Chapter 172
- Becky -
The shark's jaws split the water open—wide, with rows and rows of white teeth aimed at the injured man.
His eyes were wide as the water behind him detonated upward.
What was once his home will now be his grave.
And then—
Lightning.
Not from the sky.
A purple-blue ripped across the flooded corridor with a crack that shook the stone, slicing through the spray of ocean water, carts, and fin in a single violent stroke.
The shark's head jerked sideways mid-lunge.
A second flash followed—sharper, cleaner.
Steel met flesh.
Blood exploded and ran through the waters.
The body was separated before it ever reached the injured man.
An impact wave slammed against the walls and rolled outward in a crashing surge.
Two figures landed between the man and the collapsing waterline.
Kaysi.
Evan.
Kaysi's blade cut downward in a fluid arc, finishing what the lightning had already begun. Evan's arm remained extended, faint threads of blue current crawling along his skin before fading like veins of a storm retreating under flesh.
The shark's body thudded uselessly against the submerged stone.
For one final breath, and nobody moved.
Josh's flame flared instinctively, reflecting in the floodwaters.
Evan stepped back from the falling spray, eyes sharp and controlled.
"You're clear," he said to the injured man.
Like he hadn't just cut a predator in half.
The man stared.
Duke exhaled once. "Took you long enough."
Kaysi's eyes scanned the waterline. "We ran."
I didn't realize until now that I had been holding my breath until it came back in a rush.
They were soaked.
Bruised.
Alive.
James shoved the last bits of the cart aside while Micah and Josh pushed forward together, dragging the injured man up the incline as another ripple disturbed the water below.
"Move!" Duke ordered.
We retreated upward in a coordinated pull, no one speaking until we cleared the final bend.
Only when the corridor widened, and District Two's barrier came back into view, did the adrenaline begin to ease.
Josh set the man down near triage.
Then he turned.
"You almost let him die."
Not an accusation.
Raw edge.
Evan met his stare. "I didn't."
"You cut it close."
"I timed it. I waited until I found an opening, or else I would've hit the man."
Kaysi stepped between them slightly—grounding. not blocking.
"I think what he means is," she said carefully, "he missed you."
Josh didn't deny it.
"We don't have time for that right now. The breach is widening further down," Kaysi said evenly. "They've opened more than one gate."
Duke approached, gaze sweeping Evan's arm. "You used it."
Evan flexed his hand once. The last faint spark vanished. "Yes."
Blue lightning.
Rare.
Dangerous.
Precise,
Josh's flame flickered again—smaller this time.
Below us, the water continued to rise through District One, swallowing the place where the shark had surfaced. The broken carts were already drifting.
"He was defenseless, and none of us could have reached him in time," Evan finally said, returning to the subject.
Josh let out a short breath. "Yeah."
Around us, volunteers moved livestock fully into new, secure pens set up for emergency use. Dogs were being dried and wrapped in a spare blanket. Elise directed two city engineers toward a weakened support column.
Life continued.
But something between the brothers shifted.
Josh glanced down the incline again.
"If we hadn't gotten to the people in time, this could have become so much worse.
He didn't finish.
He didn't need to.
Evan followed his gaze.
"When someone can't stand," Evan said, voice lower now, "you stand in front of them."
Josh's jaw tightened slightly.
"That's what Father used to say."
There it was, the straw that broke the camels' backs.
"If you got a problem with me, then step up." Evan puffed up.
Josh met his body language. "I think it is only funny how you go running off to play house with your girlfriend but leave us behind, not knowing anything."
I gave him a sharp elbow. "Uncalled for," I muttered.
I shook my head. "I had not had time to say anything in the commotion. This is my fault. They left a note saying they were going to talk to the governor about a concern Kaysi had."
Josh loosened his shoulders and looked at Kaysi. "Oh, so what was the concern about?"
Kaysi lowered her head.
Evan stepped between them. "Don't you have eyes?"
Josh blinked. "What are you talking about?"
Duke walked over. "I think we need to have a sit-down before the water rises anymore and hash this out. We all have to relocate and everyone and everything again."
Duke sat down on a nearby bench.
"First off," Duke's eyes narrowed. "Evan, Kaysi, did you talk with the governor?"
Evan's jaw tightened as he answered.
"Kaysi had a nightmare last night of the flood. But she was afraid her mind was playing tricks on her. She told me after Becky collapsed...things haven't felt right."
