Birgit watched the stone walls of the tunnel shimmer through their hazy vision. She had never liked her dark side, not only because of the destruction it left in its wake but what it did to herself and, ultimately, Valencia. Clio was correct regarding the feeling of exhilaration with powerful abilities, which could be intoxicating. A new understanding of the battle fought and lost in other experiments rippled through Birgit. Unlike them, she had friends, family and Valencia. People in her life cared about what happened to her, as she cared about what happened to Valencia.

Madden had lied. He had looked them in their eyes and lied, but Valencia was the only other person who knew what he lied about.

"Birgit, please be careful," Valencia whispered mentally, "you know Madden lied to us."

"Yes," Birgit replied, "but you know what he lied about. I know where they are, and I plan on hunting them down and destroying them."

"That is not our way," Valencia said, "you know that ... we will find them, but they will have a choice just as we had a choice."

"You don't know what he made," Birgit hummed, "you don't know what they are capable of ... you never saw them in action."

"What are you talking about?" Valencia whispered, panic rising, "have you seen these ..."

"I have," Birgit said, "seen them, fought them, trained against them."

"Is that why we were released with an order never to return?" Valencia asked, "what did you do?"

"What I'm about to do now .... they are here ... watching us .... waiting for his command," Birgit said, "others have been moved to other places."

"Will we get out?" Valencia asked, sucking in air as worry, concern and the need for air battling for a place.

"We will," Birgit hummed, "even if we have to swim. I will leave that to you should I be unable to assist. Since being stabilised and having my fill with all that energy, my ability feels ... explosive."

"Everyone is clear of the island," Valencia said, "I'm ready."

Birgit inhaled, crossed her arms across her chest, dropped her chin to her chest, divided energy sources and closed Valencia off. She would be safe now and still be able to get them out. Unfolding her arms, raising her smouldering gaze to the ceiling. Birgit flicked her hands open wide, watching flames building along her fingers and run up and over her limbs. Finally, covering every inch of their body. Turning in a circle, she began to throw balls of fire into the cave-like holes, hearing high-pitched screams of terror. She had warned Madden and his evil crew the last time they had met. A warning she was going to keep. Breathing in, she blew the flames away from her body. Reaching for the dark side, she knew she had to keep under guard, allowing every frustration, fear and worry to ooze into that empty dark area. She waited while it filled and began running over, allowing her ability to feed off raw emotion. Roaring to life. Expanding and breaking free from its cage, filling her and igniting hotter flames. Birgit allowed her feelings free reign, feeling everything she kept restrained or bottled up. She sobbed and groaned, finally bellowing out all the anguish at what life had thrown at them. The expanding flames got hotter until the bubble burst, and the heat washed through the tunnels, filling every hole and crevice. The sound of hissing steam came to Birgit's ears as the pressure dissipated around her, leaving steaming sand and charred stone walls. Valencia was banging against their partition, anxious to move them away from the danger.

"Birgit, we need to move," Valencia shouted through their link, "move ... now."

Turning, Birgit followed the tunnels coming out onto the hot sands, letting Valencia break through their partition. They began running across the sand toward the boat as the first shudder from a latent explosion could be felt.

"V, I'm nearly out of energy," Birgit muttered, "take over."

Valencia pulled them across the last stretch of sand toward the boat. Valencia used most of her residual energy to push it into the water.

"Birgit," she said, "stay with me ... just a little longer. I cannot get us into the boat without your help."

"I'm here ... get into the water," Birgit said as the boat turned on an incoming wave, "Jesse is going to worry."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Valencia pulled them into the boat, set course and inhaled sharply as the world began to blacken, "Birgit ... no ... wait ... B stay with me."

Panic at losing her other half, Valencia reached for the flare gun, shooting into the air as she heard the engine engage. The boat started moving away from the shore toward the blurry images past the rocks. Valencia dragged them onto a padded bench, fighting to stay awake, but Birgit's energy loss was sucking her store dry. Reaching for autopilot, Valencia pushed the button before passing out. The boat slowly moved into the water toward the waiting crafts.

The two vessels drifted silently on the swells as they watched the flames erupt from the tunnels blasting heat they could feel from where they waited.

