by J. L. Weil
My heart pounded, nearly jumping out of my chest. Dash had risked his neck more than once for me. I wouldn’t put his in jeopardy; I wouldn’t let the Institute get their hands on him again. I might not know the details of what they did to him, but I knew enough to know he’d gone to great lengths to avoid the Institute.
With the intimidations came more screams.
“Freckles, wake up!” Dash shouted.
This time, there was no mistaking that voice—or the urgency. Something was wrong.
Chapter 12
I jolted awake, my heart pounding and my mouth dry.
Did I just have a nightmare? I dragged in a ragged breath and opened my eyes. Little white fuzzy particles danced in the moonlight as I glanced upwards, a cream tarp tented over my head. A strange tingle wafted over my skin. Why was I under a canopy?
Like almost every time I opened my eyes, I was disoriented, forgetting where I was or how screwed up the world had become. But as those fluffy particles shimmered and floated in the air, my memories slowly returned. And with the memories came the dream.
From daunting to steamy to core shaking, it had everything, an extreme roller coaster. It had been so vivid, so real, the screams were still echoing in my head.
“Charlotte.” My name tumbled cautiously from Dash. His silver eyes met mine, glowing with alarm.
He was close, far closer than he had been when I went to sleep.
Did that mean—?
Did we—?
Had it not been a dream?
Good God almighty.
Was that why my skin tingled? From his touch? And were my lips swollen like I’d been thoroughly kissed? “What happened?” I asked, bemused.
“You were dreaming,” he murmured, brushing a wild curl off my cheek.
It was humid still, regardless that the sun had set. My hair was crazy wild, no doubt looking like a family of forest creatures had decided to make a nest of it. “I had a nightmare.”
His cool gray eyes studied me, face drawn with concern. “You were talking in your sleep. It was adorable until your eyes opened. They were pink. I figured you were sleepwalking or something.”
Wait? What? How was it that my eyes could change colors? “Impossible,” I said after a moment of dead air.
“That you talk in your sleep? I think it’s pretty common.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, the dreams. My eyes. Why do strange things keep happening to me?”
Dash tilted his head to the side. “Do you really expect an answer?”
I sat up. “Oh God. I think I had some sort of premonition.” I assessed what happened, working through the ups and downs, trying to sort out what had been an illusion and what had been real—if any. It all came back in a rush. The more I thought about it, the more I was certain the warning from the Institute had been real. “We need to leave. Now.” I untangled myself from the mound of blankets and scrambled to gather my bag.
Dash followed me with his eyes as if I was losing it. “What’s gotten into you? Not that I’m rejecting the idea. I’m always down for a good escape plan.”
“The voice,” I whispered. In another time and place, I would have brushed off the wacky dream, but not now—not here—not after another eye-changing episode. It meant something. And I was deathly afraid I knew what.
“What voice?” Dash asked, watching me frantically throw my bag onto my shoulders.
Someone screamed, and my eyes flipped to the closed flap of the tent. A trickle of fear moved into my veins, forming a ball of unease in my gut. This was one of those times it sucked to be right. I whipped my head toward him, eyes hysterical. “They’re coming for you,” I hissed.
His brows flew together. Suddenly, I had his attention. “Who?”
Why wasn’t he moving? “The Institute. They’re coming. They found us.” Fear consumed me.
To stress the danger I was positive was heading our way, another scream bellowed from the camp. This time Dash reacted. Bolting upright, he automatically reached in his bag for a weapon. “Shit.” Unhappiness colored his voice as he remembered Brunlak had confiscated them. His body tensed as he raked a hand through his hair.
The cry for help was followed by another. And another.
He was on his feet, finally realizing the depth of our situation. “Freckles, I’m not even going to ask.” He grabbed my hand, tugging me to the front of the tent. Peeling a corner back, he glanced outside.
I got up on tiptoes, peering over his shoulder. The camp was in chaos. People running around, frightened and screaming. The defense tower was unmanned, and I didn’t want to think why. “What are we going to do?” I whispered.
