by April White
Mixed-bloods could do all kinds of unexpected things, and some of them, like the Blackbird twins, could Shift. I forced a casual tone, “Some of them can.”
He was angry, and he stalked around the desk to sit in his chair. He reached under the desk and withdrew the ring from the same place where Ringo had once found it. I needed to distract him a little longer before he could slide it on his finger.
“Why me?” I asked, trying to mask the desperation in my tone.
He did pause, but he kept the ring clenched in his fist. “You and your mother were the last Clockers we could find. Duncan knew your mother had gone forward with you, but until my son Saw you in that Venice Beach slum, we didn’t know where she was.”
My arms were beginning to ache from being zip-tied behind my back, and I tried to loosen my shoulders. “Why did you need a Clocker?”
He got up and slipped the ring on his finger. My heart sank. Any command he gave now could possibly compel both Archer and Logan into doing something against their will. Seth pulled a knife from his pocket and flicked it open as he approached me. I held my breath, and horrifyingly, closed my eyes.
It was instinct, and I forced them open again, but not before Seth saw me do it. He chuckled under his breath. “Ah, the little Clocker is afraid of me. She has finally acquired some sense.”
Archer was so tense he was vibrating with it, and Seth scowled at him. “Move, and I’ll cut her.” Archer inhaled sharply through his nose, but kept his mouth firmly shut. I felt Seth at my back, and then the knife flicked through the zip tie that bound my hands.
“I needed a Clocker,” he said at my ear, “for the same reason I needed a Seer, a Shifter,” his eyes flicked down to the Snapping Turtle holed up in his shell on the floor, and he scoffed, “and a Sucker. For the same reason people keep pets – to do their bidding.”
He came around to face me, just inches away. “But I needed you to neutralize the prophecy.” He smiled again, and I almost whimpered.
When he finally stepped back, I could breathe again. “Sit.” He waved me toward a chair as he went back around to his seat. “You,” he said to Archer, and I went back to holding my breath, hoping that whatever he said wasn’t a command, “are not useful to me dead, but I will not hesitate to drain you, am I clear?”
“Crystal,” said Archer, and I exhaled softly, and sat when Seth did.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Logan’s Snapping Turtle poke its head out and begin a slow crawl forward. The two Monger guards were at military ease – the wide-legged stance with hands holding assault-type rifles. One was at the door, and the other was behind us near the big half-moon picture window that overlooked the empty street below. Archer remained standing, his hands fastened behind his back, while Seth turned his attention back to me.
“Your mixed blood, sadly, takes you out of the running to be my personal Clocker. Unless, of course, I have something you want and can use that to compel you to my bidding.” His eyes flicked back to Archer with a slow smile.
The callous way he twisted people around for his purposes was disgusting, and I wondered what Death’s daggers would show me if they ever cut Seth Walters. I reached down to scratch my leg, and Seth flinched. His eyes narrowed, and he reached into a desk drawer for a small handgun. The red stone in Doran’s ring winked in the lamplight as he took the safety off and set it carefully on his desk. So, unholstering my daggers was out of the question.
“Or I could kill you now and remove any possibility of the fulfillment of the prophecy.”
It was my turn to flinch, and Seth smiled again. I really, really hated that smile. “Why does the prophecy even matter?
“The child of opposites will be the one
To heal the Dream that War’s undone.”
Seth recited the lines quietly, and he sat back in his chair and slung one leg casually across the other. The hand with the ring draped across his bent knee, which now blocked his view of the approaching Turtle.
I couldn’t possibly urge the Snapping Turtle to move faster, but I mentally willed him to get the lead out. Seth’s eyes had locked onto mine with the force of laser beams. “That cannot happen,” he said coldly.
“What can’t?” I might have squeaked, thinking he’d read my mind. “What can’t happen?”
His eyes narrowed again. “Is it possible that no one has told you what the prophecy means?”
I shrugged. “It’s probably not even about me.”
“Oh, it’s you. I have combed through every record of every child born to the Immortal Descendants. You and the circumstances of this year fit every piece of the damned thing.”
