Destined to Kill: A Destined Novel (Destined Novels Book 1) (30 page)

"If what you are saying is right, and we follow the code of the Society, then yes, you will have to kill the Cloaked One," I say softly, and Amanda gasps. "But, let me deal with the one making all of these Hybrids first. The Cloaked One can still be of help to us."

"I don't want to kill the Cloaked One," Amanda sighs.

I don't want you to either.

"I think I have an idea of where the Maker is," I say aloud. "Let me take care of him, and then we will decide what to do about the Cloaked One."

"Okay."

"You did amazing with all of this."

"Thanks. I've been getting pretty good at deciphering
all
of the journals."

The connotation in the statement makes me frown.

"I don't even know if all of the translations were right. I'm kind of hoping they're not. Maybe when you go through them you'll find different answers."

I doubt I will. But, I smile and tell her goodnight when she's ready to leave.

"Ana." Amanda pauses at the door. "I don't want to be mad at you about Sam. Or jealous. I'm trying to be happy for you. I don't really think you would hurt him intentionally. But, as we're learning, things happen even when we don't want them to."

She leaves me alone then with that to think about. Amanda Logan is turning out to be - way more than I expected.

I walk back to my bedroom and open the door finding Sam sitting in bed, resting against the headboard, reading. He glances up at me and smiles, and I want to surrender to him completely. I begin unzipping my suit, shut the door and walk to him.

"I don't know how she expects me to focus on hunting tonight when she's going off by herself." I see Sam begin his patented pace when I walk in the training room.

"Maybe we could force her to take us with her." Zac paces next to Sam.

"Do you really think you could
force
me to do anything, Zac?"

Both he and Sam spin around to face me, clearly unnerved by me hearing their conversation.

"Ana, please rethink this. You need
someone
with you." Sam's eyes plead with me, and as much as I would love to give him everything he wants, I can't give him this.

"No."

"Unreasonable," Zac grumbles.

"Realistic," I respond. "You are not ready. Not for this."

"So, you don't have faith in us. That's what you're saying."

"Zac, please. I have faith in you to help each other, to keep each other alive. That's what I need you to do."

"And, who will watch over you?" Amanda asks.

Great. Her, too? I wonder if she's told them that I may know where the Maker is. Somehow, I don't think she has as Sam isn't fighting me as much as I thought he would. In fact, he is being oddly complaisant.

"I need you all to focus on each other, and your hunt tonight. Believe in me like I believe in you."

Sam's phone chimes, interrupting.

"Ah, I'm going to need someone to go in my place tonight," he says distractedly. "I just got called in to work."

He's willing to let his sister go hunting without him? Must be an emergency.

"Get Jeremy," I order Jenna - only because she hates taking orders from me. She salutes me sarcastically and marches out. "Is everything okay?"

"Hmm? Yes, just a case I'm working on. We've got a lead."

Sam rarely speaks of his work. I didn't even know he was working on a case. Why does that bother me?

"Well, be careful." I turn to Amanda and Zac. "And, you guys, be extra careful. Please. Stay focused and don't worry about me. I'll be fine." Of course, that could be a bold faced lie. How the hell do I know if I'm going to make it out of that faux Colosseum alive?

I hug Amanda. "
Stay safe. And, keep Zac under control,
" I whisper to her. She nods and mouths 'stay safe' to me.

I hug Zac, surprising him. "Keep your temper in check. Remember that innocents don't know what they're doing. Remember the code."

"I will," he mutters.

When Jenna and Jeremy come in, I hug both of them - again, to everyone's surprise - and tell them to just rely on their abilities and be confident. I send them off, hoping I will be able to see them again.

Sam wraps his arms around me. "I don't like this."

"I know. I'm sorry."

He kisses my forehead. "I promised no distractions, so it's a good thing I got called in."

Truthfully, I wish he had gone with Amanda and the others. I trust him to keep Zac in line, and I know he would never let anything happen to Amanda.

"
I have to go
," I whisper against his lips.

He cups my face in his hands. "No unnecessary danger," he commands. "If you find any of these full bloods, be careful. Don't take on more than you can handle."

Oh, if you only knew, Sam. My response is a tender kiss on his mouth. I hug him tightly for a moment, then release him, grab my gear and rush out. My mind, my body, every part of me wants to tell him how I feel about him. But, how cruel would it be if I say 'I love you' to him and then never return?

With extreme stealth and dexterity, I jump, climb and crawl my way into the horde's hideaway, undetected. I find a good vantage point above them, and with my hood pulled low over my face, I observe. Why aren't they out hunting for food? I half expected the group to be thinned out - at least somewhat - trolling for humans. But, the numbers seem to be as great as they were the night before. Perfect.

