I stop ten feet away from them. Setrakus Ra senses my presence and turns around, the three Loric pendants from other Garde children he has killed dangling from his massive neck. The scar circling his throat pulses with a dark energy.
“We missed each other,” Setrakus Ra growls.
I open my mouth but nothing comes out. Sam’s blue eyes turn in my direction, but I can’t tell if he sees me.
More hot liquid drips from the pipes, hitting Sam in the wrists, chest, knees and feet. A thick stream flows onto his cheek and rolls down his neck. Seeing Sam tortured finally gives me a voice.
“Let him go!” I shout.
Setrakus Ra’s eyes harden. The pendants around his neck glow and mine responds, lighting up as well. The blue Loralite gem is hot against my skin, and then it suddenly bursts into flames, my Legacy taking over. I allow the fire to crawl along my shoulders.
“I’ll let him go,” he says, “if you come back to the mountain and fight me.”
I glance quickly over at Sam and see that he has lost his battle with the pain and has blacked out, chin resting on his chest.
Setrakus Ra points to Sam’s withered body and says, “You must decide. If you don’t come, I’ll kill him and then I’ll kill the rest of them. If you do, I’ll let them all live.”
I hear a voice yelling my name, telling me I have to move. Nine. I sit up with a gasp and my eyes snap open. I’m covered in a thin layer of sweat. I stare through the jagged hole of broken drywall and it takes me a few seconds to get my bearings.
“Dude! Get up!” Nine yells from the other side of the door. “There’s a ton of stuff we need to do!”
I get to my knees and fumble around my neck for my pendant. I squeeze it as hard as I can, trying to get Sam’s screams out of my head. The bedroom door swings open. Nine stands in the doorway, wiping his face with the back of his hand. “Seriously, bro. Get your shit together. We need to get out of here.”