A Flare Of Hope (The Jaylior Series Book 1)

by Elodie Colt

  “You stay here. I have to clean up this mess,” I ordered and collected the bodies to take them into the woods.

  Carrying all three at once wasn’t an issue for a Fighter like me—two over each shoulder and one dragging on the ground behind me. I carried them quickly through the courtyard and hid them under a tree—I would have to get rid of them later. Passing one of the cameras Jimmy had installed, I made a thumbs-up, letting him know I had everything under control.

  Returning to the apartment, I found the girl bandaging her left hand. Blood was already soaking through. She must have cut herself with shards of the vase. I strode over to her, but she didn’t look up at me.

  “I’ll get Sarah to heal you,” I offered. Not because I was worried about her injury, but because Jimmy would want me to take care of her. She already knew about Sarah’s healing abilities, so I didn’t bother explaining.

  The girl huffed a dry laugh. “I don’t need anyone to heal me. All my life I’ve healed naturally, I’m sure it will work this time just fine,” she snapped, still averting her gaze.

  And that was the third time she’d caught me off guard. If I recalled correctly, I’d said something similar to Sarah a few days ago. This only reignited my anger. She wasn’t like me. She didn’t feel the pain I felt. She didn’t have the right to be furious.

  Grabbing her shoulder, I rammed her into the next wall, forcing her to look at me. This time, the eyes staring back at me were flaring with anger instead of fear.

  “Listen to me carefully,” I warned in a low voice. “I fended those off because it was my job to do so. I came here to see the one responsible for Ricky’s death. I will leave now, and when Jimmy brings you to the compound, I’d suggest you stay out of my way. Permanently. Do you understand?” I didn’t wait for an answer. Of course, she didn’t understand. She didn’t even know what or where the compound was.

  I released her and walked away, not missing the bruised fingerprints I left on her neck. I didn’t feel an ounce of guilt. She should count herself lucky I hadn’t done more harm.

  Before I left, I called after her, “Don’t leave the apartment and wait for Jimmy. He’ll come for you tomorrow.”

  I passed the camera again. Jimmy would already know about my visit here, which meant I should prepare for getting through my leader’s wrath that was sure to be unleashed upon me.

  It wasn’t surprising I couldn’t sleep after the events of the night. Tossing and turning in my bed, I was haunted by the hatred reflected in the eyes of the handsome stranger who first attacked and then protected me against whatever creatures wanted me out of the picture.

  But they were beautiful eyes, deep and vivid, though full of remorse. A mix of gray and blue with a hint of mauve, a colorful silver almost—the same combination I’d glimpsed in the faces of the people who had come to my aid a few days ago.

  Two things were certain. One, he was one of them. His eyes had lit up by a flash of silver as soon as they connected with mine, holding me immobile and letting me glimpse the rage making his hands shake around my throat. A rage born from what I’d done, from what happened to young Ricky because of me.

  I sat up in bed and threw my head against the headboard in frustration. Not a good move, I realized too late. A nasty bruise had started to form from when he’d smashed my skull into the wall. Twice.

  I heaved a desperate sigh, barely able to keep tears from spilling. I had no idea what happened the night of the first attack, as well as just hours before, but I was positive the events were connected. The dark-skinned man, aka Jimmy, had advised me to keep an eye open all the time, so I’d done everything I could think of to stay low for a while.

  Changing my appearance by wearing a wig. Hiding my true eye color by wearing contacts as, apparently, my eyes were the reason I was suddenly on top of the wanted list—the same reason Shawna got killed, as ridiculous as it sounded. Only going out at night when I could stay invisible and have a good vantage point from the top of the buildings or trees. Hiding weapons in every corner of my apartment to defend myself if necessary. Giving Lauren a good excuse about my knee getting worse, and a doctor who ordered a three weeks’ rest, so I didn’t need to show up at Joey’s.

