Twenty-One

Matthews footsteps thudded on the dark wooden steps as he made his way up to us on the balcony. He looked at every one of us in turn, before his gaze settled on Mel.

They really did look so alike. It was crazy to me that two people could look so identical yet be so different personality wise.

"I trust you have made a decision over night. The right one I hope."

His voice was cool and measured. Mel took a deep breath.

"At first, we wanted to imagine a life where we could live. A life in The Rubies, all of us together. But now...now we realise that it was only ever a dream. What you are suggesting is wrong. We would rather face death than live a life where everyone is miserable because they are being forced into a generation they didn't want."

Matthew kept his expression poker straight. Her words didn't affect him at all.

Popkins hugged Mel to him, then to all of our surprise, swivelled her around and kissed her slowly on the lips. She was startled at first, but within seconds had her arms around his neck, eagerly kissing him back. He pulled away, smiling at her from beneath his round spectacles.

"I'm proud of you. You...you kind of rock my world you know."

She giggled, her cheeks turning pink. I could see she was lost for words, which was certainly unusual for Mel. Matthew sighed and rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his chest.

"History repeating itself I see. Falling for an Emerald."

We all looked from Mel to Matthew, confused to say the least.

"What do you mean?"

Her eyes were wide as she asked the question, her cheeks still flushed from the kiss.

"Have you ever wondered why you aren't like every other Ruby? Or why you can show emotions and be stupid enough to run away with strangers?"

"Of course I've wondered. But I've also been busy trying to hide from the authorities and you so it's not been at the front of my mind."

Matthew smirked, as he always did. He managed to look disgusted at the same time.

"Your Mother was an Emerald. You are half and half. So I really shouldn't be surprised that you have feelings for an annoying wizard."

My mouth fell open as I looked at Mel. That explained it. That's why she was so different.

"My Mum was an Emerald? Wow. Tell me about her. I want to know everything."

Matthew chuckled as he uncrossed his arms and pulled up on the wooden ledge, sitting down and swinging his legs.

"Mel, I'm here for your choice to my proposition, not to tell you your life story. Your Mother was an Emerald, yes. The authorities killed her when they realised she could magic herself to the Ruby generation and see me whenever she felt like doing so. That's all I have to say about it."

Mel looked crestfallen. Popkins hugged her. I touched her arm briefly to let her know I was here. I didn't know what to say. None of us did. Finding out you had family only to realise they were dead or to have them erased like Drew was must be unbearable.

"Anyway, nevermind all that. You don't have time to sob about someone you never knew. Are you telling me, with certainty, that you are not accepting my offer?"

Mel was still visibly upset, so I decided to speak.

"We are refusing your offer, that is correct. It's wrong. And deep down, you probably know it is."

He turned his attention to me now, evil in his eyes. He hadn't even said anything yet, but Jamie held me tighter and Miles squeezed my hand harder.

"And I suppose you are happy that all of your friends are about to die because of you? That every single one of you will be killed because of your selfish need to be a Sapphire." He jumped off the balcony and walked up to me, his footsteps heavy. "I suppose it gives you a thrill to know that your boyfriend is about to die because you made the wrong choice. In fact, I'll tell the authorities to start with him first."

His face was inches away from mine, glaring and cold. His words had hit a nerve, he was just confirming everything I already felt. I couldn't take it anymore. I let go of Miles hand and pushed Jamie back. It all happened so quickly that they couldn't stop me.

I ran for Matthew, shoving him hard. I forgot my own power, suddenly remembering the flashback of when I had crushed a solid Ruby with just my fingertips. He staggered backwards, grabbling my wrist as he fell through the wooden rails and we landed together with a thud on the hard ground.

I struggled to get away from him but his grip was vice like. He laughed manically as he climbed on top of me, pinning me down.

"I'll leave the authorities to kill the others, but you....you I would like the pleasure of killing all on my own."

I grunted as he held me down, so much of his weight pressed against me I could barely breathe. I could see the group in the corner of my eye running down the steps towards us.

"You.. you wouldn't let..." I gasped, trying to get my breath. The pain was exruciating as he pushed me so hard against the ground that I thought I was going to fall through. "... You wouldn't let them...kill...kill Mel. She's, she's....your daughter."

Every word was an effort. He grinned at me evily, bending his face so close that I could feel his breath.

"I wouldn't be so sure Princess. I was the one that told the authorities where to find her Mother, don't think for a second that I wouldn't let them kill the half and half freak show of a daughter who I only met yesterday."

I tossed and turned underneath him, trying to squirm away, but it was no good. I didn't know how to get away from him. I closed my eyes and flung my head forward, headbutting him with as much force as I could manage. He cried out, cursing under his breath, rolling off me with his head in his hands.

The pain in my own head was so excruciating that my vision blurred. I laid on the ground for a second, dazzled by the agony. I was certain my head had cracked when I headbutted him.

"Cassie, get up baby. Quick, he's moving."

Jamie spoke. He sounded frantic and panicked. I had to get up, for him. My head swam as I got on all fours and shakily stood up. As I tried to straighten up against the pain, I heard everyone shout my name at once, before feeling Matthew take a fistful of my hair in his hands, pulling me towards him. The pain of him pulling my hair combined with my throbbing head was almost too much.

He laughed as he realised I had no energy to fight him. He let go of my hair and wrapped an arm around my neck instead, making me gag. He turned me around to face everyone, all of them looking terrified.

"None of you move. If you do, I'll kill her instantly."

Jamie went to take a step forward and I felt more afraid than I had ever been in my life. Not for me, but for him. I breathed a sigh of relief as Miles held on to Jamie, keeping him from doing anything stupid.

Matthew kept an arm around my throat as he lifted his Ruby from his neck, holding it towards his mouth.

