Kayde sped through town, seething. His blood refused to cool, his mind refused to calm. He felt rejected, even betrayed, by Becca. He thought she was the one person who could understand him, who could help him. He’d been weaving through the streets, trying to make sense of a senseless situation. Becca’s words reverberated in his skull, “You did it for your own selfish desire to do it!”
What if she was right? What if he’d been ready to fight—even kill—simply for the pleasure of watching Terrance suffer and die? Or for the pleasure of using the dark music again? Horror and panic shot through him. What if he was the danger in Glenville?
Kayde turned his bike toward the badlands. He needed to clear his thoughts. The point where he and Becca had first kissed was as good a spot as any to think things through. It was quiet and peaceful—a perfect contrast to turmoil churning in his core.
The Shadow turned onto the country highway and roared as Kayde pushed it to a higher speed. His heart skipped a beat as he passed a police cruiser mostly hidden by a patch of thick brush alongside the road. He was positive he’d seen Terrance’s face in the driver’s seat, highlighted by the waning moonlight. How had he denied Kayde’s command to go home? Had enough time passed that Terrance had gone home, and then left again?
The answers eluded Kayde. But the sight of Terrance brought on the fury again, starting the dark music playing in his mind. He’d been wrong to accuse Toby and his mother of being evil. It had to be Terrance—he was the threat in Glenville. He was obviously desperate and determined to have Becca. The memory of how he’d looked at her earlier burned in Kayde’s mind—that hungry, animal stare he’d directed at her. Maybe he was willing to do anything to get her! Kayde’s imagination dove to depths previously untouched, even in his darkest moments. Terrance had to be stopped!
Kayde rounded the curve near the top of the hill and slowed. He knew Terrance would follow him—he wanted Kayde out of his way so he could take Becca. Kayde pulled onto the ledge where he and Becca had first kissed and had spent many other moments together watching sunsets and talking. It was a perfect place to dedicate his ability to saving her from Terrance.
The engine died as Kayde turned the key. In the silence of the night, he could hear a car approaching. He wouldn’t have much time. Terrance would be coming around the bend in moments. Mustering his strength, Kayde hummed the dark tune he’d begun earlier, mixed with music from his past that had nearly caused a fatal car accident before. His voice flowed from his throat in a smooth, deep sound, disturbing the peace of the countryside. This time, he wouldn’t stop. This time, the spell would connect.
Kayde focused on the spot where he wanted Terrance’s car to hit the spell. His voice increased in volume as he opened his mouth, unleashing the power of the song against the road. Deep, grinding notes played in his head like the dark melodies in the heavier metal songs he used to listen to; a Goth-like melody wrapped around his mind and he allowed the black notes to flow out into the night. Energy throbbed through the air in a deadly beat toward the road. Kayde could almost see the magic forming a wall—the area over the road shimmered in the moonlight. He sang louder, strengthening the spell, making sure the wall would hold.
And he waited. There was enough room that he would be able to see Terrance come around the bend; and then, he’d be able to watch him racing toward the wall of magic. He would see Terrance meet his destiny.
Blood pumped with evil excitement in Kayde’s vessels. An oily smile spread across his lips. Any moment now, the cruiser would appear around the bend.
As the headlights burst around the corner, Kayde knew immediately that something was terribly wrong. The car wasn’t a police cruiser. He squinted against the lights, his heart stopping, the smile slipping from his face. The silhouette of Becca’s Malibu took shape as it rounded the bend and went straight for the wall!
Kayde jumped on the Shadow, bringing it to life. He didn’t know how to stop the magic—he had to reach the wall before Becca! He had to take the spell to save her life!
Kayde’s bike roared down the road, the wind blasting against his body. Becca couldn’t see him yet—and she wouldn’t see the wall. Kayde willed his bike to move faster, though he already had it pushed to its limit. The wall and Becca’s headlights rushed toward him. A strange quiet suddenly engulfed him as if the world was holding its breath.
And then, a burst of light, the sound of a thousand thunders, screeching tires, shattering glass; Kayde felt the jolt of his spell burst against him as he flew through the air. But his thoughts were on Becca. Had he reached the wall in time?
Bones cracked and blood vessels broke as Kayde’s body flung down the embankment over rocks and grass. He caught glimpses of the Shadow spinning out of control and crashing further down from him. It stopped moments before he did, his body smashing against a large boulder. The wind left his lungs and stars burst in his skull. He lay still, trying to gasp a breath.
Becca! As soon as he could collect enough sense, Kayde risked moving a possible broken neck to look around. Where was she? Panic pumped adrenaline through him, giving him strength to move his broken body. The pain and effort were too much and he fell back to the ground, screaming in agony. Through blurred vision, Kayde saw the crumpled form of a car several hundred feet away. It lay on its side, the frame twisted, the tires spinning sickeningly; one headlight still shown, casting eerie shadows behind the rocks and trees surrounding them. The engine squealed in a strange high pitch, as if the gas pedal had gotten stuck in the floored position.
With every ounce of strength left in his body, Kayde released a desperate scream, “RABECCA!” The sound of his voice echoed as the car’s engine sputtered and died. The effort of screaming for Becca and his desperation to know if she lived—and the horror of what he’d done—took what little strength Kayde had after absorbing the fury of his own magic. Before darkness consumed him, he pleaded, “Please, God, if you’re real, don’t let her die!”