but it sounded as if more people had joined the fight.
“What’s going on out there?” Tyler checked how many bullets he had left, then slammed the magazine back into the gun.
“A bunch of humans just showed up,” Josh answered. “I saw them coming and flew down to get to Eve.”
“Humans? As in, civilians?” Tyler looked aghast as Josh nodded. We had some humans with us, but they were trained and knew how to handle themselves. A bunch of civilians would get slaughtered.
I’m not sure if Ethan had the same thought or if he’d just had enough of not being able to get to me, but he roared and threw his hands out. The blue wall of fire separated into a thousand fireballs and shot out in every direction.
The fire was so intense that Ethan’s targets didn’t even have a chance to scream before they dropped to the ground in a smoking, charred mess. He’d executed the maneuver perfectly; only Davis’s men had been hit. Everyone else in the room stopped to catch their breath.
The only sound now came from Davis, his screams of pain echoing in the vast space.
Ethan turned to me but swayed. His big body toppled to the ground. He reached for me, eyes drooping, then passed out.
Pain instantly tore into my chest. They were all running low. Now that I was paying attention, I could tell they’d all just about reached their limits, but that last stunt had pushed Ethan over the edge. He needed Light. Now.
“Eth . . . Ethan . . .” The massive burden of the Light inside me weighted me down so much I could hardly speak. It was begging, demanding to be released. I reached out to him, but I couldn’t risk touching him, not without touching them all.
We needed Alec.
But Alec was still pummeling my father, lost in his rage.
Josh rushed to Ethan’s side, checking for injuries. I looked up at Tyler, gritting my teeth with the effort of controlling all the Light, and hoped the pleading look in my eyes was enough to convey what I needed.
Tyler looked in Alec’s direction, shouting his name.
Alec was kneeling over Davis, landing punch after punch to his face, ribs, anywhere his fists could connect. Fountains of blood sprayed in gruesome bursts every time Alec’s fists connected. I couldn’t be sure how much was my father’s and how much belonged to the Master of Pain.
By some miracle, Davis was still conscious, screaming between blows. That’s how Alec must’ve been keeping him awake—just enough pain inflicted by his ability to keep his adrenaline pumping and his mind still connected to his body.
Or maybe he was screaming from the pain of the burns. Being pushed through Ethan’s fire wall had left half of Davis’s face a gruesome, charred mess, with a black hole where his eye used to be. The right side of his body was almost as bad. The smoking flesh seemed to be fused with the fabric of his clothing.
Alec was determined to make him suffer, fully embracing all he hated about himself to hurt the man who had ruined our lives. His expression was feral, his teeth bared, his eyes wild. Blood dripped down his face, and his muscles bunched with every movement.
I knew he’d hate himself for getting lost in the pain later, but I couldn’t worry about that yet.
Alec wanted Davis to suffer, but I just wanted this to end.
“Ty!” I managed to yell. Tears of frustration streamed down my face, mingling with the blood and dust in my hair. He was refusing to leave my side, but he saw the desperate look in my face, knew Ethan didn’t have much time.
“Josh!” he yelled as he rose to his feet, raising his gun.
Josh whipped his head around, figured out what was needed in under a second, and lifted his arm. Using his ability, he yanked Davis out from under Alec and lifted him into the air.
Davis stopped screaming. His one good eye rolled into the back of his head before it focused on me. Somehow, he managed to smile, the good side of his face pulling up in a twisted, horrific way. “You’re all—”
Tyler pulled the trigger, shooting him through his good eye and finally ending his life. Josh released his hold, and Davis fell to the ground next to a slightly confused, panting Alec.
With the screams and the sound of punches gone, my weak voice carried. “Alec.”
He finally looked at me, the violent haze clearing from his eyes.