opens the door to the cage. he wants us to go in.
the girl, Annalise, has moved. she’s talking too. she’s talking quietly, gently. we don’t understand her words. she isn’t a threat. she doesn’t want us in the cage.
the man, Soul, is holding the door open. we move toward it. he’s pointing the gun at us.
we are not going in the cage.
Soul shouts again and we run at him and jump at his neck. the sound of gunfire and a scream hits us as we leap through the air, clamping tight on Soul’s throat, tasting blood, hearing bone crack. Soul shoots again and again. we stay holding his throat, tasting his blood, his sweat. then he’s limp and heavy in our jaws.
* * *
Soul’s body drops to the floor, blood running out slowly. I’m already transformed back to the human me, and I’m holding the gun. Soul’s eyes are fluttering open. He’s still alive, just. I heal myself, ridding my system of the residual elements of the blue. I feel clear-headed now and buzzing with healing.
Soul’s eyes are on me, still full of silver shards. He’s healing too. I point the gun at his temple and as I say “Die” I squeeze the trigger.
I know guards will be coming. They’ll have heard the shots.
Annalise is talking to me.
“I’m sorry for what I did, Nathan. Truly.”
I need to ignore her, but I can’t. I raise the gun and point it at Annalise. She looks frightened, as she should, but she stands her ground. “Nathan, I’m sorry. I know I hurt you. I wish I could undo what I did. I’ve wished that a thousand times but I can’t.”
I keep the gun on her. “I don’t forgive you, Annalise. My father is dead. Dead, Annalise. And many others from the Alliance are too. All because of you.”
“And I have to live with that. But I never meant to hurt you, Nathan.”
A Hunter bursts into the room. I’m not a great shot but I don’t miss from this distance. Her partner runs in and shoots at me and I get her too.
I hear shouting. More are coming.
I tell Annalise, “Stay there and keep low and you might not get killed.”
I go into Soul’s office, shutting the door on Annalise. I haven’t got the time to think about her now. I drop the gun and consider going invisible but I think it’s time to fight openly. I want them to see they can’t hurt me. I want them to fear me. I want them to know it’s not me who’s going to die.
* * *
The first Hunters to reach Soul’s office run in and I let them shoot. The room is full of noise. It takes them a while to realize that bullets don’t work on me. I send lightning back. A couple of grenades roll to me and I pick one up and throw it back so it explodes by the Hunters; the other one explodes to my right and I’m rocked to the side by the force but remain on my feet. And when it begins to go quiet then I shoot out more lightning, filling the room with light and noise and burning electricity. I’m protected inside a cocoon of the amulet’s protection. The lightning I produce is bigger and stronger than anything I’ve ever done before. And then I snap it off and walk out of Soul’s office and down the corridor.
One Hunter ahead shoots at me. I send a bolt of lightning at her and she falls to the ground. I feel more powerful than ever before. It’s not the Essence that Ledger was talking about, but I’ve accessed my Gifts at a stronger level. I’m not sure why, except I know I’m free of Annalise, free of Soul, and all I need to do is kill those in my way. And the more they try to hurt me the stronger I get. I’m not losing my energy but gaining more.
I move to the Council Chamber. The Hunters I come across haven’t yet learned that I can’t be hurt. They shoot and throw grenades and I send lightning back and they learn to retreat and a path clears before me all the way to the Council Chamber. Here the Councilors have formed a defensive line behind the big table, which is on its side, and some have guns and others use their Gifts—one sends flames, another heavy objects. Soul’s throne and the other chairs fly toward me and ricochet