“So? What does it even mean? What’s so bad about healing the dream that war’s undone?” My heartbeat quickened. He definitely knew something I didn’t, and I thought Duncan’s interference in the affairs of humans had gone way beyond fathering evil megalomaniacs.
His eyes glinted with menace, and the nausea in my stomach intensified. “Not a dream, like a fantasy, but the Dream. The sixth Immortal. The one who should never have been born.”
Surprise screeched through me at his words – not that Jera’s child was the sixth Immortal – but that he had a name and Seth knew it. The screeching got louder, and I realized it was outside the building – the squeal of tires and brakes, and then the slam of car doors.
And then everything happened in slow motion, and at dizzying speed – all at once.
The guard at the window looked down.
Seth reached for his gun.
The Snapping Turtle, who had finally reached his destination below Seth’s ringed hand, lunged at the red stone dangling above him …
And bit the finger wearing it off.
Seth screamed in pain and rage.
He flung his gun away and gripped the table with his other hand to stand. I dove at the guard behind me, and then stared in horror as Seth drove his foot into the Snapping Turtle on the floor in front of him. The kick sent Logan’s Turtle hurtling through the half-moon window.
“Nooo!” I shouted as Archer threw himself at Seth. They went down in a tangle of limbs. I had fallen on top of the guard by the window, so the one by the door and I were the only ones who saw what happened.
The Turtle crashed through the glass, shell-first, holding a bloody finger in its mouth. The next moment it Shifted and became a giant Philippine Eagle, which spit out the bloody finger, and carried the ring away clenched in its beak.
I had exactly one second to revel in our success before feet pounded on the stairs outside the office, and gunshots and shouting heralded intruders. The guard by the door broke his apparent paralysis and turned, while the one under me struggled to shove me off him.
I dropped an elbow into his temple in a self-defense move that would have made Mr. Shaw proud, and was reaching for his rifle when the door burst open and more gunshots were fired.
Jeeves stood in the open doorway, panting with adrenaline and holding a hunting rifle aimed at the door guard. Ringo was right behind him with one of the assault rifles the guards had used. And Seth held his pistol to Archer’s head. Archer bled freely from a gunshot wound to the shoulder, and Seth was careful not to touch him.
I whimpered, and Seth growled as Jeeves swung the rifle around to aim at him. Seth’s eyes searched the broken glass for the ring. “I’m leaving here now, and you won’t stop me if you want the Sucker to survive the night.”
Jeeves narrowed his gaze. “I’ll drop you right now and you might get a shot off, but it won’t matter because you’ll be dead.”
Ringo came into the room and walked right up to the stunned door guard. “Shoot him!” Seth bellowed, but Ringo threw up a leg in a roundhouse kick, and the guard went down with a heavy thud. Seth’s eyes widened in shock as he watched his Monger fall.
“You have a choice,” said Jeeves, in his most steely-eyed badass voice. “You can leave him and walk out of here on your feet, or I’ll shoot you now and take my chances with your reflexes.”
Seth’s glare was laced with hatred as he laid the gun on the desk and put his hands up. Blood ran down his wrist from the missing finger, and his eyes flicked to mine. I nearly stumbled back from the force of his fury. In that moment I knew that if he ever saw me again, he would kill me in an instant. Archer saw it too and took a step forward. Seth’s eyes darted between Archer and Jeeves, and with trembling rage held barely in check, he backed out of the room.
Ringo made a move to go after Seth, and I thought Archer would have too, but Jeeves kicked the door shut behind him.
“Go now,” said Jeeves to me.
“Ye ‘eard what ‘e said ‘e’d do to Saira,” growled Ringo.
“And he’ll do worse to Logan if we don’t finish what we started,” I said as I leapt to Archer’s side and sliced through the zip tie. Ringo pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around Archer’s shoulder to stanch the bleeding.
“How bad is it?” I searched Archer’s eyes.
Archer grimaced, and his eyes went back to the door. “Just a flesh wound.”
I muttered, “I’m sick of your flesh wounds.”
“Walters will move ‘eaven and Earth to get that ring back,” said Ringo.
