Invincible (The Aerling Series Book 3) (24 page)

For a long minute, no one says a word. Sloane
and I discussed this pretty heavily before turning her over, but it wasn’t an
easy decision. We both knew it was the most logical thing to do, the safest,
but part of me didn’t want to let the conniving little psycho out of my sight.
I’m not the only one who feels that way, apparently.

“Maybe letting them wouldn’t have been
such a bad thing,” Hayden says quietly.

Sighing, my shoulders fall. “It was
tempting, believe me.”

Olivia’s jaw tightens. Her struggle to
control her emotions is likely no easier than controlling her tongue right now.
“Then why didn’t you just let them deal with her?” she asks tightly.

“Because I couldn’t be sure we knew
everything,” I admit. We’ve been lied to so many times about so many things.
“They’re holding her in case we find out something else and we need her.”

“And after that?” Olivia asks.

A sense of…relief, maybe, flows out of me.
“After that, she’s theirs to punish as they see fit.”

After a sharp nod, Olivia directs her
attention to Sloane. “I guess we should give this tracking power thing a try.
I’m more than ready to be done with this whole war.”

She’s not the only one.

Chapter 25

How It Should Be

(Hayden)

This is by far the weirdest thing I’ve
done since meeting Olivia, and that’s really saying a lot. I’m not even sure
why I’m in this circle of strange power sharing, but Olivia and Sloane both
insisted. Right now, all I can feel is Sloane’s power hovering at my
fingertips. I know she’s doing more than that, but it’s different than what she
usually does.

She’s not trying to help either of us work
out our power’s potential. All that’s happening is her guiding us down through
the layers of Mason’s power so we can feel the core element that all Aerling’s
have in common. It’s a bizarre experience. I really never expected to be so…up
close and personal with Mason. Probably not the weirdest thing that will happen
over the next few days.

I have to focus in order to pay attention
to what Sloane is saying as she works her way through the layers. She’s mostly
talking to Olivia, since she’s the one who actually has to do this with Mason,
but I guess I’m supposed to be able to do it too. I mean, we need as much power
as we can get, and Sloane is my Aerling.

A shiver runs down my spine as that
thought repeats in my head. The good kind. Her using her power on me is
addictive. I thought kissing Olivia was the best feeling I’ve ever had, but it
doesn’t even come close. Not that I’d tell her that, but there’s just such an
intense feeling of completion when Sloane touches me with her power that I
don’t think anything could
ever
compare with it.

I get it, now, that Olivia and Mason must
share something similar, even if not exactly the same. It’s actually a relief
to know that. I had resigned myself to remaining Olivia’s friend when I found
out what Mason was, but stamping out my desire for her wasn’t easy. That’s
completely different now. I honestly couldn’t be any happier for Mason and
Olivia, provided the whole relationship ban thing gets worked out.

That’s another thought that shatters my
concentration. I can’t say I’m ready to jump into a full-on relationship with Sloane
right this second, but being around her is quickly becoming what I wake up
thinking about. Olivia was right when she said that Sloane was beautiful. Her
bronze skin and bright gold-brown eyes peeking out at me from behind her mocha
hair are hard to ignore. Right now, I’m staring at her full mouth instead of
listening because I haven’t been able to stop wondering what it would feel like
to kiss her since last night.

As if she can read my thoughts, her eyes
flick over to me. A smile forms on her lips automatically before she realizes
I’m not paying any attention. Frowning, she pushes a bit of her power into my
hand. My reaction is immediate. Sucking in a sharp breath, my eyes widen as the
sensation of being made whole blasts through me, capturing my full attention.

Sloane smirks at me, but smiles and sighs
before turning her attention back to Olivia.

Paying better attention after that, I work
on feeling everything she’s trying to show us. Moving down through the layers
of Mason’s power is…interesting. There’s all these different textures, like
slick flowing ones that feel like they’re going to slip through my hands to
rough textures that feel strange under my fingers. It seems like forever later
before we reach what Sloane refers to as the core.

It’s strangely solid, and I know
instinctively that there’s nothing beyond it. This is the basis of what
Aerlings are. A feeling of calm settles over me as I study this most intimate
part of Mason’s makeup. It’s foreign, but at the same time familiar. It’s the
same feeling I had when I arrived in the Aerling world, this dual sense of
belonging yet not quite belonging.

