Arise (Cruel and Beautiful World Book 3)

by L. Stoddard Hancock

  “Cress just grabbed Neetles from the kitchen. Why?”

  “I had a job for them,” Talon said nonchalantly.

  “Like hell you did!” shouted Xander, his body pulsing with rage. “Deryn is out there! If something’s going on -”

  Talon sighed. “Your friends in Utopia were captured, Xander. One of them got out and I sent Neetles and her team to find him.”

  Xander stiffened. “And Deryn?”

  “You know how she is.”

  Xander did know. Because he was the same way.

  With just as much purpose as when he came into the room, Xander stormed out.

  “Xander, don’t!” Talon closed his map and ran after him. “We have enough people out there. You shouldn’t risk -”

  “If she’s going to risk it then so am I!”

  “Xander, stop!”

  He did stop. But not because of Talon. Because of the earthshattering scream that echoed through Blackbird.

  Thick, black smoke billowed in the distance.

  Only, it wasn’t in the distance.

  “The entrance is on fire!” someone shouted as people started running through the base.

  “The trees are burning!”

  Xander and Talon stood as still as stone, letting the reality of what was happening sink in.

  “It’s a trap,” said Xander, his voice lost in the ocean of screams.

  “What?” asked Talon, even though he’d already pieced it all together.

  “It’s a trap! It’s a trap! It’s a fucking trap!”

  • • •

  Out in the forest, Deryn was trying to look Quigley in the eye but he kept avoiding her. Nearby leaves rustled and she started. A squirrel scurried from one tree to another. Deryn released a breath she’d been holding.

  “We should get out of here,” she said. “Before someone comes looking for you.”

  She grabbed Quigley’s hand and pulled, but he resisted.

  “Quigley, what’s wrong with you?” she asked, her voice quiet but stern. “If they really have Bronson and the others then we need to get to the base so we can come up with a plan!”

  Quigley shook his head frantically. “No. No, that won’t work!”

  “Quigley, let’s go!”

  “It wasn’t supposed to be you,” he repeated with another whimper. “It was Ruby. Ruby was supposed to be the one to come for me.”

  “Quigley, please,” Deryn cried. “Today has been stressful. You’re confused. We need to get back to -”

  “I’m sorry, Deryn!”

  Deryn stopped trying to pull him. Her heart quickened as Quigley’s hand slipped from hers. The wind picked up as the air around her shifted, a horrible chill running down her spine.

  And then she smelled it. Smoke.

  She turned in the direction of the base and immediately saw it. Thick clouds of black smoke filling the forest. She couldn’t see the flames but she could feel their heat. Sweat dripped from her brow.

  “Quigley ...”

  “I’m sorry,” he repeated. “But Saevus found out about Fiona. I didn’t want to do it. But then they took Bronson.”

  Trees rustled nearby and she heard footsteps. Many footsteps.

  “Run!” shouted Quigley.

  Deryn could hear people on all sides of the clearing, surrounding her. She took out her Element and blasted a hole through the thick wall of brush. She sped through it, waiting until she was out of view before kicking the button on her boots and flying her ass out of there.

  “Get her,” Saevus ordered, stepping forward and stopping next to Quigley. His Guardians laughed as they ran after her.

  Let the games begin.

  Quigley watched as Luka ran by. Noticing Quigley’s eyes on him, Luka stared at him coldly and sneered before hurrying off.

  “I heard you tell her to run.”

  Saevus stood next to Quigley. His words sent an icy chill through Quigley’s bones.

  “She isn’t the one you want.”

  “She’ll get me who I want,” said Saevus.

  Quigley swallowed. “From the looks of it, you left the one you want to burn.”

  The corner of Saevus’s mouth twitched. “Careful, boy. While others might find your cheekiness charming, around me it just might get you killed.”

  Quigley’s eyes swelled with tears as he stared at the hole Deryn had created in the brush. His own death was the least of his worries.

