The Reluctant Amazon (Alliance of the Amazons) (23 page)

The bathroom door opened, and Rebecca walked out. “I knew you
were close.” She held her arms open and Sarita rushed to her. “I’m starving.
Anyone for pancakes?”

“Pancakes?” Johann cocked his head. “Why pancakes?”

Rebecca shrugged. “Don’t know. Just wanted something different.
And I’ve been craving maple syrup since Gina ate something sweet this
morning.”

“Krispy Kreme with maple frosting.” Gina ran a tongue over her
lips. “
Warm
Krispy Kreme.”

“See?” Rebecca turned back to Artair. “Told you she had
something better than berries.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Well then, let’s
eat.”

* * *

“First thing I’m doing when we get Avalon back is
upgrading,” Johann said as he scanned the menu.

“Upgrading?” Artair asked.

“Yeah. If our enemies are into concussion grenades, then so are
we. They’ve stepped up the game. We’re fighting something other than zombies
now. We’re fighting technology.”

“Aye. You’re right, lad. ’Tis time the Amazons had help with
modern things.” His voice was hushed with defeat.

Rebecca had no idea how to fix things. She reached under the
table for his hand. Now that he’d decided to stay, would he be able to take a
lesser role as Johann turned the Amazons into a modern fighting force? Could she
possibly learn all the new weapons Johann continued to rattle off in a stream of
words?

“Where in the hell did they get power like that? A helicopter?
Semi-automatic weapons?” she asked Artair.

“People from all walks of life worship Ancients and demigs—even
congressmen and generals. Perhaps some offered weapons to whoever started this
nightmare.”

“May I take your order?”

No one looked up as they placed their orders. Crowded into a
large booth, the five chose everything from pancakes to steak to strawberry
shakes. The waitress had to clear her throat loudly before anyone finally paid
attention to her.

“Oh, my God!” Rebecca squealed when she locked eyes with the
woman. “Freya? Is that you?”

“’Tis about time one of you noticed. A goddess, and yet I am
ignored,” she replied with a dejected huff.

Rebecca couldn’t think of anything more surreal than seeing the
beautiful goddess dressed in a beige waitress uniform, a white apron tied around
her hips and a bandana holding back her white-blond hair. “What are you
doing?”

“I am here to help you find my Amazons.”

Rebecca wasn’t sure what to think. “But Ix Chel said—”

Freya gave a curt nod toward Gina. “Ix Chel is not concerned
because
her
Amazon is not missing, is she? Ix Chel
can do as she pleases, but
I
intend to help you in
the quest to save Frida and Megan.”

Artair arched an eyebrow. “Do you nae fear retribution by the
Ancients?”

“Nay. They would know I have my reasons. Good reasons. But this
ruse will help me keep my assistance secret so perhaps the other Ancients will
not care to notice.” She hurried away and shoved the orders under the clip for
the cook before coming back to the table. “I bring you news. I have discovered
where my Megan waits, and I suspect Frida is close as well.”

Rebecca lost her appetite as dread washed over her. “Where’s
Megan?” she asked, even though she somehow already knew the answer.

“In the warehouse where Trishna perished.”

She swallowed the bile bubbling in the back of her throat. “How
do you know?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer, feeling her
intuition that this would end in tragedy so strongly, she fairly drowned in
it.

“Because I felt her powers leave her. Our bond is very close. I
can sense she faces danger. I can taste her fear. You must help her, Rebecca
Massee. I fear you and the Amazons are my Megan’s only hope.” The goddess looked
around the nearly empty restaurant, gave them all a nod and then disappeared in
a bright burst of light.

Rebecca locked eyes with Artair. “Jersey. It had to be freakin’
Jersey again.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Déjà vu.” Rebecca laid her cheek against Artair’s
shoulder as they sat together in the back of the van.

He nodded. “’Tis Trishna all over again.”

Johann sat against the other side of the van as he quietly
talked to Sarita and Gina.

With her overwhelming fear for Megan, Rebecca was having a hard
time reining in her temper. “Is there a particular reason you three don’t want
to share what you’re talking about with us? We’ve been here before. We lost a
friend here. Don’t you think we should be working together?”

