Taste

by Claire Farrell

  “He knows everything?”

  I shook my head. “I told him there was something dangerous happening, and she needed to be someplace safe.”

  “And he went along with it?”

  “That’s the kind of person he is, or at least was when I knew him.” I rubbed my eyes, trying to control the panic that crept around my head. “He thinks I left because he hurt me. All these years, and he didn’t have a clue what really happened. He wasn’t hurt. I must have… must have healed him or something. Weird, eh?”

  “That’s one word for it. You okay?”

  “Just odd, seeing him out of the blue. He looks the same, except broader. And his hair’s different.” I smiled. “It was kind of nice to know he’s okay.”

  “I get that. I hope Maria feels the same way about me some day.”

  When I glared at him, he winced, but the fight left me in an instant. “Tell me what’s happening.”

  “Look at me. I’ve disappeared again, and I don’t have an excuse to give her.” He glanced around. “I can’t keep doing this to her. It’s not fair, and it’s not workable. The only way she and I could maybe last is if I told her the truth, and I can’t do that to her. Even if I could tell her, how would she react? I’m a completely different person now. I’m not the man she fell in love with, and I’m stuck in this. She doesn’t have to be.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and held me close. “We’re some pair, Ava.”

  I opened my mouth to say something when a blood-curdling scream sliced through the air. One of our warning systems.

  “Get them downstairs,” I yelled at Carl as I took out my dagger.

  He moved without a word, already knowing the drill. The six of us with weapons circled around the retreating bodies, making sure nothing got by us.

  Ten figures—cloaked, faces covered, weapons in hand—jumped over the gates and ran straight for us, just like the one who had entered the sanctuary. I would have bet anything that they were all tattooed. Maybe they had slave brands, too.

  Esther stuck her fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. She seemed more like herself than I had seen in a while.

  She glanced at me, a wry smile on her face. “Ready?”

  “Now’s the time,” I called as the figures came closer.

  A growl to the left alerted me to the fact Val was changing form. The approaching figures slowed at the sight of the hellhound, and I chuckled under my breath. Gabe and his own personal Guard came up behind our attackers. We surrounded the intruders, but they wouldn’t give up without a fight. I could respect that.

  “Gatecrashing is rude,” I whispered to the one closest to me, right before my dagger connected with his throat. That one fell, and I moved on to the next one, jumping out of the way of Val’s mace before it crushed a third attacker’s arm. Another attempted to trip me up but was taken down by one of Ry’s arrows. He gave me a thumbs-up and aimed elsewhere.

  “Don’t kill every one of them,” I called out as Esther and Lorcan both took down one each.

  Lorcan’s face was blood-splattered and determined, and Esther’s had hardened. We were all set on protecting our own. That was our best chance of winning any battle that came our way.

  “I have one,” Gabe said, holding a slumped figure. “Finish off the rest.”

  So we went to work.

  ***

  Val pinned the bald man on the same table where Folsom’s body had lain. He was thin and pale-skinned, with a spiralling tattoo on one side of his face. It wasn’t exactly the same as the other fighter’s, but I could see the similarities in the turn of the curves and the shading. So far, he had refused to speak.

  “What is he?” I asked.

  Gabe glared down at him. “I don’t know. That’s the problem.”

  “I’m still certain the tattoo is Raven’s work,” Val said. “No brand that I can see, though.”

  “Still no getting away from the fact that they’re part of a team. Why come here?”

  “Assassins,” Val spat. “Why else attack innocents?”

  “But how did they know to come today?” I glanced at Gabe, who squeezed his eyes shut. “Gabe? How did they know?”

  He opened his eyes and gazed at me steadily. “I purposely informed the Council I needed extra protection today. I needed to know for sure. There’s no going back now. There are traitors amongst us.”

  The attacker came to life. “You’re the traitor. Hiding what we need.” His voice wasn’t his own, and his eyes bubbled for a couple of seconds before exploding in a bloody mess.

  We all stepped back in disgust as the assassin’s entire body fizzled as if soaked in acid. He disintegrated into a disgusting blob on the floor.