  • • •

  While everyone else ran from the flames, Xander ran toward them.

  “Xander!”

  Talon’s footsteps shadowed his but he didn’t care. He needed to get down from that damn treehouse and find Deryn.

  “Xander, stop!”

  Talon jumped forward and landed on top of him.

  “Get off me!” Xander struggled to get out from under him, but Talon latched on.

  “You can’t go that way! It’s on fucking fire! What are you thinking?”

  “I don’t care! I’ll find a way down!” Xander shouted. “They’re here for me, Talon! I’m who they want and, if they don’t get me, you know damn well who they’re going to take instead!”

  Talon held on tighter. “No! You’re our bargaining chip, Xander! If you leave -”

  “I can’t just leave her out there!” cried Xander. “Let me go! Please!”

  A pair of feet stopped in front of him. He looked up and saw Harper standing there.

  “Harper, please! Get him off me!”

  Harper knelt down and sighed. “Sorry, Xander.”

  Xander never saw the needle but he damn well felt it. She jabbed him in the neck, injecting him with something that made everything around him grow hazy.

  “Deryn,” was the last thing he said before his world went black.

  • • •

  Deryn hadn’t even gone a quarter of a mile when her boots short-circuited. She dropped to the ground, biting her cheek to keep from screaming.

  “Not now, you idiots!” she yelled to her boots, trying to kick them on again when she was back on her feet. Sparks sizzled out of the heels.

  Deryn groaned and started running as fast as her feet would take her. It would be an easy fix, but she didn’t have time for it now. Not when every second counted.

  Guardians were approaching. She could hear them running and laughing all around her.

  As Deryn sprinted through the forest, she shot blasts over her shoulder. But she never looked back to see if she hit anyone. There was no time for that. The footsteps were getting closer. Shadows that could only be Guardians were spreading behind her.

  She wouldn’t go back to being a slave! She couldn’t! She’d rather die!

  “DAKOTA! NEETLES! HELP!” Deryn screamed desperately. While she didn’t want to involve them, she also knew there was no way she was escaping this on her own.

  There was a loud crunch to her left and she looked. Cress ran into view. He watched her zoom by, taking only a second to see what was behind her before joining.

  “Fucking shit!” he shouted. “How many are there?”

  “All of them!” she answered.

  Everett appeared in front of them. He yipped and very quickly turned in the direction they were headed.

  A large blast hit a tree to their left, burning a hole right through it.

  “Don’t hit the slave!” ordered a voice Deryn instantly recognized as Elvira’s. “Your president wants her alive!”

  “Where the fuck did they all come from?” asked Cress.

  Deryn didn’t answer. She couldn’t bring herself to admit to someone like Cress that one of the people she trusted most in the world had betrayed her.

  “So clearly they’re after you!” said Everett, glancing sideways at Deryn.

  “Yeah, no shit!” said Cress.

  “Shut your fucking mouth for once and listen, you idiot! They’re not after us, so we need to stall them so Deryn can get out of here!”

  A blast shot at them and they all dodged. They were running in zigzag patte
rns, trying to get behind as many trees as they could, but some of the Guardians were still gaining on them.

  “Start circling around!” shouted Elvira. “We’ll get her from all angles!”

  “Cress, you go left. I’ll go right. And, Deryn, you just fucking go,” said Everett.

  Deryn nodded. “Be careful.”

  Everett and Cress branched away from her. Now that she was alone again, she did some maneuvering, trying to lose them through the densest parts of the forest.

  Deryn was able to get a fair distance from the Guardians, but when her foot got caught in some moss she panicked and fell to the ground. There was no time to get back up, so she did the only thing she could think of. She buried herself in the moss and pressed her body against a nearby log, hoping she blended in with the vegetation. She’d barely hidden herself when several sets of footsteps jumped over the log and continued on their way.