The surprise on Johann’s face told her he hadn’t realized he
was excluding her and Artair. Air and Water had learned to depend on Johann in
the same way she and Megan had always leaned on Artair and Sparks. If they
didn’t start cooperating, things were only going to get worse. A lot worse.

“I’m sorry, Rebecca. We’re looking at the blueprints.” Johann
moved closer, as did the other Amazons until they formed a circle. “Kinda just
used to it being the three of us. I’m your Sentinel too.”

Artair growled low in his throat, and she had no doubt he was
controlling what could have been a nasty burst of anger, probably at another man
naming himself her protector. All she knew for sure was that Megan was inside
the building. Not because Freya had told her, but because she could now feel
Megan as strongly as ever, and she shared her sister’s fear.

Rebecca tried to think of ways they could go after her without
making the same mistakes they’d made with Trishna’s bungled rescue.

Rebecca took charge. “Let’s assume that everything’s the same.
Megan will be tied up somewhere in that huge room, like a sitting duck. We all
went charging in after Trishna and—” She remembered the times she had tried to
take Artair down in the sandpit. She’d always gone at him from the front, trying
to attack him head-on. And he’d always dropped her on her ass. Her mistake was
clear as a beam of sunlight streaming from a summer sky. “Oh my God. We were
stupid. All that did was make us vulnerable. We’ve got to come at this from a
bunch of different angles.”

“Aye.” Artair threw her a quick nod. “Gina, do you think you
can get on the roof? There are skylights you could use to slip inside.”

“I can break one open and be on the floor in a couple of
seconds.”

“A good plan, lass. The rest of us can come from other
entrances.”

Johann held up his cell for everyone to see. The screen glowed
with the same small blueprint of the building Rebecca had seen on Megan’s phone
the day they’d lost Trishna. A shiver ran the length of her spine.

“There are three main entrances, but look—” He pointed to the
screen. “—there are some other ways inside. Here’s an exhaust port for the
ventilation system. Since this place is a ghost town, the fans are idle, so
it’ll be safe to crawl through. Sarita? Think you can handle that?”

Sarita gave a snappy salute with a bit of sass added. “Yes,
sir. Very small lady willing to wiggle through tiny places.”

Artair pointed to the blueprint. “There appears to be an office
here, but it’s on an upper level. Did you see it last time, Becca?”

“Yeah. It’s up on a platform, kinda like a small second floor
with a balcony. Must be the manager’s office so he could keep an eye on the
workers. Maybe I can get up to a window, climb through and get a few arrows off
before they even know I’m there. If I’m lucky, Jin will be there and I can sink
one in the bastard’s chest.”

“You’ll have to climb, lass.”

“I can do this.”

He pointed at the blueprint on the cell again. “Johann, you and
I shall take these windows. We must not all rush to Megan. That’s what they’ll
expect. Only I will go after her as you guard my back.”

“I’ll get Megan,” Johann said. Artair shook his head, but
Johann insisted. “I need to get Megan.”

“She’s my charge,” Artair replied.

“I’m her Sentinel too. Let me do this, MacKay. Please.”

A few long seconds ticked by before Artair nodded. “I’ll guard
your back.” To the Amazons, he said, “We all come out. Understand? We
all
come out, including Megan. Watch your backs. Gina,
do you sense how many revenants we face?”

Gina closed her eyes and wrinkled her nose. “I think thirty,
but there might be more. They’re corralled together like cattle, and
they’re…
hungry.
”

“I didn’t need to know that,” Sarita said with a shudder. “I
don’t want to be some dead thing’s dinner.”

Johann threw her a glare. “If you’re not ready for this…”

Sarita shook her head. “That’s not what I said. I’ve just never
fought a real—” She straightened her spine. “I’ll be fine, Sentinel.”

“Damn right, you will be.” Then he winked. “Besides, you’re so
little, you’d be a snack, not dinner.”

Sarita narrowed her eyes. “You better stay away from puddles,
Johann. You never know when one will splash up to hit you right in the
face.”

The threat held weight, considering Water could send water
hurtling at anyone. The new Sentinel was going to get soaked.

