“Me? What’s wrong with you? Do you realize what this means?” Ree lifted her arm. “I heal Paden. What if I don’t age anymore either?”
Paden stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her with bright green eyes. For a moment, he just stood there looking at her. Then he had her in his arms with his mouth pressed to hers. After a moment he pulled back and looked down at her, his face almost boyishly happy.
“That means I wouldn’t have to live without you. I couldn’t even think about it before, because I didn’t know how it would be possible.” He framed her face in his hands and kissed her again gently. “This may be the best thing that’s ever happened to me. To get to have you forever.”
Ree laughed, relieved he finally understood her excitement. “As long as you can put up with me.”
“Promise me.” He kept her face in his hands, his eyes bright with something Ree couldn’t define. “Promise that I can have you forever.”
“Forever.” Ree whispered the word. She knew in her heart, that this was a very important moment for them. Their declaration of forever was as serious as the war happening to them. If she couldn’t be with Paden in this life, she would find another way.
Chapter Ten
The others were up and about, working in the training room, or in the office going through Sophie’s things. Ree went to the office while Paden headed for the gym, she needed some time to think, to figure out the next step and she hoped that maybe she would find something in Sophie’s office to help point her in the right direction.
Melanie and Roland were glaring at each other when she walked into the room, and Ree stopped dead in her tracks. The tension was almost overwhelming, and she needed a minute to sort it from her own feelings. Melanie was the first to acknowledge Ree’s presence. Nodding her head at Ree, Melanie closed the file cabinet and walked out of the room. Her friend’s back was rigid, her head held at a haughty angle. Ree stepped out of Melanie’s way, her eyes following her slow, angry steps. When her friend’s back disappeared from view, Ree’s eyes snapped back to Roland.
He stood there with his hands clenched at his sides, his face devoid of expression. His eyes slid to Ree’s and his shoulders drooped, as if all of his years weighed on him in that very instant.
“You and Paden have made up, I take it?” His voice was blank, as if he was past caring about anything.
“Yes.” Ree forced her arms to hang calmly by her sides. She wasn’t sure what to make of Roland’s emotions. He had them held tightly inside, and Ree’s heart clenched. She hoped one day he would be able to forgive her for the situation they were in and be friends again, because at this moment she had no idea how to proceed.
He jerked his chin to signal he understood, but just stood there staring at her. After a long silence, she looked away and bit her lip. There was nothing she could do to make this better. She would always be the girl he had suffered for; the girl that loved someone else. How could she right all of those wrongs?
“I’m trying.” Roland’s accent became more pronounced, as if struggling with his emotions made it difficult to keep his words clear. “I don’t blame you. I’m just trying to figure out what I do now. I waited for so, so long, only to have you love another.” He stopped, stumbling over his words. He looked at her with large, blue eyes, every inch the nineteen year old boy he appeared to be.
“I’m sorry.” It was Ree’s turn to clutch her hands at her sides. She wanted to comfort him in some way; she wanted to take away the pain in his eyes, but she would only make it worse.
“Never be sorry for loving someone, Ree.” Taking a deep breath, he looked away and stared into the empty fireplace. “We’ve all been put in this position by others. All we can do now is make the best of it.”
“Melanie…” Ree trailed off at Roland’s glance.
“Melanie is… angry with me. We’re all under a lot of stress right now.” He shrugged his shoulders as if trying to work out the kinks. “I came in here to see if perhaps Sophie knew anything that might have been helpful.”
“Did you guys not share information?” Ree walked over to the desk and flipped through some of the papers on the Guardian’s desk. There were receipts for the antique shop, addresses scribbled on edges of paper, names underlined, and bills for the utilities.
“I thought we did.” Roland let out a harsh breath as he opened the file cabinet. He ruffled through the folders for a moment. “I never suspected Sophie was waiting to make a Death Gift to you. It never occurred to me they would use us in such a way.” His hands stilled and he took a deep breath. “I believed their lies.”
