Awakened (22 page)

Kale and Jace had both warned me not to judge that “horror novel”—as they both called
her—by its cover. So I listened when she spoke in her softly accented but commanding
voice.

“That still leaves the stable and these two spots here as potential blind spots for
us.”

“You think that they are holding Ella in the stables with the horses?” Jace asked.

“No, but I do believe that we should consider the fact that even though our satellite
feed says that there are fewer than ten men total on that island, we should place
at least one person at each of these places.” I agreed with her. Though Deacon’s plan
had us in larger, safer groups, his plan still left three spots unmanned.

“You can bet that once our jet lands, Laurent will know, and men will be waiting at
their stations. Is there any way we can land here?” Kale pointed to a strip of land
called Chote Hill, a small coastal town on the next island over.

“And how do you plan to get us across that body of water to the compound?” asked the
giant in the corner, whom Jace had introduced as Servitto. He sat in his chair with
his legs crossed, quiet until that moment. He pulled his Satellite phone from his
pocket and held it, waiting for Kale to answer his question.

“I am not suggesting that we swim, if that’s what you are thinking,” Kale said crossly.

Servitto laughed, not bothered in the least with Kale’s attitude. He leaded forward,
with his phone in his hand. “Son, all I’m asking is if you have a plan for after we
land in Chote Hill.” He wiggled the phone in Kale’s direction. “Because if you don’t,
I can charter a boat from Chote Hill to Tusk now.”

Everyone looked at Kale, awaiting his response. He inclined his head, and Servitto
made the call.

“What if we do this?” I stood up and pointed at the stables. They weren’t big, holding
at best three or four horses, and one person could keep watch there. “I stay here
in the stables; Kale and Deacon enter through this back window—shatter it out to cause
a commotion while Jace and Servitto head in through the front door. All the Chorý
will scatter, hoping to be able to contain us all.” I pointed to each place as I explained
my idea, which plan seemed to come together in my mind without a problem. If we landed
on a different island, hiked on foot to the compound, and arrived unannounced, we
didn’t need someone at each station. We could do a smash and grab, giving Laurent’s
men no time to create a counter attack.

I just needed someone to grab Ella and run during our preemptive attack. I knew it
was dangerous—someone might not make it back—but it really didn’t matter if none of
us made it back, as long as she did. I was sure that everyone there was willing to
make that sacrifice, all for different reasons.

Everyone was quiet. When I looked up, Tamsin stood, leaned over, and smiled. Her plump
pink lips pulled back, revealing shockingly bright white teeth. She was one of the
most beautiful women I’d ever seen, and though she was wiry and petite, her gaze conveyed
strength. Her stance commanded my attention, and her smile promised a tongue-lashing
if not worse, if I offended her.

I hadn’t forgotten her. With Ella and Tamsin both being so petite, it seemed that
it would be easiest for them to make the narrow escape ahead of us.

“And where will I be, while all this is going down?” Tamsin placed her hand under
her chin and gave me a sexy yet coquettish smile.

I resisted the urge to stare at her lips and looked her in her eyes. “You, Tamsin,
play the most important role of all.”

Her eyes widened in surprise before she caught herself. “Oh, yeah? And what is that,
Alex?” Tamsin sat back, crossing her arms over her chest while she eyed me curiously.

“Yes, Alex. What the heck is she going to be doing that is more important than jumping
through panes of glass into a group of Chorý?” Jace asked.

Everyone stared at me. At first it was unnerving, but they weren’t looking at me as
if I were insane. They were waiting to hear the rest of my plan. I was starting to
feel like more than just the human that was dragged along because they had no other
choice—I was necessary for Ella’s return.

“She is most important, because she is the only person that Ella will see until we
all make it back to the jet, and she is the one that has to make sure Ella gets there
safe and sound.” I watched each of them intently for their reactions. I knew that
it was risky to leave a Council member in charge of getting Ella to safety and that
Kale would not agree. His pale face and darkened eyes held a hint of challenge as
he glared at me, but he said nothing.

I was nervous too, but I needed Tamsin and her impassivity for this part of the job.
Kale and I were way too emotionally invested in Ella, and that could possibly be a
distraction.

“So, it’s settled, and the boat has been chartered.”

