He kissed the top of her hair, pulling through it with his fingers and spoke slowly, trying to explain. “I could have escaped. And yes, of course angel hair to me is similar to what your hair is to you, I can break it easily. And there is a high possibility that I could’ve brought you with me.”
She sucked a breath in.
“But even if it was a ninety-nine percent chance that I could’ve done that, I still wouldn’t have done it. Because I’m not even willing to risk a one percent chance of Cherry, or anyone here, killing you.” He bent down to look her in the eyes, and they were like cold blue steel. “I’m not even willing to take a one in a millionth of a chance that someone could kill you. And that’s why I agreed to this quickly. If I agreed to Jezzie’s offer, giving her the slightest opportunity to believe that I was willing to do this, with the condition that you were with me at all times, then there would be less of a chance that we would be under Kean’s sadistic command, or that she would give you to Cherry when he returns.” His eyes flashed. “Or we would’ve had several deaths on our hands. Even without my sword.”
“Whatever happened to that?”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure. I think your brother may know, but he won’t admit it.”
“Reece? Why would he?”
“I don’t know. For whatever reason, I’m sure he thinks he’s protecting you.”
Laura thought for a moment. “We have to get back to him. What if he hurts himself? Or someone else?”
Jace shook his head. “I don’t think he’ll do anything for now. I left him with Kayla.”
Laura nodded her head and stifled a yawn.
Jace pulled her close. “We should get back to the room. It’s dark and you’ve had a long day.”
She nodded and smiled sweetly. “Jace?”
“Mmm?”
“You know you’re going to have to take me with you, right?”
His eyes darkened. “I would never do that. Something could happen to you and I couldn’t… I couldn’t accept that. You’re staying here.”
A Fallen flew by them, his wings outstretched to their fullest, followed by several others. Laura stepped on her tiptoes, following their direction. Jace grabbed her, she clung to him and he flew high to see what was happening.
Laura could see two men, they didn’t look like Angels but maybe mountain climbers who had fallen into the pool of water while rappelling. She struggled to see who they were but couldn’t tell so far away. Jace gripped her tight and flew towards the soldiers dragging them out of the water. As they approached the group, Laura gasped. They were friends of hers, John… and Matt.
CHAPTER SEVEN
They watched the Fallen as they dragged the men out of the pool. “Jace, those are my friends. We have to help them.”
The men looked dazed and in shock. They’d just fallen from a high cliff and were now ambushed by a dozen flying men.
Jace landed and Laura tried to rush towards them but Jace grabbed her. “Stop.”
“Jace, we have to do something.”
He stood in front of her so that they wouldn’t notice her as they rushed by. “And we will. But we can’t let anyone know that you care about them. Think of what they did to you just to get to me. We don’t need another reason to show our vulnerabilities.”
Laura reluctantly nodded. “What are they going to do with them?”
“I don’t know. But I’ll figure it out.”
❦
Laura screamed.
“Shhh…” Jace was over her bed, his hand clamped over her mouth.
She hit his arm. “Don’t do that to me Jace. You scared me!”
He grinned and she hit him in the chest. “Stop grinning at me. Why are you smiling.”
“Because you’re sexy when you’re mad.”
She rolled her eyes. “What do you want? What’s so important you had to wake me up in the middle of the night? If it is night. Who can tell down here in this cave?”
“We’re going to visit Dr. Eppinger. I heard that your friends are with him. But you have—”
Laura shot out of bed but Jace pulled her back down. “Wait, Laura.”
She tried to be patient.
“There’s no telling what plans Dr. Eppinger has for them, so we must move quickly and silently. Most of the men are awake since we don’t need sleep like you do, but they are in their rooms so we may be able to slip past them. But I still need you to be very, very quiet.”
Laura nodded. “Okay.”
“And,” he pulled his hand out from behind his back. “I need you to wear this.” He held one of their uniforms. Laura rubbed her eyes and noticed for the first time that he was wearing one also.
