"S-Stop right there," he shouted. "Stop or I'll blow a bullet through your brain."
"Aiden," Kahn said, smiling. "Put down the weapon. We've been at a standstill for years now. It's time to put the pieces back in the box. You've lost this match."
A tear rolled down his cheek, fading into the darkness of his beard. "Lilly…" he muttered. "I just want my daughter back. Give her to me, and I'll leave forever."
"We both agreed to the terms. This is the outcome of war," Micah said. "The pact has been broken. Finally, we can find justice for what happened to my wife."
"In the process of finding your justice, you seem to have forgotten about my wife. What about her lie? Will you fight for her name, as well?" Aiden asked.
"She died for her sins and so will her daughter," Kahn grunted.
Lilly couldn't take it any longer. I could see her hands shaking against her chest. She had reached her breaking point.
Eyes on the prize, kiddo. You're almost there.
I should have known she'd rush the center. She moved faster than I could stop her.
"No!" she screamed and dove forward. All eyes turned on her, but my father took aim and shot. The bullet cracked and cut through the air, barreling toward her body.
For the second time in less than forty-eight hours, I leapt and nearly took another bullet. This time, it chipped the cartilage from my ear, whizzing inches away from her head. I wiped the blood that rolled down my cheek and howled.
Now, it was personal.
"Lilly, get down!" I growled. She ducked and rolled across the soil as Kahn found me in his sights.
"Oh, brother," he chuckled. "You should have never returned home."
"I should have killed you when I had the chance," I growled.
"Perhaps," he said. "But that opportunity has long since passed."
He charged and we met in a terrible fight. His fist cut across my jaw, stunning me for a moment. I stumbled back, but he wouldn't be a match against my strength. A swift uppercut to the gut sent him flying into the cabin, shattering the first few steps. Pouncing forward, I held his neck and choked him, looking him straight in the eyes. "You will die tonight."
But killing him wasn't in the cards for me. More thunder cracked above, and a blinding flash of lightning illuminated the center of the cabin. The foundation capsized and fell apart, crashing around us. I forced myself off of him, jumping to safety.
"Lilly, we must go. Now!"
An alarming amount of rain started to pour, shielding any path to safety. I looked around for Lilly, but the rain was too heavy to see through. The only person I could see was her father, and he had his weapon fixated on me.
My heart practically stopped when I thought about what I could lose in this fight. The cure. Lilly. Those two things were the only paths toward a new future, and her father was standing in my way.
"Don't do this," I warned. "The world is at stake and so is her heart."
"You," he muttered. "You took her."
I threw my hands up in defense and shook my head. The water poured against my face. I was sure I was facing my last moments. "I'm not the one you want," I said. "I saved her life."
"Do not lie to me," he scowled.
"I am not a man who lies," I said, stepping back.
"That's right," he said, nodding vehemently. "You're not a man at all."
I looked inside the barrel of his gun and felt the power of death shake me. I was certain he would kill me, but another round of pulverizing lightning deafened me. It hit the soil in front of us, knocking us both onto our asses. The ground shook, and the soil seemed to waver. The sound of rushing water hit my senses, and I felt someone grab my hand. It was Lilly.
"My dad," she said, out of breath and soaking wet. "We have to save him!"
I wanted to be the hero she needed me to be, but there was no time for saving anyone except for her. Her father would have to find a way out. The rain had created a flash flood, and it hit us faster than I could respond.