Sunken Eyes (Cruel and Beautiful World Book 2)

by L. Stoddard Hancock

  Neo cocked an eyebrow. "And just where exactly are you getting these five?"

  "The Resistance."

  Odette and Neo exchanged another look. "The moment we inform the Resistance of your escape they'll be scooping you up and locking you in a room somewhere to make sure they don't lose you again," said Odette.

  Deryn shook her head. "Not if we do it right."

  * * * * * *

  Talon had been sitting alone in his room when his two-way radio started crackling. At first he ignored it, but then he'd heard the faint voice coming from the other side. A voice he'd only heard once in the past five years but was permanently ingrained in his mind.

  He'd stumbled over himself to get to that damn radio, stretching to grab it from where he'd fallen on the floor and pressed the button before he was even back on his feet. "Deryn?"

  And then his sister's voice proceeded to tell him the two words he had been waiting for over five years to hear. "I'm out."

  She wanted to meet him alone at the ruins. He'd immediately gone to Nita, who insisted that she and her team accompany him, though she'd promised they would hang back so as not to scare Deryn off. She had been a prisoner for five years and was bound to be a bit skeptical of everyone she encountered.

  Deryn had also insisted that he tell no one about this, especially Dakota. He didn't understand why she wouldn't want Dakota knowing about her escape but he agreed, nonetheless, and sent his friend off on a fake mission so he wouldn't have the opportunity to wander to the ruins and destroy Talon's one chance at reuniting with his sister.

  As he sat atop a large stone that used to be a piece of a towering building, he found himself reaching into his pocket where his bracelet was normally kept. He was so used to fidgeting with it that he felt incomplete without it. With nothing else to fidget with he ran his hand through his hair, glancing around anxiously for any sign of Deryn.

  He had gone to see his father before he left, though the man barely registered his presence. While he'd wanted to tell him where he was going and who he was bringing back with him he didn't want to get his hopes up. Not again.

  And then Talon heard it. A rustle of leaves, steps breaking rotting twigs on the ground. Everything he'd been trained to listen for. He snapped his head in the direction of the noise, fixing the hair he'd messed up and waiting for someone to emerge from the trees.

  His heart raced as a figure came into view, his breath clogged somewhere in his throat. He gulped to relieve it though it didn't do much good.

  And then, there she was. Standing there, looking up at him, was his little sister, her eyes still bright and her hair mahogany-brown with faded streaks of red.

  "Deryn." He jumped down, fighting off the urge to run to her and take her in his arms. He'd dreamed of this moment. Every night for five and a half years.

  But Deryn wasn't moving.

  Talon took a step closer. Then another. And -

  Before his third step touched the ground, she turned on her heel and took off running. Talon immediately reacted, taking off after her.

  "Deryn! Deryn, please! Come back!"

  But she didn't come back. She darted through the trees with all the skill she had as a child, back when she used to mimic the animals they chased, specifically the deer.

  As Talon approached a clearing, he caught sight of her in the center of it, skidding to a halt and turning to face him.

  He entered the clearing, freezing at the scene in front of him.

  Nita was on her knees beside Deryn, her hands bound behind her back, flinching as his little sister pulled a knife out of her sleeve and pressed the tip to Nita's neck. Nita's team were there too, all three of them bound with weapons held to their backs. There were five people with Deryn, three he didn't recognize and two who looked vaguely familiar. Children of Guardians who attended Eagle Center, if he remembered correctly.

  "So when I asked you to come alone, you thought that meant bring four armed soldiers with you?" asked Deryn, her brow furrowing as she stared across the way at Talon.

  Talon met her eyes and gulped. "Yes, well, sometimes being the son of Godfrey Leon means people want to ambush me. Experience has taught me to be cautious."

  "So you thought I'd ambush you?"

  "You are ambushing me," Talon pointed out, still not exactly sure what to make of his current situation.

  "Beside the point."

  Talon glanced down at Nita, who sighed and shrugged. "Deryn, what are you doing?" he demanded, his eyes raising back to her.

  "Negotiating," she answered. "After our conversation last week, I got the impression you weren't willing to do so."

  "Negotiate what? You're out!" he shouted, unable to think rationally in that moment. His sister, his little sister who he had been crying over, fighting for, dreaming about for all these years was here in front of him, and she was holding a knife to his girlfriend's throat.

  His girlfriend who didn't look terrified in the least ...

  And then he understood what Nita was silently trying to tell him. Deryn wasn't off her rocker, which was where his mind had gone.

  "As you may recall, I told you that Xander and I are a package deal, yet here I am, outside without him." Deryn's eyes were wet as she spoke, and Talon had to fight off the urge to move forward and comfort her. "Saevus discovered his deception and while we tried to get out together he didn't make it. His execution is scheduled to take place in two days. And we're going to get him out."

  Talon's eyes widened. "We?"

  "We have the six of us here and one person on the inside," explained Deryn. "It's not enough. But eleven should just about do it."

  Talon glanced at Nita and then the three members of her team, only one of them expressing any displeasure in the request. The others remained neutral.

  "I can't send my men into a death trap for a Guardian," he said, looking back at Deryn.

  "Why do you label him like that?" she demanded. "He's a person, just like you and me, and he needs help!"

  Talon ran a hand through his hair. "Even if we somehow manage to get him out, what the hell are we supposed to do with him? We can't bring a Guardian to the base."

  "Person!"

  "He may be a person, but he's still a fucking Guardian, Deryn!" shouted Talon, unable to stop himself from snapping. She was being completely unreasonable. "I can't let him in."

  "Then he and I will leave!"

  Talon's heart dropped. "What? No."

  "You don't want us to stay! You don't want us to leave! Make up your damn mind!"

  "I want you to stay!" snapped Talon.

  "Package deal," she repeated with a sneer. "He protected me. He took me in and protected me when you failed to do so!" Deryn removed the knife from Nita's neck and pointed it forcefully at Talon. He flinched, and then immediately regretted it when he saw the sadness in her eyes. "Fine." She bent down and used the knife to cut Nita's binds. "We'll do it without you."

  Talon went white. "No."

  "You say that a lot. But I'm going back for him whether you help me or not."

  Deryn waited a moment but when Talon didn't speak she moved to leave, the other members of her group already releasing Nita's team.

  She took a step away from him. And then another. And -

  "Alright!" he shouted, stumbling forward and falling to his knees.

  Deryn glanced over her shoulder at him. "What did you say?"

  Talon climbed back to his feet, tears streaming from his eyes as he stared at his sister. "I said I'll do it! I'll do anything! Just, please ... please don't leave."

  Deryn's tough exterior melted in that moment, her shoulders bobbing as she cried. "I didn't want our reunion to be like this but -"

  "Don't explain. There's no need, alright? Just ... just please, let me hug you now."

  Deryn gave a small smile and lightly lifted her arms. Talon lunged forward and scooped her up, crying openly as he hugged her as tightly as he could. They both laughed through the tears as her arms linked around his neck, ne
ither wanting to ever let the other go.

  And for a brief moment in time it felt like maybe everything was going to be okay.

  But the real war was just beginning.