pushy, trying to get me to..." He broke off, shaking his head in obvious discomfort, and I glanced up at Kota beside me. He frowned down at me, seeming to ask me a silent question that I wasn't able to interpret. I wondered how long it would take before I'd be able to do that, to actually understand with just a look./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6e2ffee3b2a3d6669810dcdbc3ddeacc""I thought they were together," I whispered, lifting myself up onto my tiptoes to get as close to his ear as possible. I thought I was quiet but I should have known it wouldn't be enough. North's gaze flicked to mine and he stared at me like I was a life raft that was just a bit too far away and, if he didn't reach me, he would drown./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6789c68d52add99af39b6f15ed87ff3f""No, Sang baby!" he said flatly. "I would never..." He glanced back over at her and let out a long, harsh sigh. "She knows that I will never be interested in her. Not when I'm interested in... Never mind! She came after me when I was about to climb down from there." He pointed over at the ledge, just above the place where Sean was still hunched over the girl. "I told her to stop but she just kept pushing herself at me. I didn't see how close we were to the edge and she just fell!" His voice rose to a panicky roar as he finished his story./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="afeb5a8578a0a9f099e5830b0d52a888""She's going to be okay though, right Doc?" he asked quickly, pleading with Sean to say that everything would be fine. "It's not even a big drop. She's an Amazon, for fuck's sake. She's going to be okay!" He seemed to visibly relax as he spoke the words, swinging his arms back and forth like a pendulum keeping time./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8c301871a7b7ed33c912db8e17190a9a"He didn't know! The realisation hit me like a bullet to the chest and I sagged in defeat. I finally understood why Sean was still examining Jade but, immediately, I wished I didn't. He was trying to spare North the pain of knowing that, intentionally or otherwise, she was really dead. For all the training in the world, North's fear was warping his perception of reality in the worst way./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="eedace51ba33629b8840d0221cf331df"Glancing up at the grim looks on the faces of the other three boys around me, I knew I wasn't the only one who had put the pieces together. I didn't know who would have to tell North the truth, but I prayed that it wouldn't have to be me. I didn't think I could survive the pain I knew would crush him at the revelation./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1d038bfff51929b7c70939b82080297e""Tell me she's going to be okay!" North roared, when nobody said anything. "Doc, tell me!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c88ccd8c0369f636c62f5ca1d86eafb8""I'll do everything I can," the older man said calmly, turning to look him in the eye. "You have my word. Nathan?" It was a question, but Sean didn't look too surprised when Nathan shook his head apologetically./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a044aba8a0a8cb9276e221257fe64e51""You'll have to do it, Kota," he muttered. Kota stepped up to Nathan's side without a word, slapping him on the back in a gesture that looked to be reassuring. Then Nathan stepped aside and Kota knelt beside Sean, concealing the rest of Jades's upper body from view. I looked back to North./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="eb6697d11dacfd185e3c6faec1dfcfbd""Silas." I nudged the bare arm to my left and Silas bent over to make sure he could hear me. I pointed over toward North and muttered under my breath, not wanting to upset him any further. "Is that normal?" Several slim, snaking wisps of smoke were rising from North now. His shoulders were high and tense and the skin on the back of his neck was starting to stand on end. His whole body was vibrating, shaking so violently that I thought he might pull a muscle or two./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9cb722121247440df76bc4bd8101ba6c""Not good," Silas said quickly, snaking a hand around behind me to punch Luke hard in the arm. He grunted in pain before realising what Silas was trying to attract his attention to, then the two of them were moving across the room towards North faster than I could have though possible./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2897475ef365e3cc717a944667bc999c""North!" Luke exclaimed, pressing both palms flat against his brother's chest and pushing hard. North didn't react or look away from the crowd gathering across the room, even when Luke began to forcibly heave him back towards the wall he had stepped away from./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e0c8665b009973a38e25170362f3627d""Brother?" Silas tried to divert his attention, but North was either unable or unwilling to cooperate. Silas spoke again, waving a hand in front of North's eyes. "Talk to me, man." No response./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0aceb11f6d1d5c4b2e11820131cdee4a""Are you ready, Kota?" Dr Green asked abruptly, distracting me from the dangerous stalemate occurring against the