by J. D. Brown
I wet my lips and closed my eyes. I took two more calming breaths, and then focused on the simple thump-thump of the heartbeat next to mine. My brow pinched as I mentally held onto the rhythmic pulse. He’s so calm. How is he so calm? I sucked in one more deep breath and then told myself to quit being an idiot. If Jesu could keep his cool, then so could I. Releasing that breath, I opened my eyes and met his gaze. “Yeah. I hear it.”
The left side of Jesu’s mouth creased in a small smile. “I can hear yours too. We are connected, Ema. You are an extension of me, and I am an extension of you. Whenever you get scared, just listen for my heartbeat and know that I am right there next to you.”
Those were kind words to say to an ex. I knew Jesu would not abandon me in this battle, but what about after? Did his words go beyond this one circumstance? Did I want them to? Yes, I did, even though it was selfish to want more.
His gaze searched mine. “You do not believe me?”
“I do,” I said. “I really do. It’s just that everything is so screwed up right now, and about to get a whole lot worse. I can’t think, Jesu. Or maybe I’m thinking too much. I don’t know. My brain is stuck.”
“Then do not think. Let your instincts drive you.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. “You’re my rock, you know? Through all of this, you’ve always been my rock. My one spot of calm in the middle of a never-ending hurricane.” I opened my eyes. “I want to keep you, Jesu, but you’re not mine to keep. Does that make me a bad person?”
His cheek dimpled. “That is what you are thinking about right now? Us?”
I shrugged, knowing how stupid it must sound. Now was not the time for a lover’s quarrel, especially when the result could put us both off our game. I looked away, facing the seat in front of me, and the back of someone’s head. Maria sat in the second row up, next to Brinnon. Tancred and Nikolas sat in the row across from them.
So much for keeping them safe.
They were doing this with me. For me. No one’s gone out of their way to help me with anything before. Now I had an entire airplane full of willing friends. The swirl of emotions—love, fear, anxiety—was overwhelming, and my throat thickened.
I dared a glance at Jesu from the corner of my vision. He watched me. He was very still, except for his teeth, which gnawed on his lower lip. Then, without warning, Jesu reached out and touched my cheek, turning my face in his direction. He leaned forward and covered my mouth with his. The kiss was deep, but patient. Jesu work his tongue slowly, savoring the moment, making it last as long as possible. It wasn’t urgent or passionate, but it was intimate, almost wise. The reassurance of a love that could withstand the test of time.
The knots in my stomach eased and I felt myself smile. Our lips slowly parted and Jesu pressed his forehead to mine. “I never stopped being yours, Ema.”
We stopped at a base in Portugal to refuel. I was glad vampyre royalty had their own private air system. Any other time, I might have quizzed Nikolas on the details of how the R.E.D. managed to get us around the United Nations Air Force, not to mention all the commercial airline towers, but right now I was crouched in the airplane’s port-o-potty-sized bathroom, trying to deal with the personal matter of pregnancy. My particular case of morning sickness refused to adhere to the rules of its own name. Really, who came up with the term morning sickness? It should have been called all-day-long sickness, or at-the-most-inconvenient-possible-moment sickness.
At least I told myself it was the baby and not my nerves.
Knuckles rapped gently against the other side of the folding door. “Are you all right?” Jesu asked.
I wiped my lips with the back of my hand before answering. “Be out in a minute.”
“They are just about ready to take off again.”
Flushing the toilet, I faced the sink and used the tap to rinse my mouth, forcing myself to swallow some of the bitter soot-flavored water to help dispel the bile burning a path through my esophagus. I just wanted to go home and forget about everything. My gear and weapons clattered against the sides of the tiny bathroom in a rude reminder.
It’s a little late to throw in the towel now.
I opened the folding door and jumped, startled. Brinnon waited on the other side instead of Jesu.
The prince winked. “Don’t be nervous. It’ll be over in no time, and then we’ll all go celebrate on a white-sand beach. You’ll see.”
