The Secret Heir (Alinthia Series Book 2)

by Siobhan Davis

  I grip his forearms. “Tell me what’s happening.”

  His eyes glaze over a little as he communicates with the guys at the barn. “There are no strange lights now and no evidence that anyone was there, but Beck is checking the equipment and the camera feeds to see if someone tampered with it.”

  That assertion does little to reassure me.

  I know what I saw.

  The others return a few minutes later. “It appears to be a false alarm,” Dane says. “Everything looks in order.”

  “I’m not making this up.” I eyeball him. “Something was going on out there.”

  Beck scratches the back of his head, looking worried. “No one is doubting you, Tori, but I’ve run checks on everything, and I can’t find anything out of place.”

  “What the hell is going on, Dane?” Coop throws his hands into the air. “Why does weird shit keep happening and we have no idea and no control over it?” His exasperation underscores his words, and no one criticizes him for his outburst because he’s articulating what we all feel.

  “Everyone stay vigilant, and no one is to leave the house. While everything looks normal, I don’t trust it. Tori didn’t imagine what she saw, and I have a strong sense of trepidation. I’m going to check in with Zorc and a couple of my contacts.” Dane jabs a finger at his brothers. “Tori is to stay with one of you at all times. Do not let her out of your sight.”

  A couple of hours later, Dane is still holed up in his office doing God knows what. Beck moved some of the tech equipment to his bedroom and he’s watching it intensely for signs that anything is wrong. I’ve finished my homework, and I’m trying to focus on the movie Coop put on, but my mind keeps wandering. My knee jerks up and down, and a fluttery sensation runs wild in my chest. Maddox places his hand on my knee, stalling the movement. “Relax, princess. We’re not going to let anything happen to you.”

  “I can’t help it. I have a really horrible sense of foreboding.”

  Maddox looks thoughtful. “I wonder if you share some of our abilities,” he muses. “Your instincts are powerful, like Dane’s, and when you’re in the zone, you’re almost as strong as I am.” He grips his chin. “I must ask Beck if that’s a possibility.”

  “Well, I can’t project images from my mind or see or hear into the distance, so maybe not.”

  At that precise moment, Coop jumps up, shock and fear splashing across his face as he pokes at his ears with his fingers. “I need to see Dane. Be right back.” He vanishes instantly.

  I frown. “What’s that all about?”

  Maddox turns a sickly shade of green. His eyes skim over my pajamas. “I think you should get dressed.”

  My heart falters behind my ribcage. “Why? What’s happened.”

  “You remember how the guys had black spots in their unique abilities a few weeks ago?”

  “Yes. Right before those Herassan attacked.” My breath catches. “It’s happening again?”

  Maddox nods. “Coop, Beck, and Dane can’t access their gifts right now. This hasn’t happened since then, and it’s not a good sign.”

  I’m in the process of stripping off my pajamas as he speaks. Maddox is too preoccupied to even notice I’m standing in front of him in my undies. I pull black leggings, a black Under Armour top, and a zip-up hoodie from my closet and hastily get dressed. Tying my hair up in a ponytail, I shove my feet into my heavy boots, quickly lacing them.

  Coop returns to the room, nodding approvingly when he sees I’m dressed. “Dane wants us all downstairs.”

  We race to the living room, and Dane immediately starts issuing instructions. “Beck, get whatever else you might need from the barn and bring it back here. I want us to stick together. Maddox and Coop, go get the weapons stash.” He pins serious eyes on his brothers. “Hurry.” They all blink out of sight, leaving Dane and me alone. His anxiety feeds mine and vice versa, and it’s in no way reassuring.

  “I sense it. Something awful is coming, and it’s more than just a gut instinct. It’s like the truth is embedded deep inside me,” I tell him.

  He nods. “I feel it too.” He’s in front of my face in an instant, cupping my cheeks in his large, callused hands. He stares into my eyes. “Whatever is coming is going to test all of us to the max. Can you handle this? Because I’m terrified one of my brothers is going to get hurt trying to protect you.”

  Even though I’m quaking on the inside, I nod. “I won’t let that happen. I can do this.”

  Gripping my face more firmly, he smashes his lips against mine. His kiss is hard and full of fear, urgency, and desperation. He pulls back abruptly, pressing his forehead to mine. “I have faith in you.”

