THE RAIN MADE IT impossible to hold on to Serena’s hands. Jimena had to do something and quickly.
“I’m going to let go of your right hand,” Jimena warned her, “so I can grab your left wrist. Ready?”
Serena nodded.
Jimena released Serena’s right hand and grabbed her left wrist. Her hold felt firm again, but she knew it couldn’t last for long. She strained and tugged hard.
At the same time Vanessa and Catty pulled her farther away from the edge.
Serena dug her toes into the sides of the cavern.
Cassandra whispered across Jimena’s mind, urging her to let go of Serena’s hand. Then another voice pushed Cassandra’s aside and scraped around Jimena’s mind, the tone taunting and so different that she turned and glanced back at Karyl.
“Don’t look at him,” Vanessa yelled.
Karyl walked to the edge of the chasm and looked down at her.
“Ignore him,” Catty urged and tugged hard on her legs.
Listen to him, Cassandra breathed the words softly into Jimena’s mind. He has something important to tell you.
Jimena ignored them and glanced back at Serena. “Brace your feet against the side and try to walk up.”
Serena did and was able to take one faltering step.
Jimena wiggled backward.
Karyl leaned down, closer to Jimena and spoke contemptuously in her ear. “I’m the vato. I’m the one who came to Veto the night he got shot. I lied to him and told him you needed his help. I led him into enemy land. He thought he was going to rescue you.”
Jimena could feel anger rising inside her.
“Don’t listen to him,” Catty said.
“They’re trying to get you to attack so you’ll forget about Serena,” Vanessa warned.
“Like I don’t know that?” Jimena yelled back at them.
Jimena strained and pulled hard. Serena took another small step, digging her toes into the fissure wall.
Large clumps of dirt fell over the side.
Jimena had to worm backward to keep from falling. Her hands were on fire but she managed to smile reassuringly to Serena. “You’re almost safe now.”
She yanked again and moved backward as Serena took another small step. Catty leaned forward and grabbed Serena’s other hand.
More dirt and grass gave way, but this time they pulled Serena up and over the edge.
“Hurry,” Vanessa warned behind them.
They fell back as the ground slumped and large pieces of earth gave way.
Karyl smiled at Jimena with his strange, hungry eyes, and Jimena knew intuitively that she didn’t want to hear his next words. She turned to face him, her moon amulet casting an extraordinary white glow over his face. He didn’t seem intimidated by the power building inside her.
“Cassandra gave me the power,” he bragged, his eyes burning. “The power from the Inner Circle to go back in time and change one event.”
Jimena stood and stepped closer to him.
“But a big one,” Cassandra added with a derisive grin as she stepped next to Karyl to face Jimena.
Karyl started to speak and Jimena interrupted him, her voice low and rasping, her anger complete, “You went back in the past to lure Veto into enemy territory?”
“To his death,” Karyl said.
The air trembled with Jimena’s power. She pulled the small gun from her pocket and pointed the muzzle at Karyl.
Morgan screamed and took quick steps back, but Cassandra didn’t flinch.
Vanessa let out a long hiss of air and grabbed Jimena’s arm. “Don’t, Jimena. Remember what Maggie told us. Evil only feeds evil. We never use the tools of the Atrox.”
Jimena jerked her arm away and cocked the hammer on the small gun. She kept Karyl in its sights. “Maggie doesn’t know anything about fighting evil.”
She let an indolent smile cross her face and then spoke to Karyl. “You’re not Immortal yet, are you, Karyl? Too bad. A bullet can kill a Follower, right? You ever see what a bullet does to flesh?” She could feel the jaguar awakening and padding through her veins.
But Karyl didn’t seem afraid, he seemed elated. So did Cassandra.
“Stop,” Serena yelled, and then she was half-running, half-limping to Jimena’s side. “The Followers grow stronger when people use violence to fight them. You’re only going to put us all in jeopardy.”
Karyl sneered. “Veto thought he was going to rescue you, Jimena. His concern for you killed him.”
“They’ll be invincible if you use the gun,” Catty cried.
Jimena gripped the gun with both hands. “He can’t survive a gunshot.”
“You’re a force of good.” Vanessa tried to convince her.
“Too late.” Jimena smiled and pulled at the trigger.