“No, I mean you need to leave the resort. I'm going to get you out of here.” Colt folded his muscular arms, his expression unreadable.
“You are?” I asked, surprised. I still didn't know what Colt's opinion of me was. He was so cagey, I couldn't have deciphered him with the help of the best code-breakers in the world.
He nodded once, then took a step closer. The air between us was weighed with something, but I wasn't sure what.
“My father won't let you live. I know him, he's biding his time. And I know he won't forgive what you did to your family.”
There was no accusation in his tone and it prompted me to ask something I'd been longing to know since I'd discovered who he was. “Why did you kill those Hunters, Colt? And why has Rockley let you away with it? I know he's your father but the man's cold-blooded. I can't believe he cares for you.”
Colt frowned and my heart dipped with concern. Had I gone too far?
He cleared his throat, glancing away. “He does care for me. Perhaps I'm the only thing he cares about...” There was a hint of resentment in his tone, but I wasn't sure why.
“You didn't answer my other question,” I said, turning back to the mirror, focusing on my hair. It was dead straight, like always and gleamed like sunshine. I could see something of my mother in my looks lately and part of me feared that.
Colt remained silent so long, I thought he'd never speak again, but eventually he said, “I killed them for the same reason you turned against your family.”
I snapped around, my gaze narrowing. “But you didn't turn on Rockley? He's worse than all the Hunters you killed put together.” My heart hammered in my chest. I knew I was walking on thin ice, I could practically feel the crack of it beneath my feet.
Colt's eyes darkened to pitch. “Perhaps I'm not as brave as you.”
My eyes rounded, my gut swooped diagonally. “Brave? You think I was brave?”
He nodded stiffly.
“I don't know what to think anymore. I wanted to save them, not kill them...” Guilt wound its way around my heart. Although they hadn't died at my hands, my betrayal had led to their deaths. Selena Grey had been the one to land the blows. But could I really blame her? After all my parents had done to her?
When Varick had killed Ignus, I thought I'd wanted her dead. But something had changed in me. Deep down, I'd known they were in the right and my family were in the wrong.
“I don't know the details of what happened at my father's old resort, but I do know you stood up to him. To all of them. And that is a kind of courage I never had. I killed covertly. I didn't want to be discovered.”
“What did Rockley do when he found out?” I asked quietly, my eyes fixed on him in the mirror.
Colt's expression never changed as he spoke. “Had his guards beat me. Half killed me. I thought he'd finish the job, but he couldn't do it. He called them off before it was too late and gave me V blood. Then he sent me away to Alfric Hund. Paid him off with a lot of money, gave him weapons and bombs when he requested them. I don't know what for, but apparently it was enough to keep him quiet.”
I thought on that a moment, deciding I trusted him a little more for the admission “So what are you doing here? What's your plan?”
Colt sighed, sinking down onto the edge of the bed. He'd made up a bed on the floor where he slept during the night. “I came here for money, that part was true. I need to go undercover again. I want to get out of the UK, head as far away from the Watchers as I can. They reside up North, so I want to head south, go west. But my father has other plans. He won't give me money. He wants me to hideout in England until he...” He pressed his lips together, halting his sentence.
“Until he what?” I asked.
Colt cleared his throat. “He has some big ideas for the future. Says I won't need to hide once the world's changed. But I don't trust him. And I don't want to be a part of his plans to introduce Immortals to the human world.”
I sucked in a breath. “He can't do that, the Watchers will arrest him.”
“He believes he'll be untouchable once the situation is out of hand. He'll be needed to control the aftermath.”
I released a dry laugh. “That sounds insane.”
“Yes...well my father's always been forward-thinking.” He got to his feet. “So I need to get you out of here before I steal money. Because if he catches me, you're dead too. No question about it.”
I swivelled on my seat, gazing at him. “Why do you care?”
My heart thumped against my throat as he considered me.
