Chapter 91

JOHN

My power spread from one plant to the next as it wove its way through the connected root system. Then, like a wave of death, the plants shriveled and fell, decayed and useless, to the earth in a spreading circle around me.

"No!"

My father's scream echoed through the plastic enclosure.

"John!" Hunter's voice was a relief to hear. In my rush to grab the plants, I hadn't cared about the roar or what had pulled my Dad off me. Now, I could clearly see as I sat up, Mai, Hunter's panther-like demon growling over my father.

"Are you hurt?" Hunter knelt down in the dirt next to me, reaching to help me up.

Shaking my head, I took stock of myself. Besides the dirt on my hands and clothes, and the relative trauma of physically fighting my dad, I was fine. I still had the power Poe had given me. Still could feel the essence of the plants I'd killed.

In the skin of my hands, the dark designs appeared, the swirling patterns tracing their way up