Jonah's Salvation [The Order of the Mist 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Abbie Carlisle

  Leaning against the kitchen worktop in Genesis, Jonah stared around at the large open space. Various white units encircled most of the walls, and a long pine table sat against the wall directly opposite. The floor had been laid with dark terra-cotta stone tiles and they contrasted nicely against the cappuccino-colored tiles placed on the walls. A top-of-the-range cooker sat snug between the fridge and an elaborate corner unit and Carrick had insisted on installing it. He’d said the model would fit in nicely with the design of the room but Jonah had never understood the desire for something so grand. He had no interest in cooking, and boiling an egg was the limit to his culinary skills. The males of The Order had, on more than one occasion, decided that he wasn’t to be trusted cooking meals for them and often told him that he’d burn water given half the chance. They’d told him that his skills lay in more useful areas such as security. Jonah had agreed, promising he’d never even attempt to prepare a sandwich for them.

  Closing his eyes, Jonah inhaled as another wave of nausea swept through him.

  The Order had spent the entire night celebrating the mating of the Mist’s new King, Elijah, and his Queen, Jasmine, and it had been one hell of a party. The entire night had consisted of the males of The Order drinking large amounts of alcohol and singing loudly until the early hours. Some of the males had ended the evening challenging Jenson to a dancing competition, which had amused Jonah immensely. It had been fun to see them throwing themselves about without any coordination to speak of. Not that Jonah could dance in any way or fashion. Like his cooking skills, his dancing left a lot to be desired.

  Jenson had handed him one beer after another and before he knew it, Jonah had managed to down at least half a dozen bottles before he’d felt his head begin to spin. Even then, he’d carried on drinking and regretted not having the willpower to say no. With the downside to drinking, he wished now, he’d taken it a little easier with the beers but it had been a party as Jenson had constantly reminded him. Being sensible had departed for the night and now Jonah felt dreadful.

  It had been around dawn before any of them staggered their way into bed, and he didn’t expect to see any of them anytime soon. He’d managed to make it to bed in one piece but knew the others hadn’t fared the same success. The crashing of furniture and the loud curses had definitely meant some of them had misjudged the furniture in their rooms. He hoped that none of them had caused any permanent injury though. A hangover was bad enough, but he needed the males fit for the future that lay ahead of them.

  The King had shocked them all with his decision to anoint the males of The Order as his Lords. Jonah had felt honored that Elijah had considered him worthy for such a regal role. He’d respected Elijah’s decision and had understood his need to rebuild the Mist’s Royal Order, but he’d still internally questioned his own worth. He’d never considered himself deserving of anything until the day he’d met Elijah and escaped the hell of their prison, and even then, he’d still regarded his past as being a failure of his character. Not that he’d ever share his own personal feelings of his deficiencies. As far as he was concerned, his soul had been stained by weakness and he’d never forgive himself. His past would haunt him the rest of his life.

  As a teenager, he’d lived on the streets of Portland and had spent many nights alone. He’d been constantly spooked by the echoes of distant voices and the silent cold had been unbearable. He’d often been hungry, deprived of sleep, and had wanted nothing more than to return to the safety of his family, but that had never been possible. His memories had become his only companion and they’d torn at his heart. His life had become nothing more than the hell he’d deserved.

  After seeing an ad in a local paper for young, strong men to join the Army, he’d realized it was a way to finally escape the solitude of the streets. He’d made his way across town to sign up at the local military office, but it had been there that he’d been cornered by several large males. At first, he’d thought they’d just wanted to fight, take his belongings, and leave him for dead. Instead, they’d overpowered him, throwing him into the back of a truck, and had driven him to a building in the middle of nowhere.

  Jonah had felt a sharp stab in his arm before they’d covered his head and knew he’d been drugged. The males had then dragged him from the back of the van into a building and he’d stumbled several times as they’d led him down a flight of stairs. Jonah had had trouble listening as the drugs had taken effect, but he’d heard the sound of a door unlocking before being thrown inside and left in the dark. He’d passed out and had woken hours later in a cell surrounded by stone walls and a small bed.