She grabbed it. “Sure.” She'd always wanted to look like a badass.
❦
They slipped quietly through the hall, although Laura felt like a lumbering bear next to Jace. She felt a chill every time she moved through the slits for wings in the back of the uniform. The only light in the hallway came from the windows to the rooms. Traces of music leaked from one of the rooms: Red Hot Chili Peppers. After seeing what they ate, Laura was surprised to hear that they liked something so normal, even if it was a bit outdated. She expected KORN or music being played backwards or something. There was banging on one of the doors and moaning noises. Laura, who jerked her head when the banging started, turned red and looked away.
Jace grabbed her hand, putting his finger to his lips, and pulled her forward. “Come on.”
They reached the end of the hall and stood outside the door.
“Is he in there?” Laura mouthed.
Jace nodded.
Laura cautiously peeked inside. Matt was tied down and his face was bloody. Fury rose in Laura. Matt was always the first in to help someone, the first to stand up to any bully. And apparently, he’d tried to either escape or to defend John, who was tied down but had no harm done to him.
Both guys were asleep or, knocked out.
A Fallen had his back to them, his wings stretched through his black lab coat instead of tucked in like the uniforms that most men wore. He held a bottle in one hand and pulled a clear liquid through a long needle into a syringe.
Jace’s hand was over Laura’s mouth again and she struggled against him.
“Laura, Laura, we have to be quiet.”
Laura realized that she was making strangling noises, so she closed her eyes, breathing in Jace’s scent, and tried to calm down. As soon as she was quiet, Jace slowly peeled his hand from her mouth and put a finger to his lips. She nodded, understanding.
They both peeked through the door again and Laura bit the inside of her lip to distract her from what she was seeing. Laura gripped Jace’s hand, whispering. “What’s he doing?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll have to see what’s inside that bottle.”
Matt shifted and opened his eyes. He moved strangely, like he was dazed, and turned his face towards the door. He saw Laura and his eyes grew wide in recognition before Jace yanked her from the door.
“Jace, we have to do something.” The panic rose to her throat; she breathed heavily and felt lightheaded.
“Laura, focus. I need you to not freak out right now.”
She nodded, fanning her face, but couldn’t control the panic threatening to overtake her.
Jace grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “Laura. Laura.”
She faced him, looking him in the eyes; her whole body shook.
“Laura, take a deep breath in.” Jace touched her forehead and slowly she grew tired. Her breaths shook as she tried to breathe in slowly.
Jace pulled her towards the hallway. “I’m going to have to take you back out.”
She shook her head vehemently. “No, I can do it Jace, I can do it.”
He stopped, studying her. “Are you sure?”
She nodded, her teeth chattering, but at least she was breathing normally now. “I ca - ca — can.”
She forced the air out of her lungs and breathed it back in slowly. Th
en she did it again, this time more calmly. “See—ee? I can do it.”
Jace nodded. “Okay.” He waited a moment for her to calm down a little more and then they walked back towards the door. He leaned forward, breathing in her ear. “I’m going to need you to stand very still near the door. No matter what happens inside, you must stay still, at attention. Can you do that?”
Laura nodded.
“Okay, let me see you.”
She straightened her back, stilled her whole body, and stared straight forwards. Jace moved towards her but she didn’t flinch.
“Good job. That’s exactly what I need.”
He forced his lips into a smile and faced the door, clearing his throat. He threw open the door.
“Sir, I have orders.”
The Fallen dropped the needle it was holding and it cracked on the ground.
“Look at what you made me do. You idiot.” The man stared aghast at the broken needle and then back at Jace.
Jace tried to look abashed. “I’m sorry, sir.”
“You think you’re sorry now, but wait until later. Then you’ll know what sorry really is.” The man turned back to the vial, which was now on the counter, and proceeded to grab another needle out of the drawer. “What are you doing here anyway?”
