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Chapter 17

  I caught myself before falling and peered through the tangle of hair in my eyes. A Rygon. Shit. I’d never been in a faceoff with one. Hadn’t planned on it, either. They were monsters and killers and…I stifled back a scream. My feet begged to move. How far would running get me? To the meadow? Maybe. Not a risk I could take. I wasn’t completely helpless, and no way would I stand here and let him suck my life and ability away.

  Cocking his head to the side, the Rygon strode toward me.

  Aiden burst through the trees on the right, a Rygon on his heels. Gun drawn, Aiden fired several shots at my pursuer. The Rygon ducked, easily evading what would’ve been perfect shots to the head.

  Spinning around, Aiden kicked the Rygon following him. The Rygon staggered back. Aiden leapt forward, shoved me back against the tree and took a protective stance in front of me. I peeked around him. Both Rygons crouched, eyes set on their target. Me.

  They lunged. Aiden met their attacks, blocking, punching and slicing faster than my eyes could take in. Skyler told me, weeks before “Aiden’s freakin’ amazing.” I knew, now, what he meant. In fact, I’d be willing to argue for a more suitable word, but I didn’t know one that would capture what I saw. His agility, pace—every strike blew my mind. It seemed choreographed. Neither Rygon could get around him.

  I couldn’t tear my gaze from the mesmerizing battle: A lot like a tornado whirling toward you. Common sense screamed for you to run or take cover, but something about the swirling vortex of doom captivated you and kept you immobile.

  Unlike a tornado, Rygons weren’t an unstoppable force of nature. Aiden looked like he could fight ten more at this rate, but I knew they needed to be defeated quickly and efficiently. Whether they touched you or not, they could still gradually weaken you by pulling your energy.

  I closed my eyes and focused, pushing my mind toward the Rygon on the left. My breath caught. I flinched, feeling the strange gooey texture of his mind. Something close to what tar would feel like. The abnormality almost made me draw back. Almost. A chill shot up my spine. A shrill coldness wafted throughout my body as I pushed deeper. I worked my way through the muck then beyond his paper thin wall of resistance. Moving it aside, I grabbed hold of his mind and took control of his better senses. The power burned within me. Satisfaction. Relief.

  He stopped in his tracks and stared at me, glassy-eyed. Aiden hit him and sent him flying into a nearby tree.

  I took a step toward the Rygon. Aiden, still in full-blown fighting mode, managed to force me back against the tree. “Stay back!”

  Balling my fists, I continued to keep eye contact with the Rygon. The longer I stared, the more dominant the yearning in my body became. My leg bounced. Fire swelled in my chest—a heat I didn’t understand. The need—no—the want to hurt him, took over everything else.

  Faster than I believed possible, I bolted past Aiden. No hesitating. No second thoughts. I jumped on the Rygon and swung my fists as hard as I could. There was a sickening crunch beneath my fist and blood gushed from his nose. Under my skin, a faint burning sensation built on my hip.

  “Taylee!” Aiden grabbed me by the waist and jerked me off the Rygon. “Stop. Stay out of this.”

  Heart hammering, breathing rutted, my eyes settled on the knife in the Rygon’s hand. The knife he would’ve, no doubt, used on us. Stab yourself.

  He raised the knife to his chest.

  “Let him go.” Aiden shook me. “You’re gonna drain all your energy. I’ll deal with this.”

  I wanted to. I needed to. For Delmari. For the girl. For myself. Somewhere buried in my mind, I knew I should listen and let him go.

  “Come on,” Aiden said carefully. “I’ll handle it.”

  Blood trickled from the Rygon’s chest. It thrilled me—made me feel powerful and not like the weak little Drea I was forced to be. He couldn’t harm me. I was in control. I could hurt him as much as I needed to.

  As if to break my concentration, Aiden stepped in front of me. He cupped my face in one hand, staring directly at me. “Let him go.”

  I squeezed my eyes tightly and waged my inner battle. The blazing pressure on my hip intensified with every passing second. Drop the knife or kill him? Drop the knife or kill him?

  Taking more restraint than I knew I had, I ordered, Drop the knife.

  When the Rygon did, Aiden turned, still blocking my field of vision and finished what I’d started.

  The thick goop of the Rygon’s mind released me, and I fell to my knees, gasping. My head throbbed from concentration. My body swayed from all the energy I used. I fought to breathe, determined to outlive the growing fatigue. Everything blurred and I felt the sting in my mind before I passed into darkness.