"Damn," Jacob muttered, "who has that kind of firepower?"

Cara swiped at her cheeks, silently grieving what it cost Birgit to use this dreaded side of her, "That would be Birgit."

Sounds of explosions rippled over the water. Birgit and Valencia run out of the tunnels, across the sands and toward the boat. A collective sigh of relief heaved from the two vessels, turning into a gasp as they watched them stumble when pushing the boat out to sea.

Jesse moved to the railing, waiting, "Something's wrong."

"They're alive," David said, "they are getting onto the boat."

"No," Jesse shook his head, panic rippling over his expression, "something is wrong. There is only one of them."

"Dave," Breanna murmured, "move in closer."

David made to manoeuvre the boat but hesitated as Tina placed her hand on his arm. Looking down, he waited, but she silently looked at Craig in the other vessel. Nodding, David moved the boat as close to the second craft as possible, allowing her to grasp Craig's arm and jump across. Immediately embracing each other. Satisfied they were clear, David moved the boat forward slowly.

Jesse's tension became palpable as Valencia was seen to stumble in the slowly moving craft. The sudden appearance of a flare in the air had him climbing to the rail, preparing to dive into the ocean.

Jarred's quick actions preventing him pushed the panic in Jesse to its highest level.

"Please let me go," he begged as he struggled for freedom, "she is in trouble."

"We're heading there now," Jarred spoke softly near his ear, "but getting yourself killed before we can help her isn't what anyone wants."

Jesse sagged against the railing, praying, hoping ... barely breathing as the dread twisting in his chest drove all rational thought from his mind.

Finally, David moved into position next to the slowly moving boat. Jarred jumped aboard, cutting the engines while retrieving and throwing a lead rope to Scott, who tied it off successfully.

Jesse jumped on board, looking around, finally finding the motionless form of Birgit and Valencia.

"No, oh heavens please ... no," kneeling next to them, he felt at her pulse points, a slight flutter at the wrist but a stronger one at the neck, "they're alive."

"Bring them across," Breanna called, "Rose and Hana have a room below. They can see to them there."

Lifting the limp form, Jesse carried them over, refusing to relinquish them to anyone else and carried them below.

"In here," Hana called from a doorway, "there isn't much room. You may need to leave her ."

"Not happening," Jesse said, "I'm not leaving her again. It's the only thing I've been told to do all day, and it's not happening again."

Nodding in resignation, Hana disappeared. Jesse entered the room. It was reasonably large with a wooden bed a little bigger than a three-quarter nailed to the floor, the covers had been removed, and a clean sheet placed over the one covering the bed.

"Where did these boats come from?" Jesse asked.

"Jasmine," Rose smiled, "put them here."

Jesse carefully placed their still body in the centre of the bed, moving out of the way for the two women to work. Movement in the doorway brought his eyes to Breanna's as she entered.

"How is everyone else?" Jesse asked.

"Everyone is off the island," Breanna said, "well ... those who matter. How are they doing?"

"I'm waiting to hear," he murmured.

"Did you ever lift your privacy barrier before now to see what they were doing?" Breanna asked.

Jesse frowned, "No, I didn't really have the time."

"Perhaps you should do it soon," Breanna said as Hanna and Rose came toward them, "what is it?"

"We need to talk to you," Hana said, moving out of the room, followed by Rose. Breanna looked at Jesse and shrugged, following them out of the room.

Jesse moved across to the bed, gently holding their hand, "Don't leave me," he whispered, "come back to me." Lifting their hand, he brushed a soft kiss over their knuckles.

David entered the room, looking around, "Where is Bre?"

"She left to talk to Rose and Hana," Jesse frowned, "why?"

"Kyle is looking at the info from Madden's facility," David shook his head, "but he thinks there may be information missing."

Nodding, Jesse watched him leave, turning to look at the smudged face of his beloved. Absently tracing circles over her knuckles with his thumb. Thought jumbled through his mind until a random thought appeared, snapping his eyes to Valencia's pale face. Did she know something that wasn't there?

Did he dare lift his privacy barrier and find out?