He didn’t hesitate or panic. “First, we’re going to get our weapons. Then we’re going to get the hell out of here.”
Solid plan … if we pulled it off. There seemed to be a lot of details missing. Like how were we going to find our stuff? Did we even know where Brunlak had stashed our weaponry? And with the cloak blocking the camp, how were we getting out?
Dash didn’t seem to be worried about the particulars. I worried enough for the both of us.
“Let’s get this show on the road,” he muttered, and like that, we were off.
We raced out into the open, warm air, the whipping wind swirling dust and sand in our faces. I don’t know how he managed to see where he was going, but I held on tight, trusting him. Through the pandemonium, I noticed something different. Where the barrier of the camp used to be was gone. I could see the horizon in the distance, the three-quarter moonlight shimmering over the desert. “The veil is gone. Someone removed Vee’s cloak.”
“The Institute,” Dash hissed, ducking behind a canvas structure.
The scent of fear seemed to rise up and surround me until my head spun. My heartbeat was fast, racing with the people seeking safety.
Dash, the voice whispered in the wind.
I shivered. “They’re close.”
Dash glanced at me, and whatever he saw sent him into action. Somehow we made it across the little village—near to where we had been snuck in—but we weren’t the only ones. The Institute had arrived, their gifted military spreading over the camp.
Dash’s hand squeezed mine, and he took a sharp intake of air. A group of them surged our way, and Dash froze. His eyes were dazed, pupils huge, and his hand turned clammy in mine. The close proximity of the Institute caused a reaction inside him. And not a good one. I have no idea how long I stood calling his name. In some ways, it felt like only a heartbeat passed, but at the same moment, it was as if we were suspended in time.
Then proverbial crap hit the fan.
A blazing wall of heat and flames shot from a female guard, appearing before me in a wall, and I barely had the presence of mind to back up, pulling Dash with me. The fire shot up from the ground as it circled around us in a ring. If we didn’t move now, we would be trapped.
The fire was closing in, growing tighter and hotter. I screamed.
Dash blinked, and just like that, his ruthless demeanor returned.
“Get behind me,” he ordered.
I raised my hand, instinctively shielding my eyes from the blinding bright light of the flames. The heat licked over my skin in a painful discomfort.
Beyond the fire was a dark outline. Dash reached through the flames, grabbing the shadow and ripping him into the circle of hell. “Hey, Ashton, I see you still like to play with fire. Ember must be tired of you dousing her flames. I told you one day you were going to get burned.”
Ashton’s eyes went wide, and before he could plead for his life, Dash had his fist planted in his face. The Night’s Guard’s eyes rolled back in his head as his body crumbled to the grass. Unconscious, the fire simply disappeared.
When Dash turned back to look at me, something a hell of a lot of primitive and aggressive took over. “You okay?”
All I could do was nod.
Boom! Gunshots echoed over the field, and the dark voice’s promise echoed in my head. One by one, they will die, a
nd the thought made my stomach twist. The voice had promised death, and it appeared they were living up to their end of the bargain. I, on the other hand, was not.
Panic ensued. I couldn’t betray Dash. I wouldn’t. But could I live with death on my hands?
The first signs of resistance sounded, even over the howling of the wind. The people of Eastroth weren’t going down poo creek without a fight.
Wheeling around, Dash looked back the way we’d come. “We’re sitting ducks out here, defenseless.”
“Not completely defenseless,” I replied, wiggling my free hand in the air.
“No. Absolutely not. You’re not putting yourself in the line of fire,” he snarled, drawing me alongside him.
Too late.
A whizz of light zipped by, hitting the tent beside us in a burst of sparks. Dash reacted immediately, rolling me into his arms and pulling me against his chest. He brought us to the pavement, curving his body around mine. I could feel the corded muscles of him as they tensed, the ground shaking under our feet.
A loud crack thundered, and I jerked in his arms, but he held onto me close. Oh my God. This was really happening.
