Inescapable : The Hexborn Series Book 2

by Cara E Holt

  Rafe rubs at the back of his neck and nods. “I do.”

  I step around Rafe. “Look this was my idea, not his. I talked him into this, so if Merrick should punish anyone it should be me.”

  Cort turns his frosty glare on to me, and I flinch. Wow, if looks could kill. “This was stupid and reckless. Do you ever think things through Latimer?”

  I fold my arms in front of me and straighten my shoulders. “I am aware of the risks but they were necessary.”

  Cort stalks forward and grasps my chin in his hand. “Where did you go?” he demands.

  “I’m not telling you,” I reply. Looking him firmly in his eyes.

  Cort’s nostrils flare as he tries to reign in his anger. “One of you will tell me now or I will have no choice but to report this in.”

  Rafe steps forward, and before I can stop him he blurts it out. “We went to see a vampire friend of Elara’s called Dagen.”

  I swear under my breath and give Rafe an exasperated look.

  “You know Dagen?” Cort asks me in surprise.

  “I do. I asked for his help in locating my father’s lair.”

  A vein pops in Cort’s neck and he looks like he is ready to explode. “Please tell me you did not go into a club full of supes that could have identified you?”

  I try to look unaffected by his anger. “So what if we did?” I point to the pink wig on my head. “I was in disguise.”

  Cort startles me when he grabs my chin in his hands again. “And what about those emerald eyes of yours Elara, and that smart full mouth? You think some pink hair makes you unrecognisable?”

  “I do,” I tell him confidently. “No one even looked at me twice.”

  Cort's eyes scan my body from head to foot and he mumbles something about that being highly unlikely. “So was this risky and stupidly dangerous trip worth it?”

  “He will ask around,” Rafe informs him. “We said we would go back in three nights.”

  I jab Rafe sharply in the ribs and give him daggers. Jeepers, he was singing like a canary here!

  “No you are not,” Cort says firmly, folding his arms and looking resolute.

  I step forward and lay a hand on his chest. “I need to find him. I need to save my friend Cort.” My eyes plead with his to understand.

  “You think she would do the same for you?” he challenges.

  I nod firmly. “Without a doubt. I’m going back to that club Cort, whether that’s via this portal here or whether I have to leave the compound and make my way there.”

  Cort sniggers. “You don’t even know where we are, so how would you find your way there?”

  I scowl at him. “I’d use a locator spell obviously.”

  Cort sighs and steps away from me and starts pacing up and down. “You are a pain in the arse, Elara, you know that right? I knew you’d be nothing but trouble.” He stops pacing and rubs at the back of his neck. “You can go back, on one condition?”

  Beaming, I nod. “Name it?”

  “I’m coming with you,” he insists.

  I know that I have no choice if I want to speak with Dagen again.

  “Fine,” I groan before I stalk past him and I leave the room before I hexed him with some nasty disease. Cort was a genuine pain in my arse, that was for sure.

  A SECRET MISSION

  The next three days pass painfully slow. I am tearing my hair out with nothing to occupy my time. I help Rafe in the library with some research and I end up cleaning my dorm room until it there is not a speck of dust in the place. With nothing to do, I was starting to get cabin fever in this place.

  I am sitting in the mess hall contemplating what I will do with my long boring day when I overhear Jun talking to Renna about the mission they were going out on later that night. My ears perk up when I realise it is the rescue they were discussing the other day. The one where I gave them the idea of sending a hybrid in who could release a substance that would knock everyone out and enable to them to find and rescue all the hybrids. I am tired of sitting around doing nothing. My soul was craving adventure and excitement.

  At one in the morning my phone buzzes under my pillow and wakes me up. As quietly as I can, I climb out of bed and slip on my combat boots. I’d dressed ready to go, in all back. I inch the door open and I wince when it makes a small groaning sound. As soon as I am in the corridor, I take off at a jog and take the stairwell up to floor zero. I enter the weapon’s stock room and I grab a gun, gun belt and clip in some iron bullets and take a few iron dust grenades.

