Loyalty

by Carrie Butler

  My dad chose that moment to step in, a leash in his hand and a scowl on his face. “You know how hard it is to talk a ferryman into letting a dog on board? Can’t figure out why in blue blazes you wanted the mutt in your wedding.”

  “Glen!” Mom slapped his chest. “Wolfie’s family. Rena knows that.”

  “So is Loretta, but you didn’t let me bring her.”

  “Loretta is a shotgun, dear!”

  Cole snickered and clamped a hand on my shoulder in passing. “This is gonna be fun.”

  Yeah, really fun…

  “It’s a good thing I brought Tammy.” He pulled a semi-automatic out of the back of his pants, and Mom’s eyes bugged out.

  “Put that thing away! What are people gonna think?”

  Someone shrieked, and we all whirled around.

  “It’s okay,” Corynn told us, rushing past. “English mum. First trip to the States. She’s not used to guns being whipped out, that’s all.”

  I rubbed my forehead.

  “Corynn, what’re you doing walkin’ around here?” her mom wanted to know, sticking close to who I could only assume to be her father and brother. “We thought you’d be in t’hospital.”

  “It’s a bit of a long story…”

  Wolfie chose that moment to jump up on my dress, leaving dirtied paw prints on the white material.

  “Down, Wolfie!” my mother bellowed, frighteningly authoritative. “Look at what you’ve done to Rena’s dress!”

  “It’s okay,” I told her.

  This was turning into a circus faster than I’d anticipated.

  Brittani sauntered around my parents, my brother Drew in tow. “Maybe that’s what happens when you steal someone’s wedding.”

  I wanted to rip her blonde, chemically fried hair out. Instead, I smiled. “Maybe. Regardless, we need everyone to have a seat. Wallace and I would like to say something.”

  Dad froze as he re-secured his gun in its holster. “You’re pregnant.”

  “No! Stop assuming that.”

  He looked past me to give Wallace the eye. “Never did hear why my daughter’s covered in scrapes either…”

  Ugh.

  “Rena!”

  I looked up to find Gabby’s parents making their way to us with a gift in hand. “Where is my Gabriela?”

  “You’ll see her soon,” I assured them. “She needs to take care of a few things first.”

  Okay, mental checklist. My family, Corynn’s family, and Gabby’s family had made it. That left—

  Wallace came up behind me, placing his hand on the small of my back. “Excuse me, everyone. Rena, George and Todd just got here.”

  “Finally.”

  We ushered everyone to their seats, touched base with our new friends, and moved to the arbor. There was only one thing left to do here…

  “Before we get started, there’s something you all should know…”

  CHAPTER 21

  « COLE »

  Well, that went well—and by well, I mean like a town hall meeting after a public scandal.

  It took a full half-hour question and answer session to appease everyone to the point of relative silence. Then Rena and Wallace got married. Again.

  Faye hadn’t shown up, but that didn’t mean anything. She was either waiting for the non-existent reception or still looking for the ceremony site. There was no way she hadn’t intercepted one of our communications and deemed it an opportunity.

  Todd kept hovering like an awkward little duckling on the outskirts of the party, rubbing his hands, and muttering to himself. It was weird, whereas me hanging out by myself on the other side of the field was perfectly normal.

  “So, get this, Titsy. George said Todd over there actually drove down to Wilcox and weaseled his way into the tunnels earlier, just so he could lock onto the place later today. Reasonable, right? Yet, he never once tried to make contact with any of us while he was supposedly down there. What’s up with that? You think he’s a plant?”

  The wind whipped around me, flipping my jacket back.

  “No? Then, what do you propose, oh angelic one?”

  Speaking of which, I wondered how my angel was doing. Rachel was getting better by the minute, which led me to believe Elise had designed the injection as a means of leverage in tight situations. She didn’t want to make it lethal and lose her ability to negotiate. It was actually pretty smart.

