“Run!” he yelled.
And we did. Danny stumbled, but kept up as we sprinted through the demolished forest, dodging chunks of ice and struggling to see through the curtain of white. I had no idea where we were going, or how long it would take to get there, but for now, we’d run like hell. Just when my muscles seized and I thought I wouldn’t make it any further, I spotted something in the distance that reignited that sliver of hope still buried deep down. It couldn’t be, could it?
It could.
Cars. No, not just cars—two Hummers, waiting along the side of a road. I slowed, as did Ethan and Danny. The three of us stood side-by-side. I stepped forward, but the two of them moved in front of me, blocking my path just as the passenger door opened on one Hummer, then the other. Haven was still unmoving in Ethan’s arms, but maybe if these people could hurry out of their cars and help us, she’d have a fighting chance.
Two hooded figures stepped out of the vehicles, and a chill ran through me as the driver from the first Hummer joined them. They were dressed in black, from their hooded parkas down to their heavy boots. Something wasn’t right. I instinctively took a step back. On my second, I ran right smack into something. I gasped and whirled around, only to be met with yet another black-clad man. His dark eyes bore into mine as he pushed his hood off his head, and a devious smile stretched across his tan face. Where the heck did he come from?
“Well, well,” he murmured, looking between us. His gaze briefly landed on Haven, but shifted back to me. My heart skipped a beat at the look in his eyes. It was a look of pure mayhem. “Look who we’ve got here.”
I wanted to be tough. I wanted to demand to know who he was. Instead, the words caught in my throat as I stared back at him in shock. My legs quivered, threatening to give out. He merely cocked an eyebrow before shoving me toward the Hummers. Danny grabbed my hand just as he was pushed forward, as well. I glanced over and caught Ethan’s gaze, and though he held Haven tightly to him, I could tell he wanted to do something. What the heck were we supposed to do? What was even going on?
The man prodded us forward like we were freakin’ cattle. The closer we came to the vehicles, the more I wished we’d run when we had the chance. The other three men, now without their own hoods, stood calmly in front of the Hummers, which were left idling. This isn’t good, this isn’t good, this isn’t good . . .
“Who are you?” Ethan finally asked once we stopped.
The shortest of the three cracked a smile, which only heightened my paranoia. “I am Aaron, and this is Joseph,” he replied in heavily accented English. “There’s also Adrian, and you’ve met Simon.” He nodded to the man who still stood behind us, with his fingertips pressed firmly to my back.
I studied him for a long moment, then looked to the man called Joseph. They were similar to Simon in appearance, with tan skin and nearly black eyes. Brothers? Hit men? Random kidnappers?
As if hearing my unspoken questions, he added, “We’re members of the council.”
I swallowed thickly, trying to decipher what the dread coursing through me meant. I’d always been told to trust my gut, and my gut told me that something was very wrong here.
“Council?” I stammered.
Aaron cocked his head to the side, seeming genuinely confused by my reaction. “The Council of The New World, Ms. Andreas—or should I call you Callia? Your brother sent us to search . . .”
Whatever he said after that was nothing but a murmur, because now, the pieces were in place. “He’ll be looking for you.” “Can you say exousia, Callia?” The tan skin, the dark hair—they were all the same as the boy in my vision that night in the cellar. They were the same as my hair, as my skin. No, no, no. Shaking my head, I tried to step back, but Simon was a brick wall that wouldn’t yield.
“Kerrigan,” I whispered, then cleared my throat. “I think you mean Kerrigan.”
Aaron stiffened, pressing his lips into a thin line before responding. “Well, Kerrigan, we’re under strict orders to bring you to Mr. Andreas himself. He’s been very concerned as to your whereabouts. His most recent visions of you have been quite disturbing.”
I scoffed. “I’m sure.”
Joseph reached out and grabbed my arm, yanking me forward. I pulled back, but it was no use; he had my arm in a vise-like grip. “What the hell are you doing?” I shrieked, pushing at him with my other arm. “Let me go!”