  • • •

  Everett stunned a few Guardians before climbing a tree to avoid the few who’d stayed behind to try and kill him. One of them used a laser to chop it down and Everett leapt from the falling tree to another, shooting his gun at the ground and successfully hitting someone. He’d only grabbed one of their ancestor’s guns before leaving the base, since he hadn’t anticipated an ambush.

  Farther back, Cress had taken a more direct approach and was shooting blasts left and right. He’d grabbed a proper weapon before leaving the base.

  Cress laughed in triumph whenever he hit a Guardian, but he wasn’t keeping a good eye on his surroundings. Someone grabbed his gun from behind and whirled him around. Cress stared into the eyes of Luka Voclain.

  “Give Xander a message for me.”

  Luka slipped something into Cress’s pocket. Then he was pushed backwards and a streak of lightning shot at him. Cress’s eye widened and he fell back, stiff as a board.

  “No!” shouted Everett from his spot high in the trees.

  Luka looked in his general direction. “Forget him!” he ordered. “We’re here for Xander and the slave! No one else!”

  Luka ran off in the direction Deryn had gone with the others trailing behind him. Finley watched as Luka disappeared. When he was out of view, she looked down at the person he’d just killed, whimpering as she thought of Odette.

  Finley wiped her eyes and sucked back her remaining tears. She was just about to follow the others when she heard a noise coming from somewhere behind her. She turned and watched as Dakota Triggs shot a dart into her neck.

  “What are you doing?” asked Everett, jumping from his tree and running over.

  “Following orders,” answered Dakota, picking up Finley’s stunned body and tossing it over his shoulder. “Scout comes with us.”

  Everett didn’t question it. He looked down at Cress and shook his head. “Shit. I mean, I hated the prick but I didn’t want him to die or anything.”

  Dakota nodded in agreement. “Let’s get them back to the base.”

  “Don’t you want to go after Deryn?” asked Everett.

  “Yes!” shouted Dakota. “Which is why we need to move quickly!”

  Everett nodded. He picked up Cress and the two of them ran toward the rising smoke.

  • • •

  Once Xander was unconscious, Talon released a breath. “Thanks, Harper.”

  “If he tries to kill me when he wakes up I expect you to protect me.”

  Talon nodded in agreement. He stood up and looked around. The entire base was in chaos. He pulled up his map and accessed the microphone.

  “Everyone, stop for a moment and listen!”

  The majority of people stopped, sweat dripping down their faces as the fire spread further into the base.

  “We need to get out through the back exit. Grab as much food, water and weapons as you can carry! Be on guard at all times and head for our emergency meetup location! Do not push! Do not panic! We need to be smart about this. We are soldiers in a war, do not let the fear consume you. No one is dying in Blackbird today!”

  Cheers echoed through the trees as people branched off to the arsenal and the kitchen, both conveniently placed near their emergency exit.

  Now that things were more-or-less under control, Talon grabbed Xander and hoisted him over his shoulders.

  When he turned, Sam and April were marching toward him, gravpacks on their backs and several bags in their hands.

  “We need people to carry our stuff. Laramie has already rounded up some volunteers to take the gravpacks.”

  “Where are you going?” asked Talon.

  “From what I understand, Deryn’s in need of some assistance down there, so we’re taking to the sky.”

  Talon nodded. “Thank you.” He turned to Harper.

  “I’m on it,” she said without him having to ask. She grabbed one of Sam and April’s bags and ran off to find more people with available hands.

  “Don’t worry. If there’s an opportunity to get her we’ll take it,” said Sam.

  He and April activated their gravpacks and took off. Harper returned a moment later with three people to carry their things. She’d already been carrying a pack full of medical supplies when she’d come across Talon and Xander, so they were good to go.

  “Please, please don’t kill me,” Talon whispered to Xander as they ran through the burning base. The home he’d spent years building, gone in an instant.

  But that was the least of his worries.

  “I want to go after her, too,” said Talon, his heart weighing him down as he moved farther away from his sister. “But we can’t help her if we’re all prisoners.”

