From The Ashes (Life After War) (53 page)

“
Is she going where I think she is?”

Neil stared, heart thumping. She had to know who had duty over the run. “Yes.”

Jeremy groaned, spinning for his tent to get the laptop he’d been using as a buffer. “It’s going to be a long morning.”

Neil grunted, pushing his trooper hat back to watch her climb into the passenger seat of the truck being driven by Shawn. “Yep.”

He grinned suddenly, catching a glimpse of her looking at him as she closed the door. “Maybe I can make that easier on you, buddy.”

Neil hit the button on his belt. “Permission to switch out?”

Adrian’s voice was hard. “If you have to.”

“
Jeremy out, Samantha in.”

There was a stunned silence for all of five seconds. Neil held himself in place, waiting.

“
It’s your funeral.”

Jeremy sounded relieved.

“
Copy the switch.” Adrian now sounded amused.

Neil glanced at Samantha, hoping to have drawn even anger, but it didn’t appear that she’d noticed.

Neil’s shoulders slumped. “It is gonna be a long damn day.”

Inside Shawn’s truck, Sam chuckled. She was studying Neil through the mirror. So he was ready to play again, was he?

Behind her, Neil’s team also snickered. They liked the idea of her and their team leader, but they couldn’t imagine her sitting around the fire with him like the other couples did. She wasn’t that type.

Neil was thinking about her words. She didn’t want any strings, only to spend time together when the mood struck. It felt so much like something a man would set up that his mind wouldn't even let him consider it for more than a few seconds at a time. She wanted him–as a whore.

Neil’s body twitched at the thought of being Sam’s relief source. Sharing, no. Her occasional contact? In a heartbeat. The only problem was, it wouldn't be enough for him.

2

“
Someone will find out. It’s too soon.”

Adrian was patient, teaching mode firmly in place. “It’s covered. Today’s training says flame throwers and shotguns, and the radio had elevator music playing.”

They also had smoke detectors on the perimeter to keep the camp from being so twitchy. The next time a wildfire wanted to trap them, they’d have more than a two minute warning. Another of the effects was for Adrian to tell each Eagle team to choose a member to send up as their medic. During the height of the chaos, John, Anne, and Angela hadn’t been able to keep up with the flow of injuries. They had to have more doctors.

Nervous, Angela studied the targets, not sure she could do what he wanted. The only time she’d done this, she was in danger, and having Brady's eyes on them didn't help. He was her shadow.

“
Angie?”

She met his eye, her own baby-blues narrowing. “Yes?”

Adrian snapped his mouth shut, understanding the challenge he’d been about to offer–Marc’s method–was off-limits. Fine. Honesty was better anyway.

“
Yes, it is. Give me a minute, and I’ll try.”

Adrian waited, again thinking she was so much more than he’d hoped for. It was crazy the way she could keep up with him and the others here, but none of them really knew what she might be capable of in time. Safe Haven held a lot of power now, but Angela was the strongest.

Angela dug deep, finding the fear and loathing she’d experienced during the wolf attack, when Max had shown her that fire could save them. When she began to mutter, deep orange flames immediately spun out of her fingers and began to travel up her hands.

Angela heard Adrian moving for the extinguishers and slung her arm toward the first tree in a bit of a panic.

Tiny flames glided through the air to dissipate with the light breeze.

Angela drew out another handful of fire, and lingered with it, realizing it wasn’t burning her. She threw again, harder this time.

The fire died out before reaching the tree, and Adrian gave an instruction as she pulled more for a third attempt.

“
Try to shape them before you throw.”

Angela paused, looking at him with power-filled liquid blue eyes that roiled like an ocean. “Will you do something, too?”

Adrian heard the note of worry. She was oozing unease at this display.

Angela snorted, slinging her arm again. “Unease. Yeah, let's go with that.”

The flame ball sprayed the lower branch and trunk, but didn't catch.

Angela hated these weaknesses he found and drew out, but each one they conquered healed something inside her. It was worth the pain.

“
What would you like me to do, Angie?”

“
What can you do?” she countered.

Adrian’s eyes flashed. “More since you came.”

“
Like what?”

Adrian’s hand rose toward the bottom of the first tree, and Angela heard the raw hum of power that she’d been so sure no one else put off but her.

It vibrated from the leader, causing the bubble above them to ripple with a fresh blast of golden color. The tree he was aiming for, however, began to crack and wither, falling into splinters.

Angela turned to him in confusion as the tree died, and found him staring at her injury.

“
I kill, Angie. It’s what I was put here to do.”

“
You also create!” she retorted, shaken by his demonstration.

Adrian thought of the blood on his hands and slid them into his pockets. “I’m a necessary evil for this new world. Later, when things have calmed, someone purer will take my place.”

“
Purer?”

Adrian sighed. “Right there, and you can’t see.”

He leaned against a tree that wasn’t in their target zone. “Why do you think we need female Eagles so badly?”

“
Survival, the future.”

“
But for what role? Why can’t it stay like it is now, with two separate halves of an army that can come together when needed?”

Angela had to think about that one, and she did it while pulling the flames forward. They wound around her in a sensation of dangerous warmth and addictive power.

Angela brought her other hand up to form a ball, rolling slightly, and the fire curved into the perfect sphere of her palm. She threw it like a baseball, hitting the next mold-covered tree in the lower branches. The flames shot upward, cracking and cackling in gleeful release. But, it didn’t take the tree down, quickly burning out on the mold.

“
Again.”

