by J. M. Davies
“Yes, this is a breeze. Come on.”
Ella heaved her backpack over her shoulders, slipped her arms through and pushed the backpack up until she felt the weight rest between her shoulder blades and settle into place. She swallowed a generous mouthful of cold water and glanced over at Kelly, who was tying her laces on her boots. Taking this chance, she walked over to Bella to wish her luck just as they were leaving and as she turned, Kelly was directly behind her.
“Ready?”
She nodded and they left in the opposite direction. The five teams all split up, walking toward their goal and each headed away at a steady pace; to start off running would simply burst their energy—slow and steady won the race. They needed to finish. The talk was kept to a minimum as they set off walking through the shady forest, the sounds of wildlife a muted hum and buzz. Branches snapped and the occasional woodpecker knocked on the tree. Ella was glad she had slipped on her thermal shirt and had added a lightweight jacket for layers. If they made steady progress and didn’t encounter any unusual terrain or company, they would be fine. About an hour in, Kelly stopped and stretched, bending and stretching her shoulders; Ella did the same, as well as knocking back some refreshing water.
“So who recruited you? The fuck-me Drayton or take-no-prisoners Steel?”
Ella’s head instantly picked up at the mention of Drayton from the woman’s lips and her stomach twisted in knots.
“Rumor has it that Drayton sleeps with the women he recruits as part of the test. Personally, I don’t think that’s the case, just those who can match his stamina. He’s a bit of a bad boy, if you know what I mean.”
Ella stared over at the woman and gave her a vacant smile. She wasn’t going to let what Drayton did bother her. She ground her teeth and strode ahead not answering. The sun shone through the shaded trees and a wave of nausea swept over her that threatened to have her barfing again. This was ridiculous. The sound of water up ahead had Ella moving toward it without explaining why and seconds later, she dipped her head into the clear and freezing stream to soak up the energy, refreshing and charging her. She flicked her head back and the water cascaded all over her jacket but she bounced up.
“We need to move faster, this way so that we’re heading north. Come on, or we won’t stand a chance of winning.”
Kelly grabbed up her backpack, swung it back over her shoulders and again they took off, climbing up the incline, and headed farther into the forest. Her legs ached and they were almost at the site where their camp should be but a yelling stopped Ella in her tracks. She twisted her head to her side as if trying to detect which direction the voice came from. As she listened, the sound grew louder and she instinctively knew that it was Bella calling for help. As she moved toward the yelling, Kelly shouted at her.
“You’re heading the wrong way!”
“Bella’s in trouble—I can hear her calling. I’m going to help.”
Kelly charged over and grabbed her arm, yanking her back to head in the other direction. “I cannot hear anything. Are you crazy?”
Ella pulled her arm away and stared at her. Her head shook. “I know she’s in trouble. I cannot just leave her.”
“This is about winning and being the best.” Kelly shrugged and gazed in the opposite direction. It was obvious the woman didn’t want to help anyone except herself.
“Go if you must. It’s not far, about another mile if you keep heading straight, but I’m going to help Bella. It’s not just about winning; it’s about teamwork and I’m not leaving her behind.”
Kelly glared at her and then stared over in the direction of the persistent yelling and back at where they needed to walk to in order to find their flag. She let go of Ella’s arm and trudged off.
“Suit yourself. It’s probably a trick and you’re falling for it, but I’m going to complete my mission with or without you.”
Ella watched as Kelly plodded up the hill and disappeared from view. She hesitated for a second. What if she was right and it was a hoax? She’d just let her partner wander off, knowing she didn’t have any skills for reading the map. It was a short distance to their flag and if she had listened to her, Kelly would find the flag and make it. Spinning around, she moved through the thick bushes and scratchy weeds as fast as she could.
“Bella, I’m coming! Can you hear me?”
There was no response, so she kept yelling out loud and ducked as she avoided the low branches and pushed the trees and bushes out of her way. The woodland was more dense here and darker. A trickle of sweat dripped between her shoulder blades and she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. She was warm in all these layers. She had been walking for around ten minutes and was about to walk back in the direction she came, fearing she had been fooled, when she heard a low whimper.