  When they reached the emergency exit, almost everyone was already gone.

  Harper strapped the zipline around Talon. She wrapped a harness around the man he carried and attached the hook, sending them off ahead of her.

  Even with the harness, Xander felt wobbly and Talon had to hold on tight as he zoomed down the line through the trees. He landed on a platform and someone helped disconnect him before Harper came zooming down, her rucksack and one of Sam’s bags still in hand. Then they were heading down another zipline, ten in total to take them far away from Blackbird.

  Every line they took made Talon feel heavier. But he had to keep going. He had to follow good sense, even if his heart led him somewhere else.

  • • •

  Deryn was about to leave her hiding place but stopped when she heard several voices.

  “I could have sworn I saw her go this way.”

  Deryn peeked through the moss and saw two figures standing with their backs to her. She knew them instantly.

  “Neetles,” she whispered as she moved out of the moss.

  Nita and Adrian turned.

  “Thank god,” said Nita, hurrying over and helping Deryn stand. “What happened?”

  “Quigley, he ... he set me up. When I found him they were all hiding, waiting for me,” answered Deryn with tears in her eyes.

  “It’s okay,” said Nita, hugging her friend and stroking her back. “I’m sure Talon is evacuating the base. Do you remember where the meetup place is for this sort of emergency?”

  Deryn nodded. It was one of the first things they’d told her when she arrived at Blackbird.

  “Then let’s get you there.”

  Nita took her hand and the three of them walked cautiously in the direction of the meeting point. They didn’t get very far before they were forced to stop. There were voices, and they were close. They pressed themselves against a nearby tree, watching as several Guardians gathered in a circle.

  “Spread around the area! She couldn’t have gone far!”

  Several coated figures dispersed, leaving only two. Elvira and Soren.

  “Despite our earlier conversation, I’d like to make you an offer,” said Elvira. “If you want to keep your slave then dispose of Xander before my father gets his hands on him.”

  “I don’t exactly see him anywhere,” said Soren. “Do you?”

  “He’ll be here!”

&n
bsp; “No deal. Fuck you, Elvira. I’m not your puppet anymore.”

  Soren walked off, giving her the finger as he did so.

  “Then I’ll do it myself!” Elvira went in the opposite direction.

  “Don’t worry,” whispered Nita. “Talon would never let Xander head this way. He’s safe.”

  Deryn nodded, but horrible knots were still twisting in her stomach.

  A twig cracked. Their heads spun toward the noise. Atticus Ruby stood there, staring at the spot where Elvira and Soren had just been. He turned, all three of them standing completely still while he stared straight at them. Then he looked forward again and walked on, like they had not been standing there at all.

  Nita released a breath she’d been holding. “Come on.”

  She pulled Deryn forward, but they had barely gone five steps when someone else walked into their view. Soren froze when he saw them, his eyes falling on Deryn. But he didn’t walk on like Atticus. His hesitation was only for a moment, and then his Element was out and aimed at her.

  Adrian leapt in front of Deryn as Soren pulled the trigger. He fell backward, stunned.

  “Go!” shouted Nita, taking out her gun. “Traitor!” She fired but Soren dodged.

  Deryn took off running. She could hear Soren running behind her, calling for others who were suddenly coming from all directions.

  Until that moment, she had not fully believed that Soren had betrayed them. But there was no denying it now. All he’d ever wanted was to possess her, nothing more.

  Deryn did not slow for even a moment to think about where she was going, knowing very well that each step she took just might be the difference between life and death.

  She screamed as someone jumped in front of her, almost making her fall backwards. Her feet skidded on the ground as she switched directions.

  • • •

  Dakota stopped when he heard Deryn scream.

  “I need to go,” he told Everett.

  Everett nodded. He propped Cress against a tree and marked the location on his map. He then took Finley from Dakota, gave his friend a stiff smile and turned away.

  Dakota ran off in the opposite direction, determined to get to Deryn before the Guardians.