Authors: Nichole Chase
“No plan is fail proof. All we can do is out best.” He leaned down to kiss her forehead, but a large wave sent them both stumbling into the railing they had originally been holding onto. Paden caught hold of the bar and scooped Ree against his chest. He chuckled and looked down at her. “See? Nothing goes as planned. You just do your best.” With that, he leaned down and caught her mouth in a sweet kiss.
When he pulled back from her, his eyebrows pulled together in worry. Confused, she blinked and realized her eyes were casting a soft glow on his face. She looked over her shoulder and realized they were close to the dock of the dilapidated safe house.
“Don’t dock! Keep going!” Ree hollered at Roland. He slammed the boat into gear and, as they tore away from the dock, Dark Ones poured out of the shadows. Ree threw her hands out toward the bank and let the energy flow out of her hands. The Dark Ones at the front shattered into a wave of ashes. Before the dust of the dead had even started to settle, more Dark Ones had taken their place and this time Ree realized they were holding weapons.
Ree called for everyone to get down and flung the power at the remaining Dark Ones. She threw the power again, this time toward the trees near the house. Loud cracking cut through the roar of the boat engine as the trees fell across the path to the dock, keeping any other Dark Ones from having easy access. She was seething inside when she turned back around to look at Roland.
“Where are we going to go? They know we’re headed for the city.” She gripped the edge of the console and took a deep breath. “Do we scrap our plan?”
“No. We pretend to run back to the island and hit another dock.” Roland headed for the island and they all grew quiet.
“So, we pretend to run because that’s what they are used to us doing.” Ree spit the words out in disgust. There was a soft groaning and the metal under her fingers bent under the pressure. She moved her hand and sighed.
“Yes, but we aren’t really running this time.” Roland smiled at her. “We’re letting them assume.”
“And you know what that means!” Weylin shouted over the motor and crash of waves.
“No, what’s that?” Melanie looked at Weylin with wide innocent eyes.
“Oh, you know! It makes an ass out of you and me. I mean, them and us.” Weylin looked at Melanie in shock. “Get it?”
“No. How does it make an ass out of them and us?” Melanie hollered.
“Assume. It’s spelled A-S-S, then U, then M-E. So it makes an ass out of U and me.” Weylin leaned toward Melanie and pointed at his chest.
“It makes an ass out of M-E?” Melanie shook her head in confusion.
“Me! It makes an ass out of ME!” Weylin pointed at his chest again. Everyone died laughing and Weylin looked around the boat in frustration. “What? Oh. I see, you’re so funny, Melanie.” He sat down on the bench next to Mel and crossed his arms.
“Ah, c’mon, Wey. You know it was funny!” She threw a friendly arm around his shoulder.
“Well, it would’ve been funny if it hadn’t been me.” Weylin looked at her from the corner of his eyes and smiled.
“And that’s exactly why it is funny.” Juliet laughed from the other side of the boat.
Chapter Thirteen
After circling Sanctus Island once, Roland had set course for Savannah again. After what felt like a torturous eternity, they arrived at a dock behind a local restaurant. Roland shut the motor off and expertly coasted into a spot before Paden hopped out and used the rope to secure the boat. Ree jumped lightly to the wooden dock and looked at the building in front of them. It was an old house that had been extended to include other buildings, and was currently a very popular themed restaurant.
“Does anyone else find it ironic that we just parked behind a pirate restaurant?” Jules stepped onto the dock and tilted her head.
“Argh, matey.” Weylin stepped up behind her. “Let’s go a-raiding!”
“Will they mind that we docked here? Our boat isn’t going to be towed, right?” Ree looked at Roland, her eyebrows pulled together. “This is a really busy place, and they might need the space.”
“No. I know the owners and the managers. We will be fine. Plus, it’s better to leave the boat somewhere there are a lot of people. We’re less likely to be attacked in front of so many witnesses.” Roland lifted one of the seat cushions on the boat bench and pulled out weapons for the group. “Take what you can conceal and let’s go. We’re getting a much later start than we planned.”
“Bryce and Juliette, take River Street. Weylin, you come with me and Paden. Melanie and Roland can check out the abandoned houses.” Ree had been thinking about the groups on the way over. Melanie raised an eyebrow at Ree and shot a look at Roland. His expression was completely neutral, but she could sense his worry. “We meet back here just after dawn. No reason to be out in the daylight with the cops looking for us everywhere.”