Evan lowered his head.
"He didn't appreciate our warning. We were escorted by silent police claiming to take us to the staff member who would process our concerns. Locked in a warehouse. They flooded it."
The air shifted.
Josh tilted his head. "They tried to silence you?"
"We were lured into a warehouse and trapped. As the building flooded, we ran out of air. Kaysi was pinned by falling shelves. She tried to climb, trying to escape. We ran out of air and—"
Silence as Evan hesitated.
Frank stepped in out of nowhere. "That's when I stepped in.
Elise's eyes were wide. "Frank?"
"Something's not adding up in this city—I hate to say it, but even the police are silent.
"Told you so," Elise muttered.
Frank continued, "I broke the lock, and out they came with the flood like a fish out of water."
He paused.
"They did well, but there was a moment. Kaysi wasn't breathing."
"Not breathing?" I turned my head as my stomach dropped in worry.
Frank talked in nervous circles. But I caught that.
"Yeah, it's fine," Frank rushed. "Evan was quick with the CPR, and she coughed up all that seawater."
Kaysi's eyes went wide.
Evan melted into a puddle from the visible embarrassment. "I was the closest by; I reacted okay. She's alive; let's move on."
Josh looked at me—absolutely ready to put his foot in his mouth by teasing.
"Not a word," I whispered.
"Oh, come on—"
"Nope."
Kaysi stood up. "We should get moving—"
Kaysi doubled over.
"Kaysi!" I said immediately, grabbing her. "Are you okay?"
She tried to wave it off.
"Yeah, the adrenaline high released a bit; my chest and ribs still hurt from the shelves."
"Let me see." I pulled Kaysi into a tent for privacy, and she lifted her shirt.
"Kaysi," I breathed. She had to have had a few broken ribs and maybe even a cracked sternum.
"Jeez, Kaysi, you act like this is a walk in the park."
"It is a bit hard to breathe," Kaysi admitted quietly.
"I will go get Baby, and she can heal you up."
"Wait, Becky." She caught my wrist. "Why can't you heal me?"
She was quick to ask me; it threw me off my guard.
"It's a long story; I can't manipulate time again. I said softly. I am out of energy."
"How?"
"I can't talk about it until I talk to Evan. There are some things he needs to talk to you about, but I am not sure if or when it is time. That's all I can say."
I walked out of the tent before she could say another word.
Evan was standing just outside the tent eavesdropping.
"I know you're listening," I said, looking back at him as we walked back to the group.
He didn't try to deny it.
"So you lost your powers?" He said quietly.
"I may have over-exhausted them. "I corrected,.
His jaw tightened.
"And Kaysi, she's worse than she is letting on."
"Yeah,"
I paused.
"Did you catch the other part about having a secret you need to tell her?" I scold. "You know not telling her can be dangerous to us all and you—."
"I told her," Evan interrupted.
"I looked at him fully now.
"Oh, well, how did it go?"
He swallowed.
"Well, it was a deathbed confession." He muttered.
My eyebrow raised. "A what?"
"We were drowning; I told her everything in the Abyss, about Josh. But I didn't think we were going to make it. I said things that just spilled out. So I don't know how much of it holds up."
"So how did she respond? "I questioned.
"The water closed us in. She passed out soon after. I gave her my last bit of oxygen, hoping she would be spared. But the water took us, as you know."
I exhaled slowly.
"So now," I said, voice soft but firm, "you need to talk with her again and find out what she remembers."
"You can't keep running away from this, Evan," I added."
His shoulders stiffened.
"I know."
"So that's the awkward silence between you, too. You practically locked lips not once but twice."
"I—I was trying to save her life." Evan cowered.
"Sure thing, lover boy. Next, you will confess your love." I chuckled.
He coughed and tried to change the subject. "So what happened to your powers?"
"Well, safe to say you need to double-check talking to Kaysi about the Abyss and Josh. I don't feel safe saying anything until then, and if I do, it's only to you."
Evan's eyes widened. "It's that serious? I mean, it must be if you lost your powers. Is it permanent?"
"I pray it is not."
Behind us, District One groaned as another structure gave way beneath the rising tide.
Josh stood near the barrier, staring down at the water.
Watching.
Thinking.
Something was shifting in him.
And whatever was coming next... It wasn't just about floodgates.