“Well then, let’s go.” I gripped Archer’s hand tightly, and he finally nodded.
“Where is the ring?” Jeeves asked, as I drew a spiral on the ground.
“Logan took it back to school.” I looked up. “Do you want to come with us?”
Jeeves shook his head. “I’ll head back to Elian Manor.”
I nodded. “We’ll see you soon, then.”
Ringo crouched down next to me and held on. The next moment we were gone.
War
The laboratory was empty when we arrived, and despite a wave of Clocking sickness, I made a move to run toward the door.
“Wait! Saira, help me,” Archer gasped. He looked at Ringo. “Find some disinfectant and a bandage. Saira, help me get this off.”
Ringo searched the cabinets while I unbound his wound. “You were right. It’s a flesh wound,” I said, staring at the bloody gash on his arm where a bullet had passed.
“Told you,” Archer ground his teeth a little as I dabbed at the blood.
Ringo came back with supplies, and we washed and bound the graze. It was deep enough to scar, but wouldn’t affect muscle or bone, and we talked while we worked.
“The girls made it back, I take it?” I said to Ringo.
“Safe, sound, and very proud of themselves. Jeeves was waitin’ at the end of the road for me, though I left before all the Mongers were trapped.”
When we finished bandaging Archer’s arm, we took off for the solarium to find out where we stood against the armed Mongers that had besieged St. Brigid’s. We arrived to find Tom pacing like a wild animal while Ava sat very still in her seat, her eyes unfocused and her face pale.
“What’s wrong?” I called out as we sprinted into the room.
Tom froze and stared at us. “The ring?” he asked.
“Logan has it. Is he not back yet?”
“I’m here,” the young Shifter called as he sauntered into the room. “I stopped to grab clothes so your delicate sensibilities wouldn’t be offended by my awesomeness.”
He produced the ring with a flourish and held it out to me.
I saw Tom twitch, as if to reach out a hand for it, but he inhaled sharply instead and nodded at me. “You take it.”
Logan closed his hand over the ring and made a move to drop it in his pocket. “Or I can keep it while you make up your mind,” he grinned.
“Give it,” I growled at him. He grinned and dropped it in my hand.
“All yours. How awesome was that mid-air Shift and spit, huh?”
I grabbed him for a hug, which he resisted in proper boy fashion. “Truly spectacular.” I dropped the ring in my pocket and turned back to Tom. “What’s happening outside?”
Suddenly, Ava shrieked, “No!” She stared wildly around her, as if she just realized where she was. Her eyes found mine and she gasped. “War is here.”
Ava jumped up from her seat and raced for the door. I hesitated exactly half a second before I chased after her. I grabbed her arm and pulled her around to face me, but she tried to break free, a panicked look in her eyes.
“I have to tell to Miss Simpson!”
“Can’t she see your visions?” I demanded.
“It wasn’t a vision. I was seeing through Tam’s eyes.” Her own eyes were huge, and her breath came too quickly. She tried to pull free again, and I yanked her arm so she’d look at me.
“Ava, where is Tam.” Archer and Tom had arrived on either side of us. Ava’s wild gaze included all three of us.
“They’re in the old gardener’s shack in the woods.”
“Who’s there?” I demanded.
“Survivors,” she said as tears filled her eyes. She fled the room.
“Saira! We need to go there, now!” Ringo said. There was a command in his voice I’d never heard, and I realized he was terrified. Charlie was out there in the woods somewhere.
“I’m coming too,” said a voice from the door. Raven stood with a rapier in one hand and her phone in the other. “Cole texted me. He’s trapped in the shack with Tam.” She looked as wild-eyed as Ava did, and for the same reason. “He said the guy outside has a sword.”
“A sword?” I screeched. “God! It’s Duncan. Your Immortal – War.”
Archer grabbed my arm. “I’m getting my swords. Wait for me.” He raced from the room, and Raven scowled.
“Why not a gun?” she said scathingly.
“Why do you have that?” I nodded at her rapier. It wasn’t the dummy kind – it was sharp and looked deadly.
“Because I’m good at it.”
“Exactly,” I said.
