“Not exactly,” Borré replied. “It’s a replica. Emma could do the same thing with her mind, of course. Your sister is quite talented.” He glanced at Emma, who blushed and smiled. “But her gifts were needed elsewhere, so constructing a reasonable facsimile of your childhood home was a relatively simple alternative. We only needed a few rooms, actually. Humans are quite simple, and as I said, they believe what they want to believe.”
“So, they think they’re at home? They don’t know about any of this?”
“ ‘Ignorance is bliss,’ as they say.” Borré closed the laptop and tucked it under his arm. “They are in no danger at the moment, and as long as you fulfill your promise, they never will be.”
“Father demands obedience.”
“I understand.”
“I believe you do,” Borré said softly. He turned and left the room.
Ava didn’t hear the front door close, but his gift slipped away like fingers trailing over her skin.
“We should go,” Emma said.
“Will he do what he says?” Ava asked when they finally got back to the car. “Will he let them go?”
“Father doesn’t lie.”
They turned west heading out of the neighborhood and away from the small town Ava could see in the rearview mirror.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“What about the rest of us? How many have come back to Borré already?”
Emma shot her a glance and worried at her lip. “A few.”
“You’re not supposed to tell me?”
She shrugged. “Father hasn’t forbidden it. I don’t suppose it matters, really. It’s not like you could tell anyone where they are, and Father will know if you do.”
“How?”
“He always knows.”
Her voice was dead, quiet, and it sent a shiver down Ava’s back. “So?” she asked, clearing her throat as she picked at her jeans. “How many?”
“We’ve all been accounted for.”
Ava slumped on the seat. All but Ava and Evan—possibly Isaiah if he really had managed to get away. Three against nine.
Not great odds.
“Can you tell me about them?” Ava tried to keep the fear from her voice, tried to sound curious about her newfound family.
Emma smiled. “They’re all great,” she said. “Only one other girl, besides you and Sophie. She came to us a couple of weeks ago. Her name’s Mara. She’s kind of quiet. Likes computers more than people, really.”
“What’s her gift?”
“Electrical field manipulation. Everything from shooting lightning bolts to controlling power grids and manipulating technology.”
Ava chuckled a shaky laugh. “More proof Borré doesn’t need the codes at all.”
Emma shrugged. “Maybe there are limits to what she can do. I don’t know. Like I said, she’s kind of quiet.”
The conversation continued in the same vein, and Emma seemed more than eager to answer Ava’s questions. Unfortunately, the more she found out about the Twelve, the more she worried about how they would ever stop Borré.
Jae was a shifter but could also move large objects or even groups of people. Max was, in Emma’s words, virtually invulnerable—able to absorb kinetic energy and use it himself. Lucien’s Veil rendered him invisible, and he could use it to envelop others. Amrit was able to manipulate nature, even affecting the weather or stimulating plant growth. Christopher, the pyrokinetic Ava had encountered on several occasions, was part of the group. Even Sloan Bartok was one of the Twelve and able to control bodily functions—paralysis, stopping a heart midbeat, exploding internal organs. It was no surprise he was an assassin.
“But Borré sacrificed Sloan,” Ava said, unable to imagine the damage he could do. “How could he let him go to Allenmore and turn himself in if he’s one of the Twelve?”
Emma sighed long and hard. “Father is upset with Sloan. He’s been a bit too quick to question Father’s methods lately. He’s simply using this as a disciplinary measure.”
“Confessing to murder? How is he supposed to aid in this grand plan if he’s in prison?”
Emma laughed. “Oh, Sloan won’t go to prison. They can’t hold him if he doesn’t allow it.” She shifted and took an exit off the freeway. “No, Sloan will sit in a jail cell for a few days to prove himself trustworthy, then he’ll walk out and come back to us.”
Ava absorbed that for a moment. “So . . . he let you do what you did to him?”
“Well, technically he couldn’t resist both Father and me, but yes. In this case, he did.” She shrugged. “It isn’t discipline if he knows it’s not real. In time, his memories will come back and he’ll know it’s time to leave.” She glanced at Ava. “And you’ll be cleared of the murder charges. Problem solved.”
“I can’t imagine Borré will ever let me go back to my life, regardless of what he says.”
Emma reached across the seat to pat the back of Ava’s hand, and she could feel the girl’s gift zing through her. “It’ll be fine, Ava. You’ll see. Do what Father asks, and it’ll all be over soon.”
Ava nodded, unsure of how to respond. She knew what she had to do, but there were a lot of lives hanging in the balance. She prayed she was doing the right thing.
Andreas was anxious, jittery, and that was a feeling he was utterly unaccustomed to. Something was happening, and he didn’t need the gift of precognition to see it coming.
He got up from his bed, unable to sleep anymore, and pulled on a pair of pants before crossing the room to pour himself a drink. He sipped the bourbon but didn’t really taste it, the warmth settling into his stomach as he gazed out his living room windows over New Elysia.
He gulped down the rest of the alcohol, swishing it around his mouth before swallowing, then left his glass on the windowsill before heading into his office. He didn’t bother turning on the lights but flipped on the security projections that covered one wall. Images flickered over the painted surface from every camera throughout the city.