He jerked me to him until his face was an inch from mine. “You’ll get in the car like a good girl,” he said, “and no one has to get hurt. I can’t promise anything other than that.”
My lower lip trembled, and I bit down to make it stop. I wouldn’t show him weakness. I wouldn’t show him fear. I wouldn’t give him the pleasure.
“Let them go,” I whispered, my eyes pleading with his. If I could help anyone at all, Ethan, Danny, and Haven deserved it. “They’re not part of this.”
“Kerrigan!” Ethan snapped, but I ignored him. There was no reason for them to suffer because of me. This was becoming my fight.
Joseph chuckled. “You really want to leave them all alone out here to fend for themselves?” As if on cue, the sleet intensified, creating a sheet of bone-chilling ice between us.
I had no answer, which seemed to be all the confirmation he needed. He glared at me while backing away, and opened the back door of the Hummer. “You two”—he pointed to Danny and me—“in this one. The other boy goes in the second vehicle.”
My eyes widened. “What about Haven?”
Joseph and Aaron both looked at Haven, who was still curled against Ethan’s chest, with equal expressions of disgust. “Leave her,” Aaron said. “The last thing we need is dead weight.”
Ethan spat, hitting Aaron directly in the face. “Like hell we’re leaving her here. She’s one of us. She’ll never survive out here on her own.”
Within seconds, Simon had each of Ethan’s arms pinned behind his back, and Haven landed in a heap on the ground. She didn’t even move.
“No!” I screamed, but I was pushed into the backseat, with Danny forced in right behind me. The door slammed closed, and my attempt to open the other failed. I smacked the window, desperate for any way out, but it was no use. Claustrophobia and panic set in, because this was it. I was trapped in here with them, whoever they were.
“Calm down,” Danny murmured. I looked over, and he was sitting with his hands in his lap, staring straight ahead. “Fighting won’t do us any good,” he continued in a low voice as Adrian and Joseph slid into the front seats. “Fighting will only piss them off. Then who knows what they’ll do?”
He was right. I knew he was right. But it didn’t change the fact that I was dying inside. I sat back in my seat, willing my legs to stop trembling. I closed my eyes, but all I could see was Haven lying in the snow, forgotten. She didn’t have the survival instincts necessary to keep going. Like Ethan said—she wouldn’t make it out there on her own, especially now that she was so sick. I thought back to my visions, my nightmares, of her gut-wrenching screams. Maybe she would wake up. Maybe she’d realize we left her. Maybe that’s when my vision would occur.
She told me she wanted to live, and we left her there like a sack of trash.
The bracelet’s vine scraped against my wrist, and I teared up at the thought of Ethan. Were we going to the same place? What would they do to him? What were they doing to him now, after what he’d pulled with Aaron? What would they do to us?
I turned to the window just as the car started moving. Snow continued to fall, and hail pounded the top of our car. We were warm in here while the world deteriorated before our eyes.
“I wonder if she was right,” I mused, looking back at Danny. “Haven. She believed in heaven, God, angels . . .” I chuckled humorlessly and shook my head. “Think those angels will come save us now?”
Danny stared back at me, his eyes hazy with both fatigue and tears. The fight I knew him for, the strength, was gone. All that remained was a broken seventeen-year-old who’d accepted that he’d l
ost.
It was over.
“It’s too cold for even the angels, K. We’re on our own down here.”
Chapter 15
According to the tiny clock on the dashboard, we were in the Hummer for over an hour. Each time I looked out the window, though, everything appeared the same to me. Mountains covered in fresh snow stretched on for countless miles. That is, until the snowfall suddenly stopped and gave way to sunshine. Real, honest to goodness sunshine. It was the first time I’d seen the sun in weeks.
I shifted in my seat, pressing my face to the cold window so I could get as close a look as possible. It was as different as night and day, just like that. Snow still blanketed the ground, but it was fresh and normal December snow—not at all like the blizzard we’d left behind. My head throbbed mercilessly, but that was the last thing on my mind once the estate came into view. Actually, “estate” was putting it mildly. The place we were fast approaching was more like some sort of kingdom.