“We all have our cell phones. If something happens or we’re running late, we need to let each other know.” Bryce piped in.
“And make sure your cell is on silent, not vibrate. Dark Ones will be able to hear it otherwise.” Roland grinned, baring his wicked fangs.
“So, we have to compulsively check our cell phone throughout the night. Got’cha.” Weylin picked up his phone and glanced at the screen. “Just making sure.”
Ree rolled her eyes and checked the clasp on her short sword hilt. The others all drifted into their groups and headed in the directions of their tasks. Ree looked back up at Paden and Weylin. “Well, let’s go.”
“Do you want to set the pace?” Paden cocked his head to the side.
“Human pace. There are some secrets that should only be shared at the right time.” Ree headed toward the busiest nightclub in town, the boys a half-step behind her.
The streets weren’t very crowded. There were the usual groups near popular tourist spots and restaurants, but the cold, wet weather seemed to have sent most people home. Ree kept her head down as they walked past people. Paden and Weylin clustered on either side of her as they hustled down the sidewalk. Ree cut her eyes at Paden and studied his profile. His green eyes watched the people they passed; his hard expression enhanced by the stubble along his jaw. On the rare instances they came across other pedestrians, the people quickly moved to the opposite side of the road.
Paden looked down at her and winked before returning his attention to the street. Ree let the power search ahead of her for any signs of Dark Ones or darklings. As she scanned an alley, her eyes fell on Weylin and she was shocked to see Paden’s deadly expression repeated. Weylin had always been attractive, not that she would tell him that, but to see his usual relaxed face turned into something so serious was unnatural. If she was being very honest with herself, she had wanted Weylin with her and Paden so she could keep an eye on him. Ever since her talk with Aphrodite, she had been worried about her friend. What if he was an acceptable loss? She didn’t trust the gods as far as she could see them; and that wasn’t very far.
Turning onto a side road, they headed for the nearest nightclub. Loud music boomed along the walls and Ree winced. It sounded like thunder in a can, thankfully she could still pick out the lower voices of her friends and the people closest to the inside wall of the club.
“There are Dark Ones here. We need a good vantage point until they leave. Somewhere nearby, where they hopefully won’t sense my presence.” Ree looked back out at the buildings across the street. She pointed at the tallest building from City Market. “There. We wait on the roof.”
Weylin took point as they made their way to the building. Paden slid his arm around Ree’s shoulders, but kept his intense expression as they dodged people. Pedestrian traffic increased closer to all of the shops and restaurants. Weylin ducked into the alley behind the old, three-story restaurant. They were busy as usual, but no one was near the back door. Paden looked from side to side before jumping and grabbing an old rickety ladder. It slid down the wall, making a loud racket. Ree glanced over her shoulder, sure someone would have heard the noise, but no one came to investigate.
They made quick work of the ladder and hopped onto the roof. The concrete was cracked but sturdy. They slid through the maze of metal vents and generators to the perimeter where they could watch the club. Ree could still hear the booming music from their perch, but focused on the cold spots that mingled with all of the bright lights of humans.
“Can you still sense them from here?” Paden knelt next to the short wall at the edge of the building.
“Yeah. My range seemed to grow after Sophie gave me her power.” It still hurt to think about Sophie and her sacrifice.
“So, you don’t think they will be able to sense you here?” Weylin leaned against a large brick pillar and crossed his arms.
“I don’t think so. They would have to move in this direction for them to get a whiff of me and the power, and even then we would probably still be far enough away that they wouldn’t be sure where we are.” Ree sat next to Paden, her back against the wall, and closed her eyes. She didn’t need to see to know where the Dark Ones were at that point.
“Best to not let them sense you if we can help it. We want them to think you’re on the island, right?” Weylin’s voice was eerily calm.
“You’re right. We should keep our distance at this point.” Ree felt Paden reach into his pocket for something. She assumed it was his cell phone, because he didn’t say anything and returned whatever it was pretty quickly.