  The next bit was the risky bit. I needed to get from where I was hiding in the corridor to the Chinook that would fly Cort and his team out to the club. I take a brief glance around and use my vampire hearing to listen for the sound of footsteps or beating hearts. There is no one around so I take my chance. With one last look out into the large hangar, I make a beeline for the Chinook. Using my vampire speed, I am inside the back of the Chinook in less than a second.

  Now I just needed to find somewhere to hide out. Towards the front of the Chinook are some storage boxes. I squeeze in-between two and I wedge myself in at the back. Hopefully, I was in tightly enough that when it takes off, I would remain in place.

  I whisper, ‘corium.’ This would hide my scent and the sound of my heartbeat from being heard by any other supes. I wait huddled in the tiny space for what feels like forever and then I hear voices along the connecting corridor to the hangar. Listening intently, I hear the voices of Cort and his team. I smile to myself. Let the adventure begin!

  “Let’s get this show on the road.” I hear a hyped up Renna say as they all buckle into their seats.

  There a few voices I do not recognise so I can only presume they have another squad with them. We are airborne for around twenty minutes when the pilot announces that he will drop them in a field one and a half miles from the location of the club. I would need to get out and tail them fast if I did not want to lose them. They all disembark, and as soon as I hear they are far enough away I jump out, landing silently on the ground and I hide behind the wing. Once they are far enough away, I speed over into the bushes to the right of them and then I follow them using my enhanced hearing. Being a hybrid had its uses.

  After tailing them for what feels like an age, they move into the suburbs. I hear Cort and Renna cast a spell to hide them all from sight as they near the club.

  “You three take the roof. Jun and Renna you take the back exit. I’ll take the front with Rocco and Bree. Remember, we wait for the signal. We’ll have to take the bouncers down at the front entrance, and then we’ll follow inside.” Cort barks his orders and they all separate, taking up their perspective positions.

  I pull out the phone that Merrick had given me and hit record and whispering I tell the camera we are on a mission to save hybrids that are enslaved by Fae. I attach my phone to the strap on my vest and leave it recording as I pull out my gun and head down an alley to where there is a side door. I have no clue what Nero’s symbol will be that the sleep potion has worked, so I’ll just have to trust that it will be obvious enough to me. Five minutes tick by and I wonder if I have missed it but then a sound of a loud howl alerts my senses and I countdown from five.

  Using my air magic, combined with my vampire strength, I kick the door in and head inside. With my gun ready, I scan the room. Everyone in the club is on the floor out cold or slouched in booths in a deep slumber. I hear a noise from the back and I see Jun and Renna enter and they scan their end of the room.

  “Clear.” I hear Renna speak into her mic. Three bodies drop from the ceiling and stand to their feet, just as Cort, Rocco and a girl named Bree enter via the front.

  “Scanners out everyone. We have five minutes to locate all the hybrids.” Cort gestures to Jun. “Jun, with me, we’ll check out the basement.”

  I jump a mile when a door to my left opens and a fae male dressed in leather trousers and a mesh vest walks into the room and swears as he takes in the scene before him. I don’t hesitate. I spin and kick o
ut, hitting him behind the knees and taking him down to the floor. I pounce on him and hold him down with my knee.

  “Somnum,” I whisper and he drops into an immediate slumber. I grab a pair of the iron cuffs from my belt and clip his wrists securely.

  “Well, well, what do we have here?” A voice asks and I shoot my gaze up to see if it is friend or foe. I find Renna standing over me with an amused grin on her face. She tuts and shakes her head. “Cort is going to kill you.”

  “I know,” I reply, as I stand to my feet. “How many have you located?”

  Renna holds two fingers up and points to where two bodies are floating unconscious near the door.

  There are two loud bangs from the basement and the sound of metal screeching in protest.

  “Come on,” Renna beckons me with her head. “It sounds like they need some help down there.”