  “Well,” Gabe said. “That was interesting.”

  “That’s one way of putting it,” I said. “What the hell was that?”

  “Some kind of safeguard.” Val sounded furious. “To stop him from talking, possibly.”

  “Weird,” I whispered.

  “This has become a lot more complicated,” Gabe said. “I may be in danger.”

  “I’m more concerned about everyone else, to be honest,” I said wryly. “Someone thinks you’re a traitor. Someone knows you are.”

  “Someone is playing a dangerous game,” he replied, his brow furrowing. “I wonder what exactly they know. How many are involved. From here on out, we can’t trust a soul.”

  “Thank feck we’re moving on from here,” I said. “I’m not comfortable about how that journey might go down. Can we trust your vehicles now?”

  He shook his head. “Afraid not. What I don’t understand is where these attackers sprouted from. They’re a secret group, obviously, but who’s responsible for them? They can’t have come together just for us, so what have they been trained to do? And just how long has it been going on?”

  “Erossi’s always been a bit of a dick,” I said.

  “But he’s too cocky to hide his own dedicated group of warriors,” Gabe said.

  “Unless he’s playing everyone,” I suggested. “Val, do you think we can walk the entire group out of here without getting anyone killed?”

  “Only if we leave now.”

  I nodded. “Go tell them to move. We’ll take a look outside and see if there’s any sign of anyone else approaching.”

  “This is dangerous, Ava,” Gabe said as he followed me outside.

  “Life is, apparently. Gabe, is there anything you can do for degenerative-type diseases? Could a miracle work on an old person, for example, someone who’s having trouble with their mind?”

  “What kind of trouble?”

  “Alzheimer’s, that kind of thing.”

  He shook his head. “I can’t undo something like that. It’s a part of aging for a lot of people. Once you reach that stage, it’s too late.”

  “Yeah, but it has to be fixable. You have to be able to heal it. You work miracles, for fuck’s sake.”

  “What’s going on with you?”

  “My grandmother.”

  “The one you don’t care about.”

  I made a face. “Shut up. She’s losing her mind, thinking she’s in the past, and Wesley told me that she gets distressed when she remembers me. I think our past is hurting her.”

  “Wesley?”

  I cleared my throat. “Someone I used to know. Is it possible that what happened before… that she’s reliving the worst bits?”

  “Very possible. But like I said, there isn’t a lot you can do for that kind of thing.”

  I sighed. “What’s the point of living in a world with magic if stuff is still incurable?”

  He looked away, flexing his fingers in a way that reminded me of Peter. “Everything comes with a price. I’m going to check out the front. You take a look at the boundaries and make sure nobody’s hiding out.”

  I watched him walk away, surprised at the difference in his attitude since I’d stood up to him. Well, tricked him, technically. He had begun to tre
at me with a kind of respect, to act more… human. But half the time, he still seemed massively depressed. Maybe we were a bad influence on him.

  I skirted along the boundary walls, sending out my other senses that I used to pick up on energy. I caught sight of some red, pulsing humans in the distance and a stark white light at the edge of Folsom’s property. Within the grounds, I saw nothing because the magic guarding the place shrouded the things I could usually access. The lock was gone, but the cover remained. Interesting.

  I climbed onto the wall in an attempt to see the grounds clearly. There was nothing out there except Gabe pacing at the gate. His shoulders had drooped, and he appeared to have the weight of the world on his shoulders.

  I couldn’t help wondering if he was trying to figure out some way to betray us. But if my people were hurt, he suffered, too. That was the only reason I was putting any of my trust into him. I basically had him by the balls.

  Val reached the door of the garage and glanced around, so I hopped off the wall, miraculously not spraining anything, and jogged over to her.

  “They’re getting ready to leave,” she said. “We’ll need to hurry. Keep the children in the middle and let the fighters move around the edges of the group. If we leave soon, there won’t be enough time for anyone to organise a decent attack on us.”

  “I agree. Think we’re ready for a fight? I know you and Esther have been trying to train everyone to defend themselves, but things are different in the heat of the moment.”