Angela obediently pulled more fire, stifling a yawn. She used up energy fast doing physical magic. She wondered briefly if Marc would mind being drained tonight and flushed at the thought. No, he wouldn't.

The flames in her palm weren't burning hot, though there was no mistaking the heat coming from them. Angela stared at the fire for a long moment, trying to banish her fear of burning alive.

When she tossed it, a streak of Adrian’s golden light went flying by to merge with her ball of flame. It hit the tree in one huge blast, showering enough heat to send the moldy pine up in heavy orange and black plumes. It burnt quickly, snapping and cracking loudly.

Angela understood in a blinding flash. “There’s no limit to the damage we can do when we throw together!”

Adrian had to swallow the praise. He was too emotional to deliver even a single personal remark without crossing a line. “Yes. There are harder days coming, and we’re going to need everything we can gather. That means magic, as much as bags and bullets.”

Angela gave him what he needed, scared but willing. “I conquered the Eagles. Give me a timeline to get the camp to accept me for what I really am… and behind me, and the rest of us.”

Adrian’s chest cramped, but in joy rather than pain. He’d foreseen this six long, cold months ago, and obsessed over what to say. Now, with so much death on his conscience, the words fell easily.

“
Before we leave our country. Only knowing what we can do, will give them the courage to go.”

“
I know we’ll have to, and that we will, but I’m scared of why. It’s bad right now, but we could make a stand here somewhere.”

Adrian concurred. “Yes, but things are only going to get worse. We need them out of the crossfire.”

“
So we can teach them how to rebuild America,” Angela confirmed. These nights, her dreams and his were often linked. They were learning it together and hoping to catch everything.

“
When will you start bringing us together to do things?”

Adrian shrugged, heart thumping. Another of his secret dreams was coming to life. “When the camp can handle it, and once again, it’s all on you.”

That’s why it had to be someone who was stronger than she’d ever given herself credit for. This was no easy role that he'd assigned.

“
Do you know yet, what it is that we’re all being brought together for?”

Adrian shrugged again, feeling Brady's eyes burning holes into his back. “I have a list, with a few more likely at the top, being prepared for.”

“
Do I want to know any of them?”

He snorted, turning away. “Not if you want to sleep tonight. Take down the rest of that line if you can. Marc's got enough restlessness to fill you back up.”

Angela didn't turn to look. She continued to conquer her fears. Brady would do his duty and let her handle hers. Things were good with them that way now.

Marc waited patiently for Angela to burn the remaining trees. He'd heard enough of their conversation to have his other worry confirmed, but it was little compared to watching Adrian and Angela work together. That one combination blast had sent a jolt into his heart. Why couldn't he have a gift like that? Then he could compete.

He doesn't understand what it's like
, Angela thought, not frowning or letting him know that she'd caught the thought. He wanted to have power, but it didn't work that way. The power held them, and they eventually learned to control or cage it.

Angela joined him covered in a fine sheen of sweat. The last tree was the one she should have started with. Sending the ball of flames fifty feet was exhausting after the first throw. It had taken nearly ten to get the tree to flame up, and she sagged against the fence. She didn't know if her terror had been conquered yet, but if not, she definitely had a good start on it.

Marc handed her the towel in his back pocket, the one Adrian had handed him without speaking.

Angela smiled at the thoughtfulness, and Marc gritted his teeth. Adrian was trying to make it clear that he wouldn't interfere, but the smell of him on the cloth was currently causing Angela to inhale loud enough for him to hear.

Addictive!
Angela covered quickly, dropping the cloth. “Tell Hilda there might be mold in the laundry water. Time to change it.”

Marc snickered happily as they headed for camp, and Angela lowered her tired lids to hide the deceit. Every time his jealousy brought something between them, she would either kill it or find a way to use it in their favor.

3

“
She wants you.”

Charlie’s quiet words sent apprehension through Kyle. They'd moved, gotten camp reset and settled down, and he'd done his usual job–after John's care in the ambulance while they rolled.

“
Kyle.”

“
I haven't been banned from her, have I?”

Charlie shook his head. “No. They know that will backfire, but be careful. Not all of the camp is satisfied.”

Kyle nodded. “Tell her ten minutes.”

Charlie’s tone was full of Angela’s disapproval as he repeated her words.

“
When she’s asleep, so I can have your full attention.”

Kyle's shame flooded, but also triumph. Jennifer was his, and everyone knew it.

Charlie shook his head. Adults were so blind sometimes.

He moved to where Marc was standing outside the tent where his mom was set up. They both stayed quiet until Kyle was out of earshot.

Marc wondered if this was going to be another of those private conversations. He'd dreaded them at first, not sure what to say, but that had changed.

Matt walked by on his way to the training area, but he didn’t look at either of them and Marc understood that the pimply teen was probably feeling left out of the new friendship between Charlie, Jennifer, and Becky. Seth and Kyle were relieved by it, though. They knew what Charlie could do for their girls here, but more than that, the protective men hoped he would tell them if something was wrong that they hadn’t accounted for.

“
Anything I can do?” Charlie offered.

“
Think it’s all good. You’re welcome to hang, though.”

Charlie nodded happily, and his father studied him with quick glances.

He was still getting taller, but thanks to the training and good food, Charlie was starting to fill out in other areas, as well. He was more muscular, skin tanning, hair growing longer. He and Angela had both seen female gazes follow their son. Ready for him to be a part of the couples forming here or not, Charlie was a handsome boy who was drawing notice. Soon, some lucky girl would find herself the center of his world.