Bloodrose (6 page)

Anika surveyed the map on the table. I knew the conversation about Ansel was over. Fury bubbled up inside me. If I couldn’t fight for him, at least I could fight. Edging forward to peek at the map, I saw mountainous terrain.

“That’s where we’re going?”

She nodded. “Mürren, Switzerland. At dawn. We’ll send in the decoys first. The cave is here. We’ll draw the Guardians away from the entrance and then send in the stealth team.”

“You up for early morning bear baiting, Pascal?” Connor laughed.

For the first time Pascal cracked a smile. “Of course,
mon frère.
It’s what we do best.”

“Huh?” I frowned at Connor.

Connor cocked his head at me, then his eyes went wide. “You don’t know?”

“Know what?”

“Oh, man.” Shay glanced from me to Ren. “The other Guardians are bears?”

“What?!” Ren and I exclaimed in unison. I looked at him. The other alpha’s face mirrored the shock I felt.

“Just the Guardians of Tordis,” Silas replied. “You really didn’t know about the other Guardian forms?”

My skin felt too tight. I wanted to shift and bolt from the room.

Ren managed an answer. “No. We didn’t.”

“Was that bear that attacked me when we met a Guardian?” Shay asked me.

“No,” I said, still shaken. “That was just a grizzly.”

Not once in my life had I considered the idea that other forms of Guardians might exist. Our wolf packs were closely knit. We were proud of our ferocity and of our skill as warriors. The Keepers made us feel like we’d been chosen. That we alone could serve them in the war. More lies.

Ren threw me a puzzled glance. “You saved him from a bear?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” I folded my arms across my chest. “I want to know more about these other Guardians.”

Silas puffed up. “It’s quite genius, actually. Keepers created Guardians naturally suited to each environment they would protect. Wolves in Colorado. Bears in Switzerland.”

A stocky, dark-haired Searcher from a team I hadn’t been introduced to smiled grimly.
“Y las yaguares en Tulúm.”

“Sí. Las yaguares.”
Silas shuddered.
“La muerte en las sombras.”

I didn’t speak Spanish, but I knew he was describing another type of Guardian. My stomach twisted. I’d always felt that we were special somehow. Even if we were servants, I’d felt a sense of privilege of lives marked by exception. Now it turned out that we were just convenient.

The shock of learning wolves weren’t the only Guardians created by Keepers wasn’t the only thing gnawing at me. Everything about this scenario—the strategizing, the strike teams. Haldis Tactical was the place where Searchers planned their attacks. Where they’d planned their attacks on Vail. I didn’t have any doubts about whose side we should be on, but I wondered if I would ever feel at ease here.

Silas was still talking. “It would be the perfect system, except for the—”

“If you call them a sin against nature again, I will end you.” Ethan’s hand was on his dagger’s hilt.

“Look who’s a born-again Guardian evangelist now.” Connor laughed. “What’s up with that?”

A blush slid up Ethan’s neck. “Nothing. They’re our allies. That’s all.”

“Sure it is,” Connor said.

Ethan swore and turned his back on Connor.

BRYN HAD BEEN RIGHT
about Ansel’s quarters. They weren’t so much a cell as a sparsely furnished bedroom. Though from looking at Ansel, you’d have thought he was back in the Keepers’ dungeon. He was curled up in the window seat, head pressing against the glass.

In the distance you could see the sea lapping at the shore, but the idyllic setting had no effect on Ansel’s blank stare. I could see now why the Searchers posted outside the door were so relaxed. Their ward seemed to have no interest in escaping, and even if he did escape, he had the strength of a wet noodle. My bones ached as I watched him. Why did it have to be Ansel who suffered?

Bryn sat next to him, stroking his hair. I was surprised to see Tess sitting on the opposite side of Ansel, a plate of oatmeal cookies in her lap. As they sat opposite each other, Tess looked almost like Bryn’s older sister. Tightly curled ringlets crowned each of their heads; Bryn’s bronze locks glinted in the sun while Tess’s blue-black curls took on an almost violet hue. The former Haldis Reaper turned mother-like caretaker of my little brother watched Ansel with a kind but worried expression. Mason stood near her, munching on a cookie. Nev and Sabine were a short distance apart, speaking to each other in soft tones.