opposite wall. Neither he nor Kota seemed aware of what was happening, but Nathan seemed to be torn between staying with them and rushing in to help with North./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a438fe8e5f1f35b3d5aece14c2ecc7e3""Ready," Kota agreed. He raised his hands out in front of him, palms facing each other. I watched as the air between his hands began to spark and shimmer, then felt the soft brush of power as it radiated outward from him. In seconds, Kota had a tangible, crackling ball of electrical charge suspended between his fingers. In spite of the situation, I couldn't help but be impressed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="bcbd913496836b1812a89cc09a86c935""On my mark, then," Sean confirmed, shifting up onto his knees and spreading his arms over the body. He glanced over at the struggle happening at the back of the room for a moment, smiling sadly when he noticed North's eyes were fixed on him, then drew in a deep breath./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a761dd39e5221dbec2243e9576a3c8f3"The breath was ripped from my lungs as the most powerful ripple I'd felt yet tore through me and thundered towards the doctor. My eyes widened as I realised just how much power this kind, gentle man was capable of wielding and watched in stunned silence as his body began to shake – not unlike North. He pressed one hand firmly down on Jade's chest, just below the collarbone, and the other on her exposed abdomen. I didn't know what he was doing, but I did know that he was prepared to give every ounce of strength for his brother. He knew, just like I did, that this girl was gone, but he would do anything to save North from the pain that her death would bring, if only for a few moments longer./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ccc1860fc2708cdbc1b80c01f524ff84""She can't die!" I jumped as North's voice broke the silence like a whip crack./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="bc98093ed60663871e4e4e44c9ad125b""She tried to rape you last year," Luke said matter-of-factly. I flinched at the coldness of the words, remembering to late the warning Karen had given me about a Jade, but North shook his head vehemently and struggled against the arms of both his brothers. "Don't you remember?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f4e95eee52f817c2fcd68b7b8d4e3762""I don't care," North insisted, his voice cracking as he strained to break free. His right hand, which was spread wide towards me, started to glow red, sparks flying from the open palm./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c7db5c487b98daa8eb35fdc41cae0a30""Watch out," I called to Luke, who glanced down just in time to move out of the way before North's entire right arm became engulfed in flame./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7fa476e45e101ae3660d9c97b8d6ab5f""Holy shit balls!" Luke yelped, grabbing hold of North's waist and holding on with all his might as North sought to capitalise on the gap that the white-hot flames had left in his humanoid restraints./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0906d2969e63d3d393ec9357003e6151""Why do you care so much about her?" Nathan shot at North, as he finally made his decision and joined Silas and Luke's efforts./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6823eb3a8e43e4399214ced9d49fc1b7""I don't!" North screamed. He sounded like he was in pain now. I hesitated, wondering if there was anything I could do to help. I had been able to stop him last time but who was to say it would work the same way this time. I could make things worse, but I had to do something. I couldn't stand to see him like this!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="94f1e26fd30a8820354e0f34dfdf6579""Then why?" Luke roared back, matching North's volume and pushing harder at his abdomen. I could see that Luke's fingers were starting to slip against the material of North's shirt and knew that it was only a matter of time before things went badly wrong./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f4782fbc2276de7379ca9dd7433b3999""Because I don't want to be cursed!" North bit out. "If she dies, I fail. If I can't protect her, how can I ever hope to protect anyone? How can I protect Sang?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="5170a31c1d9f4f26cea3d6fe512058af"I gasped as his words registered in my distracted mind. He was doing this for me! More importantly, though, he was doing this for himself and I desperately wanted to help him. To save him from himself. He needed this, needed to feel like he was in control of his powers – his curse, as he saw it. Jade's death would destroy his faith in himself and there was nothing any of us could do about it./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9a14fbbcbaa344c6a982dc1c52887883""I see it!" Sean exclaimed. He was still in the same position, Kota knelt beside him waiting to assist him, but the back of his shirt was drenched in sweat and his head hung low. "Her aura is so faint, but I can still see it."