Still, I don't see any one in particular being singled out as the Maker. They should act differently towards him, right? Okay, so I, technically, don't know how this works, but I imagine I would be able to distinguish who was in charge if he were there. Perhaps he is inside. I weigh my options, choosing who in the crowd seems the weakest. Looks can be deceiving, but I can tell with their little nuances in their posture, or facial expressions, who the newest is in the bunch. They are a good jumping off point, so to speak.

I open my bag, filled with extra stakes and daggers, and put as many as I can in my belt and boots. I'm careful not to weigh myself down too much so that I can't maneuver. With a deep breath, I zero in on my first victim.

She's about two inches shorter than I am. A slight thing with blonde hair. Typical California girl, I think as I make my way around the columns towards the back of the group. She couldn't have been more than Amanda's age, give or take a couple of years. Too bad for her that eternity will turn out to be far shorter than she bargained for.

I grip my swords, jumping silently to their level. They're about one hundred feet away from me, and yet, they still don't detect me. Is it because they have my blood in them? Not something to think about now!

"
Where is she?
"

Sam! No! He can't possibly be here!

"
Get out of here!
" I growl, hoping that the Cursed Ones are too distracted to hear us, or sense Sam. I keep my back to him, watching the group carefully.

"
I'm not leaving without Ana. Where is she?
" He positions himself in front of me, in my line of view. "
Is she in there? Do they have her?
"

Sam! You idiot! You're going to get both of us killed!

"
Get out!
"

Our argument catches the attention of my intended first victim and a couple more around her. They bare their teeth and hiss. And, to my utter shock and horror, they pull out swords! Are you kidding me?
This
is what they've been trained in? Swordsmanship? I really don't think this night could get any worse. And, as soon as that thought enters my mind, they start to charge us.

"Shit!"

I release my blades, stabbing them into the ground as I grab Sam's arms, pressing the mechanism that releases the blades of his swords from his coat. I keep my hands on his hands, spinning us around so that I'm in their direct path to him. I feel two Cursed Ones approaching us first, and I use Sam's swords - still in his hands - thrusting them into each of them. I bring the swords up, essentially cutting the Cursed Ones in half. Two down.

They begin to surround us, coming towards us from Sam's rear. I clutch my own swords, plucking them from the ground, and ramming them into two more Cursed Ones behind Sam. As with the first two, I cut them in half length-wise and watch them fall to dust. I spin Sam around until we're back to back, and we fight off more Cursed Ones.

With precise blows, I slice through necks, stave off attacks and try to keep Sam as close to me as possible. I smell his distinct smell, then, only magnified intensely. He's been cut and is momentarily distracted. Keeping my back to his, I lift my swords, bringing them behind me and use them as a shield against the next blows that come towards Sam. I have to get him out of here! I pivot, once again turning Sam towards me. I just need to see if he's okay. I have less than a second to make my assessment of his wound before another attack ensues.

I slice through three more Cursed Ones behind Sam, as he takes care of a couple behind me. Their advance falters slightly when they see they're not making much progress. I take the opportunity.

"You have to go!"

"No! I'm not leaving without Ana!"

"You're going to get yourself killed!"

A few more brave, or perhaps stupid, souls (do they have souls?) attempt their barrage. Sam and I make quick work of them, and again, the onslaught of Cursed Ones hesitates.

"Sam, you have to get out of here!"

He looks down at me, confused. I don't bother disguising my voice anymore. I lift my hood.

"Ana?"

A sword pierces through my back and I cry out.

"Ana, no!" Sam reaches for me, then stops abruptly when he sees my face.

I take hold of the sword and pull it out. My eyes are burning, my teeth ache. And, by the look on Sam's face, I know I look like the monster he is destined to kill.

"Go!"

He's frozen, unable to comprehend what he's seeing or what I'm saying. I have no other choice. I turn up the heat in my eyes, compelling him to do as I say.

"Run, Sam. Don't look back, don't tell the others where I am. Just run!"

Sam blinks a couple of times. I push him a little and he finally does as he's told. With swords in hand, ready to fight off Cursed Ones that stand in his way, he runs.

They let him go. It's me they want, and with Sam gone, they begin to swarm. I glance quickly at my surroundings, trying to find anything that can help me. There are fallen columns surrounding me. I wonder how sturdy they are. I decide to find out when I run to one, jumping on it and pushing myself off, and over the group that surrounded me.

I dig stakes and daggers out of my belt and boots when I land, throwing them at the oncoming horde, hitting my mark every time. And, every time, I feel the pain in my own chest. A few Cursed Ones get through and run towards me. I make another leap, twisting my body in the air, dragging my swords through them and landing on another column.

"Enough!"

The voice was booming and full of authority. Without hesitation, the group stops it's advance.

"I will deal with this."

The booming, authoritative voice echoes throughout the Colosseum, into my head and I turn slowly.

Everything inside me wants to reject what I see.

"Thomas?"