“What the hell happened? That was the craziest…”
“Sugar?” My raspy voice broke Luca’s rant. “What kind of pet name is that?”
Silence and then laughter filled the room. Kian was shaking me in his exuberance, so I pushed away from my comfortable position and turned toward the group.
Luca was bent at the waist, pulling in sharp breaths trying to calm down. “Yeah. She’s just fine.” He said once he caught his breath, causing me to chuckle along with the still laughing Kian.
“How are you feeling?” Mrs. LaMotte’s meek voice broke through our merriment.
“I’m fine now.”
“Tell me everything,” Mrs. LaMotte demanded. I spilled every detail, from the moment I had first touched her with the intent to drain, to the second I felt the intruding Talent leave my body.
“I want to say I’m sorry, Sadie, but I can’t. I’m glad we did this. Now we know what happens when you’re strong enough to drain and how to get rid of the excess Talent,” Mrs. LaMotte said as she struggled to stand. Luca jumped to her aid and wrapped his long arms around her. Their height difference made the move awkward, but Luca slumped to accommodate her diminutive stature.
Kian huffed and I felt his hand squeeze my waist. I placed my hand over his and patted it before responding. “I agree. Thank you for risking yourself for me.”
Mrs. LaMotte nodded. “Your hair is fading,” she remarked, before turning to Luca. “If you don’t mind, will you help me to my room? I’m exhausted.”
Luca looked at Kian and me, worry wrinkling his brow.
“Meet us in my room.” I answered his unasked question. Luca nodded and left with Mrs. LaMotte in tow.
“Let’s get you to your room.” Kian stood with me firmly secured in his arms without a struggle. I pretended to gag and rolled my eyes at his display. “What?” He asked, his lips curled into a smirk.
“Let me walk.” I wiggled in his arms for a moment before he released my legs. I slid to the floor while still pressed against his body, the movement igniting fire in my veins that heated my cheeks.
“That’s a color I’ve never seen on you,” Kian remarked, while running his fingers across my cheek and down my jaw.
“Shut up,” I replied in breathless anticipation. Kian lifted my chin and pressed his lips against mine in a tender kiss. My knees shook as I returned the kiss, my body flush against him. Just as my body grew warmer and the passion between us began to intensify, Kian broke it off, leaving me panting for more.
“We should go.”
Yeah.” I nodded. “Luca will beat us to my room if we keep this up.”
I reached out and grasped Kian’s hand with a radiant smile. He returned my grin, lacing his fingers with mine as he led me back to my room. My body was sore from the craziest training I had ever been through, but my mind felt as if a load had been lifted. Through the pain, I had come closer to knowing what I was capable of than ever before.
It’s about time.
Luca was waiting by the door when we arrived.
“I wonder what took you two so long,” he teased, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
“Nothing you wouldn’t do.” I slapped his arm before unlocking my door and opening it wide for them to walk through.
“Hmmm. You’re probably right.” Luca gave an exaggerated wink as he sauntered past me.
Luca was a cad, but I was glad I had given him a chance to be my friend. He was proving to be loyal and surprisingly useful.
Once inside, I threw myself on my bed, not caring if it was rude or not. My muscles were sore from the seizures and an intense pressure was building behind my brows. I closed my eyes and started massaging my temples in an attempt to coax the headache away.
“What’s new?” I asked to no one in particular.
Luca spoke up first. “Other than your Talent’s ability to knock you on your ass?”
“Well that was before I knew what to do with the extra Talent energy. Now that I’ve had a chance to figure it out, it won’t happen again.”
“Until you completely drain someone and something new happens. Face it Sadie, until you do the deed, you have no clue how you will react. Do you know how terrifying it was for us to walk in on you flopping around on the floor with purple hair and your mentor looking like death?” Although my eyes were closed, I could hear Luca’s frantic pacing. A smile curled on my lips.
“Don’t you lay there smirking like you’re a princess.”