“Because you're like me. And I want to do for you what no one could do for me. I'll always be under my father's rule, but you don't have to be a slave to anyone anymore.” He pinned me in his gaze, no ounce of embarrassment passing through his expression.
“Oh,” I breathed, my face heating up. “Well...thanks.”
He jerked his head toward the door. “Come on. It's time to go.”
I stood, surprised as I followed him across the room. I glanced back as he opened the door, but I had nothing to bring with me. I didn't have any possessions anymore, but I could return to Raskdød, find my parents' credit cards, take some clothes. Then I could either go into hiding or return to Varick and the others. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go back to them, or if they'd even want me back.
Escape first, figure out the rest later.
“What if someone catches us?” I breathed as Colt guided me down the hallway.
“I have free rein of this place. We'll be fine.”
I kept to his side as we took the lift upstairs to the gold and ebony lobby, walking by the receptionist who smiled at us as we passed. The guards manning the second lift were more hesitant to let us proceed.
“I have permission to show Mercy the amphitheater out in the quarry,” Colt said with so much authority, even I believed him.
The guards glanced between each other then let us pass. We stepped into the lift and ascended to a large car park. Colt strode straight over to one of the black SUVs that were lined up against one wall of the expansive room, taking out a key and opening the door.
I raised my brows. “Where'd you get that?”
“Stole it,” he muttered as he walked to the boot and popped it. He pointed into the dark space. “Get in.”
“What?” My brows lifted.
“You're not allowed off-site. If anyone stops us going forward, they won't let you pass.”
I nodded, climbing into the roomy space and ducking my head as Colt slammed it shut.
A moment later, the engine rumbled to life, vibrating the floor of the boot. My heart galloped as the car moved.
I could taste my freedom, but it wasn't entirely sweet. Once I got out of there, I'd be truly alone. I'd have no one to rely on and that terrified me to my core.
The car soon bumped along a rockier terrain and hope flared inside me like starlight.
The brakes whined as we came to a halt and shouts sounded beyond the vehicle. My gut writhed as I listened, holding my breath as heavy footfalls crunched on gravel outside the car.
Someone thumped their fist to the side of the SUV and Colt's voice sounded from the front seat. “Problem?”
“You aren't authorised to take this vehicle,” a gruff voice answered.
“I can do what I like, I'm the son of the man who runs this place,” Colt snarled.
“Be that as it may, Mr Jones has given us strict orders to keep you on site.”
Silence reigned. My heart thundered in my ears. A sneeze tickled my nose and I held it back with all my might.
“Pop the boot,” the guard demanded.
Colt's door opened and a scuffle sounded.
A gun was fired and my heart free fell in my chest.
The boot flew open and I squinted against the sun, spotting a brutish guard above me. Colt was on the ground behind him, a bloody welt on his head. It looked like he'd been hit with the butt of a machine gun.
The guard grinned at me, snatching my arm. “Well, l
ooky here. Let's see what Rockley Jones makes of this then.”
I was dragged from the car and I spotted several more guards surrounding us. One of them kicked Colt in the side to get him up.
We were bundled into the backseats of the car and driven back toward the resort. My heart thundered in my chest. I glanced at Colt and he mouthed an apology to me, his hand sliding toward mine across the seat. His little finger curled over mine and my gut clenched in surprise.
I pulled away from him, remembering myself and gazed out at the sunshine, bathing the quarry in an amber hue. Panic tore at my chest. Was this the last time I'd see sunshine?
Back in the resort, we were taken to a grand office, full of disgusting body parts in jars. Rockley was behind his desk, glancing up as the beefy guard stepped ahead of us. “I found your son trying to smuggle the Helsing girl out of the resort.”
Rockley tilted his head to look at Colt. “Is dat true?”
Colt nodded.
“Dismissed,” Rockley addressed the guards and they filed out of the room.
I threaded my fingers together, anxiety blooming in my chest.