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b0ffa0617d6a3bc8a61c470e07e44266""Can you bring it back?" North pleaded, the flames licking at his arm and shoulder dying down a bit as he seized any scrap of hope./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6e892e07196eddd74d41784658c271a4""I can't reach..." Sean broke off whatever he'd been trying to say and doubled over, breathing heavily. He slumped sideways without warning and Kota dived to the side to catch him as he fell. The ball of electricity was flung at the nearest wall, charring a deep groove into an empty bookshelf and blackening the wall behind it, but Kota managed to stop Sean from slipping enough that his hands stayed on Jade's body./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0686fb0caed90c89e7bbadd3870fe579""Use my strength," Kota grunted, heaving the doctor back upright. He hooked a hand around Sean's wrist, then tensed like he was being electrocuted as the other man seemed to rally before my eyes. "Take whatever you need," he grunted through gritted teeth. Sean didn't waste energy responding, but renewed his efforts as another, almighty gust of power threatened to knock me off balance./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c967dcc3a1870252790a7ee093a7e549"Then the world seemed to stand still, waiting for whatever would happen next. The flames that had been forcing Luke back died away to nothing as North watched, unable to look away from the girl so close to being lost. I wanted to scream, to stamp my foot like a child and yell at the sky. I was completely helpless. I hated the fact that I was just a bystander, so weak and useless. I could do nothing to stop what was about to happen./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="716fc1f4eb2336bbd9670767173e5e69""I can't do it," Sean said finally, lifting one hand off Jade's stomach and wiping the thick sheen of sweat off his brow. "I'm sorry, North. There's nothing else I can do."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d526cb40d4553f18b39eb44cc186f988""No!" The broken sound was so utterly heart breaking as I felt the mood in the room hit rock bottom. I also felt, at the same time that everyone else did, the subtle ripple of power that started to ebb into the space between us, up through the floorboards. It was tiny to start with, barely noticeable, but within seconds the ground beneath us started to shake violently./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="df01050da102e51e21da597f987162aa""Please, not now?!" Silas spoke the words like a prayer, raising his face to the ceiling as if someone was going to swoop down and save us all. That didn't happen, but I hadn't expected it to. The gods were right here in this room, after all, and one of them was about to explode. "North, snap out of it!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1887f5116116c302609e2945f53b2725""Do something," Nathan called out, releasing his grip on his brother and stepping back to catch his balance, as the wooden board beneath his feet pitched and cracked under the movement of the earth. I staggered sideways as the patch of floor beneath my feet shifted sickeningly, then I staggered towards the small group centred on the distraught god currently summoning an earthquake. I could no longer stay out of it. I didn't know what I could do, but I had to try./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6ddbc6359485f0da1d996e6bf7cf6300""Stay back." Luke flung his arm out to me as he noticed me trying furiously to reach them. "Silas!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c0983f90fdc9b446f798bf0c4021d897"Silas seemed to know exactly what was required because in seconds the two of them were forcing North back towards the doorway and out of the room./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d389f4f0f1d81b0093a6a79ddece2558""Where are you taking him?" I asked, not understanding why they needed to take the clearly upset North away from me./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="63bceca094cdaca1b4bbd72bc4be3550""We need to get him out of the most populated areas, before it's too late," Luke told me, forcing North back another step. I heard Nathan yelp behind me as I traced their movement, then I felt the ground quake violently again./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="99c159b029ea82d483661acb65070b7e""It's already too late," Silas shouted. The sounds of creaking wood and metal, combined with North's bellowing howls of pain and frustration, were making it difficult to hear them. "We need to get him as far away as possible."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4b384a0da75aa3034994b1e0ddda685e"It couldn't end this way, I thought, as I watched them drive him across the threshold. He was still fighting them at every turn but they were making easier progress now, like he was slowly giving up. Like he was giving in to his curse!