  “You do?” My voice is incredulous.

  He kisses me again, much softer and sweeter this time. “Yes. I’ve watched you train with Maddox this week, and there’s been a vast improvement. And I remember that night at the barn.” He places his hand over my heart. “You know what you’re doing in here. Dig deep until you find what you need. I trust you.”

  Tears prick my eyes, and he notices. I open my mouth to tell him it’s not fear, but he places one finger over my lips. “I know,” he whispers. “And I’m sorry for how I’ve been treating you. Whatever our differences are, I care about you. A lot.” He pulls me into a fierce hug, and the strength of his emotion powers through our connection helping infuse me with confidence. “Don’t let anything happen to yourself either.”

  I stretch up on tiptoes and kiss him. My heart is jackhammering in my chest with a mix of adrenaline and something much stronger. I don’t stop to think—I let it pour from my soul. “I love you,” I whisper in his ear, clutching him to me.

  Shock splays across his face, but the others return before he can respond. I ease out of his arms, squeezing his hand before stepping away.

  Maddox and Cooper open two large trunks jampacked with all kinds of weapons. The guys load up, strapping guns and knives to various body parts.

  Maddox gestures me over with a wiggle of his fingers. “I know we haven’t spent much time with weapons, but most of them are easy to use.” He hands me a knife, jerking his head at the wall. “Try throwing that in the center of that picture.” I draw a large breath, hold my arm back, and throw. It flies across the room, hitting the top left-hand side of the picture.

  “Not bad.” Maddox steps up behind me, placing his large palm over my stomach. He applies gentle pressure. “Feel it in here, and then throw. Try to hit the same spot as last time.” He continues to hold me as I line up the shot. Taking my time, I inhale and exhale, feeling the pull deep in my core. I throw the knife, and it hits the same spot perfectly.

  “Excellent.” He kisses me on the cheek, stepping back. “Use the same technique with the gun.” He demonstrates how to activate the trigger, but I remember using this weapon in practice, and I’m confident I can handle it. I strap a couple of knives to my calves and sheath one in the belt Maddox strapped around my waist. I clip the gun on the other side and then line up beside the guys.

  They are standing completely still in a line in front of the large sliding glass doors at the rear of the house. Spotlights highlight the gardens, and Beck has his eyes glued to a tablet, scouring the house and the property for heat signatures. No one speaks. Everyone is focused and alert and waiting for something to happen. “Are your abilities still blacked out?” I ask after a few minutes, and Dane gives me a terse nod. Coop locks his pinkie around mine, but he doesn’t relinquish concentration, scanning the garden outside with laser-sharp focus.

  My heart drops to my toes when the lights suddenly go out, plunging the house and the grounds into complete darkness. Blood thrums in my ears, and adrenaline courses through my veins. Joint shallow breathing reverberates around the room. “Showtime,” Coop murmurs, lacing his fingers in mine and squeezing.

  “We’ve got company,” Beck confirms, as a myriad of red dots start beeping on the screen. The emergency generator kicks in, and the lights turn back on, flooding the room and the grounds ou
tside with bright light.

  I watch with my mouth hanging open as forms liberally drop from the sky, landing in uniform rows on the lawn outside. I count at least two dozen bodies, and more continue to descend from the dark nighttime sky.

  Maddox cracks his knuckles, twisting his head from side to side as a wicked grin spreads across his mouth. He steps toward the sliding door. “Let’s give them a fight they won’t soon forget.”

  CHAPTER 34

  We step outside, presenting a united front as we stand in front of the assembled motley alien crew. There’s got to be at least forty of them now, and I’m not crazy about our chances. They all appear to be heavily armed with various weapons strapped to their bodies. Some of them wear helmets and strange bodysuits. Others are dressed in long flowing coats while most wear pants and shirts and aggressive expressions. They all appear to be male with the exception of two females in the second row. Both girls are dressed in clingy jumpsuits that adhere to their shapely curves. Belts and knives are strapped to their torsos. They are tall with strange markings on one side of their faces. Feeling my observation, one of them eyeballs me, snarling and revealing a set of razor-sharp canine teeth. Goose bumps sprout all over my arms, and I gulp.