“We all believed their lies.” Ree kept her voice quiet, sensing the stress under his words.
“Sophie didn’t. Sophie knew they were planning on using her death to help save the world.” He swung his fist into the side of the filing cabinet, buckling the metal with a loud screech. “She knew she was walking around, waiting to die when she finally got her sister back. Some kind of sacrificial lamb waiting for slaughter.”
“She must have believed it was the right thing to do, Roland. Sophie was an amazing woman. I can’t believe she would have fallen in line with that plan if she didn’t think it was a good idea.” Ree felt tears well up in her eyes, but blinked them away. “Now, we just have to make her sacrifice worth something.”
Roland lifted his head to look at Ree. There was so much pain in his eyes, Ree had to clench her hands to keep from running over to hug him. She didn’t think they were at a point yet where they could hug and have it not be uncomfortable. She wasn’t at that point yet. After a moment, he nodded his head and looked around the room.
“I don’t think she would have had some secret plan for beating the Dark Ones that she was waiting to spring on us. Well, other than the whole Death Gift deal.” Roland ran a hand through his hair and looked around the office as if lost.
“What we need is a plan, but you’re right. We aren’t going to find one outlined in her files. We need to come up with one ourselves.” Ree looked back down at the paperwork in front of her and frowned. She pulled out a piece of paper that was barely visible. “What was the name of the guy with the two twin boys?”
“The one from New Year’s?” Roland’s eyebrows drew together as he thought. “John, I believe. John Hansen. Why?”
“She has his name scribbled down on the side of this paper.” Ree held it up so she could look it over. Roland came around the desk and read over her shoulder.
“That’s a list of people we know have an immortal bloodline.” Carefully, he pointed at the top two names. They had lines drawn through them. “Those two families were killed while we were on the island the first time. I bet Sophie made this list to try and keep track of everyone.”
“Do you think she was going to try to get them out of here?” Ree turned to look at him, hope filling her chest.
“I don’t know, Ree. If she was, she didn’t tell me. And I know she told you it was dangerous to go against the gods’ will. She was right.” His eyes leveled on hers, his expression serious.
“I want—“
“Don’t Ree.” He covered her mouth with his hand. He looked around the room and shook his head. “You never know who is listening.”
Ree closed her eyes and let the power surge out of her body and fill the room. She didn’t get that uneasy feeling she had when Aphrodite had been waiting in her room. “We’re alone.”
“I don’t know how you know that, but it doesn’t matter. They don’t have to be here to listen in. Just keep whatever you are thinking to yourself.” He ducked down so she could see his face clearly and mouthed, For now.
She nodded her head so he would know she understood, and she folded up the piece of paper and stuck it in her jean’s pocket. She was going to look at that list later to see if she could figure out what Sophie had been thinking.
“Okay, then we should find the others and decide on a plan.” Ree stepped out from behind the desk. The office felt so empty without Sophie.
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“Let’s not forget that you need to train. There are things you need to know. And I’m looking forward to getting you set with some weapons.” Roland headed for the door, but not before throwing her a smile over his shoulder. “It’s always interesting to see what people are called to.”
Ree smiled in return and felt her heart lighten just a little. Roland’s smile had been very close to his normal cocky grin, and it set Ree’s heart at ease. There was hope they would all make it out of this after all.
The others were in the workout room training with the equipment. Paden was beating the practice dummy into an unrecognizable lump, while Melanie and Juliette worked on throwing knives at the other end of the room. Ree’s eyes focused on Weylin and Bryce, though, and the weapons they were fighting with.
Each held a long, slightly curved blade at the ready and circled the center of the mat slowly. Ree was pretty sure they were Samurai swords, but she wasn’t willing to ask and interrupt. There was something special about the way they moved. It was slow and graceful, yet there was an unspoken strength and certainty in each step. If she had to guess, she would say Bryce was the more confident. When they finally moved, it was a blinding flash of steel and male bodies, but her newly developed eyesight kept track easily.
