Triggered (Blackbird Book 1)

by Aly Westman

  He was getting closer to the garage doors, his face turned away from me. Damn it. I was going to have to wound him, he was too close to the guys for comfort and I couldn’t just kill him knowing he could be a human doing his job.

  I flicked the safety off but just at the last minute he looked back and up at me. I didn’t hesitate, as soon as those black eyes met mine I shot him square in the head. I backed away from the scope as his body crumbled to the ground. Quinn spun around and walked over to him, giving his shoulder a nudge with his boot before looking up to me and nodding. I put the safety back on.

  Seth walked up to the satanic looking circle and used his boot to rub away at the paint that was used to create it. Corey went further into the warehouse, and for a moment I watched as Seth kept his eye on him. Something was holding their attention but I couldn’t see what. A few shots rang out and I could feel my muscles coil with tension. I had to remind myself to breath and focus. Once Corey walked back into sight I breathed out a sigh of relief.

  I watched through the scope as Seth reached out and took Damion’s chin in his hand. He tilted his head back, examining. He got close to his face, demanding something. Eventually Damion moved, his eyes fluttering open and those honey colored eyes looking up at Seth. Seth dropped his head and used his knife to cut away the ties.

  Damion’s body fell forward but Seth caught him, pulling Damion’s arm around his shoulders and wrapping his arm around his waist, standing up with him. Well, Damion tried to stand, I think, Seth carried most of the weight.

  Corey and Quinn were immediately on either side of Seth, looking around for any threats as they began walking out. I spotted three more people coming around from the back, they didn’t have weapons though. They seemed in conversation as they kept down the alley.

  I brought my fingers to my lips and whistled to get the guys attention. All three demons looked up to me instantly, Quinn spun around and aimed towards the alleyway but instantly all three of them collapsed. I frowned, unsure of what just happened but to my surprise the guys didn’t seem bothered by this, they just turned around and kept moving back to towards the truck. I didn’t move from my post until I knew Seth and the guys were around the building and out of sight. I unloaded the rifle, slung it over my shoulder, and hurried to get the hell out of there.

  I slid down the ladder, thankfully gaining my footing as I nearly fell on the garbage bin before jumping onto the ground. The guys were just coming around the corner, Corey now on the other side of Damion and helping Seth carry him. I ran to the SUV and popped the trunk open, rearranging the bags.

  Damion looked somewhat awake as Seth and Corey sat him on the edge of the trunk. “Dame, wake up.” Seth patted his cheek roughly. “Dame. We need to get out of here.”

  “Lay him down, I’ll examine him in the back,” Quinn said. I helped ease Damion down, putting my arms under his pits so that I could pull him into the truck, Corey helped getting up and lifting Damion’s feet in. I suppressed a smile when I noticed one boot was missing. Quinn jumped in and Corey got out, closing the back behind him. He jumped into the back seat while Seth got into the driver’s side.

  “Seatbelt, Ava.” Seth called as he turned the SUV over and began driving away.

  “What about Quinn?” I asked as I crawled over the seat.

  “He looks after Damion.” Seth kept his eyes on the road.

  As soon as my butt hit the seat I was pulled into Corey’s arms. “Fuck you were hot. Like seriously you turn me on.” His lips crushed mine and I happily allowed him access. I was worried for them. It helped knowing I had their back, that I was keeping watch from the top of the building. But still. Having Corey’s arms wrap around me and lips caressing mine helped ground me and reassure me that everyone was okay.

  Seth took a turn a little too quickly and I was pulled back, Corey laughing as he fell on me. “Seatbelts!” Seth growled.

  Jesus! I snapped my seatbelt on. “What’s up with you? We got him! We got Damion, and killed a few demons.” I couldn’t help the emotional high, I missed fighting and it felt so good. “Except those three demons… What happened to them?” I frowned.

  “Corey, why would they jump ship?” Seth asked. So, he was worried about that too?

  “Many reasons. I think they didn’t want Aves to get killed in the crossfire, maybe they weren’t expecting her to show up.”

