D E L P H I N I U M

My eyes felt like they might be in fire as I watched the fortress burn. But I kept my eyes glued to it. This was what we'd done. What I'd done. I would stand and watch until the flames flickered out.

Jake bowed his head and I wondered what he would say next. It never came. Then I felt his cold fingers on my arm.

"What are you doing?" I glanced at what he was looking at. The wound I'd gotten in the massacre downstairs. I raised a suspicious eyebrow; he wasn't exactly one to fret over injuries.

"There's something shiny inside," he said, still inspecting the laceration. "I could see it when the light hit the bottom."

I blinked. "What could that possibly-"

"Hunt said that tracking devices were stolen."

That was all he had to say for my body to go cold. That couldn't be it. It couldn't. If that was a tracking device and they'd stuck it under my skin during the fight an hour ago...

I'd doomed myself.

"Very good, Evans. I always knew you were as intelligent as Hundsen warned you'd be."

No. No. I didn't think I could breathe. Benny walked out of the shadows, the moonlight giving him an eerie glow. It also made enough light to illuminate all of the men standing behind him and the semi-automatic guns they all held. We were severely outnumbered and overpowered. This was an ambush.

Benny was staring avidly at me, taking in every detail. Before anything else could happen, I took the earpiece out of my ear and crushed it under my boot. There would be no opportunity for Benny to speak with the others for a hostage situation. They would have no chance of being slaughtered by Benny's men.

We were trapped. They'd found us. I felt numb. I felt as if my mind was screaming. I needed to do something, anything. But what could I do now? I'd inadvertently subjected us to this surprise attack.

If it was possible, my heart sunk further when I realized Gigi could be here right now, waiting for the perfect moment to finally kill me. Would Benny let her if she tried?

"No." He'd read my thoughts. I wanted to spit on him, but he was just out of range. "She's not here. But she will be soon. Neve has orders to bring her to the fortress as soon as possible."

"What do you want?" A whisper. I already knew.

"Why would you ask if you know the answer?" He smiled and dropped his gun to his side. "You know what I want." A pause. "I want you, Delphinium." Beside me, Jake scoffed at his audacity, but I noticed how he tensed at Benny's statement.

"Why?" I was stalling for time now. Benny already knew, but I didn't care.

"You already know," the Imperium agent said again with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "He wants you dead for what you did. You nearly ruined us. For that, he wants your head on a pike to remind all our enemies what happens to those who won't bend to our will." He took a threatening step closer but I remained as still as a statue. I'd be afraid that he would try and hurt me in this weakened state if I didn't know Orion wanted that glory for himself.

"Now, come with us and Evans won't be hurt. We don't want him. We only want you."

"And if I disagree?" I forced my voice to be stony, but it still had a desperate ring to it. We'd gotten out of dangerous scrapes before. There had to be some way to trick him, to escape. But even as I had the thought, I knew it wasn't possible. I wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all.

He raised his gun to Jake and removed the safety. Jake wasn't fazed, but I was. I was well aware that Benny would shoot, if needed. If he truly only wanted me, then he would stop at nothing to get me. I knew how overpowering it could be to have your mind cleared of your own thoughts and replaced with Orion's. He and I alone shared that.

My gaze went to my teammate and the full gravity of the situation hit me. If this situation went the way Benny wanted, I'd never see Jake again. I'd never see any of my teammates again. They wouldn't even know what happened to me in my final moments in that godforsaken place.

No, no, no. This wasn't supposed to happen. We were supposed to make it to the rest of our team and escape safely into the night. Jake's plan had worked perfectly. Why had this happened? How could this have gone so badly so quickly? I felt too cold and too hot. Too much at once.

My gaze went back to Benny when he asked impatiently, "What will it be? The easy way or the hard way?" When I didn't give an immediate answer, he cocked his head. "No one but you has to die tonight, Delphinium. Isn't that what you want?"

"Yes." The words were lead in my mouth. I was giving my own death sentence. I'd done this to myself.

"So come with me." He held out his hand to me, just as he had the night I left him for dead in the fire. "Come with me and the death will stop." He was lying. They would continue to kill for their purpose. He reeked of lies and deceit, but what other choice did I have?