Nev saw us first. His mouth opened and closed, but rather than speak, he jerked his chin at Sabine. She turned. And hissed when she saw Ren.

“You.”

Ren didn’t move when she flew at him. Her fists pounded his chest. “How could you?! How could you let that happen to us?!”

With considerable effort Nev pried Sabine off Ren. She struggled before turning to bury her head in Nev’s shoulder, sobbing.

“Sorry, man,” Nev said, stroking Sabine’s ebony hair.

Ren shook his head. “I deserve it.”

I couldn’t decide if I agreed with him or not. When Nev and Sabine had left the Bane pack, Ren stayed behind. He was their alpha. His duty was to lead and protect them, but he’d thrown his lot in with Dax, Cosette, and my old packmate, Fey. Their betrayal stung. Did Sabine blame Ren for how she’d suffered? Did she think it was his fault Dax and Cosette were still with the Keepers?

Bryn didn’t leave Ansel’s side, but she gaped at us. “Oh my God. Ren.”

Mason hesitated before coming to Ren and catching him in a quick hug. “Good to see you, man. In one piece and such.”

“You too, Mason.”

“How?” Sabine sniffled, still clinging to Nev. “How is it that you’re here? I thought you left us.”

Ren looked at the floor. I had to help him. Even if I still felt uneasy about why Ren had briefly chosen the Keepers over us, he was here now and we needed him. A broken, grieving alpha was no good to our cause.

“He was manipulated,” I said, and he smiled weakly, keeping his eyes downcast. “Ren is here because he has a sister who wanted to save him.”

“Okay,” Bryn said. “Now you’re not making any sense at all.”

“Adne,” Nev murmured, peering at Ren. “Right? I knew there was something about that girl.”

I nodded. “Her father was Monroe—the Searcher who led our rescue mission. He was also Ren’s father, not Emile.”

“Heavy,” Mason said.

“Tell me about it,” Ren said.

The sound of ceramic shattering brought all our eyes to the window. Tess was standing. Shards of the broken plate lay at her feet. She crossed the room, taking Ren’s face in her hands.

“You’re Monroe’s son?” Her eyes were brimming. “Corrine and Monroe’s son?”

Ren nodded.

“Thank goodness Adne isn’t alone.” Tess laughed despite her tears, wrapping her arms around Ren, who looked startled but not upset by the gesture. “Monroe would be so, so grateful that you’re here.”

“Thanks,” Ren said, his own voice getting rough. “I’m sorry I didn’t know him.”

“Me too, sweetie,” she said, wiping away her tears.

Bryn was still frowning. “Monroe and Corrine? I don’t understand. How would that even be possible?”

“It’s kind of involved, but it’s possible. We’re gonna have to leave it at that,” I said. “We’ve got other things to do now that Ren’s here.”

“What other things?” Mason asked. “Please tell me they’re things that involve kicking some Keeper ass.”

I grinned. “That’s exactly the kind of things they are.”

“Hold on,” Bryn said. “I’m all for fighting the Keepers, but do the Searchers want our help?”

“They rescued us, didn’t they?” Mason rocked back on his heels.

“I suppose.” Bryn’s eyes wandered to Ansel, who was still staring off into the distance. I was already counting her out of this fight. She was only concerned with helping my brother. And that was fine with me.

Tess spoke up. “Monroe and Corrine first met because a group of Banes planned to rebel against their masters. We were going to help them. Unfortunately the plan was discovered.”

“The Keepers killed my mother,” Ren finished. His eyes had gone flat.

“Shit.” Nev kicked the edge of the rug. “They are just total shit.”

“No kidding,” Mason said.

I didn’t want us to get lost in our own rage against the Keepers. “There have been other, older alliances between Guardians and Searchers, but none of them could last.”

“Because no one can defeat the Keepers.” Sabine glared at Tess.