  “Another scenario?” Seth pushed.

  “Uhh, something bigger was coming?”

  “Another scenario?”

  Corey scrambled his mind, deep in thought. “They knew they were losing and didn’t want to be damned just yet.”

  “Another scenario.” Seth grew agitated.

  “Calm down,” I said. “Does it really matter? They are gone, Damion is back.”

  “Corey.” Seth ignored me.

  “They planned it…” Corey finally said. His hand finding mine, finger’s lacing through mine tightly. “They planned for us to be here, for her to be here, they didn’t want to take her but they planned for this moment. I don’t know what for. It’s just a scenario, one that doesn’t make too much sense, but it’s the last one I can think of.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, my hands shaking slightly. I think the adrenaline was beginning to wear off. “Where did they go?”

  “They left their capsule Ava,” Corey said. “For some reason they stayed around long enough for us to get Damion and then they left.”

  Damion’s deep grunts of agony had me jumping. I spun around in the seat so I could see him.

  “How is he?” I asked as Quinn held the stethoscope over Damion’s heart. Damion winced the minute it made contact and Quinn frowned. Pulling out a knife from his pocket, Quinn began cutting away Damion’s shirt. Exposing the cuts in his pale skin.

  “Core…” Quinn looked up, meeting Corey’s shocked eyes. There was a large thick gash across Damion’s protection symbol.

  “I’m still new to this, so correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s not good...right?” I asked.

  Quinn didn’t answer me. “Seth, where are we headed?” he called out.

  “The Ranch, why?”

  Quinn cleared his throat. “Might want to ask them to have an isolation room ready.” I watched as Quinn went to work cleaning the wound out, Damion cried out in pain as Quinn poured a clear liquid over it, blood mixing with the water, at least I thought it was water until it made a searing noise it make the moment it touched his would.

  “What is that?” I asked him. “Stop! It’s hurting him!”

  “It’s holy water.” Quinn placed a hand on Damion’s head and one on his chest as he began chanting.

  “How far are we?” Corey asked.

  “Maybe two hours,” Seth responded. “Ava get up here.”

  A demonic howl escaped from Damion’s mouth and I jumped, turning around to keep my eyes on him. His body was arched, his eyes wide open and pitch black. Corey pressed the release button on my seatbelt and pushed me towards the front. “Go,” he said. “I don’t know what he will do, just go up there.”

  I tried to move over the front seat but was shaking too much. The screaming got louder and Corey began chanting with Quinn in some language. I pushed myself over the seat just as Seth yelled, “Fuck,” and slammed on the brakes. I was thrown forward, the last thing I saw was the front dash before everything went black.

  Chapter 22

  I felt weak, my limbs numb as they carried me towards the metal table. Six’s face came into view as they laid me out. “Don’t die yet precious,” his snake like voice bringing a shiver down my spine. If only I could actually shiver though, I had stopped shivering almost an hour ago, my body too tired to keep moving.

  Cold hands were placed all over my naked body as the six demons stood around me. My eyes rolled to the back of my head and Six slapped me.

  “Not yet,” he ordered.

  “She’s too weak,” another said. I was too tired to distinguish who.

  “She will be fine. We will re
vive her. We need her in this state so we can reach her soul.” Cold lips brushed against my cheek, pressing a line of sickening kisses down to my ear. “You hear that sweet, sweet toy. I will bring you back to life. Our play time will not end.”

  I was cold, and empty. I couldn’t even lift a damn finger, but I forced my eyes open. I forced myself to look right at him. “Fuck you,” I rasped out.

  He began laughing. “My love, don’t lose this side of you.” He bit my ear, hard. Pain exploded and I’m sure blood was drawn. All I had the energy to do was give a pathetic scream.

  Six stood straight up and began chanting something in their demonic language. The words were slurring together as I blinked, trying to keep consciousness. My vision blurred and black orbs danced around, I knew I would lose consciousness soon. As their chanting grew louder and more frantic I could feel heat spreading through my body. It wasn’t some sort of welcoming warmth, no, it was burning. I was on fire, I was sure of it. My skin felt as if it were beginning to peel away, my lungs filled with lava and every breath I took fed the fire more. I was floating, weightless, or so I thought.

