Fated: The Epic Finale (Talented Saga Book 8) Read online

  “What’s wrong with her?” Emma Montague asked me, pointing to Kenly Baker. My former mentee was sitting cross-legged on the floor, pitching back and forth like a rocking chair on overdrive.

  “I don’t…,” I started to say. Images flooded my mind, cutting off the answer. Fire. Blood. Billowing clouds of turquoise smoke. People rushed to the surface levels of the Isle of Exile as enormous chrome-winged figures descended from the heavens above.

  “Alex!” I screamed to no one in particular.

  “Tals? Tals, what’s wrong? Talk to me!” Erik Kelley’s voice broke through the nightmare, his jewel-toned gaze penetrating the hellish slideshow inside my head. He gripped my shoulders and shook me. At first, I was too dazed to respond. Erik shook me hard enough that my teeth rattled.

  “Natalia!” he snapped.

  “The Isle is under attack.” I fought to see the McDonough’s home in the real world in front of me along with the hazy scenes playing out thousands of miles away.

  “You’re sure?” Erik demanded, his gaze widening.

  “Noooo,” Kenly moaned from the floor. Her boyfriend, James Wellington sat behind her, Kenly’s back pressed against his chest. He stroked her hair. “No,” she moaned again.

  Erik’s eyes became unfocused as his mind joined with Kenly’s. Or maybe it was mine, I wasn’t certain. The color drained from Erik’s tanned skin when he saw the same scene I was witnessing. The flying beasts—people with glider wings attached to their backs, I realized—rained down balls of flame as they landed on the islands. The attackers’ suits were apparently fireproof, because they walked through the burning wreckage and remained unscathed. Even the waves lapping the shores of the island were not immune; twisted flames danced atop the roiling sea, providing no escape for the citizens of the Isle.

  Erik managed to pull free from the vision before I did. Calm determination replaced the fear leaking from his pores. “It hasn’t happened yet,” he said softly, eyes sparkling.

  “What?” I stuttered. I blinked rapidly, until the McDonough’s house came into view again.

  My question went unanswered. Erik was already gone. I caught a flash of movement near the kitchen. “It hasn’t happened yet.” The words played inside my head, and I chased after Erik.

  “What does he mean?” Emma called after me, panic in her voice. The faint sound of her feet hurrying behind me barely registered.

  “Can she see the future?” her boyfriend, Kip, asked. He sounded as scared as Emma.

  With events unfolding quickly, I spared only a second to feel bad for the duo. They were from Pelia, a small island in the middle of an ocean that was untouched by our modern times. This world of war and destruction was as far from their icy sanctuary as night was from day.

  You shouldn’t have brought them. They don’t belong here. I shook my head to clear the thoughts. No use torturing yourself over the past. They’re here now. It’s up to you to keep them safe.

  “Talia?” Kip whispered my name. He and Emma were right behind me when I caught up to Erik.

  He’d understood the significance of Kenly’s vision faster than me and was already punching in a contact on the house communicator.

  I turned, my attention torn between Erik and the duo from Pelia. “Hmm? Yes, Kenly is a Visionary.” There was no point in mentioning that future-gazing was one of Kenly’s created abilities, and she wasn’t born with the gift.

  “Like a seer,” Kip replied. “We have a few on Pelia, but the skill is rare.”

  Already tuned out of the conversation, one word registered in my frantic thoughts: rare. Visionaries were rare. So were Teleporters. In fact, Kip was the only one I’d ever met.

  “Wait,” I met Kip’s gaze, “you can take me there. To the Isle. You can tele—”

  His expression crushed the spark of hope that flitted through me. The trip from London to the McDonough School had exhausted all his energy, I already knew that. It was sort of a miracle he was still upright. My desperation had made me ask the question, my frantic thoughts focused only on keeping Alex McDonough safe. Kip shook his head.

  “I’m so sorry, Talia…I can’t. I don’t have it in me to make another trip so soon,” he told me, looking genuinely distraught.

  Erik spared a glance in my direction, terror in his turquoise gaze. I turned my full attention to the communicator in his hands. Mr. Kelley’s holo image appeared. Alex, I thought. The tiniest bit of relief mixed with my utter panic, and my stomach did flip flops. I’d never felt so helpless.

