by G. K. DeRosa
Approaching footsteps pulled my attention down 7th Street. Britton marched down the road decked out in Army camo from head to toe. His gray eyes honed in on Declan as he neared. I didn’t want him to get closer than necessary. Just because I hadn’t figured out what Declan was, didn’t mean Britt wouldn’t.
I jumped in front of Declan while Britt was still a few paces away. “Thanks for coming.”
He nodded and gave me a half-smile, his gaze still fixed on the nephilim behind me.
“This is Declan. Declan, Britton.”
The two men gave each other tight-lipped nods.
“So what’s your plan?” Declan didn’t waste any time.
The burly Army guy ignored his question and turned to me. “Let’s hope we can find your friend in the barracks. They’re much easier to access than the tower. My guy will get us in at the west entrance. He’ll distract the nephilim guard for as long as he can, but once we’re in, we’re on our own.”
“Okay.” Nervous energy strummed through my veins. If Britton hadn’t been here, I would’ve considered asking Declan to shoot me up with some of that angel healing power.
“What’s your friend’s name?”
“Asher St. John.”
He took out a slip of paper and pen and jotted it down, tucking it back in his pocket.
“Do you know how many guards are on duty?” Declan asked.
“Half a dozen guarding the barracks. Dozens more inside the tower. Let’s just hope we won’t have to go in there.”
“Why are you doing this?” Declan shot Britt a narrowed glare.
I slapped my arm across my companion’s stomach. I didn’t need him pissing off our only help.
“No, it’s fine. I should’ve been honest with you from the get go.” He ran his hand over his dark buzzed hair. “My little brother’s in there. I’ve been wanting an excuse to go in for weeks.”
Maybe it was a good thing I’d brought Declan along. I wasn’t half as devious as he was. I would’ve never thought to question Britt’s motives.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered.
My eyes met his and I suddenly realized why the pain in his gaze had resonated with me. We’d both lost everyone we cared about. “Don’t be. I would’ve done the same thing.”
Declan arched a brow at me, but I ignored him. Motives didn’t matter now. We just needed to get in and get Asher out.
“How can we trust that you’ll put Liv’s friend first?” Declan’s eyes shot daggers at the big guy. “What if you abandon us as soon as we get in?”
Again he ignored him and faced me. “I promised to help you find your friend and I will. Once we do, I’ll get you guys out, but I’m not leaving without my brother.”
“Fair enough.”
Declan eyed me unconvinced, but it wasn’t up to him. I was the one calling the shots.
“Let’s just do this.” Declan turned toward the tower, pulling a baseball cap out of his back pocket and positioning it over his unruly locks.
“Not that way,” hissed Britton. “Follow me.” He walked a few paces then stopped in front of a manhole. He crouched down and heaved the metal lid off, disappearing down the dark shaft.
I lowered my foot to the first rung of the ladder and carefully climbed down with Declan trailing just behind me. The stench of raw sewage assaulted my nose, and I suppressed the urge to gag as I made the slow descent. Reaching the last foothold, I hopped down and lukewarm water splashed my legs. Eww.
“This way.” Britt pointed his flashlight down the dank passage and Declan and I followed.
The whoosh of rushing water muted our footsteps as we moved silently through the passageway. After a few minutes, the tunnel we were following abruptly came to a dead end.
“Now what?” asked Declan.
Britt moved his hands over the brick wall, stopping every once in awhile to give it a tap. His brows furrowed as he stepped a foot to the left and repeated the procedure.
“What the heck is he doing? Declan whispered in my ear.
I shrugged and pressed my finger to my lips. I flicked his hat too for good measure. He was so impatient.
“Ah-ha.” Britt pulled a long file out of his pocket and stuck it in between two bricks. He gave it a yank, and the brick popped right out.
Declan’s eyes widened, the maroon practically disappearing in all the white. I guess Mr.-Know-It-All-Angel didn’t actually know it all.
Within a few minutes, he’d pulled out enough bricks for a full-sized adult to get through.