  But everything had been in vain in the end. They had found me. He had found me, whoever he was. A strong man with short, dirty blond hair, masculine and hard features. Oh, and a scar crossing his right eyebrow, starting from his forehead and running all the way down over his eyelid to his cheekbone—a thin white line of dead skin in place of the hair that should have grown there, giving him a harsher appearance and probably being a reminder of a fight he’d nearly lost.

  He resented me but didn’t want me dead. He’d told me to wait for Jimmy, and Jimmy was one of the good guys, right? But what was it with their talking about a ‘compound’ and ‘coming with us?’ Did they plan on kidnapping and hiding me in a cellar?

  That was not going to happen. I’d defend myself someway, even if it were the last thing I did. I didn’t know what I was fighting for, but it was not in my blood to leave this earth as a coward.

  I glanced sideways at the crossbow resting on the nightstand. It had been my father’s. He’d let me shoot it a few times when I was little. Since my parents’ death, I hadn’t touched the crossbow once. It scared me, so it lay forgotten under my bed for years. Tonight, though, it had come in handy.

  I hadn’t intended to make a lethal shot. I hadn’t aimed properly in my frantic state, but somehow the angle had been perfect. Taking the crossbow into my hands, I examined it in the morning light. It was a beautiful weapon, carefully carved and adorned with tiny details. It was light, ergonomic, and easy to handle—the perfect distance weapon for shooting noiselessly.

  I wondered what he’d done with the dead bodies. He’d said he’d take care of them. There were no dead bodies in the backyard when I checked later. Honestly, I was glad. I wouldn’t want to see the lifeless face of the man who’d been suffocated to death again.

  And I still didn’t know what to make of that whole ‘abilities’ thing. Until a few hours ago, I was still trying to convince myself that the events of the last days were a terrible nightmare, that there was no boy called Ricky who died in front of my eyes, that there was no Sarah with the ability to heal. However, my theory was proved wrong tonight. The people with the weird flashing eyes were real.

  Movement from outside the window caught my gaze. I slowly slid the curtain to the side. A man clad in a black uniform stood at the other side on the sidewalk staring up at my window. His skin was dark, and his eyes flashed in greeting even from a distance.

  Jimmy—the speed runner. The one who’d told me to escape and hide. The one who promised to find me.

  Shit, what should I do? I’d been waiting for one of them to return, but now I wasn’t sure how to handle the situation. Sarah had told me they were the good guys, but what about the man who threatened me a few hours ago? Was he on my side? He’d protected me from my attackers, but would I need protection from him, too? I didn’t blame him for his rage. In fact, I was sure that the hatred I felt for myself went much deeper than his hatred for me.

  I decided to give Jimmy a chance to explain. Answers were needed, or I would go crazy.

  Getting dressed, I made my way downstairs with the crossbow in hand. Before opening the front door, I positioned the weapon under the table I’d only used hours before for my landing, making sure I could pick it up quickly in case of an emergency. Hopefully, that wasn’t going to happen. If I couldn’t trust Jimmy, then there was no one left to trust.

  I opened the door and wasn’t surprised when Jimmy was already coming up the steps. We eyed each other for a few seconds before he cleared his throat.

  “Hello, Haylie. How are you?” Genuine concern glinted back at me. I just nodded with a little pout of my lips, indicating I was fine considering what I’d gone through. Jimmy gave a short nod. “I’d like to talk to you if that’s okay.”

  His calm voice was soothing. He gave me
a choice between letting him in or sending him away. Despite me dreading what he was going to tell me, I knew I couldn’t shut out the truth forever. And there was that little part of my brain suspecting a relation to Shawna’s death, and if that were the case, I needed to know every detail.

  Nodding, I stepped away from the door to let Jimmy in. I hadn’t noticed his broad shoulders before. The man was huge and looked extremely dangerous in the daylight. It didn’t fit his soft demeanor.

  “Why don’t we go up on the roof?” he suggested. “As far as I know, you prefer being up high.”

  I eyed him skeptically. He knew too much. “Have you been stalking me?” I demanded to know, crossing my arms in defiance.

