As soon as she opened the bottle, the smell alerted her to its contents. She spun to face Shay. “Acetone?” she asked.
Shay gestured for her to continue. Callie shut her eyes for a brief second, realizing what this meant. The acetone would catch the fire of one of the matches. It would cover Emeric in flame, burn him. And, while Callie doubted that this would kill him, she knew how extremely painful it would be.
But she wasn’t the only one in danger if she didn’t do as Shay instructed. Shay would be the victim of her cowardice, too. And so, even as she felt her will crumble and fold, she began sprinkling the liquid over Emeric’s unconscious form.
The scent overwhelmed her senses, pervading through the room in deadly threat of what was to come.
Shay nodded. “Now, light one of the matches.”
“Shay, I can’t,” Callie said, feeling sick. “I can’t hurt someone like that.”
“Callie, you have to,” Shay said harshly. “If he wakes now, we are helpless. Do you understand what that means? He will kill us instantly.”
“But—“
“If he wakes now,” Shay continued, her voice becoming ominous, “then he will move on to the rest of the forest. He will have no choice but to launch an immediate attack in order to maintain the element of surprise he possesses. Hundreds will die if you don’t prevent this.”
“But Serena is getting help,” Callie said desperately. “They’ll be back soon.”
“Look at his neck,” Shay hissed. “It is already yellowing. There is no time for us to wait for help. You must do this, Callie.”
“Shay,” Callie begged.
Shay took a deep breath. “I know what you think he is. But he is not the man who saved you that day on the island. He is the man who was about to kill you the night he brought you here. He is not a person, nor an innocent bystander. He is a murderer. This will not kill him, Callie. But it will buy us some time.”
Callie stood still for a short time, unable to feel her legs. But Shay was right. She wasn’t going to kill him. She was going to prevent him from attacking everyone else. She closed her eyes again and thought about the faces she’d seen on the beach, all the people who had dedicated their lives to saving others. She didn’t know them. They were strangers to her. But they were still people, and, from what she’d heard, they were good people. And, keeping that image in mind, she struck the match and turned, holding it out, over his body….
Before she could drop it, however, there was a muted snapping sound, and then Emeric’s eyes darted up to Callie’s face, and suddenly he flew up and grasped her by the throat, knocking her to the ground and gripping her with impermeable force, the tips of his fingers digging into her flesh.
Callie gasped, and realized with a fraction of her mind that the match had been smothered by the motion. But the rest of her attention was riveted to the dark gleam of Emeric’s grey eyes, the way his lips were curled backwards as he snarled, the close proximity of his face above hers. He looked like a wild creature, uninhibited, his sense of reason abandoned.
They only stayed like that for a second, but the time stretched into centuries. She felt his harsh breathing as he lay atop her, his body covering hers, his hand at her throat. Their hearts were pounding in the same rapid rhythm. She could see some sort of war going on behind his cruel façade, but she could see something else beyond that anger. Something burning in the pits of his eyes. He wanted to be the villain now, she knew. And he could have killed her so quickly in that moment, had he chosen to.
But something held him back. As he stared at her, his fury intensified. He began to shake. And yet, even as his clutch around her throat tightened, he didn’t kill her. He was battling with himself, she realized, to fulfill the role he had chosen.
And then something softened in his eyes, and, in a fraction of a second, she felt his grip loosen. His eyebrows pulled together, his mouth drew into a pinched line. Callie recognized the emotion as something she’d seen before—not sadness, exactly. But close. Shame.
Before she could make sense of the turn of events, however, something rammed into Emeric and ripped him off of Callie, carrying him bodily out through the window. Callie sat up quickly, and looked out in the direction of the assailant. She saw the man’s bare, muscled back, his wavy dark blonde hair, the familiar bronze tone of his skin.
Alex.
He was pinning Emeric to the tree trunk just outside the window, the wings of both men outstretched and flailing violently to maintain themselves in the air.
