“Sir, if you have any information that can help lead us to the ones responsible for killing my soldiers, you must tell me.”
Archibald stared at his guard with gritted teeth. “Will that be all, Two?” he asked again.
She nodded to her leader and saluted one more time, deciding it was best to not provoke the president any further. She turned and took her leave.
Archie stared at Night, astonished. “Have you lost your mind?”
Night offered a crooked smile, quite literally. “What's the matter? Did my words offend you?”
“You can not talk like that in front of my staff! If they find out the truth about Nikolai and Black Dawn, I could be charged with treason.”
Night laughed as he sat on the president's desk. “You can, but I can not. Therefore, I have no reason to worry.” He lifted his hand up and dangled it brazenly in front of the old man's face, dangerously close to his skin.
Archibald stared at Night's disgusting fingers, knowing what would happen if he were to come in contact with the twisted man. “Please stop that.”
Night stood up and stared out the window behind the desk. “You know, I've actually become quite fond of this island lately.” He looked at the palm trees lining the compound around the building and gazed up at the tropical sky above.
“I'm still working on Nikolai's amendment for the curfew, but it might take me some time to have it finalised and approved,” Archie said, changing the subject, and hoping that Night would be less bothersome if he saw how hard the president was working.
Night kept his gaze focussed on the beauty outside. “That's lovely to hear,” he said sarcastically.
Archie turned around, surprised by the answer. “Isn't that what Nikolai said was to be the first change to Athenian law? I thought you'd be interested to hear it.”
Night turned around slowly and stared at Archie with dull eyes. “You thought wrong.”
Six
Skye stood on the streets of the Tennari ward and stared up at the old brown bricks before him, wondering if the locator on his comm was accurate. The building was far less elegant than the others on the same street. “It says this is the address.”
Sierra looked the building up and down. “You seem surprised, but it's no worse than your warehouse back in Athenia.”
Skye nodded, seeing her point. “I guess I just assumed they'd be staying somewhere a little more glamorous.” After all, the group has more than enough money, he thought.
“Maybe it's a strategy to remain hidden.” Sierra took the lead and walked into the foyer of the dull building.
Skye continued looking up. Unfamiliar with the Shizugo script, he was only able to interpret a handful of the characters inscribed on the bricks, but assumed it was an apartment building due to the number of balconies. He followed her into the dingy entrance.
“Which room are they in?” Sierra asked.
“807.”
A cleaner made eye contact with them and offered a polite bow as they began ascending the stairs. The gesture caught Skye by surprise. Bowing was not a common occurrence in Athenia. While respect and family values were intrinsic cultural traits, the Athenians were usually unable to conceal their competitive yearning for financial gain.
They reached the eighth floor and turned right. At the end of the corridor, located on the front end of the building, was room 807. Skye knocked softly on the door, both excited and nervous to reunite with the friends he hadn't seen since Foxtrot's death.
The door opened, revealing a tall woman with dark skin standing before them. An exhausted smile spread across her face as she stepped aside and let them in.
Skye held his arms wide and hugged her gently. “It's good to see you, Delta.”
“Good to see you too,” she whispered.
Sierra marched in and surveyed the room. It was beautifully furnished, in stark contrast to the exterior of the building. Light flooded in and illuminated the pristine white walls. On the opposite end was a balcony, where Charlie sat thoughtfully. He turned and saw his guests, then stood up and walked back inside.
“Skye,” Charlie said. He was a broad-shouldered man with a weathered face. Both he and Delta were older than Skye. He was the assumed second-in-command of White Shadow, a position that Skye had occupied in his absence.
Charlie stepped forward and placed his arm around Skye's shoulder. “Welcome to Shizudera,” he greeted with a grin. He turned his attention to Sierra. “Hello, Marion.”
Sierra nodded back. She had only known Charlie and Delta for a brief time, as they both left Athenia shortly after her arrival.
“How are you both?” Skye asked, wondering how his friends had taken the news of Echo's and Tango's deaths.