  Feeling relieved that she has not immediately told me I have to go wait outside like a naughty child, I nod and I follow behind her keeping my gun pointed out, ready. When we reach the basement, everything is chaos. Cort is fighting a huge looking fae who is throwing all kinds of magical defence spells at him and wielding an enormous sword. Rocco and Bree meanwhile are fighting off three fae who are all blasting elemental magic at them. I search behind them and I spot an area that is caged off. Using my vamp speed I cross the room, zigzagging the fighting and I find a cage of what I can only presume are hybrids. Two sit on the floor, whilst one cowers on a dirty-looking bed that has seen better days. I spot two eyes under the bed and looking closer I see a boy who looks only about eight years old. There must be no air-con down here, so the slumber blossom hadn’t affected them and everyone was conscious.

  “Don’t be afraid,” I say softly. “We are hybrids. We are here to get you to safety.” I reach out for the lock on the cage door, planning to break it open with my vamp strength.

  “Stop!” One of the cage inhabitants shouts out. “It’s spelled. Touch that and you’ll receive a thousand volts through you.”

  Offering her a look of thanks, I take a step back from the door. “Exarmaueris.” I command and tentatively I reach out and touch the door. Nothing happens, so with a satisfied grin I grasp the padlock in my hand and bend. “Come on,” I beckon to them. “Let’s get you out of here.”

  The boy remains hiding under the bed and the girl with the straggly brown hair bends down and reassures him he is safe to come out. They all hide behind me as we take in the fighting that is still going on.

  “Go!” I hear Renna shout to me. “I’ll provide cover.”

  I gesture with my head for them to follow me and we cross the room as quickly as we can and pile down the unlit corridor to the stairs.

  “Wait by the door.” I touch the brown-haired girl on the wrist. “Please don’t flee. We can take you somewhere safe, I swear.”

  The girl nods, but as I go to move my hand from her arm, she grabs a hold of it. “My sister. She has her in a cage in her office, please rescue her.”

  “Where?” I ask.

  She glances behind me back down the corridor we have just moved along. “That door on the left.”

  I turn and head back that way and I stall when I see a furious-looking Cort striding towards me.

  “We will have words later,” he growls.

  I swallow and nod. His chest rises and falls with rapid breaths as he barely contains his anger. I gesture to the door to his right. “There’s another one in here.”

  Cort nods and standing back from the door he uses his foot to bust it open. The door swings open and I follow him inside. The room is a very opulent office, decorated in black and green, and a large grand desk sits in the centre of the room. I look to the fireplace and see remnants of green fairy dust.

  “Whoever was in here has used a portal to the faelands.” I flick a light switch at the side of me and the room fills with light. There in the middle of the room is a large birdcage hanging from the ceiling. Inside the cage is a young girl. She looks through her ragged long hair at us, her eyes wide with fear.

  Cort raises his gun and tells the girl to cover her ears. He fires his gun at the metal chain that the cage hangs from. It takes three shots before the chain breaks and the cage falls. I hold my hands out and my air magic surrounds the bottom of the cage and it floats slowly down to the floor. Cort is immediately there, and he tears the metal cage door in half.

  “Come on sweet. You’re safe now,” He holds out a hand and the girl observes it with fear.

  “It’s okay, I promise,” I tell her, coming up behind Cort and offering her a warm smile. “Your sister is safe upstairs, she is waiting for you.”

  This news gives the girl the push she needs, and she reaches out and takes Cort’s hand. She cannot stand, due to being bent up in the cage for hectate knows how long. Cort sweeps her up and carries her in his arms.

  “We need to go. We are running out of time,” Cort warns. I move first, with my gun pointed as I check the corridor and move back up towards the stairs. When we reach the main floor I am shocked to see the number of hybrids. There must be at least fifteen. Some are in deep slumber whilst others huddle together, looking uncertain and frightened.

  “All areas checked?” Cort asks and his team all nod in response. “Then let’s move out.”

  I can hear the Chinook above us and as we enter on to the street, it hovers in night sky. The back doors drop open and we move forward, with the sleeping hybrids floating alongside us. We help all the rescued hybrid inside and buckle them in and then Cort turns his attention to me.

  “You!” He glares, his jaw set. “What the hell were you thinking?”