  A knowing smile crept up his face. “I’ve guarded your house the last few days, yes. Did you think I’d leave you here unprotected?” he asked in surprise, but my surprise was bigger than his.

  “Um, I don’t know. I just thought you were…”

  “Gone?” he completed my sentence. He startled me with barking out a short laugh. “My dear girl, I’ve been looking for someone like you for so long, I wouldn’t leave without trying to convince you to come with me. But let’s talk about it upstairs, all right?” he suggested before I could come up with another question.

  We ascended the stairs, and I opened the trap door leaving it open for Jimmy to follow me outside before we took a seat on the bricks.

  “This is a nice spot you have here,” Jimmy admired. I had to agree. I could overlook my courtyard, the nearby buildings, and the lake in the distance, but was still mostly invisible to everyone else. These last few years, I’d spent more time up here rather than inside my home.

  After a few moments of sitting in silence, Jimmy turned to look at me. “You’re still wearing contact lenses. Dylan told me you changed your appearance. That was a smart move,” he observed.

  “Dylan? Was he the one who showed up last night?”

  Jimmy nodded in response, but his face grew darker. “Yes. I’m glad he was here to help you, but I’m sorry about how he handled the situation. It got out of hand,” he mumbled, and his features softened when he noticed my frown. “Okay, listen. How about I explain that later and start from the beginning?” I nodded, grateful he understood my need for answers.

  “All right, so where do I begin,” he mused scratching his forehead.

  “Why don’t you start with this—how do you know where I live?” That question was nagging at my brain since those freaks found me tonight. If I were such easy prey to chase, I’d have to rethink my safety status here.

  He nodded in understanding and started to speak slowly. “Do you remember the guy with the bolts?” I shot him a look of disbelief. How could I ever forget? “We didn’t know about his weapon, but we knew he was dangerous, and that he was in town. So, we tracked him down and landed in Joey’s bar.”

  My head snapped in his direction. “The stranger with the flashing eyes…” Shit. The creepy guy had planned this.

  Jimmy nodded. “So, you saw him. Dylan and I disguised ourselves as cops to check out the place on Thursday. We interrogated your friend, Lauren, but you probably know that already.”

  “Yeah, she told me about it. So, I take it the whole story with a guy abusing someone from Jessica’s…”

  “…was just a fake story to get information,” Jimmy finished the sentence for me. “We knew he’d visited the bar, so we suspected he was looking for something or, in this case, someone. As it turned out, he was looking for you.” Jimmy held up a hand to stop me from interrupting. “Just let me finish, I’ll come to that later, okay?” He knew I wanted to ask, ‘why me,’ but I would have to wait for an answer.

  “We suspected he had a plan, so we guarded the area. On our way there, I saw a figure moving on the rooftops. I think you saw me… do you remember?”

  “Yeah, I remember.” I’d already expected it to be him when we first met. His ebony skin distinguished him well from the others.

  “Well, I didn’t know who you were, so I didn’t think about it further. We guarded the area that night. Ricky would tell us if he heard something, but the bastards came from the underground. He didn’t hear them until they attacked.”

  Now the puzzle pieces were finally clicking together. I remembered Sarah telling me about Ricky having a talent for hearing over long distances, which he proved later when he heard Sarah from half a football field away.

  Jimmy continued with his story. “We weren’t prepared for an ambush. And we definitely weren’t prepared for someone with a weapon to electrocute all of us,” Jimmy finished in a beaten tone.

  “Did you get him?” I wanted to know, but Jimmy shook his head.

  “No. Cassie fought him off as long as she could, but he was too strong. When we came to help her, he made a run for it, and we lost him. I would have followed him, but my energy was drained from the fight. I knew then that they would come looking for you. So, I got your address from Lauren and installed a camera in the trees to guard your apartment… don’t worry, just the outside,” he quickly added when he noticed the shock on my face.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about this?” I figured I had a right to know if someone was observing me night and day.