Charlie and Delta smiled weakly. They were both hardened fighters, but word of White Shadow's decimation had taken its toll.
“We're alright, I suppose,” Charlie said. “Ren told us what happened.”
Skye was correct in assuming Ren would inform them of the past day's events, and he was grateful she did—it was a conversation he did not want to have.
Skye sat on a nearby futon and listened as Charlie and Delta relayed what they'd been informed. Skye filled in any gaps of missing information; keeping them up-to-date was crucial. The Tianzu were a dangerous clan, and knowledge would be their greatest weapon to use against them. Charlie wiped away a lone tear after reliving the horrendous story.
“What about you two?” Skye asked eagerly. “Do you have any updates on the Tianzu?”
Delta shook her head. “No. Nothing has changed here. We've spent the last three months searching high and low, but can't find anyone. I can sometimes sense the boy and that man nearby, but they're always on the move.”
“It's a big city, and they're hard to pinpoint,” Charlie added.
Skye nodded in agreement. Delta was a skilled tracker within a certain range, but her abilities paled in comparison to those of Tahlia or Nikolai. “Do you have the picture with you?”
Delta made her way to a nearby desk, grabbing a large photo and handing it to Skye. Ren had hacked into the Athenian surveillance system and found the image of the ominous duo casually walking the streets. He studied it carefully, staring at the boy who took Foxtrot's life, and the hooded man who accompanied him.
“We've shown it to a few more people since we last spoke with you,” Charlie said. “Most of them ignore it, but we still find the occasional person who reacts to it. They might know who the boy is.”
Sierra cocked her head with confusion. “You stand in the streets showing a photo of your friend's killer? How do you expect to possibly find them if you do that?”
Charlie frowned at her. “Well, what would you suggest? There's no other way for us to locate them.”
“You should be out there looking, day and night.”
“We've tried that,” Delta defended, not appreciating their new guest's condescending tone.
“Easy, Sierra,” Skye said, not wanting to create any unnecessary tension. White Shadow had already suffered terribly, and disagreements like this would only further hinder their efforts to work as a team. “Finding them was always going to be a challenge. Besides, spending every day searching for someone doesn't always work, otherwise you would've killed Tahlia long ago.”
Sierra said nothing, not willing to admit that her method of hunting was counterproductive.
“So what do we do now?” Delta asked.
Skye sighed, not quite certain himself. “I suppose we keep looking. Nikolai and Tahlia might have a better shot at finding them than us.”
Charlie scoffed, unconvinced they should trust their unlikely ally. “Well, then I suppose he'll be sharing that information with you.”
“Of course he will. He probably knows where we are right now.”
“Let's think this through logically,” Delta suggested. “We're clearly outnumbered by the Tianzu. We know of Kai, Hana, Daye, the boy and the hooded man, the one who murdered Tango, and the two you met in Dai
xuan.”
“Raien, his name is,” Skye said. “The one who killed Tango is named Raien. I presume he's the leader of the Shizuno branch of the Tianzu. And Daye works for the Xiade Tianzu.”
“How do you know there are two groups?” Sierra asked.
“I don't. But seeing as though Kai and Hana obey Raien, I'd say there are two branches. It's something I've thought since the day Foxtrot was attacked, and Nikolai feels the same way. We could be wrong, of course.”
“Well, make that nine Tianzu,” she said. “Yesterday Daye was muttering something about Raien's actions not being sanctioned by Kheree.”
Skye looked at her and stroked his beard. “I wonder if maybe Raien is the Shizuno leader, and Kheree is the Xiade leader.”
Charlie slumped back into his chair. “This is the problem I've had from the very beginning. We don't know how many there are in each country. There could be dozens.”
“But we always knew it'd be a challenge,” his wife added.
“Don't forget that Juliet and Romeo now work for Nikolai,” Sierra spoke.
Skye held his hand up, dismissing the reminder. “They're not our enemy. They're innocent, and they'd never harm us. Our enemies are Nikolai and the Tianzu.” He turned his head when he felt Sierra's cold stare on him. “And Tahlia.”
