Revolution (Collide, #4)(12)

"For what?" he asked.

"For making me brazen."

His face scrunched up. "You mean I said something to make you want to kiss Ellie?" He turned back and thought. "That was not my intention."

"That I know," I told him through a laugh. We went through the back door and he gasped as he looked around. "Still want to help?"

"Yep," he replied and gulped. "Let's do this, Ry."

I felt a ping in my gut. "Ry?" I asked and looked over at him. He was almost my height now.

"Yep, Ry. It suits you, man."

I chuckled, but sobered as a Lighter looked at us and started to inch toward us. "Stay close."

"You stay close. I'm ready to bar-b-que some Lighters."

"Calvin, be serious. This is…serious," I mumbled and tried not to question my decision. Then I heard Jeff in my mind and wanted to just block him and push him out. But I didn't.

Ryan, what are you doing?

It's what's right, Jeff. My conscience was buzzing. It's time for the Specials to start fulfilling their tasks.

Are you nuts! He got hit in the arm and swung around with distraction. I winced, but he just sat up and glared at me. Our job is to protect them.

Our job is to protect them until they can fulfill their task. This is Calvin's and I'm done talking about it.

I turned to Calvin. "Calvin, you ready?"

"What is that thing?" he leaned back and said. "It's wicked."

"Yes, it is. Do you feel anything?"

"Like what?"

"Like a…buzzing or a sense of purpose?"

Calvin laughed and gave me a strange look. "What are you talking about, Ry? Are you asking me if there's a bee in my pants?"

"What? No. I'm just asking if you feel anything different."

He laughed and clasped me on the shoulder like he was the adult and not the other way around. "You mean like if I'm supposed to be doing this or not? Yeah. I feel that. Stand back, Ry." He held his hands up in front of him just as the beast turned to grin at him. "I'm sick of this thing already."

I gawked and felt my teeth grind together at the injustice of the whole situation. Why was I given one purpose and one only, to watch over a boy, and then to have to turn him loose to find his own way against a beast? It felt so right in my gut and conscience, but so wrong in my human head.

I watched, as did we all, as Calvin and the thing went head to head. Calvin's hands burned and blazed. The beast smiled and cocked his head to the side in contemplation. "You sent a child to do the job," he mused. "A hot hands Special with an unjust ego the size of a Buick."

I stared at him. He seemed so…

"Human?" he finished my thought and grinned. "I am. I am the best of both worlds. Lighter part to read your thoughts, Taker part to deflect your gifts, human part to catch you off guard and my true nature, the Graphter, to end you all once and for all."

"Never heard of it," Jeff barked in his way that was becoming his own. "Sounds like a trick to me."

"Only the ones with the lower hand need to use trickery, Keeper," the thing mused with a smile. "You can call me the new Taker if you like, for I and others like me will continue to come and share all of his traits."

Calvin bolted toward him. I felt the gasp settle in my throat like a lump, but he apparently had a purpose. He ran straight to the things back, let his hands touch the beast's back and let his gift loose on him. He yelled, "If you wanna be the Taker, then die like the Taker!"

And he did, but not without one final look over his shoulder as he burned. It was as if he knew this was going to happen…and he was happy to make the sacrifice. I felt everything in me cringe and become uneasy.

Right as the lightning began to build, he said, "We know right where you are. We'll see you again."

And the lightning took him with a blast that knocked us all down on our butts. I coughed and sat up, staring at the spot that he had just been. Did that really just happen? I found myself blurring to Calvin, who had been knocked back the furthest. I leaned over him and shook my head when he leaned his head up to grin at me. "That was so awesome!" he yelled. "Did you see that?"

"No, Calvin," I chuckled in exasperation, "I had my eyes closed."

"You did not. You totally saw!"

"Yeah, I saw. You kicked butt."

"I can't wait to tell Mom!" he said excitedly.

I turned to Jeff. "Did you hear what he said?"

He groaned. "I heard. We better start packing everybody up."

I sighed and looked at Cain as he slapped his stake into his palm over and over in frustration as he said, "You mean we have to leave the store? After all the work and everything we've done-"

"Can't be helped," Jeff cut him off. "You heard that thing. Let's get this show on the road. The sooner we get out, the better."

He huffed and groaned as he and the rest of them beat a quick path back inside. I slung my arm over Calvin's shoulder as we followed them. "I'm proud of you, Calvin."

"Thanks, Ry. I'm kinda proud of me, too." He grinned and bounced excitedly. "Let the record show that I saved your behinds."