My lips twitched in a forced smile as I pushed past him, wanting to get back to my seat and Jesu. I didn’t really know if Jesu’s kiss made me feel better or worse about things, but it sure did serve as a good distraction from the impending doom waiting for us across the ocean. God, all my worrying over the future seemed so petty now. I’d give anything to go back to that day in Venice when Jesu took me to the Doges’ Palace. I would have done it differently. I would have locked our arms together and made him walk slower, asking his opinion of the artwork. I would have let him buy me a hotdog and cookies, and would have swooned over the ice rose. I would have stayed out all night with him instead of insisting on going back to the hotel.
I would have kept my fat mouth shut.
I could be such an idiot.
Jesu watched as I slid past him and reclaimed my seat, making sure to fasten the seatbelt. He smoothed a hand over mine and offered a smile. There was a lot of that going around the cabin—forced smiles.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Better,” I lied. My stomach ached.
The plane jerked forward and in a few minutes, we were in the air again. This time we wouldn’t stop until we got to the Panamanian coast.
Ten hours later, the wheels touched ground in the middle of a rainforest. The runway looked more like a dirt road surrounded by palm trees. We bumped along until the airplane slowed enough to come to a halt. Tancred stood, followed by Nikolas. The pair went to the cabin door.
“Stand back, Your Highness.” Tancred motioned for four men to come forth. “You three, sweep the perimeter. You, check the base.”
He opened the door and the four soldiers jumped out of the plane. I watched through the small window as the men dashed into the jungle, running at warp speed. The rest of us undid our seatbelts and waited on the edge of anticipation.
Or at least I did. The others kept their eyes alert, guns at the ready, but their postures looked calm enough. Relaxed, even. I envied their training.
Jesu watched the aisle floor with a vacant gaze. I figured he was listening, but to what, I didn’t know. The jungle was certainly full of sounds; birds squawking, monkeys chattering, insects buzzing, leaves swaying in the breeze, but not anything that conveyed danger. Or so I hoped.
An intercom strapped to Tancred’s hip cracked to life. “Base is clear. Over.”
Tancred lifted the walkie-talkie to his mouth. “Copy that, over.”
Then a second voice sounded. “Red Wing to Jaguar, perimeter is clear. Over.”
“Copy that. Stand by for further instructions. Over.” Tancred nodded to Nikolas, and Nikolas nodded back. Then Tancred addressed the cabin at large. “All right men, look alive! The shore is three kilometers north of here; and the island is about thirty kilometers from the coast. Group One, you’re on surveillance and first defense. Keep your eyes open. Report when you reach the beach. After I give the okay, you’re to continue by water straight to the island. Surround the perimeter and scope out the situation. See if you can locate the target, but do not engage. Stay down and report your positions. Group Two and Three will move out together until we reach the coast. Then, on my word, Group Two will go the island and advance on the target with Group One as backup. Group Three will continue west with the weapon.”
Tancred paused and leveled his gaze with mine.
I scowled. Did he just refer to me as ‘the weapon’?
“There will be a dock with an R.E.D. issued boat,” he continued. “The weapon and her protector will take the boat to the island.”
Yes, he was really cal
ling me The Weapon. I glanced to the side and snorted.
“Group Three will follow by air. You’re on bodyguard duty, so stay close to the weapon. And I mean close. If I see any of you more than a fart’s distance away, I’ll leave your ass in the jungle, understood?”
A hearty “Yes, sir!” ensued.
“Good. Once Group Three and the weapon are on the island, we all move in. Groups One and Two are on offense with orders to shoot to kill. Group Three is on defense with orders to get the weapon as close to the target as safely possible and then back out. Everyone clear?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Good,” said Tancred. “Now move out!”
Group One leaped to their feet and marched out the door. As soon as they touched ground, they swarmed through the brush and into the jungle, with all the splendid grace of a pack of wolves weaving lithely through the trees. In moments, they were gone, given over to the mission. Tancred lifted the walkie-talkie to his mouth and told Red Wing to join Group One.