  Six moved so he was at my side, his sadistic black eyes met mine just before he plunged his hand through my chest.

  A blood curdling scream ripped from my throat as the room was filled with this intense light. It was so bright yet I felt so very dark. My entire body was filling with this black sludge and the fire only increased, hotter and hotter until I could barely stand it.

  On the verge of dying, no longer wanting to live, I was filled with the most immense pain I had ever even knew existed. My heart sputtered painfully, my organs seized in my body as my muscles began spasming. A ripping sound filled my ears as Six tore a green glowing orb from my body.

  The chanting slowed as Six held this orb between his hands. As the chanting dissipated so did the fire, my body cold and… emotionless. I felt nothing as I watched Six hold what I knew was some piece of me. I was empty since he took it. He inspected it over and over again before cursing. His face confused and angered.

  “Shall we eat it?” one of them asked.

  “No.” Six was quick to answer. “This isn’t right, something is wrong with it.”

  “With the spell?”

  “No… With her soul…” With that he slammed the orb back into my body. I screamed as what was once empty now was filled with such agony and sorrow. I couldn’t handle the pain any further, even after I passed out I swear I could feel it all.

  Chapter 23

  Seth

  I sat in a wooden chair in the living room, facing Ava as she slept soundly in the soft cushioned couch. An old throw blanket covering her up and keeping her warm. She had a gash on her forehead that was now pulled closed with steri strips and covered with a bandage. I couldn’t stop staring at that bandage, hearing Quinn’s words as he said the cut may scar. I was an idiot, I had been speeding when a damn car pulled out in front of me and cut me off, causing me to abruptly break and Ava to go flying.

  Now she may have a scar because of me. As if her beautiful body wasn’t scared enough. Quinn had kept it a secret from us for long enough, but as I pulled her mangled body from the ground, her shirt lifted and the newly formed pink puckered scars were hard to miss, there were so many maring her beautiful skin.

  The living room at the Ranch wasn't as massive as you would expect it to be for such a large house. There were two large couches, like the green one Ava was laying on, and a stack of throw blankets in the corner of the couch. I remember when the guys were younger and we would have movie night in here. The television was massive now, not the small curved screen we had when we were kids. This one was a big flat screen, hanging across from the couch above a large bookcase. But I wasn’t in the mood for television or books. What held my attention was the girl laying on the couch. I stared at her, trying to will her eyes to open.

  “I don’t think she will wake faster just from you staring at her. If it were true she would have woken already,” Crissy said from the doorway of the kitchen. She walked in, holding a cup of coffee out to me, I happily took it. Crissy ran the Ranch, she came from a family of talents; witches, necromancers, seers. She was ordinary though, as she explained to everyone. She had a knack for herbs and plants, that was it. She also took good care of the people that came and went from the Ranch. Her dark brown hair hung around her ebony face in tight curls. Her rich brown eyes always able to see through anyone’s shit. When we were younger we couldn’t get away with anything, I always figured she could read our minds or something. She was aging, though her smooth skin did little to show it.

  “Thanks,” I whispered, lifting the cup in gratitude.

  “So this is her,” Crissy sighed and looked down at Ava. I had to fight the urge to stand up and block her view. I didn’t want anyone to see Ava like this, defenseless. Ava was anything but defenseless. “She looks like her dad.”

  “I bet,” I said bitterly. Some dad he was, giving her all the skill but none of the knowledge.

  Crissy’s eyes snapped to me. “You sure got a lotta ‘tude for a boy who knows very little.”

  “Where is Ty?” I asked, trying to evade Crissy’s chastising stare.

  “On his way, may be a day or two.” She went quiet and I went back to watching Ava’s chest rise and fall, her steady breathing telling me she was sleeping soundly. “How’s Damion?”