“Bella?”
Again there was silence and then a strangulated yell. “Ella, over here! Ella.”
Without waiting another second, Ella lifted her legs and pushed the ferns out of her way. Her boots squelched in the soft and damp earth as she raced forward. The ground sloped away steeply and Ella almost fell with the weight of her backpack as she bent her body but she pushed her back up and slowed her descent. The forest floor was carpeted with autumn leaves in red, orange, brown, and yellow but they hid the uneven ground. As Ella reached the bottom of the slope, she tripped over branches and stared as a few feet in front was a sheer drop that she would have plummeted over had she not tripped. She tiptoed toward the edge and there, about four feet down on the muddy bank below, was Bella, lying in a twisted and unnatural position.
“I’m coming down. Don’t move.” Ella removed her backpack and dumped it on the ground. As she searched through the contents, she realized that she didn’t have any medical supplies. They should have been given at the very least a basic medical first-aid kit but there was nothing. Lighter now that the backpack was removed, she crouched low and held her arms out to the sides to steady her descent as she made her way down the steep grassy and slippery bank. Reaching the ground, she quickly moved over to assess Bella’s situation and the woman gave her a tentative smile.
“Thank you. I thought I could manage when I sent Adelle off to get help but the pain is really bad.”
Ella removed her jacket and covered Bella with it. Her pale face and shivering body told Ella that shock, possibly from the injury and blood loss, was setting in. Bella didn’t attempt to sit up, which was good, and Ella placed her hand on her throat to take her pulse. She studied Bella and her left leg, which lay at an odd angle. It was more than likely broken. What was worse was the fact that she had her hand over the top of her thigh where blood seeped out. Ella crouched down by her side and knelt, dipping her head down low to Bella.
“Bella, I’m going to have to stop the bleeding, okay? It’s going to hurt but if we don’t stop it now—”
“I will die…”
“We’re not going to let that happen.”
She couldn’t see the extent of the damage unless she ripped her pants but was reluctant to move Bella’s hand in case it started to bleed fresh blood again. She didn’t have a belt but Bella did.
“My leg was hurting the most but now not so much. I’m just so cold and tired.”
Ella quickly unbuckled Bella’s leather belt and pulled it out from around her waist and slipped it under her left thigh, high above where Bella’s hand was.
“Bella, this is going to hurt like hell but it will help you, I promise. When I tighten the belt, move your hand. One, two…” She pulled with all her strength and Bella screamed out loud, lifting her body off the ground and trying to move away from Ella. The forest echoed with the scream but Ella pressed Bella down, keeping her still against the ground until she slumped to the side, unconscious. Ella felt her carotid pulse, which was strong but fast, faster than it should be but hopefully now that the bleeding was stopped, it should slow down. With Bella unconscious, Ella used her small knife to rip the pants to examine the leg more closely. As the material separated
, she was able to see part of the femur bone sticking out; blood trickled but did not gush.
Ella scanned the vicinity. Bella was asleep, so she placed her sweaty palms on either side of the protruding bone. The skin was clammy and where her hand touched the skin, heat radiated outward. She closed her eyes and the wind around her increased as she pushed her energy into the wound, realigning the bone until it was in the correct position, and the cells were working to heal the fracture. She had never before attempted to heal another person because she risked exposure. But at this point, she feared Bella would bleed out and she couldn’t be sure how long it would take for anyone to reach them. This way, when Bella woke, she would be able to stand and beside some residual stiffness or soreness, she would be able to walk, giving them a chance. She glanced at her watch; it was one o’clock and she was certain by now Kelly had reached her destination and would be heading back. Would she tell them what had happened? They had no way of contacting headquarters or Hawk and again she wondered how that was possible. Surely there should have been some means of alerting the trainers if they were in trouble. She pondered this as her eyelids fluttered heavily and unable to stay awake, she slumped up against Bella and fell asleep.