Being marked as an Escort bound me to the
Aerling world, made it my home, but there’s still so much of me that belongs
here, in this world where I have family and friends and a life. I told Olivia I
would stay and help the Aerlings after the war is over, but I don’t know if I
could have committed to that without knowing I could still leave and come back.
At least, until I knew about Sloane. Knowing I’m her Escort does remove any
hesitation about remaining with the Aerlings, but it’s still a relief to know
I’ll see my family again.

A few seconds later, Sloane pulls back her
power and releases everyone from her influence. Olivia and Mason both look
relieved to be on their own again, but I miss it instantly. Sloane’s eyes catch
mine and I swear I see the same thought in her eyes. She turns away quickly and
says, “Now why don’t we partner up and work on combining power for a while?
After that we can move on to searching for the Mother, okay, Olivia?”

She barely waits for Olivia’s answering
nod before standing and holding her hand out to me. I don’t hesitate to take
it. Even though all she does is give me a little tug to get me up to standing,
her hand stays tight around mine for a few more seconds before releasing me. I
wasn’t really planning to let go at all.

“Why don’t we go over to the table?” Sloane
suggests.

I probably would have suggested something
different, but to the table it is. I gesture for her to lead the way rather
than risk saying anything. My thoughts have been doing a lot of wandering
lately, which isn’t usually like me. Sloane takes one of the two chairs and
folds her legs beneath her when she sits. Grabbing the second chair, I drag it
right next to hers and fall into it.

It feels like forever ago that we started
this insane quest, but the second I touch Sloane’s hand the weariness
evaporates. “Is your power always on the surface like this?” I ask, relishing
the feel of her peaceful energy.

“I can make it stop if I really need to…”
Her eyes dart over to mine uncertainly. “Or if you want me to pull it back.”

Shaking my head, I say, “Don’t hide it. I
love the way it feels.”

“Is that the reason you keep touching me?”
Sloane asks.

I know Mason saw me put my arm around her
waist last night, and I’m pretty sure Olivia did to, but neither of them said
anything. Then again, neither did Sloane. It just felt like a natural thing to
do, but not in the way Sloane is thinking.

“No, not exactly. I mean, you know how
your power makes me feel, but that’s not the only reason. Mostly, I just want
to be near you,” I admit.

There’s no shame in it even though we’ve
only know each other for a few days. The bond that must have formed the second
we met took away any unfamiliarity between us. I only found out last night that
she’s my Aerling, but I’ve felt the need to protect her since that first day.
Well, after I regained full consciousness and didn’t feel like I’d been run
over by a semi. Lucid thought before that was a little tricky.

“Hayden,” Sloane says quietly, “everything
Mason and Olivia are facing, it won’t be any different for us.”

“I’m well aware of that, Sloane.”

“Then…” She stares at me uncertainly,
holding back the rest of her question. It’s not like she needs to ask it,
though.

“It doesn’t matter, Sloane. Whatever this
ban is between humans and Aerlings, I don’t think it’s natural.”

Sloane leans closer to me, though I’m not
sure she realizes she’s doing it. “So, you think maybe it won’t be a problem
after this is all over?”

“I don’t know,” I say honestly, “but
either way, I’m not going anyway, Sloane. You’re not only mine to protect,
you’re my friend…maybe more at some point, but I’ve never been one to abandon a
friend. Even when they wished I would. Just ask Olivia.”

Smiling, Sloane rests her head against the
back of her chair, bringing her a little closer still. “Olivia never really
wanted you to leave.” She reaches her hand out tentatively and wraps her
fingers around mine. “Neither do I, but I would feel awful starting something
with you that can never go any further if you’re wrong about the ban.”

Rational thought abandons me. “I won’t
feel bad at all,” I say as my palm slips onto her cheek.

I’m kissing her a second later, but I’m
not prepared for the impact. Her power races through me, awakening mine,
drawing it to the surface to mingle with hers hungrily. It
almost
overpowers the intoxicating touch of her lips moving against mine. My other
hand is on her face, now, and hers on mine. It seems impossible to think of
ever letting her go. Any concerns I had about being more than friends vanished
the second she admitted to wanting me. The only thing that stops me from
pulling her into my lap is the sound of laughing.

Sloane must hear it too, because she pulls
back abruptly, her face scarlet though she’s still smiling and clutching my
shirt. “I…uh, that was…unexpected.”

Mason busts up laughing. “Hayden kissing
you or the whole power thing sucking you in?” He ducks his head, but keeps
laughing.