  What wasn’t smart was running into scissors. They needed to teach that shit in schools or something.

  A chill coursed up my spine, and I focused again. “Social anxiety? I guess it’s a possibility, but it’s a lot less fun for me. I was all psyched to bash skulls—I mean, chat with him.”

  I couldn’t screw Tits’ chance at wings by making him a party to my venge-fest.

  “Cole.”

  “Gah!” I threw my arms up and blurred a safe ten feet away. “What?”

  Wallace blinked. “I was just going to say Todd is starting to take people to the tunnels. He can only do two at a time, because he has to hold their hands.”

  “A likely story.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  My twin gave me the stink eye. “You’re not plotting anything on the side, are you?”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Because you’re bored.”

  “That hurts me, brother.”

  Damn, was that why I was projecting on Todd? I needed to check myself before we got to Sanctuary, or I wouldn’t be able to determine friend from foe. Unless, this was indicative of my mind’s slow, but inevitable deterioration…

  “Cole.” Wallace caught my attention again. “You’re good to do this, right?”

  He’d closed the gap between us, looking me in the eye. “If you don’t feel—”

  “I’m good to go,” I assured him. “Just keeping an eye on things over here.”

  “If you say so…” He studied me for a moment before backing away to rejoin his blushing bride. I didn’t envy the guy. He had his work cut out for him with the new in-laws. After we explained everything, Rena’s mom had fainted, and her dad had started waving his gun around, thinking we’d used some kind of “freak magic” on her.

  At least I’d been right earlier. It was fun.

  Todd gathered Corynn’s mother and brother—the autistic kid Faye had threatened a half dozen times—first. He pulled them away from the group and lowered his head in concentration, his brows straining. As much as I hated to admit it, he had a pretty sweet major gift goin’ on. My speed allowed me to travel quickly, but if I wanted to take someone along, I had to carry them. If the pace didn’t agree with that particular person, I ended up with a dry cleaning bill. Gross.

  Corynn and her dad looked on with worried eyes, and I couldn’t blame them. What if the social-phobe’s powers malfunctioned and he left them in a pocket of time and space or Abu Dhabi? I wouldn’t let my loved ones on that ride.

  After a while, the image of Todd and his passengers flickered, like they were ceasing to exist where we stood. I could only assume a similar physical transmission was taking place in the tunnels, which must’ve also been creepy as hell. Eventually, their forms faded away…

  About a second before Todd popped back into the field, ready to take the next two.

  Huh.

  This went on for ten minutes, until every one of our squishy human liabilities—that is, human, save for those who had just discovered they were Augari or Nullari respectively—made it safe and sound to our tunnel compound. That left ten of us. I reapproached the group with my hands in my pockets, unsure of how we wanted to broach the situation. Distracting humor? Grave determination? I wasn’t an empath. I needed someone to set the tone for me.

  “I propose we at least stay in two-person teams, at all times,” Grandma told us, flicking a quick glance at the water. “Henry and I have already decided to work together, so that leaves the eight of you. Nicholas, since you’re the most familiar with our new friend Vladimir here, why don’t
you keep an eye on him?”

  Ah, there it was. The underlying meaning. I got stuck with Vlad, because he was the only outsider in our group, and I needed to make sure he stayed loyal. Whatever. I could do that.

  “You saved my daughter, as promised,” Vlad spoke up for the first time today. “I will fight alongside you.”

  I was itching to mimic his accent, but now wasn’t the time. Even I knew that.

  “Rena and I will stick together,” Wallace offered. Like anyone was going to oppose the newlyweds. Please.

  “Guess that leaves Aiden and me.” Corynn sounded less than enthused, and I didn’t blame her. The kid was a soulless machine, sans mechanical parts. But at least he took orders well. She pulled her phone out, ready to record.

  George nodded in agreement with everything that had been put on the table. “Yes, Todd and I will be working in tandem to gather the others within the complex.”