“Shit,” Danny muttered. It was the first time he’d spoken since we left the woods. “What the hell is this place?”
The Hummer jerked to a stop outside a wrought-iron gate, which was at least twenty feet high. Guards armed with rifles lined its entrance, and there were enough cameras that they probably would have caught a roach crawling by. And . . . there were people behind the gate. People. My eyes narrowed as I leaned forward, peering through the windshield. Some of them were shoving one another, some were standing around with wide eyes, and some were even sleeping. Well, I hoped they were sleeping.
“Shit,” Danny repeated, leaning forward as well. “How many people are out there?”
Joseph turned in his seat. “10,434. Not nearly as many as we’d hoped. Each person is embedded with a micro-chip upon arrival.”
I gaped. “So, basically, they came here for safety, and you treat them like dogs.”
Joseph snorted and rolled his eyes. “Not the comparison I would use, but yeah. Something like that.” He turned back to the front. “You like dogs?” he asked over his shoulder. “I’m sure Bennett can scrounge one up for you, if you’d like. Might make you feel more at home.”
“Screw you,” I mumbled, settling back in the seat. The only home I’d ever known had been destroyed two weeks ago, along with the people who actually made it a home. I’d rather sleep in a patch of dirt for the rest of my life than call this place “home.” I’d gotten plenty of practice camping over the last couple of weeks; I could do it again if worse came to worst.
“Suit yourself, Princess. We’ll see how long that high and mighty act lasts once you get inside.”
The gates creaked open and the car lurched forward, continuing down a long driveway. The people were contained by fences on all sides, penning them in like cattle. This was the “safe haven” they came for? This was what Bennett gushed about in the broadcast? About mid-way down the drive, we reached the end of the enclosure, leaving the crowd behind. I shifted to look out the back window, my heart sinking for the people who screamed at our vehicle. The other Hummer continued steadily behind. Ethan.
It took ten minutes for us to complete the length of the driveway, and we arrived at the hugest house I’d ever seen. Not only was it massive, but it was . . . well, it was gorgeous. It was made of cobblestone, had countless windows, and was at least three stories tall. This actually could have been a kingdom, because this place looked fit for royalty. The grounds surrounding it were meticulously groomed, with lush green grass despite it being the dead of winter.
My eyes flickered over to Danny, who was already staring at me. “Now what?” I mouthed. All he offered was a shake of his head.
My door opened, and I froze. Panic coursed through me as I held Danny’s gaze, silently begging him to think of something. To please do something, because I was at a complete loss and terrified out of my mind. If he treated people like . . . like dogs, what the hell else was Bennett capable of?
“Out,” Adrian barked. He latched onto my arm and started to pull, but before Danny had a chance to do anything, his own door was yanked open.
“Please,” I said as I stumbled out of the car. “Please, don’t do this. Don’t make me go in there. Please.”
I knew I sounded desperate, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to go, to run far away from this place. Guilt flickered across his face, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. He reached around and slammed the door closed, shoving me forward. A single sob escaped me, but I managed to suppress the rest. Adrian kept one hand wrapped firmly around my forearm and started for the house. Danny, limping all the while, didn’t even put up a fight. That was probably for the best, but I wished he’d pull some sort of move and get us out of there. Of course, I had no idea where we would—could—go. Bennett had eyes everywhere.
When we reached the steps, Aaron was already pushing Ethan into the house. I wanted to run to him, to hold him, to feel the assurance that always came with his presence. I stumbled a little on the steep bricks, and Adrian swore under his breath and gripped my arm tighter.
“Sorry,” I muttered, regaining my balance. “Don’t mean to be such an inconvenience.”
Much to my surprise, he cleared his throat and replied, “No inconvenience, dear girl. Simply don’t want you to get anymore bruises. You look as if you’ve seen better days.”
He sounded so much like Dr. Fowler that grief overwhelmed me, forcing me to a stop just outside the doorway. I could’ve used the doctor’s guidance right then. The driver inhaled deeply and nudged me forward. His grip, however, loosened. I relished in the clean, crisp air one final second before stepping inside.