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="08fa752b732ed0b2a1dfb04ffb865728""Help me!" I didn't know where the words came from as they burst forth from my mouth, tumbling out into the air with a power of their own which shocked me. I felt a new rush of strength flood out into me from somewhere deep within, then I heard a new voice speak to me. The noise surrounding me was deafening, ensuring I had no chance of hearing anything from the others in the room, but this voice was a gentle whisper. I could hear it perfectly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f8a2126132af828302aff45e64088abe"I've been waiting for you to ask./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8bb233a1b4bf2dc5265c343797c95556""Stop!" I could hear myself speak the command, but I was no longer in control of my actions. I was an observer, inside my own head, but I knew that this was how it needed to be. I could see now, watching from the distance, exactly what I needed to do to save him. To save everyone./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6a8124be0c617bf72e1dac41f7d1c463""Sang?" Luke's voice was hesitant as he turned to look at me, then his grip on North slipped as his jaw dropped in shock. "God, Sang, your eyes!" I didn't know what he saw when he looked at me, but I knew that I finally had his attention. I needed to stop them from taking North. I needed him!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0c6a67ae8d123ab8283684c320c2f1cc""Release him." My voice echoed effortlessly through the deafening cacophony of the ongoing earthquake. Something unseen was filling my words with power, forcing me to be heard. "North, I need you to listen to me." The ground beneath me wasn't shaking anymore, I thought absently. Or maybe it was, but I couldn't feel it. I couldn't really feel anything outside of myself anymore./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="45667f7b40c384af77a80e9c051966f4""I can't." That was North. I couldn't see him, because my body had turned to face Jade and the two men still slumped over her lifeless body. The path before me was so clear now. I didn't know how I could have missed it before./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ce2be77c1c77446f7c3b1de089cb79a0""Yes, you can. I need you, North," my words repeated. I wanted to call out, to tell North what I needed him to do, to get him to do it faster, but I wasn't in control. All I had now was patience. "Now!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cc1f89b1ea377c0a4e8ecb9eac60112d"The force of my words was so potent that I felt all four of the boys behind me step toward me involuntarily. I was so proud of them all, so happy to have finally found my family that I smiled. I felt my lips form the familiar shape as my body and my consciousness were in sync for a fraction of a second, then the other force took back control./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="53f901c4e876da37a515c1ede024e7d3"North stepped to my side and my head twisted to look at him. There was a tiny flicker of shock in his eyes as he saw my face – and whatever it was that had so shocked Luke – but it wasn't important right now. The only important thing right now was saving my North./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="217fa1a22dfb000e41498dc3b15cd07d""Take my hand," I told him, pulling off my glove and lifting my palm up, presenting it to him. He stared at my face once more, then down at my hand./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0c6ce18b6728a0c5af8d461e29e13d49""I'll hurt you," he breathed. His body shook violently as he spoke, but there was no escalation to the quaking around us. I couldn't help but think that this was a step in the right direction./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="42483d54c79361089d055eb41ea8a296""We don't have a choice," my voice said honestly. There was no lie in the words. It would cause my physical form significant pain but it was necessary. I wasn't convinced that, in this moment, I would feel it anyway. "It's the only way to save her."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="47e2508ad27971a14ad5651ab5369c05"North froze, his eyes fixed on my face. He seemed to be warring within himself for several long moments, but then his jaw flexed as his teeth clenched and he nodded his agreement. He gripped my hand tightly in his larger one and I waited for the onslaught of pain that would surely follow./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a8dc318d57bfea90a16292dfbd18cc37"There was nothing. I mean, I could vaguely feel my body start to spasm as my pain receptors fired and my muscles tensed in response, but I was cocooned inside my own head. I suspected that it would hurt later but, for now, it wasn't important./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2364255a88c072bed738346d4e591539""Sang, baby!" North tried to pull away from me as he witnessed my pain, but I held tight to him with a strength I hadn't known I possessed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="caf3ae54538edb45ad32b6a67527f071""No!" I felt myself force out the words. "Help me to get to her." North hesitated again but, in the absence of any reasonable way to detach me from him, he clearly decided to do the smart thing and do as I asked. He bent at the waist and hooked his free arm around my waist, taking the majority of my weight against him. He nearly fell when the floor shook with the biggest quake yet, but managed to stumble forward just in time to avoid wiping out./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c840d2526c1138b6f5bbcbd1a49eec5f""Help me save her," I whispered, releasing my grip on his hand and lifting my arm up to press my palm gently against his face. "We can save her."