  Kip opened his mouth, but I held up a hand to halt the words. I wasn’t mad or even upset with him—there was no room for those emotions, not with the panic and worry coursing through my veins. Aware of the way talents and energy worked, I knew it wasn’t Kip’s fault that he didn’t have any steam left. None of that mattered. All that mattered was getting Alex off that damned island before the attack.

  “You need to evacuate!” Erik shouted at his father’s hologram.

  Mr. Kelley stared at his son, mouth agape. He began to sputter a response, but Erik didn’t let him get a word out.

  “There isn’t time to explain,” Erik continued, his voice calmer and more commanding. “I’m with a Visionary.”

  That was all Mr. Kelley needed to know. His holo image began moving frantically around the apartment on the Isle of Exile, throwing clothes into a bag haphazardly. Darting into the kitchen, Mr. Kelley picked up a second communicator. His fingers flew across the screen. An instant later, loud blaring sounded in the apartment, followed by Victoria Walburton’s prerecorded voice.

  “This is not a drill,” she recited. “Activate Evacuation Protocol Alpha. I repeat, this is not a drill. Activate Evacuation Protocol Alpha.”

  My gut cramped, the sound of her voice nearly reducing me to tears. Victoria is dead, I thought numbly. Who else will I lose before this is over?

  Over the alarm, Mr. Kelley yelled back to his son. “Where should we go?”

  Victoria’s voice played on a loop, as though speaking to me from the great beyond. As annoying as the alarm was, I liked hearing Victoria’s clipped British accent.

  She’d always known an attack on the islands was likely, I realized. Of course, she had. Victoria was the type of woman who prepared for every possibility.

  “Where it all began,” Erik screamed to his father. The answer was purposefully cryptic for anyone who might intercept the comm.

  Mr. Kelley paused just long enough to meet Erik’s eyes. “I’ll see you soon, son.” Then, Erik’s father disconnected. All I could do was hope the warning would provide the residents of the Isle enough time to evacuate, that it would allow Mr. Kelley enough time to get Alex to safety.

  Erik turned to me as he dialed another contact on the communicator without looking at the screen.

  “He’s going to be fine,” my boyfriend mentally sent to me. “They will make it off the island.”

  A shaky breath slipped through my clenched teeth. Alex. Donavon’s son. The child I’d vowed to protect at all costs. Though I wanted everyone on the islands to escape, Alex’s safety was my primary concern. The fact that Erik chose to call his father, Alex’s current guardian first made me love him all the more—if that was even possible.

  Frederick Kraft’s holo image appeared on the comm. Tearing his gaze from mine, Erik spoke in that same calm, authoritative tone he’d used with his father—the one that made compliance certain. “Frederick, I need you to listen to me….”

  I didn’t hear what he said next. Without warning, the McDonough’s kitchen disappeared, replaced with the Isle of Exile as I was once again pulled into Kenly’s vision. This time, instead of being an omniscient observer, I was standing on the beach. It was like I was truly there. One of the winged women landed on top of me. I shrieked and punched instinctively, my fist going straight through her. My form was not corporeal, it merely felt that way.

  I didn’t fight Kenly’s pull. Her emotions were out of control, and she was projecting her thoughts so loudly th
at it was hard to resist. Instead of struggling to return to Erik and our present surroundings, I embraced the vision.

  Glancing skyward, I watched a second wave of assailants leap from hovercrafts. A third followed closely behind. Seeing the weapons in their hands, I acted on instinct and tried to yank a small blue sphere from an attacker’s grip. Pain split my skull, as though halving my brain. The small bomb flew to where I stood on the beach, invisible to everyone around me.

  What the actual fudge? This wasn’t happening in current time, not to mention that I wasn’t physically there. How was it possible?

  Shock made the vision fade. For a second, I was caught between the present and the future, in a no-man’s land where possibilities swirled like ghosts of events yet to happen.

  Concentrate.