“Dude, you knew about that?” I demand.
“Could you warn a guy?”

Shaking his head at me, Mason laughs
again. “I never thought you’d actually do it. Sorry.” Olivia smacks him on the
shoulder, but is laughing pretty hard herself.

“How did you know that would happen?” Sloane
asks in amazement.

Getting herself under control, Olivia
says, “Uh, we ran into that problem ourselves…more than once.” She laughs again
and looks right at me. “Sorry, I should have thought to warn you since I’m a
little more familiar with how impetuous you can be with stuff like this.” She
bites her lip after the barb, trying and failing to stifle another round of
laughter.

“You both suck.” I shake my head at them,
but being surprised by our power mixing was hardly a bad thing. Just thinking
about it pulls my attention back to Sloane. Not grabbing her and kissing her
until neither one of us can breathe takes every ounce of self-control I
possess.

“You were right,” Sloane says quietly.

“Right about what?” Somehow I’m only a few
inches away from her again.

“I don’t feel bad either.”

Grinning, this time I do kiss her. The
rush of power is expected this time, but no less consuming. I was hopeful
before that the ban between Escorts and Aerlings was wrong, but now I’m
convinced. Nothing this incredible could be wrong. Not only is the ban idiotic,
I’m positive now that this is exactly how it should be. How it
will
be,
if we can only find a way to destroy the Mother and set things right. Just that
one little thing. That’s all.

Chapter 26

Weapon

(Mason)

It’s frustrating not being able to help
Olivia with this. I find myself pacing relentlessly as she and Sloane sit on
the bed, focused on finding the Mother. My original plan of heading back to the
cabin first thing this morning got shut down by practicality. If Olivia’s
search proves successful. We’ll be on the road again anyway. No sense in
wasting time driving back to the cabin before Olivia begins her search.

The constant hushed discussion going on
between them makes it hard to focus on anything else. Hayden isn’t pacing, but
he hasn’t moved from his spot at the table all morning. The nervous bobbing of
his knee proves we’re in the same boat. Deciding I’ll be less of a distraction
if I sit down, I take a seat next to him.

“Is this going to work?” Hayden asks
quietly. His eyes are drawn to our packed suitcases sitting by the door. Were
we too optimistic?

“It’ll work.” Just maybe not as fast as we
were hoping. It’s only been about three hours, but I worry about how long it
will take to track someone who’s had millennia to make sure she can’t be found.

Running his hand through his hair, Hayden
sighs. “Even once we do find the Mother, what then? How do we go after her
without her knowing we’re coming?”

“We don’t,” I say. “She’ll know we’re
coming, but that’s okay. There’s still a ton we don’t know, but one thing
that’s certain is the Mother’s greed for more power. She’ll recognize what
Olivia has and she’ll want it. She won’t run.”

Frowning, Hayden looks over at me. “So,
Olivia’s basically bait?”

“It was her idea,” I say, “and it’s really
the only chance we’ve got. If the Mother takes off, I have no doubt that we’ll
never find her again. Even if Olivia can keep tracking her, we’d never be fast
enough to catch her.”

We fall back into silence as we wait. I
lose track of how long it’s been since Olivia and Sloane started their search. Half
asleep sometime later, Hayden and I both jump when Olivia says, “That’s as
close as I can get.”

She and Sloane start moving immediately
while I’m still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. “What happened?”

“Olivia has a general location, but we
don’t want to risk getting any closer yet.”

“Why not,” Hayden asks, standing and
stretching.

“We’re pretty sure the Mother will feel me
tracking her if I get too close, like we could feel it when Sloane was finding
the core of our power,” Olivia explains.

Hayden shakes his head. “But, I thought we
wanted her to know we’re coming? Bait and all that, so she doesn’t run.”

“We can’t risk her knowing about us until
we’re close enough that she can recognize Tāwhiri’s power,” Sloane says.
“She may run before that, and then she’ll be on alert for it to happen again.”

Like everything else, it’s a theory, but
it’s the best we’ve got. “Well, where are we headed?”

“East,” Olivia says, “still in the western
states, though, I think. It’s still a little hard to tell. I think Evie was
right about her being near us, to watch, I’m sure.”

“Well, let’s get a move on,” Hayden says
as he starts grabbing luggage.