“We’ll be directly under the barracks when we pass through here, so no talking—got it?”
We both nodded as Britt crawled through the opening in the wall. Once he was on the other side, he stuck his hand through the hole and helped me in. I climbed over the crumbling wall and focused my eyes. It looked like the sewage tunnels we were just in only more rundown.
At the end of the cavernous space was a metal door. Britt walked toward it and we followed, my breath coming in short spurts. This was it. We were at the barracks.
Britt walked straight up to the door and shined his flashlight into a small hole. He stepped back and waited. My pulse quickened, and I had to restrain my foot from tapping.
The click of the lock resounded across the vacant space, and my heart jumped to my throat. Declan’s fingers closed around my hand and squeezed.
The door slowly opened, and a tall man appeared in a crisp white soldier’s uniform. He had the same buzzed haircut as Britt and similar meaty physique. The new guy pressed his finger to his lips and ushered us through the doorway.
A trickle of sweat dripped down my back as I crept forward. My heart pounded so loud I was certain I’d wake the entire compound. The man led us through a narrow corridor and up a flight of stairs. He opened another door and we were back outside, the dark night casting ominous shadows across the silent complex.
Dozens of gray trailers stretched out before us, the metal siding glinting in the moonlight.
Britt patted the guy on the shoulder and handed him the slip of paper with Asher’s name on it. The man stared at it for a second then pointed to one of the trailers about twenty yards from us.
My stomach flip-flopped as anxiety chewed on my insides.
Britton nodded and mouthed, “thank you.” The man turned and disappeared into the maze of temporary housing.
Britton ticked his head in the direction the man had indicated, and we moved silently across the hard-packed earth. My heartbeat quickened with each step I took. I couldn’t believe after everything I’d been through, I was finally going to see Asher.
Britton stopped at the front step of the gray structure and pointed at me. He silently crept up the stairs, and I followed. He opened the door and peered into the quiet dormitory, motioning for me to do the same. I took another step up and crossed the threshold, my mouth gone completely dry.
Black blanketed the room, and I strained to see anything beyond my nose. Slowly, a dozen beds took shape, each with a sleeping figure curled on top of it. I scanned each one, searching for Asher’s tall form and short blonde hair.
A few of the silhouettes fit the description. With most under blankets, it was difficult to tell without getting closer. I turned to Britt and shrugged. He ticked his head toward the rows of beds, motioning for me to go.
I tiptoed through the quiet snores, every squeak of my shoes close to giving me a heart attack. There were three blonde guys that could’ve been Asher. I made my way to the first, a silent prayer on my lips. Not him.
I moved to the next. The guy was too old.
One left at the far corner. I crept further, my heart thrashing against my ribs. The guy’s head was turned away from me toward the wall. I leaned over his sleeping form, holding my breath. The man grunted and rolled over.
I froze.
Not Asher.
My lungs deflated, and my legs grew weak. I gritted my teeth and forced myself not to collapse on the spot. I turned back to Britt who was anxiously waiting at t
he door and shook my head.
He mouthed a curse word, and I echoed it in my head.
We were going into Arx.
Chapter 23
Declan pulled the blue baseball cap down lower over his forehead so that his maroon eyes barely peeked out from underneath the bill. I glanced up at him, but he refused to meet my gaze. I didn’t have any super powers, and even I sensed the tension rolling off him in waves. I swallowed, my throat parched like the Sahara. Britt’s uniformed friend walked behind the three of us, a gun trained at our backs as we crossed the threshold into Arx.
Harsh neon lights flooded the entrance as we passed the gauntlet of nephilim soldiers. Golden body armor gleamed across their broad chests and gilded swords hung at their hips. They were almost too beautiful to look at.
Declan kept his head down as we passed. If someone recognized him, we were screwed.
One of the nephilim locked eyes with Britt’s guy and moved toward us. “Where are you taking these prisoners?”
“New recruits, they’re scheduled for Augmentation.”
Augmentation?
The towering blonde’s light brows drew together. “At this hour?”