  The island materialized once again, and the pain in my head subsided. Another wave of attackers rained destruction on Eden, the island I’d once called home. Unlike Kenly’s original vision of residents dying as they scrambled for safety, few citizens were on the island’s surface level. Instead, UNITED agents dressed in tactical gear met the winged assailants. Janelle Longpre, a friend of sorts, was leading a group through the melee toward a waiting submersible pod. An agent I didn’t recognize brought up the rear, sending off strong electrical impulses that caused the bombs to explode in midair. When an attacker—who couldn’t have been more than fifteen—grabbed the Electrical Manipulator’s arm, the UNITED agent gave him a jolt the kid wouldn’t soon recover from.

  Janelle and her companion stood guard while the group boarded the watercraft, spraying cover fire at enemy combatants who dared approach. When the last man hopped into the pod, Janelle turned to signal their departure. It was a crucial mistake. In those few seconds, a shining flier appeared out of thin air. It landed on her shoulders, the attacker’s hands closed around Janelle’s neck. Again, I didn’t think before acting.

  The rush of pain brought me to my knees, this time reverberating through my entire body. It was like being shot but worse. So much worse.

  This isn’t real, I told myself. At least, not for me. It would be very real for Janelle. The vision was her future if I didn’t intervene. Fighting against the feeling of being ripped in two, I used telekinesis to wrench the hands away from her neck. The sickening crack of bone met my ears. The attacker wasn’t the only one who howled.

  “Kenly!”

  Her name echoed inside my skull. Grabbing my head with both hands, I sank to the floor and curled into myself. As swiftly as I’d been pulled into the vision, I was booted from it. Familiar fingers wrapped around mine, gently prying my hands from the sides of my head.

  “Talia?” Erik’s voice was small and tight.

  I couldn’t answer.

  “Natalia?” He said my full name when I didn’t respond.

  Slowly, the pain eased until I felt whole again. I opened my eyes and met Erik’s beautiful gaze.

  “I’m here,” I said weakly.

  Relief wafted from him like a pleasant ocean breeze. Erik took my hands, hauling me to my feet with ease. I was still shaky but didn’t need his support to stand, which seemed to be a good sign. He must have agreed, because Erik smiled faintly. Unfortunately, the mood didn’t last long.

  “Talia! Erik!” James screamed our names from the living room.

  Erik beat me there, my unsteady legs incapable of running. Emma and Kip followed at a much slower pace. Their emotions—mostly terror and confusion—radiated all around the pair.

  The sight of Kenly slumped over James’ lap, her eyes rolled back in her head, nearly brought me to my knees again.

  “Kenly,” I breathed, joining Erik by her side.

  Pressing two fingers to her throat, James felt for a pulse. Tears streamed down his cheeks. His body convulsed, and I knew.

  “No!” I screamed so loudly the single word echoed through the entire house.

  This can’t be happening. She can’t be—no, no, not Kenly.

  My heart turned to molten lava at the thought, searing in my chest until I couldn’t take the pain. I couldn’t lose Kenly. I’d just lost Victoria. It couldn’t happen. My mental shields dropped completely as I focused all my energy on Kenly’s mind. My skin tingled. The signal from my mentee was weak but present.

  I must have gasped audibly, because every eye in the room turned to me. Even Emma, who was sobbing in Kip’s arms, looked up.

  “I feel her,” I said, softly. “I feel her.”

  Like me, Erik was impulsive. For both of us, it was a curse and a blessing at the same time. In our lives, we had to rely on instincts and act without thought to consequences.

  That was exactly what Erik did.

  He placed a hand on Kenly’s chest. Pure adrenaline shot through him and into Kenly, followed by a shockwave that knocked out all the lights in the living room. The power Erik exuded was both terrifying and exhilarating.

  At first, nothing happened. I was about to insist Erik administer another jolt to Kenly’s system. The words were on the tip of my tongue, and I felt him gathering more energy. Kenly shot up, her back stiff as she flew upright.

  James was leaning over her, and her forehead collided with his. The loud cracking sound made me worry that one or both might have a fractured skull. My mentee gasped, as though the air she breathed wasn’t reaching her lungs. Her eyes were wild, unfocused. The power Kenly emitted was erratic. Random parts of her body turned invisible for several seconds before reappearing.

  She’s in fight-or-flight mode, I realized. Nudging Erik aside with my hip, I scurried closer to Kenly.