  A short, stocky guy with long silver dreads steps forward. His eyes are an odd burnt orange color that seem to glow and flicker as he approaches. A succession of clicking noises infiltrates the air as numerous weapons are activated and trained on us. The guy steps up to Dane. “Hand over the Chosen One, and we will let you live.”

  Dane tilts his head to one side, stabbing him with an arrogant look. “You know I can’t do that, buddy. No one is taking her.”

  An amused grin creeps over the alien’s freakishly wide mouth as he looks left and right. “I don’t think you’ll have much choice in the matter. You’re vastly outnumbered.” His head swivels around, and he turns the full glare of those creepy eyes on me. His gaze roams over me in admiration. “You’re every bit as beautiful as I’ve been told.”

  “Flattery will get you nowhere,” I retort, pleased my voice sounds clear and compelling. A serene calmness washes over me—one I’ve been expecting—and it helps to combat some of my anxiety. Power starts tingling in my veins, and I almost fist punch the air.

  “We don’t want to hurt you. Our master wants you alive. We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

  “Or not at all,” I coolly reply. “This is your last chance to back out. Stay and you’ll all be obliterated,” I bluster.

  He barks out a laugh. “Says you and whose army?”

  “You’d be wise to listen to my sister.”

  I whip my head around, keeping my face schooled in a neutral line as I watch Alandra stroll forward. She’s dressed head to toe in figure-hugging black military garb, and her hair is sleeked back into a smooth ponytail, not unlike my own current style. Two guns are strapped to a belt at her hips, one on each side. She looks battle ready and proud and itching to kick some alien butt. Her eyes meet mine. Outwardly, her expression is friendly, but there’s no warmth in her expression—it’s a front for the enemy and nothing more.

  The guy with the silver dreads doubles back, his gaze alternating between us, his features scrunched up in confusion. The crowd at his back shifts uneasily. Clearly, they haven’t heard of my long-lost twin either. She walks to our side, standing in line beside Dane who regards her casually. Maddox glares at her, and Coop scowls. Beck ignores her, discreetly tapping away on his tablet.

  “Who … who are you?” The bounty hunter slants a puzzled look in Alandra’s direction.

  Her answering grin is malevolent. “I’m your worst nightmare, honey.” She steps forward, and fire erupts from the palms of her hands.

  “Alandra.” Dane’s voice is suffused with caution. “Step down.”

  She glances over her shoulder at Dane as the guy with the dreads takes another step back. All weapons are trained on Alandra now, but she is unconcerned, smiling as if all her Sundays have come at once. Dane sends a heated look in Beck’s direction, and Beck holds eye contact with him for a quick second.

  Alandra scans the hostile audience in front of her. “I should probably apologize in advance, but that would only be a lie.” She shrugs casually. “Sorry, not sorry.” Throwing back her head, she cackles, and then, in the blink of an eye, her whole demeanor changes. Her eyes glint devilishly as she lifts her palms, blowing on the flames and sending a wave of scorching heat at the enemy.

  I tuck that nifty trick away in a mental storage box.

  Guns go off, and laser beams of light stream in our direction. As one, we dart sideways, out of the line of fire. I’m with Maddox and Coop on this side of the garden while Alandra, Dane, and Beck are on the other. Then the enemy is advancing on us, jumping over the flames or walking straight through them with bloodthirsty looks on their faces.

  I’ve no time to feel fear as the battle kicks off in earnest.

  The two females make a beeline for me, and I crouch into a fighting stance. Maddox and Coop are going head to head with a couple of creepy-looking dudes with no hair and weird gold etchings all over their skin, so I’m on my own with this.

  Bring. It.

  The first female charges at me, and I time it carefully, sidestepping her at the last second. She grasps thin air, losing her balance and dropping to the ground. I’ve barely had time to catch my breath when the second one attacks. I duck down, tumbling out of her reach. As I spring up, they both lunge at me. I could invoke superspeed, but the guys have warned me not to stray too far from their side. Dane’s caution is also at the forefront of my mind, and I don’t want to do anything to worry the guys and potentially place them in a life-threatening situation.

  Heat floods my fingertips, and I loosen my limbs, grinning as the girls pounce. Fireballs shoot from my palms, hitting one of them in the shoulder while the other dives to the ground to avoid a direct hit. A litany of foreign words bleed through the air as the girl on fire becomes a fully-fledged fireball in front of my eyes. Then she explodes from within, and flecks of ash float to the ground like gentle snowflakes.