“We need to find a way out,” Dash growled.
The Institute continued to raid the camp, tearing through the homes of Eastroth and destroying what these people had worked so hard to build like it was nothing.
As Dash unfolded his arms around me, a shadow fell over us, spurring him to his feet. The muscle in his jaw clenched. Horror ate at my stomach. All I could think was the Institute had found him. I forced my eyes skyward and prepared to launch myself at the Night’s Guard in crazy ex-girlfriend style. But it wasn’t a guard. It was a six-foot, golden nomad.
Brunlak stood in our path.
This wasn’t ideal, but it could have been worse.
Pushing to my feet, a horrible sense of betrayal wormed in my gut. Not that Brunlak owed us anything; I assumed his disregard for the Institute ran almost as deep as Dash’s. But looking at him now, I knew he was the one who had contacted them and squealed like a rat, giving the Institute Dash’s location. He had even risked the safety of his village for the bounty the Institute had on Dash’s head. Caught in a tailspin of rage and despair, I didn’t think about what I was doing until after the fact, and by then, the deed was done.
Swinging out, my fist connected with Brunlak’s cheekbone. It wasn’t a girly hit, either. I had the stinging hand to prove it. It hurt. A lot. But totally worth it. Every ounce of my frustration, fear, and pent-up anger was packed into that punch.
He deserved it for what he had done to us and so much more, as far as I was concerned. “You bastard! How could you?”
Brunlak let out a groan of part pain, part anger, which turned into a frightening laugh. “I knew I was right about you.”
“Go screw yourself!” I yelled, springing forward, but I didn’t get far.
“Whoa, Freckles,” Dash said with a hint of amusement, wrapping a hand around my waist and keeping me from going She-Ra on Brunlak.
I couldn’t pull myself out of it. All I could do was glare at the man standing between us and our freedom.
“Get out of the way, old man,” Dash roared, pushing me behind him, “before I make you wish you never set eyes on me.”
My gaze swung behind us, afraid the Institute’s foot soldiers were going to come storming out of the dust any second, waving their guns and demanding us to hit the ground or they’d shoot. I placed a hand on Dash’s shoulder just as there was a succession of several pops.
I gasped, but the sound was lost in the screams.
Dash’s patience had run out. “I don’t need a weapon to kill, and that’s what I’ll do before I let the Institute get their hands on her,” he told a brooding Brunlak.
Me? He was worried about me? They were after him.
There was no doubting the conviction in Dash’s voice. I believed him. Brunlak believed him. And if Brunlak didn’t let us go, Dash would kill him. He wouldn’t think twice about it. I wanted to hurt Brunlak, but I didn’t want him dead, and I had to do something before Dash did indeed kill Vee’s father. It wasn’t Brunlak I was saving, but Vee, wanting to spare her the pain of losing a parent in a world where so many people were missing their loved ones.
“You just made my day,” Dash seethed, grabbing a fistful of Brunlak’s shirt. He rocked back on his heels. “I’ve been itching to smash your face.”
Here goes nothing. I squeezed my eyes shut, blocking out all the wild emotions rolling inside me. I remembered what Vee had said—how she could sense the darkness. There was no darkness but a static of energy pulsing inside me. It fluttered over my skin, building the more I centered on the sensation. Lightning was energy. Please let this work. I didn’t really have high hopes, but what could it hurt?
Leaning to the side, I opened my eyes and reared back, letting the collection of static soar. I threw out my arm, feeling foolish, but the foolishness quickly turned to success. A charged bolt of lightning flew from my hand like a spear, striking the ground at Brunlak’s feet before fizzing out.
I’ll be damned. My mouth dropped open.
Brunlak’s eyes went wide as he stared at the charred ground. White smoke billowed at his feet, blowing away with the wind. My fingers tingled. That. Had. Been. Amazing.
Dash shot me a look over his shoulder.
Brunlak faced me, a gleam of triumph in his mahogany eyes. “The Institute is going to have a field day with you two.”