“We’re running a bit behind schedule. Too many humans coming in.”
The nephilim’s bright blue eyes scanned us from head to toe. Sharp angles cut his face as if he’d been drawn that way. His porcelain skin practically glowed under the halogen lights. He nodded to the soldier and returned to his place by the door.
I released a quick breath as we moved further down the bright hall. Arx was nothing like I’d imagined it. I’d pictured it decadent and luxurious with gold-covered everything. Something one would find in a lavish medieval castle. Instead, it was the complete opposite. Clean white walls and sleek modern fixtures surrounded us. Everything was so white it was almost blinding.
In the light, I could finally make out Britt’s friend’s nametag. Redson was stamped across a silver badge in thick black letters. The light glinted across his close-cut hair, giving it an auburn tint. Ironic considering his name.
He led us through a grand atrium and stopped in front of a shiny elevator and pressed the up button. Seconds later, the doors slid open and the four of us slipped in.
I opened my mouth to speak, but Declan squeezed my hand so hard I was sure he’d broken a finger or two. He glanced up at the mirrored ceiling, and the camera trained right at us.
I quickly clenched my jaw shut and let my mind wander instead. What was augmentation and where was Redson really taking us? The one question I refused to focus on was the scariest one of all—what if Asher wasn’t here? What if he was dead?
A thick lump clogged my throat, and tears pricked my eyes. I squeezed them shut, refusing to cry in front of these guys. I couldn’t think like that. Asher had to be okay.
The elevator whizzed up to the twentieth floor, and the doors glided open. Redson led us down another bright white corridor and stopped in front of a door. Augmentation was stamped across the front in big ominous letters.
Well you wanted to know what it was, Liv…
Redson swiped his badge across the scanner, and the door clicked open. He led us into the large sterile space and shut the door behind him, motioning for us to sit. A row of plastic blue chairs lined the white wall. I sat and scanned the strange room. A desk was positioned directly across from us with what looked like a telescope sitting on top of it. Above the desk was another camera. A red light blinked as it watched us. Who was on the other end?
Redson flipped a switch by the doorframe, and the red light turned off.
“Okay, you’re free to talk now.” He moved toward Britt and took a seat beside him.
Declan eyed the camera overhead and ticked his head toward it.
“It’s off,” said Redson. “It interferes with the augmentation ray so this room is one of the only ones in the entire tower equipped with a shut-off switch.”
What the heck is an augmentation ray?
Declan nodded. Apparently he knew what it was. More lies. My fingers curled into tight fists as I suppressed the urge to yell at him. I couldn’t out him now.
“We’re looking for Liv’s friend.” Britt turned to Redson. “His name’s Asher like I showed you earlier. Any idea where he might be?”
Redson grunted. “Dude, we get hundreds of new recruits everyday. I can’t keep track of them all.”
My shoulders sagged against the hard chair. Where are you, Asher?
“You haven’t seen my brother, Jesse, have you?”
“Naw, man. I’m sorry. I’ve been keeping an eye out too since I got word.”
Was I the only one that wanted to know what the hell the augmentation ray was?
“Do you know when this guy was brought in?” Redson turned to me.
“About a week ago.” It seemed like a lifetime.
“He would’ve already undergone augmentation,” muttered Declan.
Redson arched a brow, but didn’t ask. “He’s right. He would’ve been assigned a post by now. If he’s not in the barracks, he must be on duty. Most likely levels one through five. That’s where they assign the newbies.”
“Okay, that’s where we’ll start,” said Britt.
Redson chewed on his fingernail. “Unless they sent him out already. They sent a few hundred of ‘em north a few days ago to keep the vamps in check.”
Terror seized my heart. “Why would they send humans to do that?”
“They think we’re expendable. Plus once they’re augmented, they have more of a fighting chance.”
I was pretty sure my head was going to explode. “What the hell does that mean?”
Redson pursed his lips and eyed Britt uncomfortably.
I spun at Declan who sat beside me still refusing to meet my eye. “What is augmentation?”