  One down.

  Only thirty-nine more to go.

  A hand encircles my ankle and I’m yanked to the ground, groaning as little shockwaves of pain skitter up my spine upon contact. The gun at my waist goes flying off in the opposite direction. The second female bellows a roar as she jumps on me, pummeling my face with her rage-infested fists. I wrap my hand around her wrist, funneling my power and transferring it from my body to hers. Her eyes widen in shock, and she tries to break free, but I dig my hands into her flesh, never removing my gaze from hers. Her body starts shaking and shuddering, and fine purple lines spread up her neck and onto her face, growing thicker and deeper under the surface of her skin as I watch her disintegrate before me. Her eyes are sinking back into her sockets, and her hair shrivels up, changing in color and length. She hisses something at me, her pointed green-colored tongue snaking out, attempting to lick me. Grossed out, I toss her away, jumping up and stalking toward her mangled body as she attempts to crawl across the ground. I could leave her there to slowly die but the humane thing to do is to end her suffering. Holding my hand over her twisted body, I shoot a couple of fireballs into her spine, and she ignites in a ball of flames.

  “Alinthia!” Maddox roars from somewhere. “Behind you!”

  I whirl around in time to avoid the two Hulk-like aliens advancing on me. I hold up my palms. “Stay back.” Flames erupt from my palms in warning.

  They laugh, spewing alien words I can’t comprehend. I twist my wrists, ready to blast them with everything I’ve got when a burst of icy-cold wind hits me full force in the face, sending me flying backward. I soar through the air, landing unceremoniously on my ass, wincing as more pain shuttles up my spine. Pushing off my feet, I jump up just as the guys approach. I raise my palms again, and bile floods my mouth. The flames have been extinguished, and I can’t recall them no matter how hard I try.

  Sounds
of approaching footfall from the far side of the garden momentarily claim our attention. A group of about fifteen males rounds the corner, instantly jumping into the fight. The new arrivals zone in on the bounty hunters, engaging them in combat, and I breathe a sigh of relief. I’ve no idea who these guys are, or where they’ve come from, but I’m glad the numbers are more evenly matched now.

  Gravel crunching underfoot redirects my focus, and I whip around as one of the guys reaches for me. I duck down in the nick of time, darting sideways and narrowly avoiding his grasp. But I’ve lost sight of the second adversary, and I inwardly curse when he yanks me back from behind, sliding a meaty arm underneath my neck and lifting me up off the ground. I grab hold of his arm and channel inner calmness, praying they didn’t neutralize my supertouch as well as my firepower. Dropping me like a sack of potatoes, he shouts in a foreign language, and I put my palms out in front of me to lessen the fall.

  A sudden splintering in the connection causes my heart rate to spike to coronary-inducing proportions. Panicked, I invoke superspeed and race to the far side of the field, away from the fighting, quickly studying the battlefield. Maddox and Coop are fighting a large group in front of the house aided by some of the new arrivals. Over on the other side of the garden, Alandra and Dane are making quick work of the enemy. Alandra spins and turns, demolishing the enemy with powerful thrusts of her arms and legs, looking like a freaking goddess with her elegant, sharp moves, but I’ve no time to feel envious because my eyes locate Beck, and all the blood leaches from my face.

  He’s on the same side as Alandra and Dane, but a bit farther right, and he’s managed to get himself into a bit of a pickle. Six of the enemy have him fenced in a circle, and they are closing in, trapping him with no way out. A big, ugly freak is zapping him with some kind of electrical device, and Beck arches his back, his face contorting in pain.

  Fury trundles through me and I scream, pushing off the ground and soaring through the air. Beck’s pain and fear whips through our bond, almost suffocating me. Fiery tingles rip up and down my arms, and a familiar red film coats my eyes. “Down, Beck!” I project the thought hoping he can hear me as I hover over the group holding him captive. He drops to his stomach, grimacing and writhing as another zap of the weapon slams into his spine. I send a wave of heat at the enemy. “Crawl away, Beck! Now! Keep your head down!” Flames engulf the bounty hunters and a couple of them run off screaming. Two of them combust on the spot, but the other two seem retardant to my firepower.