My tattered sneakers squeaked on the marble floor as I entered the house, the sound echoing throughout the room. I stared at the massive space in amazement—the room itself was bigger than my entire house in Pennsylvania. Winding staircases commanded each side of the room, both leading to a balcony that overlooked where we stood. Though the room was awe-inspiring, it didn’t hold a candle to what, or who, waited directly in front of us.
According to Susan, I’d been sent away from the Andreas family when I was just a few years old. But even though I hadn’t seen him since I was a toddler, I would’ve known Bennett Andreas anywhere. He stood before me, with a guard on each side and another trio behind him. He looked more like a mob boss than a guy in his early twenties. With his dark hair slicked back and a suit my dad never would have been able to afford, his very presence demanded attention. Respect.
Respect, my ass. He was lucky he was surrounded by his little team of puppets.
Ethan stumbled to a stop in front of him, while Aaron kept his hands pinned behind his back. Ethan straightened quickly, though, and I was pushed forward yet again. Once Bennett’s eyes locked with mine, I held his gaze with as much defiance as I could muster. He wanted me here? Fine. But he’d be damn sorry I was.
I stood to Ethan’s left, and Danny stopped on his right. Joseph, Aaron, Adrian, and Simon all stayed behind us, probably so we wouldn’t try and make a run for it. I wasn’t sure where they thought we’d go. Knowing the sadistic jerk in front of us, he probably had the place booby trapped. I glanced up at Ethan, and immediately wished I hadn’t. His cheek was bruised and his lip split, with a trickle of blood trailing down his chin. My lip quivered, but he stood strong, without a hint of emotion on his face. I wanted to grab his hand, to hold him close, to tell him how sorry I was he and Danny had been dragged into this. All because of me.
Anger and bitterness surged through me as my gaze shifted back to Bennett, who was watching me with clear blue eyes so much like my own. Susan was right—there was no mistaking our relation. That only increased the rage burning in my churning stomach. I wanted to claw those eyes out.
The longer he stared at me, the faster my pulse raced. Brother or not, this guy was evil personified. Yet for some reason . . . I felt drawn to him. Like in the grand scheme of things, I was meant to be right here, right now. Disgusted, I shoved the thought from my mind. Screw that.
He studied my face for what seemed like ages. He stood about a head taller than me, and I had to look up to meet his eyes. Tears stung my own, but they weren’t tears of sadness, or fear—I was pissed. Livid. And I wanted to make him pay for all the damage, all the hurt he’d caused me and those I’d become so close with over the past few weeks. Those people were family, not the scumbag standing in front of me with a smile on his face.
He placed a hand on each of my shoulders, and took a deep breath as his smile grew wider. “Sister.”
Chills shot through me. His voice was filled with something I couldn’t quite place—awe, maybe? “It’s been such a long time,” he continued. “I’ve been so worried, so stressed, with you out there in all . . . this.” He waved a hand dismissively toward the door. “I sent for you before it all began, you see, but the idiots I dispatched obviously couldn’t handle a simple task.”
All I could do was stare back at him in amazement. Really? Really? My heart beat so fast I thought it might burst through my chest.
He cocked his head to the side, his eyes narrowing. “Callia? Do you have anything to say? To ask? I’m an open book, sister.”
Say? No. I spat in his face.
The guards lunged forward, but Bennett swiftly raised a hand, and they froze. He took a step back and wiped the wetness from his face with disgust.
“Kerrigan,” I said. “I’ve already had this conversation with one of your lackeys. My name is Kerrigan.”
“Not my lackeys. Ours.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not interested.”
His guards looked on with wide eyes, but Bennett didn’t seem deterred in the slightest. Instead of responding, he backed away until he was able to see Ethan and Danny more clearly. He clapped his hands together, his smile returning.
“Ah, where are my manners?” he asked, his booming voice echoing. “Welcome to the Andreas estate, gentlemen. Though, I must say, you’re not exactly in line with the dress code.” His guards chuckled along with him, and the sound of their laughter made my stomach churn more.
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