Zeke flew in through the door then, Serena right behind him. They landed in perfect synchrony, each assessing the scene in exactly the same moment. Zeke flew out the window, Serena moved to stand next to Shay. Callie watched as Zeke positioned himself next to Alex, who was, at that moment, repeatedly ramming Emeric’s head against the trunk of the tree. The bark was becoming stained with ruby blood as Alex, overwhelmed with more fury than Callie had ever seen anyone possess, ceaselessly pounded Emeric’s skull into that solid wood until splinters of skull began to fly from the scene.
Callie felt herself begin to quiver; the sight of Alex causing such injury to his friend, the man whom he had pledged loyalty to for so long, shook something inside of her. She couldn’t watch. She turned, and pressed her back to the cracked wall, closing her eyes and gasping for breath. Everything was falling apart. This was not the peaceable forest that she remembered.
She heard Zeke’s soft voice through the perforations in the wall.
“Alex, stop, wait a second,” he was murmuring. “Buddy, come on, this isn’t going to help anyone. Hang on a second.”
The soothing words continued until the deafening crunch of bone slowed, and then ceased. A shaky release of breath and several violent swears later, the forest was quiet once again.
Zeke appeared in the window, carrying Emeric’s limp form. Callie watched as he, now smeared with the flowing blood from Emeric’s head, laid his chief down upon the wooden floor, and turned to face Callie.
“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice calm.
Callie swallowed, but nodded. “I’m fine,” she said hoarsely.
He glanced at the Healer. “Shay?” he asked.
“Me, too,” Shay replied.
“Good,” Zeke said, looking back down at Emeric. He ran a steady hand through his hair. “Now we just need to figure out what to do with him.”
Alex landed on the windowsill then. He looked immediately toward Callie, his dark brown eyes flitting over every part of her, checking for injury, as he flew down to stand next to her. He reached for her, and she stumbled to collapse into his chest. Cradling her face gently in his blood-blemished hands, he stared into her eyes with silent worry and unspoken apology, both so strong in nature that words could not have done them justice. Callie drew a deep, unsteady breath and nodded, and only then did he crush her against his chest, holding her so tightly that she could feel the exact moment when he began to breathe again.
Zeke was saying something. “…tell us when they will attack,” he said, his voice low and reasonable. Callie could tell he was trying to keep a close reign over his emotions.
“He said something a while ago,” Serena said. “He mentioned that he had twenty minutes to spare.”
“Until what?” Zeke asked.
“He didn’t get to that part,” Serena admitted. She was sitting on the couch with Shay, as though doing so could protect the tiny woman. Callie saw a sort of maternal love in Serena’s behavior.
Callie watched, her head lying against Alex’s warm skin, as Zeke circled Emeric’s body. He took in the fading pink scar at the man’s throat, and raised an eyebrow. “You do this, Lennie?” he asked.
Serena nodded gravely.
Zeke’s mouth quirked. “Nicely done,” he said. “That had to slow him down.”
She snorted. “Hardly.”
“Well, still. He’s down now. How long ago did he show up here?” Zeke asked.
“Fifteen minutes or so,” Shay answer
ed.
“Meaning there is likely very little time before we see some sort of action,” Zeke said. “Right. So now we have to wake him up and get some answers, figure out exactly what to expect.”
“You think they will attack again so soon?” Shay asked.
“I’m sure of it,” Zeke said promptly. “It will be helpful to know where they’ll hit first, though. You got anything to rouse him?”
Shay thought for a moment, and then replied, “Ammonium carbonate. Below the sink.”
Zeke moved quickly, reappearing at Emeric’s side with a cloth containing a white substance in the space of a few seconds.
He looked towards Callie. “Alex?” he asked. “Hold him down for me? He’ll be pissed as a penned bull when he wakes up.”
Alex’s arms were wrapped around Callie, and they stayed that way for a moment. But then they lowered slowly, reluctantly, and he stepped around Emeric. Wrathfully, he yanked Emeric’s lifeless arms behind his back.
Zeke crouched down and held the cloth below Emeric’s nose, waiting patiently as time wore on in silence. After a short while, Emeric snorted, and then reared back, coughing.
“Emeric, old pal,” Zeke said amiably. “Welcome back.”
Emeric glanced around, dazed, and processed the room he was in.