He sat down and leaned back in his plush, leather chair, crossing his bare feet on the desk. He flicked a finger, idly scrolling through the projections. The city perimeter was quiet, New Elysia sleeping for the most part. He switched to the cameras inside the central building and nodded in approval at the young man slumped over a desk in his office.
Evan.
He had to admit the boy was dedicated. Sleeping on the job was not something Andreas usually encouraged, but Evan had been going nonstop trying to track down Sophie and Isaiah. When he’d locked on to Isaiah, it had been a victory for them all, and he had refused to go home until he’d heard whether or not Tiernan had tracked the boy down.
They were still waiting.
The surveillance room was empty save one agent seated along the outer ring of desks, monitoring the cameras like Andreas was. The man yawned—a new recruit, hence the night shift, but reliable.
What’s his name? James? Justin?
Andreas shrugged. He couldn’t be expected to keep them all straight. He had a lot on his plate, especially lately.
James—or Justin—straightened and looked toward the door suddenly, and Andreas switched cameras to see what he was looking at.
Ava Michaels walked into the room, her step faltering a little before a bright smile lit her face. She approached Justin—or James—and spoke with him for a moment then the man flew through the air and slammed up against the wall.
Andreas shot to his feet as a red light started to flash next to his bank of monitors. He was reaching for his shoes when his phone rang.
“Petrov.”
“It’s Kwon. We have a breach.”
“I know. I’m on my way.” He tugged on a shirt and grabbed his coat. “Has the hall been locked down?”
“As we speak. Security’s on it.” She paused, and Andreas heard a rumple of fabric, the slam of a door. “It’s the girl. Ava.”
“Yes.”
“Why would she do this?”
Andreas pulled the front door closed behind him and quickened his steps. “I have no idea. But tell security to be careful. The girl has a lot of power.”
“I’m aware.”
“Do we have a dampener in the city?”
“All out on assignment,” Kwon replied. “I’ll mobilize more Protectors. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
Andreas doubted it, but he didn’t say so. Instead, he told Kwon he’d see her soon and dialed another number. “We have a situation,” he said, starting to run. “The girl has been caught trying to access the Bureau surveillance system.”
“Has she been apprehended?”
“Not yet,” Andreas replied, “but Protectors are closing in. Even if she gets out of New Elysia, she won’t get far.”
“Understood.”
“Do you want me to—”
“The situation is under control.”
The call disconnected, and Andreas frowned at his phone before cramming it back into his pocket.
He rounded a corner and spotted Protectors closing in on the Central building. He sped up and took the steps two at a time, sliding through the door before it closed. They raced toward the stairs, but Andreas opted for the elevator.
The doors opened, and he pressed his back against the front wall, peering around the corner when he heard nothing but quiet voices. He slipped into the outer office and nodded at the Protectors who flanked the doors to the surveillance room.
Le Kwon approached him, head bowed.
“We’ve muffled the room. She shouldn’t be able to hear or sense us, at least not right away,” Kwon said. “She’s still in there with the overnight tech. He’s been stalling.”
“Good man.”
Kwon nodded. “He won’t be able to keep it up much longer. We need to move quickly if we’re going to have the element of surprise.”
The door to the stairway opened, and Tiernan Ross and Caleb Foster came running in.
“What’s going on? Where’s Ava?” Caleb demanded.
Andreas held up a hand. “She’s inside.”
“Well, what are we doing out here? I don’t know what you people think is going on, but Ava is no threat.” He started toward the doors with Tiernan close behind him.
Kwon called out for them to stop, but neither listened, pushing through the line of Protectors and into the surveillance room. Kwon and Andreas followed, the Protectors coming in behind them.
So much for being careful.
Ava looked up as they came into the room, the tech still against the wall with a computer pad clutched in his fingers.
“Stay back!” she warned, throwing up a hand.
The Protectors flew back through the doors, the clatter of them landing on the floor muffled in the outer room.
Caleb approached her, hands held up. “Ava, what are you doing?”
“I’m sorry, Caleb,” she said, drawing in a shaky breath. “I have to do this.” She turned back toward the tech, and he whimpered in pain before sliding to the floor, unconscious. She whirled around and started to edge toward the door. “I have to go.”
“We can’t let you do that,” Kwon said, stepping in front of her.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Ava—” Tiernan started toward her, but froze midstep, his muscles taut as he tried to move. He cursed.
Ava shrugged. “Sorry, big guy.”
Andreas watched in awe as once again, the girl called on her gift, pushing everyone away from her and away from the door. She swiped at a drop of blood on her upper lip, but her power didn’t falter. He couldn’t move a muscle. She walked toward the door, her eyes darting around for any sign of movement before she rested her gaze on Caleb.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered before she turned and ran.
It was a full minute before the paralyzing effect of Ava’s gift wore off, and the Protectors in the outer room took off in pursuit.
Andreas stopped Caleb and Tiernan before they could follow suit. “I’ll get Evan on this right away,” he said. “Keep your phones on.”
The Protectors were out the door before he’d even finished speaking.
Chapter 14
Caleb wanted to shift, to go faster, but there was no point when they didn’t have a clear trail for Ava.