"This is Mayor Perkins and I am in The Sapphire generation with your most wanted. You need to come here, quick."

I had no choice but to look at my friends faces as he said the words. We all knew it was going to happen, but it filled us with dread anyway. I jumped as a loud voice sounded through his Ruby, right in my ear.

"We will send a team right away. Can you confirm exactly where abouts in The Sapphires you are and who you have?"

I managed to get a bit of fight back. I struggled against his grip but he tightened his hold on me, making it difficult to breathe.

"We are at the edge of the bamboo forest at the log cabin. Wizard Popkins, Mel, half Sapphire-half Diamond Maisie, Miles and Jamie are all here."

There was silence as we all realised he didn't say my name. The loud voice sounded again.

"What about our other most wanted? Cassie?"

Matthew put his lips towards my ear, I could feel the evil smirk even if I couldn't see his face.

"I'm afraid Cassie is already dead."

His voice was a whisper. My blood turned cold. Even if I could have moved in that moment, I don't think I would have. Fear over took me, immobilizing me to the spot.

His arm pushed tighter against my throat. I could feel my airwaves shutting down, wishing I was strong enough to fight against this. I should have been, but headbutting him earlier had been a mistake. I had hit him so hard that my own skull was damaged. I was pretty sure I was concussed, which did nothing to help my broken spirit.

I watched, frozen in horror as Jamie and Miles both ran towards us. If only I could have spoken, told them to back off. There was no point. They couldn't save me. They had to save their energy for when the authorities got them, maybe they still had a fighting chance.

Dying was a strange thing. Weird thoughts went through my head. I had read that some people had their lives flash before their eyes, but that wasn't true for me. I thought of the fact that I had always taken the simple pleasure of breathing for granted. I never realized how good it felt to take a deep lungful of air until I couldn't do it anymore.

Jamie punched Matthew in the face, splitting his lip open. The Mayor's blood dripped on to my shoulder and I felt the squeezing pressure on my neck ease just a little bit from the surprise of being hit.

Jamie punched again, this time breaking his nose with a loud crack. I could see the others running towards us now, Popkins with his wand out, ready to help. Once again, the pressure on my throat became a little less so I seized my chance and found the strength to bite him on the arm, as hard as I could. I gagged as I felt his blood hit the back of my throat.

Matthew screamed in agony and let go of me. I fell to the floor, gasping in some air as my throat began to open up again.

I watched from the ground as Matthew launched himself at Jamie. I had never known fear like it. He couldn't hurt Jamie. I couldn't let him.

I shakily got to my feet just in time to see Miles leap forward and push Jamie out of the way. I screamed out as Matthew lifted Miles up by his throat, and threw him against the log cabin stairs. I heard bones crack as Miles hit the wood with a thud, his injured body curled up on impact.

"Magic wand, be it on my head, make sure Matthew Perkins is dead. MAGIC WAND, BE IT ON MY HEAD, MAKE SURE MATTHEW PERKINS IS DEAD."

Popkins swished his wand violently and the Mayor fell to the ground, his pale white skin instantly turning grey. We looked on in shock. Maisie floated down, sinking into his body for just a second before appearing again. She gave a slight nod at Popkins.

"He's definitely dead."

I turned around, running towards Miles, falling to the ground beside him. He had blood pouring from his head where he had hit the ground.

His right leg was sticking out at a funny angle beneath him. I could hear his heart beating, but only just. I looked at Popkins, hoping with all my heart that he had a spell for Miles.

Popkins was wide eyed as he left Mel who was staring tearily at her dead Father on the ground and walked up to me, shaking his head. Jamie came up as well, sitting the other side of Miles.

"Is there something you can do?"

It was Jamie who spoke. He was looking at Miles, haunted by what had just happened. Popkins shook his head again.

"I... I don't know if I can."

I narrowed my eyes at Popkins, unable to believe what I was hearing.

"You can do anything. You just killed Perkins...you saved Jamie that day...what do you mean you don't know if you can?"

Popkins turned his sad eyes on me, looking defeated.

"I can probably save his life, yes. But when he hit those steps, his back cracked. Miles will be paralysed. He will never walk again Cassie."

I shook my head hard and took Miles hand in mine.

"No. You're a Wizard. There must be a spell you can do."

I didn't know why it was scaring me so much. What use was it if the authorities were now coming for us anyway? But just in case we made it, if there was even the slightest chance, Miles had to be OK. He had to.

Popkins knealt down beside Miles as well, the three of us crouched around him.

"Cassie my darling, if a Sapphire gets injured, I can't reverse that. Nobody can. Haven't you ever wondered why Jamie still has a body full of scars?"

I looked at Jamie, not understanding.

"But...but I... I hurt myself once. When the Ruby burned me as I tried to take my necklace off the first day we went on the run. My hand was all burned and red. Jamie did a spell. My hand got bandaged up and better. I'm a Sapphire."

Jamie nodded, remembering it well. He looked at me with symapthy.

"But yours was always going to heal. Left on its own, it would have taken weeks, maybe even months to heal. But it would have disappeared. The spell just helped it along. Any lasting injuries can't be reversed. Otherwise I would have had my scars heal up a long time ago."

I frowned. I didn't want Jamie to have his scars removed even if he could. They were what made him, him. He was beautiful the way he was. But I couldn't comprehend what they were telling me. I looked at Popkins again, my eyes pleading.

"But surely you can...."

"I can't Cassie. I wish I could but there is no spell that can help." Popkins cut me off, his voice raised with emotion. "I can make sure he lives, I can take his pain away. But I can't reverse a permanent injury. Miles will never walk again. I'm sorry."

I let his words sink in, my mind numb.

I wanted the last few hours to be a nightmare, but as I looked at Mile's crumpled body lying there, I knew I wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.

This was real.