“What if there's a leader in each country?” Charlie asked. “You just said you think there's one group based in Shizudera and one in Xiaguo, but what if there's also a group in Haiguo? And Xueyuan? And what if there's a Tianzu presence in western Yuezhou?”
“I doubt that,” Skye said, although was more hopeful than certain. “They seem to be localised in eastern Yuezhou. If the Tianzu insisted on having a base in each country, they would've put one in Athenia.”
“What do we do about Archie?” Delta asked. “Ren said that she wasn't going to give up looking for him.”
“Forget about Archie. It's not a priority at this stage. I have every intention of returning to Athenia to take out the old man, but I can't do that if I'm dead. The Tianzu are our biggest threat right now. They proved that yesterday morning.”
“Agreed,” said Charlie, “but how do we stop them?”
The group looked at one another, waiting for someone to offer a viable strategy, but no one uttered a word. Each of them knew the dangers they faced, and that death was a very real and frightening prospect.
Seven
“A splendid view,” Nikolai remarked, staring out at the city below from his luxury hotel room. “It's not quite as good as the view back in West Tower, but I'm sure it will be quite a spectacle to behold once night falls and the district lights up.”
Tahlia sat on the floor, her eyes closed. “They're south from here. About three kilometres, I think.”
Nikolai laughed, impressed. “Quite close. Although I'm not surprised. Hauling up in the city's epicentre is a wise strategy. Keep an eye on them for me. Don't drop your guard like you did with Archibald two days ago.”
Tahlia groaned and rolled her eyes. It frustrated her that Nikolai acted so enlightened, yet held on to past events so stubbornly.
“And how are you two faring?” Nikolai spun around to see Juliet and Romeo sitting on the couch in silence.
“Fine,” Juliet said, not in the mood to talk.
“What do you think of the room?”
This time Juliet said nothing.
“Well, whatever your opinion, the room will suffice,” Nikolai joked. “Although I certainly had to pay them quite a bit to keep my name out of the register.”
Juliet frowned. “Why is that important? Who cares if someone knows you're here?”
“Caution is needed,” he explained. “There was chaos in Athenia yesterday, to say the least. The last thing I want is for the authorities to ask me needless questions about it. Now, perhaps a walk is in order,” he proposed, despite them just walking all the way to the hotel. “I often find that a nice stroll always clears my thoughts. Furthermore, I don't intend to confine myself to a hotel room when I have an entire nation to explore.”
“What!” Tahlia complained. “But you told me that I wasn't allowed to leave. Why are you able to leave, and I have to stay here?”
Nikolai looked at her with a scornful gaze. “Lower your voice, Ms Labelle. I ordered you to stay here because I don't trust you on your own out there. You'll probably run off and try to find your friend, Marion, and I'd much rather you did not at this stage. I need to assess the situation before we do anything rash.” He turned his attention back to the window. “Besides, for all I know there could be over a hundred Tianzu out there waiting for us. We must be judicious with our decisions, especially when we're in their territory.”
Tahlia rolled her eyes again and ignored him.
“Moreover, I need you to remain with Juliet while Romeo and I are out.”
The young duo exchanged worried glances at the mention of their names. “You want to split us up?” Juliet asked.
Nikolai chuckled in a friendly manner. “Fear not, my dear. I'm only splitting you up for the sake of your training regime. I want you to stay here with Tahlia and train.”
Tahlia opened her mouth to protest, but quickly decided against it. She knew that angering Nikolai was both dangerous and futile.
“Tell her everything you know when it comes to tracking,” Nikolai commanded. “Teach her how to harness her telepathy while Romeo and I are out.” He walked over to the couch and motioned his head toward the door.
Reluctantly, Romeo stood up and began dawdling to the entrance of the room.
“Good lad,” Nikolai said. “Stop worrying, will you? You're not in any danger.” He could feel Romeo's fear emanating from him like perspiration. “Juliet will stay here to train with Tahlia, whereas you and I will be discussing a few things which might be of interest. After all, to develop any sort of ability, training must first begin with the mind.”