A laughed escaped from my lips followed by a groan when my entire body protested the movement. The bed dipped near my feet before they were lifted and placed on a lap, my boots loosened and removed before strong hands began massaging.
“Mmmm. Thanks, Kian.”
“How’d you know it was Kian?” Luca stopped pacing. “It could have been me.”
“No Caelian can hide from my secondary. Once I know your Talent signature, I can find you if you’re within range. Plus, I’m sure if you were trying to get this close to me, Kian would have probably punched you or something.”
“Or something,” Kian repeated.
“Whatever, love birds.”
“Any news on my mother’s necklace, Luca?”
“Nothing concrete. The design isn’t a family crest, but it’s unique enough that I’ll be able to locate the original owner soon enough.”
“Thanks, Luca.” I replied, giving him a warm smile of thanks before turning my focus to Kian. “Kian, any news on your front?”
“The HPC is suspicious of the Koenigs’ political campaigns and my contact says they’re looking hard into whatever the HCA has taken from them, but they think it’s a weapon. They’re not completely wrong, since that’s why your grandfather wants you, but it might be a while until they realize they’re looking for a person.”
“Well, that’s good. I guess.” The thought of the HPC finding out about me was terrifying. They were the organization that had killed Liam, and in my mind they were the boogie monster, that fear of something following you in the dark. My grandfather was my greatest enemy, but the HPC was my biggest fear.
“I haven’t learned anything new about the Koenigs, but I do need to talk to you about GenCorp.”
Kian became quiet and I was just about to demand for him to spill it when Luca spoke up. “Dude. What is going on with your face? Do Sadie’s feet stink? You’re lucky she’s not watching your face twist like that.”
My eyes popped open at Luca’s remark. I sat up and tried to pull my feet out of Kian’s lap, but he kept a firm hold on them. Frustration bubbled inside my chest for a moment before I noticed what Luca was talking about and began laughing.
“Luca, let me introduce you to Kian’s angry thinking face.” I motioned to Kian as he sat there looking mad as hell, but I knew that expression was more than what it seemed.
“Dear god, how are you two even together?”
Luca’s question brought a small chuckle out of Kian. “She thought I was mad at her for a long time.”
“It’s cute now that I know he’s not plotting revenge against me.”
I let out a squeal as Kian pinched my big toe in response. “Sadie, we do need to talk about GenCorp.” He cut his eyes to Luca. “Alone.”
“I can tell when I’ve been dismissed.” Luca kneeled down next to me and ruffled my hair. “I’m glad you’ve learned something new about your Talent, but next time keep us in the loop. Okay?”
I nodded and gave Luca a small smile. “Will do.”
He cut his eyes to Kian as he leaned forward and gave me a chaste kiss on the top of my head. Kian’s lips pursed in disapproval, but he didn’t say anything. Luca’s eyes lit up when he pulled back.
“See you later.”
Luca made to leave, but as soon as he placed his hand on the door, the bell chimed, warning me that I had a visitor.
Luca turned to look at me and I motioned for him to answer the door. On the other side was Captain Monroe. The new scars on his face, a reminder of the last time w
e encountered my grandfather’s men, were highlighted by the harsh fluorescent light from the hallway. Without invitation, he marched past Luca and into my room.
“Can I help you, Captain?”
“McCredie and I would like an audience with both you and Kian at 0400.”
I glanced at the wall display blinking 0200 and then back to the Captain. His posture was rigid, but his face had softened now that he was in my room.
“Are we in trouble?” I asked, worried that McCredie had already found out about Mrs. LaMotte’s little experiment this afternoon.
“On the contrary, you have been assigned to your first mission.”
Chapter 11
Captain Monroe left soon after his announcement, leaving the three of us in stunned silence.
“I was here for years before they sent me on my first mission.” Luca began pacing the room, his aggravation apparent on his face.
“Really?” I asked.
