The Wanderers Beginning: The Wanderers, Reborn, & Unforgiven (163 page)

             
I pushed and kicked and tried everything I could to get free, but the more I struggled the worse it got. So once again I found myself about to die at the hands of Jack. I was going to drown.

             
As the water filled my lungs and burned my chest I wanted to scream. I wanted to fight. I did not want to die like this. My lungs started to constrict. I was losing the fight. I could feel my legs start to go limp, no more strength left to kick. I could feel my body giving up, making it harder and harder to fight back, but I still tried. I would not let him win. I tried to push myself off the floor but my hands slipped on the tile. I stopped struggling. The pain was too much and I couldn’t take it anymore. I could hear Dean projecting to me in my head and I knew the spell was breaking, because I was dying.

             
Just when I thought that was it, I saw the faintest glow from my hand, and then I heard my grandmother’s voice.
“You are the strongest person I know. The power you possess lives deep down inside you and no one can take that away from you.”

             
At that moment I knew. No spell could hold me. No amount of magic could keep me from using my powers. I had McCallister magic with me. There were generations of it on my bracelet. And it was in my blood.

             
The glow from the bracelet started to grow. The spell was breaking.

             
I pulled what little strength I had left and reached for my powers. They were there, deep down and I knew I could find them if I just pushed a little harder. I pulled strength from the ground as Ms. Kraft had taught me. I pulled strength from the bracelet that was blessed with magic from generations of McCallister women.

             
I felt a sudden burst inside me and I slammed my hand down, hard, on the bottom of the fountain. Water sprayed out from every angle bursting out and throwing Jack off of me. I clenched on to the side of the fountain coughing up water and gasping for air. “Ella!” Tristan called, busting through the entrance. He pulled me from the fountain and held me tight in his arms.

             
Once I could catch my breath, I pushed Tristan away from me. “Ella, what are you doing?” he asked, trying to hold on to me.

             
I saw Jack in the corner. He was starting to come to and I knew I had a very small window of opportunity. I stole the stake from inside Tristan’s pocket. “Whoa, hey,” he said, trying to take it back.

             
I ignored him. My only concern was Jack.

             
I stood over him, stake ready to plunge into his heart, but I couldn’t do it. It just didn’t seem fair for it to end this way and I hated the thought of having to kill another person even though they tried to kill me several times. I backed away and waited until more help arrived. Tristan ran over to me and took the stake from my hands. It took all I had not to collapse in his arms. I laid my hands on his chest and rested my head softly. “It’s going to be alright,” he soothed.

             
Before I could react Jack was up. He threw Tristan into the fountain, knocking him unconscious, and then turned on me, knocking me to the ground. “You’re pathetic. I knew you would be too weak to kill and that’s why I will win. Why I always win,” Jack said, exposing his fangs.

             
I went to kick him again, but this time he was prepared. He had all his weight on my legs and was holding my arms down. I struggled to get free; twisting and turning. I saw the stake out of the corner of my eye. I managed to slip one of my arms free. I socked Jack in the jaw, knocking him off of me. I rolled over on to my stomach and reached for the stake, but Jack was already on me, and dragging me across the stones. I twisted and turned and clawed my way closer to the stake, but Jack dragged me further away scrapping my back and sides against the stones. I winced from the pain, but fought through it. “You can’t do it Ella. You never could. Just face it. You will always be the weaker link, a bottom feeder.”

             
I was not going to let him win. I was tired of being called weak. I stretched my arm out. The stake was just out of reach. I cried out using every ounce of energy I had left to call the stake to me. It slid across the ground and straight into my hand. A victory smile played across my face. Panicked, Jack dropped my leg and dove on top of me.  I swung around and plunged the stake into Jack’s heart. His face paled and turned to shock as he saw what I had done.

             
“Wrong Jack. You lose.” I finished him off by pushing the stake all the way in. Blood poured from his chest and dripped down on to my arms. He coughed, spitting blood. I let go of the stake and scooted backward.

             
Jack looked down at the pointed stick protruding from his chest and then up at me. He gave me a bloodied smile. “Congrats Ella, you are officially no better than me.” He fell on his hand, holding the other to his chest. He looked up at me. “See you in hell,” was his final words before he fell on his side and then rolled over on his back. His chest rose and then fell and then he was still. His body lay there motionless.

             
I heard a noise over by the fountain. Tristan. I pushed myself up from the ground and made my way over to him. He was struggling to get up. I wrapped my arm around his waist and he grabbed his side, wincing in pain. His lip was busted and he had a gash on his head. “How bad are you hurt?” I asked, checking for other injuries.

             
“I’m fine,” he grunted. “Nothing that can’t be fixed. What about you? And where’s Jack?”

             
“Dead,” I pointed over my shoulder.

             
Tristan hobbled around to look, then turned to me and looked deep into my eyes. His hand gently caressed my cheek. I tried to smile, but I was too weak. I collapsed into his arms and he slowly brought us both to the ground.  Tristan leaned his back against the stone wall of the fountain. He positioned me carefully in between his legs and wrapped the arm that wasn’t holding his side around me. I shivered. He carefully took off his jacket, wincing with every movement, and wrapped it around me. I wanted to stay in the comfort of his arms forever.

             
He kissed my forehead gently. “It’s over Ella. It’s finally over.”