“Now we have a few things to go over before we decide what to do with you,” Zeke continued, tossing the white cloth aside, and sinking down to sit on the coffee table. “You know the drill. Either you help us, and we go easy on you, or…well, there’s always the hard way.”
Emeric’s head was hung, and he was silent, until deep, throaty chuckles began to drift forth from him. He glanced up and met Zeke’s eye.
“You foolish boy,” Emeric said. “You really thought I would surrender on threat of death? I have lived for twenty thousand years. Death no longer holds any power over me.”
“Not death,” Zeke said. “But Alex seemed to be pretty upset when he found you just now. I’m not too happy, either. I guess trying to kill a guy’s gal does that to a person. And when it comes to the two of us against the one of you?” He grimaced in mock sympathy. “Doesn’t look too good. You might find yourself very uncomfortable in a few minutes. I suggest you get talking.”
Emeric sneered. “What is your hurry, Zeke?” he asked. His eyes flicked to the clock in the kitchen, and he grinned. “After all, you’ll find out what you want to know soon enough.”
Zeke’s smile faded, and he clenched his molars together. “Tell me where they’re going to attack,” he said. “Tell me that, and I might be compelled to kill you quickly.”
“What makes you think,” Emeric said slowly, “that they’re not already here?”
Serena drew a quick breath. Zeke froze. “Where?” he ordered.
But Emeric was laughing again. “You simple minded fool,” he said, his words pregnant with faux pity. “You really thought that you would be able to ward them off. You are so used to playing the hero amongst humans, you have no idea what you are in for.”
Zeke surged forwards and grabbed Emeric by the throat. He squeezed and shook until Emeric’s face began to turn red. “Where?” he demanded.
Though he was becoming an alarming shade of scarlet, Emeric manipulated his swollen face into a smile once more. “Everywhere,” he choked. “They are…everywhere.”
Zeke released Emeric from the chokehold, his face a mask of stunned horror, and he turned to Serena. “They’re already in position,” he said. “And they’ve split up. We’re the only three protectors not on assignment; we can’t possibly round them up on our own.”
Just then, ripples of wind drifted in through the door, and the leaves on each branch surrounding the tiny cottage began to ripple violently. It was a dark curse rolling through the forest, a terrible warning.
“I don’t think we’ll get the chance,” Serena whispered.
Zeke froze for a fraction of an instant, his ears perking to listen for any sound of battle. And then he snapped to attention, standing erect, the drill sergeant once again.
“Alright, here’s the plan: we have to take ‘em on one by one. This is going to be messy, but the only chance we have is if we go hand-to-hand. There can’t be any other strategy. It’s the three of us against the hundreds of them—just go with your gut,” he said.
“That’s your brilliant advice?” Serena asked.
“It’s all we’ve got,” Zeke replied, his gaze swinging around to Callie. “Alright, Cal, here’s your chance.”
“No,” Alex growled, his voice low and murderous. He stood, leveling Zeke with a menacing glare. “We’ve already decided—“
“Things have changed,” Zeke said, cutting him off and holding up a staying hand. “You know we need her, Alex. Now more than ever. Besides, if we just leave her here, she’s in more danger.”
Alex drew a breath to respond, but Callie cut in. “I’ll do it,” she said. “Whatever it is, I want to help.”
“Callie,” Alex said, his voice pleading.
“Great,” Zeke said at the same time. “Because all hell is about to break loose, and we could use all the hands we can get.”
Callie glanced at Alex. He was scowling at her, but she saw the fear in his expression. She took his hand in her own. “I want to do this,” she said softly. “I can help.”
His face wavered briefly, and he sighed. She saw the struggle he was having, battling between the need to protect his family and the urge to keep her safe. He clenched his empty fist, staring down at her with worried eyes. But finally, he turned to Zeke, and nodded.
“But she stays with me the entire time,” he clarified.
“With all of us,” Zeke corrected him. “That’s the only way it’ll work.”
“Wait a moment,” Shay interrupted. Everyone turned to her. She was looking around the room frantically, straining to look in every direction. “Where did he go?”