Group Two exited the aircraft, drew their guns, and then fanned out just enough to surround the airplane. Group Three stayed inside the cabin, waiting for me to move. Jesu squeezed my hand. I bit my lip. This is really happening.
Jesu stood, still holding my hand. His height lifted my arm over my head. I pushed to my feet, not wanting to look like the coward my insides were morphing into. My throat dried and I struggled to swallow while trailing Jesu down the aisle. Nikolas, Brinnon, and Maria followed. I guess they were part of Group Three. My bodyguards.
At the door, Jesu stepped aside and motioned me ahead. The tips of my boots touched the rubber threshold. I took one quick scan of the jungle and then jerked back, knocking my shoulders into Jesu’s chest.
Jesu immediately gripped my elbows and threw me protectively behind him. “What?” he demanded. “What is it?”
Everyone in the cabin drew their weapons and huddled tightly around us. I squeaked, startled by the collective motion. “Sorry,” I murmured. “I just wanted to double check.”
I glanced down and touched the fingers of my left hand to my right wrist. The silver chain was lodged into my skin, pressed between my flesh and the armor cuffs. I wiggled my fingers under the scratchy nylon and found the charm. The sharp edges of the sapphire buzzed softly, like the purr of a kitten. I sighed in relief and then looked apologetically at the group. “Still there.”
Jesu gave me a wary glance and then placed a hand on the back of my neck. He gently ushered me forward. I stopped at the threshold again, drew a sharp breath, and then jumped the small distance to the ground. My shoes sank an inch into rust-orange mud.
Clay, I realized. Not mud.
Jesu landed beside me. He stood erect and then surveyed our surroundings. There wasn’t much to see. A dense tropical forest blocked any view of the shoreline or the horizon beyond. Jesu drew a sword from the sheath strapped to his back and then took my hand and led me away from the airplane. The rest of Group Three exited the aircraft and then formed a tight circle around Jesu and me while drawing their weapons. Even Maria took up a stance, guarding my back, blade poised.
Tancred lifted a hand into the air and made some sort of signal with his fingers. Group Two headed toward the tree line. Jesu urged me forward as Group Three followed them. In a few short feet, we left the landing strip behind and trampled through waist-high vegetation. The jungle enveloped us with trees that did not look like trees; ginormous red trunks with ridges large enough to serve as shallow caves, skinny black trunks with cacti-like needles sticking out everywhere, leaves that physically shied away when you brushed against them, flowers with spiked petals. Moisture slicked the orange ground. Grass did not exist here. Life dwelled only within the trees. Very little moonlight filtered past the dense canopy, and the air smelled of humidity. It reminded me of hell—the literal hell I went to with Leena. Must’ve felt like home to Apollyon.
Group Two hacked through the vegetation with large machetes, leaving a clear path for us to follow. I was grateful I didn’t have to deal with low-hanging branches swatting me in the face, because I had a hard enough time just walking. I kept losing my footing on the slippery clay. Jesu caught me and pulled me upright, but it was beyond annoying. I considered levitating over the whole mess, but Jesu kept his forearm raised at chest level so I could lean on it.
Fortunately, the most dangerous thing we encountered in the jungle, beside my own clumsiness, were insects. Mosquitos, bees, and three different kinds of ants swarmed us as if we were a walking picnic. I swatted at them, trying my very best not to scream like a girl. I hated the rainforest already.
Red Wing’s voice cracked over the intercom to alert Tancred that Group One had reached the shore. Tancred told them to “seal-up and dive.” I had the suspicious feeling he meant the animal, as in the cute blubbery thing that ate penguins, not SEAL like the marines.
After about fifteen minutes of walking, Group Two finally broke past the jungle and climbed the sandy dunes of the shoreline with Group Three fast on their heels. A full moon rose in the clear night sky, igniting the beach with a luminosity strong enough to rival the sun. Or so seemed to my nocturnal vision. I noticed footprints in the sand ahead of us, left over from Group One. Halfway along the berm, the footprints turned into long skid marks, as though bodies had been dragged into the ocean.
Yes, they really did seal-up.