Bryce was definitely the aggressor in the battle, but Weylin managed to hold his own. As Bryce ducked forward, swinging his blade in a quick sweep, Weylin flipped backward and brought his sword down in an arc. Blood splashed the mats lining the floor and Ree gasped. Roland placed a hand on her shoulder, keeping her in place. She didn’t look at him, worried she might miss something vital.
Bryce didn’t stop his movement; instead he dropped to the mat and swept his leg through Weylin’s. Weylin landed hard on his back and had barely managed to raise his sword to protect himself before Bryce had the tip of his blade pressed into his neck.
“You almost got me that time, Wey.” Bryce moved his sword and held a hand out for Weylin.
“I did get you. Just not good enough.” Weylin took Bryce’s hand and let his friend help him stand.
“Bryce, are you okay?” Ree shook off Roland’s hand and walked over to her friends.
He looked down at his shoulder and shrugged. “Yeah. He barely nicked me.”
“But, all the blood…” Ree looked down at the floor and frowned. There was red splattering a good bit of the mats.
“That’s not a big deal. We bleed a lot when we’re training.” Weylin walked over to a closet that had brooms and mops.
“Oh. I see.” Ree’s eyebrows drew together and she bit her lip.
“No one’s going to make you bleed, Ree.” Paden stood next to the practice dummy, his arm propped on the smashed head.
“Don’t promise her that, godling. She needs to learn just like you all did.” Roland looked at Paden with steady eyes. There was something passing between the two, but Ree couldn’t be sure what. It really wasn’t her place to try and understand it either.
“There’s no reason for her to get hurt.” Paden stood up straight and frowned at Roland.
“Paden, don’t make this difficult. I’m sure Weylin wasn’t trying to hurt Bryce just to hurt him. They were practicing. It’s the same kind of thing Ree needs. She’ll be stronger for it.” Melanie threw a towel over her shoulder and broke the seal on a bottle of water.
“I was too trying to hurt Bryce!” Weylin groaned. “I just didn’t do as well as I would have liked.”
“She’s right, Pay. I need to train, and I need to do it fast.” Ree pulled off her jacket and threw it on a bench. “So, what first?”
“Katas and learning your new strength.” Roland pulled off his shirt, revealing a white tank top. He threw it near her jacket and pointed at the mirrors. “Take a stance, and let’s move through the katas you already know.”
Chapter Eleven
“When do I get to use weapons?” Hours after they had started, Ree bounced on her toes and smiled at Roland in the mirrors. She had picked up all of the katas easily, remembering each step as if she already knew them.
“You guys are always so eager for the weapons. The real power comes from knowing your strengths and weaknesses.” Roland threw Ree some water and shook his head. “No. We start with hand-to-hand sparring. Then we move to weapons.”
“How did you guys get good so fast?” Ree looked over at Paden and Weylin. They were sitting on the floor and sharpening some of the weapons.
“I was born this way, baby.” Weylin winked at Ree.
“Sadly, he’s right.” Paden rolled his eyes and smiled at Ree. She was thankful to see him so relaxed, even though she was spending so much time with Roland. Hopefully this new calm would last while she sparred as well. She smiled at Paden, but it didn’t last. A brick wall slammed into her and sent her spinning across the ground.
She shook her head but jumped to her feet quickly. Her eyes jerked around the room, while she tried to shake the shock. Roland stood back on the other side of the training mat, his hands at his side and small smile twisting his lips. Ree dropped into an open stance, and lifted her hands into defensive positions.
Roland’s muscles barely tensed before he was flying across the open space between them. He reached for her left arm and she scarcely had time to think. She dodged to the right and swung her arm at the back of his head. She almost stopped moving when she made contact, but managed to use her momentum to spin behind him instead. Deftly she slammed the side of her foot into the back of his knee and sent him sprawling. She jumped on his back and slammed her elbow into the back of his neck. He grunted, but didn’t move.