Nobody has any problem with that, so we
all start grabbing bags and suitcases and we head out a few minutes later.
Olivia hangs back with me as I check out of the hotel, letting Sloane and
Hayden make their way to the car. We’re done a few minutes later. As we head
for the exit, Olivia slips her hand into mine. “Is this going to work?”

It’s the same question Hayden asked, but
my answer is different. “It has to.”

“I’m worried,” Olivia admits.

“I am too.” On so many levels, it’s getting
difficult to keep track. “She’ll want his power. She’ll come to us when we’re
ready.”

Olivia leans her head against my shoulder.
“That’s why I’m worried.”

I understand why, but I still ask. “What
do you mean?”

“Even though we were both able to access
Tāwhiri’s power last night, even if we couldn’t do much with it yet, it
won’t matter if I can’t figure out how to fix your memories,” Olivia says,
frustration lacing every word. “The Father said you know how to do what the
Mother did to her other children. It’s in there somewhere, but if you can’t
remember, we won’t win this, Mason.”

“Hey, we’ll figure it out, okay?” I
squeeze her shoulders and drop a kiss on her forehead. “We’ve gotten this far.
We’ll make it through this, too.”

She doesn’t respond, but she seems buoyed
by my optimism. I’m glad someone is. If I were being completely honest, I’d
have to admit to being pretty freaked out about not having all my memories as
well. Olivia feels responsible for helping me regain the missing pieces of my
childhood. It’s not her job, though. The Father said it was having
Tāwhiri’s power that will let us use his talents. I have his power, too.
Fixing my broken mind is my responsibility, not hers.

As soon as we’re all settled in the car,
the hunt for the Mother begins. It’s not nearly as exciting as it sounds. The
hunting is mainly done by Sloane and Olivia tracking the Mother while sitting
together in the backseat while Hayden and I occupy the front seats, turning
whichever way Olivia tells us to go. “This may go on for a while,” I say to
Hayden.

“Hey, at least it’s not a hundred-mile-an-hour
race across the country,” Hayden says with a laugh. “I’m good with slow and
steady at this point. Although, I’m not looking forward to the amount of
homework I’m going to have to catch up on when this is over.”

I shake my head and laugh. Trust Hayden to
be worried about something like that right now. Attending school as a visible
person really freaked me out, to be perfectly honest, but I’d take it over
having to face the Mother any day.

Soon, the car settles into a tense
silence, Olivia only interrupting when she needs me to change directions. That doesn’t
happen very often, since the Mother seems to be staying fairly close to
wherever she calls home. So, we just drive. My mind soon becomes occupied with
watching the other cars on the road with us.

It’s hours later when I pull off the
interstate to refuel that I notice the car that’s been behind us for the last
while pulls off as well, but doesn’t get any gas. Maybe that wouldn’t seem so
odd if they had gotten out to get a snack or use the restroom, but they don’t.
Whoever is driving simply waits in their car until we pull away from the
station. Then they follow.

As I start to pull out onto the on ramp, I
catch sight of a familiar face and clench my jaw. I can tell Hayden has noticed
something is wrong by the way he sits up and begins looking around slowly. The
girls are still absorbed in tracking the Mother, and I’d prefer to keep it that
way. Glancing at Hayden, I tilt my head to indicate he should look behind us.
He does, turning back around a second later with a scowl.

“Plan?”

“There’s a rest area a few miles up
ahead.”

That’s all I say. Hayden nods.

Four and a half miles later, I signal to
exit and pull into the deceleration lane. Both the girls look up in confusion
when they realize we’re stopping. Instead of asking what’s wrong, their eyes
dart around the windows as they look for the reason. They find it. Sloane ducks
down in her seat, but Olivia only frowns.

“He said he would help us.”

“Yeah, well, creeping along behind us
without making himself known isn’t really a sign of someone you want to trust.”
Pulling into a parking space, I shove the gear shift into park and get out to
face the man that has haunted me my entire life. Hands pulled into fists, I
stand my ground as Tū exits his own car. I’m vaguely surprised to realize
he’s alone.

Stepping away from the car and closer to
him, I say, “Surprising that you even need a car after the stunt you pulled at
the hotel yesterday.”

Tū smirks. “What can I say, becoming
truly invisible is a talent of mine. I’m not Superman, however. Flying is a bit
beyond me. Plus, I try to be as inconspicuous as possible. Keeps you alive
longer.”

“Why are you following us?”

Shrugging, Tū says, “You don’t trust
me, I don’t trust you…fair enough, I suppose.”