Tiernan had to stop periodically to touch the ground and sniff the air—commune with nature or whatever. Caleb never pretended to understand Tiernan’s gift. It worked, but it was frustrating when it meant they had to slow their pace and keep quiet—all the things Caleb did not want to do.
He wanted to scream. He wanted to run. He wanted to shift.
He wanted to get to Ava.
“Listen, can we just—” His phone buzzed and Caleb fumbled for it, answering without even looking at the caller ID. “Yeah?”
“It’s Andreas. Evan says south-southwest about three miles.”
“How is she moving so fast?”
“She obviously knows where she’s going. You don’t. I’ll be in touch.” Andreas hung up, and Tiernan looked at Caleb expectantly.
“Three miles south-southwest,” he said, stuffing his phone back in his pocket. “I think we better go my way.” He held out his arms, and Tiernan’s eyes widened.
“No way. You know I hate shifting.”
“Come on, we don’t have time for this.” Caleb waved him forward with both hands. “It’s perfectly safe.”
“Yeah, spreading my atoms all over God’s creation is safe. Right.” Tiernan backed away and turned to run.
Caleb beat him to it, shifting to stand right in front of him.
Tiernan stopped short but not before bumping right into Caleb, who grabbed him and held on tight.
“You might want to close your eyes.”
“No!”
But it was too late.
Caleb shifted them not quite three miles but close enough. They materialized on a heavily wooded hill, and through the trees, he could make out a lake to the west.
“Damn it, Foster.” Tiernan stumbled out of his hold and bent over, placing his hands on his knees as he retched onto the damp earth.
“I told you to close your eyes.” Caleb popped an R-cube into his mouth and started toward the lake. “Come on. We need to get going. I can feel her. She isn’t far.”
Tiernan wiped his mouth and started after him. “Wai—”
A fireball shot over their heads and slammed into a tree, and the dry pine needles erupted in flames.
Tiernan cursed and ducked down to run toward Caleb, who was hunkered behind a large rock. “Looks like we’ve got company.”
“Yeah.” Caleb peered over the top of the rock.
“You see Ava?”
Caleb dropped back down as another fireball shot past, closer than the last. “No. There are two of them, though. Christopher—”
“The pyro?”
Another fireball hit the rock in response.
“Yeah. The pyro,” Caleb said wryly. “I can’t see the other one.”
Tiernan scanned the area and seemed to focus on the lake in the distance. “I have an idea.”
“I’m listening.”
“Fire and water don’t mix, right?” He glanced significantly toward the lake.
Caleb grinned.
The next time Christopher emerged to launch a fireball in their direction, Caleb held Tiernan tightly and shifted them as close as they could get to his position.
Christopher froze, his eyes wide, but before he could recover, Caleb dropped Tiernan and grabbed Christopher.
“Remember me?” Caleb asked.
Tiernan kept his feet under him and took off after the other man standing a few feet away.
Max.
“Tiernan, wait!” Caleb shouted. “Whatever you do, don’t hit him!”
“What?”
Christopher was heating up, ready to attack again, so Caleb didn’t get a chance to reply. He sucked in a deep breath and shifted them away again.
They materialized at the
bottom of the lake.
Try and light up now, buddy.
Christopher struggled in the water, disoriented, and unable to detect which way was up.
Caleb didn’t waste any more time and shifted back to Tiernan, hoping he wasn’t too late. He appeared in the same spot he’d just left, spun, and ducked behind a tree to try to figure out what was happening.
Tiernan’s body flew by, landing a few feet away, and rolled to a stop in a crumpled heap.
Caleb shifted to his side. “You hit him, didn’t you?”
Tiernan’s moan was his only response for several seconds. He rolled onto his back. “That guy is strong.”
“He’s a kinetic absorber,” Caleb replied, dragging Tiernan back behind the tree as he scanned the area for Max. “Any energy you throw at him, he absorbs and sends right back at you.”
“You might have mentioned that,” Tiernan growled, rising to a sitting position.
“I tried.”
Max was coming toward them, cracking his neck as he stretched his arms over his head.
“So how do we beat him?”
“No idea.” Caleb got into a crouch and inched away, keeping in the shadow of the trees as Tiernan followed. “I can’t let him catch sight of me, though.”
“Why not?”
“Well, look who the cat dragged in.” Max’s looming figure appeared over them, a rather sick smile on his face. “Hello, traitor.”
Tiernan grabbed Caleb’s arm. “I think now would be a good time to get us out of here.”
Caleb winced. “Not gonna happen. Max here is sucking on my power like the parasite he is.”
Max leaned against a tree and grinned. “Not very filling, actually. Maybe the big guy can punch me again. Now, that was fun.”
“Where’s Ava?”
Max’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, she’s long gone by now, I’m sure. Word to the wise, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from her.” He leaned in, grin widening. “I hear she’s got some overprotective brothers.” He winked.
Tiernan cursed, and the thought echoed in Caleb’s gut. “You’re one of them,” he said. “The Twelve.”
Max laughed. “Which should tell you that you have no idea what I’m capable of.” He sobered. “What we are all capable of.”
The MORE Trilogy Page 64