Everyone turned to Servitto.

“We are letting Alex guide us now?” Tamsin asked, genuinely concerned.

Servitto met her gaze. “Do you not like his plan?”

She looked over the map again. “It’s fine. I just—”

“Then it’s settled. Everyone memorize your posts and your duties.”

Tamsin sat back and nodded her acquiescence.

“Alex, have you been given a weapon yet?” Servitto frowned at the small blade at my
side. It had worried me when Kale gave it to me. During the fray the night Ella had
been taken, I’d believed that Mia had been shot, but Jace assured me that Chorý and
the Council didn’t use guns, since immortals were unaffected by the wounds that bullets
inflicted.

And, apparently, to the Council and Laurent, guns were only for cowards, a quick way
to end your enemy without properly facing him. I disagreed, but that didn’t matter.
Kale had handed me the knife and told me to get used to it.

“They gave me this.” I took the knife out of my pocket and handed to Servitto when
he reached for it.

“That is fine, and I am assuming that it is silver plated, to ensure the death of
the Chorý?” He raised his brow. I didn’t know what he was talking about—either about
the sliver or Chorý. Maybe it was another name for immortal.

Just as I was about to ask Servitto to clarify, he pulled a dagger from his side.
I hadn’t seen it, camouflaged in his leather trench coat.

“In battle, we use swords, daggers, and knives. It’s always best to fight any immortal
with a silver-plated sword. The Immortals that we fight tonight cannot survive if
silver enters the bloodstream or if decapitated.” He held up the dagger to give me
a full view the scrolling foliage and clusters of grapes and inscription on the handle.
“This is an antique Spanish Main Gauche, forged circa 1650 from silver stolen from
the mines of Mexico and Peru in 1535. This is a left-handed dagger.”

He passed the dagger to me, and despite its seemingly small size, it had a bit of
weight to it. I caressed the cluster of grapes and foliage, in awe of the way the
dagger gleamed in the light.

“The folded edge of the sail form guard,” —Servitto pointed where I had just caressed—
“is supposed to capture the point of your opponent’s blade, and the diamond section
blade is able to penetrate doublets.”

“Doublets?”

“Yes, it’s something similar to what human police wear and call bulletproof vests,
only doublets wouldn’t stop a bullet.” Servitto frowned. “We don’t use guns.”

“Yeah, Kale and Jace explained that to me, but I still don’t get it. Wouldn’t it be
easier to wound your opponent with a bullet and then finish the job?” I asked Jace
that question, and he just shook his head at me without answering.

Servitto, on the other hand, looked at me and smiled. “I suppose there are plenty
of ‘easy outs’ to take in battle, but I refuse to take them. If I take a life, I will
do so in hand-to-hand or sword-to-sword battle. I fight for a purpose, and it has
always been to release humans of the Chorý burden.”

Jace cleared his throat, and Servitto looked over to him, but I was unconcerned with
their silent conversation. I handed the dagger back to Servitto, regretting that I
had to give it back.

“No, you keep it. I don’t think the knife will do you much good.”

“Are you sure?” I twisted the dagger in the air, amazed that it would belong to me,
even for a short time. I held the dagger to the light to read the inscription on the
side, but I couldn’t make it out.

“I’m positive, Alex. Keep it for tonight. I want you prepared.” He sat back and looked
out the window.

“What does this inscription say?” I tried to read it aloud, but I didn’t speak any
Spanish.

“
A cada puerco le llega su San Martín
,” Servitto said.

Kale snickered. Tamsin and Jace sat silently in their chairs, as did Deacon.

“What does that mean?” I looked to Servitto, but Kale answered.

“It’s a reminder that for every man that dies by that sword, the man who welds it—the
man who takes those lives—will ultimately have to answer for his actions.” Kale’s
dark eyes stayed on Servitto. Maybe there was something about this dagger that the
two of them shared, because there was something in Kale’s gaze that made me think
it was best if I changed the subject.

“I sparred with Kale and Jace, but only enough to learn the basics.” I told Servitto,
but he didn’t seem concerned.

“Okay, when this is over, I will teach you more than the basics. I will teach you
to fight and defend yourself against the Ch—”

“He is ready for this mission. For some reason, there aren’t many immortals showing
up on the satellite pictures,” Jace interrupted, causing everyone to look at him.

