Wicked Thing (C.O.A Series Book 2) (43 page)

Melody opened her eyes, cleared her throat and comically quipped, “Well, that sucked.”

Lexy grinned at her fellow Healer and replied,” You get used to it.” She looked down at the other Healer and added, “Grey’s dead and he’s crushed under the dash. I’m going to go and get him out. Start healing the others when you’re ready.” Lexy wandered around to the driver’s side, gripped the structurally compromised door, yanked it off and tossed it aside. Grey’s legs were disgustingly morbid looking shreds of meat under the twisted metal.
Shit, that had to hurt
.
With any luck he died before it happened.
She braced herself with one arm on the seat and one on the dash and easily freed his legs. Just as Lexy placed her hands against his chest she noticed Melody struggling to get up
. There was a lot of healing to do, they could use Kayn. This was going to be a big job.
Kayn had been thrown out of a torn off door right out the gate so she was probably up the ravine somewhere.
First things first
. Lexy strolled over and helped Melody up.

A man’s voice yelled from the top of the ravine, “Do you need me to call for some help?”

When they looked towards the sound of the voice they saw Kayn precariously perched half way up the ravine on a ledge.
How were they going to explain this one away? Shit, they might have to kill a ‘Good Samaritan.’

Kayn yelled, “It’s okay. We’re filming a crash for a small independent film, everyone’s fine.”

Oh, Brighton was good
. Lexy sarcastically hollered up, “It’s just dummies in the car, they’re fixable.”

The flustered man hollered back, “That scared the crap out of me. It sure looked real.”

Lexy grinned; she’d just referred to everyone left in the car as just dummies.

Kayn hollered, “Thank you for coming to help.”

They had no movie equipment, not a damn thing. What did he think they were filming a movie with… their minds?
The Good Samaritan didn’t even question it he just waved at them and went on his merry way. They waited until they heard the echo of his tires before attempting to speak.

Lexy bellowed up the hill, “Molly’s gone.”

Kayn yelled back, “Dead?”

Lexy shouted, “She’s gone. They took her.”

Melody was visibly upset. Lexy looked at her and said, “She’ll be alright. She’s with Trinity. We have lots of time to get her back.”

They both climbed into the wreckage and started to heal the others. They were all alive except for Grey. She wasn’t at all worried about him because he was enjoying a well-deserved vacation in the in-between. He was probably sitting there in a meadow twiddling his thumbs, or perhaps he was sipping one of those icy drinks while lying on the beach, waiting patiently for her to wake up and get her shit together, so she could heal him. To heal someone from death took about four times the energy of a normal job so they healed him last. She heard Kayn’s landing. She must have jumped and managed to stop herself before she hit the bottom. Lexy smiled, because there was no way Kayn could have known that she could do that in the real world, she’d taken a chance.

In a couple of minutes, they were all healed and awake and standing as a group in the sweltering sun’s rays at the bottom of a ravine in the desert, without transportation, or Molly.

Kayn asked “Was that Triad?”

Lily shook her head and replied, “No, that was Trinity. Glory was driving the car. She’s hard to miss.”

Lexy looked up at the size of the ridge they’d have to scale. It was possible and that’s all she needed was the vague possibility in order to make this the plan.

Lily held up her cell phone and laughed, “I was all excited for about five seconds because I still had my cell phone, but then I remembered that Triad took our batteries.”

Grey snatched it out of her hand, took off the back and laughed aloud, “That’s so evil. I guess we should be thankful they left you guys the phones. We need to go. Let’s get out of here before another ‘Good Samaritan’ shows up to help.”

Lexy smiled in her heart and with her eyes without showing it on her lips.
Good Samaritan
.
They used so many of the same expressions.

Frost was leaning against the hood of the trashed beater, aimlessly picking away at the rust and peeling paint. He chuckled, “Go where? We’re at the bottom of a ravine in the stifling heat. There’s nowhere to go, but up. We’ll have to scale the side. I don’t know about you, but I’m sure not in any hurry to climb up there in this sweltering heat.”