Jace cleared his throat again. “Sir, I was given instructions to tell you that they are going to transport the prisoners to the holding station. They are to be transported immediately.”
The man stuck the needle in the vial, drawing the liquid in. “But that’s impossible. I’m not finished yet. Jezzie knows I have a lot more important work to do here.”
“I’m just following orders, sir.”
The Fallen put the needle back on the counter and pulled off his gloves. “That’s impossible,” he repeated, muttering. “Jezzie has given me explicit permission to complete my experiments until I’m done with them. I don’t know what she’s thinking…” He yanked off his jacket and smoothed his hair. “Stay here until I know what’s going on.” He walked by Jace without so much as a glance, muttering down the hallway.
Laura held her breath, trying to look natural. The stench from this Fallen was incredibly powerful, but this time Laura was somewhat prepared. As soon as he was gone, Laura was at Matt’s side.
“Laura. I told you to remain outside.” He was pouring the liquid in the vial down the sink.
“Matt.” Laura ignored Jace.
Matt stared at Laura. “I thought it was a dream or a hallucination. What are you doing here?”
“That’s a long story.” She pulled at the restraints, trying to figure out how to release them. “But we’re here to get you out.”
Matt protested. “No, Laura. You need to get yourself out. You have to escape.”
“Laura.” Jace turned on the faucet and filled up the vial with water. “We can’t get them out yet.”
Laura stopped, her mouth hung open. “I thought we were going to help them escape.”
Jace shook his head, grabbed another vial, and poured a small amount into the vial in his hands, then mixed it. “If we do that, then they’ll discover us. And we can’t risk letting them know that we helped them escape.”
Laura pulled on the restraints again. “How the hell do you get these off? I don’t see any hook or cuff.”
Jace put his hand on her shoulder and she shrugged it off. “Laura.” She bent over, looking for an unlocking mechanism under the bed.
Matt gripped the edges of the bed and screamed out. “Jshhhhachhhh.” His whole body shook and both Laura and Jace stared at him.
“Jace, what’s going on?”
Jace shook his head, and then put his hand over Matt’s chest. “It’s already begun.”
“What? What’s begun?”
Suddenly Matt’s convulsions slowed and Jace moved his hand to Matt’s head. Matt’s eyes drooped and he grasped for Laura’s hand. “You’re too late.” His words were slurred and Laura leaned in to hear them.
“Matt, what’s going on? What did he do?”
The hallway door slammed and the Fallen began to walk back towards the room. Jace grabbed Laura. “We have to get out of here.”
She gripped the bed. “No. Not without them. Not without Matt.”
Matt pulled Laura close and tears sprang to her eyes. His face was pale and sweat poured down it. “It’s too late. Save yourself.”
She shook her head, but Matt pushed her towards the door. “Go. Save yourself.”
The Fallen banged on a door down the hallway. “Turn down that horrible music. I can’t concentrate down here with all that noise.”
He was rewarded with the music being turned up louder.
Jace grabbed Laura, forcing her to tear her eyes away from Matt. “Laura, I’ve helped him, okay? I’ve helped him. You need to stand at attention just inside the door, okay.”
Laura stared at him in a daze.
Jace shook her again, softly. “I’ve helped him, okay? Now get it together so I can help them.”
Laura nodded and stepped by the door, just inside it, and tried to pretend that she’d been there the whole time. In a flash that she could barely see, Jace put his hand on John’s chest, and then his head. Color returned to his face, just a little bit, and his face transformed into a peaceful sleep. Then Jace was with Laura, standing at attention next to her.
The Fallen entered the room, passing them and went to the vial on the counter. “—don’t know where you got your orders but they are to remain in my care. I am not done with them yet. They are to remain with me. Jezzie knows that, she knows that any humans are to be brought to me until I am finished with them. Jezzie knows that.” He filled the needle again with the liquid from the vial. “Everyone knows that. I don’t know where you got your orders from but everyone must remember that they are to remain in my custody until I am done with them. Is that clear?”