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="255c690686dcef80efd8cce14a55a28e"Without another word, North started to make his way across the room to where Sean and Kota appeared to be relatively unscathed. I didn't know whether it was a conscious decision on North's part or not, but the patch of floor boards surrounding Jade's body was almost completely untouched. The ends of her long hair had started to slip through the gaps between a couple of dislodged boards but, otherwise, she looked like she could be sleeping. If one could sleep with a broken neck./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4bb9d373bb242ddb9ba21678b7ac3756""Put me down, North," I told him firmly, once we reached Sean's side. My voice was harsher than it would have been, had I been in control, but I liked the authority behind the proclamation none the less. It made me wish that I had the strength, the inner confidence to conduct myself like that, but it wasn't something I thought I'd ever achieve. I just wasn't strong enough./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ba085bf0ff622daa429e2b7e22ac6996"North's fingers clenched against the exposed skin of my thighs, sending tiny stabs of pain that I could almost feel from inside my cocoon. I thought for a second that he wasn't going to let me go, but then he sighed and lowered me carefully until my feet met wood. I almost collapsed, my body weaker than I had expected, but he caught me and held on until I was mostly upright./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d3ddb2d01e1db12dae954fddf3d6f90e""Are you sure about this, baby?" he mumbled into my ear. I wanted to reassure him that this was the only way and that I would be fine, but my body simply reached out and took his hand again, gripping it tight so he couldn't pull free. I needed him to channel everything he was giving to the earthquake into me. I needed him to stay awake long enough to help me save her. To save him, my North./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2c8fefce5535e9e1e21e409b75eb7132"I turned, interrupting my view of the fear and doubt etched across North's face, and addressed Kota next./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2050017ade2fbc12ef171e3ea0c1952b""Move aside!" I commanded him. I wanted to tell myself off; I couldn't talk to him like that, but I was still just a bystander, watching from the wings. I watched as Kota's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he did as I asked. 'I'm sorry', I wanted to say, but I deduced that, based on the curious, calculating expression on his face as he backed up, he might not be far away from figuring out the truth. This wasn't like me at all. This was the me that I could only be once I forgot how to be myself./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ab034f14e452781cf5cc3c000d28f381""Are you ready?" I asked Sean. He looked up at me, a strange understanding in his eyes as he locked his gaze with mine./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="90bddfcd29fa4deb3b6db467efe5af85""On your mark." He positioned his hands back over the body, awaiting my instructions. I didn't know how, but he knew exactly what was happening. I would be sure to ask about that later, if I made it through this. My body took a deep, calming breath and I took one mentally too, for good measure. It seemed like the right thing to do./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="49f7912030102f5ab969a088fd5bab44""Now!" I watched in rapt attention as I gripped North's hand tightly to my side and reached out to grip the base of Sean's neck with my thumb and forefinger – hard! It had to hurt and I could see blood where my nails dug in, but he didn't flinch. He just pressed down with his hands and allowed my power to wash through him in a torrent. I drew from North too, like I'd known I'd have to, but not too much. He was just there to ground me – the pain from his touch keeping me conscious – but it was enough to bring the raging earthquake to an abrupt end./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cd92a526f2b411421e56e576ea558076""Bring her back," I whispered to Sean, my face just inches from his ear as North struggled to keep me standing. I was fading fast, I could feel it, but it would be enough. It had to be enough! I could do nothing now except wait, watching from a distance through my own eyes as Sean searched the deepest recesses of her body for Jade's life force – her aura. Her soul./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="672de2bd16c3276a1f9148803d8bed82""Got her!" Sean shouted, just as I felt my consciousness fading. I couldn't hold on much longer. I yanked at North's hand, feeling him stagger as I pulled from him both physically and metaphysically. I just needed to hang on for a few more seconds./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="641375a334ca625af4116b6b31aee559"My power snapped back into me with an audible crack, at least inside my head, and I released Sean, stumbling back into North's chest. I hadn't noticed while I'd been occupied with Jade but the others must have surrounded us because, as I started to collapse, I felt someone strong and warm catch me by the shoulders. My hand was wrenched from North's just in time as my body and my consciousness snapped back together and I groaned in agony. The pain I had been detached from for so long hit me all at once and threatened to take me under, but for once my eyes remained open./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2332632babc729d0a06f699526064da4""What the hell is going on?" An exhausted laugh escaped my lungs as I heard the most beautiful sound in the world, the dulcet, nasal strains of Jade's voice echoing through the room. She sounded beyond annoyed and, for some reason, that made me incredibly happy in that moment. If she was talking, she was alive. That was all that mattered. North would be free of the burden of his curse and she would be free to leave him the hell alone!