Zeke was the first to understand. He looked down at the place in which Emeric had just been. Callie followed his gaze. The floor was empty.
“Damn it,” Zeke snarled.
Before they had enough time to come to grips with Emeric’s sudden escape, however, a high-pitched, piercing cry rang out from the depths of the forest. Time stood still for a second as everyone glanced outwards and listened as the cry morphed into a low, gurgling scream of struggle. And then it cut out all together.
They couldn’t see anything, but in that moment they all knew. The war had begun.
Chapter Twenty Six
Endings
As they flew through the forest, soaring at a breakneck pace through the branches, Zeke barked orders.
“We round them up as best we can. One on one combat; remember, focus only on the person you’re engaging. Don’t be overwhelmed by their numbers. Cal, you pick ‘em out one by one, bring up those bright memories just like I showed you. It’ll weaken them just long enough for us to move in. With any luck, it’ll throw the rest of them off their game to see their friends go gooey-eyed. Our best weapon here is going to be distraction. You distract them, Callie, and we might actually have a shot,” Zeke shouted above the whistle of the soaring wind.
Alex, who held Callie securely against his chest, leaned in and whispered to her. “If you want out, even for a second, just let me know. I’ll get you far away from here.”
She met his gaze. He was regarding her seriously, taking in every part of her face, memorizing her. He wore such a mixture of emotions now: fear, love, worry among them. He had come so far from being the terse, emotionless man he had been when she had met him. The look they shared said everything, all the unspoken words they had little time to say. It was a vow, and it was a farewell.
“I love you,” she whispered, though she knew that he understood. She tried to absorb the memory of that moment, of the way his coffee-colored eyes adored her, the way his hands felt warm and rough against her skin, the way he looked so sad and yet, in the face of all of it, relieved to be holding her once again. He nodded,
his jaw tight, his vulnerability stamped onto his face. Saying the words back to her would have meant goodbye, and so he remained silent. But she knew that he felt the same way.
“I see something,” Zeke said then. “Down there.”
Callie looked down just as Alex plunged through the trees, the huge trunks and vibrantly green foliage rising up about them in a hazy collage of color.
Zeke landed in a tree branch just atop a small clearing on the forest floor. Serena descended onto a branch just next to him, and Alex landed above them, higher up in the same tree. Callie peered through the leaves. She heard them before she saw them; the cruel, somewhat gleeful voices of Sirens. There were three of them, she saw, in that clearing. They were struggling to gain hold of two Guardians, and, even as Callie watched, she saw one Siren clutch onto the shoulders of a Guardian, while her friend savagely tore off one of the white wings. The Guardian screamed a bubbling, maddening wail, and collapsed onto his knees just as the Siren extracted the second wing.
“Callie,” Zeke hissed. Callie felt her heart begin to beat quickly as she focused on the Siren who had just ripped the man’s wings from his body.
She closed her eyes, and pushed herself into the Siren’s thoughts. She felt the familiar tug of wind against her skin, the sensation of being pulled in, and when she opened her eyes again she saw that she was on the ground, standing next to the Siren as she tugged the wings off once again. It was instant replay; Callie was witnessing the scene she’d seen just moments before. She took a deep breath, and then forced herself out of that memory. She stepped into the dark hallway, lit up with spots of memory, and began to run. When she found an image that held tracings of the forest in it, which shone a little brighter than those around it, she inserted herself into that memory. She didn’t stay to watch what it contained, however. She immediately focused on the feel of Alex’s skin below her fingertips, and withdrew herself from that particular piece of the past.
The Siren stood dazed on the forest floor. Callie watched as, with that same abstraction, the silver-winged woman glanced down that the white feathers she held in her hands. Her face began to contort into shock, and then horror. Suddenly, she hurled the enormous, bloody wing to the ground with a low moan, and began to yell in a language Callie couldn’t understand. Her friends, who had been about to rip the wings from the second Guardian, paused and looked towards her. The Siren was, by all accounts, having what could only be described as a mental breakdown. She was wailing, crumbling onto her knees, wracked with a guilt that she hadn’t anticipated.
The Guardian (Callista Ryan Series) Page 31