“Until now.” Tess didn’t falter under Sabine’s cold eyes.

“Shay can stop them,” I said quietly. “That’s why they wanted to kill him.”

“Says who?” Sabine snapped. “That stupid prophecy Connor and that punk-rock brain trust, Silas, were talking about? What if it’s all lies? Nothing we’ve heard up to this point about our past has been true.”

“Let it go, Sabine,” Nev said, squeezing her shoulder. “These are the good guys. They saved us, remember?”

Sabine’s lip trembled. “Go to hell.” She shoved Nev away and ran from the room.

Mason shook his head. “She’s not seeing the silver lining, is she?”

“She’ll be okay,” Nev said, watching the door close again. “It’s a lot to take in.”

Ren nodded, though the tight set of his jaw told me he was worried about her.

“We may need to rethink our teams,” I said.

“Yeah,” he said. “Looks that way.”

Mason tugged on the collar of his shirt. I glanced around at my packmates, realizing they were all dressed in Searcher garb. I suddenly wanted to laugh.

Mason gave me a quizzical look and I shook my head.

“Where’s Shay?”

“Still with the Searchers in Haldis Tactical,” I said. “They keep him pretty busy.”

He fidgeted, coughing before he spoke again. “So, uh, Ren’s here . . . and Shay’s here?”

“Yes,” I said.

Bryn glanced nervously at Ren and then me. “Who’s our alpha?”

“I am.” I waited for Ren to object, but he didn’t.

She chewed on her lower lip. “And Shay and Ren?”

“Are backing me up.”

Ren sighed, but he nodded. “We’re backing her up.”

Mason grinned. “She is woman, hear her roar.”

Bryn giggled. “Awesome.”

My answering smile was so broad it hurt a little.

The door opened and Anika entered, followed by Adne. A moment later Shay walked in. As soon as he joined us, the air crackled as if it were filled with ozone. Ren moved to the other side of the room, putting as much distance between himself and Shay as possible. I appreciated the safeguard, forcing myself to stay in place rather than going to Shay like I wanted to. Nev and Mason exchanged a glance and didn’t hide their grins fast enough.

“If you two make any bets, I
will
find out about it,” I said. “And you’ll be sorry.”

Mason managed to look abashed. Nev shifted his gaze from my pointed stare with a sly smile.

Adne followed Ren, looping her arm through his in a casual gesture, but I saw her fingers lock around his arm, steadying him as he glared at Shay.

Anika’s face was stern as she surveyed our small Guardian pack. “I trust you’re aware of our shifting circumstances.”

We all nodded. Anika smiled, turning to Tess.

“I’m told you have a proposal for me?”

Tess straightened. “It’s about us orphans.”

“Us orphans?” Anika’s brow furrowed.

My chest tightened as I looked from Tess to Ansel. She was right. Tess and Isaac had been posted in Denver, at the Searchers’ hideout. Now that Purgatory had burned, Tess couldn’t do the Reapers’ work of smuggling goods under the Keepers’ noses. She’d lost her home; her job; her partner, Isaac; and her lover, Lydia. All because we’d shown up and turned her world upside down. If anyone should hate us, it was Tess, but all she’d done was treat us with kindness, my brother especially.

“Me and him.” Tess gestured to Ansel. “We’ve both lost our place in the world.”

“His status is still being considered, Tess,” Anika said. “You know that.”

“Of course,” Tess said. “But I think it would benefit everyone for him to prove himself useful.”

I watched her, suspicion nestling against my spine. Ansel wouldn’t be exploited in any way while I had a say in it.

“What did you have in mind?” Anika asked.

“My outpost is gone,” Tess said. “But I still have training for basic Academy tasks. I can help in the garden and in Eydis Sanctuary. I’d like to take the boy with me. Teach him some of our ways.”

“Do you really think that’s wise?” Anika paced across the room.

“I think it would be unwise to leave him unoccupied.” Tess’s eyes slid over Ansel’s arms. His skin was crisscrossed with bright red hatch marks. Older cuts were healing; newer scratches were just beginning to scab over.