Dammit. I’d gotten his attention all right and probably every Night’s Guard in a mile radius. Swell. Bright idea, Charlotte.
“That’s what you think,” Dash rumbled, right before he planted his fist into Brunlak’s gut. He was extremely hands-on today. I could only imagine what he could do with a weapon.
My concentration was solely on Dash, and I didn’t hear anyone come up behind me until a brisk voice ordered, “If you want a chance to survive, you must come with me. And hurry.”
I swung around. It was Vee. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a loop of braids, and the loose shawl she wore slipped off one shoulder.
I sighed in relief. Finally, someone with estrogen.
Dash’s keen eyes took in her presence and used it to his advantage. He shoved aside Brunlak and latched onto Vee’s arm. “If you want to see your daughter again, keep your mouth shut,” Dash warned.
Brunlak crumbled to the ground, doubled over in pain.
I didn’t agree with Dash’s methods, but I told myself he wasn’t actually going to hurt Vee. Then he turned to her, and I was no longer sure she was safe from Dash’s vengeance. “Don’t screw me over. You won’t like the results.”
I wanted to tell Dash to be nice, but I didn’t think it would be well received, so I kept my mouth shut and followed Vee, happy to be moving.
“You can use the tunnels,” she advised as we raced along the edge of the village. “It will give you a head start, a chance to possibly lose them.”
Vee paused at a crate and gave Dash an impatient glance. “I won’t run. You don’t need to keep me on a leash.”
Dash growled before freeing her arm.
She made haste, pulling on the lock and swinging open the crate door. “Here, you’re going to need these.”
Dash grinned and removed his bow and arrow, along with three knives. “Come to papa.”
I rolled my eyes and reached in to grab my dagger. It no longer felt awkward or clumsy in my grasp. “Thank you,” I breathed.
Vee gave a tip of her head. “You can thank me by surviving. … I have a feeling about you two.”
There wasn’t time to ask what she meant. The Institute was breathing down our necks.
Chapter 13
Dash swung the bow over his arm. “If you get us out of here, I’ll be in your debt.” It was a big deal, Dash offering a debt. A flash of blue light flew over our heads, narrowly missing him. His eyes narrowed.
Another blast went off, causing my heart to pound like a jackhammer.
If it hadn’t been for the high wind making their visibility impaired, we wouldn’t have had the advantage. Slinking along the edge of a circular structure, we stayed low, keeping conversation to a minimum. Sandwiched between Vee and Dash, I gritted my teeth and tried to block out the screams. It felt as if we were never going to make it to the tunnel.
Regardless of the fact that my legs were shaky, I made myself push on, one foot in front of the other. And when Vee came to a sudden halt, I walked right into her. I could have blamed the dust in my eyes, but it was just my absent-mindedness. Recovering my balance, I saw what had her stopping in her tracks. Three Night’s Guards blocked the path to the tunnels—two men and one woman. We were so close, the hairs on my arms stood. All we had to do was get through three Night’s Guards. No sweat.
Who was I kidding?
For a moment, my breath faltered, and I didn’t know what to do. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I hope one of you has a plan,” Vee said, backing up a step or two.
“Duck!” Dash yelled.
Two seconds went by before Vee and I hit the ground. Dash stepped in front of us, bow drawn and prepared to strike. I counted the arrows whooshing over my head. Two single arrows. That left one.
Lifting my head, two of the guards were on the ground, moaning and bleeding. Not life-threatening injuries, but enough to keep them incapacitated and out of our way. It was the last guy I was worried about. The moment the thought left my brain, a hand grabbed a chunk of my hair and yanked me backward. I fell on my butt, sprawled out on the ground.
Curse this stupid hair.
It was a fire engine beacon, begging for attention, and in this situation, it was costly.
Dash spun around. “Hands off the lady, amigo.”
I grabbed the guard’s wrist and sent him an electric shock strong enough to make the hairs on his arm singe. He yelped, releasing the death grip on my locks, and gave Dash the opening he’d been looking for.