She looked down at him suspiciously, not convinced she had actually beaten him at his own game. She looked up when someone snorted and saw Paden and Weylin both trying to not laugh. She looked back down at Roland and frowned. When he made a grunt of frustration, she hopped off him and took a few steps backward.
Paden squatted down next to Roland and smiled. “I think she won.”
“She broke my bloody neck.” Roland lifted himself up onto his forearms and moved his head slowly in a circle.
“Your eyes are huge! Like, wombat huge.” Weylin looked at Ree and laughed. She stood there shocked, her eyes going back and forth from Roland and Paden to Weylin.
“Weylin, wombats don’t have big eyes.” Roland rolled over onto his back and moved his head to pop his neck.
“They don’t?” Weylin looked at Roland and frowned. “Are you sure?”
“I’m not a zoologist, Wey. I’m a Dark One. But even I know a wombat has little eyes.” Roland looked over at Ree and smiled. “But he’s right. Your eyes are huge.”
“Are you okay? I don’t know what I was thinking.” Ree rubbed her palms on her pants.
“Don’t worry, Ree.” Paden held his hand out to Roland to help him stand. Roland took it and nodded his head in thanks. “That wasn’t going to kill him. He just needed a few minutes to heal.” Paden laughed when Roland jerked his neck to the side. “You certainly surprised all of us though.”
“I… I… I just reacted.” Ree looked at her friends and felt a laugh bubble up and out of her throat. “I totally kicked your ass.” She pointed at Roland and continued to laugh.
He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck and gave her a crooked grin. “Well, I wasn’t expecting you to be so damned proficient.”
“She looked a lot like Sophie. I wonder what else you got from our talented leader.” Paden grabbed a sword off the wall and tossed it at Ree. She caught the handle deftly and looked at the blade in question.
“That was kind of hot, you know.” Weylin winked at Ree. “I like a woman who knows how to use a sword.” Ree laughed at him and winked back. It was the only way to handle the guy.
“Weylin.” Paden and Roland both said his name in exasperation before looking at each other thoughtfully.
“C’mon, you guys were thinking the same thing.” Weylin gestured at Ree. “Well, go ahead. Do one of the Katas with the sword.”
R
ee looked down at the sword in her hand and enjoyed the gleam along the blade. It was long, but not as long as the broadswords hanging along the wall. Giving a few practice flicks of her wrist, she gauged the weight and noticed it felt longer than it should.
“This was made for Sophie?” She shifted her feet into the first position and held the blade in a pointed angle toward the ground. She slid her right foot forward and shifted the blade angle as if deflecting a lower slash.
“Yes.” Roland’s voice was quiet and thoughtful.
Ree slid into another stance, sweeping the sword through a more complicated maneuver. She closed her eyes and let the movements come naturally.
“It’s a little longer when I hold it.” Ree tried to keep her mind clear and focus on the muscle memory she was experiencing. It made her sad to think Sophie had died to give her this, but it also strengthened her resolve to use it. Increasing her speed, she slid through the maneuvers quickly, relishing the sharper movements. When she finished the kata, it was with her sword held high and her breathing calm and centered. She opened her eyes to find all three of the guys watching her.
Paden cleared his throat and looked sheepishly at Ree. “Well, Sophie was taller.”
Ree lowered her arms and brought the sword down to her side. She looked away from the guys and back at the wall. Walking over, she grabbed one of the other swords and walked back to the mat.
“Who wants to try me?” Ree held the sword out to her side and smiled at the guys.
Weylin raised his hands and took a step back. “No thanks. I’ve had my ass kicked enough for the day.” Ree swung her gaze to Roland and Paden. Paden’s face was frustrated as he tried to war with his need to protect her and his fear of hurting her.
Roland stepped forward and held his hand out for the sword. “I’ll do it.” Paden’s face relaxed with relief, and he nodded his thanks to Roland.
Immortal Grave (The Dark Betrayal Trilogy) Page 7
