My lips stretched into a baring of teeth. “No way. These two dangerous individuals, as you call them, are coming with us. Frankly, I don’t give a shit what they did. You have no right to treat anybody the way you treated them.”
“You’re in way over your head. This is a matter of national security. If you try to take the prisoners off the premises, I’ll order you shot.”
“Ma.” Kiernan’s shocked voice cut straight through me. I didn’t take my eyes off her, didn’t dare to give the game away by reassuring the Irish man.
“Kiernan, stand behind me.”
“Ma,” he repeated. His tone of voice had changed from disbelief to righteous anger. “What the hell are you playing at? These are my friends, my lovers. We are bonded. I’d never abandon them.”
His mother’s eyes were fixed on him in fear and rage. “Kiernan Patrick Hennessy. I’m ordering you for the last time to stop this nonsense. I can’t allow you to take the prisoners off the premises.”
“Yeah, I heard you the first time. Mother.” The disdain could have chilled a polar bear.
“This is insane. Stop acting the fool. You have no idea what you’re getting into.”
“I think I do. I can’t even begin to tell you how disappointed I am in you. I thought you were one of the good ones. But you’re just as corrupt as Farkas.”
“Kiernan.” A single word laid bare what was happening. Hurt. Disbelief. All feelings I wouldn’t have attributed to Assistant Director Hennessy. But there was so much emotion in her voice, it made me doubt my assessment of her.
Maybe she wasn’t the person running the show. Maybe she only followed orders. Either way, she stood between us and the portal. Kiernan had stepped beside me. I barely noticed it.
While mother and son had been fighting, I’d allowed the power to build up until I was fizzing with it like a shaken can of coke. My fear and anger had given me more fuel than I’d expected.
For the second time in my life, I knew I’d implode if I didn’t discharge the buildup. I gestured for my men to step behind me. Then I shouted, “Callahan, I’m going to blow. I suggest you get out of my line of fire.”
Callahan blanched. Without waiting for another word from his superior, he turned on his heel. He’d seen up close the havoc I could wreak. As he reached the mouth of the hallway, he mouthed, “Good luck.”
I kept my expression menacing, but holding his gaze, I winked. He grinned in return. A load dropped off my mind. I hadn’t lost him as an ally.
Hennessy was a different matter. Her face turned puce at her son’s defiance. She was still blocking my exit, and the pressure inside of me was becoming physically painful. My head hurt, and beads of sweat stuck my hair to my forehead. I bit my lip, my mouth contorted with the effort to hold in the lightning.
Has she got a death wish? Can’t she see she’ll be dead if she doesn’t run?
My men were standing behind me, their support holding me up like a back brace. The only way for my power was forward, toward Kiernan’s mom. But I wasn’t ready to blow Assistant Director Hennessy to smithereens. Not least because, deep inside me, Kiernan’s bond pulsated with worry and sadness. I couldn’t take his mother from him like this.
So I chose a third option. I turned to my left, toward the open door, and released a multi-branched fork of lightning. It shot from my fingers, crossed the anteroom, then the lab, and smashed into the viewing gallery. The glass held up for a second before collapsing in on itself. The heat of my power melted the falling shards, and they burst into flames, dropping onto the floor below.
I was engulfed in a whirlpool of energy. All I could see were white flashes. All I could hear was the hissing of combusting particles. But I couldn’t stop. I had to keep going until the pressure released to a manageable level.
The stink of ozone burnt the hairs inside my nostrils. I kept steady, stretching out my hands to channel the power, shooting pulses of white lightning. The noise was deafening. Something exploded. And for a brief moment, my white energy turned orange and yellow as it mingled with whatever was burning in the lab.
When the pressure finally—finally—subsided, I pulled my magic back inside of me. It was still there, crackling angrily across my skin.
Mrs. Hennessy stood in front of us, her mouth open in a silent scream. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and both her hands were covering her ears. She was shaking uncontrollably.