  He’d endured years of torture from that day and had never believed he would ever be free.

  Since his escape, Jonah had assumed that it had been his heritage that had been the reason for his capture. He belonged to a highly powerful race called the Mist that had lived in secret from humans for over 150 years. The original Mist had originated from Louisiana and had been ruled by King Andreas and his twelve Lords. They had mined for precious stones in the mountain ranges and had lived peacefully. That was until events had forced them to move northwest to protect the existence of their race.

  One of Andreas’s lords, Havier, now known to The Order as Harvey, had been banished for disloyalty. He had wanted to take the King’s power and riches for his own. Battles ensued, and the Mist lost their ruler. Elijah, the King’s son and heir to the race, had been sent out into the valleys for protection and Harvey had disappeared. That was until a few days ago, when The Order had been confronted with the original Mist at the cabin.

  The confrontation with Harvey, the leader of The Phoenix League, had been anticipated. He had used Jasmine, Elijah’s mate and their Queen, to lure the heir with intent to destroy him. Harvey had been shocked to see the members of The Order gathered together at the cabin and had never envisaged that Elijah, his captive of the past, had been the one who was destined to lead their race. To find that Elijah had also mated with Jasmine had enraged him and he’d attacked. Jasmine had shocked them all, using her power to knock Harvey off his feet to defend her mate. Harvey had fled, promising to return for vengeance. Harvey’s goal was to become the one true power of their race and it would be down to The Order to stop him, in any way they could.

  Jonah thought about the members of The Order that now lived at Genesis. They had all proven their worth over the years and he respected each and every one of them. While they all had their own responsibilities, they worked well together as a team. He regarded them each as his brothers.

  Elijah, the leader of The Order and their King, had strength, speed, and possessed the ability to mist, to disappear and reappear at will. He was an original Mist, but had never known his true heritage until his father had appeared before him when he’d mated Jasmine. Jonah had always assumed that there was something special about him. His ability to lead the males of The Order was unique, and his sense of loyalty and honor was unquestionable. He was a true leader and always had been. Jonah also regarded him as his most trusted friend.

  Jenson could read the scriptures relating to the Mist’s past and future, and could also read every thought running through someone’s head. His power was something he couldn’t really control and while it could sometimes be irritating, it was also pretty impressive. His sense of humor was annoyingly dry and he always took great delight at winding up the other males. He did keep everyone’s spirits up though, and Jonah appreciated his unique ability to see the best of every situation.

  Lucian was ex-army and was now The Order’s training expert. His power of speed was remarkable and he was often able to deflect any attack. He could move faster than you were able to focus and Jonah had often found training with the male a challenge. With his strength and Lucian’s speed, it had always ended up being a battle of the fittest. Jonah found the male to be a worthy opponent and respected the magnitude of his power.

  Carrick’s emotional ability to keep The Order calm had proven invaluable when they’d faced Ha
rvey, the leader of the Phoenix League. His ability to override the emotional turmoil that affected one’s mind was astounding and his calming nature was something that Jonah envied. The male never seemed to let anything affect him. He was also responsible for the maintenance of The Order’s home and had done a pretty good job of the elaborate carvings throughout Genesis. He had also carved Elijah and Jasmine’s mating mark on the door to their quarters, and Jonah knew it meant the world to them both.

  Luca was the youngest member of The Order, and his power to heal was one of the greatest additions to The Order’s strength. He hadn’t been with them as long as the other males, but Lucian had taken him under his wing and had trained with him daily. He had grown in size and strength and was now a formidable force to reckon with.

  He had also saved the Queen when she’d been shot, and Elijah had never been more grateful for Luca’s ability. Not that she would need saving again. The power she’d used against Harvey when they’d fought him at the cabin had shocked them all. The immense force she’d projected from her hand toward Harvey had lifted him clean off his feet, planting him on his ass. It’d certainly been fun to watch, and Jonah was glad they had her on their side. He wouldn’t want to face her in an argument. Not that they ever would. The Queen was one of the kindest females he’d ever known and Elijah loved her more than his own life.

