her in my arms.
As soon as I had her, I looked back at Micah. "Where’s Shawn?"
He shook his head. "I don't know. We couldn't find him."
"How hard did you look?"
"There was an explosion that sent us all flying. After I recovered, I came after you. I wasn't thinking about Shawn."
"I can't believe you...you joined him," the hurtful words croaked out of my mouth. I should be beating him senseless right now. I should be running away. I was too exhausted to do either.
Micah took a deep breath, then narrowed his eyes. "Why did you leave me?"
It came out of nowhere. I almost wanted to laugh. How could he not understand, even now?
I sat down on the couch, Bee still cradled in my arms. He stayed where he was.
"The ability to do what we do runs in our blood," I answered.
He crossed his arms, waiting for further explanation.
I continued, "The Seven kills Gaias."
He started to shake his head, denying it.
"Don't lie to me Micah. Don't lie to yourself. I might be able to accept my fate; I've done enough damage to understand the reasoning. But I will not accept the same fate for her. What if she is a Gaia? I don't care how much the world suffers – she is all that matters to me."
"And to me." Micah took a step toward us.
I jumped to me feet, clutching her to my chest and eyeing the doors and windows. I half expected Shawn to come crashing through any minute.
He continued, "I tried to tell you that, several times. You are my family. She is my family. I would never let anything happen to you. There will be no more murdering Gaias. We'll figure it out. The organization is gone. Cato is dead. Very little will be left from his days."
He took another step closer.
"Stop. Don't come any closer."
He lowered his arms.
"Why were you working with Shawn?" I asked.
"We needed him to find you. He had the Athame; we thought it could be of some help."
I shuddered that Arianna and the Shades inside who had worked so hard to train me, were now at his mercy.
"Susan has taken over," Micah continued, oblivious to my thoughts. "We can help her run the Seven. Together."
I clutched Bee even tighter when he took another step.
"We can protect her, together," he said.
"No. I can do it."
He shook his head. He was now close enough to put his hand on my shoulder. His other hand stroked my cheek as a tear ran down it. "No, Kaitlyn. You can't."
I crumbled. I knew he was right. I couldn't protect her from Shawn, from Micah, and worst of all I couldn't protect her from myself. The earth below us began to rumble.
I fell all the way to my knees in a desperate sob. "It's happening again. I can't control it."
The shaking began. Glass shattered out on the street.
"Here," I held Bee up to him. "Take her and run."
She was lifted away from me. I hugged my empty arms to my chest.
His boots hadn't moved. I looked up, yelling over the noise, "Get her away from here. Away from me!"
Micah shook his head, "No."
I stood and pushed him back, toward the door. "Go!"
"I won't!" he yelled back.
Car alarms on the street increased the noise. The building shook even harder as Micah and I faced off, forcing our wills against each other.
The door to the apartment slammed open and Alex rushed in with a black duffel bag. He stopped short at Micah's side.
"Alex." My eyes lifted to his in a plea. "Take them away. Get them out of here!"
Micah glanced at Alex. "I'm not going."
Small cracks became large gaping holes in the walls. Several small explosions could be heard outside.
I wouldn't back down. I had warned them, Bee was all that mattered. I would do all I could to keep her safe, even if it meant keeping her away from me.
I hardened my face, attempting to stare Micah down. He did the same to me. So far it was a draw.
He handed Bee to Alex. "Get under that table!"
A red haze descended over my eyes. My body trembled with all the energy I was absorbing from the land, and the land trembled in rage at its loss.
I looked over at Alex. He had Bee under the table
As soon as I had her, I looked back at Micah. "Where’s Shawn?"
He shook his head. "I don't know. We couldn't find him."
"How hard did you look?"
"There was an explosion that sent us all flying. After I recovered, I came after you. I wasn't thinking about Shawn."
"I can't believe you...you joined him," the hurtful words croaked out of my mouth. I should be beating him senseless right now. I should be running away. I was too exhausted to do either.
Micah took a deep breath, then narrowed his eyes. "Why did you leave me?"
It came out of nowhere. I almost wanted to laugh. How could he not understand, even now?
I sat down on the couch, Bee still cradled in my arms. He stayed where he was.
"The ability to do what we do runs in our blood," I answered.
He crossed his arms, waiting for further explanation.
I continued, "The Seven kills Gaias."
He started to shake his head, denying it.
"Don't lie to me Micah. Don't lie to yourself. I might be able to accept my fate; I've done enough damage to understand the reasoning. But I will not accept the same fate for her. What if she is a Gaia? I don't care how much the world suffers – she is all that matters to me."
"And to me." Micah took a step toward us.
I jumped to me feet, clutching her to my chest and eyeing the doors and windows. I half expected Shawn to come crashing through any minute.
He continued, "I tried to tell you that, several times. You are my family. She is my family. I would never let anything happen to you. There will be no more murdering Gaias. We'll figure it out. The organization is gone. Cato is dead. Very little will be left from his days."
He took another step closer.
"Stop. Don't come any closer."
He lowered his arms.
"Why were you working with Shawn?" I asked.
"We needed him to find you. He had the Athame; we thought it could be of some help."
I shuddered that Arianna and the Shades inside who had worked so hard to train me, were now at his mercy.
"Susan has taken over," Micah continued, oblivious to my thoughts. "We can help her run the Seven. Together."
I clutched Bee even tighter when he took another step.
"We can protect her, together," he said.
"No. I can do it."
He shook his head. He was now close enough to put his hand on my shoulder. His other hand stroked my cheek as a tear ran down it. "No, Kaitlyn. You can't."
I crumbled. I knew he was right. I couldn't protect her from Shawn, from Micah, and worst of all I couldn't protect her from myself. The earth below us began to rumble.
I fell all the way to my knees in a desperate sob. "It's happening again. I can't control it."
The shaking began. Glass shattered out on the street.
"Here," I held Bee up to him. "Take her and run."
She was lifted away from me. I hugged my empty arms to my chest.
His boots hadn't moved. I looked up, yelling over the noise, "Get her away from here. Away from me!"
Micah shook his head, "No."
I stood and pushed him back, toward the door. "Go!"
"I won't!" he yelled back.
Car alarms on the street increased the noise. The building shook even harder as Micah and I faced off, forcing our wills against each other.
The door to the apartment slammed open and Alex rushed in with a black duffel bag. He stopped short at Micah's side.
"Alex." My eyes lifted to his in a plea. "Take them away. Get them out of here!"
Micah glanced at Alex. "I'm not going."
Small cracks became large gaping holes in the walls. Several small explosions could be heard outside.
I wouldn't back down. I had warned them, Bee was all that mattered. I would do all I could to keep her safe, even if it meant keeping her away from me.
I hardened my face, attempting to stare Micah down. He did the same to me. So far it was a draw.
He handed Bee to Alex. "Get under that table!"
A red haze descended over my eyes. My body trembled with all the energy I was absorbing from the land, and the land trembled in rage at its loss.
I looked over at Alex. He had Bee under the table
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