“Ye are good. And since blades are what Duncan fights with, we fight with blades,” said Ringo. Raven considered him, then nodded, and Ringo turned to me. “Saira, get us there. Let us see what’s ‘appening on the ground.”
Tom said grimly, “I need to be there too.” He flexed his hand, and it looked like an unconscious gesture. If the possibility of battle set off his PTSD, I couldn’t imagine what seeing Duncan again would do. Tom, Ringo, Raven, Archer, and me. Five people to Clock without Charlie’s help.
Logan stepped forward and opened his mouth. “No way are you going,” I scowled at him.
He scoffed, “Whatever.” And he did the same forward somersault maneuver the girls had done, and spun himself into a giant Barn Owl before flying out into the night.
“Ye can’t tell ‘im what to do. It’s the fastest way to make ‘im do a thing.” Ringo might have smirked if he hadn’t been so anxious.
I strode to the spiral on the wall and spoke to Raven. “You have to hold onto me and don’t let go. It’ll be super cold, and the nothingness of it will freak you out, but it’s over in a few seconds, and you’re probably going to puke when we land.”
“Ugh, why do you do it then?” Raven made a face.
“Because I’m good at it.”
Archer sprinted into the solarium, a long leather case slung over his shoulder.
“Took ye long enough,” said Ringo, but I’d finished tracing the fourth spiral, and Archer grabbed my belt loop just in time.
My first glimpse of the area where we landed was from my knees, where I was losing the remains of the Moroccan stew I’d had for dinner. Cinnamon and cumin do not taste better the second time, and everyone who had Clocked with me was enjoying the same repeat dinner.
“Jesus, Clocker!” Raven gasped. “How can you stand it?”
I ignored her and crawled off the granite to stumble over to Mr. Shaw. He was crouched down, and Charlie hovered at his side. “Mr. Shaw!” I called to him. He turned at the sound of my voice, and I saw that his shirt was covered in blood. I made a strangled noise and lunged toward him before I realized the blood was someone else’s.
“It’s about bloody time you came back. Charlie, gather the wounde
d who can walk and bring them back to the portal. I’ll have to carry this one and two others.”
Why was everyone wounded? What had happened here?
I stared down at Colin Zhang and would probably have lost my dinner a second time if there’d been anything left to hurl. His lower leg was a mess of smashed bone and tissue and had been bound tightly below the knee to keep him from bleeding out. Fortunately he was unconscious, or I was pretty sure he’d be screaming.
Archer and Ringo immediately followed Charlie and Mr. Shaw as they gathered the wounded mixed-bloods. Tom knelt next to Colin and inhaled sharply. “I’ll take his shoulders, Saira, you keep his legs off the ground. Let’s get him to the rock.”
We moved him as carefully as we could, but he still grunted in unconscious pain. Raven was finally on her feet, and she stared at us in horror. “What did you do out here?” she half-whispered.
“Laid traps for the Mongers who kept us prisoner,” I said grimly.
“And they fought back,” she said.
“Apparently.”
We laid Colin down near the spiral, and Tom supported his head long enough to pull off his jacket and place it under him as a pillow. Archer and Ringo supported a young woman between them and brought her to the spiral. Her name was Shannon, a mixed-Shifter who had the speed of a predator but without the Shifting skills. She had been one of the runners sent out as a lure to draw the farthest guards into the trap zone. She’d been shot in the side, but had kept running until she finally collapsed from blood-loss.
There was shouting from one of the big pits, and Raven ran over. A guy in his sixties stood guard over the pit with a captured assault rifle in his hands. I couldn’t tell how many Monger men had been trapped there, but I saw at least four. Something else was said, and then Raven unsheathed her rapier and pointed it threateningly at the Monger in front. She scowled as she spoke, and when the Monger said something in return, she feigned a lunge. He stumbled backward into his buddies, and she smiled grimly. The man guarding them patted her on the shoulder and slipped away into the woods while Raven stood over the Mongers, arms crossed with a menacing glare. When a different man came back and took up the guard position, also with a confiscated weapon, Raven said something cutting to the men in the pit, and then returned to join us.