Lily bent down picked up a pebble and pitched it at the side of the demolished car. It tinged off of the metal an inch from Frost’s leg. He scowled at her and stood up. She sighed, “You’re such a baby sometimes.” Lily took one of her earrings out of her ear and stabbed it into the palm of her hand and sighed, “Now quit being a whiner and climb. We’re supposed to meet up with the others, better to scale the side of that now than when you’re dehydrated.”

Now Lexy couldn’t help it she was smiling until her cheeks hurt. They’d just gone over a cliff, if that hadn’t signalled Markus and the others an earring stuck into the palm of Lily’s hand definitely wasn’t going to do a damn thing. It was then that the thought popped into her head…
What if those supernatural proof chains also blocked their distress calls? That would explain it all. That was probably why they hadn’t known the others were in trouble.
Lexy wandered around, taking a good look to see if they were anywhere obvious.
Kayn had them last.
She peered into the back of the heap and there they were in the storage netting on the back of the driver’s seat. Lexy pitched them as far away as she could and they landed quite a distance from the group.
Maybe their marks worked like a missed text?

Lexy strolled over to the side of the ravine. There were little ridges in the stone that went almost all the way to the top.
This climb was going to blow.
She touched the stone, stared at the feat before her and said, “I can climb it.”

Kayn nodded at her and wandered over to the annihilated car. Lexy followed her over there knowing she’d probably also seen the one area that they wouldn’t be able to scale without creating their own steps. They both grabbed an area of raised metal on what was left of the trunk and yarded it open, revealing its contents. Amazingly enough there was a roadside assistance kit. Lexy opened it, finding a tire iron.
That might be useful.
Kayn opened what appeared to be a tool box.
Perfect!
Inside of it there were various sizes of screw drivers, wrenches and even some large thick metal nails. Lexy began to tuck various metal objects into her jeans. Zach had been searching the back seat and in the netting on the back of the passenger side he found a hammer and passed it to Lexy.
Where was Grey?
Lexy peered up from what she was doing and saw her tender hearted Handler chatting with Melody.
He was probably trying to make her feel better about losing Molly.

Kayn glanced at her and said, “I’ve got more than enough energy to drive those spikes into the side of that ravine.”

She could see Kayn’s raised veins and agitated state. She couldn’t be the one in charge of anything, not until she got her ability related urges under control. Fun fact about predators; they could always sense their own and Kayn’s, ‘I’d like to absorb all of your abilities’ bell was ringing loud and clear. Lexy smiled at her and responded, “That’s why I’m going first. If you’re ability operates like mine, the more you burn off the more you’ll need.”

Lexy climbed until she couldn’t find anywhere to grip onto anymore and she hammered the first steps into the side of the ravine. She could hear Kayn, she was right behind her. She heard a commotion but had to remain pressed against the side or she’d fall. She couldn’t look. It sounded like Kayn had slipped.

Lexy called out, “Are you alright?”

Kayn answered, “I’m fine. These nails are getting a bit slick. They’ll be too hot to hold onto soon. They’ll need to wrap their hands in some kind of material to climb it.”

Lexy felt a wave of dizziness wash over her and she had to remain motionless for a second. She was growing short of breath as she hollered back, “Good idea. We’re almost there, and I don’t need to drive in any more metal spikes. It’ll be easier now.”

You are almost at the top. Show them they can do it.
Lexy gripped the top, and hauled the weight of her dead tired body to safety. Her brow was slick with perspiration and she was seriously dizzy.
She needed energy and she needed it badly.
Kayn had a hold of the ledge and she slipped. Lexy grabbed ahold of her wrist and yanked her up over the edge. They both sprawled out flat on their backs for a second while attempting to catch their breath. Kayn started to giggle. Lexy closed her eyes and exhaled.

It was difficult to convince herself to move a muscle but Lexy leaned over the edge and called out to the others, “You’ll need to wrap your hands in some kind of material. The spikes are hot and slippery.”

Lexy cracked her stiff neck as she struggled to her feet. Her legs were as wobbly as a new born fawn’s.
This was not good.
She looked down at Kayn. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her veins were visible.
She’d been there before
. Lexy knew she was the only one capable of giving Kayn energy after that climb and healing from it so she held out her hand knowing if she just did it she’d be preempting an ability related melt down. Her friend’s Conduit ability was a volatile one to say the least. The newbie Dragon opened her eyes to find Lexy standing above her holding out her hand.