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6b210e647ce6b2231e8cdb7e24d4a58d"My eyes widened at my thoughts and I pressed my lips tightly together to stop me from expressing the sentiment out loud. Where on earth had that thought come from? Wait, what was going on?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="45f1aa4d2e6e2765f4c4207dd9ef9371""What just happened?" I asked, pushing myself off the person holding me. I turned to see Luke staring at me, abject confusion warring with fear for the dominant expression on his face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="22c64fba2be6eb4abb2b532ced4bb734""What are you talking about, baby?" North growled, pulling me out of Luke's arms and looking me up and down like he expected me to fall apart before his eyes. "You know what just happened!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="955a8b402233d59b8dfc92dd944124aa""Um, no. Actually, I don't," I told him earnestly. The last thing I remembered was watching North trying to escape from Luke to get to... Wait. Jade!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a28b1e946c2ee68a676e08fca8ab56ca""Jade. Are you okay? I thought you were..." Mercifully, she cut me off before I could finish my thought. She had been dead, hadn't she? Was I mistaken? I didn't understand what was going on./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c5ca0c6041be6208e2fd9f4ab22f9ec0""I'm fine," she snapped, pushing herself off the ground and elbowing Kota aside so she was standing nose to nose with me. "No thanks to you and your band of freaks." North moved to step forward, presumably to confront her, but I held out an arm to stop him. I noticed that I was no longer wearing my glove on that hand. I didn't remember taking it off./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="497d6f3630884be7f2229c75a8397432""I'm sorry you feel that way, Jade. I didn't mean to upset you." I tried to be diplomatic with her but it was exceedingly hard. I was strangely exhausted all of a sudden and I didn't really fancy dealing with her right now if she was going to pick a fight./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="dbb27dfc2d47e29a037cba84ce4a6753""Whatever," she said dismissively. I was surprised that she let it go, but wasn't about to complain. She pushed past me rudely and immediately tripped over a floorboard that had come loose from its housing. Silas moved to steady her but she waved him away with a flick of her fingers. "What the fuck happened in here?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="93d5f17abf985677a26a0b1d389bc3f3"That was a good question. The room looked like it had been attacked with a chainsaw or a tornado, and there was a mark on the wall that looked distinctly like a lightening strike. The floor was completely destroyed and there was no glass left in the windows. Jade paused, then turned back to look at me – and North, who was so close to me that he seemed to be trying to perform some kind of fusion on the molecular level. She narrowed her eyes at us, then flicked her hair over her shoulder./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2893780e0a8bb93919b96000281336c6""Never mind. I don't even care. I'm done with this shit!" With that, she started to scramble over the smaller piles of rubble to reach the exit. It wasn't quite the dramatic exit she'd been hoping for, I'm sure, but we all watched her leave, so I guess it had the desired effect./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="21525a6d64bec1e06198914c80be258b""Can someone tell me what the ever living hell just happened," North said, once she was out of earshot./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="247ae3ed71ab632f79255922322bb3ea""I'd quite like to know that too," I agreed, looking over to Kota and Sean. For whatever reason – perhaps because they had been treating Jade – it seemed like those two might know something about how she had cheated death, but Kota just shrugged. In lieu of responding, Sean pulled out his newly vibrating phone and glanced at the screen./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f8714e373b9f8b8b84c162389b9c6e7e""It might just be time for those answers," he said cryptically, before holding out the phone to show me the contact information displayed on screen./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e0bc0ac309762b140f2bb7c134c29c82"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Master Owen Blackbourne./span/p