I nearly felt sorry for her, but then I remembered what she’d done to Bleddyn and Sharon, and my pity drained away. She deserved to be scared out of her wits.
21
Without warning, Hennessy’s body stiffened, and her eyes rolled back into her skull. Kiernan rushed forward, but he didn’t reach her before she crumpled to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.
“Ma. Are you okay?” He kneeled next to her, feeling her neck for a heartbeat. “She’s alive, thank God.”
Personally, I couldn’t have cared less, but I felt for him. It wasn’t easy to watch your mother collapse in front of you, even if she was an evil bitch.
Kiernan arranged her into a recovery position, making sure she could breathe. He placed his hand on her cheek, whispering something, before standing up. “Let’s go. She’ll be fine.”
The others picked up their bags, except for Julian. He’d lost that faraway look in his eyes that had been freaking me out so much. Instead, his gaze was trained on Hennessy’s fallen body, a satisfied smirk playing around his lips. Odd.
But before I could ask him, a klaxon sounded through the building, echoing off the narrow hallway. We had literally seconds to get away. But someone was missing.
“Where’s Sharon?”
Kiernan cursed. “Oh, come on. I just put her down for a second.”
There was no sign of my former roommate. Somehow, despite her weakened condition, she’d managed to disappear while we were distracted. There was nothing we could do about it now.
I turned to the Fae warrior. “Bleddyn, can you walk?”
He stepped away from Lance. For a moment, he swayed. But then he pressed his lips together and straightened up. The glamor shimmered, smoothing his alien features. The pointy ears rounded, his eyes shifted from silver to lakes of deep blue, and his hair evened out, curling over his collar. He was gorgeous in either form.
“Stop staring,” Kiernan grumbled. He glared at Bleddyn, jealousy etched all over his face.
“Not so great when the boot is on the other foot.” Yeah, I was still pissed at him. Besides, I didn’t have the time to deal with his sensitive ego. We needed to get out of here.
“Lance, you take Bleddyn. Kiernan goes next. I’ll come last with Julian. Let’s keep thirty yards between us so we’re not too obvious.”
This was it. We were actually doing it. I swallowed hard, rubbing one hand over the other. I was determined to sound confident and not like I was scared out of my mind.
And Macha was still out there by himself. “Guys, keep an eye out for Macha. I don’t want to leave him behind.”
Lance nodded, grabbing the Fae’s arm, and pulled him into the main compound thoroughfare. Kiernan waited, counting to thirty, before taking off after them. Then it was Julian’s and my turn.
Julian had stayed quiet throughout the entire incident. His fierce expression had melted into a strange calmness. His eyes closed, he leaned against the wall. I envied his serenity just for a moment before jumping into action.
“Julian, we need to go.” There was no reaction. Like a beautiful wax statue, he was lost in his mind. I grabbed his arm and shook him.
“Julian,” I said more urgently. “Come on. Snap out of it.”
His eyelids drifted open. There was something different in his dark eyes, something alien. Whatever was happening with my boyfriend, we’d have to talk about it, get to the bottom of it. Later.
The noise of the siren and loud voices echoed from the main corridor. I took Julian’s hand and pulled him along as quickly as I could. Soon, we were running, only slowing down whe
n we cleared the corner.
The klaxon was much louder here, assaulting my ears until the cacophony bounced through my skull. The hallway was full of agents, following their emergency protocols. Nobody paid us any attention, as we kept a similar pace to the men and women around us.
Far ahead, I caught a glimpse of Kiernan’s blond head. I strode after him with as much purpose as I could muster, still pulling Julian after me.
We were nearing the end of the hallway when there was a commotion behind us. Voices rose angrily, and the ominous pattern of running feet acted like gasoline on my shredded nerves. Without turning my head, I broke into a full-out sprint, tugging so hard on Julian’s hand, I forced a surprised gasp out of him.
Good. Maybe it would snap him out of whatever fugue state he was in. But we weren’t fast enough. The slapping sound of leather soles on concrete was so close, I grimaced in horrified anticipation.