The hoot of an owl woke Ella, who bolted up and in doing so, Bella stirred and shook her head, sitting forward with ease.
“Ella, where did you come from?”
Before Ella could say anything, Bella touched her hip and leg and stared at her torn pants and bloodied leg. She gazed deeply at Ella and attempted to stand; Ella jumped up to help her. Bella stood, stroking her side and staring at the blood, dirt, and large black bruises on her thigh. She winced as her hand smoothed over her thigh and then she snapped her head around to glare at Ella.
“Y-You fixed me. How?”
As her voice rose with anger and fear, the wind around them increased and the trees shook violently. The leaves rained down on them. Ella stared at Bella, her heart pounding inside her ribs. She wasn’t a soul-shifter or a vampire but she had a strong suspicion she was a caster, a witch. She’d never met a real witch before but standing in front of Bella, whose emerald eyes glowed and her hair, dislodged from the ponytail, flapped behind her, she brimmed with a potent energy.
“Bella, your leg was broken. You were bleeding out and barely conscious. I did what I had to do to save you. It’s my gift but not one I use lightly. It’s my secret, but you have a secret, too, don’t you?”
They were inches apart. Bella licked her lips as she raised her hands straight up into the air and snowflakes fell covering the surrounding area creating a beautiful winter wonderland all around them. Ice droplets hung from the trees and sparkled liked diamonds. Ella shivered and smiled at the scene, but twisted her wrist to glance at the time on her new multi-purpose watch, which not only told the time but was a compass. It was now half past two. If they worked together, they might still have a chance, even if it would be cheating. Who would know?
“That’s amazing but I’m thinking we need to find your flag and get back to base camp. Can you use your skills to get us there?”
Bella ran her hand over her trousers and the fabric repaired itself. “I didn’t want to use magic. I was scared of what the others would think but you’re like me. Come on, I know where we have to go.”
Ella returned up the incline and collected her backpack. Fifteen minutes later, they were back on the trail. After pocketing their red flag, the return journey was uneventful and hours later, they marched back to base camp, feet weary and backs aching but a friendship formed. Ella wanted to collapse and vomit—she wasn’t sure which was going to come first. The last mile was a killer and every part of her body throbbed. Walking into the quiet camp, the first person they saw was Hawk, who shouted and screeched out commands to the other recruits who stood around. Ella stared at the scene as the other women raced over. Her body shook but nothing prepared her for the magnificent sight next to Hawk. As he bellowed, Drayton’s hand stretched out to hold the man’s arm, silencing him. Hooded moody eyes zoned in on her, his mouth held in a tight line, and dark shadows filled the hollows under his socket. A mean, almost unrecognizable Marcus stood dressed in black combat gear with his hand still resting on the man’s and his other trembling slightly.
“Where’s your partner, Masters? What the devil are you doing with Fields? We had a report that you needed to be extracted, that you were injured? A full medical team is out there right now looking for you.”
Hawk’s words registered in Ella’s brain but the world was foggy and his voice distant and far away. She shifted her glance back toward Marcus, unsure whether he was real or simply a hallucination she had conjured up due to the fact that she hadn’t been eating properly. The energy that kept her going all day was depleting fast. Standing still, her legs trembled and she knew she needed to get her backpack off, but she couldn’t move. All the action going on around her was a blurry whirl of white and black shapes. The shadow that was Marcus charged toward her but too late as her body gave up the battle and dropped to the ground.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ella reluctantly shifted her position in the bed, which was far more comfortable than the one at base camp, and she longed to stay snuggled and in her cozy state. As soon as she had woken up, she realized she was no longer in the forest in Maine but in a private hospital. The smell of disinfectant made her gag, and a constant beeping noise to her right told her that her heart was still beating. She was also attached to an intravenous infusion that delivered fluids, and she tried to swallow but her mouth and tongue were dry. Forcing herself into a sitting position, she poured some ice water from the jug into the small tumbler just as a nurse in a maroon top and pants walked in.