Artair opened the door and hopped out of the van, the rest of
the group right behind him. He tugged the cover off the weapons cache. “Let us
arm up, everyone.” He picked up a sword and a dirk.

Rebecca picked up a few more blessed arrows, jammed them into
her already full quiver and grabbed a rope with a grappling hook. “I’m off to
scale that wall. See you all inside.”

She turned to leave, but Artair caught her wrist. He pulled her
back, cupped her face and planted a deep kiss on her lips before he pressed the
hilt of a dagger into her palm. “Be careful.”

She slid the knife into her waistband. “You, too.” She hated
the catch in her voice, not wanting him to think she didn’t have faith in
him.

Hurrying around the side of the building, she felt no fear. The
beat of her heart echoed in her ears, and the expectation of battle made blood
surge through her veins. She was anxious. She was excited. She was eager.

But she wasn’t afraid.

Uncoiling the rope, she grabbed the large metal hook and stared
up at the window. With one good toss, the muted shattering of glass told her she
had succeeded in her goal. First tugging on the rope then dangling from it to be
sure it stayed anchored, she took a deep breath and started to scale the
wall.

Rebecca quickly found herself staring through the enormous
dirty window into an abandoned office. The hole her hook made in the window was
only one of several broken panes. A small stroke of luck found one of the panels
above the locking mechanism completely missing. Sliding her hand through the
metal frame, she flicked open the lock. Bracing herself against the wall, she
tugged the window open.

Slipping inside the dark room, she stopped to listen for
movement. She sensed Gina creeping across the roof and Sarita in the dark
tunnel, working her way inside. Thankfully, Megan came through as strong as if
Fire stood right next to her. Closing her eyes, she tried to share Megan’s
experience.

The images forming in Rebecca’s mind seemed like a hazy dream.
A man—Asian with dark, evil eyes—smiled down at her.
Jin.
He held a jeweled athame, waving the knife in front of Megan’s
face. Leaning in, he breathed against her cheek then ran his tongue over her
skin, licking her from chin to ear.

Rebecca shuddered, severing her connection with her sister and
vowing to kill the demon, even if it was the last thing she ever did in this
lifetime.

She eased out of the office, crouched in the shadows and
reached over her shoulder to grab an arrow. Notching it in her bow, she moved
forward. Tied to a support beam, Megan was held tight against the column with a
thick rope, her wrists bound. Rebecca dropped back into the shadows and silently
cursed that she didn’t have a clear shot at Jin.

A loud crash echoed through the warehouse. A revenant fell from
the skylight and landed face-first on the floor. A moment later, Gina was
crouching next to the zombie. Rising, she pulled her sword. She beheaded the
clumsy revenant, then took several long, determined strides toward Jin.

The place erupted into bedlam.

Artair’s battle cry echoed through the cavernous building as he
charged in, sword ready.

Revenants poured through the doors, pushing their way inside
and spreading like a plague of locusts. The ones who rushed toward Artair soon
fell headless at his feet.

Johann entered from the other side of the warehouse, attacking
the revenants that seemed to keep piling inside.

Sarita suddenly emerged from the shadows, sword drawn.

Rebecca had to fight the urge to drop the bow, unsheathe her
sword and join the fray. She took a couple of steadying breaths. Her job was to
kill the demon. Drawing her shooting string back, she targeted him, waiting for
the opportunity to bury her arrow in his flesh.

“It’s a trap for Earth! Get out of here!” Megan shouted. “Just
leave me!”

Jin drew back his hand and slapped her face so hard her head
fell against her shoulder.

Wanting to scream a reassurance back at her, Rebecca bit her
tongue until she drew blood.
“I won’t leave you!”
her mind roared.
“Listen to me, Megan. I won’t leave
you!”

Megan regained her senses quickly and bravely pressed on.
“Listen to me! They want
Earth,
not
Fire!
Just go! Artie, get my sister out of here!”

Rebecca didn’t have time to ponder the hidden message in the
words. Megan kicked Jin. Freya was right. She’d lost her powers. It was the only
explanation for why Megan hadn’t reduced the demon to a pile of ash or shifted
into a hawk to free herself from her bonds.