Lexy whispered, “Quickly, before the others make it to the top. Don’t take too much we might have a full day’s hike through the stifling desert ahead of us.”

Kayn grinned and took Lexy’s hand and she felt her hand warm and just as she began to feel the odd sensation of her energy being stolen from her body, Lexy snatched her hand away, knowing she could only afford to give her a small energy bump.

Kayn scrambled to her feet, looked at Lexy and said, “Thank you. I needed that.” She peered back over the ledge.

Lexy wiped the sweat off of her brow, grinned and replied, “I know what it’s like.”

One by one they helped the others in those final moments as they reached the summit of the climb. Once they were all at the top they stood as a group under the broiling sun once again, staring out at the seemingly endless terrain of nothing. There was not a vehicle in sight on the lengthy span of desert road and no water supply in their near future either.
She was so thirsty.
Her brain was screaming for hydration and Lexy knew she had to force her mind to focus on something else. Logically, it had only been a couple of hours since her last bottle of water but the blistering heat and the physical activity made it feel like she’d been without water for days
.
It was an uneasy feeling to be without one of her body’s basic needs. It took her back to a dark place within her mind, a place where starvation and depravity had clouded her judgement. In these moments she always searched for Grey, for it was his job to be her tether to all that was good and right in the world. He was standing beside her when she noticed Kayn swallowing in an attempt to wet her dry scratchy throat. The fledgling Dragon began to repeatedly lick her lips, Lexy nudged Grey, prompting him to stop her from doing it. Kayn would end up with the irritation of harshly chapped lips if she didn’t.
You never lick your lips while you’re walking in the desert. It was a thing.

Grey gently grabbed Kayn’s arm out of concern as he warned, “Don’t lick your lips it’ll only make it worse.”

They chose the direction they’d been driving in when they’d been forced over the cliff by Trinity. The group of exhausted immortals began to stroll down the long disgustingly sweltering deserted stretch of desert road. From this vantage point Kayn’s attire was pretty hilarious. Her damp wild mane of curls had broken free of its restraints and she was wandering through the desert barefoot, in only her underwear and tank top. Lexy watched Kayn as she tried to walk on the cement and then leapt off of it and back into the sand.
Bet both the sand and the cement were smoking hot
. Lexy thought about offering her the sandals on her own feet but stopped herself as she noticed that all of the Ankh that had been taken from their beds were also barefoot. Lexy winced as a wave of nausea washed over her and staggered, almost losing her footing.

Grey grabbed her, put his arm around her and whispered, “You gave Kayn some of your energy, didn’t you?”

“Guilty,” she replied. “I thought it would be better if it was me.”

He pulled her close and gave her a protective smooch on the forehead. A light breeze moved across her skin and the moment became beautiful. It felt like they were wandering through heaven together instead of trudging through the broiling desert on a journey towards nowhere.

A couple of hours passed by uneventfully and they were now holding hands instead of hugging because the scorching heat of the afternoon sun made being in close confines with anyone torturously hot and not in a sexy way. The only reprieve from the hellish heat was a light breeze that tossed up the sand every once in a while. This was both a good and bad thing because it blew sand into her eyes and left a thin layer of it stuck to the perspiration on her forehead. On the bright side it kept the sweat from running and she didn’t need to wipe her forehead as often. Lexy’s legs were working on auto pilot and her throat was painfully dry.
It hurt to swallow.
Lexy heard a noise and looked up at the sky. There was a buzzard, circling the group. Lexy smiled because she knew she could be hallucinating. There might be nothing there at all. Kayn had been shaky for a while and was obviously having problems when she started to panic and hit the sand like there was an air strike.

Zach knelt beside her in the sand and said, “Seeing things already? We could be walking for many more hours, perhaps even days.” He took her hand in his and whispered, “Take some energy from me. I’ll be okay for a while. We’ll make finding shelter and water our priority.”