Somebody gripped my elbow, yanking me backward. I squeaked and zapped the agent with a burst of electrical power. I didn’t want to hurt anybody, but I couldn’t let them stop me, either.
The man’s hand fell off my arm, and he yelped in surprise. “Goddamnit, that hurt.”
Somebody else shouted, “Everybody down.”
We were so close. But I knew what that order meant. I’d been afraid it would come to this. We’d have no choice but to face the FBMA agents.
“Why the hell would you do that?” I muttered.
I used my momentum to swing Julian behind me and turned around to confront our pursuers. The hallway had gone eerily quiet. My heaving lungs were deafening my ears with the rush of air, preparing me for battle.
Everybody was on the floor, except for us and the agents approaching us slowly. Lance and Kiernan had disappeared with Bleddyn around yet another corner, likely not even aware of the situation we were facing.
Two men and one woman had their handguns out and pointed them straight at my chest. “Lift your hands. Now.”
I moved my elbows until they were at the same level as my shoulders. Then I spread my fingers, turning my hands forward. Instead of ordering me to drop them, they exchanged puzzled glances.
I powered up my lightning and got ready to release. The agents, still aiming their Glocks in our general direction, relaxed their stances. Clearly, they had no clue what my gesture meant.
I’d assumed everybody here knew who I was. But apparently not all agents had been briefed about our magic. Julian wouldn’t be any help. He looked straight above my head, glaring at something only he could see. I positioned myself between him and the agents and continued building up my power.
Fatigue snapped at my heels, threatening to drag me down. Channeling my magic drained my energy faster than my body could replenish it. I wasn’t sure if I had enough left after blowing up the lab. But I had no choice. We had to reach the portal.
The agents approached slowly, their guns pointing at the ground. The woman’s hands shook, and her lips were pressed together as if to compensate for her wide eyes. One of the men stayed in front of her, keeping his gaze trained on me. His stance betrayed his wariness, but also his determination to protect his partner at all costs.
The older man was the leader. His Glock aimed barely below my torso. His eyes spelled out the epitaph on my tombstone. “She moved.” If I as much as twitched, he’d blow me away.
My mind was whirring at top speed, trying to figure a way out. And then an idea hit me so hard, I would have facepalmed myself, had I not had three handguns in my face.
Maybe I didn’t have to fight them. Maybe I could heat the air around me enough to melt any projectiles shot at me. I’d witnessed firsthand the destruction my super-heated power could wreak.
I took several steps towards the agents. “Look, guys. I’m getting out of here today. No need to escalate.”
22
The older agent chuckled. “We’re the ones holding the guns.”
I grinned viciously. “I don’t need a gun to defend myself. Put your toys down before you get hurt.”
They didn’t expect me to talk back. They also didn’t stop approaching until they got uncomfortably close. I placed my palms together and pulled them apart, savoring the familiar taffy-feeling.
“Keep your hands where I can see them,” the younger man said, but it was too late. Electricity crackled between my fingers. I fed my magic with as much sound and fury as I could muster.
The agents lifted their guns but didn’t advance any further. We were at a standstill for heartbeat after heartbeat. One of us would have to crack first, and it wouldn’t be me.
The female agent hadn’t said a word yet. But as the moments passed, her hands trembled and her body tensed until she was as taut as a wire rope, twisting in a tornado. I kept her in my sight. She’d be the one to snap, I was sure of it.
And then it happened. She suddenly gulped in a breath, held it, ripped the gun upwards, and squeezed the trigger. I gritted my teeth, praying my theory would work.
The bullet never got near me. The alloy melted and caught fire, exploding like a tiny SOS flare. Then it vanished with a loud clap of displaced air.
Her eyes widened impossibly, and she fired again and again, with the same result.
My hair weaved around my head as the electrically charged air made the blond strands dance. I laughed in sheer delight with each bullet popping out of existence.
Once again, I was terrifying people. But this time, I didn’t feel guilty. They had it coming. It feels good to stand up for myself, to fight back.