I glanced at the sea and searched for the island. A lovely turquoise colored the gulf, the lazy tide alight with the glittering reflection of stars. They spanned the heavens, like diamonds amidst a velvet blue backdrop. Tall jagged bluffs enclosed the beach on either side. The tide crashed savagely against the cliffs, but everything in the center lay calm and tranquil. The water ran clear where it touched the beach, lapping over a rainbow of assorted pebbles and seashells. It was difficult to imagine death waiting for us out there, but the devil always did lure his victims with beautiful things.
“Red Wing to Jaguar,” croaked the intercom. “We’ve reached the island. Surveillance shows about two dozen human corpses scattered about the shoreline and jungle. We believe they were locals, part of an indigenous tribe. Their village is located five kilometers inland from the beach on the southeast. No visual of the enemy yet, but surveillance shows activity further inland. Over.”
My blood ran cold at the mention of human corpses. I glanced at Jesu. He returned my look with a solemn gaze and the edge of his mouth twitched. Nikolas had mentioned the R.E.D. found evidence of rogue vampyre activity on the island. This must be what they meant. The massacre of an entire village of humans was not beneath Apollyon. To him, people were either food or playthings to experiment on.
Tancred held the intercom to his lips. “Copy that, Red Wing. We are at the beach. Group Two is about to go airborne. Once they arrive, cover their backs. Over.”
“Copy that, sir. Over and out.”
Tancred faced us. “Group Two, prepare to fly.”
My breath caught as a dozen soldiers began to shift. A chorus of snapping bones and popping joints filled the salty beach air. A chill shuddered through me as my subconscious recalled my hands on Hesiodos’ jaw, the weight of his skull in my palms, the thankful look in his dark eyes, and the sickening snap of his neck when I jerked his head to the side and killed him. Bile climbed my esophagus and I bent forward, swallowing a large gulp of air to force the vomit back.
“Are you all right?” Jesu gripped my upper arm.
I nodded and then rested my head against his chest. “I just need to shut off my brain.”
Jesu wrapped his arm across my back and held me while Tancred continued with the mission. No one noticed my little episode. They were too focused on the task at hand, thank goodness.
The soldiers shifted into a flock of hawks. Nikolas, Brinnon, Maria, and a few other men from Group Three helped secure the birds’ armor and weapons into packs that they carried in their razor-sharp talons. They took to the sky, but stayed close, circling overhead.
“Group One i
s waiting for you,” Tancred said to one of the hawks standing in the sand. “As soon as you are dressed, locate the enemy and report his location to me, got it?”
The bird nodded.
“If Apollyon didn’t know we were coming before, he sure as hell does by now, so keep a sharp eye. Stay hidden and hold your fire until the bastard’s presence is confirmed. If your cover is compromised, then take out as many as you can, understood?”
Another nod.
“Good,” said Tancred. “Move out, General.”
The hawk spread its majestic wings and lifted into the air. The flock circling overhead fell into formation and the group flew into the night, heading toward the white moon in the horizon. When we could no longer see them in the distance, Tancred faced the rest of us.
“Onward, men.”
Tancred lead us west, through the sandy dunes. The jungle stretched on to our left, the ocean to our right. After a little while, a simple wooden dock covered in green algae appeared in the distance. A two-person dingy with oars tied to one of the pilings bobbed in the rising tide. I stopped in my tracks and gawked in disbelief.
“That is the boat the R.E.D. loaned us for battle? This little plank of wood?” I expected something bigger, with an engine.
“This is a third-world country,” Tancred growled. “Be glad it’s not a piece of scrap metal.”
“My armor alone will sink it,” I argued.
“No it won’t,” said Jesu. “But mine will.”
Jesu let go of me and then unbuckled the straps across his chest, shucking off both armor and weapons.
“What are you doing?” I gasped. “You need that to protect yourself.”
“Maria can fly my gear across.” Jesu knelt to undo his leg pieces. “I will put it back on when we get to the island.”
“What if we’re attacked in the middle of the water?”