“I guess we will see tonight, won’t we?” Servitto replied, just as the jet landed
on the small airfield in Chote Hill.

Ella

“Alex, what are you doing here!” I ran to him. He didn’t look like Alex. He looked
dangerous in the black combat outfit, with the long silver knife in his hand. Once
I made it to him, I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed so tight I heard the sharp
intake of air. When I released him, I was on the verge of tears.

“What the hell are you doing out here, Ella? Everyone is inside,” Alex whispered fiercely.
He spotted Ana over my shoulder. “And who is that?” Alex pushed me behind him and
pointed with what I’d at first thought a knife but was actually a large dagger.

“No,” I pushed my way back around him and shoved the dagger down so that it pointed
at the ground. “She and Darke recused me.”

“Who is Darke? And you don’t look rescued to me, seeing as that you are still here
on this island and not at home. There is a jet on the coastal town over there called
Chote Hill, to get you away from these freaking Chorý.”

Alex’s words warmed me, but I still needed to get him to take Ana with us. “I know,
and thanks for coming for me, Alex, but she and Darke are the ones that let me get
outside for a Council member to find me.”

Ana moved closer to us and silently inspected Alex. “He is not a Council member, Ella.
He is a human.” Ana curiously stared at him.

“You stay right over there.” Alex pointed the dagger at her again. “Ella, when we
get home, you
are
going to tell me what the heck a Chorý is.” Alex pulled me behind him again.

I’d forgotten that I hadn’t gotten the chance to tell Alex about Jace, the Council,
and what Kale truly was, but we didn’t have time for it now. Even when we got home,
there would be more important things to worry about.

A horse neighed, reminding me that we were wasting valuable time standing around talking.

“She can come with us, but it’s up to the Council if she gets on that jet or not,”
Alex finished.

I pushed away the urge to roll my eyes. The Council would decide nothing about me
or anyone else I cared about. We headed past the house where I had been kept, toward
the wooded area that would hopefully lead me to Chote and then back to Cedar. It was
eerily quiet, and I realized that I hadn’t heard the sound of fighting since Alex
had shown up.

“Alex, who did you come with?” I asked. Kale or Jace had told Alex about the Council,
just not about Chorý.

“Some Council members, Kale, and a guy named Deacon—he’s an old friend of Kale’s.”

“Kale, the Chorý that Laurent made?” Ana asked. “I have heard much about him.”

“Yeah, well, keep moving forward, and we may have a chance to meet him.”

We picked up the pace, running for the trees.

A light rain started to fall just as we made it to the first row of trees that outlined
my freedom. My heart was pounding, and though I was sure that there were sounds of
life around me, all I could hear was the drumming of my heart and the pounding of
my feet as we hoofed it through the woods.

I wasn’t sure how long the run would be. I hadn’t gone outside any further than the
enclosed patio, but I was sure that the island was large enough that we would have
to stop and catch our breaths sooner or later. Ana was behind us and would hopefully
serve as the first line of defense against any Chorý that had followed us into the
woods. I glanced back at her in time to see the two Chorý enter the woods, headed
straight for us. I wasn’t worried about myself, because if we got caught, I would
at least be safe for a while, but Ana would be punished and Alex most likely killed.
Ana caught the look of dread in my eyes and screamed for Alex and I to continue forward.
Alex glanced back and cursed.

“Ella,” he gasped between breaths as he pulled me forward faster. “It’s a long way
back to the dock where we ported, but it’s a straight shot from here.” Alex’s feet
seemed to move faster as he spoke, and though he easily dodged trees and shrubbery,
I struggled to keep upright.

“Okay,” I huffed. My calves were on fire, and I was sure that I wouldn’t be able to
run much longer. The faith that I’d earlier had in myself started to dwindle when
I tripped over a large root. “There are two men back there—”

Ana was between the two Chorý, her fist deeply embedded in the face of one, and her
knee made a swift but hard connection with the other’s shin. As the second fell and
rolled to the side, the first Chorý quickly recovered from the bone-smashing fist
to the face and backhanded Ana. Alex and I soon passed a row of trees that blocked
the Chorý and Ana from sight.