  Grandma drew a deep breath. “Then that settles it. Shall we proceed?”

  I couldn’t sense her feelings the way Wallace did, but I could read them plain as day. She wanted this thing done and over with. If she didn’t confront her sister now, she might not be able to steel her nerves again. I totally got it.

  Damn, I was sensitive.

  “Yes,” Wallace said, reclaiming the metaphorical torch of leadership. “Let’s move out.”

  Todd nodded and grasped Grandma and Henry’s hands first.

  It was game time.

  ~

  The island was nothing like I had pictured, yet I dug it all the same. Once we got rid of the crazies, I could totally see myself here, living off the grid amongst the ruins. Hell, maybe I’d have Wallace level some of them so we could carve out a space for our families. Rach would want her picket fence, of course, and I wouldn’t give a shit about how sissified it made our place look because we’d be together.

  Wallace and Sis would probably have a baby by then. A baby what, nobody knew. It could play with Rach’s and my inevitable spawn at the Tits Memorial Playground, and they’d all—

  “Cole.”

  I looked up to find Vlad assessing the structure. “I’ve scouted the eastern side of the complex and found an entrance in what appears to have been a movie theater.”

  “That’ll work.”

  Each of our five two-person teams had taken a side of the complex in hopes that we could overwhelm the opposition before they had a chance to organize a defense. George and Todd were standing by, while Wallace and Sis cleared the courtyard of hostiles. Then they could record the SAGE sanctuary without interruption.

  As for the rest of us, we had fun jobs. We got to storm the castle, neutralizing ERA loyalists at our discretion—whether that involved incapacitating them or decapitating them depended on the circumstance. Having been in this cold war for a few months, we knew better than to walk in with naive expectations. By taking the fight to them, we were risking our lives. If they chose to use lethal force, we’d have no choice but to match it.

  Some of us accepted that fact better than others.

  “You go right, I go left,” Vlad informed me. “We sweep theater and regroup at the exit, okay?”

  I wasn’t a fan of taking orders, but this wasn’t the time to buck. We had work to do. “Got it.”

  And with that, rehearsal was over. It was time to put on the show.

  We stealth-ran to the door Vlad had scouted out, where a half-melted lock lay discarded on the cracked, weed-ridden sidewalk. He’d obviously worked his Dynari magic before reporting to me, anxious to exact revenge on his daughter’s so-called captors. After a quick count under his breath, he beast-kicked the door.

  BOOM!

  It swung open and bounced off the wall, forcing a block of light into the otherwise dark entrance.

  “Freeze!” he yelled, and charged up the theater ramp. His hands ignited before he rounded the corner.

  Someone had watched too many cop shows.

  It didn’t make sense that the place was dark. Our intel—a.k.a. Wallace, Sis, George, and Todd—indicated they had multiple sources of power. Every inch of the complex, save for the entrance, was said to be occupied by something. So, why the blackout?

  They know we’re here.

  I tore off after Vlad. This was why I liked to lead. I could get in and search the place in one fell swoop. The Sanctuarians, even if they were lying in wait, would be none the wiser. Now we’d blown whatever element of surprise we’d had going for us, and he was probably storming into a trap. Couldn’t a plan go right for once? Just one?

  Sure enough, my partner was already locked in battle by the time I flung myself over the railing. The scent of burning, decrepit movie seats filled the air, and a trail of flames reflected in eyes all over the room. Great. We might as well have walked into a damn cave of bats. I cupped my hands.

  “Ignore the crazy guy with the accent. Who here is involved with ERA’s SAGE project?”

  Silence.

  “C’mon, guys. I’m issuing pardons here.”

  Nothing. Did they think I couldn’t see them?

  “Do you speak Engli—” I ducked in reflex as movement stirred out of the corner of my eye.

  A half-lit shadow dove over top of me and rolled over the railing with a thud. I whirled around, but the world caught up faster than I expected. Nullari…

  He recovered quickly, charging back up the ramp. “You’re not taking us!”