“Yes. They have strict rules to enforce the safety of everyone involved.” Luca pulled at his shaggy mint locks, effectively ruining his perfectly coiffed mane. He skidded to a halt and turned on the balls of his feet until he was facing me, his pale pink eyes wide. “I don’t know what they’re up to, but you’re not ready for a mission.”
“Just because you were made to wait years, doesn’t mean…” Kian spoke up in my defense.
Luca’s eyes narrowed at Kian’s accusation. “No! This isn’t jealousy. This is fact.” Kian and Luca had a silent stare down while I just sat there, stunned. A gamut of emotions was running through me. Excitement and nervousness for my first mission competing with inadequacy and suspicion. Luca and his lack of faith in me added to the tumult.
“Luca, your lack of faith in me is…” I paused, searching for the word to describe what I was feeling. “Disappointing.” I sucked in a deep breath through my nose and blew it out of my mouth in a slow stream.
Luca’s face. “Sadie, it’s not that I don’t have faith in you. It’s just I don’t understand why they’d bend the rules for you. They are there for a reason. People have been killed by inexperience before and I’d hate to see you add another worry to the baggage you already carry around.” I understood where he was coming from, but his anxiety was grating.
“We don’t even know what the mission is yet. Let Sadie and me listen to what McCredie needs to say before you jump to conclusions about whether or not she can handle the mission. It is ultimately her decision anyway. Not mine. Not yours.” Kian gave Luca a pointed look before turning back to me. “She is stronger than you think.”
I locked eyes with Kian and mouthed ‘Thank you’, afraid my voice would come out cracked, betraying the extent of the emotion I was feeling. His faith filled me with confidence and my heart burst with affection for this man. He might not care for some of the decisions I made, but in the end he was supportive of me as a strong individual and I bet he would be willing to follow me anywhere if I asked. My stomach began to churn with an emotion I knew existed deep in my heart, but wasn’t ready to acknowledge.
Pushing away my thoughts and feelings to be dissected later, I cleared my throat and turned to the two people in the Underground I trusted. “I agree with Kian. Let me decide if this mission is something I can handle.”
Luca nodded and then released a huff of breath, a subtle reminder of his disagreement, before turning to leave with a wave.
I rapped on the massive doors leading to McCredie’s office at exactly 0400 hours with my heart in my throat and my stomach flittering with nerves.
“Come on in,” McCredie’s muffled voice answered.
My hand grasped the door handle, but I couldn’t bring myself to turn it. Kian pressed his hand into my lower back and the heat soothed my nerves. I wasn’t alone. Releasing a slow breath, I walked with my back straight, trying to exude a confidence I didn’t quite feel.
“Good afternoon, Sadie. I trust your stay has been acceptable?”
McCredie sat behind his mahogany executive desk, his hands pressed together against his lips in a silent prayer. His body language was serious, but his eyes sparkled with excitement. I took a seat next to Captain Monroe and gave him a quick nod of acknowledgement before returning my gaze to McCredie. He was dressed in a deep gray business suit with a burgundy tie. His silver-streaked russet hair was slicked back, looking as if he had just finished one of his press conferences.
I nodded in response and added, “I am happy with my accommodations and with the instructors you paired me with.”
“Good. Good. Did the Captain have a chance to explain why you two are here?” At the mention of his name, Captain Monroe sat up straighter and shook his head ‘No.’
“He said you had a mission for us,” Kian answered, his eyes narrowing a little as he watched McCredie’s reaction.
“Yes. I do, but there’s more to our visit today,” McCredie said as he stood up to retrieve a file from the cabinet behind his desk. “Tell me Sadie, what do you know of unification?”
“It’s a dream,” I snorted and crossed my arms, but McCredie locked eyes with me, encouraging me to answer his question. “Unification is the idea that norms and Caelians can live in a world without division. It’s a vision of perfect unity among all members of humanity.”
“Yes. It is a dream I have been pursuing my entire life.” McCredie returned to his seat and placed the file on the desk in front of him. He fingered the edge of the file, eyes staring expressionlessly at the manila folder. I could tell he wanted to say more, but the silence in the room pressed against me and my leg began to shake under the pressure. Oh, just spill it.