  I sigh and press the stop button on my phone to stop recording. I did not want anyone seeing this conversation.

  “You really are a real thorn in my side, Lara.” He paces in front of me, his hands squeezed into tight fists.

  “Look, I know you told me no, but I was so bored, Cort. I need to have a purpose. I’m not the type of person who does well with doing nothing.” I lift my chin and look him dead in the eyes now he has come to a stop in front of me. “And I helped here tonight.” I tap my phone. “And I recorded it all, so Merrick can show me out there doing something useful.”

  “You aren’t trained Lara,” He barks, pinning me with his cold eyes. “We have all had years of training. You could have been hurt or killed.”

  “But I wasn’t,” I argue. “I’m fine. I’m not made of porcelain, Cort. I’m a powerful witch and a vamp. It isn’t easy to break me.”

  Cort huffs, and he points to an empty seat. “Sit your arse down in that seat and stay there.”

  Realising I don’t want to push my luck, I cross the plane and buckle myself in. I look up and find Jun and Renna grinning at me. Jun winks and I give him a half-smile before I spot Cort’s angry eyes on me and I school my expression to a more sombre one and I toy with my seat belt.

  We arrive back some twenty minutes later and as the doors to the chinook open I grimace when I see Merrick is standing waiting with a team of medics that includes my roommate Laina. I stay in my seat for a few seconds, before I take in a steadying breath and I stand to my feet and I move towards the exit.

  Merrick doesn’t see me at first and I am just about to make a dash for the exit and disappear, when a hand hooks in the back of my black cargos and pulls me back.

  “No, you don’t little minx,” Cort orders at my ear.

  So much for sneaking off quietly without getting a tongue-lashing.

  “What the hell, Cort!” I grimace when I find Merrick’s eyes on me.

  “Who sanctioned her going on this mission?” He glowers with anger.

  “No one,” Cort replies flatly. “This one decided she was coming, regardless. She sneaked aboard and followed us to the location.”

  Merrick’s brows snap together in a deep frown. “Elara, what were you thinking?”

  I shrug my shoulders and give him an apologetic smile. “I wanted to help. I’m not good at sitting on the
sidelines. I don’t want to be a poster girl if I’m not out there making a difference.”

  Merrick sighs, looking tired, and runs a hand through his greying hair. “I don’t have time to deal with this now. Go to your dorms and I will see you in my office at nine tomorrow.” He looks to Cort. “Escort her there and then meet me for a debrief.”

  “Could I not sit in on the debrief?” They both glare at me in response. “Okay, that’s a no. I’ll just be off to my room then.” With my head down, I move past Merrick and Cort follows closely behind me.

  We move silently towards the lift, and Cort aggressively presses the button for my level. The tension in the lift is tangible and I fidget in discomfort.

  “Do you ever stay still and do as you’re told?” Cort inquires coldly.

  I bob my shoulders. “Depends on who is giving the orders. You need to loosen up, Cort. I really don’t know what the big deal is?”

  Cort swears under his breath, and I jump when I find him in front of me. “These missions are dangerous. This isn’t some fun game, Lara. It is real life. You need to grow up and stop behaving like a spoiled child.”

  I react before I think it through and the slap I deliver to his cheek rings around the compact lift space. Cort’s eyes widen in shock and I think I forget to breathe. He grabs my top and pulls me towards him and slams his mouth down on mine. His kiss is hard and unforgiving and some crazy part of me loves it and I kiss him back. What was I doing? I was engaged. I loved Drayce. I wrench my mouth from his and I slap him again.

  “You kissed me?” I hiss angrily, my chest heaving.

  Cort’s brows knit, and he nods. “I did.”

  “You have no right. How dare you!” I scold. My cheeks flush with heat.

  Cort smirks wickedly. “You kissed me back.”

  I balk in response. “I did not. You are deluded.”

  Cort steps back into my personal space and I push against into the unmoving wall of the lift. A small knowing smile plays at his lips as he takes a piece of my hair and winds it around his finger. “I think we both know you enjoyed that kiss.”