Beckoning Light (The Afterglow Trilogy #1)(52)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

“Charlotte, consent to stay with me, and I will hear you out. I give you my word.” Calvin softened his voice as he spoke to her.

“I will only stay if you send Blake away.” Charlotte sounded resolute.

Calvin started to look desperate. “We can talk about this, Charlotte.”

“No, you cannot. We are done talking. Either you let all of us go, or I kill the girl,” James said angrily.

Blake laughed. “Calvin, he would not kill her; he could not.” But Blake didn’t take a step toward James, either.

“How do I know you will not hurt her after you leave? How do I know she will be safe?” Calvin asked, his resolve breaking.

“Because she’ll be with me,” I finally spoke up, understanding that as little as I trusted James, he might be our only ticket out. “I would never let her get hurt.”

“Neither would I,” Monty said, walking up to stand next to me.

“I will protect her, too!” Liam yelled. I turned to look at Liam and was shocked to see him standing. He was still bleeding a little, but he looked like he was going to make it. I didn’t understand it.

“As will I,” said the boy who had been in chains when we arrived. “I will do everything to protect my Essence.” I guessed somewhere along the line, someone had freed him.

“Charlotte, do you really mean to leave me?” Calvin looked at her sadly.

“Calvin, I can’t stay with you if you are following Blake. You must see his evil ways. Everything he says is a lie,” Charlotte said desperately. I could see the pain in her eyes.

“But we belong together. You need to stay with me so I can protect you.” Calvin started to take a step forward but stopped himself at the last moment.

“The only ones I need protection from are you and Blake.” A murmur went through the crowd.

“You think you need protection from me?” Calvin nearly yelled, clearly hurt. “How could you fear me?”

“How could I not? You have been treating me as a prisoner, and you didn’t try to release me from that thing, that thing that hurt worse than being burned.” I couldn’t believe that Charlotte was talking to Calvin this way; she sounded so confident and strong.

Calvin gasped. “Oh, Charlotte, I did not realize the pain. I am sorry. Oh, Charlotte.” Calvin looked like someone had stabbed him.

“I’m not falling for it, Calvin. You need to let us go. James will kill me if he has to, and I think he’s right to do it. I would rather be dead than to help with the campaign of destruction Energo is on.”

“Charlotte, please,” Calvin begged.

“So what do you say, Calvin? Do we leave, or do I kill the girl?” James glared at Calvin.

“You can leave. I know she will be back.” Calvin addressed Charlotte as much as James. “Taking her away now will not keep her from me. She belongs here with me and her people. I will come for you, Charlotte, I promise.”

“Don’t come for me until you are ready to see Blake for what he really is,” Charlotte said resolutely. Wow, Charlotte! I thought. I was shocked by the way she held her ground against this guy. I even had a hard time talking back to him.

Calvin looked at Charlotte sadly and nodded. “Raise the gates!” The gates opened, and James backed up, sword still to Charlotte’s throat. We all started to follow them out. I quickly moved behind James in case someone tried to grab him. Once we were outside the gates with the crowd of released prisoners, the gates started to fall again. I looked back and realized that Percy might not make it out before they closed.

Percy started walking toward us, but he paused. “Blake, you will be stopped. We know you for what you are.”

Suddenly, Blake lunged at Percy, knocking Percy’s sword from his grasp. I watched in horror as Blake plunged his sword through Percy’s chest. Even though Blake was no longer a Guardian, he had a black sword that seemed just as strong as ours, maybe even stronger. An old woman jumped on Blake from behind. Dropping his sword, Blake reached behind himself, pulling her forward. He took both of her wrists in his hand and threw her clear across the room. She fell to the ground in a heap and didn’t move. The strength he exhibited in just one hand seemed superhuman. We all stared, desperately wanting to help, but there was nothing we could do. Percy and the woman, who must have been his Essence, were gone. It had all happened so fast that we couldn’t respond. I saw Calvin looking as dumbstruck as we probably did, surprised by Blake’s quick movements. As we stood there staring, the gate slammed to the ground. We had succeeded in rescuing Charlotte, but at a heavy cost. Hesitantly, we turned and headed through the village toward the outer wall. As we walked out, I heard Calvin cry, “Charlotte!” with more agony than I had ever heard in my life. As soon as we had moved outside the walls, James dropped the sword and told her to create a mist to make it hard for us to be pursued. Charlotte closed her eyes, and I watched mesmerized as a thick fog formed. I ran to Charlotte and pulled her into the biggest hug ever, not wanting to let go.

“Charlotte, I am so glad you are okay,” I whispered, as I held her.

When I finally let go, she smiled. “It’s good to see you, too, Kevin.” Even though she was smiling, I could tell she was trying to hold back tears.

Monty pulled her into a hug next, swinging her around the way he always did, like she was still a little girl. “I am so proud of you, Charlotte. I am so proud.” She smiled weakly; clearly her reserve was failing.

Next, Liam took his turn. Charlotte fell into his arms and started to cry. Then she seemed to notice the blood on his shirt and touched her hand to the spot. Liam made a face, and Charlotte leaned into him suddenly as though tired. Liam smiled, and the look of pain was gone.

The group was hurrying ahead, so Liam let her cry on his shoulder as he moved her forward. Liam looked over at me, as though he wanted to make sure it was okay to be so close to her, and I nodded. I had never been so grateful to have Liam as a friend, and I think Charlotte was feeling the same way.

We walked back to the Cason Caves, stopping only to eat and rest briefly. I still couldn’t get over how different Charlotte seemed. She had been through an experience I could never imagine, yet here she was strong and marching on. She looked incredibly sad, and I knew without her telling me that leaving Calvin had been harder than she had let on. As much as she didn’t want to, I knew that she loved him. Once I made sure that Charlotte was all right, flanked by Liam and Monty, I went to find Samantha.