  She shrugged. “Feelings are strong right now. The problem would be the weaklings trying to get involved to avenge Folsom.”

  I thought of Emmett, of his expression when he’d said he would fight. “That can’t happen. Gabe’s out front. I’ll lead them out, and you take up the rear. Peter and Carl can keep a close eye on Emmett and Leah.”

  “And Lucia.”

  I smiled. “And Lucia. Gabe’s Guard, Esther, Lorcan, and anyone else you think could make a difference can stay on the outer edges. Just make sure nobody gets left behind.”

  She nodded, her honey-coloured eyes focusing on the group as if contemplating on who could fight and who needed protection. I could count on Val.

  The group didn’t fit in the garage, so we took them outside in batches while I lectured them on staying close to each other.

  “Anyone weak, injured, and young—” I gave Emmett a pointed look. “—is to stay in the centre of the circle with Peter and Carl. Anyone Val says can fight should be on the edges of the group. Gabe and I will be at the front. Val and Cam will keep to the rear. We’ll move quickly and quietly, and nobody does anything without permission until I say you can relax. Understand?”

  They stared at me, some with curiosity, others with respect, a few with open hostility. Mrs. Yaga wasn’t ready for them, but I had to at least get them inside the cul-de-sac, where I knew there would be some protection. Folsom’s security was slowly dying with him. I wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  I had called Mrs. Yaga to hurry her up, and she promised to try, but I wasn’t sure where we would possibly hide all of these people. While I waited for everyone to move out of the garage, I called Shay.

  “No,” he said. “I’m keeping away from you until you decide to tell me the truth.”

  “Don’t be so immature,” I said. “This is important.”

  He hesitated.

  “Please?”

  “Oh, for the love of… Ava, you’re becoming a problem.” He tried to sound gruff, but I heard the laughter in his voice. “I’ll try to make it over. But I’m not promising anything.”

  “Good. Stay safe.” When I hung up, I noticed Peter staring at me, so I walked over to him. “If anything happens, and you see a chance, get him out of there,” I told him. “I wish you could have taken him in your car, but it’s kind of well known.”

  He nodded, looking grim. “Don’t worry. We’ll get there in one piece.”

  “I freaking well hope so.” I glanced at the crowd and got a nod from Val. I raised my hands to get the group’s attention. “Everyone! Let’s head out. We’ll be safe very soon.”

  We headed through the gate: Gabe and me in front, Val and Cam at the back of the group. I kept glancing around to check on Val, throwing out my extra senses and desperately listening for any sound that might be a warning. The people remained deadly silent. Not everyone could walk fast, which was frustrating, but we couldn’t let the group separate. I wasn’t prepared to have two groups, one stronger than the other.

  It took us an hour to walk from Folsom’s place to the cul-de-sac. An hour in the open. An hour in which anyone could attack. My heart raced every time I heard a heartbeat out of place, or a scent I couldn’t identify attacked my nostrils.

  “So far, so good,” I whispered.

  “Too quiet,” Gabe said. “I don’t like it.”

  “Better than teeming with enemies. Don’t forget what’ll happen to you if any of my people get hurt.”

  “Have I told you lately that I hate you, Ava Delaney?”

  I laughed softly. “Not in the last few hours.”

  “Someone follows,” Val called from the back. “A ways back, but they’re there. We need to up the pace.”

  “See?” I said to Gabe. “This is why I’m keeping the hellhound.”

  “You heard the lady,” Cam yelled. “Hurry!”

  “Don’t run!” I ordered. “We can’t afford a freaking stampede over someone who’s tripped up. We’re almost there. If we can just make it to the—”

  We were in sight of the cul-de-sac, in actual sight of the place, but figures blocked the road.

  “Holy shitballs,” I whispered. There were at least twelve, standing in three rows. They spread out as we approached. “Crap. Don’t get surrounded.” I glanced at Gabe. “How do we do this?”

  “Fight until we’re the only ones standing, I should think.” But he winked at me.