My power fizzled out, and I stared at an empty hallway. Every single agent had cleared out. Julian looked at me as if he’d never seen me before. I stumbled, my knees buckling after the exertion I’d put my body through.
He grabbed my arm to steady me. I didn’t miss the tiny hesitation before he touched me. Our gazes met, and I froze, my breath catching deep inside my throat where no cough could clear it.
Julian’s eyeballs were black, and the stink of corruption rose from his skin. I blinked, and his eyes were back to normal. Julian fumbled for my hand, and his fingers closed tightly over mine. Then he yanked me along the hallway until we sprinted towards the exit.
The area was devoid of people. Only the cameras moved as they followed our progress. But Hennessey was probably still out cold, and we made it without anybody challenging us.
The others were waiting by the main door. Bleddyn had exhausted his magic and leaned heavily on Lance. His face was back to its Fae features, but it didn’t matter. The FBMA knew where my loyalties lay. And my men, despite all the bickering, had followed me without another thought. We were all in this together, and that made my insides all swoony.
I took a deep breath and poured out my gratitude in one long exhale. “Thank you for standing by me.”
Lance’s face stayed impassive, but his mouth ticked up in a minute gesture as he tilted his head.
Kiernan grinned and raised an eyebrow. “No bother, acushla.”
Lance tightened his grip on Bleddyn to keep him upright.
Julian was about to speak when something caught his attention. His placid expression burst into a mask of hatred. Nobody else seemed to notice, and just as quickly, Julian smiled at me.
He’d shown so many facets of his personality in the last few days, I didn’t know who he was anymore. With great effort, I pushed the thought to the back of my mind. I needed to deal with it, but not while we were running for our freedom.
“Any sign of Sharon?”
Nobody had seen her. I swore quietly under my breath. We’d never gotten on well. But it went against everything I believed in leaving her behind.
And then there was Macha. Where was he? He must have felt the pull through our bond, so why hadn’t he joined us yet? I pressed the balls of my hands against my eyes, pushing until white spots bloomed in the darkness. If I could only erase my worry about him just as easily.
But we didn’t have the luxury to go back and search for him. The agents were prob
ably already hatching a plot to stop us once and for all. We needed to get going.
Ahead of us was a large, industrial double door. Sunlight poured in through two windows at the top. After being trapped inside the compound without natural light, these two bright squares at head height pulled us in like moths to the flame.
Lance cracked the door open and peeked out before pulling it wide. “All clear.”
“Okay,” I said. “This is it.”
I turned to my lovers. “I know you aren’t happy about turning our backs on the FBMA. If you want to stay, this is your chance.”
I held my breath. Anxiety rolled through my stomach. I clenched my fists and hoped like hell they wouldn’t leave me now. Thoughts bounced inside my skull, pushing each other higher and higher until I wanted to scream.
It wasn’t fair to force them to come with me. But if they loved me, they wouldn’t have had to think about it. It was the right thing to do. It was the right thing. The right thing.
My eyes were shut as I waited for the verdict. Maybe Lance wanted to be an FBMA agent more than be by my side. Maybe Julian’s behavior meant he wanted to get away from the weirdness following me. Maybe Macha had already left us.
Strong arms wrapped me into a tight embrace, smushing my face against a denim jacket. Another body crowded me from behind.
“You’re an eejit, Amber Whitman. We’re with you all the way.”
The words tore through my fear and apprehension, except for the Macha-shaped gap in my soul. I inhaled Kiernan’s earthy scent, and the knot in my stomach loosened.
Lance nuzzled my ear and whispered, “All the way. I’d never leave you to fight by yourself.”
Julian took my hand and kissed the back. All three of them held me tight, smothering my sadness with their presence.
Bleddyn cleared his throat loudly, and my men let go of me. The Fae’s eyes sparkled with amusement, but his voice sounded serious. “We have no time for your bonding. I can’t open the gate away from the forest. We must go now.”
Second Chance Doom: a paranormal romance adventure (Second Chance Academy Book 5) Page 10
