Page 24 of The Clash of the Damned
Chapter 18 | Warm Regards
Sebastian
In a move that would make a linebacker proud, I tackle Gabe to the ground and cover as much of his body as I can with mine. Unfortunately, that means his body protects mine as we hit the asphalt, and it isn’t an easy landing, judging by the grunt of pain that escapes him. With no time to spare, the explosion of fire moves over us. As a Rogue, I’m familiar with pain. Growing up, it was even self-inflicted as I learned to embrace the feeling instead of being scared of it. But nothing could have prepared me for this.
The shrapnel from the bomb blast, combined with the heat of the explosion across the park, has caused more havoc than we were prepared for today. I hiss in pain as the fire melts my suit jacket into the skin on my back, creating a grisly combination. Retreating within my head, to a space where the pain can’t touch me, I remind myself that I will survive this with my healing abilities. Another Supernatural or Gabe won’t and that is enough motivation for me. I can’t do anything about the screams around me, butI can do something about him while we wait for the fire to die down to less fatal levels.
“Sebastian!” Amelia’s scream rings across the park, her voice frantic as she searches for me. I’m relieved to know she’s okay, and I push through the pain and lift my head to see Clark helping her up. Nothing like a bomb explosion to help long lost siblings bond. When I ran towards the blast, they ran from it, and the force of the explosion threw them to the other side of the park. All three of us are alive, which is all I care about.
Rolling off Gabe, I take a few deep breaths before standing up. “Here, let me help,” he offers, and I lift my head to see him standing and offering his hand to me, which I gratefully accept. I brush my hands off and ignore the stinging pain in my back as I take note of the trickle of blood coming from his ear. Probably a burst ear drum, but that’s something he can heal from.
A male reporter from earlier runs past us, completely immersed in fire and screaming. Gabe runs to help him, shouting, “Drop and roll!” but he’s too late. The reporter dies a few seconds later. With the lingering smoke clearing, we assess the damage left behind. While we’re lucky that the blast was small, it doesn’t mean it had less devastating consequences for some. Moans echo throughout the park as some of the victims deal with their injuries, and my head snaps up as sirens sound in the distance. The paramedics will be able to help better than we can.
The people that survived mostly unscathed help the others that need it. In this moment, I’m reminded of humanity’s capacity to love in the darkest moments, even when they’ve been given every reason not to. Body parts lay strewn across the park, including those of the bomber. He got it the worst as he took the full brunt of the blast.
We played right into their hands. They’re going to blame us for this.
Gabe’s phone chimes, and I’m shocked it survived the blast and my tackle. He opens it to a video message from a masked person who I can only assume is with The Children of Christ.
“Consider this your final warning. We know of every Supernatural in our city and plan to remove them from the face of this earth. They’re not part of God’s creatures. If you work with them again, you will be added to that list. You’re a disgrace to your kind for doing it. We will offer you one final gift: the evidence of your dead body is gone, but we will ensure the Rogue’s are blamed for it. Think about what we could achieve if we worked together. We’ll be in contact.”
The video ends, and the panic in Gabe’s voice is unmistakable. “You need to get out of here now.” He calls for Clark and Amelia to come over and help me. “Thank you for saving my life. But now, you need to save yours and get back to your estate where you’re safe while we figure this out. The scales were tipped in their favor when they destroyed the little evidence we had. It’s not safe for your kind to be in the open now. Even with your abilities. Go! I’ll call when I know more.”
If I wasn’t about to pass out in public, I would argue. I don’t take well to threats from anyone. But the adrenaline is starting to wear off, and I can barely stand straight. Each of my siblings take my arm around their shoulders as they help me towards the car. Laying me down on the back seat, Clark says something, trying to keep me awake, but it doesn’t work. The darkness I’ve been fighting so hard finally claims me.
***
“I heard about your mom. I’m so sorry, Amelia.” My little sister is hard to read at the aquarium in front of the shark tank. No one the wiser to the nature of our conversation. She says nothing, staring off at the marine life. Concerned, I try from another angle. “I’ve been looking for you. When I heard you ran away from Ryder, I was worried.”