Every gun in the half-circle his men had formed around us was aimed at Jake, who was standing with eerie calm. If I tried to run, he'd be dead in seconds. My conscience was so heavy that I sometimes had to drag it and I'd forced myself to see many, many things that haunted my nightmares. But I didn't think I could watch them kill him and then be dragged back to my old prison. It would be the murder of my family all over again.

"I will." I had to force myself to say it; the sentence had almost gotten stuck in my throat. "I will go with you." I lowered my face so Benny couldn't see what was in my eyes. A plan was brewing in my mind. A horrible idea, but I knew without a doubt it would work.

Benny was satisfied, his smile changing from sharp to soft. "I knew you could be sensible. Give me your knives."

Not looking at Jake, I tossed my two blades to the ground at the agent's booted feet. I'd do what he wanted as long as he gave me what I asked.

Orion's right hand man beckoned me to come closer but I stood my ground. "I wasn't finished. Let me speak with Evans alone and I will go with you without a fight."

Benny looked like he might deny me that request so I continued. "You might have the manpower to take me, but do not forget the power I hold. You said it yourself: I'm growing in strength. I could make your life a living hell, Benton. Is that what you want?" I kept any thought of my weary state out of my mind. As far as he knew, telekinesis flew through my mind and would obey my every thought. I was power.

"Lucky for you, I'm feeling particularly gracious tonight. Go ahead, bid your teammate farewell. But remember, if you try to run..." He gestured to the line of soldiers behind him, all ready to maim me at his order. I got the picture.

My legs felt as if they were made of nothing but wisps of smoke as I stepped to the side. Jake walked with me like we didn't have twenty targets on our backs. I wanted to be far enough away that Benny couldn't hear what I was saying but not so far that I was in danger of being shot.

When we were out of earshot, Jake stood before me and hissed, "What the hell are you doing?"

I did not mirror his fervor. "I don't want to. I really don't want to go with him. But you know I have to. They'll take me either way." I spread my arms. "Do you see a way out of this? Orion's not going to stop until I'm back there so he can kill me. And we can't fight this one out. Even if I had enough energy and wasn't injured, Benny will know every single thing we're about to do before we do it."

"You're their biggest threat. He is going to kill you. Are you really going to walk to your death?"

"What am I supposed to do?" My voice broke. "I can either watch them kill you and then kick and scream as they take me back or I can go peacefully and you can return to the others and help them fight, even if I can't. Who knows, maybe I'll get a swing at Orion if I'm in his presence." I could barely even fathom standing before Orion again. What would I do, cower in fear? Or would I accept my death and stand strong in my last moments?

I shook my heavy head. "This isn't why I asked him for time."

"Why, then?"

This was it. I didn't want to think about it, but now I was certain. It had to happen.

"You owe me a favor. From the weapons facility. I was joking at the time, but..." I took a breath in. "Now I'm as serious as I can be. I need you to...I need you to kill me."

He stared at me for a moment, probably trying to figure out whether what I'd just said was real or not. I knew I was.

I glanced down to the folds of his clothing. "I know you have a gun." I hadn't dared to hope before, but now I was sure. My gaze found his dark one again. "I know this is a lot to ask, and-"

"You cannot be serious."

"I'm more serious than I've ever been. I would much rather die here with you than at Orion's feet." I was nearly begging now, trying to keep images of the horrible torture Orion would inflict upon me out of my mind. "Jake, please. Please do it before they take me to him. It will be quick."

His hand slowly went to his belt, where I knew the handgun was concealed. From where I was standing, I blocked him from Benny's view, meaning that Benny wouldn't see what was happening until I was dead and Jake was escaping into the forest.

There it was. He pulled the gun out, still pointing it at the ground. I needed it to be aimed at me, as much as I would hate the sight. When he finally raised his arm, a tear slid down my face but I was quick to wipe it away. His face was still emotionless and I was glad for it. If he showed any sign of weakness now, I would easily break even further.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," I whispered, knowing that nothing I could say would make any of this better. "I'm so sorry it has to be you. It's not fair, I know. But you're the strongest one out of all of us. You always have been. I know you can do it.