  I shrugged. “Core and Quinn are with him. He’s upstairs, he just finished puking his guts out.” I leaned forward, running my hand through my short hair as my elbow rested on my knee. “What does he want with her?” I finally asked, though my words came out as a whisper.

  Crissy crossed her arms. “She is his niece.”

  “If Ty does anything to hurt her–”

  “Seth, before you go there you should know this story goes a lot longer than when Ava first was abducted,” Crissy warned.

  My eyes shot up to hers. “First? She was abducted before?”

  Crissy shook her head. “Not my story. Just know that her trigger may be the only thing that helps her. So Ty trying to make it happen will do more good than harm.” She held my stare, her gaze unwavering, telling me to drop it. To not put my nose where it doesn’t belong.

  I wasn’t a teenager anymore though. “When we were at the warehouse, the demons acted funny,” I said. I knew Crissy was safe, she never fully sided with Ty, she was a grey area, unbiased. “Core had one of them backed in the corner of the warehouse and he said something… He hinted off that Ava was… different. Maybe not even human. Do you know anything about this?” I asked her.

  “Like I said, don’t go sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.” Crissy frowned, giving me an answer even though she didn’t say it out loud. I lowered my eyes, turning back to Ava. “Now, I’m going to put Mama to bed, should you boys need anything you know where to find it.” She nodded before moving toward the stairs.

  “How is she?” I asked her before she could leave. “Mama Gigi… Is she...” Mama Gigi reminded me so much of my grandmother from Russia, always trying to teach us lessons with old stories and riddles.

  “Sick,” Crissy said quietly. “She hasn’t spoke since the stroke, she stares as if no one is in there, as if she’s empty, but I know she’s there. She’s just stuck.” Crissy paused for a moment before saying, “Don’t go making your mind up about Ava before you know. Saving her, that was just the first step in a very long journey ahead of us. She may not even know what is going on with herself.”

  “I need to protect my brothers, Crissy.”

  “Yes, I know. You boys have been like that since you first met. Just remember, while you have each other, she has no one. Her father is dead, Ty is a sorry excuse for a blood relative. Don’t turn your back on her just yet, not until you know the whole story.” With that Crissy left, up the stairs.

  I grabbed hold of my chair and pulled it closer to Ava, reaching out I pulled her tiny hand into mine. Flipping her wrist over I ran a finger along the scar. “You are a
mystery,” I whispered.

  Chapter 24

  Ava

  I woke in a panic. My heart felt as if it dropped, my breathing erratic as I bolted upright in the dark room. There was a single dim lamp in the corner of the room. I was laying on a very soft couch. I nearly jumped to my feet, ready to fight, until my eyes finally landed on Seth as he sat slumped in a chair beside me, a soft snore leaving his lips.

  I pulled the blanket off of me and reached up, wincing when my fingers came into contact with a bandage on my head. I tried to remember exactly what had happened but the pain made everything so fuzzy.

  “Here.” Seth’s gruff voice was quiet. I raised my head and stared at his outstretched hand.

  I took the two white pills and then he handed me a cup of water to swallow them down. “This must be the Ranch?” I assumed.

  “It is.” His blue eyes searched me, as if he was trying to assess something, as if he wasn’t really sure. It made me sort of uncomfortable. I felt many things around Seth, but uncomfortable had never been one of them.

  “Where are the others?” I asked, warily.

  “Upstairs, with Damion,” he answered. “Ava, before you were taken… have you ever seen a demon?”

  I frowned, unsure where this was coming from. “No… I told you that before. My father never taught me any of this, only how to–”

  “Fight,” he finished. “Yeah, I remember what you said. Is there anything you haven’t told me.”

  I became suspicious, wondering where all this was coming from. I thought back to the time the demon had held the glowing green part of me, do I tell him that? I didn’t want to though. I didn’t want to explain the pain or the feeling of taint to him. I did what I had never really done with the guys before, I got defensive. “Yeah, there is a lot I’m not telling you. But that’s my business.” My voice was hard. “I’m going to see the others.” I pushed up off the couch but became dizzy for a moment. Seth caught me, steadying me.