Unchained

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Page 17

 

  From that fifty percent, the Nephilim saved only twenty percent. The Fallen got to the rest.

  Once again, sheer statistics.

  So yeah, they were screwed.

  He wondered why he was still sitting there instead of packing up everything he owned and leaving town. He was on the losing side, but he didn’t leave. And honestly, wouldn’t it all eventually catch up with him anyway? Thinking back to reasons why he’d left his comfy job and joined the police force, he began to understand a part of him that had lain dormant. This whole time he had been searching for something missing in his life. The elusive purpose people always talked about. He thought being a police officer would seal up the hole in him. But it had only been a step in the right direction.

  A step that had led him to Lily—and the truth about himself.

  He explored the Sanctuary, lost in his own thoughts. He learned the security-firm portion of the Sanctuary was one of the best. It offered protection to some of the world’s richest people and provided software security for the top companies in the world. He saw more than one supercompany listed on documents carried by one human or another. Fucking unreal.

  Over the course of the day, he realized he was able to pick out the other Nephilim who mingled among the human workforce. A strange tingling sensation appeared before a Nephilim stepped off the elevator in front of him or walked past the door.

  After wandering the upper levels, he went underground. Without asking who he was, the guards stepped aside, allowing him access to the real Sanctuary. Underground, his senses were firing left and right. There were Nephilim everywhere. Aboveground, the humans at least smiled at him, but the Nephilim didn’t look his way as they passed. Even more strange was the fact that he had not seen one single female Nephilim.

  The first level was laid out like a school. It had several occupied classrooms. He heard muted laughter and a young female voice hushing the students, and his curiosity got the best of him. He peered into the room.

  It was like any normal kindergarten class, with a dozen children scurrying about the room carrying construction paper and crayons. A slender teacher stood at the head of the classroom, a patient smile fixed across her pretty face. It was then he noticed a little girl Nephilim with paint staining her chubby hands. So now he knew of two female Nephilim. The teacher he wasn’t sure about.

  Moving past that room, he glanced into a couple more. There were students of all ages, and some seemed near graduation age. This level had its own cafeteria, playground, and what he guessed was a basketball court by the sounds echoing from behind closed doors. The second and third floors were housing levels for the students, and one looked like a giant Toys R Us store. He quickly backed out of there. Sighing, he moved onto the fourth level, and it was like finding Heaven.

  The amount of weapons stored there would have made the militia’s mouth water. Michael slowly made his way down the hallway. Each room was the size of a gymnasium and had a theme. In one room, guns of all sizes lined the walls. All of them had cryptic writing engraved into their handles or on their barrels. Some were models he had never seen before.

  Another room was littered with explosives and detonating devices. Michael didn’t like the looks of it and found another room housing razor-sharp knives and swords ranging from samurai to the small daggers Lily carried. All were polished and, like the guns, had strange images carved into them. He wanted to touch them—all of them—but the sound of sparring drew his attention.

  At the end of the hallway, he found several large training rooms. Inside one, he immediately recognized Remy sparring with a younger Nephilim. He clearly outskilled the deeply tanned teenager, but he was patient as the boy fumbled over his feet or dropped his sword.

  In another corner, several older Nephilim were teaching Brazilian jujitsu to a rapt audience. Farther back, men were grappling. At first glance, Michael thought they were really fighting because of the intensity in the way they went after one another and the hard falls some were taking. He was surprised when a brown-haired Nephilim stood up and laughed as he used the back of his hand to wipe blood off his split lip.

  The swarthy-skinned Nephilim grinned. “Your twin fights better than you. ”

  “Whatever. ” The other man laughed again. “I’m better than him on all other levels. Ones that count outside the training room. ”

  Both men grinned, falling back into defensive stances.

  Michael backed away, heading for the next level before he could be spotted. On the fifth floor were additional housing quarters, each one under lock and key. The key to his was securely in his pocket.

  Knowing there was only one more level to investigate, he was curious when he found guards posted at the sixth level. Apparently he didn’t have clearance for that floor and was turned away. He returned to the seventh level, where his room was, and decided to poke around there. He knew it held chambers meant for housing, a library, and a large computer lab.

  Drifting through the library, he scanned the stacks. Several of the books were in languages he couldn’t read. There were many bibles of various ages and versions. On the bottom shelf, way in the back, he found some volumes of mythology. One in particular caught his eye.

  “The Book of Enoch,” he said, and crouched down. “You’ve got to be kidding. ”

  Sliding out the ancient book, he cracked the spine. A plume of dust hit the air. He thumbed through some of the aged pages. “And they became pregnant, and they bore great giants, whose height was three thousand ells: Who consumed all the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain them, the giants turned against them and devoured mankind. They began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another’s flesh, and drink the blood. ” Whoa. Michael shook his head, but he was morbidly fascinated by it all.