Her head whips around as she glares at me, her eyes red from crying. “I couldn’t trust that your mom wouldn’t send someone to come finish what she started. I was no longer safe there. I have no one now, so it’s better if I keep moving.”
“Wrong, Amelia, you have me.” I pause, collecting my thoughts, knowing what I say next could make or break the little relationship we have. “There was another death in the empires recently, and while we weren’t close, she was important to someone I care about. My mom was behind that too. She has to be stopped, and I’m the only one that will try.”
“I have nothing, Sebastian. I can offer you nothing.”
“Wanting the same thing as me, to rid our world of Alyssa, is all I need. I find sufficient motivation does way more than people realize.”
Amelia closes her eyes for several long moments, and I wonder if she’s in pain. When she opens them again, she asks, “What do you need me to do? I’ve got nothing left to lose.”
Checking my watch, knowing I will be expected back soon, I hastily explain my plan to her. “If we were to actively go against Alyssa in front of the empires, we would lose and be executed almost instantly. But if we were to make all the empires scared, we may have something.” Amelia motions with her hand for me to continue. “Apply for a job at Tao, Luca’s family’s club. She’s the heir to the Undead. You will overhear things there. People will talk freely in front of you because they will think you arehuman.” I fiddle with the hem of my shirt sleeve. “Are you sure you want to do this? We could be killed if we’re caught.”
The sound of metal clanging wakes me, and my eyes open to my bedroom walls. I try to push myself up to a sitting position, but strong hands stop me. “You passed out, Sebastian. This injury was too close to your head. You could have died this time!” I can’t see Logan’s face, but I can imagine the crease she gets in between her eyebrows when she’s upset. “Now hold still. I need to get all the pieces out so you can heal properly. This is the second time in only a few days! Please don’t scare me like that again. You’re all I have.”
Touched by her concern, I know I have to explain it to her. Make her understand why. “I couldn’t let Gabe die after all he’s done for me. I knew I had a better chance of surviving the blast than he did.”
The room quiets as Logan removes the final part of the shrapnel and says, “You’re more like your ancestor than you realize. You’re free to shower now if you want. Just take it easy with your back. I wouldn’t recommend a bath; too much hot water at once could reopen the wounds.”
Sitting up, I kiss her on the cheek. “Thanks, Logan. If I could choose my family, you would be part of it.”
When I’m dressed in comfortable track pants after the shower, I climb out of my window and perch on the rooftop, which gives me the perfect view of the Chicago skyline. Next to the meadow I took Jude, it’s one of my favorite places to think, and my sister doesn’t take long to track me down. “What are you doing here?” she asks as she gets comfortable beside me, inviting herself. It’s hard to remember a time where Amelia wasn’t part of my life. She belongs with us.
“I dreamed about the aquarium today, and looking back on it now, I can see how badly that could have gone if you didn’t trust me.” I don’t miss her glare, so I answer her question. “I needed to think. Between Thanksgiving and today, I feel like we’re messing up our empires. I was convinced I could do this better than my mother could. Then I spiral, wondering if Alyssa is in my head.”
Amelia leans back on the roof slats, her eyes crinkled as she listens. “Do you think lying was worth it when the people we love want nothing to do with us anymore?”
It’s something I’ve wondered on more than one occasion. “I see Kyla’s death on replay, and I keep wondering if I could have done anything differently. But the reality is, if Alyssa Vance caught wind of what we were up to, she would have killed us both. I don’t think we had a choice if we wanted to end the cycle.”
We fall into a comfortable silence as we examine the choices that led us here. I remember when Amelia told me how her mom died. My mom sent a Rogue after Amelia when she learned of her existence, and Amelia’s mom was human. She fought like tooth and nail to defend her daughter, but it ended in her death. I believe my mom executed the Rogue for their failure afterwards, something she never tolerated with anyone. But also, Ryder never knew about her plan, and pissing him off was something she didn’t want either. It was best to pretend we had no idea what the lone Rogue was up to in order to justify the human’s death.