Rockley flexed his index finger at Colt. “Come here.”
Colt strode toward him, pressing his shoulders back.
“What's de meaning of dis?” Rockley demanded.
“There's no need for her to stay here,” Colt growled. “She has a right to leave.”
“Dat is not for you to decide.” Rockley's eyes flipped to me, a sneer on his face. “She is a blood traitor.”
“As am I,” Colt remarked.
Rockley's brows raised then he threw his head back on a laugh. He abruptly stopped laughing, violently slamming his hand down on the desk and rising to his feet. “Yes you are! And you continue to defy your birthright, son. I will not have you bring more shame on our family name than you already have. Why do you not repent your sins?”
Colt stiffened and my gut coiled tightly as I awaited his response.
“Because I don't regret what I did,” Colt answered evenly.
Rockley bared his teeth. “You have de same bloodlust as I, why not indulge in my games? Why not enjoy dat thirst? Must you aim it your own kin?”
“I won't hurt innocent people,” Colt breathed.
Rockley gazed at me, moving around the desk. “Innocent? Is dat what you believe dis girl to be?” He approached me at a steady pace, then slid his finger under my chin.
I gritted my teeth, gazing at him as calmly as I could manage.
“She's just a girl,” Colt said.
“No, she is a Hunter. Like me. More so than you, Accolt. Her betrayal runs deeper than even yours because of dat.” Rockley sighed, stepping away from me and a choked breath left my lips. He moved to his son's side, placing both hands on his shoulders as he looked into his eyes. “De wildness in you is your most blessed gift from me. But it is your mother's soft heart dat betrays you.”
My ears pricked up with curiosity, the rumours of Colt's mother being a contestant in his games running through my mind.
“My mother would have let Mercy go free,” Colt said quietly.
Rockley sighed, returning to his desk and dropping into the large leather seat behind it. “Yes, perhaps dat is true. And perhaps dere was a time I would have done de same.”
My heart fled into top gear. How was that possible? That Rockley could have once felt compassion for anyone?
“She loved me,” Rockley mused. “I am not sure how, or why. But she did. She was one of my most prized contestants. The way she fought...it held a kind of beauty in it dat enraptured me.”
“But you let her die in the games...once she'd had me,” Colt bit out.
“She enjoyed de games,” Rockley said simply. “I would not have denied her dem. It was her choice to play. And all contestants die if dey play long enough...” He glanced away, a flicker of emotion passing through his gaze.
Colt shot a look back at me, his expression taut.
“You may go,” Rockley said, ushering us away. “I wish to be left alone wid my thoughts.”
I couldn't believe my luck as Colt moved to my side, taking my arm.
Rockley's voice sailed to us as we exited, turning my insides to stone. “If you try and help her escape again, son, I will kill you both. Do not test me. You are playing your final game.”
Varick
When Brendan finally texted us to say the Watchers had been informed of Accolt Jones' whereabouts, I knew we didn't have much time to waste. The ancient race of Hunters were an illusive people, but I was aware of some of their unusual skills. The most important at that moment, was the fact that they could travel through the Ianuae Magicae. It was an ancient Immortal gift only few creatures still possessed. The Watchers were amongst them. Practically, it meant they were able to teleport from one place to another instantaneously. I knew little other than that. But it meant they could arrive at the mine at any moment. Hence why Selena and I were currently speeding toward the dirt road that led around the back of the quarry.
We were laden with guns, knives and even a few grenades. It felt much too like the last time we'd encountered Rockley Jones for my liking. But we didn't have much choice in the matter. The Watchers may only have provided us a brief window of distraction to save our friends and I wanted to take full advantage of it.
When we reached the copse of trees I'd hidden a body in just that morning, I pulled the Land Rover over and we exited the car.
Selena had a fierce look in her eyes, reminding me of the first time we'd met.
“Ready?” I asked, tucking a free lock of hair behind her ear. She was dressed in black, like me. A weapons belt was tied around her waist and a pistol was in her grip.