Ree let them discuss things between themselves while she concentrated on the Dark Ones. There were more in the area than she would have liked. One was lingering outside a bar at the other side of the market, another was leaving the area and she was pretty sure they were headed to River Street. Part of her wanted to chase them all and kill them. While she had always wanted to keep them from killing innocent people, the unexpected feeling was almost bloodthirsty. She wondered if this was the new part of being immortal. No wonder the others had been so ready to go hunting that first day. They were programmed for it.
She felt one of the Dark One’s cold spots flash brightly, and she gasped out loud. She clenched her fists and ground her teeth. She knew they were feeding, and there was nothing she could do about it at this point. By the time Ree and her friends busted into the club it would be over and they would have blown their cover. Paden’s hand closed on her shoulder, and she felt his sympathy. He must have picked up from her emotions what was happening.
“They’re feeding?” Weylin’s voice was quiet and rough.
“There isn’t anything we do can at this point.” Paden’s voice was slow and calm. She knew he was telling her as much as answering Weylin.
“They will head out once they feed. No reason to stay where they might be caught.” She stood up and turned to look at the club. She grabbed her cell phone to check for missed calls and shoved it back into her pocket. Her hands shook from the rage that gripped her heart. She wanted to kill. Narrowing her eyes, she placed her hands on the top of the wall and spread her fingers as wide as they would go. Her hands itched to grab a weapon and to run for the building.
She took a deep breath and turned to look at the guys. They were both waiting on her signal to move. Paden stood with his hands hanging limply beside him. Weylin held the short pommel of a collapsed sword in one hand, his eyes bright with determination. As soon as she felt the Dark Ones gather, she nodded at the guys and walked back near the brick pillar Weylin had been leaning against. She flashed Paden a wicked smile and ran toward the edge. With one large push, she leapt from the wall to the next building. Air pushed against her face and her stomach twisted with adrenaline. When she landed on the flat top across the street she couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped her mouth.
Paden landed two seconds after her, his eyes glinted with amusement. Ree turned to watch as Weylin cleared the space smoothly. He obviously enjoyed it as much as Ree had, because his eyes were bright and excited. Taking a moment to decide which way the Dark Ones were headed, Ree turned and raced for the next rooftop.
The Dark Ones eventually ended up in a less-than-savory neighborhood. Chipped paint and a sagging porch greeted them as they walked into the house. A darkling sat on an old couch beside the front door. He was a large man with squinty eyes and a foul expression. The tattoos on his left arm indicated he was part of a gang, his whiskered face and dirty clothes showed a lack of concern for cleanliness.
Ree crouched down on the roof of an old store a block away. Paden took out his two long knives and held them loosely in his hands. A snap-hiss announced Weylin’s sword as he released it from the sheath. Ree could see the shine of her eyes reflect off of the long blade and smiled. She pulled out her cell phone and typed a quick message to everyone else.
“I think it’s time to make a statement.” She took off her jacket and pulled her short sword from the sheath on her back.
“Here.” Weylin pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it to Ree. She caught it, pressed the small button, and swung the blade as it released.
“No one leaves.” Ree looked from Paden to Weylin so they knew she was serious.
Ree moved to the edge and dropped to the ground. She landed in a crouch, her swords held out at either side. Paden and Weylin landed silently beside her. She took off running, the houses passing in a blur. She came to a stop on the front porch, her sword sweeping up and around as she decapitated the darkling on the dilapidated porch. Dark, tainted blood splattered from his neck, but his eyes registered only shock as his head bounced along the broken floorboards. A Dark One arrived at the porch just as quickly and threw himself at Paden. He held two wicked, curved, short swords and was obviously well-trained. Weylin didn’t stop to help; instead he dodged the flurry of their movements and headed straight to the back of the house.
Ree followed suit, not ready to unleash her magic yet. She didn’t want to accidently be sensed by Dark Ones that might be nearby. The house was lit by two small lamps and the stink of grime and marijuana instantly filled Ree’s nose. She sensed that Weylin was engaged near the back door, so she checked the rooms along the hallway. She kicked in two doors that were locked and felt her anger flare. There were dirty beds with chains and straps. The dead body of a beautiful black woman lay discarded near the closet. Welts and raw markings along her wrists and ankles testified to her last hours on Earth, the gaping wounds on her neck examples of the violence she suffered. Her sightless eyes burned a hole in Ree’s soul.