  Tobias had been in the Army, the same as Lucian, and had a unique power to move things with his thoughts. He was The Order’s logistics expert and took great pride in the vehicles he provided for The Order. Jonah had always found Tobias to be quite reserved and suspected he had a much darker side to his personality, but he was dedicated to finding others of their kind. Jonah respected his loyalty to the race.

  James had been the latest addition to The Order. He’d been in Harvey’s employment to locate Jasmine, but instead had protected her with his life. None of them had known in the beginning that she was in fact his sister, and their sibling relationship was one of the reasons Elijah had accepted him into The Order. Elijah knew that Jasmine loved him and wanted him in her life. His loyalty to her had been unbreakable. He also had an ability to sense others of their kind. Jonah had known that it would be invaluable in their search for others of their race and while he’d been reserved in his judgment when they’d first met, he now had great respect for his ability. The male had proven his loyalty and had also managed to take on Tobias in a drinking competition. The male had guts.

  Jonah turned and looked out of the window in front of him. They were still in the depths of winter but he could feel the air changing as the spring loomed. The long hanging willow trees blew gently in the building breeze, but at least it hadn’t snowed again. Jonah wasn’t really a fan of winter, especially if they had to face Harvey again, anytime soon.

  After the compound, The Order’s original home, had been compromised by Harvey’s League, The Order relocated to Genesis, a beautiful colonial-style home just outside of Aberdeen. It was a few hours’ drive from Portland and had been a good choice for The Order’s new home. Lying far enough back from the main road, it was surrounded by large open grounds, but Jonah needed to ensure the security around the house was fully functional. The large iron entrance gates were strong enough and the walls surrounding the property had been in good order, but it would be safer to have cameras covering every inch of the property. It was larger than the compound had been and there were too many ways Harvey’s League could get in. If that happened, it would be on his shoulders if anyone was captured, or worse, killed.

  Jonah decided he would walk the perimeter with Lucian when he finally surfaced. As he turned to leave, James walked through the door, looking decidedly hungover as he nodded and got himself a drink from the fridge. His bright auburn hair was ruffled and his eyes, while still a vibrant amber color, were red and puffy. The male was tall and well-built, and Jonah knew he was suffering badly.

  Jonah’s discussion with James the previous evening played on his mind. It bothered him greatly at his own reaction when James had mentioned Alana, the human female suggested to help access Harvey’s security system. Whilst he understood the need to approach someone who worked at the Headquarters, his heart had reacted in a way that frustrated him. Jonah had felt something he’d not felt for a very long time. Not since the time in the cell. He’d spent the night thinking about why he’d felt such a strong feeling of protection for her. He didn’t even know her and his heart had felt a strange pulling. He had to get a control of it though. There were important jobs to be done and he couldn’t be distracted by a female. Not now or ever.

  “You look how I feel!” Jonah stated, staring at James as he leaned on the worktop.

  James turned and smiled. “I think I had a little too much to drink last night.”

  Jonah sniggered. “That’s why I don’t drink as much as the others. I can’t stand the feeling of death the next morning.” Who was he kidding? He probably felt just as bad as the rest of them. Well maybe not as bad as James, but the male had decided to down a large amount of alcohol.

  “What time did we all crash?” James’s voice was as sore as his head.

  “Well, the sun had made an appearance so I would say around daybreak!” Jonah smiled. He liked the way that James had settled in, and how he was able to keep up with the most controlled member of The Order.

  “Remind me to never have a drinking competition with Tobias again.” James concluded that he wouldn’t challenge him again. It hadn’t helped that Jenson had cheered them on. He seemed to have enjoyed winding Tobias up about finally meeting his match in a drinking buddy.