She nodded firmly. “We get in, we get out. Simple.”
A deep chuckle rolled up my throat. “Ever the warrior.”
“You can talk, Captain Varick.” She pressed my chest, urging me on in the direction of the hill that climbed toward the mine.
There was a cold breeze fighting its way under my clothes, but from the way my heart was pumping, I didn't think it would be long before I couldn't feel it. Adrenaline was the cure to all human discomfort.
We took the hill at a jog, passing by the hatch that would lead us inside. We planned to check out the mine again first. I wanted to see the Watchers arrive, to know they were occupying Rockley's full attention before we stepped a foot inside his home.
Before we crested the hill, we dropped down to a crawl and I tugged the binoculars up from around my neck, pressing them to my eyes. I twisted the dial atop it to bring the iron doors into focus.
All was still. Straining my ears only intensified the caw of nearby crows and the rustling of leaves as the wind rushed through them.
The hairs on my arms prickled to attention.
“What if they've already come?” Selena whispered and I dropped the binoculars, turning to her.
“I believe there would be more of a panic,” I answered. Even the Helsings had trembled at the mention of the Watchers. If they were here, we'd surely know.
We lay there a while, the minutes passing by, the pounding pulse in my ears like the ticking of a clock hand.
At once, the wind dropped and my stomach swiftly followed.
The sun was sinking on the horizon but thick clouds hung low in the sky, letting the light bleed through them in deepest magenta.
Tension rippled through the air.
Something was about to happen, I was certain. My pirate life had taught me to taste an expectant storm on the wind. And that feeling disturbed my senses now, predicting an oncoming hurricane in the form of the Watchers.
Before the iron doors, the air seemed to bend and shudder. A strange and unpleasant ripping sound sliced through the atmosphere. It seemed as though an invisible hand was pulling apart the very fabric of the world, tearing a hole into the wind and stretching it wide. Black figures emerged, like dark chess pieces, all clad in metallic clothing. The first six to appear had jackal-shaped masks
covering their entire heads, the long snouts smooth and rounded at the end. Their clothes were made of a slim, malleable kind of armour, as black as death. Each carried an enormous, double-headed axe, their blades glinting under the dying sun.
A final Watcher appeared, female and forbidding. She wore the same amour, though hers was bent at sharp angles to accommodate her feminine curves. Her face was the only one on show, though her hair was concealed beneath an elaborate headdress, the top half of which was constructed from bone with two curving devil horns protruding from it. A train of black chains fell down her spine from the jagged spikes that rimmed the back of the headdress like a crown. She was surely their leader. And the six Watchers surrounding her soon confirmed that by parting into a V shape, allowing her to step to the forefront of the two lines, connecting them.
They moved with the grace of swans, their movements seeming unearthly in a way I couldn't quite comprehend. The female guiding them produced a glinting sword from its sheath. She lifted it high, pausing before the iron doors. She raised her chin and I caught sight of her face. She was frightening to behold, her sharp features seeming cut from stone, her eyes as blank and lifeless as a corpse's. Two streaks of black were painted down her cheeks, flowing along the line of her tear-ducts down to her jaw as if she'd been weeping soot.
Selena's fingers curled around my arm and I stole a glance at her, seeing the same fear reflected in her eyes that certainly shone from my own. No matter what happened, we had to avoid the Watchers. They would have no mercy on us.
The Watcher woman spoke and though she didn't raise her voice, it carried to me like the wind brought it to my ears. “Accolt Jones you are hereby arrested by the Servators of Dødstårn. Watchers of the Immortal realm. By I, Priestess Mortifer of the Northern Clan. Come to us and there shall be no fight. If we are forced to come to you, payment will be taken in blood.” Her voice was cold and as sharp as a knife.
Wolf Games: Severed Fates (The Vampire Games Book 6) Page 19