  Just as he read a verse about God, Uriel, and Noah—as in Noah’s Ark—someone cleared his throat behind him. He looked up, finding Nathaniel standing between the two stacks.

  “I see you’ve discovered the library,” Nathaniel said.

  He nodded. “I haven’t heard of half of these books. And this?” He waved the dusty volume around. “Crazy. ”

  Nathaniel smiled. “No, you wouldn’t have. ”

  “Of course not…” He glanced around the room. “So you’re Nathaniel?”

  “I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to introduce myself. I’ve been extremely busy and was hoping Luke would keep you occupied. ”

  “He has been, but I guess he thought I needed a break. ”

  Nathaniel smiled. “Sensory overload, I take it?”

  He laughed, but it sounded rough. “You have no idea. ” He watched Nathaniel slowly come to a halt before him and was struck by how tall he was. Michael was by no means short, but standing next to Nathaniel he felt like an ant. An old accent he couldn’t place clung to the man’s words. Maybe Mediterranean by the look of his naturally tanned skin and the russet color of his hair. “How is Lily?”

  “She’s fine. No need to worry about her. She is a very strong girl. ”

  Michael could think of numerous words to describe her. Not one of them was the word girl. “You run this place?”

  One fine brow arched. “As much as I can. Although I find it runs me more often than not. ”

  Michael was growing more uncomfortable by the moment. The man’s stare made him feel as if Nathaniel could see into his very soul and flip through all his secrets. Not that he had any secrets that rivaled what the Sanctuary held. He shifted, folding his arms over his chest.

  Nathaniel cocked his head to the side. “May I ask you a question?” When Michael nodded, he continued. “All these years you have slipped past us and the Fallen unnoticed. It’s a very curious situation. Have you ever sensed one of us before?”

  “I don’t think so,” he answered truthfully. “If I had, I would have ignored it or chalked it up to some bad food. Now, I can’t explain it. I can…feel them�
�the other Nephilim. ”

  “I’m assuming that side of you has lain dormant. However, I’ve been advised that you have worked closely with Danyal. I’m at a loss to explain how he did not sense what you are and vice versa. ”

  “Well, wasn’t my name in that book? I guess someone dropped the ball. ” Looking back, Michael would’ve been grateful if Nathaniel’s crew had found him. Living here would have been a lot easier than being shuffled from one foster home to another.

  A strange shadow flickered over Nathaniel’s face. “That’s the mystery, Michael. Your name never appeared in the Book. ”

  He wasn’t sure how to take that. The idea that there was a book where names of Nephilim would randomly appear seemed preposterous to him. Then again, all of this would have struck him that way a week ago.

  Nathaniel tilted his head as if he heard something. “I do believe Remy is calling for you. You have a lot to learn ahead. ” He paused and smiled slightly. “Your training will be intense. But I have faith in you. You will struggle like all Nephilim do at the beginning, but you’ll pull through. You see, Michael, you’re very special. ”

  “Special?” he repeated, not sure if it was an insult or not. But Nathaniel had already left him alone. Sighing, he glanced down at the book. It was probably the lamest reading material he could’ve ever found, but he tucked it under his arm and left the library.

  Chapter Twelve

  Lily checked out her reflection in the window of the Sanctuary. Smoothing down the wild waves, she studied her expression. She looked normal, not like she had spent the night having mind-blowing orgasms. It wasn’t like “I fooled around with Julian” was stamped across her face. God, she hoped not—she’d be mortified. Okay, not mortified. Strangely, she wasn’t ashamed by what she did. She knew she should be but couldn’t find an ounce of regret in her.

  Maybe orgasms wiped out common sense.

  If that was the case, then she had none left considering how many she’d had over the last twelve hours. She was surprised the muscles in her legs still worked. After falling asleep in Julian’s arms, she had been awakened by a deep kiss directed at a very private place. She had protested at first, but he had coaxed her through it.

  A rush of heated memories forced her eyes closed. She had things she needed to do, but the way his tongue had teased her…and he had done it over and over. Never once did he enter her, not even when she had begged. Damn, she had begged, too. A lot. She had only pulled herself out of his arms an hour ago. She wasn’t surprised when she found him gone after her quick shower, but the single red rose that had been left on her counter had startled her. Even more shocking was her reaction to it. She’d immediately grabbed an unused vase and filled it with water, placing the rose near a window. The stupid smile spread across her face again.

  Sighing, she rushed through the reception hall and greeted Sandy. “Hey, girl. ”

  “How is your arm?”

  Lily glanced down at the bandage. “Ah, it’s doing great. ”

  Sandy smiled, murmuring her relief. After asking Sandy about her latest boyfriend, she left the reception hall and waited for the underground elevator, not paying attention to the tingle that shifted down her spine. At the Sanctuary, you learned to ignore that feeling since the place was teeming with Nephilim.