“You can leave soon. Your vitals are all stable. We’re just waiting for the results of one further test, but Dr. Smith said he’s happy and the gentleman who escorted you in, Mr. Drayton, left your clothes and said he will be back very soon. He told me you needed to wait until his return, but as he’s not your next of kin, I’m not obligated to keep you. I thought you should know. I don’t like pushy men, and he’s definitely that.”
Ella smiled at the nurse and nodded. She swallowed the refreshing liquid and savored it. As soon as the nurse mentioned Marcus, the world halted. He wasn’t a dream. He was back and sniffing around. A panic rose sharply and a need to run had her jumping out of bed. She was free to leave, and that was what she was going to do. She tore out the plastic needle and pressed on her skin to stem the bleeding as she eyed the room. Next, she removed the hospital gown and tore off the stickers attached to her chest. She spied her clothes and changed into her muddy black pants and top. She didn’t care any longer how she looked. Her face stared back at her in the bathroom mirror. For weeks, she had stopped applying any makeup, and her skin looked clean and fresh, if a little pale. Her blue eyes stared back at her, clear and alert. She couldn’t face him. Quickly, she splashed her cheeks with cold water and brushed her teeth. A knock on the door made her turn around. It was another nurse, who entered and passed her a slip of paper.
“This is a prescription for your prenatal vitamins. You can get them at your local pharmacy. We didn’t have the details on file, but Dr. Smith says you will need them. He has also booked an ultrasound scan for four weeks’ time, back here. Congratulations. He says you’re about eight weeks pregnant and everything looks fine.”
The ground underneath Ella shook, and she grabbed onto the cabinet to steady herself. She snatched the prescription from the nurse’s hand and forced a smile. She stared down at the prescription. Realizing that the last shot of Depo was months ago. With everything that had been going on it had completely escaped her, which wasn’t like her at all. She pressed her forehead, momentarily stunned and unsure. A baby. She shook her head.
The baby was Drayton’s but this didn’t change anything between them. They didn’t have a relationship, there was no us and this wasn’t the time to play happy families. She didn’t even know what that meant. She had never want
ed to be a mother and especially not now. Her life was a complete mess. A strangled sob caught in her throat, and she pressed her hand against her chest. A need to move even faster now reared its head. Lifting her head, she stared at the prescription. What if the injection Aidan had repeatedly given her affected the baby? Maybe, he had given her something that night when they had fought, and it wasn’t a baby at all but something else?
Ella couldn’t think rationally. Since she’d landed back in the States and agreed to work for Steel, everything had changed. She only held one passport; her other identities were all removed and the money that she had stashed away was dwindling fast. If she used Steel’s money, she would be followed; she would be found. As she charged out of the hospital door, all she could think of was running as far away as possible but in her confused state, she blindly stumbled, not looking where she was headed until two strong arms grabbed hers and held her prisoner. The familiar scent wrapped around her and she couldn’t move or raise her head to look at him.
“Ella, where are you running to this time? The time for running is over, sweetheart.”
Click. His sweet endearment was her undoing and she tugged forcefully to make a break away from him, only to feel her left arm wrenched awkwardly. A cold metal bracelet rubbed against her wrist. Snapping her gaze to his, she couldn’t believe it. He was doing it all over again. Open mouthed, she watched Marcus snap the remaining cuff onto his wrist; he pulled her along passing patients and staff, who stared at them as they exited the hospital. A black truck pulled up to the curb. Jake nodded as Marcus hoisted a struggling Ella into the back seat.
“You two sure have a thing for handcuffs.”
Ella refused to say a word and stared out the window. Her stomach churned while she bit the tip of her finger. He couldn’t possibly know about the baby yet—hell, she had only just this minute found out. But he was the father; maybe she should say something. She swiveled her head around to gaze at him but Kelly’s face zoomed into view in her mind and her words about his sexual prowess. She didn’t owe him anything. He’d left her.