Page 50 of A Spark in the Ash

They make casual conversation. They talk about jobs that Vivian has. They talk about past brawls and shootouts. It's all a distraction, but the history is real. Jaxon is trying to keep Aaron from realizing that we are leaving the city, not heading into it.

But I’m learning all kinds of things about these two during this time.

Jaxon and Aaron used to train at a boxing gym. This explains how they are both able to handle themselves so well. Aaron is the one who once trained Jaxon, just as Jaxon was doing with AJ. And apparently once, when Jaxon was still a junior in high school, before Vivian forced him to drop out, they got into a tight spot in the middle of the road on the Strip. There were fifteen shots fired. Everyone ran before the cops arrived.

I shake my head in disbelief once again.

Howis Jaxon the gatekeeper?

We are fifteen minutes out into the desert when Aaron suddenly perks up, sitting straighter in his seat as he looks outside. "Where are we going?" he asks.

"New little place I heard of outside the city," Jaxon says. He lays harder on the gas, picking up the speed. The further we are outside of civilization the better.

"What are you talking about?" Aaron asks. The annoyance in his tone rises with every single word. "There's nothing out here. Are you even on a road anymore?"

Nope. We're definitely not on a road anymore. That becomes obvious from the bumps we immediately meet.

Jaxon doesn't say anything, he only lays harder on the gas again.

"Seriously? Where are we going?" Aaron asks. His tone gets angrier by the second. "Serena, what is going on?"

"It's an immersive experience," I say as I look back at him. "You just need to trust us right now. Believe me, you're going to feel a lot better after this."

His brows furrow at that. I see his hands reach for his hip, as if he's reaching for a gun, except there's nothing there right now.

"Really?" I ask incredulously with an arched eyebrow.

The engine roars as we fly out over the desert. I look through the window, searching for signs of houses behind us. Only I can't see any now. The hills block the line of sight in every direction.

"This should be good enough," I say.

And immediately, Jaxon slams on the brakes. We skid over the desert as Aaron yells and swears, his anger growing with every terrifying second.

The car has barely stopped before Jaxon throws it into park and shoves his door open fiercely. I throw myself out of the car just in time to see Jaxon burst into flames.

Aaron screams as he tries to scoot away from Jaxon when he rips the door open. His eyes are wide, absolutely terrified. And he should be. Jaxon glows brighter than the sun. His entire frame is engulfed in glowing white flames, burning so hot they nearly look blue. And his eyes… They are wild. He's been fighting against this instinct for the past twenty-four hours. Finally, he gets to let it all loose.

Jaxon grabs the front of his brother’s shirt and roughly yanks him out of the vehicle. Aaron falls, catching himself on his hands on the rough ground.

I walk around the vehicle, and my eyes widen at the beautiful sight.

Jaxon pulses hotter and brighter for just a moment. And then he drops to his knees next to his brother, and his hands dive directly into his chest.

Aaron screams loudly, fiercely. But the second Jaxon's hands slide into his chest, his screams cut off abruptly. His eyes go wide. He freezes. He stares at Jaxon with huge, stunned eyes.

Jaxon's gaze is intent and focused. With his hands wrist deep in his brothers chest, I watch him feel around. Then he stops.

And then slowly, he begins to withdraw them.

Aaron collapses to the ground as soon as Jaxon's hands are free of his chest cavity.

It's insane. The very existence of the dusk is something that boggles my mind. It isn't like some evil person. It's not even like a demon, like is often spoke about in fairytales and religion.

It's just…innocuous bad energy.

Jaxon's eyes focus intently on the swirling gray matter. He pulses brighter. He balls it between his hands and the look of concentration on his face intensifies.

Then he crushes his hands together, and the dusk shatters and evaporates.

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