  The beers hadn’t been too bad but when they’d started to down shots, James knew there was little chance of him beating Tobias. They’d finished off several bottles of tequila before James had staggered upstairs. He’d lost consciousness as he’d hit the bed, which he was now grateful for, or he’d probably have slept the day on the floor. As it was, he’d woken to find himself with the worse hangover he’d ever had in his life. He wanted nothing more than to go crawl back into bed, but he knew he couldn’t. It was after midday and he knew he had to make arrangements to meet Alana later.

  Jonah laughed, making James cringe at the volume of his voice.

  James sighed as he rested his forehead on his hand. “I’m going to grab a shower and then give Alana a call. See if I can arrange a meeting. Hopefully she can help us access the Headquarters computer system.”

  Jonah inhaled. The mere mention of her name had his heart racing and he felt the tension build in his muscles again. The sensation annoyed him. He’d learned over the last fifty years to control his emotions and didn’t have time to deal with the response his body was having. He tried hard to block his mind and focus his thoughts.

  “I’ve got to check out the perimeter. You make the call and we’ll catch up later.” Jonah turned, placing the bottle of orange juice on the counter and walked past James. He wanted to get his mind occupied so he didn’t have to think about her. He walked up the long staircase and down to his room. He had work to do, and that didn’t involve his emotions.

  James stared at Jonah as he left the kitchen. The male was duty-driven. He didn’t let anything stop him, which James respected.

  Rubbing the sides of his temples, James wondered what Alana looked like. She’d sounded kind when he’d spoken to her on the phone previously, but would she be able to help them? They wouldn’t be able to get into the Headquarters without her help, at least not without crashing through the front door and fighting their way to inside. But that was still an option.

  James turned, walked out of the kitchen and climbed the stairs to his room. He wanted a shower desperately, and hoped it would relieve some of the effects of his hangover. He couldn’t blame anyone else for his condition. He’d been the one who’d decided to challenge Tobias, and as awful as he felt now, it had been fun. Maybe next time though, he’d avoid the tequila.

  The upper floor of the house had long corridors, either side of the stairca
se. Each corridor had six large doors, set against pale painted walls. Some of the doors belonged to The Order quarters and some of them were spare rooms. He’d been given the first room down on the left. James opened the door to his quarters and walked inside.

  The room had been decorated in a light cobalt color and had been furnished with a dark wooden wardrobe and dresser. There was an enormous king-sized bed, covered in a deep blue duvet, and long slatted blinds covered two large windows that stretched from the ceiling to the floor. On the floor lay a large rectangular rug and in front of the windows sat two comfy chairs. The room was flooded with bright sunlight, making James wince as he walked further into the room.

  The impressive en-suite bathroom had a walk-in shower and James appreciated the sheer size that afforded his large, muscular frame. Being over six feet tall meant he’d had to bend over to fit inside the dingy showers at the motels he’d had to stay at. Humans were much smaller than Mist and James knew the bathrooms at Genesis had been built to accommodate the immense size of Mist males. Small details like that made a difference. Sad as it was, it was a luxury he’d never had the privilege to experience until he’d moved into The Order’s home. Now he couldn’t wait to jump under the invigorating jets and try and relieve the pounding in his head.

  James still felt like his life was surreal. He had his sister back and a position as a Lord of the Mist. His power of sensing others of their kind would be useful and he wanted to begin searching. He knew first though, he needed to help The Order find a way to get inside the Headquarters. They had to destroy Harvey and after what had happened at the cabin, James was just in the mood for some payback. Especially toward Tyler. He had shot Jasmine and it worried him where Tyler had gone. Had he disappeared for good, or would he return to try and finish the job Harvey had given him? It was something that could become a real possibility and something he needed to talk to Jonah about. The last thing they needed was to have that piece of scum making another attempt on the Queen. Elijah would kill him for sure, which James wasn’t opposed to in any shape or form, but he wished now that he’d taken care of the male when they first searched for Jasmine at the boathouse. If he hadn’t sent him back to Harvey, Jasmine’s life would never have been in danger. Guilt gripped at his heart.