“Not trusting you has nothing to do with
needing your help. Plus, you can find us wherever we go.”

“I can find you, yes,” Tū says, the
hint of a bite to his voice, “but as I said, I can’t fly, nor can I teleport.
If you
children
don’t notify me in time, and the Mother finds you before
I can, all of this will have been for nothing. You cannot win against her
without me.”

He’s certainly right, but I have some
serious doubts about that being his only motivation for helping us. “And what
happens after that?” I ask. “After the Mother is gone and the barrier has
fallen. What then, Tū? Do you really expect to just go home? I don’t think
you’ll find the welcome you’re hoping for, even if the Aerlings all know the
truth about the war. The only truth they’re going to care about is the sons and
daughters you’ve murdered. That, they will never forget or forgive. You know it,
so you must have another plan.”

Moving stiffly, full of anger at being
questioned, Tū stalks toward me. “My plans are my own and have nothing to
do with you or this mission.” The second I am within his reach, he grabs my
shirt and yanks me up onto my toes. “Concern yourself with surviving the battle
against the Mother.
After
is not your concern.” He tosses me away from
him in disgust.

“You want to rule, don’t you,” I snarl.
“You think you’ll be able to go back home with your Sentinels and take control
in the aftermath. You’re insane.”

My words ignite his fury and he tosses me
to the ground. I’m back up a second later, holding one hand out to keep
everyone else away. This is between me and him. “They’ll never follow you. You
go home, and maybe they won’t be able to kill you, but they’ll make you
suffer.”

“They’ll never have enough power to oppose
me!” Tū shouts.

“A world full of angry Aerlings? I
wouldn’t be so sure.”

“It won’t matter,” Tū growls.
“They’ll understand when I arrive. I did what I had to do to save them. All
Tāwhiri ever did was hide and drain their world. I can fix all of this. I
can restore the Aerlings to their glory and purpose. We’ve fallen so far, so
far from what we were meant to be. I have to set it right!”

“They’ll never understand you murdering
their children,” I snap.

The accusation breaks him. I barely have
time to respond before he launches himself at me. I reach for my power in
desperation, but his hits me first. Flying backward, I scramble to save myself.
Throwing air behind me, I halt my flight in a painful stop. Trying to catch my
breath is impossible as Tū is suddenly on top of me, slamming me down into
the gravel.

His hand presses down on my chest,
squeezing my lungs, and suddenly I am five years old again. The broken memory
of that day assaults me, not giving me what I need, but fueling my horror. I
reach out in panic, my hand pressing to his face as I try to fight off his body
and power alike. He shoves his energy at me, furious and intent on subduing me,
but I rebel against it as I did that day when my five-year-old self lashed out
in terror.

Power bursts out of me, but gets thrown
back in my face in an instant. It’s such a shock, I react on impulse, pulling
it back into me, hoarding it, protecting it. It’s all I can do, so I keep
pulling as desperation sets in. The sudden scream that tears out of Tū
would have sent me to the ground if I wasn’t already there. The others are all
cringing on the ground, hands over their ears as he pulls back from me howling.
The moment lasts only a second before I’m scrambling back up to my feet to see
Tū running back to his car, one hand pressed against his face.

“What the hell just happened?” Hayden
demands as Tū’s car goes tearing out of the parking lot.

Olivia and Sloane rush over to us a moment
later, Sloane’s wide eyes are terrified and excited at the same time. “His
scar! You changed it, Mason. Before he hid it from you, it was worse. A lot
worse. Whatever you did, it affected him!”

“What did you do?” Olivia and Hayden
demand at once.

I’m not sure, so I only shrug. I was just
trying to protect my power from him, pull it back to me to save myself against
another attack. Before I can even think of how to respond, Sloane’s hands are
pressed on either side of my face. I start to ask her what she’s doing, but her
power slamming into my body shuts me up. It only takes her a second before
she’s pulling away, leaving me gasping with my hands on my knees.

“I felt it before,” Sloane says excitedly,
“but I had no idea what it was. Just this one little piece, this fragment of
power. It seemed out of place, foreign, but it was just that little bit. But
now there’s more!”

Her eyes dart around the circle, expecting
us to all jump up and join in her excitement, but not a single one of us has a
clue what she’s talking about. Realizing this, she says, “It’s Tū’s power,
Mason! The tiny bit that’s always been there must be from when you met him as a
kid. Now there’s more. You stole more of his power. It’s inside you right now!”