A Duel Of Romance
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The moon shines a spotlight on the three of us as it slides out from behind the clouds. Both Balen and Owen are staring in my direction. Balen's eyes betray some emotion, like respect. Owen's hint at something else. Hurt, maybe?
"The lady has spoken. After you." Balen steps back, bowing.
"About time, you stepped aside. Watch and learn tree boy." Owen slips his arm around me, drawing me close so that he fills my field of vision.
I can handle this. I can kiss Owen and not care. So why is my heart slamming against my rib cage? Why is my throat parched, as though I haven't had anything to drink in days?
"Jemma." Owens voice is husky, thick, like he wants this. Like I'm important to him.
I shouldn't care, he shouldn't matter, but maybe that's been my problem all along? Maybe Owen has always meant a little too much to me for my own good?
"I have an idea. Remember what we talked about?" He whispers in my ear, his lips grazing my skin. My head spins from the contact, from the proximity to Owen. "My powers, what I can do?"
"Yeah." My heart is slamming so hard, it echoes in my head. I know Balen's watching us, seeing all of this. I don't care.
Owen runs his tongue along my earlobe. My vision blurs. "Take it." I'm losing all train of thought. "Take my breath...and end him."
I try to make my brain work, try to concentrate on what he's saying.
Take my breath...
The weapon depends on the intent...
"Yes," I say. I want this to be a simple kiss, but I suddenly realize it's so much more.
Owen's mouth opens against mine, I respond. Our mouths lock, like he's giving me mouth-to-mouth. Acting on my gut, I begin to inhale slowly. And then there's nothing but Owen and the frigid air that he's pouring inside of me. It stings the inside of my mouth and throat as I hold on to it, letting him fill me up. I almost choke.
I can't hold Owen’s breath much longer. What if I can't do this?
Just as panic takes over, Owen breaks our kiss. It's almost as devastating as the last time he pulled away from me.
Owen steps back from me and shrugs. "Next."
I glare at him, but there's no time for a fight. Instead I move straight into Balen's space. I shove my mouth onto his roughly, but the moment I do, something's wrong. He smells of tree rot and mud. Both things I've never liked about the forest. His lips are warm, soft, but instead of a warm tongue, there's a wooden spear in his mouth. It's disgusting, so opposite from how things were with Owen. Balen's arms clamp down on me, locking me in place.
It hits me all at once. He's going to stab me with that weird tongue of his and poison me again. No, I can't let it happen. Using every last bit of energy I have, I begin to expel air from my lungs straight into Balen's mouth.
He stops kissing me. He screams, a weird squealing sound that stings my ears, but I don't pull away. His hands are replaced by tree branches and he uses them to slice at my back. I can feel the blood trickling from the wounds, but I don't care. I need to do this. For Molly. For all his victims.
I thrust the air from my lungs in a steady stream into Balen's mouth. Owen's air is poison to Balen. There's a shudder from somewhere deep inside him. He shrieks. Now I'm the one with my arms clamped down on Balen, keeping him from pulling away. There's a small part of me that doesn't want to hurt Balen. Still, I need to.
When there's no more air left, I step back and take my own steadying breath. “That's what happens when you mess with 'foolish little girls’."
Balen doesn't get the chance to respond. Tremors rip through him and intensify until I can no longer make out his features. A cracking sound shatters the silence and he explodes. Balen splinters into hundreds of tiny wood chips that pile up at my feet until they are all that is left of the boy who lived in the trees.
I can't move. I’m frozen on the spot. Alive. Balen is reduced to kindling.
Owen tosses a lighter onto the wood chips. The fire catches. He steps in front of me taking my hands in his. My nerves buzz. I'm shaking again. For a different reason this time.
"You were amazing. You did everything right. Everything I hoped you'd do," Owen says. His voice is soft, the way it was when he spoke of his family.
The shivers run through me again, but it's growing worse. I can't stop shaking. I can't even speak. Shock. I must be going into shock. He shrugs out of his jacket and settles it around me, a cocoon of warmth. I slip my arms into the sleeves as my shivers cease. "Owen, I—"
"Agh!" Owen cries out, falling to his knees.
I drop to his side. "What's wrong?"
His spine arches. He writhes on the spot, and there's nothing I can do for him. Letting out a grunt, he grits his teeth. "Thank you." His words are gentle even though they don't sound that way.
They're too much like final words. Words people say when they're— "No. You sound like you're saying goodbye."
"It feels like I might be." He cries out again, squeezing my hand.
"My family existed to destroy Balen. He was one of us. I can't even tell you how we're related—it started so long ago. We’ve been paying for Balen’s mistakes ever since. Now that he’s been destroyed, maybe that’s it for me?" He smiles, but he cringes immediately after.
"I only pretended—" He grimaces again. "I only pretended our kiss didn't matter to keep you safe. I lied to protect you. You're incredible, Jem." He pulls my head down so that my forehead rests against his own.
"Why couldn't you be honest with me?" I blink to fight back stinging tears. Owen’s another boy who needs my help. Another boy I won't be able to save. "Jerk." But I don't mean the insult. It's as half-hearted as my anger.
He chuckles. "When I got the letter from Balen about Shaz I knew we'd have to face him. Balen had already gotten inside your head before. If he knew what happened between us mattered..., you never would have stood a chance."
"And does it? Matter to you, I mean?"
Owen pales. He’s already fading away before my eyes. "You know it does. You must know that."
Numbness seeps through my body. "Owen, please. This can't be how it ends."
"It's out of my control." He frames my face in his hands. "But if I could stay, I would. For you." More light is leaving his eyes, forcing him to abandon me.
"Please kiss me for real. Kiss me when it's you. Kiss me when it's Jem and Owen and nothing else. 'Cause I want to know what that feels like."
Owen raises himself up, and his mouth is on mine, tender, different from before. His hand is at my side, gripping my hip, sending fire through me. How can a boy filled with ice feel so warm? He does. His tongue grazes my bottom lip. I open my mouth inviting him in, deepening our kiss.
I realize too late it's a mistake. A rush of frigid air fills my lungs, coating my veins, dulling my senses, and putting me to sleep.
"I stink at goodbyes." Owen's words are the only thing I have left to hold onto.
And then, I have nothing.