"Once you get to the others, tell them...tell them that I'm sorry. That I had no choice. Tell them that I will miss them from wherever I'll be."

He held the gun at arm level toward my chest. Where my heart should be, if I still had one. He remained quiet and I partially wished he would say something. And I was half-glad he didn't. My pulse was rapid. Death was near. Maybe it would be welcoming.

"I wish this wasn't the end. I don't want to die, but I'm willing to. I've never known peace. Maybe this will finally bring it to me." I added as an afterthought, "This is what I want. It will be much better than the alternative."

I swallowed. "I couldn't watch them kill you. I wouldn't survive that. I could lose everything. But not you. Oh God...not you." Imminent death was making me bold. But if I didn't say it now, he'd never know. His eyes were dark, so dark when I said that, and I couldn't read whatever emotion flickered over his face.

"I wouldn't take any of it back. I want you to know that. All those seemingly-insignificant moments with you were worth more than I can say. I'd do them over a thousand times, even if this was always the outcome."

"Delphinium," he said, voice low. It was a warning.

He was cold, everything about him was so cold. Everything but his eyes. Something else swam in their depths. He didn't show it, but I knew something was stopping him from pulling the trigger. I steeled myself against my name on his lips.

I continued on, lifting my face to the heavens so that the tears wouldn't fall. Then, the words came tumbling out, a struggle and a release all at once. "I'm in love with you, Jake. I have been for some time now."

I didn't want to watch his reaction. I really didn't. It would make this even harder than it already was. But I did anyway—I needed to see what I'd inflicted upon him.

For once, he was silent. Not that cold silence he often exhibited. Jake Evans was speechless.

He didn't know what to say, what to do. It made me wonder if Jake had ever heard anything like those words said to him. The look in his eyes was more intense than I'd ever seen. Standing deathly still, he looked like I'd just stabbed him through the chest.

It began to drizzle, the thin rain cooling my skin and reminding me I was still alive. Raindrops stuck in Jake's inky hair like a shining crown.

"I'm in love with you," I repeated, "And I'm sorry." A twist of the knife. The final words that would push him over the edge.

"Don't say that," he said in a whispering rasp, shaking his dark head once. "Don't say things like that." I knew he wanted me to stop. For the first time ever since I'd known him, he looked fearful—Jake was horrified by what I'd said. The very idea terrified him more than any amount of violence or torture ever could.

"I know you like to believe you're a heartless monster, but you're not. Not to me." The tears fell and this time, I didn't stop them. That was the end of what I had to say. Now came the worst part.

I gave him a small nod, urging him to pull the trigger. Benny's patience would be wearing thin. He would come to retrieve me any moment now. If Jake was going to do this, it had to be now.

Though I knew it would be difficult, I stared into his eyes one last time. They were the green of an ocean in the middle of a storm. His gaze was wild, like something in him had just been broken and no amount of time or effort could fix it.

My life was at an end. All Jake had to do was send me to Death's waiting arms. The gun was still aimed at me but he wasn't pulling the trigger. Why wasn't he doing it? I'd seen him do it hundreds of times before. I wasn't sure whether it was because he wouldn't or he couldn't.

Now, it had to be now, had to be, had to be-

"That's enough!" Benny yelled, coming up behind me. I was half-afraid he might stab me in the back before I remembered Orion wanted me delivered alive. Jake could still do it. He'd be in danger if he did, but it was still possible.

But then Benny's soldiers came up behind the crime lord and held him back. He began to fight against their reaching arms, but I didn't stay long enough to see what happened to him.

Benny pulled me away from Jake. Tears were flowing like a river now, but I kept quiet. There was nothing to say. Benny was handed something by one of the other men and I saw it once it was hit by the dull moonlight. A steel mask, identical to the one Benny used to wear, but without eyeholes. They strapped it to my face to prevent me from seeing, from using my telekinesis. It was very cold and very heavy.

"Come, Secerātor. He's waiting." I was forcefully dragged into the darkness, leaving everything behind.