  “Okay.” I took a deep breath. “Everyone, push back. Val, Esther, you’re both up with me. Gabe, get your Guard and stay back with Lorcan. Protect them. Watch out for whatever’s coming up behind us.”

  Gabe seemed surprised that I wasn’t including him, but he moved obediently. I caught sight of Emmett’s terrified face, and I smiled for his benefit. “See you in a minute, kid.”

  Peter chewed on his lip. I knew I could use him by my side, but Emmett needed him more.

  I moved forward with my chosen two to confront our adversaries. The four in the front row ahead of us seemed to relax as we approached.

  Esther moved closer to me and hissed, “Those are Guardians, Ava. Guardians!”

  My heart sank.

  Esther raised her chin and called, “Think about what you’re doing! Hiding who you are to attack us. Are you ashamed? Are you cowards?”

  One stepped forward and shrugged off his hood. If he had any tattoos, they weren’t obvious. He looked at us with just a hint of regret. “This is how it has to be, Esther. Tides are changing.”

  I didn’t recognise him, but the pain in Esther’s expression reassured me she knew exactly who he was.

  “Shame on you,” she said.

  “Shame on you for deserting your family,” he snapped back, throwing off his cloak to reveal muscled arms with biceps covered in swirling tattoos. Two depicted intricately designed daggers that, at least appearance-wise, kicked my dagger’s arse.

  Esther let out a pained sound of anger that turned into a growl. She threw off her jacket, but she didn’t bother stripping off the rest of her clothes. She bent over for a couple of seconds. When she straightened, the growls deepened as her clothes ripped away from her rapidly expanding muscles. Coarse dark hair covered her entire body. I blinked, and she was bear.

  Val’s process of shifting was different. The little bumps that ran from her forehead down her spine grew into horn-like structures and her back and shoulders expanded outward, but her clothes appeared to shift with her, which was kind of cool. Her change was both less and more dramatic than Esthe
r’s. She grew in bulk, but the look of murder and rage in her red-tinged eyes was the most chilling. Our enemies had seemed less than concerned when they first confronted us, but some of them noticeably flinched from ferocious-looking Esther and Val.

  Licking my lips, I twirled my dagger and cocked my head. I could not show fear. Hopefully, my decision to come out with only two others would make them think we had nothing to fear.

  “Ready, ladies?”

  When they growled their assent, I charged straight into the first line of warriors, Val and Esther following my lead. I ducked under the first attacker’s arms, swinging behind him and slitting his throat before he could turn. He dropped, but I was already running for the next one. The others were quick to react, one heading straight for the people I was supposed to be protecting.

  We were vastly outnumbered, but a yell from the cul-de-sac distracted some of the assassins. I recognized the voice of Mrs. Yaga. I prayed she would do her soul-sucking trick on at least one of them, but I was too busy trying to catch the ones hell-bent on getting to our group.

  Ducking and diving, punching and kicking, I couldn’t stop for a breath. I half-choked one warrior, pushing him straight into another who approached. They collided and fell to the ground in a heap. I chased down one trying out a sneak attack. Another got in my way, and I stomp-kicked his ankle and knocked him off balance. I ran toward Emmett and the others.

  Gabe’s Guard had their hands full fending off a couple of sneak attacks from the assassins Val had noticed following us. At the sight of the action, a number of the so-called rebels separated from the cluster and fled, but the slowest were hacked to death by a lone attacker before I could reach him. Peter stepped forward with a grunt and swiftly dealt with the killer who was still too close to the group.

  “Get back to Emmett!” I screamed, but then I was thrown into the air. Strong hands gripped the back of my neck and my backside before flinging me to the ground. I landed heavily on my arm, momentarily losing my knife, but I kicked out at the scarily large shrouded figure who descended on me as I scrambled to my feet again.

  “Ava!” Lorcan cried.

  “Stay back!” I shouted before a mighty punch in the mouth sent me flying back on my arse again. I spat out blood, shaking my head to clear it. I exhaled in a dumb-sounding oof as someone jumped on me and wrapped his hands around my neck.