Nikolai shot Tahlia a childlike grin and closed the door behind him.
Tahlia stared in Juliet's direction. She had been given numerous questionable directives since joining Black Dawn, with this one topping the list.
“Please stop looking at me like that. It makes me uncomfortable,” Juliet said. “I can sense how you're feeling right now.”
Juliet gasped when Tahlia vanished and reappeared right in front of her. “I don't care how you feel. Tell me about Marion. What are her weaknesses?”
Juliet sunk deeper into the couch. “I ... I don't know,” she stammered.
Tahlia looked into her innocent eyes. She believed her, but refused to treat her as an ally. “Fine.” She walked back over to her spot on the carpet and sat down. “Come here.”
Juliet obeyed, rising from the couch and sitting beside the woman, keeping a sizeable distance between them.
“Tell me what you know about tracking,” Tahlia said, eager to get it over and done with.
“Okay. Well, I always start by calming my mind.” She closed her eyes and took three deep breaths. “The calmer I feel, the better I can sense others.”
“Can you sense your friends right now?”
Juliet pressed her mind and consciousness outwards. She focussed her attention south. Within seconds, she felt a familiar sensation. “Yes. I can sense Skye, Sierra, Charlie, and Delta.”
“Let's try again,” Tahlia said. She wrapped an arm around Juliet from behind and lifted her up, almost knocking the wind from her lungs.
“What are you—”
“Quiet,” Tahlia said, interrupting the girl's panicked state. Tahlia placed her free hand in front of Juliet's eyes and held them closed. “You know that your friends are south of here because I said that earlier. I want to see if you can find them without knowing which direction you're facing.”
Juliet struggled to breathe. “You're holding me too tightly. I can't—”
“Stop complaining. Find your friends.”
Juliet felt ill as Tahlia moved them around the room. She was strong, able to hold her up with ease.
“Which direction are they in?” Tahlia asked, her voice loud in Juliet's ear.
Juliet's heart rate began to escalate as her body tried to fight the powerful woman's grasp. Nevertheless, she obeyed, directing her mind outwards. It took her almost fifteen seconds to home in on White Shadow's whereabouts. “There,” she said, pointing to her left.
Tahlia dropped her. “Correct. But you're far too slow.”
Juliet frowned. “I'm only new at this,” she defended. “And I couldn't breathe.”
“I don't care. You need to be able to sense your enemy faster than that, and you need to do it while under pressure.”
“They're not my enemy.” Juliet picked herself up from the floor. “Well, what do you suggest I do?”
“The same thing I did.” She felt apprehensive about sharing her techniques with the young girl, but knew that Nikolai was serious about Juliet's development. “You must sense them at all times. If you keep stopping and starting, you'll never master the ability.”
“You want me to sense them all the time?” Juliet asked, confused. “I can't. I don't have the energy to do that. It's exhausting.”
“You need to train,” Tahlia said. “If you don't, you'll stay just as you are now.” Nikolai was right, she thought to herself. Neither Ren nor Skye know how to train anyone. With the exception of Sierra, the abilities of anyone at White Shadow were stagnant at best.
“Maybe you're right,” Juliet admitted, not wanting to side with Tahlia, but also not wanting to acknowledge how slowly she had developed during her three months at White Shadow.
“Of course I'm right.” She snatched Juliet up from the ground and held her tight. “Now, do it again.”
Eight
“I think I'm going to enjoy my time here,” Nikolai said as he admired his surroundings once again. He walked along the canal with Romeo, his arms behind his back, his gait casual.
“So, what are we going to talk about?” Romeo asked, eager to get the conversation over with.
“Oh, many things. But namely one thing in particular.” He stopped walking and leaned against the rail, his eye sockets staring down at the calm water through his sunglasses. “I want to ask you what you're planning to do with your gift of eternity.”
Eternity's War (Books 1-3) (Eternity's War Boxsets) Page 48