  Contact wasn’t necessary, but I hoped my physical touch would soothe her just as much as the calm energy I was sending. James’ platinum eyes were still swimming with tears, but the look of utter despair was gone from his face. He stroked Kenly’s hair. His arms were ropes of tension, like he wanted to squeeze her but was too scared to unleash the torrent of emotions on his recovering girlfriend.

  “Thank you,” James whispered. The words were meant for Erik, though his gaze never left Kenly.

  My mentee still hadn’t spoken since sitting up. Her mind was a vacant lot, though faint rumblings were beginning within it. I worried the vision had done permanent damage to her psyche.

  Don’t borrow trouble, I told myself. Focus on the present. Worry about that if it comes to pass.

  We had enough on our plates with what was certain about the future, I didn’t need to worry about all the unknowns. Only the promise of war was known—the first shot was about to be fired.

  I locked away images of Victoria’s limp body—that wasn’t how I wanted to remember her, anyway—and thoughts of Alex’s safety and the battle on the islands. It was all the beginning of many more to come. Calling upon all my training, I focused on the problem in front of me. Kenly needed my help, my full attention. I owed her that much.

  “Let’s take her to my room,” I suggested, then turned to Emma and Kip. “Can you….” I trailed off at the sight of Emma, who was still a pile of crying girl in Kip’s arms. Did she get pulled into Kenly’s vision, too?

  Shaking my head, I turned to my boyfriend. “Erik, will you get Kenly some water? And see if you can find anything edible? She needs calories.”

  Straightening to his full height, Erik looked down at the girl he’d once nearly killed. With a quick nod to me, he strode toward the kitchen.

  James lifted his girlfriend as though she were weightless. I led him to my bedroom, trying to not think about the box of pictures in the closet. All the death, and near-death, of the last hour had brought Donavon to the front of my mind.

  I shook my head again, willing the thoughts to disperse. This wasn’t the time. Donavon was gone, and there was nothing I could do to change that. Thoughts of my ex-boyfriend had to be relegated to the same locked chest as those of his son, among the other things I currently couldn’t do anything about.

  “I’m going to stay with her,” James said, his British accent stronger than normal.

&n
bsp; “Of course.” I smiled reassuringly and placed my hand on his shoulder. “She’s going to be okay.”

  It was a promise I shouldn’t have made. This time, Kenly was okay. Thanks to Erik’s quick thinking. But next time…and there would be a next time….

  How many more of my friends will die before this war ends? I wondered again.

  Erik entered the bedroom. He set a glass of water and a granola bar beside the bed. “Sorry, it’s all I could find,” he said with a shrug.

  “Thank you,” James replied softly. The two words carried physical weight and had nothing to do with the snack Erik brought.

  “If you need anything—“I started to say.

  “I’ll let you know.” James didn’t look at me as he stretched out beside Kenly on the bed.

  Erik slipped his hand in mine and pulled me gently to the doorway. We returned to the living room and our other guests.

  “You guys should rest, too,” I told Emma and Kip.

  Emma’s sobbing had tapered to quiet crying, tears slipping silently down her cheeks in two perfect lines.

  Kip nodded, agreeing with me. “If you don’t mind. With some sleep, I’ll be able to recharge. In case…in case you need me.”

  His projected emotions swept over me. The guilt over not being able to take me to Alex still gnawed at his gut.

  I managed a smile and started down the hallway, gesturing for the pair to follow me.

  “You guys can use Donavon’s room.”

  Just saying his name aloud, inside the house we’d both called home, was enough to crack my calm façade. Entering Donavon’s bedroom nearly paralyzed me. My lungs felt like they were encased in a straightjacket. For a long minute, standing in my ex-boyfriend’s doorway, I couldn’t breathe.

  Donavon is gone. There is nothing you can do for him. Focus on Alex. He’s still alive, and he needs you.

  “They’re on their way,” Erik sent, reading the worries floating through my head. “Alex is on a hover with my father. Frederick and Henri are gathering the UNITED agents still in London to fight the attackers.”

  His assurances lessened the guilt chewing at my insides. I was supposed to protect Alex—I’d made that promise to Donavon and Kandice—and I was sucking hard in my new role as guardian.