your
innocence. If I’d tried to create the movement to bring para-talents to power,
I’d have failed. Now you’ve created the springboard. I no longer need you.”
The oar whistled next to his ear. Ray ducked. The boat moved
beneath him, tilting toward the side in a sudden jolt. His knees slammed into
the wood surface. He hissed.
The strategist had distracted him to take another swipe. But
Vince couldn’t have planned on the boat going topsy turvy. Vince skidded back,
arms flailing as the oar flew out of his hands and into the water. The splash
was lost in the whipping wind and the massive swirling of water lapping at the
boat.
Ray tried to rise but fell again when the yacht vibrated and
shot out into the river. The wind lashed. The craft vibrated with movement. He
had no idea what was going on. Vince shouted and hurled himself at Ray. They
fell to the decking in a tackle. Ray sucked in a breath, drew his arm back and
landed a solid punch in Vince’s gut.
“Get off him, Vince,” Clarissa shouted. But damn it to hell,
she shouldn’t be on this boat.
Immediately, heat licked along his limbs. Fighting Vince had
been one thing, but with Clarissa in harm’s way, rage nearly suffocated him.
The wood beneath his feet caught fire.
Water sloshed over the side of the boat and doused the
flames. Steam rose in a billowing cloud and Vince screamed. The traitor
stumbled back, shaking his hands out and blowing on them as they turned bright
red. He’d been scalded by Ray’s fire.
“Leave him alone, I said.” Clarissa’s demand boomed, shaking
the boat as the river shivered.
Vince turned on her. “You were to join me. Leave this weak
excuse of a leader behind. He couldn’t balance your power and you know it.
You’re stronger than he’ll ever be.”
“You taught him to control his power to a level that made
him cold. Nearly put out his fire, and you dare to say his talent isn’t
beautiful and dangerous, and extreme?”
The way Clarissa stood up for him, saw the weakness beneath
his façade, and still thought his fire beautiful, struck him more senseless
than that oar did. His mouth dropped open and he hesitated, not knowing if he
should answer the plea buried in there or keep all his attention on Vince.
“Vince.” Ray straightened and looked into Vince’s eyes. His
old friend may have been like a father to him, but the pain of betrayal had
dulled. It was as if a scrape had scabbed over and the feeling had dampened.
The strategist probably didn’t have it in him to love a son, as his putting his
own son in danger had proven. “I don’t understand how you fooled me for all
those years, even if you’ve been managing the most extreme endgame I could ever
imagine, but it’s over now. The rogues you tried to bring together are
disbanded. Your son tried to hurt Astrid and Griffin, but he was caught and
dealt with. There’s nowhere for you to go. The game is over. Checkmate.”
“Fine.” Vince circled around. His expression remained
placid, one like he usually wore when they’d planned missions to find
para-talents who’d gone rogue, or who’d tried to disappear after misusing their
powers. “Have the water mage get us back to shore. I’ll be on my way.”
“You know we’ll have to have Susan or Astrid see you first.
Let’s go back to Jonah’s and send for one of them.”
“No way in hell you’re going to remove my powers,” he
snarled.
“They’ve already been deadened by Susan. Or can’t you tell?”
Ray circled around to Vince’s blind side and the former strategist didn’t
reposition himself—proof that his full ability to deduce and adjust plans
accordingly wasn’t quite up to par.
Striking out, Ray gave a kick to Vince’s legs. The man fell,
as Ray had planned. But then, the spry CTF traitor rolled and with a leap, dove
overboard.
“No,” Ray shouted.
“What is he doing?” Clarissa joined him at the rail and
leaned over it. Her hands spread wide and she added in a strained
innocence. If I’d tried to create the movement to bring para-talents to power,
I’d have failed. Now you’ve created the springboard. I no longer need you.”
The oar whistled next to his ear. Ray ducked. The boat moved
beneath him, tilting toward the side in a sudden jolt. His knees slammed into
the wood surface. He hissed.
The strategist had distracted him to take another swipe. But
Vince couldn’t have planned on the boat going topsy turvy. Vince skidded back,
arms flailing as the oar flew out of his hands and into the water. The splash
was lost in the whipping wind and the massive swirling of water lapping at the
boat.
Ray tried to rise but fell again when the yacht vibrated and
shot out into the river. The wind lashed. The craft vibrated with movement. He
had no idea what was going on. Vince shouted and hurled himself at Ray. They
fell to the decking in a tackle. Ray sucked in a breath, drew his arm back and
landed a solid punch in Vince’s gut.
“Get off him, Vince,” Clarissa shouted. But damn it to hell,
she shouldn’t be on this boat.
Immediately, heat licked along his limbs. Fighting Vince had
been one thing, but with Clarissa in harm’s way, rage nearly suffocated him.
The wood beneath his feet caught fire.
Water sloshed over the side of the boat and doused the
flames. Steam rose in a billowing cloud and Vince screamed. The traitor
stumbled back, shaking his hands out and blowing on them as they turned bright
red. He’d been scalded by Ray’s fire.
“Leave him alone, I said.” Clarissa’s demand boomed, shaking
the boat as the river shivered.
Vince turned on her. “You were to join me. Leave this weak
excuse of a leader behind. He couldn’t balance your power and you know it.
You’re stronger than he’ll ever be.”
“You taught him to control his power to a level that made
him cold. Nearly put out his fire, and you dare to say his talent isn’t
beautiful and dangerous, and extreme?”
The way Clarissa stood up for him, saw the weakness beneath
his façade, and still thought his fire beautiful, struck him more senseless
than that oar did. His mouth dropped open and he hesitated, not knowing if he
should answer the plea buried in there or keep all his attention on Vince.
“Vince.” Ray straightened and looked into Vince’s eyes. His
old friend may have been like a father to him, but the pain of betrayal had
dulled. It was as if a scrape had scabbed over and the feeling had dampened.
The strategist probably didn’t have it in him to love a son, as his putting his
own son in danger had proven. “I don’t understand how you fooled me for all
those years, even if you’ve been managing the most extreme endgame I could ever
imagine, but it’s over now. The rogues you tried to bring together are
disbanded. Your son tried to hurt Astrid and Griffin, but he was caught and
dealt with. There’s nowhere for you to go. The game is over. Checkmate.”
“Fine.” Vince circled around. His expression remained
placid, one like he usually wore when they’d planned missions to find
para-talents who’d gone rogue, or who’d tried to disappear after misusing their
powers. “Have the water mage get us back to shore. I’ll be on my way.”
“You know we’ll have to have Susan or Astrid see you first.
Let’s go back to Jonah’s and send for one of them.”
“No way in hell you’re going to remove my powers,” he
snarled.
“They’ve already been deadened by Susan. Or can’t you tell?”
Ray circled around to Vince’s blind side and the former strategist didn’t
reposition himself—proof that his full ability to deduce and adjust plans
accordingly wasn’t quite up to par.
Striking out, Ray gave a kick to Vince’s legs. The man fell,
as Ray had planned. But then, the spry CTF traitor rolled and with a leap, dove
overboard.
“No,” Ray shouted.
“What is he doing?” Clarissa joined him at the rail and
leaned over it. Her hands spread wide and she added in a strained
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