  “Because I wanted to give you a few days’ time to come to terms with everything and not show up at your doorstep the next day. I also wanted to give Dylan the time he needed before he met you, but that plan didn’t work out that well, did it?”

  “So, Dylan came here last night to see for himself who was responsible for Ricky’s death,” I concluded in a leaden tone, but Jimmy seemed to get agitated by my choice of words.

  “Ricky’s death wasn’t your fault. It could have hit any of us, and Dylan knows that. He just needs someone to blame. He will come to terms with it in time, don’t worry.”

  “I take it Ricky and Dylan were close?” I figured they had been. Otherwise, Dylan wouldn’t have paid me a visit to make his point.

  A sad smile crossed Jimmy’s lips. “Very close. I’m sorry about Dylan. He disobeyed my orders by showing up here but be assured that there will be consequences for him.”

  “Consequences? For what? He saved my life tonight,” I countered, and Jimmy smiled at me. His white teeth contrasted sharply with his unusually dark skin.

  “He’s certainly been the biggest asshole, and you’re still defending him.” He shook his head in disbelief but continued before I could say anything else on the matter. “Dylan is the best Fighter I know.”

  I didn’t find that hard to believe. I’d seen his swift movements, the quick reflexes and the muscles framing his body. He seemed to be a natural-born killer—dark and predatory. The way he’d hovered over me with his imposing height when I was pinned against the wall had intimidated me to the point my heart had nearly jumped out of my chest. I wasn’t someone to back down easily, but I knew he wasn’t someone to mess with.

  “He’s also my best man so far. I trust him with my life, but he can also be rather impulsive. He tends to get offensive very quickly and handles his emotions poorly. Ricky’s death made him lose it. Did he hurt you in any way?” Jimmy asked with concern and eyed my body for possible injuries.

  What should I tell him? Did he hurt me? He’d certainly left bruises, but in the end, he’d been the one to prevent me from getting really hurt.

  I gulped, the action still painful. “No,” I lied in a low voice. I wasn’t sure if I fooled Jimmy when his eyes focused on my neck.

  Jimmy’s face turned sour. “Damn him, that stupid fool. I’ll have to teach him a lesson.”

  “Don’t,” I interjected. “He didn’t do any harm. I understand his rage. I was in his position once. He has to deal with enough already if he was that close to Ricky. He has every right to be angry with me,” I conceded. Jimmy eyed me for a few seconds but didn’t argue. “So, now I know the story, but I still don’t understand where I come into play,” I finally asked. This was the question standing above all.

  “Your eyes,” Jimm
y mumbled, causing me to huff a humorless laugh.

  “Jeez, wouldn’t have figured that out by now,” I replied sarcastically causing Jimmy to smile, but serenity returned when he continued to explain.

  “We’re different than the rest of the population,” he finally said leaving the statement hanging in the air.

  “Who’s we?” I approached the subject carefully.

  “Everyone with certain eye colors is different. Have you ever heard about something called ‘central heterochromia?’”

  I gave him a baffled look. I hadn’t expected to be confronted with science. “Um, I don’t know. I think I’ve heard it in biology once,” I mused racking my brain about what I’d learned in high school all those years ago.

  “Most likely. It’s a phenomenon that applies to a small part of the population. People with central heterochromia have two different colors in their iris. One in the center around the pupil, and the other on the outside. Sometimes not that symmetrical, but that’s the general outcome.”

  I nodded, waiting for Jimmy to come to the point where I would finally get to the long-desired aha-effect.

  “It’s not an illness nor is it any other dysfunction. It’s just a genetic result, like people with different skin tones. A few decades ago, though, there was a new discovery… multi-colored heterochromia. From our current status of science, we think about one percent of all people with central heterochromia have multi-colored heterochromia. People with those genes have more colors in their eyes. Maybe not colors, more like multiple shades.”

  “You have more shades,” I observed.

  “As have you,” Jimmy countered.

  “Ha, you’re the first one to agree on that,” I shouted in agitation. I already knew my eyes consisted of more colors, but everybody told me I was imagining things. Even Lauren.