“The generation of two.”
The words echoed in the air, drifting through the breeze and swirling in the storm. Runa remembered what the book said about the generation of two, and her breath caught in her throat. The generation of two would possess all the power but must sacrifice something in return.
Runa looked down at her hands, glowing brighter than ever, the blue light shooting like laser beams through the darkness. She glanced back at the woman, whose hands were still raised in the air. Then she saw Freya standing next to her.
A look of shock and uncertainty bathed Freya’s face as she held up her hands. Identical shafts of blue light shot out of her fingertips just as they did Runa’s. Facing each other, they reached their palms toward each other until they touched.
When their hands connected, a bolt of electricity shot through them, bathing them from the tops of their heads to the soles of their feet, the force so strong it nearly knocked them over. Clasping their fingers together tightly, the women held on.
“You’re the generation of two,” the woman on the beach called to them.
Suddenly they heard Asta screaming as she ran toward the cliff, Easton in pursuit. His monstrous eyes flashed wickedly as he raised the gun toward the sky, firing off a shot.
As the sound echoed in the night, Freya and Runa locked eyes. In that moment, they fully understood the magnitude of their power. They were stronger together.
Asta arrived a split second before Easton, standing in front of her daughters. She was intent on saving them, willing to give up her life in order to do so.
“You will not harm my children,” Asta yelled.
“Why can’t you just love me?” Easton sobbed as he pointed the gun at her. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“You’re not capable of love,” Asta screamed.
“I did it all for you, Asta. I got rid of every barrier between us, yet you still won’t love me.”
“You mean Garrett? I always knew you had something to do with his death. What did you do to him?” Asta cried.
“He was my best friend. I loved him. But I loved you more. I did what I had to. Garrett was standing between us. I had to get rid of him.” Easton shrugged, the gun wobbling in his trembling hands.
“I knew you killed him. You’re a monster!”
Ignoring the fact that Easton had a gun, Asta ran toward him, directly in the line of fire.
Understanding what was about to happen, Freya also sprinted toward Easton, throwing herself in front of Asta at the exact moment he fired the gun.
The bullet hit Freya directly in the chest, and she staggered before collapsing to the ground.
Screaming, Asta grabbed Freya, cradling her body as she sobbed.
“No, no, no,” she wailed over and over. “Not my daughter!”
“Freya!” Runa cried as she ran toward her mother and sister.
Dropping to the ground, she placed her hands on either side of Freya’s face, willing every bit of power she possessed into her sister’s body. She concentrated as hard as she could, visualizing her sister’s healing. Sobbing, she pleaded with God, begging Him to help her.
But it was no use. When Runa opened her eyes, she knew it was too late. Freya’s body was still. She was gone.
Runa felt a piece of herself die with Freya, the part she never knew existed until that night. Still, it left behind an empty hole, a vast expanse of nothingness she knew would never be filled.
Asta’s body began to shake as she rose to her feet. Her eyes skewered Easton, her hatred and disdain dripping from every pore as she screamed, “You killed my daughter!”
“You were never going to stay with me, were you, Asta?” Easton steadied the gun and aimed it toward her as he advanced quickly.
“Mom! No!” Runa yelled as she rose to her feet.
“You said you would stay with me. You promised,” he spat, his eyes crazed.
He continued stalking toward Asta as she backed away, inching dangerously close to the cliff.
Knowing that in another second it would be too late, Runa summoned all the energy she possessed and unleashed it toward the gun in Easton’s hand. A shock of light lit up the sky as a bolt of blue arced directly at him, knocking his gun to the ground.
Stunned yet mad with rage, Easton barreled toward Asta, who stepped out of his path. The momentum was too much for him to control, and he was unable to stop. Losing his footing, he began to slip over the edge of the cliff, grabbing Asta in the process. She tried to resist, to find her balance, but Easton was too strong. Together they fell toward the rocks below.
“Mom!” Runa yelled as she ran to the edge of the cliff. “No!”
She fell to the ground in a heap, covering her face to block out the horror. She beat the wet ground with her fists, sobbing, screaming, trying to wrap her brain around the unbelievable tragedy she’d witnessed. It wasn’t supposed to end like this.
They were all dead. Everyone was gone. The price had been too high.
Runa’s body heaved. Grief slammed into her like a tidal wave, and she remained there, drowning in it. She didn’t know how much time passed. It could have been a minute, though it may have been an hour. Time had no meaning as it sucked her into the void.
She jumped when she felt a tug on her sweatshirt.
“My mama is gone,” Alina said, her lip quivering.
Runa’s heart broke into a million pieces all over again. She grabbed the little girl and pulled her close.
“My mama is gone, too. But we have each other.”
Standing, Runa clasped Alina’s hand in hers, determined to never let go. She looked at the shore, where the portrait woman met her gaze, nodding her approval. Smiling sadly, the woman disappeared into the fog.