Elusion(83)

“Fine, you want me to take you to the firewall?” Patrick says, grabbing hold of my wrist and twisting hard. “Then he goes home! Now!”

“Get your hands off her!” Josh steps in front of me, squaring off against Patrick, his fists clenched.

Without warning, I hear a crashing sound from above. I glance up and see dark red clouds spilling across the heavens like pools of thick, clotting blood.

“Or what?” Patrick asks. He lets go of my wrist, carelessly pushing me to the side. I stumble backward a little and almost land on my rear, but I catch myself by grabbing on to an old, dying tree.

That tree wasn’t there a few seconds ago.

Or was it?

“You’re going to hit me?” Patrick gets right in Josh’s face, spittle flying from his mouth. “Bring it on, you bastard.”

Another loud crackle temporarily cuts through the tension among us as the clouds begin to herd together and partially block the green numbers that were once flickering in the sky.

“You used Regan to get to me. Admit it!” Patrick shouts, as a small white butterfly flutters in front of me, winding its way through the air in tiny circles and landing right on my collarbone.

I’ve never seen any live creature before in Elusion, so I’m completely stunned by its presence. I put my fingertips below its legs so it can rest on my hand, and then I bring it up for a closer look. Right away I notice a glint of gold on its wings, and I’m reminded of a line from those children’s books I loved.

The butterfly with flecks of gold

Was so beautiful to behold.

Patrick must have remembered. That innocent time when he and I were simply best friends who told each other everything. Even now I can see that caring child within him, buried deep below the surface of this troubled young man who can’t seem to tell right from wrong.

“I’m not going to fight you, Patrick,” Josh says, backing away from him.

I wiggle my fingertips, and instead of flitting away, the butterfly disappears before my eyes.

“Okay, fine,” I say to Patrick. “Josh goes home and you take me to the firewall.”

Josh looks at me, his eyes registering his surprise. “What are you doing?”

I try to stay focused on Patrick. I can’t worry about what Josh is thinking, nor can I let my personal feelings for him affect my actions.

“I have a better idea,” Patrick says. “How about we go home together and get that QuTap back from Josh and his little friend Avery before they drag you down with them? If that information is released, I can’t prevent Orexis from going after you. And you will go to jail, Regan. I don’t think your mom needs to be dealing with that right now, do you?”

Bringing up my mom is blatant manipulation. He, of all people, knows how much I’d give to protect her and spare her from suffering more pain. But I can’t allow my feelings for her to prevent me from doing what I know is right. And if he thought that mentioning her would make me change my mind, he’s sadly mistaken.

Patrick reaches for my arm and I yank it away. “Keep your hands off me!” I shout.

“I’m taking you home, Ree!” This time he succeeds in grabbing my arm and reaches for my wristband.

He wants to send me home just like he did after I saw my dad. There’s no way I’m letting him do it again.

“No!” I yell.

Josh rips Patrick’s hand away from me, tossing him aside as he steps in between us. Patrick lunges at Josh, but Josh ducks, dodging the blow. Patrick lands face-first on the ground, rolling a few feet over crushed stalks before landing flat on his back.

“Give it up,” Josh says to Patrick, his tone hushed and intense. It’s obviously taking all of his effort to stay calm. “This needs to stop.”

“I decide when things stop,” Patrick snorts, rushing Josh again and slamming into him, knocking them both over. Josh fights back, pinning down Patrick’s arms and incapacitating him.

“Have you thought about what releasing the QuTap will do to Regan?” Patrick shouts as he writhes under Josh. “You don’t care what happens to her, do you? You only care about yourself.”

The ground rumbles below our feet, and suddenly the prairie begins to morph into a wasteland as the golden stalks multiply, rising upward and transforming into giant black pillars of rock. A piece breaks away and hits me in the back, knocking me down.

Josh jumps up from Patrick and comes to my aide. “Are you okay?” he asks.

“The Escape is being destroyed,” I say, clutching his hands as he pulls me to my feet. “It’s like what happened on Mount Arvon!” Before he can respond, Patrick hits Josh with a sucker punch from behind. Patrick is about to go at Josh again, but I throw myself at him, grabbing on to him with both hands, holding him away from Josh.

“Are you insane?” I yell to Patrick. “Stop!”

My protest seems to slap him out of his rage, if only for a moment, and he wrestles away from me.

I dash back to Josh, gently cradling his face in my hands.

“So this is the way it is, Ree?” Patrick shouts. “You choose him?”

The golden wheat field is almost gone, rotting away before our eyes as if it’s being consumed by some terrible disease.

Patrick’s eyes are red and filled with such hatred I barely recognize him. “I’m not going to stand in your way, Regan. I just hope you realize what you’re doing.”