He ticked his head up at the shiny silver telescope sitting on the desk in front of us. “The angels found a way to infuse humans with some of their power. It’s only temporary, but it makes them stronger, faster, and a bit more durable.”
That didn’t sound as horrible as I’d imagined. “That’s not so bad. At least they’re given an edge against the vampires.”
“Yeah, except it screws with their minds,” spat Britt, leaning forward on his seat so I could see him on the other side of Declan.
“How?”
“The more they get zapped, the weaker their mind gets.” Redson stood and ran his finger over the telescope-looking thing. “It’s a weird side effect. They start to forget the person they once were.”
“It’s too much power for the human vessel to sustain,” Declan muttered under his breath.
All the air in my lungs evaporated. My head swam, and I grabbed onto the side of the chair to keep myself from tumbling off. Declan put his arm around my shoulder, but I shrugged him off. How could he not tell me?
I shot up from my seat, ignoring the spinning white room. “We have to find Asher now.”
Declan stood beside me, his brows pinched. A flash of regret crossed his dark eyes. I knew he was sorry, but I didn’t care. He turned to Redson and Britt. “If we split up, we’ll cover more ground.”
“This place is a maze, you won’t be able to find your way out without me,” said the burly soldier.
“It’s not going to be a problem,” Declan growled. Redson’s gaze focused on him, and I thought I saw a flash of recognition.
“I have a blueprint,” I blurted out. The last thing I needed right now was Redson outing Declan as an angel. I pulled it from my backpack and unrolled it in front of him.
The soldier scrutinized the blue ink for a moment and nodded. “Okay, it looks good.” He pointed at level one. “Human guards are stationed here and here on each floor. There shouldn’t be too many other angels wandering around at this time of night. If your friend isn’t in the barracks and wasn’t sent out to fight, he’d be on one of these other floors.”
Britt gave me a tight-lipped smile. “We’ll take the top two floors and you guy
s take the next two and we’ll meet back on level one. Try to avoid the cameras as much as possible.”
“Okay,” I muttered.
Redson flicked the switch, reactivating the camera and opened the door. He walked us to the elevator and jabbed his finger at the call button. The first elevator arrived, and he ticked his head. “Good luck.”
Chapter 24
Declan and I slipped into the elevator. The minute the doors glided closed, he threw his hand up toward the camera in the corner. A bright flash of light burst from his palm, and the intense flare momentarily blinded me. I squeezed my eyes shut as stars danced across my vision.
When I reopened them, a golden armor-clad nephilim stood in front of me. I almost screamed. Then Declan’s maroon irises pierced me with their trademark smolder. My eyes widened as they raked over him in all his gilded angel glory.
“What the—”
He turned us away from the camera and pressed a finger to his lips. I reluctantly gave him a nod. How did he not tell me he could magically transform like that? One second he was in a t-shirt and jeans and the next he was in full warrior gear. He moved beside me and grabbed my upper arm.
I guessed I was supposed to be his prisoner or something.
I couldn’t help my eyes wandering over his exposed arms. The nephilim soldier get-up didn’t leave much to the imagination. The golden breastplate barely covered his chest, and his muscled thighs peeked out from under short leather breeches. His angel sword hung from his hip encased in a gold sheath, glistening under the neon lights.
The elevator doors slid open on level three, and Declan took the lead. The foyer split in two with a pair of human soldiers on each side. I quickly scanned their faces—not Asher. Declan took the corridor to the left, still clutching my arm. We passed under the narrowed glare of the two human sentinels, their uniforms an unearthly shade of white. Why were they looking at me like that? Like I was the enemy?
We circled the entire floor, passing a handful of other soldiers, but none were my best friend. On the bright side, we hadn’t seen any angels either. Hundreds of questions swirled in my mind as we passed countless white doors. What went on in this place? Declan had to know; he’d lived here. He knew their secrets. I glanced at his hand clutching my arm. His fingers felt cold, completely different than the person I’d spent the last few days with.