“Did you know that technically, I am Caelian?”
A sharp intake of breath came from my left as Kian’s hand squeezed mine. I stared at McCredie, entirely aware that my mouth hung open unattractively, but I didn’t care. It took a few seconds for the weight of what he had said to register. I shook my head to clear my thoughts.
“No,” I whispered.
“You wouldn’t. In order for me to go to school and become as respected as I am today, I had to hide my heritage. It wasn’t something I wanted to do. My mother was the one who suggested that I lie about my origins. She felt I could have a better life if I pretended to be a norm.” McCredie released a sigh. “She was right.”
“How?” Kian asked.
“I left home when I was 8 and was found by police a few months later. I was placed in the system and found foster parents. This was before mandatory genetic testing, so my lies about running away from abusive parents were believed. Since I was without a birth certificate confirming my real name, I received the finest education money could buy, thanks to my adoptive parents, but I could never forget where I came from.”
“Why are you telling us this?” I was in awe of McCredie’s revelation and had to think back on every interview I had watched, or encounter I had ever had with him before today. The underlying suspicion of his motives was still there, but they lessened.
“My mother and father were both Caelians within the Moreau family. When I left, I had an older Caelian sister, Isabelle, and my mother was expecting another child. I later found out it was another girl named Cecile.” He must have noticed the questioning look on my face for his next statement answered the burning unasked question.
“I’ve kept in touch with my mother. It was hard when I was a young man, but once I was in a position where it wasn’t suspicious to speak with Caelians, I spoke with her every day until she passed away last year.”
“I’m so sorry.” My voice broke a little.
“Mr. McCredie, I am sorry for your loss, but we really need to know why you are telling us this information.” Kian’s voice was strong, but not hard. I looked at his profile. His hard features had softened, but his eyes were narrowed at McCredie. It seemed McCredie’s story had affected me more than it had him.
“Yes. Well.” McCredie coughed to clear his voice. “I need you two to find my only living relative and bring him here to me.”
“Yes. My older sister’s boy. He’s in his early twenties now and living within the Moreau family, but he’s been targeted by the HPC. There have been acts of violence against him for months now and his local police are no longer protecting him.”
“Why send us instead of Captain Monroe?” I pointed to the Captain who sat there stoically.
“Very few people know of my heritage. Because of your unique circumstances here, both your Talent and your own secretive heritage, I believe you can be trusted to bring my nephew to me and not say a word. And frankly, my dear, I wanted Kian. He’s a professional at retrieving people and I know he wouldn’t agree to any job that required him to leave your side.” McCredie shrugged.
“Damn right,” Kian grunted.
“Okay, but why bring him here if he’s with the Moreau family? Why not let him live with the family?”
“I don’t trust the Moreau family. My parents died of old age and Isabelle of a rare cancer, but my youngest sister went missing seventeen years ago after her best friend died. The Moreau council accused her of foul play and kidnapping for years after what happened, but after seventeen years with no leads, they just assume my sister is dead.”
Kian was fidgeting next to me. Annoyed, I let go of his hand and he shot up, startling both the Captain and McCredie. “What is your Caelian family name?”
“Lamour.” McCredie watched Kian pace the room.
“Have you spoken with Mrs. LaMotte?” Kian asked, his eyes jerked between McCredie and me. Confusion clouded my thoughts. What was Kian getting at?
“Eleanor LaMotte? Sadie’s Talent instructor?” Captain Monroe spoke up for the first time, his expression matched McCredie’s and my own.
Kian nodded in answer.
“Yes. We spoke when she arrived, but I haven’t spoken to her since. What does she have to do with any of this?” McCredie’s voice grew from confused to the strong politician voice that I recognized from television.
“I’m not sure, but I will find out.” Kian locked eyes with McCredie and they shared an unspoken conversation that left both of them nodding in agreement.
The Caelian Cycle Boxed Set Page 21