Jace nodded. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry, sir.”
“They must remain with me until I am done. Although I am getting a hunkering for that thing the cook likes to make me. What’s it called? Oh, I can’t remember but she’ll remember. Tell her to make me some, will you?”
He turned towards Jace and Laura, but they were gone.
❦
Laura sat on her bed, shaking, and Jace put his arms around her. “It’ll be okay, I promise. It’ll be okay.”
She jerked towards him. “How can you say that?”
“Because I healed him.”
“How do you know you did it soon enough? Maybe you were too late.”
Jace closed his eyes. “You don’t understand. They’re the lucky ones.”
“Lucky!” Laura jumped up, looking ready to pummel him. “Did you even see him in there? That was not lucky.” She was on the verge of tears now. “And then you made me just leave him there. I can’t believe we just left them there! I can’t take this anymore!”
Jace scooped Laura in to his arms and threw the door open. He raced down the hall and Laura had to close her eyes to keep the motion sickness from overtaking her senses. After a while, she felt a cool breeze and Laura opened her eyes. They were at the entrance to the cave. She gulped in a deep breath and feasted over the sight. The mountains in the distance looked as majestic as always and the lake shimmered in the morning light.
God, it was beautiful.
Laura never wanted to go back in the cave again.
“I don’t have a lot of time, they’ll see that I’ve left the cave and come looking for me.” Jace nodded towards the circulo. “But you can leave if you want.”
Laura turned towards him. “No way. I’m not leaving without you.”
Jace shook his head. “I have to see this out. I have to stop them from blowing up the nuclear facility.”
Laura held her hand to his chest. “There has to be another way. Can’t we find someone to help us?”
His eyes pleaded with hers. “Can’t you see? I can’t leave. It’s always better to have an inside man. And that’s me.” He turned his fac
e from her. “Besides, it’s my fault they’re here. It’s because I was selfish and wanted to be with you. And Jezzie knew that. She knew that you meant more to me than anything else and so she set up shop here to punish me. She has to punish me. Everywhere I go, she’s there.” He fell to his knees, staring out at nothing. “She will always haunt me.”
Laura kneeled next to him. “Then we’ll do it together. I’ll stay.”
They heard a rumble from the caves below.
“No, Laura. Go. You can go to the road and follow it from there, you’re not that far away. You have to leave.”
She set in stubbornly. “I’m not leaving you. Besides, if I leave, what will stop them from coming for me again?”
“Because I’ll stay. They won’t need you here because I’ll stay.”
“And what about Cherry?”
Jace was quiet, wings were flapping up the tunnel.
Her eyes turned dark. “Plus I want to help. They can’t just come in here and take my home. I want to fight back.” Laura grasped Jace’s hand. “I’m safer here with you. Cherry will just come for me.”
Jace pulled her in, realizing that she was right, and nodded. “Okay. Okay.”
“What about Matt and John?”
“They’ve been given angel powers. The process is painful but believe me, they’ll be okay. Plus I watered it down some and added a sleeping potion. They’ll sleep through most of it.”
“Okay.” Laura nodded hesitantly, just as two huge Fallen appeared out of the mouth of the cave. One of them spoke. “Sir. We were given instructions not to allow you to leave. You must come with us. Or we must do whatever is necessary to force you back.” He looked at Laura. “Excuse me, I don’t want to do anything, but those are my instructions.”
Jace nodded. “Yes, I’m sorry. She just needed a breather. The cave was getting to her.”
The huge Fallen nodded his head. “That’s fine, sir. But it’s time for you to come back down.”
Jace turned Laura so she could have one last look. She took in a deep breath, savoring the smell of fresh air. He wrapped his wings around her, preparing to go back in. Then he stepped back over the opening and they began to fall towards the cavern, with the Fallen close by. Laura closed her eyes, this time willingly going back. She was ready, she would fight. She would do anything it took to save her town.
Broken: (Ignite, Book 2) Page 10