  “Do I look like a kidnapper, assclown?” My heart sped up, despite my mind’s protests to remain calm. Without my speed, I could be caught. Without my healing ability, I could be…

  “She said you’d deny it.”

  Great. I hadn’t even been there ten minutes, and I already had damage control to do over a smear campaign. “Who?”

  “You know who!” He lunged for me again, and I sidestepped into the aisle, using the backs of seats to propel myself faster.

  The air, now heavy with smoke, shifted around us in the flickering dark. It almost felt like it was pulsating upward, drawing from somewhere below. Damn it. I really didn’t like dealing with unknowns. There were too many abilities under the sun. I didn’t have time to guess.

  Without warning, someone jerked back on my collar, and my feet flew out from under me. My ass hit the floor hard, and I ripped at the material cutting into my throat. The guy from before towered over me with determination carved into his features.

  I rolled against the nasty, crusted chair legs at the same time he stomped a boot that would’ve done me in had it connected with my skull. He reached for me, and I scrambled back, fumbling for my knife. A flick at my side and it was open. Ready. I pushed myself back to my feet.

  “Not so confident without your Dynari crutch, are you?” He talked like he knew me, and it pissed me off.

  “You act like my confidence only comes from my abilities.”

  “Where else would it come from?”

  I one-handedly flipped my belt open. “I’ll show you.”

  “Ugh. God, what’s wrong with you?”

  “More than you’ll ever know.”

  I charged forward, on the offense now. The bastard would walk away—okay, maybe crawl away—with his life, thanks to Rachel’s influence, but I intended to teach him a lesson in starting fights he had no hope of finishing.

  “Blade!” he called out over his shoulder, turning tail to run.

  Seriously?

  “Got it,” someone else responded.

  Were these freaks really planning on tag-teaming me?

  I pulled the knife back and adjusted its weight in my hand. If I couldn’t close-range it into his leg, I’d chuck it at his back. Honor be damned.

  Just as I was about to release it, something icy shot through my arm. It prickled the flesh and froze my motion with the creepiest-ass numbness I’d ever known. Not even when Gail held me hostage had I felt this level of manipulated sensation. I jerked my head around and found the owner of the ability watching me from the front—a girl. A teenager.


  “Oh em gee,” I bellowed in her language. “Let me go!”

  She finger-waved.

  This wasn’t good. A long-range Dynari holding my weapon hostage and a Nullari sticking around to prevent me from running off. Where the hell was my partner? I looked up.

  A string of Croatian curses told me he was somewhere behind the smoke screen a few rows from the next level. There must’ve been a Dynari manipulating the atmosphere somehow, because a small cloud had formed to douse his flame trail—traces of Jackie’s ability it looked like. These things had a habit of manifesting in various forms, generation to generation.

  The man who’d attacked me swung a u-turn and came running back like a pussy.

  “I knew you couldn’t resist a peek,” I taunted him, jerking my belt free with my mobile hand.

  “Don’t flatter yourself.”

  Thank God. If he’d called my bluff, I would’ve been screwed. It wasn’t like I could whip it out in front of the kid who’d frozen my arm. Even I wasn’t that depraved.

  It was time to get resourceful and stop dicking around—pun intended. I used my free hand to reclaim my immobilized blade and chucked it as hard as I could straight in front of me.

  The knife caught my new Nullari friend in the chest, a little south of his shoulder, and blood oozed like marmalade. Stained like it, too. If it weren’t so dark in the theater, it might’ve been gross.

  I didn’t care.

  The man cursed, the girl screamed, and warmth rushed back to my arm. She’d lost her focus. That gave me the faintest sliver of opportunity to take out this yahoo while the others stood around gandernecking. I ran forward, grabbed his shoulder, and ripped my knife out with minimal spray.

  It would have to be sanitized for the millionth time when I got home.

  “Hey, have either of you seen Todd?”