             
“Why don’t I feel like it is? Why do I feel like this is only the beginning?”

The end…for now

Unforgiven Playlist

Chapter one

Longest night (Journal entry) * Brooke
Annibale – You Don’t Know

Just a Dream (Dream/ jack) * Empires – Hello Lover

Chapter two

The Garden (Drive from airport) * Hey Marseilles – To Travels and Trunks

Belief (Ride to hotel/
ella’s struggle with drinking blood) * Jann Arden – Hanging By a Thread

This Nowhere (Search for Tristan) * Barcelona – Slipping Away

Chapter three

Untamed (Ride to club) * Dropkick Murphys * I’m Shipping up to Boston

The girls in their summer dresses (Inside club)* Robin
Thicke – Give It 2 U

Smells like teen spirit (Slow dance w/Josef) * Jason
Mraz – I won’t give up

If it kills me (Fight to get out) * Dropkick
Murphys – Hang ‘Em High

Chapter four

Roll away your stone (Wakeup/working in garden) * Fitz and the Tantrums – Dear Mr. President

Let it go (Crying with Deirdre) * Dum Dum Girls – Coming down

Shake it out (Café/phone calls) * Gavin
Degraw – Let It Go

Best thing I never had (Roman’s call) * Gavin
Degraw – Jealous Guy

Falling slowly (Journal) * Howie Day – The Longest Night

Chapter five

Something’s
gotta a hold on me (Bar) * Manchester Orchestra – I’ve Got Friends

Breaking the Habit (Fight) * Disturbed – Down with the Sickness

Miracle Mile (Finding Tristan) * Birdy – Without a Word

Chapter six

Love Don’t Die (Cleaning Tristan/waking up) * Sleeping At Last – Atlantic

Promises (Ella’s confession/Tristan freaks) * Plumb – Don’t Deserve You

Chapter seven

Come a little closer (Tristan/Ella talking) * Sara
Bareilles – Satellite Call

Waiting Game (Ella/Tristan in bed) * Adele – Make You Feel My Love

How I feel (First time) * Rhianna ft Mikky Ekko – Stay

Chapter eight

Take it All (Talking in bed/ remembering dreams) *The Civil Wars – Pressing Flowers

Chapter nine

Someone Like You (Dean’s omission about Cameron) * Adele – Daydreams

Chapter ten

Dirty Little Secret (Tells Tristan about roman) * Cary Brothers – Never Tear Us Apart

It’s Time (Bathtub) * Carousel – Iron and Wine

True Color (Ella/Deirdre) * Janis Joplin – Me and Bobby McGee

The Arms of an Angel (Dance with Tristan) * The Airborne Toxic Event – All for a woman

Chapter eleven

Can’t Live Without You (Finds out Josie is leaving) *
Jakob Dylan – In the Arms of a Ghost

Chapter twelve

Hanging by a thread (Ella says goodbye to Josie) * David Gray – The Other Side

Don’t Let Go Yet (Tristan) * The Naked and Famous – Hearts like ours

Chapter thirteen

Wake Me Up (Letter from Tristan) * Noah Gunderson and The Forest Rangers – Day is Gone

Homeward Bound (Plane ride home) * Phil Phillips – Home

Chapter fourteen

I Never Told You (Dad’s present) * Sarah Blasko – Illusory Light

White Wedding (Engagement party) * Cults – Most Wanted

Breathe me (Talk with Danni) * Eminem ft Rhianna –The Monster

Chapter fifteen

I did a bad thing (Dean /Cameron) *
Meiko – Bad Things

Courage Is (Ella talking to Grandma Bea/ Danni) * Passenger – Patient Love

Chapter sixteen

It Doesn’t Mean a Thing (Danni and Xander) * Kari Kimmel – Remember

Chapter seventeen

Good is Good (Birthday celebration) * Carrie Underwood – See You Again

Faith (Gift from Grandma Bea/letter) * Cary Brothers – Run Away

Chapter eighteen

The First Cut is the Deepest (Roman seeks out Ella) * Little Dragon – Twice

Say Something (Argue w/roman) * Shontelle – Impossible

Ring the Alarm (Tree) * Carrie Underwood – So Small

Chapter nineteen

When I’m Gone (Talk with Aidan about memorial) * The Strange Familiar – Redemption

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (Begging roman to stay) * Damien Rice – 9 crimes

Instant Karma (Walk outside) * Leagues – Walking Backwards

Chapter twenty

Cemetery Drive (Dream graves) * 30 Seconds to Mars – Northern Lights

Get Up (Pep talk w/ Josie) * Jagwar Ma – Come Save Me

Stars are Blind (Talk with riley) * Wake Owl – Gold

Chapter twenty one

Head On Collision (Talk w/Roman outside library) * Christina Grimmie – With Love

Homecoming (Getting ready for memorial) * Cold Play –
Til Kingdom Come

Lights and Sound (Memorial) * The
Kodaline – All I Want

Chapter twenty two

Build Me Up Buttercup (Saying goodbye to friends) * In-Flight Safety – Destroy

If You Wanna Be Happy (Shopping)* Paper Route – Better Life

I write Sins not Tragedies (Laundry room) * The Civil Wars – I Had Me a Girl

Chapter twenty three