The revenants fell one by one to the swords of the Amazons and
the Sentinels, but Rebecca’s opportunity for a shot still didn’t come. She
cursed, feeling helpless. A quake wouldn’t help, and she couldn’t bring vines
through the thick concrete floor.

The warehouse grew quiet. Rebecca kept her bow drawn, stilling
her tense, shaking arms. She had to be ready. Headless revenants littered the
floor like some gruesome carpet. Johann stepped over them, slowly working his
way toward Megan.

Jin’s face became a mask of fear. He cut the ropes holding
Megan and turned her to be his shield. Wrapping his arm around her and holding
his athame to her throat, he shouted, “Stop or I’ll kill her. Fire will die
right before your eyes. All I want is Earth. Where is she?”

Artair took position at Johann’s back. “Earth? Why would ye
want Earth?”

“My master needs her. Just bring her forth, and you may have
this one.” Jin ran his tongue around Megan’s ear. “A sweet piece of meat, but
not who my master wants. I prefer blondes.”

Megan slammed her head back against Jin’s face. “Don’t touch me
again, you fucking slimeball.”

Even as blood began to trickle from his nose, Jin chuckled.

Rebecca kept her aim on the demon. She reached out with her
thoughts to tell Megan to duck, but the connection didn’t seem to work. Probably
because things were too tense or because Megan’s powers were gone. God, how she
wanted to empty her entire quiver of arrows in the demon’s body.

“You fool,” Johann taunted. Locking eyes with Megan, he let a
cocky smile cross his lips. “You’ve got the wrong Amazon. You’re about to kill
the one you came for.” He inclined his head at Megan. “She’s Earth.”

The demon wrinkled his brow and frowned. “How can this redhead
be Earth?” He fluffed Megan’s loose hair with the athame before putting the
blade back against her throat. He shook his head. “No, you try to confuse me.
This is Fire, not Earth. I was told
this
was
Fire.”

“Have you ever heard of Miss Clairol, you dipshit?” Megan
asked. “I hate being a blonde. People think I’m stupid. So I dye my hair.”

Jin tightened his hold on Megan, pressing his blade against her
skin, drawing a few beads of blood. “If you’re Earth, bring forth a quake. Make
the ground tremble.”

“You stupid asshole. You had that damn shaman take away my
powers the second you nabbed me, remember? You didn’t even ask if you had the
right Amazon, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell you who I was.” Megan
chuckled with pure bravado. “You’re an idiot, you know that?”

Jin dropped his hold, turned Megan and backhanded her across
the face.

With a growl, Johann took a step toward them.

After pulling Megan in front of him again, Jin waved the
athame. “Do you want me to kill her?”

“You won’t kill her,” Artair said as he calmly wiped his bloody
sword on the shirt of a headless revenant. “Your master wants her. He wanted you
to draw out Earth. Well, you’ve had her all along, and you’re threatening to
kill her. Nae really a smart move, demon.” He took a couple of threatening steps
toward Jin, and Rebecca’s heart leaped to her throat.

“You shall be next, Sentinels,” Jin said, brandishing the blade
toward Johann then Artair.

“You cannae kill us, demon,” Artair replied.

Jin’s laughter raised gooseflesh on Rebecca’s skin. “You think
I don’t know your weak spot? All I have to do is put my blade in your heart and
you’re dead before you hit the ground.”

Rebecca kept her aim on Jin.
Think!
How could she aid the Sentinels’ ruse?

She put the bow down, seized the dagger Artair had given her
and sliced a scrap of cloth from her shirt. Hurriedly wrapping it around an
arrowhead, she grabbed Sparks’s lighter, flicked it and set the material on
fire. She notched the flaming arrow and sent it in a tall arch that ended at
Jin’s feet.

“Here’s your Fire, you freakin’ moron!”

Holding her breath, Rebecca waited for Jin to see right through
the trick. But from the wide-eyed look on his face, she’d rattled him. He hadn’t
seen her up on the balcony, and he kept shifting his gaze from the burning arrow
to her and back again. She flashed him a smug smile.